PART 1: Siquijor: Demystified

 An island known for its myth on witchcraft and strange rituals. It is said that this island is the home of some witches who plays havoc on passing ships bound to Cebu or any neighboring islands. This is also known as Isla Del Fuego (Island Of fire) by the Spaniards during the colonial period due to the abundance of fireflies in this region. 

Our ride 

We were amazed to know that this small beautiful island has a lot of old churches and convents. We traveled the whole island by a "motorela" and strangely we discovered that the people in this place are very religious contrary to what most of us believe. We passed by a lot of churches, in fact, three of which really caught my attention - The St. Francis of Assisi Church in Siquijor, The San Isidro Labrador Church and Convent found in Lazi, and The Church of Divine Providence in Maria.

The St. Francis of Assisi Church was originally built by the Spaniards and has been preserved for centuries by the local people. And similar to other old infrastructure in the country, this church is mostly made of coral stones and timber with an equally old bell tower as if beckoning the passengers from the pier. This church is really hard to miss upon arrival since it sits well in front of Siquijor pier.  

St Francis of Assisi church

St Francis of Assisi church bell tower

The San Isidro Labrador Church and Convent which is the oldest convent in Asia. This was another remembrance of the Spanish influence in the province; it's built by the Augustinian priests' in the 19th century. The church walls are made of corals and the floor is made of wood. I have been to a lot of old churches before, but this church feels different, I have this eerie feeling as soon as I step into its gigantic doors, perhaps due to its deafening silence or I'm just not use to the feeling of tranquility the place offers.   

San Isidro Labrador Church side view

 San Isidro Labrador Church main door 

San Isidro Labrador Church coral walls

San Isidro Labrador Church altar 

San Isidro Labrador Church roof 

On the other hand, the convent fronting the church is bursting with life. Some of its rooms are now being converted as a school building. It also holds a museum that showcases some century old relics and clerical clothing way back the Spanish era.   

Museum entrance: PhP 20

The Church Of Divine Providence, located in the municipality of Maria.  This is the home of Sta. Rita de Cascia, the patron saint of the abused wives and mourning women. She is carrying a skull and a crucifix which makes her very unique. 

Beside the church entrance

The bell tower 

The replica of Sta. Rita 

Accordingly, the original statue was almost stolen so the Archbishop decided to hide it for safe keeping.  

NOTE: 
* Please dress appropriately
* Observe silence;  turn your cellphones to silent mode 
* Follow church rules specially when they conduct services

Check part II of our Siquijor adventure for the rest of the island's must-see places.  

PART II: Siquijor: Demystefied

 There are few ways of getting to Siquijor Island, if you are from Manila you can book a flight to Dumaguete then take a ferry to Siquijor. However, since we are all from CDO and there is no direct flight to Dumaguete, we opted to rendezvous in Cebu. From there, we're suppose to travel by oceanjet ferry to Siquijor via Bohol  however, when we get to Cebu Pier 1 the voyage was cancelled due to some maintenance check. Since we cannot afford to stay in Cebu due to time constraints we decided to travel the long way by land.

Courtesy of google maps

 We hopped a Ceres bus (yellow colored bus) from Cebu South bus terminal bound for Liloan port, Santander and the travel time is about 4 hours. As soon as we arrived at the port we secure tickets bound for Dumaguete (don't forget to sign the passenger manifest). The ride took 45 minutes with big, grueling waves so brace yourself for the ride (check where the life vest is kept just in case).

 NOTE: 
 * Ask the driver to drop you off the port and not just the highway
* Pack your lunch, snacks, and water since the bus seldom stops
 * Secure your belongings and beware of pickpockets
 * Set aside small bills or coins for terminal fee

Arriving at Dumaguete, we took a "motorela" going to their main seaport near Silliman University. There are two major ports in the island one found in Larena & another in Siquijor. The last trip for ferries bound to Siquijor port is at 4PM and since we arrived late, we took the only remaining RORO (Montenegro Shipping) bound for Larena port and travel time is about 1 hour.

