Seen for the first time, Surigao surprised me with the
rarity and richness of its picture-perfect seascapes. Here’s a city of over a
dozen islands and islets where beaches count among the most stunning in this
country. But there’s more to the city than just palm-fringed white-sand
beaches, emerald waters and stress-free island life.
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| Cottages in Mabua-Ipil Pebble Beach |
Having seen too many beaches in the places I’ve
been to,
I wasn’t too keen on exploring Surigao’s immaculate shores which are scattered
all over the place. However, upon hearing about a bizarre, one-of-a-kind beach
found in the fringes of the city, I became curious and wanted to see it up
close and personal.
Located some thirty minutes away from the downtown area,
the off-the-beaten-path attraction is often ignored by visitors who usually opt
for the spectacular swells of Siargao and the lovely lagoons of Bucas Grande,
two of the most frequented islands in Surigao del Norte. Well, I must say that
they’ve missed a lot by skipping the beach.
Luckily, we found time to pay the beach a short but sweet
visit. Travelling to that part of Surigao was a joyride itself as we passed
along a well-paved highway that treated us to an awesome vista of seascapes. It
was, however, briefly interrupted as we entered a narrow dirt road leading to
our destination, Mt. Bagarabon Beach Resort.
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| Peebles galore at Mabua-Ipil Beach |
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| Glimpse of Southern Leyte |
Passing along the coastal communities on the way to the
resort, a twinge of envy welled up inside me as I gazed at the look of
contentment etched on the faces of the fisher folks we saw. Despite the
plainness and privation of their lives, they seemed to have found bliss. How I
wish my life were less complicated like those people.
At the end of the stretch, we pulled over at the resort and
headed for the bizarre beach. The whole stretch of Mabua-Ipil Pebble Beach is
best viewed atop a hill which could be reached by scaling a 300-step stairway.
Too bad, we didn’t have time to climb it and watch the unfolding of sunset
there. Even so, the unique beach is simply marvelous!
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| Sea-faring Badjaos in Surigao Strait |
Strolling along its stony shores, I had a glimpse of the
lofty mountains of the island of Leyte. From what I’ve gathered, a three-hour
ride aboard a ferry boat from Surigao will take you to the port of Liloan in
Southern Leyte. You can cut that time to a little over an hour if you’re taking
a ferry that’s bound for the port of San Ricardo.
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| Lipata Port Building |
Liloan, however, is only four to five hours away via land
trip from Tacloban City while San Ricardo is about five to seven hours by bus
or van to the capital of Leyte Province. If only I have time and extra
resources, I would have wanted to see for myself the extent of the havoc that
Yolanda had wrought in that part of the country.
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| Basul Island |
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| Lipata Port and Ferry Terminal |
From the pebble beach, we dropped by Lipata Port and
Ferry Terminal, which has earned for Surigao the title, “Gateway to Mindanao”.
The port serves as the entry point to
the country’s second largest island, forming part of the so-called
Pan-Philippine Highway which stretches from Laoag City all the way to Zamboanga
City.
Lipata has roll-on-roll-off facilities providing services
to the ports of Southern Leyte. While inside the complex, I managed to sneak
into the docks, which is off-limits to outsiders, and took some snaps of
captivating Surigao Strait. From where I stood, the tiny island of Basul, one
of Surigao’s seventeen islands and islets, was visible.
Not to be missed when you’re in Surigao are the
historical and cultural sites scattered all over the city. Foremost among them
is the City Hall. Built in the 1950s, the building stands right on the very
spot where the Philippine flag was first unfurled in Mindanao in 1898 by
triumphant Filipino revolutionaries, marking the end of Spanish rule.
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| Rizal's monument at Luneta Park |
Adjacent to the City Hall is a tree-lined promenade which
is Surigao’s version of Luneta. It features Dr. Jose Rizal’s monument, food
stalls, souvenir shops, a gazebo and a playground. On sweltering days, many
locals while away time there, seeking solace under the cool shades of those
huge acacia trees surrounding the park.
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| St. Nicholas of Tolentine Cathedral |
From Luneta, I proceeded to the nearby Cathedral of St.
