Sandbar In Albay Town Turns Into ‘Mini City’ Amid Sea

Now you see it, now you don’t. This is how the villagers of Salvacion here describe the vast glittering white sand that appears and disappears with the tide in Lagunoy Gulf.

What is more attractive is sandbar’s transformation into a little city once the water here recedes and joins the vast sea during low tide, exposing marine life around and displaying an inviting playground for families from all walks of life.

Locals call this little city in the middle of the municipal waters as “Wara-Wara” sandbar, which lies within the rich tuna fishing ground of Lagunoy Gulf.

“Wara” is the Bicol word for “wala” (none, not seen or non-existent).

The Wara-Wara sandbar faces the Pacific Ocean and is sandwiched by the island of Cagraray in Bacacay, Albay, which is famous for white and pristine beaches, and Hacienda San Miguel island in Tabaco City.

From a tiny spot of white sand under the sea off Salvacion village, the now-large sandbar has been formed by the ocean waves for over three decades.

While locals call it Wara-Wara, others call it the Vanishing Island, specially by travel agents to prevent tourists from calling it by its original name.

This move is, of course, being contested by the residents.

Salvacion village used to be joined by the villages of Santicon and Sulong as part of Cagraray island but due to political subdivision the three coastal areas went to the jurisdiction of Malilipot town.

Louie Bonaobra, 38, a resident of Salvacion village said Wara-Wara sandbar used to be home to sea grasses, locally called bariwbariw, and rich with various seashells such as “sarad”, “kubkub” and others.

“Overtime the sea grasses were seemingly reclaimed by the ocean as big waves from the Pacific Ocean pummeled this village, creating the expanding sandbar,” Bonaobra said.

He said that before, they just took the sand formation for granted and regarded it as a natural occurrence on the sea floor.

Norie Borilla, 47, of Sitio Mananoy, Barangay Malictay, Hacienda San Miguel, said the sandbar was shaped and noticed in the mid-80s as a tiny white spot but in a span of three decades, the place expanded to almost three hectares.

Borilla affirmed the statement of Bonaobra that the place was originally covered with sea grasses, also locally called “goto-goto”, with bountiful seashells.

“Somewhere in 1985, when I was just 15 years old, a dot of white sand, formed like a coconut shell underneath the sea, would become visible during low tide. Suddenly the place expanded into a large golden white sand associated with pieces of broken corals pushed by sea currents in Lagunoy Gulf,” she said.

Borilla said local fishermen discovered the sandbar during low tide at night time in the mid-80s while fishing between Sabangan or cantil, the bluest and deepest part of the sea where big foreign vessels pass through during upcoming bad weather condition to take shelter in Sula channel.

“They were amazed because within the Sabangan or cantil area of the sea, there was a protruding shallow white sand where they could rest and make a bonfire for picnic while fishing. From then on, fishermen told us about the place through word of mouth but we had taken it for granted. We considered it as ordinary until such time that Governor Joey Salceda posted it on his Facebook in 2015. That’s the time that Wara-Wara became popular and suddenly, there was an influx of tourists coming here,” she said.

She also narrated the untold story of a male visitor who brought home sand taken from Wara-Wara sandbar, fell sick but regained his health after returning the sand to the area following the advice of a faith healer.

Coincidentally, a headless replica of the body of Nuestra Senora Dolorosa was fished out by Ernesto Bibon, a local fisherman from Salvacion village, in the area where the sandbar was formed in 1985.

Bienvenido Coprada, a fisherman of Barangay Vinisitahan, Cagraray Island, an upper village next to Salvacion, found a wooden box in Barangay Uson while fishing in the area where the Dolorosa’s dresses were kept along with a historical account.

Based on the account, the image was brought by a priest and a nun from Catanduanes and bound to Masbate but the vessel carrying the image and the passengers got burned and capsized here in the ’80s.

Currently, the image of Nuestra Senora Dolorosa was placed inside the ermita (chapel) of Barangay Salvacion under the care of hermano mayor (brother) Serafin Bueno, 76.

Villagers in this area considered the Wara-Wara sandbar as one with cultural, religious and historical background.

The body of Dolorosa was made of a hollow wood found in the waters of Salvacion where the biggest sandbar shaped up.

During high tide, the area is the busiest route for motorized boat plying Batan Island and Tabaco City as well as Cagraray Island and Tabaco City and Bacacay mainland for trading.

Today, Wara-Wara sandbar is one of the favorite destinations in Albay where a big inflow of tourists has been noted.

This has created income for residents here as some fishermen built floating cottages to cater to the visitors.

Ball games, kite flying and surfing can be done on the wide stretch of sandbar.

For children, the place is completely magical with the presence of shoals of starfish and tiny pelagic fishes.

The Wara-Wara sandbar can be reached in about 25-minute boat ride from Bacacay seaport.

Come to Wara-Wara sandbar, a completely pristine sand formation with the majestic Mayon volcano at the background during clear sky. (PNA) LAP/FGS/RBB/CBD