Lakbay Norte 3: Spelunking in Bulacan, fishing in Nueva Ecija, whitewater rafting in Cagayan & Kalinga

Lake Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija

Victory Liner bus for Lakbay Norte 3

Lakbay Norte 3, the media familiarization tour of the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), got underway last Sunday. Day 1 included a visit to Pinagrealan Cave in Norzagaray, Bulacan, a lunch stop in Microtel Cabanatuan and fishing in Lake Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija.

Whitewater rafting in the Chico River, Tabuk, Kalinga

We then drove to Tugugarao, Cagayan and checked-in at Las Palmas de San Jose Hotel early in the morning. For Day 2, we proceeded to the Chico River in Tabuk, Kalinga for whitewater rafting and capped the night with dinner at Las Palmas. Check out the video of Day 1 and 2 edited by Carlo Cruise. Also check out the photos of Lakbay Norte 3 in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Microtel Inn Cabanatuan
Sta. Arcadia, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija
Tel No. +63 (44) 4647777 / Fax +63 (44) 4647778 / Mobile +63 (927) 8042929
cabanatuan@microtel.ph

Las Palmas de San Jose Hotel
San Jose Village, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Tel Nos. +63 (78) 8441661 / 8468115 / Fax +63 (78) 8448091
info@laspalmas.com.ph

Adventures and Expeditions Philippines Inc. (AEPI)
c/o Anton Carag, 29 Burgos St., Tuguegarao City
Mobile +63 (917) 5327480 / Tel No. +63 (78) 8441298

Kalinga: Chico Dam & Chico River

Kalinga is most popular for whitewater rafting. I'll do that one of these days. But unfortunately, for this trip, I could only go sightseeing. From Tuguegarao, I drove to Tabuk which was about an hour and thirty minutes away.


On the way to the Kalinga Provincial Capitol, there is a souvenir store that sells traditional Kalinga cloth and other cultural items. Nothing much to see in in downtown Tabuk. But if you drive further down the road, you'll see the Chico Dam and a nice view of the Chico River.

Kalinga also has some rice terraces including the Tinglayan, Lubo and Mangali Rice Terraces which I hope to visit in the future. It also played a role in our nation's history since President Emilio Aguinaldo passed by the province en route to Palanan, Isabela. I just not sure if the areas that served as his headquarters are well-maintained and worth visiting particularly Aguinaldo Hill.

Ivan Henares sets foot on all 79 provinces of the Philippines

When I got off the plane this morning at the Masbate Airport, there was a strong sense of fulfillment. I could truly say that I have seen the Philippines. Masbate was the last province I had not visited. And with my arrival this morning, I am proud to say that I have visited all 79 provinces of the Philippines.


The last few weeks was hectic. I wanted to achieve the goal before 2010 ended. In October, I found myself breezing through the last four provinces of Mindanao which I had not visited yet - Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. I endured several hours at a time on buses and boats given my limited time. And on my last day, I virtually traveled from morning until early morning the next day. I got to visit Dahican Beach, a popular surfing area in Mati, the waterfalls of Maragusan, stayed a night with the Manobo community of Sitio Panlabuhan in the Agusan Marsh, and marveled at the spectacular Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig.

Just yesterday, I had arrived from a 1800-kilometer drive around North Philippines to visit Abra, Apayao, Kalinga and Quirino. The views during the drive were so refreshing. It made me even prouder of our country. Highlights of the trip included visits to the Tayum Church, a National Cultural Treasure, the ruins of the Pudtol Church, the Chico River and Dam in Tabuk, and a peek inside the Aglipay Caves.

And just as soon as I arrived home, I found myself packing my bags again for Masbate. The Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary is a must-visit when in Masbate City. It has an islet or sandbar with various species of mangrove trees. During high tide, you might be lucky to spot a pawikan amongst the trees since there are a lot of them there.

I still can't sleep since the high from having visited all the provinces of the Philippines is one-of-a-kind! The Philippines is such a beautiful place.

Update: Dinagat Islands was reinstated as a province in March 2011. With my visit to Dinagat Islands late last year, I've visited all 80 provinces of the Philippines.