THE EARTH WITHIN ME: A JOURNEY TO SAVE THE LAST ECOLOGICAL FRONTIER OF LASAM

THE EARTH WITHIN ME: A JOURNEY TO SAVE THE LAST ECOLOGICAL FRONTIER OF LASAM

By Sonnyboy Pacursa

CLOAKED with magnificent evergreen forests growing prodigiously the entire year of a well-balanced sun-rain barrage, Barangay Sicalao, Lasam has enjoyed the bounty of a tropical rainforest endowed with a treasury of extensive wildlife with timeless confidence.

Considered as the last ecological frontier of Lasam, Sicalao hosts wonders of extraordinary features almost strange, unheard-of to the oblivious: a diversified flora and fauna, mountains and karsts, limestone hills, tunneling network of caves still unexplored and a thick tropical forests with an impenetrable tangles of vegetation.

With the Zinundungan River, a major tributary of the Cagayan River, meandering right at the center of the municipality, bisecting the entire town of Lasam into northern and southern halves, it irrigates, sustains and nurtures the entire Valley of the Zinundungan, a narrow but fertile land extending into the adjacent town of Rizal, Cagayan and emanating from the lush, tropical inner mountains of Apayao province in the Cordilleras. The tropical regime of alternating wet and dry gives way to the more complicated shadings beneath the forest floor of Sicalao, in return supporting myriad of animal life forms and vegetation…

Hundreds of places—but one thing captivates my heart: the tropical rainforests

I am a nature enthusiast from this municipality of Lasam, considered as the rice granary of western Cagayan. A SMALL-TIME hiker yet, I have a big penchant of caring Mother Earth. A POOR TRAVELER yet, I have a rich understanding and experience to the existence of every life in the fragile ecosystem; the great nature outdoors whom I consider as my second home. I call my relationship with the nature a "love story" that started ever since I first laid eyes on the beauty of the great outdoors and those that are found into the wild. I have been roaming the mountains and forests for more than a decade now that all began when I discovered the sheer power of being ALONE.

Many underestimate the prime motive of being solitary, at times. It was so ADDICTING: once you experience how quiet it is to be, how serene and undisturbed your physical world, away from the noisy bustling concrete jungles, you wouldn't let anybody stop your burning passion. I travel, go out places NOT to have something to brag in social media, NOT to have stuffs to show but to LEARN and APPRECIATE the beauty of the Earth endowed to us by God and IMPART that appreciation to others that could affect, influence or IMPACT one's decisions to how they view the importance of communing nature. It is by this appreciation that caring for the environment stems out. HUNDREDS of places: heritage sites, man-made structures, beaches, rivers, caves, islands, summits, museums I have visited, photographed, captioned. But there is one thing that always strongly captivates my heart; the tropical rainforest in the mountains.

Sicalao, Lasam—hosting extraordinary features of karsts and limestone mountains

My hometown Lasam is still covered by about 40% of natural forest; most of which are embedded in the barangays of Sicalao, Peru, Viga, Cabatacan East and Cabatacan West, collectively called the PESIVICA, the "forest heartland of Lasam". As if the forests of Sicalao and the entire Zinundungan Valley seemed to be immune to human molestations. I was wrong. While I have witnessed denuded forests, slashed and burned slopes, destructive and unsustainable small-scale mining (quarry) and land conversion in other parts of the country, specifically the Cordilleras that I have been into, it didn't come to me that I would witness the same in my province: patches of deforested mountains, tree-less barren lands in the interiors of Sierra Madre, extensive charcoal-making industry in the uplands of eastern Cordilleras, and the receding forests cover along the stretch of the Zinundungan Valley. A massive clearing in a sea of forest viewed from a drone shot and from Google Earth map reveals a menu of unprecedented human activities mainly from unsustainable upland farming, charcoal-production (uring or uging), "kaingin" (locally known as uma) and the worst, illegal logging.

"I need to heal the Earth", in my thought

It is with a heavy heart when right before my eyes I saw the devastated condition of the Zinundungan Valley, now barely breathing for life. Its lungs, the massive rainforests of the once grand Cordilleras are slowly disappearing. I felt that the Earth is within me and I am within the Earth. Every skin I have, every muscle and blood constitute part of the Earth where we live. I am the Earth and the Earth is me. Just like all of the living things that abide in the law of nature, healing is an urgent matter if anyone chooses to survive the harsh life.

"I need to heal the Earth", in my thought.

