Our eyes fixed on some men who dressed in red g-strings, a unique one.Â
This sunny morning we visited a village by using a jeepney. We only took 5 minutes to the village. The village name is Tam-An. They are the native tribe there. We went down to the terraced rice field, really beautiful scenery. Our eyes fixed on some men who dressed in red g-string, a unique once. Finally, we were introduced to them by a kuya. It turns out they're practice a tribal tradition every time the harvest began. They made mud of the paddy fields that are in place then the mud along paddy fields, this tradition is called badchang. We also participated in badchang. It is so cool! We were overwhelmed using a tool that is used to take mud and it looks so easy to do.
 Then we continued our journey to the village houses. There. We saw three houses made of wood, thatched roof and with a yard large enough. There are already several tribes that gathered there and they are called Ifugaos. Wearing their traditional clothes, they are ready to show you their cultural practices. It started with the Ifugao tribal dances , songs, traditions of marriage, tradition for healing when someone is sick, in which they sacrificed a few pigs . We also introduced to other several games in their tribe. After that we saw some of the Ifugao tribal women perform a routine in separating the rice paddy stalks, weaving, and pounding rice . Great!
On the other hand, we should be concerned about the continuity of the Ifugao tribe of seeing this generation is increasingly rare. The main problem encountered is the number of young people who choose to work outside especially in Manila, so the parents are trying desperately fighting to save their traditions.
After a good rest the whole night, we continue our journey to explore about Sagada. This time, our destination is one of the caves in Sagada. According to the tour guide, the cave that we explored was the easiest amongst all of caves in Sagada. But underestimating could bring to a disaster, so every of us prepare thoroughly to make sure everything is fine when we caving. Before we head to the cave, of course breakfast is important, and we got another chance to have a breakfast in the restaurant same as yesterday. Then off we go to the cave!
For an amateur, what comes to our mind was like a humid cave with lots of moss inside and bats murmuring around while hanging to the ceiling of the cave and also tons and tons of water inside. Well it seems most of the guesses were right, the cave itself was divided into three part, the slippery part, the more slippery one and the area filled with water. If the guess was moss that makes the cave slippery, then we were wrong. It was actually bat poo, but don’t feel disgusted about that, since we have to hold into the stones to make sure safety of ours. Now into the second part, this is more slippery than the previous one if we use our shoes. The rock here is formed after the flow of water and in this area you can start sees small pools of water around. And here is the last part; the water level here is higher than any part of the cave, approximately around our waist. The entrance to enter this part was harder; we had to crawl to be able to pass through small space. But it was worth it, we saw fossils by the rock inside the cave.Â
Tired because of caving, we decided to have our lunch near the cave. The place was simple and small, but it was decorated beautifully. Not only the decoration was beautiful, the scenery provided there was also mesmerizing. For our lunch we ordered veggie adobo, it was the best seller there. At the first sight, the appearance of the veggie adobo didn’t look like what a veggie meal should be. We thought that the waiter misunderstand about our order, but no! It was actually a veggie adobo. The appearance of the veggie adobo was similar to the beef one, but once you taste it you can tell the differences. The “meat” of veggie adobo is actually made of beans, but somehow with the magic touch of the chef the taste was really close to an actual meat.Â
Done with our lunch, we went back to the restaurant near our inn to hear some information about coffee. The owner of the restaurant explained that there are three measurement which indicates whether a coffee is good or not, and they are aroma, fragrance and the last is flavor and coffee beans which processed by civet have all of these three measurements. But not all civet can produce good coffee beans; the best coffee beans can be obtained by the wild one, because they got their food directly from nature while the civets which were grown eat selected meal which might give different effect to digestion system of civet. We also got a chance to taste the civet coffee. For coffee enthusiasts, civet coffee might be one of many good coffees that can appeal you.
