ILOCANDIA: THE NARRATIVE OF THE DRAMATIC SUNSET THAT NEVER FADES

ILOCANDIA: THE NARRATIVE OF THE DRAMATIC SUNSET THAT NEVER FADES

📌 Ilocos Sur, Philippines

EACH of the Philippines' province or region has a distinct feel: the landscape, the natural environment, the people and their culture.

Far north of Manila, on the western seaboard of Luzon Island, lies the Ilocandia, a narrow strip of land packed between the Cordillera mountains on the east and the azure, blue waters of South China sea on the west.

The best sunsets in the Philippines is on the western coast of the country  (Sabangan River, Santiago)

The Ilocandia, known administratively as Region 1, comprises the all first-class, Iluko-speaking provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan. The Ilokanos, without fear and without prejudice are welcoming people marked by their ability to absorb almost any kind of outside influence. Perhaps, it was that kind of hospitality that allowed the Ilocandia to immediately embrace and eventually accept Spanish cultural heritage when subsequently Juan de Salcedo established his bastion at Ciudad Fernandina, now Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Up to this day, Vigan retains a retrospective, Spanish feels of lovely streets of Castilian houses and architecture; the most intact Spanish colonial place in the Philippines that made the city a celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The most intact Spanish colonial settlement in the world is found in Vigan, Ilocos Sir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The resplendent province of Ilocos Sur is arguably one of the most if not the most Spanish-colonized province in the country; the remnants of Hispanic colonization are seen on the sheer number of churches, fortifications and architectures found in nearly all of its towns - many of which, named after catholic saints and martyrs or atleast derived from Spanish terms.

Among those remnants, churches are Spain's most prominent architectural legacy built in baroque configuration and fortress-like walls and butress; also being the century-old Vigan Cathedral (1575), the San Juan de Sahagun Church also locally known as Candon Church (1695) and the Santa Maria Church built in 1765, a UNESCO declared heritage site, the most remarkable religious tourist spots not to miss on your map.

Santa Maria Church, one of the only four UNESCO baroque churches in the Philippines 

Moreover, Santa Maria boasts not only man-made attractions but also natural wonders alike. A coastal town embedded between the Sulvec Bay, part of the South China Sea and the western edge of the Cordilleras, Santa Maria is renowned with the majesty of Pinsal Falls characterized by a landscape like that of bright nature painting; spattered yellow, white, orange, green and brownish red hues in a canvas engulfed by the intertwined tentacles of a thick rainforest near the neighboring border of Abra province.

The climate in the Ilocandia Region is comparable to the Mediterranean during summer; plenty of sunny days that are not too hot that make an ideal long beach-ramping to its pristine shores as early as November that could last until early June. Its climate is perfect for growing the high-valued Virginia tobacco, one of the province's top source of income where Candon and Santa Cruz excel being the largest producers of the crop.

Kagutungan Falls in Santa Cruz, a type of block waterfall

Going south of Vigan is the tranquil seaside town of San Esteban, a historical municipality with a scenic coastline and a protected rich marine ecosystem. The Moro Watch Tower known as "Bateria" is a lasting sentinel against the marauding Moro pirates during the Spanish era and is considered to be the oldest landmark in San Esteban with a recognition from the National Historical Institute as an authentic, historical site. In 1944, the American forces with their attack submarine USS Gar docked in San Esteban Cove, landed at Apatot Beach as part of the eventual Philippine liberation against the stiff Japanese Army.

Not far from the landing site is the Layap Rock formation along the coast of Bateria. It is a gigantic hard-rock, almost spherical in shape and is believed to be a meteorite with magical stories knitted from the tongues of Ilokano generation.

The designated marine protected areas and the Fish Sanctuary of San Esteban allow its aquatic ecosystem to thrive well with excellent capacity. A spectacular shallow reef with highly varied life forms teeming incessantly beneath the surface is a dive site to behold when you visit this tiny town.

San Esteban Marine Protected Area rich in corals and sea grasses

Like said, the Ilocandia's super-fine weather resemblant to southern Europe is the inspiration behind the truly little Santorini of the Philippines - the luxure, world-class Vitalis Villas Resorts in the town of Santiago. The blue and white motiff of the Greek architectural style perched majestically on a cliff overlooking the expansive Santiago Cove elicits that of what can be found in Santorini, Greece, Azenhas Do Mar, Portugal, Ibizà, Spain or in Positano, Italy.

