Asik-Asik Falls Kasaysayan Kagandahan at Kababalaghan ng Isang Tanawin

Never did the locals of a remote community in Southern Philippines suspect that a massive water system cascades quietly in their backyard. Or, is it safe to say that they just ignore the sound of water thinking it was just part of the nearby river?

The locals of Sitio Dulao in the small village of Dado, Alamada, North Cotabato did not realize that a towering rock mountain in their place was emitting lots of water. The said rock formation was covered with thick and lush vegetation and forest that nobody would suspect something was going on in there. Besides, how could they suspect waterfalls from the mountain when there is no river on its summit. Isn’t that mysterious?

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It was only sometime in 2010 when the mystery unfolded. Some people in the area believed that a series of natural calamities and forest fires exposed the waterfalls. While others insist that the military uncovered the mysterious sight during a clearing operation. Anyway, whichever of the stories came first, it is no denying that the water is a mysterious but marvelous sight.

Asik Asik Falls: Budget Travel Guide + Itinerary 2022

Mysterious, because unlike most waterfalls, the streams of cold water behind those vegetations ooze from the 60-meter high and 140-meter wide rock mountain itself. There must be a lot of water deep within those rocks to create curtain-like waterfalls that cover the entire width of the mountain. And, the sight is nothing short of marvelous!

The locals of the area named this newfound water system as Asik-Asik Falls. Asik-Asik literally means “sprinkle-sprinkle” in the native Hiligaynon language. It is aptly called since it sprinkles cold water as it drops into the shallow rocky pool at the base of the mountain. The water collected in the pool then flows to join a tributary of the Alamada River.

Since its discovery in 2010, Asik-Asik Falls has gradually drawn a number of curious individuals, first through the word of mouth. And then, the word spread like wildfire, capturing the attention of both social media and the mainstream media. Tourists from other parts of the country and abroad start visiting the place, too. Since then, the once quiet and remote village of Dulao has never been the same again. It now becomes a lively community with many visitors at any given time. Roads have been developed leading to the place. Several steps were carved against the mountain to make trekking down to the foot of the waterfalls easy for visitors. Small entrepreneurs have also set up stalls along the road, selling foods, drinks, and souvenir items. In a word, Asik-Asik Falls is now a tourist destination for both Filipinos and foreigners.

Asik Asik Falls Adventure In Alamada, North Cotabato

Let me warn you ahead, however, that a trip to Asik-Asik Falls may not be for everyone. People with weak knees or leg problems may find it arduous to navigate through several steps, especially when going back up to the main road. But if you must, it’s best to go there when you are not in a hurry or under a time constraint. Slow-pace walking is the key here! Don’t worry, you would not get bored at all since the surrounding view is beautiful.

Anyway, if you’re coming from outside the Mindanao region, the means to visit Asik-Asik is by air. Take a flight from either Cotabato City or Davao City (although the latter is a bit far). From the airport, proceed to the municipality of Midsayap, North Cotabato and take a trip to the village of Dado, Alamada. And then, take a short trip down to Asik-Asik Falls. It would be more convenient for you if you consult a travel agent to arrange your trip.

Nila Eslit is a Philippine-based freelance content writer, editor, and copywriter. She also writes book reviews. She received a baccalaureate in Mass Communication from St. Theresa’s College, Cebu, Philippines..When was the last time your heart was struck by the beauty of the place and long for the next rendezvous? A month ago? Or maybe few weeks since the last time you saw it? How did it make you feel that way? Is it its alluring beauty that captured your heart? Or did the place made you forget the otherworldly things? Of course, there’s a bunch of reasons that a two-page essay and words that are existing aren’t enough.

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But one thing’s for sure. We long for the next rendezvous and we want to remake the feeling that tickled the little red pumping organ inside our chest. And once we are there, all the questions why we long for will always have an answer validated by the place.

We woke up before the dawn of the night broke. The darkness slowly faded as the sun started to rise. Alight from an hour bus ride from Cotabato City, we were welcomed, not only by the morning provincial breeze of Cotabato but also with the swarm of excited as well as incited

Drivers. Surely, Asik-Asik Falls made it to the map worth visiting bringing these drivers abuzz. And so, after haggling with our drivers, the longest

Chapter 13: Asik Asik Waterfalls, Alamada, North Cotabato, Philippines

The ride up was nothing short of exhilarating. We trod an almost never-ending cemented highways and mostly undeveloped barangay roads before reaching the emerging tourist attraction. It’s more than an hour journey, crammed into two small passenger seats on our way to the waterfalls. Riding up the unpaved roads, the tires crashing as my heart beats excitedly.

It was a very long ride. This, however, tested us to prove worthy of seeing this wonder of Cotabato. We sort of enjoyed the ride while basking in the glory of the December sun. We made most of the time appreciating the beautiful mountainscapes of Alamada, Cotabato. Hectares of cornfields of golden hue and banana plantation dressed both sides of the road. The vastness of these mountains will surely entertain the heart of a mountain soul. The idea is to feel the most alive and not die from boredom seconds after.

After hundreds of bumps and humps, we made it safely to the jumpoff area and managed to disembark. The cold air dominated the whole atmosphere that gave chilling sensation to our nasals. An early morning scene in this remote place felt exclusive. Then, we had a heartful breakfast at the nearby

Asik Asik Falls, Alamada, North Cotabato

 (food stall) with tangy strawberries as a side dish. From then on, it was all foot downhill to meet Asik-Asik Falls. The trek was absolutely easy even for beginners. Through the collective effort, not only by the tourism of Cotabato but also by each local, they managed to develop the cemented stair trail down to Asik-Asik Falls.

Not more than 30 minutes after, the sound of running water can be heard from the cemented pavement that had our hearts racing. Excitedly, we made our paces swifter downhill. The fragrant smell of the wildflowers thriving near Asik-Asik Falls had us welcomed, too. A little more trek down and the first glimpse of Asik-Asik Falls was in sight.

Upon stepping on the last footholds of the stair, thriving bamboo plants formed an awning overhead greeted us and then the trail ended with a gushing river. The river is cold and refreshing as I was frolicking unto it. Scampering through the cold waters of the river, I ended up standing on a wooden log that acted as a makeshift bridge. There, I felt lit being surrounded by this wall of waterfalls on its full glory on an early morning.

Majestic Asik Asik Falls

The mist created from the falls looks so spellbinding while the evident rays of sunlight were piercing to the waterfalls. The beam of light hit the waterfalls at a perfect angle making an arch of a rainbow. Maybe there are no leprechauns or pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for a great find, but sure sometimes there’s a beautiful waterfall instead. Breathtaking white waters spitting from the walls and astonishing sight, kind of hitting the jackpot still.

As I draw myself closer to this little pocket of wonderment, my world opened up a little more. That’s when I was totally head over heels to this waterfalls. And by every second, I let this sense overtook my entire being. I know, everyone has been falling in love at some point of his or her life, but this is a different kind of love. Falling in love with this place fills up my heart with a sense of being home. It’s as if the entire universe conspired to help me find this place. Indeed, a home away from home.

It was surreal, a feeling I won’t be able to describe through any existing words in the world but definitely something I won’t forget. Hundreds of tiny waterfalls there that effortlessly ethereal have had my heart since I first took a glimpse of it. The gushing waters between the rocks and leaves sounded like love songs recited ever so tenderly. I was lost in my own whimsical fairytale idea of falling in love.

Asik Asik Falls: A Worthy Adventure In North Cotabato

I couldn’t help myself with this feeling and took a dip in its freezing water. There, the idea of life resonates with me like a waterfall, it flows and waits for no one. We are a droplet of