Iligan: Part 5 - Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park

Last December 29, 2006, we went to MOAP in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental. MOAP stands for Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park and is a provincial government project constructed in 2003 under the administration of Governor Loreto Ocampos.

After an hour drive from Iligan, we reached Mukas port.

There was a long line of vehicles waiting in line to board a ferry boat. It took us an hour to queue for a ride in one.

The 20-minute ferry boat ride transported us and our vehicles across Iligan Bay - Lanao del Norte was behind us as we head towards Ozamis City which is already part of Misamis Occidental. The ferry boat was carrying 10 vehicles (big and small) in its lower deck and passengers on two upper deck levels.

From Ozamis City Port where our ferry boat docked, it's another 25-minute drive to Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park. MOAP offers guests a mini zoo, a hatchery, a hotel and a restaurant in an excellent location - above water. The park cultures lobsters, groupers, fresh prawns, bangus and shrimps.

Mangroves grow in the shoreline along MOAP.

Their restaurant serves delicious food at reasonable prices but to get there you need to walk around half a kilometer on wooden planks supported by bamboo poles with water directly below you.

We wanted to go to MOAP Dolphin Island so we walked further from the restaurant to ride a boat.

From here, you can already see Dolphin Island. See the box on the left side of the photo below. This distance is a good 12 minutes of boat ride in deep blue water.

Dolphin Island is where MOAP takes care of rescued dolphins. This is the only island that I've seen that has no vegetation growing on it. This is because the whole island is actually submerged under water and to say it plainly, all structures there are on stilts to keep them above water.

The water level in Dolphin Island is shallow and in some parts you can stand in the water as what these guys in the photo inset below were doing. The surrounding water is very deep - observe the sudden change in the color of the water from light blue to dark blue. If my memory serves me right, this land formation is called an atoll.

This is the restaurant located at the center of Dolphin Island

You can go diving and snorkeling in one side

and kayaking on the other side

Before sunset, we headed back to the main island to head to our next destination.
'Eto kami papuntang main land.

Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP)
Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental, Philippines
Park general entrance = PhP 10 / person
Dolphin Island entrance = PhP 130 / person
SCUBA diving = PhP 1,000 / dive
Snorkeling = PhP 50 / hour
Kayaking = PhP 100 / hour
Fish for Fish Feeding = PhP 100 / kilo

Room rates
Suite: PhP 2,000 / night (2 persons w/ breakfast & free entrance to Dolphin Island; extra bed at PhP 300)
Family Room: PhP 2,000 / night (6 persons; extra bed at PhP 200)
Dormitory: PhP 250 / person / night (one dorm cottage can house 14 persons)




Tangub City


It was an hour drive from MOAP to our next stop, Tangub City. It was already dark when we arrived there. Just the right time to visit Tangub City during the Christmas season because they are known as the Christmas Symbols Capital of the Philippines. Their big City Plaza turns to a bright colorful display of life size and bigger than life Christmas decors. You can ride a mini train and it will tour you around the whole plaza.

Dinner was next right there in one of the food stalls in the town plaza. We had puso (rice wrapped in young coconut leaves) and pork barbecue. The pork barbecue was yummy and you know how much the food here costs?
1 rice pusó = PhP 2
1 stick of pork barbecue = PhP 5

A full meal here costs 100 times less than Antonio's in Tagaytay.