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PRINCESA BULAKNA Pristine beach, corals and rock formations
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Arlene Dabu-Foz
Date: 2004-06-09
 
MARIA, Siquijor — Pristine and peacefully tucked away in a cove amid dramatic stone formations and rich marine habitat, the idyllic and poster pretty Princesa Bulakna Beach Resort can be a great weekender for beach lovers who shun the frenzied fame of crowded seashores.





Maria is about two hours’ drive from Siquijor Island’s main port in Siquijor.The island is an hour’s ferry ride from Dumaguete City, which is less than an hour by plane from Manila via Cebu Pacific or Air Philippines. Round trip fare from Manila to Dumaguete is R2,819.



Other jump off points to this Central Visayan attraction include Cebu, Tagbilaran in Bohol, and Iligan and Plaridel in Mindanao.



Princesa Bulakna’s owner, Dr. Edgardo D. Apolinar, is a retired diagnostic radiologist from Naperville, US.He earned his degree in medicine from the University of the East (UE) college of medicine in Manila. He had his residency in Chicago and fellowship at the University of Texas.



We met Dr. Apolinar through his cousin, Melanie D. Foz, an executive of RFM’s Philtown. He’s fondly called Doc by everyone. Very amiable and down-to-earth, Doc was very keen in acquiring a property which he planned to transform into a natural sanctuary of endemic species.



Through hard work, he was blessed to own such an asset located in barangay Maria, not far from the Siquijor port. In the next few months, however, his drawing board had an entirely different sketch for the property.



We were surprised to see the sprawling property and its potential when we visited the island recently. Descending by foot from the gate of the 35-hectare estate, we were impressed by the seven-hectare pocket expansion that Doc was so personally engaged in.



A few steps from the jagged grounds led us to a beautifully landscaped garden with all the green shades you could imagine and just enough blooms to perk up the surroundings of a three-bedroom cottage that regally nestles midway to the beach.



Doc was so obviously enthralled by the country’s history that he could often talk endlessly about certain periods that had a very strong impact on Filipino culture. For instance, he named the resort after Lapu-Lapu’s wife Princesa Bulakna.



To make the resort exotic, he is planning to build a Malayan-inspired boat that can be berthed by the seashore as an attraction. The boat with its subdivided space is to be used as a view deck, function rooms or cabin-type accommodation for guests who wanted to be closer to the sea. Or it may also take guests on a sunset cruise or romantic dinner.



Guests at the resort can bask in the splendor of the its natural beauty. While swimming, getting a good tan or snorkeling is almost always the main reason for beach bums to hie-off to not-so-frequented places like this, it’s the tropical Zen thing or that very reflective setting that makes the place so inviting.



For us three – Melanie, Joanna Castro and me — the resort offered some cherished “quietude” away from the workaholic city crowd that seem to spin and buzz endlessly around their bento box-like office cubicles. What a relief!



We really liked the resort’s low-key spot and the many things that we could do, aside from swimming, of course. Going boat riding for an hour, we were viewed some grand rock formations creatively chiseled by the waves, wind and rain.



While sailing, we bowled over the sight of corals beneath the water’s jade to teal blue hues. To our amazement, a school of flying fishes darted every now and then. The sound of water splashing against the boat was at times punctuated by the birds’ cries amid the blowing wind.



We pulled over when we thought we’ve already had a good tan. On the shore, we were like kids combing the shore for the best shell finds. We had so much fun collecting sigay and sand dollars. We also picked long-limbed starfishes with drifting sticks hiding in the sand or behind the small rocks that we stepped on.



It was almost sunset and an early dinner was served. Famished after a long day, the three of us were only too happy to feast on home-cooked meals probinsiya-style. We finished off in no time the seaweed salad that our hoststhought would go unnoticed. It went so good with fried fish and grilled chicken, without sea-salty after-taste in the mouth! Dessert was fresh fruits in season like watermelon, banana and mango. We loved the very sweet fresh mangoes.



Admittedly, the downside of stuffing one’s self a lot than usual during dinner meant a watered down zest to do anything else than flop in the couch, laze around and watch the television.


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