The caraga experience

CEBU, Philippines - Cities evoke a mental picture of a concrete jungle, draped with large billboards and neon signs, blanketed by smog. It is a place of blaring sounds which people take as music. There are times when we yearn for a quiet moment and a breath of fresh air. We crave for something new… an adventure.

The Department of Tourism through Secretary Ace Durano and DOT-Region 7 recently invited a group of Cebu travel writers and travel operators on a four-day familiarization tour to Region XIII or better known as the Caraga region, with an itinerary that satiated our hunger for culture enrichment, adventure and relaxation.

And true to what they say, “You will never know how it truly tastes, until you feel it in your mouth,” we had a cultural immersion. After checking in at Almont Inland Hotel, the group was ready to visit the three museums in Butuan.

Led by DOT-7 Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa, our group had for a first destination Butuan City, known for its rich culture and history that dates back before Ferdinand Magellan’s landing on Philippine shores.

At the Diocesan Museum, the group was guided by Fr. Joesilo Amalla, who presented an almost kilometer-long paper with names from its historic past until present, proving that the first Easter Sunday Mass was held there. Butuan City is not only known for the story of Masawa Island in Agusan River Delta in Mindanao, but also as a source of well documented historical data and artifacts.

“Balangay”, which the word “barangay” is derived from, were small boats used in the early times. These boats were found in Butuan and are preserved up to this moment.

Second stop was at the Regional Museum It is a must-visit place in the city because there you get to see relics and artifacts that will prove that the Filipinos were already into trading with neighboring countries long before Magellan landed on our shores. The displays in the museum also showed what our early ancestors used, like their clothes, means of catching food and the utensils and equipment in their households.

The final visit was at the Butuan National Museum of the Balangay Shrine in Libertad Butuan City, where two of the five boats that were excavated from the banks of Butuan’s river, are displayed. At the back of the museum is an almost dried up river, still believed to have more of these balangays waiting to be unearthed.

Butuan evolved from three different hypotheses: One, derived from the sour fruit “batwan”. Another is from Raja Bantuan, one of the leaders who visited ancient Butuan. The third is of the people being “but-an,” meaning “hospitable” or “good”.

On the second day, we had a three-hour scenic ride to Hayanggabon wharf, where we took a boat to get to our next destination – Sohoton. The Hayanggabon wharf is found near Lake Mainit, the Philippines’ fourth largest lake and called such due to its warm water that spreads out between Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte.

Sohoton, which is in the municipality of Socorro, is one of the many islands of Bukas Grande, Surigao del Norte. We checked in at Club Tara resort, a Korean owned resort that is a favorite place for honeymooners. It has spacious rooms with verandas that are set right in the sea.

 The nearby Sohoton National Park offers lots of activities, like the mystical Sohoton Cove, swimming to a secret underground passage that would get you six feet above the water and do a perfect dive. You could also kayak your way to the jellyfish sanctuary where you can swim with thousands of non-stinging jellyfish in varying psychedelic colors.

Aside from these, the place also has the Tiktikan Lake, the San Roque Mangrove, the Iñaran Marsh, Magkahuyok falls and the Buayahan Lake. This can all be done on a two-day tour while staying at nearby resorts like the Hidden Islands Resort which offers Economy, De Luxe and VIP packages.

Tourist guides are the local fishermen who are most familiar with the places and are very able English-speaking guides. They can answer any question you shoot at them. Now that’s excellent service!

But if you’re not into this adventure, you can just idly sit and enjoy the silence of nature, or feel the rustle of the leaves that sway in the mellow breeze. Tourism Operations Officer of Sohoton, Dhodo Genson Ajoc shared that they are into ecological protection, preserving exotic varieties like the pitcher plant and the Philippine Ironwood, known as the hardest specie in the whole world. Ajoc also identified five kinds of Philippine eagles found in the forests, as well as Rufus hornbills and Flying Lemurs.

On the third day of the exciting tour, the group rode a boat to three islets- the Naked Island, Daku and Guyam. These are found near Siargao Island, which lies in the northeast coast of Mindanao and is famous for its mountain-like waves… reason for it to be called the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines.”

This part of the region is a favorite of locals and foreigners alike and is visited all through out the year especially during August to October, which is the surfing season.

We checked in at Bayud resort, owned by Surigao del Norte Governor Robert Ace Barbers who was kind enough to offer the group the best accommodations, though the resort is still set to officially open next year.

And since Siargao is known for its waves, our visit would not be complete if we did not stop by the famous Cloud 9. Here, big surfing competitions have taken place. On September 24, “Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational competition” will open. This will be the 15th International Competition to be held there.

We visited the Magpupungko Beach in Pilar, where we were welcomed by Pilar Mayor Lucio Gonzales and his staff who prepared sumptuous snacks that could have fed a whole barangay. Magpupungko, or “sitting or squatting”, is famous for its rock formations that seem to be sitting or squatting along the shoreline during low-tide. As the water is contained inside the formation, it would resemble a giant swimming pool.

This was the place where the first “Game Fishing Competition” in the island was held last April 2008, attracting many tourists from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Russia.

As tourists began to flock to Siargao and accommodation became a problem, DOT Secretary Ace Durano allocated funds for the establishment of the “Home-stay Program”, where tourists can stay in the houses of the locals.

“Home-Stay Project” has been warmly accepted by the residents as it helps them earn extra income. After a thorough training in different services conducted by DOT, those who passed were given P75 thousand pesos assistance that they can use for the improvement of their houses or buy air conditioners, beds and bathrooms facilities.

The last day of our trip started off with an hour-drive going to the Municipality of Del Carmen where the group was greeted by their young and handsome Mayor Constantino Navarro IV. We were also joined by the very energetic DOT regional director of Caraga Letty Tan who led us to the Del Carmen Wharf where we set off in “bankas” to the popular Caub Lagoon and Mangrove sites.

These sites are favorite attractions in the region. It is a huge 4,000 square meter area filled with mangroves that look like they were all trimmed down to an exact height. The Mangrove area is the largest in Mindanao and the second largest in the whole Philippines.

Oh, and let me not forget those mouth-watering food! Everywhere we went, luscious fresh sea food dishes were offered. From huge alimangos, to different kinds of fish, and shrimps, prawns, lobsters. Delicious food that made us forget about our diets.

So if you are tired of the city and would want a totally new adventure, take the Caraga Tour and come home feeling like a whole new energized and prouder Filipino.