Come and Visit Romblon

The Province of Romblon is located in the Southern Luzon, Region V-B in the Philippines. Its location is almost in the centre of the Philippine archipelago. Consists of three main islands and composed of 17 municipalities then subdivided into 213 baranggays.  On its side: the North is bounded by the Marinduque Island, Panay Island on the south, Masbate on the east and the island of Mindoro on the west.

Romblon is the marble capital of the Philippines because of its marble deposits. The grade and quality of marbles here are comparable to the marbles of Italy, so it gives a huge impact to the livelihood of the residence. Since then, the marble artisans were already polished as generation to generation came.  Not only that, there’s more! Just, name it and we’ll bring you there! Since the province is a small archipelago and surrounded by water, we can’t hide the fact that my province has one of the best beaches in the country. If you’re looking for simple life and far from the crowd, noise and pollution; Romblon is the best place for you. We have the best fine white sand beaches with crystal clear waters, colorful marine animals, cool ambiance, fresh air, plus water sports and other water activities. How about waterfalls, lagoons, islets, rock formations, spring, and great mountain views? You can’t say NO to those, right? In addition to that, Tablas Island is now one of the best diving spots in the world because of its richness in marine life. Photo on the right by Sibalenhon Backpacker, taken at Bagulayag Rock Formation.

 

One of the prides of Romblon is the Mt. Guiting-guiting (highest point, 2,037MASL) in Sibuyan, Romblon. It is one of the most difficult mountains in the country. It was April 2013 when I was one of the four lucky hikers who were able to reach its summit and witnessed the real beauty of nature. This mountain lies almost in the centre and serves as the wall which divides the three towns of Sibuyan Island. While on the trail, I easily recognized the virgin forest with the birds singing, an orchid that bears gorgeous flowers, even the exotic pitcher plants are the living witness how this mountain nurtures everything.

On the summit, there’s a 360 degrees view of the island. The other islets from afar were like shadows playing with the waves of the seas. The fresh air and the cool breeze from the oceans combine and give a relaxing touch on my skin. The spectacular sun set transformed the bright blue skies into a bright golden background.

Photo Above: Courtesy of Sibalenhon Backpacker

 Photo above was taken at Tongo Beach in Sibale Island, Romblon. This island is still virgin and unexplored; so the locals are still living in the primitive way, so expect a real adventure in the island. Tongo beach has a great ambiance with fine white sand beach, crystal clear waters, beautiful surroundings, and the cool fresh air is totally relaxing. There were palm and other trees surrounding the beach area, so it serves a a beautiful landscape and really picture perfect. On the beach, there are corals, shells, and crabs.

Photo Above: Courtesy of Binucot Beach Resort

 Binucot Beach is located in the municipality of Ferrol, Tablas Island. The area is considered as unexplored and still under development. It is a cove with fine white sand beach, crystal clear waters, cool ambiance, the trees and the rock formations gives a picture perfect background, marine animals also scattered anywhere on the beach. Another attraction in the area are caves which are accessible to the tourists who want to experience extreme experience.

Photo Above: Courtesy of Aglicay Beach Resort

Another attraction that the province can be proud of is the Aglicay Beach situated in the town of Alcantara in Tablas Island. If you're still searching for another place where you can relax, Aglicay is one of the top on the list. The fine white beaches with cool and clear waters, great views, beautiful marine animals, calm weather, and the relaxing ambiance; all those great features are waiting for you!

The Province is fortunate to have a gorgeous sunset. The horizon separates the water from the orange sky, and the clouds were like the reflections of the waves.

The province of Romblon was part of the Spanish and Japanese colonization; so in terms of its culture, Romblomanons still have that Spanish cultures than that of the Japanese. The native tongue is the combination of Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Aklanon and other Visayan minor dialects. But in Odiongan, (which is my hometown) and other towns, there are words or phrases with a Spanish touch.

We’re not yet done, how about foods? In every solo-backpacking, I always make sure that eating local delicacy is part of my itinerary. I need to make sure that, not only my eyes were captivated by that place, but also my tongue. Travelling without eating local foods, is not considered as amazing experience.

In Romblon, we have our own version of some Filipino delicacies like puto, bibingka, suman, sinukmani, kalamay, bilo-bilo, turon, banana que, camote que, and the famous balut. If in Manila, they have “dirty ice cream” here in Romblon, we have “Eskrambol” which is similar to the famous halo-halo, perfect for summer!

Romblon is the next tourism destination in the Philippines! We invite you to be part of those fortunate people who already experienced the richness of my province; discover and experience what I was talking about. If you need assistance, I am just here and you're there; I am willing to help you with everything you need. Please email me: darwinfdalisay@gmail.com. I can create you an event in a Backpacking style, so that you’ll be able to experience the so called: “life changing journey.” If you want to visit and live like the locals; do commute, talk with the locals, we can arrange it for you. COME and VISIT ROMBLON!