SIQUIJOR ISLAND GUIDE - MEETING THE REAL "MANANAMBAL"

Siquijor Island in The Sun

Photos and text by Henry Libo-on

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Many things have been written about the island of Siquijor.  All these beautiful stories from bloggers, reporters, television show hosts, photojournalists, and travel writers delved on the many natural wonders of the island and its historical sites and places. Always present in their account of the island is its mysticism.  As years passed by, Siquijor is no longer what most people perceived the island to be.  The island has transformed.  Maybe her people have realized that in order to make Siquijor a pleasant place to think about, it is also necessary to make a paradigm shift.  From an island famous for "hiwit" and "barang" to an island rich in knowledge about herbal medicine and tourist attractions.

Gone were the days when people were afraid to even mention the word Siquijor for fear of what that word connotes - something wicked, voodoo, sickness or death.
"When you go to Siquijor, avoid looking at the locals straight to their eyes".  One person enthuses.

Helping Manong Baker. We bought a bagful of "Tinapay" bread for our afternoon snacks. The bakery is along the road before we reach the old church on the southern tip of the island. 

Map of Siquijor Island.

Source: upload.wikimedia.org.

Top photo is Salagdoong Beach and Lazi Church below.

This looks like a very good spot for Selfie and Instagram pictures. 

A few steps down this pathway on the left side of the photo will lead you to Cambugahay Falls where you can do the "Tarzan", like I did here, haha...

I swing, shout "Tarzan" and release my grip of the rope and down the water I fall. 

Tarzan!!

Source: YouTube by Soldier_Why.

"Don't spit anywhere, because when Siquijodnon sees your sputum they might do some evil things or magic that may cause you a stomach ache." another person stressed.
"Bring your own food and water and do not accept anything that will be given to you."  A friend who just arrived from Siquijor volunteered.
"Carry a ginger and pieces of garlic in your pocket to scare the spirits that might cause you harm, while you are in Siquijor."  Another friend reminded me.

"Ask permission from the spirits that dwell on "balete" trees or strange uninhabited places like caves or when passing by trees with thick foliage that looked like dwelling places of spirits".  Another believer sternly said.

All these warnings, although sweet they may seem, did not bother me at all.  Why? Because I believe that no one is practicing black or white magic, witchcraft or "hiwit" in Siquijor anymore.

Once, I visited the museum at Silliman University at Dumaguete City and saw several of those tools and paraphernalia of voodoo ceremony and black magic that were displayed there. To know more about this, please visit the museum during office hours.

Lazi Convent is one of the oldest "convento" in the country.  It is found in the Town of Lazi.

Because of this, people who never visited Siquijor will never dare visit it anymore.  Or, for those who are still curious to know more about the island will ask themselves: "is it worth all the efforts?" For those who are desirous to know the real score of these tales about the island, will dare to go and find out the truth.

The inside of the Lazi Convent. 

 

 The following photos (below) show the Lazi Church.  It is also one of the historical and heritage sites in the island of Siquijor.

I am one of those who just think about Siquijor but never attempted to visit it. It is ironic because I just live nearby.  I mean, Bacolod City on the west side of the island of Negros is just a few hours away from Siquijor.  I sometimes glanced at the island as I passed by it on my way to Dipolog.  Or just feeling forlorn for abandoning it and not even desiring to visit it.

At times, I just look at the island while boarding the fast craft on my way to Cebu or Bohol.  But, it has always been on my mind that someday, I could visit it, explore it, know its culture, meet the Siquijodnon or Siquijorians.

That day just came without my actually thinking it could come.  So, I filled my backpack with the things that I needed on my 3-day adventure to the island.

Cang Isok House at Barangay Libo in the town of Enrique Villanueva.  It is believed to have been constructed a century ago. 

This bakeshop is famous for its ensaymada and bocayo bread.  Here, Touristang Pobre bought some bread that could last for two days. This bakery is located along the road en route to Maria Township.

How to get there.

Siquijor Island is accessible by boat from Dumaguete.  From Manila, there are aircraft that fly to Dumaguete on a regular basis such as Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacifc, and others. From Cebu, there are fast crafts that go to Dumaguete, also on a regular basis.  From Iloilo and nearby provinces, there are buses and boats from any ports or wharves within the Visayas and Mindanao areas that ply the routes to the port of Dumaguete.

From Dumaguete, there are fast crafts that go to Siquijor almost every hour every day.  The boat from Dumaguete docks at the port of Larena or the port of Siquijor Town.

From the wharf, there are vehicles, cars, tricycles or motorcycles locally known as "habal-habal" that can take the visitor to his or her point of destination.

