Balabac, Palawan

Places you never want to leave exist… like Balabac.

The southernmost municipality of Palawan consists of 36 islands, including the eponymous main island Balabac. Not considering the disputed Spratly Islands, Balabac is also the westernmost point in the Philippines separated from Sabah by the Balabac Strait. In fact, the borders of Malaysia is nearer compared to the province’s city center. The farthest island of Balabac is just three hours away by boat to Sabah, while Puerto Princesa from the main island is 8-10 hours away by land and sea travel.

Balabac is a rising destination that could rival, even surpass the beaches of El Nido or Coron, the famous tourist destinations in the northern province.  My recent immersion to Balabac because of our office’s annual anti-human trafficking drive, reignited my love for raw, undeveloped and virgin beaches.

Our team was ferried from Rio Tuba in Bataraza to Balabac by naval fighter boat BRP Teotimo Figuracion (PC389). We passed by several islands of Bataraza and Balabac before reaching the main island and town proper.

As our boat was approaching, the place kinda reminded me of Taganak Island in Tawi-Tawi. Stilt houses, puppet and damas boats almost surround the island, showing that despite modernization, traditional dwellings and traditional way of life are still present.

We stayed at Sing and Swing Lodge courtesy of the LGU. I love the simple way of life of the locals. A local said that 80% of the population is Muslim. Most of the food products including rice, fruits, mineral water, bread and coffee, come from Sabah.  There is a small eatery right in front of the local police that sells Malaysian comfort food. Before tourism started to boom in Balabac, major source of income of the people are from fishing and trade with the nearby Sabah and Malaysian islands. FM radio plays music from Malaysia. A dilapidated Malaysian boat which was intercepted by the local authorities due to illegal fishing in Philippine territorial waters, is showcased like a shipwrecked vessel near the pier. These only show how porous it is going back and forth between Southern Palawan and Sabah.

The main island is home to saltwater crocodiles, making it not so ideal for swimming especially near the port and stilt houses. A few weeks after our visit to Balabac, a seaweed farmer’s 10 year old son was eaten alive by a crocodile. Such a horrific news!

There is an old lighthouse not too far from the town proper.

Below the lighthouse is a rocky beach area, which is also the grazing ground of cows.

After our official activity, we requested our local partners to tour us in some of the islands. Tin from the local police arranged everything. Due to time constraint, we requested a puppet boat (which is faster)  instead of a regular outrigger boat for island hopping. Pero dahil wala rin makita na available puppet boat, we ended up using the small boat of the Coastguard.

The initial plan was to visit 3 islands but the strong wind and sea condition prevented us from exploring more than one island per day. Islands are far away from each other – perhaps similar distance between Batangas Pier and Puerto Galera. Actually, if the waves are strong and high, island hopping is not advisable.  Nonetheless, we were happy to have discovered Camiaran or Pink Island.

Privately owned and uninhabited, this is the only island characterized by immaculate white and pink sands. The fine mix of crushed red and white corals make the sand look pinkish, especially in broad daylight. The island is ideal for picnics and for swimming. It is also surrounded by coral beds, kaya nung naabutan kami ng lowtide we had to wait for more than two hours, para makalabas ang bangka namin.

  

The next day, we continued our island hopping to Onuk Island. Onuk is smaller than Camiaran but also very beautiful by its own standard. Actually it is dubbed the “Maldives” among the islands in Balabac, very rich in marine life (including pawikan) and with its very own sandbar. The island was recently acquired by a leading property developer in the country. It was off-limits to the public during our visit but thanks to our LGU partner, we were allowed to enter. It has an entrance fee of P1,500 per person but since we were guests, the fees we’re waived. Onuk, by the way, was popularized by the award-winning photo of George Tapan.

Sunset and sunrise in Balabac are breathtaking, peaceful.

I wish I had a longer stay in Balabac. Prior this trip, whenever I see photos of Balabac online, they look so madali puntahan. Sa totoo lang napaka-challenging kung nataon na may habagat or amihan. I heard stories na na-stuck sa island for two to three days longer due to weather disturbance. But hurdles often make the trip worthwhile. 

 

From Puerto Princesa, take a van going to Rio Tuba (4-5 hours away). In Rio Tuba, take a passenger boat going to Balabac (4 hours). It would be more convenient to join organized tours.

