Travel Guide to Buscalan, Kalinga,

Philippines
1 Posted by Potpot ﾧ
2
3 8025 Views
4
5 March 6th, 2014
6
7 in Destinations ﾧ, Philippines ﾧ
8
9 7 Comments
ﾧ

Buscalan is a small baranggay up in the mountains of Kalinga in Northern Philippines. It

is a small and secluded community and can only be reached through narrow trails on
steep mountain slopes. Buscalan is the homeland of the Butbut Tribe, once known as
fierce headhunters among the Cordillera groups of people. But this practice has long been
discontinued. It has recently gained tourism favors because of its respected elder Apo
Whang-od who holds the recognition as the oldest and last surviving traditional Kalinga
tattoo artist.

With the recent grounding of Florida Line’s ﾧ fleet of buses from Manila to Bontoc (as of
March 6, 2014), travelers are only left with 2 options: via Tabuk-Tinglayan and via
Baguio-Bontoc.

Tabuk Route (from Manila)

ﾧ

Take Victory Liner bound for Tabuk from Kamias station in Quezon City. There are also
stations in Pasay and Sampaloc. For further information, please refer to Victory Liner
Webpage ﾧ or you may call +63 2 9207396.

Tabuk bound buses leave at 7:00PM and 7:25PM. I am personally recommending the
7:45PM trip because the bus has an onboard comfort room. Fare is about P680.

Manila to Tabuk is approximately 466 kilometers or about 11 hours on the road (with a
few stopovers in Nueva Vizcaya).
ETA in Bulanao, Tabuk is around 5:00AM. Get off infront of St. William’s Church. Note
that it is too early for the first trip to Tinglayan. You may want to use this time for early
breakfast.

There is no fixed terminal for Tinglayan jeepneys and mini-buses but you can find them
along the national highway, a few walks from the church. First trip normally leaves at
7:00AM. This takes about 2 hours on long winding road. Prepare anti-dizziness tabs
especially if you’re toploading.

Look for the mini-bus or jeepney that goes to Bontoc. Make sure you drop off in Mar-u in
Barangay Bugnay. Fare is about P120.

Mar-u, is exactly where the 1st leg of the trail to what they call as Turning Point begins.
The easier but longer trail is through that paved road about 5 kilometers uphill. Best to
take this route going up. The marker is a wooden gate. The shorter way is through the
dugout steps on the sides of the mountain. This is about 2-kilometer steep climb. Ask the
locals where to pass. Drivers know where Mar-u is. Best to take this route coming down.

From the turning point starts the long walk to Buscalan. This takes about 2-3 hours
depending on your stamina and leg strength. Take a slow walk. Whang-od can see you
from her village on the other side of the mountain.

If you missed the Bontoc schedule, take the next trip out but this will only take you to
Tinglayan Proper. Fare is only P100.

From the poblacion in Tinglayan, you may negotiate for single motorcycles to bring you
to the Turning Point. Travel time is approximately 1 hour. Fare is no more than P300.

Be careful, there are a lot of motorcycle drivers that will take advantage. Do not pay them
the full amount in advance. The modus here is they will suggest a quick stop over in
Basao for the view of Mt. Patukan commonly called Sleeping Beauty. Before you leave,
they will adjust the air lock of the tires and when it starts to deflate along the way, they
will get you off near Mar-u and will let you walk about 8 kilometers more. When you
negotiate, make sure you tell them that you know what they usually do to uninitiated
tourists. This should warn them. This happened to us because we purposely alighted in
Tinglayan to see more of it. Good- hearted Butbuts along the way saved us.
 Baguio-Bontoc Route

ﾧ
Victory Liner leaves every hour from its stations in Cubao and Pasay. Check the web for
schedule and fare matrix here ﾧ.

Genesis Joybus ﾧ in Cubao Station leaves Manila to Baguio as early as 3AM. Check their
website for further details on schedule and fare
http://www.genesistransport.com.ph/gtsi/schedules.html

Manila to Baguio is 396 kilometers or about 6 hours. Baguio to Bontoc is 146 kilometers
or about 5-6 hours.

