By JOJIE ALCANTARA
Fisherwomen of Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur
The Province of Zamboanga del Sur is a delightful discovery for someone like me who hails from the biggest city in the island (or country, for the matter), and yet remains immersed in a laidback and refreshing provincial lifestyle everyone seem to hanker for nowadays.
I can easily relate to the blend of pastoral yet rapidly developing province, and find glee in spending a short vacation without the urban stress of deadlines and panicking at busy network signals. Zambo Sur, its cool nick, is easily a haven for those who want to fade from party scenes and get some tan as well.
The Subanens (“river people”), first settlers along the riverbanks, followed by a host of various migrants from as far as Malaysia, moved into the land and called it home. A hodgepodge of culture merged into a vibrant clique, to form what has become of the dynamic region today. In 2008, the Department of Tourism started its enthusiastic promotion of the province with the slogan “Byahe Na ZamboSur”, followed a year later by “Laag ZamboSur”, an annual exposition showcasing tourist attractions of the Zamboanga Peninsula.
I was then invited by the office of former Governor Aurora Cerilles (now a Congressman, her husband Antonio Cerilles is currently Governor) to visit destinations planned by its young and dynamic group headed by then Provincial Tourism Officer Frederick Anthony Padayhag (currently the Provincial Administrator). During Gov. Aurora’s last term, the biggest tourism campaign launched was the 2009 Megayon Festival, as a tribute to the outstanding accomplishments she had been doing for the province for years.
The Malay word jambangan is said to be its origin, which means a pot or place of flowers. Zambo Sur was culled from the former Zamboanga Province that embraces the peninsula in Southwestern Mindanao in 1952. It has 26 municipalities and one component city and capital, Pagadian, which has earned the moniker “Little Hongkong of the South” because of bustling commercial districts which blended well with its pleasantly rustic ambience.
I stayed in Hotel Alindahaw (www.hotelalindahaw.com) in Pagadian, a quaint city with a relaxed setting and quite notable for its amusing tourist attraction, a motorcab equivalent to Bangkok’s tuktuk. While the latter is notorious for its drivers who weave recklessly through traffic while you hang on for dear life, Pagadian’s tricycle is so ridiculously designed that a first glance will prompt you to walk to your destination instead. Its sidecar is tilted upwards so high, as if you were about to shoot up into the skies. Built to withstand the city’s sloping topography and rolling terrain, it isn’t a comforting thought when you ride uphill while tugging at your short skirt. However, as we know, for first time adventures, there’s nothing like the first giddy experience of riding it.
Endowed with rich natural attractions from the mountains to the sea, Zambo Sur slowly opens itself to more tourism possibilities by promoting tour packages that entice local and foreign tourists who are into eco-adventures and outdoor activities. A raw gem about to be polished, this region is fast catching up to be one of Mindanao’s treasure troves.
A city tour wasn’t in the itinerary, as we travelled 49 kms. through muddy, rough roads that lead to Buswangan, Lakewood. The old indigenous Subanens thrive around this mystical lake filled with sea serpent myths which the tribe believes in. A boat cruise takes an hour around its imposing and mysterious body of murky waters (which may or may not actually house a Pinoy Loch Ness) which holds fascinating folklore and urban legends. Around us, children frolicked in its depths; wild ducks take sudden plunges with fish in beaks, while villagers wash laundry by the edge. The prominent Alindahaw Lakeview Resort provides comfortable accommodation overlooking the lake with a spectacular sunset view and a foggy mist on still waters on a cool night. It is a totally enchanting experience to see things magically as the Subanens do.
Apart from mountain treks, cave explorations, discovering lakes and hot and cold springs, the province also boasts of beautiful coastal reserves like the Pod-ok Mangrove Boardwalk. Gnarled and twisted century-old mangroves line the shores, miraculously saving the villages from being wiped out by a tsunami in the '70s. Marine sanctuaries, world-class dive sites and white sand beaches particularly in Tabina, Putting Balas, White Beach and Dao Dao are fringed with turquoise waters, while the turtle sanctuary in the beautiful Panikian Island is protected by eco-tourism conscious villagers.
At dusk in Pagadian, one can view a beautiful sunset transforming skies to vivid oranges, red and yellows… a perfect way to end a day’s nature tripping around ZamboSur.
Daily flights are available to Cebu, and via PAL Express from Cebu to Dipolog or Ozamiz. Ferryboats also ply routes daily to Dipolog or Ozamiz. A bus ride to Pagadian takes 10 hours from Dipolog via Ozamiz. I took an airconditioned bus from Cagayan de Oro City for five hours to Pagadian. Buses and public vehicles ply the busy roads to Pagadian from Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamis, Dipolog and Zamboanga City.
Visit websites such as http://www.pagadian.org andhttp://www.zamboangadelsur.gov.ph although the latter isn’t updated.
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