Bauko (Mountain Province)

Whenever an avid outdoor enthusiast comes across the word "Mountain Province", the first thing that would definitely pop in mind, without batting an eyelash, would be the mystical nature-driven town of Sagada, situated on the western side, racking up an average of 140,000 visitors every year.

Proudly showcasing features such as hanging coffins containing mummified remains of local ancestors, historical sites, and tribal celebrations, truly makes Sagada uniquely a part of the Mountain Province.

Unknown to a lot of common tourists though, lurks a quaint laid-back town, situated 34km before Sagada, which is the nature-gifted Municipality of Bauko, an upcoming outdoor destination brought about by the local mountaineering community's interest on its tourism potential.

Location of Bauko in Mountain Province

Located 408 km from Manila via the Ilocos Sur route, which according to several travelers, is much safer, but longer, expect to see views of the Lingayen Gulf and the South China Sea as you ply along the extreme western side of La Union towards Ilocos Sur. 

TIP: To maximize trip enjoyment, it would be best to depart Manila in the evening.

Crossing the Amburayan Bridge from Sudipen, La Union, the ONE Ilocos Sur Welcome Arch, inaugurated during the celebration of the Ilocos Sur Kannawidan Festival 2023, then comes into the picture, as you enter Tagudin, Ilocos Sur.

ONE Ilocos Sur Welcome Arch

As you continuously pass by along the MacArthur Highway, turn right when you see the signage "Welcome to Bitalag Tagudin Ilocos Sur", going to the Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Road. 

While on the road, we ate breakfast at the Mountain View Mamihan & Restaurant, located at Bessang Pass, Malaya in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.

Restaurant Signage

Breakfast Time!

Next stop was the Bessang Pass Natural Monument Park/Landmark, still located along the road.    

Bessang Pass Natural Monument Park/Landmark

The 1,395 members of the "United States Armed Forces in the Philippines, Northern Luzon" (USAFIP-NL) were recognized with the dedication of the "Battle of Bessang Pass" monument in 1954. They perished in 1945 while Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita oversaw the historic and successful battle against the Japanese Imperial Forces.

After 43km, we dropped by at the Bauko Municipal Hall, situated along the Mabaay-Guinzadan-Abatan Road, to observe the 17th Begnas di Bauko Festival activities. This is a cultural festival binding the iBaukos to show gratitude to "Kabunyan" for all the blessings bestowed to us. Anyway, we enjoyed the salted buttered corn being sold outside.

Bauko Municipal Hall

Locals Enjoying the Games

We arrived at Kitkat's Restaurant after 11km, still along the Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Road, to take our lunch. Their specialties are their Ilocano-inspired Tinuno dishes.

Facade of Kitkat's Restaurant

Lunchtime!

After our vehicle endured a grueling 9km along the Bagnen-Sabangan Road, we finally touched down at our accommodation, the Hiker's Nook Homestay, located at Barangay Bagnen Oriente in Bauko. Contact persons are Freddie Dameg (FB: Iederf B. Dameg) and Sigrid Liis Dameg, and their contact number is 0907-0307702.

Hiker's Nook Homestay

TIP: Make sure your vehicle can be able to withstand very steep cemented roads.

One great feature of the accommodation's location is its very close proximity to the jump-off point of Mount Polis. It takes around more than 600 steps to reach the summit. Very very beeeaauuuutiful 360-degree view at the peak!

Mount Polis Jump-off Point

Trail towards the summit of Mount Polis 

Sagada seen from a distance along the trail

Resting Hut

Summit of Mount Polis at 1847 MASL

Capping off the first day was a heartful home-cooked dinner at the homestay.  

Dinnertime at the Homestay

On our final day, after a sumptuous homestay breakfast, we then traveled towards Bagnen Proper in order to check out the Saint Gregory the Great Stone Church, which stands more than a century old, and was the first structure set up by the Anglican missionaries who arrived in the area.

Breakfast at the Homestay

Saint Gregory the Great Stone Church

Arriving at the famous Bagnen Rice Terraces along the Abatan-Bagnen Road at around 6:30AM was a majestic site to behold as clearly evidenced by the succeeding photos.

Entering the Bagnen Rice Terraces

Trudging the Bagnen Rice Terraces

Marveling the Bagnen Sunrise  

After checking-out from our homestay, coming from the Halsema Highway, we visited the various farms located along the so-called Sadsadan Farm to Market Road at Barangay Sadsadan in Bauko. Their fresh farm-picked produce were very cheap!

