174. CALAYAN, PARADISE OF THE BABUYANES
The Philippines is blessed by the Almighty with the beauty of nature. For so
long a time, the islands of the Babuyanes located off the coast of Luzon Island
in Northern Philippines was a priority in my bucket. This dream became a
reality when I was tasked by my office to deliver an inspirational message and
to grace the awarding and closing ceremonies of two DOT regional trainings:
Homestay Pilipinas Program (May 2-7) and Filipino Brand of Filipino Excellence (May 
. The trainings are
for the homestay owners and operators of Calayan
The Municipality of Calayan consists of four main islands, namely: Calayan
consisting of seven barangays Cabudadan, Centro I (Poblacion), Centro II,
Dadao, Dibay, Dilam and Magsidel), Camiguin consisting three barangays
(Balatubat, Minabel and Naguilian), Babuyan (Babuyan Claro) and Dalupiri. The
municipality belongs to the Babuyan Islands also known as the Babuyan Group of
Islands, an archipelago located in the Luzon Strait north of the main island of
Luzon and south of Taiwan via Bashi Channel to Luzon Strait. Of the five major
islands, only Fuga Island is not incorporated with Calayan town but a part of
Aparri town, also in Cagayan province. The Babuyan Islands are separated from
Luzon by the Babuyan Channel, and from the province of Batanes to the north by
the Balintang Channel.
Beautiful couple pilot, sir Stephen Wycoco and ma'am Emille Christine Costello
of Sky Pasada flew us to Calayan Island from the Tuguegarao Domestic Airport.
They were also the pilots who brought me back to the regional capital five days
later. It was only last December 30, 2022 when the first flight by Sky Pasada
took place from Tuguegarao City to the municipal-run airport in Calayan Island.
Flights in and out the island are scheduled on Fridays and Tuesdays. But I was
informed that by May 14 this year, additional Sunday flights will be available.
Before the flights, locals and tourists reach the island five hours by boat
either from Aparri or from Claveria, both ports located in northern coastal
Cagayan.
The mayor himself welcomed me at the arrival area where his relatives are also
in-bound. Mayor Joseph Maddela Llopis served in the Philippine Air Force before
being elected as Municipal Mayor of Calayan in 2001, 2004 & 2007. He was
also elected in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cagayan representing the 2nd
District in 2010 & 2013. Furthermore, he also served as Provincial
Administrator in 2016-2019 before he was again elected as mayor in 2019 &
2022. His grandfather also served as local chief executive so his brother Alfonso
who also served as Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member. We had previous
acquaintances when we were both representatives of our governors in the
Regional Development Council for the term 2016-2019.
I immediately proceeded to the municipal hall where the week-long training was
held. The Secretariat instantly asked me to deliver a message before a crowd of
three dozen people. After my message, I visited the Roman Catholic Church of
Saint Bartholomew Parish and met Father Reynor Munsayac, O.P. who generously
gave his seat in the 14-seater plane to make sure I arrived in the island as
scheduled. After which, I was brought to Villa Inocencia, a resort owned by the
mayor at barangay Dadao and my room at the second floor gave me a picturesque
view of the open sea. Our first dinner date was with Isla Calayan Nature Resort
at barangay Dadao owned by Cagayan Valley Regional Tourism Council (CVRTC)
Chairman, Mr. Jerry Cabalse. We met the municipal mayor including the
department heads and other heads of national agencies including three Catholic
priests who I learned later all came from my alma mater – University of Santo
Tomas (UST).
The next three days was spent visiting the tourist attractions of the
municipality. My first stop was the Sibang Cove and Nagudungan Hill. I backed-ride
a motorcycle together with the accredited tour guide and a staff of the Cagayan
Tourism Office and reached the cove and hill located next to each other east of
the poblasyon. Sibang Cove is a pristine fine white sand beach while Nagudungan
Hill has an old lighthouse near the cliffs with lots of rock formation carved
by strong winds and ocean waves. Atop the hill, I experienced a panoramic view
of the land and see of the island and documented the scenery using my
360-degree human drone skill. On our way back, I dipped for over half an hour
on a shallow rock formation along the beach since it was low tide and played
with starfishes while enjoying the “nemo” fishes around me. I also met divers,
one of them was Victor Asero who caught a giant lapu-lapu hours later that he
posted in Facebook and became trending. Sibang Cove is known for the many
ancient burial grounds, and many artifacts unearthed here are in the National
Museum. The cove is an ecotourism destination and is also one of the breeding
grounds of the humpback whales. Our dinner for my second night was with 3 Kings
Travellers Inn owned by Ms. Bella Corazon Payas at barangay Magsidel who served
giant lobsters, pampano fishes and mangoes .
My third day in Calayan started at five in the morning and we took an hour boat
ride heading north following the coastline while staring at Dalupiri Island on
the horizon until we reached Lussok Cave in barangay Dibay. We finally
approached the mouth of the cave and disembarked the three-engine boat with
katig and floated our way to the site on a makeshift styro floater. The cave is
infested with bats and swiftlets and the rock formations are very impressive.
After the numerous picture-taking, I swam my way back to the boat and we sailed
south where we came from and reached barangay Magsidel where the two
magnificent falls: Caanawan and Bataraw Falls are located. We bathed in the
chest dip Caanawan Falls and enjoyed an aqua massage with soft, moderate and
hard drops. Not so far away is the Bataraw Falls and we dipped in its
six-footer waters. The path leading to the waterfalls is dotted with boulders
and crooked trail. We headed back to the poblasyon by 10 in the morning but
instead of resting, I decided to visit the Malangsi Cave and Falls located
south in barangay Cabudadan. The view of the rocky shoreline was marvelous and
my personal favorite is the Puraw rock formation. We faced the rough seas since
it was now high tide and I have to ride another smaller make-shift styro
floater to reach the shore. The cave opening is towering and since it is summer
time, water on the falls is insignificant. We have to travel back immediately
because of the angry waves coupled with the rising water making the travel
risky. My guide would not want me to go home without seeing the beauty of
Cababaan White Beach at barangay Dadao. This is my first time to step on a
beach with such fine sand. As I walked step by step, my foot would sink about a
ruler deep because of the fine and powdery softness of the sand.
