Panas-New Corella-Davao del Norte — HEAT-BUSTER There’s more to this three-level gushing, crystal-clear waterfall, lagoon and catch basin in Panas’ inland resorts in New Corella town, Davao del Norte province. OLAN FERNANDEZ EMBOSCADO/CONTRIBUTOR

New Corella is a landlocked municipality between Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley provinces. The 2nd class town of 52,015 is one of Davao del Norte’s biggest rice producers.

It is composed of 20 rural barangays with Poblacion (8,768) and Mesaoy (7,936) having the biggest population, with 15 considered low-land villages.

It has a total land area of 26,312 hectares (263.12 square kilometers).

First established in 1965, it took another two years before New Corella became a full-fledged municipality.

Majority of its first residents were settlers from Bohol province, thus many of the town’s barangay are named after municipalities of the island-province.

The town is known as a tourist destination due to its crystal-clear waterfalls, clean rivers and gushing springs, earning the town the unofficial title as “Watershed Town of Davao del Norte.”

Owing to its topography, with 13 villages situated in flat lands, New Corella is ideal for corn, rice and banana. Its farthest barangay, Mambing, is 18 kilometers from the town center, while Carcor, where the famed Panas Waterfalls is located, is just two kilometers from the poblacion.

Transportation around town includes jeepneys, tricycles and habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire).

From Tagum City, New Corella is 17 kilometers or less than 20 minutes away by jeepney.

From Davao City, the town is about 100 kilometers away or an hour-and-a-half drive by private vehicles. Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao