Sagada Vol. 2

Surviving Sumaging Cave
By LGC
May 30, 2009

CEBU, Philippines - Sagada is not only about hanging coffins and burial caves. Favored by nature with high mountains and many caves, this sleepy town of Mt. Province has also quickly become a favorite place for mountaineers and spelunkers.

My friends and I were among those lured by the attractions of Sagada. We were there last Holy Week.

Initially, our itinerary only consisted of visits to the hanging coffins in the Echo Valley, the rice terraces in Kiltepan, the big falls, among a few others. But when the tour guide we contacted through e-mail suggested we should not miss Sumaging Cave, we included it, without actually knowing what we were in for.

After visiting the Burial Cave, with its wet and fog covered trail, we thought that Sumaging, the next cave to see, would be just another burial cave. But we were wrong.

Upon reaching the site, our guide Daniel, who already had a gas lamp at this juncture, told us to leave all the unnecessary things in the car, except for our cameras. And while he and the other guide named George were lighting their gas lamps at the entrance, I asked what could be waiting for us out there after seeing how big (and dark) the cave was.

Daniel then explained to the group we would be on a spelunking activity for the next two hours or so, depending on how fast we move. Hearing this, some members of our group started complaining. But heck, we were already in Sagada, so we should try what everyone was there for.

Sumaging Cave, which is said to have existed millions of years ago (there are fossilized seashells in its walls that date back to the time before the first men inhabited the earth), was also used as a burial ground by the old people there, however, the coffins were destroyed over the years by the water inside it.

So we went inside the cave with only the two lamps lighting our way. The spelunking is divided into three stages. Stage one is what could be called the “bat territory” and of course, with bats’ shit all over the place. And I mean really all over that our hands (and even hair) were already smudged with them even while still halfway into the fist stage. The trail is very steep and rocky that one has to hold into the nearest rock for support, regardless of the slimy feel and the stink in them.

It was a long and difficult trek down. We were all glad when our guides told us to leave our slippers at some corner for the next stage.

Stage two was a completely different world. If the first part was all rough rocks and bat manure, the next stage was a visual treat: magnificent stalactites and stalagmites all over the cave, plus, running water for the tired feet as bonus. At first, the task ahead looked difficult. The rocks in this part looked slippery, that it took several minutes for those in the frontline to follow the guides. But it was actually easy. Easier than maneuvering the hard rocks in the first stage.

Apart from having to jump 12 or so feet to the ground with only Daniel as our human ladder, the rest of the trail was fun. We got to see the many rock formations all over the place. The light coming from our two lamps added drama to the place, making it more breathtaking. And Daniel always had a story or two about the “queen” and her “king,” which he would ask us to find among the many rock formations.

The second stage was a bit of relief from the first. We got to clean our hands from guano and enjoy the relaxing flow of the cold water on our feet. Because of the abundance of water inside the cave, there are holes there that resemble small swimming pools or what Daniel calls “the mother of all bath tubs,” since there are also smaller “bath tubs” in some corners of the cave.

The final stage was another thing. It was a combination of both stages: hard and fun. What greets (and sometimes discourages some to go through it) is the small opening, which can only accommodate one person, going down feet first, at a time.

Just as we thought, the small opening was just the tip of the iceberg. Our guide George was in charge of this game, armed with only a gas lamp since all other belongings were left in the care of Daniel, who was accompanying our friend Ella, who was already chilling and decided not to join us.

Inside the small opening is a small pool, which is a jump-off to a tunnel-like passage, where ropes are used to get down to another pool of waist-deep water. There are rocks protruding everywhere in this trail. Plus, water here is already surging at high speed that you have to hold on to the rope for dear life for you to reach the water below. Falling would mean hitting the big rocks in the corners. It was more than just rappelling for us. It was a death-defying stunt!

