If you never heard of "Quatro Islas and Canigao Island", this is your chance to perhaps start planning your journey to the western side of the Province of Leyte; and we promise you, you will treasure the awesome journey..!
Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.
There are lots of tourist destinations in the Province of Leyte basically grouped into 3 - on the east side are mostly in Tacloban City (Group 1); on the northwestern side is Kalanggaman Island, Lake Danao and Mahagnao Volcano (Group 2); and on the southwestern side are the Quatro Islas and Canigao Island (Group 3).
We have already travelled in the province, posted the Kalangaman Island article, and now the 2nd part of the journey (in reverse) is about experiencing the Quatro Islas and Canigao Island.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
The Journey to Quatro Islas.
It was in the early morning hour of the beautiful sunny day in Tacloban New Transport Terminal that we had to ride a UV Express going to the Municipality of Inopacan via Baybay City. Taking the UV Express ride is the fastest mode of transport going south of the province from Tacloban City.
There were lots of dedicated transport vans on que going to many destinations on the southwestern side, non-stop and point to point. Just make sure that you are in the van going to your destination - by politely asking the dispatcher and the driver.
The road towards southwestern Leyte is wide and clear after exiting the city. Motorcycles with roofs were so awesome, it's called "Habal Habal" and is common as an alternative mode of transport in many provinces in the Philippines.
We've seen also some tricycles very similar in Davao City - it's almost like a mini jeepney.. amazing..!
The long road that forms part of the circumferential access roads has some bends leading to Baybay City. These will make your nap even more exciting. If you are not too sleepy; however, you will not fall into deep sleep as the van sway from side to side speeding to the next stop.
Baybay City is the 2nd largest city in the province and has a port that provides easy access to both goods and passengers alike.
The port helps to sustain the rapidly growing economy of the once-remote southwestern side of the province.
The Baybay City Land Transportation Terminal in front of the port was very busy with the in and out of transport vehicles full of passengers making stopovers, greatly contributing to the growth of small to medium enterprises.
Another alternative mode of transport there was riding the bicycle with sidecar and a roof.
It was very hot there on a regular sunny day, so the bicycle ride offers great comfort from the jeepney/van or from the market, to their own house.
You will reach the Municipality of Inopacan after 25km or less than an hour of riding the UV Express again. It's easy to ride back and forth since passengers come and go.
The road condition there becomes even better and smoother, and the travel becomes even more comfortable.
I cannot recall a big bump on our way from Tacloban City to Inopacan passing Baybay City.
Inopacan Port.
Arriving early in the huge and newly built Inopacan Municipal Hall, we had no idea about how to reach the group of islands. Some local tourism officers were stationed there however, to guide tourists going to Quatro Islas. We received a warm welcome from both the boat crewmen and the tourism officers gathered there.
The normal island hopping package does not include the Himokilan protected landscape and seascape. Visiting Himokilan Island will allow you to land on the beach, and not in the protected areas that's off limits, and going to there has additional rates.
The Inopacan Baywalk was very clean and free of man-made waste and debris. People there see to it that the bay is pleasant to tourists, as it boosts the small businesses around the area.
The boats were ducted calmly and waiting for quick notice from the tour dispatchers under the guidance of the local tourism office.
Everything there was surprisingly put in place already. Register and pay for the package tour and the boat is exclusive to you without waiting for any passengers to further consume your time.
Together with us were the boat captain, a crew, and two (2) guides that will look for our safety. They were officially dispatched by the local tourism office as part of the package tour. This also gives as many people a share of the income generated by tourism.
The day was perfect, the weather was excellent, and the excitement in us was increasing, as the boat leaves the port.
Our boat ride will make us hop from island to island, starting with a visit to Himokilan Island, then Mahaba Island, Apit Island, and finally to Digjo Island where we will camp and stay overnight.
The boat will fetch us in Digjo Island and head straight back to Inopacan Baywalk to complete the journey the next morning.
Himokilan Island.
The first island to hop in and visit was Himokilan Island. From afar, Himokilan was not that impressive; maybe due to the obvious short beachhead, and it's undoubtedly the most populated island because (maybe) it's the nearest to the mainland.
We were very surprised however as the boat came near; the water is crystal clear and the beach sand was so amazing.
Stepping on the beach for the first time, we can tell that it is shell sands which are made of dead corals washed inwards hundreds of years ago.
Despite that there were settlers there of about 3% of the total population of the municipality of Hindang, Himokilan Island had few man-made trash that was only swept in from the ocean, and evidently did not come from the people living there.
The beach was so nice and in pristine condition for anyone to enjoy the swim. You will never imagine that there were settlers there in the Island.
I admire the people there for keeping the island so natural and the beach almost undisturbed.
Mahaba Island.
Unsure if the level of excitement will go up or down as we were on the boat looking from afar, visiting Mahaba Island set us with low expectations.
What was very obvious though was the quality of sands long before we reach the shore - it's beaming from the distance, as if beckoning us to come near it..!
This was perhaps the most beautiful among the Cuatro Islas. Mahaba Island southeastern beach was totally unspoiled; very clean, wild, and in superb condition.
The fine white sands were very surprising knowing that Himokilan Island had shell sands on it. I am not sure how this happens when both islands that are 1km away from each other had totally different sands on it.
There's a sandbar forming from time to time due to waves depending on the season, and was so nice to enjoy the water from there.
Visiting Mahaba Island was indeed a blast for island hoppers like us - it sets the standard within the Quatro Islas.
A few settlers in Mahaba Island were stationed on the northwestern side of the island, making the southeastern side a superb Quatro Islas destination.
Apit Island.
The Quatro Islas' Apit Island is home to a few fishermen and their families. This island is beautiful with clean, clear water, fresh air and plenty of green trees.
A few families were living there peacefully and I am not sure how their kids go to school living on the island.
The people there maintain their island free of human debris. The coconut husks swept in from the ocean were the only debris on the beach, same as in Himokilan Island.
It was so hot there as the sun was at its peak already when we reach the island.
The beauty of the semi-shell sands, the crystal clear waters, and the cleanliness in Apit Island makes it worthy of our island hopping.
Digyo Island.
The word "Digjo" means "the smallest", and the island will elevate your excitement seeing from the boat no matter how tiny it is.
The best surprise was when these wonderful "Dolphins" welcome us in their own awesome ways before we reach the shore of Digjo Island.
The beachhead was spanning in the full length of the island, end to end, and was the only beachhead facing the west side in all of Quatro Islas. In fact, there is white sand all over the island's shoreline.
On the left of the island which is the northwestern side was a smaller sandbar, where Habagat wind (the southwest monsoon) deletes the sandbar.
On the right which is the southeastern side of the island, the "shifting sandbar" was super awesome - the sandbar that made us decide to visit the Quatro Islas.
The weather was still excellent and the water was still at its high tide - great for dipping in the water.
There were a few visitors coming in and out of the island, and there were 3x caretakers deputized by the local government through a "Job Orders".
And according to the island's caretaker, this sandbar is shifting sides and changes the sands based on the season, specially during the "Dumagsa Wind" or "Amihan" (the northeast monsoon) from the month of November to March.
There were 7x households of 25 people and most of them were fishermen in Digjo Island. We met there Mr. Charlemagne Villamor Polo, one of the 3x designated "tanods" there and a dedicated man. He told us so many things about the wind, tide, and the shifting sandbar in Digjo. He was more of a tour guide than a tanod with his knowledge.
There were lots of coconut trees, grassland, and a volleyball court for friends to enjoy the ball games. Fees collected in visiting the Quatro Islas go to the local government's treasure's office with official receipts.
There were birds and pigeons taking their happy stopovers on the island.
Sunset in Digjo Island was great since the beach we stayed at was on the west side of the island.
Kuya Charlie offered us fried Tilapia and rice for dinner - in return, we gave him a DOT shirt from DOT Wow Philippines. He was very happy wearing immediately the shirt.
The night there on Digjo Island was so silent and calm. The lights were provided by the solar lights installed under the Department Of Tourism's then Sec. Carlos Jericho Petilla in Sept. 2015, and now in 2022 amazingly the current Governor of the Province of Leyte.
There were no other campers there, and this cottage was good enough as a shelter for us. There was access on top of it to sleep securely, so we did not bother to pitch our tent.
In the morning, it was great there.. fresh air, calm seas, and twirling of birds..!
Seeing for yourself a shifting sandbar like this was so unbelievable. It moves from side to side depending on the direction of the wind.. indeed, nature is brilliant..!
The serenity of walking on the beach in the morning was so refreshing. Driftwoods like this remind us that death is not always in the place where we were born, grow, and once flourished.
This tree reminds us that "no matter how small the place you were in, when you are standing up high, you will make it through the countless storms".
We enjoyed our swimming on the sandbar we once saw only on google earth, and it's hard to imagine that we can actually visit the place, step on it, and swim on it sooner than expected.
Finally, we were so grateful to the people we met on the thrilling journey in Quatro Islas: the boatmen, the tourism officers, the local government staff, Hon. Mayor Silvestre T. Lumarda, and most of all Kuya Charlie in Digjo Island.
Matalom Port.
After about 29km in less than an hour of UV Express ride (from Inopacan Baywalk) to Matalom Port, there were lots of tourists waiting to board the boats. Unfortunately, the island was closed due to the scheduled 3 days clean-up ordered by the local government to keep the island always clean.
This beautiful bamboo port is so unbelievable..! So natural and pleasing to the eye because it was well built. Yet, there were no boats to board going to the island. And why?
