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Return To Tubajon
Guest Traveler: Ian Garcia
The poblacion was expectedly quiet. On-board
a habal-habal, I observed the familiar structures on our way to the staff house:
the ashen welcome arc that greets the oncoming visitors of the town,
the town's churches, the store where we purchase our daily staples,
the abandoned turn-of-the-century residence, the municipal high
school and its dowdy interpretation of Nayong Pilipino. A welcome
surprise was the new PhilCom calling station. Finally, this
town's not so distant anymore. What a difference four months
make, I said to myself.
Good friend Nonoy and I had just completed
an hour of "habal-habal" spin from the municipality
of Libjo to Tubajon, a butt-killing 40- kilometer ride knifing
through the scrub and logged-over forests of Dinagat where wild
species of pitcher plants, shrubs and grasses form natural banisters
along the jagged highway.
I was immediately embraced by a familiar feeling
when we arrived especially when I saw the warm welcoming smiles
of the local folks. There was an instant kindred feeling. It
felt good knowing that some of the folks still remember this
wandering soul - as Nonoy's younger brother (in fact I am two
years older than he is). I really, really like this place.
Later that evening, Nonoy brought me to several
households for dinner. The community was celebrating the "ante" of
Barangay San Roque's fiesta ("ante" is the celebration
preceding the eve or "bisperas"). You can just imagine how many times
we had dinner and binged on Tanduay for the next two nights
- and I'm not even going to talk about the nightly "baylehan".
The abundance of seafood variedly prepared
from one house to another displayed the Tubajuenos culinary
ingenuity. Deep sea and coral fishes along with mud crabs were
sumptuously primed to gustatory perfection, setting off an explosion
of flavors.
The next day, we cruised to a mangrove lagoon
in Tambongon, a 30- minute motorized outrigger ride from the
Poblacion. The lagoon was obscurely hidden amidst the thick
coastal shrubs, enveloped by a sand bar and the depilated hills.
The sight inside the lagoon was common but its significance
in the ecosystem has transcended its visual mediocrity, and
its being secluded has heavily shielded the breeding grounds
of various marine species from storms, predators and poachers.
After a swim, we paid the lagoon's sole resident
- an old lady - a visit in her nipa shanty. Nonoy, who is the municipality's health
officer, talked to her about the conditions of the area while
I explored its environs. There was an obvious mass of dead corals
nearby which showed signs of dynamite and cyanide fishing, a
practice which has been currently put to a slowdown with Mayor
Ronald Luib's aggressive campaign.
The lady later generously presented Nonoy a
couple of crabs and an enormous fish called "banggisan."
He insisted on paying for them but she replied with a coy smile
and refused payment. We later broiled the fish, sautéed
the crabs and devoured them in Barangay Imelda, following another
afternoon of alcohol bingeing.
The next day, we simply lazed out in Talisay,
a white sand beach just 10 minutes away from poblacion. There
we spent hours basking under the summer sun, relishing the spray
produced by the breaking waves and the gusts of ocean breeze.
If only life could always be this leisurely.
I have finally returned to Tubajon, at the
northeastern-most tip of Mindanao. I am still enamored with its simple life which is
just one of the many things that gives this bucolic homestead
its natural and rustic charm. My adventure in this amazing paradise
was just beginning.
SURVIVORS: BHABHABHU
The banca trip was painfully long. The summer
sun was scorching. I have asked our banca captain several times
- the very cool Boyax - if we've reached the place. Every time
I ask, he would reply, "du-ol na 'ta" ("we're
almost there"). As I have previously written about the
Tubajuenos' concept of time, everything is relatively near.
We arrived there two hours later. A hidden
cove greeted us, as we were about to dock ashore. A piece of
paradise was laid before our very eyes. I could only say one
word: "Whoa!"
So, this is Bhabhabhu, the fabled island in
Barangay Melgar in the municipality of Basilisa, Dinagat Island. The mystical place
- which name is a play on the phrase "baba sa buwaya"
or "mouth of the crocodile" - is known for its jelly
fish cove, the pockets of beaches beneath huge limestone boulders
and its mysterious twin lakes just a couple of meters away from
the shore.
The island is also known as the final bastion
of Kumander Bata (aka Romeo Borromeo), the leader of a sect
said to be a breakaway group of the cultic Philippine Benevolent
Missionary Association. Hailed as hero by his loyal disciples,
they laid Bata's remains on a tomb atop one of the limestone
boulders, like a silent defender of the island from intruders,
at the same time flaunting a dramatic view of the seascape.
