Images of Bontoc

The barangays of Bontoc Municipality, Mountain Province, Cordillera region, Philippines.

Going home one time, I caught an overnight bus from Quezon city to Bontoc. The bus night trip takes about 12 hours, and I did my best to squirm in and get a bit of sleep on the confined space of my seat. The bus had three scheduled stops for a bit of leg stretching, a toilet break or food. On the final leg of the journey, I awoke to the whine of the engine climbing the hills of Ifugao as we drove through gloomy Lagawe and then as dawn was breaking, rumbled past sleepy Banaue. Sunrise broke out over the mountains greeting us good morning. We were going down up the highway, listening to the big bus whine, humming up to the gap in the mountain range on Mt Polis. After stopping here for some refreshments we continued on to meet the new day, westerly down into Mountain Province.

Situated on the western slopes of the Mt Polis range, Bayyo is the eastern gateway to the Mountain province.

The mountains lifted their veil of clouds allowing travellers a glimpse at the mountainside village of Bayyo and its rice fields. Ole Hank put this town in a song:

...Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the Bayyo. he he. 

Amidst the hidden valleys and streams around here are Talubin and Can-eo. I hope to visit these places someday.

Further on down the road we come to -

 a gateway to the ricefields... i don’t know what else this could be.

We see more ricefields as we reach Samoki.

On top of old S’moki.

Samoki in summer, when not covered in smoke, is a sight to remember.

I’m a rambler and an ambler, but sometimes I range not far from home. Another time I took to the roads less travelled and found myself in the east of the province, through Barlig, Natonin and Paracelis. From there I travelled on a circuitous route north to Kalinga before homing to Mainit via Tinglayan and Sadanga.

A welcome sign in Tocucan at the northern portal to Bontoc shire.

On the approach into Bontoc municipality from the north, the road winds its way around the steep rocky banks of the Chico river. Sheer cliifs had to be blasted out for the road to go through.

The village of Tocucan was already here even before the wheel was invented, so that the roads that were inserted in town are narrow with tight bends and little room for traffic. Retaining walls had to be built very high because of the steepness of the terrain.

As in many places, necessity dictates land use. The principle of ‘highest and best use’ of land is a concept yet to be recognised and accepted in the mountain communities. Here, life is very much at a subsistence level and every piece of arable land is priceless and held on for generations.

So when government comes calling for a bit of riceland even for public use and purpose such as national road, rightly or wrongly, no amount of money can convince the traditional owners to part with their heirloom fields.

How long this stalemate will last, only time can tell. The future of these children or their children, or their children’s children is at stake. Will they carry on with tradition? Will they start a new life elsewhere? Again what price progress?

For the sake of the children, can we sort out this dilemma over land? In the words of Ama Barakob from Milika via Yaken (in Mainit it’s called Yagan), and in the ayyeng of the people who carved out this mountain fastness: "we-en man, yes we can!”

Mainit

Speaking of home, (did I speak of home?) home is where the heart beats free, and that’s Mainit for me - sometimes.

Maligcong

The best sights in Bontoc municipality (and elsewhere) are off-road. I found this out some time ago when I first trod on a mountaintop and looked around at the world below.

Dalican

On a mountain top, you're on top of the world. And I climb a mountain every chance I get. Forget Mt Everest – it’s full of peril such as frostbite and hypothermia etc. Forget Mt Pulag – there’s tourists there, and litter. Why go and see that? Climb your local hill or nearest mountain. In this turbulent world and times, you’ll find peace there. And whenever I’m conflicted, I go to the mountains.

Guina-ang

Maligcong, Dalican and Guina-ang are on the way to my mountain home, if you go my way – the mountain way. These views are for the very few who take to the rough narrow mountain ridges -where even goats fear to tread (I think I said this before). It is always a privilege to behold these amazing hidden wonders.

Sometimes I put on my wings for a bit of an aerial view. Sometimes too I climb the tallest pines. But you weren’t born yesterday. So today on a mountaintop I clambered up to the pine treetops, and checked out Maligcong. (Photos may be reproduced but please acknowledge source).

Dalican

Dalican with part of Guina-ang in the foreground at bottom-right.

The village of Guina-ang.

The ricefields of Guina-ang.

D'Albago highway.

Southbound from Bontoc, the mountain trail follows the main tributary of the Chico river upstream. Along the seven bridges road section of the halsema highway, travellers cross the many tributaries of the Chico. These smaller rivers or creeks include Balitian, Amlusong, Malitep, Bila with headwaters deep in the uplands in the west of the province.

Dantay at the crossroads.

Dainty Dantay is the gateway to Sagada and Besao.

