THE ROAD TO SAGADA (First of a Series)

Dennis Bryann M. Ting

You don’t need to spend a good fortune to find Shangri-la. In fact, you can explore Shangri-la on a shoestring budget.

For many people, Shangri-la represents an isolated paradise far from the modern madding crowd. In the Philippines, we have our own Shangri-la for only Php3,200 three days and two nights—Sagada.

Sagada is situated 275 kilometers north of the capital city of Manila, and 140 kilometers from the summer capital city of Baguio. With 19 barangays, Sagada has a population of more than 11,000 people. Expect this to increase during Semana Santa and the week-long Christmas break. Do your math: Multiply this figure five times, and you’d have a rough estimate of the number of annual tourist arrivals in this 5th class municipality, or so I was told.

To reach Sagada, our group of 35 backpackers (plus one guide) is directed to assemble at Jollibee Avenida fronting the Philippine Rabbit Station beside what used to be the Odeon Theater in Rizal Avenue corner Recto Avenue. Assembly time is at 10:00PM.

The Philippine Rabbit Bus Station doesn’t offer direct travel to Sagada. We have to go to Baguio. A one-way ticket from Manila to Baguio costs Php350 (Student discounts are honored as long as one can present a valid student ID).

The group left quarter to 11:00PM. True to its name, the Rabbit driver hops so we arrived in Baguio 5:00AM.

There is a Jollibee near the Baguio bus terminal. Unfortunately, it opens 6:00AM. No problem if you arrive after sunrise. Then there is SM Baguio, a stone’s throw from—in fact above— the bus terminal station. Malling hours are the same as Manila’s.

I had an early taho for breakfast—the magtataho uses strawberry arnibal—for ten pesos.

After our Mang Andok’s breakfast in Session Road, we boarded a bus to Sagada. Ticket costs Php220. The normal Baguio-Sagada road trip, with two stops (lunch and restroom breaks), is six hours; but the road to Sagada, to borrow the words of our tour guide Roderick, is full of surprises: Dusty rough roads leading to cemented highways and returning to dustier rougher roads. Nakapagpulbos ka na pagdating mo sa Sagada since Baguio-Sagada buses are not air-conditioned. Try bringing a light jacket in summer— to protect you from the cold weather or heat of the sun while walking along the rice paddies.

Lesson here: Expect the unexpected. Isama mo pa pag masiraan yung bus. Once the bus gets busted, you’d have to wait for the next bus. Till what time? Nobody knows. In our case, it is the longest two hours of the trip.

White Flower or Katinko comes in handy for biyahilo. The same goes for what we call lamig or kinabagan, all too common during cold long-day trips.

Malayo pa ba? Are we there yet? Finally, our prayers have been answered. We are in Sagada 5:00 PM.

Since we are in the middle of an election campaign, Sagada is no exception to Villar’s Tapusin ang Kahirapan posters and tarps. Surprsingly, Gibo’s Galing at Talino green ads are visible all over the place.

There are no tricycles in Sagada. The common public transport is a jeepney or a fiera-converted-to-jeepney (imagine the orange CCP shuttle), where it can accommodate around 25 passengers. Nine from one side of the long bench (that’s 18 ) plus passengers on top of the jeep.

Sitting on top of the jeep while holding the railing is a must-try experience. The view is good but it hurts. Masakit lang sa puwet lalo na kung matagtag at mahaba ang biyahe. But what the heck— the local girls on board atop those jeeps ain’t complaining!

Accommodation in Sagada is cheap and plentiful. One can get a room for Php200 per night. With hot water/shower add Php50.

Food is relatively higher than Manila. A rice meal costs Php100-Php180. But the serving is bigger than Manila’s and they use local red rice. Bottled water is a dime a dozen.

SMART has the most reliable network signal. There is a SMART tower in Sagada.

The thing that I like about Sagada is those pine trees—lots of them. This is in sharp contrast to the Pine City—Baguio—where instead of pines, galvanized rooftops cover the mountains.

Curiously, limestone mountains abound in Sagada, which remind me of the limestone karst cliffs of Guilin, China. Local guides explain this by saying the province used to be submerged millions of years ago.

One guide even showed us a cowrie when we are in Sumaguing Cave. But that’s another story.

Sagada offers a lot of adventure and backpacking activities. But if you want some peace and quiet, this place is for you, too. There is no nightlife unless you pack your bags with booze before coming.
Shangri-La, they say, is synonymous to an earthly paradise hidden from man. I do not know how long Sagada can maintain its mysticism from commercial encroachments. The “I-Survived-Sagada” shirts are giveaways that it cannot escape the inevitable. Let us just make sure that it does not become a paradise lost.