Short Detours

“Many young men started down a false path to their true destiny. Time and fortune usually set them aright,” Said Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather “Il Padrino” may sound Italian, derived from the fictional Mafia family living in New York in the 1930s to 1960s, but it is actually owned by a man born in the mountainous region of the Philippines, the Cordilleras. Ervine Pangwi just inaugurated his 7th branch on December 10, 2016 that serves Arabica coffee from his hometown Sagada, one of the major tourist destinations in the Philippines. Facebook profile photo of Ervine Pangwi  His venture into this business was triggered by his stubborn belief that a simple “no” is not the end of it. Wanting to have a cafe near his office where he can take his clients and business partners for coffee or snacks, Pangwi offered part of his building to two big coffee franchises but they both turned him down for the reason that the area doesn’t have enough foot traffic. The persist...

Next time you drop by Baguio, don't forget to visit the newest art haven,  the Pasa-Kalye creative hub.   Baguio creative people led by veteran artist Roland Bay-an want to promote this area not only to showcase their work but to bring art closer to the masses and to establish it as a new travel destination in the City. This activity jump-started when Bookends Bookshop's owner reserved part of her shop for an art gallery. Artists whose artworks were displayed in the gallery started sketching activities for the purpose of helping people in need. This sketch-for-a-cause soon gave birth to more ideas and activities. Bookends proprietress Maricar Docyogen said, “Pasa-Kalye was conceptualised by artists, an entrepreneur and several media personalities with the Tagalog connotation or meaning in mind.” “It is the “pasakalye” or introduction of a new concept to make an idle street busy with art, or an introduction to new artists who have potential in the indus...

It takes a village to create flowers. Residential buildings in Sitio Stone Hill, Botiwtiw and Sadjap of Barangay Balili are transformed into a huge canvas to create a Favela-inspired mural masterpiece. The place now calledSTOBOSA Hillside Homes Artwork was the largest community artwork in the country and the first in the Philippines. STOBOSA stands for the three sitios. The project to paint 200 houses in an area of 18,000 square meters is a component of the Department of Tourism – Cordillera Administrative Region’s Rev-Bloom Urban Redevelopment Tourism project initiated by Director Marie Venus Tan. It was made possible through a partnership with La Trinidad-LGU, Davies Paints, the Tam-awan Village Artists, and the Km.3, Balili Community. The mural was unveiled today, June 23, graced by Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. The design concept was created by Tam-awan artists ...

Mt. Pulag is the third highest mountain in the Philippines with an elevation of 2,926.047 meters above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Luzon and the landscape of the surrounding provinces can be seen from the summit during the day. Lights in distant communities are visible at night.  Its unique beauty with many characteristics that change as you reach higher elevation - from pine forest to mossy jungle, and finally the vast grasslands - has the locals calling it the "playground of the gods". There are several routes to get there, from easy to hard trails. The easy route is via Ambangeg with class 1-2 trail and difficulty or 3/9, takes only 3 to 4 hours walk from the ranger station in Babadac to the camp site (4.9 kilometers). Then another hour hike along the grasslands to the summit (2.9 kilometers). The best time to be at the summit is at dawn when the valleys and smaller mountains around Pulag are covered with a sea of clouds, giving you the impres...

A total of 4000 Ibaloy representatives from the 13 municipalities of Benguet and Onjon ni Ibadoy Hong Kong attended the festivities. The theme of the 7 th Ibaloy Day “Diteng tan Ulnos” or Peace and Order, was aimed to unite all the Ibaloy clans. The solibaos, kalsas or gongs and the tiktik were brought out and played to hark all Ibalois to gather, pray and dance in solidarity. February 23 was a historic day not only for the Ibaloys but for Indigenous Peoples around the World. Before the Americans and Spaniards came, the city was already discovered and settled in by the Ibalois. Baguio was originally ranchlands owned by the a great number of Ibaloi clans including the Cariños, Carantes, Molintas, Suellos, Tagleys, Pirasos, Pucays and their extended family systems. Many of these native Ibaloi clans were stripped of their ancestral lands through American colonial legislation, such as the Philippine Bill of 1902, the Land Registration Act of 1903, Baguio Town Site Reservation...

Benguet is fast becoming the hiking capital of the Philippines and another trekking destination is officially added to its attractions. Just a 35-minute drive and a 2-hour hike from the City of Baguio await this awe-inspiring grassland ready for great adventures. Now being promoted as Mt. Ulap, the Sta. Fe Ridge in Ampucao, Itogon has been a favorite hiking destination to those who know the place. The municipality of Itogon and Barangay Ampucao officially launched Mt. Ulap a dven ture last Saturday, October 31. Reaching Mt. Ulap will take you about 2 to 3 hours trek entering at the Tutumbek woodlands and pass through the vast grasslands of the entire Ridge. Like the more popular Mt. Pulag, in Kabayan, the Sta. Fe Ridge features various characteristics; it has 3 peaks that exhibit diverse landscapes and distinctive rock formations that are great photography subjects. The whole mountain showcases a post-card-perfect scenery. All of the three peaks offer 360-degree vantage...