THE FRIGHTENING TABACO CAVE

SANTA TERESITA, CAGAYAN:

An Unexpected Geological Anomaly 

📌Tabaco Cave, Luga, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan

In Santa Teresita, Cagayan, I had entered a geological anomaly profoundly different from places I've conquered so far - enthralling in its oddity and unexpected beauty.

Honestly, this seemingly unnoticed, tiny town was not a priority in my bucket list for this year's inventory of my "#IntoTheWildSeries" adventures. Barely heard, all I know about this silent town was a transit warp going to the paradisiacal municipality of Santa Ana, a coastal town known for its pristine beaches in Cagayan. 

I was very wrong...

Days before, it is my religious routine to study maps and do research to the places prior to my visit. A link directed me to an article about Santa Teresita National Ecotourism Festival held every February, taking pride of its ecotourism potential of the numerous caves, cone karst formations and bodies of water as it highlights its falls, rivers, lakes and caves.

Coincidentally, I became interested in the caves in a snap of a finger since I was up into charting my 26th cave excursion into #TheGreatOutdoors.

Santa Teresita is a new site of caving craze in the country with more than 50 caves being discovered and explored since 2013 by international caver expeditions and our very own Cagayan-based SMOC or the Sierra Madre Outdoors Club. Undeniably, caves are now the major tourist drawers of this town. But such geologic marvels also abound in the immensity of Cagayan, especially in Peñablanca and Baggao, together with its steaming jungles, active volcanoes, pristine beaches and stupendous mountains. It is, but the unusualness of the Teresitian caves that makes them different from the rest of the more than 400 caves found in the province. 

The second chamber of Tabaco Cave 

The 4th smallest municipality in the province of Cagayan in terms of land area, Santa Teresita is home to about 21,000 inhabitants; a conglomeration of Ilokanos, Ibanags and few Aetas thriving in the timeless villages in its outskirts of the mountains. It was only in 1963 that Santa Teresita formerly called Brgy. Namunit, claimed its township when it separated to its mother town Buguey due to population explosion and economic bustle. It is the youngest town of Cagayan.

Via the Pan Philippine Highway extending into the Magapit-Mission Road where Santa Teresita is accessible at 106km from Tuguegarao City, it sits just the northwestern end of the Sierra Madre range. I was captivated by the jumble of hundred hills and mounds resembling clusters of green chocolate kisses-shaped mounds scattered into a vast, uninterrupted plain. The mounds covered with patches of green vegetation are made up of limestones where numerous cave systems are found. This is so bizarre and rightfully an anomaly. Santa Teresita is not even mountainous, yet it has more caves per square kilometers than any other towns of Cagayan, except probably other than Peñablanca with more than 300 caves on it. That is given since Peñablanca is the largest municipality of Cagayan; eleven times more massive than Santa Teresita.

A massive formation inside Tabaco

Actually, there is only a tiny fraction of Sierra Madre that touched the municipality. Its highest elevation is a dismal 115 meters above sea level. That makes Santa Teresita a truly geological anomaly. By definition, Santa Teresita is mountain-less since a mountain is defined as a land formation elevated at more than 300 meters above sea level.

Despite its diminutive land area; smaller than the town of Piat, Santa Teresita, the so called "Shrimp Capital of the North" is exceptionally cave-packed, owing to its more than 60 caves discovery; far from half of those are open to public excursions for obvious safety reasons until fully assessed by the National Museum and Cagayan Tourism Office.

It is still cold, rainy season in Cagayan and the black clouds seemed ever reluctant to leave the sky that morning when our local guide Mr. JR Sabado, a member of a caving tour guide association in the municipality led us to one of Santa Teresita's monumental anomaly: into the dazzling solitariness of TABACO CAVE, so named after the first settlers in that place who tamed the wilderness.

Explore Lasam™️ Team led by Saniboy Pacursa (right)

We were on the prowl with my team coming from nearby town of Gonzaga, now face-to-face with the gigantic past geologic formations as we approached Tabaco's sentinels: massive stalactites hanging from its mouth, as large as Godzilla's sharp teeth.

Serene spectacle of immaculate great white herons feeding from the grasslands near the cave entrance eluded our presence and like a squadron of white fighter jets, flew synchronically out of our sight into the bushes.

