In the mountainous region of Sagada, the Igorot people have maintained a funerary tradition that spans over many centuries. Unlike most cultures that bury their dead underground, the Igorot suspend wooden coffins from the faces of limestone cliffs or stack them in the mouths of caves. This practice stems from a belief that the higher the body is placed, the closer the soul is to ancestral spirits. Additionally, it protects the remains from scavengers and floods that might disturb a traditional grave. The coffins are significantly smaller than the individuals they hold, as the deceased are traditionally placed in a fetal position to symbolize returning to the womb. Making one's own coffin before death was a common rite of passage for the elderly. If a person was too ill, their family would carve it from a hollowed log. The sight of dozens of weathered boxes bolted to the sheer rock face of Echo Valley is both breathtaking and unsettling. It serves as a vertical archive of the community's lineage, where the dead overlook the living from their precarious perches. This tradition continues today, though on a much smaller scale, as modern influences slowly alter indigenous customs.