by Jims Vincent Capuno
The place is touted to be Mindanao’s Old World. Some 107 kilometers westward from General Santos City is the quaint town of Maitum, Sarangani. “A trip to Maitum is a journey back to the past,” says its tourism brochure.
In a way, that was what we observed when we visited the place recently (together with my friend, Jay Rey L. Subaldo, of Digilution). In Maitum, time seems to stand still; not too many vehicles so there’s hardly any traffic. No air pollution, either, and trees abound. Clean and pristine beaches, crystal clear rivers, uncharted caves, and breathtaking waterfalls await those who visit this town.
But what makes Maitum truly remarkable are its archaeological assemblage, which are “unparalleled in Southeast Asia.” Actually, these artifacts are burial jars made of earthenware designed and shaped like human figures with complete facial characteristics which date back to the Metal Age (circa 5 B.C. to A.D. 225).
“The depiction of human faces and figures in earthenware medium itself has been a great tradition by the people who produced these artifacts for their generations, and for us to discover. This is a wealth of culture traditions which has been lost through the years, perhaps hundreds or thousands of years ago,” said Dr. Eusebio Dizon, the director of National Museum in Manila.
One account said the national treasure was found in 1991 in the Ayub Cave in barangay Pinol while some Maitumians were searching for birds’ nests, a delicacy. During their quest, they unearthed the artifacts — hundreds of them.
The original artifacts are now preserved at the National Museum, where they are on exhibit under Faces of Maitum: An Exhibition of Anthropomorphic Pottery. “These treasures were declared as important cultural property by the National Museum,” Mayor Lucille R. Perrett said. “Every Maitumian should be very proud of this.”
But there’s more to Maitum than the very old cave artifacts. For one, there are the beaches. “We have clean and pristine beaches in Maitum with fine black sand,” said Elizabeth Ramos-Palma Gil, the town’s information officer. Although not fully developed yet, guests and visitors can have fun at the following beaches: Yabes, Mc Ian, and Pawikan.
Speaking of pawikan, all coastal barangays are primary nesting grounds of marine turtles, including Hawksbill, Green, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead. You can have the opportunity of touching live pawikan at the nesting and study site in barangay Old Poblacion.
“We want to protect the marine turtles because they are endangered species,” says Jerry C. Bascuña, the municipal environment and natural resources officer. The late mayor George Y. Yabes started the initiative, which the present mayor maintains. Since 2003, more than 3,000 hatchlings have been released to the sea.
Managing the pawikan hatchery is Danilo C. Dequiña, who was recently featured in the international publication Reader’s Digest for his work. “I know that in my own way, I have contributed something for the protection and conservation of marine turtles. If we don’t do something now, they may be gone from our waters soon.”
However, if your interest is diving, the town has one of the best diving environments. Mabay Reef is situated some two hours off the town’s coast. At 40 feet deep, you will have the opportunity of seeing the weird and unusually huge cardinal fish (Apogon spp.). At the Barracuda Highway, you can view as many as 500 of them in constant patrol. About five kilometers to the west is Kalaong Reef, home to the solitary grey black tip reef sharks.
For extreme adventure, take the whitewater challenge at Pangi River’s 1.6-kilometer tube ride in barangay La Union. “Wala itong katulad sa bansa (nothing like this in the country),” commented Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano after enjoying the 30-minute whitewater tubing ride recently. He added that other resorts may have rafting, “you would be lucky to get wet, but here, once you step into the tube, you’re already wet.”
“The current is stronger, the water is cold, there are several boulders to negotiate, and it is really whitewater,” replies Ramos-Palma Gil when asked how it differs from other whitewater tubing in Mindanao.
Maitum’s attractions are not only above and under water. Caves and the rainforest are the natural habitat of rare giant flying foxes (Acedoron jubatus). These fruit bats (which feed on fruits, flowers, nectars and leaves) were discovered in 2003 by Apolinario Carino, a wildlife specialist from the Center for Tropical Conservation.
“The bats were initially found beside the highway within sight of passers-by, but these bats transferred to the back of an elementary school building, a kilometer away from the first site,” says Ramos-Palma Gil. Today, there are about 22,000 bats which you can see as they fly across the sky at twilight.
There are also thousands of bats in barangay Ticulab, about 12 kilometers away from the town proper. “These types of bats are pollinators and seed dispensers,” the tourism brochure stated. “They have good eyesight for hunting food at night.”
Nature lovers will certainly enjoy the unspoiled rainforest around the town. To the keen observer, Maitum’s dense forest, which teems with beautiful wild flowers, seems to slow the sun’s descent in the west.
The rainforest is home to endangered species of fauna. For one, tarsiers, which until recently have been thought to thrive only in Bohol, also exist in the town’s mountainous areas. The rare writhed-billed hornbill and tarictic hornbill are also found in the surrounding rainforest. The endangered Philippine Eagle – tha national bird — also thrives in the area. Other wild animals are wild boar, deer, monkeys, and various species of snakes.
Going deeper into the forest, you will find some waterfalls, including the enchanting Twin Falls, which is also claimed by neighboring Kiamba as theirs. “It takes a day trek and uphill climb to reach Twin Falls,” the information officer says, adding that there are about eight major uncharted falls in Maitum. “The highest are the two 30-feet falls in barangay Bati-an and about 35 feet high in barangay Ticulab.” The two barangays are about 13 kilometers away from the town.
Every year, Maitum celebrates three festivals: Bangsi (as a toast to its One Town, One Product – marinated flying fish), Binuyugan (a celebration of thanksgiving for all the blessings God has bestowed on the Maitumians), and L’Muog (a festival of the T’boli folks).
Around a thousand households depend on the bangsi industry, with average annual catch of more or less 600 tons. Since it is the town’s number one product, the people celebrate the Bangsi Festival during the last week of January.
Every fourth week of May, Maitum comes to life through the Binuyugan Festival. The main attractions are the street dancing and agro-trade fair (where farmers offer their best produce of grains, vegetables, fruits, flowers, and marine products). Delicious kakanins, processed marine products, and handicraft are exhibited during the fair. Other attractions are tupa derby and the search for Miss Maitum.
As the world celebrates the coming of Christ on December 25, the T’bolis converge on the seashore, bathe in its waters, and reenact their old practices and old ways of living. This is done during the third week of December. Wearing colorful costumes, they dance, play, and do things their ancestors did in the old times.
According to local folklore, the town got its name from the black stones in Saub River. It is believed that the river stones turned black when the local native princess and her warrior lover passed through it as they eloped and escaped from the wrath of the princess’ father who disapproved of their relationship. In their dialect, maitum means “black.”
Don’t go home without something to bring from the town. Among the pasalubong you can buy are souvenir T-shirts, half-dried marinated flying fish, rice and corn coffee, banana chips, tinagtag, bagoong, and rice cakes (tupig, bibingka, tinudok, puto, suman, and patupat). — ###
Those who want to visit Maitum can contact Elizabeth Ramos-Palma Gil at this number: 0921-594-4228. Or, you may call the two tourism operations assistants: Arnelito Ramirez (0918-613-3022) and Arlex Narte (0919-373-8007). Some of the photos are courtesy of the Maitum Tourism Office.