The municipality of Santiago is perhaps the most tourist-visited place in Ilocos Sur next to Vigan. Its white beaches from Butol, Gabao and Ambucao draws local tourists and passers-by while the tranquility and night life of Sabangan Beach at Santiago Cove beacons international visitors. Ilocos Region faces west and so, one of the best coasts in the country for sunset viewing can be found in this cove, near the Sabangan River where it meets the fading sun and the calm sea in a prismatic shimmer of brilliant yellow-orange horizon.

Sillouettes of docking boats and the numerous tangles of fish pens translate the afternoon scene so dramatic.

Santorini of the Philippines, Villa Vitalis, Santiago during a fine, Mediterranean feels weather 

The long coastline of Ilocos Region is located almost 90 degrees parallel to the prime meridian of the globe, creating the most perfect, dramatic painting of sunset in the country.

The Mapisi Rock Formation (Biak Na Bato) displays the rugged, northern parts of Santiago. This collosal boulder of coral rock is a work of geologic forces and perpetual sea barrage that transcended before time; testamenting that nature is still the greatest landscape architect that never stops jaw-dropping the adventurers. Mapisi is an Iluko word which means "being cut or sliced", as the formation presents a split gargantuan rock with a cavern that sits along the white sand beach giving an extremely beautiful sight and background. 

The unforgettable sunset viewing at Santiago, Ilocos Sur on sight a grounded Chinese barge

Still going south from Santiago is the bustling, historical city of Candon. It is where the local hero Isabelo Abaya declared the victory of the Ilokanos against the Spaniards, hence the famous battle cry "Sigaw ng Candon" (Ikkis Ti Candon) commenced in 1898. Not far from the historical marker of Sigaw ng Candon Monument is the San Juan de Sahagun Church erected in 1695, showcasing an intricate octagonal belfry. The church's interior highlights a curving ceiling of a heavenly painting and its 46-meter long canvas art of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary is also believed to be the longest religious painting in the Philippines. Around and nearby the church are numerous preserved Spanish houses that adorn every alleys of the city's central business district.

Candon City doesn't have much aesthetic or rustic beach offerings like those found in Santiago or Cabugao other than the Darapidap Beach which is said to be the widest seashore in the entire Ilocos Sur and is only good for morning and sunset strolls along its brick-paved sea boulevard recognized by its Lighthouse but its lackness of such doesn't rid the city of its enormous economic power, owing partly to its profitable, luscious kalamay production and immense tobacco plantations that gained the city the reputation of being the Tobacco Capital of the Philippines.

Candon, the place where Philippine Independence was declared that lasted only 2 days known as the "Sigaw ng Candon"

The southern part of Ilocos Sur is generally mountainous yet, it is this feature that rewards the town of Santa Cruz the bounties of the tropical rainforest of the Cordilleras. One of which is the voluminous Kagutungan Falls that features giant strangler figs above its platform with their dangling roots soaked, hanging on the deep basin of the waterfalls. Together with Candon, the town of Santa Cruz, one of the largest municipalities of Ilocos Sur constitutes the largest tobacco production in the Ilocos Region owing to its near coastal plains dedicated to Virginia's cultivation.

Northeast of Santa Cruz, nearer to the mountain chain of the grand Cordillera is the small town of Salcedo. Already more tropical than the rest of the province since it faces far away from the sea, Salcedo takes pride of the idyllic mountainside where one can get an unwinding serenity at Bago Mountain Resort. Fresh from Mount Madarang, the natural spring water fills up the man-made pools with continuously running and refreshing water. Hugging the resort is the white water Buaya river meandering from the inner Cordilleras where trekkers and adventure-buffs could try to conquer, leading them to the Mount Madarang and falls and eventually into the historical Tirad Pass, the last stand of the young but brave Gen. Gregorio del Pilar who killed in that battle while protecting Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo against the pursuing American soldiers.

Sangbay Falls in Salcedo, meaning "welcome"

With steep terrains and higher rainfall than the coastal parts of the province, it is absolutely the countless waterfalls that stand out as the most spectacular inland water feature not just in the province but anywhere else in the Philippines; especially those surrounded by lush, brooding greens of the impenetrable tangles of vegetation. The rushing mountain river tumbling time and again over a precipitous cliff edge creating a stunningly striking vertical white ribbon of water dropping on a clear pool basin is the description of one of Ilocos Sur's tallest waterfalls, the Sangbay Falls. The falls lives up to its name, meaning "welcome", allowing every nature tripping, aside from beach-bumming so fantastic in Ilocos Sur.

The almost always friendly approach and warm welcoming of the Ilokanos are without any doubt, the signature descriptions of the Ilocandian human landscape. Of course the "pinakbet", a concoction of shrunk vegetables in a fish paste (bugguong) and the misunderstood concept against them being "kuripot" (thriftiness) as part of their cultural fabric etched in the minds of the uninformed are both attributed to the saluyot-loving Ilokanos.

