sagada-igorot.com

9/11 Email from an Eyewitness

2011-09-10T02:16:00.000-05:00

A friend and colleague migrated to the United States with her family on March of 2001. She was in New York on September 11, 2001 at our company's New York office during the terrorist attacks. The office had a view of the WTC towers. Here's her recollection of the events that day in an email she shared with our group of friends a few days after the terrorist attacks.

"Hi,

Thank you for all your notes of concern and good wishes for my and my family's safety. I appreciate them all, especially as the situation here is growing more and more uncertain everyday with the Taliban and the US exchanging threats of war. I was half expecting something to actually happen last Tuesday, it being a week after. Without meaning to, I took exactly the same train I took last week, and was in my seat in the office at roughly the same time as last week. I couldn't help it, but I kept looking out of the window, over where the World Trade Center used to stand. This incident has really made a huge impact on my sense of security.

It was eerie how, from talking with friends and colleagues here, many seemed to have had some sort of premonition of what was to unfold that day. In my case, I was thinking of bombs as I rode the elevator to my office at 8:15 that morning. I was thinking how easy it was to bring a bomb and detonate it in our building as the security is really lax. I was also thinking what
it must be like if a bomb did go off - what mayhem would we experience. My sister, on the other hand, was feeling things have been unusually quiet these past months on the newsfront and wondered what big event would happen soon. Another friend was thinking about Iraq and how they might retaliate against the US given that the news that have been hugging the limelight at
that time was that a US spy plane had apparently been shot down by Iraq.

My day started our normal enough. I was plowing through my emails and reading through the headlines of the Philippine Star and the Inquirer when suddenly a colleague who sits nearby jumped up and announced that there was an explosion at the WTC. As his announcement was not loud enough nor did it sound panicky enough to me, I didn't even bother to react. I remember thinking it might have been just false alarm or maybe just a small accident.

I couldn't remember how it actually happened that I looked out of the window, but I did and what I saw gave me the goose bumps. There was a huge hole on one of the WTC towers, and so much smoke was coming out of the building. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Then someone said that a
plane had apparently hit the WTC. I remember thinking, what a terrible accident - and to think it was a very clear day. I called my sister immediately - she was at home that time - and asked her to switch on the TV as there's been an explosion at the WTC. Then I went back to the window and just gaped at the billowing smoke coming out of the WTC tower, still trying to make sense of how an accident like that could have happened. And then someone said that it's a terrorist attack. I dismissed that comment maybe because I didn't want to believe it.

As things started to settle down and I went back to my seat intending to work, I heard moans and groans from everyone in the office. I stood up and saw this huge ball of fire that seemed to come out of the second tower. I rushed to the window and just gaped, horrified at how a second accident like that could happen. Call me stupid but I was still not prepared to think it
was a terrorist attack. Then someone started to narrate how he saw this plane go straight into the second tower with no hesitation. He noted how the plane was not even wobbling as if there was something wrong with it. That's when I accepted the fact that this was indeed a terrorist attack.

I was on the phone with my sister every few minutes, checking in to let her know how I'm doing, at the same time trying to learn from her what is being reported in the news. It was from her that I learned a few minutes after that second plane rammed into #2 WTC that the pentagon has also been hit. Everyone else in the office was either talking on the phone with someone else or simply watching the WTC.

And then, as things started settling down again, another horrified moan came from the people near the window watching the towers. When I turned to look, I saw #2 WTC was crumbling down. Some people had started to cry, I simply stared in shock as I kept on muttering to myself "Oh my God!".

As the shock wore off a little, many of us wondered whether there was a bomb that exploded apart from the plane crash. We were too confident that the WTC could withstand such an impact. And as we were milling around discussing, #1 WTC exploded and crumbled too. I ran to the window saying
"Oh my God!" out loud and trembling with fear. This time, I could not help the tears that came and I called my sister. Then I called the train service to check if there were still outbound trains to . I felt so trapped when they told me all train services out of Manhattan have been suspended.

We couldn't do anything the rest of that morning except to watch the news - a manager here managed to get hold of a TV and installed it in his office. I would sit in my chair, call my sister, pace around, talk to my colleagues, watch the news. By lunch time, we decided to go to church and while walking on 5th avenue, you could see the white smoke covering the skyline of
downtown Manhattan. When we got back from church, someone from the office said that they had opened up train service and I hurriedly went with someone in the office to the train station to see if we could catch a train to .

The streets were packed with people walking, and the train station was so full of people and police. We managed to get on a train that was so full there were people standing in almost all free space inside. When the train finally crossed the stateline to Connecticut, I was a little bit relieved. It must have been the shock but my head was aching, and I could not sleep in
the the train. Everyone in the train just looked so sad.

...

As a footnote, I felt the power of the internet that day. Only a few minutes after that first plane hit tower #1 and we were still unsure what exactly happened, ABC news already had a picture and a story on its Home page.

And a final footnote, there was something the priest said in that mass I attended that fateful Tuesday that has stayed with me. He said there is no sadder person in this entire universe than God himself. He who made all things in His image must be weeping at seeing what we are doing to
ourselves."

The Evolution of Igorot Tapestry Video

2011-09-10T02:02:00.001-05:00

A couple of good and longish videos on the recently held SMSSAFF Reunion in Chicago was posted in Youtube by user Maltreb0044. The first video below was on The Evolution of Igorot Tapestry that was taken during the cultural night. The second video was taken on the Saturday Eucharist that honored the Missionary Teachers to St. Mary's School of Sagada. If you look real closely on the second video clip, you can actually see me on the line to receive Holy Communion. Hope you enjoy the videos as I did.

A Taste of Sagada right here in Chicago – Part II

2011-08-20T11:06:00.001-05:00

Continued from A Taste of Sagada right here in Chicago – Part I.

Cultural Night – the TOMA Song

The cultural night also featured a well thought of fashion show that displayed the evolution of Igorot tapestry which was very well received by the American audience. A re-enactment on how the Igorots first met with American missionaries was done through pantomime, and then came one of the more emotional moments I’ve experienced in the reunion – the singing of the AY TET-EWA AY TOMA SA? (Is that really a bedbug?).

I believe I’ve sung this song once or twice a year during my elementary years. It’s a marvelously funny song about the bedbug (toma), and it entails having a leader sing a question, and the audience sing back a response. The first 2 lines goes like this:

Leader: Ay tet-ewa’y toma na? (Is this really a bedbug?)
Audience: Tetewa ay toma sa. Dake-dake’y toma sa ya kadak-kelan ay toma. (Yes, that’s really a bedbug. That’s a huge bedbug and it’s the biggest bedbug ever.)

And it goes on with a series of about a dozen or so questions, and the answers sung to each question is attached to the answer of the earlier questions and so every answer sung by the audience will end with the declaration that yes, that’s really a huge bedbug and it’s the biggest one. EVER! It’s similar to the “12 days of Christmas” and that other English song that goes “There was a tree, the finest tree that you ever did see…”. To me, the TOMA song is way more special.

To someone like me who is used to singing the song almost every year while growing up, it brought back warm feelings of early years in Sagada. I remember a particular December evening in the 1980s – most likely during the lantern parade, that a young guy and gal – in their first year in high school, dressed up in traditional Igorot attire, standing before the Sagada community gathered around the town’s basketball court, and leading the TOMA song with such fervor that I remember it so well after 20+ years.

I learned during the conference that the song was written by Dr. Henry Scott, a teaching missionary himself, in the 1950s, and that it was meant to be a humorous adaptation of one of the more hated animals in nature. I’m thinking how it is a reflection of Sagada humor – blunt, frank, and embarrassingly funny sometimes. Somehow, I tried to have my sons enjoy the singing as much as I did to no avail. I guess it’s again a reminder that my Sagada upbringing is several planets apart from their Manila / Chicago-suburb experience. (Even my wife who grew up in neighboring Tadian doesn’t care that much about the TOMA song.)

Igorot gong-playing and dancing followed after the TOMA song. Members of BIBBAK – Illinois, who performed at a Baguio high school reunion earlier in the evening, also performed a Benguet dance. Towards the end, the tables and chairs were pushed to the side, and the audience was invited to community dancing. Plenty of them obliged. The evening ended after the dancing, with farewells being exchanged since some of the attendees were catching flights or driving home early that Sunday morning. For me, the reunion would officially end the next Monday morning when I brought an aunt who was catching a red-eye flight back home to Denver at the Chicago O’hare airport.

A note on the missionaries – Manang Marie, who I briefly chatted with after the cultural night shared her thoughts about honoring the missionaries through the preservation of the Igorot culture. She’s right. In a way, it took a group of outsiders to help the Sagada Igorot folks appreciate, understand, and take efforts to preserve their Igorot culture. These SMSSAFF reunions is not just about your typical high school gathering – in a highly inter-connected world where local traditions are slowly replaced by global trends, there is great value in being reminded that God has allowed us to be born in the place and culture we were in. We all have a past and a background and knowing such certainly keeps us from getting lost.

I started this reflection with a reference to memories of food from childhood years. The whole reunion experience for me was a different kind of food – a somewhat spiritual nourishment type that kept me grounded to my roots, and was a refreshing reminder of where I came from. I don’t know if I would be able to attend the next SMSSAFF reunion that is being planned in Toronto on the summer of 2013. Attending or not, I’m still glad I got to have a taste of my old hometown of Sagada right here in metro-Chicago, the city I now call home.

A Taste of Sagada right here in Chicago – Part I

2011-08-20T10:59:00.002-05:00

In Disney’s RATATOUILLE movie, the unsmiling and dour-faced food critic named ANTON EGO, tasted a dish that suddenly transported him back to his childhood days. His countenance changed as he gamely savored the dish he was giving a critique on, and the warm childhood memories that accompanied the dish showed dramatically in his facial expression. He actually smiled, and proceeded to devour the rest of the dish with childish joy. In our family, we call such an experience a “ratatouille moment”. It is that warm, wonderful, indescribable feeling you’d get when you bite into food that reminds you of a great dishes from the past.

Welcoming Alumni, Family, and Friends

On a different scale, being part of the 5th St. Mary’s School Sagada Alumni Family and Friends (SMSSAFF) Conference that was held in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge was a drawn out 3-day “ratatouille moment”. My wife and I joined the host committee on Thursday, August 4, as alumni, family and friends started arriving to register for the event. We met relatives and friends from Michigan, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York and Illinois – there could be more states represented, and I believe there were those from Canada, but those states mentioned were what I remembered.

My wife and I didn’t graduate from St. Mary’s School (SMS) in Sagada – but my mother-in-law did. So did my dad (batch ’56), my mom (batch ’65), and my 3 older sisters who belonged to batch ’87, ’88, and ’90. Two of my brother-in-laws were also graduates of SMS. I was supposed to be a member of batch ’92 – but I was shipped to Manila for high school and missed all the fun. Still, I didn’t feel left out. The St. Mary’s tradition runs strong in my family and during the reunion, I somehow felt like I was representing my parents and sisters as they were not able to attend.

Anglican Mass and SMS Missionaries

The reunion / conference was held in an episcopal church also known as St. Mary’s. The Anglican church service on Saturday morning was the first time I’ve attended in years. (My family now have affiliated ourselves to evangelical, non-denominational churches in more recent years.) It was the same traditional hymn mass I remember from my Sagada childhood with great fondness. Members of the alumni served during the service, and the hymns were also handpicked by them. At the end of the service, when the attendees started singing the SMS hymn to the tune of O Danny Boy, I felt a tinge of regret that my family members (my mom especially) who were supposed to be there were absent.

Saturday evening was cultural night. The theme for the conference was about honoring Sagada’s teaching missionaries who were from various Anglican dioceses across the United States. These missionaries served in Sagada’s St. Mary’s school in the early 1900s and stayed in Sagada until the 1960s. In the photo slideshow which started the evening, there were images of SMS alumni who eventually settled in the US, visiting these same missionaries during their later years right here in their home country. I can only imagine what those missionaries may have felt like.

Having stayed here in the US since 2006, I cannot imagine sacrificing comfortable living here and going to a strange mountainous land in the Far East to spend time with a group of people and culture that is too foreign from the one you’re used to. And after all the hard work and time spent, you actually get to see the fruit of your labor by having some of your students get to visit you back in your home country. Indeed, a theme that I’ve heard from the older alumni during the conference was of thanksgiving – the alumni are thankful to those brave teaching missionaries for the opportunities that it has provided the students and their families not just in their lifetime, but also for the next generations to come.

