One of the most interesting place I have visited because of its unique culture and traditions is Sagada from Mountain Province, it is said to be the most visited town in Cordillera Region in Northern Luzon.
Just last summer when I got a chance to visit this place because of its unreachable location that would only be possible through a butt-wrecking ride via van for morethan 12hours from Manila yet once you arrived there you would indeed realized how worth the travel and experience was.
Despite of its location being in highland, still many travelers used to visit this place because of their curiousity of their amazing historical and cultural site. T'was indeed the reason why it drives me to go there. Not just the amazing village, their features and cool freezing weather that urged me to go there but of course to experience living in a very unique bucolic area like Sagada.
Just recently, I was so surprised when I read the article of inquirer.net, (a popular media and news publication in the Philippines) about the inclusion of Sagada Hanging Coffins Cemetery as one of the 6 most beautiful Cemetery in the World after France, Czech Republic, Romania, United States and Japan as also being published in an international news publication that featured such.
This is the only Hanging Coffins in the Philippines that can only be found in the Village of Sagada, Mountain Province. The most recent man that was being buried was in 2010.
It may not be as renowned as other leading destination in other places is, since it is just a normal graveyard or a resting place yet it gives a high tourism rate and growing number of visitors because of its unique and traditional way of burrying man's body.
The place is indeed rich in cultural activities and traditions. But this cemetery in Sagada which the dead body of a person is being hung is indeed has a high qualification for it to be able a person to hang there. Just a mere outsider or a visitor in this place may not qualify to bury in a hang position. And for you it to be able to be hung in the hanging coffins cemetery a person must be a pure Igorot or is actually a member of the said tribe and has a natural reason of death only, must have a grand children and ofcourse has a pure blood and resident of Sagada.
Photo taken via Nikon D3400, this was just last May when we joined a group tour going to Banaue-Sagada-Bagiuo. We spent there for a 2D1N tour. And our first place destination was the Sagada Cemetery and its Hanging Coffins; and the Echo Valley.
Sagada Hanging Coffins is considered one of the tourist destination in the town of Sagada. Being a type of cemetery that is uniquely not being buried in grave but through hanging. T'was indeed very unique right?
It was done and developed because of the ethnic groups or tribes in this area believing that it is an honor for them to be hung and definitely to prevent their deceased relatives from being eaten by wild animals staying in the highlands. It is usually placed on beams or rocks projecting from cliffs. In the Philippines only in the village of Sagada where the coffins are actually suspended with ropes. Same funeral sites are being found in Asia like in Southern China and Indonesia.
He's my boyfriend. Haha. Whenever we were together it is always an adventure that awaits us. No matter where we travel, regarless of being solo or in a group always spend your your trip with a purpose. 😉
Things like this will always be treasured for it is part of our unique Cultural history. Not just for our ancestors to be always remembered but to uphold and maintain our customs and traditions, to show to other races that such traditional way is still existing despite of the rapid technology development. We should always preserve this for the coming generations of our race.
Be proud to be a Filipino👨🏽