A typical Ilokana woman of modesty and class

But regardless of what you think about them, I could not argue more until you experience the dramatic sunsets of Ilocos that never fade, the turning back of time at Vigan and the pleasantness of "bagnet", "dinengdeng" or "inabraw", when you attend a "punsion" or a "boda" festivities in any town of Ilocos Sur.

Agbiag dagiti Ilokano!

#IlocosChronicles #ilocossurtourism #IlocosSur #CandonCity #BeyondTheValley

THE ORIGIN OF THE HUNDRED MUSHROOMS ON THE SEA

THE HUNDRED ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK (HINP)           📌 Lucap, Alaminos City, Pangasinan

SHELTERED by the calm Lingayen Gulf on the western coast of Luzon that is an extension of the rich West Philippine Sea, the glorious collection of "sea mounds" of eroded remains of ancient coral reefs called the Hundred Islands does not fail to beacon beach lovers from the country and from the world over. These small, mushroom-shaped islands covered with dense shrubby vegetation are part of Pangasinan's 20 square kilometers national park, or the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP) that makes the province an extraordinary and exciting place to explore. Undeniably, the Hundred Islands, composed of 124 precarious coral islands to be exact is Pangasinan's most defining feature as Bohol is to Chocolate Hills or Mayon Volcano is to Albay.

Sandal Island as seen on top of Pilgrimage Island view deck

Records show that in the last Ice Age, these primordial coral reefs upheaved and left high and dry by the falling sea levels by that time. Erosion and hydrologic forces over the course of many millennia undercut and sculpted many of the islands, making them appear mushroom or curious glans-shape monuments spattered north off the coast of Alaminos City. The islands are believed to be more than 2 million years old. Some of the islands are relatively little jagged, pointed karsts, resembling like little hills on the sea. To compare, these protruding islands are smaller than the karsts of Caramoan in Camarines Sur, Bicol Region. However, Caramoan's are smaller than Coron's or El Nido's in Palawan. But any of Palawan's karsts are no bigger than those found in Halong Bay, Vietnam. I personally saw all these karsts myself.

Two million years old reef islands upheaved due to falling sea levels

Many of the islands are still undeveloped because they are impossible to land on due to their physical features - precipitous, rocky and pointed cliffs. However, some of the bigger islands have white beaches suitable for swimming and among and in between these delicate islands are snorkeling sites that if you're lucky, an spectacular sight of sea turtle awaits you. Few of the islands have any kind of infrastructure on them, Ramos Island, being the most enhanced. The island features a massive pavilion of modern architectural design and a Bonsai Garden hanging on the limestone cliffs. For me this is the most picturesque island, evoking a sense of the hot summer days of the Aegean Sea of Greece or the colorful cliffs and escarpment of Positano, Italy. Ramos Island is also considered to be the main gateway of the HINP - all boats arrive here first before exploring all the other islands of the natural park.

Ramos Island, arguably the most picturesque island on the HINP

Beside Ramos Island, the Governor, Quezon and Children's Islands are also among the most developed and among the busiest, gravitating visitors towards them especially every weekend. The largest white to golden beach is on the Quezon Island however the one found in Governor's Island is also magnetic.

Attraction at Quezon Island, one of the most developed among the islands of HINP

An unbelievable two meter wide white sand beach separates Ramos Island to the Pilgrimage Island. The latter reminds us of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, featuring the massive statue of Christ, the Redeemer on the highest point of the island. On its lower slope, you can find The Stations Of The Cross for your serenity, peace of mind and meditation. The Pilgrimage Island is covered by fire trees and other flowering shrubs that have adapted to colonize and survive in the very poor and thin soil covering the coral limestone island.

The Pilgrimage Island reminds us of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

They say you cannot appreciate the Hundred Islands when not viewed on a helicopter at bird's eye view, but I say otherwise. Even in between the islands, myriad of waterways, channels and straits create mazes splitting and joining the coral islands leading to coves and bays in the most perfect azure blue sea of the Lingayen Gulf.

Floating pathways connecting Sandal, Pilgrimage and Ramos Islands

With a hundred islands to choose from, some are visited because of its serenity and less crowd to no crowd at all. There are small beaches and caves to the islands of Marcos, Cuenco and Sison. The sea water Imelda Cave located at Marcos Island is for the extreme adventurers where one can swim through a low arch into the open sea and make your way back to the other side to a nearby beach. But for us who were just wanted to have an easy fun, we entered the lovely Cuenco Island Cave, simpler but still stunning.

