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Stories of town explorations.
This is a travel blog guide, review, and curation dedicated to Tulunan Falls of Pisan.

• This page will be updated intermittently once new information is obtained.

• If this free travel guide was helpful in planning your trip, you may support this blog by following us on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

🇵🇭 KABACAN, COTABATO
EDMARATION
EDMARATION
EDMARATION
EDMARATION
This travel guide is divided into sections, organized in separate tabs for context-based navigation. Once I get to gather more data and materials for Tulunan Falls of Pisan, I will update this article. You can also expand thumbnail photos by clicking on them.

▼ OVERVIEW ▼ HISTORY TIMELINE ▼ REVIEW GUIDE ▼ WHERE TO STAY ▼ WHAT TO DO ▼ WHERE TO EAT
TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

General: The word Tulunan came from the Maguindanao word "tulun," which means "a place of abundance."

Location: Tulunan Falls is located in Brgy Pisan of Kabacan town in Cotabato province. It's under Purok Bermuda. The waterfall base has an elevation of approximately 145 meters above sea level. For the exact location, check my Google pin here.

Route or Directions The entry or jump-off point is at Purok Kuweba, still in Pisan. The jump-off point is approximately 28 minutes away from Kabacan Terminal Complex. See the map below for the suggested directions and route if you're coming from downtown Kabacan. If you are using a navigation app, this is the GPS coordinates of the jump-off village: 7.200980, 124.870478.



Entrance Fee: As of this posting, the entrance fee per head is 10 pesos which you have to pay the moment you reach the village. The house near the parking area is where you are going to pay for the entrance fee. If you're not sure, you may ask the crowd—but beware of scammers.

Parking Details: There is a parking area at the jump-off village suitable for motorcycles. Parking fee is 5 pesos per motorcycle unit. See photo of the parking area below.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Trail profile: The trail from the jump-off village to the waterfalls base is approximately 500 meters. The start of the trail has an elevation of approximately 95 MASL. Approximate elevation gain on the trail is 53 meters from the start of the trail.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Opening/Closing Time: The area is open from 6 AM to 4 PM.

Facilities: There are three cottages for rent at 100 pesos each (as of this posting). There are no stores and restrooms. See photo of the cottage below.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Ownership: The waterfall is actually located inside a private property. Below is a selfie I took with the private owner of the waterfall.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN
TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

2025-February-02 • This date became the first time I visited this waterfall. This date is also the basis of the information I initially added on this travel guide blog. Based on what I heard, Tulunan (falls) has been here since time immemorial; but it was only recently when they opened it to the public that they called it as "newly discovered" falls about 2 weeks prior to this visit.
TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Location and Access Guide: The location of the place is a Muslim community. It is important to be aware of the cultural boundaries if you are a Christian. Location access is easy, as the roads leading to the village of Purok Kuweba in Pisan are paved. If you didn't bring your own vehicle, there are tricycles in the village. As to the fare, I have no info.

Directions Guide: If you are coming from Kabacan poblacion/downtown, I posted a route suggestion under the OVERVIEW section courtesy of Google Maps. The advantage of this waterfall is its easy accessibility from anywhere in Kabacan as the road network is efficient. I suggest using a motorcycle when visiting this place, though. You may not want to soil your car after a muddy hike.

Expenses Guide: The only mandatory expense you may utilize is the 10-pesos entrance fee (as of this posting). If you brought your own vehicle, parking fee is 5 pesos for motorcycles/scooters. Bringing your own food is not prohibited.

Parking Guide: If you're planning to bring your vehicle, the parking area is a small space under a tree. They charge 5 pesos per motorcycle as of this posting. I am not sure for four wheels. In our case, there are parts of the parking area that were muddy.

Trail Guide: The trail is like a walk in the park. Be careful of some parts, though. Despite the almost flat trail, there are sections that are slippery and muddy. I slipped and fell twice on this hike. It's a 15-minute hike from the village to the waterfall passing through farms, plantations, and mountain landscapes. Along the trail, several species of forest plants are abundant. The lower cascades of the creek are also visible along the trail.
TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

There are no available homestays or inns around the area. I also don't recommend staying with the locals due to the lack of tourism management guidelines as of this posting. The waterfall's popularity became viral with unexpected influx of visitors, so the community did not expect a sudden arrival of multitude, crowding their small mountainside village. There are three cottages available at the base of the waterfalls, though. The owner charges 100 pesos per hut as of this posting.
TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Hiking: Enjoy a softcore leisure hike. Notice the lower cascades along the trail. Don't forget to view and enjoy the mountain landscapes and the trail that dissects a certain banana plantation.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Swim at the waterfall: The path of the cascades are not slippery. The rocks were mineralized, and they stick to your feet. Take a shower in a safe corner and enjoy the waterfall massage.

TULUNAN FALLS - PISAN

Climb the waterfall: The waterfall has several layers per drop. You may want to climb the highest cascade that is open to public. Observe safety and precaution first, though.
There are no restaurants around. There is a sari-sari store at the village, though.


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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST

2025-February-16:
• This post was published.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.

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Stories of town explorations.
As a millennial who also committed many social media mistakes during its early days, I consider my previous blunder callouts as baptism of fire to the world of virtual reality.

• [...] we millennials were the babies when this digital revolution of networking happened. Like an innocent child, our posts were genuine and authentic.

• After 17 years from this moment, the church became even more prominent with scientific conservation applied.

• I couldn’t remember who owned the digicam I used, but I’m sure I never owned a digital camera in 2008. However, I’ve already gravitated to digicams back then. I knew that I already had an innate interest in this phenomenon called blogging now.

🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA, ILOCOS SUR, PHILIPPINES
EDMARATION

2008 is almost two decades ago. As a millennial who transitioned from the analogue to the digital era, I know the feeling of being at the crossroads of these two eras. I created my Facebook profile in 2008; but prior to that, I already had a Friendster account in 2004. Back to the future, I’m now writing this 2008 story from my 2025 standpoint.

 ►  My thoughts as a millennial: 2008 versus 2025


The mere thought that this story happened 17 years ago is saturating my current mood now with nostalgia. 2008 was already a part of the digital era when we, millennials, documented our daily lives genuinely in digital formats. At the dawn of the digital revolution and information technology, we’ve just bid farewell to our scented stationeries, Sterling notebooks for our journals, and—at times—Cattleya notes.

The dawn of social media was as genuine as our written diaries. It became toxic, though, at a point in time; but I think that social media also had its own learning curve. It was a process.

Social media is a virtual community that is self-regulating through community feedback. Like an actual community (like a barangay, a town, or a city), social media community matured through the years of trial and error—gatekeeping what’s best for the virtual community. But of course, our online community also had its darkest days. It’s just that, we millennials were the babies when this digital revolution of networking happened. Like an innocent child, our posts were genuine and authentic until we got consumed by our egos through constant validation and Dopamine rewards for the likes and shares. Truth to be told, I also became a part of this toxicity and trend. At that time, social media was relatively new, so I'd say I also underwent the trial-and-error period.

Social media superstars were born until the landscape changed. It became a commercial platform—and it has always been (from subtle then to more profound now)—in exchange of our attention and engagements. As a millennial who also committed many social media mistakes during its early days, I consider my previous blunder callouts as baptism of fire to the world of virtual reality.

SANTA MARIA CHURCH, ILOCOS SUR
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I took this photo in 2008, and I originally uploaded it on Friendster. My Friendster account back then was an extension of my stint as a campus journalist who wrote feature stories. Friendster used to be a platform for my feature journalism and some random personal stuff.
The change in social media landscape is expected, though. It was new during our time as social media babies. Social media also matured with us with a lot of gatekeeping, things to learn & unlearn, and wisdom to ace both the toxicity and inspiration associated with it.

After all, social media is beautiful and inspirational when utilized for the right reasons.

 ►  The 2008 memories of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur


In 2008, I was able to save some photos I took in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur. I originally uploaded these photos on Friendster. When Facebook became the trend, I reuploaded them into Facebook. This story happened on 2008-December-29, 2 days before the new year (2009). At that time, I joined my churchmates in a community engagement. I was 20 years old then. I just passed my board exam in nursing at that time. I still got a lot of time to join church activities at that time because I was still unemployed.

I couldn’t remember who owned the digicam I used, but I’m sure I never owned a digital camera in 2008. However, I’ve already gravitated to digicams back then. I knew that I already had an innate interest in this phenomenon called blogging now. Back then, I just wanted to take photos of places and experiences so that I could share them to my Friendster account.

On our way to Vigan, we had a side trip in Santa Maria. We visited some church friends in an inland barangay. I went up the hill and took a selfie. Atop the hill, the view of the Ilocos rice fields dominated the frame.

SANTA MARIA CHURCH, ILOCOS SUR
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I climbed the hill and took a selfie as a remembrance for this 2008 experience. This is Edmar, when he was 20 years old. That brown jacket I used is originally owned by my grandmother which I asked from her. I still have that jacket with me in 2025.
SANTA MARIA CHURCH, ILOCOS SUR
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • This is the view from the top of the hill, a 2008-ish vibe.
SANTA MARIA CHURCH, ILOCOS SUR
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I also took a photo of the barangay road. Potholes and cracks filled the one-lane road. The road seemed like if would lead us to the foothills of the mountains of Ilocos if we followed the path.
As we passed through the población of Santa Maria, I took a snap of the Sta Maria Church, now called officially as Minor Basilica and Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Assumption.

At that time, this church—a UNESCO heritage site—was not yet as celebrated as it is today.

SANTA MARIA CHURCH, ILOCOS SUR
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • This is the 2008-ish version of the famed Santa Maria Church. After 17 years from this moment, the church became even more prominent with scientific conservation applied.
SANTA MARIA CHURCH, ILOCOS SUR
🇵🇭 SANTA MARIA • I took this photo as we crossed the Santa Maria Bridge. This became my last frame as we exited the town at dusk.
The sky has turned dark when we were about to leave the town. I took a snap from the bridge in Santa Maria that connects the town to the rest of the northern towns of ▼ ILOCOS

LATEST STORIES COVERING ILOCOS

via the ▼ MANILA NORTH ROAD

🇵🇭 LUZON ISLAND • Manila North Road/MacArthur Highway: Local Guide + Review

This is a travel blog feature, local travel guide, review, and curation dedicated to the Manila North Road as a subject matter.
.

I managed to take a photo of the mountainous landscape of ▼ ILOCOS SUR

LATEST STORIES COVERING ILOCOS SUR

at dusk.

I have countless memories of Santa Maria even as a child, but this 2008 memory was captured in photos. Back to the future (2025), I'm rekindling these memories as part of my digital diaries now.

 ►  Realtime Ending Thoughts


It's 09:02 AM of 2025-January-26 as I write this realtime ender. I'm writing this blog now here in Cotabato inside our paternal ancestral house. It's Sunday, and it seems inviting to have a quick ride around. However, my nocturnal self is telling me I need to sleep now because I haven't slept yet overnight.

🇵🇭 KABACAN • It's a realtime photo-ender in our ancestral house in Cotabato.
The good thing here is, I'm not ending my January without a blog post. It's a productive week, and it's a productive day.

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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST

2025-January-26:
• This post was published.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.
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