My BANAUE and SAGADA Itinerary with Kids (Day 6: Sagada to Manila, Side trip to Balete/Dalton Pass)

October 6, 2014

My BANAUE and SAGADA Itinerary with Kids 
(Day 6: Sagada to Manila, Side trip to Balete/Dalton Pass)

DAY 2. SATURDAY
KIANGAN-BATAD-KIANGAN

See the BATAD RICE TERRACES

DAY 3. SUNDAY
KIANGAN - BANAUE - SAGADA

See the Banaue Rice Terraces at the Banaue Viewpoint
Read more of Day 3 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids

DAY 4. MONDAY
SAGADA

Do SPELUNKING AT SUMAGUING CAVE
See the LUMIANG BURIAL CAVE
Read more of Day 4 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids 


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



OUR ACTUAL ITINERARY FOR THE DAY:

8:20 AM - 8:40 AM:

We left St. Joseph's Resthouse.
We passed by Lemon Pie house to pick up the Lemon Pie we ordered as pasalubong for the people back home.


8:40 AM - 11:50 AM:
 We traveled from Sagada to Lagawe


11:50 AM - 12:30 PM:

Lunch at Gazebo Restaurant, Lagawe 
Check out my post: Gazebo Restaurant in Lagawe: A Great Meal Stop on the way to the Banaue Rice Terraces 






12:30 PM - 2:45 PM:

We traveled from Lagawe to Balete (Dalton) Pass  

2:45 PM - 3:25 PM:

We explored the Balete (Dalton) Pass Tourism Complex
Check out my post: The Road to Banaue: Why Stop and Visit Balete (Dalton) Pass 


Balete (Dalton Pass) View deck


 3:25 PM - 7:00 PM:

We traveled from Balete (Dalton) Pass to North Luzon Expressway

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM:
We had dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at Caltex Mega Station at North Luzon Expressway.

9:30 PM:
We arrived home.

THE ROAD TO BANAUE: Why Stop and Visit BALETE (DALTON) PASS

October 5, 2014


THE ROAD TO BANAUE: Why Stop and Visit BALETE (DALTON) PASS


The road from Manila to Banaue or Cagayan Valley will definitely pass Balete (Dalton) Pass. 

Balete Pass is described as "a zigzag road and mountain pass that joins the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya, in Central Luzon, Philippines." (Wikipedia)


You can see the zigzag pass in this panoramic view taken from the viewdeck of the Balete Pass Tourism Complex.



This is the arch that marks the boundary of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya 
This is the arch seen from the Balete Pass view deck


See the boundary arch at the left side of the photo
The right side of the arch is Nueva Ecija



See the boundary arch at the right side of the photo.
The left side of the arch is Nueva Vizcaya.

If you happen to pass by Balete (Dalton) Pass like we did during  our Banaue-Sagada trip I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you make a stop at the Balete Pass Tourism Complex. 




WHAT YOU WILL SEE AT THE BALETE (Dalton) PASS COMPLEX:


A VIEW DECK WITH A 180 DEGREE VIEW OF BALETE PASS:

Only by seeing Balete pass from this viewdeck on top of the Caraballo mountain will you be able to appreciate: 
1. the importance of this Pass during the Japanese Occupation in World War II in securing the final defeat and surrender of General Yamashita and his troops and the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation.
  •  Balete pass is the only access to the fertile farmlands of the Cagayan Valley region, which is the source of food supply of General Yamashita's army who fled from Manila after General MacArthur landed in the Philippines.

2. the immensity of lives lost by the 25th Division of Sixth Army of together with the Philippine guerilla and around 47 plus Chinese in this Battle.
  • You can see from the view deck the difficulty of conquering this pass. Anyone who attempts to pass by this road will be shot at. The Japanese are positioned in both sides of the mountain.






THE MARKERS:


This marker shows:
1. those who participated in the Battle of Balete Pass
2. why Balete Pass is called Dalton Pass

This marker shows details on Chinese participation in the Battle of Balete Pass


IF YOU WISH TO READ MORE ON THE EVENTS THE LED TO THE BATTLE OF BALETE (Dalton) PASS, THERE ARE MORE DETAILS BELOW:

The Battle of Balete (Dalton) Pass is part of the Luzon campaign of General Douglas MacArthur, known as the Battle of Luzon, which eventually led to the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation.


TIMELINE LEADING TO THE BATTLE OF LUZON
and the LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES:


1941:
December 8, 1941: 
Japan invades the Philippines, 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor

1944:
June 6, 1944: 
D-Day or Normandy landings

October 5, 1944
General Tomoyuki Yamashita arrives in the Philippines and stayed in Manila

October 20, 1944
General Douglas MacArthur returns to the Philippines and lands in Leyte with the Sixth Army led General Walter Krueger

December 25, 1944: 
Success of Leyte campaign

December-January, 1944
Most of the Japanese army units pulled out of the city.

