pagnapagna: UP-UPLAS featuring Ken Dayos and Ken Badol Falls (Rainy Season)

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"As I went to see their waterfalls during rainy season, I've learned that their Barangay is truly doing its best to be nature friendly"

-pagnapagna

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Please let us practice the LNT (Leave No Trace) outdoor ethics/principles when going to these nature places.

Manage our waste products properly (pack it in, pack it out), don't leave your trash. Let us not vandalize/write/etch on its rock surfaces as well as on trees. Be respectful of the community's culture and traditions.

If you find this story/blogpost interesting and/or had helped you in any way (in your researches, works, travels, blogs, adventures, homeworks at school, a personal project and more), I'd like to hear a word or two from wonderful people like you or simply Like "pagnapagna" in Facebook. I'd be very thankful. It gives me inspirations. Cheers!

-my pagnapagna-
(August 18, 2016 a Thursday)

I alighted from the bus at Sudipen town proper where a narra tree stood at the roadside.
After having a coffee at a nearby eatery, I went walking along the national highway to where the Sudipen-Alilem road is located (7:16 am).
With every step I made, I was determined to walk all the way to barangay Up-uplas. That way, I get to burn calories minus paying fares (I smiled as I wrote that).
I stopped for a while at the damaged temporary access road where a bridge was under construction (7:36 am). People had to walk on a wooden footbridge to get to the other side as the temporary road below was damaged and turned muddy.

I went to the other side, continued walking until I reached barangay Namaltugan and went at a corner store, bought candies and asked to verify if that intersecting road leads to barangay Up-uplas.

After confirming, the woman at the store said, "Addayu ti Up-uplas" (Up-uplas is far).

"Okay lang" (It's just okay), I replied as she smiled at me.

I went walking (8:15 am) on that road that branched to the right (southwards) from the Sudipen-Alilem road into some few houses, rice-fields and into the mountain.

My pace slowed down as I walked my way up. Thanks to the overcast weather, the climate was cooler that i don't thirst that much. Walked and walked more until I reached a roadside welcome sign (8: 49 am). Further up the road, I find it fascinating to see colorful painted rocks along the sides of the road. One or two were on some branches of roadside trees.

As I walked further, a motorbike stopped and offered me to hop-on (9:00 am). I don't know but at that time I just can't resist offers from the locals, so I hopped on and he brought me down to Up-uplas Barangay proper.


The distant mountains of Alilem (Ilocos Sur) and Bakun (Benguet) across the Amburayan river as seen from the road going down to Barangay Up-uplas.

I thanked him and went to see the Barangay Captain but unfortunately he was not around at that time.

I asked directions for the nearby waterfalls.

On my way to "Ken Dayos" falls, I met "Joseph", he was painting a bamboo decorative plant pole in front of their house as part of the beautification of their barangay (village).

"Good morning, isu ba daytoy dyay mapan ti sangbay?" (Good morning, is this the way to the waterfalls?), I greeted and asked him.

"Wen, aguray ka ta kuyugen ka laengen" (Yes, wait I will just accompany you), he replied as he put down the paint brush.

It was just a short walk as "Joseph" led the way.

And there it was, the "Ken Dayos" falls. It was two tributaries that meets downstream with each made up of different short cascades.

After some few minutes, we went back and I let him go on from where he left, painting as I don't want to interfere as much as possible with their daily works.

I went on to see "Ken Badol" falls.

Along the way, I asked directions from people.

A woman tending a vegetable garden said that, just follow the trail going to the creek and from there go upstream to the waterfalls. I followed what she said and made it to the creek. It was hard to walk on the creek with flowing water and rocks so I went up to the field above and saw a man working among the foliage of bushes.

I went near him and asked directions again.

He showed me the trail and accompanied me to where the "Ken Badol" falls is.

I learned that he is a Barangay kagawad (Village Councilor) and his name was "Dante".

Finally, we were at the waterfalls.

Kagawad "Dante" assisted me as we went above the waterfalls and boast of their "disaster rescue & safety training".

After getting photographs and videos of the waterfalls, we left the place and kagawad "Dante" stayed behind where I met him as he continued gathering vine to be used in their barangay beautification.

On my way back to the barangay proper, I came across a man-made forest of mostly gemilina trees. It is in an elevated area as in a long mound parallel to the concrete dike along the Amburayan river. I saw few people constructing something inside the mini-forest just under the trees. I thought it was a toilet but later on, I found out that it was a pig pen they were constructing. Going further are more pig pens. Some of the pigs are only on leash and piglets just freely roam around. It was fascinating to see such a barangay with a common area for pig pens.
Since there was a "ruling" by the DOH (Department of Health) that pig pens should not be constructed inside residential areas, the barangay had come-out with this idea and implemented it by having this "Baboyan Island".
Hmmm! It was a fascinating small village whose people really care for their environment and welfare of each other.
They have this mini-forest, material recovery facilities and maybe more that I have not seen.
I learned from one of the resident of the area that their Barangay of Up-uplas is a provincial awardee and it is a contender for the Regional Award. Hats off to Up-uplas!!

After lingering few minutes infront of the "Cong-o farmhouse" and it seems the barangay captain will not be home in a few more minutes, I decided to hit the road again and walk my way back to barangay Namaltugan (11:10 am). At barangay Namaltugan (12:30 pm), I had a short snack and rode a tricycle until the being built bridge and walk my way back to Sudipen town proper along the national highway.