14 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY September 1 - 15 , 2018
Bulong Pulungan
By Deedee Siytangco
Reprinted from Manila Bulletin
ANGEL THOUGHTS
‘ The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of the rain , the sound of wind in primeval wood , and the sound of ocean on a beach .’— Benry Benson ********** Two weeks ago , upon the gentle prodding of our good friend Pete Dacuycuy , we packed our bags for several days for the beach of Sumilon Island in Oslob , Cebu . It is included in the list of the “ best beaches “ of Cebu and we had a sampling why .
I really am glad I went along with the “ get-away-from-Metro-Manila ” trip . We were with Rina Jimenez David of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and her husband Pie , Andrew Masigan of BusinessWorld and his wife , my only daughter Sandee , and my apo Amanda Julia , home for summer break from Spain . Pete brought his son JP , so it was really family outing ! My additional excuse , if I needed any , from my “ apo-stolic duties ” to Disney was to soak up sun and bond ! It is a “ seniorfriendly ” resort , as everything was within walking distance from one another — even our little “ villa ” up the hill , which entailed , when the electric golf cart broke down , a little huffing and puffing in the cool evening . That was very good exercise and , besides , I had my daughter to guide and happy !
Anyway , for those who stayed at the resort , the “ afternoon tea ” was something to look forward to after a swim or a walk along the beach . It was served in the rooms , in very creative containers that reflect the culture of Cebu . The tea came with special mini kakanins — which were delicious !— that we easily finished , of course . The tea sets were really so lovely to look at , particularly because of the way it was laid out .
There I go … daydreaming again !
How to get to Sumilon island ? We flew Philippine Airlines to Dumaguete , and from there we took a big motorized banca to Sumilon island , almost an hour away . The ride was a bit rough with big waves as it was nearing noon already , but we were so excited to reach the resort we just enjoyed the bumpy ride .
We took the trip before the Xiamen Airlines fiasco , so we were thankful we went and arrived without any untoward incident from Terminal 3 . We had delicious gyoza and ramen for lunch at Raku on the third floor and flew out with only a short delay . And yes , the rest rooms on the third floor of the Terminal 3 were clean and dry .
On our second day in Sumilon , we made a day trip to Oslob on the other side of the sea . It was a short boat ride , pleasant and relaxing , in the mid-morning . The management of Bluewater always
Bluewater Sumilon on my Mind
tiny shrimps or alamang by the boatmen so they come closer to the bancas . For an additional fee , you can dive in and swim with the friendly dolphins . For a few minutes only , please . Then back on the shore !
My granddaughter Amanda and her dad Andrew loved the experience ! The two also went to the sandbar at Sumilon island and Amanda rated that adventure as “ awesome .”
The days we were at Bluewater Sumilon were so relaxing and we felt really pampered , true to the resort ’ s mantra “ amuma with excellence .” Amuma in Visayan means to “ pamper with great care ,“ which I already had a taste of in the first Bluewater resort at Maribago , Cebu . The staff were all so friendly and anxious to please ! So I had a grand time being pampered by the fabulous “ boodle fights ” served to us by the F & B manager Desiry Ollica and the Executive chef Jasper Kong . Out the door went whatever diets we were on .
The last dinner was a torch-lit buffet featuring “ The Best of Cebu ” on the romantic beahfront . From its chicharon , lechon , kinilaw , and the resort ’ s own adobo rice in bamboos , grilled items , and the sinful desserts , it was truly a fiesta for us ! The resort ’ s young and genial general manager Edward Jose ( or EJ ) fussed over us — and , yes , some of us tried their spa
QUICK VACATION Feasting on grilled delicacies on the beach .
offerings , too .
Sumilon Bluewater is under the umbrella of owner Alenter Resorts Hotels Corp . and managed by Bluewater Hospitality . We reserve our day trip to Dumaguete on another day . Now that is another “ must ” when you go back to Sumilon ! To discover “ liitle Spain ” and get your share of yummy silvanas and tour Siliman University and enjoy their bay walk . ( mb . com . ph )
Sumilon Bluewater Resort F & B manager Desiry Ollica and Chef Jasper Kong ( Image by Sandee Masigan )
FAMILY TRIP Farewell shot of our group with EJ Barretto , GM , JP and Pete Dacuycuy , moi , Amanda Julia Masigan , center , Sandee and Andre masigan , and Rina and Pie David .
me along the sandy path .
Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort is relatively new , having opened only in December 2005 with its initial twelve cottages . It now has 31 rooms , including two “ villas ,” located on a hill overlooking the beach , each with their own small pools — with bathtubs to soak ourselves in , too !
You could also have a soothing massage in their beach cottages and , at night , the new rage among the millenials and adventurous , “ glamping ” on the sandy white beach under the stars — airconditioned tents to sleep in ! All the other water activities were available to the adventurous and agile . I chose to swim in the pool and watch the sunset .
Banca-loads of “ day tourists ” arrived in the mornings to swim , snorkle , roam the sandbar , scuba-dive — and eat ! They left late afternoon , tanned , well-fed ,
makes sure that their guests also enjoy other sights , so they brought us to Oslob town and some of us went butanding- or dolphin-watching .
Oslob is now swarming with tourists , majority of them Korean and Chinese . There are some locals too , of course . Before it goes the way of Boracay with trash , unplanned sewages , dirty shower rooms and toilets , and vendors on the beach , we suggest the DOT and the local government to step in already . They earn good money from the thousand or so tourists who go to the small port to take the banca rides until after noontime .
The butanding watchers pay to go out in bancas rowed by two boatmen after listening to a short “ briefing ” on how to behave in the banca and about not touching or feeding the dolphins . Tourists were outfitted with life vests and spent some 30 minutes near the mammals playing in the water , which could be fed
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