TWO CAVES, TWO DAMS AND DUMAGATS

Lakad Pamana's recent trip to Norzagaray, Bulacan was an eye-opener of sorts as it made guests experience the province on many levels. It was not only an eco-cultural tour of the eastern side of the province but a socio-civic one as well. Included in the itinerary is a brief inter-action with an indigenous tribe living within an area a mere two-hour drive from Manila. 

Pinagrealan Cave entrance

The itinerary organized by Gilbert Dino proved to be a challenging one: spelunking, Punduhan ng Dumagat, Angat Dam experience... and a river dousing.  Seems like fun? Add to all that a historical revelation and  gastronomic experience as well... Okay,  we started out early so that we were at the Pinagrealan Cave by seven or eight in the morning.  Once we were in the site, obligatory pictures were taken and guides provided participants with crash helmets at some flashlights. Some guests brought their own headlamps for the caves. I was armed with my lamp and a camera to take shots within the cave.

*courtesy of  Ibarra Jr C de Castro

Formerly known as Minuyan Cave, Pinagrealan has a deep history within its caverns. No less than Emilio Aguinaldo slept in one of its biggest chambers when the Katipuneros were fighting against the Spaniards for Philippine independence. Pinagrealan's name may be strange and it sparked a thread of discussion as to its nomenclature. Gen Sinforoso dela Cruz and Col. Ambrosio de la Cruz established an encampment in the cave where injured Katipuneros could be treated and where everyone could be safe from the prying eyes of the Spanish forces. It was fairly easy to traverse the cave's inner sanctum. There is a part that has an inner pool. water's cold there. Breakfast was the next order of the day so we headed out and took more photos outside before taking a seat near a spring fed swimming pool.

balinsasayaw (swift) navigating the caves through echo location

Breakfast was simple fare of hot steaming rice, daing na bangus (fried milkfish marinated in vinegar), longganisa (local sausages) from Sta. Maria, Bulacan, chopped tomatoes, sunny-side eggs, coffee or tea and various local delicacies such as: cassava cake and rice cakes made of gelatinous rice (kakanin). So you see, there's a culinary component involved in the trip. (more later...)

cassava cake

kakanin

daing na bangus

longganisa

There were two vans so we drove to our next stop - the Punduhan ng Dumagat ( Dumagat reserve). Along the way, we passed a viewdeck  where the Ipo Dam could be seen from the ridge. Ipo dam is part of the Angat - Ipo-La Mesa water system that delivers water to the residents of Metro-Manila. the Spillway is around 101m high. it's around 7.5km further down from the Angat dam water system which was exactly where we were headed after our Dumagat encounter. By then it was nearly lunch time.

Ipo dam

Within the span of fifteen minutes we were at the Punduhan ng Dumagat, a reserve that was exclusively for the  indigenous people living in the area prior to its development as a hydroelectric plant protected area. We had a short orientation conducted by the administrator of the reserve: Brother Martin Francisco who was responsible for their education, and livelihood. The location was placed under the stewardship of the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) together with the Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society, Inc. (SSMESI).

Bro. Martin Francisco

                

Monte Cristo

There are numerous cave systems within the 10 hectare area. All of these systems are accessible depending on the skills of the spelunkers. Mountaineers, experienced ones at that, need special equipment to visit all these caverns... half a day is not enough. The Lungga ng pitong demonyo caverns require advanced climbing skills as cave enthusiasts have to rappel five storeys down to get to the interesting areas. As we were a rag-tag group of visitors, we kept to the fairly easy systems and at Monte Cristo that had an uncanny formation resembling the face of Christ.

boodle fight set up

We arrived with our donation of pre-loved clothing, school supplies, seeds and some food items. After the class picture with Monte Cristo as the backdrop, we headed to the schoolhouse for a sumptuos lunch of Dumagat cuisine prepared for us by the community. 

sinabawon

Sinabawon is a sour soup of chicken and cabbage that is unique in that it uses the young leaves of a particular tree called alibangbang as a souring agent.

Sinampit is a simple dip made of finely minced bird's eye chilli that they use to flavor either the soup or fish

sinampit

Binangkat is roasted fish encased (in this case, tilapia) in gored bamboo poles giving it a fresh smoky flavor. served with slices of tomatoes and calamansi (local lime) and soy sauce.

binangkat

binangkat on open flame

The Dumagats are a peaceful indigenous tribe living in the forested area of the Angat dam until urban development started to creep in. They are also known as Agta (a possible derivative from aeta). They have their own language known as bulos which they use to communicate with each other. They do, however, speak and understand Tagalog so interaction with them was not at all difficult. As a matter of fact, the term Dumagat comes from the bulos acronym : dumag means naked people, gubat means forest. Now, you'd be hard-pressed to find Dumagats walking around in their birthday suit. 

Dumagat kids

They are so simple... still living in huts made os sawali (woven rattan) and pawid (straw). Their way of life has changed immensely since the dam was built. Ancestral lands where they used to hunt and forage for food have become a main source of water and energy for the more"civilized" lowlanders living in Manila. They now live in huts gathered into different communities and centered around multi-purpose halls that serve as classrooms and reception halls for visitors who bring donations for their basic needs. 

Dumagat kids as cave guides

As urban development slowly creeps in, the Dumagats are being displaced from the areas where they were born. The burgeoning metropolis has also caused encroachment on their territory in terms of urbanization and of human traffic. At this point, there has been intermarriages between Dumagats and new residents (dayo) in the Angat Dam area. It is no longer an exclusive domain of their people. There is now a distinction between the kulot (curly) and the unat (straight). These terms are a direct reference to their hair, of course. Kulot are the original Dumagats as characterized by their curly hair while the unat are the half-breeds born to a Dumagat mother/father and a lowlander partner.

Angat Dam

After a great lunch and some songs presented by the kids we went to the dam's view decks and drove up to the spillway guided by Bro. Martin.  What's interesting about the songs presented by the kids were that they were all original. No rap music here!!! They sang of  freedom to use the resources of the mountains of Sierra Madre, and love for the environment accompanied by the lonely strumming of a guitar. Rhyme and rhythm were not measured in studied terms but of a feeling bourn of longing and loneliness to  be who they are. the mountains and the lives of Dumagats are inextricably linked. 

Tariktik forest trail

Along the way we got invited to merienda  after visiting the Angat water system. From the viewdeck, we proceeded to the dam's embankment. This serves to irrigate 28,000 hectares of farmland in Bulacan and Pampanga and 90% of Manila's water needs. Photos galore were taken and then it was to the Napocor office for merienda. After all, our visit coincided with a town fiesta honoring St. Joseph the Worker. By the time the meal was consumed, we didn't have enough time to visit Bitbit River. We'd have to forego swimming in the river another time...

confiscated horses used for illegal logging and drugs roam around the watershed