Following the success of the first leg of the Western Visayas International Open Water Swim Circuit
(IOWC) in Sipalay City in Negros Occidental last Feb. 17 and 18, the Department of Tourism VI (DOT-VI)
and the Zampen Open Water Swimming Club Inc hopped over to Sicogon Island in northern Iloilo for Leg
2 of competitions held on April 14.
Known as the “Hidden Gem at the Heart of Western Visayas,” Sicogon Island was once the most sought-
after beach destination in the Philippines in the ‘70s and ‘80s, before Boracay Island rose in popularity.
Today, the island is serious about reclaiming its stature, with Ayala Land and the Sicogon Development
Corp teaming up to help make it the country’s top ecotourism destination.
According to a 2023 article in the Philippine Star, 800 of the 1,100 hectares of Sicogon Island are
considered “developable,” while 280 hectares is protected forest area. If all goes as planned, we will
soon see – and visit – a new island experience, complete with modern amenities to complement the
well-established Balay Kogon and Huni Resorts, and at the same time become a prime spot for
adventure seekers and nature lovers.
As far as sports tourism is concerned, Sicogon Island can be seen as a melting pot for water and beach
sports, especially open water swimming. With DOT VI promoting an international event, Western
Visayas is on the verge of establishing itself as the next best thing in the sport, following the footsteps of
the Betsy Medalla-led SwimJunkie Challenge and H20Man of Coach Moi Yamoyam.
Most of the race participants arrived in Sicogon a day earlier, taking the opportunity to explore what its
governing municipality Carles has to offer: Bountiful seafood, island hopping to Isla de Gigantes, Buaya
Island, Cabugao Gamay and Tangke Lagoon, or just bask in the sun while enjoying the company of
friends and family.
Big waves
In stark contrast to Sipalay City’s calm waters, the restless sea around Sicogon gave the swimmers a
rude awakening. Early on in the morning race, the waves and the current picked up strength. Even in
shallow waters, all 152 swimmers knew that they were in for a challenge.
As an avid open water swimmer who has joined three SwimJunkie Challenge events in Caramoan and in
Lobo in Batangas, this writer assesses that the Sicogon course was by far the hardest. The waves,
together with the undercurrent, made sighting close to impossible. I had to stop numerous times to
straighten my trajectory. Still, I overshot the last buoy and swam more than 500m from the supposed
last turn toward the finish line.
Sicogon gave us a hard lesson not to ignore Mother Nature. The open water IS Mother Nature: A Care
Bear one second, a dragon in the next.
Thankfully, this was a lesson that all of us survived, living to race another day.
Leg 3 of the Western Visayas International Open Water Swim Circuit was held in Taklong Island in
Guimaras on June 30, while Leg 4 will be in Boracay on September 22.
The Top 10 finishers for each category are as follows:
1.5KM OVERALL FINISHERS
- 1. Udani, Cedric Hannes
- 2. Garcia, Clarence Nathaniel
- 3. Donguines, Gary Jr.
- 4. Lumogdang, Franze Louise Daniel
- 5. Guillergan, Renz Roel Christian
- 6. Gonzales, Rhianne Gabrielle
- 7. Misa, Kendrick
- 8. Jandoquile, Mark Jade
- 9. Blanco, Edward Gabriel
- 10. Palaban, Kristoff
3KM OVERALL FINISHERS
- 1. Jalandra, Busty
- 2. Castor, Troy
- 3. Cortado, Rynz Matthew
- 4. Montalbo, Coraline
- 5. Tanamor, Rinoah Lulu
- 6. Nazareno, Philomena Faith
- 7. Torrillo, Alexa
- 8. Ventura, John Raymund
- 9. Cortez, Alexandra
- 10. Ascalon, Aika Marie
3KM OVERALL FINISHERS
- 1. Jalandra, Busty
- 2. Castor, Troy
- 3. Cortado, Rynz Matthew
- 4. Montalbo, Coraline
- 5. Tanamor, Rinoah Lulu
- 6. Nazareno, Philomena Faith
- 7. Torrillo, Alexa
- 8. Ventura, John Raymund
- 9. Cortez, Alexandra
- 10. Ascalon, Aika Marie
5KM OVERALL FINISHERS
- 1. Gako, Sky
- 2. Cabasac, JMark
- 3. Valenzuela, Danielle Patricia
- 4. Espina, Kevin
- 5. Maalihan, Mark Lionel
- 6. Apla-on Agapito Jr.
- 7. Vista, Fernando Jr.
- 8. Uytoco, Rencel Grace
- 9. Asaldo, Allyxa Dawn
- 10. Santillan, Nathalie
Photo: DOT Western Visayas