                  The second day end there, but the next morning was amazing! We woke up around 4 and went to the viewpoint in Sagada to see the sunrise. From up there, we can see beautiful stars as if they are hanged to the ceiling of earth and also some shooting stars which give hope to many people. Around 5.30 we could see the sun differentiates night and daytime, and that was beautiful. It was a rare chance to be able to see many beautiful stars and also gorgeous sunrise, totally priceless.
We’re still around Banaue , but this time we visited Batad . It takes about 3 hours via jeepney. We arrived at the Batad Saddle point. On our way there, the scenery along the way is like a haven before we headed to the main site, and we started the journey by travelling by foot. Super crazy! By carrying our heavy backpacks, we walked on a fairly extreme terrain because sometimes it’s too steep or too deep and sometimes it’s in circles! We took an hour to reach the inn. Wow, it was really unexpected . As if we visit a secluded spot in the forest, and it turns out there it has a complex ecology ... yes , it’s unbelievable; an inn and all sorts of restaurants in the middle of a forest. We stayed at the inn to prepare for the activity tomorrow. The place is simple but quite good. But the only problem is there is no signal there, so we could not communicate with others via mobile phones.
The next day we were getting ready to visit a waterfall near the inn, the name is Tappiyah waterfall. We were down a terraced rice field. Wow, it is very beautiful scenery especially when we reached the top of the terraces. This journey reaches an hour because its terrain is difficult. Imagine we have to pass through the stairs of with a nearly 90 -degree slope. So, one has to be careful to pass it. But in the end, it all paid off with the beauty of  Tappiyah Waterfall with 25-meter high. One word: Awesome.
Hm, Indeed the struggle will be paid by the beauty. Although it was so farand so tired, it will be paid with a beautiful view of nature presented by Batad. Hoping that there could be another way that is more easier for tourists to reach the venue. Because along the way, I saw a lot of tourists who visit the place, on average at the age of adulthood. Imagine it would be a limitation for older people not being able to reach very far and steep. Hope for the future will be better.
After a long hour of bus ride which was very cold and tiring, we finally arrived in Banaue.
The moment we step out of the bus, the weather welcomed us by warming our body. Then we got a chance to have our breakfast in one of inns & restaurants there before our trip to Sagada, but before that, we got a chance to view the rice terrace from Banaue Viewpoints, it was mesmerizing! You can see how tall the rice terrace and how huge it was! Not only that, you might also see natives wearing their traditional attire and they were very friendly!
Done with the sightseeing at Banaue Viewpoints, we continued our journey to Sagada using jeepney. The trip took us about two to three hours, and choosing jeepney was not a bad choice! If you are bored with only sitting inside you can ask the driver to stop and go sit on top of the jeepney, but make sure to bring a jacket with you because the wind is quite strong and hold the handle tightly to make sure you’re safe, once you enter crowded area, you have to watch your head for the hanging cables. The trip on top of the jeepney is priceless! What else could beat the breeze of the wind while touring around the mountain? It’s like riding a horse with exception of different noise. After we arrived in the inn, we put pack some of necessities for trekking. The inn was very good and the view from the inn is beautiful, and also the inn provides warm shower. Then we set off to the restaurant for our lunch. The restaurant where we ate is famous for its coffee, especially the one which is processed by civet. After we satisfy our hunger with the delicious food, we began to trek.
We trekked the coffee trail there, where most of farmers pick up coffee beans. But it’s not only about coffee beans; you can also see the hanging coffin by the cliff. People believe that if the higher the coffin hanged, the closer the spirit of the dead to its creator. Then we continued our adventure of trekking the coffee beans trail, which involves going down the mountain. The soil is not as hard as the upper part of the mountain, it might be because it is more humid below since the sunlight is blocked by the trees and bushes. Trekking the coffee beans was not a big deal for us, since most of the path we took is not too steep and the weather was good also; well it really fits our expectation since Pat told us that the first trekking is going to be the easiest one.Â
After trekking the coffee trail, some of us went to trek to the waterfall. It takes 30-40 minutes to reach the waterfall. The pathway we took was much more difficult than the coffee trail; the path was narrow and also much steeper. Although we can expect that the way to go back up is tiring, but seeing the waterfall was really worth it! The place around the waterfall is calm and beautiful, one of good place to relax with your friends and have a picnic. It was really an amazing place, you should not miss it.
