I lived most of my life in Cagayan de Oro City; however, I work in Cebu. Last July, I went home and decided to visit one of the famous tourist destinations in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, the Sagpulon Falls. The locals of Jasaan have been enjoying its beauty years before the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental decided to work on having their tourism industry more active. The Sagpulon Falls was then open to the public who would like to experience its splendor.
A bamboo bridge will take you across a little stream.On my way to the falls. My Little Backpack Adventures. 🙂Sagpulon Falls is located in Barangay San Isidro, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental. From Cagayan de Oro City, it is an hour ride by bus / car. Once in Jasaan, ask the bus driver or the locals for the drop-off point going to the falls. From the highway, there are plenty of habal-habals available for hire. It takes more or less 15 minutes ride to the entrance.
By the way, don’t forget to enjoy the scenery on your way to the falls. If you lived most of your life in the city, you would definitely appreciate the provincial ambiance around town. Huge centennial old trees, farmlands and lively local neighborhoods composed most of the area. A fee of 10.00 will be collected at the entrance.
The lush green scenery of the surrounding area to the falls.How to Get There by Bus:
• Take a bus from Agora Bus Terminal to Jasaan. Fare 25.00
• Inform driver of the drop-off point to Sagpulon Falls if not familiar with the location.
• Take a habal-habal to the entrance of the falls. Fare: Solo – 100 per person. Share – 50.00 pesos per person
Fees:
Entrance: 10.00
Table: 80.00
Cottage: 100.00
There are tables and cottages for rent if needed or just pay the entrance fee and then swim.
It was rainy season when we got there so the water was very murky.I didn’t expect that I would be amazed with its beauty. I have been chasing waterfalls for quite sometime so Sagpulon was not new to me, however, I was not prepared to be taken aback on how breathtaking it was.The tables are not posh and the cottages are made of concrete, but it’s comfortable enough for a great day picnic.Fresh spring water from the pool. The water is very cold and refreshing great for summer swimming. Cottages available for rent.From the entrance, it’s a 5 – 10 minutes walk going to the falls and to the swimming pools. The water from the pool is fresh spring water which is separate from the water source of the falls. Although there are no enough basic facilities provided except for toilet, dressing room and shower area, it has cottages and tables for rent. No overnight stay is allowed. Life jackets are provided for safety. Bringing of food is permitted, but make sure the clean-as-you-go attitude is observed. A little sari-sari store is located near the entrance or bring own toiletries, food, and drinks.
The Mystery:
This is not to scare anyone who would like to enjoy Sagpulon Falls however, I want to share a story the caretaker shared when we were there. It was Friday when we visited the falls.
I couldn’t swim because the water was brown, but the water looks great in this picture because it matched my top. 🙂It was quiet and the area was deserted. There were no other visitors that time and it was almost 12 noon when we got there. While I was enjoying taking pictures. I observed there were plenty of young female chicken freely wandering.
Around past 12 noon, as we were having lunch, a young man came. I was glad because I was hoping for a crowd that day. The view of the falls was overwhelmingly beautiful but mysterious. It felt eerie since the only sound that I could hear was the sound of the water falling 150 feet above the ground. Aside from that, it was drizzling.
I was busy taking pictures. I don’t know what this dog was thinking. I played with him after.These are the rock boulders I was talking about located in front of the falls.He went straight to the largest rock boulder facing the falls. He took his shirt off and stayed there for a while. I got distracted, thinking he might do harm to himself or worse. I approached the caretaker and asked what the young man was doing. She said he was a nephew of a Barangay Captain; he became ill one day after swimming. His family took him to the hospital, but with no avail. Out of frustration, they went to the “albularyo” and were told that he angered one of the unearthly creatures living in the falls. So he needed to pray and ask forgiveness to whoever he angered so that he will get better. In Bisaya, “ nabuyagan si Kuya og dili ingon nato “.
And that explains why there were plenty of chickens around. The chickens were offering to help the cursed ill person get better.
There were plenty of chickens there. Here is one.She said that the young man’s experience was only one of the many unexplained events that happened to some visitors there. There was one instance she shared, a girl took pictures of the marvelous falling water but something else was captured in the pictures; a gigantic old man with white beard was standing in front of the falls. The caretaker said that she even saw it in the picture herself. She advised that visitors can have fun swimming with their friends and family but have to respect other entities that she believes live there.
This is how beautiful Sagpulon Falls whenever the weather is great.Filipinos are very superstitious. Regardless if it’s true or not, there are things in this world that can’t be explained. Let’s just be careful and take care of the gift Mother Nature gave us because who knows if we really are sharing the magnificence of the world with creatures we can’t see.
How about you? Do you believe it? Anyway, enjoy your visit. 🙂
Total Expenses:
Bus fare (return): 50.00 Habal-Habal (return) = 150.00
Food: 150.00
Entrance: 20.00 Total: 370.00 pesos
My Little Backpack Adventures 