Our Bontoc Stop-Over and Halsema Highway

Bontoc is the first town in the Mountain Province from Ifugao. The town of 
Bontoc is a less popular destination compared to Banaue and Sagada. However, should you be interested to stay in this town, you’ll be interested to know that there are guides you can hire to show you around, as the tribes in Bontoc are still generally cautious of tourists, especially foreigners.

The Bay-yo Terraces from the viewpoint along Halsema Highway

HOW WE GOT THERE

From Banaue or Sagada, Bontoc is about 1.5 to 2 hours away. We took a van from Banaue, had a toilet stopover in Bontoc en route to Sagada.

WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO SEE THERE

Stop at the Bay-yo Viewpoint. The Bay-yo Terraces is probably my favorite. Can you see why?
Stop at the Bontoc Museum. There are traditional items like clothing, ancestral weapons for headhunting, agricultural items and photos of the killings the ancestors did when foreign missionaries tried to preach to the tribes. There are also a couple of photos displayed which were taken by Mas Ferré.

View from Halsema Highway

HALSEMA HIGHWAY

Halsema Highway is the 240-kilometer road that connects Baguio to Sagada until Bontoc. It is the highest highway in the entire Philippines at 2,255 meters above sea level. It is named after the Former Mayor of Baguio Julius Halsema who opened the highway in the 1930s. The views are awesome in most parts and gets interesting when you get to see the lives the locals live. It can also get scary as most parts of the highway have only two lanes and no railings making it very possible for the vehicles to drop down the cliffs.

Some flowers at the Bontoc Stopover

Blissfully Banaue

Sometimes called by locals as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", 

the Ifugao Rice Terraces begin at the base of the mountain range and 

extend several thousand feet upwards. 

Two of the terrace clusters in Banaue, namely Bangaan and Batad, 

are part of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription. 

It is said that their length, if put end to end, would encircle half of the globe. 

Built 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces manifest the engineering skill and 

ingenuity of the sturdy Ifugaos. They are irrigated by means of mountain 
streams and springs that have been tapped and
channeled into canals that run downhill through the rice terraces. 

(From Wikipedia)

One of the indigenous people in the Batad Viewpoint 

HOW WE GOT THERE

We took the one and only trip of Florida Bus Lines from their Manila station with a PhP450.00 fare. We left at approximately 10:30 pm and arrived in Banaue at 6:30 am. The trip was relatively pleasant, with occasional stops for toilet breaks and a quick cup of coffee. You can also try Ohayami Trans which serves the same route during peak season.

WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO SEE THERE

Hire a guide! Not only will it be very convenient for you, it will also help the locals and encourage them to stay. We were told that there have already been several instances when the “young ones” would rather go to Manila or Baguio and experience the city life – abandoning their culture and practices. By showing them that their culture and heritage is precious enough, we help them realize that their practices are worth learning and keeping alive. When you hire a guide and/or transportation service, make sure to agree on a rate and the inclusions of the package price you agree upon, to avoid further inconvenience and unnecessary haggling at the end of the trip.

Hap-ao Terraces at Hungduan

See the various rice terraces in the several municipalities in the Ifugao Province (Lagawe, Hungduan, Banaue, etc.) The terraces you will be able to see will depend on the season you will go. When we went, the ones we saw “green” were Ba-ang and Hap-ao in Hungduan town and Bay-yo in Bontoc. The reason behind this is that they alternate the planting season for the areas so that in essence, they have rice available for harvest all year round. They also let the soil rest by planting other crops like sweet potatoes, vegetables, or not plant at all so the soil can replenish its minerals.

Try riding the wooden bike/scooter. The wooden bikes are quite amusing as the kids still use them for fun. Every April, during the Imbayah Festival, they have a downhill race using these wooden scooters.

Some items that can be found in the native house

See or even stay in a native house. Have your guide explain to you why the house is structured the way it is and you’ll realize how agriculture plays a huge and crucial part in their lives, even influencing how their homes are structured. Be amazed at the skulls and ancient weaponry used by their elders who take pride in being warriors of their land and family.

Watch the cultural show at the Banaue Hotel. Be entertained and educated on how the natives go on about their daily lives and milestones in their lives including birth, marriage, death and other celebrations in their lives.

Buy wooden souvenirs carved by the indigenous people. Buy interesting sculptures and carvings made by locals. Each design has a meaning and story so try to see which one you can relate best to or what design appeals to you the most.

Buy locally weaved items. The patterns of their weaving are generally different from the weaving of the rest of the tribes throughout the country. The patterns differ from each tribe and the number of colors used in the weave defines the position or standing of the person in the tribe. These would be nice to bring home as souvenirs for yourself or to bring home to relatives and friends.

Have lunch at People’s Lodge. The food isn’t anything special or spectacular, but the view is! Have Chicken rice for lunch while soaking-in the spectacular view of the terraces.

