⌛ Tam-awan Village

Baguio. The name evokes visions of red, luscious strawberries; of lovers braving chilly nights while decked out in bonnets, mufflers, and wrapped in a snug, woven Ilocano blanket, the riot and colorful celebration of the Flower Festival. For the world-weary traveler seeking to enjoy more the delights of this city but without the throngs of fellow oglers, or looking for a unique and truly educational experience, there’s just a place that will cater to such a craving of the mind, and a refreshment of the body as well.

Deep in the heart of Baguio, nestled among the sloping hills and crags, is a village, like so many others dotting the landscape. But where one would otherwise see high-rises and many-storeyed houses, a scene seemingly transplanted from anywhere else in the region looms into view. The name: Tam-awan.

Even on the way there, on a jeep plying the Quezon Hill-Tam-awan route, or in the comfort of a personal vehicle, the vista is simply awesome. Going uphill or rounding a curve along the winding road suddenly gives way to a commanding spectacle of the rolling hills below, the colorful subdivision roofs everywhere, and of course the faraway mountains. Upon arriving don’t be let down by the simple, nondescript doorway marking the entrance. Ascending the worn, rough-hewn stone steps, the adventure beckons…

Tam-awan Village opened in 1997 under the auspices of the Chanum Foundation, founded by renowned artist Benedicto Cabrera, educators Chit Asignacion and Jackson Bryan, and some of Baguio’s civic leaders and homegrown artists. Established in 1996, the foundation took its name from the Ibaloi word for water, fittingly enough with a spring that flowed within the soon-to-be village’s area.

The name also symboles its mission to serve as a “nurturing and life-giving” force in the field of culture and the arts. It aims to revive and sustaine the waning customs and traditions of the region, as well as propagate and keep alive the traditional agricultural systems here in the Cordilleras, which relied mostly on natural and organic methods, and to “establish, manage, operate and maintain special interest resorts, demonstration villages and living museums which will showcase Cordillera customs.”

Thus, the village was conceived out of these aims, especially the latter. Situated on a 5,000 square-meter property in the former pasturelands of Pinsao, Tam-awan got its name from the Ibaloi word meaning “vantage point.” At its highest point, on a clear day one can see across the mountains all the way to the outlines of La Union and the South China Sea, and its spectacular sunsets at late afternoon to early evening.

 

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Tam-awan Village, Benguet