Zamboanga Sibugay is one of the newest provinces in the Philippines. It’s the 79th province created in the country, with territories carved out from the third district of Zamboanga del Sur in 2001. Located in Region 9 or the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao, this area lies smack in the middle the road traversing from Zamboanga City to Zamboanga del Sur. But what can you do there? I was curious about that myself. Most destinations have a clear identity or something they’re known for. You immediately think of vintas when you think of Zamboanga City and the steep inclined tricycles when you think of Pagadian, but this province is a bit more obscure and mysterious.

Not much has been written about the province except for mentions in news items about conflicts in the past, which has given it a mostly negative reputation among travelers. The province isn’t exactly high on the bucket list of places people want to visit in the country. I asked a few people who I knew had been there before what I could do if I visited, but most said they just passed through. “You can pass by the rotunda (roundabout) or the Provincial Capitol in Ipil” was all I got in terms of landmarks and tourist attractions.

The fact that not much is known about the province is what made me most interested to visit. For some reason, I always feel drawn or most interested to visit these off-beat places that other people wouldn’t even consider visiting. Zamboanga City is one of my favorite places in Mindanao and I’ve been wanting a chance to visit this neighboring province. So I grabbed the opportunity to cover the 1st World Migratory Bird Day held last October 2018 because it was held there.

Like many other destinations in Mindanao, the culture here is vibrant. About a third of the Zamboanga Peninsula region’s population is composed of ethnic groups that are culturally distinct from each other. The first settlers of Zamboanga Peninsula are the Subanens (People of the River), who occupied the area long before the arrival of the Spaniards. We were fortunate to witness traditional dances and cultural performances as part of program festivities.

Location

Zamboanga Sibugay is a province bordered by Zamboanga del Norte to the north, Zamboanga del Sur to the east and Zamboanga City to the southwest. To the south lies Sibuguey Bay in the Moro Gulf. Its capital, which lies in the middle of the province is Ipil.

How to get to Zamboanga Sibugay

• There is an airport in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, but there are no commercial flights yet as of October 2018. It is reachable by land travel roughly 3 hours away from key neighboring provinces and cities in the region.
• The nearest airports are located in Zamboanga City (110 km away), Pagadian in Zamboanga del Sur (150 km away) and Dipolog in Zamboanga del Norte (180 km away).
• Zamboanga City is the most convenient entry and exit point, as it’s the nearest and has the most number of flight options.
• When in Zamboanga City, ride any van (UV Express) or Bus (Rural Transit) passing Ipil from the Zamboanga Integrated Bus Terminal located on Divisoria. Buses depart at 30-45 mins interval from Zamboanga City to Ipil. Travel time is about 3-4 hours and fare is P245.
• All vehicles going to and from Zamboanga City heading to Dipolog, Pagadian, Ozamis and even Cagayan de Oro pass by Ipil.

Where to go / what to do in Zamboanga Sibugay

The province is rich in natural attractions including mountains, waterfalls, caves, hot springs, white sand beaches, as well as bird, fish and sea snake sanctuaries. But as a new province, some spots are still in the process of being developed and are a bit challenging to get to because of the rough roads and lack of transport options in the more remote areas.

There’s a lot of potential and room for growth. Ipil, the provincial capital is the best place to base, as it has the most options for inns, pension houses and dining options.

Rotunda Obelisk

One of the most prominent and easy to visit landmarks in the province is the rotunda obelisk in Ipil which serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives during past conflicts. It was inaugurated in 2015 to mark the province as a central part of the Zamboanga Peninsula. Two sides of the obelisk contain a clock and the name of the province Zamboanga Sibugay written in Baybayin (ancient Philippine script).

Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Capitol

In terms of architecture and design, Zamboanga Sibugay’s provincial capitol building is one of the most uniquely designed and distinctive looking capitols in the Philippines. The colorful building combines Subanen and Muslim influences.

The building has massive columns, with roof extensions decorated with large metal rings hanging like earrings. The beams have elements similar to the Panolong, a house ornament fashioned by the Maranao people that resemble the protruding part of ships.

There’s a large mosaic Provincial Seal in the middle of the grounds that provides a good photo op.

