CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela: The city government here reopened the Ilagan Sanctuary, the city’s main tourism destination, on Monday, March 13, after nearly a month of extensive rehabilitation and beautification of the area in Santa Victoria village here.
“The continuous rains in recent months due to typhoons and northeast monsoon, has affected the facilities inside the Ilagan Sanctuary and some of its structures were then damaged so extensive rehabilitation and beautification were done,” Mayor Josemarie Diaz said.
Diaz added that “Isabela is most known as the rice and corn granary of Luzon, but Isabela has one of the most visited tourist spots, the Ilagan Sanctuary, a protected area located in the Sierra Madre mountains’ foothills.”
For several weeks, the village officials in the city, including various sectors, have also joined in the rehabilitation and beautification activities of the Ilagan Sanctuary to ensure that the main tourist destination will be ready, especially this summer season, he added.
Among the amenities being offered and enjoyed when visiting the Ilagan Sanctuary are boating, zipline, cable car riding, swimming, horseback riding, animal kingdom visitation, and several other attractions that tourists can witness, according to tourism officer Cristina Simon.
A minimum entrance fee of P100 per individual will be collected aside from the fee for some rides such as the zipline that will be used to maintain the tourism site, she said. “With its new face and amenities, it is expected to bring fun and adventure for tourists,” Simon added.
If you love walking, you can go trekking and visit the different caves and get your imagination wild while listening to the anecdotes of the tour guide about the forms and shapes of the stalactites and stalagmites. If you feel tired from walking and need a bit of refreshment, you can go straight to the sanctuary pool or to the Pinzal Falls and submerge in its cool waters, she added.
The sanctuary also highlights its 350-meter zipline which can take the person at 80-kilometer-per-hour, a cable car, nine-chambered Santa Victoria and Immusok caves, swimming pools, mini-zoo and aviary, horseback riding, botanical garden, picnic at gazebos, and others.
The domesticated Philippine eagle, wild boar or alingo, civet cat or mutit, crocodiles, deer, sheep, ostriches, and other wild animals have also been found at the sanctuary.
A protected site earlier known as Fuyot Springs National Park, the sanctuary was established on Oct. 8, 1938, through Presidential Proclamation 327.
The bodies of water such as the creeks of Kabiran, Pallay, Pasa, Nabulluan, and Marabatbat, all within the sanctuary, have been contributing to the steady water supply in the area.
Tourists can enjoy the fastest zipline in the region and the cable car, Simon said. The sanctuary also offers wall climbing, rappelling, horseback riding, or biking. “If you feel like the whole day is not enough and would like to spend the night in the eco-friendly environment of the sanctuary, they also offer cottages for couples and family cottages that can fit up to 10 people,” the tourism officer added. Tour guides are not paid but get donations or “shares of blessings” from tourists, she said.
Source: Vince Jacob Visaya – Manila Times | March 15, 2023