Pagsanjan River & Falls

Pagsanjan River and Falls

December 1982

14.2624° N, 121.4570° E

I write this almost 41 years after the adventure. Memories so clear they are worth putting on paper.

My wife and I along with our children arrived in Manila, Philippines to spend the Christmas holidays with my wife’s family. Her parents emigrated there at the time of Mao’s takeover of China. This was my first trip to Asia and it did not go well at the beginning. I and my older son soon came down with severe food poisoning and were laid up for days. When we had recovered enough to venture out, the family orchestrated a trip to a resort area in the jungles. Southeast of Manila lies the province of Laguna. It was some 96+ km (60 miles) from their home. There is a resort on the river that served as a launching site for my exploration of the Pagsanjan river and its famous waterfall.

I hired a guide and canoe and set off on a 25 km (15 mile) paddle down the river and to the falls. Along the way, I passed villages that were built on stilts adorning the shoreline.

My plan was to stop on the way back and partake in some food and drinks, but first on to the falls. The river was void of rapids but as we got closer to the falls, the guide and I had to get out of the canoe and carry it over rocks that blocked our path.

We finally arrived at the falls, a three-drop waterfall that is the most famous in that part of the world. We were able to paddle through the cascading water to the Devil’s Cave behind the falls and it was so awesome to experience that and the trip in the jungle.

Wikipedia describes the legend of the falls: “The falls are rich in legendary lore. One legend says there were no falls long ago, only the foliaged highlands, the Bumbungan and Balanac rivers, and the alluvial delta where the town of Pagsanjan now sits. On the eastern bank of the Bumbungan River lived two old brothers, named Balubad and Magdapio. For many years, they enjoyed a rustic life of peace and happiness. One day, a terrible drought brought ruin and death as no rains fell for months. The soil became dry as tinder, the flowers and plants withering away. Birds, deer, wild hogs, monkeys, and other animals disappeared as did rivers, creeks, and mineral springs.

Balubad and Magdapio suffered immensely. Day and night they prayed for rain, but the gods did not heed them. The older and weaker of the two brothers, Balubad, died of thirst. A sorrowful Magdapio 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. After an arduous journey he reached the high rocky cliffs, but to his disappointment, he found no water.

He sobbed bitterly and cried out “Ye gods! Where is the water?” In despair, he angrily hurled down his big cane at the rocks. Suddenly, a spring welled up on the spot where his cane fell. It quickly grew into a torrent of freshwater roaring down the canyon walls, becoming a booming waterfall. Amazed by this 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 falls of Pagsanjan.”

As part of the guide service, they sent a power boat to tow us back upriver. On the way back, we put in at a village and while hungry, and after looking at the food and remembering my poor stomach, I opted only for a bottle of Coke to quench my thirst. We arrived back at the resort and I rejoined my family and had dinner before the return trip to Manila.

As I write this in 2023, I am using old, faded photos (not the ones shown in the report) and my trip notes to recreate this exploration. The photos shown above are taken from Google Images to portray the places and events as closely as the ones I recall.

Footnote: Today, much of the access to the falls has changed as only two guides now are licensed and return trip as I remembered it was going back up stream. Trips today are being described as encountering 14 sets of rapids while going downstream. I did not encounter any of these. I’m thinking they start today at the same place I did but keep going downstream past the falls where there are rapids.