Maligcong is one of the six barangay in the town of Bontoc, Mountain Province. Recently, adventure enthusiasts have been flocking this once sleepy town for its cool sweater-weather, untouched rice terraces, mist-laden mountain viewpoints and hiking trails that lead to hot springs on its adjacent barangay. It is more than 400 kilometers away from Manila and getting there requires a combination of bus and jeepney rides, either through Banaue or Baguio City. With the advent of mass tourism now plaguing Baguio, Sagada and Banaue, Maligcong has now emerged as a good alternative for weekend travelers looking for a place to hike and simply chill out.
It was inevitable. We had to do something while in Maligcong. We were on our third day of doing nothing and the pressure was building. Guests at the homestay were coming and going, and us, we’re still sitting our asses off, alternating between cold beer and hot mountain coffee in between meals at the veranda. Our host was already harried, wanting to guide us herself to the peaks of Mount Kupapey for the sunrise and Mount Fato for the sunset. We were unfazed. But yes, we have to at least do something while in Maligcong.
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| MORNING DEW ALONG THE RICE PADDIES |
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| IT’S STILL CLOUDY, BUT WE’RE SET ON MOVING |
And so it was that one morning, as the rain finally abated to a very light drizzle, we donned our cameras, put on our hiking shoes and headed to the rice terraces of Maligcong. The jump-off from Suzette’s Maligcong Homestay was a mere five minutes away and we were there in no time, going down a narrow concrete stairways for the locals and into the stairway of the gods.
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE | Chilling Out at Suzette’s Maligcong Homestay
[HOTELS & RESORTS] Saturday, January 28, 2017
A low rainbow splashed across the verdant rice terraces of Maligcong. It was drizzling on and off the whole day, but as the sun peeked across the thick blanket of clouds capping the mountains for a brief moment, a hue of colors suddenly brightened the view right in front of us. And no, we weren’t tramping on the muddy trails leading to Mount Kupapey. Nor we were traversing Maligcong’s rice terraces. We weren’t even on the track leading to Mount Fato. We were simply at the wide open-aired veranda of ate Suzette’s Maligcong Homestay, chilling it out with Misty the dog and litros of very cold Red Horse beer.
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| BONTOC’S POBLACION, STILL ONE MORE JEEP AWAY FROM MALIGCONG |
It took six hours worth of bus ride from Manila to Baguio, one quick breakfast at our favorite lugaw place in the city of Pines, Goto BP, then a taxi ride to Slaughterhouse bus terminal, another six hours on a non-aircon bus ride across the cliffs of Benguet and Mountain Province, and finally an uphill jeep ride from the town of Bontoc to Maligcong before we reached Suzette’s Maligcong Homestay.
After being offered a one-way ticket and partial room accommodation by a fellow travel blogger J for a next day trip to Baguio, I was up and about on an impulsive trip for a supposed one-day affair at this year’s Panagbenga Festival which unexpectedly turned into a seven-day epic journey.
One quiet and two festive days in the City of Pines, I then travelled to the highlands of Sagada and spent three days walking its rough slopes. Low on cash and clothes to wear, I still decided to extend my journey further by spending two more days at the shadows of the massive Banaue Rice Terraces.
It’s been one heck of a week; new and old friends met on the road, hundreds of dogbarks from Sagada and Banaue, indescribable vistas seen, cheap and expensive meals from carinderias and posh restaurants, scary lodges and swanky hotels, four thousand five hundred pesos, three heavy cameras, a few clothes on my backpack and my battered trek shoes along the roads and non-roads of Baguio, Sagada and Banaue.
This has been one of my more memorable trips to date, and I’ll tell you all the dirty details in the coming months. Right now, I have to rest.
I was traveling out of town when my sister texted me asking if I ordered a Canon camera. Confused, I asked her why, as I never did buy one. She said that a camera had been delivered at our house and it was addressed to me. Opening the parcel, it turned out my photo was picked as one of the monthly winners for Living Asia Channel’s photo contest.
