Three staff of the Provincial Tourism Office of Mountain Province and 3 guides of barangay Talubin assessed the Amkijo waterfalls located at barangay Talubin of Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The validating team arrived at the amazing waterfalls after a 40-minute ride from the capital town of Bontoc combined with trekking a descending trail of about 30 minutes from the national road situated at sitio Pamassaw, Talubin. Sitio Pamassaw is located within the Bontoc-Barlig national road.
The trudging route was steep combined with open fields, which were covered only with grasses and shrubs, and the rest was shaded with pine trees and other forest trees. The hike however was made a lot easier by the melodious chirping of and insects.
The main source of the majestic falls is the creek located at Balabag which is the source of Central Bontoc’s potable water.
The height of the Amkijo falls is about 50 meters. Its hammering and reverberating sound can be heard about 150 meters away. The pool is about 5 feet deep and 15 meters in diameter. The water is cool, clear and potable.
Some of the thrills of the trip included splashing into the smaller falls below the big falls, walking thru wooden pine log bridges, crawling a rock cliff, climbing a pine log leaning “tower”. The bridges and “tower” were naturally positioned a the previous calamity.
The local guides Noel Lippaen, Fernando Aspilan and Amalya Taoey, also the secretary of barangay Talubin, related that there are 2 big pools below but rappelling has to be done to reach them.
While having a snack break at the river bank, the staff of the Provincial Tourism Office suggested that: the pathway must be rerouted and zigzagged, signages must be placed in conspicuous areas along the road, other activities such as going to other picturesque spots nearby must be organized, coordination with the Bontoc municipal tourism office should be done to organize a river exploration with rappelling in order to validate the two big falls below Amkijo waterfalls.**By Francis Degay
