Day 5: Discovering Sagada

Dear diary

I woke up earlier than usual to pray and to have a walk around the cottage. I ate my breakfast at St. Joseph Café and had a cheese and herb omelet (Ed: the omelet was definitely to die for, all creamy and gooey inside it was), and surprisingly I chose coffee over tea (normally I am a tea person). I was surprised to find that that I loved drinking the local coffee.

We went to the St. Mary the Virgin Church and joined Aron, Shu Yi, Melissa, and Dr. Yeoh who where there. After church, we were accompanied by Darwin and Dandan (two local boys we met at St. Joseph’s Café, who decided to be our impromptu tour guides) to Echo Valley. We faced muddy lands, slippery rocks, and a steep landscape and arrived at the Hanging Coffin area and took some pictures of the wonder of such a feat.

We continued climbing to the exact place where a French tourist passed away about a month ago. We shouted the names of our loved ones and tried to find a way out with the help of a very friendly dog. This dog came out of nowhere to help us when our previous guides, Darwin and Dandan went home.
(Ed: Maya started calling the dog, Foot-long and the name kinda stuck whenever we saw Foot-long around Sagada)

After stopping at Sagada Weaving to shop for the some gifts to bring home, the next hot spot we went to was a small waterfall, where we passed by Mary Carling’s (the great lady who helped coordinate our visits to local NGOs from the Philippine end) house on the way there. We faced a pretty tough landscape getting to the waterfall but survived! The water was freezing but we didn’t care. We started taking off our shoes and walked across the small pond with our bare feet. We splashed water on each other and took some pictures. Pooi Yarn even dared me to put my hands into the water as long as possible.


After leaving the waterfall, we went back to St. Joseph’s Café to have lunch. After I ordered a dish of boneless Bangus (fish), I realized that one of my fingers was bleeding (it must have bled while I held the rough grass when climbing up the hill). So while the others waited for their food, I went to my cottage and put a plaster on the bleeding finger.

After lunch, we went back to the cottage to get ready for dinner with the priest from St. Mary’s, Father Jerry. We ended up at having dinner at Masferres, a small restaurant with him.

Back at the cottage, 9 of us girls living together found out that nobody had the key to our cottage. We had accidentally locked ourselves out while making the assumption that someone had the key. I tried to open the door with a hair pin but failed. Finally one of the workers at the guest house came with screwdriver and opened the door with it since they could not find the spare key.

We all went into the attic in the cottage and celebrated the birthdays of the December girls with a pie. We all wish you a wonderful year, girls. :-P

By Dyah

The Sumaging Caves: Part 2

Today, 8 brave Monash-ians (Maxine, Eunice, Alia, Feeza, Grace, Temme, Max and me) with their 2 fun-loving student guides (Chinee and Rommel) embarked on a journey to the unknown aka the Sumaging cave. Most of us have never been into any serious caving before. We were excited but scared at the same time. With the exceptional of Temme since this is not her first experience. Maxine wanted to back out but thank goodness she did not for she would surely have missed out on one of the best times of her life.

It all started with us walking 45 minutes to get to the destination, later we climbed down a flight of stairs into the cave. We ventured deeper into the cave with the sound of bats echoing in our ears and the feeling of bat poop on both hands and feet. It was very disgusting for me. I shuddered just recalling the squashy texture on my hands. The path we took was not a smooth ride. It was filled with sharp edged rocks and stones and the bat poop just make the ground slippery which made the walk much more difficult than it already was. You really have to concentrate on where you were walking. It is a pity for I was not able to enjoy the scenery around me. Not that there was much to see for the cave was really dark.

The cave was lit only by two lanterns held by our two professional eco-guides - one in the front and the other at the back. Adventurers would not get to see what was ahead of them nor could they see anything behind them. Our vision was filled with plain darkness. After walking past the bat poop part, we were told to walk barefooted as it helped with our walking. Our arms and legs were smeared with poop so it was heavenly when we stepped into the cooling water and washed up. We have to climb down and wade through the chilling yet refreshing water (I don’t think many would agree with me on this as all of them screamed COLD the moment they got into the water). We passed by some interesting rock formations as mentioned in Feeza’s post.

However, the highlight of this entire expedition was Max losing his glasses. We had passed by a small yet deep pool in the middle of the cave. The two guides jumped into it and looking at them swimming around happily made some of us itch to join in the fun. Eunice was the first daring soul to leap into the chilly water. Max jumped into the pool and the force must have been too hard and his glasses came off from it's position. I must say that the two guides were really nice for they dived into the pool several times to search for it. It wasn’t an easy task for the water was freezing and it got difficult to go underwater.