Nicholas of Tolentine (San Nicholas de Tolentino). Of the four cathedrals in
the Philippines (the other three are in Mati in Davao Oriental; Tandag in
Surigao del Sur; and Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija) which are dedicated to the
saint, the one in Surigao is said to be the oldest.
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| Inside the Surigao Cathedral |
The existing structure must have been done in the late
1930s but the parish had long been in existence, dating back to the 1750s when
the Augustinian Recollects came to the then undivided Surigao. Named in honor
of the city’s patron saint, the church stands beside St. Paul University, a
private school run by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartre.
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| Rizal's monument at Luneta Park |
Every September 10, Surigaonons pay tribute to their
patron saint through Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival, a thanksgiving
celebration that fuses their Christian faith with their ethnic roots. A street
dancing parade depicting the culture and lifestyles of the Mamanwas, Surigao’s
indigenous people, is one of the festival’s highlights.
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| Church bell circa 1836 |
Another important landmark worth visiting is the
Provincial Capitol, which was completed in 1946. Perched on top of a hill
overlooking the city, the Neoclassical structure, replete with Doric-like
columns and bas-reliefs, reminded me of other Greek-inspired buildings I’ve
seen in Bacolod, Oroquieta, Cebu, Manila and other cities.
Meanwhile, in an effort to preserve Surigao’s rich
cultural heritage, the Provincial Government, in cooperation with the private
sector, has put up the Surigaonon Heritage Center. Located in the eastern end
of Parola Boulevard, the museum features ancient archaeological relics,
memorabilia and other artifacts gathered from around Surigao.
Good thing, I was allowed to take pictures of antique
sculptors, jars, kitchen wares, instruments and other cultural treasures found
there unlike in other repositories where picture-taking is prohibited. A visit
to the heritage center would fascinate not only history buffs and
culture-vultures but also scholars searching for interesting rarities.
From the boulevard, I crossed over to the promenade
fronting Surigao Strait for another glimpse of the sea and the islands of
Nonoc, Hikdop and Hanigad. Sinking into a bench, I rested briefly before taking
snaps of the picturesque seascape. Pump boats bound for nearby islands across
the narrow strait use the promenade for docking.
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Nonoc Island as seen from
Parola Boulevard |
Surigao Strait, which links Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf, is
regularly crossed by ships and ferries carrying people and cargoes to and fro
the Visayas and Mindanao. It is perhaps best known for the historic naval
battle that took place there on October 25, 1944 between the American forces
and the Japanese fleet during World War II.
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| Grilled giant squid |
Arguably one of Mindanao’s seafood capitals, Surigao is
synonymous with delights coming from the sea. It’s probably one of the reasons
why tourists keep coming there. The city is one living aquarium where the most
delectable marine species in the planet are yours for the taking. For me, the
“S” in Surigao stands for these sumptuous words—spectacularly savory seafood!
The best way to savor those bounties is to buy your own
and have these cooked any way you want it—seared, smoked, stewed, steamed or
sautéed. Surigao has a fair share of seafood markets and restos offering such
service for a reasonable fee. Caveat: Most of the stuff in those restos, except
for the crabs and squid, are frozen delights!
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| Live crabs |
Even so, we had a great time dining at the popular Ocean
Bounties. Take this from me. Diners shouldn’t be that hungry when they go
there. Otherwise, they run the risk of gaining unwanted flabs while indulging
themselves with those mouth-watering dishes! But who cares? Certainly, not us
visitors who rarely get to taste those bounties. LOL!
Ocean Bounties serves some of the most sought-after
seafood dishes in town, which even the most discriminating of palates would
have difficulty resisting. House specialties include grilled lobster, sashimi,
sweet and sour fish, steamed crab, baked oysters, seafood paella, among
others—name it and, chances are, they’ll cook it for you!
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| Lato (seaweeds) |
Foodies who’d like to have the freshest seafood in
Surigao should also try visiting the public market which teems with all sorts
of goodies from the sea. They can buy raw and freshly caught fish and shellfish
and let those eateries adjacent to the market prepare and cook their favorite
stuff. That’s exactly what we did one night.
Right after acquiring our goods, we headed for Merlie’s,
one of the small restos in the market, for a uniquely exhilarating gustatory
experience. We then had the fresh bounties cooked by the staff in a variety of
ways. Geez, those uber delicious dinners at Merlie’s count among the most
satisfying food trips I’ve ever had in years!
