April 2018

We hired a van from Manila to Sagada. We left Bonifacio Global City (BGC) after dinner at about 9:00P.M. so that it will be daytime when we reach our destination. It took us about 9 hours to get to Nueva Vizcaya where we had our breakfast at Jollibee at about 6:00AM.

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Then we went on with our trip until we reached the border of Banaue where we took some photos and also in the area where we can get a really good view of the rice terraces. Funny though when you ask a non-photographer to take your group souvenir photo and later you find out that he just didn’t get it that there has to be some proof that you were in that place.

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As we proceed to our destination we almost cannot feel our legs, getting numb from sitting in the van all day. Some of us were sleeping, others were just listening to music and texting or playing games with their cellphones. I was looking out the window and taking photos but most were not good because my camera is just good for taking still pictures.

By the time we got to Bontoc we were all wide awake and some colleagues were complaining that they were already getting nauseated with the seemingly unending circular road which later became not only winding but going upward on a steep climb. We were holding our breath at each blind curve praying that the driver can maneuver the van safely. Finally the driver announced that we were almost near but the road was getting steeper so we must brace ourselves. Then it happened! The engine overheated and there was a lot of smoke. We all had to get off and we sat beside the road while the driver was inspecting the vehicle. Luckily the other van was behind us so the other driver helped and we all had to donate our drinking water so our vehicle will be able to function again. Obviously there were no repair shops nor refueling stations anywhere in sight, and no stores for refreshment so our spirits were really down. But we stuck together taking groupfies and others were trying their funny antics to calm the nerves of everyone. We were somewhat afraid because there were areas that had landslides so we were all just praying that we will all be safe.

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Finally we reached Sagada, a quaint town where shops were in the first floor of houses and there were no names on the stores. Their public market’s name looked like it was just scribbled by someone. The houses though were being built higher and higher to accommodate tourists that have been steadily increasing putting a lot of pressure on the community and their resources.

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We were already very hungry by the time we checked in our accommodation. After we’ve settled in our rooms we decided to look for a place to have our lunch but since we had different preferences everyone was free to go where each wanted to eat. We chose the famous Sagada Lemon Pie House. The pie was great and deserved to be promoted, however they don’t serve anything else besides pie and a few choices of drinks. So we decided to have dinner later in a small restaurant also owned by the owner of the inn where we were staying.

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After lunch, we went caving in Sumaging caves. it was somewhat challenging because nobody brought a flashlight and the guides were using “petromax”. Although it can illuminate the place, it also limited the movement of the guides. It was also very slippery inside and since there were many guests going inside the cave, the guides cannot assist each one. We were just very careful with each step and held on tightly on rock surfaces. There were areas with flowing water but the guides also put ropes for the safety of their guests. That was a somewhat exhilirating experience because we had to climb up and down steeply inclined rocks and there was this really narrow passage, we had to go one at a time. We did not proceed anymore to the more challenging part because it has started raining and the guides said it could get dangerous inside when it is raining. Outside the cave, across the street there was a souvenir shop where tourists can buy mementos to take home.

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Early the next morning we went to Kiltepan peak to witness the sun rise over the “Sea of Clouds”. We went there in a jeepney and the vehicle can park not so far from the viewing area so it was really accessible that’s why there were so many people also waiting for the sun to rise. There were just too many photobombers we had to move a little further from the crowd that were starting to gather. It’s very cold out there so it is best to have a jacket, and cap on. We had hot porridge and coffee for breakfast at Kiltepan. Afterwards we went back to the inn by jeep. Some went on the top of the jeep because they want to feel the really cold air of Sagada on their faces as the jeep speeds through the narrow winding road back to town. I did not (I only had a photo while on topload) because I have a friend who had an accident while on top of the jeep I never forgot how dangerous it could be. Although there is always risk in travelling, there are ways to lessen the danger. When going somewhere, be ready and think of safety first.

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The trip to Sagada would not be complete without visiting Bomod-ok Falls located in Barangay Fidelisan. There are community guides at the jump-off point who took us to the site.

