Dear Siquijor,
An open love letter to a beautiful, mystical island.
I have never imagined I would one day dare visit your shores.
Imagine how much I would have missed if I believed in all those scary stories of mythical aswangs (witch and vampire rolled in one), mysterious babaylans (traditional healers) and kapres (a giant demon with a large cigar) living in trees who catch small children for dinner.
Credit this to my Lola Felisa for the folklores of the unknown she shared in her sing-song voice before I went to sleep. They once lived in a province close to your shores.
When I stepped out of the ferry boat, I was met by the warm blast of air and the welcoming smile of people waiting for friends and relatives.
I was blown. You are beautiful! Your people are as warm as you are.
Your roadside is dotted with old wooden houses and decades old acacia trees that stood defiant against storms and bad weather battering your shores every year.
They mirrored your people’s strength and resilience.
Nature radiates brightly from your very atmosphere all the way to the smiles of your people. One can never find an island so green and everyone you meet so friendly and trusting, ready to make one’s stay a wonderful experience.
Your people are so creative, fun and too warm beyond fault. They’ve proven that keeping tourists and visitors happy doesn’t have to be expensive and glitzy. Many of us appreciate how they created fun things from scratch and made us laugh until our throats hurt.
The ingenuity and passion of your entrepreneurs are exemplary.
Lilibeth Viernes Alce’s Pan Bisaya in Talingting is a testament that you can dazzle the world wherever you are. In her case, a makeshift bakery churns out delicious array of bread sold in a simple roadside bamboo hut. It impressed people here and abroad. Who won’t be?
Rising from scratch, Lilibeth should be every budding entrepreneur’s hero.
Donnie’s flying “silhig (broomstick)” in his Hapitanan Cafe is hands-down a favorite. When I visited, I waited after eight excited tourists from Turkey to finish before I got my turn. As soon as done, a van full of people arrived.
Donnie never collects any payment but anybody can donate in the wishing box. But his fun project is priceless and gives joy to thousands!
Your fisherfolks’s dedication to protecting your coastlines deserves more support. The work may be lowly and under-appreciated but many lives are saved with their efforts in growing, planting and preserving mangroves.
Your mangrove sanctuary and attempts to raise funds for its members, if boosted, is your island’s strong wall against storms and bad weather. They keep the coastlines green, too.
Your generosity is humbling! A swim in Cambugahay Falls at no cost. Even if you do it the whole day and every day, it doesn’t cost a cent. That’s how nature should be enjoyed — for free. But every guest should be responsible to clean up when they leave.
You are teaching us a lot about what a generous spirit is all about.
The age-old beautiful Balete tree symbolises the healing tradition and mystery that you have been known far and wide. Growing up in a faraway island of Mindanao, my grandmother used to mention you in our storytelling sessions when I was a small girl, especially during All Souls Day.
My thoughts of you then were scary, a place of dark spirits and magic spells. I never felt anything, even remotely, about all these myths. They are certainly myths.
Doing that fish spa (for P10!) under the tree was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever enjoyed. My driver and guide reminded me this could be the only tourist spot where everyone laughs from start to finish. Yes, we did!
You touched my heart visiting San Isidro Labrador’s Cathedral in Lazi. It was surreal to step on its centuries-old wooden floor and pray in its magnificent altar. The roof is peeling but it makes me thankful that it continues to be a refuge for the faithful.
The endless stretch of gleaming beaches canopied by coconut trees are
Your name Siquijor, Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire) is truly well-deserved.
Your doors are opening to the world, gladly just lately.
You are on the verge of dazzling development. People hear “big time” investors buying vast tracks of land in your seashores and your lush mountains.
They’re excited that soon a bridge could potentially link you with nearest islands and commerce can flourish with easy access.
But they’re also concerned that a rush of these investments without preparations can further marginalise the locals particularly those who do not have the means and resources to compete with the moneyed coming in.
We can already painfully see how some of your hills and mountains are being carved and trees cleared. We hope your people will become more vigilant and your leaders will be responsible not to let this happen.
How many times have we heard in many cities how its own poorer residents got sidelined by the fruits of its own land’s bounty?
This can be averted by good policies protecting the people and learn from what was done in cities who took care of their people’s welfare.
All these talks of progress can bring opportunities to your communities who comprise the 95,000 people living in your 6 municipalities — from the fishermen, farmers, tricycle drivers, street vendors, cooks, resort workers, mothers, parents, elderly, children and more.
These people are your real gems.
They are the ones who make you the fire that lights the whole island.
Wishing you all the best as you journey towards progress together with your people.
Your fan for life, Cecil
Note: Siquijor province is one of the Philippines’s smallest islands located in Central Visayas. Its capital town is also named Siquijor. The province has six municipalities namely Siquijor, Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi and San Juan.
