Compostella Valley

Highlands with a View

Davao region may be the Philippines' ultimate highland escapade. It's not that the Cordillera region isn't short of tourist attractions, but I was astonished at what I discovered during my first visit to Davao three years ago - lots of multi-tiered and plunging waterfalls, assorted hot and cold springs, breathtaking vistas of verdant mountain ranges.

In Davao, several peaks rise above 8,000 feet. Most of them are found in Compostella Valley. This southern province was once part of Davao del Norte. It became independent in 1998 via the Republic Act No. 8470. Mountains are the first things I see whenever I visit Mindanao. It's also the sight that lingers in my mind long after the trip is over. But it's a different level in th case of Comval, the province's nickname. My recent visit tells me that it's the final frontier in local tourism.

Leonard Kniaseff, one of Mindanao's active volcanoes, is located in Comval's southern region. Like Mount Pinatubo, this strato-volcano is a few thousand feet high and one must ride on a plane in able to identify it. In Leonard's case, the areas close to it would give visitors a hint of its presence.

Some Like It Hot

Several kilometers away from the municipality of Maco is Mainit Hot Springs. Water cascades down a 15-foot, sulfur-covered slope. The chemical substance makes the water hot. Not suitable when the sun is way up, which I found out when I dropped by one humid afternoon.

Half an hour later, I explored Maco, a sleepy town near Lake Leonard. It doesn't take ten minutes to reach the crater lake, which is a source of livelihood to the inhabitants. Rows of bamboos on one side indicate that the lake is a breeding ground for tilapia, mudfish and milkfish.

Lake Leonard looks splendid from above. A tree-covered slope on one side of the lake looks gorgeous when it's bathed with the afternoon sun. But even in faint sunlight, the lake is an eye-catcher. No one can tell the depth, but this isn't important, as the clear reflection of the clouds and the mountain range makes this lake a must-see.

Comval's Best

Water is eternal in this province. In every town I went, there were pools that locals flock to during weekends. It's like the resorts lining up in Calamba and Los Banos in Laguna.

One of the barangays near Nabunturan (the provincial capital) is home to one of the province's lumads, a tribal group found only in the Davao areas. Some of the elder residents were hospitable to perform a tribal dance for us. They didn't don tribal costumes or use native instruments, but the rhythmic music and dance steps reminded me that Mindanao, like India, is multicultural.

Comval isn't only about highlands; Mabini is a seaside town with a scenic spot to offer. One of its resorts is on stilts, several meters away from the beach. Not far from it is Kopiat Island, a pear-shaped isle surrounded by white sands. The island isn't developed yet, but it offers some potential; Christine Dompor, the Provincial Tourism Officer, said that it's ideal for water sports activities, and its vicinity has unspoiled reefs that are homes for exotic tropical fish.

I like Kopiat's fine sands and clear waters, but it's the highlands that I want to explore next time. There are more waterfalls to see and more springs to check out.

(First published in Zest Air Inflight Magazine on December 2009)

Maragusan, Compostella Valley

Sky-high adventure in Maragusan

It was past 6 a.m. when I arrived in Maragusan. A landmark with a message that reads, “Welcome to Maragusan, the summer capital of the Davao region”greeted me. Baguio in Davao? I was surprised.

Maragusan is located in Compostella Valley’s highland region. A mountain range surrounds this small town. Looking for something unusual wasn’t hard, as Christine Dompor, the Provincial Tourism Officer, took me to the town’s favorite hangout.

Haven’s Peak is a resort nestled on Tarago Hills facing Maragusan. It offers a panorama that would keep the visitors coming back. I was lucky to witness it.

Mist slowly moved to my direction. The town was nowhere in sight after half an hour. It was like what happened to a Californian fishing town in John Carpenter’s “The Fog.” An otherworldly sight it was.

Henrich Nalzaro, a local government unit officer, was delighted at my reaction. He remarked matter-of-factly that the mountains hid numerous waterfalls. He invited me to see Pyalitan Falls, which is several kilometers away from the town.

About 40 minutes later, we trek on a muddy footpath. Here and there were plants and trees that were only found in Mindanao. It took us nearly 30 minutes to reach a two-tier falls. The first one was about a few feet high, while the second has a drop of 10 feet.

Nalzaro told me that we must climb up in able to see Pyalitan. Ascending the rocky slope besides the first falls wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t the case with the second.

He pointed to the two boulders located a few meters away from the top of the second falls. We needed both rope and bamboo to able to pass through the small opening between it. With a little help from Dompor’s staff, I managed to bring my overweight body up there.

We saw another two-tier waterfall, but this one was more dramatic. The first falls was about 15-feet high, while the second one was probably 150 feet in height. Fatigue was setting in, but we couldn’t stop. We crossed a rocky creek and climbed another rocky slope to be able to get close to the grandest of the four falls.

Pyalitan looked like a mini version of Venezuela’s Angel Falls. The sky seemed so close. If ecstasy is about elevation, then this huge waterfall is the tops.

Descending wasn’t difficult, as I used my butt to keep my feet from slipping. We were back to starting point about an hour later. As we passed by the mountain range, all I could think of was the waterfalls up there. How I wished I could stay there.

(First published in Manila Times on May 30, 2009)