With Baguio City, the Philippines' Summer Capital, becoming more and more saturated during vacation time (Christmas Season and the Holy Week), local tourists are looking for other alternative vacation spots. SAGADA, with its cool climate and pine sceneries seems to be a choice, A BETTER ONE, and and an increased flow of local tourists have been observed the past ten years.

SAGADA not only offers a more temperate climate and fresher and greener pine sceneries than Baguio BUT also has caves, waterfalls and a host of other man-made tourist attractions such as hanging coffins and rice terraces concentrated within a smaller geographical location. It has been an ideal haven for foreign spelunking-loving tourists and is now offering the less active but nonetheless nature-seeking local tourists an escape from the pollution, noise, and heat of urban places.

LOCATION

Sagada is one of the ten towns of Mountain Province in the Cordillera Region of Northern Philippines. It has a population of about 10,000 divided into its 19 barangays.

PEOPLE

The locals of Sagada are called Igorots. The dialect spoken is Kankana-ey though interestingly; most locals express themselves better in English than in Filipino, the national language. Whereas most Philippine towns are Catholic, Sagada's populace is predominantly Anglican.

LIVELIHOOD

Agriculture is the main source of income in Sagada. Cabbages, carrots, and potatoes are common crops while rice is planted for household consumption. Sagada also earns significantly from its tourism industry.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

- A network of limestone caves are beneath Sagada.

- Waterfalls.

- Pleasant climate which is amongst coolest in the Philippines. Ideal for summer vacations.

- Pine forests in a tropical country.

- Centuries old rice-terraces dotting the mountains in multiple sites.

- Burial Caves stacked with coffins.

- Hanging coffins precariously balanced in cliffs.

- Local festivals.

- Hand weaving industry.

The author grew up in the tourist town of Sagada, in northwestern Philippines. His blog captures his Sagada memories and has an index of different Sagada tourist attractions and travel tips. The blog can be viewed at http://sagada-igorot.blogspot.com.