Someone suggested to me that the Mayor was there holding a meeting to manage the clean-up activities - and advised us if we can discuss to him our situation - we came from hundreds of kilometers away, just to experience Canigao Island.
After the meeting and a short prayer, the Mayor ate with his members of the LGU, and we were invited to join the Mayor for the brunch "boodle fight style".
The Mayor himself requested me to sit beside him, and let him know our purpose - why we were there, and how we happen to know about the island.
The Municipality of Matalom was blessed with a good man, sincere in his public service works, and always looking after his people above all. He shared to us his plans and difficulties, his wisdom for his constituents, and how important is Canigao Island to the people of Matalom. He vowed to keep the island for the people, and promote tourism - so the locals will have sources of income.
Hon. Mayor Rodrigo "Rico" Pajulio of Matalom, Leyte allowed us to visit and stay on the island exclusively, with a boat and some members of the LGU guarding us there over the night. I truly admire this man the first and only time that I met him, really.
Canigao Island.
We only saw Canigao Island in goggle earth (to be very honest) and we were excited to check for real its beaming white sands in the northeastern part, and its sunken sand bar on the southwestern tip. A large portion on the west of the island looks like an undisturbed forest.
The beaches have white sand, with tropical sea creatures and extensive coral reef in the surrounding waters. The climate is tropical and similar to that found in other areas of the Philippine islands. These natural features often attract tourists and scuba divers but we did not plan to dive there at that time.
Canigao Island is uninhabited and has very minimal man-made facilities to keep the island closest to nature.
In the middle of the island, you can see one of the oldest lighthouses in Leyte. On top of the lighthouse you will have a panoramic view of the whole Eastern Visayas - the islands of Camotes, Cebu, Cagayan, Limasawa, and more.
As soon as we pitched our tent and secured our belongings, we took the east side to reach the south part to see for ourselves if there is really a sunken sandbar during the low tides - and we were not disappointed - there's that sandbar..!
We waited for a few minutes for the tide to go lower then walk through the gaps onto the beautiful sandbar several meters away from the southern tip of the island.
Be very careful however as the water change tides too quickly - lucky to have those dry bags as floaters when the water again went high and we just barely made it back safely with our gears.
On our way back, we took the western side to the north side of the island - it's the protected nature sanctuary wherein we were only allowed to silently pass.
The western and northern part of Canigao island is placed under nature protection as a sanctuary.
Due to this, activities such as swimming, diving, fishing, snorkeling, and boating in the protected areas are limited by law.
This is the protected area where a Philippine eagle's territory. The one that local people often seen up to Maasin, Southern Leyte lives here.
Seeing this long beachhead was a big relief since we were near the northern part of the island, on our way back to our campsite.
Even though Canigao is tiny, it reserves huge bragging rights due to its powdery white side, turquoise clear waters, and a colorful variety of marine life.
Since the island hasn't been thoroughly developed, the fish, sharks and coral reefs have thrived in the waters around it.
Alone there with a few locals to look after us, the night has come to finally rest after the travel from Digjo Island.
The morning break-in fast and the staff started to clean the natural debris that was swept in by the waves during the night.
A “No Entry Policy” for local and foreign tourists, business operators and fishermen during the first two weeks of the month of July was implemented in Canigao Island. This is to give time for the island to rest and clean up.
There were lots of coconuts beside the beach too - I was not sure though if these came from the center of the island or were swept in by the waves too.
The island was very quiet and this is the first day that the island is going to open again for the public.
The tourist whom we met in the port a day prior has finally arrived.
They were very surprised to see us there and how we were able to sleep there when no one was allowed to enter the island yesterday. I just kept silent and politely smile, introduced myself and took a photo of them very excited for the day ahead.
We were told by the boatmen that they were informed by the local government to give us a free ride back to the port whenever we finish our stay and decide to go back to the mainland.
As we arrived on the mainland with that amazing bamboo port (really I was stoked by the bamboo port), there were more tourists on the boat going to Canigao.
We were immediately looking for Mayor Rico to thank him but were informed that he was away and heading to other barangays to do some fieldwork. Thus, we took again a UV Express heading up towards the Municipality of Palompon, via Bato City and Ormoc City, and onto Kalanggaman Island.
In three (3) days of island-hopping in Himokilan, Mahaba, Apit, Digjo, and Canigao Islands, the beach experience was epic, the sandbars were awesome, and the overnight sleep in Digjo and Canigao Islands was so unforgettable indeed..!
The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.
Special thanks to Sis Lanie for the warmest of welcome in Tacloban City, and her cute little Giana, for touring us in Tacloban City and letting us stay overnight in their beautiful house before the journey to western Leyte.
Finally, thanks to the local tourism offices of Inopacan and Matalom, to the boatmen, to Kuya Charlie in Digjo, and to the people of western Leyte.
Byahe lang..!
2016 July 13~15, Municipalities of Inopacan and Matalom, Western Leyte.
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