Islanders for a Day: Island Living at Bolobadiangan Is., Concepcion, Iloilo

Part 3/3: Beaching at Sandbar Island Resort

Before I finally boarded a pump boat going to the sandbar, I went again to the fish port and saw more people buying and selling fish. There were various species of fish like sardines, mackerel, small barracuda, etc. What I noticed also was that some other salt water fish were still small and might still be young and should not be fished out yet. If this continues, there’ll be fewer fish to catch in the Visayan Sea since there’ll be no mature fish to lay their eggs. Ultimately, the people of Concepcion will be the ones mostly affected if they don’t start doing something about it.

Small Barracudas

 At 4pm, I was on my way to Bolobadiangan Island aboard a pump boat owned by Kuya Bernie. I was a lone passenger in a boat good for 5-8 persons, so I had to pay more for the ride (the downside of solo travel). It cost me P500 one-way. P1, 500 is charged for two-way. It is actually cheaper than the regular price for tourists because a return boat transfer costs P1, 500. It so happened that Kuya Bernie was on his way to the island to fetch other tourists for island hopping.  His boat actually doubles as a passenger boat in regular days. If you’re a solo traveler on a budget, you can actually wait for these passenger boats (usually after people from other islands bought fish in the port, one in the morning and another in the afternoon) and ask the boatmen if they can drop you to Bolobadiangan. Regular fare is P30 for the locals, but it is advisable that you give more since you’ll be the only one going to the sandbar. If you are three or more in the group, you will not be allowed to ride the passenger boats.

Bolobadiangan Island during sunset

Taken from the other end of the island, just before sunset

 After more or less 20 minutes, I arrived at the sandbar. It was unbelievable. My jaws dropped at the sight of it. From afar it seems like a regular island with a stretch of white sand, but when you actually see it, it is mind blowing.

Bolobadiangan Island is situated near two others namely, Sanggutay and Danao Danao. It has a view of Mt. Apitong on another side where the sun sets. Sunrise is at the side of Danao Danao Island. Bolobadiangan has a sandbar that stretches for about 100-200 meters, a picture-perfect view that could rival even Boracay. It is privately-owned by Manong Sanny’s family who live in a modestly big house. Some of their relatives also live there and help them in the resort. Aside from the houses, there is also a Baptist Church in the island. Residents from nearby island barangay go there for worship.

Sandbar Island Resort

An open-air cottage for rent at Sandbar Island Resort

The island resort has three big cottages for those who wish to stay for a night or more and tables for day trippers. Two of the cottages cost P800, while the family cottage costs P1,000. But this is not your typical island-resort cottages. The cottage has neither air-conditioning unit nor fan, no bed, just a ‘papag’, but the resort provides pillows, blanket, and banig. It has no cabinets or drawers. It basically has nothing in it. The toilet is a few feet away from my cottage, and I was given a key to one of the toilets for my own use. There is only salt water in the toilet though because water is difficult to come by. If you want to take a bath after a swim, you’d have to buy water that costs P20 per container.

I think the P800 charge is a bit pricey given the lack of amenities and it also does not include the entrance fee of P25, but since there is no competition with other resorts the tourists have no choice but to take it. A cheaper way to enjoy the island is a day trip; you only have to pay the entrance fee and another P20 for the water container. The downside of it is that you cannot enjoy a night in the island, which is a different experience altogether (more about this later).

Electricity is available in the island but only between 6pm to 10pm. After that, you only have the gazillion of stars and the moon. I saw solar panels in one of the cottages and another in the main house but mostly a generator supplies the electricity. The resort also has an updated karaoke machine with, wait for it, newly-bought amplifiers. How’s that for island living?

Sun sets on the side with Mt. Apitong in the view

When I arrived, Manong Sanny greeted me. I introduced myself and he said he remembered me because I texted him inquiring about the rates in their resort. He didn’t reply to my text message because he thought I was not serious about it. He said I should have called. The moral lesson is, call him if you want to reserve a cottage.

He introduced me to his daughter, Rexanne, who has a cute five-year old son, Jan Jan. She’s the one running the place with the help of their relatives as staff. I met Cherry and Biboy, both high school students. Since there were no classes, they were there helping in the resort. They were the ones who attended to my needs and joined me in my cottage to accompany me for the night. Rexanne did not want me to sleep alone.

