Going To Sierra Islands

To continue from my previous post, I was on the way to Sierra Islands - just to island-hop, plus to see and swim in what they call a "floating swimming pool"! Do you know what it is? We'll see, just read on!

The ride from Catbalogan Port was already full of wonderful sights. You know where 'Sierra' is? Here:

Those in the red circle are the "Sierra Island Group" or "Sierra Islands". But locals just say "Sierra"! It is comprised of a number of barangays belonging to Catbalogan City. Blue arrow was our boat's route to Brgy. Cagutsan which takes almost two hours (110 minutes)! Panoramic calm waters -in the morning!

Going to any of the islands for business or leisure would usually require chartering a boat (pakyaw).

Why is that? Ah, commuter boats cater to islanders' schedules, as there is no regular touristic activity on the islands yet, i.e., boats leave the islands in the morning and return to the islands early afternoon. That's if at all, there'll be a commuter (public utility) boat that will sail anyway! It's not a daily thing yet!

Here are the views I saw (and liked) along the way - starting with the Catbalogan coast as we sailed.

That was the view to my right, as we sailed away from the city. That long building (bodega?) is where we waited for everyone, early in the morning, before finding and boarding this our chartered little boat!

Not very clear in the picture, but the hill at right edge teems with a lot of houses. I am guessing, those should probably be somewhere at the upper portions of Brgys. 3 and/or 4 and/or 5. If you don't know yet, Catbalogan City proper is surrounded by hills (north, east, south) and Maqueda Bay (on the west).

I looked to my left, and had a lovely view of the two islands: 'Darahuway Dako' and 'Darahuway Guti'.

Yes, those are two separate islands that look just like one from afar. That haze of land far back at the horizon would be Zumarraga and Daram - both islands have long been in my still unticked 'bucket list'!

Tsismis: I heard from a friend, that somewhere to the right of Darahuway Guti (from this vantage) was a long white-sandbar that is 'no more'! Reason: sand was by-and-by extracted by construction outfits. I was further told, there remains a rocky mound that can be visited at low tide, but no more white sand.

That sandbar is/was called "waray banwa" (no grass / no vegetation), a bird feeding ground. Argh!

Anyway, back to that picture above, I tried magnifying some of the scenes, just out of curiosity.

The many houses on both Darahuway islands could be seen. Both by the way are barangays - so there is Brgy. Darahuway Dako, and Brgy. Darahuway Guti. Just don't be bothered if you see many spellings of the names. Many Samareños are still grappling between the 'hispanized' and 'tagalized' spellings of their local language! Dako=daku=daco=dacu=Big! Guti=goti=gote=gute=gamay=Small! We're like that!

Of course, Darahuway can be Darajuway, Darahuwai, Darajuwai or isla! Bakit me reklamo ka?!

Oh by the way, the other magnification in that pic above.., it is a little boat with no roof, and one of the girls has an umbrella! Reminds me of women I often see riding motorbikes with umbrellas. Sosyalin!

But looking back to the other side, on my right flank, was this uniquely humungous outrigger boat..,

It is so big it does not anymore look real still with outriggers. Yeah, hindi na sya bagay na meron katig!

Look here, I magnified part of the boat where there are people. They look tiny compared to the boat!

My companions and I were imagining/estimating, if seats in that boat are arranged like in a bus, it can probably carry a hundred passengers or even more, but, where would those people be coming from?!!

We then came to a conclusion, that, whichever island (or islands) that boat is serving, their commutes to the city must be 'not on a daily basis'. So, if we were to go there as tourists, we must stay overnight.

It is fun scrutinizing things and making them topics of your 'intellectual masturbation' with friends!

Another trivia.., that hilly land area behind the boat is Burak, a district, most of which are actually part of Brgy. Mercedes. The houses you see are behind the Iglesia Ni Cristo (if you were on the highway).

The highway? Oh the national highway! In that area is probably narrowest part of Maharlika Highway, and always congested with all kinds of land vehicles, PLUS people walking ON its pavement, as there is no sidewalk, curb, shoulder, margin whatever. PLUS, houses and buildings literally kiss the road!

Well, the authorities are actually trying to widen it where they can, and little-by-little (it seems) they are gaining 'progress' hehe! Ah, when trucks/buses from/to Manila/Mindanao pass by, makapigil-hininga!

Oops, let's go back to my boat ride to Sierra Islands hahaha!

Here's another view, this time of an island called Buri, that visitors to Catbalogan should remember!

That is a big island (composed of 3 barangays), connected to mainland via an interesting causeway.

That community you see in the middle of the picture is Brgy. Estaca (or Estaka whichever you prefer). The first promontory to the left, just near the houses is actually one end of a bay (behind it) where the Buri-Baras Beach is located! The smaller promontories to the left forms the other end of the bay/cove.

