2016 • 05 • 19

Maybe somewhere in the moonlit forest lurks an aswang waiting to prey on unsuspecting late-night wanderers. Maybe the town elders are capable of dreaming up a potion that can make people fall in love or flirt with immortality. Maybe there is a convention of witches and warlocks that take place every once in a while, on Black Saturday perhaps, a time when Catholics proclaim Jesus is dead and the supposed power of evil is strong. Maybe the island is cursed and can curse back to whomever she pleases.

Maybe.

But this is what’s certain: Siquijor, a province located in the Central Visayas region infamous for supernatural phenomena, is undeniably enchanted—not necessarily with the dark arts but with captivating topographies.

Its land, where old churches and other historical establishments stand, is a sprawling beauty of browns and greens under the bright sun.

Its beaches, pristine and pacifying, are littered with coconut trees and rock formations; the shores perfect for kids to fly kites in the dying hours of the afternoon.

The Cambugahay Falls, one of Siquijor’s major tourist attractions, creates beautiful swimming lagoons as it streams down to Lazi Bay. It is a contained paradise where vacationers can bathe, swim, and swing from hanging ropes a la Tarzan before making a splash in its cold and refreshing waters.

Then there’s the balete tree, the famous landmark believed to be bewitched, whose utter hugeness and exposed roots never fail to enthrall discerning eyeballs.

These are just some of the magical places in Siquijor, the Healing Paradise, as envisioned by Nomadic Mike in his video.

People can continue speculating on its spiritualism, but Siquijor as a land of splendor is something we can all believe in.

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