Pinoy Roadtrip: sagada

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SAGADA: Reverend John Staunton Memorial Park: Why is Reverend Staunton so important to the people of Sagada?

August 21, 2014

SAGADA: Reverend John Staunton Memorial Park:
Why is Reverend Staunton so important to the people of Sagada?

As you approach Sagada town, you see a small memorial park with a bronze bust of Reverend John Staunton welcoming you to Sagada. Later, you will find out that the town's main road is also named after this man, John Staunton.

Who is Reverend John Staunton? Why is he given so much importance by the people of Sagada?

The plaque found below the bust shows
the brief background of Reverend Staunton's
life in Sagada and his many accomplishments.

The article written by Steven Rogers entitled "John Staunton and the Sagada Mission: An American Missionary in the Philippines Cordillera will show more details of Reverend Staunton's life in Sagada. The article can be found here

Below is an excerpt:

"The lasting legacy of Staunton's work has been spiritual and educational. The region served by the Sagada and Bontoc missions remains a staunchly Episcopalian enclave to this day, and produces most of the entirely Filipino clergy that make up the Philippine Episcopal Church. More important, the quality of the mission schools made it possible for Igorot youths to enter learned professions on an equal footing with their lowland cousins. This cadre of educated men and woman has been an invaluable help to the Igorots in their continuing -- and so far successful -- struggle to maintain control of the land and resources of their ancestral domain. Perhaps ironically, Sagada has seen a resurgence of interest in the original Igorot religious practices. Traditional rituals are held in the Sagada dap-ays to this day, attended by many graduates of Staunton's schools, including Episcopal clergymen, who set aside western dress and don the G-string, spear, and shield of their ancestors for the occasions. The Sagada mission changed the lives of the Igorots, but their cultural identity remains as strong as ever. This is a rare accomplishment for any missionary endeavor; that it was an accomplishment not intended by the mission's founder makes it perhaps even more remarkable."

This bust was unveiled in 2012 to commemorate the centennial
of St. Mary's school founded by Reverend Staunton

SAGADA: How to find Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins

August 20, 2014

SAGADA: How to find Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins

The first thing to decide is whether or not you need a guide to go to Echo Valley and see the Hanging Coffins.

If you simply want to view Echo Valley and see the Hanging Coffins from afar, you can just follow the path from St. Mary's Church and the traffic of people walking the same way and you will reach Echo Valley and view the Hanging Coffins from afar.

But if you want to see the Hanging Coffins up close, you need a guide. The Hanging Coffins can only be reached by a narrow, steep and stony path going down the side of the mountain. You need a guide to lead you to a safe path and instruct you where to put your foot down. Any misstep will lead you tumbling down the ravine.

You can get a guide at the SAGGAS office near the Municipal Tourism Office. Or you can contact them through their website at http://www.saggas.org/.

We wanted to see the Hanging Coffins up close so we hired a guide.

Below is our half-day tour of Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins:

The entry to the path that leads to Echo Valley is through St. Mary's Church.

The path passes by the Sagada zipline

Then you pass by the town cemetery
My tip: Make sure to find the tomb of the famous historian,
William Henry Scott.

Echo Valley
It does echo when you shout!

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.

Going down the mountain to see the hanging coffins up close

The distance from the top of Echo Valley to the Hanging coffins

Going further down a rough and stony path

If you have a walking stick, bring it along.
My son bought a walking stick in Banaue and found it very useful here.

WE FINALLY REACHED THE FAMOUS HANGING COFFINS OF SAGADA!!!

There are a lot of hanging coffins in Sagada but these are the fairly accessible ones.
However, you still have to be fit to be able to go down and climb up again because the trail is very challenging.

Another way of burying the dead aside from putting them inside caves

is by hanging them by the side of limestone cliffs.

ON TOP OF ECHO VALLEY

SAGADA: Where to Ride the Zipline and do Rock Climbing

SAGADA: Where to Ride the Zipline and do Rock Climbing

If you plan to ride the short zipline in Sagada and do some rock climbing, do it on the same day you're going to Echo Valley. Both activities are in the same route leading to Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins.

THE ZIPLINE

Where it is located

You will pass by the zipline on the way to Echo Valley.
The stairs that you see lead to Echo Valley.

Fees