Chantal Michaut-Pangilinan, a French woman who has lived in the Philippines for over 30 years, established Le Coq Bleu Homestay in Baguio, blending Cordillera culture with French countryside charm. The space emphasizes warmth, sustainability, and personal stories. Guests enjoy authentic hospitality in a serene, tree-nestled setting.
Chantal Michaut-Pangilinan grew up during the American War in Vietnam and fled Saigon at age 12 with her family. They later moved to France and then Hong Kong, making her a third-culture child who felt "at home in any culture and yet never truly belonging anywhere, a wandering soul searching for its niche." She arrived in the Philippines, spending 17 years in Manila before settling in Baguio, drawn to the Cordillera's rich culture.
In 2012, she bought a 130-square-meter lot to build her dream home, inspired by her paternal grandparents' cottage in the French Basque country and Baguio's John Hay bungalows. The structure is a simple 6×10-meter rectangle with a loft, built using sustainable and recycled materials. "I became the architect, decorator, and contractor of this vision," she said. Friends contributed doors, windows, furniture, and decor, which she calls "blessings from angels." A year later, she added a guest suite, and five years after that, she acquired a neighboring property for a tiny house with a Provence theme.
Le Coq Bleu features Victorian-esque furniture, quirky art including sketches by Baguio artist Leonardo Aguinaldo, and styling with a French touch. "Nothing here is new," Chantal explained. "Either heirloom pieces like the knives and utensils from my parents, this couch from my husband’s parents’ home, salvaged wood from a fallen tree, or trinkets from ukay-ukay, dining chairs from my time in Paris. I wanted to offer my guests Filipino hospitality with a French flair." Breakfast offerings include croissants, sweet apple compote, ube-flavored yogurt, Benguet coffee, and an omelet with Cordilleran kiniing.
She easily engages guests on topics like food, football—mentioning trivia about France's Les Bleus goalie Alphonse Areola of Filipino descent—and Cordillera arts, even showing a portrait painted by the late actor Johnny Delgado. The homestay caters mainly to couples, especially LGBT pairs who say they "don’t feel judged here and truly feel at home." The exterior mimics John Hay's green-and-white bungalows; the interior uses blue and white with the rooster symbolizing shared French-Philippine culture. "Come as guests, leave as friends," she says. More than lodging, it encapsulates her life's journey from Vietnam to Baguio.