The Island that vanish

Vanishing island refers to any permanent island which is exposed at low tide but is submersed at high tide. Vanishing islands occur globally.   There are seven vanishing islands in the Philippines and several in the San Juan Islands.

One of it is in Barangay Tambo, Island Garden City of Samal.  The place was beautiful and amazing because the Vanising Island is situated in the middle of the sea. 

When it is low tide, the sand bar will come out and you can enjoy walking, meet the starfishes, hermit crabs, sea worms which looks like snakes, sea urchin,  sea shells and many more. 

There is an area which is  Government owned and the other areas are privately owned.  It includes white sand as one of its tourist attraction and the water was clear and you can enjoy snorkeling, swimming, diving and some other types of underwater adventure. 

There are also mangroves are planted here.

You can also stay overnight in some cottages owned privately but you should be prepared. Since there is no source of power light, rechargeable emergency light is useful. When at night the place was very cold and you may need a tent. In the afternoon the island starts to vanished, the sand is slowly covered with sea water and you can enjoy swimming near in your cottage. If you are looking for a place to relax, this is one of the best place to stay.

When Nature Strike

Heavy rain poured all through the night of June 28, 2011 that causes a flash flood in some areas of Davao City. I was having a training as a phlebotomist in one of the hospital here in our City. As my way home that night slow yet continuous rain poured, heavy traffic with different car accidents in various places that I passed and the water in the bridge is starting to over flow. 

We thought it was just ordinary situation we experience when heavy rain poured like before.

It was almost 2am in the morning when I woke up and heard my mother in her loudest voice. She was talking to my auntie living near in the river where the water over flows the bridge that I recently cross. Flash flood my mother told us. Few houses was swept away by the strong current of water coming from the mountains. 

The only communication we had to know the things have been happening in our city was the radio. Every now and then my mother checked the situation where my auntie located

She was separated from her four children, because they (her husband) are trying to save their things and the pigs my mother asked them to take cared of.

It was almost 5 am, I saw the sun rising and I was preparing to go on duty. Few jeepneys are running, I thought maybe because of the rain last night. But when we reach the area where the flash flood happened I was shocked. Jeepneys and cars are moving slowly. The traffic I experience was about 2-3 hours.That's the time I saw cars are inside the garage of another house, some are parked upside down,some bumped to each other .Wreck gates and houses houses are cover with mud,  some . 

I was devastated looking into the families watching there wreck properties.  It was a nightmare not just to them but to all of us dabaweños. A tragedy that killed many people most of them are children.

A Place to Watch - Bantayan Island

Santa Fe is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 27,270 people. The municipality's territory includes the eastern portion of Bantayan Island (bordering on the town of Bantayan), as well as Guintacan (or Kinatarcan) and Hilantagaan Islands.

Bantayan Airport, serving Bantayan Island, is located in Santa Fe. The town can also be reached by ferry from Hagnaya Wharf in San Remigio, Cebu.

Santa Fe is one of the most crowded municipalities during Holy Week; it caters to a number of tourist and locals that spends their holiday in the island of bantayan.

Early History of Bantayan Island

The first full time residents of Bantayan Island, arrived on the island during the period of time from 1635-1645. The king of Spain used the island as an advanced warning system for the larger islands of Cebu, the Visayas and Luzon. Muslim marauders called “Moros” frequently made their way up from Mindanao invading the Christian settlements in the Visayas, murdering and robbing the people inhabiting these areas.

Because Bantayan Island is a natural barrier for entrance into the Visayas, small watchtowers were constructed all over Bantayan Island to serve as lookout post for invading Moros.The name “Bantayan” comes from the Cebuano term that means “A Place to Watch”. The places of lookout were called in Cebuano: “Bantayan sa Hari”, meaning “A place to watch for the king”. The people who lived on the island adopted the term that described the purpose of their being there and shortened the name to “Bantayan Island”

Super Shuttle ferry going to Bantayan Island.

Rid

ing in this shuttle going to Bantayan takes you an hour of travel with a 170 pesos fare rate. When you get to the port of Bantayan Island Sta. Fe, transportation is not a problem. There are many jeepneys, tricycle and motorcycles waiting for the visitors.

Resorts are not a problem also, too many beach resorts are available and you can ask the locals for the best though expensive or the cheapest resorts yet far from the port.

The beach have a white fine sand. It is like a powder when you grasp it with your palm.

The water was warm and crystal clear. You could actually see your feet on the water and there are no stones or corals when you swim.









But before going in Bantayan Island make sure to have reservations on the resort you wanted to stay because the place is one of the tourist spots in Cebu City. One of the crowded island especially in peak season.