La Union Kankanaey community hopes tourism will boost livelihoods

Tagudtod, Bagulin, La Union — When people think of La Union, they often picture beaches and resorts, but far less attention is given to the upland communities where many of the province’s indigenous peoples live, particularly the Kankanaey ethnolinguistic group.

Dina Abangley, Indigenous Peoples' Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Barangay Tagudtod, said they rarely receive visitors, though they welcome anyone who comes to their area. She noted that there are 221 households in the barangay, all of which are Kankanaeys.

According to Abangley, their main source of income is the production of soft brooms, or boyboy (walis tambo), made using tiger grass that grows abundantly in the area. Their products are sold in parts of La Union frequented by tourists, though most are brought to the Baguio City market. She revealed that they often have to brand their brooms with “I Love Baguio” to attract buyers.

Aside from soft brooms, the community also produces coffee under the label “Baguionian Coffee.” Abangley admitted that the industry remains small, yielding only a few hundred kilos a year—far from meeting the demand of local coffee shops in La Union.

Residents also plant rice and highland vegetables such as beans and pechay. They have native delicacies too, including rice cake varieties suman and patupat.

Tagudtod is also home to a picnic park and viewing area in Sitio Kudal. However, Abangley said the huts there were destroyed by the strong winds of Super Typhoon Uwan. She added that they are working to restore the huts and build new ones so visitors can continue to enjoy the area.

The Kankanaey leader expressed hope that their community will gain attention from both local and foreign tourists, allowing them to showcase their rich culture, their craftsmanship in making boyboy, and their locally grown coffee and delicacies.