Buluan Island

Buluan Island is a famous beach destination among Sibugaynons and is now slowly gaining popularity in nearby towns and provinces.

The Province of Zamboanga Sibugay lies right in the middle of Zamboanga Peninsula, and is not a common travel destination by many tourists in the region. Traveling by land between Zamboanga City to the south and Pagadian City to the north, one would pass by the busy town of Ipil, capital of the province of Zamboanga Sibugay. It may look like just another provincial town, but it does have natural tourist attractions to offer.

Buluan Island, located some 7 kilometers from the port of Ipil, features white sand beach and clear blue waters. Away from commercialization, the island offers seclusion and tranquility.

At present, visits to the island must be coordinated with the provincial tourism office. For contact details and instructions, please read our complete feature on Buluan Island: a Beach Destination in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Sibug-Sibug Festival

Sibug – Sibug Festival is celebrated during their foundation day on the province of Sibugay on February 26, with colorfulEthnic Street dancing with rituals illustrating good harvest, wedding and healing rituals. During the festival, it endorses it’s number one product which is the oyster or talaba in tagalong which has been known to be the biggest, juiciest, and meatiest oysters in the country. In this two week celebration, in the town of Ipil, “Talaba Longest Grill” has been the main attraction of the visitors and viewers. In this manner, Zamboanga can promote their oysters to the world. Zamboanga Sibugay recently achieved a world record for the Worlds Longest Talaba Grill with five to 12 inches-long oysters or talaba as the main feature. Because of this, the province of Sibugay earned a title as the Talaba Capital of the Philippines.

Zamboanga Sibugay is a majorSUPPLIER of oysters from the Zamboanga Peninsula to neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific region. It has three major talaba farms in the municipalities of Kabasalan, Siay and Alicia.

A project of Gov. George Hofer, the longest oyster grill aims to make the province known worldwide for its export-quality oysters. Some 15,000 huge pieces of oysters weighing 1,500 kilograms from Barangay Concepcion, Kabasalan were served in the 1.2 kilometer-long grill. More than a thousand participants composed of local government employees, Sibugaynons and visitors joined the event which was part of the two-week-long Sibug-Sibug Festival held in the capital town of Ipil. Zamboanga Sibugay is a majorSUPPLIER of oysters from the Zamboanga Peninsula to neighboringcountries in the Asia Pacific region. It has three major talaba farms in the municipalities of Kabasalan, Siay and Alicia. Hofer said the oyster is one of the major economic boosters of the province. Around 200 families in Barangay Concepcion alone are dependent on the oyster business. Also a much-awaited event was the Sibug-Sibug street dancing competition.

Visitors were also given a glance of the locals culture and traditions through a Western Subanen cultural show. The native Subanens presented their rituals in war, marriage and birth. Subanens are the aborigines of Zamboanga, believed to have developed in the province even before the Spanish period. Zamboanga Sibugay was declared a separate province through a Republic Act in 2001. Local officials claimed that the province holds the record of having the lowest crime-rate based on the Philippine National Police (PNP) report for the period 2002-2003. The rubber business is its second income-generating industry next to the export of oysters. It has been recognized for having the oldest rubber plantation in the country.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION Owing to its natural land form, the province of Zamboanga Sibugay is blessed with an impressive range of excellent tourist destinations – interesting mountain formations, picture-perfect waterfalls, caves in which dwell thousands of bats as well as stalactites, hot springs, white sand beaches, and fish and sea snake sanctuaries. 

Tantanan Bay is the largest fish sanctuary found in the province, encompassing an area of five hectares. Sibuguey Bay bounds the southern peripheries. Endowed with several coral formations that function naturally as fish sanctuaries, it is ideal for snorkeling and diving. Another notable fish sanctuary, situated within the municipality of Talusan, is Takushari. Within the island of Pulo Laum is a sanctuary for the propagation of sea snakes. 

Zamboanga Sibugay is endowed with several islets that are ideal for beach resort development. Notable are Pandilusan Island in the municipality of Payao and Litayon Island in the municipality of Alicia. One characteristic that they have in common is their white sand beaches. In addition to these islets, there are also white sand atolls in both municipalities that are submerged during high tides. 

Leading the province’s inland tourist attractions are the large caves found in the municipalities of Tungawan and Talusan as well as the Moalboal Cave in the municipality of Titay. Among the majestic waterfalls are Tagbilat, Dalisay, Tugop Muslim, Cobacob, Go-otoc, Malagandis, Basay, and Palina Falls in Ipil.