Getting high in Don Victoriano
Published Nov 18, 2022 12:05 am
SENIOR BYAHERO
I was looking at the face of the old man standing right in front of me. His face already wrinkled with age and his skin darkened by too much wind and sun exposure brought about by living in high elevation. He was dressed in black shirt with minimal red and gold color piping. His head was covered by a red and white handkerchief, carefully tied to proudly display the colors of his tribe.
For the second time in my adventure life, I came face to face with the Subanon tribe. My first time was in 1999, when I was assigned to document the conservation efforts being done by an NGO group in Mt. Malindang. I remembered trekking for almost a day before we reached an upland village in Bonifacio, a municipality in Misamis Occidental. I also remembered being welcomed by a ritual, where they performed a dance honoring a guest from the lowlands.
The Subanons are the gentle people of Mt. Malindang Natural Park. They were originally river people. Their name is derived from the word soba or “suba,” which means "river", and the suffix “-non”, which indicates a locality or place of origin. The Subanon originally lived in the low-lying areas near the river. But due the influx of other settlers like the Moros, the Cebuanos and the Boholanons to the coastal areas, they were pushed further into the interiors.
Now many of them are living in the uplands of Mt. Malindang, and they have become the guardians of this sacred mountain. They have planted flowering plants, fruits and vegetables along the slopes of Mt. Malindang.
PINDUAAN Curtain Falls of Don Victoriano
I have come this time upon the invitation of the Province of Misamis Occidental in coordination with the Tourism Promotions Board. It was our second day to this beautiful province and we were ferried from our hotel by a coaster to the heart of the Subanons, the municipality of Don Victoriano Chiongbian, where we were told that 75 percent of the population belong to the indigenous tribe. We were welcomed by a ceremonial dance performed by students, with the same beat of the gongs and bamboo drums as I remembered 23 years back.
Don Victoriano is a small municipality of less than 10,000 people. The town center is on an elevation of 1,000 meters above sea level (MASL), and with bamboo houses on stilts built along the ridges, with its cool weather and green surrounding forests, the place gives visitors the feeling of being in Sagada.
After meeting the town officials and trying their local delicacy of boiled saba banana dipped in bagoong, we were loaded at the back of an Isuzu pick-up to our next village, Barangay Mansawan or Nueva Vista. Maswanan, where Lake Duminagat, an old crater lake, is located, is the jump-off point to climbing the north peak of Mt. Malindang at 2,400 MASL. We didn’t come to climb the summit, although I would have opted to if given the chance, but to visit the strawberry farms. I had no idea that strawberries are grown in Mindanao, but when we saw the huge farms in Mt. Malindang, I knew they’re going to be juicy and delicious. And I was right. The volcanic soil and organic farming by the Subanons make the Malindang strawberry the best that I ever tasted.
Our next destination after visiting the farms was a waterfalls in Barangay Piduaan. I wasn’t expecting much as I’ve probably seen over a hundred waterfalls all over the Philippines. From where our pick-up truck parked, we were told that we will have a 15- minute trek to the waterfalls. I was already tired but I pushed myself to walk on the rocky trail. Fifteen minutes later, I was staring at a magnificent curtain falls of Piduaan. It is 20 meters tall, and more than 30 meters wide with water so clear that you could almost see the rocks at the bottom of its basin. I was tempted to jump in and enjoy its cool and refreshing water but the Subanons brought a freshly-cooked lechon to be eaten for lunch by the waterfalls. Who can say no to the best lechon on this side of Mindanao.
After a hearty lunch by the river, we returned to Maswanan. I saw again the same old man sitting by the bench on the covered court. I asked our guide what the old man is waiting for. The guide said the old man is waiting to perform the welcoming dance of the Subanons. I remembered how enchanting that was from my first visit. He added that the old man is a village elder who will be doing the pure, indigenous dance of the Subanons, but they had to cancel because we needed to move to our next destination.
I saw the sadness in the eyes of the old man. He must have prepared for days so that he can show the visitors the rich history of their people through dance and music. I told myself that someday I will go back to Don Victoriano, visit Lake Duminagat and climb Mt. Malindang, and stay longer so that I can finally see that old man perform his enchanting dance.
