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Camiguin is known as the Land of Paradise or and it is evident because the environment has been preserved by the local government unit. Its name said to have originated from the word “Kamagong” which is a family tree stands near Lake Mainit in Surigao del Norte.
Source : http://www.1stphilippines.com/pp-6d091e5827e0e4f2d286fc3b53bb5c70.html
It has been a home to varieties of flora and fauna. It even has active volcanos, falls, springs and marine wildlife. There are no Jollibees (Filipino version of McDonald's as they say) and they adhere with the zero waste management.
It is also home of the famous Pastel Bread owned by Vj and EP. Some mispronounced it as Vandep. It is a small bun with milky and caramel filling inside. I swear it is soft and delicious. And the land of the famous lanzones which had said to be sweet because of the volcanic soil the island has.
Photo courtesy from: instagram account of 
Photo courtesy from: http://www.choosephilippines.com/eat/local-flavors/3447/camiguin-lanzones-fruit/
This is the sweet lanzones which is known for its sweet and zesty juice. People on other parts of Mindanao try to plant lanzones but it could not be as sweet as the lanzones of Camiguin. It is believed to be the volcanic soil which made the it bear the sweetest fruit.
If you are a nature and adventure lover, then this paradise is the right place for you! I highly suggest to include it in your itinerary when you wish to travel to Northern Mindanao. It is a province separated from mainland Mindanao. It has five municipalities : Mambajao, Catarman, Sagay, Mahinog and Guinsiliban. It is just a small island so basically you can travel the entire shoreline for few hours.
Source: http://www.camiguin-island.com/map-of-camiguin-island.shtml
I have known all these things through my series of visits, inquiry to the locals (most are my relatives) and series of conversation with my father about the place of his ancestors. I really tried remembering the names of the municipalities because it might come out as a question during greek wars! Hahaha! I also verified the information from the Local Government Unit of Guinsiliban since the mayor of the municipal is a relative of ours.
Here in today's Gail's Travels and Tips , I will feature the Municipality of Guinsiliban. Yehey! Hello again Department of Tourism.
This is one of the mountains visible in Camiguin. It is welcome for hikers and trekkers.
Guinsiliban (or pronounced as Ginsiliban) is thirty minutes away from the seaport of Binoni. Tourists' main mode of transportation is motorcycle which you can rent per day to the locals near the port. It is highly recommended because you can experience the warm and soft breeze of air while seeing wonderful sites and old houses in Camiguin. You can also book and rent a van which is available online and on nearby cities such as from Cagayan de Oro, though it might cause you a lot.
This is the Port of Binoni, the point of entry for all tourists.
Its name has been said to derive from the word Ginsil-ipan which means it has been peaked/ observed. This term has been used because way back then it has been under the observation of the Moros who wished to kidnap some of the women and their children.
If you are from the Laguindingan Airport of Misamis Oriental, you still need to pass over Cagayan de Oro City (also known as the City of Golden Friendship) and enter only Camiguin through its seaport. By the way, Camiguin has an airport but is only for small aircrafts.
Why is Camiguin important to me?
Camiguin is a paradise that I find underrated
Here is a little background of my ancestry before I share about Guinsiliban. My roots from my father's side is from mainland China. As merchants, their family decided to settle in Pangasinan. Meanwhile Germinigildo Tongco (ancestor) felt bad towards his relatives so he decided to travel and reside in Camiguin. He settled their and had a family. No wonder, my attitude problem can be traced back to my roots. Intermarriages from different clans with Tongco also happened so a lot of the locals in Camiguin have Tongco in their lineage. It was then when the famous volcano errupted that led to some of my relatives to migrate to nearby city. Some of the members of the Tongco Clan migrated to Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro City.
This is a photo of me taken by my brother which was taken at the coastline of Guinsiliban. It was really hot during noontime.
This is the view that surrounded us during our stay in Guinsiliban:
The water has always been so calm except during storms and typhoons. There were also kids spending their afternoon sailing their small boats. It was fun seeing them together with nature rather than spending hours with their gadgets.
Historical Sites
History has embeded in the hearts of the Camiguingnon. There are still a lot of ancestral house proudly standing along the streets, though some had been destroyed through time and because of road-widening (construction of Asian Highway 26). These are instagram-worthy houses older than all of us here.
History has also affected the educational system. This one here is a Gabaldon type of building. It has been built during the leadership of the American Government in the Philippines. The ceilings are so high fit for the humid weather of the province. At first I thought that the reason of the high ceiling is that the students are tall. No matter how old the building is, it has been well-maintained by the local authorities. In consonance with solid waste management, the school opted to recycle plastic bottles as a material used for their crop fence. What a brilliant idea to be replicated by other schools!
Commune with the relatives during the Feast in Guinsiliban
They were busy checking the schedule of activities that was posted near the plaza.
Now, going back to Guinsiliban, our previous stay there did not cost us much since we stayed in the house of the municipal mayor. There was zero expenditure on accomodation and food! The mayor even welcomed us warmly to his haven which is found on the shoreline. Near his house is a significant structure of Camiguin when some provinces were at war against the Moros (people converted to Islam). We also had a chance to meet some of our relatives nearby and warmly welcomed us.
We shared a lot of stories about local politics, local history, and share of experiences in life. We even exchanged jokes and laughed about it.
They even have a cute labrador and two little dachshund. I want to take them home!