Carrot-picking

Potato-picking

For a sidetrip, while traveling back to Manila via the Halsema Highway, right across the Calasipan Elementary School in Buguias, Benguet, there is a house selling miniature vehicle models inspired by the iconic trucks and buses that ply the trading routes in Cordillera, all of which were made by Marion Codeo.

Mini Vehicles by Marion Codeo

The Municipality of Bauko in the Mountain Province may not be as popular in the eyes of a common tourist, as compared to the likes of Sagada and Bontoc, but it sure packs a worthy punch as one experiences the hidden uniqueness of its magnificence as you "find yourself" in the Cordilleras. 

Explore Pinas!

Old Gapan: The Little Vigan (Nueva Ecija)

For heritage preservation enthusiasts, it would definitely be of no surprise that the historic City of Vigan, situated in Ilocos Sur, would rank as one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines that visitors would adore to set foot on its nostalgic splendor. A so-called heritage village, 405 kilometers from Manila, Vigan has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since December 1999 for both its distinctive Spanish colonial history in Asia and its impressive collection of 16th-century Spanish-built structures.

Fortunately, the town of Gapan in Nueva Ecija, one of the oldest in the country, founded in 1595, has now been transformed as a must-see location for advocates of nostalgia. Lurking inside this town is a place called “Old Gapan” or “Lumang Gapan”, a tourism project in 2021, which was spearheaded by Gapan Mayor Emeng Pascual, in order to reawaken interest in the city’s historic roots. 

With a total travel distance of only 90 kilometers from Manila, we now explore “Old Gapan”, dubbed as the “Little Vigan” by loads of netizens out there.

The Three Kings Parish, the canonical name of the National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora, was established in 1589. It is the oldest and largest colonial church in Nueva Ecija, and one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the nation.

National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora

The Cuison Ancestral House is also known as Doña Martha Cuison ancestral house, her husband is Mr. Agustin Cuison who is part Chinese. She is well-known for her charitable work in the area.

Cuison Ancestral House

Munting Bulwagan, a postwar house, is the home and office of the Zabat Band, the first local brass band in the Philippines, which gives free music lessons to kids. It was Eliodoro Chico y Bustamante, a Tagalog priest, who organized the first local band in Gapan, Nueva Ecija on November 22, 1820. He installed his relative, Lorenzo Zabat y Chico, to manage the band. Mariquita Garcia Gutierrez Zabat is the spouse of Lorenzo Zabat.

Munting Bulwagan

Casa De Guzman

Casa Payawal is owned by Gervacio Payawal.

Casa Payawal

Casa De Guzman is owned by Ada de Guzmán.

Casa De Guzman

Casa Goduco is owned by Adang Goduco. It has a plaque above its door that says "Enero 1927."

Casa Goduco

Casa Goduco

Casa Peralejo is connected to the clan of actress Rica Peralejo.

Casa Peralejo

This is the Silvino Valdes - Bárbara Agno House. According to actress Eula Valdes, a great-great-granddaughter of the couple, her great-great-grandparents built the house in the 1800s.

Silvino Valdes - Bárbara Agno House

Casa Payawal was originally owned by Exequiel Payawal. It was later sold to Carmelita Pita Cabatuando, and then to Joe Taruc, the famous broadcast journalist, and is now owned by Gapan Mayor Emeng Pascual.

Casa Payawal

The old municipal building of Gapan has the years 1732 and 1896 on its doorway with a gun and sword. This was restored by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines back in 2017. The building also served as the Post Office of Gapan City. This was also used to be a school owned by the Bauzon family. It also served other functions, such as the Court of First Instance, Telegraph Office and Municipal Prison.

Gapan Presidencia & Museum

Tagpuan sa Lumang Gapan is a food park catering to customers on evenings.

Tagpuan sa Lumang Gapan

The former Southern Nueva Ecija College building is now owned by the Bauzon family.

Former Southern Nueva Ecija College building

Casa Morales was originally owned by Doña Vicenta Morales. Later, it was sold to Doroteo Liwag.

The Casa De Teodoro Navarro y Matilde Garces Navarro was built in 1927 by Teodoro Navarro, whose initials can be seen in a doorway of the house. His wife is Matilde Garces Navarro.

Casa Morales & Casa De Teodoro Navarro y Matilde Garces Navarro

Casa Morales is owned by Luís Morales.

Casa Morales

Casa Morales is owned by Dr. Arsenio Morales.

Casa Morales

Casa Mendoza is owned by Dr. Bienvenido Mendoza, a dentist.

