Conservationists urge tourists to skip Sagada during Holy Week

Conservationists Ivan Henares, the president of the Heritage Conservation Society, and Tracey Santiago, head of secretariat of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines, are encouraging tourists to be more gentle with Sagada and avoid going to the mountain community this upcoming Holy Week.

On his Facebook account, Henares posted a photo captioned, "Sagada is fully-booked this Holy Week! Kung may balak kayo pumunta, pakiusap, huwag niyo na ituloy. Sa ibang araw na kayo humugot. Maawa na tayo sa local community."

According to Henares, the water supply meant for the rice terraces is diverted for the tourists' use.

Santiago, who works directly with the locals of Sagada, wrote reminders and tips for those planning to go up to the community. The article, "That Place Called Sagada," was posted on Henares' site on March 20.

Santiago said she noticed that ever since the film "That Thing Called Tadhana" became a hit, more and more tourists have been flocking to Sagada. The film featured Sagada's Mt. Kiltepan, where Angelica Panganiban's character Mace shouted at the top of her lungs in an attempt to express her brokenhearted-ness.

"Unfortunately, not everyone will experience the same scene, especially when you’re side by side with 200 other people at Mt. Kiltepan also wanting to do what Mace did," Santiago wrote.

Sagada is often seen as a destination for those who are nursing broken hearts or soul searching. But Santiago said that this image is far from Sagada's reality.

"Traffic along the roads and inside the caves, long queues in restaurants, water problem in hostels are just a few realities during holidays, long weekends, and summer weekends in Sagada. With the great number of tourists going to Sagada, chances are you will encounter your ex-lover and the new boy or girl during your trip," she wrote.



Responsible tourism

The conservationists stress that they are not discouraging people from ever visiting the town. Instead, they are pushing for responsible tourism.

Santiago listed ways how people can enjoy Sagada while preserving its essence:

Go during the off-peak season. It's better to avoid traveling all the way up to the community on a holiday or a long weekend, she said.

Take the bus and walk, instead of bringing a private vehicle. "Imagine 1,000 other tourists thinking of bringing their private vehicles or joining a van full of tourists through travel agencies in a place where there are no wide roads and parking areas. These private vehicles and vans owned by travel agencies are Sagada’s biggest problems nowadays. Sagada is just a small town that cannot accommodate so many vehicles," she said.

Respect local traditions. Sagada has its own history and culture. Tourists should observe the proper decorum, especially when going to sacred burial places, so as not to offend the town's residents. "Wearing scanty clothes are offensive to locals, especially the elders, so dress appropriately. Caves and mountains are sacred burial places, so treat [them] with utmost respect by not shouting or singing out loud inside," Santiago said. — BM, GMA News