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

Northern Samar: Visita Iglesia Northern Samar

There are still a few number of colonial churches left in Northern Samar. So you could go on a visita iglesia around the province.


On top of the list is the fortress church of Capul Island. The Capul Church is dedicated to San Ignacio de Loyola. It was built by the Jesuits by the 18th century and renovated by the Franciscans in the late 19th century. For more information, on how to get to Capul Island, read Capul Island's lighthouse and old fortress church.



Visiting the rest of the churches is very straightforward. Most of the churches only have their exteriors relatively intact. You can begin at the Bobon Church (dedicated to the Sto. Nino) and then proceed to the Catarman Cathedral. Nothing much is left of the original church except the main retablo.



Next on the list is the Pambujan Church. In the next town is the Catubig Church which probably has the most interesting facade and exterior among all Northern Samar churches. The last stop should be the Laoang Church. But since we visited Pinipisakan Falls in Las Navas, the sun had already set before we made that ferry crossing from Rawis to Laoang.

Northern Samar: Spice of Life Beach in Buenos Aires, Victoria, Northern Samar

Northern Samar has white sand beaches too. Spice of Life Beach (I don't know where it got its name and my guess is as good as yours) is a small pocket of white sand in Brgy. Buenos Aires, Victoria which is located close to the National Highway south of Allen.


Anyway, I'm still in the heart of Ifugao, somewhere between Mayoyao and Banaue as this post appears. So enjoy photos of Spice of Life Beach for the meantime.