But we managed to get to the last point all soaked and cold and exhausted that we could only giggle at Daniel’s never ending tales of the cave’s “kings” and “queens” and “the dinosaur’s footprints” inside the cave. He would tell his visitors these stories, and although he was corny most of the time, especially when he let us make a small line at the entrance of the cave to get to “another cave,” which turned out to be a tiny hole in a rock near where he was standing, we still enjoyed the way he helped us forget our worries, stupid worries of not coming out of the cave alive.

We survived! Beaten, stinking, and all.


fossilized shells at the walls of the cave. meaning, this cave was an underwater thing millions of years ago. or so said our guide daniel.

the survivors and the guides daniel and george.

part of stage 3. the fun part.

this is how i survived. with a smile. :P

OKAY, IT'S OBVIOUS, I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT. WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE BAT SHITS AND MORE BAT SHITS IN STAGE ONE. THE THING ACTUALLY HIT ME STRAIGHT IN THE FACE. BUT THAT WAS PART OF THE GAME TOO, ACCDG TO DANIEL. PFFT. HEHE...ANYWAY, THIS IS NOT THE LAST POST ABOUT SAGADA. TOLD YOU, I LOVE THE PLACE, I'M THINKING OF MARRYING IT ONE DAY. MORE OF PICTURES OF SAGADA (AND ME!), WHEN I'VE TIME TO LOCATE THEM. THANKS FOR COMING!

Sagada Vol. 1

Sagada: A Place to Behold!
by LGC/Vatski
published last April 26, 2009 here

WARNING: I'm all over here. LOL!!!!

It had been my dream to see Sagada. It was some years back when I first saw a footage in television of the hanging coffins they had there, so I told myself I should see the place before I die. Since then I had been ogling in blogs for photos and accounts of the place. Finally, my turn to see Sagada came.

Since it was a Holy Week, and a Good Friday at that, and we learnt that trips to and from Sagada were limited, so to ensure that we got everything in order, we reserved a van for the visit.

Six long hours! It was like traveling from Bogo City to Santander. But hey, it was still a fun trip. I was with eight funny people who seemed to enjoy the long journey. It also helped to have a nice driver, Kuya Agustin, who knew when to stop the car for photo ops.

One of the “mandatory” stops is the Philippine Pali, the highest point of the country’s road system being 7,400 feet above sea level. The place is in Cattubo, Atok, Benguet, two hours from Baguio. This stop also allows the driver (and the passengers, too) to stretch some muscles in preparation for the next half of the trip. There are comfort rooms here.



At this peak, there’s a deck provided, where you can view the other side of the mountain and all the breathtaking view below. The scenery we had that day was amazing after a drizzle and a rainbow was out. We only had about 15 minutes to take it all in, then back to the car with a bag full of carrots, considered “rejects” from the last harvest.

It was past 9 in the evening when we finally reached the town of Sagada. I slept for the most part of it though, as it was already too dark, bumpy ride permitting while Benguet and the first part of the Mountain Province have developed roads, Sagada is still unpaved with some on-going developments. Hopefully in a few years, the ride wouldn’t be that rough anymore. I just hope that the government would do something to protect these roads from landslides as on our way home, we actually witnessed a few minor ones. As advised, we traveled during daytime to be able to see the movements of the earth especially during rainy days.

Hungry and exhausted, we finally reached Sagada Guest House, where our two rooms were reduced to one due to an “unexpected” arrival of some important guests. The owner’s daughter spoke in straight English, which was a relief. We were too tired to argue so we settled for that single room, which was supposedly for three people. All nine of us (the driver slept in the car) crammed in that room. Anyway, the owners and the receptionist were very nice, especially when they served us our first full meal of the day, making it a great nightcap.

The following day. The trip was supposed to start at 6 in the morning, but we were too tired to get up that early and there were not enough bathrooms for the nine of us. Besides, it was too cold to go out yet. It was actually freezing cold that we had to bring our jackets with us even if our guide told us that we would only sweat out later on.

