Ifugao: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao

The Mayoyao Rice Terraces are one of the five clusters included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. It was great the Pochon Group organized the Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw or rice harvest in Mayoyao, an eco-cultural experience for tourists.

As the group mentions, "The Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw tour is an eco-cultural activity that the Pochon Group is organizing as its contribution to preserve the Mayoyao Rice Terraces and the culture that goes with the terraces. A portion of the proceeds of the tour will go to the heritage trust fund that will be used to help promote the indigenous culture of the Mayoyao People to its young generation and the people who wish to have an extra ordinary experience in this beautiful town where unexplored nature still abounds."

After our afternoon nap the day before, we trooped to the Mayoyao Museum for a demonstration on how a traditional Mayoyao house is constructed. We all slept early yesterday, still tired from the trip.

We were up early for the day's activities. Our hostel has a great vantage point of the Mayoyao Rice Terraces and its great waking up to such a wonderful view. We're leaving for Barangay Chaya after breakfast for our rice harvest experience.

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao & Isabela: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao

After six hours on an evening bus, I found myself in Santiago, Isabela at 3:30 in the morning. It was a good thing I took the deluxe bus of Victory Liner since the ride was really comfortable. It was my first major local trip since I got back after close to three months abroad. We were meeting up with the organizers of the Mayoyao harvest experience in Santiago. And together, we would make the rough trip to the remote Ifugao town of Mayoyao on a hired rickety bus.

Josh, the president of the group, is my colleague from the Cultural Citizens Program and we were together in Illinois last month. Since we had arrived in Santiago earlier than expected (our ETA was 6 a.m. but the deluxe bus travels non-stop), we were able to make an unscheduled stop in Magat Dam before making our way to Mayoyao. I had been there once before as part of a heritage tour of Cagayan Valley.

There's another dam called Maris Dam (short for Magat River Irrgation System) which we passed by on the way to Mayoyao. Both dams are at the boundaries of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. We were able to take photos of the fishermen dwarfed by the smaller dam before proceeding.

It was a wonder how I was able to doze off during that long bumpy ride. The next thing I knew, it was 7:30 a.m. and we had stopped over in Ubao in the town of Aguinaldo for breakfast. In the olden days, Ubao was known as a hunting area. But that is no longer the case today. Aside from the fact that hunting deer is illegal, deer are scarce.

We were back on the road a little later. Again, I dozed off. But I tried to keep myself awake so as not to miss some good views since we were not passing by this road on the way back to Manila. Before leaving the town of Aguinaldo, we passed by a waiting shed where a woman was selling moma (betel nut) and hapid leaves as well as a local kakanin called pinang-it which is known as bakle in Kiangan. I noticed a sign which said the curfew in this area was at 8:30 p.m. You must be kidding?! Then it hit me that we were out in the middle of nowhere.

Occasionally, we'd pass by clusters of houses along the road with freshly-harvested palay in bundles being dried under the sun. And there are the scarce trips of jeepneys with people on the roof of course.

Then we started to see large clusters of rice terraces. We were finally closing in on Mayoyao's town center. Mayoyao is one of the five clusters of rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the others being Bangaan and Batad in Banaue; Hungduan (which includes Hapao and the Poblacion); and Nagacadan in Kiangan.

We finally arrived in Mayoyao close to lunch. It turned out, the trip from Santiago, Isabela to Mayoyao, Ifugao (together with the food and photo stops of course) was longer than my bus ride from Manila to Isabela! I endured seven hours on a rickety bus. We navigated through rough, bumpy roads, but what I saw at the end was most definitely worth the trip. Our activities would begin after lunch and a short nap. We needed to get some rest after that very long trip.

Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Manila: Legaspi Sunday Market is Makati's undiscovered food haven

Indeed it's a food haven waiting to be discovered. We all know about the Salcedo Saturday Market. But have you ever gone to the Legazpi Sunday Market, also known as the BSL Sunday Market? If you haven't, then it's about time you do and try out the great food!

Of course, you should try the best ensaimada in town, Imang Salud classic ensaimada, an old family recipe which we inherited from my great-grandmother, Salud Dayrit-Santos of San Fernando, Pampanga. These giant melt-in-your-mouth ensaimadas are guaranteed to tickle your taste buds. Also check out mom's tibok-tibok!

There's so much more to munch on. Check out the fresh lumpia of Yan Ching, the pizzas and samosa at Pizza di Grazzia, Becky's Kitchen and the traditional Spanish tortillas of Mantequilla. Warung Warung serves traditional Malay food such as beef rendang, kari ayam and ayam goreng, while Singaporean satay is a specialty of Island Satay.

I also adore the takoyaki, gyoza and other Japanese dishes. Next door one would find japchae and other Korean delights. Have you ever tried Turkish baklava? Well, Anatolia Cuisine serves that and more Turkish pastries. And there's Indian food such as methi chicken, mushroom mutter, shahi paneer and dal makhni. There are different kinds of deli from all over Europe. And great hamburgers in a bun served by Monster Burger.

There's food from all over the Philippines, Ilocos empanda, grilled meats, seafood and other ihaw-ihaw and ulam, fresh and dried seafood, it would take another post to enumerate them all.

For dessert, try the traditional Breton crepe, the many flavors of Fro-Yo's pure frozen yogurt, or Imang Salud's ensaimada of course! There are wines to accompany your meals (check out the lemon wine called Citrocello), as well as fresh fruit shakes. You can also also have local kakanin such as suman, puto and kalamay, or fresh fruits from all over the country and even abroad. My personal favorite would be the juicy red cherries!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out every Sunday at the Legazpi Car Park, Legaspi corner Herrera Streets, Makati City. That's in front of Starbucks Herrera, very near the Union Church of Manila.

Ultimate Trip: Sunday Brunch on August 24!
Ivan About Town, Manila Boy, Old Manila Walks, and Our Awesome Planet are cordially inviting you to join us in an "Ultimate Trip" to the market less-travelled, the Legaspi Sunday Market for a pre-holiday "Sunday Brunch," 10 a.m. to 12 noon on August 24. Check out the details in Manila Boy. The Legaspi Sunday Market is in the parking lot across Starbucks Herrera stretching to the Union Church of Makati, Herrera to Rada, corner Legaspi Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City. We'll all meet at Starbucks Herrera at 10 a.m. RSVP by commenting below.