Takushari

TAKUSHARI

The land dubbed as "Zamboanga's Seasnake Sanctuary." Zamboanga Sibugay is fortunate to have such wonderful sights and sceneries. Scattered across the land are the majestic mountain structures, flawless waterfalls, caves that housed thousands of bats and stalactites, hot springs, and white sand beaches.

With a total land area of 322,830 hectares, the province is surrounded on the north by overlapping municipalities of Kadawit, Tampilisan and Godad in Zamboanga del Norte. On the south lies the Sibuguey Bay. West are the cities of Siaraway, Siocon and Balinguian and on the East by Bayog and Kumalarang towns located on Zamboanga del Sur.

Rough roads are crossed before Zamboanga Sibugay became a separate district. In the early 1900's this province has been a part of Zamboanga del Sur and it was on the 60’s that a billed was first attempted at congress. Many legislators have battled just to make this bill filed and be heard in congress. With the never-ending support and dedication of Congressman George Hofer, the name Zamboanga Sibugay was born.

Due to its strategic location, fishing industry is their primary and main source of living. The Tantanan Bay is the biggest fish haven found in the region with a total land area of five hectares. Another bountiful fish sanctuary is found in the city of Talusan, called Takushari. Other industries are rice and corn milling, food processing and rattan and wood furniture construction. The main harvest is composed of rice, corn, coconuts, rubber, fruit trees, vegetables, tobacco, coffee, cacao and root crops.

Zamboanga is famous for their many superb and breathtaking sights. They’ve got caves, found in the cities of Tungawan, Talusan and Titay. Waterfalls located in the provinces of Tagbilat, Dalisay, Tugop Muslim, Cobacob, Go-otoc, Malagandis, Basay and Palina Falls in Ipil. Beaches of Pandilusan Island and Litayon Island both boast for its white sands. 

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Lakewood

LAKEWOOD

Lakewoods’ original inhabitants were the Subanens who originally hailed from the banks of Lake Lanao, somewhere in the Dansalan. Proof of this is the fact that even now, the Maranaos from Lake Lanao still has some Subanen words in their dialect. When the Islamic missionaries came to Lanao, the Maranaos who were also living there readily accepted the faith but the Subanens did not. This eventually resulted in enmity between the two ethnicities, which ended with the Maranaos killing the Subanens and taking their women and children as wives and slaves. The Subanens finally decided to move westward to what is now known as Misamis Occidental. From there, they moved south towards the Zamboanga Peninsula, where they came upon a big body of water they called “Danao Guiyawan”, which literally means “Lake of the Woods”. The Subanens eventually settled in the place, since food was abundant in the area.

Located in the eastern part of the central Zamboanga Peninsula, the municipality of Lakewood is bounded by seven municipalities: Midsalip and Siayan on the north, Kumalarang and Lapuyan on the south, Pagadian City and Tigbao on the east, and Bayog on the west. It is classified as a 4th class municipality, with a population of about 16,317 people as of the 2000 census, distributed among 3,122 households. From Pagadian City, it is about 42 kilometers away along the Zamboanga City – Pagadian City highway. Geographically, it is 7 degrees, 49′ 60″ north and 123 degrees, 9′ 0″ south.

When Gen. Leonard Wood, the governor of the Moro Province in 1904, ordered Capt. Cornelius Smith to explore the inner territories of Mindanao starting from Iligan to Misamis, they stumbled upon the lake, which the natives called “Danao”. Capt. Smith renamed it “Lake Leonard Wood”, which eventually became “Lakewood.”

Lakewood finally gained its municipality status on November 11, 1977, under Presidential Decree No. 1236. It was initially carved out of the municipality of Lapuyan and the seat of government is located in Barangay Lakewood. Currently, it has 14 barangays distributed across the whole 201.30 square kilometers of area that the municipality has, which accounts to about 4.79% of the total area of the province. The largest and most populated barangay is Barangay Tubod, and the most popular fishes of the province — the carpa and the porang — can only be found Lakewood’s famous lake.

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Rizal Shrine Dapitan

RIZAL SHRINE

Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte will always be synonymous with National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal. In fact, the structural works of Rizal still exist in Dapitan until today. There are in fact three declared cultural properties in Dapitan all relating to Rizal, namely the Relief Map of Mindanao, the Rizal Shrine and the Dapitan Plaza Historical Landmark.