Casa Mendoza

This is the Nida Blanca Ancestral House. Dorothy Jones (a.k.a. Nida Blanca) was born in Gapan to an American soldier Jose Zobel Acueza Jones of mestizo descent and a Filipino mother with Tagalog roots, Inocencia Velez Guinto.

Nida Blanca Ancestral House

Cap your historical day by travelling less than 6 kilometers from Gapan as you arrive at the Sideco House, located at Vallarta Street, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. During General Emilio Aguinaldo's stay in San Isidro, the house owned by Captain Crispulo Sideco (Kapitan Crispulo "Pulong" Sideco) served as the de facto residence and office of Aguinaldo as president.

Sideco House

Old Gapan may not exude the amazing vintage aura of the original Vigan, but given its huge proximity to Manila, as well as what it can simply offer, this tourist destination in Central Luzon is still definitely worth the trip.

Explore Pinas!  

Tagalag Fishing Village (Valenzuela)

Valenzuela, officially the City of Valenzuela, which is the 6th most populous city in the National Capital Region, has always been known in the tourism industry as a place abounded with several parks, wherein the most notable would be the Valenzuela City People's Park, coupled with various historical structures, such as the Museo Valenzuela.

With tourists constantly being magnetized by various well-known areas offering eye-popping features such as beaches, mountains, ingrained culture, heritage villages, local cuisine, and many more, it is but natural for some local government units to further step up to the plate in order to entice more visitors to flock towards their vicinity.

Fortunately, it took 22 years from its conversion to cityhood in 1998 for Valenzuela to finally showcase their so-called “best kept secret”, which I believe is now the city’s most famous tourist destination.

A far cry from just a simple barangay surrounded by fishpens, which would barely make heads turn for potential tourists, on February 15, 2020, the city government opened to the public Valenzuela’s first fishing village, the Tagalag Fishing Village, situated at Barangay Tagalag.   

This village proudly boasts of a large fishing area with a boardwalk, park, and a variety of restaurants, ranging from casual to formal, possibly catering to various tourist preferences.

A Welcome Arch along Bisig Road greets well-wishers entering the vicinity. 

Welcome Arch

Alvarez Park Cafe is an Al-Fresco restaurant with a great ambiance and reasonably priced meals. Opened in the year 2020, it is the first park cafe in Valenzuela City.

Fountain at the facade

For fans of the American action crime drama television series Knight Rider, lo and behold, they have a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am situated at the parking area for photo-ops.  

K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Two Thousand) ???

Guests at the Alvarez Park Cafe proper can have a choice of either dining outside or in an air-conditioned area, both of which showcase a view of their fishing grounds. 

Outdoor Dining

The Fisherman's Point, which is still a part of the Alvarez Park Cafe compound, is a floating bar-restaurant offering a three-course lunch, six-course dinner, international cuisine, crafted cocktails, wine, and specialty drinks. This place is obviously for classy diners.    

The Fisherman's Point Entrance Arch

A wooden walkway leads up to the floating restaurant which incorporates a nautical design.

Wooden Walkway

The Fishing Area has the following amenities:

- Rental of fishing rods (or you may bring your own)

- Fish per kilo of Bangus and Tilapia

- Boat ride

- Kayak ride

- Rental of the Fishing Villa

Fishing Area

The Tagalag Mini Park consists of the Visitor's Center, in case you need additional information regarding the area, and the park proper, wherein one could view the Polo River.   

Visitor's Center

Tagalag Mini Park

The 17-hectare Tagalag Solar Farm is home to thousands of high-quality solar panels and is owned by Eco-Park Energy of Valenzuela Corporation. Up to 20.69 megawatts of electricity can be produced by the solar farm, which is roughly enough to power 140,000 typical Filipino homes.

Main Gate of the Tagalag Solar Farm

Solar Panels

Tata Celo Kainan sa Palaisdaan is a farm-to-table restaurant serving delicious Filipino dishes. The owner was once a fisherman. 

Tata Celo Kainan sa Palaisdaan

Filipino Cuisine Galore

Fishpond with floating nipa huts

A photo-op area atop the Polo River

Fish-shaped street signage can be seen inside the fishing village.  

Fish-shaped street signage

A visit to Tagalag Fishing Village is definitely one unique respite from the hustle and bustle of urban living. Aside from the sites I have featured here, tourists can be able to experience various fun-fishing activities in the other establishments along the village. A great place worth visiting indeed for families and friends!

Explore Pinas!