West Wing

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s western chunk, though not highly urbanized like its capital, isn’t low-key nor “sleepy” since it has huge potential. It appeals to the adventure buff who wishes to be whisked on a weekend with a dynamic itinerary on hand, or even families who don’t settle for “cliché” respites.

Proofs: Shriek while trying out the zipline facilities in the fecund mountains of Balamban, as well as explore trekking trails nearby; be a green thumb while visiting the vast expanse of agricultural lands in Asturias; Molobolo Spring for a splash and increase your historical sensibility at the museum in Tuburan; sun-worshippers can bask at the white sand beach of Tabuelan; sail away along the Bojo River and go green at the organic farm in Aloguinsan; spelunk in Kamangon Cave and get sun-kissed in Campalabo Islet in Pinamungajan; and mind the mines in Atlas Mining in Toledo.  

The recent Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Midwest tour showcased some of these attractions. My first Suroy-Suroy was also the first Midwest tour and I’m glad I never got to visit the same tourist spots this time around. Except for the Maravilla Resort in Tabuelan, the rest was new to me. Here are a few of the highlights:

Balamban

The group arrived in Balamban past 10 in the morning and was immediately feted to a cultural show over a heavy merienda of local delicacies, assorted fruits and of course, the liempo (grilled pork belly).

When in this side of the province, don’t miss out on the townsfolk’s culinary heirloom, liempo. Ditch the diet and indulge on a scrumptious lunch even just for once. As a liempo fan, I must say it is truly a must-try. The taste is synonymous to that of a personal favorite, Kusina Ni Nasing in V. Rama – skin is crispy while meat is tender and juicy with just the right amount of spices and herbs added. Delish, I must say! 

But foremost, Balamban is globally recognized as the country’s ship capital with Japan’s Tsuneishi Holdings, Inc.’s sprawling shipyard. And this year’s Midwest caravan was afforded a bus tour round the shipping mecca with engineers on board who provided a quick orientation and graciously entertained questions thrown by local tourists and balikbayans aboard. As our coach negotiated the wide lanes leading to the different construction and assembling areas – the experience was similar to forming a jigsaw puzzle – we marveled at the craftsmanship of the locals as translated to larger-than-life ships to be exported to the different continents. “It was an excellent tour for us!” exclaimed tour delegates Annabelle Veloso, Merlina Rama-Tiro, Vicky Latuga and Tess Campos.   

Asturias

The bazaar at the town plaza which is mostly composed of rural income-generating projects reflected the foothold of Asturias in the province – agriculture. An assortment of tropical fruits and native veggies displayed by hawkers greeted the Suroy-Suroy guests at the foyer, followed by a long spread of various home-made goodies such as bingka, biko, moron, squash puto, chorizo and longaniza, coco jelly, wooden fashion accessories (bangles, earrings, neck pieces) and home decors, and Malabago Beach Resort’s (in Brgy. Sta. Lucia) therapeutic clay that surprisingly has pampering, relaxing and healing effects.

The clay surrounding the Malabago tree inside the resort is said to have miraculously blown off the Mendoza family’s (resort owners) ailments. Today, the Malabago therapeutic clay is sold by kilos and is also marketed as a beauty regimen with a special packaging: clay wrapped in a special cloth. Founder Rita Mendoza explained to her buyers the procedure on how to properly use the facial clay: dip the cloth in tap water then rub it on the face. Try it to see if it works for you.

Tuburan

Go skinny-dipping at the four-feet deep Molobolo Spring, where freshwater kisses the sea. The towering trees secluding the spring play canopy, providing shade for the swimmers. Some of the residents of Brgy. Molobolo and in the nearby barangays source their drinking water from this spring, according to one resident. Molobolo Spring has been part of the local Sunday respite and weekend family outings.       

