Sagada

Sagada
Municipality
A view over the municipality of Sagada
Seal
Map of Mountain Province with Sagada highlighted
Sagada Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°05′N 120°54′E / 17.08°N 120.9°E / 17.08; 120.9Coordinates: 17°05′N 120°54′E / 17.08°N 120.9°E / 17.08; 120.9
Country	Philippines
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
Province	Mountain Province
District	Lone District of Mountain Province
Barangays	19 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	James B. Pooten Jr.
• Electorate	7,054 voters (2016)
Area [2]
• Total	83.32 km2 (32.17 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	11,127
• Density	130/km2 (350/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2619
PSGC	144409000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)74
Income class	5th municipal income class
Revenue (₱)	8,498,213.59 (2016)
Website	sagada.gov.ph

Sagada officially the Municipality of Sagada is a 5th class municipality in the province of Mountain Province, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 11,127 people.^[3]

It is adjacent to Bontoc, the provincial capital.

Sagada is famous for its hanging coffins. This is a traditional way of burying people that is still utilized. Not everyone is qualified to be buried this way; among other things, one had to have been married and had grandchildren.

Popular activities include trekking, exploring both caves and waterfalls, spelunking, bonfires, picnics, rappelling, visiting historical sites, nature hikes, and participating in tribal celebrations. Guides can be found upon registration at the tourist-office in Sagada Proper (the main town) for a small fee. Most of the guides are natives, also known as Igorots.

Geography

Sagada is nestled in a valley at the upper end of the Malitep tributary of the Chico River some one and a half kilometers above sea level in the Central Cordillera Mountains, enveloped between the main Cordillera Ranges and the Ilocos Range. Mount Data in the south and Mount Kalawitan in the southeast pierce the horizon. Mount Polis, Bessang and Mount Tirad in the east, and Mount Sisipitan in the north mark the Mountain Province–Abra boundary.

Barangays

Sagada is politically subdivided into 19 barangays.

History

According to legend, Sagada was founded as an ili or village by Biag, a man from Bika in eastern Abra. The people from Bika were forced out of their ili by raiding headhunters. Biag's family resettled in Candon but when baptism or the giving of names was enforced, Biag's family chose to move back toward the mountains in search for a settlement. Along the way, he and his siblings decided to part ways. A brother, Balay, chose to return to Candon, a sister to Abra. Another brother settled along the upper Abra River. Biag pushed further to the east until he came to what is now Sagada.

Perhaps for lack of transportation and willing guides, few conquistadors set foot in Sagada during the Spanish Era, and a Spanish Mission was not founded until 1882. As a result, it is one of a few places that has preserved its indigenous culture with little Spanish influence.

Climate

Demographics

Religion

Children in Sagada

Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Seeing that the Roman Catholicism in the Philippines has long been established, missionary Charles Henry Brent mentioned that "we are not building an altar over and against another altar," thus focusing Episcopal missionary activity among the Filipino-Chinese in Manila, the tribes in Mindanao and the tribes of northern Luzon. Since the coming of missionaries from the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, the municipality of Sagada has become the only Philippine town that is predominantly Anglican with almost 95% baptised into the Episcopal Church of the Philippines (ECP). A known landmark at the centre of town is the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a vibrant Episcopal parish. In 2004, the ECP celebrated its centennial with much of the festivities centered on the town of Sagada. Iglesia ni Cristo, (Born-Again-Christians, Roman Catholics) also have a significant members due to amalgamation.

Economy

Oranges cultivated in Sagada, being sold at a market in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Since the climate is similar to those of Benguet, its crops are likewise temperate products such as cabbage, tomatoes, green pepper, potatoes, carrots, beans, and others. Between 1882 and 1896, the Spanish colonizers introduced Arabica coffee: a source of income since the American occupation. Citrus, mainly lemon, lime and Valencia oranges were introduced from Spain by Jaime Masferre to provide the needs of American missionaries and employees of the Mission of Saint Mary the Virgin. During the American Period, the Americans introduced products like strawberries, and peaches due to its cooler, highland rainforest climate.

Places of interest

Sagada has many natural wonders. Backpackers and tourists can enjoy the waters of Bokong and Bomod-ok Falls. Other places that can be visited are:

• Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves
• Bomod-ok and Bokong Falls
• Rice terraces
• Echo Valley
• Kiltepan Tower
• Underground River
• Lake Danum
• Hanging Coffins
• Pongas Falls
• Mount Ampacao
• Marlboro Mountain
• Fortune Express
• Latang and Matang Caves

Gallery

• 
  Rice terraces, Sagada
• 
  Some varieties of Sagada Coffee
• 
  Hanging Coffins in Echo Valley

Trivia

• Sagada was featured in the Filipino film, Don't Give Up on Us, and That Thing Called Tadhana.
• Sagada was featured in an episode of Locked Up Abroad.
• In the "Death" episode of The Moaning of Life, Karl Pilkington visits Sagada to see a local community's cliffside burial techniques.
• There are limestone mountains throughout Sagada. This part of Luzon used to be submerged in the ocean billions of years ago, and fossilised seashells can be found in the walls of Sumaguing Cave.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sagada, Mountain Province.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sagada.

• Sagada Government Website
• Sagada at DMOZ
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism on Sagada