#DORADREAMDESTINATION: Banaue
Last January, my fellow DORAs and I discussed about our #DORADREAMDESTINATION for the year. I have decided to finally cross off two things from my bucket list, and they are to see the breathtaking beauty of the Rice Terraces of Cordillera and to meet the living legend, Whang Od also known as the “Huling Mambabatok.”
Batad is one of the barangays of the municipality of Banaue in the landlocked province of Ifugao. This is where you can also find the Batad Rice Terraces, one of the five clusters of the Rice Terraces of Philippine Cordilleras, which were added in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1995. Fun fact: the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras is not to be confused with Banaue Rice Terraces which is the more popularly known site included in the world renowned list. UNESCO was not able to include the Banaue Rice Terraces in the list due to several modern infrastructures surrounding it, resulting in a low score in the integrity criteria.
Upon seeing the terraces, I could not help but stop for a moment and admire what’s in front of me. What I just used to see as pictures in my gradeschool history textbooks or in a one thousand Peso bill (now in the twenty Peso bill) is finally right before my eyes, in tangible form. The lush, green and vibrant rice field is perfectly laid in the mountain, formed in concave that resembles an amphitheater. Even if it’s in the present time, I felt as if I went back in time and witnessed how this tremendous and inspiring wonder started, by the Igorots who painstakingly carved the terraces hundreds to thousands of years ago.
The way to Buscalan is only for those who can bravely face riding a “habal habal” or a motorbike uphill and hiking through narrow paths by a cliff, as if preparing you in an even more challenging feat - the traditional Kalinga way of tattooing.
Despite its limited accessibility, many local and foreign tourists flock to the village of Buscalan to see the last Kalinga tattoo artist, Whang Od Oggay who is almost century old, and have their skins marked permanently. Whang Od uses charcoal from the bottom of pans and pots as ink and pomelo thorn as needle that pierces through the flesh by hammering it with a bamboo stick.
As I saw Whang Od go down from her house, I could not help but be starstruck by her. The creases in her face and the tattoos all over her body tell the story of decades of history and culture of the Kalingas. She was not feeling well that morning, but it did not show in her face as she gamely posed with the tourists. I even showed her my sketch of her face. Whang Od reacted minimally, she just laughed quietly and tapped my phone backward softly. Afterwards, she went back her hut and continued to rest. Although we weren’t able to see the master at work, her apprentices, Grace Palican and Ilyang Wigan are on duty to accommodate the dozens lined up waiting for their.
The journey to reach the mountains maybe daunting and exhilirating but it all becomes worthy of every breath and sweat with the amazing and fulfilling experience.
Discover the wonders of the Cordillera mountains. Adventure awaits!
#DORAStays at Banaue View Inn (+63 74 74 386 4078)
Sitting atop a hill, Banaue View Inn is the perfect place to stay. It boasts of having the perfect view of the entire town proper of Banaue. The inn is owned by the Lily, the granddaughter of the Father of Philippine Anthropology, H. Otley Beyer. A museum adjacent to the inn, has Beyer's collection and important artifacts from the Ifugao province.
Buscalan Tour Guide
Department of Tourism certifide tour guide, Weber Ayangao (+63905 869 6947)
I highly suggest that you stay at Joyce's transient house in Buscalan for a stunning view of the surrounding mountains.
