Ifugao: Plant rice at the Mayoyao Rice Terraces! Pfukhay ad Majawjaw 2012!

The Pochon Group is once again inviting everyone to join the Pfukhay ad Majawjaw (rice planting in Mayoyao) to be held from January 20-22, 2012 at Barangay Bongan, Mayoyao, Ifugao. This activity will be hosted by the Pochon and Maanichar Centennial Batch Association (Pochon Group) and the community of Barangay Bongan. Other partner organizations include the Mayoyao Tourguides and Indigenous Knowledge Holders Allied Organization (MATIKHAO) and the Akha’kha-emeh Cultural Performing Group.


During the tour, participants get to plant rice in the rice terraces, watch a cultural presentation showcasing the local dances of Mayoyao, learn how the traditional Mayoyao house is contructed and many more. Homestay accommodation will also be offered on the second night of the tour (January 21).

Tour cost is Php3,900 and includes meals, accommodation, transportation within Ifugao and activities. It does not include transportation from Manila to Santiago, Isabela; and from Banaue, Ifugao to Manila. Add Php450 to your deposit so Pochon can do the Banaue-Manila reservation for you. Contact Josh Nalliw at josh21020@gmail.com or +639065308242 for inquiries.

January 19, 2012 (Thursday)
9:00 p.m. - Depart Manila via Victory Liner Bus, Kamias/Kamuning Terminal (purchase your own ticket to Santiago, Isabela)

January 20, 2012 (Friday)
5:00 a.m. - Arrive at Santiago City (Victory Liner Terminal)
- Travel to Mayoyao via the Ifugao towns of Aguinaldo and Alfonso Lista (Pochon Group will be waiting at the terminal)
6:30 a.m. - Breakfast at Ubao, Aguinaldo, Ifugao
10 a.m. - Arrive at Mayoyao, Ifugao (room assignments and rest)
12:00 noon - Lunch at the lodge
1:00 p.m. - Orientation followed by visit to Akakoy Nature Park, demo on native house construction and visit the Mayoyao Museum
5:00 p.m. - Roaming around the town plaza and shopping for souvenirs
7:00 p.m. - Dinner at the lodge

January 21, 2012 (Saturday)
7:00 a.m. - Breakfast at the lodge (pack things for transfer to homestays later in the day)
8:00 a.m. - Proceed to Barangay Bongan and join the rice planting
12:00 noon - Lunch with the community
1:00 p.m. - Trek to Abfo’or burial tomb and down to Mapawoy Rice Terraces Cluster
5:00 p.m. - Homestay assignments
7:00 p.m. - Dinner with respective host families
8:00 p.m. - Cultural presentation

January 22, 2012 (Sunday)
7:00 a.m. - Breakfast (pack-up for trip to Banaue)
8:30 a.m. - Visit to Chu’it Viewpoint
10:00 a.m. - Travel to Banaue
12:00 noon - Lunch
3:00 p.m. - Arrival at Banaue, Ifugao (free time)
8:00 p.m. - Depart for Manila via Florida Bus Liner

January 23, 2012 (Monday)
Between 4 to 5 a.m. - Arrival in Manila, Florida Bus Terminal, Lacson St. cor. Espana Avenue, Sampaloc, Manila

For more information on the tour, read Rice planting experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao.

Ifugao: Trek to Batad Rice Terraces & Batad accommodation

The Batad Rice Terraces are among the most spectacular of the Ifugao Rice Terraces. And aptly so since it's one of the five rice terrace clusters inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List under Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. The other four are Bangaan, Hungduan, Mayoyao and Nagacadan. I've see the first three. And finally, I've been able to trek to Batad! Which leaves just Nagacadan on my list of rice terraces to visit.

We took the late evening bus to Banaue and arrived early the next morning. As soon as we arrived, we purchased our bus tickets home since demand is really high and we wanted to make sure we had our tickets back. For more information on getting there, read How to get to and from Banaue, Ifugao.

We then proceeded to the Banaue Hotel, the best accommodation in Banaue, where we stayed for the night. I spent the rest of the day catching up on sleep so that I'd have the energy to trek the next day. I actually spent the whole time at Banaue Hotel where I had all my meals, including the buffet dinner, since I was just too exhausted to go out.


Banaue Hotel is one of two places where you can hire accredited jeeps and guides at fixed rates. Be careful dealing with unaccredited guides and transportation since there have been not so nice stories from guests that were cheated or abandoned. The jeep to the Batad Saddle costs Php2500 while the guide fee is Php900.

