Santa Ana

Local
Dawn
Awakening in
Santa Ana
The slow life in a small coastal town in northeastern
Philippines charmed city-slicker Laya Lantano
There is unrivaled anticipation in going someplace new, I
thought, at the start of my 16-hour bus ride from Manila
to the northeastern edge of the Philippines. But the
torturous trip inside a moving ice machine tested my sanity as
the hours slowly crept forward, making me more anxious than
fascinated. I traveled far to discover the beauty of my country,
and now I was being treated to endless vistas of green fields and
cloudless skies. After 630 kilometers, four provinces, numerous
pitstops, and a set of sore shivering muscles, I at last reached
my destination.
Santa Ana in Cagayan is a 444-square-kilometer town that
sits calmly on the rim of the Philippine Sea. The province is
part of the Cagayan Valley region which also includes Batanes,
Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. Santa Ana’s sheer
loveliness, wrapped by the Sierra Madre mountain range,
the longest chain of mountains in the Philippines that starts
in Cagayan and ends in the southeastern Luzon province of
Quezon, made me feel like I was worlds away. On hindsight,
I was pleased that it took close to a day to get there, for this
assured me that its soul had not yet been corrupted by city life.
We were just in time for the annual Viray Festival,
a celebration of the coming of immigrant settlers
centuries ago from the nearby Ilocos region via wooden boats
called viray. This may explain why majority of the townsfolk
speak the Ilocano language, as well as other indigenous
dialects. The mayor’s wife Pinky Rodriguez—fondly called
Mayora by the locals—started the festivity four years ago. She
jests, “para naman magkaroon ng kasiyahan sa bayan namin!”
(so the town will have something to amuse itself).
Under the sweltering heat of the noonday sun, adorable
children in makeshift props and costumes pranced barefoot
on the dusty sand. The ones living near the coast had waited
for low tide to build sandcastles for the night’s competition.
As the sky turned dark, local dancers took to the stage with
breakdancing and, quite interestingly, firedancing.
Cagayan province is a land of rugged coastal mountains,
hidden coves, and solitary islands. Its unspoilt charm will
entrance the adventurous traveler: the pristine blue waters and
fine golden-sand beaches of Anguib Cove, also called Golden
Beach and touted by some as the Boracay of the north, and the
recesses of the Gotam Mangroves.
In the town of Santa Ana, the idle pace of countryside life
proved therapeutic. I woke up very early the following day
when the only ones up were the boy peddling hot pandesal and
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PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICKY SERING
(Clockwise from top left) The Faro de
Cabo Engaño lighthouse on Palani
Island stands 100 meters above sea
level. Midway up is an open deck that
looks out to a 360-degree panorama
of Santa Ana’s rural paradise; for a
coastal town like Santa Ana, lobsters
are a mainstay in every meal; adorable
children in makeshift props and
costumes perform under the sweltering
noonday sun; the placid waters of
Anguib Cove. (Opposite page) In Santa
Ana, there’s nothing quite like a tranquil
sail around the edge of the Philippines
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Local
The Cape Engaño lighthouse looks out to the Dos
Hermanas Islands on the east. (Above right) Young ladies
dancing. (Right) Carts decorated with local produce
cicadas thrumming in the dark. I headed
to the port because the locals had advised
me to take a 15-minute sail from the
mainland to Crocodile Island, where the
sunrise is reportedly at its best.
Sitting on the limestone shards of
Crocodile Island (so named because
of its shape and not for anything else),
staring out into the glimmering open
sea as purple streaks of sun peek past
the oranged-tainted clouds above
me—it’s pure bliss. Indeed, embracing
the ephemeral is a unique experience,
something that hardly comes by to
someone who grew up in the city.
When the sun came up, we sailed to Palaui, another
island farther northeast. After docking at Punta Verde,
we spent an hour trailblazing into the thick woods with our
Agta guide, ocassionally resting on spots of grassland. After
30 minutes of hiking up the slope with only the faint chorus
of waves and our labored breathing breaking the silence, we
reached the peak with its majestic lighthouse and magnificent
view of the Philippine Sea below.
Built on December 21, 1862, the 100-meter-high Faro de
Cabo Engaño or Cape Engaño lighthouse has suffered from
years of neglect. With collapsing beams, distressed floors, a
dilapidated roof, and a cracked wall where the stolen marker
used to be, it’s not surprising that the lighthouse compound
has a general depressing feel to it. Yet as I ascended its rusty
spiral staircase, stopping at the padlocked route up the
lightbeams, the atmosphere shifted. The bare deck of open
windows offered a refreshing 360-degree view of paradise:
battering waves to the north and west, the Dos Hermanas
islands to the east, and the hilly terrain to the south.
