For
a mystical wedding—add a dash of Siquijor By Michelle Eve A. de Guzman
01 April 2008
If you and
your friends are dead set on planning your beach wedding and
you’re racking up your minds on where it could actually
be, why not look beyond Boracay or Palawan? Try Siquijor,
southeast of the Negros Island, and you’ll get more
than you bargained for—which is a good thing since it
automatically translates to memorable and scary fun.
The name of the
island itself, Siquijor or Isla del Fuego (Fire Island)
was given by the Spaniards because of the eerie glow
the island gave off as galleons passed in the night.
It has become well-known for the “sorcery”
the locals practice, especially as both foreigners
and Filipinos alike flock there during Easter for
the “Witches Festival”. Even
How
to Get There?
Fly on a Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific
flight to Cebu City or Dumaguete City, where
transfers to inter-island ferries can be
arranged.
Imelda Marcos,
wife of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, fetched a powerful
Siquijor healer called Boscia Bulongon to cure her of a curse.1
Sure, it
has the mambabarangs (sorcerers), mananambals
(healers), bolo-bolo (performed with a drinking glass,
water, stone and straw to find out if something is wrong with
the patient) and the dancing paper doll phenomenon (when a
practitioner causes an ordinary paper cut-out doll to dance
without touching them).2
But if you’re brave and adventurous, you’ll take
into consideration what Silliman University environmentalist
and artist Razceljan Salvarita said about Siquijor being “paradise
because [when you’re there] time stands still.”
Abundant resorts
and diving spots
Lonely Planet-recommended, eco-sensitive
and low-key Coral Cay Resort (coralcayresort.com)
has perfect rustic beach bungalows, outriggers, volleyball,
mountain biking and international cuisine.
Meanwhile,
beautifully landscaped Coco Grove Beach Resort (cocogrove.com.ph)
has two swimming pools, kayaking, snorkeling, banana
boats, and PADI Accredited Dive Center.
If you want a beach-view
pavilion with a 60-person capacity, try Dumanhog Blue
Wave Resort & Restaurant (035-480-9190). For a private
cottage two minutes from the beach, as well as fun diving
and all PADI courses, go to Kiwi Dive Resort (kiwidiveresort.com).
Lastly, if you want
reasonable prices on a weekly or monthly basis, good
food and in-room internet access, check out The Swiss
Stars Guest House and Restaurant (035-480-5583).
And with weddings
in mind, all of the resorts in Siquijor can boast of
wonderful sunsets from a white, sandy beach.
Or if you are a marine life
enthusiast, either as a beginner or licensed diver, Siquijor
has perfect underwater views as well. Lala-o Sunken Island,
a 10-minute boat ride west of the Coco Grove Resort, is an
underwater island with schools of fish, sometimes manta, sea
snakes and turtles. Tongo Point, on the other hand, has fields
of leather corals populated by surgeon fish and tiny reef
fish.
A local favorite with only a Php10 entrance fee, Salagdoong
not only has a magnificent cliff above, but also good coral
cover, blue spotted rays, morays and turtles beneath the clear,
blue stretch of sea.
Rainforests,
caves and the oldest convent in the land
Now if you
want a reprieve from the beach, try delving into the island’s
historical and natural sites.
The highest peak at the center of the island, Mount Bandilaan
is crowned with a man-made rain forest with unexplored caves
and a butterfly sanctuary where one of the biggest butterflies
in Asia can be found. Waterfalls in Lazi and Larena also give
cooling respite from the island's tropical heat.3
Also visit the relatively unexplored Cambugahay Falls, and
the old, enchanted balete tree in Campalanas, and the most
famous of Siquijor’s over 45 caves, Cantabon Cave.
And whatever you do, don’t forget the Lazi Convent.
Constructed by the Spaniards in 1884, it is assumed to be
the biggest and the oldest in all of Asia. Fronting that is
the bell tower of St. Francis of Asisi built in 1870.
People and transportation
Palanca-award
winning writer Ian Rosales Casocot wrote in eatingthesun.blogspot.com,
“But what I really want to write about is the brightness
of these people, how beautiful and funny they are, how hospitable,
colorful, and engaging. There's Manang Juling, for example,
who engages us in banter while talking about how she once
healed a young man of impotence on the eve of his wedding.
[And] there's Lola Lauriana who can divine the future and
the spot of lost things, but playfully insists that people
come to see her because she is the most beautiful mananambal
around. (She's 88 years old.)”
Indeed, Siquijodnons are friendly, peace-loving and hospitable,
albeit a tad superstitious.
At the very least, any wedding or honeymoon in Siquijor becomes
out of the ordinary when surrounded by people like these.
