Kalinga’s Awichon Cultural Village is an accommodation that defines the very meaning of a homestay stripped of resort amenities yet filled with the comforts of home, and enriched with a heritage character, as it was built by the cultural bearers of Kalinga.
Despite years spent crisscrossing the Philippine archipelago, a few places have continued to elude me. Chief among them: the mountain village of Buscalan in Kalinga, home to Apo Whang-Od, centenarian, cultural icon, and said to be the oldest traditional mambabatok (Kalinga traditional artist) of her generation. Using a thorn, soot, and indigenous ink, she etches ancestral symbols into skin, each mark a living archive of identity and cultural symbol.
Walking thousands of steps under the afternoon sun would be taxing under normal circumstances. But in the highlands of Ifugao, following narrow paths through the stone-walled Mayoyao Rice Terraces, exhaustion became part of the experience. This corner of the Cordillera is often overlooked by travelers heading straight to Banaue or Batad, yet a journey through Mayoyao reveals a landscape where rice terraces, remote villages, waterfalls, and centuries-old traditions remain deeply woven into everyday life.
On a normal day, I was displeased dragging my body out of bed at four in the morning, especially after sleeping soundly in the Manor at Camp John Hay. Not that particular morning, though. The reason being the destination we were going to would give me an opportunity to literally and figuratively pause and smell the flowers. Being able to travel for the first time since the March 2020 lockdown, the trip to Northern Blossom Farm in Atok, Benguet opened a door to rekindling my love affair with traveling—with precious moments of introspection to boot—in the company of the great outdoors.
I was sitting atop our jeep staring at the spectacular landscape of Ifugao when we came to an abrupt halt. A single roar of the engine gave it a kick a few inches forward, followed by a complete standstill. Deep mud had accumulated on the dirt road where, just a few meters away, large boulders from a recent landslide occupied half of the passage. What was a minor roadblock in our journey back happens to be an everyday occurrence for the resilient people living in the village of Cambulo in Banaue, Ifugao.
“Happiness and kindness is something if you give it away—then it comes right back to you,” the song reverberates harmoniously inside the classroom as the pupils of Ogo-og Elementary School sing in unison. A few minutes more and our Meaningful Travels PH group will be distributing the school-supply kits to each one of them. Everywhere, wide smiles are on display as the little ones happily goof around with each other, unable to contain their pure excitement.
Years ago I remember dropping my jaw in wonder when I saw the rice terraces of Banaue for the first time. A seemingly endless expanse of rice paddies formed like stairways lay out before me. Since then, I've seen similar ones like in Sapa in Northern Vietnam and smaller farm terraces in other provinces. Each opportunity, I find myself achieving a feeling of calm while engrossing the entire visual banquet it brings. Last February, a wonderful opportunity presented itself when I was invited to be a part of the launch of PHILTOA's (Philippine Tour Operator's Association) new travel program called Cordillera Heritage Caravan. In a span of five days, we visited the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Banaue, Kiangan, Mayoyao and Bangaan clusters of rice terraces.
This program is part of the Philippines Department of Tourism Visit Philippines 2015 campaign and participated by tour companies belonging in the PHILTOA organization. PHILTOA President Cesar Cruz shares.
"The Cordillera Heritage Caravan will accommodate both foreign and local markets where they can choose to bring their own vehicles or avail of the caravan vehicle. The caravan is designed to provide flexibility in choices of activities and accommodations. The trip promises that each traveller will be able to choose according to comfort as they will be given options like a campsite, star-rated properties, lodge houses, and even hostels."
A tiny settlement, just a few hundred feet below the main highway, was nestled within the breathtaking Bangaan scenery. The expansive view of the rice terraces immediately announced its presence as we approached in a mountain jeep seated from a top-load position.
From the roadway, you can make out the grouped roofs of residences in the valley, which stand for its diminutive position in comparison to the surrounding mountains. Coming from the congested major metropolis, I quickly appreciated the kind of environment that the little town offered, as the immense open space suddenly became apparent.
For the descent to the settlement, our party split into smaller groups. I was on my own at the trailhead, pausing only to take in my surroundings in awe of the natural beauty. At a fork in the road, I went left and eventually came to a little school where I overheard some children playing hop-a-garter-rope.
I reached the village after thirty minutes and watched as the others played with the children. After that, a local guide took us on a tour of some of the last remaining traditional Ifugao houses, pointing out important features and explaining their significance. The Oliang component, which is a wooden disc fastened to the four pillars that keep rodents outside the house, really stood out to me. The use of cogon for the roof is similarly remarkable for its significance; this humble material can insulate the entire house from intense heat and rain, and it also absorbs any odors that may be released by indoor cooking.
The house itself can be easily dismantled and transferred to another place - making the concept of Bayanihan real in this part of the country. The most memorable part of our journey around the village was getting a closer look at and understanding more about the traditional Ifugao house. As an example of brilliant ethnic architecture, the Ifugao home employs an ancient technique of house construction that serves more purposes than its simple appearance would indicate.
With the daylight slowly drifting away from the sky's horizon and the wind starting to howl stronger, I feel the cold engulfing my body. But new information about the humble lifestyle in these small communities dotting the expansive Bangaan rice terraces flooded my thoughts. In the same way that the Ifugaos' forefathers labored the land by hand, the ipugo built practical traditional dwellings and created breathtaking rice terraces. After this short hike, I realized that people and environment can get along just fine without technology.
