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To an out-of-towner, the name of the island would be creepy. "Patayan" when read without accent (slowly) would mean "Killing". But wait until you hear the locals pronounce the term. They pronounce it with an accute( ´ ) or fast accent on
the second syllable as in Patáyan, in the same way you
say Tapáyan (earthen jar).
Patayan Island in the foreground is not far from Grande Island which hosts the Pagbilao Power Plant as seen in the
background
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How to get there?
Being an island, Patayan could be reached by boat from anywhere within Pagbilao Bay such as Brgy. Bantigue or from the now-accessible-by-bridge Pagbilao Grande Island. If you don't want your vehicle to go thru the rigors of the routes described below, Patayan is even accessible by boat from the wharf in Brgy. Daungan in Pagbilao proper. The wharf is by bank of the Tambak river which drains out to the sea. But the nearest access would be from Sitio Angas, Brgy. Pinagbayanan.
To get to Sitio Angas, there are three
routes:
Route 1:
Just follow the National Highway going to Atimonan. Less
than one kilometer after Tambak bridge, you will notice a
hard left curve of the highway. Right after this curve, a
few meters before Cristy Motors (formerly Philip Motors),
is a small concreted road to your right. The concrete
portion is only for a few meters though. Follow this road
until you cross the railroad. This portion near the
railroad could be difficult for vehicles with low ground
clearance. After the railroad crossing, there is a steep
uphill climb followed by a downhill drive. A few meters
downhill, the road turns left while being joined by
another road from your right - take note that this is
where Route 2 joins in. Keep on following the road which
passes between fish ponds until you reach a residential
area where the road will be concrete again. The road
turns right from here until you reach the beach and you
will have a distant view of Patayan Island. You will find
fishermen's boats moored in the area. Use your
negotiating skills to hire one at a reasonable price.
Route 2:
From infront of the St. Catherine Church and Pagbilao
Municipal Hall, go east and find Gloria St. which is the
second corner from Quezon St. which is directly infront
of the church. Turn right at Gloria and go down the road
until you reach the railroad - take note of this crossing
which should be the start of Route 3. But we are still at
Route 2, so cross the railroad, turn right at the next
corner, then turn left to Quezon St. until you reach the
bridge. At the right foot of the bridge is Pagbilao Wharf
or locally known as Daungan - take note that this is the
wharf mentioned in the first paragraph where you may hire
a boat (at a higher price of course, due to longer route).
Following Route 2, cross the bridge, then thru a dirt
road passing in front of a subdivision, then between fish
ponds. This road will then join Route 1 as earlier noted
Route 3:
As noted in Route 2, the railroad crossing along Gloria
St. is a terminal for wooden trolleys driven by a single
cylinder engine. It uses the railroad to ferry passengers
to Angas Terminal which is located near the residential
area mentioned in Route 1. From the said residential area,
you may walk the remaining few meters down to the beach. From here, you may hire a motorboat to Patayan
If you will go picnicking and would take time on the island,
most fishermen here are not willing to wait because they have to attend to their crab traps laid in the Bay. More often than not, they will just arrange to drop you off and pick you later at an agreed time. In the unlikely event that the boatman did not show-up hours past pick-up time, your cellphones would be handy to ask for help from Pagbilao Police at 042-7317997.
Be sure to check the number, because as far as I know, the local police has changed numbers three times already. Note: 166 could not be accessed by cellphone.
Better yet, have someone's number in Pagbilao vicinity in your memory.
The island has been parceled and owned by a few rich
and not so rich individuals. Although some owners are
kind enough to allow a free use of their cottage or beach house, and some caretakers would even share a few of their
catch from the fish ponds inside the island, a few
may accuse you of trespassing if you land just
anywhere in the island. Thus,
the favorite spot for invaders is this sandbar or
"Tulay-Buhangin" in the northwest end. Surely, nobody could own and fence off this paradise which is partly submerged
during high tide.
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With many thanks to Ed Garcia for enhancing some pictures
on this page.
No material from this site (photos, creative writing,
narratives, quotes, etc) may be used without the written
consent of the copyright owner. All other materials,
previously sent as email attachments, handed over in
electronic/magnetic/optical storage media or by any other
means, shall not be given to third parties, but may be
borrowed by the original recipient for non-profit use
only, and only if due credit to the copyright owner is
appropriately indicated.
Gerry Lontok
Webmaster
latest update: Sept 27, 2004 (text corrected);
January 31, 2003 (text wrap corrected);
page first uploaded Oct. 15, 2002
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