Antique’s ‘Rainbow River’ Also Has World’s Largest Flowers

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Peru is famous for its Rainbow Mountain, a mountain sporting hues of gold, green and vermillion.

The Philippines might now has its own version, but with a wet twist. Instead of a Rainbow Mountain, it has a Rainbow River.

At the foothills of the Sibalom Natural Park in western Panay lies the Mau-It River. Known to generations of locals as an occasional source of semi-precious gems, it’s probably the most colorful river in the Philippines. Stones of every hue, texture and shape have been washed down from the mountains and eroded over time.

There are striped, speckled and spotted stones. Smooth and rough stones. Stones which resemble petrified wood, some that spark when struck and some that crumble at a touch.

“The Mau-It River’s colorful stones are a product of ancient volcanic and tectonic movement,” explains geology enthusiast and Park Management Board Member Jonathan De Gracia. “The area is rich in minerals. However, as Sibalom is a protected area, picking of even small stones is not allowed.”

Locals however, legally pick quality stones which have been naturally washed beyond the protected area’s confines. Hewn into beautiful gem trees made of wire and putty, they’ve become popular souvenirs, offered for as low as PHP300 (USD6) per piece.

The Rainbow River is just one reason to visit the Sibalom Natural Park, a 6,778.44-hectare natural park in Antique, a scenic, four-hour drive from the ivory sands and lapping waves of Boracay.

“Park guests can get a chance to see some of our ‘Big Five’ – the Visayan Spotted Deer and Warty Pig, Walden’s and Tarictic hornbills, plus of course the giant Rafflesia, the largest flower on Earth,” promises Sibalom Park Superintendent Anthony Evangelio. Rafflesia speciosa is known to occur solely on the island of Panay and was discovered in the mountains of the Sibalom Natural Park in 2002.

Tourism numbers have bounced back after the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas the Sibalom Park hosted just 6,296 visitors in 2020, annual visits almost doubled to 11,080 in 2022.

Guests staying at the jumpoff town of San Jose Buenavista might also be treated to a unique spectacle. Tens of thousands of migrating Barn Swallows are currently roosting near the town center at a spot dubbed ‘Swallow City.’ The birds are attracted by droves of insects that in turn, are attracted by the town’s bright lights.

“Western Visayan natural parks and protected areas have so much to offer,” adds Krisma Rodriguez, Department of Tourism Regional Director for Western Visayas. “This summer, we invite everyone to visit not just the Sibalom Natural Park, but our other tourist sites in our region.”

Since last year, tourists have been returning to the country’s Protected Areas. Philippine parks recorded 2,176,659 visits in 2022, almost thrice the 731,518 visits posted in 2020. Top draws were the Mabini Protected Land and Seascape in Davao and the Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan, each hosting over 300,000 visitors.

“We’re happy to see eco-tourists returning to our Protected Areas,” says DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau Director In concurrent capacity as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Marcial Amaro, Jr. “Ecotourism helps promote biodiversity conservation in our national parks. It generates and sustains funds for the upkeep of our Protected Areas. We’re honored to host responsible tourists who might enhance their love for the environment by enjoying the natural beauty of our country and by supporting programs and activities inside our Protected Areas.”

Launched in May of 2022, the Year of the Protected Areas or YOPA is a yearlong campaign not just to educate people on the need to conserve Philippine protected areas, but to encourage them to visit the sites themselves. Ending this June 2023, YOPA hopes to generate funds from tourism to ensure continued management for areas hard-hit by the lack of visitors during the two-year COVID pandemic.

“We hope that a fresh generation of visitors can help us better manage and protect our rainbow rivers, lush forests and beautiful coasts,” concludes DENR-UNDP BIOFIN Project Manager Anabelle Plantilla. See videos and images of the Rainbow River HERE. 

Captioned Images:

Rainbow River. Pinoy explorer Gregg Yan blends right into the multicolored boulders of the Mau-it River in Antique, an easy four-hour drive from the Philippines’ most famous beach, Boracay. (Gregg Yan / UNDP-BIOFIN)

 
Semi-precious Stones. From top left to bottom right are chalcedony, jasper, quartzite and hematite. Quartz, jade, carnelian, onyx and jasper are also present in the river. “As the Sibalom Natural Park is a protected area, picking stones such as these is not allowed,” warns Jonathan De Gracia, a member of the park’s management board. (Gregg Yan / UNDP-BIOFIN)

 
World’s Largest Flower. The Sibalom Natural Park features the Corpse Flower (Rafflesia speciosa), one of 13 Rafflesia species discovered in the Philippines. Park rangers can regularly find and mark hidden flower buds, though the buds only bloom for a few days a year. The flowers span up to 22 inches in diameter – not as big as other Rafflesia species, but still a sight to behold. (Anthony Ian Endencio / DENR)

 
Gem Tree. A few locals legally collect colorful stones which have been naturally washed outside the protected area. The stones are carefully knapped and shaped into leaves, before being attached to a wire armature coated in putty and painted. Each piece is unique and retails from around PHP300 (USD6) to PHP5000 (USD100). (Gregg Yan)

Swallow City. Tens of thousands of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) have been roosting in the town of San Jose, the jumpoff point for the Rainbow River and Sibalom Natural Park, since October of 2022. Migratory birds, they are attracted by the town’s insects, which in turn are attracted by the area’s bright lights. (Gregg Yan / UNDP-BIOFIN)

 
Forest Mountain. The lushly-vegetated shoulder of Mt. Porras. At 1378 feet or 420 meters, it is the highest point in the Sibalom Natural Park. (Gregg Yan / UNDP-BIOFIN)

All Shapes and Sizes. This gorgeously-textured stone melted and cooled millions of years ago. The Sibalom River features stones and minerals geology enthusiasts will find interesting. (Gregg Yan / UNDP-BIOFIN)

Fruity Pebbles. A visitor enjoys the fresh air and unique landscape of the country’s ‘Rainbow River’, just a few hours away from the beaches of Boracay. (Gregg Yan / UNDP-BIOFIN)  

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