CONTINUED here... A Taste of Sagada right here in Chicago – Part II

Sagada Missionaries Honored

2011-08-11T08:34:00.004-05:00

The 5th St. Mary's School Sagada Alumni and Friends Foundation (SMSSAFF) Conference held in the northern Chicago suburb of Park Ridge honored Sagada's teaching missionaries. During the final night of the conference last August 6, 2011, a cultural show was held in honor of the school's missionaries. It started with a photo slideshow of the missionary honorees, and included a fashion show, a skit on the arrival of the missionaries in Sagada, and performance of Igorot dances. Earlier in the day, a church service was held in St. Mary's Episcopal Church where the conference was held.

List of Missionary Honorees (from the SMS Yahoogroups mailing list):

1. The Community of St. Mary Nuns: 1917-1967 [Sagada Mission which includes SMSS]
2. The Rt. Rev. Robert Franklin Wilner: 1923-1955 (Philippines); 1945-1946, 1949-1950 (SMSS)
3. The Rev. Ezra Diman: 1932-1970 (Philippines); 1932-1938, 1948-1957 (SMSS)
4. Miss Helen Boyle: 1941-1945, 1947-1965 (Philippines); 1947-1950 (SMSS)
5. Deaconess Evelyn May Ashcroft: 1941-1945, 1951-1969 (Philippines); 1951-1952 (SMSS)
6. Richard and Jean Morgan: 1949-1951 (SMSS)
7. Olive Bird Tomlin: 1950-1955 (SMSS)
8. Mr. John Randall Norton: 1951-1954 (SMSS)
9. William Henry Scott: 1954-1993 (Philippines); 1954-1957, 1959-1963, 1970-1993 (SMSS)
10. Hazel F. Gosline: 1955-1966 (SMSS)
11. William Richard Hughes: 1956-1959 (SMSS)
12. The Rev. George Clinton and Mary Jane Harries: 1956-1969 (Philippines); 1956-1962 (SMSS)
13. The Rev. Archie C. Stapleton: 1959-1969 (SMSS)
14. Anne Fox- Miller: 1966-1969 (SMSS)
15. Ms. Anne Davidson: 1970 (SMSS)
16 Ms. Janet Eason: 2005-Present (SMSS)

Of the above, it is only the late Dr. William Henry Scott who I've personally interacted with. He used to visit my grandparents in Nangonogan. I've used some of his books as reference for papers done during my college years. I actually saw him walk the campus of the University of the Philippines in Diliman in the early 1990s, but as a teenager concerned with rather banal stuff, I didn't bother to have much conversation with him. That's a huge regret really - it would have been nice to pick the mind of not only one of Sagada's teaching missionaries, but an authority in Igorot history as well.

The presentation "Sagada to Chicago Welcome, SMS Teaching Missionaries Slideshow" is posted in YouTube. Watch the presentation below:

A photo gallery on the SMSSAFF Cultural Night is also available courtesy of Roel Marchadesch. Click on the photo below.

Pacquiao KOs Margarito

2010-11-13T09:27:00.004-06:00

“It’s official. Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines has set history and once again he has proven to be the greatest pound by pound boxer in the world by knocking down a much bigger and taller fighter in Antonio Margarito. The congressman from the Philippines has now captured an unprecedented eighth weight class title by knocking down his Mexican opponent to earn the vacant WBC super-welterweight title.”

Ah, the above title and first three sentences is what every single Pacquaio fan including this blogger would like to see after the Pacquaio – Margarito fight tonight, at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. I’m not such a great fan of boxing. But after arriving in the United States in 2006, I have watched almost all of Pacquiao’s boxing matches. And, I’ve become a fan to the greatest and most exciting boxer in his generation. Who isn’t? Even at our Bible study last night, while our group settled down for dinner and discussions, the Pacquiao – Margarito was a non-stop topic. Even the nine-year old girl who prayed for the food ended her grace with “… Lord, please let Pacquiao win tomorrow”.

This evening after worship services, my family and I will be joining a group of friends to cheer on the Filipino boxer. We would certainly not be alone. Millions, yes millions of Pacquiao fans around the world will be watching live. Here in the United States, thousands of fans will gather around TV sets that will be featuring the fight – whether that’s going to be in a bar, or in the comfort of their own homes. In the Philippines, I am sure that traffic and life in general will slow down on Sunday morning while people pause and watch the greatest Philippine boxer in action. There’s a joke that even the crime rate goes down when Pacquiao fights.

I am also sure that plenty of Mexican fans will be watching tonight hoping to catch a glimpse of a remote Pacquiao defeat. Last year, when my family were at a USCIS office for the processing of our green cards, the Mexican guard had a conversation with my wife. Amongst other things they talked about, he said that Mexicans HATE the Filipino boxer. He said that Pacquiao is arrogant, not a good fighter, and should go back home to the Philippines and focus on boxing. We were just too polite to point out that maybe he felt that way because the Filipino champion has simply outclassed Mexican challengers again and again.

There are two things that concern me in the fight though – the height and weight advantage of Margarito, and Pacquaio’s preparation (or lack of it). Pacquaio will be conceding 4 ½ inches in height and 6 ½ inches in reach when he faces Margarito. He may also be as much as 15 lbs lighter than his opponent when the bell rings to start the first round. Pacquiao weighed in at a low 144 lbs on Friday, as compared to the 150 lbs of Margarito. Regardless of how skilled Pacquiao is, these are disadvantages that he probably hasn’t faced before.

The next concern is the noise in Pacquiao’s life. He was elected to the Philippine Congress last May and his training has been full of distractions. This is possibly the fight in recent history where he hasn’t put in the fully focused training he is known to do. Still, Pacquiao’s talent and heart has set him apart from other boxers in this generation, and it is this combination that has led him this far. I certainly hope that this is enough to allow me to check the headlines tonight and read the following: “Pacquiao KOs Margarito”.

Click on photo below for a preview:

Sagada Tour: Dec 26 - 30, 2010

2010-10-19T23:51:00.002-05:00

SAGADA w Banawe and Bontoc December 26 to 30, 2010

PARTICIPANTS are encouraged to donate educational toys & books, any medical equipment to Sagada Hospital or medicines. These actions will make your trip more and memorable and you spiritually and emotionally healthy.

Visit all the sites like : Banawe View Point, Bontok Museum (learn about the cultures and traditions of the People in Cordillera), SagadaTown Proper, Calvary Hills & Echo Valley with hanging coffins Hike thru magnificent Fedilisan Rice terraces going to a very refreshing and scenic Bomod-ok falls, swim or can climb the falls and jump, then adventure caving in Burial caves and Big Cave. Sagada Weaving & Kiltepan Tower for top view of Sagada. Side trip to Bontoc ukay-ukay or shop for souvenirs in Bontoc or Banawe

ITINERARY
Day 0 Dec 26 Sun 9pm Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)

Day 1 Dec 27 Mon 6 am Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Banawe Breakfast
Banawe to Bontoc Road Trip Tour (lunch in Bontoc)
Bontoc Museum
Check in Sagada and enjoy the Town walking tour
4pm Register at Sagada Tourism Center, Calvary Hills, Echo Valley with Hanging Coffins

Day 2 Dec 28 Tues Sagada Tour: FREE and EASY Option to just chill (assisted and Facilitated)

Day 3 Dec 29 Wed Sagada to Bontoc to Banawe
Banawe Rice Terraces and Town Tour
6pm Banawe to Manila or

Day 4 Dec 30 Thur 3am Estimated Time of Arrival in Manila

BUDGET BACKPACKER RATE w Dorm room w Private bath h warm shower
P 3,549/pax October Reservation
P 4,049/pax November Reservation
P 4,799/pax December Reservation

Inclusive of
· Round Trip Aircon Bus Manila Banawe Manila

· Private Service Transfer Banawe Sagada Banawe

· 3days/2nights Accommodation family/dorm room

· 1 Full day tour around Sagada

· 3 buffet breakfast

· Entrance Fees

· Environment Fees

ST.JOSEPH IN ACCOMMODATION w private bath and warm shower
· P 4,249/pax (quad); P 4,749/pax (triple); P 5,499/pax (twin) October Reservation

· P 4,499/pax (quad); P 4,999/pax (triple); P 5,749/pax (twin) November Reservation

· P 4,749/pax (quad); P 5,249/pax (triple); P 5,999/pax (twin) December Reservation (if there are still slots available)

Inclusive of
· Round Trip Aircon Bus Manila Banawe Manila

· Private Aircon Bus Transfer Banawe Sagada Banawe

· 3days/2nights Accommodation family/dorm room

· 2 Full day tour around Sagada

· 3 buffet breakfast

· Entrance Fees

· Environment Fees

NOT Included : lunch, dinner, pasalubong and souvenirs, tour expense on day 2 option to chill or really go extreme.

IMPORTANT NOTES
1. Always keep quiet on the trail, site & peak, so that the fog will not form & block the beautiful view, & keep the journey dry.
2. Please donate educational books & toys to the community of Sagada
3. ALWAYS ENJOY GOD’S DIVINE CREATION AND THE PEOPLE WITH YOU ON THIS CLIMB.
4. We intentionally did not include the cost on Day 2 because it is subject to what you want to do and can do with in your budget.
5. We also intentionally did not include lunch and dinner so you can enjoy food trip adventure with in your own budget.
6. We are accepting reservation for Log Cabin Buffet on December 27 Monday for P 300
7. We are organizing Pinikpikan and Pinakbet Eat all you can for P 199 and drink all you can Rice wine for P 50 on December 28 Tuesday
8. Will be organizing White Water Rafting on Dec 28 Tues for P 2,500pax capacity of 6pax per raft.

THINGS TO BRING PLEASE : bring all PLEASE
1. Warm clothes according to itinerary and your fashion statement
(wholesome lang po)
2 Travel Water Bottle
3. toiletries
4. Raincoat & wind breaker & sweater & Jacket
5. sunblock and lipbalm
6. trail food/snack (chocolates, chips, fruits, jelly, powerbar)
7. bonnet & mittens, hat or cap
8. Camera
9 Bags for pasalubong and souvenirs.
10. Good Happy Sense of Humor

TRIP INQUIRIES & RESERVATION
Book and Buy/PAY Reservation Earliest possible to get your travel goal well organized. 50% reservation fee (non refundable but transferable) is required.
Please Fill up the blanks below and email to mother_nature888@hotmail.com
Company/Group: _______________________
Contact Person :___________________________
Land Line _____________________
Cellphone :____________________
Email Address:____________________
Target EcoTour/Location: _______________
Target Date of Travel :_________________
Number of Participants: _______________
Incomplete information will not be entertained
Payment can be made at Las Pinas Home Office or BDO or Metrobank (for patrons n friends)
Please scan the deposit slip and email it to mother_nature888@hotmail.com so we can email back the trip voucher, detailed trip info and official receipt.
All Reservation are non refundable, non rebookable, but transferable to chance passengers.

Happy to Serve, Thank you, Carpe Diem and GOD Bless
Violet C. Imperial

Nature Awareness & Conservation Club, Inc. (NonStock, NonProfit NGO)
5157964 (9am to 5pm Only) / 09194839250 / 09155101600
EMAIL: mother_nature888@hotmail.com
BLOGSITE: http://philecotourism.wordpress.com
PHOTOS : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=photos&gid=8004451681

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8004451681

http://mothernatureasia.multiply.com

http://philippineecotourism.blogspot.com/

Of Igorot Cowboys and Overseas Authors

2010-10-19T23:44:00.001-05:00

I found a couple of real interesting news reports regarding Igorots - something that I missed in the past months when I ignored blogging / keeping up-to-date on Igorot news and happenings. The first one is a story on Igorot author, Analyn Aryo. She is a native of Mankayan, Benguet currently based in Ontario, Canada. Her book "Nanny Tales" is a "kaleidoscope of amazing experiences, memories, friendships and gratitude among overseas workers". Her story is titled An Igorot nanny’s real nanny tales. The second one is a take on the Igorot as a Cowboy. In my latest visits to our beloved hometown, the endearing sights of cowboy boots and hats worn by kailyans makes me feel so at home. I'd like to see Igorot students make a study on the cowboy culture in the Cordilleras. Add to that the Igorot fascination with country music - this is with our generation I guess. Not sure if the younger ones are as cowboy-loving as the older generation.

