Showing posts with label [San Quintin - Abra]. Show all posts

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN • (Abra) Tourist Spots, Attraction, Things to Do in Town

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Thursday, October 18, 2012 17

Stories of town explorations.

The town maybe new to you but I just want to introduce an itinerary the town explorer way. I would mean that this travel guide would not fit every traveler (because each traveler has a style and preference). The things I am going to introduce are not good for senior citizens unless they can ride a motorcycle with ease. If you are a rider or a thrill-seeker, this itinerary would fit you but I just want to clarify that this is only applicable to the town of San Quintin in Abra and you can still visit other towns in the province after doing this.

For those who want to spend an ample time exploring the town, I hope this would help. I actually encourage everyone to explore our towns in the Philippines wholeheartedly and that would include understanding the history and the pulse of the town. I believe a town can offer us new discoveries only if we try to explore them.

I also recommend using a motorcycle if you do it because it is easier to do the task but it will still depend on you if you want to use a truck, a bicycle your ferrari or simply alay lakad to death :p.

For the mean time, let's focus first to the town. Before we begin, I would want to first show you where San Quintin, Abra is located just in case you haven't read the previous posts of this series where I also placed this map. For the suceeding map, it will be more specific where in San Quintin those points of interest are located.

Take note that you can still make your own itinerary by including other towns so I am reiterating that this is specific to San Quintin only.

Although I will be making a comprehensive Abra province Itinerary after I will be able to blog all the towns I have explored in Abra, I want to be town-specific first then I will come to compile them all for my upcoming province-wide comprehensive travel guide for the province.

San Quintin, Abra Travel Itinerary and Tourist Spots Map

If you have followed my San Quintin Series, you will learn later that this post will just be a compilation of all the places I discovered in San Quintin. Ok let's begin:

[1] Stop Over at Tangadan Tunnel

Tangadan Tunnel is I think the most notable landmark in the province of Abra. This will always be the first on the list for the itinerary if you are reaching Abra via the Maharlika Highway then turning to Ilocos Sur-Abra Road because this serves as the welcome arch (no, not really an arch, it is a tunnel). Take your photo here and appreciate the structure. For more information about the historical value of this tunnel, read more...

[2] Gabriela Silang Monument at Abra Welcome Park

Pay homage to the greatest heroine of Abra. She is Gabriela Silang, born in the town of Santa in Ilocos Sur but claimed by the people of Abra that she was born in the town of Pidigan in their province. Beside the Tangadan Tunnel is the Abra Welcome Park where this monument is standing. Learn more about Gabriela Silang and the history of this monument: Read more...

[3] Reach the Town Hall

Well, there is nothing special about this town hall but it is important that you know where it is because it serves as a guiding landmark. Anyway, when I go to every town, I always make sure to see how their town hall looks like. It mirrors how wealthy a town is (most of the time) and it will give you an idea. The town hall is about 30-40 minutes from the Tangadan Tunnel. Just ask some people along the way where the town hall is located. The town hall requires you to turn left from the main highway so ask some people. Don't worry, they don't bite! Immersing with the local residents is part of the adventure. Read my experience inside the town hall here...

[4] Go Visit the Abra River

Visiting the Abra River is a must since it offers you a raw beauty. Take note that there are many towns where this river flows and San Quintin is just one of them. This site is located at the back of the town hall. Take a left turn from the road near the town hall (refer to the map above).

Possible activities you can do at this part of the Abra River are picknicking, fishing, swimming and why not do kayaking if you have the equipments, right? Oh no, not surfing, even though you have equipments, no surfing please if you don't want to surf your life, LOL!

[5] Cross the Abra River

If you won't try crossing the Abra River, your San Quintin experience won't be complete. This river crossing is free you know. It is funded by the provincial government of Abra to assist the residents in crossing the river - because there is no bridge to connect the communities. Wondering where to see the boatman? Just focus your eyes to the other side of the river and make a big wave. Be sure the boatmen are looking. They will come to fetch you.

So live like a local resident. But mind you, this is not a cruise ship that all you need is comfort. You need to adjust for the situation and act like a local resident. You can also act like a visitor if you want, that's not a problem but be sure you know how to adjust while on board the boat because it is not all about the comfort, but I would say it is an enjoyable experience. Read my river crossing experience here...

[6] Angalo Footprint Challenge

After the river crossing, try to look and identify the footprint of Angalo. Angalo is a mythical giant that forms one of the most popular legends in Abra. From this side of the river where the boatmen have lead you, you can actually see the footprint because it is gigantic.

