Postscripts from Lake Sebu

For anyone who seeks peace of mind, body and spirit, the tranquility of the countryside and the fresh mountain air in Lake Sebu, some 45 minutes away from Koronadal, South Cotabato is the answer. It’s fantastically reviving that would make one wish to stay there forever and forget deadlines and pressures of work breathing down one’s neck everday.After being jam-packed in a van which transported us all the way from Davao City, we finally came to the lake which offers the opportunity of experiencing genuine serenity which is too good to pass.Situated at an altitude of 1000 meters, Lake Sebu irrigates the fertile Allah Valley.

It is home to two peoples, the T’boli, a highland tribe famous for their colourful costumes, woven work, intricate beadwork, and brass ornaments, and the Tasadays, a cave-dwelling people.Visiting Lake Sebu would be incomplete if one will not go on a boat ride around the lake, so with my companions Cha, Kuya Ben, Roland, Rhonson, Arjoy, Mai, Maam Marilyn, Edit, Germie, Romeo and Juliet from different media outfits, we spent the next 45-minutes taking in the breathtaking wonder of nature at its best.

On the way back to Punta Isla resort, we came to a portion where the water was very frighteningly and darkly green. It’s surface was so smooth, broken only by the ripples created by the boat.Nervously looking around for a lifeboat, the guide seemed to sensed my uneasiness and casually said, “Mga 100 meters na ang lalim ng tubig dito.” I didn’t listen to the rest of his recitation. I gripped my seat so hard and tried to recite the Last Prayer silently.

The trip around the lake brought us very close to the three islands in the lake and the fish cages that ring the tranquil 364-hectare lake.The three guys Roland, Rhonson and Arjoy stole a chance to go fishing at the lake but either they were too humble or they didn’t catch anything because I never heard mention of a single fish they caught.We had broiled tilapia and native chicken soup for lunch. Lake Sebu tilapia is simply delicious, giving off a distinct sweetish aroma that leaves us wanting for more even though we were already filled to bursting point.

Only 18 of the 32 servings of rice we ordered were served so the guys had to make do with the meager rice servings.

When only Tatay Rene and Michael of the Davao Camera Club were eating, in comes the waiter with the remaining 11 servings of rice. We wagered whether the two could consume it all but even the hungriest man on earth would go dizzy with the rice. They only consumed 5 servings.SouvenirsWhile Tatay Rene was busily selecting trinkets for pasalubong to friends back home, Edit and I were also busily selecting from Tatay’s collection for ourselves. Albeit grumbling, he still paid for our choices.

I contemplated on buying a pair of earrings which caught my fancy but was hesitant because I only have one pierced ear. Rhonson of Tourism (DoT) offered to split the price with me and said we would take one earring each but changed his mind at the last minute.Enterprising T’boli women in their clorful costumes spread a wide array of malong, shawls, embroidered and beaded blouses, coin purses, necklaces, key holders, penholders, and several other crafts produced by creative hands and minds, all screaming to be brought home. Only the limited contents of my billfold stopped me from doing so.World-class tourist destination.

Just recently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has chosen Lake Sebu town as among the focal areas for the country’s ecotourism development program and as a world-class tourist destination over the next decade.Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun said the Lake Sebu watershed forest reserve, which covers the entire municipality, would be developed as among the country’s major ecotourism destinations in Southeast Asia by the year 2012.The 92,450 hetare town of Lake Sebu was recognized as one of the most important watershed areas in the country and was proclaimed as a Protected Landscape on 24 September 1985.*

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Getting your fill of waterfalls

What's a much better way to beat the summer heat than to go falls hopping and soaking your bodies in the cascading waters of the region's waterfalls?For adventurers and nature lovers, give in to the lure ofCompostela Valley, a province blessed with nature's mixture of magnificient natural attractions.

The province boasts of several multi-tiered water falls. The highest of these are Marangig and Tagbibinta Falls, which serves as the entry and exit points respectively of Mt. Candalaga.Falls hopping lets you experience the chance to walk, climb up or go down steep slopes, wade, jump from rock to rock, and finally swim in the pool at the very edge of the water's drop-off. A whole day's river trekking and falls hopping last month on our way to the peak of Mt. Candalaga allowed me to experience reactions varying from pure exhilaration to sheer terror but it was worth the trip.

Marangig Falls

A few minutes' trek from Barangay New Albay, seven kilometers from Maragusan centerpoint brought us to Marangig Falls, composed of a series of thirteen (13) smaller falls. Delighted with the spectacular view, we lingered for a while but our guide egged us on as we still have the whole day to spend for river trekking before reaching our camp site.A few meters upstream, we encountered another waterfalls. It is another straight falls with much vegetation growing in the falls itself and jutting out of the cascading water.

After reaching the fourth falls upstream from Marangig, I lost count as I paid more attention to the rocks and boulders I had to maneuver before reaching another falls.Luckily, I was among the few of us who was able to avoid deeper portions of the river. Others were not so lucky and fell in deep waters with their backpacks while others intentionally took a bath.

Tagbibinta Falls

A feast awaited our eyes and consoled our tired and aching muscles as we reached Tagbibinta Falls the following day after conquering the peak of Mt. Candalaga.Tagbibinta falls, a series of seven falls is located just five kilometers from the center of Maragusan in Barangay Coronobe. The first falls measures approximately 700 ft. high and provides an ideal trekking and climbing site.There is a camp ground in Tagbibinta with open cottages for rent ranging from P20, P50 and P100.

Aliwagwag Falls

Go beyond Compostela Valley and treat yourself to a summer you will always remember by visiting the famous Aliwagwag falls in Cateel, Davao Oriental.Located amidst thick forests just some 25 kilometers away from Cateel proper, Aliwagwag Falls towers from a total of 1110 feet, cascading over 186 stairways of varying heights, the tallest single drop of which is 100 feet. Bathing in Aliwagwag's clear and cool waters is an experience one will find hard to forget.

Safety tips:

*Carry practical all-weather clothing and remember that your mobile phone may be out of range.

*Wear sturdy footwear with a good tread.

*Always carry water, food, matches and a torch, map and compass.

*Walking tracks involves uneven and slippery surfaces, water crossings and rock-hopping so be extra careful.

* Respect the environment and stay on marked paths. Take note of signs and landmarks.

* Don't wander off alone but stay with your group. Its so easy to get lost in the forest.

Believe me, its worth the trip to Maragusan or Cateel just to see and take a bath at the water falls, particularly in the summer season when the weather is at its hottest in the city. The trip will do wonders to your soul.

Getting there

Cateel, which is some 360 kilometers from Davao City is accessible by bus at the Ecoland Transport terminal. L300 vans are also available from Davao City.MaragusanMaragusan is about three and a half hours bus ride from Davao City. Bus fare is P140. Motorcycles abound in Maragusan to transport visitors to the jump off area in Marangig or Tagbibinta falls.

Goin' bananas

More than 20,000 sticks of cardava bananas were grilled over 658 grills or (gang-gangan) which stretched for a kilometer of the circumferential road in Kapalong, Davao del Norte as they celebrated the first Musa Banana Festival lastAugust 1.

It was the first time that I ever laid eyes on so much grilled bananas. At the ceremonial go-signal from mayor Dominador Cruda, participants from the town's 14 barangays lit up their fires, undeterred by the drizzle as they bent to showdown the main product of the place.It was a free-for-all grilled banana feast as the parpticipants handed grilled bananas to all passers-by.

Bananas were everywhere: on motorcycles, trisikads, stores and houses, at the gymnasium, on the streets, trampled under people's feet and literally everywhere! People from all walks of life went to join the feast.My companions tried to outdo each other on how many sticks of ginanggang they had eaten but I kept silent because I was unable to eat any. I was too emersed shooting photos of banana eaters with the heavy camera I was carrying that I forgot to eat.

Highlighting the celebration was the unveiling of the biggest-ever three-meter long Cavendish banana cake covered with green and yellow icing. Stuffed with 4,000 banana cupcakes, the gigantic cake was set on steel stilts on top of the three-by-five meters base cake made of 377 loaves of banana cake.The whole cake consumed 1,000 eggs, one sack refined sugar, flour and 30 boxes of bananas supplied by Dole Stanfilco.

