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Bagabag is a town in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. Situated at northern edge of the Magat River Valley, it is the main point of entry leading to Ifugao and Isabela provinces.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Bagabag was established by the Spanish during the 18th century as a fortress town guarding the mountain passes leading to Isabela and Ifugao provinces. Much of the town's heritage was destroyed by earthquakes, war and neglect. But what it lacks in historic monuments it compensates for cultural and natural attractions.
It is home to about 39,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
Get in
[edit | edit source]Bagabag lies along the Maharlika Highway, formally known as the Pan-Philippine or Asian Highway (AH 26). It is a two-lane thoroughfare that is vulnerable to traffic jams caused by landslides, vehicular accidents and vehicles sustaining mechanical breakdowns, particularly in the mountainous section running from Barangay Baretbet to the boundary with Diadi to the northeast. However, the highway bypasses the town proper.
Bagabag is also the starting point of the Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, beginning from Tuao Junction with Maharlika Highway and passing through downtown Bagabag on its way to Banaue in Ifugao and Bontoc in Mountain Province.
Bagabag also has its own airport, but is only open for chartered flights.
- 1 Bagabag Airport, Airport Road, Villa Coloma.
By bus
[edit | edit source]Bagabag is a major stopover for buses travelling between Metro Manila and Cagayan Valley. Most passengers stop at Tuao Junction and take tricycles heading to downtown Bagabag. A less frequent option is to take the buses running from Metro Manila to Ifugao and Mountain Province, which pass through downtown Bagabag.
G.V. Florida, a major bus company running the Metro Manila-Cagayan Valley route and also runs some buses to Ifugao and Mountain Province, has a primary stopover and rest area near Tuao Junction.
- 2 G.V. Florida Bus Stop, Maharlika Highway, Tuao North.
By jeep
[edit | edit source]The intermunicipal jeepney service that runs through the main towns of Nueva Vizcaya has its northern terminus at Bagabag. The town is also traversed by the jeepneys running from Solano in Nueva Vizcaya to Banaue and Lagaue in Ifugao.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Tricycles are the most common transport between barangays, but due to uneven terrain, an SUV or any 4WD is recommended when driving in the mountainous areas of eastern Bagabag.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Saint Jerome Parish Church (Bagabag Church), San Geronimo Street, San Geronimo, ☏ +63 936 512 2901. Bagabag's main Roman Catholic church, built during the Spanish era but largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1949 and replaced by a drab building. A surviving relic is the partially destroyed Spanish-era belltower, which has been blighted by the construction of a water tank on top.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Humming Strawberry Farm, Amballo North, Baretbet, ☏ +63 917 120 6060, hummingfarm2021@gmail.com. 7AM-7PM Tue-Sun. An agritourism destination with a strawberry farm and cafe.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Bagabag Public Market, Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Mountain Province Road, San Geronimo.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Bagabag is known for its coconut (buko) pies, concentrated along a stretch of the Maharlika Highway in Barangays Tuao North and South informally known as Buko Pie Alley.
- 1 G&B Special Buko Pie, Maharlika Highway, Tuao North, ☏ +63 905 041 9845. The first buko pie shop in Bagabag. Its pies are commonly resold in bus stops across Cagayan Valley.
- 2 Dom'z Coco Cafe, Ortiz Street, Tuao North.
- 3 Joyce Buko Pie, Maharlika Highway, Tuao North, ☏ +63 917 137 3226.
- 4 Kesingngo Modern Filipino Kitchen, Maharlika Highway, Tuao South, ☏ +63 955 269 0136. 10AM–8PM Wed-Mon.
- 5 Mashallah, Maharlika Highway, Tuao North. A restaurant founded by a former migrant worker in Bahrain serving Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]Stay safe
[edit | edit source]Accidents and landslides are common along the mountain roads in eastern Bagabag, with the danger compounded by low or nonexistent guard rails and fog. Ensure that your vehicle is in good condition, and bring enough supplies to outlast a traffic jam, which can range from an hour at best to 18 and longer in the event of a major vehicular pileup or landslip.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Bagabag |
| Santiago City ← Diadi ← | N  S | → Solano → Bayombong |
| Banaue ← Lamut ← | N  S | → END |