Balsa Alubijid Misamis Oriental

Balsa Alubijid Misamis Oriental

Last March 9, we had time to visit one of the newest attractions in Northern Mindanao which is located at Alubijid Misamis Oriental. The tourist destination that I am talking about is the Balsa wherein we went there to celebrate my birthday (Happy Birthday to me) 🙂 This is also my first time celebrating my birthday out of town because it is a different town… LOL. Alubijid and Laguindingan are close municipalities wherein you can visit also the resort tourist attraction called Sicolon Cove Resort in Laguindingan. By the way, let’s go back to the Balsa of Alubijid.

Short background or history about Alubijid before we proceed.. 🙂

Alubijid is a 4th class municipality in the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 29,724 people and has 16 barangays under this municipality.

This newest popular attraction or destination right now at Alubijid and they call it Balsa. Basically, Balsa is a very lightweight wood used chiefly for making models and rafts or small rafts or boats. Balsa became popular in the late quarter of 2020 when the municipality of Alubijid started promoting their new tourist attraction in the province.

This Balsa is a floating cottage that can carry from 30-40 persons and the rate will cost around 2,500-3,500 pesos depending on how big is your need. This floating cottage has a mini pool for your children to enjoy as well. This is also to prevent your children from going swimming in that very deep sea that’s why all Balsa in Alubijid has a mini pool for your children.

What's Inside

Balsa Cottage Amenities

Mini pool – For your children to enjoy while you are there and to avoid too much stress.
Dining Area – Of course, a place like this should have a dining area where you will gather during your meal.
Grilling Station – If you bring some food to grill then don’t worry because all Balsa in Alubujid has a grilling station but the only problem I saw is that, some of the balsa has a small grilling area but still you can cook and grill.
Dressing Room – Yup, they have a dressing room for you to change your clothes during and after the swim.
Life Jackets – This is an SOP to the Balsa owners that their guests should wear life jackets during the boat transfer and if you swim into the sea. This is a really good feature in a Balsa to avoid an accident during your happy moment in the Balsa,
and more!

Guide to Balsa Alubijid

From Cagayan de Oro:

Ride a jeep that is going to (Alubijid, Laguindingan, and Iligan City) or ride a bus going to Iligan City at the Bulua westbound terminal.
Going there around 25-28 kilometers and around 40-45 minutes travel time but it depends how fast your driver is.
If you reach Alubijid, then stop at the overpass of Alubijid, and inform the driver or conductor that you will stop at the overpass of Alubijid.
From there, you can ride a minicab or Tok-Tok inform that you will be going to Balsa sa Bay-bay. (not sure about the fair).
From the crossing going to Balsa, around 10-15 minutes then that’s it.

From Iligan City:

Ride a jeep that is going to Cagayan de Oro or ride a bus.
Then stop at the overpass of Alubijid and then follow the guide above.

Google Map going to Balsa Alubijid

But if you are going by a private vehicle, around 30-35 minutes is the travel time.

Actually, there are 2 Balsa places operating in Misamis Oriental as far as I know. The Alubijid area and the Languindingan area, but the Balsa in Languidingan could not operate at this moment because of the road construction going there. No vehicle can enter that area at the moment.

What to avoid at Balsa Alubijid

Do not bring any pork to the grill or Lechon because the municipality of Alubijid banned pork from other places. They have an ordinance to ban all the pork outside their municipality. So if I were you, bring only seafood to cook and chicken for grilling.
By going to Balsa, you should book ahead for your balsa to avoid hassle when you arrive in the area. They allowed their guest to enter as early as 6:00 AM and will enjoy up to 4:00 PM, given that the weather is really good.

For Safety purposes

The Balsa operators have the right to get all their guests if the wave of the sea start to big or the weather condition is not good.
Always wear your life vest all the time when you go swimming.
Watch your children all the time.
Don’t let your children run around the Balsa to avoid an accident.

I hope this post helps you enjoy your Balsa moment, please don’t forget to share this post with your friends and to your Facebook wall. 🙂