For all those who are planning or interested to visit the Cuatro Islas,
the municipal government of Inopacan has imposed the following local tourism
regulations of fees and rental charges for Mahaba, Apid, and Digjo (Digyo) islands, which
are within the political and territorial jurisdiction of Inopacan.
Himokilan island is not covered by this local tourism regulation as it is within the political and territorial jurisdiction of
Hindang:
FEES AND CHARGES
P 30.00/HEAD - ENTRANCE FEE
P 500.00/UNIT - CLOSE COTTAGE
P 300.00/UNIT - OPEN COTTAGE
P 200.00/UNIT - PORTABLE TENT (with 1 table and 4 chairs)
P 150.00/UNIT - CAMPING TENT
P 50.00/UNIT - TABLE
P 10.00/UNIT - CHAIR
P 50.00TENT - SPACE RENT
P 1,000.00 - DOCKING FEE (FOR PASSENGER FERRYING BOATS THAT ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE LGU OF INOPACAN)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE FOLLOWING
TEL NO. (053) 565-0200 or 565-0311
MR. AL GALO (Tourism Officer with cellphone No. 0918-346-3753)
Ms. LIMEN POLO (Tourism Office Staff with cellphone No. 0910-364-9464 & 0926-803-1131)
(Click the image and find your place in Poblacion, Inopacan, Leyte.)
Inopacan – [Leyte] (demonym: Inopacnon) - A coastal town in the western part of Leyte province. The original site of Inopacan was in Binitinan (now Brgy. Guadalupe). Due to the frequent invasion and pillage of Moro pirates and the wrath of monsoon storms making it bad to moor their galleons in the area, they transferred the village to the present location of this town, which was then called Kanamokan, meaning, “place of mosquitoes” because of its pesky namok (mosquito).
The relocation was intended to spare early Spanish missionary priests and the native settlers from the attacks of Moro marauders. Besides, the present location is along the seaside and the mooring galleons were well guarded by the Cuatro Islas (four islets): Digyo, Mahaba, Apid, and Himokilan. A place is strategically a good place for hiding galleons from the wrath of habagat (south or southwest monsoon winds). Nearby the town proper is a place where the ships and fishing boats would take refuge during bad weather even to these days. The people called this place Tinago from the word “tago” meaning “hidden.” Thus, “tinago” means “the hidden place.”
Much of the documents that could be a good source for learning about the history of Inopacan were destroyed when the town hall as well as the parish church and its convent were leveled into rubbles as the Japanese warplanes bombed these buildings during World War II. But based on the account of Inopacnon elders and records from neighboring towns, Inopacan was once a barangay of Hindang. with Fernando Polistico (a Boholano) as the first appointed Capitan del Barrio, and was succeeded by Francisco Espinosa, and lastly by Agustin Kudera before Inopacan became a town on December 06, 1892.
The name Inopacan came from the legendary person known as “Inong pak-an,” which means “Inong who have wings” or “winged Inong.” Inong was a mythical man who according to legend was a person who could run very fast and jump up high over the trees and could hop from one place to another as in from hill to hill. Hence, he was thought to have wings. His story happened before the Spanish came to this place. His supernatural abilities are similar to olden esoteric arts called kamal or ilmu which was practiced by the early Muslim aristocrats in southern Mindanao. Kamal was taught by special masters and was effectively limited to members of the aristocracy. Inong could be a rajah or a sultan under the aristocratic lineage of either the endatuan or dumatus. This fit his description of being a leader of a pack of local warriors. He and his men protected the local villagers by driving away Moro bandits and the much dreaded giant serpentine snake that once lived in a cave.
The cave has an entrance opening at the tip of a cape now called “bay sa has” (literally means “the house of a snake”, a seaside limestone cave where the giant reptile used to live). The huge serpentine snake was dreaded by the local villagers because it attacked their carabaos, cows, goats, pigs, dogs, and other animals especially when the snake was hungry. Even the fishermen who were on their sakayan (outrigger rowing canoe), or baroto (small frail rowing boat), or the Muslim pirates who were on their pankos (sailboat) were not spared from the attack if they happened to pass by near the mouth of the cave.
