Northern Mindanao: Iligan, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro

Maria Cristina Falls

Pleasure, relaxation, renewal. These are, I think best describes of a perfect vacation. Pleasure because you get to see what you don't normally see back home, relaxation because you get yourself out of the war room (office) at least for a while so you can see that nature's beauty and get a sense of renewal so you can see things differently, lightly and with positivity.

Travel date: September 27 - October 5, 2014

Photo credits:

Marian
Jesly
Lawrence
Hannah
Josona

Months before the trip, I was invited by my sister-in-law to their house in Cagayan de Oro to see my 2 lovely nieces Steffi who is about to turn 7 at that time, the christening of her little sister Jia. So I booked myself a ticket bound for Cagayan de Oro. But Prior to getting a flight to CGY (Laguindingan Airport Code), my friends have already bought theirs for MNL-CGY-MNL flight. I had to be there days prior to our trip to Northern Mindanao because I have to attend to Steffi's birthday, and Jia's christening.

Welcome to Cagayan de Oro City!

Laguindingan Airport is located in the Municipality of Laguindingan, Province of Misamis Oriental that serves as a gateway to Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan and to the rest of Northern Mindanao. The said airport was opened in June 2013 and replaced Lumbia Airport, now a military base for Philippine Air force according to online resources. The airport is a bit far from CGY so one must take a van (air-conditioned) going to CGY for P250-300. Travel takes an hour.

I stayed at my sister-in-law's house for my niece's birthday. Their house is just near SM Cagayan and Xavier School - Ateneo de Cagayan. We had a chance to roam around Cagayan de Oro and had food trip at what they call "Divisoria" where your cravings can be satisfied with food, food and food.

Razon's Halolo Halo in Cagayan de Oro is P10 cheaper than in Manila

Isla Bonita Bar

Tapang Kabayo, not the one you see in Sta. Ana Race Track ha?

Buwaya Sisig

Yes Dear, some of the pictures you just saw are the ones you can find down the streets of Cagayan de Oro. Others were taken elsewhere (kung saan kami dalhin ng paa namin)

Clearly, Cagayan de Oro City is Northern Mindanao's pride for Gastronomic experience... Like any other provincial cities like Cebu City in the Visayas Region, Cagayan de Oro City do not thrive solely on tourism. What makes people go back I guess to Cagayan de Oro City is because of its people, their hospitality and friendliness are the ones that make Cagayan de Oro City a destination of choice for travelers...


Welcome to Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte!

After spending days with my nieces, I went back to Laguindingan Airport to wait for my friend's arrival from MNL. From Limketkai Mall, I took an airconditioned van bound to the Airport for P299.

Back to Laguindingan Airport with Lawrence, Hannah and Jes (fresh from MNL-CGY flight).. on our way to Iligan

Another friend Josona (Joss) who hails from Iligan City also arrived a week prior to our Northern Mindanao invasion because of the fiesta in her home town, Iligan City. Shortly after Jess, Hannah and Lawrence arrived, we went out of the airport and boarded a bus going to Iligan City. Fare is 150 pesos (I think) travel takes an hour and a half only. (could have been shorter if there were no road construction on our way there)

The name Iligan got its name from Higaunon (Lumad/Native of Iligan) and then "Ilig"  means "to go downstream".

Joss welcomed us at the terminal where the bus stopped. Then took a jeepney to their house. The following pictures filled our empty stomach that day...

Lami kaayo 'day! hahahaha

After that hefty lunch, we checked in at a hostel in Iligan City and to save time, we spent the whole afternoon roaming around Iligan and visited the City Hall and St. Michael Archangel Church...

 

Next Day...

It was past 5AM and we are all set for another activity: visiting Tinago Falls and Maria Cristina Falls. 

How to get to Tinago Falls? From the hostel where we slept, we rode a jeepney bound for Buru-un, then from the Market, we took habal habal (P75) to Tinago Falls.

Marang Fruit

On our way to our next destination, we stopped by the ancestral house of Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who's family hails from Iligan as well

Maria Cristina Falls is said to be generating 70% of Mindanao's electricity and is one of the most beautiful and tallest falls in the region and in the country. If there is one word to describe Maria Cristina, it would have to be "grandeur"

Maria Cristina Falls is supervised by The National Power Corporation as it serves electricity of almost the entire Mindanao.

It was after lunch when we checked out of our hostel and proceed to, yet another exciting destination...


Welcome to Camiguin Island!

It was after lunch when we checked out of the hostel where we stayed overnight and went back to the terminal bound for Cagayan de Oro. From the hostel, we rode a jeepney that passes through Integrated Bus and jeepney Terminal in Iligan City. Fare is P145 travel takes 2 and a half hours (again, could have been shorter if not because of the road construction)

How to get to Camiguin Island

From Agora Terminal where the bus from Iligan City stopped, we transferred to another bus that goes to Balingoan Port. Balingoan is a beautiful small town in Misamis Oriental and serves as a gateway to those who want to go to Camiguin Island. Fare is P150 and it takes 1 hour to reach Benoni Port. We arrived in Balingoan at 7pm and missed the last trip to Benoni Port in Camiguin, so we looked for a decent transient house to sleep, then waited for the first trip to Benoni Port at 4 in the morning.

off to Benoni Port from Balingoan Port

Balingoan Port during sunrise

Since the hostel we stayed overnight is just beside the port, it was easy for us to catch the first trip to Benoni Port. Fare is 150 and travel takes an hour only.

