More About Northern Cebu

Daan Bantayan is actually a separate island from Cebu Island, even though most people consider this a part of Cebu Island.  It is a raised coral reef connected to Cebu Island by a bridge over the narrow Daijogoan Canal.    You cross that bridge on the way to Virgin Beach.  At high tide you may see small boats pass from one side of the island to the other.

Daanbantayan -- The "town proper" boasts a century old church and still maintains a small fishing fleet.  There are numerous caves and beaches in the area.  There is a new sports complex that serves the community's needs.  The new public market area is of interest, as well as the School of Fisheries.  There is a ferry going from Maya to Leyte daily and connects to buses going to Cebu City.  It is about 20 minutes to Daanbantayan over a newly paved road.

Barangay Tapilon, 5 km. from the town proper of Daanbantayan, was once noted for its sea snake gatherers.  Poisonous snakes, locally called "balingkasaw", are gathered for their skins, which are used to make bags and shoes in Danao City, and their meat, which the Chinese value as an aphrodisiac.  In 1933, two Japanese fishermen discovered a breeding ground of sea snakes around the tiny Isle de Gato ("Cat Island"), reached by banca from Tapilon.  They encouraged locals to set up an industry, teaching them  how to catch the snakes, process the skins, and even how to deal with snake bites.  The snakes are found in the caves and crevices of Gato's rocky surrounding seabed year-round, but their breeding season is March - September.  The young are born after three months' incubation and then migrate to coral reefs in the open sea, where they prey on reef fish and eels.  The "catch man" uses his bare hands to grab each snake by the neck and tail, ties two or three snakes together with a motorcycle inner tube, and places them  in sack.  Over exploitation has greatly reduced their numbers.  A diver today will probably take only about a dozen snakes a night, compared to hundreds in the past.  Landing on Gato islet is almost impossible, due to the undercutting of the sides by wave action.

Logan Island (also known as Malapascua Island, the barangay is Logan) is only 20 minutes by boat from Maya or less than one hour from Virgin Beach by boat.  There are several foreigners living there (most have a Filipina wife) and the approximately one square mile island has some very white sand beaches.  There are several beach resorts now located here.  Some say the white sand beaches compare with Borocay.

Kawit -- a barangay of Daanbantayan is located on the west side of the island and has a facility for barges and ferries going to Bantayan Island and the other small islands in between.  There are buses going to Cebu City from the pier.

Bantayan Island is an old raised coral island (116 square km) some 15 km offshore from Cebu Island.  Fringed with reefs and shoals, fish, crabs and prawns abound in the offshore waters.  It's divided into Bantayan, Santa Fe, and Madridejos municipalities.  The first two are important fishing centers that supply Cebu City.  The island is reached from Hagnaya, San Remigio.  There are some fine beaches and beach resorts are found in Santa Fe and Kota.  Local handicrafts include abaca- weaving and shell craft.  Bantayan has an old church and is noted for its Holy Week celebration and procession, featuring an antique hand carved religious image.  The farmers on the island raise poultry and ship millions of eggs to other metropolitan areas.

Medellin is noted for its Sugar Central.. BoMedCo is a cooperative of sugar planters in the Medellin Bogo area and processes sugar cane December - June from the lush fields of sugar cane grown in the northern region.. There is a large network of small trains and tracks that transport the sugar cane to the mill.  The main "smoke stack" is visible on the way to Virgin Beach.  Tours can be arranged of the sugar mill.  There is a small landing strip in this town that will be improved soon so that private small planes will be able to land.  Also in this town, by the National Highway, is a "world-class" golf course being developed that will open in 1996.  They also plan a large Beach Resort.

San  Remigio, on the west side of the island, boasts a fine white sand beach and the barangay Hagnaya has a barge and ferry facility for Bantayan Island and the small islands in between.  Buses leave from Hagnaya to Cebu City.

Bogo is the main market town of the northern part of Cebu Island and is considered a "boom town" because of the new commercial interests there.  Bogo has a new public market that will entertain "people watchers" for hours.  There is a new coliseum in the town proper that is used for concerts, boxing matches, basketball games, community events and is the home of the Ms Gay  Philippines.  The town boasts two colleges, a fine park (plaza) with roller skating, a pier with boats going to Leyte and Masbate, several discos, a score of banks, an orchid farm, a hospital and several beach resorts.  The bus terminal at the new public market provides buses to Cebu City every 20 minutes or so.  There are hand craft factories and lots of shops.  There is an old church, a tire recapping plant, a coconut oil processing plant and plans for a future department store.  The town has been declared the "cleanest and greenest" town in the Philippines for two years in a row.  A famous boxer is from Bogo and several movie stars and recording artists are among its native sons and daughters.  There is a famous Virgin Mary Shrine on top of a hill just 5 km south of Bogo.  The view is spectacular and worth climbing the hundreds of steps to the top.

Kapitan Celio is a very small island southwest of Bogo and is about 2 hours by boat from Virgin Beach.  There are a few coconut trees and fresh spring water.  There is a beautiful coral reef that attracts scuba divers from all over the world.

Leyte can be seen from Virgin Beach and the deep channel in between is the main North/South shipping route between Manila, Cebu and Mindanao.  You can see large ferries pass several times a day and with binoculars, you can see the people on the ship.  The power company is putting an undersea cable between Leyte and Cebu just to the north of Virgin Beach.  Geothermal electricity will be produced in Leyte and Samar and supplied to Cebu.

Cockfights are the national sport of the Philippines and every town has a cockers' arena.  The closest one to Virgin Beach is in Curva, only 5 km from our beach.  Cockfights take place on Sunday afternoons.  One of our staff will be happy to accompany you to one of these events.

Virgin Beach has become a favorite attraction to all of the local people.  Children love to do back flips from the sea wall.  During high tide, the water is almost to the top of the sea wall and during low tide during certain times of the year,  the water is more than 200 meters from the beach.  During low tide, hundreds of people come out to find shells, small fish, edible sea urchins, sea cucumbers, small crabs, edible seaweed, small jelly fish and other delicacies.  The sea wall has lots of small crevices that make a home for small crabs and hermit crabs can be found everywhere.  The best swimming is during high tide.  A schedule of tides is listed on the calendar at Virgin Beach Store.  All stones have been removed from the beach area and the sea bottom and sand is beginning to fill the area and make it smooth and easy to walk on.