From Region 1 to Region 2
2014 was the year I stayed “local” and had no travels abroad.
But that didn’t mean I stayed put much. I simply had to quench my wanderlust
and my sister, Giselle and her fiancé, Jopay joined us for one big Northern
Luzon adventure again so close to the rainy season.
The previous year, they tagged along for my lecture stints in
Baguio. We had so much fun visiting old summer haunts and reminiscing about our
childhood. It was a busy four-day spree, squeezing in tours in between my
senior citizen talks. And when the opportunity presented itself again, they
were ready to jump at the chance for another exciting trip.
Toni and I always tried to visit her family in Cagayan Valley
at least twice a year. Usually, it’s in January and either June or November,
when the temperature is much more tolerable. Tuguegarao is famed for being the
hottest place in the Philippines and summers there are just scorching hot.
Giselle was also big on old churches and museums, and Jopay
was just developing his penchant for religious pilgrimages. We had always
shared with them our patronage of Our Lady of Piat and that She grants wishes.
Now, they were willing to undergo the long travel just to see the famed Apo Baket of Cagayan.
This was around the time many bus lines to and from
Tuguegarao were suspended by the LTFRB. With GV Florida and Dalin out of
circulation, only Victory Liner seemed to be in operation; and it was either
that or take the plane to Cagayan Valley.
Unfortunately, everybody else had trekked to Victory terminal
to try and catch trips to Region 2. Reservations were all fully-booked, and
there were just too many “chance” passengers to compete with. So when Giselle
asked how else can we get to Cagayan Valley, I had this bright idea to get
there from Region 1.
Rediscovering Ilocos
Norte
And so it began – our great North Luzon road trip. We went to
Partas terminal in Cubao and caught an afternoon trip for Laoag. The idea was
to cross over to region 2 from Ilocos Norte via the great Patapat viaduct in
Pagudpud. That was easier said than done, of course. But we were foolish enough
to try it.
After a good 10 hour drive, we arrived in Laoag at an unholy
hour. Since we hoped to catch an early bus to Cagayan Valley, we decided to
stay at a cheap motel to catch some sleep. The inn we stayed at was perfect for
they allowed a minimum of 3-4 hours stay, just enough for a nap and a quick
shower.
Later that day (although still so very early in the morning)
we went to the bus terminal in Bacarra for the bus to Sta. Ana. Looking at the available buses (they were old
and non-aircon), we were told it would take another 4 to 5 hours to reach
Sta.Ana, and we would need to transfer buses somewhere in Camalaniugan.
At that point, we made another crazy decision – we would try
to hire one of those vans that travelled to Cagayan Valley too, but docked at a
different town. But the vans and the FX thought they had a better deal
shuttling a full-contingent of passengers rather than taking 4 adults and a kid
directly to faraway Sta. Ana.
Again, by sheer luck, a driver sleeping in one of the parked
jeepneys was woken up by one of the other drivers. It was only he, who took us up on our offer. Manong
Arnel, as we soon found out, was very familiar with region 1 to region 2
crossings because he frequently shuttled a religious group to Isabela province
to do some missionary work.
And so it goes –because Arnel needed to exchange his jeepney
for their van, and also to get some personal things for the long travel, he
took us on a tour of his hometown, Bacarra. Driving by their church and plaza,
we saw their famous belltower. Fondly
called the “dancing” or “aerobic” belltower, it is now in ruins following a
strong earthquake. Visitors are asked to stay away and not get too close to the
tower since every so often some of the original parts still come off and simply
fall over.
As we sped through the rest of Ilocos Norte, I finally got
the chance to see the famous windmills. Originally established as a wind farm
in Banggui, the town of Burgos now has its own set of windmills through the
initiative of the younger generation of Marcoses, Senator Bongbong Marcos.
I also caught a glimpse of the equally infamous or
should I say, “notorious” Cape Bojeador.
This ancient lighthouse was a relic from our colonial past, back when
the Spaniards had galleons crossing over from the different continents with
valuable cargoes ranging from spices, to tobacco and abaca hemp, to gold, and
cacao beans. With its central pavilion design, its so-called “twin” is Cape
Engano on Palaui island in Sta.Ana. While it is still functioning to this day
and currently being manned by the Philippine Coast Guard, it is said to be
quite “haunted”.
But according to Manong Arnel, this stretch of road in
Burgos is known for many “hauntings”. Lots of vehicular accidents happen along
the way since the road is full of blind turns and dark corners. One such
accident involved a young bride on the way to her own wedding. As such, there
are many sightings of a white lady flagging down vehicles. Manong Arnel said he
had the misfortune of seeing this ghostly figure during one of his trips on a
dark, rainy night when he was driving alone.
Racing through the national highway, we didn’t have
time to see the other Ilocos Norte tourist staples like Paoay, Batac or Sarrat.
