The Pagsanjan falls in Cavinti Laguna is one of the most famous tourist destination in the country. Its indigenous name is Magdapio Falls. This famed waterfall is an attraction to local and foreign visitors.
Back in my first grade we were asked by our teacher to draw tourist attractions in the country. That is when I get to know this waterfall. Using our pencils and crayons we try our very best to sketch these places to the best that we can do. I've never been able to see this waterfall back then and I bet my classmates were not able to see it for real as well. What we did to comply with our teacher's requirement is to look at a colored poster of the Pagsanjan falls shown by our teacher and posted on the black board. The picture of the waterfall is still etched on my mind. There was this bamboo raft with people riding on it on their way to the waterfall and there's a rainbow right where the waterfall is. The picture was indeed wonderful and I secretly wished to see the place one day.
That wishful thinking was done more than 20 years ago and it was not realized until March of 2008. The day when that wish that I made 20 years ago came true was a very fine day and the weather was really warm. March in the Philippines is usually part of what we call summer in this tropical country. This is the time of year that the weather is sunny and the the temperature goes up. This is also the time when pupils and students are taking their vacation from school, thus the Summer Vacation.
I was with a very special person and friends when I visited Pagsanjan. We left Manila at 7 am and took a van going to Laguna via the South Luzon Expressway. It took more or less two hours of road trip to get to the drop off point. We had an early lunch at the Pagsanjan Falls Lodge overlooking the river where we can see local women washing their laundry and kids swimming. Men are riding on their canoe going upstream and down stream taking locals and tourists up the river.
To get to Pagsanjan waterfall one has to take one of those banca (canoe) upstream. Two skillful banqueros (boatmen) will take you from a slow meandering part of the river through a narrow steep sided canyon over several rapids. The boatmen are extremely fun to watch as they literally jump off from one rock to another pushing the banca up the rapids with their feet bare from any shoes or tsinelas (rubber thong). The two boatmen were very synchronized like a couple doing the tango.
On our way upstream we saw a monkeys in the wild eating fruits up on the tree near the river bank. We were able to see geckos and other members of the lizard family.
A makeshift store, halfway to the waterfall is the place where you can feast on grilled chicken and corn on cobs, fresh fruits and mounds of kettle cooked rice.
After an hour or so on the river you can see the top of the gorge is a torrential river feeding the river with water. The view was spectacular. When get off the boat the first thing I did is to climb up a big rock and take the camera out of the plastic bag and take pictures.
We took a ride on a bamboo raft going under the 91 meter high falls. We explored the cave inside the waterfall and swim. The water is cold and I really enjoyed the time that we spent there, the roaring sound of the waterfall is a confirmation of a wish come true.
As we started our journey back down the canyon I can't help but smile for my wish 20 years ago that now came true.
NOTES:
** the Pagsanjan Falls were the location where the closing scenes of the Vietnam war epic film, Apocalypse Now, was shot by US director Francis Ford Coppola. There are some remnants of the film sets still to be seen in and around the falls.
Pagsanjan Falls (The Legend)
According to history, the Pagsanjan Falls is rich in legendary lore. Long, long ago, recounts one legend, there were no falls. There were only the foliaged highlands, the twin rivers, called Bumbungan and Balanac, and the alluvial delta (where the town of Pagsanjan now nestles). On the eastern bank of the Bumbungan River lived two old brothers named Balubad and Magdapio.
For many years, the two brothers enjoyed a rustic life of peace and happiness. But one day calamity struck. A terrible drought brought ruin and death. No rains came for successive months. The soil became dry as tinder. The blooming flowers and food plants withered and died. The birds, deer, wild hogs, monkeys, and other animals disappeared. The rivers, creeks, and mineral springs dried up. Not a single drop of life-giving rain fell from heaven.
Balubad and Magdapio suffered immensely. Day and night, they prayed for rain, but the gods did not heed their prayers. The older and weaker of the two brothers, Balubad, died of thirst. Magdapio, with a sorrowing heart, buried him on the slope of the mountain overlooking the river delta. This mountain is now called Balubad.
Left alone in a waterless world, Magdapio agonizingly trekked to the upper region of the arid riverbed. He reached the high rocky cliffs, after an arduous journey. To his utter disappointment, he found no water.
"Ye gods!" he sobbed bitterly, "Where is the water?" In despair, he angrily hurled down his big cane among the rocks.
Suddenly, a spring bubbled on the spot where the cane fell. Rapidly it grew bigger. The fresh waters roared down the canyon walls, soon becoming a booming waterfall. Amazed at the miracle, Magdapio fell on his knees and thanked the gods. He drank the cool water until he felt new energy surging in his blood. Thus emerged the world famous Pagsanjan Falls.
