Samboan's Escala de Jacobo and Aguinid Falls

"There are many trips and destinations that we'd love to have or have already had, but most of the time, only the unplanned and the vague ones happen..."

THIS IS OUR ENTIRE JOURNEY... MAROON TO AND ORANGE FRO...

          It has been my desire to visit Jacob's Ladder (Escala de Jacobo) in Samboan, Cebu since 2004. I was acquainted and enthralled by its historicity by a presentation of heritage resources given by my friend. So, when an unplanned trip to Nug-as, Alcoy last September 24 brought me instead to Alegria, the dying embers of an old dream was rekindled. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to satiate my curiosity for we're in a hurry as the afternoon is about to end. So, I just made a vague promise to come back the following Saturday.

AWW... MY FOOT!!! The three of us in this natural and built heritage encounter... (A friendly local took this picture...)

         Together with my two students, I finally reached the Municipality of Samboan, last October 1. But before that, we have travelled quite a long way from Dalaguete, our municipality. We passed, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and finally Samboan.

At the Ilihan with the Boljoon Townscape as background 

A canopy of Acacia Trees in Gawi, Oslob

         Before coming to the church - fortress complex of Samboan's St. Michael Parish, we went to Aguinid Falls in Brgy. Tangbo. I was told about this charming waterfalls. And once again, I have proven that being told and seeing for yourself are two different things. I'll tell you that it's simply delightful, but you have to see it for yourself.

Here's how to go there from the highway:

• From Santander side, once you enter Brgy. Tangbo, wait till you cross Tangbo Bridge...
• A few meters from the bridge, you will see a sign: WELCOME TO AGUINID FALLS...
• Turn right, and you'll find yourself in a Basketball Court; park there...
• Under the shade of Coconut Palms, walk the feeder road beside the Basketball Court. This will take not more than 10 minutes...
• You'll hear the water of Tangbo River. Now descend to the river through concrete steps...
• Behold the First Level of the Falls

To the First Level of Aguinid Falls... (We were following Jason, a kid who served as our guide...)

The First Level with its neck-deep water

The Second Level of Aguinid Falls

The walls along the falls have cave-like appearance...

Side Falls at Level 2... We have come this far, but we cannot go any further, Jason our guide told us that we will get wet to continue on the third to fifth levels.

A great spot to have our last pose with the falls... 

We're now heading out climbing up the concrete steps. A bit disappointed (see the faces), we weren't able to dive... A local told us that the fifth level is the best...

         Aguinid Falls is actually composed of five levels. You have to climb the wall of the lower-level falls to reach the ones on top. This goes without saying that you have to get wet and wild. Luckily, the rocks are not slippery here. Like hard water forming in the bathroom walls, the minerals from the water roughen the stones with powder-like substance which makes the climb a breeze. This too, may be the reason why the walls along the river have cave-like formations.

         The place has not been developed yet. There is no sign of commercialism and taint of tourism to dampen one's enthusiasm. It's clean, the air is crisp and only the sound of nature could be heard. UNFORTUNATELY, locals and some visitors carved their names on the stone walls. Too bad...

       After Tangbo, we continued toward the Samboan Plateau where the Poblacion is located. We are now going to the church-fortress complex...

         When we arrived, a sign told us that it was their fiesta the day before: September 30, St. Michael the Arcangel. Curiously, only a slight trace that a celebration took place a few hours before could be felt. Not even the aroma of heated fiesta leftovers could be smelt. Hmmm... I wonder...

The landmark signaling one's entrance to the town center: A KIOSK TOPPED WITH A STATUE OF A FARMER in the middle of the Rotunda... It is a monument dedicated to the volunteer guards who served as watchmen and cargadores to the Cebu guerillas during the Second World War... Its construction cost was shouldered by the prominent Calderon Clan...

The St. Michael the Arcangel Parish Church... The only activity when we came is that of a funeral procession. Perhaps the people were resting from the pains of the fiesta.