The Cuenco Cave leading into the other side of the Cuenco Island

Without any doubt, the Hundred Islands National Park is Pangasinan's number one destination, leaving a mark into the province's tourism slogan "Hundred Islands and Hundred Flavors".

It is difficult to underdescribe HINP incredible beauty as this is one of the most, if not the most stunning geological formation or natural monument I've ever seen in the length of Luzon Island's enormous coastline.

Pangasinan's pride, one of the Hundred Islands

But it has to be admitted now that Pangasinan, so as the bustling city of Alaminos, is becoming highly urbanized and the province, among the most populated in the Philippines. Its cities and towns  start to have a touch of chaos. Over the years, overfishing, history of dynamite use and litters have done untold damage to the marine environment surrounding the park. However, improved and more strict protection and rehabilitation program involving responsible tourism such as the "BASURA MO, IUWI MO PROGRAM" is believed to have a positive impact for the recovery of the corals, fish population and the entire natural park.

"Basura Mo, Iuwi Mo" Program, helping the HINP litter free

But still Pangasinan's endowment of the Hundred Islands despite of the province's extremely hustle bustle development, is second to none in terms of having a getaway featuring the most beautiful natural places  and island hopping indulgence in the Philippines .

#HundredIslandsAndHundredFlavors #HINP #Pangasinan #HundredIslands #Ilocandia

BASILAN, EMBODYING VICTORY OF PEACE OVER CONFLICT

𝑩𝑨𝑺𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑵, 𝑬𝑴𝑩𝑶𝑫𝒀𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑽𝑰𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀 𝑶𝑭 𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑪𝑬 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑭𝑳𝑰𝑪𝑻

Defenseless against the pounding barrage of misconceptions and stigmata, the province of Basilan has been robbed of its popularity and charm for the longest time, like a forbidden kingdom virtually sealed off from the rest of the Philippines.

Province of Basilan, the treasure islands of the southern seas

The stain that smudged the beautiful face of Basilan from the negative, unfair beliefs of the people that wrecked havoc upon its tourism industry has spread not just in the province but in the entire Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) also embodied by the equally charismatic provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

In Basilan, I had entered a world of fascinating realm of opposing extremes: paradise or warzone. I negated the latter and rather started being enthralled in its strangeness, its complexities, and its beauty. It was profoundly different than what I thought or more so, than to what the fear uninformed people are trying to convey about the province.

Nevertheless, wonders abound in the isolation of Basilan, with its steaming jungles, pristine beaches, rich open seas, sacred places and beautiful, multicultural people.

The largest island in the entire Sulu Archipelago, Basilan is home to just over 420,000 people, consisting mainly of the indigenous Yakans, the Tausugs, Chavacanos and Bajaus, the last group, who inhabit the timeless villages built on stilts that crammed on the narrow Isabela Channel; a scene to behold, that is the essence of sea life in Basilan. Ironically, the province is the least populated among the provinces of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), despite being the nearest to the major metropolis of the turbulent Zamboanga.

Bajaus also called sea gypsies living on stilts above water

It was a dream came true when I first traveled in Mindanao, way back in the bustling Davao but certainly reading the lines of "Oh Fair Basilan", the province's official anthem, created a desire in me to reach the distant lands of Mindanao, where treasures of nature enticement hide beyond most human recognition and awareness.

Since then, I have strolled the labyrinthine alleys of Isabela City to have a glimpse of daily life in the provincial seat of governance; where merchants sit cross-legged in open fronted shops folding and hanging colorful abaya, hijab or niqab; where boatmen shout out calling passengers for a ride for an inter-island transport to the nearby Malamawi Island; where the Bajaus, or sea gypsies moore their lepa-lepa or canoes on the pier or where a Yakan elderly offers an aromatic, sweet-tasting marang, a cousin of jack fruit or bread fruit for a mere thirty pesos per piece the size of a small basketball.

A woman of Yakan ethnicity, the major ethnic group in Basilan

I had visited several masjid or mosques, scattered in the city where venerating chants in Islamic tones filled the air - Masjid Mabarakat and Masjid Geras, the grandest and most elegant with harmoniously combined domes, cupolas and minarets. At a distance from the altar of the Geras mosque, professed Muslims kneeling, sandals off and rocking back and forth to the rhythm of their prayers. We were witnessing a part of Islam's ritual devotional prayer or "salah" (salāt). Here and in most part of Mindanao where Muslims can be found, the chorus of salah intoning from hollow to high-pitch tone precisely defines the blissful state of peace, rather than conflicts.

