Sugod sa Sogod

Lately, memes about Titos and Titas of Facebook have been making rounds in social media. In essence, this is a millennial term used to describe “old schools” who have embraced the domestic lifestyle and content themselves with nostalgia and throwback posts. It’s funny though that most of those who claim to be “titos and titas” nowadays are millennials (born between 1980 and 2000). A generation known for its vibrancy and zeal, what happened to us?

The easiest explanation is aging in the digital age. We tend to be drained by too much loud and crowd. In the height of social media, we crave for genuine connection — with a person, with nature, with ourselves. And until we find these, we’d rather stay in the comforts of our homes.

But just because we age doesn’t mean we have to settle into the doldrums of ordinary. As what Anne of Windy Poplars once said, “There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it to ourselves.”

Starting off with this…

Away from the colors and grandeur of Sinulog, my friends and I (Team Buwad as we fondly call ourselves) went out of town for a weekend escape. Travelling 60 km northward from Cebu City is the municipality of Sogod. It is said that the town gained its name from the Cebuano term “sinugdanan” which means “beginning.” For its geographical and historical reasons, Sogod is where the stretch of white sand and the conversion to Christianity going north began.

As for us, it’s the beginning of a new adventure.

Bagatayam Falls
Getting to Bagatayam Falls is very easy. Just a few hundred meters from Sogod poblacion, we passed by the Bagatayam Bridge in Brgy. Bagatayam. Here’s a sneak-peak of the waterfalls from the bridge.

A 3-minute hike from the bridge and the road led us to this single-tiered gem.

Heads up: Do not be surprise to see locals up ahead going about their daily routines like washing laundry or taking a bath. The river flowing to the falls has served this purpose for a long time.

The top of the waterfalls also gives a scenic view with the trees in the background. 😉

Binaliw Spring
Binaliw Spring is about 10-15 minutes trek from Bagatayam Falls. One can either follow the river or walk the paved road. As for us, we chose the latter.

The spring has attracted tourists because its water is known for its healing effects. It is also the home of Our Lady of Lourdes shrine.

dav

dav

Ongon Falls
Tucked in the outskirts of Sitio Ongon is the not-so known Ongon Falls. This is not an established tourist destination and locals simply refer to it as “busay”.

None of us are familiar with the place. Gladly, we passed by two jolly kids who were willing to guide us to our destination.

Despite being underrated, the trek to Ongon Falls offers a trail that you cannot play down. From rugged rocks and loose soil, one needs to go through the steep descend.

As this place has not been maintained for sightseers, there are wild shrubs and scrubs to along the way.

dav

dav

We were told that Brgy. Ongon also has a cave nearby. Now that’s another reason to come back.

sdr

dav

We passed by an unnamed waterfalls that splits in three. Had it rained the previous day, the water would be high and this would look a lot better.

Unnamed triple cascade

After a few minutes, we finally made it to Ongon Falls. Untouched and undisturbed, this basin sits quietly in the middle of nature.

Ongon Falls

Team Buwad

So back to the Titos and Titas of Facebook… are we really becoming such? If avoiding parties and nightlife makes one a tito or a tita, then let’s be cool titos and titas. Let’s find a new kind of fun in nature. 🙂

The sister