The Tabaco Cave is like a mystical woman of innocence from the outside; beautiful and modest with a purity every man wishes to behold. But as you go along the way, it remains somehow almost barely attainable with its hostile multi-chambered, moist subterranean world of darkness. It is easily accessible through the Luga Road with motorcycles or four-wheeled vehicles alike, a mile away from the National Highway; the Magapit-Mission Road. You can even trail it by foot. But that shouldn't make you complacent. I say it again; the Tabaco is unfriendly you would rather choose the comfort of your home; atleast for those who don't dare the art of dirty caving. 

But in my blood runs the immortal seed of a true-to-life adventurer; I decided to subdue Tabaco and bring along the trophy of my 26th cave.

Lush vegetation surrounding the entrance of Tabaco Cave 

The trail is short, tumbled through grasses and fields; the entrance, surrounded by strangler figs (balete) creeping through its walls and ripe Ficus (tebbeg) decorated the vicinity. Multitudes of birds twittered a more staccato melody than our mumblings.

"They are chanting a welcome song to us", I told my team as I heard them shouting with excitement, "come inside, come inside, it's beautiful here".

As we go deeper, the pale light slowly vanished chamber per chamber, and the path went narrower and muddier; and wetter. We entered a dripping landscape jeweled with countless speleothems with sparkling walls, draped with flowstones, coralloids and draperies like an icing of a cake.

The fiery glow of a Sparrassidae spider compound eyes reflected as our torches hit her, protecting its egg case from intruders like an alien from the gruesome movie Starship Troopers. This viscious arachnid feeds on bent-toed geckos, whip scorpions, crickets and small invertebrates seeking refuge in the darkness. Not too far, a gastropod (Otala punctata snail), a common cave resident, found comfort in the moist, cave walls, sliding past its way among cracks and holes for safety.

Biodiversity inside the cave

The second chamber was a test for stamina and grit. A very squeezing tunnel of mud leading to a dungeon of giant columns and flowstones mystified us with the gargantuan figure of a guardian spirit, an altar formation, Our Lady and a stylized human figure among others. Some may have or hardly been so recognizable without a formidable imagination but no matter what, their presence lends an enduring magic to the cave and that magic adds to the special enchantment that is only found in exploring inhospitable places such as Tabaco.

Here, you must learn the art of cave crawling or duck walking.

One of the many chambers of Tabaco

A series of entrance boggled our minds as we approached the next hollow. Fortunately, our guide knew better. This part of the cave can trick you as several entry points congregate as one to form a maze. To prevent such mistake, a sign was placed, etched from the hanging stalactite near the correct entry point to guide spelunkers inside; the sign broke my heart - a stalactite that guarded the correct way was intentionally cut.

The entrance going to the largest chamber, the Big Dome

We reached the largest part of Tabaco; a vast expanse of emptiness, as large as a coliseum thus the name "the big dome". The big dome can only be appreciated with a powerful pilot lamp; unfortunately our camera flashes and small head lights couldn't saturate the entirety of the coliseum. The dome lends a feel of totally primeval; such a place where evolution of man probably took place - a refuge of our ancestry, the Homos. It reminds me of the domes of Callao Caves where first known Philippine man, the Homo luzonensis thrived and the Lascaux Cave in France where Neanderthal cave arts endured the test of centuries. The high ceiling of the dome harbours cauldron of bats circling an almost perfectly rounded depression like a "siliasi" from above as our lights frantically disturbed them. There, you can only hear their wing flaps and the eternal sound of sprinkles of mineralized water from the tips of hanging stalactites. On this chamber, the cave floors are wet due to the drops and water flows, combined with the rich guanos from the flying mammals. The spectacular view of the nervous bats evoke the unfettered feels of a true nature explorer without fear.

A maze that amazes

The final part of our caving experience at Tabaco yielded a surprise and a bit regret. Below, we need to get past a paddy-like terrain, as wet as a rice field. The nitrogen-rich soil, guano and bat urine concoction flooded our shoes; some of us removed them. I myself would have rejected going in the last and loneliest chamber if it's not for the guides who carried me along past the muddy landscape.

It was a relief though after; we came to a land of a formless abyss, full of spires and stalagmites. A herculean megalith formation was a wonder to behold, shimmering in ever changing lights from our torches. The marvelous formations in this chamber spawned a total abstraction of patterns; a labyrinth of mazes of the underworld; each formation must demand an absolute expansive imagination from a spectator to get the best of it; the rocks possess more than enough on their own.

