LakbayLoyd Lighthouse Series 27: EL FARO DE CABO SAN AGUSTIN, Lavigan, Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental

Mindanao is my most favorite destination and there's no doubt about it. But it became more interesting for me to explore Mindanao because of one historic lighthouse really worth visiting and documenting.

My search for historic lighthouses in the Philippines led me to conquer all of them - from the northernmost point of Luzon in Palaui Island, Sta. Ana, Cagayan (Cape Engaño Lighthouse) down to the southernmost in the southeasterly tip of the province of Davao Oriental for the Cape San Agustin Lighthouse.

Cape San Agustin Lighthouse is situated at Sitio Talisay, Barangay Lavigan, Municipality of Governor Generoso.

I almost thought I have visited most odd places in Mindanao but getting to Cape San Agustin was even odder, and a bit tricky. The truth, I had no idea where I'm going due to limited information about the place on the net. So, good luck to me!

From Davao City, it will take three hours to reach Gov. Generoso via L300 vans from Gaisano Mall of Davao transport terminal.

Now this is the tricky part - you won't find any signage for vans going to Gov. Generoso, instead you have to look for the van going to Sigaboy, the town's former name.

The van left the terminal at 5:00 am. The sun was up by the time we reached the Davao Oriental marker. The scenic view of Davao Gulf as the van passed the road down to Gov. Generoso kept me awake and thrilled.

Now, the next tricky part. The van ride ends in Poblacion when your reach Gov. Generoso but the lighthouse is nowhere near. To get there, you have to pass through several other south district barangays from the town center and has to hire a habal-habal (negotiate with the driver or else...) for another hour to the Cape. 

Cape San Agustin (without the lighthouse) was considered a most important strategic navigational demarcation during the Spanish colonial era, more so even after the first lighthouse was built in 1938 during the Americans and Japanese in World War II where both forces had radar installations near the Cape. There are two lighthouses of different designs built to replace the older ones.
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The view from the top of the cape is a stunning panoramic view of the Celebes Sea and the Gulf of Davao, reason why it is becoming more and more popular to locals and visitors recently to witness the breathtaking, almost postcard-like view of the horizon.

Down to the other side of the lighthouses, one will find the Parola Beach or also known as Pundaguitan Beach, a stunning stretch of pink sand beach facing the ravaging waves of the clear waters of Celebes Sea.

MATI CITY’s Hidden Wonders

Mati City, the capital of the province of Davao Oriental, has been receiving good reviews from tourists and nature lovers alike. Having read several comments about this simple, quiet and somehow laidback remote city located down under, I decided to discover the hidden wonders of this city myself.

To get there, one can take either an air-conditioned bus or van from Davao City and the trip usually takes three hours to Mati City transport terminal. Tricycles and habal-habals are the most common mode of transportation to get you to any destination around the city. There are no taxis.

First stop – Dahican Beach.

A 30-minute ride either by habal-habal or tricycle will take you to Dahican Beach. Little by little, this long stretch of undisturbed white sand beach facing the Pacific Ocean has been getting surfers’ attention. In fact, Dahican is now tagged as the next surfers’ paradise after Siargao . There are no commercial establishments, not even a nice restaurant along the beach. However, surfing equipment are always available for rent.

Second stop – Cinco Masao Beach Resort and Waniban Island

There are a lot of beach resorts in Mati City to choose from but I found Cinco Masao as the best in terms of location and facilities. Accommodation is cheap with a magnificent panoramic view of Pujada Bay and the nearby Waniban and Pujada Islands. Visiting Waniban Island or Pujada Island should never be missed. Rent a motorized banca for P1,200 for the entire day to take you to these islands. Spend the rest of the day swimming or snorkeling or scuba diving, or simply relax and get mesmerized by the beauty of the islands surrounded by undisturbed white sand beaches.