Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 3 of 3

DAY 3: June 11, 2018 (Sunday)

Scaling an almost unknown mountain on our last day in Mayoyao would definitely entail another early morning breakfast, as we went off towards the jump-off point of Mount Tumanoktok, the Mayoyao Hostel. The trail towards the summit was a mixture of open and forested trails.

Jump-off point towards Mount Tumanoktok 

Open trail

Forested trail

The summit of Mount Tumanoktok, towering at 1215 MASL, provides the hiker with a spectacular view of the villages and rice terraces of Mayoyao, including those of Chaya and Mt. Nagchajan on top — and all the way to the mountains of Aguinaldo, Ifugao and the peripheral peaks of the Cordilleras as they empty into the plains of Isabela. A hut and a pine tree can be seen at the peak.

A hut and a stone marker at the summit 

Great summit view of Mount Tumanoktok

After conquering this mountain, we then backtrailed and entered the Mayoyao Hostel compound to check out an Apfo'or Burial Tomb. These symbols of status of well-to-do families containing the bodies of the town's ancient warriors and elite are unique in the Cordileras and can only be found in Mayoyao. 

Apfo'or Burial Tomb

Capping off our entire trip in this non-famous town was visiting the Bongan Rice Terraces, which is a part of the Mayoyao Rice Terraces cluster, one of the 5 rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Jump-off point towards the Bongan Rice Terraces

Bongan Rice Terraces

Returning back to our homestay, we then freshed up, checked out, and bade farewell to the beautiful town of Mayoyao.

Contact information for Helen's Guest Hauz is 0920-5207413 (look for Rose Igdna). Great customer service!

Departing Helen's Guest Hauz

Before dropping us off at our merienda venue at the Uyami's Green View Lodge and Restaurant in the Banaue Poblacion area, we visited first the famous Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint.

Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint

Uyami's Green View Lodge and Restaurant

We then bought pasalubong in the Poblacion area, before leaving Banaue via a Cubao-bound CODA Lines tourist bus, which came from Sagada. Waiting area was near the Municipal Tourism Center.

The municipality of Mayoyao may not be as grand in the minds of a tourist, as compared to the Banaue area, but it is definitely one such place worth exploring, bestowed with  a rich cultural heritage, fascinating history, and natural man-made wonders.

Explore Pinas!

Part 1:

Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 1 of 3

Part 2:    

Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 2 of 3

Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 2 of 3

DAY 2: June 10, 2018 (Sunday)

As always, after an early morning breakfast to maximize our stay, we headed off towards our first destination, which was the Lumaguid Stone, wherein the jump-off point was the Balangbang Elementary School. The trail towards the stone would be through the Buninan Rice Terraces.

Jump-off point towards the Lumaguid Stone

Nearing the stone via the Buninan Rice Terraces

The Lumaguid Stone is a big boulder held by a smaller stone and is sitting precariously atop a rock that looks as if it would roll down anytime from its base during earthquakes, storms, and floods. Tourists have marveled how a smaller stone could hold the huge rock, but legend says that the deities placed it there. It is believed to hold the future of the town, meaning, that the Mayoyao people will stay strong and happy as long as the stone stands.

Lumaguid Stone

Our next stop, in order to refresh ourselves and our weary muscles after that hike, it's got to be the Tenogtog Falls.

Trail towards the Tenogtog Falls

Tenogtog Falls is a remote three-tiered cascade. Tenogtog is a local word for “chopped”. In this place, hunters used to chop up hunted animals and share it to other hunters who had no luck in hunting.

Tenogtog Falls - first tier

Tenogtog Falls - third tier

After tiring ourselves and drenching our weary souls, it's time for lunch at Double G's Lechon Manok, which, unfortunately, at that time Lechon Manok was already unavailable. We just then settled on what was available..Lomi!

Double G's Lechon Manok

Lomi

Lunchtime

One of my friends was curious on what were those red stains she sees on Cordillera pavements. Well, they all came from spits of Betel Nut or what the locals would refer to as “nganga” or “moma”. She tried it...ok naman daw. It makes your teeth a bit reddish.

Betel-Nut chewing is a long-standing tradition among the mountain tribes; the men typically chew the nut wrapped in mint leaves, with an added pinch of lime (ground-up shells work well to create a lime powder).

Betel Nut Experience

To cap off the rewards for this day, some of us went to a massage outlet just right across the restaurant, the Crixus Calming Massage.

Crixus Calming Massage

Returning back at our homestay we freshened up first and relaxed before ending the second day with a sumptuous dinner.

Dinnertime

Part 1:

Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 1 of 3

Part 3:

Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 3 of 3

Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 1 of 3

Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines, which is a part of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) situated north of Luzon.

With eleven municipalities tucked under its belt, it carries with it loads of tourism potential especially for outdoor adventurists, which has yet to be discovered, since, as most tourists could attest, only the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces, the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World", is the only place-to-be in this underrated province.

We now set our sights at one of Ifugao's hidden spectacles, located on the northern part of the province, the municipality of Mayoyao, which we explored way back June 9-11, 2018.

