Tam – awan Village: Baguio’s Hidden Art

Baguio City in itself is an art. The cool breeze that touches your skin and the fog in

the mornings and afternoons just seem like a scenery from a fairytale. Mighty mountains

stand before your eyes and tall buildings just makes you love the city more.

However, did you know that there is a spot in Baguio City that is known but quite

hidden? This place I’m talking about seems like it came straight out of a book and is

really unique. It mixes culture and creativity in one place.

Let me take you to Tam- awan Village!

I went there years ago for a project requiring us to make a research about tourist

spots in Baguio City. Prior to my visit, I’ve never heard of anything about the place.

When my friend and I went there, we had to pay 30 pesos as an entrance fee.

The fees vary – if you are a student, you’ll have to pay thirty pesos; you needed to pay

twenty pesos if you’re a child, and if you’re not both, you had to pay fifty pesos. I’m not

quite sure if the fees have changed, but that was the price when we went there. I was

curious as to why it was called a Garden in the Sky but when we entered, I understood.

There were so many stairs and it led us to higher places, closer to the sky, maybe.

It was foggy and rainy when we went there so the stairs were slippery and the

trails were muddy, but it added to the fun.

Ifugao and Kalinga huts were in sight and seeing it felt like we stepped into some

history movie. It’s the exact image of native houses that I have seen on books – made

of pinewood, has wooden ladders, and bamboos. Kalinga huts were more spacious

than the Kalinga huts. The interior was empty though, but some huts were lit with yellow

lamps. I can’t fathom how they made it look so old but modern at the same time. We

were also lucky enough because we got to watch a cultural Cordilleran dance or

performance, with men wearing their bahag and women wearing their tapis. They were also playing their gongs and as someone who lived in Baguio City for quite a long time,

it sounded uncanny and nostalgic.

Furthermore, we saw indigenous carvings around, like the huge lizard we saw

upon entering the premise. There were also small wooden sculptures of Cordillerans

from the past. It just made us immerse ourselves with the culture of Cordillera.

As we followed the trails, we passed by an area full of trees with mirrors hanging

on them. I didn’t stay quite long because I always feel creeped out when there’s more

than one mirror in front of me. We also passed by the huge dreamcatcher which was

fascinating to see because it was bigger than us. It wasn’t obvious at first so I almost

didn’t see it. I just wish that they put more ornaments in it.

There was also a bridge made of bamboos and a fishpond with kois. There were

coins in the water so I just assumed that people threw them there. Tam-awan village just

made me feel like I was isolated in a forest because the trails were narrow and

enveloped by huge trees. That part was so mystical. As we got higher, we were able to

rest in a spacious gazebo made of bamboos and took pictures there.

Once we entered the art gallery, we saw a variety of paintings from local artists. I

remember one art that caught my attention. It was made of sand, and the details were

so intricate. The art piece was depicting a woman and indigenous homes, with patterns

that are, in my opinion, important to Cordillerans. There was also a portrait of an old

woman facing to her side, but sadness was evident in her face. I was quite surprised

when I saw the price of the paintings that time, they were ranging from twenty to forty

thousand. I was too scared to touch anything in case I destroyed something.

Our last destination was the view deck. We were supposed to see the landscape

of Baguio city, but as mentioned earlier, it was too foggy. Fog surrounded us but it felt

magical because we were in a very high place, like on top of the world.

We didn’t get to visit the café and we weren’t able to participate in workshops

there, but it’s definitely on the list when we come back.

If you haven’t traveled to Tam-awan Village yet, then you need to add it on your

list! I’m curious if there are also places like this with some variations on other cities or

provinces. But as Susan Sontag said, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”