It has been said over and again that "there is nothing like the first time". But in my trip to the Bohol province, my third time was by far the best of all visits - all because of the Alona Beach.
Set on a 800-meter stretch of white sand, the
Alona Beach was allegedly named such because of actress
Alona Alegre who, as supposed by
Panglao townsfolk, had her sexy debut on the beach.
Myth or fact, it doesn't fail to diminish the allure of the
Alona. To say that it bathes in magnificent sunshine in the morning and starry skies in the evening may be an understatement - even for all beaches in the country - but still, the
Alona deserves to be written about; coupled with this is the feeling of excitement brought about by inviting underwater scenes that most diving enthusiasts look forward to.
Panglao is one of the most promising diving destinations in South East Asia and the world. It is most hailed for its well-preserved marine life and undamaged coral reefs.
While all these are God's gifts, it would not have stayed beautiful this long if it were not for the concern of its townsfolk. The local government of
Panglao, along with the
Alona Beach Community Foundation Inc. (
ABCFI), the Foundation for Philippine Environment (
FPE) and the most recently formed
Panglao Municipal Tourism Council (
PMTC), currently protects almost ten marine protected areas.
The private sector, led by the
ABCFI plays a vital role in the preservation of
Alona Beach. Coastal clean-ups are periodically set to ensure that the beach front, the water and the reefs stay in tip-top shape. Dive operators and divers alike are educated to safeguard the environment by ensuring that guests and student divers do not touch anything or step on the corals.
The
FPE's part is evident in the
Bohol Marine Triangle Project or
BMTP which was created to protect globally significant marine ecosystems and resources encompassing the three municipalities of
Baclayon,
Panglao and
Dauis, while the newly-formed
PMTC aims to promote tourism more professionally in the line with the programs of the local government unit. Composed of people from the different sectors, its primary goal is to turn
Panglao into a major, if not the primary, tourist destination in the country.
A masterplan for
Alona Beach that will pave the way for the clean-up of the beach front and give the public enough space to enjoy the shore is also being perfected. Furthermore, a User's Fee Scheme that will collect a minimal amount of money from divers is likely to be implemented. This is expected to provide for the setting-up of buoys, payment for allowances of coast rangers, as well as maintenance of boats and other equipment.
So expectedly, when we had a discovery dive led by
ABCFI President and Philippine Island Divers Manager Holger Horn - also a member of the
PMTC - the underwater world was in excellent form.
"There's good visibility. you will see many fish. " Horn declared when he dove into the water past us. My friend Marlene followed, with mixed feelings of hesitation and excitement, since this was her first try at scuba diving.
With fingers on my mask - the way Horn, our Dive Master told us to - I back flipped to the water, more confident now since I had my first intro dive during the
Bohol Dive Fiesta in May, but still very excited and looking forward to the colorful school of fish that will see under water.
I took a complete 360-degree turn from the moment I touched the water to the time I got my balance. I'd say it is not good enough for someone who is doing the intro dive for the second time, but maybe, it is good enough for someone who barely knows how to swim (Yes, you can dive even if you are not very good at swimming).
Submerged in the water, I felt like I have been turned into a mermaid - every fairytale enthusiast's dream, I suppose - right away. Surrounded by the corals, fish of all shapes and sizes and the trangquil waters off the shore of
Panglao Island, one can only be mesmerized.
Suddenly, all heaviness from the equipment I was wearing was swept away. All worries were forgotten. The hustle and bustle from
Manila where I hail from vanished. Every single doubt about my competence to swim was behind me. All that mattered was that I was in another world. a lot different from land, and in my eyes, more fascinating (I say 'in my eyes' because the fish may say otherwise and be more fascinated by the mysteries of the land).
One of the most amazing discoveries I realized when I started diving (not that I'm a professional because I haven't gotten my certification yet) was that it is oh so natural to breathe under water. It is not a problem, although Horn articulated that sometimes, due to the enthusiasm surplus, intro divers forget to breath.
In those thirty to forty-five minutes under water when one couldn't utter words, the o-k sign (drawn through a circle where the thumb and the pointing finger meet) is enough to say that everything is fine. Our Dive Master always saw to it that we give him that sign for one can't either talk or smile. We say o-k by our fingers and smile through our eyes, though with the beauty that can be seen under water, not even words are enough to express how one feels inside.The beauty of the under water world is just so calming, so mesmerizing... maybe that is why anyone who has tried diving once always comes back.
I wouldn't say I know all the fish that I have encountered. I can only differentiate them from their colors and dots or stripes. I can't even differentiate the poisonous from the non-poisonous yet. I hold my Dive Master responsible for keeping me away from the poisonous ones, hehe... But I do know how they make me feel. They make me feel grateful for being alive, for having the eyes to see the beauty that God has created for us to appreciate and care for. Such mystery!
While it has been said over and again that "there is nothing like the first time", my trip to the
Bohol Province was most remarkable on my third time. Until the next, because my friend and I promised ourselves we would go back and get certified.
How to go?
From tagbilaran in Bohol, you can travel to Alona Beach on the buses that ply via the two bridges that link to Panglao Island. For those who do not wish to wait, tricycles are also available.
From Manila to Tagbilaran, direct flights are available on some domestic carriers.
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Text by:
Chared Q. BalloPhoto's by: Holger Horn,
Nina Fuentes , Colin Teo, Wikipedia (map)
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