Sta. Ignacia's Pikkan Falls in Tarlac Province

Pikkan Falls - Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac

Hello waterfall lovers! We have a new destination in Tarlac province for our "chasing waterfalls" adventure. You've been to Tarlac's Ubod Falls, Canding Falls, Kiti Calao Falls, Timmanguyob Falls, and Pias Falls, right? Now, I will introduce Pikkan Falls in Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac.

Pikkan Falls

Pikkan Falls is located in Barangay Calipayan, Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac. Nestled in a small patch of the forested area of the village, these four waterfalls roughly 20 meters apart have been frequently visited by locals and tourists from nearby towns and provinces.

Another waterfall in Calipayan

The Trail to Pikkan Falls

During our visit to Pikkan Falls, the trail was muddy and slippery because it had rained the night before our trek. The first ten minutes of hiking was easy despite the mud-caked trail. We spotted two water buffalo pulling timbers along the way. I suppose it's was them who made the trail muddier.

The muddy road to Pikkan Falls

The trail to Pikkan Falls as dramatized by the water buffalo along the road.

It's just the start of a muddy trail

We crossed four small creeks until we reached the river where water flowed from the waterfalls. Huge rocks eventually hampered our way but still managed to pass.

The first creek we crossed

In search of Agurong...

Most of the trail was covered by bamboo

Susong Pilipit (Agurong) is abundant in the creek. But because the water has risen due to the rain, the water became unclear and spotting them is hard. It is my favorite species of freshwater snail.

Behind the tree is the first waterfall

In less than an hour, we made our way to the first waterfall. It looked like man-made as well as the second one. An old huge tree shades the waterfall giving an eerie effect.

The second waterfall in Calipayan

There were bananas scattered along the upper banks of the river. Our guide Inggo tried to look for banana flower buds to take home. Unfortunately, there were none and his Susong Pilipit wasn't enough for a meal. Instead, he released the snails back to the river.

These are Agurong freed by our guide. Plastic was saved for proper disposal.

Pikkan Falls' Features

Pikkan Falls is roughly 10-12 meters in height. Its catch basin is shallow, around 2 feet deep which is not ideal for diving. It might not be the best of waterfalls but the feeling of being out in the wild, listening to the sound of gushing water and having a picnic is awesome!

Pikkan Falls

Almost adjacent to Pikkan Falls is another waterfall that dries up during the summer months. So during the rainy season, there are four waterfalls to see.

Close to Pikkan Falls is this small waterfall that may dry up during the summer months.

How To Get To Pikkan Falls

From Manila: Take a bus bound for Alaminos, Bolinao, Agno, Anda, or San Carlos City via Camiling. Sta. Ignacia is a town before Camiling so tell the bus conductor that you're going to stop at Sta. Ignacia Public Market. Travel time is roughly four hours by bus. Buses that ply to these destinations are Cisco and Five Star buses.

In front of Sta. Ignacia Public Market, hire a habal habal or tricycle for Calipayan Barangay Hall. A special trip will cost you Php 120 to Php 200. Travel time is 20 minutes. Look for Ms. Eliza Corpuz, the Barangay Secretary, for registration. A tour guide will be provided to accompany you to Pikkan Falls.

Our tour guide Inggo facing the camera.

The trek to the waterfalls from the Barangay Hall will be 1.5 hours.

Pikkan Falls Tips:

Contact Pikkan Falls Facebook Page before your date of trekking.
Bring plastic bags for your trash and dispose them properly.
Secure your gadgets in sealed plastic.
You will get wet during the hike.
Bring enough drinking water.
There's no toilet in the area for washup.

Playing Tourist