UP DILIMAN: Finding Luna at the Vargas Museum

UP DILIMAN: Finding Luna at the Vargas Museum

The Vargas Museum is worth the trip to visit simply because there are FIVE (5) JUAN LUNA ARTWORKS on display that you can view.

The FIVE (5) JUAN LUNA ARTWORKS are as follows (taken from the museum brochure since photography is prohibited):

Background on the Vargas Museum

The Vargas Museum inside the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City was established to house the personal collection of Jorge B. Vargas, the country's first Executive Secretary, who served under President Manuel Quezon.

The important timeline are as follows:

1978: Vargas donated his personal collection to the University of the Philippines where he studied Liberal Arts and Law.

1983: The university laid the cornerstone for the construction of the building.

1986: The personal collection was transferred to the Vargas Museum in Diliman.

The Vargas Museum at UP Diliman

The source of the above information is the brochure that the Museum sells. Below is a scanned copy of the information. You can read it in more detail.

WHERE IS THE PERMANENT COLLECTION LOCATED:

The permanent collection is housed on the 2nd floor. 

This is the entrance of the 2nd floor where the permanent collection is exhibited

This is the layout of the 2nd floor

Photography is prohibited on the second floor so I'll share with you the museum brochure below, which lists all the items in the the Jorge Vargas collection. Aside from Lunas, there are a lot of Hidalgos, Amorsolos, Manansalas, etc.

THE THIRD FLOOR

THE FIRST FLOOR

THE MUSEUM CAFE

VARGAS MUSEUM

Roxas Avenue, University of the Philippines, Diliman Quezon City

Landline: (+632) 9281927

Cellphone (+63) 9298567909

Museum Hours: Tues - Sat, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Museum Fees: 30 pesos entrance fee, 80 pesos for the museum brochure.

http://vargasmuseum.upd.edu.ph

www.facebook.com/vargasmuseum.upd

SAGADA: Information on Services and Facilities

SAGADA: Information on Services and Facilities

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER

You have to register at the Tourist Information Center
and pay 35 pesos environmental fee to be able to enter the caves.

AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE

This ATM machine is found inside the Tourist Information Center.

TOUR GUIDE SERVICES

Sagada Genuine Guides' Association

Recommended guide: Gareth Likigan
Cellphone number : (+63)929-55-69-55-3

Email address: crazyhim16@yahoo.com

https://www.facebook.com/gareth.likigan

https://www.facebook.com/saggas

http://www.saggas.org/

CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICES

Sunday Catholic Mass schedules

JEEPNEY SERVICES

Jeepney services are primarily between Sagada and Bontoc

The jeepneys going to Bontoc are found across Edward Gaudan Longid centrum

STORE SELLING ICE

We had difficulty finding a store selling ice for our cooler.
We found this store located across Lemon Pie house.

"MALL"

(THE EDWARD GAUDAN LONGID CENTRUM)

Mall directory

We bought ready-to-eat food at this place.
Meals like chicken adobo with rice is 90 pesos.
Bulalo with rice is 120 pesos

There's a mini grocery at this mall.

There are really nice souvenirs that can be bought here
but slightly more expensive.

Other stores inside the mall

SAGADA: Gareth Likigan: Best SAGGAS Guide for Exploring the Sumaging Cave

SAGADA: Gareth Likigan: Best SAGGAS Guide for Exploring the Sumaging Cave

WHY GET A GUIDE

1. They know where to go. 

Sumaging cave is very hard to navigate on your own. See my post "Exploring Sumaging Cave with Kids" to see how the Sumaging cave exploration goes.

2. They know how to keep you safe.

• They provide the equipment that will keep you safe, like the lamps.

• They remind you where to step, what rocks are slippery and where to step to avoid guano. 

• They also try to gauge your physical capability and decide whether to take you the whole length of the cave or just part of it.

3. They take your photos.

It's impossible for you to hold a typical digital camera because you need both hands to keep your balance and to keep yourself safe. The guide can take your photo while exploring the cave

WHY GET GARETH LIKIGAN

I highly recommend that you get Gareth Likigan as your guide in Sumaging cave. 

• He's very knowledgeable about the history of Sagada.

Gareth giving safety tips at the entrance of Sumaging cave

You can see Gareth in action in this video at the Lumiang burial cave

• He's very experienced exploring the Sumaging cave. He constantly reminds us where it's safe to step on the rocks and is very vigilant all throughout the tour in keeping us out of danger. 

After exploring Sumaging cave

• He meticulously took our photos every step of the way so we had numerous and great photos of the tour.

• Aside from this, he's also very likeable and nice to my kids. My kids enjoyed the tour and was given souvenir rings that Gareth himself made while going down the steps of Lumiang Burial Cave. 

Gareth with my kids after the Lumiang burial cave tour

While going down the Lumiang burial cave, Gareth made rings...

...from this plant.

The finished product.

Then he gave my kids the rings he made as souvenir. 

