Off-grid villages, untouched falls: inside Iloilo’s newest trekking route

ILOILO CITY – TOP Iloilo, a group of outdoor enthusiasts mostly based in Iloilo City and neighboring provinces, is seeking to help establish a trekking route linking five municipalities after completing a four-day expedition across the mountain landscapes of Maasin and Janiuay.

The expedition, held July 28 to 31, brought a five-member team and three local guides through one of Iloilo’s least-explored mountain areas.

The team was composed of Ross Mar L. Jucaban, Ben Libo-on, Rein Abu Gadil, Ruth Garacha, and El John Sicad.

The group reached Mt. Puting Bato, which stands about 1,150 meters above sea level, and Mt. Payung-Payungan, at about 1,300 meters.

The team also visited several waterfalls that it described as largely untouched by mass tourism.

The route presented challenging terrain, including thick mud, steep ridges, and stretches with little to no established trail, according to TOP Iloilo.

The group observed rich forest vegetation throughout the mountain range.

It advised future trekkers to be cautious of the locally known bolan-bolan, a plant that can cause skin irritation.

Along the route, the team encountered upland communities where some villages still have no electricity and continue to rely on kerosene lamps and torches for lighting.

Beyond documenting the landscape, the expedition forms part of the group’s effort to identify a potential trekking corridor connecting the five municipalities.

“Our mission is to help establish a new trekking route that will responsibly connect the municipalities of Alimodian–Maasin–Janiuay–Lambunao–Calinog,” the group said.

The group said the initiative aims to promote sustainable ecotourism, responsible mountaineering, environmental conservation, and livelihood opportunities for communities living near the mountain range.

It also noted that the mountain range extends into neighboring Antique province.

The five municipalities lie along the eastern flank of the Central Panay Mountain Range, which straddles Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, and Aklan and holds some of the last remaining closed-canopy forest in Western Visayas.

Maasin, where the expedition began, hosts the watershed reserve that feeds the Tigum River, a principal raw water source for Metro Iloilo, which makes any increase in foot traffic through its upper reaches a conservation question as much as a tourism one.

In a follow-up inquiry, TOP Iloilo said the four-day exploration served as one of the key reconnaissance missions for Project Warshock 2027, a planned long-distance expedition that aims to connect mountain trails from Miagao, Iloilo, to Culasi, Antique, in a single continuous route.

The expedition is expected to take 25 to 30 days.

To date, the group has established and documented several trail connections, including Miagao–Igbaras–Tubungan–Leon–Alimodian, Mt. Madjaas–Culasi–Tibiao, Mt. Nangtud–Barbaza–Jamindan–Tapaz, and Mt. Baloy–Calinog.

TOP Iloilo also expressed gratitude to the local government of Maasin, the Philippine National Police, and the 12th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army for supporting the expedition.