EASY DOES IT. The strong waves and rain didn’t discourage Suroy Suroy participants, who visited Sumilon Island in Oslob town, one of the tour program’s stopovers. (CDN PHOTO/ CHOY ROMANO)
Rough seas and an afternoon drizzle didn’t stop the guests of the province’s Suroy Suroy Sugbo tour from visiting the small island of Sumilon in Oslob town, southern Cebu yesterday.
Waves battered the two motorized bancas boarded by the balikbayans and tourists, causing the seacraft to rock back and forth during the 15-minute trip to the island.
A few of the participants like balikbayan Janet Tigas got seasick after the bumpy ride. But she said the trip was worth it.
“The sights, the blue crystal-clear waters of Sumilon, are beautiful and the food was great,” said the 65-year-old Tigas, a resident of Kentucky, US.
She and other participants took their time strolling around the 24-hectare island.
After taking lunch along the beachfront at 1 p.m., some participants quickly waded into the pristine waters of the island’s natural sandbar.
RICH MARINE LIFE
By then the rain stopped and they were able to take kayak rides in a resort’s lagoon and feed the fish in the marine sanctuary.
Others chose to relax in the infinity pool situated in an elevated area beside the shore.
Visible from the coast of Oslob town, Sumilon can be reached through a motorized banca in 10 to 15 minutes from a port in barangay Bangcogon.
Diving enthusiasts often flock to the island to enjoy its rich marine life and coral reefs.
The lone resort in the island, Sumilon Blue Water, offers package rates that range from P10,000 to P25,000.
TEACHERS AS GUIDES
Organizers allowed the participants more than two hours to tour the island before sailing back to Oslob’s town plaza.
Tuslob festival dancers greeted the guests while tour guides led them around the heritage structures in the plaza including the remains of a watchtower dubbed “Baluarte.”
Earlier in the day, participants visited the century-old St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Samboan town and ate snacks while serenaded by performers.
The participating town’s local government units (LGUs) sent public school teachers to act as tourist guides who regaled participants with the town’s history.
Tigas said the first of the Suroy Suroy trips is more relaxed compared to the last Suroy Suroy she attended in the same leg four years ago.
“It was too fast-paced like we were really rushed through. Before there was so much leftover food but now it’s in smaller quantities and fewer choices so it’s easier to pick your choice,” she said.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III arrived in Santander town from the provincial government’s seat in Cebu City in time for dinner.