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:

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#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:

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#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".

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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:

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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

DEEPER INTO THE EXTREME NORTHERN SIERRA MADRE

TAMING AN ELUSIVE BEAUTY 

 📌 Palawig River, Inner Sierra Madre, Santa Ana, Cagayan, Philippines 

PROLOGUE: "May you find value of nature and inspiration in life as you read this story of soon-to-be just faded memories". 

FROM my first glimpse to final farewell, my enduring journey through Cagayan's Santa Ana town in the village of Santa Clara revealed a land of myriad unknowns that lurks in the green vastness of a tropical rainforest biome; the magnificent Sierra Madre continues to awe and to dominate; the uncloaked and still largely unpeopled extreme northeastern Cagayan is still a gloriously wild, windswept link between the province's enormous valley plains and the immense Pacific ocean.

Taming the Sierra Madre, the country's largest rainforest 

To me, the outskirts of Santa Ana covered by the extremes of the jungles evoke that of South America; the Sierra Madre resembles that of the Amazonian rainforest; the mysterious and little-known Palawig River that bisected the municipality into east and west sides, meandering through before joining the Babuyan Channel recalls parts of the formidable Amazon River; and its immaculate white sands familiarize into the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. In short, Santa Ana's manifold nature enchantments stand alongside the country's best.

It was sun down after a strenuous two hours hike fighting-off muddy and grassy terrains when we reached our stop-over for the night tucked silently in the heart of the jungles.

We came to camp the first night here in Sitio Manit, Santa Clara with a song of the tropical forest primeval, deep into the jungles, disconnected from all known source of outside contacts. There was beauty and fear in the sounds of the night and they excited my imaginings as powerful as a dream that turned into a reality. A man of the early Pleistocene would feel at home around this place in Sitio Manit, for the land looked much as it did millions of years ago when the forests and mountains were still in their mightiest form.

One of the countless waterfalls found in the extreme northern Sierra Madre Range, Santa Ana, Cagayan

We plotted our mission that night: to navigate the deeper unknowns of the Sierra Madre by tracing the source of the unsung Palawig River that slices portions of the obscure interior of the Sierras as it snakes through the mountain's dense remoteness. Spending just a night in the mountains has brought me a buoyant sensation of a natural freedom and a great humility caused by the vastness of the landscapes that shrouded us; the way you feel if you take account of all the stars at night, winking above the galactic and limitless space and comparing yourself as just a tiny speck of nothingness but a dust...

Crossing the calm but unpredictably wild Palawig River

A supernatural spectacle greeted our morning before sunrise as darkness slowly waned; eternal mists clad the lordly bluish peaks of the Sierras and the golden hue of the peeking rays ornamented the immaculate morning clouds. After sipping our roasted rice coffee (kinirog a bagas a kape) and a stew of "labig" palm shoots (ubog), we headed southwardly, keeping a trace to where the source of Palawig River emanates. 

Trekking is a little like just traveling on a train. You rush past a thousand landscapes, your eyes panning like a movie camera; then you pause for a while, investigate a scene, get an angle, then click an impression that paints a thousand words - exactly what I am religiously doing for many years of my travels in the wild and into the great outdoors.

I was startled by the immensity of the greeneries surrounding us. The mountains swallowing us, the tangled vines wrapping us tight and the wild river wetting us all as we trek contradicting its flow. The biodiversity is exceptional, at least in my own understanding as a self-taught enthusiast of nature.

 

Morning mist shrouded the canopies of the tropical rainforest of the Sierra Madre

Mystical as a Chinese painting, the blue-green mountains of the Sierras wreathed in mists from afar commanded mightily over the wild Palawig River. A spectacular flock of herons added drama to the scene while a raptor up the canopies was seen scanning the escarpment and cliffs to complete the life-and-death situation in an ecological food chain.

As we crossed the starting-to-get-wild Palawig River, its treachery seemed to halt us when the monsoon poured on our way to the headwaters. But undaunted as a lion of the African savannah, we continued our way upstream with caution, unwary of the wetness and chilling breeze. The river is silent but wild. Some parts are neck-deep, currents are turbulent, rocks are slippery. But the waters in shallows are crystal clear however, rich in perch (ar-aro), carp (rasian), brook trout (bukto) and massive river prawns (udang). Here, the river provides people of priceless natural benison.

