BEAUTIFUL BEACHES AND RESORTS
HISTORICAL CHURCH
The Immaculate Concepcion Parish was established as a visita of Boljoon in 1690 and became an
independent parish in 1848 with the Immaculate Conception as its
patroness.
The church is connected to the parish house or convento that still has its original clay-tiled roof. Across the church is the former mortuary chapel with a pediment decorated with a relief of a human skeleton.
On March 26, 2008, a fire (1:40 a.m. to 4:00 a.m.) gutted the 19th-century church's interior, including the altar and adjacent rectory, but it spared the image of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, which is inside a glass case, and the 73 other icons near the door to the bell tower.
CUARTEL BEACH
Located front-right of the church of Oslob, just outside the perimeter stone fence and near the sea, at the intersection of Calle Aeternidad and the end of Calle Aragones, an unfinished building made of coral blocks resembling a Spanish-era barracks stand. This unfinished structure was the cuartel, intended for the Spanish soldiers or guardia civil.
It was started by Fray Juan Jose Aragones (1848–1854, 1859–1861) during
his second term of service in this municipality. While it was not
finished by Fray Aragones, work continued but remained unfinished until
the end of Spanish occupation in 1898.
GIGANTIC WHALE SHARKS
Whale sharks are spotted in Tan-awan, Oslob which is 10 km away from the
center of the town. It started last September 2011 and become a tourist
attraction and popular all over the world. Local fishermen’s interact
with the whale sharks by feeding them by hand while tourists find it
entertaining.
SUMILON ISLAND
The Island of Sumilon is located in the southeastern tip of the
Municipality of Oslob in the province of Cebu. The island has an area of
24 hectares and has clear waters with varying aquamarine hues and white
sand beaches in different areas of the island.
The island is famous throughout the country and internationally for the exceptional beauty of its dive sites. Sumilon has four major dive sites, which are Garden Eel Plaza, Nikki’s Wall, Coral Landscape and Julie’s Rock. The island’s diving sites are famous for their superb visibility, stunning reefs and abundance of varied tropical marine species that provide an ideal and memorable dive. There are occasional sightings of black tip sharks during dives. A popular attraction in Sumilon Island is its sandbar because of its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island depending on the season.
Other places of interest in the island are a natural lagoon teeming with high mangroves and natural caves used by fishermen to seek refuge during storms, and a pristine lake. On the south portion of the island, a lighthouse rests on a protected tree park and beside it is a “Baluarte”, a historical watchtower built as part of a warning system to thwart slavers and marauders in the 19th century.
TUMALOG FALLS
Tumalog Falls or also called “Toslob or Mag-ambak Falls” was merely a side-trip after whale watching early in the morning. It should not have been the case, as this natural wonder is such a breathtaking view. There are several options in going to Tumalog Falls. My family and relatives rode SUV’s which is more convenient on our Senior Citizen companions. First you need to take a bus heading to Oslob. I would prefer a Ceres Bus. Then you can take a motorcycle from the main road of Oslob for Php 60.00 per person. Don’t worry, it’s not a bumpy ride.
The road from the drop off point if you brought your car is cemented and is safe for walking. A fair warning though, the roads are quite steep, so better wear comfortable rubber sole shoes and not slippers. Entrance to the falls is Php 20.00 per person. It’s about a 10 to 15 minute trek heading towards the falls from the drop off point, no sweat.
TOSLOB FESTIVAL
The official festival of the Municipality of Oslob is Toslob Festival which is held during the feast of the Immaculate Concepcion which falls in December, every year.
The official was originally named Sadsad Festival and then was renamed to Sadsadayon Festival during the first term of Mayor Ronald Guaren in the year 2007. The next year, 2008, the festival's name was changed to Toslob Festival which refers to how the town of Oslob got its name. Thus, the festival has undergone 3 years already (as of 2010).
