Upgrading of roads to boost tourism in Tadian

By Gina Dizon

TADIAN, Mountain Province --  Tadian Mayor Anthony Wooden sees a tourist-visited town to boost economy of  Tadian some years from now with the improvement of existing inter-municipal and inter-provincial roads to Mankayan-Benguet, and adjacent towns of  Bauko, Besao and Sagada.

With proposals that reached  the convergence program of  the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the  Department  of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Wooden said the development of  existing  dirt roads to boost tourism in the western part of the province.

Tadian boasts of eco-attractions especially in the Sunnyside barangays- Cagubatan, Pandayan, Banaao and Lenga- locating the popular enchanted eel, Gawaan lake, Pey-asan falls, and Mount Mogao. There are two existing rugged routes and one paved road to reach said sites.

One is the Guinzadan- Cagubatan- Amam road exiting  to nearby Bauko town badly needs concreting. The access road passes through  a view of  Mount  Mogao  popularly called Mount  Clitoris seen from the Cagubatan roadside on to  Kadad-anan where finds  Arabica  coffee farms.  A climb atop Mount Mogao peak enables views  of  Sunnyside  barangays and nearby Bauko municipality.

Gawaan Lake is accessed via said route. Offering potentials of boating and fishing, its environs is a favorite picnic ground located in barangay  Banaao.  Rice terraces  in this side of the town are a sight  during May and  November when rice grains are  golden-ripe and yellow.

Cagubatan prides itself with the much-visited  moody enchanted eel which shows itself when it wants and believed sacred by the community people. The eel shows its full length to whoever it fancies. It may show only its head, neck, up to its stomach or to its full length to its tail.

The  30 kilometer  Guinzadan-Cagubatan-Am-am route enables one to see the Observatory Rock located at sitio Am-am.

Another 50 kilometer Guinzadan-Cagubaan- Sayapot  dirt road  going to Mankayan, Benguet also accesses the Sunnyside area and a take to cool waters irrigating nearby rice terraces. Pey-asan and Ub-ubanan Falls are located in Sumadel a 30 minute drive away from  Poblacion.

Wooden said  regional DOT director Purificacion Molintas inspected the proposed tourism roads including the equally dusty and rugged  Tadian-Besao-Sagada via Nakawang  route.

The proposed upgrading of the 80 kilometer Sagada-Besao- Tadian Road which  links Mountain Province to Quirino,llocos Sur highlights tourist attractions Besao rice terraces and falls  and vantage point for viewing the historic Tirad Pass.

Tadian borders Besao municipality on the north, Sagada and Bauko on the east, Bauko on the south and Cervantes, Ilocos Sur on the west. 

The Cervantes-Tadian road passing through  the historic 180 meter Aluling Bridge links Ilocos Sur to Tadian.   

The cultural and spiritual psyche of  Tadian is an interesting mix of lowland and highland culture owning to its nearness with Cervantes Ilocos Sur where a number of Tadian residents are natives of  Cervantes. Tadian though persisted to keep its indigenous culture with the practice of  age-old rituals.

The barangay of Sumadel finds “footprints” of  the legendary god Lumauig when he visited Tadian. Tadian  folklore says  Lumawig came from  Besao and went to Sumadel then to Gao creek  where he erected a stone then proceeded to Kayan. He found Batanga and married her and bore a son and daughter named Bangan. He performed cultural rituals which persists today.