conquering coron

Travelling is one of the things I love to do. One of my friends would actually call me “lakwatsera” (explorer/trekker/voyager). Way back when I was in elementary, I would always pray for God to bless me a height of a flight steward. As time goes by, I realized God wants me to do other thingsthat include not being a flight steward. Instead, I was blessed with a lovely smile (pagbigyan nyo na ako! J ) and feet that loves wandering around (in short lakwatsera!).  And I guess working with a government agency which allows us to conduct a learning/ educational visit once a year anywhere in the Philippines is such an honor. It fulfilled one of my dreams ─to see the beautiful sceneries here in our country. Among the places I already  explored were Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, General Santos, Davao, Bukidnon, Cotabato City, Bohol, Cebu, most places in North (except Batanes) and my last stop was Coron.

Last March 3-5. 2010, my officemates and I went to Coron, a place I was so excited to see!  Coron is a small town located at the northern tip of Palawan ─the ancestral homeland of the Tagbanuas. It is part of the Calamianes Group of Islands and located southwest of Mindoro Island, Philippines. On September 24, 1944 this island was a witness to the US Navy’s aerial bombardment of the Japanese cargo and support vessels, seeking shelter in its turquoise waters. This has now become a sanctuary for a variety of marine creatures that call these wrecks their home. The aquatic views from the sunken Japanese warships of Coron Island are listed in Forbes Travellers Magazine’s top 10 best scuba diving sites in the world.  

We stayed at a resort called Banana Island. It is called such because its shape is like a banana leaf. We’ve endured a two hour ride via boat to get there. Despite the two hour travel, our efforts were not wasted. The island is very rich in marine life, has white sandy beach, and has very fine sands.  The wind is gusty and it is indeed a clean and untouched island that can be explored in less than 30 minutes. There are cottages, tents and small villas. There are hammocks as well where one can sleep while listening to the waves and enjoying the summer breeze (I really love sleeping in that hammock. it’s as if I’m being cradled by the wind).

We have enjoyed the scenery and the beach. I’ve enjoyed snorkelling the most. Playing beach volleyball with my officemates until sunset was one of the things I’ll never forget. Feeding the fishes with bread was so much fun! I lovedthe sea urchin for its sweet roe (yummy!), and most of all enjoyed the sun . Oh! I love the sun! 

The good thing about being in that island was that we were the only people there. Because of that:

a.       we got to play, shout and sing to our hearts content without worries;

b.      we got to know each other more;

c.       we had no paper works ; and

d.       I was able to pray for my boss and my officemates.

As a baby Christian, I admit I am a bit nervous praying for other people, but because of God’s grace and guidance I was able to pray for my boss and my officemates. Isn’t that great? With the help of my two officemates who are both Christians, our officemates were able to know and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour.

At first I was sceptical about this because they might reject us. Nevertheless, God touched their hearts and they listened to what we were sharing. Hallelujah!

We also went to “kayangan lake”. Sometimes called the Blue Lagoon, this freshwater lagoon is amidst sheer limestone cliffs. This beautiful picture-perfect scenery can be seen after a walk up a mountain trail. The water is crystal clear and its temperature is between warm and cold. I really could not describe the temperature because I was so excited to swim!

Our next stop was Malcapuya Island. it is located at about 30 kilometers south of the Coron Poblacion and east of Culion Island. It has a longer white sand beach on its southern shore, a narrower beach on its western side, and another shoreline on its northern side. The sand is powdery white and the water is between hot and cold.

On our third day, we went to the twin lagoon which was nestled in a cathedral of huge limestone formation in what has been known as Calis Mountain. It is filled with saltwater, has a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. In general the temperature is between warm and cold. To get through the place, we passed in a narrow opening on the side of the mountain. Being on that lagoon is very relaxing. I would definitely go back to this place.

Our last stop was the Maquinit Hot Spring. It is about 5 km east of the Coron town proper. The Maquinit Hot Spring has two small and one wide pools with hot saltwater that sooths your tired muscles. After enjoying sunset in Mt. Tapyas, it feels good to pamper tired feet here. It is the only saltwater hot spring in the country. The temperature of the saltwater in Maquinit’s Hot Spring can reach 40 degrees Celsius.

I couldn’t think of anything but to thank God for the experiences and the opportunities given to me to share His word. It was indeed a great vacation/ teambuilding for me. I was able to enjoy His beautiful creations and at the same time share His word. It was certainly a coreageous adventure!