The Hills of Pasuquin

The other weekend, I went around the eastern part of Pasuquin, my hometown. First stop was Tadao, on the northeast corner where Bimmaka hill is located. Access is through well-kept dirt roads, occasionally paved at strategic areas (where road goes uphill, or where it crosses creeks), with beautiful views of the hills and mountains of Vintar to the east, Sapat to the north, and the distant sea to the west.

There is a small valley between the poblacion and Tadao, reportedly once part of a large encomienda that supported the parish church, but now devoted to agriculture. My sources tell me there was a pre-war manganese mining operation operated by Japanese in Bimmaka. There was also a post-war logging concession operated by one of the pioneering Chinese families in the town.

Right beside the barangay hall (with requisite day care and basketball court) is a kiln for terra cotta products. Sadly, the place looked abandoned, which is a pity, considering the quality of their clay. I plan to go back and bring terra cotta artisans to help the locals improve on their traditional earthen pots and bricks.

To the southeast of the town are other hillside barangays which are also accessed through well-maintained dirt roads. The view from Sta. Catalina, again only a few kilometers from the border with Vintar, is also spectacular--the blue sea to the west, and the green and blue mountains to the east.