Region 2 – Torist destination/spots

CAGAYAN | ISABELA | NUEVA VIZCAYA | QUIRINO | BATANES

CAGAYAN

Natural

The CALLAO CAVES TOURIST ZONE of Penablanca,

Cagayan is 24 kilometers from Tuguegarao. The seven-chambered Callao Caves boast of massive limestone and other rock formations, skylights and a chapel. Other pristine and undisturbed caves with living rock formations in the area include Sierra Cave, Quibal Cave, Odessa-Tumbali Cave System, Jackpot Cave, Roc and San Carlos Caves, among others. These caves can be explored with guides from Sierra Madre Outdoor Club (SMOC), Adventures and Expedition Philippines, Inc. (AEPI) and North Adventuours . More than 300 caves dot the area, 75 of which have been documented by the National Museum since 1977. Within the area is the Pinacanauan River conducive for river rafting or boating, kayaking, fishing and swimming while the mountains are perfect for trekking and mountaineering. Daily Circadian Flight of bats from a bat cave occur at dusk. Passenger jeepneys leave Don Domingo Public Market in Tuguegarao City everyday for Peñablanca. The Callao Caves Resort is the only accommodation facility available at the Callao Caves Tourist Zone. Fare is P15.00 per pax one way.

PORTABAGA FALLS in Sta. Paxedes

is one of the tallest falls in the Province of Cagayan. Approximately fifteen meters in height, it has three drop off points and a big manmade catchbasin for swimming. Sta. Praxedes is 194 kilometers from Tuguegarao and the falls is about 100 meters from the highway.

SAN VICENTE, STA. ANA & THE PALAUI ISLAND

is a destination for water and sports fishing enthusiasts. Sta. Ana is the Philippine Sailfish Capital famous worldwide for its abundant marine life and is site of national and international gamefishing competitions. The Cape Engaño Lighthouse in Palaui Island dates back to the Spanish Regime and is the only operational lighthouse in the northeastern coast. The island boasts of rich marine resources and uncontaminated environs and has been declared under Coastal Environmental Protection (CEP) by the DENR and is very ideal for ecotourism activities. The island is 30 minutes away from the mainland by lampitao and is very ideal for all types of water sports. Picnic areas also include Mavidad Islet and Mapurao Beach at the east of the mainland. Also in Sta. Ana is Port Irene which is being developed as an international port of call and location Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and Free Port (CEZA-FP). The town of Sta. Ana is about 158 kilometers from Tuguegarao City. Public utility buses and aircon vans leave Don Domingo Market in Tuguegarao City everyday for Sta. Ana. Fare is about P170.00. The nearby towns

of Gonzaga, Buguey and Sta. Teresita have facilities for Homestay. See Annex for List of Homestay Accommodation Facilities.

APARRI DELTA

is an impressive expanse of land that is Aparri where one can see the Cagayan River meet with the China Sea. Walk into the jetty at the juncture of the river and the sea to find the awesome mouth of the vast Cagayan River. Stand, windblown, experience the beauty and power of the place. Aircon vans are available for transport from Tuguegarao City.

WIDE EXPANSE OF BLACK AND FINE SAND BEACHES

sprawling along the coastal towns of Sanchez Mira, Sta. Praxedes, Claveria, Buguey, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug and the islands of Palaui, Fuga and Island Municipality of Calayan. The towns of Sanchez Mira, Claveria and Sta. Praxedes have facilities for Homestay while Fuga Island is being developed as a world class recreation and tourism center. The airstrip at Claveria could be used as a jump-off point to Fuga Island. See Annex for List of Homestay Accommodation Facilities. Aircon vans from Don Domingo public market in Tuguegarao City are the available transport.

Manmade

THE BUNTUN BRIDGE is 2.5 kilometers from Tuguegarao town proper. Its length, 1.124 kilometers is the longest river bridge in the country and offers an unobstructed view of the Cagayan River. This is the first bridge to span the Cagayan River the other one is the Magapit Suspension Bridge in Lallo.

CARSUMCO or the Cagayan Robina Sugar Milling corporation is built amidst thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantation. The building stands along the highway of Sto. Domingo, Piat which is about 30 kilometers from Tuguegarao on the way to the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat.

