Pujada: An island adrift in time

"Beware of quicksands.."Our guide warned but his voice faded into nothingness as we excitedly jumped from the patrol boat of the BFAR into the ankle-deep blue water and made footsteps in the unspoiled fine white sand.Wow! At last my long-time dream of coming to this island was fulfilled. Time seemed to stand still as we entered a totally-secluded territory.Here was an island totally unblemished by coarse tourism, adrift in the Pujada Bay, undiscovered yet by the mass market, and yet is accessible provided one gets in touch with the owners through the Mati Tourism Office.

Forgetting about time and quicksands, I ventured farther from the group with the enthusiasm of an amateur photographer, straining my hands from holding the battery cover with my palm while trying to aim and shoot.Ben's digicam looked like it figured in an accident and just came from the hospital, wrapped with surgical tapes but it didn't stop me from capturing the magnificent and unsullied view the island has to offer.To add to it, the eight batteries I took were all 'low-bat' that I had to turn off the camera for a second for every shoot I took, turn it on again before shooting the next picture.

Next in my wish list was to see the dolphins but no matter how hard our guide whistled, not one showed itself to us. We learned later that dolphins usually show up from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. It was already 3 p.m. We were too late.Pujada island is approximately 156 hectares only accessible by more than an hour's boat ride from Mati wharf. We sailed past two smaller islands- Waniban and Oak island, an oblong-shaped sand bar connected to Pujada Island which disappears during high tide before docking at Pujada island.

The three islands boasts of one thing in common- fine white sand and pristine blue waters around it.Mati mayor's wife Edith N. Rabat said plans are on the way to develop Pujada island, one of the municipality's main attractions to entice more tourists to visit Mati."We are just waiting for the go signal from the Angliongto family, the owner of the island before any development will take place to make it as one of the prime tourist spots not only in Mati but in Mindanao," Rabat said.

Mati councilor Allan Andrade said the island is one of the 42 tourist attractions in the province of Davao Oriental, mostly natural attractions that include hot springs, islands, beaches, lakes and waterfalls.There's nothing like an hour's journey by sea giving that would give you a sense of leaving things behind than visiting this strip of paradise in Mati- and if you're lucky, you might just get a chance to see the dolphins in their exhibition.*

Postscripts from Lake Sebu

For anyone who seeks peace of mind, body and spirit, the tranquility of the countryside and the fresh mountain air in Lake Sebu, some 45 minutes away from Koronadal, South Cotabato is the answer. It's fantastically reviving that would make one wish to stay there forever and forget deadlines and pressures of work breathing down one's neck everday.After being jam-packed in a van which transported us all the way from Davao City, we finally came to the lake which offers the opportunity of experiencing genuine serenity which is too good to pass.Situated at an altitude of 1000 meters, Lake Sebu irrigates the fertile Allah Valley.

It is home to two peoples, the T'boli, a highland tribe famous for their colourful costumes, woven work, intricate beadwork, and brass ornaments, and the Tasadays, a cave-dwelling people.Visiting Lake Sebu would be incomplete if one will not go on a boat ride around the lake, so with my companions Cha, Kuya Ben, Roland, Rhonson, Arjoy, Mai, Maam Marilyn, Edit, Germie, Romeo and Juliet from different media outfits, we spent the next 45-minutes taking in the breathtaking wonder of nature at its best.

On the way back to Punta Isla resort, we came to a portion where the water was very frighteningly and darkly green. It's surface was so smooth, broken only by the ripples created by the boat.Nervously looking around for a lifeboat, the guide seemed to sensed my uneasiness and casually said, "Mga 100 meters na ang lalim ng tubig dito." I didn't listen to the rest of his recitation. I gripped my seat so hard and tried to recite the Last Prayer silently.

The trip around the lake brought us very close to the three islands in the lake and the fish cages that ring the tranquil 364-hectare lake.The three guys Roland, Rhonson and Arjoy stole a chance to go fishing at the lake but either they were too humble or they didn't catch anything because I never heard mention of a single fish they caught.We had broiled tilapia and native chicken soup for lunch. Lake Sebu tilapia is simply delicious, giving off a distinct sweetish aroma that leaves us wanting for more even though we were already filled to bursting point.

