| MANTIGUE

Mantigue Island Nature Park

People nowadays are very busy doing something for living. Some could no longer find time to breathe because it seems that to stop means to loose an equivalent amount. Others are preoccupied with some other things. Still others are very particular of the place to stay for relaxation.

People need to stop even for a while to relax. Our body needs some rest from its daily routine to recharge and recondition itself. Our minds deserve a refreshing atmosphere from a month’s or a year’s hard work.

Let us offer you our very own paradise, Mantigue Island. This Island does not only provide a shade for relaxation but also a site for exploration and self-nourishment. It allows you to experience a different sensation because you are not only relaxing but also having a reunion with nature. It is as if you are living in paradise considering the rich marine life protected by the government through the sanctuaries to preserve them for the next people to live. It will make you feel that life is a precious gift one could ever want for and that problems are only the spices that make us a complete human being. In it and with it, problems, worries, stress and all negative energies just simply vanish; gone with the wind. It is a nature and a park fused as one, thus, allowing one to be reunited with the creator, in case one forgot Him.

Perhaps, you are not familiar of our little Eden. You are doubtful, maybe if a certain paradise does exist. Our title, MANTIGUE: Restored Paradise, demands that this little Eden does exist. We say “little Eden” because literally it is little, an island in fact. But little as it maybe, your experiences will be far beyond compare from your other places of relaxation. Please, allow us to guide you in your exploration with the Mantigue Island.

Our little Eden, Mantigue Island- also known as Island Nature Park and Magsaysay Island as its official name- is about four hectares in land size. It is three kilometers (3km) off the shore from barangay. San Roque, Mahinog, one of the municipalities of Camiguin Province. It is surrounded by a gleaming white beach of powdery coral sand and crystal clear seas. The clear water reveals the hard and soft corals and seaweed that surround the island, making it ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. In the center of it, is a lush, green mini- forest filled with wild grasses and several trees and plants, ideal home also for a number of migratory birds and turtles.

By simply looking at the creatures living in the island, one could say that life is very beautiful and it is a sin to deny one from experiencing God’s generosity and love. By just feeling the breeze that gently touches one’s skin, one could feel relieved from the burdens and crosses one is carrying every second, everyday. By simply observing how fishes swim and sway with the tide, one could feel contentment from numerous ambitions and dreams that only God knows if they would come true. By simply listening to the chirps and choir of the birds, one could realize how simple life should be. It only gets complicated because people could no longer differentiate a need from a want.

There is no more relaxing and peace of mind experiencing other than Mantigue Island. The island can be reached through a motor boat for 15 minutes from Barangay San Roque Sea Port. You must first register at a registration counter located in San Roque, the kick off point to Mantigue and pay Php 550.00 for a round trip motorboat fare for a maximum of six passengers and an entrance fee of Php 10.00 per visitor.

To ensure the safety and security of the visitors while traveling to the Island, volunteers of a local radio group Mahinog Response 143 were posted at San Roque seaport and Mantigue Island to monitor incoming and outgoing trips, while personnel from Philippine National Police (PNP) and civilian volunteers were also posted to secure to travelers.