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| Sayongsong, a native delicacy |
Brief as it was, the surprising sojourn to Surigao showed
me another amazing side of Mindanao during an out-of-the-blue escapade. As
English writer Samuel Johnson aptly put it, “it’s those unexpected sparks that
kindle our brightest blazes of gladness.” That’s what Surigao did to me and my colleagues.
So, say “Surigao”, and chances are, the first thing that
would be running through this first-time visitor’s mind is a second coming. For
I’ve barely scratched the surface of the city known for its spirited people,
splendid seafood and spectacular escapades. Geez, I’m craving for more
surprises in the City of Island Adventures! :-D
Now, all that is water under the President Diosdado
Macapagal Bridge II so I humbly take back my word against Butuan. In one of my
journeys to the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog, I was delighted to see
the much improved road condition as the bus passed through the Agusan
provinces. Whew, it’s probably one of Mindanao’s finest! It would be exciting to drive at high speeds along that highway, I
thought. 
After exploring nearby Surigao City for the first time a
year ago, I returned once again to Caraga Region, this time, on a solo sojourn.
Hitting the road to Butuan was like hitting two birds with one stone. First, I was
finally able to come up with this post about the bustling city in Northern
Mindanao. And second, I had a much needed change of scene which did wonders to buck
me up in many ways than one. 
Historic Butuan intrigued me. Once known as the “Timber
City of the South” because of its thriving logging industry many decades ago,
it has successfully managed to re-invent itself into one of the Philippines’
highly-urbanized cities. Designated as Caraga’s administrative center, it
serves as the hub for trade, commerce, education, tourism, entertainment and
transportation of the region.
Driving my way into the city, I managed to pull another
first-time stunt—a five-hour solo drive thru the long and winding roads leading
to Butuan that had me meandering into two regions and four provinces of
Mindanao! It was a dream fulfilled for this thrill-seeker, a personal feat that
upsized my sense of self. It was an exhilarating joyride that pushed me
beyond my comfort zone. 
Initially, I had my misgivings about pursuing the trek.
For days, I was debating with myself whether to drive or to commute. Why, it
even came to a point that I almost canceled the trip out of fear over this and
that! But there’s this inner voice that urged me to forge ahead and wrestle
with my inner demons. Finally deciding to take the wheel, I kept telling myself
one mantra: “Butuan or bust!” 
The rural visuals had an alleviating effect on me; I felt
so light and at peace with the world, as if a heavy burden were taken off my
shoulders. It was a long drive—almost six hours as I stopped every now and then
for selfies!—that I thought I’d have difficulty completing as it’s my first
time to drive thru those unfamiliar paths, particularly the serpentine roads of
Compostela Valley. But I survived ‘em all!
Why
bum around Butuan? Of all the things I’ve heard about it, it’s the city’s
prominent role during the dawn of our country’s history that interested me.
Dubbed as the “Prehistoric City of the Philippines”, Butuan is home to the
remnants of several ancient boats known as balangays
(or balanghais three of which have
been radiocarbon tested and dated to as early as 320, 990 and 1250 A.D.!
According to http://mandirigma.org, a balangay is a “plank boat adjoined by a carved-out plank edged
through pins and dowels.” A flotilla of about nine balangays, which were used
by the Malayo-Polynesian migrants from different parts of Southeast Asia, was
excavated in the village of Libertad. Seeing the Butuan boat was one of the
things I wanted to achieve during that sojourn. 
Said to be the first pre-Hispanic wooden seacraft
excavated in the country, the Butuan boats were first mentioned in the journals
of Italian scholar and explorer Antonio Pigafetta. Sailing with Ferdinand
Magellan and his crew under the auspices of King Charles I of Spain, he
documented the Portuguese explorer’s expedition to the Moluccas, including the
rediscovery of the Philippines. 
The said mother boat that’s discovered in Butuan is
deemed to be the storage for trade goods and supplies of our seafaring
ancestors. The recent discovery further implies that they were much more
organized than earlier thought. Incidentally, it has been established that
Butuan has had extensive trading links with ancient China and Vietnam and the
discovery of the boat lends credence to that.