Only 18 of the 32 servings of rice we ordered were served so the guys had to make do with the meager rice servings.

When only Tatay Rene and Michael of the Davao Camera Club were eating, in comes the waiter with the remaining 11 servings of rice. We wagered whether the two could consume it all but even the hungriest man on earth would go dizzy with the rice. They only consumed 5 servings.SouvenirsWhile Tatay Rene was busily selecting trinkets for pasalubong to friends back home, Edit and I were also busily selecting from Tatay's collection for ourselves. Albeit grumbling, he still paid for our choices.

I contemplated on buying a pair of earrings which caught my fancy but was hesitant because I only have one pierced ear. Rhonson of Tourism (DoT) offered to split the price with me and said we would take one earring each but changed his mind at the last minute.Enterprising T'boli women in their clorful costumes spread a wide array of malong, shawls, embroidered and beaded blouses, coin purses, necklaces, key holders, penholders, and several other crafts produced by creative hands and minds, all screaming to be brought home. Only the limited contents of my billfold stopped me from doing so.World-class tourist destination.

Just recently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has chosen Lake Sebu town as among the focal areas for the country's ecotourism development program and as a world-class tourist destination over the next decade.Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun said the Lake Sebu watershed forest reserve, which covers the entire municipality, would be developed as among the country's major ecotourism destinations in Southeast Asia by the year 2012.The 92,450 hetare town of Lake Sebu was recognized as one of the most important watershed areas in the country and was proclaimed as a Protected Landscape on 24 September 1985.*

A cool stop-over at Marilog

Up and away.
A scenic hour and a half drive away from the heart of Davao
city will give you a chance to deeply breath the cool mountain breeze of Marilog District, Davao's summer capital which rests at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level.

The place is not only known for its lush vegetation and bountiful flowers but with terrains where one can experience Davao's great outdoors to whet the stimulus of the adventurous.

I instantly said yes to the invitation of friend Manny Quisol to see something of the place last week. We reached sitio Epol and alighted from our vehicle, feasting our eyes on the array of lovely flowers displayed beside the highway.

We stopped by Foggy Mountain Garden owned by Bagahisan barangay kagawad Bilma Fuentes and were treated to a spectacular view of her vegetable, flower and strawberry gardens.

The place is very cool. No, I take that last word back, The right terms are cold and nippy because I was shivering in my thin shirt the whole day we were there.
We took a leisurely lunch at Seagull Mountain Resort and proceeded to Green Valley waterfalls at sitio Epol.
Manny and I had to drag Jojo, our driver to go down to the waterfalls with us instead of nursing his overfed stomach sleeping.

We trekked down a narrow and winding pathway, enjoying the peaceful quiet of the place broken only by the sound of crickets and gushing water until we got to the water falls.

Oh wow! The sight and sound of waterfalls always soothe my being. It made me regret I did not bring extra clothes. Entrance to the Green Valley Waterfalls is P7 for day guests and P12 for overnight guests. An overnight cottage with an attic and porch can be rented at P50 per person or for a fixed price of P1,000.
Tents can be pitched at no additional cost and guests are advised to bring their own baon. However, food can be ordered if reservations are made,

Open cottages can also be rented for P20 each, overlooking the waterfalls. This 2.8 hectare property, owned by Lolita Lopez Tan and Winston Tan started operating in 1993. There is not electricity in the place, giving guests a chance to commune with nature it but resort caretaker Bebeth Abergos said they can assure guests of security in the place. For reservations, you may contact Bebeth at cellphone # 0920-8179325.