Meanwhile, the group was well-received by the townfolks at the municipal plaza where local products and delicacies were exhibited in bahay kubos. What surprised me was a spread of all-camote products: camote suman, camote balls, camote pudding, camote real, camote bitso, camote pearl balls, camote pancake, camote nut pudding, camote chips, camote turon, camotecue, camote salad, camote pastillas, camote valenciana, among others. This goes to show that Tuburan is abundant with this sweet root crop!

Tabuelan

Like in the first Midwest caravan, the famed Sandiego Dance Company led the cultural presentations at the Maravilla Beach Resort. It started with a Sinulog dance at the Maravillosa Park by the Sandiego dancers who ushered the guests to the shoreline, leading the way towards the resort. Guests marched in the white sand beach strip of Tabuelan as the marching band played the Sinulog beat.

Another set of performances was presented at the municipal complex where dinner was served, still choreographed by the Sandiegos, whose lineage is from Tabuelan.

Aloguinsan

Tourists were offered two tour options in Aloguinsan — the Aloguinsan Farm House (organic farm) tour and Bojo River cruise – before partaking of the sumptuous native lunch that included the much-loved organic lechon (succulent meat with less fat) and tinolang Kinsan (abundant fish in this side of Cebu) at the Baluarte Park.

The locals, headed by tourism agriculturist Marilyn Flordeliza, grow organic vegetables in the farm, as well as raise “vegetarian” chicken and hogs fed with kamunggay, tangkong and camote tops. They also grow passion fruit that were in season in time for the Suroy-Suroy so guests were able to taste some fresh picks. “Ganahan gyud kayo ko. Na-appreciate nako tanan. Daghan ko’g nakat-unan sama nga ang (organic) baboy, usa ka buwan pa lang, aslon na. Ang lawog dahon sa kamote. Wala gyu’y baho. Unta makat-unan sa ubang tawo kini nga pamaagi sa Aloguinsan (I liked it. I appreciate everything. I learned so many things such as a one-month old piglet can already be roasted. They feed them camote tops. The pigpen is odorless. I hope the others will learn from Aloguinsan),” shared Mellie Uraca about her organic farm tour.

Meanwhile, the river cruise was also a pleasant one. Bojo River is surrounded by a thick mangrove forest which is home to endemic birds. The guided river tour was manned by a knowledgeable boatman who shared tales of history, myth and legend concerning the 1.5-kilometer river that stretches out to the sea. “It’s absolutely beautiful!” quipped Bec-Bec Laxina, a balikbayan. If you wish to linger and explore Bojo onboard a banca, they offer an eco-cultural tour package that includes mangrove ecology and bird wildlife lecture, buffet lunch, snack, handicraft demo and the river cruise that’ll take three hours to finish. (Refer to the June 5, 2011 issue – Some Allures of Aloguinsan – of this section for more details.)

Pinamungajan

I was pretty impressed with the cultural presentations prepared by the locals at the municipal plaza yet disappointed at the same time since the tour did not include a trip to Hidden Valley Resort in Brgy. Lamac. The numbers were superb though but I was expecting the tourists to view an accommodation option in Pinamungajan, if ever they plan on paying a visit soon. In my previous accounts on Pinamungajan, I cited a few attractions: Campalabo Islet (sandbar) in Brgy. Tajao and Kamangon Cave, Sinangkulan Falls and of course, the Hidden Valley Resort in Brgy. Lamac. (Refer to the November 7, 2010 issue – Great Escapes in Pinamungajan – of this section for more details.)

Toledo

In our final pit stop, we were treated to street dancing and ritual performances as Toledo City celebrated its city fiesta via the 4th Hinulawan Festival. Seven contingents bested for the most-coveted title as the grand champion of this year’s biggest and grandest Hinulawan to date. The contingents, clad in vibrant costumes, put on a spectacle that showcased exceptional upbeat choreography.

A Filipino buffet dinner followed at the open ground of Toledo Traveler’s Inn facing the Tañon Strait. The night cap was the musical fireworks display at the port area that lasted for 25 minutes! (FREEMAN)