An “Igorot stone kingdom” now under construction in Baguio City aims to showcase the rich, colorful culture of the Cordillera mountain region.
A park of rocks inspired by the Igorot’s practice of stone-laying to create stone walls is nearing completion in a mountainside along Long-long Road in Baguio City.
Dubbed the “Igorot Stone Kingdom” the newest attraction in Barangay Pinsao Proper hopes to be Baguio’s newest tourist destination.
Igorot-inspired ‘stone kingdom’ under way in Baguio City from Igorot STONE Kingdom, Facebook
The park, covering a 6,000-square meter property, will also showcase Igorot culture, practices, and traditions.
Velasco noted that the whole concept of the park was borne when the community quarantine was declared in March 2020.
He said the project idea popped up when he visited the property which had been in his possession for over 20 years.
Showcasing Cordilleran culture
The "stone kingdom” uses the traditional method of construction, which does not use cement.
“But for purposes of reinforcement [we] had to top it with cement," the property owner, Pio Velasco, said.
On another side of the mountain, modern castles of cement and hollow blocks are being built.
The duality of the park was designed to represent the old and new culture of the area.
“Hindi lang basta stone wall ang itinayo sa gilid ng bundok, may mga iba-ibang kwento na kumikilala sa bawat province ng Cordillera,” Velasco added.
One of the main attractions at the stone kingdom is a tower that depicts the fantasy story of Gatan and Bangan, an Igorot man and woman who survived the great holocaust, a fertility stone tower, and a Kabunyan (Igorot God) tower.
Other statues of prominent Igorots will also be featured in the future, according to Velasco. He has previously named Roxanne Baeyens, the first Igorot beauty queen being considered.
The park is still in development and is expected to open by June.
Tourist requirements
Executive Order No. 50-A issued by Mayor Benjamin Magalong now allows the entry of tourists from GCQ and MGCQ areas provided they have the approved QR-coded tourist pass from online registration.
The city government offers antigen tests for P 500 at the Baguio Convention Center, the central triage for non-residents.
A maximum limit of 3,000 per day was set by the city government but Magalong said data from the online platform showed Baguio barely reaches 1,000 registrations daily because of restrictions.
Tourists from high-risk areas, particularly those under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, are not yet allowed for leisure purposes. (HD)
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