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It was a short and uneventful divorce back in 1989. I got nothing, and she got everything. I left the house with just my clothes and headed for Angeles City, Philippines and started an insurance business on what used to be Clark Airbase.

At the dawn of the computer age, I brought with me a new brand of marketing low cost term insurance to the military. My competition was still using dinosaur methods to sell insurance to military personnel.

What transpired over the next two years was incredible. The story is true.

When I arrived for the first time in Manila June 1989 I was met by a Filipino friend who worked with me in Las Vegas. As I was being taken by cab to my hotel I felt a sense of ease as I notice most everything posted in English. I did notice too how poor people looked and lived. I was in shock as beggars knocked on my window for money.

The following day my friend and I caught a Victory Liner bus bound for Dau, Pampanga, Philippines. I remember that ride and how scarred I really was when the bus driver was passing vehicles on the right shoulder with just inches to spare. In most cases if he made a mistake the bus would have rolled down a steep embankment. By the time we got to Dau, I was floating up to my neck and needed a relieve myself. I thought surly there has to be a men’s room when we get off somewhere. I noticed all the guys just going off into a vacant field and letting go. I had no choice, I had to do the same. The only problem I had with that was I felt all eyes were on me.

It was a relief to me when I checked in at the Oasis Hotel. I was intrigued when I passed by on the way to the hotel a competitor’s office and I just had to visit after I checked in the hotel.

Once we checked in, it did not take me long to take a walk around to check out my new home for the next year. The first place I visited was my competitors office. I was greeted pleasantly by a pretty young lady. I asked, how was business? Oh, very good sir, she replied. How many agents do you have working for you, I asked. We have 20 sir. Where is the boss? He is out with one of our agents. OK, thanks, I appreciate your help. I could see they did have a thriving business going and well established, but they had no idea what I was bringing to the table.

I walked around some more and noticed how many old middle aged men were sitting around in these sidewalk caf

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Be aware that the experiences you’re about to encounter is unlike anything you’d encounter anywhere else in the world. Each and every country has its own unique experience to offer you and when you travel to the Philippines, you should expect the same.

When Is It Best To Travel To The Philippines?

Are you allergic to rain? If so, it would do you good to avoid traveling to this part of Southeast Asia during the months of June till November as that’s when the occasional typhoon or two makes time to visit the Philippines. Traveling during the rainy season of the Philippines can be quite a hassle, especially if you don’t have a car. But if you do, you could expect smaller crowds to contend with as most people tend to stay indoors.

If you’re unable to take the heat and still be merry, then you should not travel to the Philippines during the months of March till May because that’s officially the summer season of the country. Everyone head for the nearest beach so if you don’t want to feel crowded when you’re sunbathing, set your travel date for another time of the year. The Easter season is always busy for everyone in the Philippines so expect a difficult time on reserving transportation when it’s Holy Week.

If you’re on the lookout for the world-famous fiestas that only the Philippines could offer, schedule your travel date for January, May or December. The flower season of Baguio - described as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its perennially cool weather - is something to look forward to. And then there’s the Santacruzan during May and which each and every town parades its most beautiful residents in a walk around town.

Where In The Philippines Is It Best To Travel To?

There are so many types of places to visit in the Philippines that it’s hard to enumerate each and every one of them. Beaches, however, are one of the most favorite travel spots of the country so if you want to enjoy your stay in a beautiful paradise of clear blue green water and cool white sand, you could check out Tali Beach, the world-famous Boracay or try surfing the secluded beaches of Surigao and La Union.

John Grant has been living in the Philippines for 5 years and has travelled the country extensively. His online Philippines Travel Guide covers major destinations like Boracay Puerto Galera and Palawan.

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I first visited Sagada, a sleepy town at the heart of the Mountain Province, on a cold November day. The first things that caught my curiousity were the ashes and remains of burnt wood left at the graves in the Christian cemetery.

However, I was more absorbed in that short hike to reach Echo Valley and have a glimpse of the hanging coffins on the other side of the mountain. Indeed, Sagada is most famous to visitors because of these archeological treasures. Seeing the coffins suspended on the cliff is one thing, but hearing the stories of how the Kankanaeys (natives) honor their dead is whole new different tale in itself.

Unlike in most parts of the country that was ruled by Spain for over 300 years, the Cordilleras was a region unfazed by colonization. The absence of Spanish influence allowed the natives to preserve traditions and rituals, including those involving their dead.

Until the first Anglican missionaries arrived in Sagada in the early part of the 20th century, the natives did not bury their dead. They believed that to cover them six feet under would prevent their spirits from breathing. Instead, they put their dead in steep crevices to bring them closer to the gods.

Taking care of the dead involved a meticulous ritual in Sagada. The body is dressed with colorful beads and other accessories or essentials that its soul may need in its journey. The deceased are not embalmed and are strapped on a bamboo chair for the wake. The wake could last from three days to a week. Unnecessary noises and playing of gongs are prohibited. The only sound you will hear is the baya-o, a traditional chant performed by the elders to scold or praise the dead. The chant varies from humming, murmuring, wailing, and ends with a shout and a thud of a foot. The chant also served as a plea to the dead not to return to haunt the living, and help them instead to lead a prosperous life.

It is the elders who decide if it was time for the dead to go. The journey begins when the corpse’s knees are bent to touch the chin and the body is wrapped with a with cloth and tied with a rope made from the maguey plant. Tribesmen will carry the body and run fast to bring it to the burial ground.

Upon reaching the mountain, the men would bind themselves in ropes to climb the steep mountainside and haul the body. Once the resting place is reached, the body is placed in a coffin crafted from pine lumber. Then they would chant prayers and bid the dead the last farewell.

John Grant has been living in the Philippines for 5 years and has travelled the country extensively. His online Philippines Travel Guide gives you an extensive coverage of destinations like Sagada

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