Camiguin - Island of volcanoes and sweet lanzones

The island province of Camiguin in Northern Mindanao, a

pear-shaped emerald isle that is a product of creative

activities of its volcanoes, hit the headlines in the early

1950s when one of its seven volcanoes, the 457-meter

high Mount Hibok-Hibok erupted on December 4, 1951

and killed 500 islanders.

Camiguin was derived from the word kamagong, a tree

belonging to the ebony family. Its original inhabitants were

Manobos, one of the non-Muslim hill tribes inhabiting the

northern part of exotic Mindanao.

Nature must have fallen in love with the island so much that

she endowed it with lavish gifts and natural bounties, says

DOT Region X director Dorothy Jean B. Pabayo during

Camiguins 20th Lanzones Festival held last October 24. One is simply at a loss for

words to describe this lovely island of 68,000 inhabitants which the island folks

endearingly call The Island of Your Imagination.

Some of its so-called natural gifts and geological

wonders include the 76-meter high Katibawasan Falls

in the provincial capital of Mambajao; the 25-meter

high Tuwasan Falls in Catarman town; the Sto. Niqo

Cold Spring Resort; Ardent Hot Spring Resort; Tangub

Hot Spring; White Island, a stretch of uninhabited

ivory sandbar off Mambajao; Cross Marker and

Sunken Cemetery, so-called because it sunk into the

sea during a volcanic eruption in 1871, together with

the Old Catarman Church Ruins nearby, and Mantigue

Island, a four-hectare forested isle laced by white,

fine sand beaches.

Camiguin, comprising five coastal towns strung together like a pearl necklace by a

64-km. circumferential coastal road, lies 45 km. southeast of Bohol, 10 km. north of

the eastern tip of the province of Misamis Oriental, and some 90 km. north of the

bustling city of Cagayan de Oro.

Aside from these unique tourist attractions, Camiguin is also noted for its sweet

lanzones because of the islands rich soil and mild climate, explains director Pabayo.

Mambajao and Catarman town on the other side of the island, are where the

sweetest lanzones could be found, adds the indefatigable regional tourism executive.

Thats why the most sought-after lanzones in Cebu, Bohol and Cagayan de Oro

comes from here.

Unfortunately, due to unfavorable climate this year

(heavy rains and strong winds during the flowering

season), the lanzones festival was replete of the

yellow round fruit that has become synonymous with

Camiguin. Instead of adorning the streetdancers with

fresh fruits, they wore painted wooden and plastic

lanzones to simulate the real one.

Despite the total absence of lanzones this year,

many domestic and some foreign tourists still enjoyed

their weekend stay here because of the abundance of tourist destinations in the

island, concludes Pabayo. But dont despair, later on, like what happened to our

economy and the rest of the region last year, we will reap from a bountiful harvest

next year, not only for lanzones but, the countrys economy as well.

[ White Island Wiki | Mantigue Island Wiki ]