It was quite annoying that after we were clean, we had to return to the surface using the same route. All of us got filthy again by the time we reached the starting point. It was truly an experience not to be missed. For those who told me that it would be difficult and tiring, they were wrong. The scrapes and cuts on my arms and legs are symbols of victory to me.

By Jojo

The Sumaging Cave: Part 1

On the 15th of December the whole ‘Philippines’ gang was divided into 2 groups. Since there are some of them who did not want to go on a caving trip, instead they went on a hiking trip. As for those who went on the hiking trip. We had a blast! I’ll leave the further details of what happened in the cave to Jojo to tell.

The cave that we ventured into is known as The Sumaging Cave or also known as the Big Cave. This cave is situated in Sagada and Sagada is a town in Mt. Province. It takes a 6 hour bus ride to get to Sagada from Baguio. According to the guide, the cave was once filled with sea water a few decades ago hence the cave was created by water erosion. We had to first register at the Sagada Municipal hall indicating our intention to go caving and we paid 110 pesos for that activity, 100 pesos for the guides and 10 pesos for environmental fees. (I guess that the 10 pesos will be paid to Mother Nature in case we mess up the cave.)

Our guides were well equipped with lanterns and they were familiar with the ins and outs of the cave. All their explanations were really beneficial to us. We were basically awed by Sumaging cave’s sheer size, fascinating chambers and rock formations, all the rock formations really mesmerized us especially the size of it. Without looking too closely I don’t think we would make sense of the formation. The names I could remember was the “Kings’s Curtain”, “Chocolate Cake”, “Pregnant Women”, “The Penis”, “The Elephant”, “The Pig’s Pen”, “The Hiding Turtle” and etc. All their larger than life resemblances of the real things really made our jaws drop and our eyes popped out not believing what we saw.

To get around the cave we had to make our body flexible because a part of the cave that is known as "The Tunnel" consists of a series of tiny passages that made us to do limbo-like movements, army and baby-like crawling to pass through. Somewhere deep in the caves there were “bats poop” or also known as “Guano” the smell was bearable but not the texture however the guano was mostly at the top of the caves.

Further in the caves, it started to get cold due to the water features that existed in the cave. There are some areas of the caves that is covered with water and the first water encounter was about knee deep only but not long after that the water level was up to the chest level. There were also routes that needed us to repel down, jump like monkeys side ways and even used the guide’s leg as stepping stone. (Pity him I hope he’s not down with a fracture or something).

The excited amateur cavers then had a chance to have a dip in the pool with a waterfall. It was a deep pool since it was once a deep sea area. The temperature of the water was so cold until at one point I felt like a penguin having to be able to stand the ice cold water. The whole cave was chilly until we could see mist coming out from us, not only from our mouth but from our hands, fingers, body and everywhere. I think it’s our warm mammal body reacting to the cold temperatures in the cave. But seriously, a sweater and warm clothing are not needed. Just slippers, and suitable sports attire is enough. In case you want to go swimming in the pool down the cave. Swim suits are a necessity or just dive in with whatever you have! All in all that is a brief description of the Sumaging cave in Sagada. Photos will appear, as soon as Temme gets them from Rommel and Chini and I bet you’ll understand what I’ve been trying to tell you when you see the pictures. Don’t forget to read Jojo’s entry about us being silly in the Sumanging Cave. Until then, take care!

By Feeza

A Taste of Filipino Culture

I must say that the Filipino culture is one of a kind. Despite how the media would portray the people from developing countries, the people there are far from being backward. In fact, a majority is very much “Americanized” but still retain a distinct pride for their Asian and for some, indigenous heritage. Unlike the Malaysian “tidak apa” (don’t care) attitude, the Filipinos are a brave bunch of fighters who are active in asserting their rights and believes especially the indigenous peoples rights (particularly in the Cordillera region where we were). Although some may be living under grim situation due to political unrest and poverty, they always exude such positive energy and show their passion to bring change.

Baguio is like an old town in Malaysia with very few high-rise buildings, with shops at a convenient distance. We lived on Session Road, the main street of Baguio which can get pretty crowded during peak hours.


I observed that security can be pretty tight in Baguio, in response to the political unrest and terrorism. Before we entered SM Mall, our bags and bodies were briefly checked and even places such as 7 Eleven and McDonald’s would have armed security guards present. For me, I find it as a good sign and it made me feel safe during the stay. In Baguio, we were approached by many locals and police officers that would advise us to be careful with pickpockets, although none of us were victims; I really appreciated the efforts and kind advice from the locals.