The clear blue waters of the Chico are very enticing. But is it safe for swimming?

Itong bayan ay maalab - a very warm welcome stopover for weary travellers

 or motorists with broken-down vehicles. It’s called Alab.

 

Balili and Gonogon have the sweetest camotes and bananas, grown right on the balilings on the edge of the Chico and Malitep rivers.

Visitors like to stop at the roadside stalls here for some fruit or vegetables or food products to take home. The quality local produce from the banks of the Chico, make for the best pasalubong, and the best cuisine.

Back on the mountains, from an eagle's nest, I've finally spotted Bontoc and Mainit. 

It's time to go exploring.

Images of Sadanga

Sadanga municipality in Mountain Province is a land-locked and out-of-the-way town not often visited by tourists. The hamlets and villages comprising the town are situated on hilltops and mountainsides. Sadanga offers ideal destinations for hiking and other mountaineering activities for suitably fit adventurers. There are enough attractions and sight-seeing wonders in these mountains to last a few days or weeks of retreat or natural rejuvenation. On the outskirts of Belwang one can explore Angoten cave with its maze of many openings. This cave is similar to the caves in Sagada. The beautiful Fowa-as Falls with its cool and refreshing mountain springwater flows out all the year round from beneath Angoten cave and the surrounding lush green forests. The cave and falls are on my must-see list for next time.

The wondrous sight of great artworks of rice terraces carved on the steep mountainsides, is worth the trip up along the narrow winding dizzying zigzags to these highlands.

Like in Mainit, there are  natural hot springs in Poblacion and Bekigan that provide a soothing relaxing bath for tired bodies. Sharing in a communal bath is a privilege that local expats look forward to, and that visitors find a very thrilling experience.

Many of the Mainit people have ancestors and relations from these parts. Belwang sits on the eastern slopes of the mountain range between Sadanga and the ricefields of Mainit. Sacasacan is strategically situated on a historic hilltop where the colonial Spaniards constructed a garrison and a watchtower. This same outpost was also utilised by the imperial Americans. This vantage place overlooks Chemang and many of the other villages including Sadanga town proper. Mamadmang na Chemang ad Sacasacan (In Kankanaey madedemang nan Demang).

Back in 2010, I trekked the ridges and peaks ofthe Mainit mountain range on the west of Sadanga municipality. I did some vadfajuy (walkabout) and emerged at the topmost extents of the ricefields of Sacasacan. The year 2010 was an el nino period - it was a burning season, and many ricefields in the Cordillera suffered some form of water shortage or drought. Back then the Sacasacan fields appeared to have come through with little impact from the chagon. This much was evident on that slow painstaking hike, along burnt snaking tracks, from the mountain peaks all the way down to the Chico river at Ampawilen junction. 

Before descending from Sacasacan, I spent some time admiring the magnificent views around Sadanga from the high school hill compound. Recently this school site and others around the Cordillera were used as army outposts with local officials turning a blind eye. Human rights groups and others have correctly, though belatedly, pointed out that military occupation of schools is a violation of international and Philippine national laws.

Just like many of the towns in Mountain Province and the Cordillera, Sadanga municipality is basically a subsistence agricultural area with a range of crops that include heirloom rice, legumes, peanuts, camote, and vegetables as squash. Sugar cane is also grown for sugar and wine used for consumption and rituals. Some freshwater fish is farmed in the rice fields of some barangays.

In April this year, from the north in Kalinga, going southwards to Bontoc, I went through the Sadanga section of the Mountain Province-Kalinga national road. This high way is constructed on the deep ravines and steep mountain slopes.

But even on this twisting road gouged and cut out from the mountain sides, there are great spots for viewing the winding Chico river up to hundreds of metres below.

In olden days, the river teemed with fishlife, clams, watercress and other edible freshwater creatures and plants. Nowadays, with the unabated mining and waste dumping happening upstream, it is advisable not to consume anything from the river.

A few of the villages of Sadanga are along this ‘mountain trail’ national road. The villages of Anabel and Saclit with elevations of around 500m, sit on the high banks of the Chico and have the warmest climate in Sadanga. Saclit is located in the vicinity of the Kalinga provincial boundary, where the first settlers of Anabel also trace their roots from. Betwagan was originally settled by two tribes (Angkallim and Foyyacao) which came together initially for mutual security, but are now harmoniously united - “Finmetwacan”.

Development and infrastructure construction are urgently needed in Sadanga. News reports of the town receiving funding, and improvement of the Betwagan access road, will hopefully boost projects leading to the uplift of communities and lifestyle. Then the ator will again come to life with the sweet beat of the tayegteg, and the graceful sway of the sagney.