Bontoc is the capital of Mountain Province. It is about 12 hours from Manila and a mere 45 minutes from Sagada. Compared to Baguio, there are definitely less buses going to Bontoc. Bontoc is primarily a commercial town used by tourists mainly as a rest-stop on the circuit to Banaue-Sagada.
From Manila, there’s a bus line going from Manila to Bontoc. Cable Tours has a terminal at E. Rodriguez Blvd near the Trinity College. The fare cost Php500.00 and trip schedules are on 8PM (Manila to Bontoc) and 3PM (Bontoc to Manila). Contact numbers for Cable Tours are (+6374)6021068 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (+6374)6021068 end_of_the_skype_highlighting), (+6374)6021068 (landline), and (+63918)5216790/(+63921)4488814 (mobile numbers).
If you’re coming from Banaue, take first the jeepney that goes to Bontoc., the terminal is located in front of Banaue tourist center and it depart by 8:30 am. The fare cost Php150.00. Top-loading (riding on top of the jeepney) which I did, is highly recommended to witness what Bontoc has to offer before proceeding to Sagada.
If you want to stay inside the jeep, sit on the left side of the jeepney for more views. The Banaue-Bontoc ride was spectacular, as the road passes by great mountain scenery with the Chico River winding its way through the mountains. The trip takes about 2½ hours ride along Halsema highway.
If time permitted, you may opt to visit the small but well-run museum in Bontoc before taking a connecting jeepney to Sagada, for another hour of a scenic journey. It’s open from Mon-Sat, 9:30AM-12NN; 1:00PM to 5:00PM. You need to register at the reception and pay an entrance fee of Php50.00.
Bontoc to Sagada is 45 minutes on a jeep for a fare of Php40.00. One jeep is departing every hour starting 7 am until 5 pm being the last.
Experiencing mountain province is not complete without a stop-over in Bontoc. Though these towns are just a few kilometers away from Sagada or Banaue, one can see the contrast between these towns. Bontoc offers a relatively different experience in that of Banaue and Sagada.
I hope that the local government of Bontoc together with their tourism authority could do something more to promote what the town has to offer.
Contributed by Alvin Girard. Alvin is a full-time Financial Analyst working in the Makati Business District. He frequently travels around the Philippines. His next destination will be Vietnam and Cambodia.