In addition, the people in the Philippines are exceptionally polite to the point that makes me feel undeserving or pampered. Especially when people would greet you “Mam” (Madame) or “Sir” constantly and greet you with such warmth and offering great assistance. Similarly in the Filipino language, deference is showed by calling elder people “Manong” (similar to Uncle) and “Manang” (Auntie) while among younger groups its “Kuya” (big brother) or “Ate” (elder sister).

In between our stay in Baguio, we went high up in the mountainous Cordillera region of Sagada. The indigenous community that resides in Sagada are mainly Kankana-ey and they are largely Anglicans and some practise paganism.

The local lifestyle in Sagada moves at a slower pace which I totally understand since the scenery and nature there is so breathtaking that one must just pause for a moment to just embrace nature’s beauty. Being a city kid, I was entirely captivated by Sagada. Everything excited me and call for my appreciation, the cool breeze, the sunshine, the rainbows, walking barefoot and the feel of fresh earth on my feet, waterfalls, meadows, rice terrains, rolling hills or even the sunflowers that grow in such abundance.

Nonetheless, nothing captivates me more than the people. The children are adorable and have such sparkling eyes and cheeky smiles. I saw many of us having a great time interacting with and giving candies to them. At night, we sat around bonfires to warm ourselves. Bonfire gatherings are one of the common bonding sessions of the indigenous culture where they sing and dance to their traditional songs or to country music which they have adapted from the Americans.

Interacting with the indigenous people was a really precious and learning experience to me. I must say I was dumbstruck at how Westernised some indigenous people are, I felt like I was in cowboy-land instead. It took me some time to register when some would speak to me with a thick American accent, and occasionally and naturally, the common American vocab: the F word would come up, now that is what I call culture shock. I got to witness the workings of globalization where there cultures are no longer seen as authentic and yet can still remain untainted by modernity.

Generally, the local people are a great joy to be with. It is hard not to fall in love with the Philipines and I can only say “I love Baguio and Sagada”, mahal kita and laylaydeksika (I love you in Tagalog and the Igorot dialect).

By Eunice

Day 4: Into Sagada

Today hailed a long and arduous journey (about six hours on a winding and bumpy road by bus) to Sagada and like the champions that my roommates and I are, we slept at 4.30am the night before due to a strange burst of enthusiasm to talk late into the night. Nevertheless, despite breaking the travellers’ taboo of having enough sleep before a tiring day ahead, we were all down on time (Malaysian-wise) and raring to go. One of the most tiresome things traveling forces upon a person is the need to pack. Due to a misguided decision to buy a packet of fried chicharon*, I found myself having to cram it into my backpack without crushing it.

By meeting time at 6.30am, we students of Monash University were looking like a sleep-deprived bunch of backpackers, strapped to the gills with all of our earthly belongings. I personally would not wish a six hour bus ride with bumpy road on my worst enemy but countless sources have informed us repeatedly of the famed beauty of the Mountain Province rice terraces.

As we descended into the valley, close enough to see the twisting blue Chico River, one of us spotted a rainbow over the valley. This resulted in a clamour to get from one end of the bus to another for a better look. I chose to see it as a good omen for our trip to Sagada. When this was closely followed by three other rainbows, we began to wonder if our luck really was going to be that spectacular or nature was just being generous that day.

Perhaps the grueling six to seven hour bus ride from Clark Air Base to Baguio had trained us to withstand long hours in a cramped and rattling space. Whatever it was, we arrived at St Joseph Inn in Sagada on time and lugged our humongous bags up stone stairs that never seemed to end. Admittingly, halfway through the trip, I did wonder (uncharitably) if Sagada was really worth the six hour ride.


When we reached the top of the guesthouse, we took a long hard look around. It had none of the bustle of Baguio city, or its conveniences but it was simply beautiful. Best of all, it was exhaust-pollution free!

If that did not change my mind, seeing the quaint wooden cottage and finding out that I would be sleeping in the kind of sloping loft you only find in Enid Blyton books certainly did. I was ready for what Sagada could throw at me for sure, I thought.

At the end of the day, what struck me most during the days’ trip were the rice terraces. Apart from the sheer beauty of its uniformity, they symbolise the spirit of endurance and strength of the human character. It is a reminder that we are all able to adapt to the harshest conditions as long as we have the will to do so. At the end of the day, we may come away beaten but never truly defeated.

*Deep fried pork belly, a local delicacy

By Maxine

Day 3: Me, the Filipino?

