In Tabogon, a municipality in the north of Cebu, we have this landscape we call Little Batanes. In the Philippines, we have Batanes Province, but the two are entirely different and geographically distant. Little Batanes is an assumed version of the real Batanes Province, which carries perfect landscapes and provincial features that attract tourists who prefer provinces rather than city skylines and buildings.
Little Batanes is found inside one of the Caduawan areas, and you have to do at least a 15–20 minute walk from the highway to reach the starting point of the Little Batanes trail. But it depends on your pacing and starting point how long it will take you to reach the peak of this landscape.
We traveled from San Remigio to Tabogon by public bus, where we rode from the Hagnaya Terminal so we could secure our seats and have a comfortable travel. I was with the guy I am dating, and both of us already planned this visit to Little Batanes, which means we both really adore nature, which adds to our so-called compatibility list. Dating is not always a romantic dinner in a cozy restaurant; sometimes, it is done in forms of activities like hiking and drawing that allow you to get to know each other. Since we both adore nature activities, especially hiking, we decided to give this place a try, as we have always heard about it but never visited it even once.
From the highway of Caduawan, we stopped at the Caduawan Elementary School, where you can find a narrow street that leads to the inside of the landscape. We walked from the highway to the starting point, which I guess took us 15 minutes.
The Payag Ni Roel landmark is our assumed starting point of Little Batanes. PNR is not a destination but a private cabin that overlooks the panoramic view of the mountain stretch that borders Little Batanes at the back. I was amazed by this property since it has a perfect view of the whole land, and the ambiance of it looks so vibrant and provincial. We took a photo of it due to our amazement.
We walked down the road, as there was still an unfinished road in the half part of the trail, and followed it until we reached the cemetery. This cemetery was quite familiar to me, and that was yesterday when I learned I had seen it from the top of Tabogon Mountains, that is one of the stretches behind the photos if you can zoom in. This cemetery homes the souls of Caduawan people who already departed, and as a northern Cebuano, I was deeply touched by the idea that this cemetery has become a peaceful bed for the dead, as most cemeteries here are built beside roads. But this one is concealed in a very peaceful landscape, and I assume their souls do sleep peacefully here.
We continued walking while the sun was hitting us angrily. We thought the weather would be gentle and clouds would be overcasted, but things didn't go well, so we suffered from this January heat, which my date enjoyed, but I was so worried since we ran out of water. We hoped for a mini store at the peak so we could refill our tumblers, and by this time I was worried about fainting since my headache was already kicking my brain.
We passed by this farm with the farmers busy doing their businesses. Their big equipment caught our attention, so we looked at them while they were enjoying and focusing on planting. These people are the backbone of our country; they feed the nation, but unfortunately they remain underpaid. I hope the system corrects itself when the people scream for change. The landscape and view they are working in are so perfect, and I wondered if they ever get frustrated with their work, considering they have a very therapeutic workplace. They were so focused on doing their work, so we didn't mind approaching them.
The peak was still far from this farm, and we had to leave so we could reach it before we ran out of time, since we'll be doing activities above with the fresh farm breeze. While walking, we saw farms mostly, and landscapes of coconut trees and mango trees stretching to the left side of the road, and rice crops on the right that made most of the greens. The crops danced with the cold breeze of this January weather, and I was adoring it while taking photos. It was a perfect sunny weather; although I could feel my face stinging, the breeze would just moisturize and cool it.
In this part of our walk, where we relaxed for a bit in the shade of a big coconut tree, we were already beyond halfway to the peak. Just a little walk and we'll get there in no time. We rested our feet for a bit so we could manage our bodies correctly, considering we were not sure if we'd have water until dark, if there would be a mini store above this view. I saw a cow eating and feasting on the green grasses, and I hope he enjoyed it, since it is not spring here, when the grasses are sometimes brown or green.
Fortunately, a store is located above. We were happy to learn we could buy refreshments, and even if there were no bottled waters sold, there were still soft drinks and water in plastic that we could buy. We were also happy to know that the piyaya and hopia we bought at the Hagnaya Terminal could feed us the whole stay, and we never got hungry at the peak since we had enough snacks.
This is the view from above, and you can conclude how much peace and tension you can feel here. The landscape is perfect, the sunlight not too bright but mediocre, and the breeze helped my face feel some cool sensation as it was itching from the heat. It was nice to reach the peak and witness this perfect glory of the world. Such a perfect panoramic view made my day complete, especially because I am with this man I really love. So what was our purpose of reaching the peak? Or what were our experiences and the view there? You'll learn a lot from it in the next blog I'll be sharing tomorrow. I have to separate it so I won't make a long post.
To end this part of the journey, I can say that Little Batanes reminded me why I keep choosing nature over noise. It doesn’t demand much from you, just your presence and patience. Sometimes, the most meaningful adventures are found not in famous destinations, but in quiet places where time slows down, your breath syncs with the wind, and everything feels exactly where it should be.