Unplanned SAGADA - The Echo Valley and The Hanging Coffins

This is one of the very rare trips that I take -- unplanned.  When I was given the chance to join DNA Travel's adven-tour to Sagada, I immediately signed-up without no second thoughts.  Even the itinerary I did not bother to ask, just only the departure to and from the destination.

The chartered bus left for the Mt. Province around 7pm from Quezon City after a heavy downpour.  It will be another 12hours before we reach Sagada, via Baguio.  I was asleep most of the time, too tired from the air-travel from Cagayan to Manila and the infamous Manila traffic congestion and flooding.  With no more than 20 passengers on-board the air conditioned bus, it's like a person to each side of the bus, front to back.

We arrived just in time for breakfast. After leaving our things at the Kanip-aw Pines View Lodge, we headed immediately to the Strawberry Cafe, around 5 mins walk.  It was a heavy breakfast to everyone's delight.

courtesy of JONATHAN TOLEDANES CLAVEL, Ilo-ilo City

Later did I realize that it was a good thing I asked for another cup of rice because the first adventure for the day was a trek to the Echo Valley, towards the Hanging coffins.

 

courtesy of JONATHAN TOLEDANES CLAVEL, Ilo-ilo City

A chartered jeep took us through the St. Mary's Episcopal Church and finally to the base of Calvary Hill where the Sagada Cemetery (for the converted Christians) was located. From the cemetery it's a tricky down hill walk through a narrow trail leading to the valley.

A little shout here and there and one gets to experience the Echo Valley.  Everyone was more excited to start going down the hill to the  other side of the cliff to see the hanging coffins up close and of course for photo ops.

A local guide was with our group who initially briefed us about the do's and dont's while passing through the cemetery and down to the coffins.  The locals are more adept with the English language than with the Tagalog dialect.  They were influenced by the American missionaries who were the first to come.

 The hanging coffins were more imposing in reality than seen in  television or magazines.  With the trail that I have just followed, I can only imagine the challenge of bringing a dead body in a coffin and hang it on the cliff-side.  Eventually this was explained by our guide.  The coffin and body are brought separately to the area, usually the coffin first.  The body is passed from a line of people going to the cliffs.

 

The Kankana-ey (locals) don't embalm their dead.  Accordingly, people are encourage to participate in the funeral because having fluids like blood spills over ones clothing while passing the dead body would bring good fortune and/or additional skills to the person. As the guide was explaining this, we all became conscious of a few drips coming from the coffins. No one, however, dared to stand underneath them!

In almost all pictures I saw of the hanging coffins, there was always this chair attached to one or two of the coffins.  I asked the guide about it.  This was the 'Death Chair' where the dead was left sitting during the wake.  This chair will never be used in the household so they were hanged together with the coffin.  Case solved.

The ascent back to the other side of the cliff was more challenging.  Surprisingly, after a good soaking of sweat, I was able to church where the jeep has been waiting. I was the last person to arrive -- time to take more cardio-excersises . A few pictures around the chapel and inside and off our group went for lunch.

Road-side Stop-Over : Zamboanga Sibugay-Del Sur

If you plan to go on a road trip and happen to pass-by between the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay (Ipil) and Zamboanga del Sur (Pagadian City), take your drive-break in these following locations ...

 

Have your lunch at KAN-ANAN SA BALSA.

They serve fresh sea food specializing in tilapia and crabs.  Order their fresh buko juice for they come straight from the coconut trees surrounding the fish-pond.

 

One can do fish-feeding while waiting for the orders to be cooked and served.  All of your orders will be manually prepared so be patient in the waiting.

Diplo, Kumalarang is around 1 to 1.5 hours drive from Pagadian City and around 2 hours from Ipil.

 


Take your snacks at BINGKAHAN SA BUSAY.

 

Missed bibingka cooked the old-fashion way?   It's here in Busay, Kumalarang around 1 to 1.5 hours drive from Pagadian City and around 2 hours from Ipil.

Watch out for those bibingka coming out fresh from their improvised ovens, they're the most tasty, especially when topped with Star Margarine! Sorry no butter around ...

Don't forget to bring along some pasalubong for relatives and friends.

 

Buy your pasalubong from the Bularan Sa Monching.

Looking for those mini-Danggit dried-fish?  You'll find them here at prices friendly to the wallet. Look for those dried-fish made locally, they are ones that are cheap.  I would not recommend buying the dried pusit here unless you forgot to buy them in Pagadian or Zamboanga City.

 
Dont forget to have them pack properly, wrapped in sheets of old newspapers and sealed with rounds of packaging tape.  I always bring with me these plastic boxes or these ice box where i place my purchases and seal them inside with rounds of packaging tapes.

Siay, Monching is around 2 hours from Pagadian City and 1 - 1.5 hours from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Enjoy your road-trip!

Hala Bira! Ati-atihan 2013 - The Star of The Festival

Beyond the colorful costumes, the constant beating of the drums, the unending merry-making of the people, is the Sto. Nino, of whom the festivities is all about.

The following are the various images of the Child Jesus as seen during the grand parade.

More images of the Sto. Nino were seen also during the Pilgrims Mass, the following Sunday after the Grand Parade, which was the last day of the Ati-atihan Festival.

