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| Tagbilat Falls | Photo courtesy of Erjane Eumague Antanao |
Hidden amidst the verdant greens of Barangay Malagandis, Titay in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, a waterfall with a peculiar name is slowly getting popular among the locals. Neither established tours nor DIY travel guides available to get to the waterfalls thus, it can still be considered a virgin destination.
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| Tagbilat or Malagandis Falls | Photo courtesy of Lolit Gaas Ricofuerte |
I always get a laugh, a grin, or a smile coupled with eyes of disbelief every time I mention Tagbilat Falls. A lot of people who know how to speak the Visayan dialect would get curious after hearing the name of the waterfalls.
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| Tagbilat Falls | Photo credit Jhamiel Daying Martinez |
With its unique name, a lot of people would ask why would a waterfall be named after a woman's private parts? According to Subanen relatives in Bacalan, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, the waterfall got its name from the river that flows from the municipality of Titay to Ipil. Read More
Tagbilat Falls' Name Origin
If locals were to speak, they call it the Malagandis Falls. The water comes from Tagbilat River which drops on a cliff, creating a curtain-type waterfall. It then flows for several kilometers before it joins the Bacalan River that empties to Sibuguey Bay.
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| Malagandis or Tagbilat Falls | Photo credit to Obe Olaybar Benitez |
Tagbilat River originates from the mountains near Titay-Tampilisan border, an area known as the Central Subanen Ancestral Domain. And according to the locals, the river was named Tagbilat because the waters were shallow and the level is only up to a woman's private part. Read More
A Tagbilat Falls Experience
The cloudy weather created a perfect contrast of dark forest hues surrounding the whimsical curtain of white water surging as the deep green river meets its end with gravity. A lone small cottage stands still adjacent to the waterfalls giving a seamless panorama of the place.
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| Visitors enjoying the waterfall | Photo by Beck Recio Arquio Masacupan |
The light breezes brushed our faces that seemingly inviting us to its water. We scouted the area through the thick bushes lavishing near the falls traipsed our feet between slippery rocks and sprung over some washed-up logs and woods. Read More
How To Get To Tagbilat Falls or Malagandis Falls
From Zamboanga and Pagadian - Take a Dipolog bound bus and alight in Titay Public Market. From Dipolog, take Zamboanga or Ipil bound bus and alight in Titay Public Market. Charter a motorcycle or habal-habal leading to the trail of the waterfalls.
From Dipolog City or Dapitan City - Take a bus or van bound for Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, and alight at the town of Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay. Travel time is more than an hour. From there, hire a habal-habal to the waterfalls.
sources:
https://alltheviewsofwaterfallsinzamboangasibugay.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/the-journey-begins/
https://addieinwanderland.com/2018/06/07/tagbilat-falls-of-titay/
https://asanasadsijames.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/tagbilat-falls-the-virgin-wonder-of-zamboanga-sibugay/