1945
Early January, 1945: 
General Yamashita flees from Manila to Baguio.

January 6, 1945: 
The Sixth Army with General Krueger sails from Leyte to Lingayen Gulf.

January 9, 1945: 
The Sixth Army with General Krueger lands on Lingayen Gulf

February 1, 1945: 
The Sixth Army left Lingayen for Manila along Highway 5

February 3 - March 3 1945: 
The Battle of Manila
The Battle of Manila Scrapbook

February 21, 1945: 
The 25th Division and the 32nd Division of the Sixth Army began their attacks and heads towards Santa Fe and Balete Pass. 
The 25th Division headed for Highway 5 and the 32nd Division headed for Villa Verde Trail

April 17, 1945: 
Yamashita flees Baguio for Bambang.

May 13, 1945: 
The 25th division seizes Balete pass after two months of intense fighting.

May 20, 1945: 
Yamashita flees Bambang and transfers his command post to Kiangan

May 27, 1945: 
The 25th Division captures Santa Fe town

September 2, 1945:

Yamashita surrenders in Kiangan


WHY IS THE BATTLE OF BALETE PASS SO IMPORTANT?

(Source: page 84 of the book "We Shall Return! MacArthur's Commanders and the Defeat of Japan, 1942-1945 edited by William M. Leary



General Walter Krueger "identified the Cagayan Valley, a rich farmland extending 200 miles from Bambang to Aparri, on the north coast, as the key to Yamashita's defenses. Seizing this valley would deprive the Japanese of vital food supplies and cut communication with enemy forces to the west. Yamashita's destruction would then be inevitable.

"While the 33rd Division contained the Japanese at Baguio and Colonel Volckmann's guerillas harassed the enemy, at Bontoc, the 25th and the 32nd Division launched a converging attack on the Balete Pass and Santa Fe area, south of Bambang and gateway to Cagayan Valley. Plans called for the 25th Division, commanded by Major General Charles L. Mullin, Jr. to drive north on Highway 5 and clear Balete Pass, while the 32nd Division headed by Major General Willam H. Gill, attacked from the west along the Villa Verde Trail toward Santa fem three miles north of Balete Pass."

...

"Pressure on the Villa Verde Trail facilitated the task of the 25th Division, but progress still came slowly along highway 5. The enemy resisted bitterly, and Japanese positions had to be reduced one by one. Short of artillery ammunition, Krueger found that 90-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, for which there was an abundant supply of high-velocity ammunition, had a devastating effect on Japanese strong points, especially in caves. On May 13, after two months of fierce fighting, the division finally broke through Balete Pass. It captured Santa Fe on May 27, then drove westward to link up with the 32nd Division at Imugan.


The strategy of the Allies in seizing Balete pass was two-pronged:


1. Through Highway 5, south of Balete Pass: executed by the 25th Division
2. Through Villa Verde Trail, northwest of Balete Pass: executed by the 32nd Division


  • Villa Verde Trail is a mountain trail in the Caraballo Mountains, starting from Santa Maria Pangasinan until the junction of Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya




Sketch of the Villa Verde Trail, drawn by CPT Joseph E. Ash, FA liaison with 2D Bn., 127TH Inf. CPT Ash was a Wisconsin National Guard officer; he was a 1LT in HQ Btry., 2D Bn., 120TH FA Regt. in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, when the 32DDiv. mobilized on 15 Oct. ’40. 




Shows in red the Japanese defense units before Balete pass
Source: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Triumph/maps/USA-P-Triumph-XI.jpg


RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON THE BATTLE OF BALETE PASS



United States Army in World War II. The War in the Pacific.
Triumph in the Philippines by Robert Ross Smith

Sold here

Detailed account of the Battle at Balete Pass:
Bambang Front II - The 25th Division on Route 5 
page 512



Front Cover
We Shall Return!: 
MacArthur's Commanders and the Defeat of Japan, 
1942-1945
edited by William M. Leary
Sold here


For the account of the Battle of Luzon and Balete Pass from the point of view of General Walter Krueger:
Read here


RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON THE BATTLE OF LUZON


United States Army in World War II. The War in the Pacific.
Triumph in the Philippines by Robert Ross Smith

Sold here

Detailed account of the Battle at Villa Verde Trail:
Bambang Front I - The Villa Verde Trail 
page 491

Detailed account of the Battle of Balete Pass:
Bambang Front II - The 25th Division on Route 5 
page 512




Reports of General MacArthur
JAPANESE OPERATIONS IN THE
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA
Volume II - Part II
COMPILED FROM JAPANESE DEMOBILIZATION BUREAUX RECORDS
Sold here

For Japanese point of view and tactics on the Battle of Luzon:
CHAPTER XV
BATTLE ON LUZON
Launching of the American Invasion



Front Cover
We Shall Return!:
MacArthur's Commanders and the Defeat of Japan,
1942-1945
edited by William M. Leary
Sold here


For the account of the Battle of Luzon and Balete Pass from the point of view of General Walter Krueger:
Read here





SAGADA: Where to Find "Fast Food"

August 23, 2014



SAGADA: Where to Find "Fast Food"

It's always a challenge finding "fast food" in remote towns like Sagada. When my family thinks of "fast food" during these trips, it doesn't mean that we crave for McDonalds, Jollibee or any of the famous fast food chains. What we actually want are food served fast, meaning food served less than the standard one hour serving time of restaurants in remote towns and provinces. 

