Witnessing the raw beauty of the Dinagat Islands left me completely in awe, despite being at odds with how I would perceive the backwardness of the province in terms of infrastructures. As a potential eco-tourism destination, its rugged and bare surroundings can be a boon, but they could also be a bane, as other provinces have simply left it behind in terms of development. This leaves the province in an ideal situation as it has the opportunity to opt for a development suited for sustainable tourism, which will put more emphasis on taking care of the province’s natural gifts.
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| The mystical Lake Bababu |
Dinagat Islands,
from a tourism viewpoint, is very exciting. One could liken it to what Siargao
was 20–30 years ago. For tourism planners, there are numerous opportunities to
learn from, including the application of tourism best practices in many places today,
the chance to replicate the success, and the opportunity to learn from the
tourism mistakes of Siargao, Boracay, and Palawan.
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| My 2nd time in Dinagat is for the coverage of Bugkosan Festival |
The more tourism
grows in this province (with sound planning built on more community-based
enterprises and ones that won't alienate or force out locals), the farther it
can distance itself from its history as a mining island.
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| Cabacongan Beach. One of the many beautiful beaches in Dinagat Islands |
Leaving
Dinagat Islands after only a few days left me wanting more. “If only I had
a few more days to explore," I told myself as we hopped on a ferry boat to
Surigao City enroute to our next destination, which is Siargao. Upon my return
to Manila a few days later, I had assumed that my journey back to the province
would take place a few months into the following year. Unbeknownst to me, the
travel gods have granted my wish already.
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| I personally prefer the rawness of Dinagat Islands. Hope future development will be all environment-friendly |
When I received a
call from the publisher of AsianTraveler Magazine regarding a writing
assignment to cover this year’s Bugkosan Festival, I immediately said yes, even
without knowing the dates it will fall on. As I received all the details about
my trip, I quickly packed my backpack with renewed excitement as I look forward
to adding to my wonderful experience of discovering more about this province,
whose strangeness has now given way to familiarity.
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| Wanted: A tourism program centering on community participation that will benefit the locals more |
Less than a week
later, after that phone call, I found myself on a flight from Manila to Butuan.
From the airport, together with two DOT Caraga staff, we motored for a couple
of hours to the Port of Surigao City for a sea voyage to the Dinagat Islands.
Seeing Lake Bababu
through a Drone’s Eyes
San Jose, the
capital of the Dinagat Islands, is the most accessible, having port connections
with Surigao City. Unlike my first visit to the province, where we took a
chartered speedboat from Hinunduyan, Southern Leyte, to Loreto, my second visit
began here via a ferry boat from Surigao Port. Shortly after leaving my
belongings at Vine's Bed and Breakfast, my tour guide Al and I met our two
boatmen at the resort's jetty and began our day of island-hopping exploration.
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| Will definitely hike to Lake Bababu next time |
Mere minutes into
our boat ride, the long white sandy shores of San Jose arrested my attention.
Amidst the rocky islets and lush green mountains, it's easy to overlook the
province's declaration as a mineral reserve area, which allowed mining
companies to operate on the islands.
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| Babas Cove |
Keeping that fact
in mind, it instilled in me a renewed sense of hope that once the province
sheds its anonymity and gains recognition among travelers, tourism revenue will
increase, thereby making it possible to put the province's mining history in
the past.
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| The heart-shaped Blue Lagoon in Loreto. More of this here in Part One |
What better way to
introduce Dinagat Islands to the world than the Blue Lagoon in Pangabangan
Island, the Pygmy Forest in Loreto, among many others, and one of our
destinations this morning, the mysterious Lake Bababu.
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| Rare photo op @Hagakhak Rock |
Along the course of
our boat ride, we passed through the spectacular Hagakhak Rock Formation, which
instantly brought to mind the rock formations of Biri, Samar. Despite being
significantly smaller than the rock formations in Biri, the Hagakhak Rock Formation's
outer walls bear a striking resemblance. The rocky walls, made of sedimentary
rock in a variety of shapes and forms, have patterns reminiscent of the moon,
carved out by the ocean waves for thousands or even a million years.
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| Impressive linear patterns of Hagakhak Rock |
Throughout the
afternoon, we made brief stops at Cabacongan and Pagkawasan Beach, both of
which provide rustic accommodations suitable for an island setting. If there is
one attribute that distinguishes Dinagat from different locations in the
country, it is its rawness. While I want tourism to grow in the province, I
don't want it to spiral out of control. Hopefully, this untouched natural
beauty will continue to exist even when tourists in quest of more
off-the-beaten-path locales starts visiting the province.
