Halfway up the inclined path to Castilla’s municipal hall, the engine died again. I was getting frustrated over our ride—a motorcycle lent to us by the provincial tourism office.
I was on edge. Even with the coaching of the construction workers dangling from the side of the building, I couldn’t get the engine to stay on. I let out an annoyed sigh before proceeding to haul the heavy vehicle up the rest of the way, to the parking lot further ahead.
Motorcycle parked and helmets secured, I checked my phone for the time. We were 30 minutes late. Alarmed, I herded Tophee back to the half-unfinished building. We spotted Sarah, Castilla’s Tourism officer, looking out of the glass windows of the pure white house-like structure that was Castilla’s Tourism office. She spotted me approaching. I waved.
Sarah wasted no time and told us we should get going. We fetched our ride, trailing behind another motorcycle carrying Sarah and one of her staff as the driver. We made a quick stop at their Municipal Nursery in Barangay Cumadcad where demos on organic farming were conducted and strawberries were being grown.
One of the local government projects, called Adopt-a-farm, creates a partnership between the local government, private individuals and a community that she referred to as the “beneficiary.” In this initiative, the local government will help the private land owners to develop their property, employing and training members of the beneficiary community in the process. Once the farm is operational, the local government will hand over management to the land owners and the community. It sounded like a win-win arrangement. Tourists, too, get to benefit from the program, as this will establish more vacation destinations in the region.
It occurred to me then that, of all the towns in Sorsogon, Castilla seemed to be lagging when it comes to tourism—not that it didn’t have anything to offer. The town’s terrain is blessed with a mixture of plains and mountainous regions, giving shape to natural attractions like waterfalls and caves. Its southern point is bordered by Sorsogon Bay—a gateway to yet-to-be-explored islands along the Ticao Pass. Another one of the places being tapped to be Castilla’s flagship tourist attraction is the Nasipit River.
From the nursery, we veered from the main thoroughfare and peeled across paved roads flanked by coconut trees before heading up a small housing project by the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation. The GK Village was established in 2015 and currently has a population of about 20 families. This community has been enlisted to help manage the activities in the Nasipit River.
We descended a stone stairway, getting a glimpse of a glittering ribbon of turquoise. We then boarded a floating cottage made of bamboo and thatched palm fronds, and went to see what Nasipit River has in store for us.
This watercourse, Sarah informed me, traverses the barangays of Poblacion, San Isidro and Libtong. It is part of the larger Dulangan-Nasipit-Pili Estuary. The water here is said to be one of the cleanest, home to an abundance of the shellfish locally known as kunaw. Mangroves are aplenty here, and there are plans to plant more of it. In the distance, the outline of the Bulusan Volcano can also be traced.
The cruise covered most of the runnel in less than an hour. The ride is currently the only tourist activity that is permitted in the river, but plans to include low-impact ones, such as kayaking is being considered. Fireflies also come here in herds, so firefly watching is another possible activity. Safety gears, such as life vests, will be provided soon. The local government is also currently formulating standard tour rates.
After the cruise, we were treated to a lavish seafood fiesta for lunch. Prepared by the residents of the GK Village, who cooks with fresh hauls from Castilla’s waters, it was probably the best part of the tour. Crabs, shrimps and an assortment of fish graced our table. I was suddenly very hungry. Walk-in guests could request a similar meal, but they might need to wait, and the menu might be different depending on what’s available.
Tourism, like all things, has always been a double-edged sword. From where I sat, Nasipit River looked raw. Beautiful. I was wary of how tourism would eventually change this place, but I’ve always believed in sustainable development, of making a place valuable to the locals.
Image credits: Tophee Marques