What used to be a common backyard is now a thriving tropical destination in this town, attracting tourists longing to enjoy sand, sea, and sun.
For decades, the site called Caba Beach was just a backyard to many families in Cabacungan village, but not until local resident Aljun Diaz converted two rooms of their ancestral house into an accommodation facility during the height of the pandemic in 2021.
“When I was a kid, we used to run and play here. Locals came to enjoy the sea, sands, and sun, but we never thought this would be a tourist destination someday,” said Diaz, who is a lawyer by profession.
Today, he runs a nine-room accommodation facility and a “restobar”, aptly named “Buenos Diaz”.
“The site is perfect since we are facing the shoreline of Caba Beach. The view of Mt. Bulosan of Sorsogon Bicol and the pristine emerald waters are breathtaking, both at dusk and at dawn,” Diaz told reporters.
The place offers an array of thrilling water activities, such as banana boat rides, inflatables, paddleboarding, and more.
The destination now attracts up to a thousand people for beach parties mainly due to the powdery white sand and clear seawater in the area.
Caba is the shortened term for Cabacungan, the name of the coastal village, some nine kilometers from the center of Allen. This town is known as the exit point of the Eastern Visayas region to Luzon.
Meanwhile, Diaz’s neighbors have followed his path, opened their houses for lodging, and participated in a homestay program with training from the Department of Tourism.
With the help of the local government, residents removed structures such as fences and piggeries and built some cottages. The backs of their houses became beachfront.
“In the past, only people from Allen came to see the places since we are a secluded area. Recently, we have been welcoming visitors from different parts of the country and even from abroad,” Diaz added.
One of them is Gregory Scott, 58, an online business owner from Arizona, United States. He has been a guest of “Buenos Diaz” for four months.
“I love this place so much with its white sand and very hospitable people. I’ve been to many places in the Philippines, but this is the only place where I stayed for four months,” Scott said.
Allen Mayor Jose Arturo Suan said the local government provided PHP30,000 to each of the 30 families to turn their yards into a more tourist-friendly area.
“To maintain the cleanliness of the beach, we have been collecting a PHP15 environmental fee for visitors. The collection is being used to finance the daily clean-up activities by locals,” Suan said.
Allen town is accessible by air and land. There are direct regular flights from Manila to Calbayog City. From Calbayog, one can ride a van or bus for 73 kilometers to Allen.
There are also regular bus trips from Metro Manila to the town through the country’s nautical highway.
At the Allen town center, visitors can take a tricycle going to Cabacungan Beach. The fare costs around PHP100.
Allen is an important port for inter-island transport, specifically between the island of Samar and the island of Luzon. (PNA)
