KALINGA – Kalinga province is a popular destination for tourists who want to be tattooed by Apo Whang od with the ancient Kalinga art form, but the province has more to offer.

In the municipality of Balbalan, local and foreign adventurers delight in the breathtaking and largely unexplored interconnected caves with stalactites and stalagmites, that are thousands of years old.

It also takes pride in its underground river that goes for miles into the cavernous system.

Some parts of the cave also showcase mesmerizing gold ore that glitter when struck by light. The cave itself is covered with rich minerals.

Meanwhile, outside the caves are more scenic views to discover, like rice terraces and the Balbalasang River, considered one of the cleanest rivers in the province.

Residents want these treasures to become profit-generating tourist destinations. However, the municipality lacks a proper road network.

“We have a lot of tourism potential in Balbalan. The only problem is the roads and development. The only issue here is we need money from the DOT (Department of Tourism) to develop these tourism spots,” said Balbalan mayor Ruben Dongui-is.

The local government has already funded some of the roads going to the sitios, but it is not enough to build other roads leading to the tourism sites.

“If now there are already people who want to visit the spots, how much more if the roads are already constructed?” Mayor Dongui-is added.

To get to Balbalan, visitors will have to travel 8 hours by car from Baguio to Tabuk City, then take a 3-hour ride from Tabuk to Barangay Wagud, Pinukpuk.

From there, one has to hike for about 5 hours to get to Sitio Bassao, Tawang, Balbalan, then go to Tawang proper, where the caves are situated.

To visit the Balbalasang River, a traveler must hike back to Wagud and drive for about 2 hours.

For those visiting the municipality, there are no other accommodations available except for the hostel beside the town hall. The local government is hoping that investors would be interested in building homestays in the area.

Going to Balbalasang’s sites is free of charge, but anyone who will visit the area will have to ask permission and register to make sure that visitors will be properly guided.