Gregorio Del Pilar, Ilocos Sur: Mountain, Springs and Falls

Gregorio Del Pilar is a 5th class municipality in Ilocos Sur. Roughly two and a half hours away from Vigan City, the place, formerly known as 'Concepcion', was the site of the Battle of Tirad Pass.

The Battle of Tirad Pass was a battle in the Philippine-American War fought on December 2, 1899, in northern Luzon in the Philippines, in which a 60-man Filipino rear-guard commanded by Brigadier General Gregorio del Pilar succumbed to over 500 Americans, mostly of the 33rd Volunteer Infantry Regiment under Major Peyton C. March, while delaying the American advance to ensure that President Emilio Aguinaldo and his troops escaped.

 

[caption width="720" align="alignnone"] Battle of Tirad Pass Marker[/caption]
Tirad Pass or Pasong Tirad is a famous historic destination in the Philippines. The place is popular among adventurers because of its beauty and historical value. Sibol Hotspring and Seven Bowl Falls can also be found in Gregorio del Pilar.

 

[caption width="720" align="alignnone"] Gen. Gregorio del Pilar's Monument.[/caption]I was with the Federacion de los Motoristas (Ilocos Chapter) the first time I conquered Tirad Pass. Hindi pa uso ang Facebook noon. I remember how un-prepared I was for the whole trek. Naka-doll shoes ako that time. Buti na lang comfortable siya and the trail was not muddy. We trekked for more than two hours. Some of the crew had to stay behind because they couldn't go on much further. Madali lang yung trail, mahaba lang kasi talaga lalakarin. Being the persistent girl that I am, I pushed through with the whole ordeal. It was exhausting but it was all worth it.

[caption width="800" align="alignnone"] Foggy afternoon.[/caption] 
HOW TO GET THERE:

• If you're coming from the South, ride any bus that will take you to Vigan, Abra, or Laoag.


• If you're coming from farther North, ride any bus that will take you to Pasay, Cubao or San Fernando. Tell the kundoktor to drop you off at Candon Public Market.


• From there, ride a jeep that will take you to Brgy. Mabatano. From what I heard, there is only one regular trip to the town and it leaves at 1PM.


• If you want to charter a jeep, fare is P4,000. You can haggle, of course. If you want to be treated as a regular passenger, fare would be around P80.00 and travel time is 1.5 hours. You will cross rivers 8 times so brace yourselves.I haven't tried going to GDP via chartered jeep but I heard going top-load is something one shouldn't miss.We went there via motorcycle so the river-crossings were exhilarating just the same.


• Once you arrive at GDP, you need to register at the tourism office for safety purposes. You can also request for a guide. From there, you can then ask them where the jump off is. Hike will take you around 2 hours. Make sure to bring with you energy snacks.

NOTE: There's a store/bakery/souvenir shop near the municipal hall where you can restock. Don't forget to try their pandensal! All fresh from the oven!

[caption width="720" align="alignnone"] Report, report din sa Kumander 'pag may time. LOL[/caption]
One great thing about the Tirad Pass trail is that there are water sources along the way. There are also huts where you can take shelter and rest.

 

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] Huts have never been so inviting. NOTE: Whenever there's a hut, there's a water source nearby.[/caption]Two-thumbs up for the government for putting up Battle of Tirad Pass tidbit posts along the trail. They also painted inspirational quotes on boulders. I remember this one quote that struck me the most:

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

Fast forward to 2015, we went to Gregorio del Pilar the second time but now our main focus was to visit the Sibol Hotsprings and the Seven Bowl Falls.

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] On the way to Sibol Hotspring.[/caption]We had a guide with us that time. Trek difficulty to Sibol Hotsprings would be 2 out of 5. Super easy. You can actually take your lolos and lolas with you. Although deemed therapeutic, I find the hotspring waaayyy too hot for my taste. Pwede na pang-kape.

 

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] NOTE: There's a restroom near the Entrance Sign .[/caption] 

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] Kape na lang ang kulang. Haha.[/caption]Speaking of coffee, Gregorio del Pilar is also well-known for their native coffee. Bring some home for your folks!

The way to the Seven Bowls Falls was challenging.

 

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] You'll pass by big boulders like these on the way to Seven Bowls.[/caption]It's called Seven Bowls because there are seven catch basins which are located along a rocky mountain. I remember my kasamas assisting me because I was trying to climb a steep rock but I can't seem to get my balance right. Yung mga nasa baba lang na bowls ang nakita ko, I was not able to see the very first bowl dahil mas nagwagi yung takot ko sa heights. Sorry naaa...

 

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] One of the many basins you can swim in.[/caption]  

Sarap magswimming sa mga basins na madadaan. Saktong lamig. Saktong lalim.


After having our lunch, we just rested a bit then went on our way. It was still too early so we decided to visit Tirad Pass. Hindi uso ang pagod pagod. We reached Gregorio Del Pilar's monument around 4:30PM. Infairness, ambilis namin. Solid. (We cheated though. Di na namin sinunod yung trail. Puro short-cut. Literal na nag-mountain climbing na kami. Haha) We ate what's left of our lunch, rested then began our descent. Padilim na rin kasi noon kaya we needed to hurry.

[caption width="720" align="alignnone"] Kuya K and Kel Ronald enjoying the view[/caption]
The ride back home felt longer than usual. I may have doze off a couple of times. NOTE: Wag matutulog kahit may box na pwedeng sandalan. Delikado yun. Wag niyo ko gayahin. Haha.

We had dinner along the way and got home around 8PM. I wasn't able to take note of our expenses (because I didn't know I'll be blogging about this months after) but it was definitely less than P500.00. I'll take note next time. Hehe.

Gregorio del Pilar is a great place for nature lovers and adventurers. I heard that there will be a new Gregorio Del Pilar movie coming and we all know what happens to tourist spots when it gets featured.. Visit it while it's not too crowded! Feel free to share your Tirad
Pass story!

[caption width="960" align="alignnone"] 'Til we ride again.[/caption]