Kapalong municipal information officer Edna Parcon said it took them two weeks to set up the frame of the cake, three local bakeries to bake the banana loaves, another baked the cupcakes and another bakery owner volunteered to coat the cake with icing which took them nine hours to finish.Keeping hands off from the cake, especially kids' hands, was the hardest part while the program was going on.

Expectedly, when pandomenium broke loose and a confusing tangle of banana loaves, cupcakes, white, yellow and green icing, kids and adults swooped all over the cake to have a taste.A sticky war of icing followed (yucks!), hitting anybody even those far away from the cake. At the end of the celebration, everybody went home banana-satisfied and happy.

Igacos escapades

The invitation to join a beachineering activity with the Pundok Habagat-Davao group came at an opportune time, when I had no plans for last weekend.The invitation came packaged with "tempting activities" (spelled as snorkelling, kayaking, cave and falls and island hopping) which would be irresistible to one who always hungers for adventure outside the four walls of the office. So come along and let's sample some of the delightful places the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) has to offer.

Thinking that we would take a tour around the Igacos on board a boat, I was surprised when it was a hired jeepney waiting for us at the Wind and Wave dive shop at Sta. Ana Wharf."Ay, land tour diay," I nudged Au-au, who said that she too, thought we were going on an "island" tour.

Into the bat cave
The first on our itirenary was the bat sanctuary in Babak. A few meters from where we parked our vehicle, we heard a commotion coming from under the ground. We followed the direction of the noise and came to our first destination. I will leave you to imagine the smell emanating from the hundreds of thousands of bats, suffice it to say that only a few of us dared to go inside.

Falls-hopping we go
After a short respite at Punta del Sol beach resort where we were to set up camp, the group proceeded to Hagimit Falls, a newly-developed resort accessible by motorcycles (habal-habal) where we partook of our 'baons'.The group got a taste of spelunking at the Tamborong cave in barangay Tamborong. No bats this time but did not venture far into the cave's end because only a few of us brought flash lights. Besides, we were not properly-dressed for caving (as in most were wearing slippers..etc).To rinse off the smell of the bats and cave, the group proceeded to Tagbaobo falls in barangay Tagbaobo and had their fill splashing and enjoying a massage from the cascading water of the falls.

Tagbaobo cave is a sight to behold. On one side of the falls is a rocky wall ideal for rapelling (watch for this page in the future for I might go with the same group next month if I gather enough guts and write an article).The second day was spent on the beach swimming, snorkelling and kayaking until everyone got tired and packed up for home.More adventures are being cooked up every month by the Pundok Habagat group.

Feel free to visit Habagat at the second floor of SM Davao and contact Bernarjery "Benjo" Tenchavez, or any of the staff including Eric Rosete, Cliffer Lucilla, Francis Cunanan, Jerson Ray Rayona, Cyril Carrion, Romeo Laruan Jr., Ronald Renosa and Loreta Sacriz.

Into the darkness of Kapalong caves

THERE is more to caving than meets the eye. The word bespeaks a formidable yet exciting challenge of crawling, squeezing or climbing your way in through cold neck-deep waters, or muddy and slippery track. Beyond the twilight zone, your life depends on your skullguards and flashlights, but don't resist the thrill of adventure. Gather your guts and let's go into the darkness.

OKBOT CAVE
After an hour's bumpy ride from Kapalong town to Sua-on Nature's Park in Davao Del Norte, 35 media practitioners partook of the bountiful fruits in season courtesy of our gracious hosts, the local government unit and Kapalong Tourism Office before proceeding to the first cave on our itinerary, Okbot cave.Our guide told us that several years ago, a man named Datu Okbot lived in this cave for a long time and until his death after he was driven away from the village, hence the cave was named after him.

Water flows through the narrow passage, but the sheer beauty of crystal stalactites and stalagmites, delicate curtain formations, columns and draperies that nature has wonderfully carved through the years met our eyes and put us in a trance.In Okbot cave, one has no choice but to get wet. The water that flows on the cave floor and water that drips from the ceiling surely would make the caver wet.After hours of surmounting several hard maneuvers including the 'slim test' passage, we reached the cave's end, posed for souvenir photos and made our way back. Ah, nothing's sweeter than a long night rest after Okbot cave.

