falling in love with Cateel

Three things happened the moment I laid eyes on the majestic stairways of cascading waters of Aliwagwag falls for the first time. I was dumbfounded, entranced and promptly fell in love.

Aliwagwag falls was an absolutely refreshing sight after being literally jampacked in a bus for over four hours, suffering the heat and mixed odor of more than a hundred enthusiastic mountaineers and spelunkers who responded to the invitation of the Department of Tourism 11 late last year.
We were alI quite unprepared for the sight of one the most beautiful waterfalls in the country which Cateel, one of the oldest towns in Region XI can boast of.
Located amidst thick forests some 25 kilometers away from Cateel proper, Aliwagwag Falls towers from a total of 1110 feet or 338 meters, cascading over 186 stairways of varying heights and appearing like a stairway to the sky, the tallest single drop of which is 100 feet (30 meters) with an average width of 30 feet.

Considered as the highest and one the most beautiful waterfalls in the country, Aliwagwag Falls flows into the pristine waters of Cateel river which was a successive awardee for two years as the Cleanest Inland Bodies of Water in Region XI and finalist in the national level.

Words are inadequate to describe the glory of Aliwagwag falls. The best way is to keep silent and let the wonders of its natural beauty engulf you. Bathing in Aliwagwag's clear and cool waters is an experience one will find hard to forget.

After a hasty lunch, we started picking our way through shrubs and thick foliage, clawing and conquering slippery 70-80 degree slopes to get to another feature of Cateel which occupies a place in history, the burial site of long-dead lumads.

Located in the midst of a thick forest just near Aliwagwag Falls is a big stone resembling a cave. From outside, no one would think that beneath the cavernous rock lies several bodies of long-dead members of the Mandaya tribe, or Lumads.

Legend has it that years and years ago, a member of the tribe chanced upon a piece of woven Mandaya cloth called "dagmay" and he kept it for himself.
After that, misfortune one after another fell on him until he died and was buried inside the big stone wrapped in the "dagmay" cloth. Since then, the members of the Mandaya tribe followed suit in wrapping their dead members in dagmay cloth and burying them inside the stone.

The Mandayas' unadulterated culture and traditions are still very evident in the remnants of partially buried "dagmay" we saw on the stone floor. Skeletal remains were scattered all over as well as the remains of a wooden casket. It was eery inside and I could almost feel the spirits of the long-dead people, as though their spirits were still trapped inside.

Then its time for the two-kilometer walk back to Barangay Maglahus for the night and be with the other spelunkers. We had to pass by a long stretch of swaying, stomach-churning footbridge to get to the campsite.

The next day took us into the dark depths of the Kasambunutanan or the Pagbuwaan caves. We washed off the cave's mud later by following a river trail up into the majestic Mabuyong falls.

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Breathtaking waterfalls, caves and caverns represent some of the most unique, fascinating features of Davao Oriental. From the comfort of your keyboards, browse through the natural wonders of Cateel or much better, leave your daily routines to take an actual trek into the province of Davao Oriental with and see, feel and experience what it has to offer. You just can't help but fall in love as I did!

How to get there:
Cateel, which is some 360 kilometers from Davao City is accessible by buses and L300 vans in various terminals in Davao city.

Magnaga Resort: A sun-and-sand lover's haven

One simply can not miss Magnaga Waters Beach Resort in Compostela Valley, owned by Tagum City mayor Rey Uy because it is located just along the highway a few kilometers before reaching the municipality of Pantukan.This summer, take time to pack an overnight (or a whole weekend) bag and take your loved-ones for a dip in the sea or simply enjoy frolicking along the long white sands of Magnaga Waters.

The sprawling 13-hectare resort is well suited for families, providing a wide playground of soft white sand where kids can ran around barefoot or build sandcastles. The shoreline is fringed with talisay trees offering plenty of shade to tourists.Without doubt, the resort is an ideal place to just relax, enjoy and unwind with nothing to do but live in the sand, sun and water for the moment.

Sunsets at Magnaga, according to Ate Lily (the resort incharge) are just superb. I was unfortunate not to have witnessed the sunset in Magnaga when I went there as my buddy and I arrived there very late after a series of 'mishaps'. (I haven't included in my schedule a flat bus tire that had to be changed while we waited, not to mention nearly spraining my legs when just a few minutes away from our destination, everybody scrambled for the bus door to get out when some connecting wires at the bus' rear end caught fire).

Guests can spend the night in one of the resort's luxurious cottages, dormitory, in a tent by the sea or at the bungsod (cottage at the sea). Room rates range from a dormitory good for 16 persons at P250 per person, cottages at P800 to P1,200 good for two, tent rental from P250-P350, or the bungsod, which could accomodate 50 for a rate of P300 per person.The resortt offers access to various activities like kayaking, fishing, boat rentals, billiard and pingpong, beach volleyball, and diving facilities.

It also offers amenities like a restaurant/fastfood, convention halls for meetings and conferences, lodge and cottages, open area for catering, videoke machines, catering services, souvenir shop, and a grocery store.For inquiries and reservations, feel free to contact Sammy or Nita at the following numbers: 0918-5754229, 084-218-1216, fax: 370-1986.Getting there:An hour and a half ride in a Mati-bound bus from Davao City can transport guests straight to Magnaga Waters resort.

Sunset at the Lighthouse

There’s a certain magnet of this particular lighthouse located at the Southernmost tip of Mindanao that lures me to come back again and again. I’ve been to this place in Cape San Agustin, Governor Generoso early this year but for only a few hours and I do wanted to see the sunset from the lighthouse. Text messages were exchanged between us and the local government unit of Governor Generoso and soon a plan was hatched for an overnight visit to the place.

Two days before we were to leave, Atong Cadiena, personal secretary of GovGen mayor Jerry dela Cerna texted that we will be fetched at 2 a.m! No problem for me but for the whole group it is a problem. Ten of us originally planned to go but first to back out was buddy Michael of the Mindanao Cross in Cotabato, followed by Mai and Rodulph until only only Dennis of Daily Inquirer and I were left. Joey never answered all our text messages and calls.

It was raining and I was so sleepy I began to pray Dennis will also back out but I was wrong. At a quarter to two a.m., he texted he was on his way. I frantically stuffed things into a small backpack and rushed to the meeting place at Magsaysay park but we grew dizzy with the strong smell of durian and no car showed up to fetch us. We finally decided to call it off and went to Jolibee for a very early breakfast but have just barely started when the call came, informing us the car was there for us.I slept through most of the trip to GovGen.

Later that afternoon, a motorcycle took us to the place that bewitched me in the first visit. The three lighthouses stood there as proud as ever, a silent witness to the history of the place where St. Francis Xavier was supposed to have said mass centuries ago. The place was deserted and we seemed to have entered into another time where we were the only ones existing.For the second time I climbed the 93 steps of the spiraling staircase of the old lighthouse, this time minus the dizzying spell that crept up on me as we neared the top the first time I climbed it.

It was exhilarating to be on top of the world where you can see a wide expanse of the sky and sea below. I didn’t want to go down but we had things to do. We had to catch our sunset.Dennis and I looked for strategic positions to catch our sunset on the lens but few minutes before, the sky turned gray and dark, threatening to rain. I was frustrated and desperate to see the sunset from the lighthouse.“Please,” I wished loudly, “just this time let a mixture of colors splash on the sky for the sunset.”And suddenly my wish was granted. It was not the round full sun setting and casting multi-colored silhoutte on the sea that I was dying to catch on the lens but a sunset just the same.

For a few seconds Dennis and I were busily snapping at our cameras, then it was suddenly over. We had to really rush as the road was newly repaired and somewhat difficult to maneuver at night with the motorcycles although the drivers were experts.We slept in an open cottage at Buso-buso beach, some kilometers away from Cape San Agustin, oblivious to the millions of mosquitos that roared in our ears as we were quite tired. A visit to Cape San Agustin is one that will leave memories for any one to treasure. Dr. Reden Bersaldo, tourism officer of GovGen said that plans are underway to develop the area to attract more visitors.“For now, road accessibility is one of our problems but we are hoping this will soon be given enough attention. Other developments will follow.

There are so many wonderful sights in GovGen like caves, waterfalls, superb diving spots, and many others,” Bersaldo said. Getting there:Buses from Davao City to Pundaguitan, Davao Oriental are available daily. From there, you may board a jeepney or habal-habal to Cape San Agustin. Contact Dr. Bersaldo at cellphone # 0915-2878141 for details.

Pujada: An island adrift in time

"Beware of quicksands.."Our guide warned but his voice faded into nothingness as we excitedly jumped from the patrol boat of the BFAR into the ankle-deep blue water and made footsteps in the unspoiled fine white sand.Wow! At last my long-time dream of coming to this island was fulfilled. Time seemed to stand still as we entered a totally-secluded territory.Here was an island totally unblemished by coarse tourism, adrift in the Pujada Bay, undiscovered yet by the mass market, and yet is accessible provided one gets in touch with the owners through the Mati Tourism Office.

Forgetting about time and quicksands, I ventured farther from the group with the enthusiasm of an amateur photographer, straining my hands from holding the battery cover with my palm while trying to aim and shoot.Ben's digicam looked like it figured in an accident and just came from the hospital, wrapped with surgical tapes but it didn't stop me from capturing the magnificent and unsullied view the island has to offer.To add to it, the eight batteries I took were all 'low-bat' that I had to turn off the camera for a second for every shoot I took, turn it on again before shooting the next picture.

Next in my wish list was to see the dolphins but no matter how hard our guide whistled, not one showed itself to us. We learned later that dolphins usually show up from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. It was already 3 p.m. We were too late.Pujada island is approximately 156 hectares only accessible by more than an hour's boat ride from Mati wharf. We sailed past two smaller islands- Waniban and Oak island, an oblong-shaped sand bar connected to Pujada Island which disappears during high tide before docking at Pujada island.

The three islands boasts of one thing in common- fine white sand and pristine blue waters around it.Mati mayor's wife Edith N. Rabat said plans are on the way to develop Pujada island, one of the municipality's main attractions to entice more tourists to visit Mati."We are just waiting for the go signal from the Angliongto family, the owner of the island before any development will take place to make it as one of the prime tourist spots not only in Mati but in Mindanao," Rabat said.

Mati councilor Allan Andrade said the island is one of the 42 tourist attractions in the province of Davao Oriental, mostly natural attractions that include hot springs, islands, beaches, lakes and waterfalls.There's nothing like an hour's journey by sea giving that would give you a sense of leaving things behind than visiting this strip of paradise in Mati- and if you're lucky, you might just get a chance to see the dolphins in their exhibition.*