maryknoll ecological sanctuary - baguio city

just as we thought we've reached the end, we still didn't find the spot. we were inside a hectare size area of ecological sanctuary of Maryknoll. people may be familiar with the famous Baguio Botanical Garden but very few know about a sanctuary run by nuns. considered as an eco-trek area where one can reflect or simply enjoy the lush green view.upon reaching the center, we were given a map which will be used for us to be guided inside the sanctuary. a guide to what they refer to as the Cosmic Journey. 14 stations that symbolized the formation of the universe and how it has evolved.each station is represented with symbols and a sign that explains how the universe was formed. according to the staff, the whole walk can take to about 30-45minutes. she was a bit surprised because it was raining and we were that determined to do it.we just waited for the rain to stop and started our journey with a warning that the path may be slippery. my cousin Claire and i started the walk searching for station one which was a bit challenging because you'll have to walk a number of meters to find it though it has a walkway. part of the journey was to ring the bell that symbolized ones support to nature. this sanctuary values the balance of humanity, its environment and the evolution of its traditions.each station has a signboard that has a brief description of what the station represents. some were in the form of ruins while others as ornaments. the interesting thing here was not just the scenery but the excitement of finding each of the stations.the slippery path didn't hinder us from proceeding because the idea of thinking what the next station will look like was so appealing. pine trees and different plants cover the area with some cascaded rocks on areas where we need to go down.this place was built after the earthquake that hit Luzon which happened in 1990. a number of structures were damaged and several people died on that tragedy. with this the Maryknoll nuns who has been in Baguio overseeing the convent school decided to make an ecological park that explains the connection of humans, the cosmos and the culture that evolved.one can take time resting on some of the stations that has benches, though during our time it was all wet. other stations were in man-made caves which represents the Tabon cave and the Sagada cave to symbolize how the early inhabitants of the Philippines started.one will pass over a hanging bridge above a cliff that leads to the next station. stations ahead has several Igorot houses where one can explore by climbing over wooden ladders. we noticed that the huts were distinct from one another, it's because each hut represents the three Igorot tribes which are Ifugao, Ibaloi and Kalinga.when we reached the last 3stations it rained hard, good that we had with us an umbrella to continue with the walk. the final station symbolized the different spirituality, from Buddhism to Christianity.the whole walk took us almost an hour because we spent time taking photos of the place. don't forget getting lost inside the sanctuary is part of the activity. one just have to enjoy and commune with nature.Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary is located at Campo Sioco along North Sto Thomas road. you can take a short taxi trip going there or commute by taking a jeep along Perfecto street just across Harrison road. there's a minimal entrance fee of P30 which goes to the maintenance of the site.
you might want to consider this the next time you visit Baguio. for other information, check out their official website at Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary.