Fastcraft

Golden Express Vessel of Oceanjet is a fastcraft that travels to Camotes. Fare ranges from Php 400 pesos or more per passenger. The Bullet Express Vessel travels faster than pumpboats. Although it’s quite expensive than the regular pumpboats, the ride usually takes (at most) in 2 hours or less. Schedules are subject to change without notice.

Golden Express Oceanjet contact numbers:
+63-32-2557560
+63-32-4205467
+63-32-4205468
+63-32-346020

Poro – Cebu (Pier 1)

Pumpboat

There are many available pumpboats going to Camotes. Just go to the ports of Danao , and Mandaue Ouano Warf.

From Danao port, a pumboat travels for about 2 hours or more, depending on the weather. The fare is around Php 180 pesos per passenger.

If it’s you’re first time around Cebu and don’t know where to go, just start at central city of Cebu, called Colon. Just take a ride by taxi or jeepney. All jeepneys pass in this street. Look for a Mandaue jeepney going to Ouano Wharf. If you are lost, just ask around, a policeman, also called CITOM, that you can find in the area.

If you’re in Mandaue, and in case you miss the boat via Ouano Wharf, you can still catch the pumpboat in Danao port. Go to AS Fortuna Street corner Mandaue City, Cebu, and jeepneys going to Danao are waiting for you. If you find it difficult to ride a jeepney, there’s always a taxi cab.

If you choose Danao, take a jeepney or bus going to SM. When you reach SM, take another jeepney or a cab going to Danao. There are also Vans-for-hire, also called “V-hire”, ready in the SM terminal located just behind the mall. There are also jeepneys for Mandaue routes near SM Mall. Schedules below are subject to change without notice.

Via Danao; DAILY SCHEDULE

Via Ouano Wharf (Mandaue); DAILY SCHEDULE

Ferryboat

You can also take the barge(ferryboat), like M/V MELRIVIC of E.B. Aznar Shipping, but it travels slower, about 3 hours or longer. Go to Pier 2 by cab or jeepney. Pier 2 is just a few blocks away from the historical monument, Plaza Independencia. If you get pass the corners of S. Osmeña Street and P. Gomez Street. For just a few meters, you can see the gate of Pier 2. You can catch the ferryboat at the following times: Schedules are subject to change without notice.

M/V MELRIVIC of E.B. Aznar Shipping

G.E.G Sea Transport Services

for more updated schedules go to http://schedule.ph/boat/from/Cebu-City/to/Camotes

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Camotes consists of four islands, Pacijan Island or San Francisco town, Poro Island that includes Poro and Tudela town, Ponson Island, where you can find the town of Pilar, and a tiny Tulang Island.

The islands of Pacijan and Poro are connected by a paved road.

Camotes are low-lying islands. There is only one hill on Pacijan and another hill on Poro. These hills are used by a telecommunications company for relay stations. Pacijan has a fresh-water lake around two kilometers in length.

Palm trees are the dominant plant on the islands. There are also numerous native varieties of fruit trees and other plants.

In these islands, you can find variety of white sand beaches and tourist attractions that you will enjoy.

The map of Camotes Islands, Cebu, Philippines

Map of Camotes

Coordinates: 10° 40′ 0″ N, 124° 24′ 0″ E

More here: http://stable.toolserver.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Camotes_Islands&params=10_40_N_124_24_E_region:PH_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki#Help

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In 1945, the liberation was taken by the Philippine Commonwealth troops landed in Camotes Islands in Cebu we fronted the battles against the Japanese forces in the Battle of Camotes Islands during World War II.

The word camotes is Mexican for sweet potatoes.

Source: wikipedia.com

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Barangays: Politically subdivided into 17 barangays.
Livelihood and Resources: farming

• Adela
• Altavista
• Cagcagan
• Cansabusab
• Daan Paz
• Eastern Poblacion
• Esperanza
• Libertad
• Mabini
• Mercedes
• Pagsa
• Paz
• Rizal
• San Jose
• Santa Rita
• Teguis
• Western Poblacion

San Francisco – Population: 41,327 people in 8,189 households.