How to contact Gareth Likigan

Gareth Likigan

Cellphone number : (+63)929-55-69-55-3

Email address: crazyhim16@yahoo.com

https://www.facebook.com/gareth.likigan

https://www.facebook.com/saggas

http://www.saggas.org/

NOTE: UPDATED SUMAGING CAVE RATES AS OF MARCH 25, 2014:

The Sumaging cave tour includes a visit to the Lumiang burial cave

My BANAUE and SAGADA Itinerary with Kids (Day 4: Sumaguing Cave, Lumiang Burial Caves in Sagada)

My BANAUE and SAGADA Itinerary with Kids 

(Day 4: Sumaging Cave, Lumiang Burial Cave)

DAY 1. FRIDAY
MANILA - KIANGAN

Read more of Day 1 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids 

DAY 2. SATURDAY

KIANGAN-BATAD-KIANGAN

See the BATAD RICE TERRACES

Read more of Day 2 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids 

DAY 3. SUNDAY

KIANGAN - BANAUE - SAGADA

See the Banaue Rice Terraces at the Banaue Viewpoint

Lunch at Mount Polis

See the Bayyo Rice Terraces

Read more of Day 3 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids

DAY 4. MONDAY

SAGADA

Do SPELUNKING AT SUMAGING CAVE

See the LUMIANG BURIAL CAVE

Map of the route for today

STARTING POINT: St. Joseph's Resthouse

FIRST STOP: Sumaging Cave

SECOND STOP: Lumiang Burial Cave

THIRD STOP: Lunch at St. Joseph's Resthouse

9:00 AM - 9:40 AM:

Meet up with Gareth Likigan of Sagada Genuine Guides' Association at St. Joseph's Resthouse 

Passed by the SAGGAS office to pick up another guide and equipment for caving. 

Paid municipal tourism fee at the Municipal Tourist Office and got the Sumaging cave entrance pass.

Municipal tourism fee is 35 pesos per person

After getting the pass, we travelled to Sumaging Cave.

9:45 AM - 12:00 PM:

Spelunking at Sumaguing Cave

Check out my post: "Exploring Sumaging Cave with Kids" 

12:00 PM - 12:40 PM:

Washed up at Sagada Cave pay washroom.

Walked from Sumaguing Cave to Lumiang Cave.

12:40 PM - 1:30 PM:

Explored Lumiang Burial Cave

Check out my post: "Exploring the Lumiang Burial Cave with Kids " 

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM:

Returned guides to Saggas Office

Returned to St. Joseph's resthouse

2:00 PM - 3:45 PM:

 Lunch at St. Joseph's Inn.

Rest of the day:

We rested at our cottage at St. Joseph's resthouse.

DAY 5. TUESDAY

SAGADA

See Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins
Do the Sagada Zipline

Read more of Day 5 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids 

DAY 6. WEDNESDAY

SAGADA - MANILA

See Dalton Pass

Read more of Day 6 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids 

SAGADA: Exploring the Lumiang Burial Cave with Kids

SAGADA: Exploring the Lumiang Burial Cave with Kids

Why Visit the Lumiang Burial Cave:

Below are the highlights of SAGGAS guide Gareth Likigan's Lumiang Cave Guided Tour. The information he shared with us show why it's worth visiting the Lumiang Burial cave. The burial rites of the people of Sagada form a very important part of their lives. How it is conducted affects all their beliefs on life and death and therefore has played a dominant role in forming their culture.

If you wish to watch the video of the tour, check out the video I uploaded below. 

These are the highlights of Gareth Likigan's guided tour, shown in the video below:

1. The name "Lumiang" came from the rootword "liang", meaning cave. Therefore, if you translate it in English, it will be called "Cave burial cave".

2. The Lumiang cave used to be a cemetery or a burial cave. About 100 coffins were buried there but throughout the years, many have fallen. deeper into the cave.

3. There are many burial caves in Sagada but this one is the most visited because it is accessible.

4. The last coffin to be buried at Lumiang cave was in 1986. The practice of burying in caves is still done elsewhere. They don't do it here anymore because a lot of tourists visit this cave. They won't be able to endure the smell if they still use this as a burial cave

5. The coffin buried here range from 100-500 years old. The lower the coffin, the older it is. They bury the coffin by piling one on top of the other.

6. The coffins are made of pine trees and cut out like a canoe. Inside the hollowed portion is where they bury the dead.

7. The coffins are small because they bury the dead in a fetal position. Their belief is that we came out our mothers in a fetal position so we should go out of this world in a fetal position be reborn to mother nature.

8. The practice of burying the dead in long rectangular coffins was the effect of the arrival of Christianity. When Christianity arrived, they buried the dead lying down.

Other information we got from our conversations with our guide:

How the coffins are transported:

All the relatives, friends and village mates form a line from the house of the deceased to the burial cave, and they each take turns transporting the body of the deceased until it reaches the cave. Then they put the body inside the pine coffin.

Why bury the dead in caves:

So they can easily escape their coffins and go to the after-life.

Where it is located:
It is located along other main road of Sagada where all the restaurants are. It is located before the Sumaging Cave. 

Lumiang cave is the start-off point of the cave connection tour and then you exit through Sumaging cave.

We only took the Sumaging cave tour. A visit to Lumiang cave is included in the Sumaging cave tour. We entered Lumiang cave through the main entrance and exited the same way. We walked along the main road again and entered Sumaging cave from the entrance and exited the same way. 

Below is the Lumiang Burial Cave Tour:

At the left of the photo is the entrance along the road that leads to Lumiang cave.

Close-up of the entrance that leads to Lumiang cave.

Then you go down a flight of stairs.

Going deeper towards the mouth of the cave.
You see the coffins on the right side of the photo.

This is the video I took of the lecture of SAGGAS guide, Gareth Likigan.

The small pine coffin side-by-side the rectangular one.
The rectangular coffin is the latest coffin buried in 1985

You can inspect the coffins up close

Some coffins are inserted in a niche near the roof of the cave.
They believe that the higher the coffins are the easier it is for them to escape from the cave and go on to the after-life.

Wooden nails sealing the coffin