Hala Bira indeed!

Till next Ati-atihan.

Hala Bira! Ati-atihan 2013 : Tribal, Modern, Balik-Ati Grand Parade

Good thing no major street parade took place the previous day for it rained the whole day.  The day started with a drizzle in the early morning. 

I was awaken by the beating of drums from a contingent passing by the street on their way to their assigned assembly area.  It's the grand parade today!

After my morning rituals, I went straight to McDonalds to have my breakfast.  It's already full of people, mostly travelers. As I was heading out to proceed to the assembly areas, another contingent was passing-by going to their assigned assembly area. 





Several diners went out to have their pictures taken with the participants.

Unlike other festival parades where spectators are kept at-bay, at the Ati-atihan spectators can join in the marching or jump-in to have their pictures taken with the ati-dancers.  Photographers - amateur, professional, hobbyist are all over, shooting to their hearts content.

From their respective assembly areas, the tribal and modern ati-dancers proceeded to the Pastrana park, go around twice before exiting.  

Their dance steps are straight forward and easy. It's as simple as two-steps forward, a step back with and optional turn-around.  No synchronization was necessary among the participants.

Young and old alike, of any shape and size participated in the competition as part of the contingent.  

The weather that morning was uncooperative.  A downpour or drizzle happened from time to time.  I stationed myself in front of a building that has a covered entrance so that when it rains, I just ran to the place for temporary shelter.

Since there are no limits as to where one can go with respect to the parade, several spectators frequently join in the dancing to have photos taken.  This can be both a headache to photographers or a bonus.  

Photographers would love the fact that one can really be up close with the participants making it not unnecessary for a zoom lens.

No, it's not chaos nor disorderliness during the the festival. Its plain merry-making to the max!

The grand parade was over just after lunch.  I did not anymore witness the afternoon festivities scheduled which was another parade, a socio-civic one.  The grand parade was more than enough - the main reason of my trip.

Hala Bira! Ati-atihan 2013 : Teacher's Day

After a 3 hour bus ride from Ilo-ilo City, I finally arrived in Kalibo early evening. It's only through Ilo-ilo that one can reach Kalibo by air from Cagayan de Oro without having to transit in Manila.  I paid 238.00 pesos for the Ceres Aircon.

After arriving in Ilo-ilo airport earlier, I took the van service from the airport and specifically told the van driver to drop me at the Save More Jaro (near the Jaro Cathedral, nearest point) where one can take the jeepney or taxi to the Tagbak Bus terminal. Van fare is 60 pesos, while jeepney to the Tagbag Bus Terminal is around 10pesos.  Taxi should not be more than 100pesos.

Dinner was at Ralphs Ihawan which is just across the hotel where I checked-in.  They serve one of the tastier grilled chicken and 'talaba' in town.

I had a prepaid booking at the Novetel Hotel which was near the central market and Gaisano.  The hotel's around 3 blocks away from the Pastrana Park area where most activity takes place. Very accessible, indeed and not to mention the CHEAPEST I found a few months back. One should take note that during Ati-atihan weekend, almost all hotels in Kalibo will triple or even quadruple their rates!  As one Australian tourist commented, "bloody hotel business here in Kalibo ...". Novotel went double for the weekend.

After a hot shower, I hit the 'sack' early due to exhaustion from the long trip.  I need to rise up early also the following day to see the street dancing parade and competition - one of the many that took place since the start of the week.

Day 1Viva, Maestro! Hala Bira, Maestra! : Beyond the four corners of their classrooms.

This was the first 'sinaot sa kalye' (street dance)  I witnessed on my first day here in Kalibo. My very first time to witness what has been touted to be the 'Mother of All Philippine Festivals'.

No special IDs and the likes were needed if you want to take pictures during the street dancing.  You just need to be conscious of your 'shooting' etiquette.  I stationed myself at the Mabini Street, the area fronting the Kalibo Pilot Elementary School.  The street was wide and the lighting from the sun was favorable.

 

The teachers performed that day.  The students had their presentation the previous day. I would have loved to see them perform.  Next year, perhaps?

The concept for the competition was Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.  

True enough, this was very evident in all of the participants costumes and props.  Their costumes were colorful and the moves were synchronized. It was still a competition, after all.  

One thing common among them though, was that in each contingent, the front-line dancers would have be bringing in dance the image of the Sto. Nino.

I had the initial impression that all contingents would be painting their faces and bodies with soot - only one did. It would have interesting to see all of them with the black soot on, after all it was the Ati-atihan. I guess time has change or maybe this was just a modern interpretation.

 

I decided to wait for the rest of the contingent at the Pastrana Park where the parade was suppose to end.  There, the participants were given the final opportunity to present their respective routines.   

The place was jammed-packed with spectators.  No special ID was needed if you want to take picture.  Just go to the nearest possible location without distracting the audience and the dancers.

The presentation was simultaneous in groups of three.  This can be daunting to a single photographer who would be faced with the problem on how to shoot the other group. I just decided to stay in the location where i had a good view of the Cathedral which acted as the background.

 

After the performances, and after a few speeches for the DEPED officials, the winners were announced. It was fast, no more waiting time for the performers.