Location: Maligcong, Bontoc, Mountain Province, Philippines
Highly intimate encounter with Maligcong Rice Terraces
The first time, I experienced to set foot in Maligcong Rice Terraces was when I have my 2-day Twin Hike tour package of Mount Kupapey Climb and Mount Fato Climb. On the first day, I saw this terraces at a distance while in our Chen's Homestay accommodation and while at the summit of Mount Fato. But it was during the second day that after viewing the terraces from an elevation 1,647 MASL summit of Mount Kupapey, in our descent back to the jump-off point, we really experienced walking on its massive terraces.
Just descended from the jump-off point of Sitio Fang-orao
Walking through the terraces heading to Sitio Favarey
After our Twin-Peak Climb of Kupapey and Fato, I asked our guide, David Rome Chumacog if there is a possibility that I can have more climbs in Maligcong for a solo climb where I will get him as my guide. He offered to me the Maligcong Penta Climb to include: Mount Kupapey, Mount Lakipan, Mount Matuon, Mount Chumanegcheg, and Mount Amfungotngor, which we did and this post is just a part of that Penta climb.
Approaching Sitio Favarey
While I stayed in Sitio Favuyan of Barangay Maligcong where Chen's Homestay is located, David Rome has to drove me Sitio Fang-orao where the jump-off point of Maligcong Rice Terraces is located. All transport vehicles stop there since the road ends there. And visitors have to do the trekking to go to Sitio Favarey and beyond. Sitio Fang-orao is one of the sitios of Barangay Maligcong, a rural community of mountain village. It has 235 households who rely on primary farming and rice terrace agriculture. It is connected via community footpaths and communal irrigation projects linked to Padkil Creek. Its area is just a part of the 1,500 hectares total land area of Barangay Maligcong.
The view of Maligcong Rice Terraces before ascending to Mount Matuon
After passing thru Sitio Favarey, I had a 45-minute trek heading to the jump-off point of Mount Matuon. This time, I am closer the rice terraces on the mountain slopes. Sitio Favarey is one of the oldest upland settlements and sitios comprising the Maligcong Rice Terraces. It has no direct road network and is accessible only via foot trails from neighboring sitios like Favuyan. Its precise headcounts of households are unavailable, but travel and local documentation note that the population is small and gradually declining as younger generations migrate to urban centers for work, leaving a tight-knit community or traditional Cordilleran households and elders.
Another captured scenery before ascending to Mount Matuon
It took us more than 3 hours to complete our trek and summiting to Mount Matuon and Mount Lakipan. We did these two climbs on the second day of my Maligcong Penta Climb. I also have separate blog posts for Mount Matuon and Mount Lakipan climbs.
The view as we ascend Mount Lakipan
As I descended closer to the terraces base
Countdown of terraces to the base
I thought that we are heading to the base of terraces, but I was wrong since from there, we still have to trek down and even have to trek longer back to Sitio Favarey. So, it was just like a circuit. Coming from the jump-off point of Sitio Fang-orao, a trek to Sitio Favarey then to the foot of Mount Matuon then to Mount Lakipan and on the descent, the trail is going back to Sitio Favarey and back to Sitio Fang-orao.
Heading back to Sitio Favarey
From Sitio Favarey, we can now see the Sitio Fang-orao, but don't be misled as it still takes a long trek strutting and balancing on top of narrow terraces which are wet and at times slippery.
Getting closer to Sitio Favarey
Still a 15-minute trek to Sitio Favarey
This is already close to Sitio Fang-orao
From Sitio Favarey to Sitio Fang-orao is an 20-minute trek. The slippery trail of terraces slowed my motion. From Sitio Fang-orao, we boarded a motor cycle back to my accommodation at Chen's Homestay. I was back at the accommodation at around 9:15 A.M. just timely to clean-up and had an early lunch. I checked out at 11:00 A.M. as it is their policy. It took me more than an hour to have a jeepney down to Bontoc town proper, since the jeep has to be filled with passengers before it leaves. My bus trip to Manila was at 3:45 P.M.
TOUR GUIDE RATE
The guide is P500 per destination for a ratio of 1 is to 5 pax. So, if for one day, there are 3 destinations visited, then, it will be P1,500.
ACCOMMODATION, MEAL RATES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEE
The accommodation at Chen's Homestay is P500 per person for a day, while kids is charged at half or P250 per person. Meal per order is P250. However, the guests can cooked their food and they charge P500 per day using all the cooking, dining wares and all cutlery items. Coffee is free. There is an environmental fee of P60 per head.
HOW TO GO TO BONTOC AND CHEN'S HOMESTAY (PUBLIC TRANSPORT)
- Take a Coda Bus Liner from Cubao (Quezon City of Metro Manila) to Bontoc of Mountain Province for a fare which varies from P900 or US$14.69 to P1,200 or US$19.59 one way with a travel duration of 10-11 hours. The final destination of this bus is to Sagada, but you need to alight in Bontoc town proper.
- From Bontoc Commercial Center, usually parked along Capital Road behind the public market or in front of Pines Kitchenette and Inn, take a jeepney to Maligcong where your drop-off point is Favuyan (the lower/main area near most homestays) for P50 or US$0.81. The travel time is roughly 30 to 45 minutes along scenic, uphill road. Jeepneys leave when full, with standard intervals typically scheduled around 8:00 AM, 12:00 NN, 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM.
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