OTSO CAVE
After a hearty breakfast the following morning, we trekked to Otso cave, some 20 minutes away from the road accessible by vehicle. Unlike Okbot cave, one would hesitate to enter the dark entrance to Otso cave but once inside we were again treated to a spectacular view of nature's wonders.Otso cave lived up to its name. One has to perform the movements of the popular dance 'Otso-otso' to dodge the stalactites or the stalagmites.A few meters from Otso cave's entrance, Arjoy's camera flashed. He then pointed towards the cave wall three feet from where I stood. I trained my flashlight towards the direction he pointed and thought it was just another masterpiece of nature.

What Arjoy had just taken a photo of was a coiling banakon, or the feared black mamba. Black mambas are known to abound the caves but they have never hurt anyone before.We emerged from the Otso cave looking like we had just engaged in a mud fight. Trekking through a portion of the 19-km Banakon River Trail which features an underground river and a number of small waterfalls washed off the mud from our bodies.

Caving evokes insatiability. Each cave has its own personality and after exploring a cave, The need to explore more is irresistible no matter how exhausted we are. One can hardly resist the pull to be taken into the bosom of the earth.Not satisfied with the two-day media tour, photographer Arjoy and I decided to come back for more exploration a month later. This time we have the chance to experience real caving.

MALTAG CAVE: the ultimate experience
Maltag cave is located in Dakudao Ecotourism Park, an hour's ride away from Kapalong, Davao del Norte. The park hosts 18 caves and two cascading waterfalls. The area is unarguably an epitome of nature's bounty.We hiked on a rough road under the heat of the sun for more than three kilometers (it is never wise to trust the local folks who estimated the distance by pointing with their lips) before we came to Maltag cave's entrance. It was hidden beneath thick foliage. Kapalong tourism officials considered this as one of the technical caves (meaning challenging).

Entering through the narrow passage, we were filled with awe once inside. We could not stop the oh's, ah's and wow's to express the intense emotions we felt as we passed through stalactites suspended from a thirty foot ceiling, delicate curtains and shimmering white crystal formations flanking us on both sides.

Maltag cave requires a caver to execute all kinds of movements- crawl, kneel, duck, climb, go over or under stones, roll, jump, swim, cry, name it, Maltag provides it but unless one has gone caving in Maltag, he or she has not really gone caving at all. The ultimate test came when we have to leap from a ten-foot cliff straight into neck-deep cold water below. There was no other way to go but I miraculously made it.After more than three hours of exploring, the cave's end was in sight. Thankfully, Maltag cave has an exit point and we didn't have to make a return trip.Maningo caveJust a few minutes' walk from our camp site in Sua-on is cave. Hiding behind the shelter of a robust companion gave me the chance to really look at the eyes of a black mamba poised ready to strike.

On the way out, we had to maneuver 10 feet 90-degree slope but we did avoid meeting the black mamba this time.Kambal CavesIt was almost dark and we were tired but we willed our last few shreds of energy to conquer yet another pair of caves, the Kambal (twin) caves are short caves adjacent to each other. You get in at one cave, go out its exit and come back through the other cave. For the experienced caver, this one is not set with challenges but for a non-swimmer like me, it was hard. I had to hold on to a rope for life as the entrance to the second cave was filled with murky water.
(Lesson learned: take swimming classes)

KIBYAWAN CAVE
Nah, you really have to be good in ducking when entering this cave because Kibyawan cave is home to thousands and thousands of bats, filling the cave's ceilings without an inch to spare. We had to wade in knee-deep 'guano' (excretes of bats used as fertilizer)We came out of the cave practically covered with bat dung and carrying the terrible smell of bats. We had to endure a 20-minute ride on a dumptruck scratching our itchy bodies after our other companions informed us we can't go to the waterfalls anymore as it was already flooded. Uh-oh.

Eco-Tourism Destination
Kapalong is truly a mecca for cavers, enthusiasts and tourists. Kapalong Municipal Tourism and information officer Edna Parcon said Kapalong has been slowly carving a niche in the tourism industry as the caving and spelunking capital of the region and is attracting a fair share of local and foreign tourists.

