Ironwulf En Route
My road trip around Siargao continues after that fun spelunking at Tayangban Cave. I didn’t bother to change to dry clothes as I know, the hour-long trip to Sta Monica, north of Siargao is enough to air me dry. It was a scenic ride passing by the beaches of San Isidro. Our stop was Taktak Falls, the only known waterfalls on the island. Then later head south again to cap the afternoon at Magpupungko Rock Pools.
As the second largest province in the Philippines, Isabela seems less explored. Maybe the places are far between that it takes considerable time to explore them. Or municipalities are cut-off by the Sierra Madre mountains like coastal villages Maconacon, Divilacan or Palanan that it takes a plane ride to get there. When an invitation to explore Echague, one of the municipalities of Isabela, came in, I immediately took the offer. Exploring new places is always exciting whatever I may find there. In this case, Echague is getting ready to showcase their eco-tourism attraction, the Madadamian Falls. A network of falls and streams found within the lush forest region of Echague.
It’s not since Iligan when I got excited at the prospect seeing and enjoying a number of waterfalls in one area. Tablas in Romblon also have a good set of waterfalls on the island but most of them low type ones. The province of Biliran in Eastern Visayas however have at least 30 waterfalls on its mountainous island. Only at least ten of those have names and unlike Tablas, the island of Biliran have tall and powerful waterfalls that’s truly majestic. Others cascade beautifully. I have to Biliran three times for the past six months and I haven’t explored all of them yet. Here are the ones I have visited and ranked based on my favorites. These are also the ones I would recommend if you plan to chase waterfalls in Biliran.
We all know people are drawn to the natural beauty of Mt Mayon as a reason for visting Albay. But venture further, there are other attractions to add a little adventure to one’s sight seeing. About 16km passing through the town of Guinobatan is the municipality of Jovellar. Found tucked in the town of Quitinday is a nature gem still off the tourist trail. Discover scenic canyons, waterfalls and an exciting underground river.
The surf, the easy going vibe and the interesting eats may be the draw for the destination such as La Union. But even when the swell’s down, there’s another activity to get wet while away from the coast. At the highlands of San Gabriel, La Union, the cool climes of this municipality entices with nature hikes and waterfalls like is Tangadan Waterfalls. I was participating in Lakbay Norte, a long-running annual familiarization tour of north Luzon and this was one of the stops in our itinerary I was looking forward to.
Clouds have always been a thing of fascination. People climb mountains often to see the play of clouds billow across mountain peaks like waves. Dissipating in a dance from nebulous to nothingness. When I heard about the Mt Ulap Eco-Trail which recently opened last October 2015, I was intrigued. The Eco-trail is also known as the Philex Ridge, named after the huge mining company operating in the area. The highest peak, was named Mt Ulap by an engineer named “Lagman” who marked the summit in February 1, 1939. He described that the mountain is perennially a magnet for clouds (which is “ulap” in tagalog). The trail has long been a playground for trail runners from Baguio and Benguet. Now the local government, particularly the Ampucao Tourism Council opened the trail to the public.
Bontoc is such an underrated destination in the Mountain Province region. I must admit that I was guilty of dismissing Bontoc as simply a gateway to other destinations like Sagada, Banaue or Kalinga. Discovering the beauty of Maligcong three years ago changed my notion of Bontoc. I realized, the town is just the tip of the iceberg. My recent visit found me in Talubin, the neighboring village 6km from Bontoc Town proper, known as the Land of Clear Waters in the province. One look into the village, it’s easy to see the abundance of water flowing through the village. Talubin village is settled comfortably at the slopes of the Cordillera Mountain Ranges where streams from the mossy forest continuously flow and a clean river runs through. We were also there to visit one of the main source of water in Bontoc, the Humuyyo Falls, located 3,700 feet above sea level.
