If you are looking for the widest
waterfalls in Mindanao, so wide that it
is dubbed the ''Niagara Falls'' of the
country, head straight ahead to Bislig,
Surigao del Sur.
I have never been so struck with such a sight.
''Speechless ka ba?'' someone rubbed me out of my senses as I
stared at the grandest waterfalls I have ever seen.
If you get closer - which you should - the sight will daze you
even more.
Consider, it is the size of a 4-story building and the length of a
cathedral, at the bottom of which is the pool the size of a
football field.
More than that, Tinuy-an is a 3-tiered waterfall in the middle of
the forest. Two other falls, though lesser in size but equally
stunning, stand on both sides.
Another falls, actually the fourth, is found farther away from the
cluster.
''You can put together all the famous waterfalls in the country
and Tinuy-an would still be much wider,'' one said, perhaps a bit
exaggerately but certainly with a keen element of truth.
If you are lucky, you will witness the appearance of a rainbow
arching across the water before noontime. I leave that to your
imagination.
Mountaineers, from canyoneers to rock climbers will have a field
day doing their stuff as they explore the challenging and carved
thick cliffs.
''For the simple mortals like us who are contented with
swimming,'' says our host, Dely Marcojos, ''there are numerous
swimming areas in the banksides for children and adults.''
Soon, she says, a resort facility will be put up in the area.
Looking around, I saw the potential aspects of the place
provided it is pursued with the right environmental perspective.
''That is exactly what we want to do,'' says Mayor Florencio
Garay who has initiated an eco-tourism development project in
Tinuy-an.
Ma'm Dely, who is also chair of the local tourism council,
assured the area will not be exploited and commercialized.
''Definitely, no major physical disturbance and assaulting
economic activity,'' she said.
Tinuy-an can be reached from the town proper in an hour or less
on a jeep or van through a winding logging road within Picop's
concession area.
Three other waterfalls, the Sian, Secret and Mendazona are a
distance away.
''You need at least two days to cover them, and if you are into
bird-watching, that will also take another day,'' beams Ma'm
Dely.
Recently, an international bird-watching group came to see,
among others, the smallest bird in the world which is allegedly
found here.
Other than Tinuy-an, Bislig offers Hagonoy Island, a 20-minute
pumpboat ride off Bislig Bay.
For scuba diving, recommended sites are Lawigan and
Shipwreck Points.
Food? A wide array of fresh seafood awaits you. The best place
to go is the Paper Country Inn, Bislig's lone 3-star hotel and
restaurant along Osmeqa Street.
Highly recommended is the Mutya ng Bislig specialty soup and
some assorted delicious homemade fruit desserts like Brazo de
Dolores.
A tour around Picop, reputedly southeast Asia's biggest paper
mill, is an added bonus, but that can be have if you have the
right connection.
But all things being equal, when in Bislig, one should not miss
Tinuy-an Falls, if only to be amazed and dazzled, the way I had
been.
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How to get there:
Bislig is a four-hour ride from the Davao City bus terminal and
five hours from Butuan. There are seven economy-type lodging
houses to choose from. For trip assistance to Tinuy-an Falls,
visit the mayor's office or see Mrs. Dely Marcojos of Paper
Country Inn.
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