🇵🇭 ILOCOS SUR » Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Road: A First-Time Account

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Monday, June 30, 2025 0

Stories of town explorations.

I was the architect of this escape, but it was a decision out of thin air.

» This road is the reason why I became a travel blogger in 2010.

» The original adventure-high would always be the sweetest and the baseline—the enduring gold standard of my story telling and travel blogging.

🇵🇭 ILOCOS SUR

Imagine that? It took me 15 years to write a dedicated post about this road. I have written several stories that involve this road, but it's only after 15 years that I got the wisdom to put my experiences into words for an article dedicated to this road.

The old followers and readers of this blog would probably have known that this road, the Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Road, started it all. It launched my travel blogging journey and my online persona as a travel blogger.

► Backstory: It all started here

Swipe/drag to left or right to view more vertical photos. Tap or click the photos to enlarge.

Gawd! That was 15 years ago. I was careless, spontaneous, and hopeless romantic. Since then, this travel blog served as my personal diary—injecting personal life angles in my travel anecdotes and blogs. Diaries are meant to be personal, right?

This road is the reason why I became a travel blogger. Although I have been posting travel photos since 2006 through Friendster (the Pinoy Millennials' mainstream online platform back then), I wasn't considered a travel blogger. The details on how I became a travel blogger would be narrated on my next blog.

When I posted about my photos and stories about this road in a certain Facebook group in 2010, it became viral. That was my first viral post.

Social media aside, it was not about the shares and online visibility. The nostalgia I have with this road is rooted in a genuine experience that hit me hard and different. It deep dove into my soul that such experience would become a part of who I am now. It's the most cliché description, but it's also the most accurate—the truth.

To guide you in this story, I added an index map of our stopovers along the this road in 2010. See below.

This road influenced the purpose and reason why I am still traveling up to this day. I'm still looking for that adventure-high feeling of being on the road. That dopamine reward I had when I was 22 years young has never been duplicated by any of my travels after this.

The original adventure-high would always be the sweetest and the baseline—the enduring gold standard of my story telling and travel blogging. 15 years after, I still couldn't duplicate that feeling of adventure-triggered pleasure—one major reminder that the first time is the sweetest spot—and on why I keep traveling until now among other reasons in search for growth, meanings, and another sweet spot.

This road was part of our Vigan-Cervantes ride with my brother who was 20 years young then. I was the architect of this escape, but it was a decision out of thin air. Well, that's for another story—part of this series of rekindling my 2010 travel stories.

► 1 Bitalag Junction, Tagudin

With my 6-month-old Honda Beat scooter, I wasn't certain if the gasoline tank could bring us to Cervantes. Back then, there was no gasoline station along this stretch from the gasoline station in Tagudin to the first gasoline station in Cervantes. With the ascending road, the small tank of my Honda Beat could not supply the whole journey to Cervantes población. For this reason, I bought a purified water so that I could use its emptied bottle to store our reserve gasoline.

We entered the west end of this road via Bitalag in Tagudin at the junction with the MacArthur Highway.

As far as I remember, we did not stop in Tagudin aside from our gasoline refill stop. After a few minutes, we were already entering Suyo. That was also the first time I entered the town of Suyo.

► 2 Suyo Welcome Marker

SUYO » Like an innocent child, reaching Suyo in 2010 was already a big achievement for me.

As we entered Suyo, we saw the 2010-ish welcome markers of Suyo. It's our first road stop in Suyo. Suyo had a welcome marker at that time that is similar to some towns in Ilocos Sur. It's a green metalic signboard which was an initiative of the late Governor DV Savellano.

Baringcucurong is the first barangay in Suyo after Tagudin via the Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Road.

🇵🇭 SUYO » Apologies for the hideous color processing applied in this photo.

On the other side of the road stood another welcome marker of the town. From this point, you would see that the hills and mountains around are gradually rising as you go eastward.

This section is the road-based perspective of this story. For a story based on the perspective of being a town (of Suyo), read this:

► 3 Somewhere in Baringcucurong

🇵🇭 SUYO » I spotted a random body of water from afar.

We continued our journey along this road. My brother and I were on high spirits. We reached a place called Baringcucurong where we had our second stop along this road. The road has started ascending, and we paused for a break at a certain part of this road located within a forested area.

From where we stopped, we could hear a loud sound of gushing water. I thought it was a waterfall. I zoomed my digicam and found a moving body of water. We definitely could hear the loud sound of gushing water coming from that distant area. Well, 2 years after, I revisited this area; and I hiked my way to that body of water.

🇵🇭 SUYO » I also spotted that mountain with exposed soil.

From the source of the water sound, I saw a mountain with exposed soil. I didn't know if it was due to landslide or a result of human activity.

We continued our journey until we crossed a virtual zone that I considered outside the safe zone. The place was so unfamiliar which prompted me to make a decision. The adventurous young in me still wanted to continue, although half of me was so unsure and nervous.

► 4 Chico River

🇵🇭 SUYO » At a certain part along the road is a viewpoint near the Chico River.

We've ascended the road until I saw a curve with the view of a certain river called Chico. That was a great viewpoint. I couldn't help but to stop and document the beauty that Isaw. There's a good point along the road to take photos of the river. We left this viewpoint satisfied of the view of the river and the mountains.

Read more:

► Somewhere in Suyo

🇵🇭 SUYO » The mountainview backdrop was worth a photo stop.

This story happened 15 years ago, so I couldn't remember the exact location of this spot on the map.