Until one night, under the light of a bright full moon, the snake was seen playing the trabungko, a brightly illuminating crystal ball. The snake tossed it up in the air while skimming the surface of the sea between the islets of Cuatro Islas. It is believed that the ball was a mystical amulet and had birtud (magical power), and Inong was among those who saw the snake playing the trabungko.
The entrance of Bay-sa-has (house of snake) at present. (Photo credits to Ms. Eldeross Kirong)
The long search for the trabungko could be one of the reasons why Inong came to this place. Because of his desire to acquire the mystical ball, Inong chased the giant snake by hopping from the shore to his boat then to the islet, and to another boat as if he had some sort of flying skill. Using his sword and shield and with the show of his supernatural strength, Inong fought the ferocious giant serpentine snake. After a long fight, Inong disappeared along with the giant snake. Because of their subsequent disappearance, everybody thought that Inong succeeded in killing the giant snake. Few had told that Inong got the trabungko and lived a quiet life in a cave in the jungle on top of Mt. Sacrepante overlooking the nearby plains. Others accounted that they saw him on the hilly karst of Bontoc in Brgy Bulacan in the northeastern part of Hindang where many caves can be found; or most probably, he went back to his origin in Mindanao bringing home the treasured trabungko.
The Inong Pak-an Festival
There were some accounts of succeeding great tambalans (a.k.a. albularyo, referred to as the local shaman or quack doctors) before World War II that they happened to have an encounter with Inong in the mountains and network of caves in Inopacan that are connected with the caves in Bulacan, Hindang and to the Cuatro Islas. These tambalans told that they had to pass a test, such as solving a puzzle, completing a tahas (task), or facing a fight of strength with Inong, for him to receive more magical power from him. This kind of ordeal is typical of that of a special master who taught or passed the knowledge of kamal to others. Years later, back to the cave in the cape, there were few big snakes left in the Baysahas long after the giant serpentine one was gone. Mostly were sawa (boa constrictor). The snakes were quite big but no longer giant, but still, these creatures were feared by the local villagers. According to old folks, it was during World War II that the big snakes were gone because the Japanese occupation armies annihilated them by trolling in the sea carcasses and other big chunks of meat stuffed with bombs. The snakes took the bait and were killed by the explosives. Nowadays, no more sightings of big snakes in Baysahas are reported. The cave still exists now, though its opening is already narrow and partly covered with stones and sand.
The Inopacan bridge that crosses over the subang daku and subang gamay.
Cuatro Islas – [Hindang and Inopacan, Leyte ] The group of four islets off the western coast of Leyte province. One of the four islands is named Himokilan Island, under the municipal territory of Hindang.
A view of Cuatro Islas from the shore of Villa Editha at the boundary of Brgy. Esperanza and Brgy. Conalum.
(Click hereto view a much larger photo) photo by Edgie Polistico 2010
Cuatro Islas is a promising place for tourism to boom in this part of the region. But let’s not just focus our interest on the sea level. We also have to look up high in the mountains where you can find the Little Baguio of Brgy. Cabulisan and Caminto. By putting up tourism in the sea and in the mountains, everything in between these two points will totally enjoy the benefits of tourism. We will soon be progressing our local transportation industry to and from these two points. Food and accommodations will spread out in the areas where tourists would be plying around. Of course, other progress will come along, such as the development of commercial centers, parks, facilities, etc.. Tourism will surely put a new pin in the map to mark where in the globe Inopacan is.
WHERE TO FIND THE CUATRO ISLAS - The map of Cuatro Islas (click the map to enlarge)
A view of Cuatro Islas from a hill in Brgy. Guadalupe (formerly known as Binitinan)
(Click here to view a much larger photo) photo by Edgie Polistico 2010 The Himokilan Islandof Cuatro Islas
(Photo by Edgie Polistico 2010)
The other three, Mahaba, Apid, and Digyoislands belong to the municipality of Inopacan. The sea between the four islands and the mainland had long been the refuge to some ships and sinsuros (fishing vessels) that sought to hide from the wrath of monsoon wind and typhoons.
A view from a hill in Brgy. Guadalupe (formerly Binitinan), overlooking the Cuatro Islas of Inopacan.
But let’s not forget also the relics of time. We need a place to store the old things in town for the next generations to behold and be informed of stories and things of the past. We need to have our own museum or sort of like this.
