Skip to main content

The Enchanting Islands of Concepcion

sandbar
Bulobadiangan Island
The Concepcion group of islands is located east of Panay Island in the Visayan Sea. These 17 islands are part of the Municipality of Concepcion in the province of Iloilo. 

The sandbar on Bulobadiangan Island stretches across the sea toward Igbon Island. These islands have so far escaped the throng of sun worshippers. It was our only stop during our visit because Agho Island which is known for its white sand beach, was closed to visitors at the time and no one at the Tourism office knew when it would reopen. There is a P25 entrance fee per person to get off at Bulobadiangan and we had to bring our own food which one of the residents prepared for us for a P150 cooking fee. Cold drinks are available on the island.

Danao Island
Danao Island with its white sand beach looks inviting from the shores of Bulobadiangan. 

Sugarloaf mountain
Pan de Azucar
The peak of Mount Manaphag or Sugarloaf Mountain towers over Pan de Azucar Island and can be seen from the mainland. Pan de Azucar is the largest island in the group. Mountain climbing enthusiasts will find the steep slopes of one of the tallest mountains in Panay both challenging and exhilarating.

Map of Concepcion Islands


How to get there:
From Roxas City to Sara, Iloilo
Take a Ceres bus or Public Utility Van (PUV) from the Punta Dulog Terminal to Sara then transfer to a jeepney bound for Concepcion port. This is a 2-hour trip. You can also hire a private van from Roxas City for the entire day. Call or send text message to Butterfly Tours at 0910-006-2742.

From Iloilo City to Sara: Take the Ceres bus from Tagbak Terminal in Jaro for the 2-hour trip to Concepcion. At Sara, take a jeepney to the port of Concepcion.

Hiring a boat for island hopping: 
The Tourism office can assist you in hiring a boat for island hopping. There is a P30 tourism ecological fee per person. The pumpboat costs approximately P2,500.00 for one island stop. Additional stops costs P500.00 each. Contact Concepcion Tourism office at 0917-590-0499.

We hired a boat from Pan de Azucar Hotel located on the port. Our spacious boat waited for us at the island until we were ready to go back to port. We paid P2,500.00 for four passengers in March 2018. Check with the hotel for current prices at 0917-100-5871.

Cottage rental fee: P400.00

Always check with providers for current rates.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

The Philippine Village Life by Vicente Silva Manansala

Pamilya (Family) With the completion of their new headquarters in Manila in 1961, PhilAm Life (a life insurance company) commissioned Vicente Silva Manansala to do a series of paintings for their cafeteria. (Lucky employees!) Before long these seven large-scale paintings about Philippine village life were moved to the front lobby which was deemed a more appropriate setting for the canvases. They remained there until the building was sold in 2012. Mindful of the cultural significance of the paintings and the need for its preservation and conservation, the management of PhilAm Life decided to loan these treasures to the National Museum in 2014. “Pamilya reflects Filipino values of family solidarity and solemnity showing a common scenario of praying before sharing a meal with one’s family.” National Museum of the Philippines Pagkain (Food) One of the Thirteen Moderns and Neo Realists, Vicente Silva Manansala had the good fortune to study art in Canada, the United States, France and Switz...