Beachside Bungalows

The bungalows are set in the ocean’s edge, right in the picturesque traditional fishing village in Melekeok, giving one a complete feeling of ‘getting-away-from-it-all’ and going back to the basics of sun, sand and sea. We arrived at the Palau Beach Bungalows at dusk, breathing in the salty tang of air from the sea and settled in for a relaxing weekend.
This ‘Palauan style’ site for relaxation, as aptly described by owner Palau Community College (PCC) president Patrick Tellei brings you the basics of traditional Palau, far away from traffic and roaring of vehicles, blaring television sets, crowds and your daily routine.
A respite at the Palau Beach Bungalows gives you a chance to do what you want- enjoy the view of the long stretch of green blue sea, surf the huge waves at the edge of the reef about half a mile away from the beach, stretch on the bed in your cottage while sniffing the fresh sea breeze, or be lulled to sleep by the sound of the rolling waves crashing on the breakwater. You can also swim and snorkel, fish for brilliant colored fishes, hike through verdant green jungle to see one of Palau’s meeting houses (bai), walk though the village along the water’s edge to find an ancient stone monolith. Time is never enough before you have to go back to “civilization” once again.
Patrick designed and built the bungalows on weekends or during his spare time until the bungalows were opened for business in July 2005. Patrick said he built the bungalows to help pay the electrical bills of the family, and to give interested family members a way to get their hands into the tourism business.
He also said that since the Capitol was moving to Melekeok, and boats going back & forth to Koror were dwindling, he wanted the place to be there for people working on the construction of the Capitol and for anyone who wants to get away and relax.
Four of the five bungalows have a private bath, a bedroom with an air-conditioner, and living room with a furnished kitchenette, complete with coffee maker, electric burner, toaster, refrigerator, cookware and kitchen utensils
The fifth bungalow has two studio units with an outside bath.
Guests can bring their own groceries, or for a chance to savor delicious Palauan specialties, meals can be ordered from Ubal Tellei’s family living nearby (with 12 hours advance notice).
And oh yes, the place has a signal in case you need to contact somebody via cellular phone.
The rate is only $40 plus 14% tax per night per bungalow ($46.30) but Virginia, Patrick’s wife said weekly and monthly discounts are available. Palau Beach Bungalows is about an hour’s drive away from Koror, passing scenic views and the new Capitol building. For more information, please call 680-587-2533 or email palaubeachbungalows@palaunet.com.

Inter-action under the sea

If you’ve always dreamed of diving into the deep blue sea and interacting with the marine life but you still haven’t got the chance to do so, a visit to the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) can offer you the rare experience of an adventure under the sea without getting yourself wet.
The Palau Aquarium at the PICRC is the best place to experience the wonders of Palau’s unique marine world without even getting your feet wet. The Palau Aquarium was opened in January 1, 2000 but it was formally launched on January 18, 2000. Kambes Kesolei, Chief Aquarist of the PICRC said the aquarium was established to stimulate interest, increase knowledge and promote stewardship of Palau’s coral reefs and the world’s ocean environment through innovative exhibits, education and awareness programs, and scientific research. He said it also shows the inter-relationship of the habitats in the ocean.
He said this also gives visitors a first hand look into the world of the diverse coral reef ecosystem. There are over a hundred different species of fish in the aquariums. He added that keeping corrals alive inside aquariums is no small task because it requires extra care, skill and knowledge
PICRC is the only aquarium who has 18 exhibitions and among these are the exhibits on Palau Islands, the legend of Chuab, mangroves, sea grass bed, inner reef, reef crest, marine lake, camouflage, creatures of the deep, cave creatures, symbiosis, the outer reef, coral biology, video on Palau, coral cultivation, crocodiles,
Kesolei said the Aquarium is getting at least 34 percent of the market share of the total number of tourists visiting Palau. He said the peak was during 2004 when the number of tourists and visitors was at its highest.
“For last year, the number of visitors has declined but this is based on the decline of the tourist arrivals in the country, too,” Kesolei said. One’s visit to Palau won’t be complete without visiting the Palau Aquarium. It’s a whole new world full of revelations and discoveries.
Entrance fee for the aquarium is $7 for tourists and $5 for local residents. There are also group discounts and special rates for students on a fieldtrip.