Sagada's St. Mary's High is Mtn. Province's Best

2010-10-12T23:50:00.000-05:00

Sagada's St. Mary's High School topped the National Achievement Test besting 58 private and public schools in Cordillera region's Mountain Province. It was the second year in a row that Sagada's only private high school took top honors, beating other high schools in bigger towns such as Bontoc, Besao and Tadian. Lubon National High School in Tadian placed second while Guinzadan National High School in Bauko placed third. Three other schools in Sagada placed in the top 20 with Sagada National High School, Banga-an National High School and Antadao National High School ranking 14th, 17th, and 18th respectively.

This achievement is being credited by school officials to an implementation of a 6-year high school program that began in 2006. In an ABS-CBN report titled "K+12: The Sagada Experience", St. Mary's School of Sagada Principal Dennis Faustino said - "We topped the National Achievement Test twice in a row, including this year. The methodology is sound, my philosophy is sound, our teachers are doing a good job and it can be emulated across the country. I don't buy the excuse that [it's because] we are private school. I think it's just the ability to reach out to the kids and understand them and see how they respond to positive teaching".

Faustino and other St. Mary's school officials support the government's plan to lengthen the current 4-year high school standard in the Philippines to that of a 6-year program that is in line with international standards. Majority of Asian countries including India, a top supplier of doctors, nurses, and IT professionals to the United States, implement a longer secondary school system.

Personally, for the 6-year program to work in our country's school system, it has to be implemented properly. It's useless adding two additional years in high school without any specialization of some kind. It would be good to see the added years as a means for high school students to learn a specific skill that will allow them to be employable after high school. If, after high school, they would want to pursue further education, the additional two years of education would definitely make them very competitive in the international market.

Related Links:

K+12: The Sagada Experience, by Caroline J. Howard, ABS-CBNnews.com
Saint Mary's School of Sagada

Kamulo Enterprise: Clothing Line from a Young Baguio Entrepreneur

2010-10-10T16:25:00.002-05:00

The young owner of the Baguio City based KAMULO ENTERPRISE has announced the launch of it's online presence at Multiply. Kamulo Enterprise is a clothing line that specializes on jackets with an ethnic twist. It's product line features trendy jackets that not only focuses on quality, style, and comfort but also on promoting the culture of the Igorot people in northwestern Philippines. As the website explains, KAMULO, is the Igorot name of the owner’s maternal grandfather. It also happens to be my Igorot name as well. *BIG SMILE* (Go figure.)

The website provides a section on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) including minimum quantity required, order duration, cancellation policy, delivery information, and other pertinent information. Orders are accepted through an online order form, personal messages, or email. Both local and international orders are accepted.

While the launch of the website just happened recently, KAMULO ENTERPRISE jackets have been available in the Baguio market for some time now. My wife actually used a Kamulo jacket in her first-ever 5K run near Chicago last month. It's very comfortable and stylish for the spring and fall weather here in the US Midwest, and can be worn casually. It's a good buy for the young and the young at heart.

Don't wait any longer. Order your own KAMULO jacket by following this link.

Sagada's Mary Tumapang featured as Bayaning Pilipino

2010-10-03T12:50:00.000-05:00

Sagada resident and former St. Mary's School teacher, Mary Tumapang, was featured recently in an ABS-CBN news segment. Auntie Mary, as we call her, was a Bayaning Pilipino Awardee in 2009. Her community work include establishing the Scholarship Fund Drive that benefits underprivileged elementary and high school students, volunteer teaching of Christian Values education, and being an active board member of the Sagada Multipurpose Cooperative. She also participates in a weekly clean-and-green program which aims to keep Sagada's surroundings clean.

Auntie Mary worked as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Israel from 1998 to 2004. Prior to that, she was the high school teacher of my 3 older sisters in Sagada's St. Mary's school. Her second oldest daughter was my classmate in elementary school. Everyone familiar with her story know the challenges she has faced in life. She's a survivor, an inspiration, and a role model to others. Her unselfish community work is certainly worthy of mention in nationwide TV. Matago-tago ka, Auntie Mary. Sagada needs more residents like you.

Here's the link to the ABS-CBN video of Mary Tumapang.

Filipino Creativity in Flight Attendants' Dance Routine

2010-10-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

A recent Youtube video of Cebu Pacific's dancing flight attendants was featured in Yahoo.com's frontpage. The video has gone viral attracting almost 300,000 views to date, after it was loaded to Youtube just yesterday, Sep 30. The video shows three flight attendants dancing to a Lady Gaga song while the normal safety instructions are being announced through the intercom. The reaction? Majority of those who provided feedback in Youtube and in a related Huffington Post article voiced their approvals. Whether it's a cheap but effective marketing move by the airline or a geniune gimmick to make passengers more attentive during flight safety announcements, the dance routine showcases yet again - the Filipino's creativity. Now, if only we can use that kind of creativity to resolve our countries' many problems. Enjoy the flight attendants' dance routine below:

3 New Igorot Blogs

2010-09-20T19:55:00.004-05:00

Found 3 new blogs by 2 Igorot bloggers that sprouted in the web recently.

1. Spirited Thoughts - a blog from a fellow i-Sagada and neighbor Gary Pekas. Gary is a regular contributor to a Baguio-based publication and describes himself as a loose cannon, iconoclast, freeloader, and outlaw. Sure enough, the first blog post was titled "SHIT" and had me blushing and laughing out loud at the same time.

2. Writings by An American Igorot - by Igorot author, Rex Delson. The Chicago-based blogger plans to write on "a wide range of inspirational topics relating with ethnic identity, assimilation, purpose, character and much more". One of his posts has already attracted dozens of comments due to a negative comment by a Filipino poster that targeted the Igorot people.

3. Igorots of Character - also by Rex Delson. This blog will be recognizing outstanding individuals and groups through the TIM TEBOW RECOGNITION AWARD and the U2 RECOGNITION AWARD, respectively. The Chicagoland Coalition for Asian Disaster Relief (CCADR) was the first recipient of the group award while the search for the first individual award is still on-going.

UP Pep Squad wins 2010 UAAP Cheerdance Competition.

2010-09-18T01:28:00.005-05:00

University of the Philippines' Pep Squad has been dominating the UAAP cheerdance competition in the past 4 years winning the title in 2007, 2008, and 2010 and finishing runner-up in the 2009 edition. This year's performance by the premier state university blew away the competition with their original moves, furious transitions, and unmatched energy. As usual, they incorporated ethnic Pinoy elements into their routine. I observed singkil drums and Cordillera nose flute in their music. Their adaption of the Ati-atihan dance was breath-taking. Their performance reminded me of Kim Yu-Na in the 2010 Winter Olympics. UP's Pep Squad dominated the event, no one could even come close.

Now, if only the men's basketball team can win just one game. I guess that's asking for too much. Watch the video of the Pep Squad's winning performance below.

Anti-Igorot sentiments from a “true” (?) Filipino

2010-09-17T02:32:00.006-05:00

I’m being lured out of my longest blogging hiatus by an anonymous poster in a recent Igorot blog. In his blog, Writings by an American Igorot, author Rex Delson had a post regarding his first novel titled “IGOROTAK: The Warrior Within”. A poster with alias “A True Proud Filipino” went off-topic and belittled the Igorot people. I’m fine with fellow Pinoys being ignorant about the Igorots. The proper response is to provide information. What I can’t stand are people who flaunt their ignorance and look down on others. This post, my first in more than six months is my response to that poster’s comments (in red text and quoted). To respond to such a post, I’d gone down, way down, but heck, I had fun writing it. Hope this little post will start to motivate me to update my blog more often, as I did in the past.

“Go ahead and teach your own people about your heritage, but if this book is attempting to portray igorots as equals to real filipinos I think this is a stupid thing.”

Igorots are not real Filipinos? So, majority of the folks in the CORDILLERA REGION of NORTHERN PHILIPPINES are not Filipinos? This would include Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines whose mayor is an Igorot. The fact is, Igorots are real Filipinos, whether or not some misguided, uneducated, anonymous online poster who obviously has deep insecurities say otherwise. You’re the stupid one.

“There is a reason why igorots are barely covered in our educational books in schools in the philippines. It's because they are not worthy of the filipino name.”

Not true. My eldest was homeschooled as a first grader in the Philippines. He was using a Filipino textbook for his Social Studies class and yes, I remember that it had a section on who is a Filipino or not. Among the groups mentioned are Igorots, Muslims, and Tagalogs. Go back and get an education, start with first grade.

“You pride yourselves as not being conquered by Spain, but I pride myself as being conquered by Spain because without them my ancestors would have stayed uneducated and uncivilized and there would be a nation of people still running around in loin clothes today.”

This is laughable. Thailand was never conquered by any country. It’s in a much better state than the Philippines. Read Rizal’s major works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo so you could get an idea on what it was like during the Spanish rule. Women were raped, majority of the locals were oppressed including children, and people were kept uneducated. The Spaniards referred to the colonized people as “Indio”. Please go and research on how derogatory a term that was.

My professor at UP-Diliman stated that a lot of social problems in the Philippines today are a direct result of Spanish colonization. Our society’s addiction to showbiz? It’s a manner of escape. Generations of your ancestors would have gone through their lives under almost 400 years of Spanish rule having little or no hope at all. The manyana habit? Why strive today when there’s not much to strive for. Why do we have a lot of showbiz personalities elected? We, Filipinos, are continually looking for a hero ala Bong Revilla / Lito Lapid to liberate us from our dire circumstances. Here’s a thought – I’m 100% sure your ancestors would have opted for anything other than being conquered by Spain.

“But thanks to Spain, we are now educated, smart, civilized and even better looking today.”

No, you’re not.

Better looking? Intermarriage between Spaniards and the locals were not very common. Rape was.

“You don't see igorots on the popular filipino shows today do you? When it comes to great minds like Rizal or big achievers like Pacquiao, you won't find Igorots.”

Popular Filipino shows? Ummm – let’s not get there. There are some showbiz personalities with Igorot ancestry but what has being in a popular show have something to with being a true Filipino? Let’s not be shallow shall we? Filipina heroine Gabriela Silang was part Igorot. It would be impossible to have an Igorot Rizal because again, the Igorots were not conquered by the Spaniards. Rizal’s works were a product of the Spanish oppression of our country. However, Igorots, my grandfather included, helped Americans liberate the Philippines from Japan. See General MacArthur praised Igorot Soldiers during WW2.

“I rest my case.”

You never had one to begin with.

Sagada Tours - March & April 2010

2010-02-28T07:53:00.003-06:00

I had some readers asking for information on Sagada Travel Tours for this Holy Week - while this blog has provided details in the past and probably will continue to provide more in the future, I just wanted to clarify that this is not a Sagada travel site. I'm also not a big fan of travel tours because it is very constrained but it looks like it's the most convenient route for first timers to visit Sagada. I did search for some planned Sagada tours for March and April 2010 and found three adventure tours at the ADVOCATE Tours blog.

Tour 1 - MARCH 18-20, 2010

Available slots: 25

Reservation downpayment: Php 2,000/pax
Reservation deadline: March 5, 2010 (Friday)
Full payment deadline: March 12, 2010

Tour package includes:
* Service of tour guide
* Roundtrip land transfers (air-con van/bus)
* Jeepney transfers around Sagada
* Accommodation at George Guest House Annex
* Total of 5 meals - 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner (*Dinner on the last day on pax account)
* Banaue-Sagada Tour (please see itinerary)
* Service of local guides and use of equipments inside the cave
* Tour entrance fees

Tour 2 - APRIL 1-3, 2010 - Holy Week

Target Slots: 45

Reservation downpayment: Php 2,000/pax
Reservation deadline: March 19, 2010
Full payment deadline: March 26, 2010

Tour package includes:
* Service of tour director
* Roundtrip land transfers (Air-con tourist bus)
* Jeepney Transfers around Sagada
* Accommodation at George Guest House Annex
* Total of 8 meals (3 breakfast, 3 lunch, 2 dinner)
* Banaue-Sagada Tour (sightseeing, cultural immersion, trekking adventure, spelunking)
* Service of local guides with use of equipments inside the cave
* Tour entrance fees

Tour 3 - APRIL 8-10, 2010 - Long Weekend

Available slots: 25

Reservation downpayment: Php 2,000/pax
Reservation deadline: March 24, 2010
Full payment deadline: March 29, 2010

Tour package includes:
* Service of tour guide
* Roundtrip land transfers (air-con van/bus)
* Jeepney transfers around Sagada
* Accommodation at George Guest House Annex
* Total of 5 meals - 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner (*Dinner on the last day on pax account)
* Banaue-Sagada Tour (please see itinerary)
* Service of local guides and use of equipments inside the cave
* Tour entrance fees

Additional information for these tours can be found at this Multiply Blog.

