MS Europa 2 visits Kalanggaman Island thrice in 6 years
- Fulcrum
- Jan 31, 2019
- 2 min read
By Marc M. Costan
MS Europa 2 visited Kalanggaman Islet thrice in six years— March 2013, October 2014, and January 13, 2019 carrying 458 German-speaking foreign passengers on board.
The Germany-based Hapag Lloyd cruise ship arrived nearby the islet at around 10 am and the tourists set foot at around 12 pm. The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Palompon and PIT’s KaaPIT – Sayaw welcomed the foreign visitors with a local dance presentation.
“The island is the best that we ever had been on,” cruise director Stefanie Laemmerhirt shared in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Laemmerhirt said that the tourists were “so happy” and “so in love” with Kalanggaman and its local dance, recalling, “When they [came] to the island, they already [felt] that they [were] so welcome and that’s the best thing ever.”
Raoul Bacalla, head of the Palompon Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), said that in 2018 alone, the islet posted a P22.4M income, higher than the P18.5M of 2017. Moreover, P16M was generated in 2016. Those have made tourism the top source of income in Palompon since Kalanggaman is considered one of the top performing destinations in the country.
The islet has also been part of the itinerary of several cruise ships including MS Bremen in May 2013 and MS Europa in December 2015.
Continuing its series of visits since 2013, MS Europa 2 is set to come back in March this year. The ship left the islet at 10 pm and sailed for Bohol, another route stop of the cruise ship.
There was a security team on the islet to ensure the safety of the visitors. It was composed of the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Navy. It was the first time that the Philippine Navy participated in the islet’s security, LGU Palompon Tourism Consultant Cleofe P. Rivera said.
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