MAGAPIT SUSPENSION BRIDGE

is the first of its kind in Asia. It spans the Cagayan River at Lallo and is 0.76 kilometers long. The hanging bridge links the first and second districts of Cagayan going towards the Ilocos Region via the scenic Patapat Road on the Ilocos Norte-Cagayan Inter-Provincial national highway. Travellers can have a good view of the hanging bridge on their way to Aparri. Barangay Magapit in the town of Lallo is about 74 kilometers from Tuguegarao City, one hour travel time on an aircon bus or van and fare is about P100.00

HISTORICAL

THE BASILICA MINORE OF OUR LADY OF PIAT

the Lady of the Visitation was originally called the Lady of the Holy Rosary, perhaps because it was supposedly brought from Macao to the Philippines in 1604 by the devotees of the Rosary, the Dominican Friars. This almost four-centuries old image of Mary was first enshrined in Nueva Segovia of Lallo. It was brought to Piat supposedly to convert the Itawes People to Christianity and was entrusted in the care of Doña Ines Maguilabbun. On June 20, 1954, her Church was declared a National Shrine for Catholic Philippines by His Excellency Most Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi, then Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. The image is famous in the country and abroad as the Black Mary, thus making Piat the

Pilgrimage center of the Northeast. Pilgrims are drawn to Her Shrine every year. The pilgrimage reaches its peak on Her Feast day on July 2. Public utility buses and jeepneys leave Tuguegarao City for Piat everyday which is about 35 kilometers away.

THE OLDEST BELL IN THE FAR EAST

is in Camalaniugan’s San Jacinto de Polonia Parish. Forged in 1595, it was brought to Manila in 1937 as part of the attractions during the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress. The Quadricentenial Anniversary of the evangelization of Camalaniugan town was celebrated last June 15, 1996. Camalaniugan is 93.6 kilometers from Tuguegarao.

ISABELA

Natural

NORTHERN SIERRA MADRE NATURAL PARK (PALANAN RAINFOREST)

is the largest protected area in the country with more than 300,000 hectares of rainforest and is the lowest at 800 feet above sea level. Declared number 1 in biodiversity but also one of the 10 biodiversity “hotspots†in the world. Researches conducted in the� Park by national and international organizations concerned with environmental preservations showed the existence of unknown and unnamed species of flora and fauna. A confirmed habitat of the Philippine Eagle and the Cloud Rat. Its coastal areas host whales and dolphins and other cetaceans. Ideal for scuba diving and other water sports. A mountaineering/trekking challenge! The place is accessible by light aircraft from Cauayan Airport, pumpboat from Sta. Ana in Cagayan and Baler in Aurora Province and trekking from San Mariano, Cauayan and Ilagan in Isabela. It is also accessible by air transportation from Tuguegarao Airport through CHEMTRAD.

STA. VICTORIA CAVES

Environmental School at Fuyo National Park features naturally formed lattices and sparkling rock formations. Visitors will be given lectures, allowed to plant their own seedlings and will be enrolled to the Environmental

School and given certificates. Within the area is the Pinzal Falls conducive for swimming. The park is 15 kilometers from Ilagan town proper.

Man-Made

MAGAT DAM TOURISM COMPLEX (MAGAT HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT)

is Asia’s biggest dam project at the time of its construction. It serves the primary function of power generation and irrigation. Built at a cost of $83.7 M (P3.5B) during the 70’s, the plant can generate a power of 360 megawatts for the Luzon Grid and is capable of irrigating 102,000 hectares of agricultural land, Its reservoir area of 4,450 hectares has a great potential for water-based recreation like fishing, swimming, boating and water skiing among others. The plant is accessible by passenger jeepneys and buses from Santiago City.

St. Rose de Lima Church (Gamu, Isabela)

Built in 1726, it is famous for its Spanish architectural design. The feast of the patronal saint of Gamu is celebrated every August 23

THE CHURCH OF ALICIA (Our Lady of Atocha Parish) AND GAMU

are famous for their antique Spanish architectural designs. These churches are along the national highway and are very accessible by land transport

Historical

AGUINALDO SHRINE

in Palanan, Isabela is the historical place where Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the American forces, thus ending the Philippine Revolution in 1901. It is accessible by aircraft, pumpboat and trekking thru Sta. Ana, Cagayan, San Mariano/Cauayan and Ilagan, Isabela respectively.

World’s Biggest Butaka

It is 11 feet 4 inches high, 20 feet 8 inches long, and 9 feet 7 inches wide. It weighs 2,368 kilos and was constructed by 25 workers in 29 days.Parish Church of St. Mathias (Tumauini)

Built in 1753 under Dominican Supervision and completed in 1805, it is an ultra-baroque church unique for its extensive use of baked clay both for wall finishing and ornamentation. Clay bricks come to life in concentric circles on the façade, spiral curves on the finial serpentine reliefs, and many finely molded details – flowers, foliage, surfaces, cherubs, and saints. Its architecture bears Chinese ancestry. This church of stone features a unique cylindrical bell tower that is the only one of its kind in the Philippines. It was declared a National Historical Landmark on February 24, 1989.

San Pablo Church

Built in 1624, it is said to be the oldest in the province. Its lofty bell tower of six layers including the circular apex made of adobe is the tallest in the Cagayan Valley. San Pablo, the oldest town of Isabela, was founded by Padre de Sto. Tomas, 210 years before Isabela was made a province.

Cultural

Isabela Museum and Library The repository and custodian of the rich historical and cultural heritage of the

Isabelinos. Features a gallery exhibit & collection of antiques such as artifacts, fossils, ethnographic items, heirloom pieces, visual arts (photographs, paintings, sculpture, graphic arts); historical and cultural dioramas, miniature models of provincial landmarks, among others. It was inaugurated on May 11, 1999 and is housed at the old capitol building in Ilagan. Open from Mondays to Saturdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

NUEVA VIZCAYA

Historical

Dalton Pass

A rugged piece of terrain where Caraballo Sur reaches south and joins with the Sierra Madre. Being the only access between Pampanga and Cagayan Valley, the pass became the scene of much bloody fighting during the final stages of WW II and bore witness to the death of almost 17,000 Japanese, American, and Filipino soldiers. Commemorative markers stand by the road’s highest point, which also offers a good view into the headlands. The Dalton Pass National Shrine commemorates the death of General Dalton by a sniper’s bullet during WW II. At 3,000 feet above sea level, Dalton Pass is also the gateway to the Cagayan Valley Region and the Ifugao Rice Terraces.

Kirang Pass

A monument to the gallantry of the Japanese and Filipino soldiers during WW II, located at Barangay Kirang, municipality of Aritao, about 50 kilometers from Bayombong. Built in 1978 by the Rakunsankai Society of Japan, it was recently rebuilt using a black glazed stone, and a memorial was engraved in the tablet in Japanese and English. Also offers a breathtaking view of reforested mountains and hills.

Natural

Mt. Pulag National Park (Kayapa & Ambaguio)

The gateway to Mt. Pulag, the country’s second highest peak at 2,922 feet above sea level. Accessible by foot from the capital town of Bayombong and located west towards the boundary of Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet. The trail in Ambaguio town, 20 km. from Bayombong, promises a different kind of terrain from gradual ascent to rugged path amid mossy forests and cold temperature. Before the peak lies an area of Bonzai forests followed by grasslands with dwarf bamboos. A perfect ecotourism destination, the park is home to rare plants like the pitcher plant and rare animals like the giant cloud rat and whiskered pitta. Mt. Pulag provides resources to the indigenous Kalanguya, Ibaloy, Kankanaey, and Karao tribes.

Mt. Palali

1,705 meters above sea level, bounded by the municipalities of Quezon and Bayombong. Once the hunting ground of the Bugkalots, Gaddangs, and Ifugaos, this majestic mountain range offers a magnificent view of the low-lying municipalities of the province. Its diptherocarp forest contains a unique diversity of flora and fauna (bonsai forest, wild orchids and flowers). It was once the crash site of a WW II tora-tora plane.

Capisaan Cave System

The fifth longest cave system in the country and ranked among of the best, considered a geologist’s paradise due to its varying rare calcite formations and unique stalagmite and stalactite formations. Within its four kilometer length is a subterranean river that doubles as a passageway to the best part of this multi-chambered cave. Part of the cave network are the Lion and Alayan Caves, measuring 4.2 kilometers and relatively new hotspots, located in Brgy. Capisaan, Malabing Valley, Kasibu town.Tours can be arranged with the Sang-at Salug Mountaineering Club or the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya. The spelunking adventure tour includes an orchard tour at Brgy. Malabing, Kasibu, where the famous perante oranges grow. Kasibu is about one and a half hours from Bayombong.

Imugan Waterfalls

(Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya) A 35-foot two-level falls with a shallow catch basin of refreshing mountain spring interestingly located between two mountains. Trek over streams and rivers emanating from the falls. Enjoy trekking, exploration, swimming, fishing, and cultural immersion. Accessible by a 30-minute hike from Imugan poblacion which is about 30 minutes from the national highway.

Man made

Villa Margarita Mountain Resort

It rests on rolling hills and has spring-fed pools and water slides. The Banaue Rice Terraces, eighth World Wonder, is only two hours away. Located some 260 kilometers from Manila along the Maharlika Highway at Barangay Busilac, Bayombong.

Nueva Vizcaya Capitol Complex

A study of architectural ingenuity, the complex built by Governor Patricio Dumlao has a park with exotic plant species, concrete benches and sidewalks lighted with giant mercury lamps, a water pool, and a man-made lagoon ideal for rowing the colorful miniboats that are offered for rent and managed by a

group of handicapped workers. Located along the national highway, it also houses the provincial offices of government.

St. Dominic Cathedral

Preserved to become the first cathedral in the province. Razed twice and rebuilt in the same old site, it is now approximately twice its original size. It maintains its original 18th century Spanish style façade.