Alleged Sagada Drug Dealers Released

2010-02-28T07:33:00.003-06:00

In a blog post I wrote on Mar 31, 2009 titled Sagada Men jailed for Peddling Hashish, I linked to a GMA News TV web article about Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents seizing 13 bricks of hashish from three Sagada locals. I thank Gary, a poster in this blog, for updating me that the three men suspected has been released and "were found not guilty of the offense of selling illegal drugs" by a regional trial court.

Case dismissed against 3 alleged marijuana dealers
from Cordillera Express.com

Bontoc, Mountain Province, January 29, 2010. Three men accused of selling marijuana hashish bricks were released earlier today as the case against them was dismissed. The three, Vincent Navarro, Francis Page-et , and Edwin Datoc were found not guilty of the offense of selling illegal drugs by Judge Joseph A Patnaan of the Regional Trial Court Branch 36 here.

The three were arrested in Sagada on March 28, 2009 allegedly after selling 13 pieces of marijuana hashish bricks to a poseur-buyer from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The PDEA team that arrested them, led by PDEA Director Opeña presented the three to the media in Camp Dangwa the next day, with the PDEA harping on a successful operation against illegal drugs. It may be recalled that the PDEA is not under the Philippine National Police but directly under the Office of the President. While the PNP does not condone the presentation of suspects to the media under the principle that they are innocent until proven guilty, the PDEA is not averse to presuming guilt by publicly presenting suspects as though they are already convicted. It may be recalled that the drug enforcement agencies were smarting from the Alabang Boys fiasco at the time, and the presentation of the three was seen as a calculated move to present the PDEA as serious in the battle against illegal drugs.

Full Story can be found at: Case dismissed against 3 alleged marijuana dealers

This is an injustice and an outrage! What will the PDEA do to account for the time wasted in jail for the three alleged suspects? How about their tarnished reputation? Was there an apology ever provided to the accused and their families?

Vancouver Winter Olympics - Great Memories

2010-02-27T23:09:00.006-06:00

Enough tennis talk - the second sporting event and my other reason for why I haven't updated this blog for some time is the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. I rushed home on the Friday that the opening ceremonies would be shown so I could watch it with my family. The ceremonies were awesome - sure, it wasn't as great a show as the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies but it was spectacular nonetheless. Of course, we were disappointed with the lighting of the torch due to the technical problem in one of the four torches, but the show went on pretty well. I am so glad to watch it with my kids. I want to keep watching Olympic opening ceremonies as a tradition in my family; hope my children will recall these special moments when they grow up.

Over the course of the past two weeks, we watched in amazement as the best winter athletes in the world competed against each other. We cheered for US and Australian athletes - they represent the two countries where we are permanent residents of. There were two competitors who we followed closely - they are Amanda Evora from the pairs figure skating and J.R. Celski of short track. Evora's parents are both US immigrants from the Philippines; while Celski is the offspring of US immigrants from Poland and the Philippines. Evora didn't win a medal but she and her partner placed tenth, while Celski won two bronze medals.

There were also some Olympians from the Chicago suburbs that we cheered for. Evan Lycasek outclassed the competition in winning the men's figure skating and he's from Napperville, IL. Shani Davis of Chicago duplicated his gold-silver haul from the previous Olympics. Then there's Katherine Reutter from Champaign, IL who won a silver in the ladies 1000 m short track, the first medal for a US woman in short track since 1994. Four teammates from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks will be in action in the men's hockey final tomorrow - three of them will be playing for Canada and one will be playing for the United States.

My favorite events were short track, figure skating, and speed skating. My five year old's favorites were bobsleigh and luge. I found those two events to be too technical and really - does anyone enjoy watching those in TV? Apparently, my youngest son does, but I think he is looking more for those spectacular crashes more than anything else.

One thing I like about the Olympics are the incredible stories surrounding the athletes. My favorites during these games are:

- The Chinese figure skating pair who came out of retirement to fulfill their dream of an Olympic gold;
- The Canadian figure skater who competed and won a medal less than a week after her mother died;
- The Canadian men's mogul gold medalist who is continuously inspired by his older brother who has a disability;
- The young Korean figure skater who won her country's first Olympic medal in her sport and performed flawlessly under immense pressure to beat her own world record and win the gold by a huge margin;
- The Australian world champion skier who is a resident of Vancouver and unlike most athletes, have managed to keep his distance from the media;
- The young American short track athlete of Polish and Filipino ancestry who had sixty stitches on his leg due to an accident in the rink last November but still managed to recover on time for the games and win two medals in his first Olympics;
- The figure skater who is a child of Filipino immigrants who learned how to skate in a frozen pond near their house.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics will end tomorrow with the completion of the gold medal match between Canada and the United States in men's hockey. It has been a great experience, our first time to completely follow the staging of a Winter Olympics. While the rest of the world will remember plenty of great and inspiring memories of these Games, a family in Georgia would have buried their beloved Nodar Kumaritashvili, the luge athlete who suffered a fatal crash the morning before the start of the Olympics. It was a dream that turned into a nightmare, as the hopes of a young man who spent so many hours training and qualifying for the Olympic event was dashed during a fateful practise session. I am hopeful that this story will not end as it is, that there will be something good that will come out of this tragedy. I'm not sure what it will be, but if there's something I learned from following the Olympics in the past 22 years, it is that hope trumps any human challenge - even death. Tomorrow will be a totally new day.

Looking forward to the 2012 London Summer Olympics!

Australian Open 2010 Notes

2010-02-27T18:19:00.003-06:00

I’ve gone almost 2 months without adding a single blog post here. That’s probably one of the longest spells I did. Trying to look back in the past two months, there are two major sporting events that prevented me from doing so.

The first one is the Australian Open – the first grand slam in the tennis calendar held in Melbourne. I’m a huge tennis fan, and last month, I stayed awake late into the evening watching live matches from Down Under. I was cheering on Roger Federer to extend his record number of tennis grand slams, amidst the challenge of younger up and coming players such as Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Jo Wilfried Tsonga; and established rivals such as Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko. Federer passed the hurdles along his way and went on to capture his 16th grand slam title, the most amongst male tennis players.

Then there’s the drama on the women’s side. After being defaulted at the semifinals of the US Open last year, world #1 Serena Williams was intent on proving that she deserves that spot. The un-retirement of rival Justine Henin was another motivating factor. She breezed through her first four matches before almost being knocked out by the talented Belarussian, Victoria Azarenka, in the quarterfinals. But Williams dug deep and made an almost impossible comeback. She then won the championships by defeating Henin in a thrilling 3-set match that saw both players go on streaks until Williams proved to be the steadier player at the end. Serena Williams successfully defended both her singles title and also the doubles title which she won with her older sister, Venus.

Chinese women tennis players also made a stir in the grand slam of the Asia-Pacific as two players from China reached the semifinals of a major for the first time in history. China, with its more than a billion gene pool has been tagged by a lot of tennis observers to be a major power in the future and the performance by a couple of its veteran stars just proved what has been expected all along. Now, the top Chinese player, Na Li / Li Na is now in the top ten. Expect China to produce more top 20 players and rival Russia in the most number of women players at the top in this decade.

I’m looking forward to the French Open in June. In the men’s side - will Rafael Nadal be able to bounce back and reclaim his dominance in Rolland Garros? Or, will Federer defend his crown to add to his 16 major titles? I think the only players capable of challenging Nadal and Federer in Paris will be Novak Djokovic and my name-sake, US Open champion and 2009 French Open semifinalist Juan Martin del Potro. Then again, it’s tennis. Let’s see what the clay court season produces.

In the ladies side, Henin would be the favorite coming into the French Open given her previous four wins in the tournament. But, I wouldn’t discount Serena Williams who made a serious run last year before falling to the Svetlana Kuznetsova, the eventual champion. This year, Serena is the only player with the chance of winning all four grand slams, and even if she doesn’t stay 100% healthy, I think she’ll be able to pull it off. Henin, Serena and Kuznetsova would be my top favorites, and they would be challenged by Kim Clijsters, Dinara Safina and if she can get her act together, maybe 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic will be able to do some damage.

To be continued...

As Dangerous as Halsema

2010-01-10T04:04:00.006-06:00

I lost count how many times I've traveled the Halsema highway that links Baguio City to Sagada. I do remember that I first started traveling this route in Grade 3, way back in 1984 when our whole family first spent our first Christmas and New Year in Baguio City with relatives in Loakan. During my high school and college days, I would travel through this highway at least 5 times a year when I would go home during the summer, semestral break and for the holidays.

The HALSEMA highway is a dangerous one - and on several occassions, it has been fatal to some travelers. I've lost an uncle - my mother's brother in an accident in the Halsema and some relatives as well. It is a route that features daunting curves. For several stretches, one side of the highway would be against a mountain side and for the other side, it would be a drop of several hundred feet. Still, I believe that the relatively few accidents in Halsema is a testament to the skill of Cordillera drivers.

It is fascinating watching the bus drivers navigate through the dangers during a trip. Now that I'm driving, I fully appreciate how they could guide the buses safely to their destinations - day in and day out. I remember how they seemingly handle the steering wheel with ease. These are big wheels - mind you, probably twice or more the circumference of your normal sedan steering wheel. And, unless they've upgraded, the buses do not use power steering.

I am reminded of the Halsema due to a recent a road trip. After midnight on January 2 this year, my family drove the 720+ miles from Maryland to our place in Illinois. We were supposed to leave January 2 evening, but due to the bad weather forecast for the weekend, I decided to pack-up and leave immediately. I was mostly concerned about ice on the highway in Pennsylvania and the lake effect snow in Indiana. As my wife did the packing and had no sleep, I was tasked to drive the first seven hours of the journey covering Maryland, Pennsylvania and into Ohio.

In Pennsylvania, the snow showers started for dozens of miles at a time. I was fine with it because the roads weren't slippery. I took extra caution though not driving the maximum speed, and always making sure that the vehicles ahead of me were traveling at normal speeds. I was on the lookout for vehicles that were slowing down as that would indicate trouble. We left Pennsylvania with no trouble except for the occasions when the snow was falling down hard.

As I drove into Ohio, the problems began. Snow was falling down hard and the highways were covered in an inch or so of snow. I couldn't see the yellow lines anymore and my only guide were the tire tracks ahead of me. It was around 5am so it was still very, very dark. I tried to use the fog lights of the minivan but it actually didn't help. It was actually worse since the lights were reflecting off the falling snow. I couldn't see any vehicles ahead, so I reduced my speed and I went slowly at 30-40mph. I was soon able to catch up with a group of vehicles that were traveling in a single file after around 30 minutes of driving on my own. Then and only then that I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. My wife who was awake enough to see the situation has been praying very hard.

Morning came and the rest of our travel in Ohio was great. Snow was present but the roads were being treated and the sunshine was a welcome sight. My wife took over the driving and after a brunch stop, I was able to sleep for an hour or so. I dreaded passing by Indiana, but I knew the situation was better because it was daytime.

My wife drove into Indiana before we switched. Visibility wasn't so good, and lake effect snow was falling down hard and made everything look gloomy. The snow scenes in this post were taken from Indiana. From the road, the scenes nearby looked very pretty - everything was covered in snow. My wife and I marveled at the irony... amidst all this beauty is the cold reality of danger. Indiana has the highest maximum speed at 70mph along our route and despite the very poor visibility, vehicles were wheezing by at such fast speeds. An accident at these speeds and with the traffic was bound to hurt a lot of people, and would most likely cause deaths as well. We drove for at least an hour in this condition.

