On a robust weekend trek to Sagada, Mt. Province, my friends and I experienced a three-fold treat. Primarily, the cool clime and idyllic surroundings were highly conducive to physical recharging and spiritual recuperation. Second, we learned how ingeniously the local folks have coped with and adapted to the encroaching modernization. And, finally, we were roused to an awareness of the effects of our actions on the environment.
Recharging and Recuperation
We were billeted in a charming place called Rock Inn, an unassuming place that proved to be a comfortable and restful refuge. It was built along the lines of a typical sagada house, mainly constructed of tin in order to collect and preserve warmth indoors. Nesteled on a hill overlooking a rocky landscape, it constantly reminded me that I was far from the city. An invigorating distance away, we found further testament to the remoteness of our hideaway in interesting caves, majestic waterfalls, sparkling springs, lofty pine trees, and awesome rice terraces. To top off our explorations, we always came home to an excellent cup of homegrown sagada coffee. These were trully days that awakened both the soul and the sensibilities.
Coping and Adapting
The town of Sagada is a quaint collection of little houses along one main concrete road. It is a community dotted with tiny coffeeshops, souvenir shops, and art galleries. The standard houses of tin or corrugated galvanzed iron sheets, which I used to think of as unsightly, I now recognize to be the people’s most practical building material. It is not too expensive for this farming community and it is lightweight enough to be transported over rocky and mountainous terrain. Their buildings may be spartan looking on the outside and may not be picturesque enough to go with the rice terraces, but what I now appreciate is a people with very limited options making the best of what they have.
I wondered if living in a house of tin meant very cold indoor temperatures as well, since tin is not a good insulator. But one day in the middle of a tiring hike when hunger forced us to seek out strangers for help, Ate Susan, one of the local residents, welcomed us into her seemingly-unimposing home. We discovered that the interiors could be quite extra ordinary because the floor, walls, and ceiling were all made from solid pine wood panels ten times superior to the standard items now offered in the open real estate market. We not only felt the sincerity of her hospitality, but likewise the warmth and cheer of her home. The aroma of pine smelled almost as good as the food she unselfishly prepared for us.
Awareness of the Environment
At a corner newsstand, we chatted with a vendor about the recent landslide in Southern Leyte, and she mentioned with all simplicity that they have avoided any similar occurences because they have been careful to replant the trees they have cut. It had apparently been ingrained in the people to give back to the land that which they have taken. This is not only a just and noble view, it is a profound understanding of the basic laws of nature. Man is the steward of his environment. If we use nature responsibly, we will never be hostage to it.
That weekend in Sagada was an eye-opener in many ways. We allowed nature to sweep us in its grandeur. The people revealed themselves to us in their warmth and simplicity. And the mix of these two elements showed us that this little town high up in the mountains is one of the best little corners of our land.
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