The trek was certainly not a walk in the park.
More like labor, climbing and descending on narrow trails strewn with sharp limestone
rocks. It would have been a great total body exercise if not
for the previous night's alcohol spree. So we walked and walked
and walked. And walked some more until we were completely drenched
by our own perspiration. Our feet were so sore as sharp rocks
would knock them as we sauntered along.
In our minds, we thought of Bhabhabhu as a
perfect location for the reality-TV series SURVIVORS. Isolated
fantasy-like island? Check. Exotic food and water source? Check.
Threat of wild animals (vipers, flying lemurs, giant ants, jelly
fish)? Check. Dangerous terrain? (vertigo-inducing ravines,
vertical underground chambers, declivitous cliffs)? Check.
Before we knew it, the lake appeared like a
mirage on an exhausting journey. Its emerald waters brimmed
over its crater-like opening as lush foliage surrounded its
ridges like jewels to a crown. In no time, it seduced our drained
bodies towards its gleaming pool. Suddenly, we forgot about
how difficult it was to get there.
We dipped into its lukewarm, seemingly bottomless
pool. Some of our companions got onboard a "balsa"
(raft) made of banana trunks and paddled away across the lagoon.
The place was eerily tranquil with only the warbles of the birds
creating reverberating sounds.
After more than an hour, we traversed to the
smaller lake where a cult of long-maned good-natured men and
women were busy preparing their food and water ration. We found
out that they were spending their Holy Week by the lake.
It was just strange that the group was secured
by armed men believed to be private armies of one of the cult's
leaders. On that side of the island, we also saw how they ravaged
its remaining resources by cutting down some of the trees and
clearing the area for their newly-built Lenten domicile.
Our guide - a local who also owns a house in
Samal - also told us that treasure hunters often go there in
search of the lost Yamashita treasures while various cults would
bathe in the s0-called miraculous waters of the lakes.
It is sad to know that while these people were
searching for mysticism and treasures, they also devastated its natural wealth
in the process. Just when they thought they were about to find
the elusive jewels of Bhabhabhu, they are actually losing it.
We navigated slowly, gawking at the huge stones
jutting out of the coves, sculpted by wind and sea, molding
crocodile-like snouts. Facing heavenwards, the hideous craggy
contours looked like reptilian armies guarding its enchanting
fortress, ready for the kill. If it were real, it would have
ferociously shielded the island, keeping its treasures away
from the prying and voracious nature of man.
Still, the island remains a mystery to me.
A wondrous enigma of
nature. Sailing out of Bhabhabhu was almost like being transported
out of the twilight zone. We then headed farther, towards the
other enchanting islands of this magical region called Dinagat.
AMAZING ISLANDS OF DINAGAT
"Amazing!" blurted out companion
lawyer Sherwin Quilatan, friend Nonoy's Lex Taliones frat bro,
upon his arrival in Tubajon, Dinagat Island. In spite of the
fact that he took the wrong boat from Surigao and had to endure
more than an hour of a hitchhiking, he was still convinced that
his ordeal was worth the arduous trip. I absolutely agree with
him.
The island of Dinagat - with a total land area
of 66,300 hectares - lies off the northeastern tip of Mindanao.
Different types of forestland such as old growth dipterocarp, scrub, mossy and
mangrove forests still remain and make up almost 40% of the
island's total land area. White lauan and yakal are still found
in its old growth forests while unique floral species, such
as the mangkuno (iron wood) and varieties of pitcher plants,
can be found all over the island.
Although some parts of the island had been cleared, several
areas of closed canopy forest survive in the Kambinliw and Redondo
mountain ranges in the municipality of Loreto.
In these mountains inhabit 36 species of mammals,
63 species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 70 species of birds including
the Philippine hawk-eagle, Mindanao Bleeding-heart, Philippine
Cockatoo, Mindanao Hornbill, among others. Declared as a Mineral
Reserve, Dinagat is also known for its large deposits of chromite,
nickel, limestone, gold, iron and manganese.
In spite of its vast tourism potentials, Dinagat
- compared to
Siargao, Boracay or Bohol - does not find itself in major travel
brochures; as a matter of fact, it is not in any travel brochures
at all. Though it might hurt economically, it is actually a most
welcome fact. The country's best-kept jewels simply aren't ready
to withstand the onslaught of mass tourism. Due to the absence
of tourists, commercialized tours, and, God forbid, golf course
developers, the island's landscapes and lifestyle remain almost
unaltered. Its remoteness manages to keep it far from careless
tourists. The locals believe that it must be kept that way,
too.
