Discovering Coron

My first visit to Palawan was in 1995, when i was still a pediatric resident at St Luke's. Palawan then was so inaccessible. Mobile phones were uncommon unlike today, and if you wanted to call someone, you need to go to the main towns where landlines are available but these towns were separated 3-4hrs away by land travel. Electricity was available only from 6pm till 12midnight, which meant there was no ice cold Coke or Sprite when you want it. It was torture.

Much have changed since then. There are more cemented roads nowadays, and comunication has caught up. Even in the remote islands, you can receive call or text messages. Lately, my favorite is Coron, in Busuanga, at the northern tip of Palawan. Coron is similar to Elnido. It has the same limestone cliffs, the same pristine beaches, the same azure waters. But Coron has a few more unique attractions.

Coron island has 7 lakes. Only 2 are accessible by tourists. Kayangan Lake is said to be the cleanest lake in the country. Barracuda lake is more for divers. The rest are within the ancestral domain of the Tagbanua people, who are the rightful owner of Coron Island. Even the nests of the Balinsasayaw or swiflets that produce the birdnest soup are past on from one generation to the next.

Coron is a diver's haven. Japanese ships like the IRAKO, AKITSUSHIMA, or the KOGYO MARU,which were sunk during WWII are spread all over the Calamian. Personally, I find these sites spooky, especially at noontime when the sun is directly over the horizon and the sunrays penetrate the water perpendicularly.

Siete Pecados is almost always a tourist's first stop in coron. Its very near the town proper, but the area surrounding the 7 islets is teeming with marine life.

IN Coron, you'll never run out of islands to visit and discover. Culion Island has a unique and rich history, which began when it became a leper colony in 1904. Nowadays, the Sanitarium is a general hospital, where people from the islands go to seek medical help. Kalomboyan Island is like a marine sanctuary. Malkapuya Island is even farther away, but the island is like paradise. Other islands to visit are Banana Island, North Cay, South Cay, Sangat Island, and Black Island.

At the end of the day, Even if youre spent, dehydrated, and your skin is aching from the blistering heat, you try to save that last burst of energy to watch the setting of the sun. Sunsets in Palawan are truly breathtaking and dramatic. Different colors of orange, pink, amber, burgundy and blue are strewn all over the horizon as if some painter was commissioned to paint the sky in haste. When its finally over, you feel content, rejuvenated, and most of all, happy that you witnessed one of God's awesome creations.