Sights in North Luzon
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Crisologo Museum
The Crisologos, Vigan’s most prominent political dynasty, have also converted their ancestral home into a strange but interesting family shrine, the Crisologo Museum. In addition to the usual fare of books, photos and other personal items, there is the old Chevy that Governor Carmeling Crisologo was in when she was ambushed in 1961. She survived, but her husband, Floro, a long-time congressman, was not so lucky when he was attacked in a church in 1970. There are a few lurid photos of the killing, and the blood-stained pants he was wearing are preserved in a glass case. The 1st-floor sala is kept mostly as it was when it was occupied, and contains several pieces of colon…
reviewed
-
A
Camp John Hay
Formerly a US military rest-and-recreation facility, 246-hectare Camp John Hay has been reinvented as a mountain resort with restaurants, hotels, shops and a fantastic golf course sprinkled amid rolling hills and stands of Benguet pines. Worth a visit is the Historical Core with the attractively landscaped Bell Amphitheatre and some walking trails. Nearby is the unique Choco-laté de Batriol restaurant. There’s a nice panorama from the Mile High viewpoint; the Butterfly Sanctuary is also worth a look. It’s free to enter Camp John Hay, although modest admission fees apply to some sights.
reviewed
-
Padre José Burgos National Museum
Built in 1788, the Padre José Burgos National Museum is in the ancestral home of Father José Burgos, one of the three martyr priests executed by the Spanish in 1872. It houses an extensive collection of Ilocano artefacts, including a series of 14 paintings by the locally famed painter Don Esteban Villanueva depicting the 1807 Basi Revolt. Weavings, Tingguian (Itneg) jewellery, musical instruments, pottery, and farming and fishing implements are also on display.
reviewed
-
Syquia Mansion
The Syquia Mansion on Quirino Blvd was recently turned into a museum filled with old furniture and exhibits dedicated to the life of Vigan native Elpidio Quirino, the Philippines’ sixth president. Quirino was born in the nearby provincial jail, where his mother worked. He rose to political prominence after marrying into the fabulously wealthy Syquia family.
reviewed
-
Museum of Cordillera Sculpture
The Museum of Cordillera Sculpture, located next to Spring Village Inn, has a fabulous collection of bulol and other Ifugao woodcarvings, including some rare originals. There are also some fascinating old books that you can read, including a 1912 National Geographic on Ifugao head-hunters.
reviewed
-
Baguio Mountain Provinces Museum
The collection of Cordillera artefacts at the Baguio Mountain Provinces Museum isn’t quite as impressive, but the museum also has a compelling exhibition on the history of Baguio, with some superb old photos and placards chronicling the city’s role in WWII. There’s also one Kabayan mummy on display.
reviewed
-
Julia Campbell Agroforest Memorial Park
In barangay Pula in the town of Asipulo, a 48-hectare organic coffee forest has been turned into the Julia Campbell Agroforest Memorial Park. Julia Campbell was a US Peace Corps volunteer whose murder at the hands of a local man on the main trail to Batad in April 2007 shocked the country.
reviewed
-
St Paul Cathedral
The St Paul Cathedral was built in 'earthquake baroque' style (ie thick-walled and massive) after an earlier incarnation was damaged by two quakes in 1619 and 1627. The construction of the original wooden, thatched church is believed to have been supervised by Salcedo himself in 1574.
reviewed
-
B
St Louis University Museum
The excellent St Louis University Museum, in the basement of the campus library, is run by Ike Picpican, one of the country’s foremost authorities on the history and culture of the Cordillera people. Free tours end with participatory native-instrument jam sessions.
reviewed
-
Tam-Awan Village
Eight traditional Ifugao homes and two rare octagonal Kalinga huts were taken apart and reassembled at this artists’ village on the northwest edge of the city. On a clear day you can see the South China Sea, hence the name Tam-awan, which means ‘vantage point’.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
St Paul Cathedral
This church was built in ‘earthquake baroque’ style (ie thick-walled and massive) after an earlier incarnation was damaged by two quakes in 1619 and 1627. The construction of the original wooden, thatched church is believed to have been supervised by Salcedo himself in 1574.
reviewed
-
Museo San Pablo
The Museo San Pablo, in St Paul Cathedral, has a religious theme and is a good place to see old santos (religious statues). The photo collection of a German pharmacist who lived in Vigan for a number of years in the late 1800s also deserves a look.
reviewed
-
Ganduyan Museum
The Ganduyan Museum contains a wealth of sculptures, jewellery and other Kankanay artefacts. Be sure to chat to owner Christina Aben, who is a fountain of information about local culture and history. Ganduyan is the traditional Kankanay name for Sagada.
reviewed
-
Timbac Caves
The best-preserved mummies are in the Timbac Caves. Located about 1200m above Kabayan proper, these are Kabayan’s most sacred caves, and locals customarily make offerings of gin and pinikpikan before entering them.
reviewed
-
Balatoc Mine
At the abandoned Balatoc Mine, you can don helmet and headlamp, board an underground train and pretend you're a miner. To get there take an Acupan-Balatoc jeepney from Harrison Rd near the Burnham Hotel (around P18, 30 minutes).
reviewed
-
C
Bell Church
The Bell Church consists of several ornate, pagoda-roofed temples near the border of Baguio and La Trinidad. The priests here have one foot in Taoism and a couple of toes in Christianity.
reviewed
-
Banaue Museum
The Banaue View Inn runs the Banaue Museum, which contains books written decades ago by anthropologist Otley Beyer and Igorot artefacts collected by his son William.
reviewed