Here at Guiwanon, visitors can order food and enjoy the day in their floating bahay kubo and cottages where you can also stay for the night. A little bit farther of this wooden bridge is the social hall where bigger event like seminar, birthday, and party can be held. 

This is the cottage that can accommodate more people for seminar, small family party, and others. 

Where to stay.

Guiwanon have cottages for overnight stay as mentioned earlier. 

There are several hotels and beach resorts that provide good accommodation.  From their websites, I was able to gather a few information I needed to help me plan my trip.  The rates vary according to the services they provided.  We stayed at The Bruce Resort located in the township of San Juan, a few kilometers from the capital of Siquijor.  

To investigate and review the different accommodations and beach resort areas, you may visit this link hereunder: 

Map of Siquijor Island showing the beach resorts and hotels - Search (bing.com)

What to do at Siquijor

My priority was to discover the history and culture of the island.  So, I chose the Island Tour.  This gave me the time to visit the historical sites and places, the beach, and resorts, the mangrove projects, their restoration program of old churches, the "pasalubong" centers, the marketplace, as well as several restaurants. Although in the end, I dined in a few restaurants only but dropped by several "pasalubong" centers for souvenir hunting.

Sky Diving in Siquijor? 

Yes, you can now enjoy Sky Diving in Siquijor. Just coordinate with the Sky Dive Philippines. You can visit this link:  

Skydive Philippines - Siquijor Island

 

Address:    

SKYDIVE PHILIPPINES

SIQUIJOR AIRPORT

CANG ALWANG

6225 SIQUIJOR

PHILIPPINES 

+639451821002

How about Scuba Diving?

Yes. Scuba Diving in Siquijor Island is really an exciting one. According to Diver Bliss Dot Com, there are 15 Dive Spots spread around the 102-kilometer coastline that offers an amazing underwater haven for divers like reef-scape, fantastic terrain filled with slopes, walls, caves, overhangs and even canyons. (diverbliss.com)  

You can also visit this PADI site - Diving in Siquijor | PADI

Or this one - Dive Point Diving Center , Siqujor Island , Philippines (siquijordirectory.com)

or visit this link -   https://www.divepoint.asia/

Location - John Lhea Beach Resort, Maite, San Juan Town, Siquijor.

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In a nutshell, you may also do the following:

1. Visit the old churches and century-old houses.
2. Visit the island's natural wonders like waterfalls, springs, century-old trees, and mangroves project, among others.
3. Discover the island's cuisine by dining at the restaurants, savor their ensaymada and bocayo bread and other Asian, Filipino and International foods offered in various resorts and hotels.
4. Go swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, boating, and beachcombing.
5. Explore the caves also known locally as "caving" or spelunking.
6. Discover their Eco-Tourism projects like the tree-house hotel
7. Souvenir hunting.
8. Experience faith healing and herbal medicine.
9. Explore the coastal area for rock formation and various sea shells dumped into the sea by the tides.
10. Interact with the old women at the Balete Tree and Spring as they explain the wonders of bottled medicinal herbs mixed with oil.
11. Examine the walls of big rocks at Salagdoong Beach Resort for the fossil of big clams trapped in this rock.
12. Discover and appreciate the agricultural practices of the locals to suit the island's climate and soil characteristics as well as the use of cows as a beast of burden.
13. Listen to the acoustic band that performs every Thursday at Dagsa Bar and Restaurant as well as explore other entertainment venues around the island.
14. Watch the fishermen as they paddle to the beach with their catch after an early morning fishing spree.
15. Drink a bottle of beer on the beach or engage on a tete-a-tete with your travel companion as you watch the sunset.
16. Have an early morning coffee on the beach and watch the different cloud formation, the swaying of the palm trees and watch the rising sun.
17. Go to the nearby market to buy rice, fish, fruits and other local products and prepare a nice meal in the kitchen of your cottage.
18. Scale the 130 steps on the way to the falls and do your "Tarzan".
19. Walk the wooden bridge of the tree house hotel and appreciate the quiet surroundings, the beauty of the mangroves and the ripples of the approaching tides. 
20. Tour the island on a rented scooter. 
21. Take pictures of the birds in the early morning as they play and comb the grasses for food.
22. Make your own bonfire and enjoy your meal and drinks around it.
23.  Ride the "habal-habal" or the tricycle to your destination for an adventure you may not have done before.
24. Enjoy your photography of the different landscapes of the island through your still and video camera or your drone helicopter and camera.
25. Bring your Canvass and paint the landscape of your choice.

Kapilay Spring Park, San Juan Town.

Touristang Pobre with San Juan Mayor Wilfredo "James" Capundag, Jr., one of the real "mananambal" of the island.

