One of the perks of being in development work is the chance to move around the country. For the past 11 years, I have been going in and out of Mindanao, particularly Davao, Zamboanga Peninsula, CDO, etc. I only regret now that I have not blogged about them earlier. This includes the pristine and beautiful Selinog Island, off the coast of Dapitan.
cryshdv29x
It was just a photo, and my friends were immediately captivated by its rustic beauty. Although I have not been to many beaches in the country, I would say that, Selinog Island, is one of the the best. Going here takes a full two (2) hours from Dapitan City via a 4-tonner boat (which is huge, and it is advisable that you hire a big boat for a trip to the island).
The small community lives on fishing, some crops, sari-sari store, and salt-making, which happens to be one of the alternative livelihood projects under the “Zamboanga Peninsula Upland, Lowland and Coastal Resources Management Program” that I handled a few years back through the Philippines-Canada Development Fund. The salt-making projects was managed by a local fisherfolk association and supervised by the City Agriculture Office of Dapitan City.
The downside, however, is that the island does not have fresh water and the community depends only on rainwater. During the summer months, they have to fetch water either from Dapitan City or the nearby Apo Island in Negros Oriental.
The crystal clear water, sans the algae found in one of the famous beaches.
Selinog Island Lighthouse
___
Back to HOME
