Sunday, April 17, 2016

Our Great Northern Luzon Adventure of 2014



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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