Monthly Archives: October 2002

Trek to Walang Langit Falls (Gloria, Mindoro Oriental)

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Crossing the river with a carabao-driven cart

We were all awake by 6:30 AM and soon picked up by our trusty driver Mr. Saez for breakfast at Byahero.  Our guides soon arrived minus Karen who was replaced by Ms. Eleanor “Nhoy” Magsino.  Laden with packed lunch and bottled water provided by Robert, we left by 8 AM, traveling the 14-km. distance to Brgy. Mirayan in 30 mins.. The starting point is beside a swift flowing river.  From hereon, it would be all footwork (and some swimming) through different types of terrain: rivers, mud tracks, steep hills, creeks and boulders.

The short crossing over the fast-flowing river proved to be difficult, more so if it had rained the night before (no wonder we were not allowed to go during my first visit).  Luckily, a carabao-driven cart was also crossing.  Rodel, who would have had a hard time crossing with his polio-stricken right leg, hopped in.  Me and the others followed behind.  Our next hurdle would be just as difficult (and longer), slogging through the muck of a dirt road muddied by previous rains.  This road, built to provide easier access to the falls, had just being started and grading work was going on.   The carabao cart pushed on with its human load and so did we, merrily singing and chatting as we walked.  An opening alongside the road signaled the start of our hilltop trek (and the end of Rodel’s carabao cart ride).  It wasn’t so steep but the muddy trail, plus the intense heat of the sun which penetrated the light forest, made it very tiring especially for the limping but still game Rodel.

Once downhill, we were rewarded, at the foot, by the cool, clear and inviting waters of a smooth-flowing stream.  I lay down by the shallow waters, feeling its cool comfort flow through the length of my body.  I could have stayed that way the whole day but it was not to be as we were only halfway to our goal.  Our sole consolation was that the remaining part of the trek would be all along this meandering stream. The initial portion was along evergreen banks lined with coconut and banana trees, giant ferns and some nipa houses.  Occasionally, we would cut corners by making short, diagonal overland treks.

Soon, we were in for a change of scenery. As we went further down the river, it started to narrow dramatically and began to change to eerie jungle, with massive and very rugged rocky outcrops gradually towering, high and steeply, on both sides of the river.  We also passed some bizarre, weather-sculpted rock formations.  Huge trees, with interlaced, hanging roots and thick branches, hug the river’s edge.  Some, uprooted by typhoons, blocked our path.  Large boulders also jutted out the water.  I was also slowly being drenched by a drizzle from above.  No, it wasn’t raining. Rather, small waterfalls from underground streams in the cliff above were being blown by the wind to create a perpetual drizzle.   I was so engrossed by my surroundings that I failed to notice that, with my huge stride, I had left behind my guides and now was all by my lonesome.  It dawned upon me that I must have made a wrong turn.  I was lost.

May Langit Falls

But not for long.  Soon enough, Exan and Donna came to my rescue. Rather than turn back, I decided to push forward and see what was at its end.  The gorge was getting narrower, so much so that I could touch both sides of the gorge with my outstretched arms.  The river was also getting deeper, waist-high, in my case, and neck-high for the diminutive Donna. Our efforts were rewarded with vistas of two small but beautiful waterfalls: an unnamed one, at our right, and May Langit Falls at the end of the gorge.  Thus fulfilled, we retraced our way back to rejoin our companions.

The way to Walang Langit was via a fork on the river which I somehow missed.  The path through was no less difficult than my previous trek.  Luckily, a huge fallen tree trunk which once blocked the path had been sawn by the municipal government into six-inch sections similar to the tadtaran (chopping boards) of old.  After passing another waterfall, I was dumbstruck by what I finally saw at the gorge’s end, the 100-ft. high torrent of Walang Langit Falls, surrounded, in all its majesty, by equally tall, densely-vegetated cliffs flanking it.  Here, the sun only penetrates the gorge at noon. Simply awe-inspiring.  Only in my dreams can I imagine such a place.