For every dark stage in a journey, there is always the bright side. As we were nearing Chicago, the skies suddenly brightened. It was as if the lake effect snow was constrained to only a particular part of Indiana. One could actually pinpoint a border where it was snowing and a few meters ahead, the snow stopped and the sun was shining brightly. Ah, thank GOD for a safe journey. We're now in Chicago. The sight of the Chicago Skyline and the Sears towers are always a welcome for us after a long drive from Maryland.

We completed our trip all breaks included in 13 hours. Compare that to our record of 10 hours and 45 minutes during our recent Thanksgiving trip. The extra hours were mostly due to the meal break we had and the weather. But we got home safe and sound.

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all this blog's visitors. May it be a year of good health and joyful memories with your loved ones. And yes, stay safe during your trips.

Photo at the top and below: Road scenes from Indiana. Taken during morning hours, the sun wasn't shining and snow covered the trees and surroundings.

Photo below: The Sears Tower is always a welcome sight after a long journey.

Photo below: My boys pose by our very dirty and grime/snow/salt covered faithful minivan. I had to wait later in the week for another winter storm before giving it a good exterior car wash.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T02:40:00.003-06:00

It's 3.40 am Christmas morn - I just wanted to jot down some notes before calling it a night. It has been a great Christmas Eve spent first by attending a Christmas worship service, then spending the rest of the evening at the house of one of my sisters here in Maryland. For the first time in many, many years, Maryland actually out-snowed Illinois. Click on the photo taken from one of my sister's houses. They haven't dared remove the accumulated snow at their deck. It's more than a foot high.

#1. Christmas is best spent with family. Three of my sisters and their families live in Maryland. We're the only ones residing in Illinois. We postponed our Illinois - Maryland trip from Dec 18 evening to Dec 21 evening due to the worst winter storm in Maryland. When we finally hit the road, the forecast was clear all throughout our journey. BUT, reality was different. The visibility was very bad when we passed Indiana with snow swirling all around.

The worst happened in Pennsylvania though. We were travelling at the maximum speed when I felt our minivan slip in the road. I immediately slowed down and sure enough, saw that the highway was covered in a thin layer of ice. I noticed the vehicles ahead of us were going very slow and had their hazard lights on. I did the same. The scarier part was ahead of us. As we were crossing a bridge, we could see a small car ahead of us slowly losing control and slipping sideways as it crossed the bridge. I thought we were crazy to have taken the drive we did. But who could have known? A college friend did the same drive at a time that the forecast was worse. Their family encountered less problems than we did.

God was real gracious and allowed us to complete our journey without any other incidents. Christmas is meant to be spent with family and we are just so happy to be here.

#2. Look out for Christmas blessings. They're everywhere. While we were very bored and anxious waiting whether or not to make the trip to Maryland, we decided to attend the Sunday worship service at Willow Creek church in South Barrington. It was the biggest church I've seen so far. I've heard a lot about the church for a long time now and had made plans to visit it earlier. I'm glad we did this particular Sunday.

The Christmas carol singing was wonderful. Led by a nationally-acclaimed choir director, the whole congregation were urged to sing their best for Jesus. After all, isn't He the reason for the season? At least a couple of thousand voices joined the choir with joyful voices and it was hard to imagine not being blessed for taking part in those songs. The singing was recorded and was available in a CD after the service. Now I have my own Christmas album.

The message was simple yet profound. Jesus was the only human ever to have a say on when and where He would be born. He chose to enter our world through a place where animals were kept, and chose parents that society would have easily ignored as insignificant. Imagine the dirt, the noise, the chaos, the circumstances where the animals stayed - he chose to enter the very world he created in the most humble manner. Imagine what Joseph and Mary would have thought about delivering a baby in the least ideal of settings - and yet, that was the time that Jesus chose to arrive.

Indeed, God rarely shows up in situations when everything is under our control. It is when we are most needy, when we are most weak, when we are most humbled, and when we are most searching that He chooses to show Himself. Now that I think about it, it is in our most vulnerable moments that we can actually show our purest love. And rightfully, those moments are when we most encounter JESUS - love in human form.

We wouldn't have heard of the message had we not been delayed. God's timing is always perfect. We just have to wait on Him.

As the old ladies would say in my hometown of Sagada, MILI KLISMAS! Spend it well with your family, and keep your eyes wide open for those Christmas blessings.

Sagada Christmas Memories

2009-12-24T01:39:00.003-06:00

Before I got married, I spent all my Christmases either in Sagada or in a remote barangay of Tabuk, the the capital of what was then known as Kalinga-Apayao. But, I can only remember one Christmas spent in Tabuk, whereas almost 99% of my Christmas memories have Sagada as its setting. Knowingly or unknowingly, our folks have raised us to treasure Christmas and have a sense of tradition around it. Because of this, I am now trying to do the same with my children as well. I’m listing my fondest Christmas memories in Sagada as they appear on my mind:

- Decorating a tree. It was a real pine tree that we chose for the house and we would make it stand in a can filled with stones, not an easy task.

- Decorating our rooms at school. During the later years in elementary school, a group of students would be assigned a corner of the room to decorate. The class would have a maguey tree for its Christmas tree and we’d decorate it with classroom-made decors.

- Attending the community program at the basketball court on Christmas Eve.

- Singing with the choir at the church. I attended Christmas morning service before high school but I was allowed to attend the Christmas Eve service around high school. When the collegians come home for the holidays, the singing goes to a new level. “Glo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria, in excelsis dey-ey-oooo!” is sang in four very distinct voices by the whole congregation.

- Going home after the midnight mass and eating a slice of lemon pie / chocolate cake.

- The very, very cold Sagada weather especially when going home after midnight mass. During my teen years, it wouldn’t be that cold especially when I was tipsy from an earlier drinking session.

- Opening our presents on Christmas morn. Unlike my children and most other children here in the US, we were very happy with just one gift. We’d be ecstatic with two.

- My grandfather’s grapefruit breakfast. Choosing the juiciest grapefruit is part of the fun. Not sure how many other families can relate to that.
- The cakes and pies my aunt, my cousins, and my sisters bake. The Sagada fruit salad is found nowhere else.

- Preparing for the Christmas Eve and Christmas lunch meals. The kitchen was always busy.

- Inviting friends and relatives over for Christmas lunch. I wasn’t really that fond for the dish washing that would be assigned to me after the meal.

This blog wishes you and your family a Merry, Merry Christmas.

Elementary and Junior High Winter Orchestra

2009-12-22T15:57:00.003-06:00

We accompanied our 5th grader as he was going to perform in the winter orchestra at their school. Our eldest started playing violin 5 years ago, when he was still homeschooled in the Philippines. When we moved to the US, he stopped playing. In their music class, he chose to join the Beginner's Orchestra group and he had to start with his violin lessons from scratch. It's a good thing because he lost most of his skills from his previous lessons. The winter orchestra is their first of 3 performances for the school year.

Winter Concert Atmosphere - the performance was held at the auditorium of the school district's high school. The audience were mostly family members of those who were performing.

Grade 5 Performance: My son is the kid in front of the second column from the left. I was pretty amused at the applause the audience gave the beginner's orchestra after each tune.

Grade 6 Peformance: There is a young Fil-Am amongst the better players in this group. He is the violin player on the left of the conductor. The group played a catchy "Frosty the Snowman" and the audience responded by clapping along. My son said they shouldn't have done that because it was difficult to hear the music. I thought it was just appropriate - the audience were showing their appreciation. And, it was sort of a family-type concert, not a formal one.

Grade 7: Look for a guy on the far-end left. He was really good. I'm not a violin expert but one could tell he was enjoying and performing well. He was one of the few violin soloists, and he also played a different instrument later in the evening.

Junior High (Grade 7 & Grade 8) Ensemble: Playing one of the more popular pieces for the night. My wife actually counted that of the 16 members of the group, 13 of them were of Asian descent.

Flashback: Video of my son 5 years ago performing at his first violin group recital in the Philippines. He stopped playing the violin for 4 years and had to start again under the beginner's orchestra group at age 10. Now that I think about it, the complexity of what he was doing then was not much different from what he was doing now.

Our 5th Grader's Spelling Season Ends Early

2009-12-22T15:11:00.008-06:00

Around 3 weeks ago, our 5th grader (and eldest) informed us that he was vying as class rep for the spelling bee. I asked him if he had time to do so considering his many activities already. He is part of the student council, is leading a group for a book club competition, has a violin class, taking part in Math competition, and always vying for a top10 spot at the church’s AWANA program. He said he’ll find time to learn some spelling.

He found a book we have at home on interesting English words. For the first few days, he was really into it. He got to know some English words derived from foreign languages. He had fun learning the spelling and meaning of some of the longest words there are including "antidisestablishmentarianism" and "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis". I was surprised to know that "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" was even a word. And, he laughed out loud when he was telling me about the meaning of "floccinaucinihilipilification". (Before you get too impressed with how I’m spelling these words, do know that I’m just copying and pasting from Google.) Yep, he amazed me with how he can say these words in a straight manner when they all seem like tongue twisters to me.

On a separate note, he said that a particular classmate whom he bested when they both run for class student council representative literally begged him not to take part in the spelling bee so others can also have a chance to represent the class. This girl apparently told him to “please, please not join the spelling bee”. Others were also already telling my son that he’ll surely get one of the 2 slots for the class. So yep, my son knew that he was a frontrunner early on.

Days passed by and we barely noticed it. Pretty soon, my son was cramming one Wednesday night because his class spelling bee was the next day. On hindsight, I can say that my son fell to what we Pinoys call the “ningas cogon” mentality. He failed to follow up on his initial super-enthusiasm. It probably didn’t help that the bee fell on the last week of the calendar year, a relatively busy week in a 5th grader’s calendar.

On Thursday evening, I learned that he didn’t get one of the two slots for his class. He fell in the second round. More surprising I guess, is the word where he made a mistake. He spelled "casino" incorrectly. Upon hearing that, our 3rd grader looked up from a book he was reading and said: “I can spell that – c-a-s-i-n-o”. I’m sure that didn’t sit well with his older brother. At his class, our eldest spelled the word with a double "s".

As a very competitive person, my son dislikes not coming out on top. But what really got into him was the ribbing he got from his classmates. "I couldn’t believe you didn’t know how to spell that!" were one of the friendlier lobs that were sent his way. His mother had a consolation for him – "it just means our family is not really into gambling". Way to go, mom. That night, he had to focus on something else. He joined other 5th graders as they performed in a winter orchestra – the first of three that they’ll be performing for the school year.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

On Sunday evening, we were singing some Christmas Carols to pass the time. I was telling my sons how we as children changed the words of "Feliz Navidad" to "Bilis Binigat". Loosely translated, that means "dried fish (bilis) every breakfast (binigat)" in Ilokano. Not knowing Ilokano, my eldest enthusiastically said that he knew what I was singing about. He thought it was about telling a heavy child to hurry up. I looked at him, puzzled. He explained - "You know - bilis is fast, bigat is heavy". Hehehe, poor child. He was using Tagalog to translate the phrase. I cracked up. I was about to tease him on "casino" but not wanting to spoil the mood, I stopped short of doing that.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

On some long-ish drives, the boys would amuse themselves by imitating a spelling bee. Recently, they asked me to give them some spelling words.

Me: "Ok, spell this (don't remember the word but it was a non-English one)."
Eldest: "Can you give me the definition please?"
Me: "It means ***definition of word***".

Eldest: "Can you give me a different pronunciation, please?"
At this point, I'd give a different pronunciation in my best foreign accent.

Eldest: "Can you give me the origin, please?"
Me: "It's ***name of language***".

My eldest remains stumped. At this point, he starts giggling. In his most innocent tone, he asks,
"Can you give me the spelling please?"

