Affordable Beach Resort at Bulan

One of the things that I like in Bulan is the Sabang Park and Beach Resort. I like it because it is very affordable. I only paid 5 pesos to enter this beach resort. This is the reason why the park and beach resort is packed with people. Anyone can bring their own family without paying so much just for a dip in the sea.
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Too bad that I reached Sabang Beach while I was walking around Bulan. I had no beach wear nor extra clothes so I didn't dare to dip in the sea. I didn't even had a companion that will guard my precious camera. I have no choice but to walk around the resort and take photos.

Sabang Beach is located at a place where the sea meets the river. The visitors of the beach resort can either swim on salt water or fresh water.
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The river beside Sabang and the place where it meets the sea.

The place boasts of a beach with fine sands. There are cottages that can be rented by families who are picnicking.
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The sea is quite fine. People can dip in its waters during calm weather.
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Sabang is both a beach resort and a park. Park amenities is just few meters away from the beach. I saw that Sabang Park and Beach Resort has a conference hall, which was being used by the members of Couples for Christ (CFC) during my visit. It is also a mini-zoo of sorts because there is a cage that holds some birds. There is a playground for the kids and some benches where couples “smoochie smoochie” without care.
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What interested me is an old monument that honors those who fought the Japanese during the Second World War.
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I think that no one is honoring the Second World War heroes now based on the condition of the monument. No one, not even the resort management, cared to clean the monument.

The people of Bulan is blessed to have a beach resort that is so affordable and accessible. How I wish that we have this kind of beach resort in Manila. When will Metro Manilans enjoy a dip in a crystal clear water at place where Pasig River meets the Manila Bay? That is a dream that the people of Bulan enjoys now.

At Bulan the Second Time Around

The Sorsogon town of Bulan is the first place in Bicolandia that I ever set my feet on. A big ship brought me to this town in my first visit. For my second visit, a passenger boat brought me from Masbate City to Bulan.

It is evening when we reached Bulan after the long and noisy travel aboard Kulafu. I am glad to stand on solid ground again. It is good that our guide in Bulan bid us to stay in his house. At least we are spared from looking for a hotel after the exhausting sea voyage.

Nothing changed much in Bulan since my last visit. Jollibee is still the only fast food restaurant in the town. The noisy market is still there. The only change that is noticeable is the pier of Bulan. The old pier was demolished and was replaced by a new one.
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The improved pier of Bulan, Sorsogon.

The sea was calm during my stay in Bulan. The wind was still but the days were hot. It is still a perfect day to do my work. I prefer the sun than the rain when I am outside of the office.
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Calm sea and sky of Bulan.

Bulan is strategically located near the tip Bicolandia peninsula. The town is an important port for vessels going to Masbate and Ticao Islands. The poblacion of Bulan is small because the whole town is still dominated by trees and farms. This means that the air in Bulan is still not that polluted.
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The small poblacion of Bulan.

I only visited two places in Bulan. One is the Sabang Park and Beach Resort, which I will talk about later. The other is the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church or more popularly known as the Bulan Church. According to Dennis Lizano of Historical Bulan blog, Bulan Church is the biggest parochial church in the whole Bicolandia.
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Most notable landmark of Bulan Church is the reproduction of the Pieta.
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Bulan Church is truly big. It even has an altar on the side for masses for small group of people. I think that this church is old but I can't find a plaque or monument saying its date of establishment. Its belfry is fairly new because it was erected in May 2000.
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I attended the Holy Mass in the early evening. It all went well because I memorized the flow of the Holy Mass so I could still get the gist of it even if the priest was speaking in Bicolano. The only parts that I didn't understand are the readings and the homily.

Bulan Church is plain since it lacks the complicated designs that can be found in other Catholic churches. But, it doesn't mean that Bulan Church is not beautiful. This photo from Flickr shows a good shot of Bulan Church. What disappoints me is that the church is dusty. The image of Mama Mary and other saints are covered in dust. I hope that the parishioners of Bulan Church become more active in cleaning their church.

Finally, A Visit to Bicolandia

I am a half-Tagalog and a half-Bicolano. My mother lives and grew in the city of Marikina. My father grew in Bicol before he and his family migrated to Manila.

Even though part of my genes came my Bicolano side of my family, I never had any chance of visiting the homeland of my father. I grew up as a Tagalog and I never learned the Bicolano language. I always crave to visit Bicol and see the great sights in my father’s hometown. That is why I became excited when I discovered that our ship would have a stopover at the town of Bulan, Sorsogon.

For those who do not know about Bicolandia, please visit Wikpedia's article about it. Bicol is famous for its beautiful Mayon Volcano, which has the perfect cone as compared to other volcanoes around the world. Bicolandia is also hailed because of the Bicol Express, which is a very spicy dish filled with siling labuyo.

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Welcome to Bulan.

Bulan, Sorsogon is a small coastal town located about three hours travel from Sorsogon City. The town is one of the busy ports in Bicolandia and is a place where ferry and cargo vessels take goods and passengers to be delivered to Masbate and other parts of Bicol.

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San Miguel Beer being loaded for delivery.

Well, the town is not that big or famous for it’s scenery. Major establishments in the town are located on the sides of the major highway. In fairness, the town has Jollibee, which is the only fast food in the area.

Like my other travels, I made it sure that I visit the town’s church.

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The Church of Bulan.

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People waiting for the Mass to start.

It was just a short visit. We just ate our lunch (at Jollibee because my good friend missed eating at Jollibee and he is tired of the food from the galley) and bought some supplies for the ship.

Bulan Lighthouse.

No matter how short our visit was I could still say that I finally set my foot on Bicolandia.

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