Manic about Maitum's White Water Tubing

Filipinos are known for their ingenuity, resilience and innovativeness as a people. That we bear the brunt of so many calamities and disasters, year in, year out, has given us the strength and the spunk to continually find ways and means to survive even in the worst of times. Mind you, all these admirable traits are at work even in—would you believe!—extreme recreational sports, particularly in the seaside town of Maitum in Sarangani Province!

NLU White Water Tubing Eco-Park

There the black rubber tube, normally used as a life-saving gear (salbabida in the vernacular) during swimming, has been re-engineered into a "watercraft", a towable tube that adventure junkies who crave for a heart-pounding, adrenaline-rushing experience can ride on as they indulge in white water tubing, a thrill-filled pastime similar to that of white water rafting that's popular in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

Scene of the action: the mighty Pangi River

In the village of New La Union in Maitum, the rapids of its mighty Pangi River, declared as one of the Philippines' cleanest rivers, provide the perfect setting for water tubing. For just Php350 per person (equivalent to a 2.1 km cruise along the river), water "tubers" get to experience a wet ride on the wild side as they glide and slide their way through the meandering river. The water tubing fee includes use of a life vest, a helmet, a river guide, and most especially, the all-important vessel of the riders, the water tube.

I've already heard much about Maitum's white water tubing adventure long before I went there. Unlike white water rafting—I had fun doing it in Davao years ago—which is a team effort, white water tubing is more of a solo act. You may have a river guide beside you but still you're mostly left to your own devices as you survive your way through the rapids. Given that, I hadn't conditioned myself to try the extreme activity. I hate to admit it but age has caught up on this bum, making him less of a risk-taker! LOL!

Replicas of Maitum's anthropomorphic jars

Still, I wanted to see for myself how the whole thing works. So off I went to Maitum. Joining me was an exuberant gang of millennials, all first-timers to that part of the province. The incorrigible adventure junkies have just plumbed the depths of the Celebes Sea during a quick escape to the Tuka Marine Park in nearby Kiamba (You can check out my post at http://scorpio-sojourn.blogspot.com/2018/08/tucked-away-in-tuka-marine-park.html). From there, we drove our way to Maitum.

En route to the town, I talked about water tubing which is one of the exhilarating things they can do there. Just as I expected, I saw their eyes light up with excitement! "Can we go there, sir?" one of them asked. "Sure, why not? After our visit to the town hall, we'll have lots of time in our hands," I replied. "Yehey!" they chorused.

Reaching the town center, our first stop was a bakery at the public market where we had some coffee and bread for breakfast. Later, we proceeded to the municipal hall to get some information on water tubing. I also wanted to show my young companions one of Maitum's most precious treasures—the replicas of the Ayub Cave anthropomorphic burial jars. Originally found in the village of Pinol, the ancient burial jars are said to have been meticulously crafted by Maitum’s forefathers some 1,500 to 2,000 years ago.

Reputed to be one of its kind throughout Southeast Asia, the terracotta jars served as receptacles of the bones of dead family members. Each jar bears a sculptured face that bears a resemblance to the dead person interred. Other jars, without the sculpted head, have interesting markings and hold other remains. 

Although these are mere replicas of the original jars (which are now under the possession of the country's National Museum in Manila and in Butuan), I wanted my young companions to see them and raise their awareness about the significance of the cultural treasures that have earned for Maitum the monicker, "Mindanao's Old World."  

All geared up for a watery ride

From the town hall, the village of New La Union is about 25-30 minutes away by car.  To my delight, the drive was smooth as the road going there is well-paved. Before I knew it, we reached our destination rather quickly: NLU White Water Tubing Eco-Park. The eco-park is said to be the foremost operator of white water tubing adventure tours in Maitum.

The main gear for water tubing

Almost fifteen years ago, the potential for water tubing at Pangi River was first floated by no less than the mayor's son. Later, he shared his idea with one member of a prominent family in Maitum who liked it, developing part of their property near the river into an eco-park offering water tubing services. The rest, they say, is history. Today, white water tubing has grown to become one of the town's sought-after tourist attractions.  

All my wards, Jiu, Sherie and Juneis, were bursting with excitement as they geared up for their first water tubing experience. Before hitting the river, the "tubers" were first given a short briefing by the eco-park's tour guides who expounded on the do's and don'ts of water tubing. After that, the participants and their guides boarded the motorbikes that would take them upstream, the starting point of the exhilarating 2.1 km-ride over boulder and white water.

Going upstream to the take-off point

From what I've gathered during the briefing, the river guides would be positioning themselves next to the riders (on another tube, of course) all throughout the joyride. They'd be informing the "tubers" where the big rapids are so that they could brace themselves against the rampaging waters, thus, avoid drinking the splashes that come their way.

One of Pangi River's numerous rapids

Of course, there are occasional breaks before shooting the big rapids. That's why I think it's best to enjoy the whole experience with a group of "tubers", at least three just like Jiu and company. Everyone gets the chance to swap jokes during those lull moments—who got to drink so much water, who got thrown out of the tube, who got capsized, who got scared stiff, and what have you. LOL! For my wards, the almost one hour ride was just too short to get the most out of it. Geez, they were passionate, nay, manic, about it! "We'd love to do it over and over again, sir!" they exclaimed.

When you go through that helluva wet ride on the wild side, you get to enjoy not only the thrill and excitement of water tubing but also the beauty of the river and the environment, Jiu once told me. The scene of the action is a visual feast, a soothing relief to the world-weary eyes of urban dwellers like us.

A hanging bridge connecting Maitum to its neighbor, Kiamba

Seemingly, the verdant surroundings, the blue sky, and the mad rushing of the clean river in Maitum conspire to make you fall in love with nature all over again. And as you call it a day, you wish you can stay for a much longer time or perhaps get to see it again some other day. With a sigh, you hope against hope that Pangi River would stay that way for a long, long time.