DENR and partners test run Cuatro Islas Adventure Tour

By PURIFICACION S. DALOOS
September 10, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  In a bid to promote ecotourism in the Eastern Visayas region, an island hopping tour package for the Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape and Seascape has recently been pilot tested.

The test run was jointly undertaken by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Tourism, Regional Ecotourism Council, the local government units of Hindang and Inopacan, Leyte, and the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of Cuatro Islas.

The package offers a one day tour around Himokilan Island within the jurisdiction of Hindang, Leyte and the islands of Mahaba, Apid and Digyo of Inopacan which comprises the Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape and Seascape.

Jump off point of the tour is a short trip to Bontoc Cave in Hindang which offers a unique spelunking experience amidst a natural backdrop of flora and fauna. Next stop would be Himokilan Island, approximately an hour’s pump boat travel from the port of Hindang. The island is haven to the nut cracking coconut crabs locally known as “tatus”. Visitors may want to go spelunking and bat watching at Tahod Cave or explore the island through a nature trek.

Mahaba Island offers crystal clear waters teeming with live corals and other marine life which makes for an exciting snorkeling or boating adventure. During high tide, treat yourself to a Pasayan (shrimp) Foot Spa, with the gentle nibbling of red shrimps to soothe and massage your tired feet. Meanwhile, on Apid Island, locals will show off their skills at mat weaving using pandan leaves which is an abundant resource in the island. Mat weaving is likewise considered as their main livelihood.

The Cuatro Islas Island Hopping Tour is capped with relaxation activities at Digyo Island, the smallest of the Cuatro Islas. Here, the package tour offers buko refreshment upon arrival of tourists and serenade by local residents. For a fee, one can avail of massage services or rest on hammocks while enjoying the fresh sea breeze. Swimming and sunbathing along the fine white beach sands of Digyo Island are irresistible treats which can be had for free.

DENR Regional Executive Director and PAMB Chair Primitivo C. Galinato, Jr. reveals that for a group of twelve (12) persons, the one day tour of Cuatro Islas costs roughly PhP1,200.00 per person, inclusive of lunch and two (2) snacks.

“While the test run proved to be successful, there is still a lot of room for improvement to really make the Cuatro Islas Island Hopping Tour a one-of-a-kind tourism experience not only in region 8 but the country as well,” RED/PAMB Chair Galinato says.

Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape and Seascape is an identified emerging ecotourism destination in the region. The Island Hopping Tour Package has been developed as part of the Ecotourism Business Plan for CIPLS in support to the implementation of Executive Order No. 111 signed by then President Joseph Estrada providing “Guidelines for Ecotourism Development in the Philippines.”

The test run was intended to assess and evaluate the viability of the Island Hopping Adventure for the CIPLS and to make the necessary improvements after its evaluation.

Even before the test run of the Island Hopping Tour Package, Cuatro Islas is already frequented by both local and foreign tourists. It boasts of white sands and beaches which are at par or even surpass the beauty of Boracay’s beaches in the Philippines. Its pristine, crystal clear waters, abundant live corals and a bounty of fresh catch of fishes and other crustaceans may be more than enough to entice picnickers or those who simply want to bask in nature’s beauty. This is on top of the warm hospitality offered by the locals in the community.