2012: Calbiga

Calbiga…for some it’s the town they were born in; where they went to school to; where they had first experienced spelunking one of the largest caves in Southeast Asia; where their relatives live; town where they pass by before reaching Tacloban…for me – it’s my life.

I was born in a hospital in Tacloban City, but Calbiga is where I grew up with my siblings. This is where I went to grade school and some parts of my high school, fondest memories of childhood – swimming in the river, climbing the lanzones tree, tambay under the manzanitas tree, selling ice candy and siopao, helping Mama make cookies and torta on special occasions, buying presko in the morning for breakfast, going to the market at 9am on the dot everyday, spelunking at Langun-Gobingob Cave and trekking up to Lulugayan Falls when it was still vehicle inaccessible. This is where I experienced my first love and first heartache, cat fights, being bullied and bullying, town fiestas which is the event of the year for small towns like these; sugat during the Holy Week.

I miss sitting down on the steps – just people watching…

So, I went home last May 24, my vacation was mostly consisting of the town fiesta which was on May 25, our grade school alumni homecoming which was on the 27th, drinking almost every night either with friends or batch mates. I decided to visit Lulugayan Falls in Brgy. Literon quickly on the 28th. It rained the earlier days that’s why water was not so clear as it should have been, but the falls was still gorgeous as I have remembered it.

Trail going there is now more accessible, Brgy. Literon can be reached via habal-habal (customized motorcycles), it will take you about 30 – 40 mins and will cost you around P50 one-way per person. However, you have to tell the Brgy. Captain first, I would suggest you go to the Municipal Hall in town if you’re not local since permits are required.

Reaching Brgy. Literon, you would see this sign:

Trek to the falls took me only 10 mins. The last time I was here almost 7 years ago, we had to pass by slippery rocks. But now trails are safer and established.