MAGNIFICENT BATAD

It’s indeed a long travel from Manila going to Banaue, Ifugao, home of the world-famous rice terraces. Imagine sitting in a bus for at least 8 to 9 hours? But for me and my friend Eds who are both adventure-seekers, it really doesn’t matter though. We took the Victory Liner bus from Kamuning, Quezon City, a single trip that leaves for Banaue at 10:45 p.m. daily.­ At around 7:00 a.m. of the following day, we arrived in our destination. We were full of excitement, but we learned that there was a landslide a week before so our bus that was supposed to have a last stop at the Banaue Hotel couldn't pass through the narrow road. The only option was to take a shuttle or a tricycle to bring us to the town proper. We opted for a tricycle and dropped by at the information center near the marketplace. After a lot of questions and answers with the man at the information on how to reach Batad, we decided to take another tricycle going to Batad junction before setting off for a bumpy ride. After Batad junction we took a passenger jeepney up to Batad Saddle Point where we began our journey going down to the small village. Since there’s no other mode of transportation getting there, a trek is a must for someone who wants to see the magnificent rice terraces.

On the Way Down

Along the way, we were greeted by wild trees, wild flowers, clamorous crickets and fresh air which filled our lungs. After a few meters of walking, we passed by a group of men who struggled in pulling down a big dark gray native pig. I found out that the pig will be slaughtered later for the celebration of someone who died in their community, a tradition they are practicing since hundred years ago. Exhausted and thirsty, I rested for awhile and drank water from my bottle. Suddenly I heard someone shouting at me, “The pig is right behind you!” Without hesitation, I dragged myself down to the slippery trail as I heard the thundering footsteps of the pig getting closer and closer towards me. I kept on running to catch up for Eds who already went ahead of me until we reached a small hut selling cold drinks. I sighed in relief! Thank God, the men were able to tie up the pig before it even catches me, or else my body would be thrown away somewhere down the cliff.

Batad Rice Terraces

After 45 minutes of trekking along the curvy, narrow and rugged pathway, a marvelous amphitheater-shaped rice terraces filled my sight. I just found myself mesmerized by the great scenery. Can this be real? Can this be God’s creation? But before forgetting everything else, I pulled out my digital camera inside my backpack and took a lot of pictures. Eds and I stayed at the Hillside Inn where there’s a great panoramic view of the small community situated in the middle of the green rice terraces below. Our room in the second floor has a single bed which is good for two persons and a small glass window overlooking the beautiful landscape. Aside from the two pillows and blankets, there were no other things we could see inside the room. Its simplicity reflects the simple life of the owner and the people surrounding the neighborhood. After inhaling the clean air to relieve our

exhausted bodies, we felt a certain amount of hunger. We realized it was already half past eleven in the morning and we desperately need to take our lunch. Fortunately, the inn has a restaurant at the ground floor where we can order food from their menu.

Tappia Falls
After lunch Eds and I slept for at least one hour so we could gain enough energy in hiking down to the Tappia Falls, a must-see 32 feet waterfall hidden at the foot of the mountain. Another 45 minutes trek going downhill was more dangerous and rugged compared to our previous hike from the saddle point. Joey and his girlfriend Neg, a couple we met at the inn, walked down carefully ahead of me and Eds together with our two tour guides. The six of us encountered many unstable pathways caused by landslides and walking carelessly at the side of the paddy fields will certainly lead someone off-balance and fall at the nearby cliff. After the bumpy uphill and downhill terrain, finally we reached the vibrant waterfall as if serenading us with the gushing sound of its flowing crystal-clear water. I would have jumped over to the inviting stream if I didn’t realize how freezing the water was, otherwise I would have experienced hypothermia going back to our lodging house. As a result, nobody among us ever dared to swim on the icy cold water. We just satisfied ourselves by soaking our feet at the wet ground and taking our photos with the big falls as a background.

The afternoon rain shower began to shove us away from the serene place where only the chirping of the birds and the sound of the running water could be heard. In the distance, we saw a great cluster of dark clouds above that gradually covered the mountains like canopies. Our group decided to leave at once but the ordeal of our journey going back has been doubled. It was more difficult because we need all our energy and endurance to go uphill. However, we managed to go up one step at a time to continue our hike. As we moved higher, we felt the extreme throbbing of muscles in our legs so we ended up crawling upon the bumpy track and dangerous terrain we passed by. I stopped for a few moments as my heart was already pounding with exhaustion. My dry throat was dreadfully panting for water and my lower body was aching in pain. Even my small towel and pink sleeveless blouse were drenched in sweat. When we got to a small store, we immediately bought some cold drinks to ease our thirst. At last, we were almost half on our journey going back!