The trip to the Batad Saddle was about an hour and thirty minutes. Unfortunately, it had been rainy the past few days. And since the road to the Batad Saddle is quite bad, when it rains, it can become impassable to vehicles. So we had to get off our jeep and walk a few more hundred meters up to the Batad Saddle.


Good thing, it's mostly downhill to the Batad Rice Terraces from the Batad Saddle. It takes another hour of trekking to get to Batad. I noticed the road was being widened and it seemed like they were building a road all the way to Batad Village.

One thing which is sad about Ifugao is that despite the fact it's one of the provinces most visited by foreign tourists, the roads are still bad. Maybe because foreigners don't vote? Well, it's part of the experience I guess. But the rice terraces deserve better roads. But it must come with stringent development safeguards to ensure that the rice terraces outside Banaue are protected and preserved even when infrastructure to get there is improved, so that they don't suffer the fate of Banaue.

At the entrance to Batad Village is a tourist information booth where visitors log and pay a donation to the community. It also offers a really great view of the Batad Rice Terraces. While many visitors stay overnight, we had to rush back to Banaue to catch our bus back to Manila. So after having lunch at Simon's Place (I had the Batad version of pizza), we made our trek back up. And that's the hard part!

But I did make it up in one piece and we finally got on board our jeep for the bumpy trip back to Banaue. We had about two hours to spare before our bus left, just enough time to freshen up and get a quick snack. Despite that quick stay, the trip to Batad was most worth it.

Where to stay in Batad
The accommodation in Batad is quite basic and not that many. Note also that mobile signal in Batad is close to none. So to book a place, send an SMS/text message and wait for the lodge to respond. Calling them would be difficult. Here's a list of places to stay in Batad Village:
Hillside Inn +63 (929) 1268340
Kadangyan Homestay +63 (920) 4686307
Ramon's Homestay +63 (929) 6124423
Rita's Mountain View Inn +63 (910) 8423076
Simon's Viewpoint Inn +63 (930) 5077467
Batad Pension +63 (921) 7371745
Cristina's Main Village Inn +63 (906) 9773771

For some activities in the area, you can visit some of my previous posts on Banaue, Hungduan, and Mayoyao. And here's a list of Banaue hotels and budget accomodation.

Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel
+63 (74) 3864087 / 3864088

Ifugao: How to get to and from Banaue, Ifugao

Banaue, Ifugao is the main jump-off point for various attractions in Ifugao and Mountain Province. It has become a major backpacker town and has seen an influx of foreign visitors in recent years. It has a decent hotel as well as several lodges and budget accommodation. Banaue is an attraction itself with its picturesque rice terraces as seen from the Banaue View Point.

Among the popular destinations you could reach via Banaue are the Batad Rice Terraces, Bangaan Village, and the Hungduan, Hapao and Mayoyao Rice Terraces (all UNESCO World Heritage inscribed rice terrace clusters) and Sagada, Mountain Province.

To/from Metro Manila, GV Florida and Autobus have daily trips to Banaue. Here is the daily schedule of trips:

GV Florida Transport (Php450)
22:45 Manila to Banaue
20:00 Banaue to Manila
Manila Booking - (02) 7433809
Banaue Booking - (074) 3864042

Autobus Transport Systems (Php400)
22:00 Manila to Banaue
18:30 Banaue to Manila
Manila Booking - (02) 4934111
Banaue Booking - (0929) 7663494 / (0915) 9849266

To/from Clark Airport is a bit complicated. One option is to hop on a bus to Baguio right at the Clark Airport, and catch a bus to Banaue early the next day (unless you can catch the last evening bus at 9:30 p.m.). Or you can take a bus to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija also at the Clark Airport, catch a bus to Cagayan Valley (Tuguegarao, Cagayan or Isabela) in Cabanatuan and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya. From Solano, you can easily find transportation to Banaue. The third option is to take a bus to Manila and and catch the bus to Banaue from there.