My small but brave treks and adventures, confined into the deepest parts of the Sierra Madre, the Cordilleras and other parts of the country have opened my eyes into the reality of how cruel is man to nature. In my mind conceived a crucial decision; a life-changing testimony of becoming an environmental advocate. I realized I was so selfish when I bragged, "I am a nature enthusiast". It is not something to be proud of until you do something to protect the one and only Earth we are actually living right now. That "something" transformed into an " advocacy"; protecting the environment and advocating to the people about the Earth’s repair and its sustenance. But environmental repairs can only be conducted by the collective efforts and dedication of ordinary people and the true protection takes money, expertise and ongoing community and government supports.

My mission is SIMPLE and HARD. But indeed, it is not impossible. Imagine in the next millennium, we the people, and the next generations still have a beautiful, lush green Lasam and Zinundungan Valley to explore.

Helping the general populace understand the importance of nature protection 

In as early as 2018, I have attended, joined and participated local environmental drives that include bamboo and timber planting, forest clearings, plastic waste management and recycling within my town as part of my promise to be an environmental advocate known to the environmental groups as an "eco-warrior". I partnered with local organizations; those that are inclined into similar advocacy of nurturing, sustaining the planet Earth. I do not have a BIG NAME to influence people, nor lucrative resources to implement what is in the core of my mission. But I exploited the far-reaching prowess of SOCIAL MEDIA pages platforms to drive my urge of environmental protection and help the general populace understand the importance of nature protection to halt natural disasters attributed to human activities, and more importantly, what can we do to arrest the ever-worsening effects of climate change that could wipe out human race if not mitigated.

In a comment made by Lasam Mayor Dante Dexter Agatep, he expressed his grief over his awareness of the massive but silent forest destruction in our town. He emphasized the importance of environmental ADVOCACIES and said he is in full support of the funding of any endeavors, undertakings and projects because according to him, the forests belong to our children and to the future generations to come.

A menu of unprecedented human activities mainly from unsustainable upland farming, charcoal-production or "kaingin"

And so with my willingness to continue to be a part of the legion of Earth protectors and climate change fighters, I am standing proud as an eco-warrior for the environment. It's true that I DO NOT MAKE MONEY from it but I believe the protection of the environment and the entire planet should not always be a business as usual. We are all threatened by the negative impact of climate change. It is a global concern so what good will our investments and profits be; what if we have huge earnings and yet, we have nowhere else to go, we have no food to eat and we have no air to breathe because we were all be affected by climate change?

True protection takes money, expertise and ongoing community and government supports

It is time. And I say it again:

"Imagine in the next millennium, we the people, and the next generations still have an idyllic, lush green Lasam, a Zinundungan Valley to EXPLORE and a beautiful and bountiful planet Earth to live our own lives and dreams". ®

Sana ay magtulungan po tayo para sa ikagaganda ng ating kalikasan, bayan at kinabukasan.

Maraming salamat po. 🙏

#ExploreLasam #EnvironmentMonth2026 #BiodiversityAlert #TreeHugging #SaveTheForests #BiodiversityAlert #Ficus #BaleteTree #Conservation #KBWLasam

ECHOES OF THE BABUYAN CHANNEL: A 10-DAY JOURNEY AROUND CAMIGUIN ISLAND, CAGAYAN

ECHOES OF THE BABUYAN CHANNEL: A 10-DAY JOURNEY AROUND CAMIGUIN ISLAND, CAGAYAN

By Sonnyboy Pacursa

I HAVE CROSSED the treacherous waters of the Babuyan Channel ten times, hopping from one island to the next. Each destination possesses its own distinct heartbeat, its own raw atmosphere. This body of water is notorious for being one of the most ferocious marine highways in the Philippines—a reputation that often paralyses prospective travelers with doubt.
The channel frames the Babuyan Group of Islands or simply the Babuyanes—an archipelagic cluster anchored by five major landmasses: Calayan, Camiguin, Babuyan Claro, Fuga, and Dalupiri. Smaller islets like Dipari, Mabag, Irao, and Barit lie scattered nearby like fragments of a broken crown. Palaui Island also shares these waters, though it sits much closer to mainland Luzon than to the rest of the archipelago.