Batad Village

As we continued with our trek, our guide Adrian decided to take me and Eds to the heart of the village. We went down to a community of over nine hundred people to see their way of life. There are already concrete houses in the area but a number of native Ifugao houses are still there, which means they are still trying to preserve what they have inherited from their forefathers. Among the said dwellings, two churches are also in the vicinity, the red-painted structure with a cross above is a Presbyterian Church while the green one is a Catholic Church. As we explored more of the village, we saw a group of men having a drinking session at the house of a dead community member. And aha, the native pig that ran after me earlier was tied up with a rope under the tree waiting for his turn to be butchered. What a poor animal, he must be killed for the delight of the people who would eat his meat afterward. We moved on and not far away was an elderly woman vigorously pounding rice on her wooden tools to have something to eat for dinner. She fervently agreed when I requested to take her picture while doing her chore. The people are undeniably friendly and hospitable, willing to start a conversation anytime. No electricity, no means of transportation, no modern appliances to use in their everyday living, yet I still covet of the simple, stress-free life they have. I could even see the contentment on their faces as they greeted us with a smile.

My wrist watch ticked at 5:45 p.m. and the whole surrounding was getting darker with the rain threatening to pour down. We hurried up but we paused for a few minutes to take some photos of the green stair-like rice fields. As soon as we entered the lodging house, the heavy rain fell. The cold evening breeze started to chill our exhausted bodies so we so ordered food from the menu that would warm our empty stomach. In our pleasure, we had a good meal that evening, a plate of hot plain rice and a bowl of steaming soup with tasty boiled chicken and crunchy vegetables. After savoring the food, we had a great chat with the owner of the inn, a cheerful, slender elderly lady in her 60’s and a barangay chairwoman of the village herself. She was so eager to share with us a lot of information about the locals, the place and even the story of her own family. A supposedly short minute of conversation lasted for almost an hour until we felt a sudden urge to go upstairs to sleep.

We woke up the next morning with great eagerness as we looked at the yellow-green rice fields being kissed by the early morning sunlight. I immediately launched my digital camera to begin another photo shoot. The colors and shadows in the morning are much different so I took the chance of getting a lot of pictures before leaving the place. After a couple of point and shoot, we finally decided to go up to the Saddle Point to start our journey back home. The couple we met at the inn joined me and Eds so the four of us traveled together in going to Banaue town proper to take the bus bound for Manila.

Hiwang View Deck and Native House Inn

When we reached Banaue at about 11:30 am, we took our quick lunch near the public market. Then we all agreed to visit the Hiwang View Deck and Native House Inn while waiting for our 5:00 pm bus ride to Manila. Hiwang is a 15-minute ride from the town proper and fortunately, we were able to rent a tricycle for a cheaper price. The place is truly amazing as it is situated at about 4,500 feet above sea level, surrounded with colorful flowers and pine trees. At the far right is a view of the Hapao Rice Terraces and at the other side is the Banaue Rice Terraces. There are also 6 native huts that can accommodate 4 persons each for just around P300 per head. I remembered the first time I stayed there two years ago. The only light that we had at night was a fluorescent bulb at the door entrance with a detachable bamboo stair. Inside the hut was just a big candle to light the whole room. I asked the caretaker why there was no electricity inside the hut. And she convincingly said, “We want you to experience the real life of a Native Ifugao.” Well, that satisfied me but it was really creepy looking at some dark curved images hanging on the side wall not to mention the small square ash pan in the middle floor that made my sleep uneasy. However, it was a fulfilling stay since we were surrounded by a thick fog in the morning, a moment I’ve never been experienced before.

After a few hours of taking pictures, we went down to Banaue View Point Deck and bought some pasalubongs before leaving for Manila. My Batad adventure was truly a memorable one. I met nice people along the way and experienced the Ifugao’s peaceful life… and of course, I was able to capture the serenity of the place through my camera, which I think was one of the most important parts of this journey.

Place: Batad, Banaue, Ifugao

Travel Date: June 10-11, 2007

Budget: Php 3,000.00