Romblon: Green paradise in a shimmering blue sea

From the air, the island of Romblon is a mass of unspoiled forest folded in hillocks and set in a shimmering sea, beckoning you to rest and relax in its cool cradle of green and turquoise.

Those craving the frenetic activity of the night won’t find it here. Romblon is quiet, so quiet you can hear your heart beat. You can listen to your breath flow in and out your body. You can hear whispers of your inmost self.

Sketches by Jenny Ortuoste

Getting there and where to stay

Philippine Airlines flies to and from the island cluster of Romblon only three times a week – Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday – so plan your schedule accordingly. The airport is small and its waiting area is a room that seats around fifty people, and it is clean and well-run.

Public transport is not readily available, so call ahead to engage a vehicle to meet you. Because we had work to do in Odiongan town, we stayed at the Harbour Chateau there; it provides a van to ferry guests to and from the airport.

Harbour is right on the beach. The rooms are simple and plain but clean and fresh-smelling. The management has a small store where they sell bottled water, snacks, over-the-counter medicines, and slippers. Be sure to bring your own special items.

Most guests dine at the outdoor café on the shore. You can listen to the gentle waves splash as you sip brewed coffee and eat breakfast.

Beach beauty

There are miles of pristine beach on the island. At the Harbour Café beach, look up and down both ways at any time of the day and most likely no one else will be around—you’ll have the stretch of shoreline all to yourself. I spent a tranquil couple of hours there sketching the sun, sea, and my own wandering feet.

Aglicay Beach in Tablas town is another such restful nook. To get there you have to travel up and down a hill to reach the resort, which is a small cove tucked in a fold of land. The food is plain and healthy: vegetables and grilled meat and seafood, fresh coconuts. It’s a place that heals body and soul.

Marble capital

Romblon is known as the country’s marble capital, and the stone is so plentiful and common that even patio furniture and statuary are made of marble. I was amazed when the two white tables I saw on the beach at Harbour Cafe that I thought were made of the usual plastic were carved entirely from the gleaming stone.

Also in Odiongan is the pier, which is also where some marble souvenir shops are located. There are about five stalls that sell keychains, ashtrays, paperweights, necklaces, lamps, and other items at affordable prices. Everything can be customized with names or other text of one to three lines, depending on the size of the item.

Mang Bong, the engraver, has been plying his trade for years. “Nakapag-paaral na ako ng engineer sa trabahong ito.” He uses an electric pen engraver to write names and draw flowers, trees, leaves, and flourishes on the marble items.

When done, he passes the engraved pieces to the painter, Edward. Using a razor blade, Edward scrapes some paint—red, green, yellow, blue, black—from the lid of a can of quick-dry enamel, and pushes the paint into the grooves made by Bong’s drill. He then wipes off the excess paint with a rag soaked in paint thinner.

The customization of small items is done while you wait. Larger pieces such as office desk lapida adorned with a person’s name and position will take longer and they can be delivered to your hotel after.

All the work is done with smiles and small talk to put you, the visitor, at ease. Edward asks where we’ve been, and suggests other places we can visit—Alcantara, Sibuyan, Looc. “This is a paradise,” he says of Romblon.

Fish haven

When on the island, don’t pass up a chance to see the Fish Sanctuary in Looc town.

A pumpboat takes you to a bamboo hut floating on the water about a kilometer or two out from the shore. The water is blue-green and deceptively clear – the sea bottom that you see from the surface is actually much deeper than you might think.

A large rectangle is cut from the center of the floating hut’s floor; the water glows in reflected light as teeming fish thrash about, snapping up bits of bread thrown to them. Bamboo steps lead down into the water for snorkelers who can swim with the fishes up to a few meters away from the hut (for safety).

Those who prefer not to swim can watch the fish, nap, and meditate. All around you are sea and sky and faraway glimpses of land covered with waving trees, the sun bathing everything in vibrant light. You are never closer to yourself than here.

Untouched paradise

Romblon province is still untouched compared to nearby Boracay, which buys most of the island’s fresh seafood catch. Many expats who have businesses in Boracay live in Romblon because it’s more peaceful.

There are no chain restaurants nor night clubs nor malls here. It is a nature paradise, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve found it on Romblon. — BM, GMA News

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