TWO weeks ago, I hopped on a plane bound for the Queen City of the South and was welcomed by the most gracious team of San Miguel Brewery as soon as I landed at the Mactan International Airport.

Without any itinerary at hand, it was a trip I just let unroll before my eyes clad only in my birks and khakis. The van that picked me up sped off to the other side of Mactan Island instead of heading for Cebu City, and shortly thereafter I arrived at the White Sands resort in the Maribago area.

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Then I was told that lunch was waiting for me on another island and being the Davao person that I am I thought the island was ten to thirty minutes max away. It was only on the ferry wherein we found out that we are headed for an island an hour and a half away from White Sands.

It was a day like no other. The bright sunny skies of Cebu City, the deep blue hue of the Strait of Cebu, and the salty sweet splashes of the sea just made it perfect. With new acquaintances and ice cold beer being passed around, the boat ride was more than fun.

There was no better way of enjoying the salt splashes on your face, the summer breeze (yes, even if it's October), and the small talk about the scandals of local showbiz, thanks to Ricky Gallardo, than with an ice cold can of San Miguel beer.

After an hour or so of boat ride, a picturesque white island stood in stark contrast to the deep green blue seas that surround it.

Called the Pandanon Island, which is already part of the territory of the province of Bohol, the island had a rustic charm with its chapel and column-filled esplanade that seems to have seen the ebbing and rising of the tides more than any other person has.

And it was an entirely different story when you are actually on the island as its powdery white sand felt like talc that walking barefoot was more comfortable.

The sun was scorching hot, but it was not a deterrent, it was more of a temptation to plunge into the cool sea.

Without any other island in sight, except for the vague silhouette of Bohol Island, the sense of privacy was overwhelming that anyone on the island will just have to relax.

Sumptuous sea foods were served for lunch and of course a bottomless cooler filled with cans of all kinds of beer from the San Miguel Brewery was also in tow.