Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Visayas
The Visayas, a collection of islands large and small in the central Philippines,
are considered to be the cradle of the country. It was here that Ferdinand
Magellan laid a sovereign hand on the archipelago for Spain and began the
process of colonization and Catholicization that shaped so much of the
nation's history. The islands were also the scene of some of the bloodiest
battles fought against the Japanese during World War II, and where General
Douglas MacArthur waded ashore to liberate the country after his famous
promise, “I shall return”.
6
The Visayas comprises thousands of islands and everywhere you turn there seems to be
another patch of tropical sand or coral reef awaiting your attention, usually with a ferry
or bangka to take you there. There are nine major island groups -
Cebu
,
Bohol
,
Siquijor
,
Negros
,
Guimaras
,
Panay
,
Romblon
,
Samar
, and
Leyte
- but it's the hundreds
in between that make this part of the archipelago so irresistible. Of the smaller islands,
some are famous for their beach life (especially
Boracay
, off the northern tip of Panay),
some for their fiestas and some for their folklore.
No one can accuse the Visayas, or the Visayans who live here, of being a uniform lot.
Visayan is the umbrella
language
, the most widely spoken form of which is Cebuano
(see box, p.266), but in some areas they speak Ilongo or Waray Waray, in others Aklan;
all three languages are closely related Malayo-Polynesian tongues. The diversity of
languages is a symptom of the region's fractured topography, with many islands
culturally and economically isolated from those around them, part of the Philippine
archipelago in little more than name.
2013 was a very tough year for the Visayas, with a substantial quake in Bohol in
October, and then in November
Typhoon Yolanda
tore through the region, leaving a
broad band of destruction along its path (see box, p.359). Numerous destinations of
interest to travellers were affected, including southeastern Samar, Tacloban, Ormoc, the
Camotes, Bantayan and Malapascua. While we have removed the worst affected areas
from this edition, wherever possible we have included practical detail so that visitors
can still travel to these areas and help bolster local economies. Although we have
provided the most up-to-date information possible, note that some places may not
manage to reopen, while others might use the rebuild as an opportunity to improve or
renovate - call or check online for the latest information.
A quick guide to Cebuano
p.266
Cebu City orientation
p.270
Sinulog
p.271
The Battle of Mactan and the death of
Magellan
p.281
Bantayan and Yolanda
p.284
Diving at Malapascua
p.285
Diving at Moalboal
p.289
Swimming with whale sharks at Oslob
p.291
October 15, 2013 quake
p.292
Diving at Panglao
p.295
Sorcerors on Siquijor
p.302
The bitter history of sugar in Negros
p.306
Whale-watching around Bais
p.314
Apo Island and other dive sites
p.320
Iloilo specialities
p.331
Tindog Capiz!
p.334
Ati-Atihan: keep on going, no tiring
p.336
Wet season on Boracay
p.337
Boracay's activity bonanza
p.339
Diving around Boracay
p.342
When to visit Samar
p.352
Samar underground
p.356
Typhoon Yolanda
p.359
