A WIDE grassland view of the mountains facing the Pacific Ocean like no other picturesque view in the country welcomed me to the sunny province of Cagayan.
After the agonizing 10-hour journey from Baguio City, passing through the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and Isabela, I reached Cagayan with a lot of expectations only to be drawn back to the basics. That is, of course, what I call my Cagayan adventure as a spiritual awakening because of two sites that draw me back closer to my Creator.
Hidden in the province's interiors are two of the most visited pilgrimage sites during holy week in the valley region -- the Callao Cave and the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat.
Callao Caves
In the town of Peñablanca, Cagayan, a 30-minute bus ride from the capital of the province of Tuguegarao, is the seven-chamber Callao Cave.
Located in the barangays of Parabba and Quibal beside the majestic Cagayan River, the caves provide sanctuary to bats and other endemic animals.
Once used as a camp of Japanese forces during World War II, the cave may be reached after trekking through more than two hundred cemented mossy steps in just 15 minutes form the gate entrance.
Inside the long winding tunnels of the cave, one can marvel at the man-made chapel in the first chamber of the cave where a crevice in the ceiling provides illumination creating a natural cathedral vista.
However, my expectations were rather short-lived as I saw some stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave vandalized probably due to the high tourism influx. All I could do was pray inside the cave's chapel and sigh at the once glorious and well-talked-about tourist destination in Cagayan.
The spectacular view inside the once glorious cave was gone as sights of plastic wrappers and bottles probably left by tourists were not a rarity. I just wish that the local authorities would take notice at their prime tourist destination or these wonders of nature would be gone forever.
Our Lady of Piat
After a few hours of scouring the interiors of the cave, our group went to another pilgrimage site that for more than 400 years played a significant role in the devotion of the people in Cagayan Valley -- the Shrine of Our Lady of Piat.
Located in the town of Piat, Cagayan named after the image, the shrine hosts the brown Madonna statue that the locals claim as miraculous. The image of Our Lady of Piat was crafted in Macau and assumed to have been inspired by Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe.
According to the nuns who sell miraculous oils to devotees, the image of the Virgin Mary was once fair skinned until it became dark brown to resemble the complexion that of the Cagayanons.
The Basilica houses a museum, which displays a wide array of religious articles, vestments and liturgical artifacts that reflects the 400-year-long history of the arrival of the image in the country.
Believed to be a powerful intercessor to those who have ailments, I offered a prayer inside the shrine that I realized a few weeks after came true.
Ibanag Delicacies
Lastly, before I left the province of Cagayan, I never forgot the food that also made the land of the Ibanags famous.
One of the more popular pasalubongs bought by tourists is the Alcala milk candy. It is almost similar to the pastillas sold in Bulacan although the difference would be its flattened rectangular shape and that it is made of pure Carabao's milk.
Another favorite for tourists to buy in Tuguegarao are the Cacao balls that would easily melt in boiling water for a delightful chocolate drink that's best served during breakfast.
Other favorites I never failed to buy were the Carne Ibanag Longanisa that is almost similar to Vigan's longanisa except probably for its light orange color and the Chicharabao or fried garlic-flavored Carabao fat that I enjoyed eating on the bus trip back to Baguio.
All in all, the Cagayan experience is indeed both a delight for the soul as well for adventure seekers like me. (JMA)
