Sagada 2 Nights

Trip organizer Roderick and 15 young professional teachers, with 2 mothers and a father, from different schools distributed TJIC's Growing in Courage- Stories for Young Readers to Sagada kids as they met them in Ambasing and on their way to Mount Ampacao for 3-hour mountain trekking with guide Greg and free heavy lunch courtesy of a celebration's host/tour guide/hometown leader Egbert Dailay beside the next day's mountaineers' national summit camp place – Lake Danum last May 17(Sunday). They proceeded to a pottery shop listening and witnessing potter Tessie's handwork – a manual demo. The shop was built by American missionary Stapleton's son, Archie, who speaks Kankana-ey fluently and only exhibits products on invitation. Ice pellets and a heavy rain shower split the groups into two after pie afternoon snack break (lemon, blueberry & eig pies) with brewed coffee and lemon tea at the Lemon Pie House with comedienne Candy Nadal. A small group aimed for Calvary and Echo Valley by passing SMS, padi's cottage and a cemetery.

Prior to this and on a Saturday, they had Sagada's best offer for tourists and that's Sumag-ing cave spelunking with rappelling activities for four hours with Dave, Tiny plus two more Igorot guides. Lum-iang Cave, a burial cave, amazed each and now an entrance to the newest Cave Connection (priced @ 400 pesos for a group of 4). Mother and daughter from Dasmarinas,Cavite explored only the cave's belly and went back with shaky legs and knees due to rain showers and ice-cold water. Participantes, also, were surprised to see kids inside the biggest cave of Sagada.

2 Obaya days – sacred holiday – did not stop participants to see the biggest falls, Bomod-ok Falls, but insisted on delaying bus transport to Baguio and waited for Monday when everyone can make noise, see farmers in the field, and avoid village punishment for touring around Fidelisan and Aguid for beautiful terraces and long walk on rice paddies. Fidelisan kids, also, served as recipients to TJIC's generosity through Director Reysa Alenzuela with its book copies of Growing in Courage- Stories for Young Readers.

Participants who stayed for 2 nights at St. Joseph's Resthouse were: Bicolana lass call center pretty agent Shermyn, Roderick's favorite joiner Kristine with parents (King Joseph & Aurora), elem teachers Lea, Jam & Andeng, picture addict-model wannabe Ana, sweethearts Fe & Ronald, youthful Mark & Rachel, mother-daughter tandem Mommy Bonny & Mary, Charito Solis look-a-like Cecil, labelled by joiners Igorota Grace, Ms. China Abby and wife material Aileen Aha came from Diliman Preparatory School, Infant Jesus Academy Antipolo, La Salle Greenhills, St. Jude Catholic School, Philippine Normal University. They were not able to visit and missed one best museum in the northern which is the Bontoc Museum with a library, souvenir shop and an outdoor park/museum. The trip ended with a treat at Goodtaste Restaurant, Baguio for some Chinese cuisine @ 8:30 in the evening and hugs, kisses, well-wishing who are now Bff bestfriends forever.

Newsworthy: Sagada National High School, through Genevieve Gewan Daoas, continuously receives books through this activity while a scholarship fund is created from joiners' registration fees for an alumni group of librarians.