The Capitol sits on a hill overlooking the town and offers a scenic spot for sightseeing. Right behind the capitol is a nice viewpoint where visitors can get an unobstructed view of Sibuguey Bay and the nearby Buluan Island.

Mini-Disneyland Theme Park

When we visited the capitol grounds, construction was ongoing for a mini-Disneyland with replica landmarks of famous theme parks around the world including Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, Legoland in Malaysia, Luna Park in Australia, the Harry Potter Hogwart’s Castle in Japan, the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland of Paris, Hello Kitty House in Japan, and Hollywood Pictures in Florida.

Each theme park is an entry of 10 participating LGUs and government agencies to the province’s Festival of Lights. It formally opened on November 16, 2018 and will run until February 28, 2019, the 18th founding anniversary of this province. Provincial tourism officers say the festival aims to boost the tourism industry of the province, as well as entertain and educate residents. It looks like a fun spot for locals in the region to enjoy & take souvenir family photos this Holiday Season.

Buluan Island

Another popular tourist spot in the province is Buluan Island, which lies 7 km from the port of Ipil and is visible from the provincial capitol. This island is said to have a stretch of white sand beach and clear waters since it’s part of a marine protected area. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to visit, but you can read more about it and how to get there here.

Kabug Mangrove Park & Wetlands

The highlight of our visit was cruising around and bird-watching around Kabug Mangrove Park, a newly developed site that aims to promote environmental conservation and awareness for locals and tourists.

The mangrove area is part of the Siay-Kabasalan Wetlands, that serves as a roosting, foraging and stop-over grounds for migratory birds. The Sibugay Wetlands is a proposed Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance).

It’s a good destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers. Take note that Siay is roughly 38 kilometers from the capital town Ipil, so plan your travel time accordingly. It’s best to go during high tide as larger boats may not be able to pass when low tide hits though you can still get through on the local baroto, smaller wooden canoes that can carry 3 – 4 people.

Aside from bird-watching, visitors can rent kayaks to paddle around the mangrove area.

They also have innovative Eco-Brick boats made with recycled plastic bottles stuffed with plastic waste that visitors can go boating on. This is an initiative of DENR PENRO Zamboanga to turn plastic waste into something useful. They even have life vests and furniture made of eco-bricks at the jump-off area.

There’s a lot more to discover in the province for those who have more time or have other interest. Other Tourist Attractions in Zamboanga Sibugay include:

• Beaches (Pandilusan Island, Litayon Island)
• Caves (Moalboal)
• Waterfalls (Tagbilat, Dalisay, Tugop Muslim, Cabacob, Go-otoc, Malagandis, Basay and Palina Falls

Where to stay in Zamboanga Sibugay

There are several lodging houses and hotels located mostly in Ipil. During our trip, we stayed in Casa Mea Hotel & Restaurant, a clean and modern centrally-located hotel in the city. They have their own in-house restaurant, WiFI, videoke, security. They’re also located right next to a bank and near fast food and dining establishments, so it’s a good place to base while you’re in the province. WiFi is available at the ground floor, but we couldn’t connect to it in the rooms.

• Facebook: Casa Mea Hotel & Restaurant
• Contact number: 0917-7144005

What / where to eat

There are a number of local eateries and fast-food joints like Jollibee along the highway in Ipil near the rotunda area. During our visit, we ate mostly in Casa Mea Hotel & Restaurant where we were booked. The restaurant serves typical Filipino fare and breakfast meals.

But it was the community-style meals in Siay that really shone. While covering the events there, we got treated to delicious lunch feasts with lechon, fresh seafood like crabs, prawns, shrimp and seafood paella. Tropical fruits such as mango, lanzones and rambutan are also specialties here.

Overall, I found the province of Zamboanga Sibugay to be very laid-back, raw and uncommercialized, which is not a bad thing. Tourism is still new and the province is still in the process of shaping its unique identity. Life feels pleasantly simple here and I really felt the genuine hospitality and community spirit from the locals.

I really hope they continue the path towards conservation and environmental protection in their tourism efforts. Thank you to Zamboanga Sibugay for the warm welcome!