Ruth Claire

20/07/2025

17/07/2025

LOOK BACK: WHEN DAMORTIS WAS YOUR GATEWAY TO BAGUIO VIA TRAIN

Before buses and private cars dominated the road to Baguio, travelers from Manila boarded a train—and one of their most important stops? Damortis, Santo Tomas, La Union.

This now-quiet station was once a bustling hub on the Philippine National Railways (PNR) North Main Line, originally part of the Manila-Dagupan Line completed in 1892, the first railway line in the Philippines.

🚂 EXTENDED NORTH:
The line was later stretched to San Fernando, La Union, with Damortis becoming a strategic stop for travelers heading to Baguio. From there, passengers boarded the famous “Baguio Special”—a train-limousine combo that took tourists and residents up the mountains.

🏞️ DAMORTIS AS A GATEWAY:
During its heyday, Damortis wasn’t just a stop—it was the gateway to the Cordilleras. The station connected Manila to Pangasinan, La Union, and served as a transfer point to buses or limousines bound for the summer capital.

🛣️ THE DECLINE:
By the late 1980s, train operations to the Ilocos Region ceased as roads improved and cars became more accessible. The once-glorious Damortis station now lives on in memory and railway history.

📍 Today, as talks of rail revival emerge, Damortis stands as a reminder of an era when traveling to Baguio meant a smooth ride on steel rails—with mountain air waiting at the end.

📷Dhar Aquino

17/07/2025

ANG NAG-IISANG MOUNTAIN PROVINCE SA PILIPINAS

Formerly dubbed as " La Montañosa" by Spanish administrators for its mountainous terrain, Mountain Province lies in the heart of the Grand Cordillera, known to be the Philippine's biggest and highest chain of mountains.

The province is bounded on the North by Kalinga, on the south by Benguet and Ifugao, on the east by Isabela, and on the west by Ilocos Sur and Abra.

Mountain Province's total land area is 2,239.9 square kilometers, 23% of which are classified as alienable and disposable, and 77% as forest lands. Towering peaks and sharp ridges describe the central and western parts of the province, while gradually sloping and rolling foothills are the general features of the eastern towns.

Mountain Province is geo-politically subdivided into 10 municipalities and 144 barangays. As of May 2010, the total population of Mt. Province is 153,187 and a growth rate of 1.41 from 1990 to 2010. Agriculture is the main source of income with tourism providing a significant boost to its economy.

Although Bontoc is the province's capital, the town of Sagada is more famous among tourists. Its rice terraces, though lesser known compared to the Banaue rice terraces, are equally spectacular.

Whereas the walls of the Banaue's terraces are of compacted earth, Sagada's walls are small rocks laboriously piled one on top of the other. The town is also known for its limestone caves that served as burial grounds during the pre-Christian Sagada era.

Source || mountainprovince.gov.ph

16/07/2025

16/07/2025

15/07/2025

It is so you can 😁☺️

CONGRATULATIONS BAGUIO!
Tara na sa Baguio, Walking Distance lang naman

Baguio is that magical city where every place is “walking distance.” Ask a local how far it is from Session Road to Mines View? “Ay, walking distance lang!” From Burnham Park to Wright Park? “Walking distance lang ‘yan!” Just don’t ask how many mountains, stairs, and uphill climbs are included in that “walking distance”,,, that’s the surprise cardio you didn’t know you signed up for!

Trivia: Did you know that walking just 30 minutes a day can boost your mood, strengthen your heart, and help you burn calories? So next time a Baguio local says, “Walking distance lang,” just smile,,, your health will thank you for it!

10/07/2025

05/07/2025

Our Igorot ancestors sometimes repurposed human jawbones and used these as handles for gongs. This practice had been mentioned in historical records from the Spanish period. Recent/modern historians like Albert Ernest Jenks and William Henry Scott also cited the practice in the books they've written about Igorot/Cordillera history.

There's also an abundance of photographic evidence. Just like this photo taken between 1904 and 1920. The photo shows two Igorot men holding gongs, the handles of which were made from human jawbones. The theory is that these jawbones were taken from the heads of men slain in battles or raids. It's a historical fact that our Igorot ancestors used to practice headtaking.

Some of these gongs with jawbone handles are still being used on occasions to this day.

This photo is from the Graphic Arts Collection of the Firestone Library of Princeton University.

04/03/2025

All d way from South Cotabato, came to the North to celebrate their wedding anniversary... Sir Romer and Maam Blazel. Had a fun kwentuhan coz they are used to mingling with Igorots working as farmers and miners at the south... Thank you po! 😊😊😊

12/12/2024

High School students of Christian International College of Caloocan..
Thank you Santourismo travel and tours.

16/09/2024