To/from Baguio City, trips on Dangwa, KMS (Php415) and Ohayami are daily and last about 8 hours. Here is the daily schedule of trips:

Baguio to Banaue
08:00 Ohayami
08:00 KMS
19:00 Dangwa
20:00 Ohayami
21:30 KMS

Banaue to Baguio
06:45 Ohayami
07:00 Dangwa
07:00 KMS
16:30 Ohayami
18:00 KMS

Banaue Hotel jeepney hire rates and tour guide fees
The good thing about hiring jeeps and guides from the Banaue Hotel is that you can pay via credit card. Here are the standard rates for some of the popular destinations:

Banaue Operators and Drivers Association standard rates
Banaue Viewpoint - Php800
Bangaan Village - Php2,000
Batad Saddle Amphitheater - Php2,500
Hapao Rice Terraces - Php2,000
Hungduan Rice Terraces - Php2,500
Hiwang Village - Php900
Poitan Village - Php700
Bontoc Museum - Php3,000
Sagada Caves - Php4,000
Mayoyao Rice Terraces - Php4,000
Mt. Data and Sagada - Php5,500
Lagawe - Php1,700
Kiangan - Php2,200

Banaue Tour Guide Organization standard rates
Banaue Viewpoint Trek - Php700
Poitan Village - Php500
Bangaan Village - Php650
Batad Rice Terraces - Php900
Batad plus Tappiyah Falls - Php1,200
Batad and Bangaan Trek - Php1,200
Hapao Rice Terraces - Php650
Hapao plus Hot Spring - Php750
Hungduan Rice Terraces - Php750
Mayoyao Rice Terraces (escort fee) - Php750
Kiangan Rice Terraces - Php850

For some activities in the area, you can visit some of my previous posts on Banaue, Hungduan, and Mayoyao. And here's a list of Banaue hotels and budget accomodation.

Ifugao: Trip from Mayoyao to Banaue

Ifugao's roads may be rough. But the scenery is bliss. The trip is about five hours. But passing through the different villages makes you feel no doubt that you are in Ifugao. We left Mayoyao at about 10 a.m. for our journey to Banaue. Along the way, you get to see other Mayoyao villages and rice terrace clusters tucked securely in the grand mountains of the Cordilleras.

We had lunch in Mayoyao's last barangay before crossing the border bridge to Banaue. I remember the view from the bridge was very fascinating. But the road was currently being paved and the sides of the mountain was full of rubble all the way down due to the blasting.


Ducligan, the first barangay, was the backdrop of the Filipino movie Mumbaki. The village worth stopping at is Bangaan. The Bangaan Rice Terraces are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.

If only we had time, I would have wanted to trek down to the village. Maybe next time. Also along the way is the jump-off point to another UNESCO-inscribed cluster, the Batad Rice Terraces. Sadly, you can't see it from the road and it requires a hike up and down a mountain to the opposite side.

We finally made it to Banaue at about 3 p.m. We went straight to the Banaue View Point. There are actually several places to view the Banaue Rice Terraces. One of them, the NFA-Aguian View Deck is the actual view found in the 1000-peso bill.


Further up the road is the Engineers Viewpoint where the marker of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers declaring the Ifugao Rice Terraces as an International Historical Civil Engineering Landmark can be found. But an even better view is further up the road. Just keep on going and once you hit a cluster of stores, that's it.

Anyway, we had dinner at Imbayah Restaurant at the Banaue Hotel, one of my favorite places to eat in Banaue, while waiting for our bus back to Manila. the GV Florida bus leaves at 8 p.m.

How to get to and from Banaue
Read How to get to and from Banaue, Ifugao

Where to eat and stay in Banaue
Banaue has a lot of accommodation to fit every budget. And most of the lodges have their own restaurants conveniently located at the ground floor of their establishments. Being a backpacker town, the lodges can also arrange trips, guides and transportation for you. Here's a list of Banaue hotels and budget accommodation:

Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel
Imbayah Restaurant
Standard Php2,300; De Luxe Php3,000; Suite Php6,000
Hostel Php200/person (student); Php250/person (non-student)
+63 74 3864087 / 3864088
sales@philtourism.gov.ph

People's Lodge and Restaurant
Common Php400 (twin bed); Php600 (double bed)
Private Php500 (single room) to Php1,800 (8 pax/room)
+63 74 3864014
+63 9195325605
jerwin_t@yahoo.com

Wonder Lodge
Common Php200 (single); Php150/person (double)
Private Php250 (single); P200/person (double)
+63 906 8133822

Uyami's Greenview Lodge and Restaurant
Common Php250/person
Private Php900
+63 74 3864021
+63 920 5404225
ugreenview12@yahoo.com.ph

Las Vegas Lodge and Restaurant
Common Php200/person
Family Php150/person (9 pax)
+63 918 4409932
jappanjesus@yahoo.com

Related entry
How to get to and from Banaue, Ifugao

Ifugao: Back in the Mayoyao Rice Terraces

Mayoyao is not easy to visit. But its rice terraces are definitely worth the long trip. I was glad to be back to visit the Mayoyao Rice Terraces.

