By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
The Falls and rise of Pagsanjan
ITS GUSHING, clear waters are relaxing. But there’s more to Pagsanjan, Laguna, than its pretty, famous falls. This reporter took part in a two-day trip in Pagsanjan to join the annual Bangkero (boatman) festival, which ends this weekend, March 21. The town isn’t just a playground for photographers or daredevils, but it is also for foodies. The province proved that it could offer many activities besides a visit to the falls.
FOOD TRIP
Pagsanjan is home to its heirloom pancit (a noodle dish) called bami, which is a variation on pancit miki topped with tofu and some green garnish. It’s available in almost any restaurant and a favorite dish during the Holy Week because it’s meatless. There are small eateries around the town and its outskirts.
Along one of Pagsanjan’s major roads stands an eatery with an old-world charm. The Calle Arco restaurant, which opened in 2006, offers old-time favorite dishes but with a twist. For only P270, get a bowlful of piping hot sinigang na baka at langka (sour beef soup with jackfruit). It’s like an ordinary sinigang but with a hint of sweetness, thanks to the jackfruit. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell awful. Some items in the menu are more familiar to us in the metropolis but, again, with a twist, such as the crispy pata (deep fried pig trotters) with bagoong (shrimp paste). It’s a block of crispy, tender meat that costs a reasonable P380 and can feed four hungry stomachs. Pair that with a cup of rice (or two) and you’re more than “solb,” as we would say in Tagalog.
For a quick merienda (snack), one of Pagsanjan’s oldest foodie places is Aling Taleng’s Halo Halo, which opened in 1933. Order a cup of halo halo (shaved ice with sweet toppings and milk) for P85 and get generous servings of ube (purple yam), beans, macapuno (very soft coconut meat), and candied kundol (winter melon) on top. Why not pair the dessert with Aling Taleng’s homemade puto bumbong (purple sticky rice treat) for only P35? Instead of butter and white sugar, its version of puto bumbong is sprinkled with brown sugar.
Cap off the foodie tour with a trip to Emin and Mila’s Canteen. The small restaurant established in 1978 is really inviting, with its almost open space. It’s must try! The famous heirloom dish is the sweet and spicy pancit canton with chicharon (fried pork rind). For only P70, it’s enough for two or three people.
FAVORITE LOCATION
A trip to Pagsanjan wouldn’t be complete without visiting its majestic 91-meter falls. It is a favorite location for filming, from now-classic movies like Apocalypse Now to the TV series Tabing Ilog. But did you know that the falls aren’t actually located in Pagsanjan but in the neighboring town of Cavinti?
“We’ve never claimed that it’s in Pagsanjan. The Americans who discovered the falls named it,” municipal administrator and Bangkero festival chairman Florante Salvador, Jr. said in an interview.
Like the tide’s ebb and flow, the tourism industry in Pagsanjan has had its highs and lows, Mr. Salvador said. There was a time the number of tourists declined amid stories of some bangkeros mulcting the tourists, but this has since been remedied by orientation seminars. Chinese tourists were also nowhere to be seen in Pagsanjan after the Luneta hostage incident five years ago. According to our boatman, Mang Resty, some of the tourists who were eventually killed at the Luneta had visited the falls that day.
Mang Resty sports a good tan after more than two decades in this line of work. But almost every man in Pagsanjan has the same physique. He skillfully maneuvered thebanca (boat) against the rapids with his paddle and feet. Mang Resty would step on stones, as if he were playing hopsctoch, to get past the shallow parts of the river. He knows his way around. After all, he started when he was 16 years old.
To get to the falls, a banca ride takes tourists up the Bumbungan and Balanac rivers. Pagsanjan got its name from the word “pinagsangahan,” or branching out, in this case, of the two rivers.
Finally, after an hour of paddling and stepping on stones, there, almost hidden among the boulders -- but not really, because you can hear the strong gushing of the waters -- is Pagsanjan falls. The bangkeros let the tourists ride a balsa (bamboo raft) to get closer to the falls and experience what it’s like to be a human catch basin. We were asked to wear our helmets and to lie down on our bellies to get a hydro massage, which bordered between a hard massage and a beating.
It took us 30 minutes to return to town -- the banca wasn’t going against the current anymore. But be vigilant. Along the way, you’ll be surprised to see some monkeys playing on branches or dragonflies resting on the boat’s handle. The journey was as much an experience as the destination.
Mang Resty parked his boat along the bank. He wasn’t really asking for a tip, but we tipped him after seeing his hard work. According to Mr. Salvador, the local government has been mindful of the welfare of its tourists and addressed complaints about “forced tipping” and padding charges on food and drinks. The town’s 1,974bangkeros have undergone seminars and training and for this festival, now on its 17thyear, a rotation among the bangkeros is being observed, to discourage them from hanging around the tourists and also regulate the traffic of boats in the river.
