Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange
Though there is a branch of the
Sagada Rural Bank in town (Tues-Sat 8.30am-5pm), its
ATM currently only accepts local cards and there is no
currency exchange. Make sure to bring enough pesos.
Hospital
For minor ailments you can visit the Municipal
Health Office (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm); there's also one
small hospital, St Theodore's, on the northeastern edge
of the village.
Internet access
There are a few small internet cafés in
town, such as Tripple J in the commercial centre (daily
8am-7.30pm; P20/hr) and Golinsan on the other side of
the road from the tourist o
ce (daily 8am-7pm; P30/hr).
Police
Next to the old town hall (24hr;
T
0939 918 7127).
Post o
ce
In the old town hall (daily 8am-5pm).
Kalinga province
The mountains, rice fields and villages in
Kalinga province
rarely see visitors, never mind
foreign tourists. This is real frontier travel, with massive potential for hiking and climbing.
Outside the towns of
Tinglayan
and
Tabuk
, the only accommodation is in simple lodges or
local homes, the only shops are roadside stores, and electricity is a rarity so make sure you
bring a good torch. Note, too, that there are no banks or internet access in Tinglayan.
The Kalinga, once fierce
headhunters
, are remembered for their indomitable spirit
and their refusal to be colonized. Most Kalinga communities live on levelled parts of
steep mountain slopes, where a small shrine called a
bodayan
guards the entrance to the
village. You could also ask your guide (see box below) about visiting a
tattoo artist
,
many of whom still work using traditional materials and designs; it may even be
possible to have a tattoo yourself (from P500 for a small design).
3
Tinglayan
The town of
TINGLAYAN
, about 50km from Bontoc and 60km from Tabuk, is well placed
if you want to explore Kalinga province. From here you can strike out on
mountain trails
carved by the Spanish when they tried, and failed, to bring the Kalinga people into the
Catholic fold. Trails pass through tribal villages and rice terraces at Lubo and Mangali, to
the crater of the extinct volcano Mount Sukuok, and to a number of mountain lakes
including Bonnong and Padcharao. Rice is planted twice a year around Tinglayan, and the
fields are at their greenest from March to April and September to October.
Lubuagan
They don't see many tourists in
LUBUAGAN
, 18km north of Tinglayan on the road to
Tabuk, but it makes for a worthwhile stop. The town itself has a makeshift air, lined
with grey concrete buildings and with livestock wandering in the street, but it's
beautifully located amid rice terraces. Remarkably, it was the capital of the free
Philippines for 35 days in 1900, when the revolutionary President Aguinaldo
established his headquarters in the town before being forced to flee the US army.
The barangay of Mabilong, east of the centre, is known for its
textiles
and you can
arrange to visit one of the women who weave at home, sitting on the floor using
HIKING IN KALINGA: GUIDES
Wherever you go hiking in Kalinga you'll need a
guide
; essential not only to avoid getting lost
but also to ensure that you respect local sensibilities. Occasionally there are disputes - over
water rights, for instance - that result in violence, and a guide will stop you stumbling into any
areas where tensions might be high. Law and order in the province still relies very much on
tribal pacts (
bodong
) brokered by elders. Staff in Tinglayan's municipal building will usually
refer you to Victor Baculi, the former barangay captain of nearby Luplupa. Rates are not fixed
and could be anything from P500 to P1000 per day.