View from our room

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the Banaue Hotel, which is government-owned and managed by the Philippine Tourism Authority, an agency under the Department of Tourism. The hotel is pretty old and so are the rooms. However, it is relatively well kept and facilities are basic but good enough, considering how far out in the mountains it is.

If you want to go backpacker style, you can also stay at People’s Lodge where they have rooms at very affordable rates.

There is generally not much to see in Banaue, except for the rice terraces and some waterfalls we weren't able to see. However, given the grandeur and how marvelous the construction of the terraces are, the totality of the Ifugao Rice Terraces is definitely one of the sites you must see in your lifetime. Merely trying to imagine how their ancestors were able to carve out the terraces out of the mountains will make jaws drop and generate more than enough oohs, aahs, wows, and other exclamatory expressions. After all, these weren't enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites for nothing, right?

The Banaue Rice Terraces

Tan-aw Mindanao: Bukidnon Leg

This is part of a multi-city, 6-day tour we did in Mindanao. I’ll be writing about the cities separately since I know it will be madness if I even attempt to write about all of it in one entry. Should you wish to get the itinerary or more information about the entire trip (travel cost and duration, etc), please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Bukidnon is, as expected, a relatively laid-back province with an easy-going vibe. It is the perfect destination for people who just want to get away and rest, for those who want cool weather but want to veer away from the usual Tagaytay and Baguio.

HOW WE GOT THERE:

When in Cagayan De Oro, ask for a motorela to take you to the Agora Bus Terminal. Look for the entrance to Save More grocery, where the vans bound for Camp Phillips are. We took the van to Camp Phillips, which is the jump off point for Del Monte Farms and nearby attractions such as the Dahilayan Adventure Park. To get to Malaybalay City proper, there are buses that can take you directly from the Agora bus terminal (Rural Transit is the one that’s pretty popular for this route).

WHAT TO DO THERE: 
 See the Del Monte Farm -  Pineapples as faaaaar as the eyes can see! It's just an amazing sight, seeing this many pineapples. Everyday, they plant, harvest, juice, cut, pack, feed cows and feed people pineapples and feed people the cows that are fed pineapples. Welcome to pineapple land! It's amazing that a world class facility is in our country.

Others you can check out are the Dahilayan Adventure Park home to the longest dual zipline in Asia, the Rodeo Festival some time every March, and the Mangima Canyon that offers a grand, gorgeous view.

  

WHAT TO SEE:

Monastery of Transfiguration – As someone who studied in a Benedictine school for 10 years (Alabang campus), I simply had to go and see the monastery for myself. The Transfiguration Monastery boasts of a magnificent church designed by the National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin. It has been said that the monastery is his magnum opus. I heard that you can stay in the monastery to get a feel of their lives for a small fee. Or, you can try to catch breakfast or brunch with the monks every second Sunday of the month. With the monastery and Church being a sacred place, please keep in mind to wear long bottoms, or you may borrow skirts from the guard. We hired a multicab to take us to and from the Monastery for P500. Not bad since the Monastery was a 10-15 minute drive from the city porper of Malaybalay.

If you have enought time and means, try to go to the interiors of the towns to try and see the different tribes of Bukidnon, the same ones that still practice the traditional ways of weaving.

Inside the New Chapel

WHERE AND WHAT TO EAT:

Eat at the Clubhouse of Del Monte Farm - From (Camp) Phillips, take the multicab to Cawayanon and kindly inform the driver to stop at the Clubhouse. Their steaks are wonderfully tender. We think they’re probably feeding the cows all the pineapple byproducts, thus the tender steaks. You can get the set meal for about P300 to P1,200, which comes with soup, salad, steak and a fresh fruit cocktail. You can have bottomless pineapple juice, too! The pineapples are so yellow, they almost look fake.

Amadeo’s Steak Restaurant – We didn’t have steak as we were already satisfied with our Del Monte Clubhouse steak lunch. We had steamed fish and a few other viands. It wasn’t superb, but not bad either.

WHAT TO BRING HOME:

You can buy several goodies and souvenirs from the Monastery souvenir shop. Grab some St. Benedict's medals, peanut butter, peanuts, and do not forget the famous Monk’s Blend Coffee (Really good!).

I was hoping to be able to find and bring home traditional weaving items from Bukidnon as the tribes still do weaving. However, to my dismay, I found out that these items are only showcased during the festival season. I hope the provincial government or the city government of Malaybalay could encourage local businessmen to have souvenir shops for items distinctly Bukidnon, the same way local products are showcased and sold in other tourist spots.

What welcomes visitors to the province, a diorama in the town plaza, and the abundance of fruits in side-street stalls.

WHERE TO STAY:

We stayed at Pine Hills Hotel. It’s what you’d expect from a hotel in the mountains – basic accommodation with air-conditioning, standard breakfast, pretty old beds and the usual room service stuff. Oh they have wi-fi too! The downside was that we felt the beds were either dusty or had bed mites as we were uncomfortable the entire night. It also seemed like there was a leak in the sewage system and the smell was creeping into our toilet and into the room.