ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 17 September) — Underground river, Pagangon Falls, wild orchids in a rainforest, canyoneering and more await you on your Sikyop Adventure 30 minutes away from downtown.
The trek starts at Sikyop Agriculture Cooperative where you get a good warm-up walk through an open area that would lead you to Sikyop Treetop Experience where you can do the zip line before walking on narrow passageways.
At the Sikyop Treetop, visitors can spend the night in Higaonon huts surrounding the bonfire area then proceed to Inulusan Cave, all the way to the majestic Pagangon Falls and the underground river.
The rainforest of Sikyop is home to nearly 100 species of trees. Wild orchids can also be found inside the Malizord Wild Forest.
Descending through some parts of the underground river to Pagangon Falls is an adventure as you maneuver your way through water, big rocks, trees, and narrow openings. The trek from the registration area to Pagangon Falls takes around 30 minutes, depending on your pace.
How to get there
Sikyop Adventure in Sitio Lawlawon, Barangay Rogongon is around 30 kilometers from the center of Iligan City.
By private vehicle you can make your way to Sitio Lawlawon from Iligan City following the road from the national highway to Rogongon after Mandulog Bridge. You can also pin Sikyop Agriculture Cooperative on Google Maps for easier directions.
You can also take the habal-habal (passenger motorcycle). If you’re a backpacker, you can just hire a motorcycle near Mandulog Bridge along the highway and pay 100 pesos one way.
When you get to Sikyop Adventure, you can hire a tour guide.
What to bring?
It’s recommended to trek as light as possible. You can let your tour guides carry your things especially on some challenging footpaths along the rocks or the river. Sikyop Agriculture Cooperative has lockers where you can store your things while doing the trek.
You will definitely get wet so bring a set of extra clothes since the trip back to Iligan City proper takes at least 30 minutes. The trek to Pagangon Falls and through the river is not difficult but can be challenging as some parts require descending through steep rocks and pathways.
The ascent back to Sikyop Agriculture Cooperative would be the most challenging part. Motorcycle rides for a fee of around P50 are waiting if you opt to ride your way back up.
A tourist from Angeles City, Pampanga who came all the way from Camiguin was amazed to witness the beauty of Sikyop. “Sobrang saya, it is recommended, dapat malaman ng buong Pilipinas na may magandang lugar diyan sa baba (pointing down to Pagahan Falls), sobrang ganda po”, said Jong David de Leon. (Marivic Omandan Davis / MindaNews)