Before going on a tour, all visitors should register at the town hall, just a few meters from where we were staying. After paying P20 per pax, we were set to see all what Sagada had to offer. No other fees after this. For our guides, however, (we had two, since one guide is for five people for all spelunking or caving activities), we paid them P400 each (the current rate of the Sagada Genuine Guides Association) for the Sumaging Cave spelunking (on another story). There are cheaper rates for other sights, about P200 per guide for a group of 10 people. For that day, we had Daniel, as our guide.

Our first stop was the Burial Cave. This is just a few minutes away from the municipal hall. We had to trek down the foggy mountain trail to reach this cave. We made it for about 10 minutes or so, since we had to stop every now and then to catch our breath. It was tiring, but, man, the sight was awesome!

(trek from the burial cave. yep, that's fog at my back.)
At the entrance of the cave you can already see the piles and piles of centuries-old coffins. According to Daniel, the number of coffins is now down to 134. The 1990 quake had destroyed some of these treasures, he said. The part where the coffins are stacked is just a few meters from the cliff that leads to the inner crevice of the cave. Because of the movement of the earth during that quake, those coffins nearest to this gap were swallowed by the hole below. The town however tried salvaging what remained of the broken wooden caskets with the bones inside them.



But that was not all. We learned too that the place was once looted. Natives and even visitors plundered some of these treasures for souvenirs. Because of this, Daniel said they had to nail in place the covers of each of the remaining coffins to ensure that nothing of that sort ever happens again. We tried prying open one coffin, it was really shut off.




One sad note too is that these coffins, apart from the common lizard carvings on their cover (lizards to the old Sagada people was believed to help them get to heaven), don’t have identifications in them. Daniel said that this was actually because the ritual practices by their ancestors were part of the old “pagan” tradition.


(Inside Sagada)
Centuries ago, Christianity was still alien to Sagada. According to Daniel, their old people either hid their dead in the caves as part of the burial ritual or hang them at the face of the mountains to be closer to the heavens.

Those in the caves are the ones being frequently pilfered or destroyed by the harshness of the elements, while those hanged in the mountainside, after so many decades of being there, are still in their glorious state.


One example are the Hanging Coffins in Echo Valley, just a short walk from St. Mary’s Church. Sixteen coffins are still hanging in a mountainside there. Although there are signs of vandalism in the wall, our guide told us it happened some years back and they are keeping the area in tight watch.Although the Sagada people have embraced Christianity a long time ago, there are still some who prefer to follow their ancestors. The newest coffin in this site was hanged in 2007, according to Daniel.

The coffins, which are made of hollowed out trunks of pine trees (reportedly done by the dead themselves, well, before they were about to die), in this site are situated about 15 feet above the ground. Visitors could only watch them from below. It was a tough task for those who actually hung those caskets. Daniel however told us that they had to raise the coffin first, make some braces to hold it, and the body would be placed into it afterwards.

The size of most of the coffins are actually smaller, enough to fit a child. But Daniel said the dead is forced to a sitting position, as was an old Sagada tradition. They also bring with them a chair each strapped to their coffins for them to sit on in the afterlife.

There are actually several burial caves in Sagada, I learned from our guide. Some of them only housed the females, but none was actually exclusively for the rich. He said, during the old times, there was no old or rich in Sagada. It could be true as the coffins are all made of pine trees, had no varnish and had no other accessories, not even a smudge of color.

So, these are treasures of Sagada. I’m actually glad to have seen them. I just wish they would still be there in the next century.

PS: WE ONLY STAYED FOR A NIGHT. GOT THERE AT 9PM OF GOOD FRIDAY, SLEPT TILL 5AM THE NEXT DAY. THEN WE STARTED THE TRIP. WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 8 HOURS TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE OF SAGADA. NATURE, NATURE, NATURE, AND COFFINS (ACTUALLY MUMMIES. LOL!). I LOVE THEM ALL. BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, I LOVE(D) SAGADA. HOPE TO BE THERE AGAIN AND "SMEELED" AT THE CAMERAS (HAHAHA..THANKS, SIR DANIEL!). OKAY, ONE OF THESE DAYS. EHEHEHE...

