One of Zamboanga City's rising gems is the Pink Beach of Sta. Cruz Island. With over 28,000 visitors record for 2016, the island's red organ pipe corals, which brought the pink hues of the sand, has truly helped create this wonder.
But what attracts visitors most this year is the fact that the island has become more accessible, and getting there is systematic. The government unit is hands on for every tour, and they can surely answer inquiries and even give you some knowledge on the place's history and current statistics.
With only 50php per head, guests can head to the attraction and spend their time exploring the island. Overnights aren't allowed, as safety precautions.
In the island, Broke But Laagan met Rodel Rodriguez. It's not a surprise people come and visit Sta. Cruz, he says. For years, the island had been an intriguing area to many. While it has been deemed unsafe for a couple of years, everyone knows the wonders of the pink beach.
Rodel, our guide for the day, is no ordinary man. He's been a marine biologist for more than two decades. And now, he proudly talks of his new challenge as in charge of the Sta. Cruz tourism operation. "Both Eco tourism ug environment program among girepresent. Kay dili pwedeng isa ra. Dapat balance," Rodel says in Cebuano. By the looks of it, his first language is Chavacano but hearing that our local tongue is Bisaya, he speaks to us in the same language.
Rodel represents the diversity of culture in Zamboanga City - the Chavacano, the Bisaya, the Muslim groups, and the occasional Tagalogs. He, too, represents the various needs of every tourist spot -- a body that cares both for its development as a tourist destination and its sustainability being part of an environment ought to be protected.
"Many others first thought that the place is unsafe. Pero karon, bisan wa ni namo gipublicize ah, naa ray mga tourist manganhi dayun ishare sa Facebook dayun ang uban makita, naganahan," he boasts.
Tourism here is organic. And why wouldn't it be? For such beauty, it must be shared.