It was my fourth day in Dinagat when Sherwin
arrived, and my third in exploring the beaches that skirt the
huge island. Two hours out in the sea and we were still on the
boat looking for the perfect beach. There were just too many
beautiful spots to pick from. Our sole consolation was the breathtaking
land and seascapes that have endlessly captivated our senses,
such as the endless spectacles of limestone islets, secluded
beaches, coves, caves and lagoons surrounded by fascinating
foliage, and birds hovering around the sea.
We made a brief stop in an abandoned resort
called Pig-ot in Libjo Municipality. The stilt cottages - purposely
built in an belt of islets to protect it from the currents -
were connected from each other by plank bridges fastened only
by crumbly twines. Inward the towering islets was a shallow
area for swimming and snorkeling, a wading pool that was almost
independent from outer streams and tides. While waiting for
our next destination, we lounged at a kiosk on top of one of
the islets.
Later we decided to take lunch break in Plaridel
where we had a
gratifying feast of a kinilaw, broth and grill out of an enormous
fish called saramya. After our siesta, we made few short stops
in various islets and mangrove coves until we decided to visit
one more beach before we would call it a day.
Somewhere in Barangay Tonggo, we were greeted
by a long stretch of white sand and the verdant forests that
form its backdrop. We spent hours of snorkeling in its reef
where colorful corals and fishes abound.
Wandering around, we noticed another beach
hidden behind a huge boulder. We trekked beyond the boulder
and discovered something even better: a secret lagoon. It was
brimming with sea-green water while hornbills and crows fluttered
merrily above it. We didn't even try to think of it as a real
place: like we've dropped out of the world we knew and slipped
into a dream world, a post card, a computer-enhanced tropics
calendar shot. It was just enchanting.
Just before dusk, we proceeded back to Tubajon
to avoid the strong current brought about by the changing tides.
Quietly, we witnessed the ball of fire drown into the Visayan
horizon. The sea was eerily placid except for fishes that skip
out from its mirror-like surface. As the sun was setting, the
full moon gradually soared out on the eastern sky as if chasing
us back to Tubajon. We finally spent the rest of the evening
tirelessly discussing about our island adventure.
The morning after, I found myself contemplating
about my trip while on board the Surigao City-bound ferry. The
ferry feverishly cut though the raging Surigao Strait, spraying
us from head to toe with icy waters. I was almost unfazed by
it as little movies of my trip ran inside my mind. I looked
up the orange sky instead, thinking how things worked so beautifully.
About how it sometimes seems that so much can happen in so short
a time. I though that the joys of travelling was not just about
seeing new places and exploring the unfamiliar. Sometimes it
was about simple things that I might have taken for granted,
like visiting a good friend, renewing ties with the people I
got acquainted with, and getting to know new ones.
I also appreciated more the overwhelming beauty
of Dinagat Island. Perhaps, I will always be drawn to its irresistible
lure. I love going to places, to see, to experience, to enjoy,
but I also love coming home. It was time to hit the road again.
LEGEND OF DINAGAT. According to oral tradition,
the island was christened after DINA, the beautiful daughter
of a powerful island chieftain, and GAT, a handsome warrior
and son of the rival chieftain. A bloody battle persisted between
the two rival chieftains, which caused hardship among the islanders. The feud
was resolved only when Dina and Gat fell in love and married
each other. As a gesture of gratitude, the islanders named the
island after the couple. As amusing as this fable may be, it
doesn't come close to the even more enchanting reality of Dinagat's
natural beauty.
 This just-turned-thirty die-hard Davaoeño
writer keeps a day job as the Promotions Coordinator of the
Davao City Tourism Office. During his free time, he lifts weights,
kayaks across the gulf, does river rafting and trekking, climbs
mountains, searches for waterfalls in Mindanao’s wilderness,
travels to some lesser known islands, and hunts for the latest
(pirated) CDs along San Pedro Street. He is also a columnist
for the Mindanao Times and contributes to various travel publications.
He also wrote the essays in “Davao City in Bloom”
coffee table book, which incidentally won “Travel Publication
of the Year” in the prestigious National Tourism Awards’
(Kalakbay Awards) in 1999. Still very much single and available,
this guy is still seriously searching for interested takers.
wanderlust@asean-mail.com
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