Antique’s most visible landmark

By Herbert Vego

THE last time I spent a few days in Anini-y, Antique, it was to gather information materials for its tourism brochure. One of the tourist destinations I covered was Nogas Island.

Anybody who has boarded a ship navigating the Iloilo City-to-Manila route must have seen the 64-hectare Nogas Island even at night. The island under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Anini-y, Antique is where a solar lighthouse blinks, indicating the maritime route’s turning point.

How did Anini-y and Nogas get their name?

According to legend, they were named after two lovers – Anini (female) and Nogas (male). While they were sailing, their boat capsized due to big waves. At the spot where Nogas and Anini were last seen rose a white-sand island full of mangroves.

Today, Nogas is a day-time tourist spot directly facing Sira-an Hot Spring. The only permanent man-made structure there is the lighthouse facility maintained by the Philippine Coast Guard. A cleared pathway crossing the calachuchi plantation leads visitors directly to the lighthouse area.

The lighthouse is a tourist destination by itself. It has a spiral stairway to the top, where a tourist gets a breath-taking view of the surrounding white-sand and coral-lined beaches.

Bamboo-and-nipa picnic cottages for visitors to rest and eat their food provision surround a portion of the shoreline at the embarkation point. Visitors are allowed to stay on the island until 5:00 p.m.

The interior of the island beneath the lighthouse is aligned with mangrove trees.

The eastern side of the island is somewhat rocky because of the soft corals that dot the shoreline. But the other side beckons swimmers to hit its crystal-clear sea. In fact, the Divers Association of the Philippines encourages divers from Boracay to also come to Nogas. An ideal spot very near the island is marked in their map.

The diving area is rich in 21 identified species of seaweeds.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has assessed Nogas and declared it a “marine sanctuary.” It has a live coral cover of 73.64%. Four species of sea grasses grow there. The bed of marine vegetation promotes grazing, spawning and breeding of fishes, seashells and other invertebrates.

The marine sanctuary has a high fish biomass of 246.54 grams per square meter.

Some 32 species of birds inhabit the island, including rare ones. The tabon, a non-flying bird that lays eggs on the ground, is on the verge of extinction.

To prevent further obliteration of Nogas’ natural resources, the municipality of Anini-y has mobilized the Nogas Island Development Council (NIDC) aimed at conserving biodiversity. It aims to enhance proper utilization of marine resources, maintain maximum sustainable yield of the sustenance fisherfolks, and increase the people’s productivity and income.

Nogas Island is accessible by rentable motorized boats on standby at Siraan Hot Spring.  Each boat, which has a maximum number of 10 passengers, costs P500 to rent round-trip anytime between sun-up and sundown. The 1.5-kilometer distance is reachable in 10 to 15 minutes, depending on boat and sea conditions.

Time seems to have stood still since I first visited the island in 1982. The place looks perpetually the same – as it should be, being a natural marine sanctuary.

-oOo-

MORE POWER CONGRATULATES SEC. SHARON GARIN

FROM the management of MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power):

“We offer our utmost congratulations and appreciation on your appointment as Secretary of the Department of Energy.

“Your appointment comes at an important time in the energy history of our nation. We are confident that your commitment and understanding of the energy industry will bring about significant changes and milestones in the years to come.

“May your term be marked by success, innovation and commitment to attain energy that is within the reach of every Filipino.

“Mabuhay po kayo, Secretary Garin.”