🇵🇭 TINGLAYAN • Bugnay Rice Terraces and that Lucky Village in Kalinga

"The Kalinga prima facie evidence in terms of beauty should not be a subject for debate because if I were to be the judge, the evidence is too strong for further argument."

That day when I set foot to the land of the last generation of folks where the evidence of centuries-old tradition of tattooing is still evident, I was welcomed with nothing less but this breath-stopping view that is pupil-dilating and retina-protruding. If this is a fairy tale, my straight eyelashes could have knelt down in awe and respect without the help of an eyelash curler used by some girls in flirting, not here in Kalinga please. Pretty girls will forget they are pretty upon seeing this prettier-than-pink marvelous view of the Bugnay Rice Terraces.

Bugnay Village with the Rice Terraces all around, how cool is that?

This is the grand welcome I experienced in Kalinga for that first-time I landed within its frontiers, on its rugged terrain, within the bounds of its own identity and beauty.

Based on the words of non-traveler friends I know, Kalinga is a dangerous place, and for that, I should not risk my life getting into the territories of headhunters protecting their ancestral domains from invaders. That's what these people are thinking about Kalinga.

This awful mindset could have emanated from the fact that the province is not easy to reach due to poor road conditions, so there is a few knowledge and documentation as to the beauty and intrinsic culture it has to offer that could surely gain an authority within the grounds of socio-cultural tourism.

How nice is to live in this village?

Bugnay Village can be seen along the BONTOC-TABUK ROAD

[CORDILLERA] Bontoc-Tabuk Road: Mt. Province-Kalinga Boundary Crossing

TEASER: "My blunt brain due to being deprived of sleep was instantly reset to sight-seeing mode after it hibernated for a while when I started seeing this wonderful view that temporarily locked my jaw.". The rice terraces that decorate the village into a cultural landscape is also very visible beyond fiber glass windows of every mini-bus and/or any vehicle that traverses the road.

Those huge terraced rice fields hold that village perfectly and the villagers that maintain them. It has turned into a paradise of culture and heritage. I laughed-off the idea that KALINGA

KALINGA

FAST FACTS: Kalinga is believed to be the home of the last headhunters of the Cordilleras.

Photo: Bugnay Village @ Tinglayan, Kalinga is dangerous until I experienced it by myself, backpacking solo where I applied the idea of "stay calm and get lost" on which I don't know where to go next because of this unplanned trip.

How big your mouth is when you said WOW!?

How lucky am I! The unplanned trip has turned to be one of my favorite CORDILLERA

CORDILLERA

FAST FACTS: A mountainous region in the Philippines' Luzon island composed of 6 provinces with distinct people and dialect namely Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.

Photo: Abra River in Pidigan, Abra trips for a lifetime! The view of the village itself is already a warm welcome you would never think headhunters used to live here.

The moment I alighted from the bus, I hurriedly ran near the corner of the road to aimlessly wander around. My heavy backpack as the result of a 7-day backpacking in the Cordilleras has seemed to become very light as I rushed effortlessly in excitement near the cliff where I was able to afford a close to perfect vantage point. 

How come this place is so cool?!

All the burdens I was feeling that moment have seemed to be carried away by the gracious wonder that has let me assume the ideology of Buddha of being under the state of Nirvana, and not even close to the self-exaltation that dirty politicians and government heads are feeling while enjoying the funds of the country under the state of evil influence.

The experience is pure, it is ethereal that it was stirring my veneration and strongly-founded belief to God who has given us a wonderful place to live. Thank you Lord!

The Road, the River, the Rice Terraces - T3

The village of Bugnay is such a very lucky place to have situated in a location where organic agriculture exists, even in raising livestock. The fresh clean air is never on doubt. The beautiful view is never moot. 

The Chico River separates the village from the other side of the town so you have to cross the footbridge for you to be able to enter this culturally important destination.

