Liktinon White Rocks Formation
Madalag,Aklan
Upon the recommendation of the Kalibo Tourism Office, I was invited to go river trekking to the Liktinon White Rocks, a natural rock formation along the Timbaban River that’s been officially declared an eco-tourism site by the municipal government of Madalag, Aklan last April 27, just two days before my visit. “You’re officially the first tourist to visit Liktinon White Rocks!” Francisco “Escot” Intela, the enthusiastic municipal tourism officer, told me as soon as I arrived in his quaint and humble town, 45 minutes away from Kalibo by private van.
vBefore heading off to the trailhead, Escot showed me the few attractions around the landlocked town’s poblacion. The town center of Madalag – the largest municipality in the province of Aklan – sits in the middle of forested mountain valley. The Spanish-era Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) Parish Church sits on a hill overlooking the town plaza and municipal hall. According to Escot, the blue-painted church was built in 1760 but was heavily renovated in the 1970s by the parish priest, thereby losing its old-world charm.At the nearby Roman Catholic cemetery, a towering dita tree has been declared a Philippine Centennial Tree. Native to China, India, Southeast Asia and Australia, the blackboard tree (Alstonia scholaris) was one of 14 century-old indigenous trees across the Philippines officially declared “Philippine Centennial Trees” in celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Philippine Independence in 1998.