Philippine Island For Sale: Medio/Rasa/San Andres Islands in Samar Thank you for Viewing this Ad. Pls Contact the Undersigned for Site Viewing Assistance. MARY ANN C. CALANTOC Licensed Real Estate Broker PRC REBL No.13690 +63917.2087948 +63932.4090469 ca.anncalantoc@gmail.com

1. MedioMedioMedioMedio IslandIslandIslandIsland
LOCAL NAME :Panganoron Island (Panganoron
being the native word for "sky")
AREA :401,124 sqm or 40.11 ha
or 99.12 acres
MAXIMUM ELEVATION :65 meters above sea level
OTHER PARTICULARS :Medio Island is one of the three islands owned by the heirs of
Martin Palacio, whose address is Dalupirit, San Antonio, Northern Samar, Philippines. The
two other islands owned by the heirs are Rasa and San Andres Islands. All three islands are
in that cluster of islands known since galleon times as Islas Naranjos (Naranjos being the
Spanish word for "oranges.) Medio itself is at the very center of this group of islands, hence
it's name Medio, meaning "middle" in Spanish. The whole island group lies at the entrance
from the Pacific along the Paso de Acapulco, or San Bernardino Strait. The Pacific Ocean is
nearly 10 nautical miles to the ENE. The Naranjos were the watering place and victualing

2. station for the Spanish galleons in olden times on voyage to and from Acapulco.The islands
are presently utilized as coconut plantations.
ECONOMIC PROSPECTS :Like its sisters Rasa and San Andres islands, Medio possesses its
main assets: clear blue waters and white beaches of fine sand. Its beach is about 200 meters
long and 60 meters wide, capped by a gently rolling hill ideal for resort cottages and
appurtenances. Mainland Luzon, Samar and Masbate with their airports are only 30
minutes by speedboat and 1 1/2 hour distant by motorboats. With their coral reefs, Medio
and sister islands are ideal for scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, yachting, jetskiing,
parasailing and marine life observation. Medio, Rasa and San Andres Islands, are the only
remaining islands of economic size with complete privacy in this area of the Philippines. As a
base for island hopping, sheltered from the NE tradewinds and SW monsoon; and calm
during most of the year, the islands are unsurpassed.
Medio Island has a clean title.
Price: USD$3,000,000

3. PROJECT SITE DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION
NARANJO ISLANDS
The Naranjo Islands lie 12º 13' North, 124º 02' East in the east central periphery of the
Philippine archipelago. This group of islands is bounded by Sorsogon in the North, Ticao
Island in the West, Masbate in the Southwest and Northern Samar in the Far East. It is
approximately 10 nautical miles from the Pacific Ocean and sits near the entrance along the
Paso de Acapulco, otherwise known as San Bernardino Strait.
Naranjo Islands (also known as San Vicente Islands) consist of six islands formed in a circle
cluster with Medio Island at the center. The other islands are San Andres, Rasa, Darsena,
Aguada and Escarpada. This group of islands lie within a volcanic belt that has been active
for the last 5 1/2 million years and stretches from Southeastern Luzon to Southeastern
Mindanao. This volcanic belt includes the active Mayon volcano in Albay.
The circular pattern of the islands and the volcanic composition suggests the group
represents the remnants of a submerged volcanic cone which may have formed during the
last ice ages when sea level was lower. On the other hand, it could have formed underneath
the ocean itself. Medio Island, the center of the group of islands, could be the dome of this
extinct volcano.

4. This group of islands have been the last stop for victuals by the Spanish galleons before
their long journey to Acapulco, Mexico.
Naranjo Islands previously belonged to the municipality of Capul. It was later transferred to
San Vicente when Destacado Island was renamed San Vicente in the early sixties. Naranjo
Islands belong to Region VIII and are part of Northern Samar.
The islands are presently utilized as coconut plantations.
In May 2007, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9458 [H. No. 786] - An Act declaring the island towns of Biri,
Capul, San Antonio and San Vicente (also known as Naranjo Islands), all in the province of
Northern Samar as ECO-TOURISM ZONES, was passed.