Along the way, we passed by the village and we noticed how closely the houses were built which also signified the closely-knit relationship among them. They have communal grain storage areas and people do most of the things through bayanihan. When we passed by the village they happened to be preparing for a wedding the following day and they butchered 3 carabaos. Everyone was busy helping prepare food for everyone. It was like a fiesta wherein the whole community was involved and they said the celebration lasts for several days to even a week. Aside from the storage areas, they have a common source of free water and they have improvised a “cable cart” to easily haul up heavy materials and their harvest from the valley. We also passed by the terraced rice fields and it took about an hour of walking under the heat of the sun to our destination. It actually took longer because we had to stop every now and then to take photos or just admire the scenery and smile at the people in the fields or at the stops. The trek was not that challenging because there is a well-established if narrow trail with cemented steps near the village and eventually leading to the rice field and to the falls.

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By the time we were almost near the falls it was almost high noon and the heat was so intense that many of us already felt so tired. Upon seeing the falls, however, everyone seemed to have been magically reinvigorated. Before proceeding to the falls, we stopped by a small hut where little children were picking cherry tomatoes and we bought some to take back for dinner later.

Some of our friends went into the pool to experience the ice-cold water from the falls but others just took great photos with the falls in the background. Bomod-ok Falls is also known as the Big Falls with its majestic 200m high cascade of very cold water.

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We took a different path on the way back which was probably less tiring than the path we passed when we came to the falls. But because the path back was mostly going up, we were slower. The 8,000 steps (3-4hours) journey was so worth it when you finally make it back. We were not really in a hurry; we just wanted to look around once more, enjoy the surroundings and etch these moments in our memory.

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The jeepney ride back to town was also an adventure in itself even if we were not on top of the jeep. It kind of elicits the same feeling you get when you ride the roller coaster but with less assurance of safety because the jeep is not held on track and there are no seatbelts. Looking out the window was like watching a suspense thriller! Jeepney drivers in Sagada are just so mighty good at maneuvering on these winding narrow dirt roads by the cliff they so deserve my gratitude for bringing us safely back to town.

In the afternoon we still had time to have a bit of cultural education among the dead of the Igorot tribe in the Echo Valley just beside the public cemetery. It is actually a sacred site but it has also become a tourism site which has given locals a source of income. Aside from the hanging coffins, the area also has camping, hiking, and wall climbing as its attractions.

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The community guides were there to orient the guests and answer their questions about the tradition of hanging the coffins on a cliff. The guide explained that hanging coffins has been their tradition to secure the corpse from animals and headhunters in the past but only the authentic (“genuine” – 100%) Igorots have the right to be buried hanging up there. The coffins were rather small because they practice tying the dead with rattan and shaped like a ball and they also break the bones to fit in the small coffin. But first the dead was made to sit on a burial chair then tied and wrapped in a blanket in a fetal position (like when the fetus was inside the womb). During burial procession the relatives pass around the dead and believe that it can bring good luck when they get smeared with the fluids from the dead. It was not a hygienic practice and also some members are already afraid to break the bones of their dearly departed member so tribe members who were already influenced by Christianity opted to have the modern way of getting buried. It’s also easy for them to visit and clean the burial area in the public cemetery. Moreover, many people are now of mixed ancestry that only very few qualify as pure-blooded. Those who were ‘privileged’ to get buried up there nearer their ancestors actually got to choose their place when they were still alive and the tribe leaders granted their wish when they finally bade goodbye.

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From Sagada, we took a different route because our colleagues wanted to drop by Baguio City. Although many of us have been to Baguio we know that it will be a different experience to be in Baguio again after several years. On our way, we passed by the highest point in the Philippine highway system located in Atok Benguet at an elevation of 7,400ft above sea level. It was somewhat foggy despite the sun being up and shining brightly we had to keep our coat and cap on against the cold. We quickly took souvenir photos, had breakfast and bought some pasalubong to bring back home to our family. When we get home, we have more stories to tell, not only about how beautiful were the places we visited but also about the culture, traditions and many other things we have observed and learned that were not written in books.

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