Okay, so it's day 3 already, how time flies! When I look back on what has happened since day 1, being mistaken to be a local was a funny and scary experience at the same time, hehe.

On day 2, the first question that the local guides asked me was, whether I had Filipino roots. ;). Really, I guess it felt like a compliment at first because I could blend in anytime. But yesterday, we had about an hour break so the student guides took us to the biggest park in the city and I noticed a lot of Muslims there. As usual, being the ‘jakun’ tourist, I took pictures of the place. Then out of nowhere a stranger comes up to me and showed me a picture of the back of my head. He said “nice, nice”. I was so scared then and decided that blending in wasn’t such a good idea.

Today being day 3, most of us went to the black market after the talk at Nordis. Feeza and I got separated from the rest of the gang at the market. We had to buy hand phone credit in order to make calls to contact the rest of them. I checked out the nearest shop to buy credit, I asked them in English (of course) if they sold reload cards. Guess what language they replied us in…hahha. I had to repeat myself a couple of times before they finally answered in English.

After that, as usual, Feeza and I went food hunting. Our forced favourite food spot was McDonalds. Both of us stood at the counter ordering our food and we had to wait at the side for a few minutes for the order to get through. It was amusing that the cashier talked to me since Feeza was the one who ordered. The funny part was, the cashier spoke to me in Tagalog which appeared to be quite lengthy to me and I had no idea what she meant. I figured that she told me to wait at the side to get our orders. Haha. So I just nodded my head. Feeza had to go back to the inn immediately due to an emergency so I had to wait till the food was packed.

So I thought to myself only three experiences so far, should be enough to last this entire trip. Little did I know that there was another one coming. No one gave a second look when I walked back to the inn. I told that to Feeza, but she said the opposite. That people gave way and looked as she rushed back to the inn.

As a whole, I think, it’s kinda cool to blend in without the scary parts (of course). It’s the end of day three and I’m looking forward to more unforgettable and enjoyable experiences here.

By Alia

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.

ORNUS

At five in the evening, we visited the ORNUS (Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili ti Syudad), an organization focused on helping the urban poor. We had to embark four flights of dark steep stairs to get to. Beyond those stairs, a small room was situated in one corner. It is in this room that the ORNUS community humbly holds their meetings.

ORNUS consists of sub-groups such as the youth organization, transport organization and women organization. The aim of ORNUS is to provide support to the urban poor for many of these individuals have been marginalised by the government. Within a short hour, ORNUS explained their role in Baguio City and addressed the serious issues concerning the urban poor which left us very stunned.

Many members of the ORNUS contributed to the talk about their struggles in Baguio City. They explained the current situation of urban men, women and children who have been desperately trying to make a basic living in Baguio City.

As we all know, the local people of Baguio City depend heavily on jeepneys as their main mode of transport. In January, jeepney drivers could earn 200 pesos per day. Although this figure may seem insufficient, after the 15 ^th oil price increment this year, they are now earning a staggering daily income of only 80 pesos per day. In addition, if they are caught by any officials to be breaking any road laws, they could be fined a minimum of 150 pesos.

One of the objectives of ORNUS is to solve the root problem by suggesting that the government should nationalize its oil industry. The government should take control over its natural oil resources in order to benefit both the public and the jeepney drivers.

Available jobs for construction workers in Baguio are seasonal. Women construction workers opt to work as side-walk vendors during the low peak seasons in order to contribute to the family income. The side-walk vendors sell an assortment of basic goods such as vegetables, fruits, newspapers, cigarettes and etc.

The government views the side-walk vendors as illegal. Therefore, the government imposes a 1000 pesos fine and confiscation of both goods and equipment of the vendors. This creates a larger hurdle for the urban poor to survive in Baguio City. The children of side-walk vendors are equally exposed to dangers and ill-treatments.

The people who are forced to live in squatters are deprived from water supply and public health services. The Philippines constitution acknowledges the social problems of the poor by giving them the right to shelter and relocation after having their houses demolished. However, in reality that is not the case. Thus, these people are forced to return to their province of origin. Meanwhile the land which they were residing before it was destroyed is sold to interested buyers at a rate of 2500 sq meters; which is unaffordable to them.

After listening to an hour of intense talk, it was difficult to imagine living in these conditions. However we are grateful to be educated about the urban poor, as it was something that many of us may have taken for granted. ORNUS ended the session with a simple and touching song which they composed. Remnants of their song lingered in our hearts as we climbed our way back up the stairs.

By Susan and Mindy

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.