There’s an old black and white photo of my mom smiling amidst the spray of a waterfall at her back. At the back of the picture was written: “Alalum Falls, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon”. I have not seen the photo for years but it is locked in my mind. In 1993, while on a research trip, I chanced upon the same waterfall and had a photo taken of myself with the same background as my mom’s. The people I was with that time told me they’ll send the photo but until now I still don’t have it.
Luckily this time, nineteen years later, I had the opportunity to go out of our van, go down the concrete steps and have photos taken of the falls. Coming back from the trek, it was then that I noticed the viewing deck. There was a trellis for flowering vines but sadly, no vine was creeping on it now. It would have been more beautiful had the flowers been in bloom.
Alalum Falls is located in Kisolon, Sumilao, Bukidnon. The 148-foot waterfall and its river serve as a natural boundary of the municipalities of Sumilao and Impasug-ong, Bukidnon. The waterfall is a welcome sight for weary travelers coming from Cotabato or Davao or from nearby Cagayan de Oro.
Looking at the pictures of Alalum Falls that I have taken brought back memories of mom and how happy she looked while she posed. And it dawned on me that I am on the ground where she used to be. Does this mean I have come full circle? J