 

JD Lodge/ Sing and Swing

Brgy. 3, Poblacion

Balabac, Palawan

Tel. No.: 0917-5961991

Cotabato City

The Grand Mosque in Cotabato costs a whooping US$48 million. It is also believed to be the grandest and among the largest mosques in the Philippines.

I think those are good reason enough to visit Cotabato City. Aside from the fact that it is the regional center of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

It was an impulsive, spur of the moment trip, which started when I asked Manay (while we were having breakfast in Davao City) if she wants to see the mosque. She said “game” and asked “Hindi ba delikado dun?” I jokingly replied “Manay kung ano man mangyari sa atin dun, at least ikaw matanda ka na at na-enjoy mo na ang buhay, ako bata pa.” Hehe.

By midnight and after six hour of land travel, we were already in Cotabato. We checked in at Filipino Hotel, a budget hotel located at the heart of the city, adjacent to the town plaza and overlooking the Old City Hall, a striking century-old Malay-inspired building.

The morning after, we decided to rent a habal habal so we could visit the different landmarks of the city. Tanks, military cars, I think are a common sight in the area. A mayor was just recently assassinated. But quite honestly, I never felt that there was any peace and order problem in the city. In fact, it reminds me of my hometown, maybe just a little progressive.

The People’s Palace – the New City Hall houses the LGU and is a showcase of an ethno-modern Islamic architecture. A colourful giant signage of Cotabato City enhances the beauty of the whole complex.

Masjid Al-Salaamah is a green-motif worship place which according to our habal-habal driver was built by Robin Padilla for his Muslim brothers in Mindanao.

Jamiat Cotabato is a recently-opened, prestigious school for the Muslims. It specializes on Sharia, Tarbiyah Islamiah, Da’wah and special Arabic language. Some foreigners are studying in the school. 

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of Tamontaka was built in 1872. It is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Mindanao and was declared a national historical landmark in 2004.

There’s a carinderia near the church. It was a good thing we spotted the eatery because we were able to taste the native delicacy of Cotabato – the pastil. At first I thought the pastil was the local version of my favorite Vjandep Pastel of Camiguin. I was wrong. It was actually a rice with pork toppings wrapped in banana leaf.

Just five minutes away from the carinderia is already the boundary of Cotabato City and Datu Odin Sinsuat of Maguindanao Province. We were able to visit the three known spots in the area.

MSU, the most popular state university in Mindanao, has a graduate school in Maguindanao that offers specialized courses on Islamic, and Peace and Development Studies.

The Al-Jamelah Weaving Center is a Peace Project and pasalubong center known for inaul, a Maguindanao handwoven silk fabric. Inaul is used as malong or sarong and worn as traditional dress by Maguindanaoans. At the center, we were able to see how the local women painstakingly weave the fabric into colourful and intricate design. That’s why the price tag of these inauls doesn’t come cheap.

The Lourdes Grotto is a large compound with retreat house, park and zoo. It showcases a replica of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in France.

The Masjid Dimaukom is the famed Pink Mosque in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao. Opened in 2014, the mosque's construction was financed by Mayor Samsodin Dimaukon. It also stands on a piece of land donated by his family. The mosque was painted pink because it is the favorite color of the Mayor and his wife, and the color symbolizes peace and love.

The Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol Building is a huge white Arabic-inspired structure with a big gold dome at the center and a giant statue of Sultan Kudarat (Muslim ruler and national hero) on the grounds. Located in the neighboring town of Isulan, Capitol houses the different provincial government offices.

And finally, the highlight of our trip – the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid or the Grand Mosque in Kalanganan. The mosque was named after the sultan of Brunei Darussalam, who generously funded its construction. The mosque located within a 15 hectare property, can accommodate more than a thousand Muslim worshippers. Luckily, we were the only tourists during our visit, thus we were able to run around the complex and fully enjoy the view and its surroundings minus the crowd. Even from afar, the mosque with its golden domes, minarets and white and cream walls, appears majestic.

There is so much more to see in Cotabato, even Maguindanao. I hope to be back one day. I love the peace signs I saw all over the place. I can contribute one. Make pastils, not war.

There are daily direct flights from Manila to Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. From the airport, Cotabato City is around 20 minutes by car or jeepney. It can also be reached via a 6-hour land travel (bus or van) from Davao City or 4-hour land travel from GenSan.