Masjid Geras, the largest mosque in Basilan

Basilan is also a land of grand scenery with its many islands sprinkled in the immensity of one of the deepest bodies of water surrounding the Philippines, the Sulu Sea. 

Among the islands, Malamawi is no doubt the most visited, just a 5-minute boat ride from Isabela City wharf. The lepa-lepa, a small but incredibly fast boat without a lateral outrigger support is the king of Isabela Channel, the inlet that separates the island from mainland Basilan. The great interior of Malamawi becomes bolder as habal-habal or motorcycles find its way among the massive rubber plantations in the island that give a majestic proportion to the forest and meadows along the way. We reached a secluded beach resort north of the island in 15 minutes ride.

Malamawi Island, one of the most popular beaches in BARMM

Unmarred by the unsightly throngs of beach-goers, the extravagance of Pahali-Malamawi pristine white sand beach was an awesome sight, exhilarating and utterly breathtaking. There were no people and I was drifted in dream on my beach chair under a thatch-roofed cottage. Perhaps it was the silence, or the gentle surf murmur that awakened me. I looked upon the sky and I saw the immense, radiant clouds where the sun plays peekaboo.

Basilan's reputation as a notorious warzone persisted for years since the infamous Siege of Lamitan in 2001, followed by the bloody Battle of Basilan in 2014 and the Battle of Tipo-Tipo in 2016. But it is completely different now. Lamitan today, the province's new capital administratively under BARMM is a venerable city due east of Isabela City. Surprisingly, the city was founded by a Caviteño, Pedro Javier Cuevas popularly known as Datu Kalun whose monument was proudly immortalized in Datu Calun Triangle in the heart of the city.

The pristine waters and immaculate white sand of Pahali Beach

Four years in a row since 2016, Lamitan City received the Seal of Good Local Governance or SGLG until 2019. The yearly grant of an SGLG to LGUs is based on governance efficiency and involvement of local officials in domestic humanitarian, peace and security programs, a manifestation of how safe traveling to the city is. 

One of Lamitan's 40 barangays, Sengal prides over its massive rubber plantation as far as the eye could see, helping the entire province of Basilan become the third largest rubber-producing province in the country trailing behind Cotabato and Zamboanga Sibugay.

A masterpiece in ecological protection, the Tulip Garden in the city boasts a romantic motif and landscape evoking the grandeur of the Netherlands or Ireland. Made from thousand recycled plastic bottles shaped into tulips of dazzling colors, Lamitan Tulip Garden is an instant sensation aside from its fantastic beaches and magnific waterfalls one of which is the Bulingan Falls, a 40-meter wide waterfalls so unique with its vertical, hexagonal column of rocks that lined its width and length.

Bulingan Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Lamitan City due to its unusual geometric design

Even me was perplexed.

Isabela City is under Region IX. Lamitan City is tied with BARMM; a contrasting duality but at the same time, together, they make Basilan as it is. 

Last year 2022, the City Tourism Office of Basilan in Isabela City recorded 30,000 visitors, still a small number compared to Cebu City with over 1 million and Davao City, close to 1 million arrivals but thankfully, the rising influx has been a good indication of Basilan's potential as a thriving tourism destination because people are now braving their fear in the region...

But forget about the stigmata of wars, conflicts and disproportionate news about Mindanao.

Boats called lepa-lepa is the mainstay of water transport around Basilan islands

In 1978, Freddie Aguilar wrote the lyrics of his popular song that goes,

"Pinoy kapwa Pinoy ang naglalaban doon sa Mindanao.

Marami ng dugo ang dumanak sa lupa ng Mindanao...", a song that detrimentally impacted and casted fear and safety concern to people; at least at some point because that was once happening.

But that was in 1978. When I visited Mindanao, especially here in the notoriously tagged as insurgency-infested province, I have seen astonishing variety of endless fun and adventures, enough to represent the victory of peace over conflict in Basilan.

Peace grant unto the beautiful province of Basilan

More:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3481647892087966&id=100007283687906&mibextid=Nif5oz

#Mindanao #ExploreMindanao #Basilan #BARMMTourism #LamitanCityTourism #IsabelaCityTourism #BasilanTourism

BATANG PLATEAU: A JUXTAPOSITION OF WORLD RENOWNED PLACES

BATANG PLATEAU: A JUXTAPOSITION OF WORLD RENOWNED PLACES

📌 Dilam, Calayan Island, Cagayan

Long unknown to the mass travelers and backpackers from all over the country including myself who constantly in search of the marvelous glories of the great outdoors, Brgy. Dilam, the northernmost part of the fantabulous island municipality of Calayan, Cagayan revealed to me a kingdom of immense pastoral meadows over undulating, rolling hills and terrains edged by aquarium seas teeming with life in the Babuyanes: the Batang Plateau.

One portion of Batang Plateau edged by a white sand beach and aquarium clear sea.

Located on the peninsular northeast end of Calayan Island hugging the unpredictable and treacherous Babuyan Channel, the Batang Plateau is an extensive land area of pasture having a relatively level surface raised sharply above adjacent land on at least one side. It is literally considered as "the edge of Dilam".

It was strange and hypnotizing standing on top of this grand mesa of grassland spattered with collosal stone blocks and boulders that amplify the serenity of the rustic and idyllic landscape. The windswept zenith of the plateau commands the 360-degree view of the entire Babuyan Group of Islands.

The northernmost part called "the edge of Dilam".

On the north, about less than 10 kilometers away is the bizarre, uninhabited island of Dipari (Panultan/Panuitan Island in Google Maps and internet) clearly visible from the plateau. The faint outline of Babuyan Claro volcano evokes mysticism from the northeast. On the southeast is the equally fascinating peak of Camiguin de Babuyanes volcano while due southwest lies the tectonic island of Dalupiri - a usual epicenter of geological tremors that occasionally barrage north Philippines - luckily most are feeble shocks no more than magnitude 4.

The sparsely peopled Calayan, while slowly embracing tourism development continue to awe and attract attention but still its rugged outskirts remain gloriously wild.

For me, the Batang Plateau in Dilam is a juxtaposition of the different features of world renowned places that makes it truly enchanting: the massive black rocks scattered on carpet greenery, some gigantic, remind me of the Easter Island statues (called Moai) of the long gone Rapa Nui tribe in Chile, South America; its vast green pastures spectacular with grazing cattles evoke the peaceful dreams of a fairytale in Switzerland or New Zealand; its rough coast resembles the tundras of Iceland or the Scandinavia; the body of water surrounding it is as ghastly as the Bermuda Triangle; its secluded green tropical vastness, with plants endemic only to the Babuyanes recalls parts of the rich Amazonian tropical rainforest; and just its sheer entirety mirrors Batanes' most iconic landscapes, the Vayang and Marlboro Rolling Hills.

Rocky terrains resembling Easter Island of South America.

Green and verdant pastures typical of Switzerland or New Zealand.

Batang Plateau evokes the tundra scenes of Iceland or Scandinavia.

The treacherous waters of the Babuyanes present fear like the Bermuda Triangle.

The richness of plant biodiversity reminds me of the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil.

Just the entire landscape almost mirrors that of Batanes.

Perhaps the most prominent part of Batang is the so called Bimmukel Rolling Hill, a point of perfectly rolling hamburger mound jutting out into the sea as a peninsula or a cape. "Bimmukel" is an Iluko word that means "rounded"; the landform speaks and lives up to its namesake.

The perfect shape of Bimmukel Hill.

There, it was unnerving to stand on top of a windswept littoral hill realizing that to witness the untamed shores and the stretch of white sandy beach in their most impressive form is also the fact that they will become vulnerable soon. If, for the next few years tourism industry in the far-flung wilderness of Calayan continue to dominate and bustle dramatically, the serenity of these wild coasts surrounding Batang may become exploited - if sustainable tourism is underestimated.

Dilam Inlet, as seen on top of Batang Plateau.

Absolutely, much of Calayan remains pristine as remoteness, weather and underdevelopment defend this realm from severe disturbance, over exploitation and possibly, abuse...

As the thunderous waves reach my ears, the force of wind touches my face, and the rasp of the green, green grass of Batang Plateau tickles my bare feet, I knew I was not the one to doubt both the beauty of the entire Calayan Group of Islands and the power of change that would soon might conquer this last ecological frontier of Cagayan.

Video:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/KzEoB6E7KtYjSN6T/?mibextid=SphRi8

#EndlessFunCagayan #Cagayan #VisitCagayanPH #CagayanProvince #TworismoSaLambak #BimmukelHill #DilamCalayan #CalayanCagayan #CalayanIsland #LoveThePhilippines #Babuyanes Calayan Travel and Tours

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒

𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐌

📌Sicalao, Lasam, Cagayan| 010724| Cultural Mapping of Natural Heritage

VIDEO:

https://fb.watch/pwRmzeQWPp/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Kama Falls, among the most beautiful waterfalls in Lasam

DESCRIPTION 

The Kama Falls is a 3-leveled waterfall located northwest of Sicalao, Lasam, Cagayan, still part of the northeastern hemline of the Cordillera mountain range.