The air is thin at this altitude and I couldn’t help but
wax philosophical. Perhaps there’s a reason my trip to Santa
Ana ended with this visit to Cape Engaño lighthouse, where I
literally stood on the edge of the Philippines. Atop a fortress
of rugged abandonment, I gaze out into the open, and the
glittering sea makes me feel hope. For a traveler on a quest to
find life, this has led me closer to my destination. n
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NAviGATe yourSelF:
SANTA ANA, CAGAyAN
NeeD To KNoW
The municipality of Santa Ana hosts part of the 55,000-hectare
Cagayan Special Economic Zone in Region 2. Since 1997, the freeport
zone, independently managed by the Cagayan
Economic Zone Authority or CEZA, targets
investments from neighboring Southeast Asian
countries. The industrial city of Kaoshiung
in Taiwan is only a 45-minute plane ride
away and is actually a few kilomters closer
to Santa Ana than Manila. Locals can tune in
to Taiwanese radio programs because of the
proximity. Today, more than a transshipment
hub, the economic zone is the site of two
casino resorts, Sun City and Eastern Hawaii,
exclusively for foreign investors and visitors. An
airport is also in the works.
TrAveler’S CheCKliST
Phone area code: 78
Commonly spoken languages: Ilocano,
Tagalog, English, Ibanag
Travel time from Manila: 16 hours
by road, an hour by plane to the provincial
capital, Tuguegarao City
hoW To GeT There
By bus: Victory Liner (EDSA Kamias), Baliuag Transit (EDSA Cubao),
and Delta (Blumentritt) buslines ply the Manila-Tuguegarao route daily.
The Florida Bus (Sampaloc, Manila) goes straight to Santa Ana.
By plane: Air Philippines flies to Tuguegarao three times weekly, while
Cebu Pacific flies daily. From Tuguegarao, a van or minibus can take
you to Santa Ana. For recommended tour packages, try Lakbay.Net, tel
(2) 517-6655, e-mail travelife@lakbay.net.ph
By private vehicle: Drive along the North Luzon Expressway and
exit at the San Miguel, Bulacan tollgate. Go straight down the national
road, passing several towns in Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and
Isabela. When you reach the junction in Santiago City, Isabela, turn left
and drive up to the province of Cagayan Valley. Santa Ana follows the
town of Gonzaga.
Bancas (motorized outrigger boats) docked on the Barangay San
Vicente port cruise the nearby islands and coves for local commuters.
You can hire the whole boat at posted rates.
WheN To Go
The summer months of March-June are the best times to go. If traveling
by road, schedule your trip so you leave Manila at night and arrive
in Santa Ana by morning. The first two weeks of June are also ideal
because the Viray Festival happens on June 8, while fishing enthusiasts
will love the game fishing tournaments held yearly. Check www.pgff.org
for schedules
WhAT To BriNG
• resort wear: shorts, tank tops, T-shirts, swimsuits, flip-flops, sandals
• Fishing equipment for those who want to fish
• Camera and batteries
• Cash
WhAT To Do
• Try water sports. Santa Ana and nearby islands like Palaui are
ideal for game fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving because of its rich
marine resources. There are also beaches ideal for swimming or picnics.
• Go hiking and catch up on history. The Punta Engaño
Lighthouse on Palaui Island is the only working lighthouse in the
northeastern coast of the Philippines and provides fantastic vistas of
the Philippine Sea. Palaui island is also an ideal spot to go trekking or
hiking.
• Try local delicacies like the batil patong,
a hearty noodle dish cooked with pork liver
and ground beef, topped with poached egg
and served with a bowl of clear soup. On
the way back to Manila, stop by the town of
Alcala along the national highway for a bag of
Teaño carabao’s milk. The storeowner is used to
commuters knocking in the middle of the night for
an order. And while you’re at it, have a taste of
the longganisa from Tuguegarao City.
As the locals danced,
every step becomes
a declaration of a
town that is slowly
rising from the fringes
of development
Where To STAy
Jotay’s Beach resort is a decent beachfront
property owned by a British national and his
Filipina wife. It has air-conditioned rooms, basic
facilities, and options for water activities such
as snorkeling and sailing. For inquiries and
reservations, call (+63906) 478-1270, (+63915)
210-2058, (+6378) 858-1026, or go to www.
jotayresort.com. For homestays, contact the
municipal tourism office at (+63929) 365-9409.