Lizardo/GL Bus Lines, Dangwa Bus, Rising Sun Bus leaves Baguio Dangwa Terminal
every hour but only until 3PM the latest. Fare is about P220.

From Bontoc, take the jeepney or mini-buses bound for Tabuk or Tinglayan. Make sure to
get off in Bugnay.

Coming Down From Buscalan

ﾧ

Make sure you get down as early as 6:30am to catch the jeepneys or buses that pass
through Mar-u going to Bontoc or Tabuk. It’s better to be early as there is really no fixed
schedule.

What to Expect?

Toploading or to sit on the roof of the jeepneys/mini-buses is frequent especially among

men as a courtesy to the elderly, women and children.
The jeepneys normally move around Tabuk to pick-up grocery items before it finally
heads out.

Bring lots of candies for children. Adults would appreciate if you gift them basic
medicines, bread, matches and candles. Do this discreetly as it’s hard to refuse when your
supplies run out.

Bring enough food but be ready to share it with your host family.

There is only 1 store there that sells noodles and sardines but it is really very expensive.

Expect that you will be sold fresh Arabica coffee at P100 per pack or knives at P200.
Please support our indigenous people’s other sources of income.

There is already electricity in Buscalan.

Expect to be disconnected from the world. No cellphone signal anywhere.

Your host family may prepare food taken from their backyard. Be ready to be served with
farmland frogs, miskitu (tiny fish from the ricefield) or just bland mung beans.

Bring bottled water. This is a must!

I was lucky to arrive without any tourist on the day of my tattoo session. It means I did
not have to queue. Otherwise, you may have to extend another day. Whang-od usually
starts the session in the morning and ends shortly after lunch or depending on her mood.

What They Expect From You?

To be respectful of their culture and traditions is on top of the things they expect from
visitors.

Be ready to be challenged to live the Kalinga way. They sometimes bring you to the rice
paddies to plant the stalks.

Always keep the area peaceful. Avoid noise. Buscalan is not a party place. You might be
sent immediately down even at the wee hours of the night.

Whang-od expects you to pay for your tattoo. As a courtesy, do not ever ask for the price
first. Always anticipate that price starts from P500 to P3000 depending on the size of
your tattoo.

Whang-od expects that you have not drunk alcohol or taken drugs before you get inked.
This is SOP, unless you want to pass out during the process of tattooing.

Bring your trash as you leave Buscalan.

Where to stay?

Many homes in Buscalan are offered to tourists for P150-P200 per person per day. Don’t
ever expect to sleep on a mattress.

Charlie Pan-oy at 09981888697 runs a simple home stay type inn for P250 per person.
He has his own Toilet and Bath.

Whang-od’s house is also open to accommodate you. Grace, her future successor also
offers her home for tourists.
There is no need to panic on accommodations, there’s more room for everyone.

Not every home has a private toilet and bath. There’s a communal bath near the
basketball court or you may wish to take a dip in the waterfalls.

If your host family does not have a toilet, you may request to use Charlie’s toilet or some
other homes like Apo’s and Grace’s.

Are guides and translators needed?

ﾧ

Honestly, you can trek to Buscalan even without a guide. As soon as you reach the
turning point, you will only need to follow the trail. There is only 1 road that leads to the
village.

There are also kids in the public high school area near the turning point that goes home to
Buscalan every afternoon. You might just want to give them a little tip.

If you arrive early in the turning point, there is always someone going up to the village.
They’d be more willing to share the trail with you.

If you want to trek farther in Loccong or to the waterfalls, the kids will guide you.

Should you really wish to get a guide, you may request Charlie Pan-oy at 09981888697.

Translators are not needed because most of the younger people there can speak Filipino
or English. Grace speaks fluently in Filipino and she is majoring in English from a school
in Tabuk. Apo Whang-od also speaks and understands a smattering of Filipino.

How many days are needed to complete the trip?

