Philippines Travel Guide

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.

By:  Francis Rex Alger

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

In Iligan City, falls hopping is the only thing to do. Really.

I was told that there are more than 20 waterfalls in this city, and that one needs to stay for two weeks in able to see most of it. It was hard to doubt it, as much of Iligan’s landscape is mountainous. I don’t know of any place in Mindanao - or even in the Philippines - that is gifted with this unique natural feature.

Some of the country’s most gorgeous cascades can be found here. As a matter of fact, Barangay Buru-un is lucky to have three falls that are close to each other, namely Maria Christina, Tinago and Mimbalut Falls.

Maria Christina Falls

Maria Christina is one of the few twin falls in the country. A hydroelectric plant harnesses its water for electric power, which is why visitors must be there on weekends from 11 AM to 11:30 AM in able to see the 320-foot falls in full blast. Locals and tourists alike would surely be hooked to its majestic view.

Tinago Falls

A river or lake is the source of most waterfalls. Tinago is an exception. Hidden in a deep ravine, water seeps out from a rocky wall that is about 420 feet high. Visitors will be challenged to climb down and up the 340-step staircase. The rewards are a spectacular view of this one-of-a-kind-falls, and a chance to frolic on the basin-like pool below.

Mimbalut Falls

Mimbalut is another unique waterfalls. Parallel lines of water cascade down a 90-foot slope, which can be an arresting sight if one is standing close to it. This falls looks best at morning, when the sun’s rays make the scenery captivating.

These three falls can be visited in a day. A few more days are needed to see the others, which is a good enough reason to return to Iligan.

HOW TO GET THERE:

1. Philippine Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com) and Cebu Pacific (cebupacificair.com) have daily flights to Cagayan de Oro. Visit their websites for their list of flight schedules.

2. Take a taxi to Cagayan de Oro’s bus terminal. Once there, hop in a Rural Transit bus that goes to Iligan. The journey is about one and a half hours long.

3. Upon reaching Iligan, go to Monterey/Masonic Temple where there are taxis and jeeps that travel to Barangay Buru-un. It’s less than 10 kilometers away from the city proper.

4. In case you’ll take a jeep, it’s advisable to go to the talipapa (stalls selling fishes) where there are habal-habal (motorcycles used as public transport) in line. Hire one to take you to the three waterfalls.

(For more details, visit www.iligan.gov.ph)

Text and photos by Francis Rex Alger

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Text and photos by Francis Rex Alger
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I didn’t expect much when I was on my way to Davao Oriental. I thought I saw the best of eastern Mindanao after visiting the nearby provinces a few years earlier. I was dead wrong when I reached Mati, the provincial capital.

Not far from the city is Sleeping Dinosaur Island, one of the eye-catching sights in Pujada Bay. I kept on staring at the shape of the isle’s landscape, which looks like a reptile at rest (thus the moniker). So I wondered then and there what else this southern province has in store for visitors. Hans, my guide, showed me the way.

For the next two days, we passed by verdant mountains, lovely coastlines and white beaches that I lost count of. There would be a next time to explore them, he said, as we went to the province’s main attraction.

Not far from the town of Cateel is a rocky stairway where cool water cascades toward a crystal-clear river. Public buses from Compostella Valley slow down so that passengers could stare at this majestic falls.

Locals call it Aliwagwag. I don’t know the origin of the word, but I bet it means breathtaking. It may also be the most gorgeous waterfalls in the Philippines.

I submerged my feet into the knee-deep river. I was invigorated from its coolness. I was about to walk to the stony steps when Hans called my attention.

He reminded me that we have no place to spend the night in Cateel. We have to leave the falls, but he promised me a better place: a white-sanded islet between Pujada Bay and the Pacific Ocean. He claimed that it changes its shape according to the ocean current.

White beach. Islet of fine sands. Nothing but the sand and the sea. It was hard to resist.

HOW TO GET THERE:

1. Philippine Airlines (www.philippineairlines.com) and Cebu Pacific (www.cebupacificair.com) have daily flights to Davao City. Check their websites for their list of flight schedules.

2. Bachelor buses travel from Davao City to Mati on a daily basis. There are also vans in SM Davao that will take you to Mati on a shorter time. It’s advisable to depart at early morning, as commuting would be three hours (at the least).

3. Bachelor buses also travel from Mati to Cateel (and vice versa). It’s better to leave at early morning, as there are hardly any buses during late afternoons and evenings. You can visit the Provincial Tourism Office for more details.