BANTAYAN ISLAND: MY QUICKEST TRIP TO AN ISLAND

BANTAYAN ISLAND: A MOMENT OF KISS & RUN 

By Henry Libo-on

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Santa Fe Beach Club

Photo by Henry Libo-on, Touristang Pobre

 

 

Bantayan is famous for its white-sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, several dive spots, world-class tourist class facilities, and hospitable locals that will surely make the visitors' stay a very memorable experience. Santa Fe Beach Club is located very near the Port of Santa Fe where RoRo Vessels dock from Hagnaya Port, Cebu. This beach resort has the finest beachfront and crystal clear water. Photo by Henry L, the Touristang Pobre. 

How did I come to know about the island of Bantayan?

In the early '60s, my mother used to tell me about this island called Bantayan where most "Bolanteros" and "Bolanteras" or Traveling Merchants who sell Eggs, and Dried Fish of all kinds, came from. She told me that people who visited Bantayan came back home with tales of how "bahu" or stinky some parts the island were. Of course, they are referring to the odor of Dried Fish and Chicken Poops or "iti" from several Poultry Farms on the island. But that was a very long time ago when Tourism was not yet developed as an Economic Activity. 

When the Department of Tourism was established in the early '70s, cities, provinces, as well as islands with potential for tourism were developed by their respective Local Governments.  Bantayan Island is one of them and the notion of bad odor slowly dissipated.

Today, Bantayan is well-known throughout the world because of its beautiful white sand beaches and world-class tourist facilities.

But how did Bantayan came to be? 

Wikipedia stated that the Parish at Bantayan was organized as an "encomienda" of the heirs of Don Pedro de Gamboa in 1850.  In 1852, a Spaniard by the name of Miguel de Loarca reported that the island was populated by about one thousand "Indians".

To my mind, this term is used to refer to the local residents with dark skin. Later in history and during the Spanish Regime, Bantayan was known as "Bantayan Sang Hari" or the Watchtower of the King. This is the role assigned to the men of Bantayan, to watch the incoming boats and ships and to know whether they were friendly visitors or enemies such as the Moro Pirates at that time.  Thus, the name Bantayan was carried on until today. 

Cebuano, Ilongo, Waray, and other combinations of local dialects are commonly spoken on the island with a large number of its residents speaking the Cebuano and Ilongo dialects. 

The influence of Ilongo as a dialect was brought about by the open trading system among the nearby islands of Panay and Negros. Specifically, traders from Bantayan bring their products consisted mainly of dried fish and poultry to Cadiz Port in Negros Occidental. From Cadiz, Bantayan merchants bring to Bantayan any products they can find in Negros that can be needed by the residents of Bantayan. 

This economic activity influenced - the exchange of goods and products,  also encouraged residents from the other islands to settle in Bantayan or the residents of Bantayan to establish residency in Negros, Panay, and Cebu Islands, among others. 

My trip to Bantayan was scheduled a long time ago but it had been canceled many times because of the reason that it is just there very near my hometown so I can go there anytime I have the time. That finally happened.  Before I left New York in the last week of June, I already set a day to visit Bantayan Island.  So, I went to Cebu after revisiting Boracay Island and canceling my trips to Mindoro and Olotayan Island because of bad weather. 

I left my hotel in Cebu to catch the early morning trip of the Ceres Bus for Hagnaya Port. Travel time was approximately three hours. 

When I arrived at Hagnaya Port, I immediately bought my Ticket for Santa Fe,  my port of entry to the island of Bantayan. Travel time to the island is approximately one hour. 

 I saw several islands on our way to Bantayan.  A passenger who lives in Bantayan told me that before reaching the Port of Santa Fe, we will see three islands, the Hilantagaan Island which is populated, the Virgin Island where a part of its coastal area with the white sand beach was developed into a resort, and Wang Wang Island. I cannot stop laughing at this man's emphasis on Virgin and Wang Wang. 

There are Outrigger Boats that service the Cebu-Bantayan Routes.  Most passengers, like me, still prefer to ride the RoRo Vessel. 

From the docking area of Santa Fe, the passengers have to walk up to the Covered Pathway to reach the main road where  Tricycles, Habal-Habal, and Cars For Rent are waiting for passengers to take them to their hotels and other destinations.

This is the RoRo (Roll On-Roll Off) Vessel that took us to Santa Fe Port, Bantayan Island. 

White sand beach at Santa Fe.

 This photo and the succeeding ones hereunder were captured from Google Earth.

I did not realize that I passed by this road on my way to buy the Ticket for the RoRo. 

This image and the succeeding ones were captured from Google Earth. 

 St. Paul Church. 

Santa Fe Polytechnic College.

 Well, it is not just a Panaderia, it is also a Bakeshop.

