The Raw, Rural Life In The Town of Malabuyoc & Ginatilan

The good thing about this life is you can travel to places you haven't visited yet and bring the place's culture, people, and destinations with you when you go home. But the sad part is it gives you a poignant or painful feeling because you are leaving a place that has already become dear to your heart. Luckily, memories store them in our hearts even when we could not bear to, and we remember them forever as we continue our lives.

We all have our favorite places. It could be beaches, mountains, a home, a cafe, or a secret spot only you know. These places have shaped our understanding of what life really is, in different ways, like when you get home from a cafe and you understand that there is comfort in your dark days, or from mountains that teach you the importance of having responsibility for your own happiness. No matter where you are heading, always make sure to enjoy and observe the meaningful ones.

Speaking of meaningful, I had one in Malabuyoc, Cebu, in the summer of 2024 with my family. The town was quite big and that time I was not a fan of taking photos in each place we visited until I met Hive, who taught me why it is an advantage to document your life. Well, I learned the lesson, and I hope you can still enjoy the beauty of Malabuyoc in these shots I randomly took as a teenager.

Two things I like about Malabuyoc as a dual place are its beaches and green landscape. Malabuyoc has a perfect resemblance to my hometown San Remigio, and knowing it has what we have here in my original town makes it feel like my actual home. Not to mention the fact that I was with my family, so the experience and warmth were peak.

For context, Malabuyoc is a municipality on the southeastern coast of Cebu that is bordered by the towns of Alegria and Ginatilan, which we visited after this municipality. It faces the Tañon Strait and has a beautiful coast (from what I saw, even if they were common, the water was clear—my standard).

An interesting legend about this municipality's name is that it is said to have originated from fruit-laden trees in the place that used to bend down to the ground because of the fruits growing on them, making them bend under their weight. The Cebuano term for bent branches is "buyoc," creating the name we now know as Malabuyoc, founded in the year 1832.

Historically, Malabuyoc was home to indigenous people called Pintados who were active in agriculture, fishing, and trading along the town's coast and boulevard. They were doing this even before the Spanish colonization. In the present, one of its practices—agriculture—became the backbone of the town, bringing life and people together into various devotions. People now do farming, planting rice and other staple plants, and nurturing fruit crops in its very own land, which makes up approximately 80% of the whole municipality. While most of them do wide farming in the rural parts, people in the urban areas are not left behind as they do small-scale farming and livestock raising in their own homes, just like my grandfather, who was hyperfixated on chickens. People also do fishing in the town, especially those who live near the coast, but farming was what I often encountered when we stayed there because my Lolo’s house was located in the farm.

Aside from farming and fishing, tourism destinations—its unspoiled natural beauty—also shape the identity of Malabuyoc, with all its springs, waterfalls, beaches, churches, and valleys attracting tourists and visitors to feast on its beauty. Some popular destinations like the Mainit Hot Springs, Kabutongan Falls, and the Old San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church are flocked by interested visitors who want to experience the town, with each place offering exciting activities and experiences. A sense of adventure and rustic getaway awaits in the town of Malabuyoc, and no wonder it puts its name on the list of must-travel places in the island of Cebu.

One thing I love about Malabuyoc is its Binuyocan Festival that is held every year to honor the patron saint, St. Nicholas of Tolentino. Malabuyoc is full of heritage and I, as a visitor, was proud of it. There are many festivals in Malabuyoc like the Pahinungod and Sinulog that honor different saints and the agricultural aspect of the town.

Since Malabuyoc is agricultural, many locals still practice coconut and banana farming early in the morning in the farm, giving you insight into what it is like to live in the town. I used to walk around the green landscapes of my grandfather's place, full of coconuts, and sometimes go for a ride along the road overlooking the sea. I visited so many places there, especially the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish, but life was too enjoyable to use phones.

I will leave you in this blog with a beach resort we visited during our stay—the Malabuyoc Resort Cebu. The resort is fairly large and accommodating, and includes a view of the landscape containing fruit and vegetable plants like coconut, banana, and papaya. If you want to experience the natural, less-touristed side of Cebu, in Malabuyoc, this resort will let you enjoy nature and the rural life of the town with a mix of agriculture and culture.

Meeting the people of Malabuyoc was, lastly, my favorite. The people there were so welcoming and warm to converse with, whether you meet them at the beach while catching the sunset or in the farm while walking around and finding yourself talking with the veteran farmers and adults who were there to make sense of their life. Many things are wonderful in Malabuyoc, but these I have featured are only a few of them. So much life happens in this place that no narrative can capture; it needs to be experienced, it needs to be felt personally, and the story begins there. This blog is just an invitation, and blossom by blossom, Malabuyoc is open to welcome you. And maybe one day, you will find a piece of yourself resting gently in its quiet corners.

In a ride of 20-25 km from Malabuyoc, you can reach Ginatilan, its neighbouring place where we had our second stop. It took only 40 minutes to reach there. Specifically in Inambakan Falls. Then headed again to our home in Malabuyoc to go back in our town of San Remigio. The experiences were so dear and enjoyed I can vividly remember them. Life is amazing, isn't it?