Mention the name Palanan, and even province mates of this remote town find this municipality a mystery, mainly because of its inaccessibility and many natural wonders, said Governor Ma. Gracia Cielo Padaca, who described the 397 – year old town as one of Isabela’s best kept secrets. Though some outsiders tag Palanan (population less than 20,000) as 'the town that time forgot,' many of its residents don’t seem to mind.

Nestled in the far eastern corner of the province of Isabela, bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the relatively small and unknown coastal town of Palanan provides a number of empty and peaceful island alternatives when its neighboring provinces are jam-packed with beach frolickers.

Paranan, a mixture of Ibanag, Spanish, Tagalog and the indigenous Agta (or Dumagat) language, is the town’s dialect. One can freely interact with the Agtas which makes the trip to this island more interesting. The Agtas are semi-nomadic tribes roaming the Sierra Madre Mountains and lives along the lean-tos along the river and seacoast (click here to learn more about the Agtas).

Palanan has been known as the place where General Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the First Philippine Republic, made his last stand against US forces in 1901. Aguinaldo sought refuge in what is now called Barangay Marikit, where he met and fell in love with a local lass named Isabel Lopez. American forces led by General Frederick Funston finally captured General Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901.

Nature conservationists have managed to push Palanan into the limelight, calling it 'the home of the guardians of the Sierra Madre' and citing local folks for sacrificing their poor town’s progress and development in order to save the virgin forests in the northern part of the mountain range. The mountains are wild and remote, with not a single road crossing the range in its entire length (although most maps do erroneously show several routes). The terrain is extremely rugged, the mountains steep and densely forested. The highest point within the area is Mount Cresta (eleavation:5486 feet), with at least two more peaks namely Mount Divilacan (4,301 feet) and Mount Palanan (3,977 feet).

“Taking the plane over to Palanan is a treat in itself,” Governor Padaca emphasized. “You can see the beauty of the Sierra Madre from the sky, the green treetops look like giant broccolis," he said. Eco-tourists will be glad to know that six kinds of forests have been identified in the area.

According to the DoT Regional director Blessida Diwa, for a long time, tourism has not been given much attention in the province despite its diverse offering to both environmentalist and regular tourists. But the DoT, with the help of the local government of Isabela, is trying to change that now. Palanan’s rich and colorful historical background, natural harbors, abundant coral, prolific marine life, and rich terrestrial areas are just among the resources that it can offer for eco-tourism destinations.



And then there are the virgin white sand beaches of Dicotcotan and Didadungan, probably Isabela’s best kept secrets. The coastline of both beaches are very much exposed to strong waves from the Pacific Ocean, perfect not only for swimming but also for surfing. Dicotcotan beach has a three-kilometer coastline with coral reefs, sea grass beads and sandy shoreline that is fringed with a coastal forest and a village. According to Reynante de Veyra, a staff from the city hall, there has been frequent sightings of pointed nosed dolphins and hump back whales (aside from the various species of fishes and shellfish, and marine turtles that can be seen from the surface).

Other interesting eco-tourism spots in Palanan are the Culasi Beach, Diminalo Lake, Kanataw Lake, Digoyo Lake, Kanasamuyan Cave, Disangkilan and Sad-Sad falls. A lot of nature to see here - which makes the trip to Palanan well spent, if you ask me.