KALANGGAMAN ISLAND, ONE MORE TIME

 Right after the celebration of my 40th sacerdotal anniversary in my home parish in MacArthur, Leyte, my officemates who had come to join the festivities were treated to an excursion to the now world-famous Kalanggaman Island, renowned for its long stretch of white sandbar, crystal-clear turquoise waters on one side, and coral reefs on the other.

The parish priest of Palompon, who kindly arranged the trip for us, chartered two speedboats that reduced the travel time from more than an hour to just thirty minutes. Normally, the regular boat service, which can accommodate a maximum of thirty passengers, waits until it is fully booked before departing.

We left Palo early in the morning and arrived in Palompon after an hour and a half, where breakfast was already prepared for us at the convento. Registration for visitors to Kalanggaman is now done online. It was a beautiful day, and the sea was remarkably calm.

It was a beautiful day, and the sea was remarkably calm.

The long stretch of the sandbar

The crystal clear waters of Kalanggaman. 

At the parish convent with the parish priest, Fr. Aaron Quilaneta.