Around the plaza are several heritage structures including the City Hall of Dapitan, ruins of the Parochial School, and several ancestral houses. An NHI marker can also be found in the site of the Casa Real. It reads: This is the site of the Casa Real, official residence and administration building of the politico-military governor of the district. Here Rizal lived as an exile from July 17, 1892 to March, 1893 when he was transferred to Talisay, now the Rizal Dapitan Shrine.

Our last stop for the afternoon was the Rizal Shrine, a National Shrine, where replicas of Rizal's house, classroom, clinic and other structures can be found. Also at the shrine is the rock where Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken got married and the water system which Rizal constructed. There is also a museum which contains several personal items of Rizal including his clothes.

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Great Santa Cruz Island

GREAT SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

The Great and Little Santa Cruz Islands are, arguably, this city's best beaches, and one of the country's best island beaches destination.  In its ideal natural state, there is no comparison to the uniquely beautiful "pinkish" sand (a coloration effect of pulverized rare red Organ-pipe Coral ( tubipora musica ) from eons of surf erosion mixed in with the white sand) and colorful coral reef just a few feet away from the shore of the Great Santa Cruz Island.  The nearby Little Santa Cruz Island has beautiful white sand instead, and is a military installation (read: Navy resort).  Snorkeling and scuba diving are excellent diversions for the sun worshipers with lots of colorful marine life to experience in excellent water visibility, depending on weather conditions.  In the Great Santa Cruz Island, there are some covered huts around for picnicking (food and water can be brought in), and adequate bathroom facilities.

The Great Santa Cruz Island has a big mangrove laden lagoon with a small Badjao village and their increasingly larger burial ground  Zamboanga's Santa Cruz Island satellite viewnearby.  The island interior is lushly covered with island vegetationZamboanga's Great Santa Cruz Island and Little Santa Cruz Island and grass, with some flowering trees, providing a welcome shade from the near equatorial sunshine.  The Great Santa Cruz Island can be reached with any motorized vinta (outrigger) or boat from downtown in about 15-20 minutes, for about 800 pesos, depending on type of boat.  All trips must be coordinated with the Philippine Tourist Authority located in the Lantaka HOTEL front side.  The water current of the adjacent Basilan Straight is strong, and swimmers should proceed with caution - there are no lifeguards on duty.  The Basilan Straight acts as a channel between two vast seas (the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea) and a natural conduit for migrating fishes.  The underwater scenery here can be spectacular.  In the 1970's and early 1980's, Zamboanga and Santa Cruz Island was frequented by German and Italian tourists who called it their hidden paradise in the little Spain of Asia.

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Sierra Madre

SIERRA MADRE

The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP) was established as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) through Presidential Proclamation No. 978 dated 10 March 1997 in accordance with Republic Act No. 7586, also known as the NIPAS Act of 1992.  On 22 April 2001, the Park was fully established under the System under Republic Act No. 9125.

The NSMNP is located in the Province of Isabela covering the Municipalities of Palanan, Maconacon, Divilacan, Ilagan, San Mariano, Tumauini, Cabagan, San Pablo, and Dinapigue.  It is considered one of the most important protected areas of the Philippines due to its biodiversity. It is the largest protected area in the country covering 359,486 hectares of forested lands.

The topography of NSMNP ranges from relatively low hills with dominantly moderate steep slopes near the coast to increasingly higher mountains with very steep slopes towards the central portion of the Sierra Madre Range.  Gullies and ravines are precipitous and valleys are typical V-shaped with very narrow floors.  Dominating the central portion of the Sierra Madre Range are peaks and sharp ridges. Topography is moderately rolling with knobby hills and numerous depressions (sinkholes).

The highest peak within the vicinity of the NSMNP is Mount Cresta with an elevation of 1,672 meters above sea level.  The second highest is Mount Divilacan with an elevation of 1,311 m asl, and is found at the central portion of the Park. These peaks form the physiographic divide between the eastern and western flanks of the Sierra Madre Range.

The NSMNP provides the area for growth and development of unique habitats and their associated flora and fauna which is among the most unique and richest on a per area basis among the NIPAS sites in the Philippines. It is described as long mountain chain providing habitats for the numerous species of plants and animals adapted to various ecological niches.

The NSMNP is noted for its rich marine and terrestrial biotic components.  Its high species diversity index of flora and fauna, the presence of numerous endemic plants and animals, the vast expanse of lowland evergreen rainforests representing 25% of the remaining primary rainforest cover of the Philippines and the various types of habitats, are the main considerations for preserving the NSMNP.

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