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| Couldn't resist the temptation to jump into the water |
As the water
beneath our boat became shallower, I began seeing the rich marine life and
corals below, and not far ahead, the white sandy shores of Babas Cove grew more
visible. After we finally docked, I wasted no time and jumped into the water.
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| Look at that super clear waters and the lush forest |
Following a few
laps, I rested on the sands and met a man who introduced himself as Mr. Ricardo
Langit. He told me that since there were no land titles awarded to landowners
back in the day, his family lay claim to the ownership of the property, which
stretches to what he tells me, "Lake Bababu." He further explained in
Tagalog, "We only have a tax declaration to prove we own this land,"
before he briefly explained what Lake Bababu looks like.
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| Somewhere down there is someone flying a drone. That's me |
Since Mr. Langit
informed me that hiking the lake and back would take a total of 2–3 hours, I
decided to use my drone camera instead to capture a glimpse of it. Following
his hand directions, I flew my drone toward a clearing of tall trees until it
revealed a glimmering green body of water, almost spherical in shape and oozing
with a peculiar vibe, right smack in the middle of the forest.
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| One of Bugkosan Festival's Princess Dina |
Despite Lake
Bababu's distance from Babas Cove, an underwater cave connects the two bodies
of water, transforming Lake Bababu into a blend of sea and freshwater. A bill
currently in the Senate advocates for the protection and promotion of Lake
Bababu as a tourist destination, citing the lake's 650-meter underground tunnel
as the longest known submerged cave system in the Philippines.
The Laid-back
Revelry of Bugkosan Festival
Coinciding with my
return trip to Dinagat Islands is the celebration of this year’s Bugkosan
Festival. This year’s Bugkosan, which means “to bind," celebrates the 18th
founding anniversary of Dinagat as a province.
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| She's PRETTY ready for the street parade now |
After spending my
first day island-hopping, I awoke at the first light the next day, excited to
join the fray. As someone who has witnessed several Philippine festivals in
different places before, I hyped myself, readying to body surf among a throng
of crowds. My tour guide Al drove me on a brief habal-habal ride to the
gathering stage by the port of San Jose, where we were pleasantly surprised by
the sight of just about the right number of people.
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| and so are them... |
Given the
manageable crowd, I explained to Al how I could effortlessly wiggle myself into
the action to capture photographs. He responds in Tagalog, "We have a
small population, just over 100,000." I nodded and explained to him the
disparity in the sheer number of attendees at festivals such as Sinulog in
Cebu. “I like this more laid-back festival," I told him.
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| The street dancing competition pits 7 contingents from the 7 municipalities and towns of Dinagat |
The festival
featured mythical characters, Princess Dina and Prince Gat, children of two
warring tribes who fell in love with each other. The Princess Dina and Prince
Gat from each of the province's seven municipalities formed a circle to perform
a ritual dance, signaling the start of the street dancing festivities.
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| The stationary dance competition was held late in the afternoon |
The street dance
snaked through the winding roads of San Jose until mid-morning, when the
festival took a break for a reprieve from the scorching sun. As dusk
approached, the drumming beats continued until the winners were announced.
Lumad Kagjawnon from the municipality of Cagdinao won the stationary dance
competition, while the contingent from Loreto won the street dance category.
A Gunship of a
Capitol
While Dinagat
Islands may seem underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure when compared to
other provinces, it is now exhibiting signs of development. Evidence can be
found on a 400-hectare land atop a hill, which was previously classified in
1939 as a mineral or mining reservation and is currently being developed into a
Provincial Government Center.
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| the Yamashiro replica doubles as the provincial capitol of Dinagat |
The new Provincial
Capitol, a replica of the World War II Japanese warship the
"Yamashiro," which sank on the waters near Hibosong Island in Loreto,
Dinagat Islands, during the Battle of Surigao Strait on October 25, 1944, is
one of the buildings currently under construction.
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| Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA Shrine) complete caption can be read here. |
While architecture
purists might scoff at the design, it's important to remember that just as
novelty songs become huge hits, the residents of the island province might also
find this unique look of the Dinagat Islands' new provincial capitol appealing,
and a fascinating landmark for tourists to check out.
Barely Leafing
through the Pages of Dinagat
In my back-to-back
visit to Dinagat Islands in a month’s time, I was able to transform the
unfamiliarity of the province into lasting memories of the place. Having
experienced exploring a whirlwind of intriguing attractions, and friendly
encounters with the locals, it is clear that my exploration of the islands of
Dinagat merely skimmed the surface of what it can offer to travelers.