Recent Search Words

2009-12-10T22:52:00.003-06:00

As someone who is very interested in numbers, and is a statistic-nerd, I signed up with SiteMeter's free service to track where the traffic in my blog is coming from. In the past 4 weeks, this blog's traffic has increased 100% - thanks in part to the transfer of almost all pages from my erstwhile website: sagada-igorot.com. (It's below my expectations since I expected traffic to go up 200%.) Just a few minutes ago, I was checking how my recent visitors were accessing my site. About 90% of the past 100 visitors since this morning have used search engines - majority of which are from Yahoo and Google. What search words are they using that lead them to this blog? I checked the past 30 visitors, and have selected the top 12 search words according to their "most amusing" value.

Rank - Search Word - Position in Search (Search Engine):

12. "igorot" - #5 (Yahoo)
11. "sagada" - #9 (Google Canada)
10. "sagada tours" - #1 (Google Canada)
9. "sagada tour" - #6 (Google Philippines)
8. "igorot traditional ceremonies" - #4 (Yahoo)
7. "filipino igorot" - #2 (Google)
6. "masferre sagada" - #4 (Google)
5. "blog of the sagada igorot" - #1 (Yahoo)
4. "pictures of igorot native attire" - #3 (Yahoo)
3. "what is the filipino name for the igorot's sling" - #1 (Google)
2. "igorot never colonized" - #2 (Google)
1. "how sexually active are the male igorots" - #1 (Google)

Some comments:

- Note how the search words "sagada tours" and "sagada tour" differ in how Google ranks them because of the country the search was done on.
- Those searching for "blog of the sagada igorot" are either fans or enemies of this blog. This particular searcher was from Florida.
- "Filipino Igorot" is a nice search term. Is there such a thing as "American Igorot", "French Igorot", or "English Igorot"?
- To the person searching for "how sexually active are the male igorots"? My answer is another question: "Why do you ask?"

Sagada Dec 2009 Tour via Banaue

2009-12-09T00:18:00.002-06:00

I am sharing information on a Travel Advocate tour that covers both Sagada and Banaue. The tour date is from Dec 27 (Sunday) to Dec 29, 2009 (Tuesday). Billed as the BANAUE-SAGADA Year-end Adventure, the price to join the tour is P4,650.00/pax, roughly about $100. A reservation fee of P2,000 applies, and the payment of the reservation deadline is on December 16, 2009. The full payment deadline is December 21, 2009. More details on the tour is displayed below:

Tour date: Dec. 27-29, 2009
(Sunday night departure)

ALL-IN Tour package rate: P4,650.00/pax

Reservation downpayment: P2,000/pax
Reservation deadline: December 16, 2009
Full payment deadline: December 21, 2009

Tour package includes:
* Service of tour guide
* Roundtrip land transfers (air-con van/bus)
* Jeepney transfers around Sagada
* Accommodation at George Guest House Annex
* Total of 5 meals - 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner (*Dinner on the last day on pax account)
* Banaue-Sagada Tour (please see itinerary)
* Service of local guides and use of equipments inside the cave
* Tour entrance fees

BANAUE-SAGADA Itinerary:
Sunday Night
9:00pm Assembly at McDonald's along Quezon Ave. cor. West 4th St., beside Red Ribbon, infront of National Bookstore
9:30pm Departure for Banaue

*Travel by night. Get enough rest for the day ahead.

Monday
7:00am Arrival in Banaue
Breakfast at Halfway Lodge, Banaue
8:00am Travel from Banaue to Sagada
On the way to Sagada, stop at different breathtaking viewpoints:
Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint
Mt. Polis – to see what they call the ‘sea of clouds’
Bayo Rice Terraces and Village Viewpoint
11:30am ETA – Sagada
Check-in at George Guest House Annex
Prepare and change attire for spelunking
12:30nn Lunch
1:30pm Meet local guides at the Town Center
Start of Tour:
Burial or Lumiang Cave
Sumaguing Cave (3-4 hours) – Your visit to Sagada wouldn’t be complete without surviving this famous cave
7:00pm Back at the Town Center
7:30pm Dinner Time
Bonfire night
Overnight Sagada

Tuesday
7:00am Breakfast
8:00am Start of Tour:
Sagada church
Sagada cemetery
Echo Valley
Hanging Coffins
Sagada Weaving Center
12:00nn Lunch
1:00pm Pasalubong Shopping Center
2:00pm Travel back to Banaue
7:00pm Stop-over at Solano City for dinner (*On pax account)
12:00mn ETA - Manila
Drop off point: Same as assembly place

For reservation details, please click:
http://traveladvocate.multiply.com/journal/item/3

For more info, feel free to call us:
412-7384
741-9187
0917-5011884
0917-4249629

Reservation Fee
1. Deposit reservation downpayment on or before reservation deadline to:
Bank: Banco De Oro (Mayon branch)
Bank Account Name: Advocate Transport Service
Bank Account No.: 1050125949
Amount: P2,000/pax
Reservation deadline: Depends on the tour (Please see blog/post of the tour you will be joining)

2. Text the following deposit details to 0917-4249629:
Name and date of the tour you will be joining - ex. Banaue-Sagada Adventure (June 12-13, 2009)
Full names of participants
Nicknames
Date of deposit
BDO Branch
Amount

3. Indicate participants' names on the deposit slip and kindly bring on the day of assembly.

Full payment/Remaining balance
1. Deposit remaining balance on or before deadline to:
Bank: Banco De Oro (Mayon branch)
Bank Account Name: Advocate Transport Service
Bank Account No.: 1050125949
Amount and Full payment deadline: Depends on the tour (Please see blog/post of the tour you will be joining)

2. Text the following deposit details to 0917-4249629:
Name and date of the tour you will be joining - ex. Banaue-Sagada Adventure (June 12-13, 2009)
Full names of participants
Date of deposit
BDO Branch
Amount

3. Indicate participants' names on the deposit slip and kindly bring on the day of assembly.

*Please be informed that all payments made are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

For inquiries regarding reservation, feel free to call us.

The Advocate Team
741-9187
412-7384
0917-5011884
0917-4249629

Fantastic Sagada Pictures

2009-12-08T23:57:00.003-06:00

Fantastico. Merveilleux. Wunderschön. Exquisito. Now, I'm running out of European superlatives to describe the beautiful Sagada pictures from the Pasyalera.com website. I was looking for my regular fix of Sagada pictures from the many blogs out there and stumbled upon this huge gallery of Sagada images taken during a hike to the Bomod-ok falls. The blog post contains captured scenes on the way to the Big Falls. It also has an embedded Youtube video on GMA-7's "GIMIK SA TAG-INIT: Bomod-ok Falls in Sagada" feature. Additional images in the blog post contain scenes from the Kiltepan Viewpoint, Latang Underground River, and Echo Valley. What better way of escaping a Chicago blizzard than immersing one's eyes in beautiful pictures of my hometown, Sagada.

Marky Cielo 1st Death Anniversary

2009-12-05T21:24:00.005-06:00

The daughter of our next door neighbor here in Illinois, a teenager, alerted us on the death of Marky Cielo on December 7, 2008. I immediately checked the news and on the next days, my wife and I were glued to Youtube and other Filipino showbiz websites as news of the young Igorot's death, and various speculations surround it, dominated the networks until his funeral more than a week later. It was a shocking event - a young very promising actor at the peak of his career found dead by his mother on his bedroom. There were many speculations about his death and to date, the family has refused to provide additional details except that he was found lying on the floor of his bedroom and that he was rushed immediately to the hospital. It has been a year now - in a few days, as is the custom of Igorots and I believe most Filipinos in general, his 1st death anniversary will be observed by at least, his family members and closest friends.

I did a quick online search to see if there are any plans on how the day will be observed. No news. In the BIBAKNETS mailing group, there is no additional information either. It looks like it's going to be observed solemnly and privately - as should really be the case. From last year, I have received the following very few updates on Marky:

- His mother, Mildred, hasn't washed some of his clothes in an effort to retain "his scent";
- He was given a star at the Eastwood City Walk of Fame (Eastwood was our family's favorite tambayan when we still lived in Provident Village, Marikina);
- He has a Wikipedia page.

Interestingly enough, his Wikipedia page contains multiple issues. From the comments at the top, the information on his page contains "weasel words" that compromise the neutrality or of the information befitting an encyclopedia. It also appears to represent a biased viewpoint and could have been edited by a person with a conflict of interest. How they come up with these indicators - no one knows, but it does show how strictly Wikipedia is filtering the information in its pages. Not bad at all. The longest section in Marky's Wikipedia entry? It's the one marked under DEATH.

It would be a good idea to write Marky's mother an encouraging letter for the holidays. She doesn't know me, but I'm a kailyan; someone from the same region who have felt the loss of a loved one before as well. When Marky first joined the Starstruck contest and became a household name, a lot of acquaintances teased me on our similar features. Magkamukha raw po kami. I didn't agree. The young man was really good looking. I'm what you may call "average". But we do have one thing in common. We both are proud of our Igorot roots.

Above photo is a screenshot taken from MarkyCielo.net .

Sagada Pottery Trade in the News

2009-12-05T07:21:00.003-06:00

The Sagada pottery trade is featured in an article in the BusinessWorld website. A 53-piece exhibition called "UB UBBO" is highlighting "contemporary work by six indigenous potters from Sagada". All 53 pieces, made almost entirely from Sagada resources, are among the first to be fired in a wood-burning kiln constructed with funding from the Australian Embassy. The exhibit is currently on view at the Le Soufflé Restaurant and Wine Bar, The Fort, Bonifacio Global City until Dec 5, 2009. The organizer, clay artist Pablo Capati has praised Sagada's pottery tradition. "Sagada people are among the top potters in the Philippines in terms of knowledge, technique, and style," he said. "They really put their thoughts and culture into their work". Sagada visitors can join information sessions or buy stoneware from the Sagada town center. Article Reference: Sagada’s pot dreams

Igorot Voice in Copenhagen Climate Talks

2009-12-05T07:11:00.003-06:00

The Igorot voice is going to be heard during the historic Copenhagen climate talks. In a December 3 article in the IPS News website, an Igorot representative will be joining a small group of indigenous people to show negotiators dramatic documentary videos they have made of the immediate impacts of climate change on their homelands. Keidy Magtoto Transfiguracion from the Igorot Cordillera region will be presenting how climate change has increased the number and strength of "super storms" that have pounded the Philippines in recent years. Her video documents show how large-scale mining operations have rerouted rivers and destroyed the local environment and are the root cause of the landslides. "The land can no longer absorb the heavy rains," she explained. Article Reference: CLIMATE CHANGE: "We Are a Harbinger of What Is to Come"

Sagada, Bontoc, Banawe Tour - Christmas 2009

2009-11-28T07:38:00.003-06:00

There is a Sagada - Bontoc - Banaue tour advertised at the PhilEcoTourism blog scheduled for December 27 to 29, 2009. I've copied and pasted the full trip information on this blog post.

"SAGADA is a pleasant little tranquil community in the mountains where the people are so warm and friendly. BONTOC is the capital of Mountain Province and is right in the middle of Cordillera. Bontoc rice terraces are made of stone walls to separate their rice fields.

PARTICIPANTS are encouraged to donate educational toys & books, any medical equipment to Sagada Hospital or medicines. These actions will make your trip more and memorable and you spiritually and emotionally healthy.

Visit all the sites like : Banawe View Point, Bontok Museum (learn about the cultures and traditions of the People in Cordillera), SagadaTown Proper, Calvary Hills & Echo Valley with hanging coffins Hike thru magnificent Fedilisan Rice terraces going to a very refreshing and scenic Bomod-ok falls, swim or can climb the falls and jump, then adventure caving in Burial caves and Big Cave. Sagada Weaving & Kiltepan Tower for top view of Sagada. Side trip to Bontoc ukay-ukay or shop for souvenirs in Bontoc or Banawe

SAGADA & BONTOC in Mt. Province
BANAWE in Ifugao Province

PHOTO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Greennature

Banawe View Points, Banawe Museum, & Banawe Town Proper

Bontoc Museum and Bontoc Town Proper

SagadaTown Proper, Sagada Museum, Echo Valley with hanging coffins, Burial caves and Big Cave, Bokong Waterfalls.

