By Anthony A. Araos
Ifugao has a few still unexplored, little-heard of caves for local and foreign tourists to visit this time of the year.
Balweg cave is surely one of them in my short list. It is located at Lamut town, particularly, at Barangay Jolowon.
There is certainly a lot to learn inside the cave. Forget the internet! This is the real thing in so far as understanding and appreciating the cave’s wonders throughout the ages. It’s scientific learning for a couple of hours at its finest.
Students in the secondary and tertiary levels are likely to gain invaluable information on how Mother Earth’s evolution is so complex. Everything they’ll need to know about water, soil, rocks and other elements of this wonderful planet will be conveniently and accessibly offered within their reach once inside the cave.
Inside the Balweg Cave, one may take photographs of their friends with rock formations as backdrop.
Going to Balweg Cave from the town proper is not difficult.
A treat to a cave will be fun. It lets you experience the wonders of the world. It’s thrilling to see a cave with a geological history dating back perhaps 200 million or so odd years.
Let us make sure that not just Ifugao and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) but the whole world is able to pass into incoming generations the God-given beauty of the Balweg Cave.
At its entrance, give yourself a breathtaking view of Balweg Cave.
Have a time to enjoy and marvel for a couple of hours on the beauty of nature. There’s a whole lot of difference doing this than being preoccupied with one’s Facebook. Forget your twitter account. This is first-hand account of immensely valuable information worth passing to future kids all the blessings that we’ve received.
By the way, contrary to misconceptions, Lamut is an excellent vacation town in this upland Cordillera province.
Having a good time with your closest friends or family isn’t impossible to realize at Lamut. This bustling town is the gateway to Ifugao for those who are coming from Nueva Vizcaya province. Principally, it lies after Bagabag town of Nueva Vizcaya. There are still plenty of open spaces and greenery covered by lush fields and mountains.
A good number of villages- such as Sanafe and Umilag, are considered as great places to relax and reconnect with nature. Undoubtedly, they are true haven from the hustle and bustle of the Big City or the national capital region.
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I shall be delighted to know if the Ifugao provincial government opts to introduce tourism-related facilities at Lamut. The problem on the accommodation needs of tourists have to be attended urgently. It is an obvious problem. Hotels and lodging inns are a key component of any well-meaning tourism plan in Lamut, in particular, and the other ten municipalities in the province, in general.
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I’m strongly urging Ifugao Governor Pedro Mayam-o to come up with a forward-looking and well-attuned plan to finally address constraints faced by the tourism industry stakeholders for them to fully enjoy the benefits of influx of the visitors in the country. As it is, the province’s tourism industry’s performance is so dismal.
The reopening of the Bagabag Airport (in Nueva Vizcaya province) for the Clark International Airport to Bagabag Airport flights is an opportunity to boost Ifugao’s tourism industry. The basic challenge for the Mayam-o administration is to draw foreign travelers to destinations in Banaue, Hungduan, Kiangan and Mayoyao. Do you think tourists went to Bagabag just to eat hamburgers at McDonalds in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya? That’s nonsense!
It’s high time to think beyond simply presenting visitor’s worn-out street dancing contest in a GOTAD ad Ifugao festivity. Go for the jugular. Go global!
For Ifugao to reap the dividends of tourism’s global market is to address constraints on competitiveness. I’m, of course, speaking of the longstanding need for marked improvement of tours and tour guiding, shuttle or van services, travel agency partnerships, transfer accommodations and souvenir shops.
Formulation of a mega-tourism market masterplan would provide such much-needed stimulus on the face of lackluster number of tourist arrivals in Ifugao.
The economic potential of a robust tourism industry in the province is huge as Ifugao offers a lot of exciting destinations.
Governor Mayam-o should now provide special and differential treatment for an underperforming tourism industry, plus additional flexibility for those in the private sector. Capitalizing on stronger relationships with the bright men and women outside of the public sector is the key. This is one area where the dynamism and dedication of those in the private sector could also play a major factor.
