Challengingly Sweet Journey to Licuan-Baay, Abra

“No complaints. I am loving it not that I want to do it so that I have something to write but because it activates my brain cells to think, analyze and think again.”

And the memorable journey to the remote Cordillera town of Licuan-Baay continues. Taking the main road, it is Licuan at my left side and Baay at the right. Do not be confused, because Licuan and Baay are two recognized subdivisions of the town but these two subdivisions join together as one to form the town of Licuan-Baay. It is a unique case for such a town in the Philippines.

I just have seen the Chocolate Mountains and I am still at the back of the pick-up that I enjoyed the most while traveling along a road that might become impassable during heavy rains. But never mind about that because I have learned many things in this town. In the long run, the main reason why I travel is not really to relax, but to learn and discover. Our life is an unending course syllabus and the places we go are unlimited sources of knowledge.

As I continue the journey, I wondered how the people survive in this town and their strategies to survive in a remote town like this is another lesson worth studying for. I live in the city where trade, commerce and financial institutions thrive so for this subject, I must say I am dumb yet. I know studying these strategies requires living in this town. However, a day trip to Baay already gave me many information and it surely did gave additional knowledge to me.

I don’t mind the effort reaching the place because our life is a matter of adaptation. If you can adapt with what is uneasy, then moving to an easier life would be a bonus. It is your edge because you have been trained to dwell in a simpler town. That is, the townsmen of Baay are more resilient in terms of rural survival and that is their edge. They are well-trained to adapt to such situation and as I was saying, it is another life lesson we might want to learn.

And it was undeniably a long off-road riding. No complaints. I am loving it not that I want to do it so that I have something to write but because it activates my brain cells to think, analyze and think again. It keeps the brain functioning. Everything I see was a great subject to think on.

A lot of questions linger in my mind. It was a jigsaw puzzle on how could I reconcile the things. Why the mountains are brown? Why eucalyptus trees are planted atop the hills? How do the people mine gold? How often they go to market to shop? How does the road look like when it is raining? How come there’s gold in those mountains? Uh… endless questions. It keeps my brain functioning. Visiting this town is a quest for knowledge.

My trip to the town is indeed unforgettable. I am just lucky that I was allowed to hitch on a car for free. Everytime I share my experiences to my friends and relatives, they would say “Nagtured kan! (You’re brave!)” – thinking about the bad publicity people hear about Abra. But that’s not the point. Abra has a different side that people overlook onto. It is a province where hidden natural wonders are left untouched (or less explored at least), thus, the original beauty may remain.

I am still at the back and I asked someone beside me if we’re near. The man who is a resident of the town and who was with me said, “We’re near,” and after an hour, we’re still on the road. So that is how he defines near. Just imagine how huge the size of this mountain town is, that the time you have to consume traveling within the town speaks about hours. Well, this is the case at the Baay side and going to the barangays of Licuan side is another story. Huge town!

I can sense that we are gradually descending and at a point, I am now seeing a river streaming down the valley. Yup! We’re heading to a valley which is the heart of the Baay side. There are schools and houses already — a community veiled by the mountains!

So I reached the heart of Baay – very raw! [Almost] everything I see is a work of nature. The brown mountains have turned green. The place is very laid back yet nostalgic. It feels like I am really lost!

The shallow river is teaming with natural resources. At the banks of the river is an edible fern called pacpaco and a main stay river fish called palileng. These are gifts of nature that the people of Baay are harvesting.

A mini-waterfall along the road

Crossing the river

Pacpaco or Paco (Pako) – the edible fern I ate in Baay

…reached the town under a beautiful sunny weather

…met the town mayor, Hon. Christopher Millare (middle) at his house

For security and safety purposes

For self-defense purposes, lols!

Finally, finally, finally. I have reached the heart of Baay. I have endured the exhausting ride but it was all of worth because of the new discoveries I learned.

But wait, the sweet journey isn’t over yet because I have to leave the house of the mayor for a separate adventure. Sharing my experience going to that surprise destination might make this blog post a multi-chapter book so I am omitting it. For the second time, I have to trek without a footwear again. I have to do it because my guide did it so I thought it was a must. Below is my guide trekking in barefoot. To be continued…

My guide, trekking in barefoot

Location of Licuan-Baay, Abra on Map

Click the map above to load all posts about Licuan-Baay or you can follow the series below:

Licuan-Baay series: Part 1 | Part 2 | You are Reading Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

EDMARATION etc Copyright2011

Licuan-Baay: an Introduction to the Town-of-Gold

“The scope of Licuan-Baay is extensive and expansive. You need to get a guide beforehand who is familiar enough of the town. Reaching the barangays and communities of the Tingguian (Itneg) people is tricky”

I got this opportunity to visit another town in Abra called Licuan-Baay. I would say it is a remote town with communities hiding within those seemingly endless range of brown mountains covered with grasses like the Chocolate Hills type. The town is literally a town-of-gold because it has gold deposits and those golden wealth are being extracted by the residents of the town through small-scale mining activities.