For Day 2, we trekked up and down some of the different points of interest in the town. After breakfast, a quick visit to the Mayoyao Museum and logging our names at the local police station, we hiked up to the Acacoy Nature Park.


Then we trekked down to the highway and up again Brgy. Chaya to visit the Chaya Terraces Cluster. We had lunch in Brgy. Chaya composed of boiled native chicken, watercress and gabi leaves (as I mentioned in a previous post, the regular meal in Mayoyao is usually boiled). After lunch, we made our way down Chaya and trekked further down to Brgy. Bongan for a view of the Bongan Terraces Cluster and a visit to the the Abfo'or Burial Tomb.

By mid-afternoon, we had already trekked for more than five hours. So everyone was yearning for another afternoon nap to recharge. Later in the evening we watched a demonstration on how the Mayoyao native house is constructed.

Part 1: Rice planting experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao

Ifugao: Rice planting experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao

Mayoyao, Ifugao called me back. I had previously made that long trip to the Mayoyao Rice Terraces for the rice harvest tour. This time, I was at the rice planting (pfukhay ad Majawjaw) tour as part of out-of-classroom learning activities for my students. It's the real FarmVille!

We had taken an evening bus to Santiago, Isabela and arrived early in the morning. From there, it was a five-hour rough road ride up to Mayoyao, through the towns of Alfonso Lista and Aguinaldo which were previously part of Mayoyao. We had to deal with a flat tire along the way. But that was part of the adventure.


As soon as we arrived in Mayoyao, we dropped off our bags at our lodge and proceeded immediately to the Mapawoy Terraces Cluster to plant rice. We were really late so they had started planting already by the time we got there. But they waited for us before they slaughtered the pig. You should have seen the faces of my students as they observed this inherent part of the Ifugao culture.


Right after that, we went straight to the paddies. One by one, my students stepped in the mud. The initial shrieks as they made their first steps in the slippery mud slowly changed to delight as we planted the rice seedlings into the soft ground.

We had the pig for lunch of course which was boiled with salt and eaten with rice and the pork broth, the traditional way meals are prepared and served in Mayoyao.

It was quite a hike back to the road and we went straight to the lodge to take a nap since we hadn't gotten any rest from the long trip since we arrived.



We woke up just in time for dinner and a cultural show. Before calling it a night, we chewed on moma (nganga or betel nut).

Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that there will be another rice planting tour next month hosted by the Pochon Group in Mayoyao from February 19 to 21. Contact Josh Nalliw at josh21020@gmail.com or +63 906 5308242 for inquiries. It's definitely better than FarmVille! It's the real thing!

Here are my blog entries on the rice harvest tour two years ago:
Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

Ifugao: Another planting rice tour in Mayoyao this February

Due to insistent public demand, the Pochon Group is organizing another Pfukhay Ad Majawjaw Tour (rice planting in Mayoyao tour) from February 6 to 8, 2009 in Mayoyao, Ifugao. This is part of the group's advocacy to help maintain and preserve the cultural heritage of Ifugao, the rice terraces in particular. Part of the proceeds of the tour will go to the heritage trust fund that will help the people of Mayoyao safe-guard their indigenous culture.

Contact Josh Nalliw at josh21020@gmail.com or +63 906 5308242 for inquiries. Here are my blog entries on the rice harvest tour last year:

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao: Join the planting rice tour in Mayoyao, Ifugao this January

Remember the rice harvest tour I joined in Mayoyao, Ifugao last year? The Pochon Group is once again inviting everyone to another tour, this time, to plant rice! Join the Pfukhay Ad Majawjaw Tour (rice planting in mayoyao tour) from January 23 to 25, 2009 in Mayoyao, Ifugao. This is part of the group's advocacy to help maintain and preserve the cultural heritage of Ifugao, the rice terraces in particular. Part of the proceeds of the tour will go to the heritage trust fund that will help the people of Mayoyao safe-guard their indigenous culture.

The Pfukhay Tour allows participants to experience traditional rice planting with the Mayoyao community, witness the showcasing of the Mayoyao native music and dances, and shop in Banaue before proceeding back to Manila.

