Butterfly Garden and Tribal Village

The Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village is not typically part of the guided city tours, but is conveniently located near Baker's Hill. As such, it is easy enough to ask the van driver/tour guide to drop by this location for a few minutes of education and entertainment. For a minimal fee of P50 (discounted fee is P35), you get to spend as much time as you can spare enjoying the tourist attraction and learning new things in the process.

Located a few meters away from the main highway, the entrance is hard to miss. It also has a reasonably sized signage for those who are unfamiliar with the place. Upon entering the garden, one of the first things that you will notice is the huge net that covers the entire place. Obviously, they don't want any of their fluttering creatures escape and move on to other places. They also have a mini fountain that is reminiscent of a river or a stream. The colorful insects fly around freely, seemingly oblivious to human presence. The guide was also helpful enough to explain how these creatures start from humble beginnings, and end up being creatures of beauty and grace.

As added attractions to the garden, exotic animals such as the Bearcat, Palawan Peacock, scorpions and geckos are also on display.

For me, the best part of the tour was the Tribal Village. They set up a couple of bahay kubos, which actually serve as dwelling places for the Palaw-ans (tribe name) who were there. They also have musical instrument, weapons, baskets, and livelihood paraphernalia on display. One guy was playing music using his kudyapi, while the lady explained how these villagers spend a typical day in the mountains. Another guy was kind enough to demonstrate how to use the supok, a weapon used for hunting wild boars and animals.

The experience and interaction was awe-inspiring. It brought me back memories of immersion during college days. I couldn't help but feel envious of how simple their lives are, and at the same time feel blessed that modern conveniences are available at my disposal. In my opinion, everybody needs a humbling experience like this once in a while.