Up and Under in the Land of the Terraces

Ifugao, the land of the Bulols and the world-renowned rice terraces!

For this 3-days trip, we stayed in the beautiful town of Kiangan. Towering above the capital municipality of Lagawe, Kiangan boosts some of the best rice terraces in the province such as the Nagacadan Rice Terraces, one of five rice terraces cluster in the UNESCO Heritage List.

First on our to-do-list, attend an Ifugao wedding. 

 

Under the bale (a traditional Ifugao house), we feasted on sinanglaw (an Ifugao version of papaitan) and drunk baya (tapuy) as much as we can while listening to the merrily beat of gangsa and dancing feet. We ended the day lazily lying on our back at the roofdeck of Kiangan shrine, a building commemorating the capture of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, officially ending WWII in the country. Too drunk to be able to take a good photo of the shrine, tsk.

Next day, we went to Nakuldihan mountain range to explore the Pangagawan Cave.

Hiking at the rice terraces and we saw some amazing flora along the trail. 

The entrance of the cave is a sheer drop of 75 feet. 

The ladder that was put by the local tourism five years ago is already rusty and unstable. We brought our rigging equipment and rappelled down the cave.

Spectacular limestome formations inside and after more than an hour of spelunking and squeezing between rocks, we reached the end of the cave- a small but gorgeous waterfall.

On the way back, we encounter this magnificent spider.

Last day, we went to the Nagacadan area to scale a huge 80-feet boulder towering above the rice terraces. 

Too bad, the boulder is not ideal for rock climbing but its face is great for rappelling exercise. 

Using the access stairs behind the boulder, we climb the top and took turns in rappelling down the wall.  

  

Above the rock, you can feel the rush while gushing breeze hits your face and in the horizon, stairs and stairs  of rice paddies trying to reach the sky.

We capped the Kiangan adventure with a feast on pinikpikang duck and “few” rounds of brandy. 

Thanks to Atty Gloria Rose for inviting and hosting us to her sublimely town and also to her family for their hospitality. Babalik ulit :)

KIANGAN, IFUGAO

remembering the martyrs

backpacking in the North, and one of the highlights is the celebration of the 2012 Cordillera Day with the indigenous people of Abra.

a province of natural beauty marred by decades of militarization, political violence and warlordism, Abra is also the home of more than nine (9) katutubo tribes.  one of the sites of the 2012 Cordillera Day was held in the community of the Maeng in the upland town of Tubo.

 

Cordillera Day was first celebrated by the indigenous communities of the North to commemorate the death anniversary of Ama Macliing Dulag, a Kalinga tribal leader and martyr during the Marcos dictatorship. Macliing was one of the katutubo leaders who opposed the construction of a huge dam within the Chico River and was assassinated by members of the Phil Army on April 24, 1980. his death resulted to the cancellation of the dam project and brought forth unity among the many tribes in the Cordillera region. this annual celebration is facilitated by the peoples network Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA).

from Bangued, the capital of Abra, it will take additional 5 hours to reach the community of Maeng in Barangay Amtwangan. 

 

going across the mighty Abra river will require vehicles to board a makeshift barge. 

only in the Philippines :)

it  rained hard when we arrived in Tubo so we were forced to walk for more than one hour going to the upland barangay.  I love hiking so no problem, plus we need to cross suspension foot bridges, yey! 

 

the celebration was highlighted by tribal dances and songs, 

 

 camaraderie and integration with the katutubos,

 

understanding their issues and concerns,

 

and remembering Macliing and other martyrs.

....a very wonderful experience

2012 Cordillera Day

Abra

04.23-25.12

251 hours

revisiting the last 10+ days... a journey without moving, through meditation

yes yes i know, this is a travel blog and my personal senti crap should not be published in this wall :-). but attending the Vipassana meditation 10 days course, it felt like a roller-coaster journey of emotions even without moving physically. allow me to elaborate.

Vipassana is an ancient meditation technique, rediscovered and taught by Gotama the Budda 2500 years ago. Its a universal technique and doesn't require chants, mantras or rituals. It can be practiced by any person, regardless of their religion, ideology, race, etc. The course that I took was taught by Satya Narayan Goenka of Vipassana International Academy of India. the course officially starts at 8pm of Day 0 and ends in the morning of Day 11. the course itself is very challenging both physically and mentally. meditators will be in total isolation and will observe nobel silence, meaning any forms of communication with fellow meditators, verbal or gestures, are strictly prohibited. reading or any writing paraphernalia are also prohibited. a difficult predicament since no one forces you to isolate yourself. everyday, always hear this nagging tiny voice in my head saying "quit this crazy s@%t and go home!".