There were other guests in the resort when I arrived, one group that came from Manila and another group who were locals and were actually relatives of Rexanne’s family. The husband and wife are OFWs spending their vacation in their hometown with their friends and family. They were very nice to me, inviting me to eat and drink with them. I planned of asking them if I can ride with them back to Concepcion the next day so I don’t have to pay too much for the boat ride. But things did not go as planned.

Rexanne invited me for coffee in their house. It was already past 4pm and the sunset was nearing, but I had some few minutes to spare for a coffee. I met her mother, who is a midwife in the town. She was on leave though because of an accident: a clam bit her and she had 14 stitches in her ankle because of it.

Rexanne was curious why I was alone. I took it to mean that this kind of experience was meant to be shared. We also talked about the potential of their resort, which is already in its fourth year of operation. The only thing that is lacking in it, I told her, is a restaurant. She said she hired a cook before, but the cook did not want to stay in the island. It was like an on-call cook. For solo travelers like me, she said they can accommodate; the problem is the big groups. They need a stay-in cook to serve them.

Amazing Sunset

I took my leave after coffee to watch the sunset. After that, I took a night swim, took a bath, and prepared for dinner. They served me sinigang na baboy and dried fish--good for three persons--but they only charged me P100 for the meal.

I was in the middle of my dinner when an Ilonggo whom I loved dearly called me telling me he was in Concepcion. So much for solo traveling, I thought. But I was happy I have someone to share the island with (That's why there's a plural noun in the title; no, it is not a grammatical error.).

It was 7.30 pm and it was already very dark for a boat to sail. We tried contacting Kuya Bernie, but he was already in his home island where there is no phone signal. There were no more fishing boats in the port. The resort actually has a boat, but Manong Sanny would not risk fetching my friend because it was dark already. He suggested that he stay in the town for the night and go to the island in the morning. Good thing Jim, the Tourism Officer, was still at the office and he assisted this one crazy Ilonggo. 


The moral of the story is (1) to tell your friend earlier that you'll be going (which spoils the surprise); (2) to arrive in town when sun is still up to avoid being stranded.  

After dinner Rexanne and I talked some more. Then Manong Sanny called on us to ask if we want to see a bonfire. We went to the beach to see it. After that, I walked to my cottage and slumped in the hammock. On my way, I saw the two groups already downing bottles of alcohol. The Ilonggo group invited me for a drink, but I was too tired already and politely declined. At around 11pm, Cherry, Biboy and I went to sleep while the others enjoy their last night in the island.

Sunrise, Shell Garden, and More

Why I Woke Up at 5 am

Hello Sun!

Other Early Birds

I’m not usually a morning person, but if you are in an island it’s almost a sin not to wake up for the sunrise. Surprisingly, I awoke automatically (with no alarm clock) at around 5am, and the sun was just about to rise. I grabbed by camera and went outside. Cherry and Biboy were still fast asleep. Maybe they are so used to the sight of the sunrise that they prefer to get more sleep.

Outside, the resort staff were already cleaning the ground--bamboos used for the bonfire, bottles from last night’s drinking, some plastic waste brought by the tide. I started taking pictures and then later realized that I haven’t even washed my face yet.

It was low tide that time, and Nanay said it was the best time to see their shell garden. This garden provides protection to clams of various sizes from being picked up by other islanders. They put artificial corals in the shell garden in addition to newly-formed natural ones to attract fish as well. Manong Mode, a resort staff and also a relative of the owners’, went with me and told me things about clams and corals.   

The Shell Garden

Manong Mode and the Corals

Octopus!

The Expensive Exotic Sea Creature (I forgot the name)

 After our tour in the shell garden, we went to the other side of the sandbar to see smaller clams. Manong Mode said that during high tide, they get these young clams and transfer them to the shell garden. Since it was low tide, we were able to walk in a long stretch of dead corals. I saw other sea creatures, like octopus and a black, round, long creature that Manong Mode said is sold at a very high price to Chinese as exotic food.  Unfortunately, our tour abruptly ended because of the morning rain. We headed back to the shore, and I waited for my friend to arrive. 

Here comes the rain. Manong Mode and Nono, the dog

**Photos taken by me :)

[to be continued]