Kiss from a dolphin

I had mixed emotions of fear and excitement the minute the dolphin’s cold mouth landed on my cheek-and stayed there for about a full minute. It was the first time I saw real live dolphins outside the television screen and got a kiss from one, too. We were at the Dolphins Pacific Bay, one of the rare places in the world where people could experience close encounter and interaction with the dolphins, lessons you will not get in the classrooms. Eight dolphins occupy the lagoons and only two of them are males, Echo and J. The females are Surech, Rubak, Ariel, Ekei, Layla, and Roxanne. Ramirez said each dolphin can be identified by its own distinctive features. We watched in fascination as the dolphins dived, executed perfect somersaults, flipped over, waved their tails tumbled and did as the trainers ordered them to do. “Training the dolphins takes at least two months and you have to get them into activity everyday,” Arturo Ramirez Jr., our Mexican tour guide said. He added that using the reward system helps, which means they will reward a dolphin with fish or ice cubes if they follow the instructions and do something right. Because dolphins tend to eat leaves that fall into the lagoon and eventually get sick from it, the trainers taught the dolphins to retrieve leaves and give it to them, and the dolphins get rewards for doing so. It is also a puzzle that dolphins live in salt water yet they drink fresh water. Every couple of days or so, dolphins are given water through a funnel and a hose and they sure drink a lot, says Ramirez. Interaction with the dolphins starts with an educational lecture about the natural history of dolphins and getting acquainted with the eight dolphins from their photos. This is followed by a walk along the lagoons and finally getting into a wading platform where one is given the rare chance to touch a dolphin’s body, and get a handshake or a kiss from them. For the more daring, you can snorkel, swim, scuba dive or dive with the dolphins to get a really close encounter and see their world beneath the surface of the water. Dolphins, Ramirez said, are sensitive creatures. “If you make unnecessary movements or actions they will get confused and this could affect them but they are very playful,” he said. “The purpose of this dolphin facility is to teach people to study the special abilities of dolphins, to put them as teaching materials for environmental education,” says Ramirez. He said it is important for people, particularly the children to learn the importance of protecting the dolphins and saving them for the future generations. The Dolphin facility costing $2.5 million was established in July 20, 2000. Ramirez said the dolphins were brought in from Japan in 2001 and were trained here. The Dolphin Bay is one of the main tourist attractions of Palau (A visit to Palau won’t be complete without going there) and is becoming a destination not only for tourists but for locals, for children, elderly people and the handicapped. For more information, visit www.dolphinspacific.com or email smiles@dolphinspacific.com or call 680-488-8582.

Seagull in the mountain

Hunger, which overtook us on a recent visit to Marilog, the summer capital of Davao City, took us to this mountain resort which has been earning its niche in the tourism industry.Seagull mountain resort is about an hour and a half ride away from Davao city proper, untamed beauty of nature that gives you a feeling of floating in the skies after fog envelops you especially in the early mornings or late afternoons and visibility point is reduced to two meters around you.

While waiting for our order of half a serving of fried chicken garnished with chicharon, a pot of sinabaw na lapu-lapu and kinilaw, friend Manny and I took the chance to go for a quick tour around the cool resort.Seagull Valley Cool mountain resort provides guests with a spectacular view of the woodland of Marilog District. Aside from the restaurant, the resort also features a mountain trail, waterfalls, swimming pools, chapel, day and overnight cottages, viewing area and sprawling garden of colorful flowers.

Minutes after lunch, I declared I will not leave the place without going to the waterfalls, so I dragged Manny again to go with me (our other companion Jojo begged off). The waiter said the falls is just some 300 meters away from the restaurant, but I swear it was further. Remind me again and yet again never to trust distances gauged by pointed lips.I was wearing sandals and quiet unprepared for the descent. But when we finally got there, it was worth it.

If you got insufficient time to go to the mountains, Seagull Beach Resort with white sand beach is at your fingertips located at the tip of Punta Dumalag peninsula providing one a breath-taking sight of Mount Apo.It contains a floating restaurant, cottages, overnight facilities, sea slides, picnic huts, seminar halls, children's playground and aqua sports facilities.Meanwhile, if near Digos City, Seagull in Guihing provides almost the same amenities but with the added attraction of an excellent shooting range for shooting club members. Feel free to call Tel. Nos. 221-5727 or 227-4370 for details and reservations.