MORE PHOTOS SOON. THANKS FOR COMING...=)

ps2: for more info about the trip, talk to me, i have the numbers of the inns, the guides, etc.

my gameplan for this year

The only thing that's on my head right now is this:

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada, Mountain Province.

Just a few hours ago, I came across a blog of someone who's been here. I am so jealous to the nth power! All my life, aw, since I learnt about the place after seeing it featured in Magandang Gabi Bayan, I've been telling myself I have to see this place in the future. That was a long time already, and I'm still not closer to that dream. Poor me.

I can be there. I will be there before the year ends, that's a promise. But I can't be there alone, hello? lol! So I need company. Guys (friends! utang buot!), for your information, the trip to Sagada via Baguio is not that expensive.

I've done quite a research today, and I gathered that a Cebu Pacific 4:00Am trip from Cebu-Manila (and vice versa) is only P288 (surcharges and other taxes are excluded though, so this is going to reach about P1,500, or even less). The roundtrip ticket is only P3,000! That's not bad, dba? And if we book early on, we sure can get a discount. We should go there before summer!

From Manila, we take a bus from some terminal there (I already have numbers of the bus lines with trips to and from Baguio) to get to Baguio. From a forum site, I learned, we pay P700 (more or less) for the five-hour trip. Back and forth, that's going to be P1,400. Again, that's not bad.

At the city proper we can get a hotel or a pension house. I've never done an inquiry on it, but I heard from friends who've been there, pension houses are cheaper. So we go for that nalang. Food is cheap too. I like. While there, we can try horseback riding at Wright Park, which I think is only about P100. Then we can also try boating too, if you like. But we should not go out of Baguio without seeing the Diplomat Hotel. It's only a jeepney ride away from the city proper, or so said a friend who's seen it. And entrance fee is only P50/head. I've sent an email to the local government there, and I'm hoping to get us a tour guide when we get there. Okay, I'm dreaming. Seriously, the place shoud NEVER be missed.

As for transportation, flag down rate for taxi is the same here in Cebu, but not like Cebu, it's only P1.50 for every 100 meters. There's a company that offers a tour package, which uses a cab, for only P1,800 (2,000 the most) for an entire day of sightseeing. Nice offer.

When done with Baguio, we must all proceed to Sagada. That's about 6 hours from Baguio by bus. I haven't inquired about the fare, but according to the blogger (who's been there), the local government there can easily be contacted for information about tours, et al. She already gave me their contact number that will be needed for reservation purposes, bec, again according to her the blogger, we have to reserve first so our trip will be planned out, also for our convenience. It is the LGU that gets us a tour guide, who will then get us to Sagada's famous tourist attractions: Sumigang Cave, the rice terraces, the Hanging Coffins, among others. The trip to Lumiang (where there are also coffins) and to the cave costs P400 (per head). To the Echo Valley, the place of the hanging coffins, and to other places is P300 each. I don't know if you like mountain trekking, as for me, I'll sure enjoy it. Kapoy siguro, pero I sure won't mind. This is something we should all do for a change.

As for room rates, there is a place where we can stay for at least a night for only P200/head/night (two nights would be more fun!). There's a more comfortable place, the St. Joseph's, but it's quite expensive. But if majority would opt for it, why not!

To sum it up:

1. P3,000 (roundtrip plane ticket)+
2. P1,400 (two-way bus trip)+
3. P500 (pensio house room)+
4. P700 (tour guides in Sagada)+
5. P200 (jeepney fares)+
6. P500 (food)=

about P6,000. That's only a rough estimate. It could go up, or down. But that amount can already take us to and from Baguio, with a detour in Sagada. We still have two months to save up. Anyone who would like to join me? I'm giving away a free Lipton Milk Tea for early registrants. He-he!

Oh, I don't like this thing a bit. I tried it this afternoon bec I did not see any coffee at the office, and it was offered for free by a friend...and even before it touched my lips, I already felt like I was gonna throw up. First, it's milk, second, it's tea. I don't like both. Bow.

So anyone? I mean to Baguio?