Camiguin
Location
There are three ports operating in the province
of Camiguin. The main port of entry is in Benoni, with minor
ports at Balbagon and Guinsiliban. Balbagon Port links Cagayan
de Oro and Cebu, Benoni Port links with Balingoan and Cagayan
de Oro, and Guinsiliban Port which also has a roro landing
facility links with Balingoan and Cagayan de Oro.
How to get there
Camiguin can be reached either by ferryboat
or small aircraft. The fastest way to get to the island from
Manila is to take any of the commercial flights to Cagayan
de Oro City. In Cagayan de Oro, one can either hire a taxi
right outside the airport terminal or take the bus in the
city center to Balingoan Port in Misamis Oriental. The bus
terminal is located at Agora, Lapasan.
Depending on the weather condition, it takes
about one hour and a half to two hours by land to reach Balingoan
Port, which is 84 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro. This port
is the nearest jump-off point to Camiguin. The ferryboat ride
to Benoni Port in the Municipality of Mahinog takes about
one hour. This port is 17 kilometers from Mambajao, the capital
of Camiguin Province which can be reached by jeepneys.
For those who would like to take their own
vehicles to Camiguin, some of the ferryboats at Balingoan
Port can transport cars, pick-ups, vans, and even large trucks
to the Benoni Port at Camiguin. It must be noted however that
a number of fees have to be paid to transport these vehicles.
These includes wharfage, barangay taxes, and miscellaneous
other fees that are imposed when going in either direction
and these fees get to be quite a substantial amount.
Some vehicle owners avoid paying for these
fees by leaving their vehicles at Balingoan and just avail
of public transportation when in the Island of Camiguin. The
advantage of bringing along one's vehicle to Camiguin is the
convenience of having one's own ride in moving about the island.
It does get to be uncomfortable riding in overloaded jeepneys
and motorelas when in Camiguin Island since there are no taxi
cabs or rental vehicles available. Portrayed below are three
photographs of the Benoni Port in Camiguin.