My Island Life

Salty hair. Sandy toes. Tanned skin.

This is the life i will never trade for anything else in this world. A life of simplicity and tranquility. This is where my heart belongs. This is my comfort amidst life's complications, my resting shoulder, and my source of peace in this world of chaos.

This is my home.

Welcome to Ticao Island, Masbate! 🌊

Ticao Island is an island with a total land area of (334 km2 or 129 sq mi). It is one of the three major islands of Masbate Province in the Philippines. It is separated from the Bicol Peninsula by the Ticao Pass. The other two major islands are Masbate Island (3,290 km2 or 1,270 sq mi) and Burias Island (424 km2 or 164 sq mi). Source:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticao_Island)

Living an Island Life

For me, growing up in an island is such a blessing. Sunny shores, sandy beaches, turquoise seas, swaying coconut palms, and delicious seafoods - your dream tropical vacation. But, i tell you, our island is so much more than just the beach and the shorelines.

Our island is a place where everyone knows each other and treats like their own family. We called everyone's mom tita/auntie, and everyone's dad tito/uncle although we're not related by blood. During birthday celebrations or even during normal days, we usually give a part of the food we cook to our neighbors to simply share our blessings. This is a place where everyone cares for each other and sharing is an everyday thing. We also value respect so much that until today we still do our traditional 'pagmamano' and 'po/opo' to pay respect to elders.

Despite the advancement of technology, you can still see here, children playing on the streets 'til the sun goes down. 🤼‍♀️ They play teks (it's different from the 'text' that the younger generation knows nowadays), sipa 👣, patintero, luksong tinik, luksong baka, chinese garter, jolens (marbles), basketball 🏀 , bahay-bahayan (where someone pretends to be mom, dad, and children), and many more. They also make bubbles from a detergent soap or even shampoo mixed with gumamela crushed flowers to make it more slippery.

We don't usually eat fast foods.🍟🍔 Instead we eat freshly home-made food and freshly picked fruits from our backyards.

We love ice cream🍦, but not the ice cream you usually see in supermarkets. Our ice cream is from a man who rings a bell while passing the streets or sometimes we also eat home-made ice candies straight from our freezer.

We love the sun, the sea water, the sea breeze, the sand, the seafoods, the trees, and everything this place has to offer. This is our kind of paradise, an island far from the over-populated and polluted cities.

This is the place where I grew up and made memories worth remembering. This is where I was honed that made me who I am today. I have been to several places already, but I always find myself coming back to my home, Ticao Island.

Wherever life brings me, being an island girl will always be a part of me.