My dad's aunt was talking to my dad. I forgot how old she is. She was still alert and enthusiastic. She was even talking to one of her children on skype when we arrived in the afternoon
We also went to other houses. I got to see my dad's grandma. She somewhat resembles me. I was so glad that she could recall us despite the fact that she's already 88 years old.
Beauty Pageant and some other activities
Aside from eating, there were other activities such as beauty contest wherein women from different sectors joined. It should have started 8 in the evening but the people waited for the governor before starting it not until 11 in the evening (if my memory serves me right). A lot of people have already flocked on the area because they were so excited for the event. All of the candidates look so beautiful. Few nights ago, there was also a pageant night for gays that entertained the locals. The carnival was operating too when we arrived. There were even discos from night til dawn.
What an adventurous night!
At night, we cramped up ourselves in one room so it was pretty hot for us since the window was facing contrary to direction of the wind from the sea. I woke up with sweat all over my body. This is what you get from such a budget cut. Hahaha! The following day, we decided to sleep in an open kubo or wooden structure which is situated in the shoreline.
It was uncomfortable at first because it was raining and the water was soaking me wet since I was sleeping near the huge window (actually there was no door or even walls, just a roof and wooden columns). There was even a disco with such loud music that you can even hear even if you are three kilometers away from that area. I moved to the floor, had a quick nap when suddenly something exploded or so I thought. It was a fireworks display right in front of me. It was pretty amazing though I was scared that it might hit me straight in the face. Gladly I fell asleep when I got so tired.
I was not kidding when I said we stayed in a wide-open wooden house. That's my brother by the way.
Typical delicacies during fiesta
Each place has its own delicacies during festivities. For Camiguin, torta (a type of pastry) and suman (sticky rice covered with fresh banana leaves) are some of the staple desserts during fiesta in Mindanao. They also serve it here in Guinsiliban. This custom has also been practiced by the people of Macabalan who were originally from Camiguin.
Moro Watch Tower
Aside from the wide beach we explored, I also had time to know a little about the history of Guinsiliban. The photo above is the Moro Watch Tower that served a huge role for the Camiguingnon as it has been a watch tower against the Moros long time ago when there were warring provinces and lumads. It has served as a fortress against other invaders. The tower is so old that roots of different plants have grown and withered. The steps were so steep, I swear! I had a hard time climbing over it. It is just few steps from the house of the municipal mayor.
Giant Clams Experience
In the afternoon, we went to the home of Giant Clams which is found few kilometers from the municipal proper of Guinsiliban. I hesitated at first on travelling with them because I was feeling under the weather. It was just few minutes away from the plaza of Guinsiliban.
Looks who are excited to see the giant clams!
The area is so perfect as it has white sand beach. There were no cottages but you can have a shade of the trees around. I asked if there are snakes, and said there are only sea snakes. Yay! I do not know if they were kidding or not.
We were welcomed by kids who shared to us trivias and facts about giant clams and other species. They were so smart that they can answer any of our questions pertaining to the giant clams, oysters, and other related studd. They were trained by some personnel from Silliman University which is found in Dumaguete. Do not worry! I will feature about Silliman University probably next week.
I learned from this 10 year old kid that oysters would take 20 years before it could make a perfect pearl. Note: The Philippines is known as the Pearl of the Orient Seas. Pearls prove that it really takes a lot of time to become beautiful. Giant clams are also so strong that it can cut off your arms. Geez! I am just happy I was aware of this things just in case I plan to go deep underwater with giant clams. I was also taught where the anus and mouth of the clam is.
This giant clam is suppose to fart in any moment when this photo was taken. I was really surprised of how huge its fart it.
The people culture these clams to giant clams. They even cultured oysters that produce the perfect pearl.
Wonderful Marine Life
Aside from the fact that you could swim with other sea creatures (I have seen an octopus, schools of fishes, star fishes, and a lot more), you could also explore the corals with their glass boat which is only for P1000.00 for a group. We made friends with three Swedish nationals, they joined our group.
These are some other marine creatures that we saw during our short tour:
I wonder if they know Patrick Star. They look lovely but I really have no guts to touch them.
I have seen a lot of wonderful corals and sea creatures. I just felt bad though that some of the corals died because of strong typhoons and climate change.
It was a long but fun day. Aside from learning few things about the marine ecosystem, we also made friends who are from Sweden. They thought that we were after their money but they were so shocked that my mom paid for them. They were not used of this Filipino custom. We even invited them for dinner and they graced our invitation. They had fun watching the stars with us too.
My parents enjoyed the beach early in the morning before we left. They both look so lovely. I wished to join them but I was feeling under the weather. I swear, Iwill keep coming back to you Camiguin!
## Protip: - If you happen to visit Camiguin during its lanzones festival, do not expect that there would be outpouring amount of lanzones (as small round fruit which is sweet and zesty). According to the Mayor of Guinsiliban, lazones trees only yield a lot of fruits once every two years. - Locals have their houses open to every visitor who wish to dine with them during festivals. I must say they prepare a lot of pork and beef meals Only a few prepare vegetables because their culture dictates thar during festivals, they must only prepare the best meat they could offer to their visitors. I was not feeling well then when heading home because I had been eating meat for two consecutive days. - I suggest you to wear light clothes and sunblock cause the weather always been humid there. Bookings can also be done online and it is much cheaper.
Photos taken by LG stylus and Samsung J5.
