Breaching the Cordilleras

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Feb 15

2015

by Norman Marigza

The Andromeda Mobile Planetarium since its creation in 2013 has concentrated in the Cordillera region. The Cordillera Central Mountain Range is a massive mountain range in Central Luzon, Philippines. It encompases several provinces (Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province) and the chartered city of Baguio. The mountainous topography makes most of the areas remote. Temperatures in the Cordillera are low and roads can be treacherous. One of the main routes we take is the Halsema Highway which is among the top 10 most dangerous roads in the world. It is not uncommon for the road to have zero visibility from thick fog, nor for rock slides to delay motorists. The steep drops are also fatal.  The challenge for the group is to breach the boundary of the Cordillera environment in order to foster an awareness and learning in the Science of Astronomy. The hours of driving, the risky winding roads, and the severe cold are just some of the risks we take in order to show that we are one people under one sky.