Camiguin de Babuyanes Volcano, the crowning glory of Camiguin Island

Initially, my heart was set on reaching DIDICAS VOLCANO, an isolated peak and formerly a submarine volcano located roughly 40 kilometers from the nearest shores of Camiguin Island, specifically off the small village of Panan. However, the relentless, heavy swells shattered those plans. Even in May, at the height of the Philippine summer, the Babuyan waters remain fiercely unpredictable.
Didicas is not your conventional tropical paradise. It is bleak, arid, and barren—devoid of traditional beauty. Yet, beauty was never what I was chasing. I sought the thrill of the hardly heard, the remarkable distinction of being among the rare few to set foot on the youngest island in the entire Philippine archipelago of 7,641 islands.

Panan Bay, one of the most striking beaches in Camiguin de Babuyanes Island 

Though my primary mission was thwarted, the journey was far from wasted. Our outrigger or "lampitaw" dropped anchor along the pristine white sands of Naguilian, where frothy, turquoise waves raced one another to the shoreline.
Looking out from the beach, PAMOCTAN ISLAND commands the horizon. It is an extraordinary, dormant volcanic islet encircled by vibrant coral reefs and crystal-clear waters. Just a short distance south lies the jagged, rocky ISLET OF PINON, hemmed in by deep, electric-blue waters and blessed with its own secluded pocket of white sand.

Camiguin Island is divided into three political sectors: Naguilian, Balatubat, and Minabel—all under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Calayan, Cagayan.
When arriving from the Luzon mainland, NAGUILIAN is the first shoreline to greet you. It occupies the southern tip of the island, overlooked by the lofty, active peak of CAMIGUIN DE BABUYANES VOLCANO.

The palm-fringe beach of Naguilian with the towering Camiguin de Babuyanes Volcano 

To the east, the vast Pacific Ocean collides violently with the Babuyan Channel (a distributary of the South China Sea). This geographical crossroad subjects the eastern coast to an eternal barrage of ferocious waves. One-meter swells are standard here, even during dead summer—more than enough to prevent small watercraft from safely docking on the eastern shores.
Yet, hidden within this fierce environment are natural wonders—the SISIP HOT SPRINGS with its therapeutic waters bubbling near the edge of the sea, the MAPULAPULA BEACH with its steaming, reddish coastline riddled with active sulfuric vents and volcanic fumaroles and the HALF-SUNKEN DONUT ROCK, a colossal, magnificent sea arch sculpted over centuries by the sheer erosive power of the Pacific winds and waves.

Serving as the geographical center of Camiguin Island, Barangay BALATUBAT is flanked by Minabel to the north and Naguilian to the south. It functions as the island's primary gateway, hosting the central pier and the Philippine Coast Guard station.
At its core stands another volcano. While its neighbor, the active Camiguin de Babuyanes, steals the spotlight for its geothermal activity, MOUNT BALATUBAT is actually the highest peak on the island, soaring 828 meters (2,717 feet) above sea level.

Tapao Falls on the slope of Balatubat Volcano

Mount Balatubat belongs to the Babuyan (Bashi) segment of the Taiwan-Luzon Volcanic Arc, born from the tectonic subduction of the Eurasian Plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. Because it is deeply eroded and inactive, it is carpeted in dense, pristine primary forests, contrasting sharply with the barren, ash-stained vents nearby.
Deep within this jungle canopy hides TAPAO FALLS. The waterfall sits literally near the crest of the mountain, taking its name from the Ilocano word "tapaw" , which translates to "the topmost summit."
The volcano intimately shapes the daily lives of the locals. Rainwater filtered through its forested slopes feeds the freshwater springs of Balatubat. Looking up from the coastal settlements or the southwestern coves, the rising, jungle-covered ridges of Balatubat provide a dramatic, towering backdrop. Here, a traveler finds a handful of rustic resorts, and a complete absence of four-wheeled vehicles—except for the island’s lone police mobile.

Less than an hour's boat ride north from Balatubat port brings you to Barangay MINABEL, the crowning glory and the island's northernmost frontier. It forms the literal crown of Camiguin. Curiously, despite its isolation, it is the most densely populated barangay on the island, serviced by two ports: Banua Port and Minabel Port.
The surrounding waters are a sanctuary. Pods of dolphins frequently race alongside boats, and lucky travelers may witness breaching humpback whales. Minabel sits closest to Babuyan Claro Island (also called Kurug by the locals), the recognized epicenter of the humpbacks' southward migration—a region rightfully dubbed the "Playground of the Giants."

