Baguio is known as one of the best-loved home of the country's free-thinking artists. Ben Cabrera, Butch Perez, Kidlat Tahimik, Narda Kapuyan and Kigao, to name a few. Maybe it's the climate or maybe it's the amazing mountain setting which gives you an astonishing vantage point of nature every day. Probably it's because of the Baguio Arts Festival held annually. Whatever the reason, the city has been an artful delight for travelers and art enthusiasts.
Among the various places where Baguio's artists have established their outlets of creativity, Borgy and I have visited the most popular and frequently featured Tam-awan Village and BenCab Museum.
Tam-awan Village
It was a glorious foggy day when we hailed a cab towards Pinsao Proper's Tam-awan Village. Kuya Ronald, our nice taxi driver, drove us from the the city to the town. While on our way, Borgy asked him if the Strawberry Fields are far off. From that, he realized we're tourists. He advised us not to go to the Strawberry Farm anymore because due to the tropical storm which hit Northern Luzon for the past days, there is nothing to see or do in Strawberry Farm and that all we'll experience is mud.
As we climbed to Pinsao Proper, Kuya Ronald, pointed to the sea covered shrouded with fog and told us that on a clear, sunny day, you can see the briliant China Sea.
An entrance fee of P50 is accepted once you enter the village. From the entrance, you can already see the green hues of the setting. There is also a Koi Garden on the entrance and vines cover most parts of the area.
This unique displays of Cordilleran art was reconstructed by Chanum Foundation, Inc. They begun reconstructing Ifugao houses in Baguio driven by their intent of bringing the Cordillera to the people who have not had the chance to go to the Cordillera interior.
According to the history found at the pamphlets they give out:
"Uniquely blends indigenous aesthetics and exquisite Ifugao craftsmanship with an artist's concept for a village adapting the Baguio setting."
Now, the village has seven Ifugao houses, which are compact but remains an architectural marvel, and two Kalinga houses, which are more spacious. I'm not sure if we've visited all nine huts and houses inside the village because it was getting harder to climb up the stone steps and steep pathways. It was drizzling when we got there and the steps are slippery and bit dangerous. Also, we saw some campsites at the top of the village. Since it was still pretty early, we steered clear of the campers as to not disturb them.
The huts in the village are named after where they came from. There are also explanations of their culture and traditions. There is also what they call the Bugnay hut which they used as a gallery for more Cordilleran art, and lodges. Yes! You can stay their and experience life in an authentic village life. If I remember correctly, an overnight stay in one of the huts is P1,000.
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| Fertility Hut |
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| One of the huts used for lodging |
There are a lot of things to do inside the village. Aside from visiting each hut, there are other activities like going on camping and setting up a bonfire. There are sketching workshops and sketching sessions with the village artists. Sometimes they hold a cultural show showcasing different Cordilleran artworks. They also have multiple galleries for viewing.
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Unfortunately, we were not able to get our pictures sketched because there was no artists during our visit. :( Instead, we ordered snack at their village cafe and gallery. And because it is a gallery, taking pictures of the art is not allowed.
The cafe was simple and native; the table and chairs were all made of wood. Though, there is an annoying amount of flies in the area.
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| Tam-awan Village Cafe history |
We ordered their fries which was the best fries I've tasted, by the way. I don't really know what's the difference between the fries I've tasted on fancier restaurants but the Tam-awan Cafe fries just tastes...unquestionably potato. Or is it? Haha!
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| Tam-awan Fries |
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BenCab Museum
Our next stop was at the BenCab Museum. BenCab is along Km. 6 Asin Road which is far from the city so there was a slight difficulty coming to and leaving from the museum. The fog was gradually thickening when we got there so, we got a glimpse of the gorgeous forest at the back of the museum.
The entrance to the museum is P100 per person and naturally, the taking of photographs is only allowed for personal use. Beside the entrance is the museum shop where you can purchase hand-woven bags and purses. There are also a lot of wood-crafted bulols and tribe warriors you can buy as a souvenir. A bit pricey, though; the Baguio City Market can offer you a variety of choices which are much cheaper.
The museum features paintings from a lot of our esteemed artists and of BenCab himself. There are also a room for modern art, erotic art, and print photography. Aside from the diverse forms of art from across different artists, another noteworthy element is the beautiful garden and duck pond at the back of the museum looking over a ravine.
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