5. MEDIO ISLAND
Medio Island has many natural assets that would make it an ideal first class island beach
resort. It is a 40.1123 hectare island of gently rolling hills, mostly of coconut vegetation
and shrubbery. The highest point of the island is on its northern portion with a maximum
elevation of 65 meters above sea level.
Medio Island is approximately 1,300 meters long (SW to NE), 550 meters wide at its widest
point and some 330 meters at its narrowest portion. It is blessed with 3 beaches that could
serve a variety of purposes. Its main or South beach of fine white sand and corals is about
300 meters long and 60 meters wide. The North beach on the opposite side of the island is
approximately three quarters long compared to the main beach and is more secluded. The
West beach on the far end has a small extended portion on the West side and is about as
long as the main beach. It is separated from the main beach by a lava rock formation. This
beach has the best coral bed among the three beaches.
The Southern portion of the island has the least vegetation while the Northern part has the
most number of coconut trees. Small trees, shrubs and cogon grass also on the North and
West side of the island. Volcanic and lava rocks are visible around the islands.

6. ACCESSIBILITY
Medio Island is best accessible from Manila to Catarman, Northern Samar. It is also
accessible from the provinces of Cebu and Sorsogon.
* Philippine Airlines and AirPhil Express flies from Manila to Catarman daily. Flight time is 1
hour and 15 minutes. From the airport a 45 minute land trip to Allen after which a 30
minute speedboat ride or a one hour and a half long ride in a motorized boat to Naranjo
Islands will take the guests to Medio Island.
* Cebu has become an international gateway to Japan, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia
Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Australia. A night cruise from Cebu may be arranged to
bring the tourists to the island giving them enough time to rest before indulging in the
beaches of Medio Island.
* Manila - Sorsogon may be the longest route (about 12 hours by car or bus) if one travels
by land but it is definitely one of the most scenic routes as one passes through the many
idyllic towns of Southern Luzon. This route shall allow a short visit to the hot springs in Tiwi,
Albay; Mayon Volcano (the volcano with the perfect cone) and the Cagsawa church ruins in
Legaspi. The road ends in Matnog, Sorsogon. A ride in a motorized boat may take about an
hour and a half from Matnog. For those who would like to take a plane, a Manila-Legaspi
flight is available. Travel time is approximately one hour.

7. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
METEOROLOGY
Local Temperature
The climate in the general area of Samar is typically warm and humid. Local land and sea
breezes prevent extremely high temperatures at the beaches, so that a maximum often
occurs just before the onset of the sea breeze. The minimum temperature is reached just
before dawn. Mean annual temperature is 27.5 degrees Celsius and relative humidity is in
the low eighties.
Wind Condition
The prevailing winds are the Southwest monsoon which begins about the end of May up to
the middle or end of September; and the Northwest monsoon which generally starts
towards the beginning of October. The winds are normally light to moderate with an
average velocity of about 2 or 3 meters per second (5 to 7 miles per hour).
Rainfall
There is no weather station in Naranjo Islands. The nearest weather stations are in Masbate
and Catbalogan, Samar. The weather condition of Naranjo Islands may be an
approximation of those of Masbate and Catbalogan. Based on the Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Climatological Normals
Naranjo Islands' annual rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year and
may range from 2,000 mm to 2,600 mm with 35 percent occuring during the months of
October, November and December.