Contact Josh Nalliw at josh21020@gmail.com or +63 906 5308242 for inquiries. Deadline for bookings is on January 19, 2009. Here are my blog entries on the rice harvest tour last year:

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

Top Philippine destinations for 2008

The year 2008 was a great travel year for me. As of today, I've stepped foot on 62 out of 81 provinces of the Philippines. Here are some of the highlights for this year. Since 2008 was also heavy on international travel, I'll come up with another entry on that!

1. Mt. Pulag, the rooftop of Luzon
I could not imagine myself 2,922 meters above sea level at the summit of Mount Pulag. But I was there! It took a lot of effort on my part but the view from the top was surreal and most definitely worth it. Is Mt. Apo next?

2. Adopting a sea turtle at the Pawikan Conservation Center
We visited the Pawikan Conservation Center early this year to adopt sea turtles. You can include it as part of any Subic itinerary. And this is a great help to efforts to protect the pawikan.

3. Journey across the Ifugao heartland
I was very lucky to join a rice harvest tour to Mayoyao, Ifugao this year which took me through the very core of Ifugao. It was a very enriching experience and it opened my eyes to the culture of our Ifugao brothers. I look forward to joing their planting rice tour this January. I made five entries about this great trip!

4. Trekking and 4x4 to Mt. Pinatubo
The crater lake of Mount Pinatubo is perfect for a swim especially when it is baby blue! It's easy to organize a visit through the Pinatubo Spa Town and when you get back, a sumptuous lunch and massage awaits.

5. Batanes, undiscovered paradise up north
Batanes is pristine and refreshing. It's a must in any traveler's list of places to visit in the Philippines. I'll be blogging about my trip soon.

6. Intro dive at Dive and Trek in Bauan, Batangas
Even if you don't have a license, you can still experience diving with the help of a dive master through an intro dive. And that's exactly what we did in Bauan, Batangas!

7. Ipo Watershed, Angat Dam and the La Mesa Ecopark
Any advocacy to preserve our cultural and natural heritage is close to my heart. Which is why we made a visit to the Ipo Watershed to support the advocacy of the UP Mountaineers to protect it.

8. Romblon, Romblon is a heritage town
Talk about the road less-traveled! Romblon was indeed a surprise. It was fun exploring the old town of Romblon since its heritage is unbelievably intact. I hope to visit again soon.

9. Anawangin Cove in San Antonio, Zambales
Another unbelievable beach destination so close to Manila, I most definitely enjoyed the surreal landscape of this Zambales beach. So remote it is that you need to hike several hours or take a pump boat to get to it.

10. Tawi-Tawi, overnight in Bongao
In one month, I was able to visit the northernmost and southernmost provinces of the Philippines. Despite my short stay, the fact that I was able to set foot in Tawi-Tawi is worth mentioning. And I'm definitely making another trip to explore more!

Read also Top Philippine destinations for 2009.

Ifugao: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

The day after the harvest, we began our trip back to Manila. The group passed by a different route in order for us to see more of Ifugao. From Mayoyao, we boarded our rickety bus again for another bumpy ride deeper into the Ifugao heartland. But before we left, we stopped by a view point of the Mayoyao Rice Terraces.

We left Mayoyao shortly before lunch and traveled through remote barangays of the town. We had a late lunch in Barangay Tula-ed before continuing our journey. The views started getting really picturesque when we reached the bridge which connects Mayoyao and Banaue. If only we could stop at every barangay to enjoy the view. But we had a bus to catch. I especially liked Ducligan which they say was the setting for the 1996 film "Mumbaki." Another village with noteworthy terraces was Kinakin.

But I was pleased to know that this Ifugao mountain road passed through the Bangaan Rice Terraces, one of the five clusters declared by UNESCO as World Heritage. It would have been great if we got to hike down the village of Bangaan. But we didn't have time to do that as well save for a few minutes to take photos.

Bangaan is unique for its main village, a cluster of houses at the foot of the terraces. I saw old colored photos of the village when it was still all Ifugao houses. But like in most of Ifugao, new concrete houses have started to sprout all over.

The road also passes through the jump-off point for the Batad Rice Terraces, another UNESCO-inscribed cluster. But you still have to do a lot of walking to see them.

