GENTLE GIANTS. Whale sharks are seen surrounding the six-man team of the Philippine Outrigger Canoe Club as it paddles through the seas off the southern town of Oslob in Cebu. The group is on a 200-kilometer, five-day canoeing expedition from Cebu City to southwestern town of Moalboal. (Photo courtesy of Ted Madamba)
CEBU CITY – The “Paddle Forward Cebu” expedition is now halfway through a five-day sail journey around the southern part of Cebu, marking a major feat to push paddling as a new tourism draw to the island.
The group of padding enthusiasts on Monday successfully reached Oslob, where they were greeted by the whale sharks, a famous tourist attraction in the southern town.
Renowned Cebuano photographer Ted Madamba snapped a picture of the Paddle Forward Cebu expedition arriving in Oslob, offering a breath-taking sight of the whale sharks surrounding the six-man canoe of non-profit group Philippine Outrigger Canoe Club.
The group is expected to complete their five-day, 200-kilometer padding expedition at the Club Serena Resort in the neighboring southwestern town of Moalboal on Wednesday, June 16.
Thirteen paddlers have undertaken the journey which started in Cebu City’s Il Corso at the South Road Properties on June 12.
In an earlier interview, club president Buzzy Budlong, who is leading the expedition, said they aim to promote Cebu as a potential paddling destination in the Philippines.
Budlong noted that Cebu is naturally a great destination for this water sports, being a narrow island surrounded by coastal municipalities and cities.
The group is using a six-man single outrigger canoe in the expedition. The 13-man expedition team is divided into several groups that will take turns on the canoe every day for their five-day journey.
The team is led by distinguished paddlers Budlong and Faye Jimiera. Budlong holds the record as the only Filipino to have paddled the 3,025 kilometers-- from Sarangani to Pagudpod in 88 days. Jimiera was skipper of the Spanish Armada Dragon Singapore and now an experienced ocean paddler of the Singapore Paddler Club.
This first outrigger canoe expedition is part of the Department of Tourism’s “Balik Turismo” initiative to promote sustainable tourism.
The event is held in line with the 123rd Philippine Independence Day celebration on June 12.
Earlier, the provincial government here expressed its support to the initiative of the group as long as it complies with the requirements and permits to ensure the safety of the protected areas in the seawaters and the existing tourism activities in the province.
Moalboal’s waters are a protected area and famous diving site because of its cathedral of corals and sardine run. The nearby town of Oslob is famous for its whale sharks.
The initiative is also in line with the government’s push to revive the island's tourism industry.
Budlong said the adventure would showcase the beauty of Cebu island as a potential paddling destination in the Pacific.
Paddling is a way for the local tourism industry to promote sports tourism and support the tourism recovery initiative without marine disruption and environmental impact, he noted. (PNA)
