Tingko Beach is a public beach located 94 kilometers south of Cebu City. Tingko beach, how do I love (or hate) thee? Let me count the ways.
How do I love thee?
- Located by the highway, it's very easy to find.
- It's free. Or we may unknowingly have dodged the fee collector (a friend who has been to Tingko beach told me that a fee of Php10-20 pesos is collected).
- For a public beach, the water is clear.
- There are no seawalls dividing properties.
- Trash bins are provided.
- Camping is allowed.
- There are rooms to rent if you don't like camping.
- There is a food establishment.
- Tables and chairs are available.
- There are toilets and showers.
How do I hate thee?
- Located by the highway, the resorts and cottages are very near the water.
- If it's a public beach, and therefore free for use by the public, why do they say an entrance fee is collected? (A friend who has been to Tingko beach told me that a fee of Php10-20 pesos is collected)
- When the tide is high, the shoreline gets narrower (see point number one).
- When the tide is high, the shoreline gets narrower and shorter (see point number one).
- Trash bins are provided, but some people still litter.
- Camping is allowed for a fee.
- Rooms/cottages for overnight stay don't go below Php1000. For a public beach, I'd have thought there'd be rooms for as low as Php500 (wishful thinking by my thrifty self).
- There is a food establishment that's dollar-rate. Php68 for a can of tuna? Php30 for a pack of pancit canton? Better bring your own food.
- Tables and chairs are available for a fee. At Voda Krasna Beach Resort, a table can be rented for Php500 (haha, I thought for Php500 I could get a room at this beach)... and limited to four persons only. Extra person will be charged Php80.
- Toilets and showers at Antig 2 can be used for Php25 (understandable since they have to pay for water, too). Toilets and showers at Voda Krasna Beach Resort, if you're renting a table from them, can be used for free. But the water line sucks. You could still have some shampoo on your head and eyes and the shower dies.
Looks like nothing is free anymore. Tingko Beach, either you love it or hate it.
How to go to Tingko Beach in Alcoy:
At the South Bus Terminal, take a bus bound for Oslob or Bato. Let the bus conductor know you want to be dropped off at Tingko Beach in Alcoy; they know where it is. The trip takes two hours with a fare of Php115 for an air-conditioned Sunrays bus.