Nueva Vizcaya - Provincial Capitol

Bayombong is the industrial center and the seat of the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya. The elegantly landscaped provincial capitol complex is situated in an 8-hectare park that features a fountain, boating lagoon, picnic huts, a stage and sports facilities.
            "The capitol building is a study of architectural ingenuity. It has a park with exotic plant species, concrete benches and sidewalks lighted with giant lamps and man-made lagoon ideal for rowing the colorful mini-boats operated by handicapables, also called the Luneta of the north."

           

 The complex if perfect of family gatherings as the surroundings is so green with a lot of trees and ornamental plants. There are also some rolling stores where you could get some snacks.  it is well-designed and serves as a recreation facility to the people of Nueva Vizcaya.

                                                        

Mapalyao Falls

My first time to visit this barrio in my birth province of Nueva Vizcaya. A friend and I hired a tricycle for a measly fee of P250 to bring us to and from this place which we heard about by word of mouth from other friends who have made previous visits to the spot. It was a mere 8 kilometers from the more known busy town of Solano, but the trip consisted of intermittent concrete and dirt roads and an uphill drive up a winding mountain. On more than one occasion, my friend and I had to alight from the not-so-new tricycle and hike while the driver negotiates his vehicle up the dirt road without our restrictive combined weight. (Hahaha!) The trip was fun nevertheless with the endless scenic views of green rice fields and trees, mountains, and blue skies, and was well worth it when the rushing waters of Mapalyao falls finally came into view. For the next 3 hours, we soaked up the cool waters, the sun, and the awesome beauty of nature (with several dozens of digital souvenirs) before heading back home in our three-wheeled hired vehicle. :)

Imugan Falls (a hidden sanctuary!)

One of the most famous falls in Nueva Vizcaya is the Imugan Falls. It is located in the province’s southernmost town, Sta. Fe. Imugan Falls is a 35-foot spring waterfalls flowing between two mountains. It is so called a hidden sanctuary since it will take you seven kilometers of unpaved road from the national highway, and an additional one kilometer hike from Brgy. Imugan. If you're up to the challenge and you want to experience nature in its unadulterated form, you'll be rewarded with such a majestic sanctuary after hiking through the rugged terrain.

Imugan is one of the barangays of Sta. Fe, a sleepy town in province of Nueva Vizcaya. Imugan is nestled high up in the Caraballo Mountain Range bordering Nueva Vizcaya and the province of Pangasinan. It’s one of those places where if you look both ways you can see everything. Not much to see there for tourists (except for the waterfalls of course!) but nature lovers would find this remote and rustic village a perfect getaway place . Researchers, both foreign and local, have also been frequenting the place. Imugan, you see, is the only place in the Philippines where they have a carbon trading initiative (in line with the Kyoto Protocol) and a very successful sustainable forest management program.. The place is being maintained by the Kalahan Foundation (setup by the community, the whole of Imugan is ancestral domain of the Kalahan tribe).

Capisaan Cave System (Lion - Alayan)
Brgy. Capisaan, Malabing Valley, Kasibu town, Nueva Vizcaya

            Dark and dangerous, often scary but intriguing. These are but some of the words that come to mind when one hear the word “cave.” And yet, the Philippines has 1,756 of them, one of which is the Capisaan Cave. Although relatively unfamiliar to many, its numerous breathtaking formations have awed both newbie and professional cave enthusiasts or “spelunkers.”

            The holding of the First National Caving Congress in 2001 in the province of Nueva Vizcaya brought the then newly-discovered Capisaan Cave to the attention of environmentalists, scientists and cave enthusiasts who have since acknowledged it as one of the country’s best, a “geologist’s paradise.” This recognition was reinforced when the province repeated its hosting duties a decade later.

            It is located 700-900 meters above sea level in Brgy. Capisaan in the citrus-filled Malabing Valley in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya. It is also known as the Lion-Alayan Cave because its two main entry and exit points, from end to end, are the Lion and Alayan Caves.The 4.2-kilometer long Capisaan Cave is considered as the fifth longest cave system in the Philippines and ranked among of the best, considered a geologist’s paradise due to its varying rare calcite formations and unique stalagmite and stalactite formations. Within its four kilometer length is a subterranean river that doubles as a passageway to the best part of this multi-chambered cave.