The lowest tier, inclining at 45 degrees angle is about 15 meters in length measuring from its base up to its ledge leading the the second tier. It has the widest water flow among all the tiers.

The lowest level of Kama Falls (first tier)

The slightly shorter second level rises about 12 meters from the base with an inclination of almost 90 degrees angle. This cascade is the most majestic, the most voluminous and has the most powerful flow rate among all the levels of Kama Falls.

The middle level of Kama Falls (second tier)

The third tier is a relatively short cascade sloping at about 30 degrees angle and is 3 meters long. Though small, it is the only tier that has a plunge pool with a maximum depth of 3 feet.

The relatively small topmost level of Kama Falls (third tier)

The surrounding areas of the cascades are dominated by bamboos (𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒛𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒚𝒖𝒎 𝒔𝒑.), giant ferns and variety of vines. "Bilagot" plants (𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒑.) can also be seen abundantly thriving well around and on the waterways.

Bilagot plants thriving around and along the waterways 

The Kama Falls is located 1.5 kilometers south of Nangaribuan Falls. Unlike the latter which directly feeds the Sicalao River, the Kama Falls emanates from a stream that travels 1 kilometer before joining its main stem Sicalao River.

Like all other waterfalls of Sicalao, Kama Falls is nearer to the municipality of Flora, Apayao than it is to Centro, Lasam. It is considered as the tallest waterfall and arguably the most beautiful body of water in the municipality of Lasam.

STORIES

There are no clear, convincing and widely accepted accounts as to why the waterfall is called "Kama Falls".

But according to Mr. Bubot Lebantino, a Sicalao farmer and a part-time local guide, the ledges or tops of the first and second tier of waterfall appear flat and horizontally straight as viewed from a certain angle resembling a double-decker bed and thus, the term "Kama". 

The top ledge of Kama Falls resembling a bed or "kama"

"Kama" is both the Filipino and Iluko translation for "bed".

Related Stories:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2760148460904583&id=100007283687906&mibextid=Nif5oz

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1805204703065635&type=3&mibextid=Nif5oz

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2842183596034402&id=100007283687906&mibextid=Nif5oz

SIGNIFICANCE

As the grandest of the "Trio Falls" flagship of Sicalao, Kama Falls represents nature's raw power and beauty. It is the driving force behind the construction of Sicalao Highest Point Access Road funded and implemented in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) thru the Convergence and Special Support Program. The waterfalls would be easily more accessible through this road and would spark economic growth in Lasam, especially in Sicalao through rural enterprise productivity and tourism.

The spectacular views of Sicalao draw the interest of nature enthusiasts, travelers, writers and photographers

The aesthetic charm of Kama Falls provides something alluring and glamorous that photographers, travelers, hikers and nature lovers always wanted to see, thereby a contributing factor for the local community economic growth stated above.

Related:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=641161381145292&id=100057543074032&mibextid=Nif5oz

More so, with its formidable, uninterrupted flow rate, it could be harnessed through scientific and geomorphological studies for potential energy source.

CONSERVATION

The local-based DENRO or the Deputized Environment and Natural Resources Officers of Sicalao (Bantay Gubat) are expected to help in law enforcement, conduct information drive and mitigate destructive activities pertaining to the environment.

Bamboo groves of Sicalao threaten by traditional slash and burn practice or "kaingin"

The barangay officials and the police are also vital parts for the conservation and protection of our tropical rainforests and are expected not to tolerate or condone any environmental abuses.

CONSTRAINTS AND THREATS

Illegal logging is still a multi decade-old threat to the rainforests of Sicalao and other parts of Lasam that is still in existence as of this day. Such remnants of the scrupulous activities can be clearly seen not far and along the established trails.

Reference:

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=648609990400431&id=100057543074032&set=a.318285370099563&mibextid=Nif5oz

Satellite images of the vicinity suggest patches on the mountains cleared of trees for planting corn, banana and other crops. Forests along the rivers are declining and the recession has been observed to its greatest extent in the last 7 years.

Illegal logging in Sicalao destroys natural habitats and biodiversity 

Due to lack of records and monitoring in the barangay level, visitors without any environmental knowledge and concern get an easy access into the waterfalls and thus, in huge part could be contributing factors for the litters seen along the way and around the vicinity.