We escaped out from an exit that was not our entrance and we had a feeling of an intrigue in our minds as we breath another fresh air. Now I know that Tabaco is just the tip of an iceberg of the total potential of Santa Teresita, waiting to be discovered more of its pride. I realized that Santa Teresita is not a barren, bleak landscape, I swear.

The entrance to a muddy terrain

And on a day when the wind was chill, and the sky bonnet-blue with bands of black clouds, I promised to return to the place of unforseen beauty and adventures; to the place of concealed charm not so many initially had thought - thanks to its many fantabulous caves, a representation that Santa Teresita is truly an unexpected geological anomaly.

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TALLAG ROCK FORMATIONS: A STANDING GEOLOGIC MONUMENT WITH TIMELESS CONFIDENCE

TALLAG ROCK FORMATIONS: A STANDING GEOLOGIC MONUMENT WITH TIMELESS CONFIDENCE

 📌 Tallag, Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines

I felt the sharp sting of blowing sand to my face and heard the growl of eternal high Pacific waves crashing onto a rustic, rocky beach. Prevailing wind patterns from the immense Babuyan Channel create a masterpiece of arts, molding ancient sedimentary and sandstone boulders into magnificent pieces of giant carvings that any mind could imagine. Together with the notorious barrage of unending wave blitzkrieg, natural erosion and accretion, the great wild shore of Tallag, Gonzaga, Cagayan in northeastern Philippines has transformed into a wilderness haven with timeless confidence.

Wild shores of Tallag, Gonzaga, Cagayan

The Philippines lies tropical near the equator, ravaged by storms and typhoons - occasionally since weather disturbances that conceived from the Pacific, west of the Marianas follow familiar tracks westward. These weather rampages have made the coasts of Cagayan, particularly those facing directly the immensity of the Pacific, a rough, craggy but portrait-worthy landscapes and seascapes of high drama.

Inside one of the caverns in Tallag

The 40-kilometer long northern coast of Gonzaga is a conglomeration of different types of beaches that varies from dark, fine magnetite sand, to golden and white sand beaches, owing to its coral reefs and beds near the shores.

Those that can be found in the western coast, bordering the small municipality of Santa Teresita however have rocky black sand, rustic and vicious feels while the eastern landscape offers a more, serene, tamed white sand and coral shallows sharing boundery with the elegant town of Santa Ana.

A hiker dwarfed by the massive boulders at Tallag Beach

Amid the wild and the tamed; between these contrasting coastlines are fine black sands where most of the resorts dotted the central part of the coast where waters are more tranquil, and the shores are shallow. Such attractions include the popular Kangaroo Beach, Sasa Beach Resort, Alexa Beach and the cozy Balai Baibai.

Beautiful sea gypsies

But born to be in the wild, I chose to trespass the western coast and subjugate its wild, roaring beach in Tallag, rather than to lie flat on the placid shores of Kangaroo, chill in the coffee shop at Balai Baibai or go shell-searching in the white sands of Matara strolling eastward. It is something not many put into their bucket list as far as beach bumming is concerned as it is reserved only for the adventurers with penchant of the untamed, feral great outdoors.

Molded by angry currents, the rock formations in Tallag evoke an expanse of massive rocks and cliffs extending into the shoreline. Layers of history can be found embeded in its sedimentary rock cliff sides, a testimony of its dark past of its creation, eras ago. Its wrinkled cliffs meet the sea with a constant, perpetual blast of the force of nature that further shapes the seascape. In the far future, what we witness today would be so different during those time that would come; a phenomenal capability of nature for reconstruction and redesigning of its own landscape.

A white sand beach on the eastern coast of Gonzaga

Known as "the eye" in Tallag, a wave-cut arch serves as the landmark and most prominent defining icon of Tallag; coastal rocks and the sea - together they embody a realm of blinding inseparable duo of a single spectacular scene.

The Eye, facing the immensity of the Pacific Ocean

The evolution of Tallag Rock Formations is a complex story of geologic forces; of ocean currents and dominating winds. The huge waves fostered by the winds torpedoeing Tallag's jagged shores and cape is Gonzaga's highest wave-energy in terms of frequency, duration and magnitude. The result is a mixed air and mist of water, perpetuating abundant oxygen, leading to the growth of algae and protists in tide lines that in turn supporting other marine life that is making part of the ecological food chain. More at home under rock crevices and ledges, sea crabs fearfully hide underneath upon hearing human mumbling and footsteps. Barnacles grow steadily among rocks and tide lines where rich seawater touches them. At its shallows, a sea slug can be seen inching its way through algae where it feeds.