Walang Langit Falls

Much anticipated was a dip in its icy-cold, waist-deep pool. Once acclimatized with the cold, we also indulged in a tingling back massage underneath the fall. Soon all these activities made us hungry and we finally recharged ourselves with a much-needed lunch.  Rodel and I soon finished our photo shoot with a prayer, hoping that our shots in the dim light would come out nice.  Rodel alone used up 3rolls of black and white film by the end of the day.  It was getting late and we had another long hike ahead of us.  Our gear was soon packed (including our garbage).  However, I wasn’t looking forward to this return hike as we were now going to do it in reverse, from heaven back to earth.   We were totally drained once we got back to the dirt road.  The return hike took twice as long and we made it back to our vehicle very late in the afternoon.

As we couldn’t make it to the last Supercat ferry trip back to Batangas City, we decided to stay another night in Gloria.  Sleep was again out of the question as Robert honored us with a small despedida (farewell) party, with our guides, at our cottage.   We left at 2:30 AM for Calapan City, making it to the first fast ferry (6 AM) back to Batangas City and on to Manila.  I was back on “earth” by 9 AM.   Goodbye heaven.

Return to Gloria (Mindoro Oriental)

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On October 24, Thursday, I returned to the town of Gloria with 200 copies of TODAY with my Kawayanan Festival article ordered by Gloria Mayor Romeo D. Alvarez.  Joining me was Rodel Rotoni, one of TODAY’s veteran photographers and a native of Bansud, Gloria’s next door neighbor. Rodel and I left Manila by 8 AM on an airconditioned BLTB bus for Batangas City.  Upon arrival in Batangas City, we took the 11:30 AM Supercat fast ferry to Calapan City, arriving there in 45 mins.

Courtesy call on Mayor Romeo Alvarez

Upon arrival at Calapan Port, we were welcomed by my same Kawayanan Festival guide, Ms. Maria Goretti “Gorett” Mercado, the town’s newly designated municipal tourism secretary, as well as by guide Mr. Pablo S. Saguid and driver Mr. Oscar Saez.  We traveled the whole 81-km. (1.5-hr.) distance to Gloria via a Toyota Tamaraw van. After a very late lunch at the Byahero Restaurant of Robert Villavicencio, Gloria’s Tourism Council head, we made a courtesy call and “newspaper delivery” to Mayor Alvarez at the municipal hall. Mayor invited us to explore the Walang Langit Falls in Brgy. Buong Lupa the next day.

Rodel and I were billeted at the Prima Farm Resort in Brgy. Bulaklakan.  Our bamboo cottage, aptly named Bulaklakan,  had all the trappings of a luxury suite: airconditioning, large bed, cable TV, VCR and a large, elegant red tiled bathroom with bathtub.   That evening, we got to meet our 7 guides to the falls.  Aside from Gorett and Pablo, we also had Ms. Donalyn “Donna” Aquino, Ms. Karen Fabalinia, Mr. Exan Rofuli, Mr. Rodelio “Ode” Saguid and Mr. Paolo “Pao” San Jose; all of them veterans.  Never in the annals of domestic tourism has so few been guided by so many (my pun of the late, great Sir Winston Churchill’s speech).

That night was all fun, fun, fun.  After soaking our tired, heavily traveled bodies at the icy-cold waters of Dupong Freshwater Resort’s spring-fed pool, we then sang our hearts out at the videoke.  Later, we all joined Mayor Alvarez and Robert at the Brgy. Banus fiesta for a night of ballroom dancing and drinking.  I politely passed on the first option and moderately indulged in the second.  Rodel and I were back at our cottage by midnight as tomorrow promises to be a big day.  Not much sleep though as Rodel snored through the night.

Dupong Freshwater Resort: Sitio Dupong, Brgy. Kawit, Gloria Mindoro Oriental. Mobile number: (0916) 674-3968.

Prima Farm Resort: Brgy. Bulaklakan, Gloria, Mindoro Oriental.

Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great (Majayjay, Laguna)

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Before departing for Manila, we passed by the Majayjay town center to visit the town’s imposing Spanish-era Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great.  A wedding was in progress when we arrived.  Named after the town’s patron saint (whose feast is held on 12 March), the church suffered successive destruction by fires (1576, 1606, 1660 and 1711) before it was strengthened and enlarged, to its massive and present form, from 1711 to 1734 by Fr. Jose de Puertollano through the forced labor of its 4,000 townspeople.

Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great

The church was again repaired in 1839, 1842 and 1848, because of typhoon damage, and further improved in 1892 when its roof was replaced with galvanized iron by Fr. Gregorio Platero.   During the Philippine-American War, the church became the headquarters of American forces.  The church was repaired again in 1912.

The church interior

This unusually tall, stone and brick colonial Baroque church, with its commanding view of the town and Laguna de Bay, has 6-m. thick adobe walls covered with vines and moss, vaulted halls and enormous and unusual 16.5-m. high solid buttresses supporting a bell tower (with 5 century-old bells) at the rear.  Of equally huge proportions, the tower is topped by a pointed roof and is accessed by concrete steps that also lead to a catwalk above the ceiling (called langit-langitan) that, in turn, leads to the crossing above the transept. The 60-m. long and 17-m. wide nave has balconies on both sides, 3 impressive altars, antique relief statues of saints, azulejo-tiled floor and 5 elaborate retablos (altar backdrops) constructed on the wide pilasters supporting the lateral bays of the capiz window-lined transept.  The adjacent convent, one of the earliest surviving examples in the country, houses a small museum of old parish documents and ecclesiastical silver.  It was slightly defaced when part of it was converted into St. Gregory Academy (later to be renamed Liceo de Majayjay). 

After our church visit, we again passed by Mr. Flory Rosales’ home to thank him personally for the assistance he gave us.  The ladies and Robert also went to the nearby market to buy the fruit of the month of October – lanzones.  As I would say, “Never leave Majayjay without it!” (a pun of the American Express commercial).  I stayed behind to do some people-watching.  One thing noticeable is the unusual number of horse-riding men I saw passing me by.  Majayjay certainly is not your one-horse town.   After a while, my companions returned, all toting 5 kgs. each (at PhP37 per kilo) of the luscious fruit.  These, plus the extra pasalubong of lanzones Mr. Rosales gave us, made us look more like visiting fruit dealers.  Thus fully laden, we all happily went our way back to Manila.

Taytay Falls (Majayjay, Laguna)

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Rain, rain go away. Come again another day.”  So moaned this bored and grounded travel writer who was itching to get out of town again.  It was supposed to be the advent of the dreaded El Niño phenomenon again and, usually, mornings always promise to be a bright, sunny day.  However, expectations always turn to gloom as dark clouds always appear in the horizon by afternoon, bursting into rain hours later.  What the heck! I will go get out, rain or shine (shine I hope).

 Lala, the author, Myrna, Ning and Menchie

I did find people with the same mind set from Jesu-Mariae School (JMS), my son Jandy’s school.  Joining me were Mr. Robert Castañeda, Ms. Elvira “Lala” Mañanita, Ms. Myrna Samson, Ms. Leonila “Ning” Boncayao and Ms. Menchie Fortunado.  We decided to do some overnight camping at Taytay Falls in Brgy. Taytay, Majayjay in Laguna.  We all left JMS, after lunch (1:30 PM) on 12 October, a Saturday.  The trip to Majayjay was to take all of 120 kms.. Aside from my passengers, my Mitsubishi Adventure was laden with tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and provisions.  The afternoon skies were again overcast. We traveled via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) all the way to Calamba City, then on to the resort town of Los Baños, Bay (the old Laguna capital), Calauan, Victoria, Pila and Sta. Cruz (the provincial capital), turning right at the junction on to a road leading to Nagcarlan, Liliw and finally Majayjay.  There were glimmers of hope as the sun shone most of the way.

Settling in our tents

The last leg was particularly winding but altogether  scenic; passing beautiful mountain scenery (1,470-m. high Mt. Cristobal and 2,177-m. high Mt. Banahaw), lanzones trees laden with ripe and read-to-harvest fruit, and clear, swift flowing rivers with bathing children and washing mothers.  It was truly a scene for a Fernando Amorsolo genre painting. We arrived at Majayjay’s poblacion by 5 PM with hopes dashed as it began to rain. We were truly in for a “wet” reception. We first paid a visit to the home of Mr. Florencio “Flory” Rosales, secretary of town councilor Rey Cube (referred to us by Mr. Manuel “Noli” Canlas, board member of JMS).  Mr. Rosales was more than kind enough to personally guide us towards the staging area for the trek to Taytay Falls, waiving the entrance fee of PhP20 per person.  He also assigned guides to assist us.  From hereon we were on our own.