INFORMANTS

Bubot Lebantino, Sicalao Farmer

Norly "Bulldog" Lebantino, Sicalao Guide

Mark James Rodillas Galamay Sicalao Guide, Content Creator 

#EndlessFunCagayan #IntoTheWildSeries #Cagayan #CagayanProvince #ChasingWaterfalls #ExploreLasam #RaceToHundredFalls #Tworismo #SicalaoLasam #YourIslandsAndValleyOfFUN #tworismosalambak #YourIslandsAndValleyOfFUN #VisitCagayanPH

𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠... 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈-𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒

Calayan's Secret Revealed:

THE 17- CASCADED NAGSARMINGAN FALLS

📌 Dibay, Calayan Island, Cagayan

Video:

https://fb.watch/p1rFMecCqC/?mibextid=Nif5oz

SOMEWHERE deep in the tropical rainforest that is part of the small village of Dibay, Calayan Island - several kilometers from a dirt, craggy road, an esteemed guide led our troop into a wild chase, paving the way to my 87th waterfalls. The forest was enormous, teeming with wildlife. Calayan was never been part of any large landmass, and thus possesses unique flora and fauna, most of which are confined only here and to the nearby islands of the Babuyanes.

One of the many cascades or levels of the Nagsarmingan Falls

The sun marched high over the horizon when we started our hike; a wrong move because we have not anticipated the sheer distance we are dealing with. From Centro Calayan going to Dibay, our high strength XRM motorcycles wiggled and jumped through dense thickets, jagged paths and deep muds, struggling to keep up, then broke out into a vast grassland. We were in the vicinity of Mount Nangabaywanan, Calayan's second loftiest point.

The rich avian biodiversity of the tropical rainforest of Calayan Island around Mount Nangabaywanan

We have reached Sitio Pilid, a community of rice and corn farmers thriving into the island's interior, far from the shores of Dibay, one of Calayan's fishing haven together with the neighboring barangay of Dilam. Our target: the Nagsarmingan Falls, one of Calayan's still yet to be known tourist spot.

One of the largest and most voluminous cascades of the multi-tiered Nagsarmingan Falls 

We tirelessly trekked the mountains with its richness, offering an immense value to the natural world and to the country's biodiversity.

The Nagsarmingan Falls is arguably the highest waterfalls in the entire Cagayan Valley if all of the more than 17-known cascades (levels) are put together vertically - atleast in my experience.

The pictures below are just one of the many cascades (smaller falls) of the Nagsarmingan Falls. Each cascade or level is separated by few steps or few hikes away to reach the next.

Multi-falls in one level

Each level could have been named separately - but collectively, the locals still called them as one, to form the multi-level Nagsarmingan Falls. It was derived from the Iluko word "sarming" which means mirror, as the highest cascade on top of the mountain is visible from the sea like a mirror according to the locals.

It is best visited during rainy season or just after a typhoon. During that time, the waterfalls are voluminous and there might be more than 17 cascades.

The Falls is best visited during rainy season where the water is strong and voluminous 

The sun already painted a gaudy yellow-orange stripe across the horizon after our conquest. The darkness and night threatened at us any moment when we set our motorcycles back to Centro Calayan.

In my mind, I was lucky that I was able to mirror myself at Nagsarmingan. It is always been great to be the first, if not among the firsts; the very few firsts.

The rainforest of Calayan teeming with wild flora

It's not all about feeding our egoistic tendency but rather, it's all about our delicate chance to see the most raw, the most beautiful, the most natural and the most untouched form of that wonderful place taken into account before they could be vandalized, defaced or humanized.

Below are some of the more than 17-cascades of the Nagsarmingan Falls:

Additional and related story:

𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠...

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈-𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒

Photos:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3495908183995270&id=100007283687906&mibextid=Nif5oz

I HAVE roamed numerous realm of tropical rainforests where the murmur of the cool streams and the unforgettable scent of the woods and foliages fill the air. I have ambled along muddy and craggy roads alike, freed myself from impenetrable tangles of vegetations chaotic with extensive biological richness and traced some of the wildest and untouched shorelines of Cagayan.

Extensive biological richness of Calayan, featuring a bird called "sawsaw-it"

But still, there is a seemingly endless variety of beauty pageants in Calayan Island: its uncharted waterfalls, its immaculate beaches, its opulent marine life and countless imaginings of allure.

With the conquest of this wild and distant multi-cascaded Nagsarmingan Falls, we are lucky to be among the very few first non-islanders to visit this anomaly of nature and firmly establish Calayan's fame as a realm of the fabulous and fascinating.

The exploration never dies; after long hours of hiking

#VisitCagayanPH #EndlessFunCagayan #Cagayan #IntoTheWildSeries #CalayanCagayan #CalayanIsland #YourIslandsAndValleyOfFUN #TworismoSaLambak #CagayanProvince #Cagayan #ChasingWaterfalls #RaceToHundredFalls #Babuyanes #NagsarminganFalls