Nature is the best medicine for serenity 

From far away, Tallag Rocks can be seen defenseless against the pounding Pacific surf as sea rocks slowly crumble overtime on the weathered coast of western Gonzaga. The craggy seascape and caverns shall all that remain of a headland jutting out to the sea for another massive amount of time in the future.

A gasp of history from the sedimentary rocks of Tallag

And until the enormous power of nature ceases, we still continue to be amazed with that magnificent cloak of the great wild shores of Gonzaga carved during the Jurassic Period, still a standing monument with timeless confidence all over again. ©️

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LOST IN THE SUNRISE PROVINCE

SERENDIPITY IN MINDANAO, A DETOUR TO KINDNESS

📌 Baganga, Davao Oriental, Mindanao

PROLOGUE:

This is the story of how I accidentally wandered into the easternmost seaboard of the Philippines, outside my planned itinerary. A kind Samaritan came to my rescue.

Davao Oriental, the easternmost province of the Philippines 

Backpacking is not easy. You must plan your itinerary yourself, from transportation to selecting hotels and destinations. While numerous affordable travel agencies can organize your tours, I have always preferred the DIY approach. It allows me the freedom to explore without the pressure of time constraints that often accompany organized tours. Moreover, traveling independently fosters courage, resourcefulness, and adaptability, providing opportunities to learn something new and challenging.

However, there is a significant downside to DIY travel: the commuting issues. This led to my unforgettable story of courage, decision-making, and quick thinking.

Mount Apo as seen from Samal Island, Davao Del Norte 

On Day 1, my original plan was to conquer Mount Apo in Davao Del Sur, the highest peak in the Philippines at nearly 3 kilometers above sea level. Climbing it would take three days, consuming half my week in the "Land of Promise." Therefore, I switched to Plan B: exploring the natural richness of Mount Hamiguitan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its incredible biodiversity.

Mount Hamiguitan is located on the southernmost tip of eastern Mindanao in Davao Oriental, about a six-hour bus ride from Davao City. It straddles the administrative boundaries of Mati City, San Isidro, and Governor Generoso. However, I soon faced my first challenge: climbing Mount Hamiguitan requires a minimum of 20 hikers, even with a guide. To reach the peak, you must stay at base camps for at least two days to fully appreciate the mountain's grandeur. This experience taught me that no mountain can be tamed easily. You must study and respect their majesty, as these mountains are the crowning glories of Mindanao.

Consequently, I redirected my efforts toward Aliwagwag Falls, the longest and highest waterfall in the Philippines, composed of numerous powerful cascades that create a perpetual mist. Unfortunately, there was only one direct bus from Davao City to Aliwagwag at 2:00 AM, which was impractical after a long day. I chose to take a bus at 7:00 AM instead.

I took a dilapidated bus from Davao City Ecoland Terminal to Compostela Valley, Davao De Oro Province. The journey was grueling, lasting nearly seven hours. By 2:00 PM, I arrived in Compostela, looking haggard. Once again, I faced a lack of public transport to Aliwagwag, so I had to hire a habal-habal (a motorcycle taxi). The fare of 800 pesos for a one-way trip felt like a rip-off, but with no alternatives, I accepted his "take it or leave it" condition, despite the rain pouring down.

The beauty of Mindanao Island

Along the way, I found some consolation in the breathtaking beauty of the Mindanao valleys, cloud-covered mountains, and lush tropical rainforests, dotted with hidden waterfalls along the winding road. After a back-breaking three-hour ride, I finally reached Aliwagwag Falls.

The falls were astonishingly powerful, unlike anything I had ever seen. Named after a remote village in Cateel (pronounced as ka-TE'-el), Davao Oriental, it is the country's highest waterfall. Aliwagwag Falls is a protected landscape rich in biodiversity situated in the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, containing one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical lowland rainforest in the Philippines and home to the endangered Philippine eagle and the tallest trees in the country, the Philippine rosewood, known locally as "toog". There in my way, tons of logs and lumber could be found.

The massive force of the Aliwagwag Falls

I intended to spend the night at Aliwagwag but discovered, due to inadequate research, that the park had been closed for renovations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and swimming was prohibited. With no cellphone signal, no data, and no transportation options, I felt frustrated, my heavy hiking gear rendered useless. Fortunately, sightseeing and photography were allowed.