It was already getting dark when we arrived at the staging area.  Normally the hike to the falls takes just 10mins..  However, this was a different story as we would be trekking in the pitch-black darkness of a rainy, eerie and moonless night.  Luckily, we had flashlights and our guides.  The narrow, two-foot wide concrete path was sandwiched between a mountain spring-fed canal running alongside the mountain on the left and deep, treacherous ravines on the right. G.I. pipe railings kept us on the safe side.  We arrived at the campsite after what seemed an eternity.

Taytay Falls

Our first face-to-face encounter with the falls would have to wait for tomorrow due to darkness but the sound of its onrushing waters would be a constant reminder of its presence.  For the time being, we had other concerns to think about. Beautiful places such as these are not well-kept secrets and the place was teeming with weekend campers from the town and Manila.  We were quite a sorry sight, drenched from head to foot by the rain, muddied, hungry and with no proper place to pitch a tent.  While our kusineras Myrna and Ning hastily prepared our dinner of fried liempo (it would have been barbecued if not for someone forgetting the grille – me), corned beef and steamed rice over my portable stove, Robert and I groped in dark for a less than suitable place (our selected site was rocky) to pitch 3 of our tents.  Once settled in, we attacked, with gusto, our prepared dinner and hit the sack early for a well-deserved but not so fitful sleep.

View of campsite from atop the falls

I woke up very early in the morning with somewhat revived spirits and a sore back (“Pwedeng pang sungka ang likod ko”).  The others soon followed, all in a similar state of mind and body.  As the early morning sun crept in, the beauty of the place slowly emerged.   No rain.  Our campsite was located beside a moderately flowing river whose icy-cold, crystal-clear waters came from the beautiful 30-ft. high waterfall located about 100 m.  away.  Everyone was excited to sample its inviting waters.  But first, my early morning coffee fix and breakfast!  As soon as it was prepared by our ever dependable kusineras, we all transferred all our stuff: tents, backpacks and prepared breakfast, to a more suitable site right beside the falls. Who cares about breakfast in bed when you can’t have it beside a beautiful waterfall!   That done, we soon settled down to a filling repast similar to what we had last night.

Our excitement to have our first dip at the falls soon turned to cowardice as we dipped our toes in the icy-cold waters of the natural pool.  Brrrr!  What the heck!  I bravely dove in and endured the shivering and the sound of my teeth clattering as my body slowly, but surely, adjusted to the temperature. After much goading, the others (Myrna, Ning, Menchit and Lala in that order of bravery) soon followed my lead.   Robert and I also did some exploring of our own by clambering up a well-defined but muddy trail to the top of the falls. It was even more beautiful here (and less crowded).  From here, we had a bird’s eye view of the campsite (our companions look like ants below), creek and the surrounding verdant rainforest.  I could stay here forever.   Back at the campsite and terra firma, we soon had our fill of the falls and its verdant surroundings, packed our tents, backpacks and other gear and soon made our way back to the staging area and our car.

The Kawayanan Festival (Gloria, Mindoro Oriental)

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Kawayanan Festival

Throughout my 4-day stay in the town, I was kept busy by undertaking with gusto, the role of   judge for four of the festivals’ competitions: the Bamboo Booth competition (maybe because of my being an architect), the Cookfest (my favorite pastime: eating that is, not cooking), the Street Dancing Competition and the In-Place Dance Competition (held at the gym).  It seems that the only contest I didn’t judge was the Miss Gloria Tourism 2002 beauty contest.   On my second day, to save on time, I did my bamboo booth and cookfest assignment at the same time.  It was easier said than done.  Midway through my assignment, my complexion turned from fair to really brown (like roasted lechon).  However, the cookfest was a delight as I got to sample, mostly for the first time, the town’s labong cuisine, making it a point to sample each dish once in every booth.  Of the present 22 bamboo varieties in town, only two (the first-class tinikan and bolo) are used for labong.

