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| Location of Bantayan Island |
Bantayan Island, the shining tropical paradise in Asia is commonly known as an island paradise in Philippines. Tourists as far as Europe fall in love with its fine white sand and crystal clear blue waters. Many of these foreigners even settled down on the island to spend the rest of their lives. They build single-cottage beach houses along the shore but as time went by, construct a couple of new cottages instead to accommodate the growing number of tourists who seeks safe haven on the splendid island paradise. Two of the main attraction of the island is its crystal-clear waters and it's long stretch of powdery white sand. The stunning sunset will really spice those romantic walks on the beach. One of the reasons the island is famous is its peacefulness, the way a resort should be. Unsaturated beauty and a combination of sweet smiling natives made the island as it is now.
Bantayan Island has three municipalities. Sta.Fe, where you can see the famous resort called Ogtong Cave Resort where the sand is as white and sparkling as the one in Boracay Resort and many other resorts developed and still enhanced up to now. Like, the Sugar Beach where tourists mostly sayed in.
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| Sugar Beach showing the white sands. |
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| A cave of Ogtong Resort showing the crystal-clear water. |
Next to Sta.Fe is the center part of the island which is the Bantayan municipality itself. This is the center of trade. Students have their education here although there are schools in Sta. Fe and Madridejos.
And the last part of the island is the municipality of Madridejos where I was born 17 years ago. Lawis was the old name of Madridejos. In fact, even up to the present, the less young among the people still use the name Lawis. In the vernacular term of “Peninsula”, the portion carved out to constitute the Municipality of Madridejos being the peninsula located on the Northern side of Bantayan Island facing the Visayan Sea. The first fisherman, Lazaro Mangubat, came to live in Mancilang, Lawis after discovering the place as one of the rich fishing grounds of the country. The general scenery of Lawis was that of a quiet place, of Virgin grounds covered by small shrubs and lantana. When more people discovered Lawis and flocked to it, the place became a visita. In 1889 when Pedro Benito Romero De Madridejos, the Archbishop of Cebu, came to visit the place, Father Juan Alcoseba, then the curate of the place, renamed Lawis to Madridejos in his honor. The town's feast day is celebrated annually on December 8 which is the Immaculate Concepcion. (ref.wikipedia.com)
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| Front of the Kota Park |
In Madridejos, there are many beach resorts that you can visit there. For instance, the Kota Beach Park. Sometime ago, it's only a beach, but now, it is enhanced by a foreigner and made it a part where certain gatherings are made and you can reserved rooms when you decided to sleep-over or stay there a few days or weeks.
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| Sunset at Kota Park |
I was born in the municipality of Madridejos, specifically at Barangay Tugas. Many times I already visited my place there. Thel last time I went there was last year, on Holy Week. Bantayan is most festive during the Holy Week. It is because, it's the time of summer and many foreign tourists went there and go around the place. They are served with abundant seafood. During the Holy Week or Semana Santa, Catholics are forbidden to eat pork, beef and chicken meat. But, Bantayan island is the exemption. Because the fishermen are forbidden to sail and catch fish out to the open sea because it is believed that evils are mostly lurking during that period. So the people in Bantayan are the ones who are allowed to eat meats during semana santa and the seafoods are merely served for the tourists.
I have mentioned earlier that I recently visited my hometown last year during Holy Week.. Here's a proof to you.
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| My brother (starting from the left), my cousins, my sister (second to the last from left) and I. |
AND... that sums up my sharing to you! Hope you enjoyed it!
