SUYO TOURISM PROFILE
- Location and Accessibility
Suyo is a Municipality of Ilocos Sur, uniquely located in a watershed, the Chico River Watershed. As such it can aptly be called “Watershed Town” distinctly characterized by mountainous terrains of tropical hardwood forest, drained by sparkling cascades of clean river tributaries creating awesome waterfalls. The Chico River splits the town area into two mountainsides north and south, as it flows downward from the town’s east side high elevation of Barangay Man-atong to Barangay Baringcucurong low elevation on the west side, exiting and joining the main river of the Amburayan River Basin. In between the town’s north and south mountainsides covered with green forest vegetation creates a peeping sun against the backdrop beautiful morning sunrise. A Suyo road section of the Tagudin-Cervantes national road runs parallel with the Chico River from Barangay Cabugao to Sitio Butac of Barangay Man- atong. From Butac the road winds upslope beautifully until Bessang Pass the boundary of Chico River Watershed in the Municipality of Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.
Suyo is a political subdivision of Ilocos Sur located at its Southern part. It is surrounded by two lowland towns, Tagudin and Sta. Cruz on the west; and four upland towns, Salcedo and Sigay on the north; town of Cervantes on the east and Alilem town on the south. Suyo town is inhabited by a convergence of indigenous people of various ethnic origin from the upland and lowland towns of the Ilocos Region and adjacent Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); led and managed by strong leadership and governance.
Geographically, Suyo with an approximate area of 15,357.68 hectares lies between 16⁰ 53’ 38” and 17⁰ 02’ 27” North Latitudes and 120⁰ 27’ 44” and 120⁰ 38’ 08” East longitudes and generally located within a distinct geographic area the Chico River watershed covering approximately 25,994.50 hectares. The Chico River Watershed is a major sub watershed of the Amburayan River Basin.
The town of Suyo is accessible by land transportation about 300 kilometers north from the City of Manila through the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), a segment of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the Tarlac-Pangasinan La Union Expressway (TPLEX). Stopping at Bitalag junction in Tagudin turn right on the Tagudin Cervantes road eastward about a kilometer to boundary of Suyo.
By air transportation, one can land at two nearest airports, one located in San Fernando City, La Union and one in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Then take land transportation to Suyo from these two airports for about two hours ride from each of these airports.
A little farther, there are also two international airports from which foreign visitors or tourists can access to go to Suyo. One airport is the Macapagal International Airport (formerly Clark Airport) in the Province of Pampanga and the other airport in Laoag City of Ilocos Norte. These International Airports as landing sites for foreign visitors are farther from Suyo where one takes longer land transport ride to Suyo.
One seaport is also available for use to access by visitors who would like to use sea transportation to go to Suyo and this seaport is located in San Fernando City in the Province of La Union
- Climate and Weather
The Municipality of Suyo falls under climactic type I based on the Modified Coronas Classification (MCC), where it defines that the area is under two pronounced alternate dry and wet seasons. Under previous normal condition, the dry season starts on the second half of November and ends on the first half of May. The dry months are March and April while the wet months are July and August. Maximum rain period usually occurs during the month from June to September.
Using the Ilocos Sur PAGASA climate record of which Suyo is included, the average annual rainfall is 2,526.2 millimeters and the average annual temperature is 26.9 degrees Celsius.
Climate record obtained from Suyo under its Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) Report indicates the annual rainfall of the area reaches to 3,526.2 millimeters and wettest month as observed in 2009 was July when the maximum rainfall reached 1,042.7 millimeters average in 21 rainy days. The minimum rainfall of 3.2 millimeters occurred during the month of November. The mean annual temperature is 23. 3⁰Celsius. Average monthly temperature ranged from 18⁰Celsius to 26. 6⁰ Celsius in October.
Experiences shared and told by residents in some parts of Suyo show that in lowland Barangays of Baringcucurong and Cabugao temperature reaches as high to about 39⁰ Celsius. In the upland parts of Barangays Suyo Proper, Patoc-ao and Man-atong temperature reaches down to as low as 10⁰Celsius.