(The author is a senior who recently retired. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)
I was looking at the face of the old man standing right in front of me. His face already wrinkled with age and his skin darkened by too much wind and sun exposure brought about by living in high elevation. He was dressed in black shirt with minimal red and gold color piping. His head was covered by a red and white handkerchief, carefully tied to proudly display the colors of his tribe.
For the second time in my adventure life, I came face to face with the Subanon tribe. My first time was in 1999, when I was assigned to document the conservation efforts being done by an NGO group in Mt. Malindang. I remembered trekking for almost a day before we reached an upland village in Bonifacio, a municipality in Misamis Occidental. I also remembered being welcomed by a ritual, where they performed a dance honoring a guest from the lowlands.
The Subanons are the gentle people of Mt. Malindang Natural Park. They were originally river people. Their name is derived from the word soba or “suba,” which means "river", and the suffix “-non”, which indicates a locality or place of origin. The Subanon originally lived in the low-lying areas near the river. But due the influx of other settlers like the Moros, the Cebuanos and the Boholanons to the coastal areas, they were pushed further into the interiors.
Now many of them are living in the uplands of Mt. Malindang, and they have become the guardians of this sacred mountain. They have planted flowering plants, fruits and vegetables along the slopes of Mt. Malindang.
PINDUAAN Curtain Falls of Don Victoriano
I have come this time upon the invitation of the Province of Misamis Occidental in coordination with the Tourism Promotions Board. It was our second day to this beautiful province and we were ferried from our hotel by a coaster to the heart of the Subanons, the municipality of Don Victoriano Chiongbian, where we were told that 75 percent of the population belong to the indigenous tribe. We were welcomed by a ceremonial dance performed by students, with the same beat of the gongs and bamboo drums as I remembered 23 years back.
Don Victoriano is a small municipality of less than 10,000 people. The town center is on an elevation of 1,000 meters above sea level (MASL), and with bamboo houses on stilts built along the ridges, with its cool weather and green surrounding forests, the place gives visitors the feeling of being in Sagada.
After meeting the town officials and trying their local delicacy of boiled saba banana dipped in bagoong, we were loaded at the back of an Isuzu pick-up to our next village, Barangay Mansawan or Nueva Vista. Maswanan, where Lake Duminagat, an old crater lake, is located, is the jump-off point to climbing the north peak of Mt. Malindang at 2,400 MASL. We didn’t come to climb the summit, although I would have opted to if given the chance, but to visit the strawberry farms. I had no idea that strawberries are grown in Mindanao, but when we saw the huge farms in Mt. Malindang, I knew they’re going to be juicy and delicious. And I was right. The volcanic soil and organic farming by the Subanons make the Malindang strawberry the best that I ever tasted.
Our next destination after visiting the farms was a waterfalls in Barangay Piduaan. I wasn’t expecting much as I’ve probably seen over a hundred waterfalls all over the Philippines. From where our pick-up truck parked, we were told that we will have a 15- minute trek to the waterfalls. I was already tired but I pushed myself to walk on the rocky trail. Fifteen minutes later, I was staring at a magnificent curtain falls of Piduaan. It is 20 meters tall, and more than 30 meters wide with water so clear that you could almost see the rocks at the bottom of its basin. I was tempted to jump in and enjoy its cool and refreshing water but the Subanons brought a freshly-cooked lechon to be eaten for lunch by the waterfalls. Who can say no to the best lechon on this side of Mindanao.
After a hearty lunch by the river, we returned to Maswanan. I saw again the same old man sitting by the bench on the covered court. I asked our guide what the old man is waiting for. The guide said the old man is waiting to perform the welcoming dance of the Subanons. I remembered how enchanting that was from my first visit. He added that the old man is a village elder who will be doing the pure, indigenous dance of the Subanons, but they had to cancel because we needed to move to our next destination.
I saw the sadness in the eyes of the old man. He must have prepared for days so that he can show the visitors the rich history of their people through dance and music. I told myself that someday I will go back to Don Victoriano, visit Lake Duminagat and climb Mt. Malindang, and stay longer so that I can finally see that old man perform his enchanting dance.
(The author is a senior who recently retired. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)