Sagada pauses tourism for a day

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Sagada took a quiet pause as several of its famous tourist spots – Echo Valley, hanging coffins, Bokong waterfall and Sumaguing Cave – were closed to visitors yesterday.

The temporary closure was made to allow communities to hold their annual cultural gathering called sagangsang – a long-held tradition wherein Sagada residents come together to talk, reflect and reconnect.

Known locally as the “Miting di Umili,” the sagangsang is part of the wider Ubaya cycle, a cultural practice that calls for a temporary pause from work and outside distractions.

Residents use the day to focus solely on their community and the traditions passed down by their elders.

This year, officials and people from Barangays Patay, Dagdag, Demang, Toking and Ambasing gathered to talk about concerns, like project updates and the care of community spaces.

Because the event requires focus and peace, the community asks visitors for understanding as it closed the tourism sites to ensure that rituals and talks are not interrupted.