Katibawasan Falls

From Benoni Port, a number of multicab drivers approached us and offered Tour rates within the island...  Unfortunately we were not able to save the contact number of the driver that toured us the whole day.

Before checking in, we first went to our first destination of the day: Katibawasan Falls. One of the ohh-so-beautiful falls in Camiguin, but this is the only falls we visited that day. There's a small amount of entrance fee before one can get in to the entrance gate of Katibawasan Falls, enough to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of the area.

Kiping

Just outside the Katibawasan Falls is a number of stalls that sells souvenir items like shirts, keychains, ref magnets, etc. There are a number of stalls as well that serves food and beverages for hungry local and foreign tourists. That kiping tastes good! :)

I forgot the name of this transient/hotel but this is located near the beachfront and overlooks the sand bar if you're on the 2nd floor. Rate per night is P2000 (if my memory serves me right), are there were 5 of us shared the same room so we paid 400 pesos each. (not bad ha?)

My take on this transient: the air conditioning unit is too small to accommodate the entire room, we left the unit on while we were eating at a nearby hotel then when we went back after an hour, the room was not that cold yet. The room was nice and clean though. Yet another opportunity that every single hotels/inns/transient houses need to consider is the power outlet. In the same room where we stayed, there's just 2 power outlet, so we have no choice but to unplug the TV and the emergency light so all of our gadgets can be charged while we were sleeping. 

And speaking of sand bar, after checking in to our hostel, we went straight to the shore where a small boat was waiting. It took us to the sand bar which is by the way very very very beautiful. The sand can be compared to that of Boracay Islands.

Probably one of the most popular, if not THE MOST POPULAR trademark of Camiguin Island is the Sunken Cemetery... and here's why:

The sunken cemetery plays a vital role in shaping the Island's undeniably rich history and diverse culture. The story of the Sunken Cemetery started during the volcanic eruption in 1871 known as Mt. Vulcan, coupled with a number of earthquakes that greatly devastated the old Camiguin Island capital that was founded by the Spaniards

History has it that the Old Volcano of Camiguin had four historical eruptions. The first eruption happened in 1827. The next eruption was in 1862, killing hundreds of its residents, mostly coastal residents. The third most powerful eruption was in 1871, making the entire old capital of Camiguin Island popularly known today as the Century-old Gui-ob Church Ruins sunken.

According to online resources, even its cemetery sunk under the sea at an estimated 20 feet down under. And in 1948, Mt. Vulcan once again erupted sinking the whole area quite deeper. No more eruption please!!! :( 

The sunken Cemetery that we see today with the large cross was built in 1982, commemorating the old grave site. As you swim, you could still see some graves underlying the seabed beside the cross where it stand very proudly..

Soda swimming pool gives you a refreshing comfort as you swim and feel the coldness of the water brought about by natural spring water that comes from the underground. Well, it doesn't really taste like soda (I tasted it myself) but locals said it used to taste like soda. This swimming pool is located in Buru, Catarman, Camiguin, entrance fee is P20 and closed every Wednesday for maintenance.

Ginanggang, grilled banana generously brushed with margarine and sprinkled with sugar

Sto. Niño Cold spring is another tourist attraction located in Catarman and the waters that flows through the swimming area are coming from the grounds which is very clear and is about 20°C. So cold yet so refreshing.

Another swimming pool that we visited is Ardent Hot Spring, still in Camiguin...

That was an action packed day in Camiguin. We treated ourselves with sumptuous dinner at Paras Hotel and Resort, which is just in front of the hostel where we slept.

I almost walked out of that restaurant after I realized that the color of my shirt was like that of the table cloth.. hahaha however, gluttony won so I stayed, and ate a lot!!! hahaha

We left our hostel at 3am to catch the first trip to back to Balingoan Port at 4am. Leaving Camiguin was not that easy for us, specially when there's more of Camiguin that we have not seen yet. But we promised to ourselves that we will definitely go back and explore entire island, again and again and again.

Welcome to Bukidnon!

We safely arrived in Cagayan de Oro past 9am and had breakfast at a fastfood chain in Agora Terminal. Then rented a jeepney that took us to Manolo Fortitch. The jeepney driver dropped us off to a gasoline station near the entrance of Camp Philips. 

Camp Philips is a huge plantation of pine apples and is home to Del Monte Corporation that manufactures canned products like juices, chunks, tidbits, etc (basta kung ano yung cut na pwede sa salad at sa menudo hihihi). Camp Philips has over 9000 hectares of land that concentrates on planting, of course pine apple. Its unfortunate that when we went there, most pine apples have already been harvested, but you can still smell the sweetness of the air brought about by the pine apple leaves. 

On our way to Dahilayan, I was imagining myself standing right in the middle of the plantation grounds while shouting "Ang lahat ng nakikita ninyo, ay akin!" hihihi

We reached Dahilayan Park in Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon at past 12nn so we decided to take our lunch at Pinegrove Mountain Lodge just across to where we stayed, which is Saddle Ridge Camp.