A boat ride costs P1,250 per person. According to Mr. Salvador, the cost for the boat ride is broken down to P250 to the Cavinti local government, P750 goes to the boatmen, and the rest for the security of tourists and boatmen alike, tourism promotion, and other components. Board and lodging is a minimum P1,500. These are fairly reasonable expenses. But to see the beauty that is Pagsanjan Falls is priceless and deserves another visit.
Pagsanjan is home to its heirloom pancit (a noodle dish) called bami, which is a variation on pancit miki topped with tofu and some green garnish. It’s available in almost any restaurant and a favorite dish during the Holy Week because it’s meatless. There are small eateries around the town and its outskirts.
Along one of Pagsanjan’s major roads stands an eatery with an old-world charm. The Calle Arco restaurant, which opened in 2006, offers old-time favorite dishes but with a twist. For only P270, get a bowlful of piping hot sinigang na baka at langka (sour beef soup with jackfruit). It’s like an ordinary sinigang but with a hint of sweetness, thanks to the jackfruit. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell awful. Some items in the menu are more familiar to us in the metropolis but, again, with a twist, such as the crispy pata (deep fried pig trotters) with bagoong (shrimp paste). It’s a block of crispy, tender meat that costs a reasonable P380 and can feed four hungry stomachs. Pair that with a cup of rice (or two) and you’re more than “solb,” as we would say in Tagalog.
For a quick merienda (snack), one of Pagsanjan’s oldest foodie places is Aling Taleng’s Halo Halo, which opened in 1933. Order a cup of halo halo (shaved ice with sweet toppings and milk) for P85 and get generous servings of ube (purple yam), beans, macapuno (very soft coconut meat), and candied kundol (winter melon) on top. Why not pair the dessert with Aling Taleng’s homemade puto bumbong (purple sticky rice treat) for only P35? Instead of butter and white sugar, its version of puto bumbong is sprinkled with brown sugar.
Cap off the foodie tour with a trip to Emin and Mila’s Canteen. The small restaurant established in 1978 is really inviting, with its almost open space. It’s must try! The famous heirloom dish is the sweet and spicy pancit canton with chicharon (fried pork rind). For only P70, it’s enough for two or three people.
FAVORITE LOCATION
A trip to Pagsanjan wouldn’t be complete without visiting its majestic 91-meter falls. It is a favorite location for filming, from now-classic movies like Apocalypse Now to the TV series Tabing Ilog. But did you know that the falls aren’t actually located in Pagsanjan but in the neighboring town of Cavinti?
“We’ve never claimed that it’s in Pagsanjan. The Americans who discovered the falls named it,” municipal administrator and Bangkero festival chairman Florante Salvador, Jr. said in an interview.
Like the tide’s ebb and flow, the tourism industry in Pagsanjan has had its highs and lows, Mr. Salvador said. There was a time the number of tourists declined amid stories of some bangkeros mulcting the tourists, but this has since been remedied by orientation seminars. Chinese tourists were also nowhere to be seen in Pagsanjan after the Luneta hostage incident five years ago. According to our boatman, Mang Resty, some of the tourists who were eventually killed at the Luneta had visited the falls that day.
Mang Resty sports a good tan after more than two decades in this line of work. But almost every man in Pagsanjan has the same physique. He skillfully maneuvered thebanca (boat) against the rapids with his paddle and feet. Mang Resty would step on stones, as if he were playing hopsctoch, to get past the shallow parts of the river. He knows his way around. After all, he started when he was 16 years old.
To get to the falls, a banca ride takes tourists up the Bumbungan and Balanac rivers. Pagsanjan got its name from the word “pinagsangahan,” or branching out, in this case, of the two rivers.
Finally, after an hour of paddling and stepping on stones, there, almost hidden among the boulders -- but not really, because you can hear the strong gushing of the waters -- is Pagsanjan falls. The bangkeros let the tourists ride a balsa (bamboo raft) to get closer to the falls and experience what it’s like to be a human catch basin. We were asked to wear our helmets and to lie down on our bellies to get a hydro massage, which bordered between a hard massage and a beating.
It took us 30 minutes to return to town -- the banca wasn’t going against the current anymore. But be vigilant. Along the way, you’ll be surprised to see some monkeys playing on branches or dragonflies resting on the boat’s handle. The journey was as much an experience as the destination.
Mang Resty parked his boat along the bank. He wasn’t really asking for a tip, but we tipped him after seeing his hard work. According to Mr. Salvador, the local government has been mindful of the welfare of its tourists and addressed complaints about “forced tipping” and padding charges on food and drinks. The town’s 1,974bangkeros have undergone seminars and training and for this festival, now on its 17thyear, a rotation among the bangkeros is being observed, to discourage them from hanging around the tourists and also regulate the traffic of boats in the river.
A boat ride costs P1,250 per person. According to Mr. Salvador, the cost for the boat ride is broken down to P250 to the Cavinti local government, P750 goes to the boatmen, and the rest for the security of tourists and boatmen alike, tourism promotion, and other components. Board and lodging is a minimum P1,500. These are fairly reasonable expenses. But to see the beauty that is Pagsanjan Falls is priceless and deserves another visit.
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