TRAVELLING to Davao Oriental seizes you with awe and wonder. One such wonder is the Aliwagwag Falls in Cateel, home of then Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon.
I used to hear about Aliwagwag Falls from friends and relatives, but I really did not have an iota of thought about its grandeur until one day I travelled to Cateel via Compostela in Davao de Oro (I am used to Comval).
The highway from Comval to Cateel is now paved. The dirt road, replete with dangerous curves, cliffs and ravines, is gone. The highway is named after the late Senator Bengno S Aquino by operation of law.
Simple travel, but you get to see and know what Davao Oriental could offer. Aliwagwag Falls is simply amazing. It is on the side of the highway so unlike other falls. Other falls are hidden.
Cateel is not the last town of Davao Oriental. There is Boston. Imagine that, Boston in Davao Oriental. Boston, Cateel, Bagangga, Caraga, Manay, Taragona, then Mati, the capital of the province.
Davao Oriental is a coastal province. So obviously you get to enjoy the vastness and infinity of the Pacific.
On the other side, turn right from Manikling, a barangat before Mati, to San Isidro then to Sigaboy. While it is a town, Sigaboy is not as lively as its barangay Tibanban much like Bislig ang Mangagoy. Mangagoy which is only a barangay of Bislig, the capital town, is now a city.
From Tibanban, you take the cemented road to Cape San Agustine where the Parola is. It now has become a destination.
The shoreline between Sigaboy to Cape San Agustine is simply breath-taking. From Tibanban you get to enjoy the Monserrat Cove where fisherfolk hide from typhoons.
From Monserrat, you go straight to Bosoboso, a barangay where fishermen land their catch too. It is now home to resorts.
Davao Oriental is a marriage of land and sea, of culture and beliefs of a huge plantation and a farm.
Since it’s covid, you need a private ride to explore it. The stress is too much since March. Take a break. Enjoy the beauty of Davao Oriental.
Remember it is not just the Hamigitan, this Unesco preserved flora and fauna in hidden in this mountain. It is its people who speak a different dialect. Ah, discover it yourself.
