Going back to my hometown is worth remembering. My experiences, the people, my friends, the countryside and God’s Plan for the family. Born in the middle of nowhere, growing up in the city, and once in while visiting “Sagada.”

There are so many caves in Sagada; the most famous are the three caves: Lumiang Cave, Sumaging Cave and Balangan cave. Yet there are so many caves still to be discovered in Sagada, like the cave near our old house. We and our neighbors and playmates only know the place with its secret tunnels going to a certain destination. Sometimes we just go inside alone with our friends with ropes, and of course light; we discovered new paths or tunnels or cave connections. Talking about caves is always exciting and there are many stories to tell. But try the caves of Sagada; you’ll find a uniqueness in any cave you’ll see. Being in a cave is a unique experience and what you’ll see inside will remain as a good memory of Sagada. Aside from the caves, as you go on exploring Sagada, you’ll see some places with hanging coffins or pass by a place or caves with coffins, usually in groups. Some neatly piled, others randomly stacked. Some hanging coffins seem unreachable; some would wonder how and why? Also you may touch only the coffins but not open it. You may peep inside the coffins through a rotten hole, but it’s not scary!

Sagada always reminds me of its rice terraces. Indeed the rice terraces carved out of the mountains by Igorot (highlanders or mountain dwellers) ancestors early in this millennium are simply awesome to behold. Recognized as the eighth wonder of the world, the rice terraces were built with advanced engineering skills. They are scientifically designed to maximize farm space in the mountainous Cordillera region and prevent erosion. Scattered all over the Cordillera, the most famous of these rice terraces are found in neighboring Banaue, Ifugao. Sagada has its own rice terraces, lesser known but equally as spectacular! Whereas the walls of the Banaue rice terraces are hewn out of earth or soil, Sagada’s walls are small rocks laboriously piled one on top of the other. Anyway it’s the same—they call it man-made “stairs to heaven.” But of course in Banaue you’ll see that whole mountainsides are terraced, which provides for terrific viewing!

How about waterfalls? Well, as you travel from Baguio along the roads of the mountain trail or the Halsema Highway, you’ll see different views of waterfalls. Some are near the road and some off the road. There are two prominent waterfalls in Sagada: the smaller one but older Bokong Falls and the majestic and lively one—Bomod-ok Falls. Visiting also Lake Danum during summer is remarkable; I still remember we tried fishing there.

Hiking up also through the mountains of Sagada is cool! You could feel the smooth cold air against your warm skin and as you inhale and breathe the fresh cool air, one would think it is indeed much better to live in the province than in the city. Going back to Sagada pictures a great, natural life and environment. There’s also no noise or pollution compared to the city. There is also less temptation because there are no such big fashion billboards, etc. Instead of large billboards, huge buildings or neon lights at night, you’ll see big trees, high mountains filled with pine trees, rocky mountains and stars at night. Especially when hiking on the tallest mountain of Sagada, Mount Ampacao. It’s an ideal picnic place during the month of April and May, where the summer sun is pleasant and the blackberries are there for the picking. At night, you may look up and see the stars and review the constellations.

Going back to Sagada after almost 12 years is quite memorable. It felt like my first time to be there. After almost 12 years, it felt as if I hadn’t entered the caves nor seen the mouth of the caves nor the rice terraces and the coffins. I met some of my childhood friends and former classmates. We were very happy to see each other. Some just looked at me and smiled but were too shy to come near and talk with me. So I was the one sometimes who went near them and talked in our own dialect.
So as we went along, I discovered that Sagada has changed a lot. Anyway, for you to actually feel and see the beauty of Sagada, try to plan and have the opportunity to visit it.