Higatangan Island (First Visit)

Intrigued by the buzz among FB friends.., today.., once and for all.., I went with a hilarious group of fun loving jump-shooting friends, to see and experience what this fast-getting-popular island has to offer!

Well.., not really all of the island. Quite literally, just the shifting sand bar! Why? Eh, the play in our 'very young' hearts persisted. This was quite a contrast to the usual 'see and feel everything in one sweep' solo backpacker mindset of your aging Pinoy Traveler! We dropped at one end and forgot about time!

So here's my story...

This is not an easy destination. Even if/as you prepare.
First, there's only 1 regular commuter trip a day from Naval, the Biliran province capital. That happens only at 12 o'clock noontime! Well okay, that would actually technically be two trips, since there are two boats. BUT, according to their published regular schedules (parang ang dami 'no?), that they of course follow, they leave at exactly the same time, 12 Noon! Midday, Tanghali, Udto, Mahiru! Hesus gino-o ko!

The return commute is at 7:00AM daily, also by the said same two boats at the same time! Therefore, if you go to Higatangan via public commute, you'll have no choice but to stay overnight on the island!

Eto na, a day before we set out on the 2-hour Tacloban-to-Naval van trip, a friend of a friend of a friend purportedly told one of us that there's a commuter boat every 7AM. We gunned for that one, so we left Tacloban at 430AM. But on arrival at Naval pier, we learned there is no 7AM trip, never had been, ever!

We made some calls, to tour companies we saw online, to friends, and friends of friends. To make the irritating story short, we were able to hire a boat ('pakyaw' basis) for PHP4,500 or so. Ah, I got lost on the final amount we paid as there were a lot of haggling here, there and everywhere hehe! I just know the amount paid was for going to the island and coming back in the afternoon. Good enough I guess!

Departing from Naval Port

Alright, at the island, there are 3 or 4 resorts big and small. But we never went to any! Yeah, thanks in part to the time we wasted at Naval port while looking for a ride to Higatangan. Our other companions used the time buying this and that at the many stores around the port (this is their public market area) so we had everything we needed - from food to just about anything, including ice-cold-beer! Yea yeah!

When we docked at the sand bar area (the nearest place is Limpiado White Beach Resort), we learned that our boat and boatmen would just be hanging around to await for us, instead of returning to Naval then come back to fetch us in the afternoon - which is the 'usual' way of boatmen all over this country.

Being so, I asked if we could leave some of our things on board. The captain (owner?) said something like "you can leave everything here, as we are not going anywhere unless you say so"! Aha! And so, our companions asked if we might as well also prepare and spread(serve) our food on the boat instead of renting a cottage at the resort! They said "of course"! Thus, we instantly got ourselves an open air, real sea-front picnic lunch accommodations haha! All boatmen even helped our girls in food preparations!

Hey, even at the sandbar area, at just waist-deep of water, snorkeling is already fun because there are corals and other marine plants where fish like to stay! That is where we spent much of our time (aside from the pictorials). But we heeded the boatmen, 'don't go far since water current is very strong'. True!

Nice Trip!

But I have more notes that you will probably want to remember...
We were not able to go around the island by boat, as previously agreed with the boatmen (part of the paid cost), because, we had so much fun frolicking in that sandbar, we lost account of time! But I am not complaining hehe! At least I/we have a good-enough reason to plan on going back to Higatangan!

There is no public toilet in any public area (at least near the beach where we frolicked). And we didn't check-in at any resort, remember? So our companions who needed to do so, just had to beg at some of the houses and/or the Limpiado resort itself! That sounded pathetic but, well, we were. We begged!

Tourists cannot have all of the sandbar to themselves. A bigger portion is (still) used by locals as their drying area for fish. Anyway, that portion (near the houses) have coarser sand and some rubbish that we avided (probably thrown by both visitors and locals). Hay mga kababayan ko, ang disiplina please!
It turned out, many of us wanted to drink Coke than all other sodas we brought from Naval. Argh, I had to ask as many as 5 little stores to find Coke. Majority of the stores here sell Pepsi products ONLY :(

But... happy to have learned there is San Miguel Light and Marlboro Lights on most stores hehe!

I was not able to peep at the center of the barangay (as said above), other than the five stores I visited near the shore, because we forgot all about time, as we were busier playing crazy at the sandbar area.

Oh, there is no Brgy. Higatangan - in case you hear people say it, or you read somewhere about it. The southern half of Higatangan Island is Brgy. Mabini, and the sandbar is at its southeastern edge which is therefore the southeastern edge of the island! There are white sand beaches on the southwest too.

The northern half of Higatangan is Brgy. Libertad, also with white sand beaches - even cliff jumping!

Here is some trivia: Did you know Higatangan Island is nearest to mainland Leyte than Biliran Island? Look at any map, Higatangan is nearer to Calubian than any other land mass! So, could we just drive instead to Brgy. Caroyocan or Brgy. Jubay in Calubian and take a boat from there since they're nearer? Our boatmen said "puydi" but non-Naval-registered boats have to pay big amounts of money for that!

I didn't ask but assumed the "big amounts of money" means tax or toll levied by Naval on outsiders.

Bakit ganun? Ah, ewan! We only have our forebears to ask and blame for that hehe! Just like why are the Camotes Islands part of Cebu when they're nearer to Leyte? Or why is Guam part of USA? Or why is Christmas Island part of Australia when it's nearer to Bandung and Jakarta! Kaya ayun, yun Spratley Islands natin, pilit kinakamkam nung mga bwaka na wakanga eh ang layulayo na nyan sa kanila, diba?

Anyway..,

Take note, this is important: when we said "let's go", and everyone got on board, the boat immediately departed but it was moving towards the western side of the island. We asked why. They answered "to complete the island tour". I said "no, we already want to go home to Tacloban, before darkness falls"!

Touching how honest the boatmen are. They won't short-change you on the agreed tour! But, control yourselves and take note of the time so you can be back at the Naval port before the big waves start!

Therefore, I shall return! Eh we only saw a corner of Higatangan - the sandbar!

Lastly, didn't you notice I only have three pictures posted above, when I usually have a ton of them? Ah I was with a big group (more than 20 of us) so I got busier having fun with them. If at all I took photos, it was always with them - I can't post those here - I could get sued for illegal possession of ugly faces!

So.., I'd rather say... I Shall Return! Thus, the title of this story as there will be a 2nd 3rd 4th 5th etc.!

Praaaaamis!

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