Lake Sebu in South Cotabato is home to four Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardees, the Philippines’ National Living Treasures, and the T’boli master weavers known as Dreamweavers. Their traditions—from sacred T’nalak weaving to brass casting and epic chanting—remain deeply rooted in the community.

Lake Holon, with its picture-perfect backdrop and spectacular natural features carved by Mother Nature over millions of years, is without a doubt one of Mindanao's, if not the Philippines', most beautiful destinations.

Opening my eyes to a still-dark room had me instantly recalling the eerie creaking of the floorboards I heard the night before. Jolted to consciousness, I half-expected to see a shadowy figure standing at the foot of my bed. I saw nothing but the faint illumination of electric light seeping through the small window. Pacifying my anxious mind, I assured myself that a bunch of scurrying rats were behind what I initially thought were hurried footsteps outside my room. Hearing noises during the previous three nights would have been fine, but on that fourth night in question, I was the only remaining guest staying at the budget hut of Punta Isla Lake Resort—where a dorm bed only cost me one hundred eighty pesos per night. Not bad, even if it comes with a slight fright every evening!

T'daan Kini Falls is located at Barangay Lamlahak in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Reaching this remote place will take you about forty-five minutes of brisk walking from the main pit stop at Sitio Talubek, passing straight through the rural village at the foothills of a scenic, rolling hillside. In the local dialect, "T'daan" literally means the "meeting of cold and hot water."

As I rested my head on the window of the van, half-tired from a lack of sleep, I caught a glimpse of the scenic Lake Sebu. Although my view was slightly distorted by a smudgy glass, it didn't matter, as the scene of a thick forest snaking around a tranquil body of water was hard to ignore. Soon, my weary body started to jolt with pure anticipation. The thought finally rested and crested solidly in my head: I was finally in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.