Friends,
Pochon Group once again invites you to join the Pfoto’ ad Majawjaw (Rice Harvest in Mayoyao) Festival 2009 to be held this July 3-5, 2009 at Mayoyao, Ifugao (Cordillera). This festival is organized by the Pochon and Maanichar Centennial Batch Assoc., Inc (www.pochon-maanichar.org) in coordination with the Barangay Local Government Units concerned, the Mayoyao Tourguides and Indigenous Knowledge Holders Allied Organization (MATIKHAO), the Akha’khaemeh Cultural Performing Group, and the Barangay Banhal Community.
For this particular tour, participants get to choose which activity suits their interest: Package A offers the extreme experience of rappelling by the waterfalls. Also offered is the exploring experience of riverwalking upstream towards the waterfalls. Swimming and snorkelling is another option in Package A; Package B on the other hand gives the participants the chance to take a look inside the Mayoyao Museum, refresh and relax themselves at the Akakoy Nature Park and Viewpoint, and get to learn how the Mayoyao Native houses were constructed through the demo to be conducted by the Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Scholars.
Another highlight of the tour is the cultural presentation where the different Native and War dances will be showcased.
It is the advocacy of the Pochon group to help maintain and preserve the richness of the cultural heritage of this town to allow the generations to come to appreciate the cultural practices of the ancestors who tried their best to hand the rich culture to the present generation for the next to learn about it. A portion of the tour’s proceeds will go to the heritage trust fund that will be used to help promote the indigenous culture of the Mayoyao people to its young generation and people who wish to have an extraordinary experience in the beautiful town where unexplored nature still abound.
Please help save the Ifugao Rice Terraces. Join the Pfoto’ ad Majawjaw 2009!
Thank you very much.
Truly yours,
PFOTO’ AD MAJAWJAW FESTIVAL 2009
(RICE HARVEST FESTIVAL)
July 3-5, 2009
Mayoyao, Ifugao
Inclusions:
Transportation within the Province
Guide Fee
Environmental Fee
Meals (breakfast on the day of arrival to lunch on the day of departure)
Lodging
Cultural Presentation
Exclusions:
Transportation from Manila to Santiago City and back
Travel Insurance
Snacks and beverages
Add:
PhP970.00 bus fare Manila-Santiago City and Banaue-Manila
ITINERARY
PACKAGE A
(Package Cost: P4,900.00/pax)
3 Days, 2 Nights
DAY 0 (JULY 2, 2009) THURSDAY
9 P.M. - ETD, Manila (Florida Bus, Sampaloc Station)
DAY 1 (JULY 3, 2009) FRIDAY
6 A.M. - ETA, Santiago City (Isabela/Region II)
- Departure for Mayoyao, Ifugao
- Breakfast at Ubao, Aguinaldo (Ifugao)
10 A.M. - ETA, Mayoyao, Ifugao
- Room assignments (Milcah Lodge)
- Rest
1130 A.M. - Orientation
12 N.N. - Lunch
1 P.M. - Trek/riverwalk to Pohong Ilat Falls
- Rappelling/Swimming at the Falls
4 P.M. - Trek Back to Poblacion
5 P.M. - Rest/Explore Town Plaza
7 P.M. - Dinner
- Rest
DAY 2 (JULY 4, 2009) SATURDAY
7 A.M. - Breakfast
8 A.M. - Proceed to Harvest Site
- Join the harvest
12 N.N. - Lunch with the community
1 P.M. - Trek down Mayoyao Proper Rice Terraces
- Visit to Apfo’or Burial Tombs
- Visit to Ecopark
430 P.M. - Back to Poblacion
- Rest/Exploring Town Plaza
7 P.M. - Dinner
8 P.M. - Cultural Presentation
- Rest
DAY 3 (JULY 5, 2009) SUNDAY
7 A.M. - Breakfast
8 A.M. - Visit to Chu’it Viewpoint
10 A.M. - Travel to Banaue, Ifugao
12 N.N. - Lunch at Midway
3 P.M. - ETA, Banaue, Ifugao
- Visit to Banaue Viewpoint
- Souvenir shopping
7 P.M. - Departure for Manila (Florida Bus)
DAY 4 (JULY 6, 2009) MONDAY
3 A.M. - ETA, Manila (Florida Bus Sampaloc Station)
PACKAGE B
(Package Cost: P4,800.00/pax)
3 Days, 2 Nights
DAY 0 (JULY 2, 2009) THURSDAY
9 P.M. - ETD, Manila (Florida Bus, Sampaloc Station)
DAY 1 (JULY 3, 2009) FRIDAY
6 A.M. - ETA, Santiago City (Isabela/Region II)
- Departure for Mayoyao, Ifugao
- Breakfast at Ubao, Aguinaldo (Ifugao)
10 A.M. - ETA, Mayoyao, Ifugao
- Room assignments (Milcah Lodge)
- Rest
1130 A.M. - Orientation
12 N.N. - Lunch
1 P.M. - Visit to Mayoyao Museum
- Visit to Akakoy Nature Park and Viewpoint
- Demo on Native House Construction
4 P.M. - Trek Back to Poblacion
5 P.M. - Rest/Explore Town Plaza
7 P.M. - Dinner
- Rest
DAY 2 (JULY 4, 2009) SATURDAY
7 A.M. - Breakfast
8 A.M. - Proceed to Harvest Site
- Join the harvest
12 N.N. - Lunch with the community
1 P.M. - Trek down Mayoyao Proper Rice Terraces
- Visit to Apfo’or Burial Tombs
- Visit to Ecopark
430 P.M. - Back to Poblacion
- Rest/Exploring Town Plaza
7 P.M. - Dinner
8 P.M. - Cultural Presentation
- Rest
DAY 3 (JULY 5, 2009) SUNDAY
7 A.M. - Breakfast
8 A.M. - Visit to Chu’it Viewpoint
10 A.M. - Travel to Banaue, Ifugao
12 N.N. - Lunch at Midway
3 P.M. - ETA, Banaue, Ifugao
- Visit to Banaue Viewpoint
- Souvenir shopping
7 P.M. - Departure for Manila (Florida Bus)
DAY 4 (JULY 6, 2009) MONDAY
3 A.M. - ETA, Manila (Florida Bus Sampaloc Station)
FOR INQUIRIES AND RESERVATIONS, please contact:
JOSH NALLIW - josh21020@gmail.com
- +639064826300
JEREMY GAWONGNA - jemgaw@gmail.com
- +639067162854
DEADLINE OF RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENT: June 30, 2009
· Reservation procedure:
· Fill-up the registration/confirmation form and send it to us. Submission of registration/confirmation form does not assure you of slot. Only after full payment is the slot reserved for you.
