Malahog All Agog

Its a beach in a cove. Not even half as lovely if compared to the popular beach strips all over this country. Black sand, no resorts, just a public beach with huts called “cottages” to let for day use. But there was something, there is something that I always want to go back to in Malahog… the sunset!

I was already in Calbayog, so I told myself, why not go and see Malahog? Timing could not have been any better – weekday, sunny just after a rain. I knew I would find the peace and quiet that I always want it to be and I knew the sun would have been painting beautiful colors off the afternoon sky again. So I went for it. Thanks to the manager (owner) of Marju Krisel who asked one of his boys to look for a habal habal driver who would take me there and back!

Malahog is not really near the city center. Its probably more than 10 kilometers or so to the north, but yes, still Calbayog City. And going there is not that easy too! There are few jeeps going to the area (towards San Isidro and Allen), even fewer still going back to Calbayog City especially late afternoons. Although there are many big buses that pass by the area going Manila, they don’t pick passengers destined for just nearby places. Plus, the beach is still some distance from the highway, passing by an unpaved narrow road with muddy patches after it rains!

But I know and knew all about those, so I moved on with my habal-habal driver silently concentrating on the rough road hehe. Just for me to reach Malahog beach on a late afternoon. And he was probably wondering in his mind what on earth was I so excited to see about and why the ugly time of a weekday when everyone was at work or school hehe! But in no time, there I was, alone, silently walking the beach. with habal-habal driver waiting at a little store, there was virtually no one around, save for some fisherfolks far in the distance.

The other thing I actually wanted to see was this lovely beach-house with a big verandah where you can jump unto the beach sand. Unfortunately, it is lovely no more as it is a house no more. It lies in ruins and has probably been left to rot with the elements. But I can still remember how grand that house was, when as a child, my parents once brought me along to visit the owner/resident. He was a Cardinal (Rosales?). Am not sure if he was from the place or if he was that one in Cebu for I knew there were like two of them (brothers?) who held high clergy posts.

Anyway, nice to have seen this desolate beach again, which, I know, during weekends get to buzz with a lot of humanity hehe. Nice to have seen the rocks at both ends of the cove too! Most are still moss-covered if only to assure me that not so many human feet trample on them (yet). Nice to have seen that little island again. I think they call it Daraga Island, and its a nice accent to the view of the vast sea! That reminds me, "Daraga" is a Waray term for the Tagalog Dalaga or in English, Maiden! Hey, I am no photographer, but I already like what my lowly point-and-shoot caught!

Nice to have witnessed a fantastic Malahog sunset once again!