Anda: Bohol’s hidden gem coming into view

Not all who wander are lost, they say.

Yet, as we neared our departure from Panglao Island, home to some of the famed hotel-resorts in the province of Bohol, there was a slight fear inside the coaster that we might just end up like that, wandering and lost.

For most of us, it was going to be the first trip to Anda, a town on the eastern tip of the province. Its classification as a fifth-class municipality set expectations, though the itinerary seemed meant to boost confidence in the last leg of our week-long trip.

“The next big thing,” “one of the hidden gems of Bohol,” it tagged the town.

“Hidden” seemed an appropriate word. With Anda some 100 kilometers away from the capital, the trip took more than two hours, with many twists and turns, waves beating beyond the barrier. As we drove on, fewer establishments lined the road. Each town we passed by gave the impression that we were moving farther away from comfort. Soon, one side of the road would mostly be mountains and trees. And then the coaster turned a corner and there was the town center – a church, a field, a stage, a few houses, the municipal hall.

People? About a dozen.

Even at noontime, that seemed odd for a tourism destination.

And then we stepped out of the coaster onto a sunny day. Before us, a patch of an unoccupied white sand beach called Quintale, a name the town used to be known by.

Somehow the quiet and the absence of crowds felt just right.

Work in progress

The municipality is home to some 25,000 residents in 16 barangays, half of which line the coast. While farming and fishing remain the major sources of income here, tourism has taken part in contributing to resources and employment, with about 23 resorts ready to accommodate visitors, who may get there via  bus (P100 per person) or a van-for-hire (P130 per person) from the terminals in Dao, Tagbilaran City.

“We'll try to meet your expectations,” Jun Ayag, the mayor's tourism consultant, told our group as we sat down for lunch. “But we're only benchmarking on our capacity.”

The beauty is in their town's simplicity, Ayag said. The municipality's tourism campaign even uses the word “rusti.c. He said they were banking most on the natural resources, such as marine treasures accessible through their dive resorts, and Lamanoc Island in Barangay Badiang, which is both a nature marvel and the site of hanging coffins and rock paintings dating from pre-colonial times.

Ayag said at least 1,000 visitors come to Anda every month, and that the town is ranked second or third in the province in terms of visitor arrivals.

"With that kind of recognition, we hope it [will be] coupled with support from the government," he said.

As the discussion wore on, it was clear that the local government wanted more for the place.

They have gone out of their way to join tourism expos, even abroad, but Mayor Metodio Amper admitted it was done with a bit of hesitation, given that their roads and infrastructure remain wanting.

Amper said 80 percent of their roads are not paved, particularly those leading to barangays and even those that tourists need to take to get to the resorts. While thankful that they were spared from the massive earthquake that rocked Bohol in late 2013, Amper said they “still need help from the national government” to address this concern.

“'Yung timetable [for their tourism plans], hindi magagawa as long as 'yung infrastructure ay hindi maayos,” he said. “Ang [pakiusap] ko lang sa national government at sa provincial government, ayusin 'yung infrastructure namin dito bago kami mag-push [lalo sa tourism], kasi may mga nakakausap din akong investors, ang tanong: How about your infrastructure? How about communication lines?”

Most of Anda's visitors are Europeans, Amper said, adding he felt local tourists prefer to go to Boracay Island or Panglao. While his town's unadulterated beach is a marvel, he said, travel time and the roads may be a hassle to deal with, especially since their plans for the town's unique offering – “something like mountain resort with zipline, something like that” – is expected to be put on hold under their roads are better.

“Kaya ang kailangan, ang nakikita ko, magagawa namin 'yung mga pinaplano namin as long as the government provides for insfrastructure leading to the area, 'yun talaga ang dapat gawin. Otherwise, hindi ka makakarating doon sa rustic,” he said.

Simple pleasures

Though an unlikely tourism promo, with hints of confusion as to the branding they wanted to take (some resorts are named after more popular destinations, which are usually points of comparison), it was understandable. While the local government wishes to offer something more than the beauty of the place, it doesn't want to spoil that.

The town's charm lies in the quiet, interrupted mostly only by the sound of the waves. One enjoys simple pleasures there, particularly a stroll along its beach, the white sand powdery under one's feet, the vast blue waters a refreshing view. The shore is clean, save for some seaweeds sent there by the waves. You may need to watch out for tiny sea creatures – white crabs and snails traversing the sand, hoping to make it back to the ocean.

Local officials say foreign tourists often gather at Quintale beach for meals, but it is not the party scene one would expect of Boracay. There you sit, enjoying the wind, the company, the food, the conversations.

During the day, especially on weekends and holidays, locals join the tourists there for a quick dip and laughs. By then, the town's winning baseball team – composed of both boys and girls – would be on the field playing like pros.

The mayor said a tourist needs to stay in the place for two to three days to get a feel of it. We only had 24 hours.

It was a little bit difficult to part with the quiet and that gorgeous beach. — BM, GMA News

GMA News Online was one of the media organizations invited to join the trip, which was sponsored by the USAID's Advancing Philippine Competitiveness (COMPETE) project as part of its technical assistance to local government units and tourism industry players.