As dusk approached, I sought refuge in a small coffee shop near the falls while waiting for a ride to Cateel, where I hoped to find a hotel for the night. After an hour of waiting with no success, I learned from a vendor that no regular vehicles were plying the area. Desperation set in, and I considered the possibility of sleeping in a waiting shed, as there were no nearby homes.

Should I have awkwardly asked the vendor if I could stay at her home? I silently prayed for help.

Just then, a meat delivery truck from Compostela pulled into the coffee shop. Two men got out and ordered durian coffee and baguettes. After their break, I humbly asked if I could hitch a ride with them to Cateel. To my relief, the younger man, RJ Lumpas, agreed.

RJ and his father drove me as far as the crossing to Cateel since they were headed to Baganga, which lies to the south. From the crossing, I wasn't sure if any habal-habal or tricycles were available to take me to Cateel, especially since it was already late afternoon and the area was sparsely populated.

Pilot's View Beach in the town of Baganga

"Why not come with us to Baganga?" RJ suggested. "There are hotels there, and many more places to visit than in Cateel."

After considering the situation, I decided to trust RJ and his father and accepted their offer. I learned much about life in Mindanao from RJ, who had never been to Manila or Luzon. I expressed my gratitude, telling him he had saved me from a difficult situation. He assured me that helping those in distress is a common value among his community.

To make the most of my time, RJ stopped at Ban-ao Beach, the second easternmost point in the Philippines, where we enjoyed a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean and a serene islet.

Ban-Ao Beach, facing the tide line of the Pacific Ocean 

After nearly two hours of winding roads, we arrived at RJ and Jane Meat Shop, where they delivered their products. Before parting ways, RJ contacted his friend, Nonoy Hapitan, to guide me the next day to various tourist destinations in Baganga. Nonoy, with his unique tricycle, took me to Habibi Pension House, about five minutes from the town center. I went to bed early, as I had a 2:00 PM bus to catch back to Davao City the next day.

Lake Carolina surrounded by mangrove forest

At 7:00 AM, Nonoy took me to a local restaurant for breakfast, where I enjoyed balbacua, a hearty soup made from cattle skin. It was delicious, and I couldn't resist devouring two kilos of durian, which is rare and expensive in Luzon.

At Lake Carolina, I marveled at the lush greenery and mangroves surrounding the brackish lake, where the crystal-clear waters allowed me to see the limestone beds below. Being a thalassophile, I asked Nonoy to take me to the beach. We arrived at Pilots View Beach, a tranquil spot with immaculate white sand and turquoise waters. Gazing out at the vast Pacific Ocean, I realized that the Philippine Deep, one of the world's deepest trenches, lay just beyond.

The long stretch of uninterrupted white beach in Baganga

Davao Oriental is the easternmost province of the Philippines, with Baganga being the second place in the country to greet the sunrise daily, next only to Pusan Point in the neighboring municipality of Caraga.

As we traveled, we stopped at San Victor Island, a small elongated sandbar resort, one of the 7,146 islands in the Philippines and a major tourist destination in Baganga. From the map, San Victor Island is actually the second easternmost island beach resort in the country next to the bigger Poo Sand Bar and Mermaid Atoll. 

Sunrise Boulevard truly lives up to its name as the first boulevard in the Philippines to be kissed by sunlight. Compared to Manila's Roxas Boulevard, it is quieter, cleaner, and more natural. The shores are lined with white sand and mangroves, creating a stunning scene in the morning. Despite the devastation caused by a recent typhoon, which left some mangrove forests in ruins, the landscape was still breathtaking.

Since the eastern Mindanao faces the massive Philippine trench, a product of herculean geological forces that constantly happening within the Earth, it is no wonder that the area has numerous hot springs and vents serving as outlets from the heat within the Earth. The Balete Hot Springs at Kinablangan, in the municipality of Baganga offers such hot bath and pampering using the healing property of nature.

The pampering of natural hot springs in Kinablangan 

Sunrise Boulevard at Brgy. Kinablangan

By 2:00 PM, it was time to catch the UV Express van back to Davao City. I couldn't afford to miss it, as it was my only means of transportation, and I had plans to visit Samal Island the following day. Although I wished I could have explored Baganga longer, I was grateful for my unexpected detour. This province, where the first sunlight of the day occurs, was a hidden gem I never expected to discover.

Reflecting on my journey back to Davao City, I realized how small our world is and how short our lives can be. We should strive to make our lives meaningful and uplift others as well. Kindness costs nothing, and we never know when we might find ourselves in need of help.

