5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT CAGBALETE ISLAND

Cagbalete Island has currently been featured amongst the Best Unspoiled Beaches in the Philippines and here are 5 Reasons why you should consider Cagbalete Island as your next Beach Destination.

1.) EXCITING BOAT RIDE -

Arriving in Nilandingan Cove via the Chillest Boat Ride Ever!

Getting to Cagbalete Island is by Boat. Yep, the boat with Bamboo Floaters on the side and not Ferries or those fancy speedboats you find in other more well-known islands. So much luxury and ease but where's the fun in that right? The Boatride to Cagbalete is more primitive yet safe as well. I have been traveling to and from the Island ever since the 1980's and I have yet to experience a totally unsafe boatride. Riding with the waves is so much fun! A little saltwater sprinkle that will make you and your friends shout for joy is part of the fun. We are after all off to a Beach right? It's nature Cagbalete Island-goers want and its Nature they get. :)

2.) EXPLORE THE EXPOSED SEABED DURING LOWTIDE -

Visit pools that vary in size during lowtide and float around or observe the sealife

What really sets Cagbalete Island apart from other Island beaches in the country is the evident play of tides. When you say low tide, the water recedes to as far as 1km on some points and leaves the exposed seabed. How low the tide can get is dependent on the type of moon we have. There are times called "tag-gilaw" when the water does not completely empty but it becomes very peaceful and still. When the moon is full, the water is at its lowest. I enjoy my time in this 4-6 hours everyday by going around and turning some rocks over revealing the different types of marine life left by the sea. Sea cucumbers (ti** ng Kabayo in the local dialect), small fishes, starfishes, brittlestars, small crabs, sea urchins and the occasional baby octopuses and  small sting rays can be seen.

3.) FEAST ON THE FRESHEST SEAFOOD -

Freshly caught Sunno Lapu-Lapu and Squid. Perfect for that Beach Lunch.

With the rich Lamon Bay as its home, Cagbalete Island is your seafood lover's paradise. Different types of squid and cuttlefish abound as well as fishes and crustaceans. Buy direct from the fishermen with their catch from early morning fishing. Crabs as big as 2 kilos each are caught in the rocky mangrove areas.

4.) ECO-TOURISM AT ITS BEST -

With no electricity and not much connection to the mainland, Cagbalete's places to see and visit are all gifts from nature. Here are some of the natural attractions you must visit.

a.) Yang-In

The vast expanse of exposed white sand during lowtide called Yang-In, courtesy of Villa Pilarosa's facebook page

A large expanse of pure creamy white seabed that becomes a sandbar during lowtide. Easily accessible by Villa Pilarosa in Cagbalete Dos.

b.) Rio de San Jose

Entering the Rio de San Jose which is a river bounded by Mangrove Forests on both sides.

The closest thing the island has to a real river. With Mangrove trees to the left and right, this used to be the habitat of the saltwater crocodile that inhabited the island before. Sadly (or happily) the crocodiles were poached to extinction for their leather in the latter part of the century. Some areas in the river form part of the Nilandingan Cove property.

c.) Dasi or "Bonsai Island"
 

The Bonsais of Bonsai Island. Photo courtesy of Discover Villa Cleofas facebook page

Three Bonsai'd Mangrove Trees in the middle of the ocean. During lowtide though, a mini island emerges with nooks and crannies worth exploring. Villa Cleofas is the best jump-off point to this area and is credited to have christened it as the now more well-known name of "Bonsai Island".

d.) Natural lowtide Jacuzzis

Fancy a dip during lowtide and just basking under the sun? Photo courtesy of Pareissa Moini

For those who would find it too tiring to walk far out to the sea during lowtide. These natural pools left as the water receded, are cooling and fun. Lounge around with some small fishes trapped inside and watch them swim around you. A unique feature of Nilandingan Cove.

e.) Paet

Paet. Imagine crossing this during high tide for an adventure. Be careful of the current though. Photo courtesy of Deo Vito uploaded at the MVT Sto Nino facebook page.

A saltwater mini-river that's one of the island's best swimming spots especially during lowtide. Best accessed through MVT Sto Nino.

f.)  The "Magic" Tree

Nilandingan Cove's "Magic Tree". Make a wish?

