Matnog in Sorsogon a hidden paradise

MATNOG, Sorsogon -– This municipality, located at the southern tip of Luzon about 500 kilometers south of Manila is a “hidden paradise”  waiting to be discovered.
With its bustling roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) terminal, the place serves as the jumping board between Luzon and the Visayas. 
But tourists and other visitors who have experienced staying here also call the town the “seventh heaven,” according to a PNA report.  
No one proved them wrong as the municipality is gifted with a preserved nature, immaculate white to pinkish powdery sand beaches being kissed by crystalline waters, uphill caves, fish and lobster farms, marine sanctuaries and an amazing view of sunrise and sunset.
The larger portion of the municipality’s mainland is rimmed by high mountains teeming with coconut palms and residual forests that offer a soothing relief of fresh air because of its lush green growth.
In the San Bernardino Strait that shares the town’s territorial waters with the Pacific Ocean and separates it from the Visayan province of Samar, small islands with unique characteristics await to be discovered.
One is the Tikling Island at the San Bernardino Strait which is four kilometers offshore or five minutes boat ride from the town proper’s shoreline.
It is a 40-hectare of fully vegetated circular landmass bordered around from the sea by 10 hectares of coastal area classified as government easement.
The island which derived its name from the word “ticlin”, the Spanish word for egret, is quite eerie because of the distinct noise of insects and the chirping of the birds hiding on its lush tropical forest, not to mention the wild shrubs and growing vines near the shoreland.
It has a few small hills, one of which is about 180 feet in height covered with natural bush that provides visitors with a shaded walk. The hillsides provide a water run-off area that is stored in an old unused rice paddies of some 10 hectares. This fresh water area provides a haven for water birds including migratory ones.
Its pristine beach, on the other hand, is long enough for leisure walks featuring its seductive blend of clear blue and light green sea waters. Fishing is another leisure off the nearby reefs.
Tikling is not a fully inhabited island and the people living in small shanties are only the caretakers of the coconut plantation in the area. What really make this island remarkable is its signature powdery pinkish sands.
The next island is Calintaan that is famous for its Subic Beach best known for its secluded clear cool waters, white sandy beaches and cool shades from the trees facing the beach itself.
Its sands are fine enough that visitors enjoy exfoliating their skins by rubbing the grains devoid of coarse particles on their arms and legs for a spa-like treatment. Calintaan Island is also known for its huge underwater and uphill caves populated by giant bats.
Nearby is the Juag Lagoon fish sanctuary which is a wide expanse of shallow salty waters enclosed by small rock formations serving as home to diverse species of fish, turtles, sea cucumbers, lobsters and clams.
This place that is reserved for the reproduction of fish populations is gradually becoming an eco-tourism destination as visitors are allowed to view the fishes in their natural environment.
These fishes are collected for studies and breeding and released in the sea once they reached their full egg spawning potential thereby reducing their probability of extinction. Juag also boasts of a fine pink beach called La Playa Rosa.
Mayor Emilio Ubaldo said local elders trace the name Matnog  from the word “matonog” (very audible) – that describes the loud sound of the waves.
True enough, as according to the mayor, collisions between the waves of San Bernardino Strait and Pacific Ocean taking place off the town’s shorelines produce loud splashing sounds especially when the waters are turbulent.
Underneath, Ubaldo said the encounter of the sea current coming from opposite directions creates whirling basins that grow wider enough to swallow small sea crafts during stormy weather. The intensity of this action when weather is bad produces loud whistling sounds.
Navigating through the area where the currents of San Bernardino and Pacific collide requires familiarity to avoid the whirlpools, he said.
“Nonetheless our clean sea waters offer an exciting experience of drift snorkeling and discovery of the secrets of the sea,” according to Ubaldo.
Undoubtedly, this sleepy town is blessed with ecological wonders just waiting to be discovered while being continually protected and nurtured. The mayor said his administration is vigorously pursuing environmental protection and preservation measures to save this “God-given gift” for the local tourism industry.
While Sorsogon had risen to fame in the tourism world because of the exciting presence of whale sharks in Donsol town, what most tourists do not know is that aside from these “gentle giants” of the ocean, the province has more wonders to offer in this naturally serene town, Ubaldo said.