ﾧ

3 days, 4 nights including travel time (most recommended)

1st night – departure from Manila to Tabuk or Baguio

1st day – travel from Tabuk or Baguio-Bontoc to Buscalan

2nd night – explore the village or chitchat with the villagers

2nd day – queue for tattoo; explore the village

3rd night – spend a bonfire with your hosts

3rd day – leave early for Tabuk or Bontoc

4th night – travel back to Manila

Best Gift to the Locals

ﾧ

Children – candies or donate educational toys in the school

Adults – hygiene kit especially toothbrush and toothpaste

Apo Whang-od – she likes to dress up with lots of ornaments

Grace – she is 17 years old, I suggest sanitary care or trinkets

Gifts are not needed but will be very appreciated. Else, be ready to share a joke, a dance
or a song.

-oOo-

Learn more about the Butbut Tribe here ﾧ.

Get to know more about Whang-od here ﾧ.

Know the redeemers of traditional tattoo here ﾧ.

Francis Pa-in is from Tinglayan and usually has guest meet him there, or stay there for a
night. Because he is form Tinglayan, he usually suggest you pass through Tinglayan.
This helps his community and the local economy. He has been guiding in the area for
over 20 years and can take you on multiple village treks.
Contact - +63 0915 769 0843

Kuya Charlie Pan-oy is a Buscalan local, his father is the vice mayor (or was at the time
of our visit), he has lots of relatives in the area and can help you out with anything you
need. Charlie and his relatives are all very accommodation and will take you on day trips
and hikes around the area, and provide history and cultural insight.

+63 0998 188 8697 and +63 0916 605 0430

Getting there:

There are a few different options

From Manila

Manila-Bontoc

Cable tours used to have a direct trip to Bontoc, however they were sold to Florida
Transport and the private sale was not authorized by the LTFRB, therefore they were
driving the route unauthorized. A Florida bus crashed Feb. 7, 2014 killing 14 people,
including artist, backpackers and foreign nationals, a Canadian and a Dutchman. The
route has since been suspended.

Manila-Baguio-Buntoc-Buscalan

Manila to Baguio bus:

You can get schedules for most bus companies and book online now @
https://www.pinoytravel.com.ph/
The good thing about this new site is that it lays out all the times and fees for all the bus
companies for the route you're searching, and all the different terminals so you don't have
to jump from site to site to choose the best bus company according to time and terminal.

Keep in mind, at this time, if you book online it has to be 3 days prior to your departure.

There are many options hourly throughout the course of the day. It's better you check
with one of the sites I've provided close to your desired travel day.

Victory Liner Bus 651 651 EDSA Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

1:00am Departure/ETA 6:00am (6 Hours) ₱ 455.00

Buses run every hour on the hour. ex: Next bus at 2:00am, 3:00am ect.

1:15am Departure/ETA 6:00am (5.45 Hours) ₱ 750 (First Class) Recommended

4 different times available throughout the day (24hrs).

Victory liner bus schedule:

http://www.victoryliner.com/ ☎ (02) 833-4403 (02) 833-5019 to 20 (Pasay)

https://www.pinoytravel.com.ph/

Victory Liner Bus

Genesis Transport 101-A Giselle Park Plaza, EDSA, corner Rotonda, Pasay.

12:00am Departure/EAT 8:00am (8 Hours) ₱ 456.00

Buses run every hour on the hour. ex: Next bus at 1:00am, 2:00am ect.

3:00am Departure/EAT 9:00am (6 Hours) ₱ 700.00 (JoyBus Deluxe)

5 different times available throughout the day (24hrs).

www.genesistransport.com.ph/ ☎(63) 2 253-3115 (Pasay)

https://www.pinoytravel.com.ph/

I recommend either the JoyBus, which is Genesis Transport's deluxe bus, or the First
Class bus with Victory Liner . I prefer to take the overnight bus and sleep on the bus. It
is a little more expensive, however it is faster because there is no traffic, it saves on
accommodation and you don't lose a day to travel.

Joy Bus
Via Baguio:

Baguio-Bontoc-Buscalan

D'Rising Sun D' Rising Sun Bus Terminal, Magsaysay Road. Check at the terminal for
times.

GL Lizardo Trans Buses depart 5am-1pm from the Dangwa Terminal, get there early.