Location of Mayoyao in the province of Ifugao

DAY 0: June 8, 2018 (Friday)

Our Sagada-bound CODA Lines tourist bus departed in the evening. The terminal of CODA Lines is located at HM Transport Inc. Monte de Piedad, Corner Maryland, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Yes, HM Transport and CODA Lines share the same bus terminal. In addition, all trips going to Sagada passes through the Ifugao province, which explains why our bus' signage indicates SAGADA. Advanced ticket reservation purchase is highly recommended since Sagada is a very popular tourist destination. 

CODA Lines at HM Transport bus terminal

Actually, there is another bus company, which goes straight to Sagada too, the Ohayami Trans, which is situated at Cor. Fajardo St., Lacson Ave, Sampaloc, Manila.

DAY 1: June 9, 2018 (Saturday)

After travelling for around eight hours, we alighted our bus at the Municipal Tourism Center in Banaue, Ifugao.

Municipal Tourism Center

Before proceeding for Mayoyao at 41 kms away, we booked first a rented vehicle before taking our breakfast at the People's Lodge & Restaurant located at the Banaue Poblacion Terminal, Banaue-Mayoyao-Potia-Isabela Road, a few walks from the Tourism Center.

People's Lodge & Restaurant

Breakfast time

Along the way before Mayoyao, we stopped by just to view the Bangaan Village and Rice Terraces in Banaue. Incidentally, the Bangaan Rice Terraces is one of the 5 rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Bangaan Village and Rice Terraces

Before entering Mayoyao, you will be passing by the Habbang Bridge, which connects Banaue to Mayoyao.

Habbang Bridge

Welcome structure of Mayoyao

Inside the town, we visited first the Mayoyao Tourist Information & Assistance Center to further provide us with more information regarding the municipality. 

Mayoyao Tourist Information & Assistance Center

Mayoyao Tourist Map

We then proceeded to our accommodation venue, which was Helen's Guest Hauz, located at Onagol, Poblacion in order to check-in and freshen up before we proceed towards our target destinations.

Helen's Guest Hauz

Our first site visit was trekking the Mount Nagchajan Historical Site in Barangay Chaya, which was the location of the last stand of the Japanese soldiers during World War II.

World War II Historical Markers

The Historical Markers would serve as the jump-off point towards the summit of Mount Nagchajan, which is the SMART communication tower.

Great view along the trail towards the summit

Summit of Mount Nagchajan

After the morning hike, we ate lunch at a carinderia in the Mayoyao Public Market, then proceeded to refresh ourselves at our next stop, the Manhencha Falls in Chumang. Local folklore says that a beautiful woman named Manhencha had to jump about 13-15 meters into the water to retrieve her necklace, which fell while taking a bath.

Lunchtime at a Carinderia

Manhencha Falls Jump-off Point

Manhencha Falls

Part 2:
Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 2 of 3

Part 3:
Mayoyao (Ifugao) - Part 3 of 3

Kiangan (Ifugao) - Part 2 of 2

DAY 2: May 13, 2018 (Sunday)

Capturing a beautiful sunrise and charged by an early morning breakfast, we then went off towards the first goal for the day, which was to summit Mount Kapugan. Once a place where Ifugao men would hunt wild boar and collect native coffee beans, this mountain was developed as an ecoutourism attraction in 2004. 

Kiangan Sunrise

Summit of Mount Kapugan

Late breakfast at the summit area

After eating a late breakfast "the hiker way", as seen in the photo above, we started descending going towards our refreshing reward, the Uttu Falls, a pristine site located at the foot of the mountain.

The jump-off point is located along the road at Sitio Bae, Ambabag near the Bae Rice Terraces.

Arriving at the falls area in almost an hour, we then quickly refreshed ourselves, while our guide was cooking our lunch - the traditional way.  

Enjoying Uttu Falls

Cooking the traditional way

Satisfied after our traditional lunch, grabbing our food using our bare hands on a Togwak, we drank fresh Buko too. 

Lunchtime

Fresh Buko time naman

Our last stop for the entire trip was the Saint Joseph’s Church, located at Pindongan. It has a unique architectural design, built by Belgian missionaries in the 1950’s to replace the original granite church that was built in 1916 and destroyed during the WW II.This church was inaugurated and consecrated in December 29, 1956. It is the only church in the Cordilleras, other than the Cathedral in Baguio, which has the distinction of being consecrated.

Saint Joseph’s Church

Returning back towards our homestay, we then freshened up ourselves, packed our luggage, checked out, and bade farewell to an underrated place worth visiting.

We rode rented tricycles and alighted at the Kiangan-Lagawe junction. We then waited for our CODA Lines tourist bus, coming from Sagada, to pick us up at a sari-sari store along the Kiangan-Lamut Road.

Kiangan-Lagawe Junction

Tourist Bus Stop area

If ever one has not been to the province of Ifugao, for me, I would definitely start with the Municipality of Kiangan, which is, again, the birthplace of Ifugao culture.

In addition, the name Kiyyangan is enshrined in Ifugao mythology and is believed to be the dwelling of Wigan and Bugan, the mythological ancestors of the Ifugao.

What more can you ask from a non-famous laid-back place, steaming with culture. 

Explore Pinas!

Part 1:

Kiangan (Ifugao) - Part 1 of 2