Aslom Island
A 45-min. motorized outrigger boat ride, from Bulalacao Fish Port, brough us to the 12-hectare Aslom Island, the first of three (the others are Target Island and Soguicay Island) islands we were to visit in our day-long island hopping tour. While the island is privately owned (said to owned by a member of the Lhuillier family from Cebu), tourists can visit the place for free but staying overnight is not allowed.
Making landfall at the sandbar at the northern end of the island
One of the major destinations of any island hopping activity in Bulalacao, the island’s name is derived from the Cebuano word aslom, meaning “sour,” because of the abundance of tamarind (sampaloc) trees bearing the sour fruit. Half of the island is planted with coconut trees. A good place for ships to anchor during storms, the island is located about 1.5 kms. south of Brgy. Milagrosa.
Frolicking at the sandbar
This private island has three white sand beaches with coarse to corally white sand and all interconnected through roads inland. It would probably take 1-2 hours to explore the island. At the southeastern part of the island is a big cave.
The author on Aslom Island
The first two other beaches stretch about 200 meters and 800 meters respectively. We made landfall, during high tide, at its beautiful, crescent-shaped white sandbar that stretches for about 500 meters at the northern end of the island.
At the southern end of the sandbar is a nearly finished resthouse and a tennis court. The island has no other establishments or restaurants. Caretakers were the only people around.
The curving sandbar forms a small lagoon 2-3 m. from the shore with a sudden drop off, with very clear waters, clumps of big soft corals and schools of small fishes, making it an ideal area for snorkeling. At the shore, local fishermen catch crablets by digging deep inside the small holes made by the small crabs in the sand. These crablets are cooked in coconut milk.
Aslom Island: Brgy. Milagrosa, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro. Visiting hours: 6 AM – 6PM.
Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, Calapan City 5200. Tel: (043) 286-7046 and (043) 441-0306. Website: www.ormindoro.gov.ph.