Daily Archives: 24 March, 2005

Romulo Island (Hundred Islands, Alaminos City, Pangasinan)

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Come morning, we checked out at Texas Inn and proceeded to Brgy. Lucap, the gateway to the Hundred Islands National Park.  The port was already packed with local and foreign tourists, it being the Holy Week break.  Our plan was to go island hopping and then stay overnight at one of the islands.  Just a few days earlier, on March 19, the management of the Hundred Islands  was turned over by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) to the Alaminos City government. 

Hundred islands National Park

Before, anything else, we had lunch at the port and then decided on what to bring (camping equipment, swimming attire, sleeping bags, packed food, etc.), leaving the rest of our stuff inside our parked car.We then negotiated with some boatmen for a motorized boat to take us island hopping and settled on the price of PhP1,200.  Lastly, we had to choose from 127 islands and islets that make up this 1,844-hectare national park.  As we prefer beaches, choosing was easy as most of the islands are granite and scrub-covered and heavily-undercut at the base.  Only a number have sandy beaches.

On our way

The plan was to go first to Romulo Island, where we can go swimming, then  transfer to Martha Island where we were to stay overnight.  We left the port on our chartered motorized boat a little past 2 PM and soon made landfall at Romulo Island by 3 PM.  The island was packed with tourists sheltering on what little shade they can get on the island, mostly low shrubs and the undercut bases of the island.   We came prepared for this eventuality, setting up my tent on the white sand.  Our tent provided privacy as we changed into our swimming attire.  

Romulo Island.  Ours is the only tent on the beach
Vi beside our tent
A suited up Lulu ready for a swim

The island’s clear water was simply pristine and slope gradual.   Just across, Braganza Island seemed so near but experience told me that the short distance can be deceiving.  Besides, the current between the islands is notoriously strong.  Instead, we just lazed the afternoon away by swimming or snorkeling. Too bad, it wasn’t low tide yet.  A cave on the other side of the island is exposed and approachable during this time.

On the Road to Alaminos City

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Come Holy Week, I decided to bring Jandy to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos City as well as Bolinao, both in Pangasinan, a first for both of us.  For companions, I invited friends Lourdes “Lulu” Siguenza and Rosevie “Vi” Sevilla, also both first-timers to these destinations.  Bringing along my 2003 Toyota Revo as well as camping equipment (tent, portable stove, sleeping bags, portable lamps, etc.), we departed Manila by 6 PM and, somehow, avoided heavy traffic, it being the holiday rush, and being stopped for number coding violations (we weren’t  sure if this was suspended). 

Vi and Lulu at Texas Inn

At the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), we made a short stopover for dinner at a Chowking outlet in Petron Marilao (Bulacan) then continued on our way.   It seems I took the wrong exit at NLEX as I found out, much later, that I was headed for Zambales instead.  As a result, we lost valuable time, and gasoline, as we backtracked and entered the proper NLEX exit at Dau.  From there, we passed through Tarlac City and Camiling, then entered Pangasinan, way past midnight, at Mangatarem.  We then passed through the towns of Bugallon, Labrador and Sual before entering Alaminos City, arriving there by 1:30 PM.  Being very late, we decided to get some sleep at the first inn we could find – Texas Inn which, I found out soon enough, was a drive-in motel.  I was too tired to care.