While Tanay Falls may be the drawing campers to the sleepy town of Majayjay at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, one beauty has stayed off most nature lovers' radar for some time now. So popular is Tanay Falls in Majayjay that its commonly called "Majayjay Falls". But this post is not about Tanay Falls. Its about Bukal Falls. And most folks, even those who think they knew Majayjay, would likely respond: "Bukal Falls? Where?"

There was a time when the nearby town of Liliw also laid claim to the area. The locals said its been settled. Bukal Falls (or called Kilangin if you are asking in Liliw) is Majayjay's.


There's a group (religious cult) who make the pilgrimage there couple times a year (they have a grotto up there), several groups of hikers who had known about Bukal from blogs and word-of-mouth would make the day trip every now and then, but no steady arrival of campers. There's no clear camp site, and once you start on the almost untrodden trail down to the falls, you will definitely realize: "yeah, nobody's been here for quite some time..."


My last trip revealed another side of Bukal Falls, one where the water flow is strong and the main falls has swollen into a full scale raging waterfalls, far from the trickle on most months.


That's what is exciting about chasing waterfalls, you may shoot them more than once, but they something different every time.


"Spread word about our Bukal Falls", some of the local half-pleadingly remarked as we made our way back to the barangay's basketball court where we parked our vehicles. Ah tourism money ... the barangay could surely use it. But its always a tricky balance to strike: preserving this natural beauty and getting more people to enjoy it as well.