I was not able to see it up close because you need to take a longer boat ride to reach the actual place. Learn more about this footprint here...

[7] The Cabaruyan Falls Challenge

I was not able to see the Cabaruyan Falls, also called the Hidden Falls in Brgy. Labaan but I will leave this to you as a challenge to explore it, the challenge to find your direction here and the challenge to share a travel guide here. To give you an idea how this natural wonder looks like, I have found a video here.

That's it! I hope you'll enjoy your town exploration in San Quintin soon! Please inform me if you have seen the waterfalls. As of now, I am still planning to go there for me to update this post.

How to Go to San Quintin, Abra

From Manila: Take Partas Bus or Viron Busline, they have daily trips from Manila to Abra. These bus companies pass through San Quintin. Travel time is about 8-9 hours.

From Vigan: Go to Vigan Bus and Jeepney Terminal. Take a Vigan-Bangued bus. Most buses that take that route are non-AC and are most of the time old-type mini-bus. Travel time is approximately 1 hour.

Narvacan Junction: If mistakenly took a north-bound bus that goes directly to Laoag or Vigan, drop at Narvacan Junction. Abra-bound buses all enter in this junction.

Travel Notes

The river crossing is available only from 8am to 4-5 pm. Once you crossed the river, be sure to be back before 4-5 pm if you have nowhere to sleep or else you're stranded and wait for tomorrow's schedule.

Staying here overnight is not recommended unless you have relatives or friends you trust where you can stay the whole night. Day tour is recommended. Accommodations near San Quintin are located in Narvacan (Ilocos Sur) and Bangued, Abra.

For a more comprehensive list of tourist attractions in the whole province of Abra, follow the following link:
.

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

[San Quintin - Abra] Abra All Cordillera Administrative Region Luzon Philippines San Quintin [Abra] Serious Post UNUSUAL

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN • (Abra) The Most Beautiful Town Hall Location I've Ever Seen

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Thursday, October 18, 2012 4

Stories of town explorations.

"As I leave this town, I know by myself that I will always cherish all the memories it gave me. I don't know when should I be back but I am sure, San Quintin has been written in my heart."

It was a town with hopes and dreams for its people teeming with great natural wonders that can set you free. An unhurried town, laid back, quiet and simply beautiful. I am referring to the town of San Quintin in Abra. My posts about the town may have seemed to be endless and forgive me for that. I just can't keep myself writing many stories about the town because of the many experiences and beautiful encounters it has shown me that are worth sharing for.

As I cross the Abra river back to where I came from, what I just saw at the other side of the river is another wonderful scene. On both sides of the river, there are beautiful views to see - actually, 360 degrees is a paradise unknown.

San Quintin, Abra Town Hall as seen from Brgy Palang while crossing the Abra River

There's that hill (or possibly mountain?) at that part of the north where a structure is standing overlooking this great portion of the Abra River Basin.

The structure doesn't look special but it was unusual. The fact that it is located in this magnificent location gave me big smile.

For all the hundred towns I have seen, this town hall is so far located in the most beautiful location before the judging power of my naked eyes. Most town halls are located along the road but this one is located at the end of the road with the Abra River as the backyard at the foot of lovely mountains. Who would not fall in love with that?

I would say this is already the finale of my recent San Quintin town journey and the view invites me to be back soon. This separation anxiety makes me want to stay here longer but this last river crossing facing the beautiful location of this town hall marks the end of my adventures here.

As I leave this town, I know by myself that I will always cherish all the memories it gave me. I don't know when should I be back but I am sure, San Quintin has been written in my heart. If you have followed the series, you know how San Quintin captivated my soul but everything has an end, and needs to end. In every single journey, there is always an end, but the memories you will cherish will make the journey to last forever in your heart.

__________________________________________________________

You are reading the Part 7 of our Abra Motorcycle Adventure Series

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

[San Quintin - Abra] Abra All Asia Cordillera Administrative Region GEO FEATURES Geological Formations Luzon Luzon Island Philippines Southeast Asia

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » (2012) Tugot ni Angalo: a Search for the Giant Footprint

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Saturday, October 13, 2012 10

Stories of town explorations.

This legend forms a part of the living culture and the richness of the traditional oral literature not just in this little village but also in the rest of the Ilocandias.

» Once upon a time, there were two giants who inhabited the planet named Angalo and Aran. These two giants were believed to be the first two inhabitants of the planet.