After spending the whole afternoon trekking coffee trail and also went to the waterfalls, all were very tired and hungry. What could be better than a sweet treat? Not only it will boost your energy, but it will also boost your mood! For our dinner, we went to Sagada Lemon Pie House, with its specialty the lemon pie. The taste was really good, especially after doing a lot of trekking or any activities which drained your energy to the fullest, the sweet taste really replenish the energy and boosts our mood; the tired atmosphere became joyful while eating the lemon pie.
                 To wrap up, the whole day was amazing, priceless and exciting. Oh! We also visit the Ganduyan Museum, there’s a lot collection of ancient tools used by the natives. The fatigue after trekking the whole day was covered with the enjoyment of the whole trip. But this is just the beginning of a great adventure, can’t wait for the 2nd and 3rd day!Â
Beautiful isn’t it? Yes, this is a beach in Bataan, Philippines. We visited a turtle conservation where we could see the cute newborn turtles. And why were they in the conservation? It is because the turtles are being exploited. According to the narration of Kuya manolo (kuya means older brother calls) so, we have to preserve the turtles from extinction. Great! At night we did a night patrol, searching for turtle on the seaside. And in the morning, we released more babies into the sea. Hopefully, they can survive from the predators and able to return to the shore after nearly 20 years. Did you know, that no matter how far they go,  they will definitely come back again to the place of origin because of the magnet.
 In our spare time, peeping to the beautiful and clean beaches is amazing. We really feel at home and want to stay here. But unfortunately, few are aware of the importance of this place. Funds from the manager was obtained through volunteers, so there is still a perceived lack of facilities. But I think this is very interesting. You have to see and feel what we felt. Hopefully, the future of this place is good when I come back here and have more visitors who care about the environment.
The second day we visited Mt Samat Shrine. We imagined how the place looks like. After a long journey of almost 2 hours, we arrived in front of a building which contained a towering giant cross on the hill. We went in to visit the museum that shows all the current events of the second world war. Because bataan brings to mind the sound and the fury of battles of disorderly retreats of stubborn defenses, the bitternes of defeat, and the humiliation of Surender
 Final battle is on in 1945 after the war with Japan. Then we went into the building of the giant cross and use the elevator to reach the top. Wow, cool scenery. We could see the city, Manila, from above. I was very lucky to get here.
Las casas Filipinas de Acuzar
After visiting Mt Samat shrine, we drove to Las Casas de Acuzar Philipines. Previously, we thought we will visit historical places again. Yes, it is true because in Las casas de Acuzar philipine we can see the history through the buildings or traditional houses Philipines’ bahay na bato as I've seen in casa manila intramuros. But the difference is the houses here not only serve to witness the historical past, but also rented out to the public. Wow, very cool; various forms of home available. Although at a fantastic price, but reasonable. Imagine, we live in a traditional house like we are travelling back in time. Very interesting.
The last day in BataanÂ
Our activity is to plant mangrove trees and clean up the beach. Once we know about marine animal life we also must keep their environmental ecosystems to preserve its viability. Mangroves are very useful. They can keep the soil from erosion and also prevent storm. Great! And also we need to clean up the beaches of smapah-waste that can not be unraveled. Aside from making it looks clean, but also keep the environment from disaster.
