I was wearing a souvenir shirt from Cambodia when we visited the ruins of an old port in Pugad Beach, just a few kilometers from Lawis Beach in Lianga. The ruins looked faintly like the temple ruins from Angkor Wat that we jokingly said to name the place “Anchor Whaaat” just to satisfy my touristy look because of my shirt.
It was on our third day in Lianga. My friends and I were on our way home so we decided to maximize our trip here. We weren’t sure when we’d be back so all of us girls said yes (sorry, boys).
From Gran Ola Surf Camp in Lawis, it was around two to three kilometers back onto the main highway in Lianga when we turned left. Seeing a road signage that read “Kaunan sa Katunggahan” it surprised me that there was a restaurant somewhere inside this road lined with mazes of limestone ponds that give you an idea that the area might be a shrimp or prawn farm of some sort.
Wang Tan, our local guide and resident surfer at Gran Ola, was telling us that the ruins here used to be from a port that was abandoned way back. Again, I forgot to ask when and a deeper history of the place but I promise to update this section once I do.
What else is good here in Pugad aside from taking unique photos from the ruins? It’s a white sand beach lined with cottages that seem like they are just free to be used for picnics and day trips.
I also heard that there are nearby surf spots from here so it’s interesting what more can we find from this place aside from the beautiful view in front. Like non-urban beaches, this little nook in Pugad seemed entrance fee free which is something I love.
It was quite a foreign concept for me to be required payment to pass through certain roads before reaching a destination. I’m probably not used to it but if the income goes straight to the right pockets then it’s a good thing. I sincerely hope it does.
My family and I went back to Lianga for the Holy Week. This sums my second visit to the Ruins here in Pugad. Like reading a book for the second time, visiting this place again made me notice things I haven’t seen during my first time.
Sometimes when we’re too fixated on getting to the destination, we fail to appreciate the views along the way. I didn’t notice how beautiful it was walking along the white sand dotted with beautiful driftwood. I only saw the driftwood when my mom was trying to see if she could carry one of the bigger pieces.
Of course, I reminded her that those belong to the sea and we couldn’t bring it home. She laughed off my reminders and told me not to worry. Looking back at that big piece of driftwood, it would really look lovely in our living room but again, it wasn’t ours to take home.
Another thing I’ve noticed is the cleanliness of the surroundings. Surprised to see that the locals actually pick up their own trash after a day’s picnic and bring it along home with them. That’s something I wished I’d see more often in other places in the Philippines.
While we’re enjoying the summer months, let’s remember a few things: leave the beach clean, pick up trash if we see any, throw trash properly, feet off corals and no touching of marine wildlife.
Check out the other stories in Lianga in my blog: www.millennialmermaid.com