If you ever find yourself in Baganga, Davao Oriental, consider reaching out to Mr. Rex Guhayon (real name RJ Lumpas), owner of RJ and Jane Meat Shop, or Mr. Nonoy Hapitan, a local who became my guide during my adventure. They are friendly and willing to help, embodying the generosity that the region is known for.

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APAYAO, THE LAST ECOLOGICAL FRONTIER OF THE CORDILLERAS

APAYAO, THE LAST ECOLOGICAL FRONTIER OF THE CORDILLERAS

📌 Katablangan, Conner, Apayao, CAR

Making up the northern portion of the Cordillera mountains, the Philippines' second most extensive range, Apayao province is an ecological anomaly, despite being the youngest in the Cordillera Region and the least densely-populated province in the entire country.

Yet, it is this sparsely-peopled characteristic that makes Apayao the last ecological frontier in the Cordilleras, almost untouched by the madness of even the seasoned travelers, though still out from most adventurer's itinerary. It is this remoteness, the thickness of its tropical rainforests, mostly uncharted, out-of-the-way and trail-less terrains that preserves its dynamic nature frontiers and unique wilderness, incomparable from most provinces. It is the region's landlocked environ; clasped between the immense Cagayan Valley in the east, the narrow strip of Ilocandian plains in the west and the equally lofty Caraballo range in the south that sculpted the multi-faceted milieu of the grand Cordilleras.

Highlands of Conner, Apayao Province 

A remarkable inventory of nature's bounty can be found in the municipality of Conner, the southernmost town of Apayao, sharing its border with the province of Kalinga.

Staring stunned by the verdant atmosphere, the outskirts of Conner, where the predominant ethnic group known as the Isnegs thriving very well in harmony with the nature, is a place of richness to behold; richness that are tangibly rarer on the entire solar system than the precious diamonds - trees.

Richness of the tropical rainforest of Apayao

The westernmost, the last, the largest and the wildest of all barangays found in Conner, the outskirts of Katablangan is a majesty of a kingly nature wonder. It is surrounded by glass-clear, potable rivers, super-ethereal waterfalls, most of which still undiscovered by many and mountains adorned by lush tropical forest canopies, a perfect thriving ground for the endangered, and national icon Philippine eagle. In fact, one specimen was caught by a local Isneg hunter, turned it over to DENR Baguio before finally transferred to an eagle sanctuary in the province of Laguna; a testimony of how nurturing the thick jungles of Apayao to myriad forms of wild biodiversity and other players of the fragile ecosystem.

Apayao is surrounded by glass-clear, potable rivers

The unpolluted rivers of Barren, Alawing and Lakkong that emanate from the headwaters of Katablangan near the border of Abra province render fishes and other bounty for the local consumption; sometimes the exotic but tasty igat (river eel), the crispy-when-fried palileng (goby fish) and the delectable agatol, alternately called kappi (forest crabs) are served to visitors who happen, or atleast brave enough to let the night pass in Katablangan, a once covered-in-darkness barangay, longing for illimination at night; until the success of their hydro power plant (Katablangan Micro Hydro-Power Plant) that powered, lighted the village.

The power source of Katablangan Mini Hydro-Power Plant

The small community of Katablangan is off the target in terms of tourism industry because of its craggy-muddy roads, exclusively for horses or sturdy-bodied motorcycles, precipitous cliffsides posing perils to people when raining and its kilometric distance from the main town center; all contribute to its seemingly unnoticed, unheard reputation but a silent refuge of insurgency - atleast to people who have little or worse, lacking knowledge about the truths of the place.

A view of the outskirts of Conner, Apayao

That is not the real case however; if one could just able to commune with what Katablangan could offer - nature. Its consolation: a combo of supernatural nature's allure and the hospitality of the local people joining as one in celebrating one's presence that figuratively, happens once in a blue moon. It is uncommon to see unfamiliar faces in this village, much less if the person is a foreigner, because outsiders visit Katablangan only for reasons of certain projects, surveillance, humanitarian efforts or concerns in relation to the environment and nothing else, but absolutely not for leisure travel.

A supernatural nature's allure 

But a true traveler knows no boundaries; be it in the heavily thronged Tagaytay mountains, bustling metropolis or in the hardly reached uplands anywhere in Apayao. A real traveler chooses the harder paths without hesitation; he is always on the run for the vast unknown; he wants to be different, not the sorts of a commoner...