A. 5 Species of turtles can be found in Phillipines:
Leatherback
Olive Ridley (can be found in Bataan)
Loggerhead
Hawkbill (can be found in Bataan)
Green turtle (can be found in Bataan)
 B. Incubation period takes 40-75 days depending on the temperature. After she lays her eggs, mother turtle erases her trail by sweeping the sand to make sure the predator could not find her nest. The activity of laying eggs usually happens during night time because during that time most of the predators are asleep. One mother turtle can lay 70-100 eggs. As she lays her eggs, the mother turtle doesn’t actually mind if there are any distractions, but during her trip from sea to her nest, if she hears a sound or sees a light which she might find threatening, then she might head back to the sea.
According to Kuya Manolo, if the eggs are kept in cold temperature there’s a higher chance that the gender of turtles will be male, and vice versa.
C. How do baby turtles go to the sea?
The baby turtles see the light reflected by the sea and are attracted to it
They also smell the breeze of the sea, in case they found brighter source of lights
Baby turtles have a small opening under their carapace functioning as their food stock for one week
D. What are the predators that might endanger the baby turtles?
It can be divided into two; the first one are land-based predators:
Lizards
Crabs
Humans (poaching)
The other ones are water-based predators:
Bigger fish
Shark
Amongst all of them, humans are the most dangerous one, since we have superior intelligence to locate the nest of sea turtle.
E. How can one distinguish a female from a male turtle? Once the turtles have reached maturity, those with longer tails are male, while those with shorter tails are female.
 What are you waiting for? Let’s Know, Care, and Nurture the sea turtles!Craving for an adventure? Be part of the Pawikan Conservation Center, not only you can save marine life, but also you will be one of the many contributors in Pawikan Conservation Center. Here are some facts about turtles that might be helpful for you.
A. 5 Species of turtles can be found in Phillipines:
Leatherback
Olive Ridley (can be found in Bataan)
Loggerhead
Hawkbill (can be found in Bataan)
Green turtle (can be found in Bataan)
 B. Incubation period takes 40-75 days depending on the temperature. After she lays her eggs, mother turtle erases her trail by sweeping the sand to make sure the predator could not find her nest. The activity of laying eggs usually happens during night time because during that time most of the predators are asleep. One mother turtle can lay 70-100 eggs. As she lays her eggs, the mother turtle doesn’t actually mind if there are any distractions, but during her trip from sea to her nest, if she hears a sound or sees a light which she might find threatening, then she might head back to the sea.
According to Kuya Manolo, if the eggs are kept in cold temperature there’s a higher chance that the gender of turtles will be male, and vice versa.
C. How do baby turtles go to the sea?
The baby turtles see the light reflected by the sea and are attracted to it
They also smell the breeze of the sea, in case they found brighter source of lights
Baby turtles have a small opening under their carapace functioning as their food stock for one week
D. What are the predators that might endanger the baby turtles?
It can be divided into two; the first one are land-based predators:
Lizards
Crabs
Humans (poaching)
The other ones are water-based predators:
Bigger fish
Shark
Amongst all of them, humans are the most dangerous one, since we have superior intelligence to locate the nest of sea turtle.
E. How can one distinguish a female from a male turtle? Once the turtles have reached maturity, those with longer tails are male, while those with shorter tails are female.
 What are you waiting for? Let’s Know, Care, and Nurture the sea turtles!
                 Kuya Manolo, is the head of Pawikan Conservation Center. He was once a poacher back in 1999, who then realized the importance of saving the baby turtles. As the breadwinner, he held a big responsibility to provide for his family, and poaching eggs of sea turtles was the only option for him. Poaching itself is actually quite profitable for people who lived by the beach, since the availability of the sea turtle eggs is seasonal; it becomes rare and the price rises as more demands came. Normally, one sea turtle egg is worth twice the price of chicken eggs. While at the same time, the sustaining support from the government was not enough for people to be able to survive these difficult circumstances. However, the government was able to give induction to the people about how important it is to stop the poaching of eggs, since it might endanger the population of sea turtles.
