SUYO ... Chasing waterfalls

“They say that people who live next to waterfalls don’t hear the water”

This is so true for they are not hearing the water but listening to life giving nature. At times weak and murmuring but most of the times full of energy and winds screaming with excitement as it plunges down to a pool and continue flowing.

I may not live next to a waterfall or will ever be in my entire life, but there is one least thing I can do... Go visit and admire not one but as many as I can. 

The municipality of Suyo in the province of Ilocos Sur is near the mountainous areas of the Cordilleras and rivers runs through it. They still have those forested mountains although some patches of “kaingin” (burning of forest/grassland for cultivation purposes) can be notably seen from a far. Surely Suyo is one of the places to look for nature’s gift, the waterfalls.

Here is the account of my Suyo Exploration last June 6, 2013.

We arrived at Bitalag Junction at 8:10 in the morning and departed at 8:29 by riding a passenger tricycle (painted white and green) going to Suyo. Arriving at Suyo Municipal Hall at 8:51 we paid the tricycle and went up inside their Municipal hall. We passed by the sitting policemen and went further inside and sat at the chairs on the corridor looking around for their Tourist center but there seems no such said office in their Municipal Hall.

I stood from where I sat and went inside the first office.

“Good morning mam” I greeted them.

“Mabalin agsaludsod, ammo yo kadi nu anya ti direksyon mapan idianay waterfalls?” (Can I ask a question, do you know the directions going to the waterfalls?).

 CLICK HERE

We talked and after which she accompanied me to an office upstairs. On our way upstairs we chanced upon the Barangay Captain of Patoc-ao  Mr. A. Adayan (I hope I got the name right) and he offered us to take us around. Because we do not have our own car (we were planning to hike) he offered us to take a ride on their motorcycle bike but there were two of us so they went looking for another motorcycle bike for us to use through the hospitality of the chief Tanod of Barangay Patoc-ao Mr. Eleazar Saydocen (hope I got the name right). While waiting for them to find another motorcycle, we went ahead at the office upstairs, I introduced myself, she gave me a flyer of the different tourist spots of Suyo and she introduced herself as:

Leah A. Esperanza

LRCO-1 / Acting Tourism Officer

LGU- Suyo Ilocos Sur

The motorcycles were ready so we thanked her and went on to ride.

We departed the Municipal Hall at 9:20 am and arrived at the drop-off point at 9:32. From that point on we walked, arriving at the falls at 9:39 am. The waterfall is called “SANGBAY NI RAGSAK”. Our guides who were also our drivers led by Chief Tanod of brgy. Patoc-ao Mr. Saydocen stayed at the shed just before the falls while we went near the falls to take some photos.

    

CLICK HERE

At about 10:20 am we departed the falls, rode on the motor bikes and arrived at downtown Suyo at 10:40. They parked the motorbikes and went on to our next destination, the waterfalls at Barangay Poblacion. This time we just walked. We started walking at 10:53 from the Municipal Hall arriving at “SANGBAY” at 11:05 am. At 11:15 we departed from the falls and went to “DARAWA FALLS”. 

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It was 11:45 when we departed “Darawa Falls” arriving back at downtown at the municipal Hall area at 12:04 pm. The Chief Tanod introduced us to a passenger tricycle driver who will take us to the falls at barangay Man-atong.

We thanked them and went to have our Lunch at a store nearby.

At 12:19 we rode on the tricycle and went to barangay Man-atong.  We arrived at the drop-off-point at 1:00 pm and from there, we hiked with the driver as our guide arriving at the “FALLS at MAN -ATONG” at 1:57pm.

CLICK HERE

The skies became darker and it began to drizzle. We hiked our way back arriving at the drop-off-point at 2:20 pm.  We rested and rode the tricycle arriving at downtown Suyo at 3:36 pm. We paid and thanked the driver for his services.

We went back to Bitalag junction and rode a bus, bringing home with me another day filled with waterfall exploration.

For more Photos CLICK HERE

How to get to Suyo, Ilocos Sur:

1-  From Manila, take a bus going to any of these northern Luzon places such as : Laoag City, Vigan City, Candon City and Abra. All of these passes through Tagudin, Ilocos sur, so get down at BITALAG JUNCTION which is located few minutes away after the Yellow Market (Tagudin’s Public Market).

2- At Bitalag Junction (Bitalag is a barangay of Tagudin) wait for or look for the tricycles with white and green paint (yellow tricycles are for Tagudin’s). With 25 pesos as fair going to Suyo , Ilocos Sur, you may pay the whole tricycle for 150 pesos for the total passengers of 5. Tell the driver to get you down at Suyo Municipal Hall.