Kalanggaman Island named Eastern Visayas’ most visited destination

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 7 (PNA) – Kalanggaman Island remains the most visited destination in the region last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office here reported.

The picturesque Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte has attracted 95,677 tourists in 2016, the highest among all the tourist sites in the region.

DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa S. Tiopes said the Island gained its prominence through social media.

”Whenever someone searches Eastern Visayas or Leyte online, the Kalanggaman Island appeared to be the number one attraction,” Tiopes said

“People have been posting images in social media and through those visuals, the tourists could see its beauty. It is like a paradise calling them to come. The impact of social media is really bringing a strong persuasion to the people,” she added.

In 2013, the island started to gain international exposure after the MV Europa Cruise line stopped over on the island and brought almost 400 passengers, who stayed for couple of hours.

This was followed by MS Breman, MS Europa II, which brought close to 2,000 tourists to the island in the last two years.

Kalanggaman Island is the jewel of the government’s tourism program. The island beach destination sprawled on a sandbar in the middle of the sea is located in Palompon town.

The island is famous for its crystal-clear seawater, white powdery sand and long sand bars stretching on both sides of the island.

There are a lot of activities that can be done best in Kalanggaman such as swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, aqua-biking, scuba diving, and camping.

The island has a length of 753 meters and is still uninhabited. There is no privately-owned resort but overnight camping is allowed. The local tourism office of Palompon limits the number of tourists to 500 per day to preserve its natural beauty.(PNA)

FPV/SQM/John Ray B. Sudario (OJT)