As I’ve said in one of my previous blogs, I suggest the installation of a municipal museum and public library where all the literary works, relics, and memorabilia of olden times and history about Inopacan and about us Inopacnons would be stored and preserved for perpetuity. Or else, rust, termites, and loss of memory and references will vanish these treasures to oblivion.
He who does not look back will never reach where he longs to go.
Digyo Island– [Inopacan, Leyte] The smallest among the four islands of Cuatro Islas.
Too small that one could circumnavigate or walk completely around the
islet in less than half an hour. Its small size is the obvious reason why the
island is called Digyo, from the old Cebuano word digyot, meaning
“very little.”
The islet used to be uninhabited by humans until the tourism industry made the island among the popular tourist spots of Leyte. It has no village settler and is a protected
sanctuary of diverse marine lives thriving in coral reefs. It has been
told that the whole islet is a private property of a well-known family
in Inopacan.
It remains undeveloped with a few dispersed coconut trees growing around. A huge mass of white sand was
illegally hauled off in 1980s by the quarrying business of an alleged contractor
who delivered sacks of white sand to a prestigious hotel in Cebu
City for landscaping. Despite the considerable loss of white
sands, the islet still has a magnificent view, a crystal clear pristine
seawater, and a long white sandbar that glares on sunny days.
Occasionally, a handful of Inopacnon picnickers and visiting outsiders would come by motorboat to spend a day (or even stay overnight) to enjoy the
delight of nature’s beauty. What is now partly missing is what used to be a much longer and wider beachfront on one edge of the island because of quarrying.
If
you look closely, you will notice
that the water remains pristine-clear despite the ten of us wading through around. The sands are pure coral fragments that do not muddle the water.
The island is quite small but there's more room to explore around. The beachfront is wide and the bathing area extends wide into the sea to wade through. Here, you can go snorkeling, scuba diving and watch those colorful tropical fishes and fauna, picnic, camping with a bonfire, or simply have an overnight stay under the stars and bare moonlight.
So
clear, the water never really turns turbid. So clear you could have mistaken the water is not very deep several meters away from the shore
because you can still see the rocks, seaweeds, and fish under the
water.
INOPACAN-DIGYO TRIP: When you are in Inopacan, take a "pot-pot" (foot-powered pedicab) ride to the Reclamation Area (formerly called Pasil). At the Reclamation Area scout for any available motorized banca (pump boat), you need to bargain the rental price (for a small group less than 10 pax is most likely P1,500 and above, for more than 10 pax, P2,500 and above). You may also have to pay the gas for the boat. The boat ride to Digyo Island is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. For those who are planning for a balikan (same-day round trip to Apid and back to mainland Inopacan), please take note of the following:
A trip to and back from Digyo Island is very tiring. It would take you almost half day to reach the island if you came from a distant place in Leyte, particularly those who came from Tacloban, Ormoc, or Maasin (much more if you came from outside Leyte).
You will not enjoy the island if you just go there just kiss the sand then hurriedly go back to mainland. It is recommended to take your time in Digyo island to fully savor the beauty of nature.
Monsoon wind causes the sea to be very rough late in the afternoon. If you hired a small-sized boat, better stay in the island until the next morning for your safety. We don't want to see and feel sorry for you if you insist to leave the island when the sea is getting wild. Stay and watch the beautiful sunset with a toast, build a bonfire to warm the night, put up a tent and imitate the cast of that famous TV series "The Survivor." Spend the night bonding together with your gang or someone special.
Chances are if you go back to Tacloban, Ormoc or Maasin past 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, there will be no more public transport to catch on the road if you need to commute on your way back to your place. There are some small resorts in the mainland Inopacan for an overnight stay.
Beachcombers on the white sandbar of Digyo island Photo credit to Carlito Bismark
Reminders:
Bring a first aid kit and other survival kit as there is no hospital in town and on the island. The health center in town is usually open only during office hours.
Bring also outdoor tent as there is no cottage on the island. There is no village (or community of islanders) in there. The lone nipa hut on the island is not for an overnight stay, especially for a group of more than ten.
Bring enough batteries or recharge your battery pack (and bring spare batteries) as there is no power supply on the island. Bringing a solar power charger is a big help. Cellular phone (mobile phone) signal sometimes reached the island.
