Villages that lie isolated in far-flung mountain areas are somewhat typical in the mountainous regions of the Philippines, especially the Cordilleras. It reflects the heritage of the people whose identity and culture can be traced to tribal way of life, often isolated from ano another, just minding their own business of communal development.

While village communities that get separated from the urban way of life may seem common, it could actually go a notch higher.

Our first official destination in Abra is the own of Tineg. It is not just a village snuggly hidden in the embrace of the mountains. It is a town, a fully functioning municipality, but one that is stashed away from the bustle of the centre-ville, a place where people are enjoying a life of communal existence in perpetual communion with nature.

Formally established as an independent town in 1958, the town of Tineg is not little if only for its size. It is in fact the largest town in Abra at 744.80 square kilometers. Despite its size though, it has a rather small population of just a little over 5,000 people according to a 2015 census, making it a place where population density is the least of concerns, if at all.

It took roughly a couple of hours from the Tangadan Tunnel in San Quintin Abra before we reached the town center of Tineg. The travel time could definitely be shorter, but when you are surrounded by beautiful sights to behold, you would really opt to take your time on the road and appreciate everything that surrounds you.

At 09:00 AM, the sun hasn’t fully reached its peak just yet as it was being shrouded by clouds. Couple that with the cool morning mountain breeze and it was perfect to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings, especially the rolling hills that completely surround the town center of Tineg.

Just standing in front of the Apao Rolling Hills, silently awestricken by its beauty, was a wonderful experience. We would want to take it a notch higher though. We wanted to see the hills closer. We wanted to be on the hills. Thankfully, such is possible as Apao Rolling Hills has a natural park where visitors may drive through a jump-off point and hike through the hills.

I headed to the municipal hall to register ourselves and pay the necessary fees. The quaint town hall complex reflects the way of life of the people of Tineg: beautiful in its simplicity.

After paying the fees, we went on a five-minute drive to the Apao Rolling Hills jump-off point. It was a short drive but one that is able to take one’s breath away with the views of the majestic mountains that serve as the home to the beautiful quaint little town of Tineg.

The sun has already started to unleash its typical tropical heat, but that did not deter us from going further. The road to Tineg was literally long and winding, hence we knew that we had to make the most out of it. A little more of the winding roads and we were given a view of the earth that would stick to our core memories.