Sagada: New Summer Capital of the Philippines

If, in case, Baguio City will lost its title as the summer capital of the Philippines, Sagada is very much ready to take-over!

We went home to Sagada last week to show our respect to a dead relative of my wife. I was so amazed by the cold weather temperature of the place. It was so cold that I call it the new summer capital of the Philippines.  If I guessed it right, it was on the 10 degrees centigrade to 12 degrees centigrade.

When I first arrived to Baguio in 1986, it was also cold, and you have to pray the sun comes out to warm up the air, but now, even with the sun is way beyond the dark clouds, you would feel like you’re inside a bakery.  Because Baguio city had lost a lot of its trees due to the establishment of new buildings, its title as the Summer Capital of the Philippines is also weakening. And anyone who have gone to Sagada will agree, that Sagada is now the best destination for people who wants to cool off.

As we were leaving Baguio City in our way to Sagada, it was so warm that you think you are in the lowlands.  The temperature was humid and the smell of the air is not fresh anymore because of so much smoke coming out from cars, and jitneys running on the road – add to it the slow traffic caused by road repairs being done by the DPWH(Department of Public Works and Highways)

I am not a resident of Sagada but it is the place, where my father was born; it was the place his ancestors’ were born and dead.   

Sagada was full of ghost stories and, according to my father, many were true.  This was due to the people's of the old times strong belief of "Anito" or spirit of the dead.  One story my father always told was a person could be carried out literally by ghosts and brought out of the dap-ay (it’s like a nipa hut where men sleeps during the night in the old days, and serves as the justice hall/barangay hall of the community to settle disputes) Aside from the ghost stories, there were also many stories of events that shaped the life of the people of Sagada.

Going there is very exciting.  You travel passing by the Mountain trail where most vegetables that supplies Manila are coming from, like, cabbages, carrots, lettuces, baguio beans, and more.  Aside from the gardens, you will see thick forests of Pine trees, and occasional waterfalls, and thick fogs, which make you think, “Am I in the first level of heaven?”

When you go to Sagada, be sure to bring with you thick jackets if your skin is too thin for the cold weather.  Traveling Mountain trail or now known as the Halsema highway could make you shiver to the bone with cold.  But, don’t you worry, if you came from the polluted parts of the country, be sure that the clean air will recharge you with pure energy, thus it is worth the adventure.

If you do not believe me, here is a story of one of the people I saw,  a cousin of my wife who told me his story when I wrongly assumed  he still resides in Baguio city.  He said, he had a bypass operation in 2002, and he had trouble breathing when he walks even for a short distance.  In fact, even when he is at home, he feels like being choked and his breathing becomes heavy.

One time, when there was a wedding in Sagada where they were invited, he went home to attend the wedding.  Once he was there, he already noticed a difference in his energy.  He said, he walked without the feeling of being out of breathe, and don’t have to stop to regain his strength.  Right on that moment he told his wife, “Sagada is my home, let us stay here” which his wife happily accepted.

Aside from the cold weather, most of their culture is still preserved which shows you are in a real vacation, especially when you want to forget about the hassles of life in the city. 

Places you can see in Sagada:  Sumaguing cave, hanging coffins, green mountains, old houses, and most of all you could learn firsthand their traditions and culture on how they conduct weddings, which is done after the couple already have a child or more.* How they attend to their dead, and many more unbelievable practices that makes your thinking travel back on the old days of Philippines history.

The people of Sagada are the most friendly, and peaceful people of the cordillera, even during the time of the uncivilized generation of head hunting.  It’s only the people who have fear of their god Kabunyan.  They are the only people who have the word “Inayan” which has no exact translation in English; however, it means, “it is not nice to do bad” especially against your fellow men.

The following images are just some of the views and things you will see and learn when you come to visit.  When you get here, you can ask for tourist guides who will be very much happy to take you around with a minimal fee.

Fig. 1 = This is one of the common scene you'll see as you go up the mountains on your way to Sagada.

Fig. 2 = The Highest Point

Fig. 3

Fig. 4 = The houses you can see at the entrance of Sagada

Fig. 5 = One of the forests of Sagada

Fig. 6 = The century hanging coffins(pointed by the arrows)

Fig. 7 = The traditional way we cook meat, we call it "anger"(a-nger like in apple) or boiled meat with only salt added

Fig. 8 = The "Apag" or serving of wine to those who wants drink to fight the cold weather; This was usually a rice wine(Tapey) in the old,old days.

Fig. 9 = A collection of urinary bladder of pigs butchered during the wake

Fig 10 = Meat being chopped to be cooked

Fig. 11 = It was raining, and Two kids taking advantage of a shade provided by the side of the mountain

Fig. 12 = A foreigner just arrived at the poblacion Sagada or Sagada main center where the police station, market, and business area

Fig. 13 = A man doing his job. Home based wood works is one of the source of income

Fig. 14 = A woman from visayas region selling sweet oranges on the side of the road.

Fig. 15 = Hotel is one of the thriving business in Sagada, so don't worry of a place where to stay

Fig. 16 = Bugang one of the barangays of Sagada

Fig. 17 = The rocks where the dead of the old days were brought up; either the folks hang the coffins with the dead, or make a hole on the side of the rocks and push in the coffin with the dead, or find a cave to put down the dead.

These and more are the excitements you can see when you visit Sagada - the new summer capital of the Philippines!