Sibuyan: Another “Last Frontier?”

Sometime back, Sibuyan Island in Romblon province was known primarily for Mt. Guiting-Guiting. Because the latter is one of the most challenging peaks to scale in the country, Sibuyan has attracted mostly mountaineers. In recent times, a newly discovered attraction brought in non-hikers: the remote island of Cresta de Gallo. The latter was the major reason why this senior couple embarked on a trip to secluded Sibuyan. Within a few days, however, we would discover that this major island has so much more to offer besides Mt. Guiting-Guiting and Cresta de Gallo.

Palawan is often referred to as the Philippines’ “last frontier.”

An Unspoiled Ecosystem

The island province of Palawan is often called the “last frontier” of the Philippines because of its rich biodiversity in addition to its stunningly white and pristine beaches, towering limestone cliffs, crystalline turquoise lagoons, and untouched rain forests. However, a similar case could be made for Sibuyan with its own trove of natural wonders. And it has yet to receive the same attention as Palawan from tourists both local and international.

Mount Guiting-Guiting’s jagged peaks and steep slopes have made it a technically challenging climb. Guiting-Guiting, in the Romblomanon dialect means “jagged.” Photo by Androkoy, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0.

The summit of Mt. Guiting-Guiting as viewed from Mayo’s Peak. The narrow ridge connecting the two in the foreground is known to the climbing community as the Knife Edge. Photo by Androkoy, via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sibuyan is geologically separate from the rest of the Philippine archipelago. Long ago, seismic forces drove a 2,000-meter peak from the earth’s crust forming present-day Mt. Guiting-Guiting and a series of smaller peaks and slopes. The steep slopes thus formed created a dense mass of primary forests that cover much of Sibuyan’s land mass today. A result of this geologic isolation and the island’s remoteness was a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna and a high number of endemic species on the island. It has often been compared favorably with the biodiversity endemism rate of the Galapagos islands leading some local and international naturalists to dub it as the “Galapagos of Asia.”

The Philippine hawk eagle is one of the many bird species, now threatened, found in Sibuyan.

Bird species in Sibuyan – Left: Philippine hanging parrot (colasisi). Photo by Vinz Pascua via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0. Right: Rufous-lored Kingfisher (aka Winchell’s Kingfisher). Photo by Forest Jarvis via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 4.0.

There are 700 vascular plant species on the island – with 54 of them endemic to the island – and 144 species of trees. Among the latter, 33 are endemic to the Philippines and 2 are Sibuyan endemic. It has thus been noted as one of the world’s most diverse and dense forests. Residing in this ecosystem are 131 species of birds and ten species of fruit bats. And recently, scientists were able to identify 47 species of amphibians and reptiles, further reinforcing naturalists’ monicker for Sibuyan as the Galápagos of Asia. This does not yet include the marine biodiversity in the surrounding Sibuyan Sea. And biologists keep stumbling upon species previously unknown to the scientific community.

Places to Visit

But beyond the Galapagos monicker and Sibuyan’s distinction as one of the most unspoiled ecosystems in the country, there are other traits that have endeared this island to us. The island’s remoteness and lack of commercialization are among them. This meant that the destinations we had originally planned on visiting would be unspoiled with few other tourists or visitors on hand.

Indeed, at the first place we visited – the Cantingas River Resort – we were practically the only guests when we first arrived with only 2 other small groups arriving by lunch time to have a picnic by the river. This river is said to be one of the cleanest of its kind in the country with water quality so good for human consumption that it has become the source of 90% of Sibuyan’s water supply.

Busay Falls, San Fernando

We’ve already mentioned Mt. Guiting-Guiting – declared a national park with its outlying area in 1996 – which continues to draw mountaineers and trekkers. However, there are other peaks and little-known forest resorts all over the island. Sibuyan is also home to 44 waterfalls with only a few of them accessible to the public. One of the most popular and most accessible is Busay Falls in San Fernando town. We reached this cascade after a short trike ride and an equally short trek through a forest. It is located along a stream that winds its way though a rock canyon. Just like our time at Cantingas we ended up being the lone visitors here until a trio arrived just as we were preparing to leave.

Also in San Fernando town is the multi-tiered Dagubdob Falls. The four tiers that make up this waterfall are not tall but cascades down into as many as 6 crystal-clear, emerald natural pools where visitors can swim leisurely. In Magdiwang town are two waterfalls: Lambingan and Cataja Falls. Lambingan Falls is probably the most visited in Sibuyan because it lies practically just off the Sibuyan Circumferential Road, the main road circling around the island. It is also 10-15 minutes away from the town proper. Cataja Falls is a series of impressive cascades dropping down into crystal-clear pools with the top cascade of multiple arms the most breathtaking. Getting to Cataja Falls will take over an hour of trekking. Finally, the 3^rd town in Sibuyan – Cajidiocan – has Cawa Cawa Falls. Getting its name from the local term for cauldron because of the resemblance of its catch basin to the former, this 3-tiered waterfall is about 7 kilometers from the Cajidiocan town plaza.

