John Christian Santos
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The island of Camiguin in Northern Mindanao now has three of its top tourist spots in the list of the Philippines’ national cultural treasures.
On the occasion of Camiguin’s 51st celebration of its foundation day on January 7, the provincial government announced the successful inclusion of the Sunken Cemetery, Guinsiliban Moro Watch Tower and Bonbon’s Gui-ob Church Ruins in the list of Camiguin sites declared National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum of the Philippines
Camiguin officials unveiled the sites’ heritage makers while advocating for their preservation and the promotion of their beauty and rich history for future generations. The 3 Camiguin National Cultural Treasures are:
- Guinsiliban Moro Watch Tower located near the Guinsiliban pier is believed to have once been part of a fortress that served to help locals monitor incoming threats from “Moros” or Muslims pirates who committed crimes and damages in the area.
- Guiob Old Church Ruins in Bonbon, Catarman is part of a bigger structure adjacent to the tower. Along with the Convent and Campanario the church ruins is a reminder of the Mt. Vulcan eruption in the 1871 which destroyed the church, leaving only its walls and columns standing.
- Sunken Cemetery is another one of the reminders of nature’s wrath in the area following the same volcanic eruption. The eruption sunk the cemetery and it has stayed underwater since then. A large white cross erected in the Sunken Cemetery in 1982 serves as a scenic spot and a memorial to ancestors of Caminguingnon locals.
Today, the three Camiguin National Cultural Treasures attract tourists from around the world as testimonies to man’s and nature’s wills.
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