                 Many questions aroused after the government induction such as, “Why should we care about the sea turtles?”, “Why the life of sea turtles is more important compared to us?”, “Are there any other alternatives aside from being a poacher?” Even the government can’t provide the answers those questions, but one thing is for sure and that is for people to stop poaching the sea turtle eggs.  Amazingly, Kuya Manolo change the way he lived and he then started to conserve the endangered sea turtles and thus, Pawikan Conservation Center was established. Pawikan Conservation Center has no actual fixed income since it was only a voluntarily joint project of Kuya Manolo and the nearby citizens. Despite of this, Pawikan Conservation Center still tries its best to conserve sea turtles, and because of that spirit, Pawikan Conservation Center had released 6000 baby turtles to the open sea. After years of consistent hard work, Japan embassy agreed to fund the organization. Now the conservation center’s main income comes from its tourists.
The first thing you might see in the area is sea turtles by the pond, but if you go further to the back of the Pawikan Conservation Center, you’ll find a very nice view of the beach. You can also witness the beautiful sunset by the beach with silhouettes of local people doing their usual activities. As what I’ve mentioned earlier, you can join the night patrol and get the chance to see the nesting activity of a mother turtle along the shores. Â
     Talking about the food, might we say we were WOWed as we tasted our first bites. We tried Techie's Pinoy Salad (one of their best sellers and a house specialty), shrimp with alavar sauce (another house specialty as well and we loved that the most; we considered it a must-try), Rose's Chicken Alexander (a special recipe of the owner Ms. Rose Cabrera, also a top seller), Lola's Macaroni Salad, and Beef Caldereta. Only after savoring the taste for a few seconds did we realized we need to take some pictures, LOL, because all the dishes were superbly delicious and amazing. Also, the service was exquisite. The idea of their menu is getting to know a family of 14 (Ms. Rose's family) through their favorite dishes. All of them are secret family recipes.
     What makes Mabuhay Restop special is that it’s not only a usual dining place, but also a mini art gallery, displaying some fantastic paintings and artwork. We learned how to play an ancient Filipino game, called Sungka. It was really interesting and brought us a lot of fun.
     To commemorate Jose Rizal, the Filipino national hero who fought swords with a pen, people often say Rizal Park instead of Luneta Park. Visiting Rizal Park was a must to us for we wanted to know more about the history of the Philippines revolution against the Spanairds. The park is large and surrounded by green trees. We wandered off to one side and took some pictures. Though we didn't spend long in the park, it still left a deep impression.
After going around Manila, we were given the chance to go to another place which is Pampanga. Pampanga is one of the regions in the Philippines with an active volcano. And because of that, you might see a lot of scattered ashes on the way to the villages of Pampanga. Our first destination was Atching Lilian Restaurant which is managed by Atching Lilian herself. We ate a lot of famous Filipino cuisines like dinuguan which is another term for blood stew. Piringhi is how they call yellow rice and also Macron which is an egg with Sisig or minced meat around the egg, but for me there is this one dish that stood out amongst other dishes and that is the San Nicholas cookie. San Nicholas cookie is made of sugar, egg yolk, coconut milk, oil, corn starch and flour. There are various patterns that people do with the San Nicholas cookie. For example, there is this harp-shaped pattern which was owned by a musician and also the Virgin Mary pattern. However, the first pattern of this cookie was from 1600 which was brought by the Spaniards. During our lunch at Atching Lilian, she she taught us how to make the delicious San Nicholas cookie, and guess what? We were given the chance to make our own cookie! (Too bad I didn’t try it). For AtchingLilian the process seems so easy, but when it was our turn to make our own cookie, we really had a hard time mixing up the dough and molding it into our own pattern. Nonetheless, we were still able to make one.Â
After an hour of baking our own cookies and probably eating them, we traveled to another place which is the San Guiellermo church. The church used to be three stories tall but since then when the volcano eruption happened, some parts of the building were buried. Another church aside from San Guiellermo church is the Betis church. The place was really filled with paintings, all thanks to the painter Manuel Macario Ligon.Â
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