Ticket booth opens at 5:30am, we arrived at 4:45am and there were already more than 30
people in front of us. There are only a few buses so don't take chances, get there early.
We were there during the holidays so it was busier than normal but by the time we left
there were hundreds of people waiting. They say first trip is at 6am but once the bus is
full they leave, and depending on the time of year there could be fewer buss.

Always confirm at the terminal.

You'll travel along the highest highway in the Philippines, Halsema Highway. The
Halsema highway was once considered one of the top ten most dangerous roads in the
world, and remains the most dangerous road in the Philippines and for good reason. The
highway zigzags up and down making it's way through the Cordillera Central mountain
range. Crazy bus drivers, fog, potential landslides, and breathtaking scenery make for an
exhilarating ride.
Via Bontoc

Bontoc-Buscalan

Go to the Sadanga Jeepney Terminal (map on right) on Bontoc-Tabuk road. There is a

jeep that goes directly to the "turning point" which is the end of the road to Buscalan, so
your hike is only 30 min. Alternatively take the jeep to Tinglayan or Bugnay, the start of
the path to Buscalan is just before the town of Bugnay. From here you hike up the road
to the "turning point" and follow the path to Buscalan.

Bugnay Proper

Via Tabuk

Manila-Tabuk-Bugnay-Buscalan

Victory Liner Kamias #766 EDSA corner East Avenue, Queon City.

8:45pm Departure/ETA 3:45am (7 Hours) ₱ 569.00

7:25pm Departure/ETA 2:25am (7 Hours) ₱ 680.00 (Deluxe)

8:45pm Departure/ETA 3:45am (7 Hours) ₱ 569.00

9:10pm Departure/ETA 4:10am (7 Hours) ₱ 569.00

Victory liner bus schedule:

http://www.victoryliner.com/ ☎ (02) 920-7396 (Kamias)

https://www.pinoytravel.com.ph/

Take a jeep to Bontoc or Tinglayan on Kalinga-Cagayan rd.

Jeeps and mini buses run regularly, that being said it is the Philippines and in small towns
they usually wait until the jeep is full before they leave.

Both routes will get you to Tinglayan, however only the Bontoc Jeep will take you to
Bugnay and the trail head, tell the jeep driver you want to jump out at the trail-head.

Alternatively you could head to Tinglayan, spend a few hours or a night and then continue
on to Bugnay.

Via Bunaue:

Manila-Bunaue-Bontoc-Buscalan
Ohayami Trans , Lacson Ave corner of Fajardo St, Sampaloc, Manila.

One trip per day and 2 trips per day in the peak season.

10:00pm Departure/ ETA7:00-7:30am (9-10 Hours) ₱ 470.00

9:00pm Departure/ETA 6:30-7:00am (9-10 Hours) Holiday Season Only ₱470.00

☎+63 09175617344

Check the website for up to date schedules.

http://www.ohayamitrans.com/schedule-of-trip.html

Jeep to Bontoc departing from:

Banaue town center between

7:00-8:00am (2-3 hours) ₱ 150

"Rice Terraces Viewpoint" between

11:00am-12:00pm (2-3 hours) ₱ 150

See Bontoc-Buscalan for connection

Good things to know before visiting Buscalan and Whang-od

- The kids will ask for candy and in most blogs you will see they recommend bringing
candy. Oral hygiene doesn't seem to be high on the priority list so even though they love
candy, some pencils or pencil crayons and colouring books might be a better option.

- The adults appreciate matches and candles, and if you happen to be there for a slaughter,
the men like laundry bar soap to wash up with.

- No appointments for tattoos, first come first serve. If your time is limited, wake up early
and head to Whang-od's so your first in line. That being said, you're tattoo will start when
Whang-od and or Grace is ready.

- No ATM, closes one is in Bontoc

- Food - Not much in the way of fresh vegetables and protein in the village to purchase
other than canned goods. So either arrange to have your meals prepared by your host, or
bring a few things to cook.

- Limited to no cell phone reception. Kuya Charlie some how magically has signal so if
you really need to call someone, find him.

- Whang-od appreciates beaded necklaces and bracelets.

- If you have the chance to "Top Load" on the Jeep... do it, keep your camera ready, but
hold on!