With all the walking and adventures we experience, all we want is to fill our hunger fast with hot meals. So the first thing we ask when we enter a restaurant is not what their specialty is but how fast is the fastest meal they can serve and what meal that is. If they answer that they can serve the meal in 15 minutes, we usually order that meal. But if they can only serve meals more than 30 minutes to an hour, we transfer to another restaurant.

Here is a list of restaurants where we ate and places where you can find "fast food"

WHERE TO FIND READY-TO-EAT MEALS
(in Tagalog, TURO-TURO food)

You can find turo-turo food at the
Basement of Eduardo Gaudan Longid Centrum

At the basement, you can find the ff. restaurants serving these meals:
  1. 7J's Diner
  2. Dap-Ayan Restaurant
  3. Shamrock Cafe
  4. Dalican 2 Restaurant

Meals composed of one viand and rice range from 90-120 pesos.



WHERE WE ATE MEALS SERVED IN 15 MINUTES

YOGHURT HOUSE




This is the fast meal we ordered:
Sweet Spicy Java Chicken
(served with rice and vegetable salad)
P190.00

And of course, we tried the yoghurt which they are famous for:

Natural Yoghurt with Honey
P85.00

Fruits in Season with Yoghurt
P140.00

Banana, Granola Yoghurt
P85.00


THE MENU





INSIDE YOGHURT HOUSE






LEMON PIE HOUSE




Fried Eggs, Garlic Rice with Longganiza
P100.00

Fried Chicken with Regular Rice and Salad
P130.00

THE FAMOUS LEMON PIE
P200.00 per pan

P80.00 per slice




THE MENU




INSIDE LEMON PIE HOUSE


My BANAUE and SAGADA Itinerary with Kids (Day 5: Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins in Sagada)

August 22, 2014

My BANAUE and SAGADA Itinerary with Kids 
(Day 5: Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins in Sagada)


DAY 2. SATURDAY
KIANGAN-BATAD-KIANGAN

See the BATAD RICE TERRACES

DAY 3. SUNDAY
KIANGAN - BANAUE - SAGADA

See the Banaue Rice Terraces at the Banaue Viewpoint
Read more of Day 3 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids

DAY 4. MONDAY
SAGADA

Do SPELUNKING AT SUMAGUING CAVE
See the LUMIANG BURIAL CAVE
Read more of Day 4 of My Banaue and Sagada Itinerary with Kids 


DAY 5. TUESDAY
SAGADA

See Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins
Do the Sagada Zipline


Map of the Route for Today:



Check out my post: How to find Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins for more details of the itinerary below.


OUR ACTUAL ITINERARY:

10:00 AM - 10:10 AM


We started the tour to Echo Valley from the entrance of St. Mary's Church.

This is St. Mary's Church.

We passed by the Sagada zipline and went of the stairs.



This leads to the cemetery.


We passed by the Sagada Anglican cemetery or St. Mary the Virgin Cemetery
My tip: Make sure to find the tomb of the famous historian,
William Henry Scott.




10:10 AM - 10:15 AM

We stopped to view Echo Valley.



Hanging coffins viewed from the top of Echo Valley
The coffins hang from limestone cliffs.
These coffins are not accessible to the public
The coffins are hard to see because they're already the same color as the limestone cliffs.


10:15 AM - 10:30 AM


We walked down to the Hanging Coffins.







10:30 AM - 10:40 AM


We viewed the Hanging Coffins.







10:40 AM - 10:50 AM

We walked up to the top again. 


10:50 AM - 11:00 AM

Played around echo valley...









11:00 AM - 11:10 AM

We walked back to the area of St. Mary's Church.


11:10 AM - 11:40 AM

We rode the Sagada Zipline.
Check out my post: Where to Ride the Zipline and do Rock Climbing for more details.

11:40 AM - 12:00 PM

We brought back our guide to the Saggas Office

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

We had Lunch at Lemon Pie House



We visited Sagada Brew.



We bought takeout dinner at Eduardo Gaudan Longid Centrum.




Rest of the day:

We rested at St. Joseph's Resthouse and ate the dinner we took out.

DAY 6. WEDNESDAY
SAGADA - MANILA

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