For non-mountaineers, Sibuyan’s crowning glory is of course Cresta de Gallo with its blindingly white sand, bright cerulean waters, and snaking sandbars. Unlike Romblon and Tablas Islands which have a wide array of white sand coves and beaches, Sibuyan has practically none except for Cresta de Gallo. In our opinion, however, the latter is the best of its kind in all of Romblon province and among the top 10 in the whole country.

Street scene at San Fernando town

When not touring Sibuyan’s countryside we usually roam around San Fernando town. There are few commercial establishments here and everywhere you turn you are either confronted with scenic views of the sea or the surrounding mountains and lush forests. We had a difficult time looking for a nice restaurant but if one isn’t too demanding there are several decent eateries or food stalls in town. And the food here is dirt cheap. Which is why we were somewhat taken aback when we discovered a nice café – the Lakeside Café – at the southern tip of the town.

Lamao Lake

Lakeside Cafe

Lakeside Café sits on the western shores of Lamao Lake and adjacent to an old airstrip by the sea. The latter was probably built by Americans during their island-hopping campaign in the Pacific during World War 2. No longer in use for decades, it has been turned into a graded road that our rented trike used to bring us to Lakeside Café. This airstrip/road ends at a docking station used by boats sailing to Cresta de Gallo.

Azagra Lighthouse

Also located close to the café and lake is the Azagra Feeder Port with the Azagra Lighthouse on a low hill overlooking the area. We enjoyed our time at Lamao Lake and the Lakeside Café, taking it long and slow and relishing the tranquil scenery of the lake and the looming lighthouse. With no good WIFI signal available there was no pressure to tune in to social media. We missed viewing the sunset at the Azagra Lighthouse though. This would have been exceptional as the hill where the lighthouse stands offers sweeping views of the sea and the surrounding countryside.

Sibuyan is as close to a pristine ecotourism paradise as any can get but like other such places in the country it is under threat from mining, charcoal-making, and unregulated harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products. Locals have been expressing their opposition to mining – evidenced by many signages against mining not only in Sibuyan but in nearby Romblon Island as well. It is our hope and prayer that the island’s diverse ecosystem continues to be well-preserved and protected for generations to come.

Getting There

Manila to Sibuyan by Air and Ferry

Air Swift is the only airline that offers flights to Romblon, namely to Tugdan Airport in Tablas Island (flights are not everyday). From Tugdan Airport you need to take a jeepney to the town of San Agustin (you can also travel inland to Looc or Odiongan ports but San Agustin offers the shortest ferry route to Sibuyan). Catch a Starhorse Shipping Lines (daily) or Starlite Ferry at the Port of San Agustin to take you to the Port of Ambulong in Magdiwang, Sibuyan Island. If the ferry ride is early morning you might need to stay overnight at San Agustin. Travel time to Magdiwang, Sibuyan from San Agustin is about 4 hours.

There are a few accommodations in Magdiwang should you decide to stay there. Vans are available at Ambulong Port to take you to San Fernando town where there are more accommodations. In our case we decided to stay in San Fernando – at R-hub Inn – since it is closer to the Cantingas River Resort and the port for boats headed to Cresta de Gallo. (Mountaineers looking to trek Mt. Guiting-Guiting usually stay at Magdiwang.) There are also accommodations at Cajidiocan and presumably vans from Ambulong port can also take you there. Most accommodations are basic but ours at the R-hub Inn were at least air conditioned, a necessity during the hot summer nights.

Manila to Sibuyan by Ferry Only

In our case we opted to travel to Sibuyan by ferry. There is a daily Starlite Ferry from the Port of Batangas that sails directly to Ambulong Port in Magdiwang, Sibuyan. Travel time is around 9 hours. The ferry leaves at 4 PM. (We drove to Batangas Port and parked the car at the Park and Sail facility there. Should parking be full at this facility you could go to many private parking facilities near the port.)

Other Ferry Options to Sibuyan

There are also ferries to Sibuyan from Dalahican Port in Lucena City, Quezon (via Starhorse ) or from Roxas City in Capiz (Starlite Ferries) which might be better for you if you live closer to these places.

And then there are ferries that go to Odiongan Port in Tablas Island from Batangas Port courtesy of 2GO Travel, Montenegro Shipping Lines and Starlite Ferries. From Odiongan you will need to travel by land to San Agustin Port, still in Tablas Island. From there you may take a Starhorse Shipping Lines or Starlite Ferry to Ambulong Port in Sibulan. You could go for this option if you are visiting Tablas and Sibuyan Islands in one trip.

Another possibility is to take a Starlite ferry from Batangas to Romblon town in Romblon Island, then take another ferry from there to Sibuyan. You’ll only need to do this if no other ferry options that would match your planned schedule are available – note than some of the ferries do not sail everyday. (Kindly check the schedules of the ferry companies we mentioned here.) Or you could do this if you’re planning to visit Romblon Island in addition to Sibuyan.