#sagada

Somewhere between peaks and peace 🍃

In my ttrpg The Burning of the Pines, Sagduyan is a remote town nestled deep within the Cordillera mountains, over eight hours by car from Metro Manila. It is a setting defined by its isolation, its layered history of resistance, and a looming sense of inevitable tragedy.

The town’s history is a blend of indigenous survival and colonial imposition. Its people are descended from Ilocanos fleeing Spanish conquistadores and Austronesian-speaking seafarers. Unlike much of Luzon, Sagduyan saw very little Spanish influence, remaining relatively autonomous until the arrival of American missionaries and teachers around 1905, who established the town’s first school and gothic-style church.

In the 20th century, the town became a site of political and environmental conflict. In 1948, a copper mining project began polluting the Benlag River, the town's main water source. Later, in 1974, the community resisted the Macopa Dam Project, which led to the flooding of several areas and escalated into hostilities following the murder of a local community leader. This history of tension culminated in the Sagduyan Tragedy of 1983, an event officially recorded as a landslide but alleged by survivors to be a government-led massacre intended to contain an outbreak of Blindfold Syndrome.

The geography and architecture of Sagduyan reflect its cultural duality:

Cultural and Religious Sites: The Sagduyan Shrine is a traditional indigenous longhouse dedicated to the deity Bugan and managed by the Pawid clan. In contrast, the St. Bernard Evangelical Church is an unambiguously American building with a gothic architectural style.

The Hanging Coffins: Embedded into limestone cliffs, these coffins follow the native belief of placing the deceased in a fetal position to bring them closer to the sky.

Natural Landscape: The Winston Hills offer a famous view of the Sea of Clouds. However, the landscape is also marked by Sal-eng Pass, a narrow mountain road that serves as the only entrance or exit for the town and was historically used as a military choke point.

Hidden and Abandoned Areas: On the outskirts lie abandoned schoolhouses that once served as World War II campsites for American soldiers; these structures secretly house a military facility. Stone fences throughout the forest mark the boundaries of long-standing clan wars over territory.

The physical and social environment of Sagduyan is inseparable from the game's central mystery. The town’s physical isolation via Sal-eng Pass ensures that the characters are trapped once the military or the disease takes hold.

The setting is most potently felt through Blindfold Syndrome, a rare condition endemic to the town triggered by grief, stress, or trauma. This syndrome causes progressive blindness and memory loss, pushing victims toward extreme violence. The Pine-burning Festival, a summer tradition where families burn pine needles to guide the dead with sweet-smelling smoke, is the backdrop for the story, providing a cover for murders and a ritualistic atmosphere for the unfolding tragedy.

So we made a little attempt at something new, a YouTube channel, mainly to document our travels. 🤍Nothing grand, just soft travels, the way we see things, the way we feel them.

Feb 12-15, 2026.

Days and dates said whomst.

Disconnected. Foggy.

Got inked by Apo Whang-od in Buscalan.

Cold mornings in Sagada, shushed by people seen (and unseen 👀)

Rice Terraces very un-book like.

My trip to Sagada felt like stepping into a place where time slows down and the heart finally breathes. The cool mornings, quiet mountains, and golden sunsets made every moment feel soft and comforting, almost like the calm Cup of Joe sings about in “Sagada.” Just like the song, the journey became a gentle escape, a reminder that distance can heal, silence can speak, and sometimes a change in scenery is exactly what the soul needs. Sagada wasn’t just a destination—it became a feeling I’ll carry with me, long after the echoes of the song fade.

SAGADA, KUNG SAAN LAHAT AY ISINIGAW

Muli akong bumalik sa Sagada matapos ang dalawang taon. Pero ngayon… iba na. Hindi na lang ako bisita—kundi isang kalahok, isang taong may dalang pangalan, pangarap, at kaba na hindi ko masabi kanino, kaya sa hangin ko na lang ibinulong.

HRAB competition. Tour packaging. Tour guiding. Simpleng salita, pero sa puso ko, parang bigat ng lumang maleta na puno ng pag-asang ilang taon ko nang dala-dala. Mahal ko kasi 'to. At sa apat na taon sa kolehiyo, ngayon lang ako totoong naramdaman na may direksyon ang bawat puyat, bawat takbo, bawat "kaya pa."

Dalawang araw namin nilibot ang Sagada. Dalawang araw ng pagod, puyat, at pakikipaghabulan sa bagyo. Parang sinusubok kami— kung gaano namin kagustong tumayo, magpatuloy, at magpanggap na okay kahit ang lamig parang may sariling paraan para tumagos sa loob ng dibdib.

Pero kahit hindi madali, naitawid namin. Dahil kailangan. Dahil gusto. Dahil may presentasyon kaming kailangang gawing “smooth” kahit kami mismo… hindi.

At pagkatapos ng lahat, nung tumahimik na ang hangin, nung natuyo na ang sapatos, at nung unti-unting bumalik ang kulay ng langit, napagtanto ko: Kahit ilang ulit, babalikan ko talaga ang Sagada.

Hindi dahil maganda. Hindi dahil kilala. Hindi dahil kailangan sa competition. Kundi dahil doon, sa pagitan ng lamig at katahimikan, parang may sariling paraan ang Sagada para buuin ang mga sirang parte mo— yung pisikal na pagod, yung mental na gulo, yung emosyon na matagal mo nang tiniklop.