Sagada, Mountain Province
Encyclopedia
Sagada is a 5th class municipality in the province of Mountain Province
, Philippines
. According to the latest census, it has a population of 10,930 people in 2,158 households.
It is located 275 km. north of Manila
, 140 km. from Baguio, and it is adjacent to Bontoc
, the provincial capital.
Sagada is famous for its "hanging coffins
". This is a traditional way of burying people that is still utilized. Not anyone is qualified to be buried this way; one had to, among other things, be married and have grandchildren.
Popular activities include trekking, exploring both caves and waterfalls, spelunking, bonfires, picnics, rappelling, visiting historical sites, nature hikes, and participating in tribal celebrations. Guides can be found upon registration at the tourist-office in Sagada Proper (the main town) for a small fee.
s.
; enveloped between the main Cordillera Ranges and the Ilocos Range. Mt. Data in the south and Mt. Kalawitan in the southeast pierce the horizon. Mt. Polis, Bessang and Mt. Tirad in the east, and Mt. Sisipitan in the north mark the Mountain Province
- Abra boundary.
: cabbage, tomatoes, green pepper, potatoes, carrots, beans, and other temperate products. Between 1882 and 1896, the Spanish
colonizers introduced Arabica
coffee
: a source of income since the American
occupation. Citrus, mainly lemon, lime and Valencia orange
s were introduced from Spain
by Jaime Masferre to provide the needs of American missionaries and employees of the Mission of Saint Mary the Virgin. During the American Period, the Americans introduced products like strawberries, apples, and pine trees, due to its cold, lowland climate.
mentioned that "we are not building an altar over and against another altar," thus focusing Episcopal missionary activities among the Chinese of Manila, the tribes in Mindanao and the tribes of northern Luzon
. Since the coming of the American missionaries of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, the municipality of Sagada has become the only Philippine town that is predominantly Protestant with almost 95% baptized into the Episcopal Church. A known landmark at the center of town is the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a vibrant Episcopal parish. In 2001, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines
celebrated its 100th anniversary with much of the festivities centered on the town of Sagada.
Mountain Province
Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc and borders, clockwise from the south, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, and Isabela.Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the latest census, it has a population of 10,930 people in 2,158 households.
It is located 275 km. north of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, 140 km. from Baguio, and it is adjacent to Bontoc
Bontoc, Mountain Province
Bontoc is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Mountain Province, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Mountain Province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 24,798 people in 5,035 households....
, the provincial capital.
Sagada is famous for its "hanging coffins
Hanging coffins
Hanging coffins are coffins which have been placed on cliffs. They can be found in various locations, including China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In China, they are known as Xuanguan which also means "hanging coffin".-China:...
". This is a traditional way of burying people that is still utilized. Not anyone is qualified to be buried this way; one had to, among other things, be married and have grandchildren.
Popular activities include trekking, exploring both caves and waterfalls, spelunking, bonfires, picnics, rappelling, visiting historical sites, nature hikes, and participating in tribal celebrations. Guides can be found upon registration at the tourist-office in Sagada Proper (the main town) for a small fee.
Barangays
Sagada is politically subdivided into 19 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s.
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Geography
Sagada is nestled in a valley at the upper end of the Malitep tributary of the Chico River some one and a half kilometers above sea level in the central CordilleraCordillera
A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges, that runs along a coastline . It comes from the Spanish word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord"...
; enveloped between the main Cordillera Ranges and the Ilocos Range. Mt. Data in the south and Mt. Kalawitan in the southeast pierce the horizon. Mt. Polis, Bessang and Mt. Tirad in the east, and Mt. Sisipitan in the north mark the Mountain Province
Mountain Province
Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc and borders, clockwise from the south, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Kalinga, and Isabela.Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some...
- Abra boundary.
Climate and produce
The climate and crops are like those of Baguio and BenguetBenguet
Benguet is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya....
: cabbage, tomatoes, green pepper, potatoes, carrots, beans, and other temperate products. Between 1882 and 1896, the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonizers introduced Arabica
Coffea arabica
Coffea arabica is a species of Coffea originally indigenous to the mountains of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, hence its name, and also from the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. It is also known as the "coffee shrub of Arabia", "mountain coffee" or "arabica coffee"...
coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
: a source of income since the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
occupation. Citrus, mainly lemon, lime and Valencia orange
Valencia orange
The Valencia Orange is a sweet orange first hybridized by California pioneer agronomist and land developer William Wolfskill, on his farm in Santa Ana in southern California in the United States. -History:...
s were introduced from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
by Jaime Masferre to provide the needs of American missionaries and employees of the Mission of Saint Mary the Virgin. During the American Period, the Americans introduced products like strawberries, apples, and pine trees, due to its cold, lowland climate.
Basic culture
Basic culture refers to the indigenous culture before the establishment of a Spanish Mission in 1882. As an ili or village, Sagada was founded by a man, Biag, from Bika in Eastern Abra. The people from Bika were forced out of their ili by raiding headhunters. Biag's family resettled in Candon but when baptism or the giving of names was enforced, Biag's family chose to move back toward the mountains in search for a settlement. Along the way, he and his siblings decided to part ways. A brother, Balay, chose to return to Candon, a sister to Abra. Another brother settled along the upper Abra River. Biag pushed further to the east until he came to what is now Sagada.Religion
Seeing that the Roman Catholic Church has long been established in the Philippine Islands, missionary Charles Henry BrentCharles Henry Brent
Charles Henry Brent was an American Episcopal bishop who served in the Philippines and western New York.Born in Canada and educated at Trinity College, Toronto, Brent was originally stationed at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in the South End of Boston, where he served as an associate priest...
mentioned that "we are not building an altar over and against another altar," thus focusing Episcopal missionary activities among the Chinese of Manila, the tribes in Mindanao and the tribes of northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Since the coming of the American missionaries of the Protestant Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Church, the municipality of Sagada has become the only Philippine town that is predominantly Protestant with almost 95% baptized into the Episcopal Church. A known landmark at the center of town is the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a vibrant Episcopal parish. In 2001, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines
Episcopal Church in the Philippines
The Episcopal Church in the Philippines is a province of the Anglican Communion first established by the Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1901 by American missionaries led by Charles Henry Brent, who served as the first resident bishop. It became an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion...
celebrated its 100th anniversary with much of the festivities centered on the town of Sagada.
Places of interest
Sagada has many natural wonders. Backpackers and tourists can enjoy the waters of Bokong and Bomod-ok Falls. Other places that can be visited are:- Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves
- Bomod-ok and Bokong Falls
- Rice terraces
- Echo Valley
- Kiltepan Tower
- Underground River
- Lake Danum
- Hanging Coffins
- Pongas Falls
Trivia
- Sagada was featured in a local film called Don't Give Up on UsDon't Give Up on UsDon't Give Up on Us is a 2006 romantic comedy film, made in the Philippines and directed by Joyce Bernal. The film was the fifth appearance of Judy Ann Santos and Piolo Pascual after Esperanza, Kahit Isang Saglit, Bakit 'Di Totohanin, and Till There Was You, not including two cameos in Pera o...
. - Sagada was also featured in an episode of "Locked Up Abroad".
- From Manila, it takes at least 12–15 hours to reach Sagada by Bus.
- Perhaps for lack of transportation and willing guides, few of the Spanish Conquistadors made it into Sagada during the Spanish Era, making it one of the many places that has preserved its tribal culture with a minimum amount of Spanish influence.
- There are LimestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
mountains throughout Sagada. This part of Luzon Island used to be submerged in the ocean billions of years ago.