A massive bonfire was hosted and organized by the well-respected Sagada Genuine Guides Association last December 28. Gareth (the rockstar tour guide himself) took many photos and the images could be seen on their Multiply and Blogspot site. The atmosphere is just electric. Night life isn’t a phrase that one would usually relate with Sagada but this bonfire was an absolute party! Nevermind that it ended rather early for most people (they still have trekking to do!) but attending it sure was a blast.
It was a night filled with great food, great music, snippets of Sagada and Mountain Province culture as well dancing around the fire. The great Kiltepan viewpoint was a perfect venue for that fog-riddled event. It was just an amazing experience that was perfect for a once-a-year event. I’m sure the over 200 people who showed up would agree.
And yes, as luck would have it – I was the first one to sign up for the bonfire. hehe.
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I was quite embarrassed to be unaware of the existence of a Sagada hymn. It was sung towards the end of the party and luckily, there’s Globe 3G (I KNOW!) at Kiltepan.
Beyond those travelled hills of the North
Lies my home all laden with pines
Amidst the soft and silken touch
Of morning mist I lay my prayers before thy shrine
My thanks to Thee my love dressed in green
My paradise unforseen
My thanks to Thee who spawned my life
Sagada, Sagada you’ll always be mine
With you I believe
In my life I can live
With you I will share
What I have without care
Isnan ad-adawi ay bilbilig
Isdi nan i-itaw tet-ewa
Kaneg isnan kankanaenda ay Shangrila
Menlowalowak ken sik-a
Madaydayaw ka’y Ili, natalna
Umeyak ay m’id egyat na
Salamat ’snan Diyos ay nanapo
‘Snan Sagada, Sagada kokowak enggana
Ken sik-a mamatiyak
Isnan biag matagowak
Ken sik-a makibingayak
M’id balina isnan kowak
(Repeat first stanza)
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Q: How are the roads? Are they safe to drive after the typhoons?
Interestingly, the roads are just as good if not better since Typhoon Parma (Pepeng). It seems like the government have stepped up in improving the roads since the landslides a few months ago.
Q: How is the peace and order situation?
While the tranquil surroundings might lull you into a sense of security, always have your guard up. Though the small size of the town usually deters bad elements from trying their ways, there are occasional offenses such as petty theft and similar events. The best way to have peace of mind in this scenario is to secure your belongings at all times or better, don’t bring unnecessary gadgets, jewelry and electronics with you. Always have your money, camera and phone with you.
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First and foremost, sorry if we haven’t been replying to all emails and comments. We have been very busy the past few weeks. I was in Sagada from December 27-30 and if you saw a guy in a Team Philippines track jacket during the bonfire, that’s probably me. 
Moving on, here are the things that you have to know:
1. The roads are fine. In terms of actual travel time, the situation has now normalized. We clocked in at just under six hours during our trip back and that inclues the two mandatory stops at Sabangan and Atok. You will see the damage and the destruction left by the typhoons due to the landslides, but as far as traveling goes, it’s absolutely back to pre-Parma levels.
2. Late December is one of the best times to go. There was hardly any rain while I was there and the bonfire event by the Sagada Genuine Guides Association was a surefire highlight. For people who want to experience another side of Sagada (aside from the peace and quiet side), having the “pilgrimage”/ Woodstock environment of ther post-Christmas period can be quite a shift.
3. The fares are still the same – 440 for the Manila to Baguio bus (Victory) and 220 for the Baguio to Sagada bus (Lizardo).
For questions, please post on this threat. thanks.
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Sagada.org is running a Twitter account that could be useful for people traveling to Sagada. I assume that the person/s running this account is/are in Sagada for the most part so they could probably address your concerns regarding weather and road conditions better than the rest of the Visit Sagada Team (all of us are based in Manila).
Follow Sagada Twitter: http://twitter.com/sagada
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As you guys would’ve heard, Typhoon Pepeng (international name Parma) pummeled Northern Luzon for almost a week. The storm dumped over a meter of water in some areas and has triggered landslides and flooding all over the Ilocos regions, Cagayan, Isabela, Benguet, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Ifugao, Mt. Province and Baguio City.
Halsema is now closed but payloaders are already on the site to fix the problem. Baguio is also isolated due to landslides along Kennon Road, Marcos Highway and Naguillian Road.
Expect these obstacles to clear in the coming days.
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