The facade of the church is bereft of carvings and niches... Cornices divide the facade into levels... Finials adorn its pediment... (Hahaha... I have spoken thus much as if I'm an architech... Well, I am an educated cultural worker through Cebu Heritage Frontier...)

Samboan was established as an independent parish in 1784... Unlike other Churches in Southern Cebu, their church was not built by the Augustinians... We did not see their seal (a flaming heart pierced with arrows) in the Puerta Mayor... It has the Spanish Royal Seal though... It signifies the Patronato Real extended by the Spanish Treasury...

The Retablo / main altar of the church decorated for the fiesta the day before... Curious though, the images of saints are not larger than life like other Spanish era churches. Another thing, Russell, my student remarked that the interior of the church is not cruciform... They have an ancient-looking choir loft though... However, the ceiling has no paintings...

From the church, we wandered and found ourselves under the kitchen of the rectory... We're already familiar with church protocol being sakristans/acolytes ourselves, and so we were able to find our way out of trouble... (I wonder if some of the hardwood stocked here are meant for firewood...)


The structural integrity of the rectory is awful... It may have a head-turner of a facade but it is just an imposing appearance concealing something inferior...

The Statue of St. Joseph... Recently dug, this 10 ft. statue raised questions to many--Why was it buried? When did it stand in Samboan before? How did they know its location? Apart from these, miracles are now attributed to it...




AND I AM NOW IN THE ESCALA DE JACOBO WITH THE CAMPANARIO DE ANTIGUA ON ITS TOP...

The Escala and the Baluarte... From where I stand, I can clearly see Tanon Strait and Negros... This watchtower and belltower was constructed in 1798 to guard against Muslim invaders during the term of Fr. Torribio Gerzon...

The 147 steps of Jacob's Ladder toward the Plateau where the Campanario and the Church stood...

The second and third levels of the baluarte are being repaired... I was hoping to climb up there and see the cruciform ceiling and to view the sea where Muslim Pirates and their Garays horrify the townsfolk of long ago.   Unfortunately, I have to leave the workers in peace.

This man proudly assured me of the strength of the hardwood flooring and balusters they are working on the second and third levels. However, they are spraying varnish so he reluctantly said no on us going up.

Another angle of the baluarte / campanario... Notice the wooden balustrade and flooring works on the second and third levels. They're almost done...

A view of the Escala from the highway below the plateau... DID YOU KNOW? According to my friend, Ruel Rigor, the steps of Escala de Jacobo stretched until the part where you have now the highway. Since  the highway is more of a priority and the Escala is on its way, they have to restructure it. Notice that the base of the Escala has diverged into two stairways... 

         And so we're through. But going back on a U-turn to Dalaguete is deemed boring so we opted to continue and have the detour in far away Alegria. We passed the scenic coasts of Ginatilan, Malabuyoc and Alegria before we reached the mountains of Barangay Nug-as in Alcoy.

An old Catholic school in the next town of Ginatilan

The Great People's Palace of Malabuyoc... Where's everyone??? 

The Rolling hills of Alegria... Is easily accessed through the newly asphalted road to Alcoy... The hills are like a Golf Course littered with cattle and buffaloes... The weather rendered it a New Zealand-like scene... There are lots of wild guavas to be picked... a distant panoramic lake... and greenery... PLUS THE AIR IS CRISP AND COOOOOLLLL!!!

Such a great place to lose oneself... shout... jump... roll... plank... eat... and best of all... SLEEP...

Planking...

Stepping on carabao poop...

And picking wild guavas...

The only tree on the rolling hills of Alegria... No need for its shade though... Anyway, it looks like two trees combined as one with one branch having a different kind of leaf than the other one... Its not inviting with its God-forsaken look... (reminiscent of my poets)

The narrow roads of Nug-as, Alcoy sans protective rails toward ravines on either sides... Luck, attention and patience are badly needed...

         That was it... The sun descended and the day ended. Round South it is...

HERE'S A VIDEO OF OUR TRIP!!!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=302218259794988