Tourists intrigued by Sagada hanging coffins, burial caves

SAGADA, Mountain Province — The number of tourists visiting the famous Hanging Coffins and Burial Caves, inrigued by the locals’ tradition and death ceremonies is rising and unabated.

Elders in this town have a practice of making their own coffin – made of a trunk of a pine tree, carved for a body to fit inside, which they craft during their lifetime.

As a practice, a native coffin does not bear any metal or nails. When the elder dies, he is seated on a “death chair” and positioned in front of all members of the community as they mourn with rituals like the sounding of the gongs, butchering of animals, and chants by old people.

The coffin, on the other hand, is brought to a cave where he will be buried and, at the end of the wake, young people of the community will take the body to the cave and place it in fetal position inside the coffin.

Other coffins, though, are hung on the mountainside, following the tribal tradition that has existed for over 2,000 years.

“It is believed that by hanging the coffin of the dead, he will receive more respect from the community,” Robert Pangod, municipal tourism officer said.

The biggest burial cave in Sagada is the Lumiang cave where about 1,000 coffins are placed.

However, in the 1980s, some were burned in a forest fire and then in the 1990 earthquake, a lot more were destroyed.

One burial cave – the Matangkib – has been closed to the public after locals protested the cementing of the roads leading to the place to allow tourists easier access.

Pangod, said it was on Dec. 28, 2008 when the locals last placed a hanging coffin at the Echo Valley and at the burial cave.