My Monday, May 8, started when I joined the flag raising ceremonies with the
local government unit. I was given the chance to speak before the municipal
officials, employees and national agency personnel. I committed the full
support of DOT particularly the provision of technical assistance when it comes
to the formulation and polishing of tourism programs, projects and activities.
After the message of Mayor Llopis that highlighted the flag rites, I visited
the ruins of the Spanish era casa or government building and suggested to the
owner who also belongs to the Llopis clan that they maximize the premises of
the vestiges and use it as an extension of their carinderia as an alfresco. The
century old bricks bounded by egg whites are existing evidences of the Spanish
rule of the island. Two other smaller ruins can be seen in the island.
Part of my schedule was my journey to the island-barangay of Dalupiri. My
almost an hour motorboat travel southwest gave me a scenic view of Fuga Island.
The barangay officials led by Narciso Espejo, Jr. greeted us on the shore. We
had a very festive mood and a sumptuous meal of lobsters, octopus and tinolang
manok. Before I ended my one-hour stay, I visited the local Catholic chapel
whose patron was Saint James the Apostle. I commended the façade and altar
mosaic design made of different shells- a proof of the ingenuity of the locals.
I also conducted a tourism 101 lecture on tourism development and promotions
among the barangay officials and residents.
The mayor and I graced the closing and awarding ceremonies of the seven-day
workshop and I was invited in a wedding reception by the mayor whose niece tied
the knot early on this day. I had my second dinner with one of the homestay
operators who insisted on sponsoring the meal. Ms. Ma. Concepcion Agudera of
the Jaca’s Homestay located in Dadao generously served traditionally cooked
food.
On May 9, Tuesday, we had our breakfast at Café Flora owned by Punong Barangay
Eric Nunez after which we boarded the plane for Tuguegarao.
Calayan has a rich history. Local Government Unit (LGU) records and the net
reveals: The island was initially settled by people belonging to the Malay race
and those of mixed Itbayat-Mapayan-Papuan. They were seafarers who raised
cattle, corn and sweet potato which are resistant to strong winds. In 1619,
Spanish missionaries Fray Andres and Fray Geronimo Morer came to the island to
establish a foothold for their order and were able to build a chapel and a
convent with Saint Ursula as patron. The Dominicans recorded the name of the place
as “Calayan”. The name “Calayan” came from the Ibanag word “calayan” which
means “where laya (ginger) abounds”. In 1639, another Dominican priest, Fray
Francisco Capillas came and was assigned as the parish priest of the islands
followed by Fray Martin Real de le Cruz who later became the first rector and
chancellor of UST (1648-1650). After the misssionaries left Calayan, little was
known to the islands, until the arrival of Fray Diego Pinero in 1684. In 1722,
a mission headquarters was established. During the Spanish colonial regime,
aside from the Dominican priests, the administrators recorded were: Don Licerio
Duerme (1896), Don Pedro Abad (1897) and Don Angel Escalante (1898–1902).
In 1896, Calayan became a municipal district of Batanes. In 1902, the municipal
district became part of Cagayan. In 1920, Aparri became its mother-town when
the clerk ran away with the treasury money. On March 6, 1923, it was declared
as a separate town together with the rest of the islands of the Babuyan
Channel. At present, the LGU of Calayan is a third-class municipality and
identified as one of the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA)
in Region II and in the Province of Cagayan.
The following served as local chief executive after the recreation of the Municipality
of Calayan: Don Enrique A. Llopis (1926-1929, 1936-1939 & 1952-1955), Don
Cresente Castillejos (1930-1931), Don Mateo Escalante (1932-1933), Don Felix
Lasam (1934-1935 & 1943-1945, 1945-1947 & 1948- 1951), Hon. Pascual
Fernando (1940-1941), Hon. Pastor Caddarao (1942), Hon. Irineo D. Escalante
(1956-1963 & 1968-1971), Hon. Benedicto Llopis, Jr. (1964-1967), Hon.
Ernesto Castillejos (1972-1980, 1980-1986 & 1986-1987), Hon. Eduardo C.
Singun (1987), Hon. Jose P. Arellano (1987-1988), Hon. Godofredo P. Oliveria
(1988-1992, 1992-1995 & 1995-1996), Hon. Corazon P. Jose (1996-1998 &
1998-2001), Hon. Joseph M. Llopis (2001-2004, 2004-2007 , 2007-2010, 2019-2022
& 2022 to present) and Hon. Alfonso M. Llopis (2010-2013, 2013-2016 &
2016-2019).
As I rest my legs on the lampitaw (outrigger boat), cruising following the
coastline around the island, the beauty of exposed coral limestones, thick
forest cover on the hill ridge at the center of the island, pristine white
beaches plus the swooping of hawks atop the botong (fish poison tree) trees,
cemented my belief that indeed the tropics of the Philippines is the best in
the world. Calayan, home to the Calayan rail (Gallirallus calayanensis), a
flightless bird endemic to the island is a place to visit in your lifetime. An
unforgettable experience awaits you in these islands I dubbed as the “Paradise
of the Babuyanes”.
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