Living Asia Channel is a local travel station on cable TV; actually one of the five channels I’m usually tuned into besides NatGeo, Discovery, TLC and History Channel--whenever I have the rare chance of watching TV that is.
Along with Canon, they are currently running a photo contest with the theme one-shot moments; seize life with Canon. Anyone with a Canon point & shoot camera (sorry no DSLR’s allowed) can submit their travel-related photographs; four photos are then chosen from the pool every month and each winner given a Canon Powershot A490 camera as prize.
Here's a rough sketch of my three-day stay in Sagada, Mountain Province:
I T I N E R A R I E S
Day One
Manila to Baguio
Baguio to Sagada
St. Joseph Resthouse
Echo Valley
Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Day Two
Kiltepan Viewpoint
Rock Inn & Café
Hike To Bomod-Ok Falls
Bomod-Ok Falls
Bonfire Dinner At Lake Danum
Day Three
Calvary Hill
Breakfast At Masferré
Saturday Market
Souvenir Hunting
Sagada-Bontoc-Manila
E X P E N S E S
Transportation En Route to Sagada:
P450.00 - Manila to Baguio via Victory Liner
P220.00 - Baguio to Sagada via buses from the Dangwa Station
Transportation En Route to Manila:
P40.00 - Jeep to Bontoc
P650.00 - Bus from Bontoc to Manila via Cable Tours Bus
Accommodation:
P1,200.00 - Twin-Bed room at St. Joseph Resthouse
Cell Phone: (0927) 236-0344
Email: JuliaAbad47@yahoo.com.ph
Guided Tour:
Kiltepan Viewpoint, Rock Inn & Café, Bomod-Ok Falls,
Bonfire Dinner At Lake Danum
P800.00+ - Divided among the friends I met at Sagada
SAGGAS (Sagada Genuine Guide Association) Guide | Ben: 0929-5915212
F O O D
Day One
P80.00 | Breakfast at Burnham Park Carinderia
P15.00 | Coffee at Burnham Park
P50.00 | Mami at Strawberry Cafe
P100.00+ | Longsilog at Banas Café & Resto
P???.00 | Coffee at Banas Café & Resto
Day Two
P100.00+ | Vegetable Rice with Bacon and Egg
P000.00 | Sandwiches for Bomod-Ok Falls lunch (Courtesy of my newfound
friends from Bicol)
P100.00+ | Spaghetti Meatballs at St. Joe’s Cafe
P000.00 | Pinikpikan Bonfire Dinner at Lake Danum (Part of the tour fee
from SAGGAS)
Day Three
P100.00+ | Longsilog Breakfast At Masferré
P 60.00+ | Tocilog at Cable Cafe in Bontoc
T O T A L S P E N D I N G S
More or Less P4,000.00
Places that I was not able to visit:
Sumaguing Cave
Sumaguing-Lumiang Cave Connection
Bokong Falls (Small Falls)
Mount Ampacao (Trek via Lake Danum)
Yoghurt House
Lemon Pie House
Sagada Weaving
Noontime on my third day at Sagada; sadly, it was time to go back to the noisy streets of Manila.
For my way back, I decided on trying out the Sagada-Bontoc-Manila route. It’s a thirty-minute jeep-ride from Sagada to Bontoc, then an eleven-hour bus trip to the metro. The jeep fare costs Php40.00 and those who have adventure tattooed on their foreheads can ride on the jeep’s roof for a more scenic and heart-thumping view. Just be sure to wear a bandana across your nose and shades for your eyes though as the road can get quite dusty. 
Last on my Sagada series is the place I stayed in for the three days I spent on that mountain retreat, the rustic St. Joseph’s Resthouse.
The inn is owned and run by the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines and has been in operation since the
Being situated on a knoll, visitors start off by ascending one hundred and eight stone steps before reaching the main house. Dotting the hill are separate bungalows that are also rented out and St. Joe’s Restaurant, the inn’s own separate bistro. It has a grand view of the town especially on its second floor terraced deck.
