Dom Goduco 30-31 January 2003 
 

Palaui Island has been said to be where Mt. Banahaw, Batanes and Boracay are put into one place. It lies on the northeastern most tip of Luzon. Its coastline is a combination of rocky cliffs and white-sand beaches full of dry corals. Designated as a marine sanctuary, flora and fauna abound in great variety and strangely the marine life seems to be more eager in welcoming visitors to the island than its human residents.

The island is sparsely populated and its inhabitants are mostly concentrated on its eastern shore, which is protected by nearby islets from the mighty waves of the Pacific Ocean. The language spoken is Ilocano albeit the people hail from various places. While most of its residents come mainly from neighboring towns within Cagayan province, quite a few originated from as far as the Visayas.

Situated on the northwestern tip of the island is a deserted lighthouse resting on a rocky cliff called Cape Engaño. The lighthouse, originally built by the Spaniards, had been modified to be solar-powered and still functions to this date as guiding light to seafarers passing by.

Below the lighthouse, on the southern portion, is a cove with pristine waters where countless hermit crabs abound on the beach during nighttime. The beach is perfect for snorkeling, as one could see underwater marine life in its immaculate condition.

The northern portion of the lighthouse provides a spectacular view of the two rocky, uninhabited islands called Dos Hermanas.

INAUGURAL TRIP

When PALMC decided to include new destinations in its calendar of activities for the year 2003, Palaui Island was one of those favored sites recommended by some members.

Consequently, its inaugural official trip to Palaui Island was held last January 23 to 26, 2003, with no less than Ka Romy Antonio present to assist our small but eager group in exploring the place. Ka Romy is one of the few PALMCers who have gone to Palaui Island on previous occasions.

Participants

Our group consists of Dom Goduco, Jojo Ramos, Ding Cailipan, Nono Tanciongco, Joarlene Reyeg, Anna Locsin, Erx General and Ka Romy, whose fluency in Ilocano and local contacts proved to be very valuable in making the entire trip more relaxed and enjoyable.

Coast Guard and Boatmen

Word of advice to those planning to visit the island in the future to register first with the Coast Guard at the Naval Camp nearby. As a marine sanctuary, the entire island is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Navy.

There is also a standing agreement between the boatmen of San Vicente and those of Palaui Island regarding the transport of visitors to the island. Visitors are required to use the services of the boatmen of San Vicente when going to the island, and those of Palaui Island when going back to San Vicente. The fare is about Php 20 per head or Php 160 per boat. Our contact person in San Vicente is Mang Cudong Costales, while Mang Diony is head of the association of boatmen in Palaui Island.

Verde Point & Cape Engano

Our initial destination in Palaui Island was Verde Point, whose most visible landmark is the resort-like private rest house of a certain Engineer Collado. The caretaker of the place, Mang Binloy, was kind enough to host us for the brief duration of our stay there. He also allowed us to deposit some personal stuff we would not need during the hike and thus lighten our load.

Our hike to Cape Engaño was quite short, a mere two and a half hours. The first hour was spent walking by the beach. Then the next hour and a half consisted of striding on rice paddies, treading on muddy and slippery terrain up and down a hill. Along the way, we managed to get a glimpse of Cape Engaño atop an adjacent hill. It felt surreal seeing the old rustic lighthouse from afar. It seemed like one of the medieval castles we often see in movies; fortress-like structures built atop rocky hills and mountains to make them impregnable against invaders and high enough to spot their presence well in advance.

Cape Engaño is situated atop a hill beside a picturesque cove and could be ascended in no more than fifteen minutes. We swam and had lunch first at the beach before we went up the lighthouse. The clear water was just inviting and the abundance of marine life underwater was simply too much to resist.

While the site of Cape Engaño from afar is already impressive, the view from where it lies simply tops it all --- the sight of the cove and its translucent water at the western side, the bucolic ambience of the hills and valleys nearby at the south, the rocky cliffs and white sandy beaches often seen in postcards at the east, and a stunning view of the two islands called Dos Hermanas up north. It may have looked like a citadel from a far, but it sure felt like a sanctuary from within. A place where time stops, a site for endless introspection and meditation, a refuge for hopeless romantics, and idyllic setting for further cementing friendship.

Cape Engaño also proved to be an ideal campsite for our group. Its thick walls sheltered us from the battering wind and its altitude makes it inaccessible to the hordes of hermit crabs lording over the beaches at night.

Gamet

Lady luck seemed to be smiling on us the next day as we chanced upon a group of fisherman harvesting seaweed called gamet. None of us have seen its kind anywhere else and our curiosity led us to taste it in its raw but fresh condition. It must have been truly delectable for we eventually bought their entire harvest for the day. No wonder we all lost our appetite for lunch that day after feasting on gamet cooked with different flavors of cooking oil. None was more pleased than Jojo Ramos, our lone vegetarian whose invisible presence we never fail to notice. This was one of the rare moments he could partake of the joy of eating scrumptious food with other members of the club.

A Different Route We all agreed that the return trip to Verde Point would be true another route… a shorter route, according to our guide. Shorter it could be if measured in linear distance, but four and a half hours is definitely not shorter than the previous day’s two and a half hours. The trek was basically following the river inland through hills and valleys, then scaling up muddy terrain before eventually sliding down literally to the other side of the island. This route is best avoided unless one seeks to spice up their day with thrills and excitement. But then, it was raining when we took this route; perhaps things would have been different if it were fair weather. But then, that’s for the others to find out.

A MEMORABLE TRIP

All in all, none of us were disappointed with the trip to Palaui Island. But who would be after all that’s been said and done… Some of us were strangers in the beginning, yet we all felt like really close friends at the end of the trip. While the road trip from Manila to San Vicente took about 14 hours one way and another 14 hours going back, we hardly noticed the time as we were regaled with never ending tales of days gone by Ka Romy. And certainly, such a romantic place deserves a romantic ending…well, eventually, hopefully. We’ll tell you when it happens. For the meantime, our lips are sealed…