One of the most pictured spots in the island, It's a lone tree that stands apart from the rest of the Mangrove Forest that separates Nilandingan Cove from the rest of the Eastern long beach. The emptied out center of the tree was said to be an entry point to another dimension. The Tree is one of Nilandingan Cove's main destinations.

g.) Nakahigang Balete 

Nakahigang Balete Beauty. Photo by Jan Degollado.

Imagine Pocahontas' Grandmother Willow in the flesh. A leaning Balete Tree in the middle of a forest complete with large roots that makes it look like a mini-cathedral. During rainy season, the area around the tree is submerged in knee-high water. Also part of Nilandingan Cove.

h.) Bulas

Bulas emptying out into the sea. Nice place for that cold dip or just floating around.

One of my secret spots to swim in when its lowtide. The place is so quiet, with the cold rushing stream that you feel like a fairy will come out anytime. This is the area where another mini saltwater river empties out into the ocean. This is also one of the areas you can visit while in Nilandingan Cove. Lord of the Rings much?

i.) "Buntis" or Gabriel's Point

The Ridge called "Buntis" on the Northernmost part of the Island. Photo courtesy of Kuya Gusting Cuanan

Cagbalete Island's main picnic spot before. Buntis is a large rock in the northern part of the island with a ridge-type area that looks like tectonic plates. When the waves hit the rocks, the water sprays tree-high. I haven't really swam here, but locals say that its a deep drop and they also tell of an underwater cave in this area.

5.) CATCH THE MOST AMAZING VIEW OF THE SUNRISE FOR THAT "SUNFIE" (Sun Selfie)

Beautiful Sunrise captured at Nilandingan Cove. Photo by Jan Degollado

Nuff said. Not much words. Just the beauty of the rising sun. :)

Make sure to cover these 5 Reasons to make the most out of your Cagbalete Adventure!

Because Life is DEFINITELY Better at the Beach! See you in Cagbalete!

 

Nilandingan Cove - Cagbalete Island webpage

Photo Credits mentioned to Jan Degollado, Deo Vito and the MVT Sto Nino fanpage, Tita Cynthia Almirez and the Villa Pilarosa fanpage, Tito Tonet Reyeg and the Discover Villa Cleofas fanpage, Kuya Gusting Cuanan and Pareissa Moini. Thank you!

CAGBALETE ISLAND - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE : HISTORY (part 1 of many)

Aerial View of Cagbalete Island from Nilandingan Cove by JJ Maghirang

TRAVEL

 Cagbalete island is a 1,640 hectare property inside the vicinity of Lamon Bay. 

....And I'm sure you've already read about this and other facts about the island from various blog posts and Wikipedia. You've also probably heard about Cagbalete Island one way or another. May it be a blog post, an ad you saw on facebook, casual mentions or a friend who has actually been to the island and back. I have been going to the island as a kid and have called it Home for about 3 years straight. Living on the island like a local and exploring what it has to offer made me forget the comforts of urban living. With the influx of tourists to Cagbalete, I've been thinking of making the ultimate guide, the road less traveled, the off-beaten path so to speak. I'll take you on a journey so that you would get to appreciate the Real Cagbalete. It's not just the shift of tides that make it special. The History of the island, the Flora, the Fauna and the People all contribute to the distinct charm that sets Cagbalete apart from the other island destinations in the country.

Cagbalete Island from a Distance (shot from Cagsiay I)

And so we begin..

The 1868 document that shows the signatures of Don Benedicto, Don Jose and Father Manuel

History :

In 1859, 3 enterprising brothers, Don Benedicto, Don Jose and Fray Manuel Pena (a priest of San Juan de Dios Hospital, mentioned in the 1868 document) decided to purchase Cagbalete Island from the Spanish Government. Through research by the family Historian, Tito Mirlo Pansacola, it was found out that the Pansacolas were actually descended from the Native American Indians that populated the Northwest Coast of Florida (Ever heard of Pensacola Bay?) and that they found themselves in the Philippines through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade route. They were of direct Spanish descent and this was where the special privilege accorded them to be able to purchase land from the "la Reyna de Espana" came from. 