8. Weather Disturbances
Samar has always been mistakenly identified as synonymous to typhoons but the statistics
of PAGASA (1941-2001) indicate that Region VIII ranks only 5th among the 13 regions with
regards to the frequency of tropical cyclone passage. This may be attributed to the weather
station in the East coast of Samar, Borongan, where storms forming in the Pacific are
usually monitored. Most of these disturbances usually re-curve to the Northwest and spare
the province from the path of the storms. Those that do not re-curve pass through the
North and East coast of the province leaving the Naranjo Islands safe from the destructive
tracks of the typhoons.
In the area of Naranjo Islands weather disturbances seldom pass through. The surrounding
waters of Medio Island are generally calm most of the year although the North beach of
the island experiences swells during the Northeast monsoon season. PAGASA data
indicate Ticao Island, which is just west of Medio Island, had only one tropical cyclone
crossing its general area in the over 50 years.
OCEANOGRAPHY

9. Current Factors
The declination of the moon primarily dominates the currents in the San Bernardino Strait.
When the moon is nearest the equator, two flood and ebb currents occur each day, but as
the moon's declination increases there is an increasing velocity in the flood current and a
diminishing velocity in the ebb. At the moon's maximum declination, North or South of the
equator, the diurnal difference in the ebb current is so great that one ebb entirely
disappears and there occurs only but one flood and ebb current in a day. It will be noted
that during this time, the flood lasts for the longer time of the day and is of varying strength.
Current Flow in the General Area of Naranjo Islands
The North Equatorial Current approaches the Philippines as a broad West flow across the
Pacific. It is stronger during the Northeast monsoon and has an average velocity of 1 knot in
the latitude of Samar. The flood current enters the Samar Sea from the North through the
San Bernardino Strait at a velocity of about 4 or 8 knots and generally sets Southwest
between and around the Naranjo Islands, South between Capul and Dalupirit Islands and
South-Southwest between Dalupirit Island and the Northwest coast of Samar.
In the channel between Aguada and Escarpada Islands, the flood current sets Northwest;
and between Rasa and San Andres Islands, it sets Northeast. The meeting of the currents
causes rips and tides in the area Southwest of the San Andres Island, North of Rasa Island
and in the entrance of the passage between Rasa and Darsena Island.
FRESH WATER SOURCES
Aguada Island is the major source of spring water in the area. A large reservoir has been
constructed in Barangay Ternate of the same island. Water faucets are strategically located
in the small village for accessibility. Medio Island has a deep well but the water needs
boiling if it shall be used for drinking. Capul also is a major source of potable water.

10. MARINE FAUNA
The waters of Naranjo Islands are rich in marine life due to the strong currents from the San
Bernardino Strait. Magnificent coral gardens and tropical fishes abound in the area. One of
the investigated area, Binangtan Island off the North coast of Darsena, has the most
number of tropical fishes and splendid coral gardens. Hard and soft corals flourish in the
area like fan corals, table corals, vase corals, stag horn corals, among others. Moreover, the
waters surrounding Naranjo Islands are also considered the game fisherman's paradise
where varieties of fishes such as swordfish , marlin, yellow fin tuna and grouper can be
caught.
Some areas of Medio have long beds of beautiful corals and an abundance of colorful fishes
and marine life. A small portion of other areas have coral reefs with some damage primarily
because of blast fishing. Some corals in Medio Island's South beach and some portion of the
North beach have been regenerating. The diverse fishes in the area are interesting and
fascinating. Local fishermen are selling parrot fishes as large as 2 or 3 kilos a piece and
lobsters caught in the area. Sea abalones, large mussels, crabs, oysters and sea urchins
abound in the waters of Naranjo Islands.
VEGETATION
The Spaniards named the group of islands "Islas Naranjos" because of the oranges that grew
on the island during the galleon days. Unfortunately, the natives did not know how to care
for this type of trees and eventually they all died and were replaced by the sturdier coconut
trees which are now the major vegetation in the area. Crop planting like rice and vegetables
are virtually nil.
WILDLIFE
Naranjo Islands has not much wildlife to speak of. This may be attributed to the lack of
fresh spring water in the islands and hardwoods. There are no endangered species that may
be dislocated upon the transformation of the area into a tourism zone.

