Biliran

The following was published as a sidebar to the main story on Eastern Visayas which appeared in the September 2007 issue of the Mabuhay magazine, the inflight mag of the Philippine Airlines.

by Gerry Ruiz

Biliran used to be a sub-province of Leyte until it became a full-fledged province in 1992. It basks in natural splendour with rich, untapped natural resources. It is only a two and a half hour drive from Tacloban over a scenic and winding terrain with views of towering mountains.

This young province has so much to offer to nature lovers. Among them, white sand beaches at quiet and serene islands like the Higatangan Island with its shifting sand bar and natural rock formations and Dalutan Island, ideal for swimming and snorkeling. It also has natural springs, unexplored caves, and many waterfalls that some have not been fully explored yet.

On my latest trip with my family, we went to a remote waterfall aptly called, Tinago that means “hidden.” After parking our vehicle in a cleared area, we heard the sound of the waterfall emanating from somewhere below the jungle growth. We then took a walk of about 100 meters down a winding, narrow trail. What greeted us was a truly refreshing sight - Tinago Falls with clear, cool water falling off from a towering ridge several stories high and gathering in two lagoons where everyone could jump in for a cold, invigorating swim. Surrounded by a virginal forest, one cannot help but feel close to Mother Nature.

Next time, we plan to bring camping gear so we can watch the stars and the fireflies dance accompanied by the music of the cascading waters of the waterfall.

Tinago Falls

The famous “shifting” sand bar of Higatangan Island

Dalutan Island. Across the strait at the beach front are the resorts of Agta Beach.

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• Sunrise in Windlight
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• Boracay Island

~ by gerryruiz on 28 November 2007.