The road to beauty

Manila, Philippines - The unique Baguio charm starts with the slow, zigzag ascent from the lowlands. The upward tilt seems to heighten the senses more, invoking promises of the enchanting beauty that Baguio has laid out. It is no wonder then that Baguio, for many years now, has remained the country’s top holiday destination for avid travelers. 

While the scene going to Baguio is picturesque, the road is dangerous as it is located on the side of the mountain. Thus, safe vehicle navigation is a must. For more than half a century now, travelers going to Baguio has relied on one name to take them to this Northern charm: Victory Liner.  

As one the largest bus companies that services North Luzon, Victory Liner is a pioneer in ground transportation, changing the way people travel. Offering exciting and comfortable amenities like in-transit video entertainment, extra legroom, toilet, Wi-Fi, snacks and service attendant (in deluxe buses only) and online booking, Victory Liner has truly lived up to its name, triumphing in moving people better and safer, a joyride indeed.

Now, there is another reason to embark on a Victory Liner bus and spend time in Baguio. The city of Pines has uncovered another treasure that has seized the attention of Baguio enthusiasts: the BenCab Museum.

A four-storey modern structure sitting on a promontory with a mind-blowing view of the Cordillera mountains and the South China sea in the distant west, the BenCab Museum holds an immense collections of artworks and Cordillera crafts. Founded by National Artist Ben Cabrera, the BenCab Museum houses the artist’s own collection, including the iconic bulol (or Ifugao rice god), which BenCab is said to have acquired and preserved when he started to make Baguio his home base. The National Artist’s house can even be seen from the museum’s window.

House of art: Founded by National Artist Ben Cabrera, the BenCab Museum houses the artist’s own art collection.

With a modern yet simple façade, the 1,000-square-meter BenCab Museum appears ordinary on the outside but really bursts with colors and life once inside. Collections are sorted by floor, with the fourth floor housing the museum shop where a variety of handicrafts, books, paintings and other keepsakes. Likewise, the fourth floor serves as the museum’s entrance. Capitalizing on the natural lighting and nature’s grand display of landscape, balconies on each floor gives a great vista of the natural world. Every balcony floor is also decked with art pieces, one that stands out prominently is BenCab’s “32 Variations on Sabel,” a collection of paintings done on Mariwasa tiles.

Bulols are aplenty in the Cordillera Gallery (located on the third floor). The bulols, numbering to over a hundred, vary in size and positions. Set against the ashen, whitewashed walls, the bulols, whose arm positions alter according to tribe, seem to make the entire place come alive. Aside from the rice granary gods, the Cordillera Gallery is a repository of tribal artifacts and indigenous crafts- spears, wooden spoons, baskets and even lime containers used by Igorot tribes for betel-nut chewing. Each article is a testament to the prolific Cordillera tribe — a rich showcase of woodcarving, which has been preserved and passed on to generations after generations.

The third floor also houses the Gallery Indigo, exhibiting paintings and sculptures of different artists. It is named after the gallery founded by BenCab and his brother in the ’60s. It features different exhibits every month. Also on the same floor is the Erotica Gallery. As the name suggests, the gallery contains paintings tackling sexuality as well as a collection of bulols making love. A Kama Sutra-inspired BenCab painting is also on display.

BenCab Gallery on the third floor is a visual feast of the artist’s own works, which has spanned for more than four decades. Then step into the Print Gallery, which brings light to a collection of vintage maps, prints, photographs and postcards on the Philippines.

Art now: The Philippine Contemporary Art Gallery 1 boasts works by the likes of Kawayan de Guia and Elmer Borlongan

A flight of steps down and the second floor opens with paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures on contemporary art. The Philippine Contemporary Art Gallery 1 boasts works by Kawayan de Guia, Igan D’Bayan, Claude Tayag and William Gaudinez. The second corridor on Philippine Contemporary Art, meanwhile, showcases works by artists such as Elmer Borlongan and Robert Villanueva. Located inside this gallery is a space aptly titled as Maestro Gallery, which gives museum guests a grand artwork display of some of the country’s finest- Araceli Limcaco Dans, Juvenal Sanso, National Artists Cesar Legaspi, Arturo Luz, Ang Kiukok, Victorio Edades, and Jose Joya as well as Lee Aguinaldo and Salvador Cabrera.

The Larawan Hall is situated on the second floor and serves as function room for art workshops, meetings, seminars, art film showings and other activities.

If art appreciation leaves one famished, the ground floor houses Café Sabel, offering coffee, brunch, lunch, merienda, pastries and wine. At the food of the structure, just outside the café, is the rice terrace-inspired garden. The farm and garden teem with organic farm produce. Adding more splendors to the property is the river, with cascading waterfalls on one end. An aviary and an animal farm complete the four-hectare property.

While Baguio is also known for unique craftsmanship of the Cordillera tribe, the entry of the BenCab Museum further intensify its ethnic architecture and lifestyle.  A sanctuary for artists, visitors, and history buffs, the BenCab Museum is a must-visit Baguio destination.

Experience this visual treat. Book a ticket to Baguio through Victory Liner. Booking is now made easier with the bus liner’s Fastrack ticket system, an online ticket system which enables anyone to purchase tickets over the Web.

Visit www.victoryliner.com for details.

National Artist Ben Cabrera

BenCab Museum is at Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Benguet.  Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. Admission fee is P100 while students and senior citizens with valid ID will only have to pay P80.