 Ogtong Beach Club, above and Madridejos Kota Park, below.

Photos were captured from Google Earth.

How To Get To Bantayan?

Wherever you start your trip to the island, your point of Departure to Bantayan is the Port of Hagnaya in the northern part of Cebu Province and your port of entry to Bantayan is Santa Fe Port. 

From Cebu City, you can ride the Bus, the Ceres Airconditioned Bus or the Van for hire.  Just go to the Bus Terminal for Northern Cebu.  Travel time to Hagnaya is approximately three hours.  

Upon arrival at Hagnaya Port, immediately proceed to the Ticket Counter to buy your boat ticket. 

Travel time to Bantayan Island from Hagnaya Port is approximately one hour. 

Where To Stay on Bantayan Island? 

There are several hotels and resorts that are spread all over the island.  The town of Santa Fe is also the home of the Port of Santa Fe.  You will be surprised that the town is where most of the resorts, hotels, restaurants, and other tourist facilities are located. So, if you stay in one of the hotels in Santa Fe, it is easy for you to reach the Port.

The following are just a few of the hotels and inns where you can stay:

1.  Santa Beach Club

2.  Abaniko Beach Resort

3.  St. Bernard Beach Resort

4.  Beach Placid 

5.  Micky Santoro Beachfront House

6.  Hoyohoy Villas Resort 

7.  Northville Beach Resort

8.  Nordic Inn Bantayan Island Cebu

9.  Amihan Beach Cabanas

10. Kota Beach Resort 

11. Yooneek Beach Resort 

12. Bantayan Cottages 

13. Casa Isabel 

14. Coucou Bar Hotel and Restaurant Bantayan

15. Adelaida's Pensionne

**For more information about these hotel accommodations, please visit their website. 

What To Do In Bantayan Island?

If I stayed longer on the island, I could have done the following:

1.  Swimming.  Sounds funny but you will never enjoy Bantayan Island if you will not swim in the sea with turquoise blue waters. 

2.  I will snorkel, kayak, or go boating. 

3.  Since I do not scuba dive, (I only attended a half-day instruction in the swimming pool), I suggest you go scuba diving.  There are several dive spots that are popular among scuba divers who frequent Bantayan Island.  You can coordinate with the local PADI Centers. 

4.  Island Hopping.  There are several islands and islets around the island of Bantayan.  Popular island destinations from Bantayan include Malapascua Island which is famous for its Thresher Sharks, Virgin Island, and Wang Wang Island, Hilantagaan Island, and Kinatarkan Island, among others.  What? Kalanggaman Island? Oh, I think it is a bit far but it is nearer from Malapascua Island which is North East of Cebu, about two hours Outrigger boat ride. 

5. Bantayan Island Tour.  By riding the Motorcycle or Habal-Habal, I can tour the whole island, maybe, in one day and discover the tourist spots, historical sites, and places as well as have a close-in view of how the local residents live that includes their Livelihood Activities.

6. Food Tripping.  Also known as Bar and Restaurant Hopping, this activity will enable me to discover the different cuisine as well as native delicacies popular on the island. 

7. Souvenir hunting. 

8. Visit the historical sites and places as well as say a little prayer at St. Paul Church. 

9. Visit the Santa Fe Airport. 

10. Discover the Night Life of Bantayan Island.

11. Spelunking and Chasing Waterfalls. 

12. Attend the Fiesta or Observe the Lenten Season at Bantayan Island

13. And many more. 

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Concluding Statement

My trip to Bantayan Island was very very brief.  There is an expression for this - "Simhut, Sirit". 

It was very brief like "simhut" or smell or kiss and then "sirit" or run or leave quickly. My trip was just to discover how to go there and how the island looks from the Port, of course. 

I know that Bantayan is just like any other island with a white sand beach and several tourist facilities, nightlife, daylife, etcetera, and so on and so forth. But this is not the reason that I quickly leave the island. I had to leave the next day for Ormoc and Biliran Island that is why I have to catch the next boat back to Hagnaya so I can go back to Cebu City that afternoon. 

So, as soon as the RoRo docked at Santa Fe Port, I immediately disembarked, went straight to the main road where the Ticket Counter of the RoRo is located, and bought a ticket back to Hagnaya. So, the boat that took me to Santa Fe, was the same boat I boarded on my way to Hagnaya, Cebu. 

I think that Bantayan does not deserve this kind of visit, haha.  Or, I do not deserve this kind of visit to Bantayan Island because I deprived myself of discovering the beauty of the island and what it can offer. 

I am sure that I am going back to Bantayan someday and stay longer to enjoy the place. 

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All photos are by Moi of Touristang Pobre.

Photos taken from secondary sources have been duly acknowledged like those taken from Google Earth.

August 09, 2019. 

Reviewed on April 12, 2021.