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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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Donsol used to be sleepy coastal town in Sorsogona province in the southernmost tip of Luzon. Nobody knows Donsol except for, of course, its local inhabitants until a few years ago when tourists from all over the world began to flock this remote place to get a look-see at the largest fish on earth: the whale shark.

Before, fishermen in Donsol were ignorant of the ecological (and tourist) value of whale sharks. They used to hunt, slaughter and sell the poor gentle sea creatures to Japanese traders. Local folks call them “butanding” or “big fish” in the vernacular. Early sightings of the butandings were reported in the Visayan seas in Bohol further south. It was said that massive slaughtering caused their migration to Donsol waters.

Although, according to stories, the first butanding that was netted out in the area was also butchered. A marine biologist witnessed it and instantly recognized the fish as a rare marine specie. The biologist immediately reported the incident to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an international organization promoting the preservation of the wildlife.

WWF wasted no time and launched an education campaign about the giant creature. After coordinating with the Department of Tourism, whale-watching soon became a tourist activity that allowed extra income for the people of Donsol.

Whale sharks can grow up to 50 feet in length. It has a rather wide mouth with hundreds of pointed teeth. It usually comes in grey or greenish brown color with white or yellow spots all over its body.

It earned the label gentle giant of the sea because of its harmless nature, considering it is of the shark family. It has nothing in common with whales except for its size, thus the name. Divers can swim and interact with them and are only known to sink deeper into the ocean when it gets upset. There has been no known attack on humans of whale sharks.

Scientists are still baffled with the large migration of whale sharks in Donsol. These fishes are known to prefer the cold waters, not the tropical seas that we have. One explanation would be the flourishing of planktons in the area. Planktons are organisms that fill the diet of the whale sharks. It is also hard to record the number of whale sharks that now thrive in Donsol. But early studies show that whale sharks can travel 14,000 miles in 40 months and is capable of breeding in different sea environments.

Whale sharks swim on the surface of the water especially during the morning and early afternoon. It opens its mouth rhythmically when feeding on the planktons and visitors may be treated to this wondrous sight if they spot the fish at the perfect time. But don’t expect them to jump up and down the water like the whales or dolphins. That’s actually another beauty of the whale shark experience because this makes it perfectly east and safe to get near them.

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 Sorsogon

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