Kalanggaman Island: A secret shared

MANILA, Philippines - Kalanggaman Island is the new Boracay. Yes, you read that right. This I dare to declare, after having seen most of the breathtaking natural beauty of the Philippines over some 33 years, in the course of my fulfilling work with the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Boracay and even Palawan have been consistently named by international publications and global organizations as among the world’s best beaches. My fearless forecast: Kalanggaman will soon join this privileged circle, thanks to all the raves that it continues to earn from both the not-so-many-as-yet local and overseas visitors. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

With its name derived from the Visayan word langgam, which means bird – for it looks like one, viewed from just below the clouds – the 6.8-hectare islet may be found in the middle of the Camotes Sea, between the city of Bogo in Northern Cebu and 15 nautical miles away from the municipality of Palompon in Western Leyte.

With its crystalline warm waters, finely grained white sand with shifting eastern and western sandbars, Kalanggaman is fast becoming a must-see-no-regrets destination in the country’s central islands.

These days, post-Typhoon Yolanda, Kalanggaman plays host, nonstop at that, to a couple of hundreds of tourists daily, constantly increasing up to thousands on a monthly basis, according to reliable data from the Palompon Municipal Eco-Tourism Council (PMET) Inc., in partnership with the local government unit of Palompon, Leyte that owns, controls and operates the island.

Early this year, the MS Europa II dropped anchor there and several of the cruisers abandoned their cabins to sunbathe and swim, snorkel and dive ‘til sundown. 

Kalanggaman’s transformation into a vibrant yet tranquil tourist spot is startling, specially since it was virtually untouched for decades. I should remember for most of my happy childhood summers were spent with Tias Josefa, Carmen and Soledad and Tio Jesus, my mother’s siblings who were all single then, in the hacienda in Lawis, Tabango, Leyte, today slightly less than an hour’s drive to Palompon.

Visitors were few and far between, rather limited to fishermen from nearby islas who would beach their barotos on the shore as they took a much-needed break from their midnight-to-dawn fishing, cooked their baon and organized their catch of the day before heading out to the town’s mercado. And a few of the local families who would also come in motorized outriggers, with their guests-on-vacation to enjoy the magic of the place. Definitely, there was no parade of beach-goers in teeny-tiny bikinis and other skimpy swimwear. Their attire, at best, consisted of t-shirts worn over shorts. And some even had hats for fear their skin would burn and eventually get too dark.

Those were halcyon, worry-free days. The finca by the water had lush mangroves surrounded by acacia and kalachuchi trees. Beside the ancestral home, which was built by my maternal abuelito patterned on his casa de piedra in Entrago, Teverga in Northern Spain, was a camarin or a storehouse for harvested crops, which were mostly corn and copra.

There were also fruit trees like tambis and sineguelas, as well as vegetable patches of tomatoes and eggplants, potatoes and peanuts. A coconut plantation completed this idyllic picture, while the daily cattle round-ups by local cowboys added a dash of excitement that thrilled us youngsters.

From morning ‘til night, we spent our time exploring the hills and plains with the tenants’ kids, all in joyful play. We picked guavas, traipsed around the pasto, searched for birds’ nests, raced after hermit crabs, ran wildly to win at patintero and, of course, swam to our heart’s content. We also attended catechism classes as we sat under the trees. But as soon as the moon peeped from the sky, our devoted yayas and loyal household staff shared scary stories about duwendes and engkantos.

The most looked forward to treat, however, was our excursion to Kalanggaman. It was far from easy to reach then. Roads were non-existent. So we’d hop on a big (or so it seemed in those days!) motorized pump boat and travel by water for what felt like a never-ending sail.

My aunties and uncle would bring every possible item we needed – tents and banigs, Tupperware and more Tupperware of our favorite picnic dishes, tons of ice and those all-important bottle openers. Wine wasn’t de rigueur, but we had an almost bottomless supply of cold beer for the gents, fresh pitchers of buko for the ladies and the forbidden sodas for the children. Let’s not forget the damas of tuba for the farmhands.

After we had our fun under the sun, we would excitedly segregate our trash and bury it in a newly dug pit. We brought plastic bottles and bags to be reused back at the farm. Those were the days when nobody threw anything away. And we did this when recycling was unheard of. We were quite ahead of the times!

Kalanggaman is less than an hour’s motorboat ride from Palompon, the jump-off point. The fare costs P3,000 for a maximum of 15 passengers. Special rates are available for larger groups. In addition, the fee includes containers of fresh water that can be used for rinsing and bathing.

For day-trippers, there is an island entrance fee of P125 per person. It is suggested to bring your own food and beverages. However, another alternative is to purchase fresh catch from local fisherfolk. Just fire up one of the available grilling stations, and soon enough, you can have a seafood feast.

Sunbeds are rather limited, although tables and chairs can accommodate as many as 500 adults. Rental of water sports facilities, such as scuba-diving gear, kayaks, water bikes and stand-up paddle boats, are at one’s disposal. Amenities like washrooms and showers are functional even if they are modest in design and simple in construction, blending with the landscape.

Overnighters have to spend a little more: P250 per person. In keeping with its nothing-but-the-essentials vibe, Kalanggaman has no hotels or resorts. The only available accommodations, aside from sleeping under the stars, are the utterly basic cottages and tents which are available for a fee. The island has no electricity, but a generator may be provided upon request. And guess what? Arrangements may be made to make the island absolutely exclusively yours.

Kalanggaman, with all its various guidelines, can seem to be too regulated. But the local government unit, actively supported by the concerned people of Palompon, is determined to practice sustainable tourism. The municipal government hopes to avert the challenges of overcrowding, pollution and too-rapid development. In tune with the times, a reliable water supply and dependable sewage system are in the works. And more worthwhile projects are on the drawing board.

Maybe it is inevitable that Kalanggaman is more than just the wonderful paradise of my youth. But I suppose every secret is bound to be discovered. And if it’s a treasure such as this, perhaps it’s really meant to be shared. 

Visit www.palompon-leyte.gov.ph for more details.