Magapig Beach, a vantage point for the unobstructed view of Didicas Volcano 

I set foot in Minabel just as the community was celebrating the patronal fiesta of San Isidro Labrador. Beyond fishing, many locals till the highlands using ancient, traditional agricultural methods. Life here is beautifully rudimentary and quiet. The nights are devoid of the grating dissonance of urban traffic, replaced entirely by the rhythmic swooshes of the ocean.
Minabel boasts the longest continuous stretch of white sand on the entire island, beginning north of Minabel Port and sweeping toward MAGAPIG BEACH. The defining feature of Magapig is its surreal geological formations—rocks stacked with such geometric precision they resemble loaves of bread, sheets of lasagna, or piles of pancakes. The name itself derives from the Ilocano word "naapig-apig" , meaning "layered" or "meticulously stacked."

Adjacent to this is KALALANGTUTAN BEACH, where I spent the night in a tent, embraced by the hospitality of a group of locals who gave me refuge. This coast features expansive coral flats and shallows known locally as "kadilian" , an ecosystem teeming with sea urchins, crustaceans, and various shellfish.
The ivory sands continue to DANUM ROSA BEACH. The name does not come from pink sand, but from an ancient local legend. It is said that a beautiful woman named Rosa used to wash her clothes in a small freshwater stream that empties directly into the sea. Though Rosa vanished into folklore long ago, the stream remains visible on the beach to this day, keeping her memory alive in the minds of the people.
This sweeping coastline finally concludes at BALUSIBUK BEACH, where the sand gives way to monolithic boulders—remnants of a massive mountain collapse that occurred centuries ago.

A short walk from Balusibuk leads to BIBIGSAN, a tiny littoral settlement composed of only a few families. From its shore, the sharp, stark silhouette of Didicas Volcano is clearly visible on the horizon.

The idyllic and silent village of Panan, facing the immense Pacific Ocean 

To the southeast of Minabel, directly confronting the open Pacific, lie the isolated villages of Panan and Morol. PANAN BAY features the clearest, most dazzling electric-blue and turquoise water on Camiguin Island—a perfect rival to the famous Sibang Cove of Calayan Island. The water is so blindingly transparent that the coral gardens below appear close enough to touch, completely distorting one's perception of depth.
Panan is also home to local honey hunters who brave the wilderness to harvest pure wild honey (diro), which is then transported to mainland Cagayan. The shores and mountainsides here are densely blanketed with coconut palms, forming the backbone of the local economy; it is the thickest concentration of coconut trees on the island of Camiguin.

Located not far from Panan, a sweeping ribbon of white sand wraps around the tiny community of MOROL. It houses an elementary school that also serves the children of Panan. In total, Minabel has two schools: one in the town proper, and one here in Morol.
Morol is the most remote community on the island, regardless of which port you choose to depart from. Positioned on the northeasternmost edge of the island, it offers the most unobstructed, intimate view of Didicas Volcano.
Looking southwest from Didicas, you can spot the Guinapac Rocks, known locally as LIMMAYAG. These are two monumental rock towers jutting abruptly from the sea, shaped like majestic sails or "layag" and anchoring themselves in the water with the sheer scale of a cathedral.

Fishing remains the major source of the islanders local economy 

For the residents of Panan and Morol, their lifeline to the mainland is San Vicente Port in Santa Ana, Cagayan, which is significantly closer to them than Aparri Port—the standard destination for travelers departing from Naguilian, Balatubat, and Minabel proper.

Over ten grueling yet breathtaking days, I completely circumnavigated Camiguin Island by boat—a rare feat that few locals, let alone an outsider, ever get to experience. I penetrated the deepest corners of the island, from its verdant mountains and dense jungles to its most isolated coastal hamlets.

I did not travel for luxury. I traveled to immerse myself in the raw, unvarnished rhythm of local life. Every arduous step up those mountains, every kiss of the scorching sun on my skin, and every grain of sand whipped against my face by the Pacific winds carries a profound story... 😔

Highland farming is still primitive in the northern part of Camiguin Island 

These are narratives permanently etched into the pages of my endless wanderlust. They are journeys I refuse to cut short while youth and strength still anchor my bones. For one day, whether we like it or not, our time will fade. When that day comes, these accumulated adventures—born of grit and wonder—will serve as my ultimate wealth. A treasure that no amount of worldly currency could ever hope to buy.

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Utmost thanks to the families of Sir Albert Garalde and Ma'am Elma Antonio - Tamargo who were sent by God as instruments for making this trip possible and meaningful.

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