Barangays: Politically subdivided into 15 barangays.
Livelihood and Resources: farming, fishing

• Montealegre
• Cabunga-an
• Campo
• Consuelo
• Esperanza
• Himensulan
• Northern Poblacion
• San Isidro
• Santa Cruz
• Santiago
• Sonog
• Southern Poblacion
• Unidos
• Union
• Western Poblacion

Tudela – Population of 10,401 people in 2,313 households(2000 census)

Barangays: Politically subdivided into 11 barangays.
Livelihood and Resources: farming, fishing

• Buenavista
• Calmante
• Daan Secante
• General McArthur
• Northern Poblacion
• Puertobello
• Santander
• Secante Bag-o
• Southern Poblacion

Pilar – Population of 11,226 people in 2,638 households. (2000 census)

Barangays: Politically subdivided into 13 barangays.
Livelihood and Resources: farming, fishing

• Biasong
• Cawit
• Dapdap
• Esperanza
• Lanao
• Lower Poblacion
• Moabog
• Montserrat
• San Isidro
• San Juan
• Upper Poblacion
• Villahermosa
• Imelda

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Filipino, is the de facto standard version of Tagalog, spoken mainly in Metro Manila, and other urban regions. Tagalog and English are used in government, education, print and broadcast media, and business.

Cebuano, and Bisaya, are widely used in Central parts of the Philippines, like Cebu and Bohol.

Porohanon is a native language in Camotes Islands in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Its closest relatives are Hiligaynon and Masbateño and is barely intelligible with Cebuano though it shares 87% of its vocabulary with it.

More at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebuano_language

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The dry season is from March to June. This season is when you experience no rainfall and full sun. The warmest month is May. Humidity levels reach the maximum in April and May.

The rainy season is from July to February, where rain falls heavily especially on November to December. The coolest month is January.

Winds

“Amihan” or the north easterly wind blows from September to March.

From June to August, the southwesterly wind, called “Habagat” starts. It’s windy and in these times, the calming sea leashes its big waves. The “Habagat” wind normally goes through an eight days cycle, which means, eight days of storm, low depressions, and rain. After 8 wet days, the weather abruptly changes to sunny and dry. During this season, Camotes Island is visited by typhoons and low depression.

The Monsoons
These powerful winds carrying water from the ocean are returning every year, it’s a reason why they are often associated with the concept of season (monsoon comes from the Arabic word mausin).

From the southeast (Pacific Ocean), from May to October, storms and Typhoons carry heavy rains, especially to the eastern part of the country. From the northwest from the month of November to April is not rain intensive.

The monsoons are actually drawing very distinct seasonal schemes in the Philippines. Hence, three seasons are observed throughout the year, more distinctively in the northwestern parts of the country:

December to February is cool and dry
March to May is hot and dry
June to November is rainy season.

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The peso is usually denoted by the symbol ““. This symbol was added to the Unicode standard in version 3.2 and is assigned U+20B1 (₱). Due to the lack of font support, the symbol is often substituted with a simple “P”, a P with one horizontal line instead of two (available as the peseta sign, U+20A7 (₧), in some fonts), as “PHP”, or “PhP”.

Philippine banknotes are currently issued in the following denominations:

• 5 piso*
• 10 piso*
• 20 piso
• 50 piso
• 100 piso
• 200 piso
• 500 piso
• 1000 piso

Source and more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_peso

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The spirit of bayanihan is a Filipino traditon is practiced in provinces like Camotes Islands. It is taken from the word bayan, (which means nation, town or community) in unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. An example of this is carrying the house to its new location.

They are simple happy people. They sing karaoke and celebrate fiestas with good cheer. They drink and dine to celebrate and cheers for a good life. They have close family ties and honor their parents with much respect. Most of them marry at an early age or get an education in other provinces, like Cebu and Manila. The families live almost as close ties together, like a few blocks from their house. Most of them live in the same barrio (village). They entertain themselves by watching television and radios. But not most of them have electricity– one of the factors why peace and serenity reside in the island.

They also practice common beliefs and customs in the Philippines, like wedding practices, birthdays, house blessings, anniversaries, death and among other things.

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Motorbikes, and “Habal-Habal”

You can rent a motorbike or have the driver with you to get to your desired destination. “Habal-Habal” is a motorbike that can carry more than 6 passengers. They mostly stay at ports waiting for passengers.

Jeepneys

A jeepney is a public transportation more like a bus than can carry more than 10 passengers. It is smaller than the actual bus. Jeepneys were originally made by US military jeeps in World War II. Today, they are re-assembled and enhanced with decorations, and is now well-known for their flamboyant decoration. They have become a symbol of Philippine culture.

Multicabs, a semi-jeepney vehicle without the adornments, are also there to provide transportation.

Private Vans

Vans are also one of the means of transportation in the island.

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For colleges,

• Mt. Moriah College in Poro,
• Camotes Visayan Institute in Poro
• Cebu State College of Science and Technology Camotes , also called Fishery and Industrial College in San Francisco
• Pilar Institute

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