11. DIVING POTENTIAL OF THE AREA
The diving potential of the area may be gauged primarily from the current movements in
Naranjo Islands, its coral beds, adjacent islands with potentially good drop-offs and crystal
clear water. The strong currents coming from the San Bernardino Strait would indicate a
myriad of underwater life forms in the area. Marine fauna is expected to be abundant and
ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling.
At present, there are seven (7) major dive sites in the country. Namely:
1) Southwest tip of Batangas in the Verde Passage
2) Northern part of Mindoro including Puerto Galera
3) Busuanga area
4) Northern Palawan
5) Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea
6) Cuyo Islands in the Northeast area of Palawan
7) the waters between Negros, Cebu and Bohol
Due to the funnel-like structure of the San Bernardino Strait, current in this part of the
Samar Sea could be quite significant. The current flow in some areas of Naranjo Islands may
reach about 3 meters per second. Such currents may offer drift diving activities to the more
advanced divers. Drift diving could extend a diver's area of coverage and diving time. The
waters in this part of the Samar Sea may become the new frontier of the more adventurous
diving enthusiasts.
Investigated Area
With only 2 days of diving expedition, the area of the underwater survey was very limited.
The first dive was made at the Southern tip of Darsena where a good drop-off is located. The
area at the Northwestern side of Medio was surveyed and was found to have a number of
interesting underwater caves. A long bed of good corals have also been noted in the area.
Plenty of diverse tropical fishes abound. The southwest, East and Northeast areas of Medio
have a few broken and scattered corals due to blast fishing. The last area of be investigated
was the Binangtan Island in the North coast of Darsena. This has been the best coral

12. grounds so far surveyed. It has the most number of tropical fishes and the largest variety of
corals.
Other Possible Dive Areas
The islands in Naranjo are all surrounded by coral reefs and drop-offs. There are more than
a dozen potential diving areas waiting to be discovered. The waters of San Andres,
Escarpada and Aguada remains unexplored. Some of the possible interesting places are:
Budong Point, South end and the Northwestern tip of Escarpada, Caua Point and Samuro
Point of Aguada, Southeast and Northwest area and Sallao Point of San Andres, West
portion of Rasa and the channel between San Andres and Rasa.
Naranjo Islands are formed in a circular pattern such that one can always find a safe place
where the water is calm even during a storm. This unique formation coupled with the
numerous diving areas available to choose from make scuba diving relatively a 365 days a
year activity.
Diving Precautions
The strong current in and around the islands could pose some danger to the novice divers.
An extensive survey of the diving areas must be made to plot, plan and time dives according
to the existing current. The underwater caves on the North shore of Medio will be
extremely dangerous during strong currents as sucking motions were noticed on the first
dive to the caves as flood currents are coming in. Only advanced divers must be allowed to
do drift diving activities with strong current flow.
BRIEF HISTORY
Eastern Visayas is one of the most historical regions in the Philippines. It was the site of two
events that have influenced the country’s history. The first being the discovery of the
Philippines by a Portuguese explorer named Ferdinand Magellan in March 16, 1521 as he
landed on Homonhon Island off the southern tip of Samar. The second was the promised
return of the American General, Douglas MacArthur, in 1944 in the province of Leyte that
liberated the country from the Japanese occupation during the second World War.

13. The exploits of Magellan encouraged Spain to send in more expeditions and later
established the Manila Galleon Trade. The route passes through the Southern coast of
Luzon down to the San Bernardino Strait and across the Pacific to the California coast and
finally southward to Acapulco in Mexico. These voyages are long and perilous and may take
some 200 days or more and provisions are usually acquired where it was available. The
“Islas Naranjos” sitting near the mouth of the San Bernardino Strait was the galleons last
stop for water and other victuals before venturing out into the Pacific en route to Acapulco.
During World War II, the region became a major zone of the Pacific theater of conflict. Using
the same gateway that the conquistadors had taken some 400 years ago, Gen. MacArthur
took a gamble and penetrated the center of a Japanese network of airfield and military
bases by landing in Leyte to defeat the Japanese army.