my hometown series: the sanctuary

i went home during the holy week and for the non-believers, it was the first week of april. it was a good 5-day hibernation while savoring the laid back atmosphere and the extraordinary warmth of the people around me.

i forgot about the ticking of the clock because i wanted to completely spend my time catching up with my dear ones, having homely conversations on rickety bamboo benches under tall palm trees. for me, nothing superfluous can ever beat that!

in one of those 5 days, there was a mini reunion with my relatives in my mother side and like almost every gathering that we had, we headed to the sea! oh, how sweet it is to live in an island!

Tabogon Sanctuary

the sanctuary in alang-alang, tabogon is an initiative of the municipality to provide a breeding area for the marine life that has been decreasing in an alarming rate. aside from agriculture, fishing is an important livelihood in tabogon for there are significant number of people who live in coastal villages.

Two huts in the middle of the bamboo platform.

we rented these two huts since we were a lot that time, the kids and of course the kids at heart!

On the other side. Towards the island!

The Shoreline

The Cliffs and the Crashing Tides

although tabogon is not blessed with pristine white sands in its shores, anyone can still frolic under the sun while paddling against its emerald sea's crashing tides. as a child, i was very elated with the mere mention of the sea even if we only had the same scenery as the one above.

Under the bamboo platform.

i was intrigued with this long stretch that is wholly made up of bamboos. i wonder how long this will last but this surely adds a rustic appeal to the place.

Small fishes near the bamboo steps.

because the two huts were in the middle of the sea, we had to make use of these bamboo steps to go down into the water. there were even small fishes near these steps that we didn't have to venture far! can you also see the lone starfish?

Young Corals

to prevent from inadvertent destruction of the corals, swimming and snorkeling are only up to the surrounding area of the two huts. rightfully so, since there are no personnel to guide those who want to snorkel.

at the end of the long bamboo platform, we only had to look down in order to amuse ourselves with this diverse marine life. we were throwing food at these fishes and our aunt suggested in a jest on how great it could be if we could grill some of them.

Lowest Tide

the sea breeze lulled me to sleep and it was the best sleep in a long time for me. not to mention, i was just uncomfortably sitting the entire time! when i woke up, the water had receded to whoever knows where.

and these cute four ducks waded through the swallow water! i even joined with the kids as they were exclaiming about the ducks.

Huts overlooking the sea.

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the sanctuary is managed locally by the alang-alang village and it's only good for a daytime fun due to the lack of overnight facilities. it's a very modest destination that you shouldn't expect any pampering like in a grand resort. what is important is the people you're with and the fun in the beach can then be a secondary thing.

here's a how to get to tabogon post. you go by the borbon route to reach this village and the locals would gladly help you with the exact location. after all, it is a countryside where everyone knows everybody!


thanks to google's help, i found out that the sanctuary is on facebook!

o-O