The Brook of Cedron

Hello beach affecionados! :) I watched an episode of ABS-CBN's Trip na Trip three months ago and I immediately got the hang of waking up the nature-lover part in me. Yeah, and because I had been truly captivated by what I saw about our country, guess I'd like to share it with you all. Here's the Top 10 Philippine Beaches according to "Trip na Trip" (Airdate on March 7, 2008):


#10 - Siargao & Baler, Aurora (Surfing Sites)

Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 800 kilometers southeast of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a land area of approximately 437 square kilometers. The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar. The coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white, sandy beaches. The neighboring islands and islets have similar landforms. One of the best known surfing waves on Siargao and the Philippines, with a worldwide reputation for thick, hollow tubes is "Cloud 9". This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.

Baler is the political and economic center of Aurora. It is located some 230 kilometers northeast of Manila via a mountain pass accessible by bus. Baler is host to spectacular geographic formations and is situated on a vast plain at the mouth of Baler Bay, a contiguous segment of the Pacific Ocean. Nine-foot high waves serve as Baler's tourist asset, attracting hundreds of surfers in February for the Aurora Cup. Suklayin is the capital of baler, and gloria St. is the center of it. Where we can found Charlou the Gay.

#9 - Bolinao, Pangasinan (Historical Landmark)

Bolinao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. On November 18, 2007, Bolinao challenged the historical fact that the first Mass was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, at Limasawa in Southern Leyte. Memorial markers (donated by Italian priest Luigi Malamocco, 62, from Odorico’s hometown of Friuli, Italy) were set in the town’s church and on Santiago Island, claiming that in 1324, Franciscan missionaries led by an Italian priest named Odorico celebrated a thanksgiving Mass thereat and also baptized natives. Built by the Americans in 1903 on a 300 feet (91 m) high promontory at the western part of Cape Bolinao, the lighthouse still sends signals to vessels passing by the area.

#8 - Basco, Batanes (Historical Landmark)

Basco (also known as Santo Domingo de Basco) is a 5th class municipality in the province of Batanes, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Batanes. Basco is located on Batan Island, the second largest island among the Batanes Islands which comprises the province, and are the northernmost islands of the Philippines. Basco has a domestic airport serving flights from Metro Manila. The town is named after Capitán General José Basco, who led the Philippines to freedom from the control of New Spain, which is today Mexico.

#7 - Malapascua Island, Cebu (Dive Spot)

Malapascua Island is situated in Daanbantayan, Cebu. Malapascua is a tiny island, only about 2.5 kilometers long and 1km wide, located across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of mainland Cebu island. The island is covered by the insular barangay of Logon (part of the Daanbantayan municipality), with eight hamlets. As a diving destination, Malapascua was "discovered" fairly recently, only in the early 90s. The island was first known for its wide white sand beach, known as Bounty Beach; it has become known for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent dive spots nearby, including Monad Shoal, an underwater plateau where thresher sharks and manta rays can be sighted on a regular basis. To date, this is the only place in the world where divers can reliably sight thresher sharks.

#6 - APO Island, Negros Oriental (Marine Sanctuary)

Apo Island is a small volcanic island, 7km off the southeastern tip of Negros Island in the Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental. The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve; protected by the National Integrated Protected Area Act (N.I.P.A.) and comes under the jurisdiction of the Protected Area Management Board (P.A.M.B.). The island is home to nearly 800 people, mainly fisher folks. Since 2002 Apo has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination with tourists. There are two resorts on Apo Island, both of which have their own dive centers. Apo Island Beach Resort is the smaller and more exclusive, Liberty's Lodge is larger. Apo Island is one of the world's best known community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented, by the global science community. The project was started in 1982. It is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals. Visitors and tourists pay a fee to enter Apo Island and to snorkel or dive in the marine sanctuary there, these fees are used to keep the sanctuary clean and in good condition.

#5 - San Juan, Batangas (Wonderful Beaches)

San Juan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. It occupies the easternmost portion of the province, 43 kilometers east of Batangas City, also the same distance southwest of Lucena City, Quezon, and 115 kilometers away from Manila.

#4 - Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte (A Haven of Tourists)

Pagudpud is a coastal resort town on the northernmost tip of Luzon in the Philippines. It is bounded to the south by the town of Bangui and to the east by the Cordillera Mountain Range, the town of Adams and the province of Cagayan. The South China Sea lies to the west and north. The town rolls over mountains, hills, valleys and flat coastal land. It lies 45 miles north of Laoag City, the provincial capital, and about 350 miles north of Manila. Most of the locals make their living through farming, fishing and subsistence retailing. Tourism is a growing part of the economy. Its white-sand beaches and crystal-blue water makes Pagudpud a haven for tourists. Maira-Ira Point is also an emerging attraction with its secluded beach known as the Blue Lagoon. Access to this public beach is from a secondary concrete road on the north side of the Maharlika Highway just before approaching the Patapat Viaduct. On the way to the Blue Lagoon, a sea arch can be seen. Coconut trees line much of the town's coast. On a clear day, the Batanes Islands are visible from Patapat National Park.

#3 - Panglao Island, Bohol (Dive Site)

Panglao is a fourth class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is one of two municipalities that make up Panglao Island, the other being Dauis. Panglao is famous for its world class diving locations and is home to numerous tourist resorts. At the pristine Alona Beach, tours can be organised to world famous diving sites. The dive sites that can be found on the northwest tip of the Panglao Island are Doljo Beach, Napaling and Puntod. These sites are deep and the currents are strong.

#2 - Boracay (Tropical Paradise)

Boracay is a tropical island lo

cated approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

#1 - Palawan esp. Taytay and Coron (Best Island Destination)

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Southern Tagalog region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City and it is the largest province in terms of land area. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island .Palawan, the only Philippine island cited, is rated by National Geographic Traveler magazine as the best island destination in East and Southeast Asia region in 2007, and the 13th best island in the world having "incredibly beautiful natural seascapes and landscapes. One of the most biodiverse (terrestrial and marine) islands in the Philippines...The island has had a Biosphere Reserve status since early 1990s, showing local interest for conservation and sustainable development".

Taytay is a 1st class municipality while Coron is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Palawan. The municipality covers part of Busuanga Island and all of the nearby Coron Island. Both islands are part of the Calamian Group of Islands in northern Palawan. The main industries of Coron are fishing and tourism, being a popular diving location. The aquatic views from the sunken Japanese warships off Coron Island are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top 10 best scuba sites in the world.

That's it, the best beaches of our Island Philippines. Hope you enjoyed the trip! Godspeed!

Let there be blogs! :)

So this is the start of my blogging days. I have been a full-time IT Officer for two years doing lots of computer stuffs in and out of my company and never had any of these. I decided to put this up partly because I wanna help my family augment its financial status through online resolves. Well, I guess it’s about time for technology to serve me now. I’m looking forward to better days… God bless us all!