ITINERARY

Day 0 Dec 26 Sat 9pm Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)

Day 1 Dec 27 Sun 6 am Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Banawe Breakfast

Banawe to Bontoc Road Trip Tour (lunch in Bontoc)

Check in Sagada and enjoy the Town walking tour

Day 2 Dec 28 Mon Sagada Tour

Day 3 Dec 29 Tues Sagada to Bontoc to Banawe

6pm Banawe to Manila

Day 4 Dec 30 Wed 3am Estimated Time of Arrival in Manila

PACKAGE A at St. George Back Packers Rate

P 3,999/pax for group of for group of 4 and above

P 4,500/pax for group of 1 to 3 pax

Inclusive

* Round Trip Aircon Bus,
* Jeep from Banawe to Sagada (optional to do top load adventure)
* 3days/2nights Accommodation (quadsharing/private bathroom w warm shower)
* Daily breakfast,
* 3days full tour of Mt. Province
* All entrance fee
* Local Tourguide
* Log Cabin Buffet Meal
* Wholesome and fun entertainment
* Environment fees

PACKAGE B: Sagada with Banawe at St. Joseph Inn

P 5,888 for group of 5 and above

P 6,388 for group of 2 to 4

Inclusive

* Round Trip Aircon Bus,
* Jeep from Banawe to Sagada (optional to do top load adventure)
* 3days/2nights Accommodation (quadsharing/private bathroom w warm shower)
* Daily breakfast,
* 3days full tour of Mt. Province
* All entrance fee
* Local Tourguide
* Log Cabin Buffet Meal
* Wholesome and fun entertainment
* Environment fees

NOT Included : lunch, dinner, local guides tips, pasalubong and souvenirs

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Always keep quiet on the trail, site & peak, so that the fog will not form & block the beautiful view, & keep the journey dry.

2. Please donate educational books & toys to the community of Sagada

3. ALWAYS ENJOY GOD’S DIVINE CREATION AND THE PEOPLE WITH YOU ON THIS CLIMB.

THINGS TO BRING PLEASE : bring all PLEASE

1. Warm clothes according to itinerary and your fashion statement

(wholesome lang po)

2 Travel Water Bottle

3. toiletries

4. Raincoat & wind breaker & sweater & Jacket

5. sunblock and lipbalm

6. trail food/snack (chocolates, chips, fruits, jelly, powerbar)

7. bonnet & mittens, hat or cap

8. Camera

9 Bags for pasalubong and souvenirs.

10. Good Happy Sense of Humor J

INQUIRIES & RESERVATION

* Please Fill up the blanks below and email to earthspirit13us@yahoo.com

Company/Group: _______________________

Contact Person :___________________________

Land Line ___________________

Cellphone :_______________________

Email Address:______________________

Target EcoTour: ___________________

Target Date of Travel :________________

Number of Participants: _______________

* Incomplete information will not be entertained
* Book and Buy Reservation, First come first serve

Carpe Diem and GOD Bless

Violet

Nature Awareness & Conservation Club, Inc. (NonStock, NonProfit NGO)

5157964 (9am to 5pm Only) / 09194839250 / 09155101600

EMAIL: mother_nature888@yahoo.com

WEBSITE: http://philecotourism.wordpress.com"

Igorot Video Collection

2009-11-28T07:03:00.004-06:00

I've just added the Igorot Video Collection to my blog-roll. It's a relatively new blog, most likely less than a year old, that sorts and categorizes Youtube videos on the Igorot people / culture. Currently, there are more than 250 videos in the blog. The major categories are "Cordillera Dance", "Cordillera Movie", "Documentary", "Igorot Songs", "Igorot Worldwide", and "Municipality".

Women in Dangerous Missions; Maguindanao Memories

2009-11-27T06:56:00.004-06:00

In the wake of the Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao, ABS-CBN's Miriam Coronel Ferrer wrote on the role of women in accomplishing dangerous missions. She provided an example where Sagada women in the 1980s were "sent out to negotiate the retrieval of dead bodies killed in a shootout between the military and the New People’s Army." Another example she provided was on a group of Kalinga women who bared their chests "before the engineers of the National Power Corporation and the soldiers of the Philippine military to express their opposition to the Chico River Dam".

There're countless of examples from history on women being sent on dangerous missions. Gabriela Silang, a Filipina heroine with Igorot lineage, led armed resistance against the Spanish colonizers in the 18th century. The first example I could think of from the Bible was of Esther, an orphan girl who saved the Jewish people from massacre at the risk of her own life.

In the case of the Ampatuan massacre, the wife, 2 sisters and women friends and journalists were sent to file the candidacy of Vice-Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu for the post of Maguindanao governor. They were murdered in full daylight by an alleged private army of a hundred armed men under the direction of Andal Ampatuan, Jr - a rival of Mangudadatu for the same post. 57 bodies have been identified so far in what is now known as the single deadliest event for journalists in history. Once again, the Philippines is thrust in the world scene under such negative circumstances.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Maguindanao holds a special place for me since it was the first province I visited in Mindanao. It was my first airplane ride as well as I joined other University of the Philippines (UP) - Diliman students in the summer of 1997 for one of the university's Pahinungod programs. We were tasked to conduct a 2 week training to help improve the province's representation in the UP system. We reviewed incoming 4th year students in several subjects to help improve their chances in passing the UP entrance examinations. The students we handled were chosen amongst public schools in Maguindanao. I remember that we had at least 1 student representing the town of Datu Unsay, where the primary suspect Andal Ampatuan, Jr is the mayor.

Our group stayed in Parang, Maguindanao and I only have very positive memories of our visit. Our host was the principal of the Parang school - a graduate of Manila's La Salle university who was married to a datu, a Muslim chief. They had a private island where I first had my experience at riding a kayak. The datu gamely called me Chief Coconut, as he explained that my shaved hairdo at the time resembled the nut I was drinking from. One time after a dinner at our host's place, we were escorted back to our headquarters at the school by a group of men. I rode at the back of a motorcycle with one of them, and I remember one of the escorts holding an automatic rifle.

The visit lasted 2 weeks but because of it, I had a special appreciation of the land of Mindanao. At that time, my companions and I marveled at the unity between Christians and Muslims which we observed first hand. It was sad to note that a few years after our visit, the town of Parang was in the national news due to incidents of armed encounters between military and rebel groups.

World is Watching Ampatuan Massacre, Gloria

2009-11-27T06:14:00.005-06:00

I join the outrage at what is being dubbed as the Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao, Philippines. The cold-blooded murder of at least 57 innocent people is cowardly, inhuman, and evil. The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called the Maguindanao massacre the single deadliest event for journalists in history. Google News Search has the developments as its top story today, several days after the killings were first reported. 4,300 articles have been reported about it - majority of them from the AFP, Reuters, Philippine, European, and American media sources. The Ampatuan massacre already has a Wikipedia page. The primary suspect in the massacre, Andal Ampatuan, Jr is in government custody. There's a lot of skepticism on whether the Philippine government can bring justice to the victims and their families. The family of the primary suspect is a friend and a close political ally of Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. With the international media and the local opposition scrutinizing the developments of this story, a whitewash is hopefully averted. Watch the Youtube video below on the Ampatuan Massacre from Al Jazeera.

Thanksgiving Trip & Lessons from a Turkey Project

2009-11-26T00:23:00.009-06:00

While I was washing the dishes a couple of weekends ago, my wife hinted of how much fun it would be if our family were to spend the week of Thanksgiving in Maryland – where my 3 older sisters and their families live. I immediately shot down the “absurd” idea because – we were trying to minimize our spending; I was working that week; we had several appointments scheduled; and the idea of driving 12 hours was tiresome knowing that we would be travelling to Maryland for Christmas and New Year anyway. But the wife was persistent and as any married man with an iota of wisdom would know, the overall health of the whole family depends largely on the mood of the mother. In Tagalog, huwag hayaang dumilim ang liwanag ng ilaw ng tahanan.

Somehow, the constraints slowly disappeared. The cost didn’t seem to be that much. My unused vacation days were creatively re-scheduled. Dental appointments were postponed by a week. A parent-teacher conference was arranged to be done by phone. A confirmed attendance to a birthday party was cancelled. And yes, the 12-hour trip didn’t seem so tiring anymore. The trip was eventually confirmed on a Wednesday. We left Illinois for Maryland last Friday evening, and before Saturday lunch the next day – we had the pleasure of walking into the home of one of my sisters un-announced. The other sister got a surprising phone call announcing our presence. Only one of my 3 sisters was informed of the trip.

I’m glad we did make the trip – my wife is enjoying a much needed break in the company of my sisters, the boys are having a blast with their cousins, and after several months of stressful projects at work, I definitely needed a vacation. Thank GOD for persistent wives.

*** *** *** *** ***

Earlier this evening at the Thanksgiving Eve worship service we attended, the congregation was asked to write down what we were thankful for on pieces of paper that were provided. These were then collected as offerings of thanksgiving. I listed my children amongst the top reasons to be thankful for. Without going into a lot of details, I’ve learned so much about GOD and myself due to my children in the past months or so.

A couple of weeks ago, my 3rd grader – the artist of the family and I were having a discussion regarding his Thanksgiving turkey project. The whole class was given a white paper in the outline of a turkey. See the image below:

They were asked to “disguise” the turkey so it could escape from ending at the Thanksgiving dinner table. I was explaining how my son could approach his project. As I am oftentimes do in this kind of situation, I was starting to take control and was becoming very impatient. I suggested that he could disguise the turkey as a tree, or as a pumpkin. I was getting annoyed that he wasn’t digging my suggestions. So, with a barrage of tense words, I left him to work on his project alone.

A few moments later, he informed me that he would disguise his turkey as the Mayflower. My first thought was – how the heck does one do that? The Mayflower? Does he even know what that is? It turned out that he did. And as he slowly explained his idea, I felt myself slowly wanting to sink to the floor. I then realized that my son wasn’t warm to my suggestions because he had better things in mind.

I’ve been a strong believer that parents are solely responsible for helping their children achieve their highest potential. Though I fail repeatedly, I do my best to love, nurture, mentor, and be the best example for my 3 boys. I sometimes forget though, that children weren’t meant just to be taken cared for by their parents. In many ways, they are there to mold me as a person, and to also strengthen my character. And character is no small thing – after all, from a biblical perspective, I will be taking my character with me to eternity. In contrast, my accomplishments, career, and material possessions, all which seem to be so important in this fleeting lifetime will eventually vanish.

In the case of the turkey project, God has spoken to me through my child. I need to work on my humility. I need to work on my patience. I need to be less judgmental of my child’s abilities – or any other person for that matter. I need to be less judgmental, period. Sometimes, things that may seem as ordinary as a pumpkin or a tree to me, can actually be as complex and as purposeful as the Mayflower. I thank God for my child, and for the lesson I learned through him.

I share below his completed turkey, and his accompanying write-up. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sagada Tourist Attractions amongst top Cordillera Destinations

2009-11-25T20:49:00.003-06:00

In a recent Manila Bulletin article, the Department of Tourism (DOT) in the Philippine Cordillera region indicated that Sagada's hanging coffins and limestone caves are amongst the region's popular tourist attractions. Sagada was the only town mentioned from Mountain Province. Other attractions of note are the city of Baguio, the Banaue rice terraces, white water rafting in Kalinga, the strawberry and flower farms in La Trinidad, Benguet, the mummies at Benguet's Kabayan caves, and trekking to the Philippines' second highest peak - Mount Pulag. The list of foreign tourist arrivals in the past years are topped by those from European countries. Other foreign visitors come from the USA, Russia, China, Korea, Japan and Germany.

Baguio Reports 17 HIV-related deaths

2009-11-25T01:21:00.004-06:00

The City Health Office (CHO) of Baguio City has confirmed that at least 17 persons allegedly died due to the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency–Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) since 1992. CHO has recorded a total of 33 HIV and AIDS cases and more than half of the victims have died. The victims are from 17-45 years of age, and 11 of them are female. Majority of the cases were overseas workers. Other categories included sexually active females, spouses of persons infected with HIV, foreigners, blood donors and sexually active male homosexuals. The local health office has intensified its operations so that commercial sex workers will be forced to undergo tests for sexually transmitted diseases.