A true adventurer always chooses the hardest paths

I call it attraction and love at first sight. I have not been in a community as far-flung as the outskirts of Conner - in Katablangan, and though, the sugarcane wine or "basi" played some supporting role with that statement.

It was not true nevertheless, that the Isnegs are notorious and fierce head-hunters. In fact, they are very reserved, able to get along with other ethnic groups and have that unique beauty which is different and doesn't blend or compared well with the sightliness of other Cordilleran ethnicity such as the Ifugaos, Kalingas or the Igorots.

Sugarcane wine or "basi" is a chief local produce in Apayao

During our course of agenda, we attended a traditional Isneg party that night of our stay in the village of Katablangan. There is beauty and amazement in the sounds of the Cordilleran night, exciting my heart with its beats in congruence to the clanging "gangsa". The folksmen and women gracefully danced under the moonlight; every movement has meaning in a sacred drumming of the sweet-clangoring "gangsa", yet I was so fascinated by the warmth and friendliness the Isnegs have shown.

Apayao's wild nature (captured by Jovie Tangilen)

That night, before we leave by morning, the echoes of the Cordilleras resounded through the tropical rainforests from dusk until dawn. I know there is a part in here that captured my very heart...

A typical Isneg beauty: capturing a wanderer's heart

Apayao's wild nature is the well spring of its beauty, and the reason that travelers, wanderers and poets will continue to probe for what the province never can give but always offers. I have a memory of that feeling in day one from the bumpy motorcycle ascent through the rainforest terrains of Katablangan, down to our last night with its welcoming people; a woman, epitome of the unique allure of the Cordilleras, an embodiment of a modest lady now rare and rarely seen, passed by before me, and for a brief moment, I stared her coy, glimmering eyes.

Wilderness, the essence of Apayao

An instant later, she disappeared, melted in sight of the night leaving with me a look into the eye of unknowable wilderness that is the essence of Apayao, the last ecological frontier of the Cordilleras.

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SICALAO, THE LAST FRONTIER

 THE ENIGMA OF NEGRO CAVE: UNCOVERED

📌 Negro Cave (Cueba Negro), Sicalao, Lasam, Cagayan, Philippines 

"The array of geological formations at Sicalao was preternatural. So was the wildlife and its countless natural dignified wonders not so known to the ordinary."

I spent so many years roaming the great outdoors and into the wild in pursuit of how I would be able to quench the thirst of going outside where I can truly find the world of enchantment I am looking for. Not in gigantic malls. Never in crowded parks. Neither in romantic theaters, nor in fancy restaurants.

I was not so coerced and impressed with modernized marvels created by human technologies but rather by the sceneries  sculpted by the Earth's innate forces and the nurturing of Mother Nature.

Over the years of exploring into the wild and the great outdoors

I was dreaming of  trekking the vastness of the Amazon, conquering the peaks of the lofty Kilimanjaro, enduring the aridity of the Australian Outback or even braving the hostility of the Antarctic realm. But I could never fool myself into thinking I was in some dream place of nowhere. After all, I was in Sicalao, the incontestable and the last ecological frontier of Lasam, Cagayan.

The last, the largest and the wildest, Sicalao lies east of the still formidable Cordillera hemlines and southwest of the municipality; amid of it, runs the prowess of the life-giving Zinundungan river, paving the way to the geological rise of the great Zinundungan Valley . 

Colorful gecko, a testimony of Sicalao's rich biodiversity 

Much, if not all of Sicalao's inventories of its natural benisons are tucked hidden on the massive  tropical rainforests and limestone mountains near its border in Flora, an adjacent municipality in the province of Apayao. 

This positioning cleaves a realm where  potentiating extremes engage in one of nature's most fascinating dramas of duality: wetness and wildness; the wetter, the wilder. And the continuous barrage of alternating wet and dry shapes the indefinable landscapes of Sicalao that conceal its unknown charms only the seasoned outdoorsy could find.

Tropical Sicalao supporting myriad of wildlife

That one fine, misty morning, accompanied by my support team led by Ka Ali Cabison, I pinned my map and geo-tagged my GPS to the unknown of Sicalao, the last frontier; uncharted and unfamiliar. It was strange; unnerving to explore one of the most fearsome, unnoticed, unpublished caves in the entire town.

Explore Lasam™️ Team, with lead guide Ali Cabison (2nd from left)

But the magnanimity of my spirit with my insatiable quest for new amazement has brought me into the hell-like interior of the blackened Negro Cave...