but thankfully, i stayed and managed to complete the course. it's a wonderful experience and Vipassana is a very useful technique that can aid anyone in their journey through life. you see whatever we are doing, running, walking or just being still, we are constantly moving, traversing our path in search of our happiness and "Truth".

since our childhood, we were bombarded by religion, society and literature of the true definition of the "Truth", and the right path that one must take to achieve happiness and salvation. knowing is a good thing but experiencing it, in the actual realm, is just simply wonderful.

i deeply encourage you to try this course. much has to be done still and for me, long path ahead. but every journey starts with one small step :)

for more info on Vipassana meditation and schedule of courses in the Philippines, check this site. cheers!

past, present and post stamps

heritage walk, introduction to philately and a wonderful Sunday afternoon – package in one

the Postal Heritage Walking Tour*, organize by the Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ Club (FSCC), is an opportunity to revisit the glory (and infamous) past of Metro Manila through our rich postal history

first stop is the Liwasang Bonifacio, a well-known plaza where rallies and public assemblies are held

the plaza was first named after the US military general Henry Lawton. Lawton, who gained recognition within the US Army ranks because of his successful campaign that led to the surrender of Apache leader Geronimo, was killed in Rizal by Filipino soldiers under the command of Lecerio Geronimo. well, the irony of life

another major stop is the Manila Central Postal Office, one of the dominating landmarks in Manila City

this Neo Classical Style building was destroyed during the American bombing of Manila in 1946 and was rebuilt after the war. the building was designed by Ralph Doane, Tomas Mapua and Juan M. de Guzman Arellano

meanwhile, the Post Library and Museum showcases commemorative stamps, postal relics, old mailboxes, paintings, etc . FSSC lectures and meetings as well as weekend public auction of anik-anik are conducted in this area

another highlight of this unique heritage walk is the visit to the Manila Metropolitan Theater or MET. this Art Deco Style Building, which was also designed by Juan M. de Guzman Arellano, was considered by some as “moderne”. still, MET became an icon of Philippine art and culture and hosted world-class plays, operas and events of the rich and famous

today, it looks like a war-torn building while the elements continue to fast track its decaying state. the ghostly tour inside will bring awe, sadness and chills (especially if you have six sense)

efforts are being done to revive MET's former glory but it will be a very, very expensive endeavor

other points of interest of the walk:

Aduana Building, the former Custom House during the Spanish occupation

Plaza Mexico, the port during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade

National Press Club Building

and more – Manila Cathedral, Plaza Roma, monument of Gracia Lopez Jeana, monument of Queen Isabela II, Bahay Tsinoy, Arroceros Park, Mehan Garden, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jones Bridge and Intramuros.

the Postal Heritage Walking Tour is held every 3^rd Sunday of the month. this free guided tour caters students, cultural hoopers, philatelists and interested individuals. for reservation, contact Mr. Lawrence Chan at 0919-3901671 or email at l_rence_2003@yahoo.com

Talaandig Festival

three days of music, dances, art, fun and memorable experience with the Talaandig.

very fortunate that we were able to join the annual festival of one of the colourful indigenous tribes of Bukidnon.

the Talaandig Festival, held every 3^rd week of October in their community in Lantapan, is a multi-days event of camaraderie, sharing and festivity.

this year, datus and leaders of other tribes in Bukidnon attended the festival to express their unity towards lasting peace between the different katutubo and Bangsamoro groups in Bukidnon.

the culminating day of the festival started with prayers and singing of Lupang Hinirang in Talaandig language; soothing sound of bamboo flute and energetic beatings of percussion; traditional dances;

sharing of agricultural products, fruits, kakanin and rootcrops, yumyum. stuff myself with lots of nilagang mais, kamote, gabi and green bayabas hehehe;

a tribal wedding;

and kainan ulit after :)

makigulo sa pinakamahirap na palaro - a relay composed of palosebo,

setting up of kalan, roasting, pounding and preparing coffee; and plucking and roasting a chicken, grabe!

kahit matindi ang ulan, everybody are having a great time.

capped the night with more music, jamming and dancing

the Talaandig are warm and happy people

showed us their craftsmanship and award-winning artworks such as soil-paintings

and sculptures;

taught us how to play drums and bamboo flute (i need lots of practice huhuhu);

welcomed us in their jamming sessions;

and best of all, flowing brewed coffee in every home, very nice hehehe.

thanks to our friends Angging and Mavic for the invitation and introducing us to their future community :) and to Soliman and his family for their hospitality.

next year ulit hehehe. balik-balik!

Talaandig Festival

10.13-15.11

Songco, Lantapan, Bukidnon