Sunday, May 21, 2006

Suluan: An Island in the Pacific

Have been wanting to visit this island for sometime already. Got the chance one day when the parish priest of Guiuan invited us to go with them to celebrate the yearly fiesta which falls on the 6th of May.

Suluan is a barangay (village) under the town of Guiuan, E. Samar. It is east of the island of Homonhon where Magellan first landed when he discovered the Philippines in 1521. It is a two hour ride by boat (motorized banca) from Guiuan. Since it is already facing the Pacific, the waves are so huge and treacherous that there are seasons in the year that it becomes isolated from the mainland. It is during the month of May and two weeks of June that the sea becomes calm. Composed of about five thousand inhabitants, the people occupy only the southwestern portion of the island, hence it is a safe haven with still waters as it is guarded from the huge Pacific waves by the mountains and cliffs on the eastern front of the island. There are seven small islands that dot around the mainland of Suluan.

These pictures are from the island of Suluan in Guiuan, E. Samar, Philippines. This two kilometer- stretch island is composed of beautiful white beaches on the western front and breathtaking cliffs and rock formations on the eastern side which faces the Pacific. There is a lighthouse on the southern part of the island which is reached by hiking through thick vegetation and a 490 step staircase from the foot of the mountain. After the arduous climb, one however is gifted with a picturesque view of the forest and the ocean. Just nearby is a cave called Panamboan that looks out into the blue ocean. One could see the waves wildly striking at the rocks below.




View of Suluan as one approaches the island

A yacht was moored in Suluan when we visited the place


The chapel of Suluan and its retablo altar (below)


Bp. Medroso was the celebrant of the fiesta of Suluan last May 6, 2006.

The streets of Suluan on a festive mood
This is the ancestral home of Msgr. Felix Sabenecio, a priest coming from this island of Suluan.

The white sand beaches are found in the western part of the island.





Climbing up the 490 steps to the lighthouse
The lighthouse

Upon reaching the lighthouse one is gifted with a breathtaking view of the ocean and the surrounding vegetation.A few distance from the lighthouse, one can get to the Panamboan Cave. At the end of the cave is an opening which overlooks the Pacific ocean, hence the name of the cave.

Panamboan cave overlooks the Pacific ocean


One of the wild plants that can be seen from the top of Panamboan cave.


At the eastern part of the island by the Pacific side are rugged mountain cliffs and stone formations




There are also pools of sea water that one can bathe in during low tides.


Some of the new coral formation that could be seen in Suluan. This is found in the other side of the island, the one facing the Pacific.
Sunset in Suluan

27 comments:

elmo said...

nice page... hope to see my countenace in your future postages... harharhar!

elmo said...

yeah i missed the events... you should also have posted our antiquated shots of days long past... like those in mala pascua or biri... when i got the smile-to-fame candid shots... hehehe

Anonymous said...

wow, i never thought other people would appreciate the beauty of our place :)
so happy to see your blog, you made me feel proud to be a sulu-anon :)

Anonymous said...

Awesome! that's how beautiful our island is! Fr.Garix thanks so much for bringing your friends there.A real sulu-anon, no matter how far they maybe will really never forget this island!Kodus to all of you!

Anonymous said...

know wat? my mom lives hir in suluan. we already went hir for vacation last 2004, i guess. it's a great place. we all love it.. except for the high waves.. whew..

Anonymous said...

I am amazed & impressed w/ the pics of this place....I didnt realize that there is a place like this in Samar...

andreas tomann said...

hi there

i will be travelling around the philippines this fall and was wondering if there is a place to stay or oif it is possible to organice a homestay there, does anybody have a contact there?

thanks for your help
andreas

Anonymous said...

I was so surprised when I surfed the net and I've seen my home place.Thanks a lot.I was able to show it to my friends from other Asian countries.I'm always proud being a Sulu-anon endowned with natural beauty!

Anonymous said...

Kudos monsignor, baga hin diri anhi ha pilipinas an mga litrato han dagat....ipasaralamat ini nga iyo pagkalakat ngan paghingadto...mag-upay an napahimulos mo nga mga taran-awon bisan la ha litrato....bendisyunan ka la pirmi han aton makagarahum nga Diyos sugad man adton mga tinuod nga magsurunod hini nga imo susuratan. Amen.

Anonymous said...

This is so far the best among the trips you have made if i will to choose because of the scenery. It is majestic. it's like a place of no return. I am sure you have personal transforming experiences more or less of this place if not immediately after the trip maybe years after...and will be triggered by certain events and people. Thanks be to God for such wonderful places.

Anonymous said...

Photography at its best. Please allow me to post this link to my FB account. Thanks a lot.

Louise Salazar
Another Suluanon in UK

Anonymous said...

I need to know exactly what Mercedes will say about this?


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monica dagsa said...

i want to upload some picture,,pwede ba? usa liwat ako nga taga sulu-anon..We are very proud!What a paradise island!

beachanatic said...

It's alright Monica to upload some pictures. Although if you are going to post or publish them somewhere it would be nice if you can acknowledge from where the photos came from

sirtheody said...

celebrated my 47th birthday in
Suluan, the dream island. with the people of the sea.. Cool loving people...I cross the the ocean every year for the island...

sirtheody
born may 3, 1964

mike said...

Im going to calicoan backpacking and wondered if theres anywhere to stay on this island. would it be possible to stay in a tent there? how is the fishing and spearfishing? i hope to come in dec 2011.. i was in sulangan in 2009 and never got a chance to come here.. plz reply to mikeydam@hotmail.com

kamagra said...

This is like the paradise, what a great place no question about it, excellent pictures.

BIMBO LOYOLA said...

WOW !!! I WAS SO AMAZED... THE PLACE WHERE I WAS BORN IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL... ITS NATURALITY GIVES ANY STRANGER TO LOVE IT.. I HOPE THAT MY ISLAND WILL BE DISCOVERED AS ONE OF THE PHILIPPINES TOURIST SPOT IN THE FUTURE...

Tony Agamata said...

I'll be in Guiuan on October (Hometown)! I don't exactly know the place since sa Manila na ko pinalaki. Well its better-the thrill of not knowing where you're going!lolz

Ellis said...

That's my mom's province! What a paradise it is:) I went to this island 3 yrs ago, when I passed my NLE. And as a gift, she promised me we'll spend our vacation there. She's also a devotee of St Francis de Assisi, so we went there to thank the patron. Im always proud of this Island :)

Anonymous said...

hello beachanatic, which time of the year is best to go there? I'd ;like to visit the place this year. thanks

Unknown said...

During fiesta is best time to go there ... 27th of April until 7th of may. during that days we celebrate our fiesta...

Anonymous said...

Hi xian caspe! Is there a place to stay in Suluan? I'm thinking of visiting the place on summer,most probably on your fiesta. :D

Anonymous said...

Hello, I would like to ask how much is the fare from Guiuan to the island, and if there is any hotel to stay in for the night? hope to hear response from you. Thank you so much

beachanatic said...

I'm sorry I don't have any current information about the fare and places to stay in Suluan.

Unknown said...

Are u familiar with a people called:dagsa?
They settled in suluan island long time ago. They came from the Mariana's islands and they came with their proas. I am interested if descendants of these people are still in suluan. Pls give me feedback

Unknown said...

I note your family name is dagsa. Are u remotely related to a group of people from the Mariana's islands who settled in suluan? They came to suluan in the prehispanic times and they were referred to as :dagsa. There was regular migration from Marianas and suluan during the prehispanic times to