Isabel To Palompon To Villaba Joyride

After Isabel, my joyride continued, this time moving northwards, just passing by Palompon (since I was there just recently), and moving northwards to the town of Villaba, still in the province of Leyte.

The whole stretch is only about 45kms long. But with a lot of slowing down to ogle at this or that, and some "pauses for poses", this trip took an hour, even if on a generally desolate (but well-paved) road!

Palompon seems to be exactly midway between Isabel and Villaba. It felt like the travel from Isabel to Palompon and Palompon to Villaba were equidistant. I could be wrong. But the views kept me awake!

I said "awake", not "alert"! Like this picture was too late. We were already past the grand view!

Yup, that's the Visayas State University (VSU) campus in Isabel. A big wide place. Like its Baybay City (main) campus, this VSU also straddles the national highway, so you also see 2 gates (left and right)!

But I was not that alert hehe. I wasn't able to snap a photo as we passed by the gates. Kung kaya, that is all I was able to take, palingon ko pa kinunan ang picture na yan! But I saw how nice this campus is.

Along the way, I think this was already part of Palompon (San Roque?), I saw this 'construction area'.

Thinking that is another quarry area, I was already criticizing in my mind, why is it that people have to bulldoze hills and mountains. But as we passed by, I saw that this was a big low-cost-housing project. Quick and fast our vehicle may have been, I saw that they're building houses by the hundreds in there!

Maybe for Yolanda victims? Ah, hopefully.

Onwards, we reached the zigzag part of this road and I took a pic of this yellow signage (at right)..,

But at the same time, I heard my driver murmuring something "double E" as if in protest. I asked what it was, and he told me about that other signage. When I zoomed my picture, I saw the "double L" hehe!

Approaching the central Palompon area (turning left), I took a pic of this corner for three reasons..,

1] the houses looked rather new and nice; 2] there's (brown-colored) signage left side of this road (not seen in pic) that says "turn left 9.42km ahead going to Kalanggaman Island". Whoa, so the Palompon town center is 9.42km from here! But why did I want to remember this corner? Because 3] that small road to the right goes through smaller villages, roads connect, until it reaches Brgy. Curva in Ormoc!

Another 'interesting sight', zigzag road, we couldn't easily overtake that jeep, I was stuck looking at it!

Then my lowly brain started analyzing.., why would those boys be riding on top or clinging to the back, when the jeep is not even half full with a lot of space for more than just them? Hmm, as if some voice (my conscience?) started talking in my head.., saying.., "eh di ba ganyan ka rin in your younger years"?

Ahehehe! Oo nga naman.., walang basagan ng trip!

And then I saw this.., and all I could say was "now that is indeed a quarry"..,

We (usually) know the purpose of such actions, right? Good intentions as they may be, I still feel that.., when you start breaking earth's topography such that nature is ruined, everything else ugly will follow. This is just a little below the path going up to that newly opened "Lantaw Palompon" whatever that is.

This intersection, 3kms before town center, and part of a popular jogging area, is important to note.

You veer right going to Matag-ob or onwards without having to pass by the traffic of Palompon's town center. That is what we did. But do the same if you are going to Kananga and want to avoid the traffic.

Although, veering left let's you pass by another entrance of that eco-park, and the road has wonderful views of the town and the sea - before you encounter traffic of thousands of pedicabs on the streets!

Now, if you took this diversion road as we did, chances are you will see this..,

Your national highway is one big laundry area for Manang, and one spacious bathroom for Manong!

Oh, on this road you can also find the back-gate of Palompon Institute of Technology (PIT)!

Hey, here is one trivia I happen to be incidentally aware of: PIT as it is commonly called both formally and informally is actually already a university by virtue of a Republic Act passed by Congress in 2013.

And, as if to continue on this topic, the next thing I saw was this.., NSTC

If you haven't heard yet, NSTC or Netherlands Shipping Training Centre is a joint program of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR) and the Shipping and Transport College of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and PIT. Students are trained the Dutch style, and immediately employable abroad.

Here's another important corner in Palompon (especially for those who want to drive on their own)..,

Turning right at this corner brings you to Matag-ob, even onwards to Kananga all the way to Tacloban. This is where my UV Express van entered Palompon on my Tacloban to Kalanggaman trip, remember?

Somewhere in Matag-ob though (Brgy. Rosario?), there is a highway intersection where the other way goes to Villaba (the other way being to Kananga). But that is about 50kms to Villaba from this church.

Still from that corner above, turning left will still be Palompon (though not the heavily congested part),

See that? Almost an empty street (dahil Sunday hehe)! This is just about 300 meters and you reach..,

This! The old (coastal) national road, still fine and lovely, connecting to Villaba in just 20kms.

This is where you emerge from the left (town center), if you did not pass by the diversion road! Go ra!

Don't worry, the road is just as fine, with snippets of beach resorts, and the sea as you drive along!

Oh, some trivia for you: Did you know, that on this coastal highway, there is one barangay of Matag-ob (named Masaba) that separates the towns of Palompon and Villaba? And that, Matag-ob poblacion is not in this area but 30kms away, in the central plains and hills? And that the Palompon barangay by its boundary with Matag-ob is named Masaba too? And that Masaba Falls is in Palompon not Matag-ob?

Yes, ganern!

Anyway.., when you start seeing too many beach resorts along the road, that means you are in Villaba! The road will still climb up some hilly ridges with picturesquely instagrammable views of the sea. Get off your car for selfies and groupfies! Ah, when the road starts descending, Villaba's poblacion is near!

Ayan, that is Badiang Bridge.., and the yellow signage across that bridge says Welcome to Villaba!

But let's talk more about it in my next story!

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