It was a huge mystery relief that I was eventually able to uncover the enigma of its namesake, "negro" which meant "black".

The Negro Cave lives up to its namesake: "black"

Not so many people know about the Negro Cave though, even among the people of its locality. While Sicalao is the most visited destination in Lasam because of its clean rivers, majestic waterfalls and the iconic Sicalao Bridge popular to the mob, its caves remain as the less frequented ports of call to any visitor.

For decades since its first footing, no more than a dozen of single individuals have invaded Negro Cave; probably fewer than the humans that went to the moon. It was almost hidden and creepy.

More people went on the Moon than in Negro Cave 

This narration by Mang Jerry Lomibao, one of my guides and among the first known raider of this dark, black cave only stirred my curiosity and craving for "pioneerism".

For me, it is always been great to be the first, if not among the firsts; the very few firsts.

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.

Documenting the Negro Cave before it will be totally humanize

"There is a mystic and a magic to this place", I sighed.

Negro's spacious double domes  are empty in many ways and yet, full in others. There's nothing so special as to be inside pointing my torch into its walls full of draperies, some flowstones, columns and helictites - all in monochromatic black to grayish hue. Its commanding dark color was so bizaare for a cave that is found in Sicalao. Most of the others, including the Isus Cave and Abot de Sicalao Cave (both previously featured) are white to brownish due to the natural hue of the calcite and limestone. The Negro Cave lacks the usual defining characteristic of a cave - stalactites and stalagmites; the major speleothems in general.

Lacking the usual speleothems or cave formations

Therre might be some, but not that conspicuous or very pronounced. It is bleak in its natural state, yet it has something grabby inside - a gushing and cold river stream seeping and oozing from somewhere else underground. 

Its ceilings are not adorned by imaginative formations of stalactites, anthodites or other speleothems. But rather a regularly arranged circular depressions in light color decorate the overheads, with protrusions in a sea waves resemblance.

Extravagant ceiling of the Negro Cave

From its nothingness, life still teems silently. Forest crabs could be seen in the streams of running water inside this vastness of unending night. Whip scorpions, crickets and frugivorous and insectivorous chiropterans not on swarms are the normal residents.

The cave walls  are constantly wet, and not too many bats find Negro as their comfort dwelling of choice.

The dark, black, constantly wet interior of Negro Cave

Resembling as lava rocks, the black, darkened scapes of Negro could have been due to fungi growth, atleast for one reason. Breathing caves pull in air from the surface as barometric pressure rises so there are fungal spores in the cave. A fungus can live without any sunlight as long as it has a source of energy. That source is  biomass that gets washed into the cave, so we normally see no life deep within cave except for the rare forms of extremophiles that have adapted to some source to replace breaking down biology, such as sulfur or hydrocarbon feeding.

The black hue may be due to mineral lints or fungal growth

Another reason for its charcoal-charred appearance could be due to the byproducts of bacteria that can photosynthesized in total darkness. Or could be the natural state of the sedimentary rocks that formed this specific cave.

Or does it suggest a possible coal deposits?

Regardless of the reason, Negro Cave is stunning in its bleakness. It is more interesting in its lackness than in what it has to offer.

The Negro Cave, beautiful in its nothingness 

This abyssal landscape possesses an alien, other-worldly feels, worse to compare - the Hades, literally the underworld. Gray and black dominate a minimalist spectrum ruled by walls of rocks and very little else. Soil hardly exists. The flooring is cobbled with limestones, with occasional cave corals or coralloids.

This barren immensity of the underworld was beautifully crafted by the Earth's fiery eons ago.

Sculpted by time millions of years ago

In 1961, the "Sicalao Limestones" was defined by scientists Durkee and Pederson in reference to the limestones that can be found in the western flank of Cagayan, facing the Cordilleras. Sicalao thus, sits on unconformable volcanic rocks and can be traced continuously from Luna, Apayao to the north, southward to Salegseg in Kalinga province.

Its stratigraphic position suggests a probable Late Oligocene age or about 30 million years ago.

Millions of years old

And so, this timeless splendor of the land before time continue to exist to amaze us. Negro Cave, an underrated outdoorsman's paradise has never failed me to project an awesome sight, exhilarating and utterly breath-taking extravagance of nature.

Extravagance of nature

As we left the place, there in my unflappable mind, I was already anticipating prospect of another memorable day on a land not as perfect as the Amazon, Kilimanjaro, Australia or Antarctica but equally intriguing and fascinating.™️

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