Baler

I was there January 29 to 30, 2014.

Baler is the capital of the Province of Aurora located at the easternmost part of Luzon facing the vast Pacific Ocean. If the mountains of Sierra Madre seem to be the eastern frontier for Luzon, the town is beyond these mountains. After traversing the mountain passes, the rugged highlands eventually gave way to vast flood plains which gently rolled into the Pacific. Like baby, Baler is peacefully resting on said plains. As I strolled around, I wonder how the town flourished despite its distance from big population centers.

Baler is not on my list of places to visit. I was there to work. Together with other academics from Region III, I was commissioned by the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office III to assess Mt. Carmel College's AB Political Science offering.  It turned out, that work became a respite.

Turn off your cellphones and just be out of touch. Feel the morning breeze from the seemingly endless Pacific ocean. Relive history as you visit Baler's old church and the house of former President Manuel Quezon. Or simply enjoy the rustic environs where the famed Angaras live. Baler is a town to visit when one craves for real rest from the noise and haste of the world.    

Unfortunately, it rained non-stop for three days when we arrived at the town. In Aurora, landslides during heavy rains is a big problem. Mud and boulders blocked the highways. We got stuck in the chartered bus for more than six hours. 

Baler Public Market. Coco jam is a good "pasalubong" from Baler. There is a pasalubong center nearby where local handicrafts are sold.

The only ship docked at the Baler seaport. 

A peaceful port. 

Tromba Marina. Facing the vast Pacific Ocean means a constant exposure to storms and tsunamis. History records a 1735 tsunami which almost wiped out all the inhabitants of Baler.  

On our way home, there was a landslide that almost bury a car just a few meters away from our bus. We were stranded for more than six hours.  

Vigan

I was there, October 22-25, 2014.

The sights of Vigan give a visitor an impression that the City froze for centuries. With it's massive centuries-old buildings numbering to more than a hundred, it should be that it was once a prosperous town. But for one reason or another, this prosperity suddenly stopped and the town was doomed to age and decay. It survived the years, almost intact. It survived the Philippine Revolution, the Philippine-American War, the World War II and hundreds of earthquakes and typhoons that battered it. Its almost serendipitous preservation, with slight changes for centuries, is unbelievable. Time stood still for Vigan. The Philippines is fortunate to still have Vigan as a window to its past.

A house along Calle Liberation reveals what's beneath the old plastered walls. 

A closer look at those brick walls.

With the creditable efforts of the local officials, the City is enlisted in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was a feat, considering the high UNESCO standards it had to meet and the conflicting interests of the owners of the tagged buildings it had to grapple.Vigan made it to the list because it "represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning." And also, "Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of an European trading town in East and South-East Asia."

Wait till darkness falls and Vigan's evening ambiance will you transport back in time a few hundred years, more or less. 

Another look at the well-photographed Calle Crisologo.

Tinglayan

I was there, November 3-6, 2012.

The terraces of Tinglayan, Kalinga is structurally different from that of Banaue. They build walls made of stones instead of mud. (Photo: Atty. Romeo Bautista) 

Deep in heart of the Cordilleras of Luzon lies the Municipality of Tinglayan in the Province of Kalinga. The town proper of Tinglayan is in itself a wonder. How can one establish a town on a land of steep slopes, crevices and ravines? Plus, the town's population is a conglomeration of eight (8) Kalinga tribes who are not always in peaceful terms with each other.

We were lucky to have arrived at Tinglayan during the engagement party of Mayor Fernando Abay's daughter. We witnessed a different way of serving food to the guests. Accompanied by the festive beating of the gangsa (a smooth-surfaced gong), plated food began to flow out from the kitchen passing from one guest to another. The music did not stop until the last guest held a plate of rice and boiled pork seasoned only with salt. The Mayor, probably noticing my amazement, explained that his tribe do this when there is not enough food for everyone. That is, there were more visitors than they expected. The boiled pork will be divided equally to as many plates as there are guests. No matter how small the cuts of meat will be, it doesn't matter, for as long as everybody is given a share. After the feast, we spent the night drinking and singing.

We spent three days in the rugged mountains of Tinglayan, Kalinga. Whang-Od, the last surviving Butbut Tribe tattoo artist carved a centipede on my back. We slept at the house of Tic-e Pan-oy of the Butbut Tribe of Buscalan.

Whang-Od is the last tattoo artist of the Buscalan tribe in Tinglayan, Kalinga. While nobody can say for certain how old she is, but she claimed to be in her 90's. I took the opportunity of having having myself tattooed. The tattoo is more of cultural value than aesthetic. (Photo: Atty. Romeo Bautista)   

Whang-Od, a native tattoo artist, is hereself tattooed all over. She attempted to pass the art to her grand daughter. But the young girl's art seemed too novice. (Photo: Atty. Romeo Bautista)

From the Poblacion in Tinglayan to Buscalan took us around two hours of walking. There is, of course, a shorter way, but our tour guide wanted us to experience everything the mountains have to offer. At times, the walk along steep ravines becomes so slippery and totally dangerous especially to tired tourists.

 (Photo: Atty. Romeo Bautista)

And aha! We rode on the top of the bus on our way to Tabuk City. The bus negotiated sharp curves besides deep ravines and steep cliffs. "Check your breaks please!" I shouted all the way!

Foreigners and locals would want to stay on top of the Jitney. The view is exhilarating up there. 

This is Tic-e Pan-oy. She accepts transients at her home in Buscalan. The Buscalan village is surrounded by numerous rice terraces.  (Photo: Atty. Romeo Bautista)

Bontoc

I was there, April 6, 2013. 

Together with my colleagues at Mabalacat City College, I went to Bontoc, Mountain Province to watch the Lang-ay Festival. And lo, I saw the most beautiful festival in the Philippines. Unlike many festivals in the country where the dances and costumes are highly infused with Western elements, Lang-ay is a festival that showcases native dances with almost authentic ethnic moves and choreography. April is the best time to go to Bontoc. 

Bontoc women showcasing their heirloom necklaces. The whole festival present a core of Filipino heritage which escaped Western colonization. (Photo: Irene Christy M. Bacolod)

The old and young men danced in the streets of Bontoc showing off their authentic dances and clothings. My heart bled for my own lost culture. Unlike theirs, my ethnic roots and culture are beyond recovery.  (Photo: Irene Christy M. Bacolod)

These young boys burst into dance moves almost instantly at the beat of the drums. With these children, Bontoc traditions may remain alive for a long time. (Photo: Irene Christy M. Bacolod)

This scene is moving. I wanted to cry seeing these boys keeping their traditions alive. I realized that I lost my ethnic culture in exchange for a western civilization brought by the Spaniards. (Photo: Irene Christy M. Bacolod)

During my first trip to Bontoc, we saw these foreigners sitting on top of the jitney going to Batad. Although dangerous, the view is exhilarating up there. (Atty. Romeo Bautista)   

Maligcong Rice Terraces in Bontoc awaiting planting. Even without the "greenery" of the palay, the terraces are really breathtaking, indeed, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Atty. Romeo Bautista)