“DON’T
pluck or pick the pitcher plants,” warned our guide, as well as a few other
locals. “If you don’t want to be thrown about by strong waves on your return to
the mainland.”
Off
the coast of Culasi – an hour and a half or so from Antique’s central district,
San Jose de Buenavista – and accessible by a short boat ride from the sleepy
town’s port, sits the idyllic isle Mararison.
Yes,
it’s Mararison the locals correct – speculating that the variant Malalison,
which has gained greater name-recognition among travelers, may be the product
of early tourists mishearing the peculiar Antiqueño accent.
Just
a year or so ago, Mararison – a neighbor of the now congested Boracay Island in
Aklan – was touted as the next big thing. Introducing the often sidetracked
Antique as a tourist destination on the rise, it boasts both pristine ice-blue
waters and scenic mountain views of the vast sea.
Though
most are unaware, Mararison is not actually a far-off uninhabited isle. It is
home of about a hundred households. This is why homestays and humble cottages
abound around the island’s shoreline to cater to tourists. Electricity seems
limited to just the evening, but most of the homestays there do have
generators.
The
island only has one air-conditioned room for rent, and during our Holy Week
stay it was occupied by a certain Gabbi Garcia of Encantadia reboot fame (I
don’t actually watch the show, so I had no idea who she was until the people
started swarming her).
Though
we were surprised upon arrival at the number of tourists already there, it was
a welcome sight that at around 5 in the afternoon the large crowds started to
clear out as most of the day-trippers returned to the mainland.
Nevertheless,
we enjoyed our stay. Wading through the cool waters of the Kawit Sandbar as we
waited for the sunset, the Mararison Island Children’s Choir (who were shooting
a summer TV spot with Gabbi Garcia) singing their eerie ode to Mount Madja-as,
which towered over the island in the distance.
However,
it seems the introduction of the island as a tourist destination on the rise
has done little to improve the way of life of the local residents. We were
guided by locals during our trek to Tuyong-tuyong Hill – the highest point of
the 55-hectare island – and they revealed that leading tourists is not their
primary source of income. Our guide manong Noy, shares he still sails out at
dawn everyday to fish, in order to provide for his family.
There
also seems to be no planning when it comes to the layout and organization of
cottages on the beach – looking overcrowded and not properly lined, haphazardly
dotting the white sand. It makes you wonder truly how ready Antique is to
become a premiere tourist destination.
Nonetheless,
these faults subtract very little from the natural beauty of Mararison – truly
where rolling mountains meet the shining sea.
Bonus:
Hidden gem Bahay Bahol, owned and managed by the Mosquera family – heirs of
former Culasi mayor Flaviano Cadiao Mosquera – is the perfect place to fill
your stomach after a tiring day swimming.
Just
two blocks away from the Culasi port and situated at their ancestral home,
Bahay Bahol (Kinaray-a for big house) serves Asian fusion dishes and classic
Filipino lutong bahay with a high-end twist: fried pancit canton, sinagang na salmon,
and beef paksiw among them. Provincial dining has never tasted this good.
