A couple of months ago, I decided to join some friends and family members in exploring this road. The plan was simple: Travel from Toledo City to Talisay City via Manipis and drop by some note-worthy spots along the way. I was pretty excited because I knew that this was going to be a great alternative to the TransCentral Highway for those who enjoy motorbike rides, cool air, and beautiful scenery.
Barangay Manipis is one of the mountain barangays in the city of Talisay. According to my parents (who aren’t really Talisaynons), the barangay got its name from the road – a narrow and thin (nipis) stretch of corniche carved on the sides of steep and slippery mountains. Now, if this were true, it can only mean that the road was already around even before the barangay was established or at least given that name? We can’t be sure, exactly. And That is exactly why I am hoping that some knowledgeable Talisaynons would drop by and give us a hand. (wink!)
Manipis Road connects the cities of Talisay and Toledo. Along the way, travelers can also access the ever-important Barangay Lutopan and the man-made forests of Minglanilla. And as developments in Cebu’s highlands continue, the road can now lead to other parts of Cebu such as the town of Balamban and the very well-loved TransCentral Highway. So, as you may have already guessed, many still prefer this road despite how dangerous it is.
Less than an hour from the city of Toledo, we all decided to take a quick break due to a sudden drizzle. And what a lucky stop it turned out to be!
Standing right in front of us, just across the river, was a mighty waterfall. I honestly didn’t expect to see a waterfall during this trip!
Here’s a photo of the entire team along the road during our first unplanned stop.
There’s my motorbike resting along the road and ready for more adventures ahead!
A few minutes later, we were back on the road. And not long after that, we decided to make another stop. I believe we have now reached the town of Minglanilla. And this spot right here is popular among locals and visitors alike because of the various food stalls along the road.
And out of the blue, we saw yet another waterfall. I was glad the weather wasn’t too good that day. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have seen these two waterfalls!
Here’s a closer look at the waterfall. Isn’t she gorgeous?
A few minutes later, we decided to check out these food stalls that seemed to have popped out of nowhere. Note that this was taken months ago and I’m no longer sure if they are still around.
The pandemic has indeed brought out the creativity in people. Now, we have a food park in the woods!
When we were all ready to go, it was time to proceed to the Man-Made forest in Campo 7. You may have read my previous blog about it.
You may be wondering why people think this road is dangerous. It looked pretty okay, right? Well, you haven’t seen the other parts of this stretch.
This portion, for example, has been repaired several times due to massive landslides and mudslides. In fact, if you look closely, you can see a stream of fresh mud sliding down the side of the mountain.
Directly below this road is a deep river which also doubles as a catchment basin for water coming from different directions. Now, imagine being pushed off the road into the river by the mudslide on the other side.
That right there is part of the landslide that we witnessed during one of our stops. We waited for a couple of minutes before we decided to attempt to pass through this section. I tell you, it was nerve-wracking.
I must say that not all areas of Manipis are scary. This one looks really nice and is a perfect spot for some photos. It is said that a lot of portions of Manipis now have multiple lanes. In the past, however, this wasn’t the case.
We saw a couple of bikers enjoying the view on the side of the road.
And from that area, we also saw this nice-looking hut on one of the mountains. How lovely!
Aside from the deep ravines, another thing that travelers should always be mindful of when traversing Manipis Road is the runoff that eventually covers the road. They make the road extremely slippery and dangerous. My back tire slipped when we passed by this area and I almost ended up hitting that wall of dirt. It was scary.
This bridge can also be slippery when wet. Always be cautious.
Finally, we were back on some stable and dry concrete as we were driving along right next to the mighty river.
A few kilometers more and we will finally reach Talisay City proper.
Have you tried traveling to Toledo City via Manipis Road? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below!
