The four-day Discover More to Love (DMTL) Homecoming Caravan brought Cordillera balikbayans, media representatives, and tourism partners on an immersive journey through the region’s rich cultural heritage, indigenous traditions, historical landmarks, and scenic landscapes from October 17 to 20, 2026.
Organized around the theme of reconnecting with the Cordilleras, the caravan traversed Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Benguet, offering participants an opportunity to experience the region beyond its familiar tourist destinations and discover the living traditions of its indigenous communities.
The journey opened on October 17 in Baguio City with the Cordillera Festival of Festivals along Session Road. The parade and cultural performances brought together delegations representing Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Tabuk City, showcasing the region’s diversity through traditional dances, music, colorful costumes, and community celebrations.
Following a Cordilleran lunch at the Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR) Cordillera Cultural and Heritage Hub, the group traveled to Kiangan, Ifugao, for a welcome dinner and an introduction to the province’s renowned cultural heritage and hospitality.
On October 18, the caravan explored the Nagacadan Rice Terraces, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras. The centuries-old agricultural landscape reflects the ingenuity, resilience, and indigenous knowledge of the Ifugao people, whose farming traditions have shaped the mountains over generations.
The visit also included the National Museum and the Kiangan National Shrine, a significant historical landmark commemorating an important chapter in the country’s history. At the Gabaldon Center, participants joined a traditional bakle-making demonstration and workshop, while a visit to the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPED) Center offered insights into the community’s cultural identity, indigenous knowledge, and traditional way of life.
The caravan’s Kiangan itinerary also featured a visit to the local weaving circuit, where participants witnessed the preservation of traditional Ifugao weaving and learned about the craftsmanship behind the community’s distinctive textiles. An optional binakle-making activity further highlighted the connection between indigenous food traditions and cultural identity.
From Ifugao, the delegation traveled to Tabuk City, Kalinga, arriving in the evening for an introduction to the province’s cultural heritage with cultural presentations and sumptuous dinner at the Grand Zion Garden Resort.
On October 19, the journey continued to Lubuagan, Kalinga, at the Awichon Cultural Village, featuring century-old traditional houses accompanied by cultural performances showcasing the music, dances, and traditions of Lubuagan. Awichon is also part of Philippine history, as it was the hiding place of the President of the Philippines’ first Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo, and Kalinga became the capital of the country for 76 days.
The caravan then visited the Kalinga Weaving Center featuring the weaves of Mabilong Weavers. Here, skilled artisans demonstrated the intricate processes involved in traditional Cordilleran weaving, offering a closer look at the techniques, stories, and cultural meanings embedded in locally produced textiles.
The visit also incorporated a slow-food experience, highlighting indigenous culinary traditions and community-based food practices prepared by the Pasil Slow Food Community,
In the afternoon, the group proceeded to Bontoc, Mountain Province, to visit the Bontoc Museum and was treated to the province’s cultural dances. The museum’s collection of indigenous artifacts, traditional attire, handwoven textiles, and historical exhibits provided participants with a deeper appreciation of the region’s cultural diversity and the enduring legacy of its indigenous communities.
The day concluded in Bauko, Mountain Province, where the delegation checked in at Mount Data Hotel for dinner and the caravan’s culminating program amid the cool highland surroundings.
On October 20, the final day of the caravan, the group traveled to Atok, Benguet, for a visit to Northern Blossoms Flower Farm. Known for its colorful flower fields, including edible flowers as well as well as innovative flower farming that help the farm exhibit flowers all year round. This highlights the region’s agricultural landscapes and emerging nature-based tourism experiences.
Beyond its flower gardens, the Atok visit showcased the highland municipality’s cultural and historical significance, its traditional Kankanaey and Ibaloy communities, and its spectacular mountain scenery. Participants also learned about the Halsema Highway, a vital road connecting Baguio City with the northern provinces and providing access to some of the Cordillera’s most remarkable high-altitude landscapes.
The caravan concluded with a return to Baguio City, bringing to a close four days of cultural encounters, historical discoveries, culinary experiences, and community immersion.
More than a sightseeing tour, the Discover More to Love Homecoming Caravan highlighted the Cordilleras as a destination where heritage remains a living part of everyday life. From the rice terraces of Ifugao and the weaving traditions of Kalinga to the cultural collections of Mountain Province and the flower farms of Benguet, the journey demonstrated the region’s potential to offer meaningful tourism experiences rooted in indigenous knowledge, creativity, and community participation.
By reconnecting balikbayans with their roots and introducing visitors to the people who sustain these traditions, the caravan encourages participants to become ambassadors of the Cordilleras, sharing the region’s stories, cultural treasures, and distinctive destinations with fellow Filipinos and the world.
The Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region expressed its appreciation to the local government units, community partners, artisans, cultural institutions, and tourism stakeholders who contributed to the caravan’s activities and welcomed the delegates into their communities.
Through initiatives such as the Homecoming Caravan, the Cordilleras continue to invite travelers to discover more than breathtaking landscapes: a living heritage shaped by generations of indigenous communities and sustained through their enduring traditions.
A WAY FORWARD: BRINGING THE NEXT GENERATION HOME
As the four-day journey came to a close, the balikbayan delegates expressed their hope that the Discover More to Love Homecoming Caravan would continue and become an annual program.
Conchinta Pooten, a representative of the Igorot Global Organization (IGO) in the United Kingdom, emphasized the program’s potential to introduce younger generations of Filipinos born and raised abroad to their indigenous heritage, cultural traditions, and ancestral roots.
She expressed the hope that the caravan would become an annual event that families and organizations abroad could book for younger members of their communities who wish to learn more about their cultural identity and traditional practices.
The proposal underscores the importance of creating opportunities for the Filipino diaspora to reconnect with their homeland beyond family visits, allowing younger generations to experience firsthand the history, traditions, and ways of life that have shaped their communities of origin.
If sustained, the Homecoming Caravan could become more than a tourism initiative. It could serve as a bridge between generations, helping ensure that the Cordilleras’ rich cultural heritage remains meaningful to Igorots and other Filipinos, wherever they may have been born or raised.
Ultimately, bringing balikbayans home is not only about rediscovering places, but also about strengthening the connection between people, their ancestors, and the cultural traditions they can carry forward to future generations.
