Joma and Whitewater Rafting

Have you heard about the latest forum sponsored by LFS (League of Filipino Students) in UP Baguio? Well, it was well talked about in the press because it featured Jose Maria Sison, founder of the CPP-NPA, making a statement about the poverty in the Philippines.
It was held a few days ago, as usual, I’m late blogging again. I was planning to go and participate but it was raining so hard I just had to pass. How wrong I was! I’m still irritated at myself for being lazy.

Anyway, I want to write about Joma and Whitewater rafting today. Unfortunately, I have nothing to say about Prof. Sison since I didn’t attend his forum, but I know there’s something I can say about whitewater rafting in Kalinga.

Kalinga is actually considered as the whitewater rafting capital of the North. it is dubbed as “Prince of the Highlands” in the Philippines, I’m not sure if it was because its geographic feature is very similar to the bust of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Although whitewater rafting is considered as extreme sports, in Kalinga, you can bring your family to enjoy this adrenaline-pumping sport. The controversial Chico River has untamed waters and the wonderful sight makes up for the terrifying drops, ledges, rapids.

The Chico River Quest Inc., was the pioneer in whitewater rafting in the Philippines and were known because of Tao Berman, the holder of the a Guiness for kayaking the highest water fall went to the area to test the waters and got good reviews. Current president Gloria Arroyo and family actually conquered the untamed waters of the Chico River and that paved the way for more tourists visiting the area. 

The Chico River Quest Inc also offers trips at Ullalim Run, a route which has Class 3 rapids which has a beautiful scenery and is a favorite among beginners. The Mataguan Run is the most popular trip with the rafting time totaling for to five hours. Rapids here are generally ranked at Class 3 or 4.

HOW TO GET THERE: 

BY AIR: You can get a flight from Manila to Tuguegarao three times a week during Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. From Tuguegarao, you can reach the Chico River by Bus or Jeepney. 

BY LAND: You can ride any buses from AutoBus (Espana and Manila terminal) and Victory Liner (Kamias Terminal). Prepare yourself for a long ride since this is a 10-hour trip. Some people say you can get a reservation for the trip.

If you are coming from Baguio, the road to Kalinga is a 9-hour drive and buses usually leave in the evening. You can ride buses from Dangwa Bus, Autobus and GL lines.

To get more information about Kalinga, you can go to these sites:

http://www.chicoriverquest.com/

http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/explore_phil/place_details.asp?content=getthere&province=71

Now for the celebrated pics which are taked from these same sites:

if you want a preview of the experience, watch this video: