Iligan, Lanao del Norte

Water drops on Gorgeous Rocks

A billboard along Tibanga Highway caught my attention. It proclaims Iligan as the "City of Majestic Waterfalls". It wasn't hard to doubt, as Mindanao's chartered city is surrounded by mountains. Iligan's topography is mountainous, but visitors won't see glints of waterfalls that dot these mountainous terrain from a distance.

The billboard also showed pictures of falls of different shapes and lengths. According to Iligan's Tourism Office, 23 waterfalls are distributed among the city's 44 barangays. A few are accessible, while the rest take a day or two to reach. One is Limunsudan, which is the country's highest falls. The other one is Kalubihon, located inside a cave. Regardless of size and appearance, waterfalls are natural forces in their inherent power and beauty. This is what draws people to Iligan, which is blessed with these unique tourist attractions.

It would take a week or two to see all of Iligan's waterfalls. It took me three days to see seven. Not a bad number.

City by the Bay

The long stretch of Tibanga Highway tells visitors that Iligan is a sizable metropolis sans malls and high-rise buildings. No one would imagine that this was once Lanao del Norte's fortress against pirates and savage tribes. Natives back then went to Iligan Bay to look out for invaders.

The bay is still a sight to behold. Visitors need to go to Anahaw Amphitheater in order to see the bay and the city proper. It's located in Buhanginan Hill, where the city hall is located. The amphitheater, not remote from its Greek counterpart, serves as a playground for kids and an early-morning venue for adults whenever local officials aren't using it for provincial government programs.

Rene Pierna, my guide during a three-day stay, took me around Iligan on his motorcycle. After Anahaw, we went to St. Michael Cathedral, the city's main Catholic church. Muslim attire is a frequent sight along blocks of business establishments along the way. It is a sign that Christians and Muslim live in harmony in this northern city (a neighboring province, Lanao del Sur, predominantly Muslim, can be reached in half an hour). This counters the stereotypical image of Mindanao as an "unsafe place for foreigners" because of terrorists. After I took photos of the church, I observed small groups of giggly students passing by and the beeping noise of jeepneys that ply the route. Iligan seemed no different from other provincial capitals I've been to.

Walk the Wild Side

After the cathedral, Rene took me to Barangay Bonbonon, which is about 15 kilometers away from the city proper. He said that visitors must trek to reach the waterfalls in this part of Iligan. His motorcycle traversed dirt roads and rugged towards Dodiongan Falls. We crossed a rice field and a stream, taking us about 20 minutes to get there. The falls is about 100 feet high. Two torrent flows cascade down stalactite-like rocks - the one on the right side being stronger than the left. Water drops onto a spring-green pool about 20 feet deep. This unique feature makes Dodiongan fascinating to gaze at. It's probably one of the country's waterfalls that only backpackers know about.

We then traveled to Barangay Kiwalan, which is 20 kilometers from the city proper. Hindang Falls awaited us. It's another cascade-type, albeit much shorter than Dodiongan. Water glides down a smooth, steep slope about 25 feet high. At its foot is an apple-green pool that beckons. Rene pointed to the top of the falls and told me of cave clusters not far from where we stood. The caves have narrow entrances with long and deep chambers. However, lack of time prevented us from climbing and exploring the caves.

Instead, we went to Barangay Dalipuga, where another 25-foot falls is found. Rene and I descended a grassy slop towards Pampan Falls. Like Hindang, water cascades into an apple-green pool. The only difference is the rock formation that the water comes into contact with - Pampan's made up of smaller stalactites within the formations. Then we called it a day; we were supposed to visit Kalubihon but dark clouds cut the trip short because of looming rain.

Buru-un's Finest

We traveled to the city's outskirts on the way to Barangay Buru-un, which is home to three of Iligan's most majestic falls, namely Maria Christina, Mimbalut and Tinago.

Maria Christina has often been featured in Philippine stamps. It's hardly a surprise considering that the sight of water dropping from a 320-foot high cliff is breathtaking. Visitors must come here on weekends by 11 AM because it's the only time of the week when Maria Christina comes to life; because a hydroelectric company harnesses its water for electric power thereafter. And there are plans to turn the area into a tourist park.

Mimbalut is a few kilometers away from Maria Christina. Parallel cascades descend on a rocky slope and into a cool, clear stream. Fifty feet high and 20 feet wide, Mimbalut is much smaller than Maria Christina but it's no less gorgeous; visitors need to be there early morning to witness its charm, especially when the morning sun's rays render the scene otherworldly.

It was Tinago Falls though that blew me away. Located between Iligan and the municipality of Linamon, Tinago lies deep within a ravine. Visitors need to descend a 340-step stairway to reach it. What is unique about Tinago is that its waters seem to spurt out of a rocky cliff about 420 feet high. A river source is found at its extreme right, where the flow of water is strongest. Life vests are available so visitors can frolic in a 60-foot pool; it's hard to resist the cold, greenish water. The pool was filled with laughter and shrieks of joy when I was there. Something about Tinago's magnificent gorges hooked me. I couldn't stop taking photos from different angles and was amply rewarded with a rainbow cameo appearance - I couldn't ask for more.

Final Destination: Kapatagan

My last day was spent on a bus; I traveled many kilometers and passed a number of towns to reach Kapatagan, a municipality near Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga. This is where Cathedral Falls is located.