Footbridge to Bugnay Village

While waiting for someone (a local, if I will be the lucky guy to find one) to help me find the direction on my way to Buscalan Village (another village located in a higher altitude accessible only on foot), I didn't let the opportunity to just pass by without me absorbing every single beautiful memory I can collect in this wondrous destination I never thought I would ever see.

How marvelous is that?

Uh! I can marvel with that!

The Kalinga prima facie evidence in terms of beauty should not be a subject for debate because if I were to be the judge, the evidence is too strong for further argument.

The lucky village situated amidst gigantic verdant ladders might be too rural and left behind what's new and cool in the cities but one thing is for sure, they live within their means under the blessing of their perseverance enforced by contentment that makes them rich in life. They don't have slums, they own this huge parcel of ancestral land signifying a precolonial civilization that came first before the Spanish rule in Manila and other cities. The people of this village have their thousand-year-old civilization and culture so don't mess with them.

When all the cities have come to the point that slums are rampant, the people here will just stay calm and be rich for possessing towering mountains and ancestral lands that are truly their wealth. That has made me realize that richness is not about lifestyle, possessing gadgets and big houses. It is something that will never cease, even after death. /end

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HOW TO GET HERE + EASY TRAVEL TIPS AND TRICKS
NOTE: This trip is via Bontoc

1. From Bontoc, ride on a bus bound for Tabuk and/or Tinglayan. The parking area is located near the Mountain Province Polytechnic State College along the main road. Or if you are not sure, just ask any local politely this way: "Where is the parking area of mini-buses bound for Kalinga?" They will tell you where.

2. As far as I can remember the first trip is around 5-6 am (depending upon the volume of passengers). The second trip is around 9 am.

3. If you have your own motorbike (or should you wish to drive an SUV or a posh car - goodluck!), just follow the road northwards. It could take up to 1 hour before you reach the site. If you choose to commute, the fare (as far as I remember) is around 80 pesos (as of this writing) up to Bugnay Village in Tinglayan.

4. Alight in Bugnay drop-off point. The rice terraces and the village can already be seen from there. Enjoy!

*EN ROUTE: BONTOC-SADANGA-TINGLAYAN SUB-SERIES: 1

[SADANGA] Bekigan Rice Terraces: A Cultural Heritage

TEASER: "...not every beautiful beach should be crowded, not every mountain should be hiked and for the case of Bekigan Rice Terraces, not every rice terraces should be flocked by visitors." | 2

[CORDILLERA] Bontoc-Tabuk Road: Mt. Province-Kalinga Boundary Crossing

TEASER: "My blunt brain due to being deprived of sleep was instantly reset to sight-seeing mode after it hibernated for a while when I started seeing this wonderful view that temporarily locked my jaw." | 3

Tinglayan #TownExploration Series

Map showing the Location of #Tinglayan

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MORE POSTS FROM THIS CATEGORY: *RICE TERRACES*

[SADANGA] Mt Province: Bekigan Rice Terraces, A Cultural Heritage

TEASER: "...not every beautiful beach should be crowded, not every mountain should be hiked and for the case of Bekigan Rice Terraces, not every rice terraces should be flocked by visitors."

[BONTOC] Palali Rice Terraces: Of First-time Penetration, Pain and Pleasure

TEASER: "As I reach the peak, which is the climax of everything, my eyes bulged in pleasure brought by a feast-to-the-eye-destination with a little bit of brain clouding. I have just reached the point of no return."

[BONTOC] Bayyo Rice Terraces and Waterfalls - Highland Paradise Living

TEASER: "The presence of the rice terraces is an evidence of an engineering expertise of the Igorot ancestors..."

[CERVANTES] Rice Terraces: Turning to Vegetable Terraces Too

TEASER: "...no time is wasted, their limited farming fields at the slope of the mountain become productive all year round."

[TINGLAYAN] Buscalan Rice Terraces Kissed the Clouds

TEASER: "This is my story about the Buscalan Rice Terraces. At first there is a foreplay with the clouds but it always ends up with a satisfactory finish."