Siquijor-se power

The Lazi Convent Tessa Salazar

The “oohs” and “aahs” we heaped upon Siquijor Island was also interspersed with my “aaieeh!” not because I saw “aswangs” and other supernatural beings the place was rumored to have, but like anywhere else in this naturally beautiful country, man-made shortcomings are often the most horrifying things one can encounter in an otherwise magical mystery tour. In this case, a 45-minute power outage at midnight in the resort where we were billeted.

And so, despite Siquijor having had the moniker “Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire)” for supposedly harboring numerous fireflies, what awakened me that first night in Siquijor was just total darkness in my room. Combine that with zero cell signal, and a raging lightning storm outside, the situation almost freaked me out.

And so I screamed silently, “Aieeh!,” as a bolt of lightning ripped across the black sky, and as I stumbled out of bed towards the receptionists’ area to ask what the hell was about, I couldn’t help but recall the famous broadcast journalist Jessica Soho and her tale of a ghost ship full of “engkantos” appearing off the coast of Lazi town in Siquijor. Known as “tayog-tayog,” the mystery ship would appear every 12 midnight and–just as abruptly–vanish a couple of hours later, but not without spooking out the residents with its loud sounds.

If I had seen that ship from my window that night, I would have run out and hijacked one of the parked Nissan Navaras, wait, the Terra looks bigger and tougher. But hey, the Patrol looks really huge and impenetrable. Yes, I would take the Patrol and drive all the way to the ferry terminal. Kanya-kanya na tayo (every man for himself).

Of course, the cheerful sunny morning after that harrowing night, Siquijor at daytime looked and felt just like any other island paradise in the Philippines. It seems that darkness tends to modulate the Siquijor folklore we read and hear about. And the tourism industry tends to weave such mystic undertones into the people and places of Siquijor (pronounced “see-kee-hor”).

Fish spa under the balete tree Tessa Salazar

The people here do not seem to mind outsiders associating their island to otherworldly traditions. The stores we visited here openly peddle voodoo dolls and potions meant to induce any kind of bodily phenomena imaginable (except for making heads rotate in a full circle), and there’s one particularly enterprising roadside stop where one can pose riding on a broomstick (an in-house photog can make it appear you’re flying mid-air).

The references to the supernatural are larger than life. A 400-year-old Balete tree–wider than perhaps 20 people can wrap their arms around–is a top tourist draw, helped in large part by the attraction of a fish spa beside it. Well, if you wanted to see flesh-eating fish other than piranhas, then you have to set foot here (pun intended).

For such a small island (the entire road network can be surveyed in a day), Siquijor packs a lot of tourism punches. Our group stayed there for just over two days, and still didn’t have enough time to go to all the featured sites–the pristine beaches, cliff diving spots, caves and waterfalls.

Our group of about 24 motoring and lifestyle media toured Siquijor October 7 to 9, driving what I call the “TeNaPa”, Nissan Philippines’ big three light commercial vehicles (LCVs) — Terra, Navara, and Patrol.

Nissan PH president Atsushi Najima in the back of the Navara Tessa Salazar

Driving the Terra, Navarra and Patrol on the island’s narrow roadways originally designed for motorbikes, trikes, multicabs, and small 6-seater jeepneys would have initially made us look like sharks in a goldfish bowl, but thanks to the island’s sparse motoring population and the agile handling of the big three, we would feel at home behind the wheel in no time. We certainly didn’t need to drink any potion to feel the high of the LCVs’ exhilarating power and torque on the island’s rolling terrain. On a particularly testy section of the island where we went off road, the Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist features powered by Nissan Intelligent Mobility didn’t even break a sweat.

Nissan Philippines said that because of Siquijor’s reputation as one of the most challenging islands to access in the Philippines, it became the perfect getaway for a #GoAnywhere ride-and-drive event and showcase the capabilities of all three vehicles. With its strong LCV heritage and Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, the Terra, Navara, and Patrol navigated their way easily, making the drivers and passengers focus more on enjoying what Siquijor had to offer.

The four-century-old balete tree

Siquijor may market itself as the “Island of Mystery,” but drivers of Nissan’s LCVs can’t say the same about their surroundings, thanks to the uber-useful Around View Monitor (AVM) that made them see obstacles–including engkantos, witches and their flying brooms–on their 360-degree bird’s eye view monitor. The AVM is a support technology that helps drivers park or navigate more easily by making them actually see their vehicle’s immediate surroundings through a virtual bird’s-eye view from above the vehicle. The AVM helps the driver visually confirm the vehicle’s position, relative to the lines around parking spaces and adjacent objects, allowing the driver to maneuver in and out of tight spots with more ease.

The Terra–which has the right size for a family SUV for an adventurous ride in the mostly narrow roads of the province–is known for its authentic 4×4 capabilities, and is also ideal for an adventurous off-road trek on the island. The next thing that I really find useful for this ride and drive—that I was able to try at the Terra—is the audio display unit. What’s great about the new Nissan Connect
Renault-Nissan AIVI (which now has a bigger, 8-inch monitor) compared to the old Blaupunkt Palm Spring 800 (7 inches) is that the rear monitor integration at the back passenger rows can play videos via HDMI, while the driver can still use his or her navigation guides up front. The 2020 Terra can do these two things simultaneously. While kids can watch movies at the back, the driver can use his or her Waze courtesy of N-Connect. Offline maps are also available for the 4WD Terra VL.

Saint Isidore Labrador Church Tessa Salazar

The only downside to island driving is when poor data and cellular signals hamper the full enjoyment of the N-Connect.

The Nissan Patrol, its powerful V8 engines rumbling and its aggressive design making it stand even more intimidating, looked even more hulking on the narrow roads of Siquijor. You wouldn’t need to enter any haunted mansions to spook each other out. The ultra spacious Patrol is there to give you your dose of thrills in your own private space.

On board the three Nissan LCVs, our group made the following stops:

o Hapitanan Cafe and Restaurant, where one gets a feel and the photo of a broomstick ride, and dolls and other curios are also on sale.

o The Lazi Convent and Church. The church was opened in 1884, and declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum.

o The multi-tiered Cambugahay Falls. The 135 steep steps down (and what feels like double that on the way up) is well worth it, especially when you try your hand at the swing that transforms an ordinary dip into a two-story dive.

o The four-century-old balete tree—believed to be the oldest and the biggest in Siquijor. At the base of the tree is a much more recent addition, a fish spa where visitors can dip their feet in and be tickled pink by small fishes nibbling on dead skin cells.

The multi-tiered Cambugahay Falls Tessa Salazar

For the first time in its “#GoAnywhere” campaign, NPI was able to bring together its big three LCVs (and if you count the Nissan NV350 used as support and staff vehicle for the trip, then it’s the big four)—the luxurious and sophisticated Nissan Patrol, the spacious Nissan Terra, and the tough and smart pick-up truck Nissan Navara.

“In line with our vision of enabling adventurers to reach their dream destinations, we are now in Siquijor Island, to conquer the country’s third smallest province with Nissan’s strong LCV line-up. We are creating the ultimate ‘Go Anywhere’ experience with the Nissan Patrol, Nissan Terra and Nissan Navara, by exploring the best and most
diverse locations across the country,” said Nissan Philippines Inc President and Managing Director, Atsushi Najima.