(April 11, 2013)
After so many, many years, I finally got
the chance to visit my “hometown” province once again. It proved to be sort of
a sweet-sour encounter on my part because of some unexpected major & minor
changes, especially on the tourist spots within the island, the majestic
“century & almost century” old houses & residences of days gone by and
the on-going infrastructures.
Probably I was expecting too much. I have
been hearing a lot of new & exciting things for the last several years
about the natural and man-made beauty of this “paradise” island born of fire
that I have high hopes and anticipation, in terms of “improvements” and
“developments” which naturally, would mean “grand and magnificent” changes.
But to my dismay, it was not much as I imagined
or envisioned it to be.
One thing that I was looking forward to
upon stepping on the island was the old decades/century-old residences. A few
impressive & luxurious old houses own by the islands’ well-to-do families
still stand majestically. But one can say that the place seems empty.
Most of the impressive large windows are
closed, the imposing main doors are closed. I would presume that the original
owners have left this world and the next of kin have either left, gone abroad
or moved somewhere more “culturally advance”.
Most of the “middle” class family abode as
evidenced by wooden structures (as compared to the more upscale grand
dwellings) had been left to deteriorate and decay. It is such a shame to see
such historical piece of Camiguin go to waste.
On a lighter note, I see so much new,
colorful yet bold and striking modern houses sprinkled along the highway and
way up in the more quite & cooler areas of the mountainside. Several
private or “beach” houses can also be found along the seashores.
I just realized that there are many
“vacation” houses up for rent for vacationing families or friends. Depending on
the extent & scope of the house, prices can range from about P500.00 more
or less per day.
Rather than staying in a hotel, this is
the next best place to stay for the more budget conscious traveler. The good
thing with this is anyone can cook, wash and do whatever they would normally do
at home. But of course, nothing beats the service one get when staying in a hotel,
inn, hostel or the like.
20-30 years or more ago, one can meet one
or two “foreigner” visiting the place. But now, I realized a lot have made
Camiguin their homes. So it is not surprising to see or meet a handful of them
wandering and even engage in business with the locals.
It used to take us more than 2 hours to go
around the island by car. Now, it can even be less than an hour. The
circumferential roads have been improved which makes land travel much easier
and friendly to the vehicle owners.
However, the trip to the “tourist” spots
is still a pain. I tried to check out several places like the Bora Soda Pool,
Sto Nino Pool, Katibawasan Falls, Comvol, Kibila Clam Conservation Nursery to
name a few. While a lot of the roads that lead to the location are “cemented”,
there were still some “rocky roads”.
I wonder why these few meters of roads are
still not totally concreted & paved. Shouldn’t it be a smooth ride to the
destination so as make life easier for both the tourist and the locals?
Most of the places to be seen within the
island charge a fee. I truly understand the need for it. The maintenance, the caretakers,
the expenses in the upkeep. But then, I wasn’t impressed with what most of the
place has to offer.
Parking is ridiculous. It was a mess. The
people within the areas are not even “tourist-friendly”. It seems to me it is
just about making money. I feel so sorry for them because they could make it so
much better so as to give a better impression.
But I suppose we are still in the infant
stage of tourism and we still needed a lot of improvement and better skills in
handling guests, both local & international.
I was so excited to see the giant clams,
but what my eyes saw was just a few clams in 2 or 3 round man-made aquariums.
It wasn’t even identified properly. The place looks so dark and dingy (inside
the hall, if one can call it such).
A few “guides” were present to answer some
of our queries but not enough to satisfy my quest for definite answers. But
seeing them answer with a smile is enough to say, they actually love their job!
The devastation of typhoon Pablo on the
sea creatures were prominently displayed along the way leading to the main area
but then again, not identified well. I was surprised to see caged ducks and
ducklings. Was that part of the display, too?
The “chapel” inside the old ruin church
was nowhere to be seen. But one can just imagine the grandiosity of the church
during the pre-eruption of the volcano since what we see now is the top portion
of the structure.
The 5 large churches on each municipality
were on my list of “to visit, pray & give respect”. Each has its own charm,
character & history. But I was really amazed at the historical Sagay
church. If one can only go back in time, I am sure it has so much stories to
tell!
But for me, our own beautiful San Nicholas
de Tolentino Parish Church (being a Mambajaonon myself) is comparable with the
other churches in the Philippines. The huge bell displayed in the left side
entrance is a piece of history itself which one should take note of.
I have so much unforgettable memories in
this parish since my parents were married there way back in the 1940’s. I had
my first communion in this church, when Fr. Ryan was the Parish priest with Fr.
Bartlett as his assistant, and this was in the 70’s!
Studying at Fatima College of Camiguin
under the Sisters of Mercy for 3 years was one of the best thing that ever
happened to me. God is good!
We are truly blessed. I just hope and pray
we continue to be good to others, be God-fearing and enjoy the natural bounties
and abundance God has offered to us.
Come again to Camiguin and be a part of
God’s love!