 NOTE:
* Motorela normally has 6 seats, since we are in a hurry we paid the remaining empty seats
* Set aside small bills or coins for terminal fee
* Check trip schedules and alternative routes

Resort Entrance 

 We have reservations at the Coral Cay beach resort, San Juan. Although we arrived late, the kitchen crew waited for us and a prepared late dinner before we hit the sack. We woke up early the following day  to a sumptuous breakfast before starting on our island tour.

BEWARE:  
The food serving in this resort is always good for two.

Note: 
Please check resort website for updated prices:
http://www.coralcayresort.com/ratesNov2012.html

Breakfast 

Our ride 

PLACES TO VISIT:

Capilay Spring Park 

Capilay spring park, is located in the heart of San Juan, Siquijor. The locals call it their “plaza” where you can find smaller establishments like convenience store and the Municipal Hall. The pool is open to anybody who wants to take a splash .

Enchanted Balete Tree 

Enchanted Balete tree, is a wonderful landmark of Siquijor and base on how big the body of the tree is I suspect it must be close to a hundred years old perhaps more. The locals believe that it is the home of some supernatural being. Cold water flows underneath the tree and small fishes are visibly swimming. 

Cambuhagay Falls

This falls is well hidden  in what seem like a valley and we need to climb down a very steep and slippery stairs in order to get there. It’s a multi layered waterfall, very peaceful and the water run very cold.

Entrance fee:  PhP 15

Kagusuan Rock Formation 

This is accessible by concrete steps and is located below a cliff. Getting here is also very hard because the place is not very famous even to some locals. It feels like the beach is behind a small mountain and dense trees. In fact, we only found a single house on our way. 

Salagdoong Beach Resort 

It is a government owned resort with white sand beach and few huge limestone rock formations along its coastline. The local tourism sets up a diving ledge and slides for recreational purposes, yet I wasn't inclined to jump because the water looks very deep.  

Behind is view of the cottages

Cang Isok House 

According to the locals, this is the oldest house in the entire Siquijor Island located along Villanueva highway. 

Mt. Bandilaan

The highest peak in Siquijor unfortunately we were not able to reach the top of the mountain because we can't find a single soul along the way.  There were no directions and nobody is around to show us the right direction not even a single house. 

On our way to Mt Bandilaan

Infinity Heights 

This resort is perfectly located on the hillside overlooking the panoramic view of the ocean as well as the neighboring islands of Negros. They offer local and international cuisine and even vegan dishes is part of their menu. The place is very peaceful  and surely a good destination to rejuvenate one’s soul.

Entrance fee: PhP 50 (consumable)

Guiwanon Spring Park Resort

This place is yet to be developed. The whole place is surrounded by mangrove that serves as a habitat for marine life. Perhaps the local government should find a good investor to install additional cottages, improve their restaurant and add more facilities without destroying the environment.

Entrance fee: PhP 25

The Butterfly Sanctuary 

The butterfly sanctuary in Siquijor is a another tourist attraction that is in dire need of government assistance. The place is too far out and to get there you need to hire someone who surely knows the way. They need extra funding for advertising and the expansion of their conservatory.  

Entrance fee: PhP 100 

EXPENSES: 

Taxi from Mactan Airport to Cebu south bus terminal		200	67
Ceres Bus		120	120
Liloan port terminal fee		20	20
Ferry from Liloan port, Santander to Sibulan port, Dumaguete		45	45
Motorela from Sibulan port to Dumaguet Seaport		120	40
terminal fee		20	20
RORO fare		160	160
Coral Cay resort		1700 x 3 days = 5100	1700
Motorela island tour		1200 x 2 days = 2400	800
Cambuhagay entrance fee		15	15
Infinity heights entrance fee		50	50
Guiwanon Spring Park Resort entrance fee		25	25
Butterfly Sanctuary entrance fee		100	100
Oceanjet from Siquijor to Dumaguete		160	160
Motorela from Dumaguet Seaport to Sibulan port		120	40
Ferry from Dumaguete to Cebu		45	45
Ceres Bus  from Santander to Cebu City		120	120
FOOD BUDGET (within resort optional)		250 per meal	200
Pasalubong (optional)			500

Overall, our journey to Siquijor was worth the time we spent travelling. It is a small island with friendly and God fearing people, wonderful beaches,  and rich in cultural traditions. Truly, this is one place I would love to visit time and again .