Taklong Island

Taklong Island is the main island of the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve located in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, off the southern end of the island of Guimaras, in the West Visayas of the Philippines. A marine biological station run by the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) of nearby Iloilo Province is found in this island. The one-storey Station established in 1977 and renovated twice (in 1987 and in 2008) sits on a 1.64 hectares parcel of land donated to UP in 1964, with Carlos P. Romulo as then University President. Donors included the family of the first Lieutenant Governor of then SubProvince of Guimaras, the late Antonio Ortiz. When proclaimed as a national marine reserve in Feb. 8, 1990 by then President Corazon C. Aquino, there was only one family residing in the island, the family of Vicente Basco, the only recognized tenured migrant when Taklong Island became part of the national marine reserve. Mr. Basco was employed by UPV as caretaker of its Station in Taklong Island since the 1970s until his retirement. There are UPV staff, including security guards stationed in the island.

Taklong Island

Beach on Taklong Island
Taklong Island Location within the Philippines
Geography
Coordinates	10°24′16″N 122°30′43″E
Adjacent to	Panay Gulf
Administration
Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Guimaras
Municipality	Nueva Valencia

Takong Island was affected by the Guimaras Oil Spill of 2006, but has fully recovered.

Beach on Taklong Island with pump boat and rock outcropping.

This is the view from the front beach of Taklong Island.

The dock through the mangroves at the back of the island. This is the preferred dock when the sea is rough.

The Banago area sandbar is one of the two sandbars in Taklong island that connects two adjacent islands or islets.