Brown Mountain Ranges

When I first heard about the town, I was thinking it was made up of two towns fused together but they are actually one since. Interestingly, the town is actually divided into two (2) unofficial districts called Licuan and Baay. The other side of those towering mountains is Baay and the other one is Licuan. I was able to explore more of the Baay side.

Reaching and Exploring (the town): Citing the Difference

Exploring the town is not as easy as eating ripe mangoes. If you are a solo traveler wanting to do it solo is a suicidal attempt so please spare this place if you are brokenhearted. Yes, I have done several solo travels that require trekking and hiking and I would say those were just easy compared to how I reached the inner communities of the town.

Going to Licuan-Baay didn’t require me to trek and hike (at most) and you think it was easy? Nope. I was even given a chance to ride on a decent car courtesy of some kind people of Abra but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have to experience exhaustion.

Ok, let’s say it this way. You can actually reach the town via the Kalinga-Abra road easy because the said road is paved and improvement is under way. But you will just stick to what you can see at the highway which are mountain ranges and nothing but mountains. I tell you, the beauty of the town is hidden behind, in between and beneath those mountains talking about protected caves and subterranean rivers.

‘Reaching’ Licuan-Baay via Kalinga-Abra Road

So to make the visit to this town worth it, I really want to use the cliche word explore and ‘reaching’ the town is different from ‘exploring’ the town. 

If you are a first timer, you can not simply rely to your maps and GPS even if you have your own car if you want to try the word explore solo.

You need a guide, I tell you, you need a guide. You can not get a guide in town at instant. The scope of Licuan-Baay is extensive and expansive. You need to get a guide beforehand who is familiar enough of the town. Reaching the barangays and communities of the Tingguian (Itneg) people is tricky.

‘Exploring’ the town is a whole different story

So now you know the big gap of difference of reaching and exploring the town and you will learn more if you will keep an eye to my Licuan-Baay series. 

The people are specific about their location if they are from Baay or Licuan. But as I was saying, Licuan-Baay is a single town with two major unofficial subdivisions. The seat of the municipal government is located at the Licuan side while the schools and the house of the town mayor is located at the Baay side.

The town and the people

Tingguian Elders in Baay

Licuan-Baay is a town of around 4000 people which belong to the Tingguian tribe (or Itneg bloodline). Like other towns in Abra, the people of Licuan-Baay speak their own Itneg dialect while Ilocano is spoken when they go to the capital town of Bangued.

I got the chance to meet the people of the Baay side and met some of the amazing Tingguian elders in Brgy. Bulbulala. They don’t wear traditional tribal clothes and they are just like us. But one thing that makes them unique and identifiable to others is their Itneg dialect.

The Itneg people who are educated can speak Ilocano, English and Filipino too. I am just talking about the dialect here. I know there are more with regards to their culture, practices and customs but to understand that, it requires that I have to live with them in a considerable length of time. Of course, I don’t want to talk as if I am very familiar of their tribe.

They are great people! Very warm, very kind, very hospitable and welcoming!

Baay National High School

The town has 11 huge barangays and I was able to visit 3 of them called Nalbuan, Bulbulala and Tumalip and a sitio called Tubong.

The three barangays are just wonderful. I was welcomed with great food, great sceneries and of course  warm people.

Teens in Nalbuan killing time at this foot bridge

Old House in Bulbulala

Exotic Food in Sitio Tubong (Tab-Tabba)

Fresh Highland Buko in Tumalip

Rice fields in Bulbulala

I have a lot of experiences to share. I was welcomed by the peaceful scenes in Nalbuan, encountered an exotic food in Sitio Tubong, I got to see old houses in Bulbulala and taste a fresh highland buko in Tumalip.

I know this will take me long so I have to cut my Licuan-Baay adventures into series.

Town of Gold

Mt. Cap-Cappo, the mountain of Gold

One of the most notable landmarks in Licuan-Baay, Abra is probably this mountain that seems to have no life. I mean, it does not have vegetation, it is barren and looks dangerous. 

But I would erase my previous statement that it has no life because it actually gives life. It gives livelihood, or source of income to the people by giving them the golden opportunity, that is, to extract the gold therein via small-scale mining.

Another golden mountain

The photo above is another golden mountain that used to be the favorite place for gold-diggers like a large-scale mining firm. 

The town mayor said that this mountain used to be ‘bald’ and has craters due to the large-scale mining activities but now has recovered when the firm stopped extracting golds there.

To date, only small-scale mining activities are allowed there and the people of Licuan-Baay mainly benefit from it.

So now? I am not yet done! I have a lot of discoveries and stories to share in this mountain town. 

Map of Abra showing the location of Licuan-Baay

Licuan-Baay Brown Mountains, one of the many things to expect

How I was able to reach and explore this mountain town is a long story. This is just an introduction and I have more overflowing stories to share.

So what to expect and see in the town? There are plenty of them not yet mentioned in this intro post. Expect butt-numbing off-road adventures and liquid wonders. To be continued…

Licuan-Baay Series: You are Reading Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

EDMARATION etc Copyright2011