» When we arrived in Brgy Palang, no one could help me go near the footprint.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » ABRA

In the presence of modern technology, under a digital ecosystem where children engage the world through digital citizenship, I reached a quiet village engulfed by mountains and isolated by a great river. The village is called Brgy Palang which could be accessed by crossing the Abra River in the town of San Quintin in the province of Abra. From this village, you could visualize a geolological feature that is associated with a local legend—especially for Ilocanos.

This legend forms a part of the living culture and the richness of the traditional oral literature not just in this little village but also in the rest of the Ilocandias, and it intertwines with the trajectory of the world to modernity. In this part of the country, there exists the most legendary of all the footprints of Angalo: a mythical giant. This giant footprint is related to the local folklore of Angalo and Aran (characters of an Ilocano mythology).

In 2012, I had this perception that only a few are knowledgeable of the existence of this footprint. Even a quick Google search back then wouldn't give you plenty of blogs about the Tugot ni Angalo. So where is this legendary footprint?

► Backstory

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

I remember the person who talked to me at the San Quintin Town Hall. He said that the Angalo footprint is the most famous landmark in this town. The only predicament I had to face at that time is the fact that reaching the place would be difficult. However, he said to me that as I cross the river (which I just did), I would be able to visualize the footprint.

I discussed the story of the legend of Angalo in a , where I narrated how I encountered one of the footprints in Sudipen, La Union. However, like what I said, this one in San Quintin is the most famous footprint. The other famous footprint is located at the higher cascades of the PINSAL FALLS. This footprint I was chasing at that time in San Quintin is the right foot. Meanwhile, the other one in Pinsal Falls is the left foot. I have to say that this is the most famous pair. Yet, there are many footprints scattered in different towns up north.

► Did I See the Giant Footprint?

So now, I would tell a story like an elder, as I narrate the story of Angalo and Aran: an Ilocano folklore that has been passed from generation to generation. These two giants are the Ilocano version of Adam and Eve. The notable difference, though, is that they are super-sized.

Once upon a time, there were two giants who inhabited the planet named Angalo and Aran. These two giants were believed to be the first two inhabitants of the planet.

Unfortunately, the woman (Aran) was missing; and so the giant male Angalo's longing to see the woman was infinite. He continually searched for Aran; and to be able to look for Aran, he roamed the whole Ilocos Region.

Along the process of his search, he left massive marks; and these are the gigantic footprints carved into the young earth. Angalo also drank from the springs of what is known now as Pinsal Falls in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and he had to kneel, thereby creating other depressions. Those depressions are now the natural pools on top of the waterfalls, and the largest of those natural pools with the shape of a footprint is claimed to be the footprint of Angalo.

In San Quintin, the footprint was carved in a village called Labaan. The place was still far from the place where I was standing at that time. Even so, the man I talked with at the town hall assured me that I could see the footprint by going to Brgy Palang. I pursued the adventure.

That seemed like a very gigantic footprint. Angalo must have been very super-sized man!

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » We crossed the Abra River to reach Brgy Palang.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » Where is the giant footprint?

When we arrived in Brgy Palang, no one could help me go near the footprint. So, I had to stay at the riverbanks to see the footprint from afar. Nonetheless, I still longed to see it up close. According to my local sources, the depression is about 3 meters deep, five meters wide, and 15 meters long!

Using my camera, I zoomed in; and I noticed a depression in the area.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » I zoomed in my digicam from the distant barangay of Palang.

My bad, that's the only photo I could post mean time; but I hope this would facilitate our appreciation to this unwritten Ilocano mythology. Its story has been passed through oral medium. Mind you, there are more footprints in various towns; and that makes this myth more interesting to probe.

I borrowed some photos from a username "jojof" who captured that landmark in a closer scale. It was originally uploaded on the defunct Panoramio website.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » Closer photo of the Tugot ni Angalo

The search is not over yet. This is only the second footprint, and I am still warming up. The search for the other footprints would be more epic I suppose.

As I crossed the river back to where I came from, I observed one thing that was as interesting as the Angalo Footprint. I noticed this one after I saw the footprint from afar. To be continued...

This is Part 6 of the series: "My First Abra Ride Adventure in 2012"

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

LATEST STORIES COVERING SAN QUINTIN • SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

MORE BLOGS YOU MIGHT LIKE. SEE TABS BELOW.

▼ ABRA ▼ GEO FEATURES ▼ GEOLOGICAL FORMATION

► More 'Abra' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING 'ABRA' | SEE OLDER STORIES

► More 'Geo Feature' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING "GEO FEATURES" | SEE OLDER STORIES

► More 'Geological Formation' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING "GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS" | SEE OLDER STORIES

MORE TOWNS OR LOCATIONS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE:

V S B A I L B B SM L

UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST

2025-August-21:
• The article was rewritten, proofread, and revised (injecting both 2012 and 2025 perspectives). 2025 lay-out update applied.