A wood nymph butterfly on a Leea plant, a symphony of nature's greatness and biodiversity

Ferny landscapes dominate the trails under the blanket of impenetrable tangles of vines, epiphytes and thick mass of vegetation in plentitude of forms. On the forest floor, dead woods harbour extraordinary fungi morphology, decaying leaves and twigs attract detritus feeders that further fertilize the soil and enhances undergrowth and among the broadleaf foliages are innumerable classes of invertebrates inconspicuously concealed from the unfocused, not keen eyes only the real adventurers could clearly see.

An expansive arena of grasslands primed by cogons (pan-aw) covers a massive valley before reaching a kaleidoscopic meadow of scrubs and grasses jeweled with prismatic, colorful flowers that attract butterflies and moths of multi-hues known only in fairy tales. The true beauty of Sierra Madre de Santa Ana is elusive. She is not revealing her charisma easily. It doesn't come without a price. We were bombarded by a sudden downpour in our initial ascent, and by the time we reached our destination, we were soaked to the bone in sweat and water. Our arduous undertaking of the trek constituted dangers; thorny, razor sharp foliages, 8-hour hike back and forth, the menace of deadly fangs and stings beneath the grassy trails and, but the swelling of the river is what we feared the most.

A pitcher plant in the wild, signifying the richness of the extensive flora of Sierra Madre

I felt relief as we safely crossed the other side of the treacherous Palawig River at this point dominated by reeds and ferns before disappearing into the thick woods where I can only recognize narra, kamuyao and balete (Ficus) as the silent forest sentinels.

As we crawled deeper and deeper into the dense jungle, I occasionally encountered incredible plants and animals not commonly seen by many. Nevertheless and absolutely, we were not negotiating an ordinary mountain: We were taming the longest mountain range in the Philippines located on the eastern seaboard of the country from Quezon province in the south to Cagayan in the north.

A sudden downpour that made the trekking more difficult; it could swell the river, making it more perilous 

We stopped at a mountain cliff beside the river that was starting to swell. The cliff was festooned with epiphytic vegetation, vines and taro-like plants called bilagot (aba ti bantay). From that roughly estimated 100-meter cliff, a waterfalls plummets down at a 90-degree angle horizontal plunge before joining a small tributary of the Palawig River. The volume of water is determined by the torrent of rainy season but lucky enough that we have witnessed a world of wonder - though not in its most elegant, most voluminous form - the Salipawan Falls, as named by the very few locals who have reached this unknown point of vastness deep into the Sierra Madre.

A small portion of Salipawan Falls in its drier condition, among the tallest in Cagayan

Salipawan Falls is technically uncharted. Remote and sheltered. Not known and unpromoted even to and by the tourism and travel agencies. That is because of its sheer distance from the national highway reference and the perils of its inaccessibility for the faint-hearted. But I believe among the 75 waterfalls I conquered so far, this is probably the tallest known waterfalls in Cagayan, at least yet, as we still continue to prowl the bulk of the stupendous mountains of Sierra Madre in search for hidden allures such as this discovery.

The Palawig River transversing the length of the Sierra Madre evokes that of the Amazon in South America

Our visit to Salipawan Falls may have been drier as it is now compared to its real form when waters are into its most hulking, substantial flow rate, but it remains as lovely and becomes an instant sensation as we firmly establish its fame as a realm of fabulous and fascinating. The more accesible and LGU-promoted Buwacag Falls may have robbed Salipawan Falls of the fame and glory it deserve, but it does not indeed lessened its value as a gem and giant centerpiece of the Palawig River that beautifies and adds drama to the entirety of the Sierra Madre. 

There are more plant species per square meter in a tropical rainforest than in any other biomes in the world 

Our discomfort of trekking the kilometric mountains for eight long hours - twelve if you include the initial hike to reach our first lay-over camp - was replaced by a peculiar sense of accomplishment. I felt it in my heart; the burning desire to write the journey-story of my life the way a photograph paints a thousand words that describe how we see life in the wild and into the great outdoors.

But I have to admit now, there's a part of me, in my heart that wants the rest of the entire Sierra Madre to remain unfound, forever, for all the humans to just pass by and all the planes and drones overhead never to land...

The Buwacag Falls, one of Santa Ana's tourist spot

And under the fading lights of the day in a world that seemed just made, I felt as I had in all of Santa Ana's Sierra Madre wild space, a witness to the beauty of creation's inspiration.

May you find value of nature and inspiration in life as you read this story of soon-to-be just faded memories. 

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