Memories of my first visit
to Mararison Island played vividly on my mind as we approach it aboard a
motorized boat from the port of Culasi. I could still hear in my head, the angelic
voices of the Mararison Children's choir belting out a harmonious Kinaray—a traditional welcoming song.
Known all over Antique province where they perform frequently in numerous
revelries, its members whose ages ranges from 6 to 13 thirteen years old have become
the island’s cultural ambassadors. It was more than a year ago when I first
heard them croon. One and a half lap around the sun later, I find myself en
route back to Mararison—not only to listen again to the youngsters’ divine
voices but also to embrace the enthralling setting of Mararison.
Home Sweet Stay
Arresting my attention as
we cruise over the calm waters are the island’s emerald-colored rolling hills
facing east and the sandbar that is shaped like a head of a sickle. The moment
our boat docked, I immediately planted my feet on the soft sands under the
knee-deep sea water. Instantly, I sensed the urge to dip my whole body. I would
have done so if not for the setting sun glistening the sky with fiery colors
and is about to bite into the remaining daylight.
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| The Mararison Children's Choir pictured here during my first visit in 2016 |
“Let’s head to our lodgings on the other side of the island, we can
visit the sandbar tomorrow” our guide told us. We boarded our boat again and
cruised to the part of the island facing west and the waters of Sulu Sea. Living
up to the island's rustic sense are the absence of high-end resorts. To retain
its authentic feel, 41 of the more than 140 households in Mararison Island were accredited
and trained for homestay accommodation.
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| the rocky shore fronting Enrique de Mararison becomes a perfect breakfast spot on low tide mornings |
We stayed at Enrique de
Mararison—the island's lone resort which appear as a commonplace abode that
blends flawlessly with the island atmosphere. We also met its owner Mr. Enrique,
who left a high paying job in the airline industry in order to come back to his
island of birth. “I wanted to plant my
root permanently here and also to help the community in advocating for sustainable
tourism in Mararison island”, he tells us.
Mararison Island's Night of the Fireflies
Minus a mobile signal
which turned out to be a blessing as we felt the quaint aura of Mararison more.
Erica, Karla and I laid over a mat under this peculiar tree which the locals
refer to as the ‘firefly tree’. Every
night hundreds of fireflies gather around it. The dark evening sky illuminated
only by scattered stars provided a surreal setting, as we stared at the
fireflies hovering above us—their hasty movements leaving magnificent trails of
radiance.
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| We were also kept company by the island dogs |
That first nightfall we
had on Mararison Island comprising of animated conversations and
unperturbed existence is now categorized in my memory vault as the ‘night of the fireflies’.
Pitcher (Plant) Perfect Hills
Mararison Island spread
out like a shape of a hook covering an expanse of 55-hectares. A great part of
it is composed of rolling hills that rises to Lantawan, a peak of a few hundred
feet—where one stands to a jaw-dropping view of the Sulu Sea, Panay mainland
and Mararison’s sibling islands: Batbatan and Maniguin. The three islands
according to a local legend, are the children of Mount Kanlaon in Negros and
Mount Madjaas in Panay.
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| Pitcher Plants abound in Mararison |
The short trail to the
waving hilltops is endowed with a lush grassy knoll hiding an abundance of
pitcher plants commonly found in the deep forest of Antique. This carnivorous
plant species feasting on insects is characterized by its long elongated leaves
shaped like a water pitcher. It has a round opening on top functioning as
pitfall traps that nabs insects deep into the leaf’s cavity filled with
digestive fluid.
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| Karla of Karla Around the World |
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| Mararison Island's Sweeping landscape |
From a night of fireflies
to a morning of magnificent sun rising, our second day at Mararison Island
already gifted me with yet another reason to go back. Afterward, as we were
enjoying a short swim at the island's western shore facing Sulu Sea and nearby
Nablag Islet, we witnessed a few local fishermen doing spear fishing. “C’mon, try it” one of them said to us in
Tagalog.
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| Erica Villa of Girl Unspotted |
As Karla and Erica took
turns, I floated with my back on the water staring at the sky. One of the
fishermen pulled me and told me in Tagalog “look
at the coral, it’s starting to become alive again”. He explained to me how
illegal fishing practices like the use dynamite damaged the coral reef a long
time ago. But now, he tells me “i-ingatan
na namin ito” (“we will now take care
of this”).
I couldn’t be gladder at
what I heard from him. Knowing how the locals are now committed to taking care of
their island home, I can only make a plea to future visitors of the Mararison Island to do the same.
