Pusan Point in Caraga, Davao Oriental is the easternmost land point in the Philippines. It is about 82 kilometers or less than 2 hours drive from Mati, the capital town of the province. Before the turn of the century, there was much hype on the millenium sunrise at this idyllic place, a thing which people in the locality were happy about. The phenomenon called Millenium Sunrise (because the first sunrays to hit the country on the new millenium) became a selling point to attract tourists to this very beautiful place. The drive to the point is interesting. The road varied as it went uphill, winded through coconut trees, carved along slopes that revealed interesting geology and pierced through coastal areas that were soothed by the Pacific breeze. If one is adventurous, there can be thousands more of interesting activity options along the way.
My wife and I, together with some friends, were there in early November of 1999 when preparations for the influx of tourists were still underway. On the week prior to new year of 2000, the Provincial Governor invited government officials including those from Manila to a week-long set of activities in the area.
Then came the day when the millenium sunrise would have been a millenial spectacle. Groups of people arrived the day before including the media people. But just like the few days before, New Year's eve was drizzling with overcast skies. The sun rays penetrated through the clouds, which hid the sun from the waiting and expectant crowd.
The morning passed with the millenium sunrise hardly fulfilling its much-vaunted hype. We joked that our friends who were there at Pusan with excitement, saw the sun already risen. But we saw a great sunrise while having an interdenominational millenium worship services at the capitol hills 82 km away down south.
But all was not lost for nature lovers. I am sure they enjoyed the spectacle of the pacific waves rising up like geysers as they ram against the stone wall dividing the land and sea. I am also sure those who tasted the coconuts from the area would have partaken of the sweetest young coconut juice in the Philippines, if not in the world. The adventurous could have also trekked into a couple of nearby caves that are rarely visited by spelunkers. And for those who travelled by day, they could have appreciated along the way, the scenic Pujaday Bay - whose panorama is the most beautiful I ever have seen and lived near and around.