As we continued to ascend to a higher elevation, we saw a spot that had a good view of the mountains. I saw a mountain that shaped like a perfect cone like Mayon. We had to stop for a while to document the view. In 2010, I was impressed of the road quality of the Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Road when we made it this far.

► 5 Urzadan Bridge

🇵🇭 SUYO » This bridge has a monolith background.

Another stop was the Urzadan bridge. The view of the gigantic monolith that served as backdrop of the bridge was worth documenting when I encountered that view for the first time. Below the bridge is a river with sources from Sigay town. Its stream meets the Chico River in Brgy Kimpusa.

Read more:

NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.

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🇵🇭 KABACAN » Tulunan Falls of Pisan: Travel Guide + Review

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Monday, February 17, 2025 0

Stories of town explorations.

This is a travel blog guide, review, and curation dedicated to Tulunan Falls of Pisan.

• This page will be updated intermittently once new information is obtained.

• If this free travel guide was helpful in planning your trip, you may support this blog by following us on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

🇵🇭 KABACAN, COTABATO

This travel guide is divided into sections, organized in separate tabs for context-based navigation. Once I get to gather more data and materials for Tulunan Falls of Pisan, I will update this article. You can also expand thumbnail photos by clicking on them.

▼ OVERVIEW ▼ HISTORY TIMELINE ▼ REVIEW GUIDE ▼ WHERE TO STAY ▼ WHAT TO DO ▼ WHERE TO EAT

• General: The word Tulunan came from the Maguindanao word "tulun," which means "a place of abundance."

• Location: Tulunan Falls is located in Brgy Pisan of Kabacan town in Cotabato province. It's under Purok Bermuda. The waterfall base has an elevation of approximately 145 meters above sea level. For the exact location, check my Google pin here.

• Route or Directions The entry or jump-off point is at Purok Kuweba, still in Pisan. The jump-off point is approximately 28 minutes away from Kabacan Terminal Complex. See the map below for the suggested directions and route if you're coming from downtown Kabacan. If you are using a navigation app, this is the GPS coordinates of the jump-off village: 7.200980, 124.870478.

• Entrance Fee: As of this posting, the entrance fee per head is 10 pesos which you have to pay the moment you reach the village. The house near the parking area is where you are going to pay for the entrance fee. If you're not sure, you may ask the crowd—but beware of scammers.

• Parking Details: There is a parking area at the jump-off village suitable for motorcycles. Parking fee is 5 pesos per motorcycle unit. See photo of the parking area below.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

• Trail profile: The trail from the jump-off village to the waterfalls base is approximately 500 meters. The start of the trail has an elevation of approximately 95 MASL. Approximate elevation gain on the trail is 53 meters from the start of the trail.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

• Opening/Closing Time: The area is open from 6 AM to 4 PM.

• Facilities: There are three cottages for rent at 100 pesos each (as of this posting). There are no stores and restrooms. See photo of the cottage below.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

• Ownership: The waterfall is actually located inside a private property. Below is a selfie I took with the private owner of the waterfall.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

2025-February-02 • This date became the first time I visited this waterfall. This date is also the basis of the information I initially added on this travel guide blog. Based on what I heard, Tulunan (falls) has been here since time immemorial; but it was only recently when they opened it to the public that they called it as "newly discovered" falls about 2 weeks prior to this visit.

Location and Access Guide: The location of the place is a Muslim community. It is important to be aware of the cultural boundaries if you are a Christian. Location access is easy, as the roads leading to the village of Purok Kuweba in Pisan are paved. If you didn't bring your own vehicle, there are tricycles in the village. As to the fare, I have no info.

Directions Guide: If you are coming from Kabacan poblacion/downtown, I posted a route suggestion under the OVERVIEW section courtesy of Google Maps. The advantage of this waterfall is its easy accessibility from anywhere in Kabacan as the road network is efficient. I suggest using a motorcycle when visiting this place. You may not want to soil your car after a muddy hike.

Expenses Guide: The only mandatory expense you may utilize is the 10-pesos entrance fee (as of this posting). If you brought your own vehicle, parking fee is 5 pesos for motorcycles/scooters. Bringing your own food is not prohibited.

Parking Guide: If you're planning to bring your vehicle, the parking area is a small space under a tree. They charge 5 pesos per motorcycle as of this posting. I am not sure for four wheels. In our case, there are parts of the parking area that were muddy.

Trail Guide: The trail is like a walk in the park. Be careful of some parts, though. Despite the almost flat trail, there are sections that are slippery and muddy. I slipped and fell twice on this hike. It's a 15-minute hike from the village to the waterfall passing through farms, plantations, and mountain landscapes. Along the trail, several species of forest plants are abundant. The lower cascades of the creek are also visible along the trail.

There are no available homestays or inns around the area. I also don't recommend staying with the locals due to the lack of tourism management guidelines as of this posting. The waterfall's popularity became viral with unexpected influx of visitors, so the community did not expect a sudden arrival of multitude, crowding their small mountainside village. There are three cottages available at the base of the waterfalls, . The owner charges 100 pesos per hut as of this posting.

Hiking: Enjoy a softcore leisure hike. Notice the lower cascades along the trail. Don't forget to view and enjoy the mountain landscapes and the trail that dissects a certain banana plantation.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Swim at the waterfall: The path of the cascades are not slippery. The rocks were mineralized, and they stick to your feet. Take a shower in a safe corner and enjoy the waterfall massage.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Climb the waterfall: The waterfall has several layers per drop. You may want to climb the highest cascade that is open to public. Observe safety and precaution first.

There are no restaurants around. There is a sari-sari store at the village.

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▬ END OF TRAVEL GUIDE ▬