We knew we were nearing Banaue since we saw a large concentration of concrete structures from a distance. We finally arrived in town at 3:45 p.m. and went straight to the bus station to purchase our tickets back to Manila. Since the bus was going to leave at 8 p.m., we had enough time to visit the View Point area to check out the Banaue Rice Terraces. There are actually a lot of vantage points to choose from along the way.

The group had a hearty dinner at the Banaue Hotel before boarding the bus for our trip back to Manila. I've already put the planting rice tour in my January calendar!

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao

For four hours, we trekked along the rice terraces of Mayoyao. The good thing about the trek was that it was going down and our bus was going to meet us when we arrived at the bottom of the trail.

It may have been tiring at times no thanks to the hot sun. But the views were the best and things started to get better when it got cooler and cloudy. Along the way, we passed by one of the oldest burial mounds in Mayoyao. These burial mounds are temporary resting places for warriors of a particular clan. I don't think any of them are still in use.

Mayoyao is known for its stone-walled terraces. And you'd also notice that the ground under the houses are also stone-tiled. Which gives a very natural feel. And I hope it stays that way since plain concrete floors will look intrusive and out of place in such a setting.

I enjoyed the trek and the picturesque views of the terraces. The views could have been better if I was there while the rice terraces were being prepared for planting (glass surface thanks to the water) or when the rice was still green. Since most of the rice was harvested already, the rice terraces looked unkept. But the views were still wonderful nonetheless.

Dinner was amusingly high on cholesterol composed of more traditional Mayoyao food. The head of the slaughtered pig was made into dinakdakan, a dish I would consider the local version of sisig although the meat in this case was not chopped as finely. We were also served some duck soup. I binged on the really sweet pineapples they served for dessert to neutralize all that fat.

After dinner, we went to the town plaza for a wonderful cultural presentation of both the young and the old. What is noteworthy about this all is the fact that the older group is not a performing group but actual cultural practitioners, bearers of the Mayoyao's age-old traditions.

For those who are asking about the next tour, it will be in January, this time for the rice planting season. For reservations, please contact Josh Nalliw at +63 906 5308242.

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao

As soon as we finished breakfast, we hopped on our rickety bus and proceeded to Barangay Chaya where the rice harvest or Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw was going to be held. It was a short hike up from the main road to the house of our host. It was nice to see everyone in traditional Mayoyao attire.

First order of business, after the introductions of course, was the ceremonial slaughter of a pig. If you're not prepared to see blood or listen to a screeching pig, make sure to stay at the back. But being an inherent part of the Ifugao culture, it's very important to respect the ritual as it proceeds. After the slaughter, the participants partake of local rice wine. Once this is done, the harvest begins and the harvesters proceed to the first terrace to cut the rice stalks.

Here is some information from Pochon: "Rice harvesting is a community activity where each member is given a defined role. The women have a special role in the activity being the munbfoto' (the one who actually reaps the rice stalks). They are the ones who cut the rice stalks and hands over to the mun-akun (collectors). After collecting the rice stalks from the munbfoto', the mun-akun will then give to the munbfa-ud who will tie the rice stalks in bundles making sure that all bundles are proportionate. After tying in bundles, the munbfa-ud will give the bundles to the munkhongah whose job is to trim the stalks making them look neat. The munkhongah will then give the bundle to the munkhu-ud who will properly arrange the bundles at the rice granary. The munkhu-ud is the person responsible in making sure that the bundles are properly arranged in the rice granary. One important character in the rice harvest activity is the munhang, who does the cooking of food which the community members will partake for lunch."

Participants of the tour are free to join the harvest if they wish. But be ready to wade in the mud. Well, we settled for second best by harvesting the rice right by the paddy so as not to get ourselves muddied. Indeed, it's an arduous task especially under the hot sun. I was expecting it to be a bit cold but I guess global warming was at work. And I got a bad case of sunburn after today.

In Mayoyao, even people you don't know help out with the harvest. By tradition, each person who helps for a day is entitled to one bundle of rice. Harvests of each household are scheduled so as not to coincide with one another, or else there might not be enough hands to complete the task. So even if you don't have land, if you're resourceful and industrious enough, you can stock up on rice just by helping harvest. There is even a vantage point to find out who is harvesting rice that day.

There are also traditions when bringing bundled rice up to the house. You have to wait until at least ten bundles have been made before you bring it to the house. The host or his wife leads the bundles up to the house. It is first placed in an offering basket before the bundles are stored under the house. We also got a chance to pound the rice and watch an old lady winnow it to take out the pounded husks.

