P R E PA R E D BY N E N E : D

SCCB 2013 SUMMER OUTING

CHOICE 1• ILOCOS-LAOAG-PAGUDPOD

CHOICE 2• BANAWE-SAGADA-BAGUIO

CHOICE 1 (ILOCOS)

• PLACES TO VISIT:ViganBaluarteFort IlocandiaSand Dunes of SubaPaoay ChurchMalacanang of the NorthBlue Lagoon/Maira-iraSaud Beach

(Pagudpod Beach)Bangui WindmillsKabigan FallsCape Bojeador Lighthouse

• DELICACIES: Ant Caviar (recommended for john)

BagnetEmpanadaBukayoPatupat-IlokoTinubong

VIGAN

Vigan is the capital city of Ilocos Sur and well known for the precious remnants of old Spanish architect throughout the center of the city. This is where ancestral houses are still  found which are made of thick brick wall and plastered with red clay. I wonder how the city’s heritage survived World War 2 and the onslaught of natural calamities. In spite of the presence of jeepneys and tricycles as the mode transportation here, caritelas and kalesas are still found and used here. The town has also been registered with the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.Sikat din daw longganisa dito, gusto niyo pa ba itry?

BALUARTEhttp://chavitsingson.net/baluarte/

Visitors can start with visiting the rows of cages where they can see lions, Bengal tigers, peacocks, civet cats, iguanas, pythons and other reptiles and birds. In this part of the Baluarte, people will also be able to see the Philippine cloud rat, a nocturnal animal endemic to the Philippine Cordillera region. This very large rodent is an herbivore and hunted by large birds and local people.From the caged animals, visitors can move on to the fenced areas where they can visit and feed the monkeys, swans, flamingos, ostriches, albino and spotted deer and the one-hump camel. Children are allowed to sit on top of the bigger animals, but if they really want to ride, they can go to the tracks where they can ride the

miniature horses.

FORT ILOCANDIA

 is the only rated hotel in the Ilocos Norte Region. This was originally constructed by the Marcos Family for their daughter Irene’s wedding reception. This spanish inspired resort mainly attracts taiwanese gamblers but it still never fails to charm the first-time Filipino tourist. It is best suited for hosting conferences and events but it could be quite expensive to stay here for your family’s vacation or use it just as a stopover. If you decide to stay here, might as well maximize the facilities and even walk to the famous Sand Dunes of Suba.

SAND DUNES OF SUBA

This is only place in the Philippines where you can find a desert in the seemingly endless coastal sand dunes of Suba. It is about an hour’s walk along the beach from Fort Ilocandia. It is quite an exercise and walking in these sand dunes feels like meditating. The sky feels a little bit closer. It is a an awesome place for reflection. I suggest that you walk during early morning and ensure that it won’t rain.

PAOAY CHURCH

”The church was started by the Augustinian Fr. Antonio Estavillo in 1694. It was completed in 1710 and rededicated in 1896, just three years before the expulsion of Spanish rule in the country. The style of the church has been dubbed “Earthquake Baroque” by Alicia Coseteng, one of the early authorities on colonial church architecture. Because the buttresses extend out considerably from the exterior walls, the entire visual experience becomes three-dimensional, unlike most of the churches in the country where the inherent beauty of the church is limited only at the facade.”

MALACANANG OF THE NORTH

Malacañang of the North or Malacanang ti Amianan in Ilocano is always present in everyone’s itinerary when planning or visiting the northern province of Ilocos Norte. Dubbed as “Marcos Country” Many of Marcos’ family’s remnant still exist in Ilocos like Malacañang of the North. It is within a 5-hectare property that overlooks the Paoay Lake. It serves as a home to the Marcos Family til 1996.

BLUE LAGOON/ MAIRA-IRA

SAUD BEACH

When people say Pagudpud beach, it usually refers to the popular Saud Beach. "Pagudpud actually consists of three vast beaches, strung along Luzon's northern edge and hemmed in by huge points jutting out into the ocean. Coconut palm-backed Saud Beach is where the resorts are. Maira-ira, also known as Blue Lagoon, is a few points east. Deserted Pansian beach is still further on, near the bother of Cagayan Province. It should be called the "anti-Boracay of the North" since it boast of beautiful white beach backed by rows of coconut palms minus the noise and nightlife of Boracay.