2012-October-12:
• This post was published.

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

[San Quintin - Abra] Abra Adventure All Asia Cordillera Administrative Region Luzon Luzon Island Philippines Southeast Asia Travel Diaries

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » (2012) Crossing the Abra River on a Boat for the First Time

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Edmar del Castillo Guquib at Friday, October 12, 2012 2

Stories of town explorations.

Surviving this first boat ride across the Abra River without mental distress meant that I may have processed my near-death childhood trauma of drowning in a small creek in Vigan which was caused by the evil instinct of my own relative.

» This experience opened my eyes to the reality that the people in this part of San Quintin have to deal with this situation everyday. They needed to cross this river with their goods, their sack of rice, their whole family in tow, during medical emergency, and in some other difficult situations.

» Hearing the noisy engine of the boat was poignant. It implied to me that the residents needed to get used of this difficult (in my POV) situation daily.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » ABRA

I thought that it was already the end of the journey as we reached the end of the road in Barangay Poblacion. This great river seemed like a predicament in pursuing this ride adventure in 2012. It was a peaceful place, yet it's also a beautiful obstacle in our pursuit to explore this town. This great river appeared like it wanted to curtail our freedom to explore each corner of the town of San Quintin.

I stood up for a moment, then I walked along the river shore savoring the perception of freedom it gave me. Meanwhile, a lady wearing a fitted white tank tops came close to us. I learned later that she'd be crossing the river, and I wondered how. I got surprised to learn that a boat would be fetching her. I didn't immediately notice that a boat docked at the other side of the river.

I wanted to understand why she had to cross the river, until I suddenly learned the answer for myself. I didn't learn sooner that at the other side of the river is another barangay. I thought before that reaching this barangay would require us to use another road network that has access to a bridge. With this encounter, I learned that that such detour would be very far and impractical. So the easiest way to reach Barangay Palang is to cross this segment of the Abra River.

► Backstory

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

This town exploration in San Quintin is part of a larger scheme of things in 2012. From Vigan, my brother and I rode our Honda Beat 2009 model to Abra, and this moment forms a portion of that scooter adventure.

As I entered Abra, we visited several locations before arriving to this area—the Abra River.

► Everything Started to Make Sense

After several minutes, more people came to cross the river. I asked the lady-in-white if I could join them; because as far as I remember, the first man who conversed with me at the town hall told me that I have to cross the river to see the giant footprint of Angalo.

It's big deal for me to see this because of its value in our Ilocano folklore, and the stories from our elders would be personified by seeing this footprint in person. They say that a giant named Angalo once roamed in this part of Northern Luzon, leaving giant footprints in different towns. I have seen one of his footprints in Sudipen (a town in La union), and this would be my second footprint encounter.

It was said that several years ago, there was no boat like this to help the residents of San Quintin in crossing the river. Instead, they use rakes to cross it.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » Before the boat era of this side of the Abra River, the residents used rakes like this to cross the river and to transport goods.

The people clamored for the construction of a bridge. However, there was no enough funding to finance the construction of a bridge. Considering the width of the river in this part of Abra, this would mean hundreds of million in peso.

Abra River is the 7th longest river system in the Philippines, and its stream starts in . It floods the Abra Valley, then opens its mouth in . So there are several towns situated along the Abra River, and San Quintin is one of them. Each town has a story to tell about the Abra River.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » My brother posed for a photo at the Abra River.

For the situation of Barangay Palang, it would be very impractical to rush the construction of a bridge here because there are more places in Abra listed higher in the priority list. Constructing a bridge here worth hundreds of million pesos to practically serve only one small village would be helpful but impractical at this point in time. There are more places in Abra that need more strategic bridges compared to Palang.

At that point, it made sense why this place has no bridge yet. The solution given by the local government unit of Abra is to employ 2 boatmen to assist the residents in crossing the river from morning until afternoon for free. Cool idea, isn't it? I'm glad that I was one of the beneficiaries of this free boat service athough I am not from Abra. This would mean that anyone is entitled to have a free boat ride.

► My Childhood Trauma of Drowning

Finally, I would be crossing this river for the very first time on a boat. It was not the touristy river cruise that entices you to relax. This river crossing wracked the nerve out of me, although I also enjoyed the thrill it gave me. Crossing the river lasted for about 1 minute.

