TINMR Escapade (Taklong Island National Marine Reserve)

               The Province of Guimaras is one of the provinces that comprise Western Visayas or Region 6 in central Philippines. The island province is the smallest of the six provinces of the region both in population and land area. Before becoming a full pledged province on May 22, 1992, Guimaras was considered as a sub-province of Iloilo. Presently, the island province consists of five towns from the three original towns. These are Jordan (the administrative center), Buenavista (the oldest town among the five), San Lorenzo, Sibunag, and Nueva Valencia. San Lorenzo and Sibunag are the latest addition to the three original towns. The seat of the government which used to be located in Barangay Poblacion and Hoskyn along with one of the province's principal port is currently situated in Barangay San Miguel, all in Jordan town.

               Guimaras island is known to most Filipinos because of their mangoes which are famed to be the sweetest in the Philippines or even in the world. In fact their main festival showcases primarily mangoes - the Manggahan Festival. That could be one reason why Guimaras is always visited by tourists both local and foreign. Actually, the province of Guimaras has a lot more to offer than that. Guimaras is now gaining wide acceptance as a popular sun-worshipper's paradise because of the fact that this limestone island province has numerous white sand beaches and even more numerous islands dotting its coasts. One of the most famous beaches of Guimaras is Raymen's Beach Resort or more popularly known as Alubihod beach. Most of the islands are found in the municipalities of Nueva Valencia and Sibunag while the beaches are scattered all along its breathtaking coast. Aside form the beaches, the province is also famous for their Trappist Monastery producing delicious take-home foods such as dried mangoes, mango-flavored barquillos, biscocho, and many other mango-flavored stuff. Due to the rich marine ecosystem of the island, several institutions have helped hands in preserving and protecting several areas along its coast.

               The TINMR is under the protection of the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) along with the neighboring islets and Tandog island. One hectare of land in Taklong island was donated to the University of the Philippines - Visayas. This piece of land was used to build a research station for students and professors of the said university. Last April 30, 2013, I (with my classmates) went to TINMR (Taklong Island National Marine Reserve) to spend two weeks of field work in the protected island. We travelled from Iloilo City to Jordan using a pumpboat then rode a jeepney from Jordan to Sitio Luzaran, Barangay Lapaz, Nueva Valencia for about an hour. From there we hired a pumpboat that would take us to the island. The journey from sitio Luzaran to Taklong island is only about 10 minutes.

Riding a pumpboat (motorized banca/boat) in Ortiz wharf in Iloilo City heading to the port of Jordan in Guimaras island.

While riding the pumpboat...

After arriving in Jordan port, we rode a jeepney through the spectacular Guimaras roadside scenery.

One of the best stretches of the road from Jordan to Sitio Luzaran. Feels like the US wild west.

Now in Barangay Lapaz, it's only about 0.90 km to Sitio Luzaran.

Sitio Luzaran, Lapaz, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

This is the front/main dock of Taklong Island where most bancas and pumpboats load/unload the passengers.

Another view of the place.

This building is the UPV Research Station in TINMR.

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This is the view from the back dock ideal for smaller bancas.

This islet is really cute, it doesn't have any visible plants growing on it but is the nesting site of numerous black birds.

A different islet.

A view of one the sandbars (tombolo) found in TINMR. This particular one is named Calaparan.

In the Calaparan sandbar (tombolo).

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Taklong island at dawn.

          Guimaras is really a wonderful place to explore. There are a lot of other must-see places in the island. So next time you travel to Western Visayas, don't forget to stop by Guimaras island.

Dalije, Miagao

               Miagao is a very scenic town in the province of Iloilo. Currently [2013], it is one of the seven towns in the province to be considered as a first class municipality based on income classification. The municipality is well-known for its UNESCO World Heritage church - Miagao Church or also known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church. The town is also famous for its hablon weaving, being one of the last remaining weaving centers in the province which produces the said textile in a very traditional way using a tiral.

               Barangay Dalije  is one of the hinterland barangays of the municipality. It is one of the largest barangays in terms of land area. The barangay is characterized by a hilly to mountainous terrain terminating at the peak of Mt. Pan-ay, one of the most distinguishing topographical features of Miagao. The view of the mountains as one hikes his way to reach the barangay center is awesome. In the past, you could only reach the barangay on foot but you can now reach the village by hiring a motorcycle, locally known as the habal-habal, or you can ride one of the jeepneys heading to the barangay from the Miagao town proper. Travel is easy during the summer season but during the rainy season, jeepneys are scarce. Motorcycles are still available during the wet season but the drivers are usually hesitant to travel especially if the ground is still wet after a heavy downpour. In this case, you have to walk your way to the barrio. The usual stopover for jeepneys heading for Dalije is Barangay Bacolod. It is also where you would usually start walking if you have to or opt to walk. For others seeking more adventure, you can hire a horse to bring you to the barangay.

The welcome sign to Barangay Dalije from Barangay Bacolod.

Verdant rice paddies beside the main river that flows through the barangay, the Oyungan river.

A small cliff beside the road covered with cogon grass.

The bamboo hanging bridge along the Oyungan River.

The Oyungan River.

Scenic Mount Pan-ay, one of the prominent peaks in the southern terminus of the Madja-as Range.

Other neighboring mountains with the Alimodias Elementary School [Barangay Alimodias] seen as the small white structure sitting on the mountaintop.

Two waterfalls are visible in the mountains.

Mount Napulak or nipple-mountain, the most prominent peak in southern Iloilo.

The hanging bridge connecting Barangay Bacolod with Barangay Dalije.

The other side of the mountain belongs to the Municipality of Sibalom, in Antique.

Leaving Barangay Dalije...

               Next time you go to Miagao, aside from the historical and cultural sites, you should not miss visiting the hinterland barangays including Barangay Dalije. There are waterfalls, scenic mountain lakes, caves, the Rafflesia bloom, and many more to discover.