There is no denying that the implementation with speed of a new tourism plan that best suits the requirements of the province is badly needed. What is necessary and so crucial is entirely a new tourism plan. A plan crafted by those in the private sector.
To Governor Mayam-o: why stick to an outmoded, outdated tourism plan? It does not work at all!
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In relation to the newly re-opened Bagabag airport, isn’t it high time for all quarters to look into the soundness of the proposal of having an airport in Ifugao, as advocated by former Governor Denis Habawel. Need the people wait another 50 years to finally have an airport?
Being true to my commitment in providing unparalleled advice and guidance to our readers, I’m raising the need for the provision of transporting men and women as well as produce in the quickest possible time. By bus, the travel time of a Lagawe to Manila trip is about 9 to 10 hours. By plane, it’s only about 50 minutes, close to an hour. That’s only one advantage. In short, more tourists are likely to visit the province. Local economies are surely to expand thus, increasing the province’s revenues.
This truth is proven no less by the fact that critics of the airport plan are generally traveling in the Philippines and abroad through these airports.
The foregoing only tells us this is a matter of mind set. No more, no less.
At the soonest time, I hope to see an official in Ifugao who will make a difference on this score. I see the need of developing future leaders who will create innovative solutions to help in resuscitating the economy of this impoverished province.
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Crisante “Tante” Da-ang, civic leader of Barangay Poblacion South in Lagawe, Ifugao, has consistently been an advocate for an innovative barangay action plan. He is strong in offering mediation and other legal advices to the people.
He said all sectors, including the business, must work together to ensure “all residents in the barangay are provided with basic needs at all times, thus, giving the chance to pursue their dreams.”
He also stressed the need for provision in the grassroots level of decisive leadership that will uplift the conditions of the people and truly prioritize the poor.
Curbing poverty incidence and propelling economic development are the key components of his vision for his beloved village in the coming years.
Ensuring a quality life among women, elderly, youth and farmers are a foundation for good and responsive leadership, has led to Mr. Da-ang’s crusade to transform the lives of many in this part of Lagawe.
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For our food delights corner, you’ll love to eat the following but hate getting a little bit heavier.
Kare-kare bagnet (Ilocano preserved meat) for lunch is great. Add to it is the mouth-watering, tender Batangas beef, richly marinated and served in sweet and sour sauce. For short, you’re all-time Tapa favorite. And how about mushroom soup paired with fried rice. Don’t ever forget fried tilapia. Lychee sorbet as a desert is simply irresistible. All of which is incomplete when one misses a glass (or two) of chilled juice out of mango puree. Then, consider a slice (or two) of vanilla cake. This is just a sampling of culinary delights even served at dinner for hardworking people. After all, it isn’t a bad idea to rejuvenate after a high-energy day.
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Life’s oddities: Only in the Philippines! An American, Chinese and Filipino are expressing their views on the importance of books.
American: Books are printed in my country in great numbers as an anti-ignorance measure. That’s why the U.S. is the world’s number one superpower. Chinese: We come out with books by millions as an anti-poverty action. So, there are many jobs. That’s why China is the world’s second largest economy. Filipino: We just have a few books and only a few read them. And the reason is anti-gravity. American: But the Philippines is not a superpower. Chinese: Nor the Philippines’ economy is one of the largest in the world. In fact, it is otherwise. Filipino: You’re both right. American and Chinese: So, what makes you better than us? Filipino: We read a book about anti-gravity, it’s absolutely impossible to put down.
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Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “I always put myself in harm’s way because that is where I am most effective.” The late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago
“Federalism is doomed to fail because the poor provinces would tend to pull down the richer members of their state. That is counter-productive. The Philippines has only three regions that could be considered as self-sufficient. These are Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Luzon, based on their gross domestic product.” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, opposes the plan to shift to a federal form of government.
“A kind man benefits himself, but the cruel person brings trouble on himself.” Proverbs 11:17
