ANTULANG BEACH RESORT, Siaton, Negros Oriental

For a holiday on a private beach with all the perks and amenities of good resort, Antulang Beach Resort is the best place to be. This is the place for honeymooners. Situated 40 kilometers south of Dumaguete, Antulang belongs to the municipality of Siaton. The ten hectare resort sits on a sheer cliff and one has to go down several winding staircases to the secluded white beaches strewn with large, natural rock formations. Aside from the usual rooms, they have six villas with private pools and outdoor Jacuzzi with a beautiful view of the sea. They have fun activities from diving, snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, rappeling and a cruise to the island’s best kept secret, the beautiful Tambobo bay just nearby. Tambobo Bay is a natural marina and a haven of more than two dozen yachts from all over the world.

The entrance to the resort though, is a letdown. There is no distinctive lobby and not much landscaping has been done to give the visitors a welcoming air. However, once inside you get drawn to the infinity pool with a good command of the glorious sea.

Tangkaan Beach in Padre Burgos

         Tangkaan Beach in Padre Burgos, S. Leyte is the only white sand beach that can be found in the whole mainland of Leyte. The beach in the eastern part of Leyte is made of black sand, while in the western part it is mostly of pebbles and stone and rocks. However, Tangkaan beach proves to be different. Not only has it white sand for the beach but it also has some beautiful rock formations. The sea is clear and surprisingly it has beautiful corals teeming with small fishes just two or three meters from the shore during low tides. The name itself has a story. 'Tangka" means to attempt. In the past, there have been several attempts by the Moros to raid the place, but they could not get to land their boats because of the strong currents. Hence, the name Tangkaan. This strong current, I found out when I went on snorkeling. I did not even have to exert any effort to swim as the current was fast. The good thing was that the current was not going out into the open sea but just along the island.

The people of Padre Burgos mostly belong to the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan). In fact, they have the Cathedral of the Aglipayans in town. When we went to Tangkaan, it happened to be their fiesta, so there were plenty of people by the beach eating and drinking. There is a marker and a monument of St. James the Apostle on top of a rock by the beach. The marker says that when the townspeople of Tamalayag, now known as Padre Burgos gathered together to choose a patron saint, a stranger appeared before them instructing them to pick up the icon of their patron saint, St. James the Apostle. The site marks the exact place where the found the icon.

         Tangkaan Beach is 2.5 kilometers from the town of Padre Burgos. At the town proper, just before entering the small port which is the jump off point for the island of Limasawa, you make a right turn and just follow it until you reach the end of the road and you have already reached Tangkaan Beach. There are a few steps going down to the beach.

The island of Limasawa is just across the Tangkaan beach.

Baybayon ni Agalon in Albuera, Leyte

The newest and the most scenic picnic resort along the Ormoc - Albuera seacoast is the Baybayon ni Agalon in Malitbog, Albuera, Leyte just before entering the town proper of Albuera. With pebble stones for the beach, the waters are clear. There are two rafts moored a few meters from shore which can accommodate 20 to 30 persons. The rent is 150 per hour. They have a good number of beautifully made kiosks and two tree houses for group picnics. The resort has a sprawling lawn which is nicely landscaped. There is also a large swimming pool for those who prefer not to go to the beach. Entrance fee to the resort is at seventy pesos per person and the cottages go for 760 (promo price) for the tree house and 360 and 320 for the other kiosks. There is a restaurant inside, but one can also bring in food without having to pay corkage fee. Having just opened last summer, the resort had plenty of guests daily during the vacation period. Further from the beach just near the entrance by the swimming pool, there are also kiosks with fresh water cum fishpond underneath. They are at present building a mini hotel to cater to those who would like for an overnight or an extended stay. This is owned by the Iñaki Larrazabal Enterprises. Contact numbers: (053) 562-9362; cel 0917-7050691

The Sisters working at the Sts. Peter & Paul Parish of Ormoc together with the other parish workers had a day off for a short pilgrimage and excursion to Baybay ending at the resort.

Frs. Luis, Yengyeng and Lito enjoying the pool.

Puerto Galera

What makes Puerto Galera special is that it has everything that a beach can offer: quiet private coves for swimming, beautiful corals for snorkeling and places for scuba diving. At the beach front one has the choice of rowdy party going scenes at the Sabang and the laid-back joints and restaurants in White Beach. One unique experience we had when we went snorkeling at the Coral Gardens was having to hold on to a rope which was attached to the outrigger of the banca. As the banca sailed through the Coral gardens, we had a faster way of snorkeling getting the sights of the corals and the fishes.

The port in Batangas City

Sabang, Puerto Galera

Resorts in Sabang, Puerto Galera