Tabuelan, the third time around

CEBU, Philippines - “Malayo man at ibig, daig ang malapit.” (No matter how far the place longed for, the sheer desire to get there makes the places close by obscure.) This Filipino adage speaks so much of my own motivation in revisiting Tabuelan town for the third time recently. The distance of the place is immaterial. Perhaps it’s true that distance even fuels longing.

Tabuelan, on the northwestern seaboard of Cebu, can be reached in approximately three hours from Cebu City, by public transport. From either the North Bus or South Bus Terminal, the town is about 90 kilometers. V-hires are also available at the Ayala Center Cebu terminal for those who are in a hurry, since these vans are smaller than buses and thus easier to fill with passengers, so they depart sooner.

Our small group took the V-hire – which took us only to as far as the neighboring Tuburan town, still around 15 kilometers away from Tabuelan passing through the Transcentral Highway. A connecting tricycle ride was needed to take us to our final destination. The charge was P250 for the short special trip.

The whole trip took longer. We left Cebu City at around 9 a.m. and finally arrived in Tabuelan past noontime. We were already hungry, of course, and were glad to find that Maravilla – definitely an awesome public beach! – already has a canteen that serves an array of foods and beverages; an ATM (automated “tubig” machine) also stands at a corner nearby.

Tabuelan is a nice place where to collect and recollect oneself. It is not crowded, obviously because of the distance, and the local people – despite their noticeable curiosity – are not really nosy. In fact, some residents make it a point to stay quite a distance from where we were taking a dip. They just stayed quiet and kept some distance, perhaps careful not to disturb us. Or, maybe, they were trying to avoid the usual questions from visitors, like the history of Maravilla (which I learned was originally Maravillosa). Sure, it could really be tiring to be answering the same questions over and over again from every wave of visitors.

The peace and quiet of the place gave me some sense of personal space. And of course the sand –yes, the sand! There are only a few real powdery beaches in Cebu where one can lie down and roll over and over without scratching the elbows or the knees from sharp stones. This public beach in Tabuelan is one of those.

And as one steps into the waters, there are no sea urchins, pointed rocks and seaweeds to tackle. The heartwarming sight of my six-year-old boy wading into neck-deep waters without being tied to a flotation device still lingers in my mind. The merry cries and laughter of friends having fun still ring in my ears, too.

Really such a lovely place. I only hope that the local people – the local government especially – see the value of what they have and unite to preserve it. It bothers me in a way to have noticed a permanent concrete structure standing on a part of the beach at Maravilla. It alters the natural appeal of the beach and, from an angle, partly blocks the view of the sea.

A trip to Tabuelan is really something to try. For me, my third time is definitely not the last. I just can’t seem to stop myself from going back – again and again.