BANGUI WINDMILLS

Bangui Windmills – Magnificent White Giants of Bangui – The latest attraction in Bangui bay where Pagudpud is located is these fifteen huge 23 storeys high “Giant Electric Fans” that might as well be built by Aliens. The common mistake of people is just to be satisfied at looking at these windmills from a distant view from the Bangui look out on the way to Pagudpud. You don’t need a tour guide to reach this place. You just need to know where to turn and go straight passing by a village all the way to this Bangui coast .

KABIGAN FALLS

• 30 mins trekking time from main road, crossing 3 streams• for more info: http

://acrossthelaine.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-ilocos-get-away-day-2-kabigan-falls.html

• P20 preservation fee

CAPE BOJEADOR LIGHTHOUSE

• Fascinated by Philippine history and old architecture, lighthouses were my favorite age-old structures built by colonist in the country. From the coastal town of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, the journey took us south towards the town of Burgos to see a historical landmark called Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. Its name came from the martyr priest Padre Burgos. It has been tching over ships for more than 100 years.

DELICACIES

Tinubong is another delicacy from Ilocos Norte. It is made of grated coconut, salt, ganta glutinous rice, bamboo tubes (12 inches long with one node closed), and bamban leaves.

Patupat is a delicacy made from glutinous rice cooked in sugarcane juice. This popular Ilocano snack is usually prepared during summer in time of sugarcane harvesting.

Bukayo is just one of the products made from buko. It is an after-dinner sugar fix Filipino children love. It is made by simmering coco meat strips in water and then mixed with white or brown sugar (which explains the white or brown color) resulting into a sweet tasting diabetes-triggering delight.

DELICACIES

Empanadas in the northern Ilocos region are very different. These empanadas are made of a savory filling of green papaya, mungo and chopped longganisa and/or an egg yolk. Rather than the soft, sweet dough favored in the Tagalog region, the dough used to enclose the filling is thin and crisp, mostly because Ilocano empanada uses rice flour, colored orange with achuete, and is deep-fried rather than baked.

When the choices are narrowed down to nurturing your heart while satisfying your appetite, this delicacy may not be included in your list. However, the oil-soaked Bagnet (locally known as chicharon or deep-fried pork meat), despite its cholesterol content and pre-cooked preparation, still has a staying power as other homegrown delicacy.

these are ant eggs @_@

CHOICE 2 (SAGADA)

CHOICE 2

• Friendly reminder. Sagada is still inhabited with numbers of local tribes. Kaya hindi pa siya masyadong civilized,very simple ung ibang places here, soo if we decide to go here.. We must not be maarte with the food and hostels, and just try to appreciate the beauty of Nature

• There will be lots of hiking, trekking and walking :D but think positive magiging toned ang leg muscles natin pag uwi.

• It’s cold here, houses here have fireplaces. Mas malamig than Baguio. Always may fog haha!

• All the walking and not pagiging maarte will pay off once you see Sagada’s beautiful tourist spots. Actually, I would rather not call them tourist spots because when we went their 5 years ago walang taooo prng personal Survivor Camp namin ung Sagada:D Truly one of Mother Earth’s wonders.

CHOICE 2

• Places to visit:Ganduyan Museum Samaguing CaveKiltepan ViewpointBomod-ok Falls Bangaan Rice Terraces Echo Valley (Hanging

Coffins) Lake Danum St. Mary Episcopalian

ChurchClay pot making

• Delicacy:Pinikpikan

• Restaurants:Yoghurt House Lemon Pie HouseKimchi RestaurantLog Cabin (buffet Saturday)

GANDUYAN MUSEUM

Ganduyan Museum in Sagada is a modest showcase for Igorot artifacts owned by a local artisan, Christina Aben.

SAMAGUING CAVE

• Sumaguing Cave has the largest chamber connecting all the 60 caves of the town. It is also known as the Big Cave. It is the most popular and most visited site in Sagada. Stalagmites and stalactites form inside the caves over millions of years and are truly a sight to behold. Please look at the upper right photo, the ground is moist isn’t it? It’s not water that’s making it moist, it’s actually bat poop. So, if we do try going down this cave, we will be touching lots of poop. HAHA!

KILTEPAN VIEWPOINT

The stunning mountain sunrise at Kitlepan Viewpoint is a favorite draw for visitors in Sagada Mountain province. Overlooking is the Kiltepan Terraces.

