Tam-Awan Village: Baguio Culture and Art

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Artwork like this one is displayed inside Tam-Awan Village, plus there are huts that define the Baguio culture.

Baguio culture and art fused together is what Tam-Awan Village is known for. Tam-Awan means “viewpoint”, a “viewdeck” or “tanawan” in Tagalog. That is because the “village” itself has its own peak where one can see a sky of horizon and a blast of sunset, facing the seas of La Union. Well I didn’t actually see the sunset that was referred to here because it was foggy that time when we visited the place. Tam-Awan Village is an art gallery and cultural museum. It features the native huts typical to the different towns in the Cordillera region. They brought the culture, bundled it and made it into a tourist destination. Tam-awan Village is a part of the jigsaw puzzle called Baguio.

Statues or sculptures inside Tam-Awan Village, Baguio City.

The eco-trail inside Tam-Awan Village.

Part 5 of Baguio Destinations (Again and Again)

Mini pond inside Tam-Awan Village

This time they were the popular and more influential Manila bloggers that I came to be with when I went to Tam-Awan Village in Baguio City. It was a fun day after the First Baguio Blog Conference and a day tour was prepared for us speakers by the First Baguio Blog Conference organizers (well I was one of the participating organizers but it’s still different when you tour Baguio with the other bloggers). The Manila bloggers happen to visit Mines View Park and the tourist spots along Leonard Wood but I already opted to skip that part since I have been there already many times and besides I did not wake up early that day as the tour started early.

The road to somewhere else.

So the travel goes from Central Park Restaurant and the road that goes to Tam-Awan. Tam-Awan Village by the way is about 10-15 minutes ride from downtown Baguio. Upon arriving at the entrance of the village, one will be able to meet some of the cement sculptures outside. There is an entrance fee of P50 (P30 for students, just bring your IDs). It is a hilly part and I do not know if I wandered Tam-Awan Village completely. It was tiresome! It’s like climbing the stairs to the Lourdes Grotto! Anyway, tourists will be able to understand how the locals live before (and some until now) in their huts. There are different types of huts displayed in the area depicting subcultures and aboriginal way of life of the people.

Baguio graffiti in front of Tam-Awan Village

Tam-Awan Village is also an art gallery. You are not though allowed to take photos of the paintings and artworks so just limit it to your eyes and not to your lens. The artworks are pretty awesome. Some of the paintings are for sale so if you want to take home one of the finest paintings there, go ahead and talk to the administrator.

I tried to roam around the trails (the eco trail) of the village. Just be careful if you want to try this too, because walking the path requires patience and endurance not to walk on muddy rocks and slip off down to where you first stepped into.

Tam-Awan Village

Baguio flower

If you did the eco-trail and got tired of it, there is a coffee shop inside Tam-Awan Village. Here you will get to taste Cordillera coffee and dayap tea with a pinch of honey. Authentic Baguio food like “pinikpikan” a delicacy which is somewhat similar to “tinola” is also served here.

So there, if ever you want to get a preview of Baguio culture, go ahead and visit Tam-Awan Village in Baguio City. It features Baguio culture and art combined together. By the way, Tam-Awan Village is also holding its own arts festival so if you want to join and see it, go ahead. Tam-Awan Village is not just a village of authentic Cordillera huts but also a village of what Baguio used to be before, just before it became a city.

Fertility Symbol

Me and Manny Pacquiao in Tam-Awan Village.

Baguio Destinations (Again and Again) Travel Series:
Part 1: Paint the Baguio Graffiti at Bencab Museum
Part 2: Baguio Resto Featuring Oh My Gulay, Good Taste and Choco-Late de Batirol
Part 3: Feel the Nature at Camp John Hay Baguio
Part 4: Philippine Military Academy (PMA): Baguio Premier School
Part 5: Tam-Awan Village: Baguio Culture and Art
Part 6: How to Go to Baguio Destinations: Camp John Hay and PMA

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