MINALUNGAO: A Beautiful Muse With A Dark Secret

20 April 2016

Hi Ram!

This is somewhat a bittersweet travel story.

Since I am trying to complete all the 81 provinces of the Philippines, I figured I should start from those that are near the metro and then go farther & farther. Next on the list is the province of Nueva Ecija which is just northward next to Bulacan.

I've heard of Minalungao National Park and have read it over the internet. I made a mental note to visit the place one day. It was one fine morning of April when my Ate Anj, a very good friend of mine, sent me a message on Facebook to ask if I've already been to Minalungao. I told her I haven't been there and she told me that she and her partner Ate Mong really wanted to go there, and that I can join them if I want. Of course, you don't say no to road trips and adventure!

They picked me up at Shaw and off we drove to Nueva Ecija. We just stopped at NLEX to buy food and lunch and we were at our destination at around 8 or 9am.

Welcome to Nueva Ecija!!!

"Minalungao National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located in the municipality of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon. The park covers an area of 2,018 hectares centered along the scenic Peñaranda River bordered on both sides by up to 16-meter high limestone walls in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range. It was established in 1967 by virtue of Republic Act No. 5100." (source: Wikipedia)

It's quiet easy to locate the place since it's a National Park and the locals we asked for directions were more than happy to help us. Once there, we rented a "balsa" for a day and also hired a tour guide (which was a kid). I think the local tour guide is mandatory. Tourism has established local business around the area: there are cottages for rent, life vest rentals and food being sold. Also, there was a building being constructed that time and some said that it was going to be a resort.

Local tourism has put up businesses around the area. This life vest rental, for example.

The BALSAs for rent. With a view of the hanging bridge at the back.

It's great for family bonding and day tour activities since it's not very far from the metro.

The water from the river, although not clear, is CLEAN.

The majestic Penaranda river amidst limestone walls.

Me. With that majestic background.

After securing our BALSA SPOT, we went swimming in the river. It was hard, though. Apart from it being a fresh water (which makes floating harder), there was also an undercurrent that sort of made it scary to swim around.

Our bangkero told us about a cave not far from our balsa, so being the adventurous trio that we are, we didn't miss the chance. We first had to secure a cave guide, which is also a kid. Ate Mong didn't join in the spelunking because she didn't like enclosed spaces. So she just waited for us outside.

The entrance to the cave.

Some pics in the cave:

Super proud of my Ate Anj here. She was a bit claustrophobic but she still went in with me. :)

Our little Mr. Cave Guide

My two Ates leaving the cave.

Some shots from the river (I am in no way a professional photographer, so...)

Our happy feet!

But of course, some underwater shots:

And then our bangkero took us back to the riverbank where we ate our lunch.

Our Kuya Bangkero.

NOW THIS IS WHERE THE TRAGEDY HAPPENED.

While we were eating our lunch, a group of people not far from us went on panic. Of course, we too were alerted. Suddenly, the bangkeros and the guides were running to the direction of that group. Apparently, a kid who was swimming in the river with other kids suddenly vanished. Eyewitnesses said that he got submerged in the water and only the life vest was found floating. Some of the locals dove in the water trying to find the boy. It took them around 30 minutes to finally recover the lifeless body. Still, other tourists who happened to be nurses, tried to revive the boy. But to no avail. He was dead.

One of the guides told us that they call it "buwis". When I asked further, he told me that in the past, at random times, there would appear a kind of a little fountain in the middle of the river. And then the locals would throw money on it. They call it "buwis", or TAX in English. Over time, people forgot about the custom and that's when the river started getting lives as replacement.

(DISCLAIMER: The paragraphs above do not, in any way, intend to cause fear or terror to anybody. The author do not intend to discourage tourists to visit the place, on the contrary this blog post is meant to promote Minalungao National Park. It also does not intend to defame the place, the locals and Nueva Ecija as a whole. This is just being written here as a FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT of a PERSONAL EXPERIENCE from REAL EVENTS.)

When we went back to our car to get our things so we can shower, I happened to see the boy being put in the backseat of a car. He was covered with a blanket and his mother was sitting next to him, shaking him as if she was trying to wake up his little boy. And that... that broke my heart to a million pieces. :(

If there's one thing I learned about this experience, it's that it made me value life and family even more.

And that we should tell and show people how much we value them because tomorrow is never guaranteed to anybody,

I hope you already knew about this, Ram.

And I hope that by now, you are spending your life with people you love and who love you just as much.

xoxo,

RAM