Punta Isla: Where life blends with nature

"IT IS late afternoon by the time we reach the Punta Isla resort, a picturesque enclave of rustic cottages overlooking the even more picturesque Lake Sebu." No, I didn't write that statement. It was written by Jessica Hagedorn in a special travel report for news weekly Time.

Those words came to my mind as my friend Jose Rey L. Subaldo and I arrived in the place located in a "bowl of forests and mountains," to quote the words of Lonely Planet.

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The tourism capital of South Cotabato, the bucolic Lake Sebu has been declared by the Philippine government as a protected area. The town itself is an ancestral domain of Tiboli tribe and Tasadays.

Curiously enough, we were billeted at Punta Isla Lake Resort as it is "the best place to stay," according to the third edition of The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia. The book describes the place in these words: "(It) sits on a hill with views of the lake and can be reached by tricycle in 15 minutes from where the buses stop."

Philippine Press Institute's Ariel C. Sebellino, who is from Manila and stayed at the resort for a journalism seminar-workshop, shared this observation: "Punta Isla Resort, nestled at the innermost part of the lake, tenders a refreshing and breathtaking view of its entirety, where the farthest surface of the water is secured by mountains that kiss the sky. Only the upbeat music of the ethnic instruments played en route by the natives of the resort, and the rough mix of sounds of the environs scores the placid lake."

He further wrote: "The seemingly choreographed cloud formations and the neat lines of the tilapia pens lend a picturesque burst of well-composed stillness and unorthodox movement. A flight of birds gracefully sweeps across the fish cages; it temporarily breaks the once uninterrupted monotonous open sky. Only this well-developed but unassuming resort contrasts the rusticity of the surroundings."

No wonder, the rich and the famous have either dined or stayed in the resort. Consider this formidable list: former president Fidel V. Ramos, Tourism Secretary Joseph Felix Mari H. Durano, Asia's songstress Pilita Corales, Miss Universe Margie Moran, film actors Monsour del Rosario and Carlo Maceda, television host Edu Manzano, and presidential aspirant Manny Villar.

Indeed, it has gone a long, long way since the days when it used to be a vacation place for the owners. In the late 1990s, Edna Solivio converted the area into a lake resort as she saw the potential of visitors coming in and out of the town. It was inaugurated in 1999 and today it is the town's top resort, judging on the people who come and stay at the place.

"Every month, we host about 2,000 visitors, including those who attend trainings and conferences," informs Joemar Z. Alaza, the resort's operations manager. During summers and holidays, the resort is fully-booked.

The choice of rooms includes dorm beds, singles, doubles, and one stand-alone cottage for two people. There is also a typical T'boli house, which can accommodate about 12 people.

Rates range from P500 to P900 per room. Obviously the one-stand alone cottage is the best choice as it has a very pleasant terrace with a view of the lake. You can even have your meals served there in complete privacy.

But whichever accommodation you prefer, the experience is the same. At night, all you can see is the light from homes floating on the lake. The stillness of the water makes the reflection of light like extensions of the homes.

What makes the resort unique is its floating restaurant, where the main course in the menu is tilapia that is caught in the lake. Here, you will learn that tilapia can be prepared in various ways. One highly recommended is the chicharong tilapia, a deep-friend delicacy of tilapia meat with thin breading.

It is as crispy as the pork chicharon but healthier since the latter contains less cholesterol.

Another popular tilapia treat is the kinilaw, a vinegar-soaked delight of tilapia cutlets or cubes spiked with the fiery siling labuyo and garnished with fresh cucumbers and calamansi slices. Other tilapia delicacies they served include tilapia foyong, tilapia rebusado, tilapora, nilasing na tilapia, pinaputok na tilapia, and daing na tilapia.

Although Punta Isla does not have the comfort of a five-star hotel, the welcome is warm and the staff is efficient when asked to organize excursions, which include boat rides, renting a bike or visiting the nearby waterfalls and the T'boli museum.

Another good thing about the resort is that at night, they welcome their visitors by having a T'boli cultural presentation. You will see T'bolive natives dancing, singing, and sharing their songs through their indigenous instruments.

Meanwhile, it is one thing seeing the 354-hectare Lake Sebu from afar, but it's another thing exploring the actual lake itself. At Punta Isla, you could hire a motorboat good for 15 persons in addition to your personal tour guide and boat man for P400.

The tour guides are native T'bolis and are accredited by the Department of Tourism, so you get loads of information as well as stunning views of the lake during the 45-minute boat ride.

Criselda B. Dioso, a Tiboli native who toured us, said the lake is best viewed at sunset and sunrise as the reflection of the sun turns the placid waters into an orange-hued spectacle.

It is also during these times, and in between, when the coldness can be felt -- with fogs rising above the lake. Sometimes, the fogs drape the lake, making it totally invisible.

For further details, visit its website: www.puntaisla.tk. For reservation, call any of these numbers: (63) 919.485.2910 and (083) 826.0962. Its fax number is (083) 238.8503.ÿ You can also email them at puntaisla@gmail.com.