The historic importance of Palanan, Isabela is it served as the last stand of the first Philippine Republic represented by President Emilio Aguinaldo during the Philippine-American war in 1900’s. Notwithstanding the historical issues implicated to this event by other historians, Emilio Aguinaldo College regards this as one of the achievements of President Emilio Aguinaldo. Emilio Aguinaldo College, as an institution, pioneered a movement to recognize the efforts of the first president in prolonging the war against the Americans. One of these efforts is the documentation on how he endured the challenges brought about by the mountains and rivers of Sierra Madre on his way to Palanan. A group of Emilians was selected to retrace and experience the trail of President Emilio Aguinaldo from San Mariano to Palanan, Isabela.
May 28, 2010 at 5:40 PM, the trekking team sent by Emililo Aguinaldo College formally arrived in Barangay Bisag, Palanan Isabela. The team was composed of Mr. Victor Bambi Guevara, the team leader, a trekker and history enthusiast; Prof. Armando E. Paras of EAC Manila and Prof. Joseph Ronillo Viray of EAC Cavite; and Mr. Lester Magnaye and Mr. Jerald Robles, students of EAC-Manila and EAC- Cavite respectively.
The team used historical documents and local knowledge of the trail such as the book Aguinaldo’s Odyssey; as told in the diaries of Col. Simeon Villa, a confidant of Emilio Aguinaldo who wrote about their retreat to Palanan to evade the American aggressors, and the Trek to Palanan, a full-page account of Bishop Sergio L. Utleg in August 2006 about his trek where the locals believed he passed the old trail used by President Emilio Aguinaldo.
In the research of the team days before the official trekking began, they found out that there were already trails going to Palanan long before Emilio Aguinaldo arrived in the place and that he used guides in his retreat to Palanan. In these modern times, there are three trails that are in existence: the Carabao Trail, Kinalabasa Trail and the Palanan trail, in which the last was identified by the locals as the trail where Emilio Aguinaldo passed.
May 23, at around 5:00 PM, the team arrived in Ilagan, Isabela where Mr. Raffy Jacinto, a member of the BAKIR, a trekking group based in Ilagan, Isabela met with them. Mr. Bambi Guevara discussed with the team the trek plans and final preparations.
May 24, Monday at 5:30 AM, the EAC trekking team left for San Mariano, Isabela, took their breakfast, bought additional equipment, visited and prayed at the San Mariano Church and rented a passenger jeep that took the team to “Nursey”, now Sitio San Isidro, Barangay Desulap, San Mariano, where they arrived and took their lunch at 11:12 AM. At 12:45, the team began their trek leaving San Isidro facing the temperature of 38o Celsius. The team trekked wide trails with very few trees along the way, passing former logging roads while moving up and down hills that were forest areas before but are now denuded. At around 4:30 PM, the trekking team stopped at their first camp, which the team named “Tejeros”, near a river called Dimalaklakan.
May 25, Tuesday at 6:52 AM, the team left camp Tejeros and followed the trail that formed part of the logging road where the team saw cut trees and logging leftovers. Slowly, the team moved on higher grounds where the logging road disappeared and was replaced by forest vegetation. They passed through series of streams where there was presence of abundant potable drinking water. They also decided to slow down on their trekking pace to constantly check on the limatecs (leech that are found in leaves of trees) that were sticking on each of the team member’s body and feet, and at the same time enjoying the untouched forest and the cool temperature it brings. The team camped for the night at around 6:30 PM beside a large stream they named camp “Miong.”
May 26, Wednesday at 8:03 AM, the team followed the Dipadian River on a Northeasterly direction with endless boulders along the way, and crossing slippery rock. There were also instances when the team had to cross steep rocky edges just to avoid large boulders that were impossible to climb or step on-to due to injuries it might bring to any member of the team. They took their lunch in rocky areas beside the river. The façade of the day was constantly rivers and rocks that waited for the team’s every turn. The only consolation for the team was Mr. Bambi Guevara, who was using his GPS (Global Positioning System) and Altimeter to monitor our location and announce our distance going to Palanan. The day ended with the team camping beside the river and named it “Barasoin.”
May 27, Thursday, the team left the camp at 7:00 AM. The terrain was the same as the previous day, river crossings, slippery rocks, boulders and trekking in steep ridge up to lunchtime. At around 2:35 PM, the team was at the junction of Dimego and Dipadian Rivers. In just a few minutes, rain poured while the team was trekking, then they crossed the river, climbed up a small steep mountain and hanged on trees, roots and rocks. After an hour of climbing, they all descended and had one last river crossing until they reached their fourth camp beside the river they named “Magdalo”.
May 28, Friday, the team had a short meeting and agreed to walk up to 10 PM straight until they reach Guisaden River, where the first barangay of Palanan called Bisag is located. The team left at around 6:30 AM and after one river crossing and walking on boulders, the team was back in the mountain this time climbing Mt. Dayap. At around 11:00 AM, the team reached the peak and descended down for lunch at 1:15 PM. As the team continued to climb down, they followed a stream leading to Palanan. After a short stop, Mr. Guevara informed the team that they were 320 meters above sea level. At 4:00 PM, they reached the Guisaden River then took a right turn climbing two small mountains connected together. In the team’s excitement to reach civilization, they moved at their top speed scaling up and down the mountains. At 5:40 PM, they reached the other end of Guisaden River and finally arrived in the rice fields of Palanan. Then, rain overtook the group that made them decide to stay and camp in the Donato Farm found in Barangay Bisag.
May 29, Saturday, the trekking team left Bisag and trekked the plains of Palanan to Barangay Villa Robles. Upon arriving in the area, the team gave courtesy to Barangay Chairman Jacinto M. Ochoa and rode tricycles going to Palanan Centro. The team was welcomed by retired Judge Federico Salazar, a descendant of one of the soldiers of President Emilio Aguinaldo who decided to stay in Palanan, Isabela after the capture of the President. Fr. Edwin Dionisio, one of the parish priests, later in the afternoon welcomed the group in the convent of St. Mary Magdalene Parish.
The Emilio Aguinaldo College Publication through the MAGDALO Publications will be publishing the entire account of the trek and the documentation conducted by the team in Palanan this coming July 2010 for all the Emilians to realize the importance of the retreat of President Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela in his quest to protect the Philippine flag and the Philippine Republic against the American aggression in the country.