BOMOD-OK FALLS

• The extremely cold water on the natural pool created by the cascading waters of the majestic Bomod-ok falls invites trekkers for a relaxing dip after an hour of trekking to the Big Falls. The water is so cold, that you will surely die of hypothermia if you stay there for long, but for the sake of fun, adventure and experience, it is a must to try dipping in the cold pool.

• Trekking Bomod-ok falls now requires a guide. Rate is P600 for a group of 1 to 10 persons. A P10.00 registration fee is collected by the locals for every person at midpoint.

BANGAAN RICE TERRACES

• One memorable experience in Sagada is walking along its rice terraces. This millennium old architectural masterpieces are Sagada’s version of carefully hand carved mountainsides that look like giant steps to the sky.

LAKE DANUM

• Just like plenty of the attractions in Sagada, Lake Danum is an easy walk away from the town center. Though it is realistically not as stunning as the other locations in town, it still is a very nice venue for picnics and it is often used as a jump off point in going up Mount Ampacao.

ECHO VALLEY/HANGING COFFINS

• Echo Valley is also a good site for rock climbing. Rock climbing costs P400 per person.

• Another famous landmark of Sagada are the hanging coffins, an old traditional way of burying the dead. These coffins are found on cliffs and hard to reach areas. Not all Sagadians have the privilege to be buried this way when they die, they have very strict criteria and requirements known only to the locals.

• Tourists can see the hanging coffins up close by trekking down from the Echo Valley. You need a guide if you have no idea where it is.

DELICACY

• Pinikpikan

if you’re in Sagada and you want to try a food unique to the place then go for Pinikpikan, a chicken dish looks like Tinola but taste like Bachoy (well at least that’s how my taste buds telling me).

A few information on how Igorots prepare Pinikpikan: It is prepared by beating a live chicken with a stick prior to cooking. The beating bruises the chicken’s flesh, bringing blood to its surface, which is said to improve the flavor after cooking.

RESTAURANTS

Kimchi RestaurantThe only restaurant serving good Korean meals in Sagada and you’ll never go wrong when you choose to eat here. I think every Korean meal they serve is phenomenal. They perfected how Korean food tastes like; I think theirs is better than other Korean restaurants in Manila so you really need to try it out.

Yoghurt HouseThe restaurant’s name says it all, their best seller is their variety of Yoghurts, you can choose from banana, strawberry preserve, blue berries or granola. You can also mix and match the toppings to have a unique flavor of your own.But aside from Yoghurt, they also serve pastas, fresh salads, pork, beef and chicken dishes.

RESTAURANTS

LEMON PIE HOUSEWhen god gave Sagada

lemons, Joseph Daoas made lemon pie.

Owner of the Lemon Pie House in the highland town,

Daoas, has been making lemon pies since the 1990s with the secret of the lemon concentrate kept safely only

by him.The secret lies in the

balanced taste of their signature pie, not too sweet and not to sour, perfect for coffee and desert, distinctly

Sagada.

RESTAURANTS

*needs reservation

Log CabinIn Sagada’s town proper, almost all places are within walking distance. The buffet is prepares by French Chef Philip or Aklay, as he is known locally. The buffet is only served on Saturdays and needs a reservation 2 days in advance. P350 per person w/o drinks.

REMEMBER TO BRING

• 1. Bug repellent, you might need it while trekking to the Bomod-ok Falls or anywhere with undergrowth2. Sun protection and sunglasses. – sunburn can be pretty common on exposed skin during long hikes3. A jumper, jacket or a sweater to protect from the even chillier evenings.4. Cash. There is only one ATM in town in the town hall and it can be a little bit unreliable.5. Zip lock, underwater camera-case for spelunkers6. A pair of extra-sturdy strap-on thongs/flip-flops7. Neck pillow for the long ride8. Trail food. (Bring your own trash bag. Do not litter.):D 9. Gloves in case one is too squeamish in touching “guano” or bat poop while spelunkin… but para masaya don’t bring nlng hahahahaha10. Medicines for emergencies, and for body aches11. Lip Balm & Skin Moisturizer for the dry, mountain weather12. Towels.13. Torch/flashlight14. Spare batteries and battery charger for your digital camera

• 15. YOURSELF haha