But somewhere in Pagudpud, I was able to view the majestic coastline of Ilocos
Norte, the waves from the South China Sea lapping at the shore and the famed
white sand beaches that were supposedly comparable to Boracay.
By then, we were crossing over Patapat viaduct, an
engineering feat that connected Ilocos to Cagayan Valley. One enters the bridge
in Ilocos Norte and exits at the other end in Claveria, Cagayan. This piece of
infrastructure is another credit to the older Marcos, but there were many
rumors surrounding its construction. It is said it was only constructed to cover
up a supposed “treasure-hunting” expedition for Yamashita’s gold loot from
World War II. I got all these stories
from Manong Arnel, who besides being our driver, proved to be quite the tourist
guide as well.
The Northern
“Hook” of the Philippines
After catching a late breakfast at Sanchez-Mira, we
passed by Pamplona and stopped to see its old church which has recently been
renovated. It still has the original foundations made of coralstone, but the
red brick additions are fairly new. The old, cracked bell that fell from the
belltower is now encased in glass and displayed at the front of the church. There
are many old churches already in ruins in Cagayan, but this one dedicated to
St. Peter, the martyr and St John Nepomuceno were one of the lucky ones
faithfully restored. Since its establishment in the 1600s, it was destroyed by
an earthquake in 1721, before finally succumbing to ruin in the 1970s. The
community gathered funds for its restoration and in the 1990s, its
reconstruction began.
And so we passed by the towns of Abulug, Ballesteros,
Allacapan, Camalaniugan, Sta. Teresita and Gonzaga enroute to Sta. Ana. One
thing unique about Cagayan is that it is traversed by a myriad of waterways
flowing from its mountains or stemming from the great Cagayan River. As a
result, the province is also characterized by its numerous bridges connecting
the different municipalities. As we drove on, I commented that I have never
before seen and crossed over so many bridges in my life!
When we finally reached Sta. Ana, the operator of the
resort we were staying at welcomed us with a great spread of seafood choices,
freshly caught by the local fishermen. After a late lunch, we were encouraged
to take a dip in the pool and take it easy. Sta.Ana’s big come-on is really the
boat ride and island-hopping around Palaui island, and it usually takes at
least one whole day. Good weather is essential also because the waves can get
pretty big and rough around this tip of Luzon. However, the entire Sta.Ana
experience deserves its own piece. Hence, I am skipping that.
We spent two days in Sta.Ana before we decided to head
for Tuguegarao. By this time, our initial agreement with Manong Arnel to bring
us to Sta.Ana had extended to taking us as far as Tuguegarao. As a bonus, we
took him along to Palaui island and its environs. He said it was also his first
time there and he seemed to enjoy himself.
Tracking “upstream” the Cagayan river, we passed by
Lal-lo and Gattaran, going further south to Alcala, Amulung, Iguig, before
reaching Tuguegarao. Strange as it may seem, the Cagayan river exits “upward”
to Aparri and that is actually going “downstream”, as the locals would say.
We missed checking out the old churches and ruins in
Lal-lo and Gattaran, but managed to glimpse the refurbished church of Alcala
and buy some of the famous carabao milk candy. We also just had enough time to visit Iguig
and its famous life-size figures depicting the Stations of the Cross. Set upon the rolling hills of Iguig, the 14
stations showing the Passion of Christ is laid out against the ancient church
of St James and the great Cagayan River. This is the reason Iguig is a perfect
Lenten season pilgrimage site.
One thing I always marveled at in Iguig are the old
stone steps behind the Resurrection statue. These stairs start from the river
below and lead up to the church proper itself. Local historians say it was used
by the Spanish elite – government officials and clerics who came to Iguig via
the Cagayan river This lends credence to what a senior brod told me once, that
there was no highway then for landtrips, and the waterways were a faster mode
of travel. This is also the reason why most of the old churches face towards
the waterways and not the current roads or streets.
All throughout this trek, mountain ranges and rolling
hills rose and fell across our panoramic view. Lush vegetation fit for
livestock-raising like cattle, carabaos and goats still abound. With this vast
landscape of open spaces are not only opportunities for agriculture and food
production, but also for some eco-tourism. For hidden behind those mountains
and forests are numerous unexplored cave systems, waterfalls, and streams. And
for every typhoon that has swept across these lands, its people have endured.
Cagayan
Valley Standards: Our Lady of Piat and Callao Cave
Arriving in Tuguegarao, I expected Giselle and Jopay
to be utterly exhausted from our cross-country land trip. They really were
bone-tired already, but they weren’t done yet. They still had to go see Our
Lady of Piat and the prospect of seeing Callao Cave in Penablanca gave them
that burst of energy to explore Cagayan Valley some more. The sheer excitement
of seeing these amazing, new places made them forget that we were all tired
from the long-distance drives, that we were all sunburned from the boatrides
going around Palaui island, or that we were bound to endure another 10 to 12
hours on the road on the bus going back to Manila.