Why should visitors note that? Ah, 'Buri-Baras Beach', usually shortened to just 'Buri', is the only known public beach in Catbalogan that has (some semblance of) a white sandy beach! Worth remembering!

Here's more.., behind all those hills is located the Catbalogan City Airport (ICAO: RPVY, no IATA code yet) that, as of the now, is undergoing expansion, after a couple of times failing to wing a permanent commercial air market. Meanwhile, the runway (still) serves as part of the road going to Cabugawan.

And there's one more thing I need to tell you! Behind that right-side end of the island is Juvie's!

But that was not my destination on this trip. So, let's return to the sea, okay? Here are 2 more islands:

The bigger one is Guyam Island. The small one doesn't seem to have another name other than Guyam also! Why? Because, our boatmen told us, they are actually connected as one - that is during low tide!

Both of them are uninhabited (says the boatmen), but if you use your 'bionic eye', there is a structure on the left edge of that bigger island. It looks tall, as if a guard-house, but bigger, wider. I prodded the boatmen to tell me more, since there is a building. As if to shun me, they said "kan Tekwa ito" Hmmn!

Intrigued, I made one last glance at those 2 islands (islets actually) when we were already past them.

Hmmn, nice piece of property I must say. Uninhabited, white sandy areas at the ends, near the airport!

Anyway.., we reached the Sierra Island Group. A mesmerizing scattering of little and big islands..,

If I judge this by trusting my 'naked eyesight' - OMG naked - I think there are about 20 or more of them islands and islets in varying sizes and topographies, that even our boatmen were unsure if all habited.

First one that we passed very-near-to was the edge of Buluan (Bolo-an), an island barangay..,

That's a longish island and that's not the barangay's center which is located towards its northern end.

This is still Boloan Island (at right) and that is the barangay's main residential area..,

At left is the east side of Canahawan Guti whose main settlement (Brgy. Canahawan) is its west side.

Entering the center of all these islands (en route to Brgy. Cagutsan) the sea becomes so serene..,

It is not not anymore just calm, but placid! Or, maybe I was traveling with prayerful people, that is why!

Yes, I really was thankful for the beautiful weather. This kind of day is not 'often' in Eastern Visayas!

One thing I already learned though is: if you must travel on a small boat, do so on very early mornings. But maybe I should add.., go with godly people! An mga himungadi. Mga tambay ha St. Bartholomew!

If I remember correctly, this is now Canhawan Dako Island, and that settlement is Brgy. Cinco Sierra!

There's something cute (if a bit confusing) about the name of this barangay. That's "Cinco", a surname of a prominent family (a big clan) in this city, where leaders and/or reputable personalities come from. This barangay was named after one of them (I forgot to ask which one) - most probably an ex-mayor.

However, barangays in Catbalogan's city center are named Poblacion 1, 2, 3, all the way to 14, where the numbers are pronounced in the Spanish version e.g. Brgy. Poblacion Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro, Cinco! But, locals drop "poblacion" and just say Brgy. Uno etc. So, if you say Brgy. Cinco, which do you mean?

To avoid the confusion when speaking, people refer to "Barangay Poblacion 5" as Brgy. Five; and they usually say "Brgy. Cinco Sierra" when they mean "Barangay Cinco at Sierra Islands"! Oh ha?! Sosyalin!

Oh hey.., here is another trivia!
Not even many Catbaloganons know.., the 3 pictures above and this below is/was in Port Aguirre!

So where is that Port Aguirre? Well, that is Port Aguirre! Where? Here! There! Where our boat is/was!

As in... in all of those 4 photos above, the water you see is itself Port Aguirre! Try reading this..,

Instead of just quoting it, I instead just captured the whole paragraph for "more impact" at how old the information is! That is from a book by US Bureau of Insular Affairs circa 1930s (before World War II).

So Aguirre Port is just a body of water, akala ko kasi if we say "port" eh meron pantalan hehehe! But I get it now, why the sea color is dark-blue. It says 15 to 20 fathoms (therefore about 30 to 40 meters) deep. That is why they identified it as magandang tagu-an ng barko during typhoons! No big waves!

Alright, anyway, eto na.., we finally arrived (oops arriving pa lang pala) at our destination..,

Look at my friends, they were looking in awe. This was first-time for all but one of us to see this place.

Barangay Cagutsan, Timpasan Island, Catbalogan City..,

And a little to the right.., the Floating Swimming Pool

Where? There! What? That! That? Yes.., THAT is the Floating Swimming Pool of Brgy. Cagutsan.

Akala nyo kung ano, ano? But let's talk about it more in my next story. It's interesting!

Pramis!