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- Not to be confused with Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Tabuk is the capital city of Kalinga province, in the Luzon Cordilleras. It is known for its whitewater rafting.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Tabuk is a relatively young city, having been established as a municipality in 1950. It became the capital of the province of Kalinga-Apayao in 1966 and then capital of Kalinga after a 1995 referendum that split the province into two halves. It finally attained cityhood after a prolonged legal battle in 2013. It is home to about 123,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
Tabuk lies at a strategic junction with roads leading to northern Kalinga and Apayao, western Kalinga and Abra onwards to Ilocos, western Cagayan, Tuguegarao, northwestern Isabela, and southern Kalinga and Mountain Province. It has two distinct town centers: Dagupan, where the city government is headquartered, and the larger Bulanao, which is where most visitors first arrive and where the provincial government of Kalinga is based. Both barangays are located on a flat grassland plateau, with the Cordillera highlands rising west past the Canao Bridge over the Chico River.
Get in
[edit | edit source]By plane
[edit | edit source]The nearest airport is in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, a 1-2 hour drive.
By bus
[edit | edit source]- 1 Victory Liner. Has daily trips from their Manila terminal. There are two terminals, one at Bulanao and another at Dagupan Oeste.
- From Bontoc, you can take a bus going to Tabuk via Tinglayan from 7AM to 10AM, or take a jeepney to Tinglayan from 8AM to 3PM.
By van
[edit | edit source]Passenger vans operate daily from Tuguegarao in Cagayan to Bulanao and Dagupan.
By jeepney
[edit | edit source]Tabuk is the central hub of jeepneys heading to other towns of Kalinga. It is common for passengers to occupy the roof of the vehicle.
Get around
[edit | edit source]
Tricycles and tuktuks are the main form of transport between barangays. In the highlands, hitchhiking is still common.
See
[edit | edit source]Both Bulanao and Dagupan are typical drab Filipino commercial hubs that serve as a stopover for visitors rather than tourist attractions in themselves. Most attractions are located outside the city propers.
- 1 Naneng Heritage Village, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road (Drive 45 minutes west from Bulanao and find the junction with a large welcome arch to Naneng). The oldest barangay of Tabuk, it served as the town center during the American era. It is one of the few settlements in the Cordilleras with a mostly intact colonial center with two-story houses made of wood mostly dating from the 1920s, with the Chico River and the Cordilleran peaks as a backdrop. Expect to be invited to participate in the traditional rituals and chores of the Kalinga villagers and be encouraged to buy handicrafts, textiles and other items made by the community.
- 2 Nambaran Cemetery (Ileb Cemetery), Sitio Ileb, Barangay Nambaran, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile-Cagayan Road (20-minute drive east of Bulanao). Established in 1986, the cemetery is a stopover for motorists coming from Tuguegarao who are attracted by the various and sometimes wacky sculptures and artworks on top of the graves to commemorate those interred, ranging from everyday tools to signify the deceased's occupation to beloved pets and even liquor bottles to commemorate their favorite vices.
- 3 Saint William's Cathedral, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile-Cagayan Road, Purok 6, Bulanao, ☏ +63 955 206 8647. The seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Kalinga, built in an austere modernist style with a triangular facade.
- 4 Patiking Tunnel, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Dupag. An arch blasted through solid rock along a curve of the highway overlooking the gorges of the Chico River.
- 5 Chico River Dam. A scaled-down version of the otherwise ruinous Chico Dam project of the Marcos regime that provides irrigation for the region. While access to the dam itself is restricted, a viewdeck along the highway provides panoramas of the structure and the surrounding river valley.
- 6 Saint Joseph Parish Church, Naneng, ☏ +63 977 673 9818, stjosephnaneng27@gmail.com. The oldest church in Tabuk, built during the 1920s.
- 7 Dalimuno Half-tunnel, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bantay. A section of highway blasted the side of a limestone hill, with views of the Chico River on one side and a rock ceiling directly above in a semi-arch.
- 8 Patiking Tunnel, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bagumbayan. A section of highway blasted through the side of a limestone mountainside to create a hollowed-out arch.
- 9 Gessang Tunnel, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Dupag. A section of highway blasted through the side of a limestone mountainside to create a hollowed-out arch.
- 10 Mount Talama, Bulanao. A hill with a viewdeck at its summit offering commanding views over Tabuk's downtowns. The best views are said to be during sunsets.
Do
[edit | edit source]- Chico River White Water Rafting
- 1 Tree Tops Tabuk, Bantay. A forested resort with spring-fed swimming pools.
