Tablas Island Mari Norte Barangay

Travel to Mari Norte Barangay

Distance to the remote Barangay of Mari Norte has to be measured in time due to road conditions.  The usual mode of transport to Mari Norte is motorcycle.  Estimated time, one and one half hours.  The climb takes one up steep inclines,  often washed out by heavy rains.  In fact, we had to wait for a day when no rain was forecast so that the road was dry.   Road surface varies:  excellent gravel, rock, clay with sections of the road poured concrete.  The concrete is a small one lane road.

  Few vehicles except motorcycles navigate this road.  With the four wheel drive pickup, we had to stop and back up to navigate this curve!  Only brave people live in Mari Norte! One third of the way to Mari Norte we stop to admire the breath taking view of the West Coast: San Andres Municipality.

We meet a Barangay elder, a brave soul who lives an isolated life in these hills, along with his wife and daughter.  He warmly welcomes us to Mari Norte and proudly tells us that he went to university for two years.  We meet  him again on the way back,  a  long walking distance from his home.  He was  carrying a tree trunk he had specifically spent several hours hunting for and to be used as a plow. 

We continue without seeing any sign of habitation for miles.  These hills are mostly void of trees.  It is said that they were once tree covered, harvested about 100 years ago.  The forest did not regenerate and the land is extremely poor.  Lower down,  people do cultivate the  hills and  travel  by motorcycle to check their farm. 

Further down, vegetation is thicker.  Copra is the main cash crop.  Some consideration has been given to a tram line that would transport farm produce to the valley below, a vertical distance of about 1000 feet!  After some time we begin to see wild Tiger Grass growing.  Mari Norte must be near.  It seems so far!  And to think that people are coming  from Mari Norte to our workshops at  San Andres!