- Payment procedure:
· Upon submission of filled-up registration/confirmation form, we will advise you if slot is available and give you the payment procedure.
· Slots are on a first come first served basis, so please reserve and pay earlier to be assured of your slot.
· Payment refund policy:
· If client cancels reservation,
· 14-8 days before departure less 50% of total cost
7-5 days before departure less 75% of total cost
4-0 days before departure less 100% or NO REFUND
· Full refund if POCHON cancels tour due to unavoidable circumstances. Guaranteed departure, minimum of 20 tour participants.
What to bring:
- Trekking shoes
- Jacket/blanket/malong
- Drinking water/mineral water
- Trail food
- Cameras
- Towels and toiletries
- Rain gears
- Please bring clothes and gears suitable for cold weather and trekking (For the harvest, shorts/loose pants, long sleeves, and hat/cap are useful)
- Bring swimming gears for swimming in the waterfalls
- Flashlights will be helpful
- For those with medical problems, please bring your medication and advise your guide of your medical condition
ACTIVITIES:
Mayoyao is located at the eastern portion of Ifugao approximately 41 kilometers from Banaue; 371 kilometers east of Baguio City and 536 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila. Travel to Mayoyao is a three to four hours ride, be it from Banaue or from Santiago City (Isabela) along a road which dips and climbs hundred of meters among picturesque terraced hills, forests, and villages. The views of the rice terraces in Mayoyao are awesome; the municipality sits on top of the rice terraces! The native houses, with roofs shaped like the pyramids of Gaza, are strategically placed within the rice terraces. No nails or glue were used but the typical native house can withstand even the strongest of typhoons.
Day 1 - Participants will be met at Santiago City, Florida Bus Terminal. A Van/Bus will be waiting to transport participants to Mayoyao, Ifugao passing by Alfonso Lista and Aguinaldo, both Ifugao towns. Breakfast will be had along the way. Travel will take 3-4 hours to reach Mayoyao. Upon reaching Mayoyao, participants will be allowed to rest and then have lunch.
After lunch, Package A participants will proceed to Pohong Ilat, located 20 minutes away from the Poblacion. Our ancestors say that the river was struck by lightning and formed a basin-like pool. “Pohong” stands for waterpool while “Ilat” means lightning. Those who want to experience rappelling at the falls will be taking a different route while those who want to take a dip in the natural pool will have their riverwalk experience going upstream to where the falls is.
As for participants of Package B, their itinerary starts by visiting the Mayoyao Museum, where some native tools, collected through the effort of the Municipal Local Government Unit, are being displayed. After visiting the Museum, the participants will proceed to Akakoy Nature Park and Viewpoint, where one can view the Chaya Rice Terraces, the coldest part of the Upper region of Central Mayoyao. From there, a demo on native house construction will be performed to better understand the structure of the Mayoyao Native House and the culture which go along with its construction process.
Day 2 – For Both Packages, the participants will proceed to experience harvesting rice with the Mayoyao Community. They can choose their participation in the harvest: the Munbfoto’ (the one who reaps the rice palay), Mun-akun (the one who collects the reaped palay), Munbfa-ud (ties the palay into bundles), Munkhongah (trims the bundle stalks to make the rice bundle look neat), Munkhu-ud (properly arranges the neatly bundled rice palay into the rice granary), and Munhaang (the cook). After the lunch with the community, participants will trek down the Mayoyao Proper Rice Terraces, passing by the Apfo’or Burial Tombs (igloo-type stone musoleums containing the bodies of the town’s ancient warriors and elite), ending the trek at the Ecopark, a miniforest where a collection of the different kinds of trees can be found. In the evening will be a cultural show where the following will be showcased:
- Ngajaw (Victory dance)
- Hang-hangngit (Friendly bantering between males and females)
- Tajaw (Native dances)
- Community native dancing with participants
Day 3 - For Both Packages, participants will visit Chu’it Viewpoint, a vantage point where one can see the entirety of the rice terraces cluster of Central Mayoyao, lower region. Afterwards, participants will proceed to Banaue for more rice terraces viewing and souvenir shopping. Lunch will be had midway. Departure of participants will be at around 8 P.M., Florida Bus, Deluxe.