Visiting with Toni’s family, we were able to get a few
hours rest and get some hot food inside us. We reserved the visit to Piat the
next day after a good night’s sleep.
Piat is a mere 30 to 45 minute drive from Tuguegarao. The
Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat is another pilgrimage site comparable to
Manaoag in Pangasinan and Penafrancia in Naga. Her legend includes miracles
performed at the height of typhoons and floods, or tribal wars between local
indigenous peope. She is believed to grant petitions and special intentions. Toni
and I still believe that our mutual prayers to her made us find each other.
Since then, we have considered her our family Patroness. And ever since I
passed my Bar Exams after a visit to Her, I make it a point to visit every time
I am in Tuguegarao. (Jopay and Giselle too found their own miracle a few days
later when after several long months, Jopay finally got the call he was waiting
for about a job abroad.)
For any Region 2 visitor, Callao Cave is a must-see.
Composed of at least seven (7) caverns, this site now claims to have the oldest
evidence of early humans inhabiting the Philippine islands. A recent
archeological expedition in Callao Cave dug up some prehistoric bones which
displaced the Tabon Cave Man of Palawan as the oldest human being found in the
Philippines. Carbon-dating and other tests proved that the bones found in
Callao were much older than that found in Palawan.
For some avid movie-goers, Callao’s “cathedral-like”
cavern near the entrance would look very familiar since it was used in a recent
John Lloyd and Bea Alonzo movie. Due to its great space and the altar-like
figures carved into its walls, this cavern has been made into a mini-chapel of
sorts, complete with some wooden pews.
Further on, there would be other images and figures
formed by water and minerals flowing through this cave for hundreds of years.
They have been identified and humorously named after religious icons, cartoon
characters, or common personalities, as our youthful tourist guides gamely took
imaginative photos of us alongside them.
A site to marvel at are still the big “holes” at top of
the cave which lets in sunshine to light the inner recesses of the cave.
Catching this sight in a good photo, light streaming in against the backdrop of
stone and vegetation, is utterly awe-inspiring and one can’t help but wonder at
the beauty of nature.
Meanwhile, our young guides would show us various
stalactites and stalagmites still wet with water and shining like crystals.
They say this is proof that the cave is “alive” and is still growing. But by
the sheer smell in some areas, the stink of guano from bats’ waste is enough
proof the cave is indeed a haven for life. Overhead, swooping in and out of the
big “holes”, different birds have also made their homes in the vegetation
growing in every nook and cranny of the cave. Behind some rocks, I saw some
plastic-like material with some weird, intricate design, and mentioned it to
our guide. He nonchantly commented it was a snake-skin, molted off by some
recent resident.
Although the sun was slowly setting on the horizon, we
decided to take that standard “riverboat ride” that comes with a visit to
Callao. Exiting the caverns, we went down to the Pinacanauan river where the
original entrance of the caves were. In the olden days, the only way to visit
the caves was through the river, climbing up the steep steps to the cavern
opening overhead. Since then, some locals have begun the enterprise of ferrying
visitors either to see this old entrance or the famous “bat cave” where bats
exit in droves once twilight falls, or even to take a quick shower under the
“Mororan”. Nevertheless, this short boatride gives one a glimpse of how this
river too is teeming with life. From its deep green waters are freshwater fish,
shrimps and crabs which the local indigenous people - the Agtas, catch either
for their own sustenance or to be sold. Fed by the mountains above, the river’s
constant flow is mostly gentle, rising and ebbing only to the rains that fall
further up the mountains where the river originates.
I captured one of my best sunset photos on Pinacanauan
River. It was dramatic, uniquely calming, heralding the day’s end. Against the
backdrop of the adjacent mountains, the waters of this tributary seem harmless,
but locals have known of drownings even in shallow waters. They say the river’s
“guardian” takes one victim every year, so swimmers are warned to take
precautions. In the rainy season, these waters can also rise to such heights
and overrun the nearby bridge and alternate route. I suspect even the small
Agta village residing nearby gets evacuated when that happens.
Speaking of rains, during typhoon season, a visit to
Callao Cave is discouraged. Primarily because it would be dark and wet inside
it, and risk of slipping on the moist rocks and stairway is highly probable.
Moreover, the most common way to reach the site is by the winding road that is
usually blocked by sudden landslides. Even during the dry season when sudden
rains come, a surprise rockslide can occur. We actually passed remnants of a
few of these mudslides which have been recently cleared.
A rather hectic tour almost always equals famished
tourists; and just as any tiring day may be perfectly capped, I also end this
piece by citing the famous, must-try Pansit Batil Patung. Filling, satisfying, overwhelming. Enough
Said. The End. Bow.
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