There are, probably, a few more activities you can add to this list.  Feel free to do and experience them,

As I concluded my short stay on the island, I developed an insight that Siquijor was never an island of bad people possessing voodoo powers and black magic to harm other human beings.  The Siquijodnon of the past developed the skills of folk medicine to fight the various illnesses that plagued the people.  Old folks who practiced "hiwit" were simply protecting themselves against the bad guys, so to speak. Siquijodnon believed that for every ailment there is a plant or herbs that can cure it.  The people who gather these plants and herbs and make medicinal concoctions out of these plants believed the healing powers of these plants and herbs.

The ceremony to produce these medicinal herbs, oils, scents and others were performed in a quiet place like upland, mountain or cave.  Through the years, Siquijor produced noted "mananambal".  I would venture to call them "cirrujano".  Today, there are still "mananambal" that practiced folk medicine using old traditions which were handed down from one generation to the next generation.  I am honored to meet one of them but I learned it only after our meeting.

So, if your aims and purposes are good, there is nothing to fear at Siquijor. I left my belt bag in the car with lots of money to spend on the island.  A few minutes later, the finder handed it to me.  The belt bag was left in the car with windows wide opened.  Thank you "mi amigo".

For many years, the people were called Siquijodnon.  With the onset of the Internet and other Social Media, the people of Siquijor were able to reach the outside world and the outside world reaching out to Siquijorians in a spirit of friendship and goodwill.  From Siquijodnon to Siquijorians.

Now, with many facilities designed or built with the tourists in mind, Siquijor's priority is her visitors' welfare, comfort, and satisfaction while they stay on the island to enjoy the peace and tranquility, the beauty of nature, the friendship of the local people and the taste of the island's cuisine. Well, the restaurants served food that suits one's budget.  From Filipino food, Asian food, to American and European food and of course, drinks.

In Siquijor, you can find hotels and resorts owned by foreigners and their Filipino wife and family helping in running the business.  Everybody knows everybody in Siquijor. Honesty and hospitality are the two qualities of local people that I experienced during my visit.  I hope you can experience it too.

For me, a modern-day Siquijor is born - embracing the modernity of travel and adventure and making every visitor a satisfied traveler and a friend of the island for many years to come.

Indeed, I arrived at Siquijor with no expectations at all.  Frankly, I just go there to embrace whatever comes my way. Siquijor came to me with a big surprise.  Proof? I enjoyed my stay, spent a big chunk of my budget on the island and never regretted I did it.

Vegetable Seafood Pizza is my favorite at Dagsa Bar and Restaurant.

Was their tourism campaign anchored on a hidden agenda of "Make every tourist a happy traveler and leave the island of Siquijor with an empty pocket but with a heart full of memories?"

Well, I am just curious but I am one of your satisfied customer, Siquijor! See you again, someday. Not only me but, probably, with a host of other groups to experience what I had experienced.

Before I wind up, may I express my thanks to our newly found friend at Siquijor, Kuya Jo Am.  You filled my "cup" of knowledge with so much information about your beloved island and that was awesome.

Siquijor is like a gem that glitters from a distance.  That glitter is the result of preserving its culture and heritage that spans many centuries. Time did not alter the basic culture of Siquijodnon or Siquijorians.  Siquijor is, indeed, a timeless gem just waiting to be experienced.  Experience this timeless gem now.

The Port of Siquijor as viewed from the Fast Craft as we leave the island.

If you want Kuya Jo Am to be a part of your visit to Siquijor, call him through his cell phone number and he will help you enjoy the Siquijor Island Adventure.  Kuya Jo Am - 0927-693-2095.

Writer's note:

Touristang Pobre, aka Henry, is a writer since the 1990's. He was a former travel writer of What's On in the Visayas and Mindanao.  It is based in Cebu.  He was formerly a columnist of the Negros Daily Bulletin before he became a travel blogger.  After retiring from the government in 2004, he spent most of his time blogging. He is the face behind Touristang Pobre - http://www.touristangpobre.blogspot.com  

Now, do you like this story?  If you do, please LIKE my Facebook Page and SHARE this story with your friends.  Thank you.

Wait, wait. Here's the links to other Siquijor tourist spots. 

1. SIQUIJOR ISLAND - Touristang Pobre

2. SIQUIJOR: Guiwanon Spring Park - Touristang Pobre 

3. SIQUIJOR: CANG ISOK'S HOUSE BY THE BEACH - Touristang Pobre

4. SIQUIJOR: Lazi Convent - Touristang Pobre

5. PHILIPPINES MYSTICAL ISLAND OF SIQUIJOR - Touristang Pobre

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All photos by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre.

 

Updated on June 7, 2018.

Updated April 22, 2022. 

Reviewed on April 30, 2023.

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