By tradition also, eating cannot commence until the harvest is over. But since it looked like the harvest was far from over, our hosts let us partake of the pig that was slaughtered this morning. The pig was boiled in broth and placed in skewers (barbecue sticks). In Mayoyao, the tradition is to count the people using skewers. Once everyone is counted, the pork is proportioned to each skewer to make sure everyone gets a share of the food.

Another aspect of this communal meal are the woven bamboo plates where the rice is placed. Each plate is shared by about five people and you just dig in using your hands. This is feasting the Mayoyao way and it was definitely fun! They also served us the broth in cups.

After lunch, we were treated to some Ifugao chants and dances before proceeding down for our trek along the rice terraces of Mayoyao.



Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao

The Mayoyao Rice Terraces are one of the five clusters included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. It was great the Pochon Group organized the Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw or rice harvest in Mayoyao, an eco-cultural experience for tourists.

As the group mentions, "The Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw tour is an eco-cultural activity that the Pochon Group is organizing as its contribution to preserve the Mayoyao Rice Terraces and the culture that goes with the terraces. A portion of the proceeds of the tour will go to the heritage trust fund that will be used to help promote the indigenous culture of the Mayoyao People to its young generation and the people who wish to have an extra ordinary experience in this beautiful town where unexplored nature still abounds."

After our afternoon nap the day before, we trooped to the Mayoyao Museum for a demonstration on how a traditional Mayoyao house is constructed. We all slept early yesterday, still tired from the trip.

We were up early for the day's activities. Our hostel has a great vantage point of the Mayoyao Rice Terraces and its great waking up to such a wonderful view. We're leaving for Barangay Chaya after breakfast for our rice harvest experience.

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao & Isabela: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao

After six hours on an evening bus, I found myself in Santiago, Isabela at 3:30 in the morning. It was a good thing I took the deluxe bus of Victory Liner since the ride was really comfortable. It was my first major local trip since I got back after close to three months abroad. We were meeting up with the organizers of the Mayoyao harvest experience in Santiago. And together, we would make the rough trip to the remote Ifugao town of Mayoyao on a hired rickety bus.

Josh, the president of the group, is my colleague from the Cultural Citizens Program and we were together in Illinois last month. Since we had arrived in Santiago earlier than expected (our ETA was 6 a.m. but the deluxe bus travels non-stop), we were able to make an unscheduled stop in Magat Dam before making our way to Mayoyao. I had been there once before as part of a heritage tour of Cagayan Valley.

There's another dam called Maris Dam (short for Magat River Irrgation System) which we passed by on the way to Mayoyao. Both dams are at the boundaries of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. We were able to take photos of the fishermen dwarfed by the smaller dam before proceeding.

It was a wonder how I was able to doze off during that long bumpy ride. The next thing I knew, it was 7:30 a.m. and we had stopped over in Ubao in the town of Aguinaldo for breakfast. In the olden days, Ubao was known as a hunting area. But that is no longer the case today. Aside from the fact that hunting deer is illegal, deer are scarce.

We were back on the road a little later. Again, I dozed off. But I tried to keep myself awake so as not to miss some good views since we were not passing by this road on the way back to Manila. Before leaving the town of Aguinaldo, we passed by a waiting shed where a woman was selling moma (betel nut) and hapid leaves as well as a local kakanin called pinang-it which is known as bakle in Kiangan. I noticed a sign which said the curfew in this area was at 8:30 p.m. You must be kidding?! Then it hit me that we were out in the middle of nowhere.

Occasionally, we'd pass by clusters of houses along the road with freshly-harvested palay in bundles being dried under the sun. And there are the scarce trips of jeepneys with people on the roof of course.

Then we started to see large clusters of rice terraces. We were finally closing in on Mayoyao's town center. Mayoyao is one of the five clusters of rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the others being Bangaan and Batad in Banaue; Hungduan (which includes Hapao and the Poblacion); and Nagacadan in Kiangan.

We finally arrived in Mayoyao close to lunch. It turned out, the trip from Santiago, Isabela to Mayoyao, Ifugao (together with the food and photo stops of course) was longer than my bus ride from Manila to Isabela! I endured seven hours on a rickety bus. We navigated through rough, bumpy roads, but what I saw at the end was most definitely worth the trip. Our activities would begin after lunch and a short nap. We needed to get some rest after that very long trip.

Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.