A Supreme Court document in the 1950's stated that the contract to purchase the island was signed in San Rafael, Bulacan leading some to surmise that the family was indeed from there and settled in Mauban after. But I was able to browse through the documents mentioned and saw that the English Translation of the 1859 document began with the Brothers stating that they were in fact Natives of Mauban in the Province of Tayabas (the old name of Quezon Province) and that the document was signed before a certain "Don Rafael". This might be where the confusion came from, whether the 3 letters before Rafael were actually Don or San.

In 1868, the 3 brothers decided to include as heirs the children of their deceased brother Don Eustaquio who lived in the posh districts of Manila (Ermita/Malate). The island of Cagbalete was divided into 4 equal shares. 1/4 of each share to each brother. For those wondering what happened to the 1/4 share of Fr. Manuel, who inherited it? Interesting to mention that he actually had heirs (6 in fact with 5 different surnames) and it was discovered that he was their Father. He even had a child that, like Jose Rizal, was exiled by the Spanish to Cagayan de Oro for being an "ereje". Fr. Manuel was actually a good provider and ensured that his children had a living. Talk about a very colorful family history diba? For the Ateneans, did you know that the great historian Fr. Horacio dela Costa (Yes, the building that houses the Dept. of Social Sciences and the road in Makati) also came from the Pansacola line? He even left a property in Cagbalete Dos to the Jesuit Congregation.

The 1868 document mentioned that the brothers had already paid the price decided upon by the high tribunal in the amount of 125 Pesos. Yes you read that right, P125, which was quite a sum of money at that time. Talk of inflation, what could buy us a Big Mac meal nowadays was enough to purchase an entire island in the 1850's. This also put in the sharing of work by the brothers. Don Benedicto will be in charge of bringing in animals and clearing/cultivating the island, Don Jose will be filing the application of purchasing the island while the nieces and nephews will share in the cost of purchase.

Though the intent to buy the island was first expressed in a document executed in 1859, the 1868 document provided a date as to when the Brothers first exercised their possession of the island. The date mentioned was August 11, 1866 which makes next year special being the 150th year that the island has been under the Pansacola family. Yeay, looks like a special celebration or a mass must be at least held to honor this special day. Imagine how hard it was for the Pansacolas to journey to Cagbalete without the luxury of motorized boats. Tito Mirlo said that they used large sailboats to go to the island. The trip would normally take weeks as from Mauban, the boat would then be blown towards the town of Perez in the island of Alabat (main reason why the Pansacolas also own tracts of land in Perez), and then the winds would blow again and bring the boat to the area occupied now by the Quezon Power Plant (Barangay Cagsiay I) and lastly the winds would bring them to the area near present day Sabang and/or Daungan (inside the San Jose river) which at that time was teeming with saltwater crocodiles. Now that's the REAL Adventure.

My Great Grandmother Milagros and her husband, Leonila Villabona's heir, Dr. Bautista del Banco

My great grandmother, Milagros and my Lola, Lynnette during her debut at the Wack Wack Country Club

On our side of the family, Don Benedicto Pansacola had only 1 daughter named Atanacia who married a Villabona. Atanacia had 2 daughters, Leonila and Maria. Leonila married Don Remigio del Banco who became one of the first Mayors of Mauban at the turn of the century. (His portrait still hangs in the Mauban Municipal Hall) Leonila is the great great grandmother of my Lola, Lynnette del Banco who owns one of the newest resorts in the island, Nilandingan Cove. Maria Villabona married Don Silverio Taino (of Pagsanjan, Laguna descent and later also became Mayor of Mauban) and they had 7 children, some whose names are now immortalized in the names of Resorts, Choleng (Dona Choleng Camping Resort), Noe (Villa Noe), Joven (Joven's Blue Sea) and Cleofas (Villa Cleofas).

Now, the island has been easily divided into 2 Barangays, Cagbalete Uno and Dos. Cagbalete Uno has the properties of Don Benedicto and Don Eustaquio while Cagbalete Dos has the properties of Don Jose and Fr. Manuel. Most of the resorts are found in Cagbalete Uno though there are also Interesting areas in Cagbalete Dos which I hope to also include in this Guide.

A local, "Jerrick", playing his makeshift toy boat during lowtide in Nilandingan Cove

(Part 2 : Wildlife...to be continued)