NEWSFLASH

WHITEWATER ADVENTURE DOWN THE CHICO RIVER

Kalinga, Nov. 30, 2001 - Kalinga, a rugged province in the Cordillera region known for its long turbulent history of tribal wars and political unrest, was, as Governor Macario Duguiang put it, "once known as a no-man's land." Many such violent wars were fought on the mighty Chico River which winds through the landscape downward from Bontoc, turns northeast of Lubuagan and flows toward the Cagayan River.

Peace and order problems in the province were further aggravated in 1975 by the government's plan to construct 4 dams that would make up the Chico River hyrdoelectric dam project. The controversial scheme threatened to permanently displace many tribal lands, destroy centuries-old rice terraces and flood ancestral burial grounds. Though the dam project was expected to bring progress to many parts of Luzon in terms of electrification and irrigation, for the Kalingans, the irrevocable cultural loss was a price to steep to pay. True to proud Kalinga form, majority of the tribes resisted the project, resulting in more fighting and bloodshed on both sides.

River quest

Today, a new kind of turbulence - the watery kind- is being keyed up to the launch the 225-km Chico River on the international ecotourism map. Instead of warring factions, intrepid adventure travelers armed with raft and paddle (plus muscle and wit), battle it out with the raging force of the river rapids, attributes which have qualified the Chico River as a world-class whitewater rafting destination.

And if cooperative efforts between the government and the private sector succeed, it shouldn't be long before the province of Kalinga is rediscovered for its rich heritage and diverse natural attractions and showcased as one of the country's premier cultural and ecotourism destinations. Hopefully too, this "positive turbulence" will mark the Chico River as the "jewel of the Cordillera", and, more importantly finally transform it into "Kalinga's symbol for peace," said Gov. Duguiang.

Whitewater rafting (often paired with kayaking) is the newest action sport to hit the Philippines. While high-adventure travelers craving for more whitewater rafting destinations beyond Colorado and Africa flocked for decades to the rivers of Nepal and Borneo, the Philippines remained in the quiet depths, virtually unnoticed. It has only been in recent years when initial kayaking and rafting activities on the rivers in Panay, Samar and Cagayan de Oro have prompted the discovery of other potential sites around the country.

Two weeks ago, this writer, together with other members of the media from Manila and Baguio, tour operators, and representatives from PCVC and DOT, were invited to a familiarization which allowed us to make our personal discoveries on the culture and hospitality of the Kalingans and experience first-hand the thrills (and spills!) that white-water rafting has to offer.

After a 45-minute flight on PAL from Manila, we were met in Tuguegarao Airport by Naty Sugguiyao and Ned Sickels, founders of Chico River Quest, Inc., lead agency that sponsored our fam trip. Naty, a native of Tinglayan is also Provincial Officer of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples while American Ned Sickels is a well-traveled professional photographer, cinematographer and rafting consultant.

Portal to Kalinga

They whisked our group off to Tabuk, some 2 hours away to the home of Ephraim Orodio, former Tabuk Mayor and now president of the Kalinga Tourism Council where we were hosted for lunch and briefed on the important aspects of our Chico River trip.

Ned, together with fellow Oregon natives Gary Fondren and Dr. Bob Anderson, were the first to discover the potentials of the Chico River as a world-class whitewater rafting destination when they first came to the Cordilleras in 1997. Joining them on their first exploratory run were Naty's daughter Mae Shiu of the UP Mountaineers, and Elmer Cabotaje of the University of the Asia and Pacific.

It was a daring feat as the river was uncharted and has never before been navigated by inflatable raft. The run lasted all of four days, needless to say, they were so impressed with the awesome natural scenery, the diversity of rapid levels, and the river's cultural, historical and political attributes. From then on, Ned and company returned every year to train native Kalingans to become professional river guides.

Currently, CRQI is wholly owned and operated by Kalinga locals for it is they who are the perfect candidates for such a task which entails responsible stewardship of Chico River. With river guide Danny Bravo at the helm, the outfit's goal is to provide a safe, tourist-friendly, and commercially viable professional river tour service with its shareholders and stakeholders urged in taking active part in the management, preservation and development of the indigenous ecotourism resources of Kalinga without comprising its cultural values and heritage.

Big rafting day

After the first two days of up-close-and personal encounters with Kalinga natives in the villages of Lubuagan, Tinglayan and Buscalan, and being treated to their unforgettable acts of hospitality, we were revved up for our big rafting day.

As instructed, we tried to dress as aptly as possible for the long and very wet rafting activity ahead. That meant light clothing, trekking sandals or aqua shoes. in small waterproof bags, we packed our barest essentials of water, light snacks, and the all-important sunblock. These we surrendered to our designated guides for packing in dry bags.

The night before, we already acquainted ourselves with our designated guides. Our group of four participants were assigned to Danny Bravo, who also heads the KARGA (Kalinga Raft Guides Association).

On our team was Ruby Gonzalez, correspondent for Travel Weekly East HK; Warner Andrada, Chief Officer of DOT-Office of Product Research and Development; and Boy Young, marketing services manager for Marsman Tours and Travel.

The lead oar boat was piloted by Ned Sickels who took charge of the photographers from the different publications. Mae, the only female guide, helmed another raft of tour operators; and the last group of first-timers were handled by Moises Atuban. Lone kayaker Roger would scout ahead of the teams and then signal with a whistle, much like a riverine cop controlling the flow of traffic on the rapids.

Vital to every run, participants were lectured on safety precautions, and basic paddle commands to remember like "forward", "backward", "left back " and "right back". Once on the river, commands become second-nature to the paddler, if one pays close attention to the river guide. On Danny's raft, one should never forget to high-five with oars and splash the water for good luck

Rafters must also know their equipment and their proper uses. CRQI is outfitted with American Rated kayaking and rafting equipment. Vests and helmets are all in good condition. All this writer had to remember was trust the gear, never let go of the paddle cause it could save your life and that rafting is a team activity.

Once on the river, one is alternately caught by the adrenaline rush on the approach to whitewater areas and the enchanting serenity of the Kalinga countryside, for the Chico River is not all frothy and chaos. From Tinglayan, our run was estimated at 5 to 6 hours but photo shoots pushed our duration to over 8 hours. The extended hours were well worth it as Danny , in between moments of sheer adrenaline, lectured us on the names given to notorious sites on the river such as Argel's Nightmare, Piggybank, Danny's Drop (where Danny slammed into a rock and broke his tooth) God's Playground, Dead Carabao and Dragon's Tail.

I guess now it can now be said that being in the boat with the most falls, Danny Bravo had inadvertently asked us to christen one particularly precarious two-hole (each almost 10 feet deep) rapid where this writer and photographer Jessie Casabar found themselves missing 4 fellow rafters, river guide included.

So, in his honor, it shall be called Danny's Wipe-Out. (By SANDRA DIEZ, Malaya)