Imugan Falls (Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya)

After checking in at Sta. Fe Forest Park, we still have free time before covering the Kalanguya Festival the next day so Rollie, Gener, Mon, Alex, Roel and I opted to explore the town’s Imugan Waterfalls, one of the town’s natural attractions. Ms. Ma. Theresa Farrah Dugay, Sta. Fe’s Municipal Tourism Officer assigned Mr. Emmanuel A. Caramat, Ms. Melany C. Lazaro and Mr. Regie Catalbas as our guides.

Imugan Falls

Imugan Falls

We all boarded our van for the 7-km./30-min. drive to the jump-off point at Brgy. Imugan for the hike to the falls, arriving there by 3 PM. At the barangay hall, we observed a float being prepared for the next day’s Kalanguya Grand Parade. Their float’s theme is centered on the ubiquitous, pear-shaped and light green chayote (Sechium edule, locally called sayote), the barangay’s principal produce.

Imugan Barangay Hall

Imugan Barangay Hall

Preparing a float

Preparing a float

Jump-off point to Imugan Falls

Jump-off point to Imugan Falls

According to Emmanuel, the nearly 1-km. hike to the falls would take us around 30 mins. The initial part of our hike was along a cemented pathway between an irrigation canal with flowing spring water and newly watered rice paddies. After crossing a stream, we now traversed a narrow, leaf-strewn but mildly graded dirt trail through a light dipterocarp forest.

Initial hike along a concrete pathway between an irrigation canal nad rice paddies

Initial hike along a concrete pathway between an irrigation canal and rice paddies

Hiking a  narrow dirt trail strewn with dead leaves

Hiking a narrow dirt trail strewn with dead leaves

A hanging bridge

A hanging bridge

The hike was scenic all throughout, with views of a hanging bridge and the boulder-strewn stream emanating from the falls below us and, along the trail, of wild orchids clinging to trees, giant ferns and stems of tiger grass (scientific name: Thysanolaena maxima), used in the manufacture of the popular walis tambo or soft broom).

Tiger grass

Tiger grass

An exotic orchid

An exotic orchid

An orchard of sayote

An orchard of sayote

Also along the way we passed numerous orchards of sayote, all sprouting on vines clinging to a moderately-spaced mesh of G.I wire and supported on poles along the steep slope of the mountain side.

Melany crossing a boulder-strewn stream

Melany crossing a boulder-strewn stream

After rounding a U-shaped bend along the trail and crossing a stream, we soon heard the rush of falling water signaling our arrival at Imugan Falls which is located between two mountains in the Caraballo Mountain Range. With a height of about 35 ft. and falling in 2 levels, its refreshing mountain spring waters drop down into a shallow catch basin.

The author at Imugan Falls

The author at Imugan Falls

As we didn’t bring bathing attire, we didn’t swim its bracingly cold waters but we did savor its natural beauty, pristine setting and quiet surroundings. To the left of the falls are some rather steep steps carved into the rock face which, according to our guides, lead to the fall’s smaller first level which also has a basin. We passed on this opportunity though and, instead, made our way back to Imugan. Our hike to the falls was truly a fitting start to our visit to Sta. Fe.

Sta. Fe Forest Park (Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya)

For the second time around, I was asked to cover the Kalanguya Festival (the first time was in March 15, 2003), now on its 20th year, in Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, joining a media group consisting of two other print media representatives (Roel Hoang Manipon, Asst. Editor of The Daily Tribune, and Alexis B. Romero, reporter of The Philippine Star) and three staff from the Department of Tourism (Rolando “Rollie” Cagasca, Ramon “Mon” Rebulado and Gener Carlos).

San Jose City (Nueva Ecija)

San Jose City (Nueva Ecija)

We all left Manila by 7:15 AM and the 216.85-km. trip took all of 6 hrs., including a stopover for lunch at a Chowking branch in San Jose City (Nueva Ecija). We arrived at the town by 1:30 PM and were warmly welcomed by Mayor Liwayway C. “Liway” Caramat and Municipal Tourism Promotion & Development Officer Ma. Theresa Farrah C. Dugay.

Ms. Ma. Theresa Farrah C. Dugay and Mayor Caramat

Ms. Ma. Theresa Farrah C. Dugay and Mayor Caramat

After our courtesy call on Mayor Caramat, , we were checked in at cottages within the 2,200-hectare Santa Fe Forest Park, a reforestation project with Benguet pine and West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni). The Grand Parade was to also start here and contingent members were billeted within buildings in the park.

Sta. Fe Forest Park

Sta. Fe Forest Park

Mahogany trees along the driveway

Mahogany trees along the driveway

The Santa Fe Forest Park was an erstwhile reforestation project of the DENR that commenced in the mid-1950s. It covers around 2,200 hectares of areas in Barangays Bacneng, Baliling Villa Flores and Poblacion. On September 22, 1997, the Sta. Fe Forest Park was established for nature-based tourism, covering about 1,000 hectares within the 11,664 ha Consuelo Reforestation Project.

Cottages

Cottages

Multi-Purpose Hall

Multi-Purpose Hall

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The DENR, through a Memorandum of Agreement, handed over the management of the reforestation project to the LGU of Sta. Fe, which eventually paved towards the development of the erstwhile project into a forest park.