Help care for the natural beauty of Digyo Island. Bring garbage back with you as you leave the island and dispose it of properly on the mainland or at home.
goog_2000185627Observe some restrictions on the island, such as not disturbing the portion of the island designated as a sanctuary for fish, turtles, and other marine life. As much as possible, do not collect shells, corals, plants, etc. that naturally belong to the island.
Take nothing but pictures Leave nothing but footprints Kill nothing but time
Apid Island – [Inopacan, Leyte ] The farthest and the biggest among the four islands of Cuatro Islas. The island looks flat. It is circular in shape if viewed from above. Because of its considerable size of people living in the island, Apid had long been considered a barangay in the municipality of Inopacan.
This island village has an elementary school and barangay clinic on the island. Islanders are mainly fishermen and pandan palm growers. The fishermen would either dry their catch under the sun and brought them to the Inopacan mainland to sell or barter for their other basic needs. They would also sell fresh catch to earn money.
The palm growers would harvest leaves of romblon (pandan palm) and process them into strips called lilas, which is the raw material for weaving banig (sleeping mats).
Along the shore are romblon palms, mangroves are growing along the shore, white sandy beaches, limestone cliffs, and pristine sea water.
Towering coconut trees and some trees abound in the island.
The villagers built concrete cistern near their houses to catch and store rainwater as their source of freshwater. Though they would often have to go the mainland of Inopacan or Hindang towns to fetch their daily supply of potable water.
That islet appearing in the horizon (close to the boatman's hat) is the island of Brgy. Apid, A fading big island behind Apid is part of the Camotes Group of Islands of Cebu. An Apidnon boatman and his daughter are transporting bundles of lilas (romblon palm strips) to mainland Inopacan for trading.
Sunday is the market day in Inopacan. Islanders from Cuatro Islas would come to the Taboan (trading area) at the Reclamation Area (formerly known as Pasil) to sell their fresh catch, dried fish, seaweeds, and other marine products. Shown in the picture (above) are bundles of lilas (romblon palm strips) from Apid island transported to the shore of mainland Inopacan for sale or barter with for their needed basic commodities. The Apidnons (an islander from Apid) would go back home to their island after trading their goods. Lilas is the main material used in weaving banig, a native woven sleeping palm mat.
Himokilan island's point of view from Brgy Guadalupe (Binitinan).
Himokilan Island – [Hindang, Leyte] One of the islands of Cuatro Islasoff the western coast of Leyte. This island looks like a giant shoe floating in the sea. It is the only island in Cuatro Islas that belongs to the municipal territory of Hindang.
The shoreline around the island has patches of pristine white sandy beach and limestone cliffs. It is inhabited by families of several fishermen who would trade their catch in the mainland and to island's guests.
Due to the scarcity of supply of freshwater, the islanders built a big concrete cistern near their village to catch and store rainwater though they would have to fetch their potable water from the mainland of Hindang or Inopacan.
A view of Baysahas and Himokilan island from the Reclamation Area (Pasil)
Himokilan island is quite near to the mainland, in fact is the nearest island among the four islands of Cuatro Islas. One could cross the sea to reach the island by simply paddling a sakayan (fishing canoe) on a calm sea.
A 2018 community map of Himokilan island. (Photo credit to Anabel Mabale)
Mahaba Island– [Inopacan, Leyte] One of the four islands in the Cuatro Islas. So called because of its elongated shape. Mahaba is from the Tagalog word haba, meaning “long.” Of course, we cannot argue why visitors in the place would describe the island as the longest among the four.
Along the shore of the island are growing mangroves, white sandy beaches, limestone cliffs, and crystal clear pristine sea water. Towering coconut trees and some trees also abound on the island.
Fishermen built their houses in the island. They settled along with their families. A concrete cistern is built near their houses to catch and store rainwater as their source of freshwater though they would also go to mainland to fetch potable water.
Mahaba is a favorite stop over when touring to Digyo island. Here, locals would offer some seafoods and local delicacies to savor with.
The island is also the home of a rare species or small red shrimps that later on became a favorite attraction as the shrimps would nibble your dead skin like giving you a foot spa.
Screen grabbed from Facebook video posted by Yamel Jay Baleroso (click his name to watch the video). PYGMY BLUE WHALE was seen approachin...
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This will help me research more about our home town and of stories and history and of other notable things that include about us, Inopacnons. Thank you for your kindness.
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