Parcon said that of the 42 caves located in seven adjacent barangays, only 32 are explored, 24 are documented and 12 are open for spelunking and caving. The rest are for research and reservation purposes.Other identified caves for exploration are the Datu Balong, Putol Putol cave, Ungoyan cave,Datu Kugsing cave, Busay and Kapunit caves.

Caves contain so much treasure but violating simple rules can damage them. Few years from now, there may no longer be wonderful caves in their natural beauty to explore. They may just disappear from our midst with the growth of modernization and misguided activities of the people.It didn't matter that I went home with all the mucles in my body aching (rightly termed as 'grabeng pamaol') but I have no regrets. It's an adventure I will never forget, and will grab again given the chance.*

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.

Fantastic 9th tuna festival

Who would ever say no to an invitation to be at the only tuna festival in the world, and instead of being cramped in a passenger bus enjoy a trip within the cool comfort of Ford Philippines’ latest model, the Ford Focus? No one in his right mind would, I guess. And for someone blessed (or cursed) with an itchy pair of feet, I grabbed the chance not only with both hands but feet, too.It was my first time actually to be at the Tuna Festival even though it was their 9th celebration.

We were met by General Santos Chamber of Commerce executive director Pilar T. Afuang and Manila-based media coordinator Shane “Ayo” Gunting for a huge dinner in one of the restaurants in the city before retiring for the night. We were billeted at the ABCD Stars, a luxurious resort on the outskirts of GenSan, far away from the noise of the partying people and the concerns. It was like renting the whole place to ourselves, a rare place in the city where birds chirped outside my window and crickets lulled me to sleep but despite the semi-provincial setting, I locked the windows out of habit.I had a room to myself, a cozy single with floor to ceiling lockers, cool wood panels, and a huge mirror on the dresser which I had a hard time covering when I went to sleep at my usual 3 a.m. bedtime.

It was hard to part with the bed when my cellphone alarm shrilled at 5 a.m. and with eyes still closed, I stumbled to the bathroom.After a complimentary breakfast from ABCD Stars owner, we proceeded to the center of attraction where the tuna float parade was about to start. This year’s contest brought in 15 colorful floats, each float a showcase of art and craftsmanship displaying the vibrant tuna industry that has propelled the lives and livelihood of the people. However way they were decorated, the floats conveyed the common theme “One pulse, one force, one cruise”, a message of unity among the people despite the diverse cultures.Adventures of an amateur at the lensI was having a field day being with the two professional photographers Rhonson and Jojie and watching them as they took photo after photo with their “high-powered Canon cameras”.

The protruding lenses seemed like an automatic pass because crowds always gave way for us (comment from a by-stander- hala taga National Geographic siguro sila). I tagged along with my toy camera, a 7.2 megapixel point-and-shoot Sony which had served me in the past with my photography needs. I love this camera even though this got me ‘arrested’ by Task Force members at the Ecoland bus terminal but that’s another story.Back in Davao I had a grand time laughing when I downloaded all the contents of the two 256 MB memory cards into my laptop. Only then did I discover General Santos has so many electric wires. In some of my pictures, the floral floats were carrying huge billbords advertising fertilizers, feeds, and fastfood outlets. One tuna float was even carrying a huge haplas billboard sticking out in my photo.

When I joined famous photographer George Tapan’s f-45 photography workshop last month, I heard something which concerns electric wires but I was too busy texting and you caught me, I was not paying too much attention, and I had to learn the hard way.Ah one more thing, I made the second mistake by riding when the heat and my feet were killing me and took photos from the comfort of the Ford Focus window, and had the guts to wonder later on why my photos seemed blurred and milky.

Our hosts pampered us with food but alas, sad to say I went to the tuna festival but we hadn’t tasted even a tiny weeny slice of tuna at all… I went home carrying only a mouth-watering vision of tuna in all its glory—sashimi, inihaw na panga , palikpik (the meat near the tuna fin) or tiyan (belly) dripping in its juices over live coals, kinilaw, sushi, bagaybay, tuna longganisa or sitsaron…a reason to be back for the future celebrations of the tuna festival.