Visiting with Respect: The Sacred Places
What each sacred place in Sagada asks of visitors — and why — in the community's own words.
Sagada is a living Kankanaey community, not a museum or a backdrop. Residents have said as much in public, again and again: “Sagadans are not exhibits in a museum or zoo.” These are the things each place asks of you — and why. None of it is hard; most of it is just care.
What this place asks of everyone
- These are living graves
- The hanging coffins, and the coffins stacked in Lumiang Cave, are real burials. The families of the people buried here still live in Sagada. Treat them as you would any grave: keep your distance, lower your voice, and never touch or move a coffin.
- Inayan
- Kankanaey life runs on inayan — a sense of restraint and of not doing harm, out of respect for others and for consequence. Most of the asks here come from that, not from any rulebook.
- Pack out what you bring
- The grievance residents repeat most often is litter — even inside Sumaguing Cave. Carry out everything you carry in. There are few bins on the trails, by design.
- Ask before you photograph people or rituals
- Don't photograph individuals without asking, and never film a ritual without the presiding elders' permission. Residents are not part of the scenery.
- Go with an accredited guide
- The caves, falls and burial sites are entered with a local guide arranged through the Tourism Office. It keeps you safe, and it keeps the work and the income with the community.