- 2 Daguitan Kan Tangkib Eco-Village Agri Farm, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Naneng, ☏ +63 977 234 2932, patiking2013@gmail.com. An agritourism resort with coffee plantation and swimming pool.
- 3 Ayuman Aggani Training and Assessment Center, Sitio Callagdao, Bulanao, ☏ +63 960 896 2349, ayumanaggani2017@gmail.com. A 16 hectares (40 acres) farming estate with agritourism facilities.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Tabuk City Public Market, Mayangao Street, Dagupan.
- 2 Bulanao Centro Public Market, Tabuk-Paracelis Road, Bulanao.
- 3 PRAJ Pasalubong Center and General Merchandise, Purok 4, Provincial Road, Bulanao, prajmadio@gmail.com. 8AM-6PM Tue-Thu, 8AM-5PM Fri-Sat, 9AM-5PM Sun, 7:30AM-6PM Mon. A shop selling Kalinga souvenirs and handicrafts.
- 4 Xentro Mall Tabuk, Tabuk-Paracelis Road, Bulanao. A mall built as part of the redevelopment of the Bulanao Public Market.
Eat
[edit | edit source]West of Bulanao, there are farms offering tourists the chance to harvest various fruits such as durian, rambutan and lanzones.
Tabuk is the only place in Kalinga where there are mainstream restaurant chains.
- 1 Ethnic Bothique Café Grill and Restaurant, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bulanao.
- 2 Alberto's Pizzeria and Ristorante, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Calanan, ☏ +63 967 207 6283, albertospizzeriandristornte@gmail.com. 8AM-8PM. Fusion western and indigenous Kalinga cuisine. The restaurant also makes their own pizza dough by hand.
- 3 Cornelius Farmville, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bagumbayan, ☏ +63 935 042 0363, bczarinagrail@gmail.com. 8AM–5PM. A fruit farm on a steep mountain slope. They also sell home-made smoked meats (kiniing, kussassut and etag).
- 4 Tasty Pastry (Gramps Bakery), Provincial Road, Magsaysay, ☏ +63 963 223 8244, arogamon@gmail.com. A bakery known in the province for its egg custard pie.
- 5 Skyridge Grill and Chill, Bulanao, ☏ +63 956 287 4144, skyridgeland@gmail.com. A restaurant on the Mount Talama massif serving casual meals.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Gin here is the favorite among the locals, so expect to get offered a cup when you're visiting.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]There are homestay services in Naneng, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the community also.
- 1 Golden Berries Hotel and Convention Center, Provincial Road, San Juan, ☏ +63 917 890 5545, goldenberrieshotelcc@gmail.com.
- 2 Davidson Hotel, Provincial Road, Bulanao Norte, ☏ +63 905 050 0001, davidson.hotel@rocketmail.com.
- 3 M Hotel, Provincial Road, Appas, ☏ +63 917 813 5289, mhoteltabuk@gmail.com.
- 4 Grand Zion Garden Resort Hotel, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bulanao, ☏ +63 977 854 1032, reception@grandzionresort.com.
- 5 yKalinga Hotel, Provincial Road corner Tabuk-Paracelis Road, Bulanao, ☏ +63 995 391 7451, ykalingahotel@gmail.com.
- 6 Las Vegas Hotel and Restaurant, Quezon Street, Dagupan Weste, ☏ +63 960 579 5747, igorot_austria@yahoo.com.
- 7 Laoagan Resort, Inn and Restaurant, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bulanao Norte.
- 8 La Luna Pension House, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bulanao.
- 9 Camp L & C, Mountain Province-Tabuk-Enrile Road, Bagumbayan.
- 10 Bilza Lodge, Resort & Restobar, Quezon Street, Dagupan Weste, ☏ +63 998 547 2109, joycedilag@ymail.com.
Stay safe
[edit | edit source]As Kalinga is a hotspot for the illegal cultivation of marijuana, it is not uncommon for visitors exiting Tabuk to be flagged down at police checkpoints in the city, especially if you have come from upland regions such as Tinglayan, Lubuagan and Bontoc, and use vehicles with license plates registered outside the Cordillera region. Do not accept offers to buy or transport the drug, as possession of marijuana is punishable by imprisonment.
Connect
[edit | edit source]The city's postal code is 3800.
Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Tabuk |
| Bontoc ← Lubuagan ← | W  E | → Rizal → Tuguegarao via Enrile |