Cathedral is about 15 kilometers from the town proper. Its waters plunge into a dark pool. But there's nothing dramatic about this waterfalls, compared to Maris Christina and Tinago. In fact, simple and serene best describe it. An 80-foot cliff makes the area place attractive however. The vertical columns of rocks are astonishingly symmetrical. They reminded me of Fingal's Cave and Giant's Causeway, two tourist attractions in the U.K. admired for similar features. No one knows if intense volcanic activity has been responsible for Cathedral's cliff. What a fascinating view it presents when the afternoon sun lights up its facade.

As I traveled back to Iligan, I thought about all the waterfalls I've seen. They all have different moods, but they had the same effect on me - soothing yet overwhelmingly lovely, an intriguing experience in contrasts that makes these Iligan waterfalls appealing.

(First published in Zest Inflight Magazine on October 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)

Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental: Sweeter than sweet

This writer thought there was little else to Negros Occidental than sugar canes. A familiarization tour a few weeks ago changed that. In fact, the provincial government wants to market it as just a short hop from Bohol, famed for its superb beaches. Negros is the country's fourth largest island, made up of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. The latter is also known as ecotourist haven with wonders like Apo Island in Dumaguete.

A tour of Negros Occidental begins with Bacolod, the provincial capital, a flat landscape more than a towering city, that closely resembles a sprawling village. Lacson and Araneta Streets, the city's two main thoroughfares, host many of the city's must-sees.

Our guide, Lilibeth Cordova, said that a number of edifices in Bacolod date back to American period. The Provincial Capitol, for instance, resembles the columned architecture of the Central Post Office in Manila. Near the city's main routes lie a lovely lagoon and park, a wildlife sanctuary called the Negros Forest Ecological Foundation, and the Negros Showroom, renowned for its first-class souvenir and handicrafts items.

Not far from the Capitol is the Negros Museum where one learns that the province's bloodless uprising against the Spaniards made it actually the first ever People Power revolution, and that it was the site of a short-lived republic before the Americans came.

But the museum's main attraction is a doll collection donated by Mara Montelibano, a Negrense who spent most of her life overseas. The dolls represented the many countries she visited, and the Marushka dolls from Russia were clearly the most captivating of the lot.

North of Bacolod lies Sta. Clara Subdivision, home to the province's VIPs. What makes this residential community unique is its chapel, made up mostly of seashells. Designed by Nena Ledesma, 95,000 pieces of shells adorn the sliding doors, chandelier, framed portraits of the Stations of the Cross and the altar. The altar's backdrop was just as eye-catching, which showed a Madonna and child blessing a coastal village.

Even as we feasted on art and sights, we also feasted on the literal kind-the sweet delicacies of the province including the buttery biscotti-like biscocho, merengue and baked muffins, all of which are favorite pasalubong, or items to bring home.

The scenic northern Negros coastline

Heading north, the sight of sugar canes was endless. We passed by a milling company at Victoria's City, with our guide saying that about 5,000 sugar canes are processed each day. An old locomotive nicknamed Iron Dinosaur was on display, a reminder of the time when locals rode the train to travel around Negros.

Within the Victoria's Milling Corporation compound is another church named in honor of St. Joseph the Worker. The focal point of the church is Alfonso Ossorio's painting of an angry Christ facing the altar-certainly an image of Christ we see very little of. The other walls were painted with Byzantine-inspired saints.

Next to Victoria's is the city of Silas, home to at least 30 Vigan-styled abodes, large stone houses with designs dating back to the Spanish era. The most singular of these is the former residence Don Victor Gaston, a prominent landowner or hacendero. It now stands as a Balay Negrense Museum.

Our coastal trip reached as far as Sagay, where the Carbin Reef can be found. There are coral reefs for snorkelers but frolicking along the S-shaped, white sandbar is rewarding enough. The watchtower, which is about 100 meters away, offers a panoramic view of the sandbar.

We briefly stopped by Cadiz to buy the town's dried produce such as fish tocino, preserved in a sweetish marinade; fish bones (locally known as "Jurassic"); and bundles of stick fishes. A stopover in Manapla allowed us to savor the tastiest putos or rice muffins.

Reach for the falls

Mount Kanlaon, one of the numerous active volcanoes in the Philippines, lies southeast of Bacolod. Near the base of the volcano is Mambukal Resort.

Located in the city of Murcia, Mambukal is less than 300 meters above sea level. First discovered as an area of hot, sulfur springs and boiling mud, Japanese architect Ishitawa first developed the resort as a bathhouse and picnic garden. Now operated by the provincial government, recreational facilities such as swimming pools were added to the 23.6-hectare resort for visitors to enjoy.

The area boasts of seven nameless waterfalls, referred to by locals only as the first waterfall, the second waterfall, and so on. They gush from heights of 12 to 25 meters not far from the resort amenities and are best enjoyed by the athletic and adventurous. The challenge is to climb up the steep, narrow stairway close to the waterfalls and the streams in between.

Tropical foliage including trees, flowering plants and ferns surrounded the scenery. It took us about half an hour to reach the sixth falls. It was all the tourist group I was with could take. We couldn't bear another 30 minutes of trekking-at least-to get to the seventh. We were exhausted.

It was late afternoon when we sought the nearest sulfur spring to soothe our exhausted bodies. As we sank into the waters, a multitude of fruit bats awoke from their slumber, and flew out of the surrounding trees. They circled above us, a truly awesome sight.

(First published in What's On & Expat on April 3-9, 2005)