The street dancing parade

In succession, I tried the atsarang labong (Brgy. A. Bonifacio), embutidong labong (Brgy. Kawit), apritadang manok with labong (Brgy. Mirayan), fried lumpiang labong (Brgy. San Antonio), fresh lumpiang labong (Barangay Lucio Laurel), tortilla con labong (Brgy.  Agsalin), guinataang labong, labong salad and bola-bolang labong.   I also enjoyed the buko pandan and cassava chips, washing it all down with buko juice. So much for lunch (and dinner).  I don’t recall what I sampled in Brgy. Guimbonan but she handily won the cookfest’s grand prize.  Brgy. Malayong won the booth competition.

A daring bamboo stunt

If the cookfest was a delight, the two dance competitions were spectacles by themselves.  Costumes, musical instruments and props (including the bamboo galleon of Brgy. Lucio Laurel) used were all bamboo-inspired.  What was truly spectacular was some of the choreography (to the beat of the latest dance music) which included some death defying stunts fit for a circus.  Try balancing spread eagle on the tip of a bamboo pole using the pit of your stomach or try dancing on the top rungs of 3 1-storey high bamboo ladders held vertically together. I wouldn’t dare but they did.   In the end, Brgy. Tambong won the Street Dancing Competition (with Narra second) and Brgy. Lucio-Laurel the In-Place Dancing Competition (with Maligaya second).

A bamboo galleon

Gloria is a coastal town and beautiful black sand beaches facing the Tablas Strait extend from Barangays Tambong to Agsalin.  Too bad there is no setting sun along this coast (Mindoro Oriental faces east).  Just the same, the municipality is making efforts to develop resorts along this beautiful coast.  Part of our itinerary was a visit to these resorts. They include El Primus Jose (Brgy. Tambong Punta), Villa Escober Beach Resort (Brgy. San Antonio) and Bighani Beach Resort and Mabuhay Beach Resort, both in Brgy. Giumbonan.

My first carabao ride

On our last day, we had breakfast at the dining pavilion of Prima Farm Resort in Brgy. Bulaklakan.  This rising star of a resort has so far finished 11 airconditioned cottages with bath and TV, all beautifully built with the town’s trademark bamboo in mind.  Each are also named after one of the town’s 27 barangays and built accordingly by the barangay’s artisans.  The resort intends to finish, in the near future, its complete roster of 27 cottages.

The Tubungan Ceremony (Gloria, Mindoro Oriental)

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The next day, with the arrival of invited travel agents, we were all transported, come evening, to Dupong Freshwater Resort, a swimming and fishing resort situated in the middle of a rice field.  Here, we were welcomed by resort owner Mr. Romeo Castillo and his wife Clemencia.  The word dupong means “to set on fire.” The couple toured us around the resort’s facilities: a cool, clear swimming pool (fed by springs from Mt. Halcon); a fishing lagoon filled with with tilapia, dalag (mudfish) and hito (catfish); and a huge native-style pavilion.  A pleasant surprise awaited us at the pavilion – the tubungan ceremony.

Tubungan dance

Also called putung, this ceremony for welcoming and honoring friends and visitors is originally from Marinduque.  A large proportion of Gloria’s population are migrants from this province and they brought this unique tradition with them.  As honorees, a unique crown made of bamboo was placed on each of our heads by mamummutongs who happened to be our trusty tourist guides (in my case Gorett).

Putong ceremony

We were then made to partake of tuba (coconut wine).  A troupe of women then serenaded us with native songs as well as danced before us to the accompaniment of a band.  As a final act, these well-wishers showered us with confetti made of colored paper as a sign of love and affection.   I, together with the others, was truly touched by all these.  The evening was capped by a native buffet dinner and a fellowship night.

Dupong Freshwater Resort: Sitio Dupong, Brgy. Kawit, Gloria, Mindoro Oriental.  Mobile number: (0916) 674-3968.