CAGAYAN de Oro may be the white water river rafting capital of the Philippines, but there are a lot of other adventurous things that you can do while in CDO. Our recent visit to CDO (upon the invitation and sponsorship of Seda Centrio in Cagayan de Oro) may have lasted only for three days, but it was an action-packed three days that began with white water river rafting in the Cagayan de Oro River on the first day and was followed by a whole day of extreme fun and adventure in Mapawa Nature Park. Now this is one other really fun thing you can do aside from river rafting.
Mapawa Nature Park is a unique 2,500-hectare eco-forest some 30 minutes away from CDO. The whole property, whose vast expanse extends as far as the eyes can see, is managed by the family of the late former Philippine Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez. It stands 350 meters above sea level and was originally leased by the Pelaez family from the government in the 1960s for ranching.. The lease was extended in the 1990s, with the late statesman’s son spearheading a move away from ranching to industrial forest management and committing, in behalf of the Pelaez family, to planting a total 1,800 hectares of indigenous trees in the area. Hectares and hectares of trees have been planted since then.
Mapawa actually occupies only a small portion of the property. From an original 67 hectares in the 1960s, the natural forest has expanded into 300 hectares and plays an important role in the eco-system of Cagayan de Oro. Communities around the area get their potable water from the property for free, and Mapawa’s hundreds of hectares of natural forests have successfully made ensured that flash floods were properly controlled.
The Mapawa area alone boasts of over 185 species of trees, including a centuries-old White Lauan tree and a Dao tree that is estimated to be between 200 to 300 years old, plus some 55 species of birds were spotted in the area and wildlife has flourished.
It is for this reason that Mapawa Nature Park was opened to the public in 2002. Now a thriving watershed, it has also been transformed into an eco-tourism nature adventure park ideal for leisurely eco treks. We did just that, eco-trek, that is – and more – last June. On our second day of great adventure in Cagayan de Oro, we headed for Mapawa Nature Park, walking up to the viewdeck, where we had a view of the mountainous and forested area. There, our hosts – siblings Ernie and Bong Pelaez and Berry Pelaez-Marfori – briefed us with what we were about to do. Then we geared up as we were advised to: comfortable clothes, pants or leggings that you don’t mind ripping, trekking shoes with tractions, cameras and the minimum of essentials in dry bags or waterproof bags and the rest of our stuff deposited in the lockers at the reception area of Mapawa Nature Park, and, finally, life vests and helmets.
The trek began. It was first a mountain trek, where we followed a trail in the forest, marveled at the centuries-old trees as we walked past them, and then took a turn downwards to the river. The dry ground turned muddier and wetter, and the sound of flowing water grew louder and crisper.
Soon, the river came to view, and the mountain trek transformed into a river trek that led to the first challenge – a 20-foot-high waterfall, where we must “slide down” a natural rock slide down the waterfalls itself, straight into a water hole. Everybody took the challenge. One by one, we bravely made our way to the waterfalls, sat down on the natural rock slide in an almost lying-down position with our legs straight forward, left hand holding on to our life vest and right hand pinching the nose to keep us from “inhaling” water when we finally dropped deep into the water. I obediently did what I was told to do, uttered a prayer and then whispered an almost intelligible “OK” when I was ready. I felt a gentle push that sent me down the rock slide then feeling the rock slide leave my back a split second before I hit the water, sinking about 6 to 7 feet deep into the water before being pulled up to the surface by my life vest. I took huge gasps of air before training my eyes up to the top of the waterfalls to flash the thumbs-up sign to my husband Raff to assure him that I was OK, and then he took his own plunge and we met at the foot of the waterfalls and paddled, floated and waded our way to the riverbank and resume our river trek as the others took their own rock sliding adventures.
After a few minutes’ river trek, hopping on top of rocks, walking on submerged stones and rocks and wading through chest-deep waters, we reached the next waterfall. It was a slightly lower waterfall that gave you the misleading notion that it would be easier to slide down this one. But it was narrower, and you really have to tuck your elbows in so you avoided scraping them against the rocks. Well, again, nobody backed down from the challenge, and we again took our places at the top of the waterfall for our second rock sliding experience.
Then came the part that I had dreaded all through the trek. The third waterfall came to view. The third challenge was to jump down the 25-foot waterfall – something that I knew I couldn’t and wouldn’t do. I chickened out, along with a few others, and quietly slipped away and up the escape route that took us down, by foot, to the foot of the third waterfall, where lunch lay waiting. Lunch, prepared by Bong Pelaez’s charming wife Bheng and her staff, included freshly steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves with chicken adobo and boiled egg, guinamos with boiled saba bananas, prawns, Guinataang Gulay (assorted vegetables cooked in coconut mik), Bicol Express and Sinuglaw (*CDO’s version of kinilaw or ceviche).
After lunch came the fourth and final challenge – rappelling down a 65-foot-high waterfall. At first, I was trying to play brave and was considering taking the challenge. But when the rappel master started explaining the mechanics of rappelling down the side of the waterfall and offered the “escape” option for those who didn’t feel up to doing it, my fear of heights got the better of me and I chickened out again, along with a few other members of the media group.
After the first few trekkers rappelled down, our small group took the escape route up with Bheng Pelaez and her staff who had prepared lunch. It was quite a long and steep climb up the mountain side before we got to the service jeep that picked up Bheng and her staff. We got onto the jeep and relaxed along the ride to Mapawa’s reception area. When the Seda Centrio vans came, our group took the first van back to the hotel, while it took the rappellers a longer trek back up to the reception area.
On our ride back to the hotel, I thought, “two out of four challenges isn’t so bad.” I didn’t feel bad about not taking the jump because I really didn’t – and do not – want to do it. As for rappelling, well, I might someday consider it, but while I’m not fully convinced that I want to do it, I won’t. Haha.
When we got back to the hotel, we had an hour or so to spare before having to wash up and dress up for the Seda press conference and cocktail party at the poolside of the hotel.
And, oh, in case you’re wondering why the nature park is called Mapawa, it’s named after the word ‘pawa’ which means bamboo.
