Narvacan: Where banged meets extreme sports

MANILA, Philippines -  “Are you shipwrecked (nalbakan)?” the people of a coastal town in Ilocos asked in their local language a group of Spaniards, who were indeed shipwrecked on their way to Vigan.

And from there, Narvacan became a township. Now, 440 years later, if you get shipwrecked (or carwrecked) on your way to Vigan or Pagudpud, you might as well tell yourself “Nalbakan” and head over to Narvacan.

From a trading center for Abra and Ilocos, Narvacan has transformed itself into an outdoor adventure hub.

So now, instead of a ship, Narvacan has the ark of NOAH, short for Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub.

During the Bagnet Festival earlier this month in Barangay Bulanos, Narvacan Mayor Zuriel Zaragoza proudly announced that the town will become the “extreme sports center of the Philippines.”

Launched during  the Bagnet Festival was the paragliding activity in Bantay Abot. Twenty-five pilots from seven countries including Brazil, Singapore and Taiwan paraglided from the 1,000-foot high mountain, taking advantage of the strong winds to take in the magnificent expanse of the West Philippine Sea before landing on one of the most attractive beaches in Northern Philippines, Sulvec Beach.

For those who prefer to be safely tethered, NOAH also has a zipline from Bantay Abot to the beach, which is guaranteed to be a breathtaking and spectacular ride.

NOAH also features BMX and mountain bike downhill challenges, which Northern Luzon’s top alter-cyclists tried out during the festival. You can try the courses at your own pace and level of difficulty.

NOAH also has the NOAH Triathlon, now on its fifth year, which draws elite athletes as well as newbies to the three-event race.  

Now if you’re wondering what bagnet – pork belly deep-fried to the point when the meat and pork rind are so crispy but yet not dry, and the fat melts in your mouth and the flavor bursts forth with every crunchy bite – has to do with extreme sports, hop over to the Narvacan market and look for Mauro Corrales. Among the information he will happily share is the fact that during town fiestas and holidays, about 30 pigs are slaughtered just for the bagnet.

Every town has its special lechon but it is only in Narvacan where you get the most delectable bagnet. It is something that the town is very proud of, hence the staging of a festival dedicated to the cholesterol-laden treat.

After having all that bagnet, you will surely need to engage in some activity to work off all those calories, and that’s where extreme sports come in – which is precisely the point why you want to be shipwrecked in Narvacan.