Cutting
through the mountains and hillsides of Samar from east to west, the
90-kilometer Ulot River, the longest river in Samar, is a thing of beauty.
Surrounded by verdant forest and limestone karsts featuring dramatic rock
formations, clear cascading waters stream through a setting that conceals a
vast network of cave systems, including the Langun-Gobingob Cave, widely
regarded as the biggest in the country and itself, the river once known as a
distribution channel for illegal logging has now become an emerging adventure
tourism destination.
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| Group shot at Deni's Point of Ulot River |
Even though the Ulot River streams into a number of towns in Samar, the jump-off point for tourism activities on the river such as the TORPEDO ride we experienced, begins in Paranas, Samar. Land travel from Tacloban, where we came from during our trip, lasts almost a couple of hours over a rough and bumpy highway. Despite the poor road conditions, the scenery kept me amused throughout the trip.
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| Tourism Center at Ulot River in Paranas, Samar |
We
arrived in Paranas shortly after 7 a.m., having departed Tacloban before 5 a.m.
The TORPEDO team members after gleefully welcoming us, promptly led us inside a
newly constructed tourism center, complete with a briefing space and bathing
facilities.
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| The pre-torpedo boat ride briefing |
Following
the 15-minute orientation, during which a guide explained the dos and don'ts of
the river trip, we were given our separate helmets and life vests and
instructed to board a torpedo boat in a group of four, thereby dividing our
party into two.
A
River with a Shadowy Past
During
the peak of lumber exploitation in the 1970s, loggers set their sights on the
forests of several provinces, including Samar. The Ulot River back then, was
seen as a strategic distribution conduit for illegally cut logs. As the river
transported thousands of felled trees downstream, so did the illicit logging
industry, which persisted despite numerous prohibitions and restrictions until
2003, when the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), the Philippines' largest
national park, was established, encompassing the entire Ulot River.
Birth
of the TORPEDO
After
the creation of SINP, local stakeholders, the LGU of Samar, with the guidance
of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the
Department of Tourism (DOT), and even other NGO groups such as ABS-CBN's
Lingkod-Kapamilya, worked together to develop a livelihood strategy for
sustainable tourism and conservation management for the surrounding
environment. This model aimed to help residents who had been involved in
illegal logging transition into becoming prominent players in Ulot River’s
potential tourism draw.
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| Part of the super long Ulot River |
In
2008, TORPEDO, an acronym for Tenani Boat Operators for River Protection and
Environmental Development Organization, began operations. The aim was to
showcase the beauty of the Ulot River and offer a unique experience, slightly comparable
to white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro.
They
utilized the same torpedo-shaped boats, which were previously used for
transporting logs, for tourism purposes. Built without an outrigger, it mirrors
the shape of a torpedo designed to slither and slalom past the river's boulders
and slice through the flowing water with ease.
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| Ready for the Torpedo boat ride |
Since then, the TORPEDO boat rides have been giving adventure junkies a thrilling ride along a 10-kilometer part of the river, taking an hour going downstream and another hour going upstream. If the TORPEDO group is composed of an all-male boating crew, a women's organization was also created to cater to the other tourism draw of Samar Island Natural Park (SINP).
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| What a recovery from the abuse of illegal logging decades ago |
The
national park, which spans 333,000 hectares, covers a wide area of old-growth
forest teeming with snaking hiking trails and birding sites. SINP is home to
over 210 bird species and over a thousand species of flora and fauna.
The
Tenani Association for Women and Development, or TAWAD, is an all-women group
that manages the other eco-destinations inside SINP. Unfortunately, after our
Ulot River experience, we didn't have time to check out the hiking trails or
even one of the many waterfalls and caves inside the SINP. I guess, a return
trip is in order in the near future.
New
Engines Boost River Tourism
Back
in December 2022, a few days before Christmas, the Tourism Promotions Board of
the Philippines (TPB), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), conducted
a Community-Based Tourism (CBT) workshop in Paranas and, following the
conclusion, gifted the members of the TORPEDO Organization with 10 motorboat
engines.
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| Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB) handed torpedo boat engines |
The
early Christmas present proved to be beneficial, especially after the pandemic,
as the TORPEDO group began conducting more torpedo boat rides from then until
now to cater to the gradually increasing tourist arrivals in the area.
My
TORPEDO Boat Experience
Even
though I’ve experienced white-water river rafting in Cagayan de Oro City and
Davao City a few times before, I was still feeling the jitters as we got on our
boats,. The sight of the calm river water helped me settle as I spotted a dog
darting down the banks, attempting to keep up with us as we navigated our first
rapid.
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| This dog tried following us. |
Despite
its similarities to white-water river kayaking, the torpedo boat trip puts you
on a smaller, wooden boat without the need to raft as the boatman directs the
boat, which is powered by a boat engine. Unlike with white-water rafting, torpedo
boating allows you to concentrate fully and immerse yourself in the entire
experience of navigating the river by having your both hands free to simply
hang on to the side of the boat or take photos and videos.
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| Here comes the splashes |
The
first couple of rapids were smaller ones , but as we slashed our way through
the nearly 10-kilometer downstream course of our Ulot River Torpedo ride, the
rapids grew in size, creating more whirlpool activity and, as a result, larger
splashes.
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| and more rapids |
As
we zipped down Ulot River, marveling at the lush woodlands that lined both
banks, the hour-long trip offered a perfect blend of tranquil moments and
adrenaline-inducing activities.
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| Thrills and pretty sights |
With
my lower torso already drenched from the river's wild spatters, I savored the
deliberate way our torpedo boat cut through the water as it sped downstream to
the rockier section of Ulot, where huge boulders lay scattered. It turns out
that this spot, called Deni's Point, was the torpedo ride's penciled halfway
point.
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| There are a few parts where the TORPEDO men has to manually steer the boat |
We
docked our torpedo boats by a small islet near Deni’s Point and then proceeded
to one of the large boulders for some cliff diving thrills. At a height of
approximately 12 feet, we alternately leapt into the water while wearing our
life vests. Upon hitting the water, the current propelled us downstream for
approximately 60 meters, where we reached on to a rope secured across the river
to guide us back crawling unto the rocks and repeating the thrilling
experience.
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| Here comes the extra fun part |
Doing
it three times proved enough for me to experience a new adventure that, if I
were to compare it to whitewater river rafting in Cagayan de Oro, I'd describe
as "same-same but different." On the way back, this time going
upstream to the jump-off, my adrenaline has simmered down, allowing me to
calmly enjoy the scenery more.
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| Jump and be swept away |
Learning
afterward the history of the Ulot River, from its days as an illegal logging
channel to this emerging adventure tourism site managed by locals who once
plied the trade of cutting trees and becoming sustainable tourism players, made
me appreciate the place more on top of the awesome experience we had riding the
torpedo boat.
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| Look up, not that young man anymore, look up. |
Following
my past experiences, such as overnight caving at Langun-Gobingob Cave in
Calbiga and exploring the Sohoton Natural Park in Basey, among numerous other
caverns and waterfalls I've yet to visit in the province, this thrilling Ulot
River torpedo ride perfectly complements the growing list of adventure
attractions in Samar province. I can absolutely say with conviction that Samar
is a province every traveler shouldn’t overlook anymore.
This article first appeared on Esquire Philippines.