I grew up in with a traumatic experience from drowning in a creek when my second-degree cousin deliberately caused my struggle. I felt so helpless at that time. When I was able to have a grip on the soil above my head, my cousin pushed me back to that part of the creek with depth more than my height. As a child, I still didn't know how to swim back then. That become very traumatic to me.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » Surviving this first boat ride across the Abra River without mental distress meant that I may have processed my near-death childhood trauma of drowning in a small creek in Vigan which was caused by the evil instinct of my own relative.

This river crossing, surprisingly, did not trigger that PTSD from that childhood trauma. I think that I managed it well because I didn't feel any evil aura among the people who were with me in that boat ride. I felt secured that none of them would cause me to drown in the river.

This river crossing required me to adjust to the situation. It was not just about the fun and adventure. It was also about trying to live like what the local residents do.

► Lessons from my First River Crossing

This experience opened my eyes to the reality that the people in this part of San Quintin have to deal with this situation everyday. They needed to cross this river with their goods, their sack of rice, their whole family in town, during medical emeergency, and in some other difficult situations.

The people have been practically deprived to seamlessly drive their own vehicles to and from their isolated village. If the river is harsh, they have to stay at home, so the people here know where and when to hoard goods as contingency plan in difficult times. Typhoon season would be an example of this difficult time.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » For the very first time, I captured my first photo of the Abra river right on its water.

This encounter became more meaningful than my search for freedom, more liberating than my desire to have a great escape from my daily routines, and more delightful than my quest for adventure.

As I felt the cool river breeze that masked the presence of the scorching heat of the sun, I could feel the pain (the emotion, not the sun burn). I could not resist it. It was that pain of knowing the reason why the people had to endure this kind of situation everyday, while other people would just enjoy the luxury of life in their gated villages or in their mansions with well-manicured gardens.

I also captured a short video clip while I crossed the Abra River. It should have been more than a minute video, but I used some parts of the crossing time to capture photos.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » My brother joined me in crossing this river.

Hearing the noisy engine of the boat was poignant. It implied to me that the residents needed to get used of this situation daily.

Despite of this, I could not see any hints of complain from the people I met. They were so warm and welcoming when I had a boat ride with them. One of them even made a joke that Jing-Jing—the name of the lady in white who I talked with—has suitors, and we apparently rode the boat to visit her house and propose a marriage. Everyone elevated the energy inside the boat with genuine laughter.

She said in their native Itneg language: "Umali da danunen si Jing-Jinge'n (I hope I said it right)." Danunen, or Dumanon is a tradition by which a man visits the family of his woman to manifest his intention of marrying her. Well, it was just a joke! Those people were just happy considering their daily situation. They still had time for fun.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » This is our photo with Jing-Jing, the lady-in-white I have been talking about in the previous parts of this series.

In 2012, I tried to be a local resident, and doing such made me think of their daily difficulties. Well, this blog isn't all about the great and famous places; but it is also about the travel experiences that money can't buy.

This river crossing was a new learning ground for a person like me who loves exploring places. The word "exploring" and "adventure" are "cliches," but there's no other word to replace the very essence of those words.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » My brother took this photo while I was crossing the river.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » My brother posed for a photo after we crossed this river.

🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN » We reached the other side of the river (Barangay Palang), and a new set of passengers waited at the docking area with their goods and bottles of softdrinks.

After crossing the river, the coming of another mission has arisen. They said it was hard to go to the actual site, but they also said that I could aleady see that mythical landmark at the other side of the river which I am now.

That mountain appeared too far, and that would be another story. Where is the footprint? To be continued...

This is Part 5 of the series: "My First Abra Ride Adventure in 2012"

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

LATEST STORIES COVERING SAN QUINTIN • SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

MORE BLOGS YOU MIGHT LIKE. SEE TABS BELOW.

▼ ABRA ▼ TRAVEL DIARIES ▼ ADVENTURE

► More 'Abra' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING 'ABRA' | SEE OLDER STORIES

► More 'Travel Diary' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING "TRAVELL DIARIES" | SEE OLDER STORIES

► More 'Adventure' Blogs

MORE STORIES COVERING "ADVENRURE" | SEE OLDER STORIES

MORE TOWNS OR LOCATIONS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE:

V S B A I L B B SM L

UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST

2025-August-18:
• The article was rewritten, proofread, and revised (injecting both 2012 and 2025 perspectives). 2025 lay-out update applied.

2012-October-05:
• This post was published.

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