St. Vincent Ferrer Church (Dupax del Sur)

One of the oldest and biggest churches in North Luzon, constructed in the 16th century as commissioned by two Augustinian priests. Declared by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure, it features a bell tower that is among the town’s well-preserved Spanish colonial monuments and an ecclesiastical museum. Beside the church is what is acclaimed as the oldest acacia tree

(Semanea-saman) in Luzon, planted by settlers from Nueva Ecija in 1880. Reachable in 45 minutes from Bayombong town proper.

QUIRINO

Natural

Aglipay Caves

A series of 38 caves, seven of which have been developed as tourist spots. Located in the midst of rolling hills and verdant forests, the caves boast of an underground river and well preserved stalagmites and stalactites. They interlink with each other and run to a depth of 20 meters. Cottages, dorm-type buildings, and picnic huts for overnight tourists are available. The caves are ten kilometers from Cabarroguis.

Governor Rapids

Famous for gigantic perpendicular walls of limestone jutting out from one side of the Cagayan River and framing the Sierra Madre Mountain as well as swift turbulent deep blue waters perfect for white river rafting, swimming, and fishing. The riverside offers a suitable picnic ground with a magnificent view of the Cagayan River. Accessible via Barrio Bisangal, Divisoria Sur, Maddela, some 34 kilometers from Cabarroguis.

Nagbukel Caves

A dome-shaped mountain frequented by local tourists for picnics during the Holy Week. It is currently being developed by the Lamplighter, a religious sect. Located along the national highway at Diffun, it is four kilometers from Cabarroguis.

Nagtipunan Town

Home to virgin forests and perfect as an adventure and ecotourism destination, it is being developed as a gateway to Quezon province. Also found in Nagtipunan is the famous “Bimmapor,” a rock formation similar to a sunken ship, of which only the upper decks are protruding from the ground. Nagtipunan is about 54 kilometers from Cabarroguis.

Victoria Falls (Barrio Sangbay, Nagtipunan) Believed to be one of the sources of the mighty Cagayan River which bisects the valley and ends at Aparri Delta.

Bisangal Waterfalls (Maddela) It rests on a virgin forestland and serves as a sanctuary for endangered species of wildlife. Located within 35 kilometers from Cabarroguis town.

Historical

Aglipay Town A history-laden town that got its name from Fr. Gregorio Aglipay, a priest belonging to the Philippine Independent Church who rebelled against the Spanish colonizers and settled at the banks of the town’s Addalam River.

BATANES

Natural

SABTANG ISLAND

is undisturbed and unspoiled. The island has lots of natural attractions guaranteed to satisfy the most sophisticated nature lovers. It has intermittent white sand beaches with steep mountains and deep canyons with small level areas sporadically found along the coastline. Southwest of Batan Island, Sabtang is accessible by 30-minute falowa ride from Radiwan Port in Ivana. Sabtang Island is also the take off point for Ivuhos Island from Barangay Nakanmuan.

ITBAYAT ISLAND

is located north of Batan Island. Itbayat is shaped like a giant bowl. The island is surrounded by massive boulders and cliffs rising from 20-70 feet above sea level and has no shoreline. It

has a dirt airstrip for light aircraft. A “regular ferry†runs the Batan-Itbaya� t route. Travel time is about four hours on falowa from Basco Seaport or Radiwan Port in Ivana. A light plane flies from Basco Airport to Itbayat at P700.00 per person and leaves only when the plane is full.

MOUNT IRAYA

is a dormant volcano standing at 1,517 meters whose last eruption was recorded in 505 AD. Mountaineering, trekking and trailblazing are recommended sports activities on the mountain. Walking distance from Basco, the top of Mt. Iraya can be reached in about three hours.

DI-ATAY BEACH

is a beautiful cove with multi-colored rocks and white sand ideal for picnics and beach combing. Located along the highway of Mahatao, it is 9.85 kilometers from Basco.

SONGSONG

in Chadpidan Bay is an hour of exhilarating trek from Basco proper (3kms). It is famous for its beautiful sunset view.

KANYUYAN BEACH & PORT at Baluarte Bay

in Basco is the port of call of the cargo ships bringing goods from Manila.

Man made

RADAR TUKON

was a United States weather station on a hilltop. It offers a magnificent 360-degree view of Batan Island, the South China Sea, Mt. Iraya, Basco proper, boulder lined cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. At present, it houses the last weather station in the north, the Basco Radar Station and is only 2.75 kilometers from Basco.

OLD LORAN STATION

used to house a US coastguard detachment for almost two decades and is about 25 kilometers from Basco.

RUINS OF SONGSONG

is a “ghost barangay†� which is a cluster of roofless shells of old stone houses abandoned after a tidal wave that hit the island of Batan in the ‘50s. It has a long stretch of beach. The ruins are 23 kilometers from Basco.

SAN CARLOS BORROMEO CHURCH and a convent

at Mahatao are six kilometers from Basco. It was completed in 1789 and still retains its ceturies-old features.