First Beach Escape: Moalboal
After my quarantine and making sure that I didn’t have the virus, my family and I planned on a one-day trip to a beach in Moalboal, Cebu. Because Cebu City is under a strict lockdown again at that time due to increasing cases, we avoided destinations close it or that we would need to drive through it. To make it easier and more convenient for us, we focused on beaches located in the Southern part of the province.
Moalboal White Beach
There are plenty to choose from, to be honest. Our concern was mostly the distance from where we are. Since it is only going to be a day-trip, we opted to go to Moalboal White Beach in the end.
Together with my sister’s family, brother, and a couple of our friends, we drove to Moalboal from our town in Minglanilla on a Sunday morning. We started the trip early to avoid traffic. It was refreshing to see a change of sceneries and to finally be out and about in Cebu.
Tourist Pass
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in the Moalboal area, we had to go to the Barangay Hall first. Before entering the area, we needed a tourist pass. Because of social distancing measures, there are only a certain number of people allowed to be on the beach in a day. This was when it got a little shady, actually.
Secret Transaction
My sister and brother head to the Barangay Hall. However, when they arrived, there was a post informing the public that the limit had already been reached on that day. They were about to leave empty-handed when a man approached them. He secretly offered them a “tourist pass” for 300 PHP. Since we drove for almost two hours that day, we decided to accept the offer.
With that pass on hand, we headed to the different beach resorts. We could not stop wondering, however, the possibilities of irregularities and dishonesty in Moalboal. As I have read online, many visitors had experienced similar situations. That they were told to pay a fee such as parking fee or entrance fee when they should be free.
At last, the beach!
Overall, we were just glad we were on the beach. Finally, after months of not seeing the seawater and feeling the sea breeze, it was wonderful to be out there enjoying the company of family and friends. I think the most important thing is that my nephew and niece had a wonderful time, they didn’t want to stop playing and swimming the entire time.
My wish for next year is to be able to travel and explore more beautiful places in my country again.
I wish you a Happy New Year, everyone!
More travel posts HERE.
