Malapascua Island: Cebu's answer to Boracay!

Last weekend, I finally went to the island of Malapascua, which is fast earning the reputation of being Cebu’s Boracay. Actually just a month ago, the Cebu press was invited to join the entourage of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. However, due to prior engagements, I wasn’t able to join the group. But I guess the time was ripe for me to go to Malapascua which is situated at the northeastern side on the tip of the island of Cebu. From my residence, it’s 143 kilometers to the Port of Maya in Daan Bantayan and from there, a pumpboat will take you to cross the 8 kilometers from Maya to Malapascua.

We stayed at the Bantique Cove owned by Mr. Gilbert and Arlene Woolbright. Gilbert is the son of the late Eddie Woolbright who created Cebu’s first high-class subdivision called Beverly Hills. Perhaps it is the pioneering blood of the Woolbright in Gilbert that he got married to one whose family originated from Malapascua. If we never had any plans to go to Malapascua it is because my wife Jessica comes from Bantayan Island, which is at the opposite or the northwestern side of the tip of Cebu Island. Bantayan is a bigger island and has its own industry, like chicken feed, eggs and other poultry products, while fishing is the only way of life in Malapascua.

There is no question that Malapascua has now taken its rightful place in Cebu’s tourism boom, which was pushed by Pres. Arroyo. But this could never have happened without the improvement of the North road infrastructure under PGMA. In the past a trip to Malapascua was a five or six-hour bus ride because of bad roads. Now it’s a joy to drive there!

It only took me two and a half hours to get to the Port of Maya. Malapascua now has some 20 small resorts and the latest one is the Bantique Cove situated on the north end of the island, away from the tourism bustle of the south end where most of the resorts can be found. Bantique Cove is so exclusive, I’m sure it would be a perfect place for honeymooners and divers.

But Malapascua has more than just beautiful beaches which Boracay or Bantayan Island can offer. They have something to see that foreign divers would come from so far away to see it. That’s the Thresher shark, known for its distinct long tail, which is often longer than its body length. The Thresher shark is a deep sea shark that surfaces only in the Red Sea and in Malapascua. They can be found early in the morning at the Monad Shoals for a body clean-up by small cleaner fish. It is only in Malapascua that divers have a big chance of sighting them. In fact, when she was in Malapascua, Pres. Arroyo was able to observe the Thresher shark at a depth of 75 ft.

As we left Malapascua last Sunday noon, a beautiful ocean-going 139-ft motor yacht “Andiamo” was anchored off Malapascua. I learned from its website that this beautiful yacht is owned by Mrs. Nancy Mueller, founder of Nancy’s Specialty Foods, the world’s largest producer of frozen quiche used as cocktail foods. It came all the way from San Francisco. Malapascua is a small island of more than 7,000 people, but if the children do not take up fishing, they end up leaving the island for a better life. Tourism no doubt has allowed the poor children of Malapascua a chance for a better future as more resorts will be opened as its tourism potential is further developed.

Indeed, Malapascua’s success can be traced to Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s pouring a huge infrastructure program and tourism campaign, which was strengthen by Gov. Gwen’s Suroy-Suroy program, where she encouraged her constituents in the far-flung areas to develop their tourism potential. Now all that Malapascua needs is a master plan so it can truly develop into a world class tourist destination. That means fixing the Port of Maya and putting up a Port in Malapascua like what they did in Boracay.

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We are now in the midst of Holy Week, but the heat of the political campaign season has only increased. Just when we said that the One Cebu Party of Gov. Gwen Garcia was subjected to black propaganda, when the news pointed to former Mayor Alvin Garcia as to having left Gibo Teodoro, but in truth, he was never a Gibo ally. However it was GSIS Chairman Winston Garcia who shifted alliances to Sen. Villar, but last Friday, Gibo was in Argao for the kick-off campaign of the One Cebu Party.

All was well until last Sunday when Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz suddenly turned against Gibo and shifted her allegiance to Sen. Villar. There is no doubt that Rep. Nerry Soon-Ruiz was “bought” by the Villar camp. However she just might lose her bid to be Mandaue City’s next Mayor as the folks whom she convince to vote for Gibo are disappointed at her and have texted me that they would now vote for the incumbent Mayor Jonas Cortes. I have no doubt that Rep. Nerry Soon-Ruiz will regret this decision on May 10.

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