Baguio Pictures of Manny Pacquaio & Krista Ranillo

2009-11-24T02:45:00.005-06:00

The Igorot city of Baguio is in the showbiz limelight. Abs-Cbn.com has reported that new pictures of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and alleged mistress, the sexy starlet Krista Ranillo has emerged. The photo was apparently taken at the Manor Hotel in Baguio City. Three pictures posted in the Abs-Cbn.com website show Manny Pacquiao, Krista Ranillo, and Krista's father, Matt Ranillo dining alongside other unidentified people. The photos were supposed to have been taken in September when Pacquiao was in Baguio City training for his November 14 fight with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

About Me

2009-11-24T01:08:00.004-06:00

Welcome to Sagada-Igorot.com. My name is Kamulo, an Igorot from Sagada. I'm currently based in the northern suburbs of Illinois with my lovely wife and 3 growing children - all boys. I'm an IT consulting professional currently working for a client in the healthcare industry. I maintain several blogs and I do some online marketing as a hobby. I am the creator of this site, and I'm primarily responsible for updating it.

Sagada, Philippines - My Hometown

Sagada is the first home I've known. I was born, baptized, got my first communion and attended elementary school in this town. My wife, Kosta, also traces her roots back to Sagada since my mother-in-law is a townmate, and possibly, even a distant relative.

My formattive years were spent in the neighborhood of Nangonogan in Poblacion, Sagada. My family later moved to Dagdag, Sagada; one of four barangays that compose what is known as Central Sagada. The pine covered terrain, cool climate, and beautiful sceneries of this town were very ordinary for me. I only realized how much I longed for Sagada when I was exposed to the heat, pollution, and stressed up living in the capital city of Manila. Sagada, to a lot of countrymen from the lowlands, is an excellent place for a vacation.

The Igorot People

Growing up, I always knew I was an Igorot and I grew up proud of that knowledge. I got exposed to how limited others think of the Igorot people when I attended the Philippine Science High School and the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Even in these premier institutions of education, Igorots were thought to be lower than the normal Filipino. There are misconceptions on the looks, culture, and intellectual capabilities of the Igorot. This site, amongst other things, is here to educate our fellow Filipinos of who we really are - a proud and hardworking people, with a rich cultural heritage that is different from most other Filipinos because we were not subjected under almost 400 years of brutal Spanish colonization.

Site Objective

This site is first and foremost, a personal website. It possibly is the first website on Sagada and the Igorot people by a Sagada Igorot himself. While there's not much to update on Sagada attractions and Igorot facts, I have incorporated a blog where I plan to share my thoughts and experiences on being a Sagada Igorot.

Thought this site contains links and travel information to Sagada, it is not a travel website. As a personal site, its purpose is bound to change over time. I've recently added Google Adsense advertising as a means of covering hosting costs for the sagada-igorot.com domain. I've also added an online store for visitors interested in purchasing Sagada, Igorot, Philippines, and Filipino related products online. A Philippines section has been created as a means of providing high level tourist information on my beloved country. It is also a way of highlighting Sagada as a destination amongst local travellers within the Philippines.

Site History

Sagada-Igorot.com used to exist as "Kamulo and Kosta's Home: Breathtaking Sagada, Philippines and the Proud Igorot people". This site was first published in Geocities on December 1997 when Kosta (my wife) and I were not yet married. It has been more than a decade since, and this site has undergone a few changes over the years. I recently made the decision to continually update it. The website is ranking highly among search engine results of queries on "sagada" and "igorot". I intend to keep it that way.

Here's a timeline on this site:
1997 - 2 pages of Kamulo and Kosta's Home was published under Geocities
1998 - Added two Sections; one each for SAGADA and the IGOROTS
2002 - Updated links information, re-formatted overall look and navigation
2007 - Added Philippine Section, online store, and included the B.O.T.S.I. (Blog of the Sagada Igorot)
- Created the sagada-igorot.com domain and renamed the site to Sagada Igorot Online
2009 - Moved all pages to the Sagada-Igorot blog hosted in Blogger for easier maintenance

Igorot Latest News and Blogs

2009-11-24T00:28:00.004-06:00

Check out the latest blogs and news on the Igorot and Igorot-landia using sagada-igorot.com's Feedburner feeds.

Latest Igorot Blogs
Latest Igorot News
Latest Baguio City News
Latest Mountain Province News

Sagada Latest News & Blogs

2009-11-23T23:20:00.009-06:00

Check out the latest blogs and news on Sagada using sagada-igorot.com's Feedburner feeds.

Latest Sagada Blogs
Latest Sagada News

Sagada, Philippines

2009-11-23T16:42:00.011-06:00

Sagada is one of the ten towns of Mountain Province in the Cordillera Region of Northern Philippines. It has a population of about 10,000 divided into its 19 barangays. The barangays are Aguid, Ambasing, Ankileng, Antadao, Balugan, Bangaan, Dagdag (Pob.), Demang (Pob.), Fidelisan, Kilong, Madungo, Poblacion (Patay), Pide, Nacagang, Suyo, Taccong, Tanulong, Tetepan Norte, and Tetepan Sur.

Agriculture is the main source of income in Sagada. Cabbages, carrots, and potatoes are common crops while rice is planted for household consumption. Sagada also earns significantly from its tourism industry. It is known for its pleasant climate, pine sceneries, rocky terrain, waterfalls, centuries-old burial caves, rice terraces, local weaving and hanging coffins.

The locals of Sagada are called Igorots. The dialect spoken is Kankana-ey though interestingly; most locals express themselves better in English than in Filipino, the national language. Also, unlike most Philippine towns, Sagada's populace is predominantly Anglican.

SAGADA Topics in this Blog:

I've broken down Sagada posts into two main categories. The VISIT SAGADA category contains post that would be helpful to Sagada visitors. The OTHER SAGADA TOPICS include my Sagada memories, Sagada websites / blogs, and Sagada news articles.

VISIT SAGADA:

Sagada Attractions
Sagada Can't Miss Sites
Sagada Caves
Sagada Events
Sagada Facts
Sagada Hanging Coffins
Sagada Landmarks
Sagada Pictures
Sagada Recent History
Sagada Restaurants
Sagada Rice Terraces
Sagada Tourist Map
Sagada Tours
Sagada Travel Tips
Sagada Videos
Sagada Waterfalls

OTHER SAGADA TOPICS:

Sagada Folk Stories
Sagada in the News
Sagada Issues
Sagada Locals
Sagada Memories
Sagada News-Blogs
Sagada Song
Sagada Websites / Blogs

SAGADA Pictures:

Sagada Sunrise Scenery

Treetops in a Sagada Pine Forest

A view of Sagada St. Mary's School

Students participating at a Sagada Festival

St. Mary the Virgin Church in Sagada

Details of a coffin in a Sagada Burial Cave

Inside a Sagada Limestone Cave
(Photo Credits for above pictures: Mr. Kent Sinkey)

Sagada Rice Terraces

2009-11-23T16:07:00.004-06:00

"They rise up to the heavens... giant steps leading to the sky..."

Legend has it that the Igorot god, Kabunyan/Lumaig used these steps to visit his people on earth. Indeed, the rice terraces carved out of the mountains by Igorot ancestors early in this millennium are simply awesome to behold. Dubbed as the eighth wonder of the world, these rice terraces were built with advance engineering skills and are scientifically, a way of maximizing farm space in the mountainous Cordillera region and environmentally preventing erosion.

Scattered all over the Cordilleras, the most famous of these terraces are found in neighboring Banaue, Ifugao. Sagada has its own terraces - lesser known but equally as spectacular! Whereas the walls of Banaue's terraces are of compacted earth, Sagada's walls are small rocks laboriously piled one on top of the other. One sees the same though... giant steps carved by hand out of whole mountainsides provide for terrific viewing!

SAGADA RICE TERRACES PICTURES:

Sagada Hanging Coffins

2009-11-23T15:58:00.004-06:00

On the way to Ambasing, one of Sagada's 19 barangays, limestone karts cliffs dotted with pine trees dominate the landscape as seen in the this photograph. On these cliffs, perched precariously on a wedge, four or five coffins are arranged in a pile. The oldest one is more than a century old; the latest addition was put into place decades ago. It belonged to a lady from Demang (another Sagada barangay) who happens to be a great-aunt of this webmaster.

In similar places around Sagada including the Echo Valley, one may find these "hanging" coffins. They are usually in groups, some neatly piled, others randomly stacked. All found in places seemingly impossible to reach. Places that can be touched only by mother nature.

These hanging coffins will be there for as long as the elements would allow them. They're precious tokens from a fabled past... adding mystic to an already mystifying place.

SAGADA HANGING COFFINS PICTURES:

Hanging Coffins at Sagada's Echo Valley

Sagada Limestone Caves

2009-11-23T15:35:00.004-06:00

Underneath Sagada is a network of limestone caves and subterranean streams. These caves were created by water eroding whole limestone mountains over a period spanning thousands of years. Some caves are dry, as if the underground rivers that have created them disappeared. However, these caves are dry simply because the water has found another channel by seeping through the mountain and emptying through numerous small watery caves.

SUMAGING, aptly nicknamed as the Big Cave, was created by water erosion. Guides equipped with lanterns and ropes are necessary companions for exploring this cave as well as other big caves found in Southern Sagada. Visitors never fail to be awed by Sumaging's sheer size, fascinating chambers and rock formations, some of which are dubbed as the "King's Curtain", "Rice Granary", "Cauliflower", "Dancing Hall", etc...; all for their larger than life resemblances of the real things. A part of Sumaging known as "The Tunnel" consists of a series of tiny passages requiring limbo-like movements (read as c-r-a-w-l-i-n-g) to pass through.

During pre-Christian Sagada, these caves served as burial grounds for the locals. With the dead poised in the fetal position encased in a coffin carved out of enormous pine tree trunks, Sagada Igorots of yore may have though these caves to provide the final touch in resembling the environment of a mother's womb... a suitable final resting place.

SAGADA CAVE PICTURES:

A frog formation inside Sumaging cave.

This formation is called the "pregnant woman" for obvious reasons.

Beautiful shapes and colors deep inside Sumaging cave.

Sagada Waterfalls

2009-11-23T15:23:00.004-06:00

There are two prominent waterfalls in Sagada; the smaller but older BOKONG situated in the outskirts of the central barangay of Patay, and the more majestic but younger BOMOD-OK, located in the northern barangay of Bangaan.

Reaching Bomod-ok (locally known as the Big Falls) takes a relatively taxing four-hour effort from town for the hiker but, the scenery is more than worth the effort. At the foot of the Big Falls is a pool of crystal clear water, where a swim is enough to refresh a weary hiker. Intrepid enough visitors may trace where the water comes from starting at the top of the waterfalls and they would be lead by the stream trail to a nice picnic grove.

Equally as exciting is Bokong whose pool at the foot of the waterfalls is deeper though smaller than Bomod-ok's. The pool basin as well as the precipice is carved out of solid rock, the result of the continuous beating by the water for centuries as it persistently pushed its way downstream. Bokong's beauty is complimented by the splendor of the rice terraces looming along the footpath to the waterfalls - a perfect harmony of natural and man-made wonders.

Sagada Waterfalls Pictures:

At the smaller Bokong waterfalls. There's a 20-foot deep circular pool at the bottom of the falls.

Spray at the bottom of the Sagada Bomod-ok waterfall.

A view of the Bomod-ok waterfall from a distance.

Sagada Can't Miss Sites - Part 2

2009-11-23T14:43:00.004-06:00

This is the second post that continues my list of 9 can’t-miss sites for any Sagada visitor. This list is in just one webpage in the sagada-igorot.com website, but I’m splitting it into 2 blog posts. This second post describes 5 places – a couple of waterfalls, a burial cave, the tallest mountain in Sagada, a lake, and a souvenir shop.

BOKONG & BOMOD-OK Waterfalls

Follow the underground river (in picture) in Latang upstream leading to Bokong waterfall. There are three natural diving spots - the highest of which require for the diver to run and jump far enough over some bushes to be able to reach the pool below. The photo on the left is the underground river going to Bokong. Photo Credit – Tiff, Marge, Happy and Cindy.
Other Can't Miss Waterfalls: Bomod-ok (the Big Falls)

Burial Cave

Centuries old coffins stacked against each other and filling the cave up to its ceiling. Some coffins are as short as 3 feet, since pre-Christian Sagada Igorots were curled up into a fetal position before being placed in their coffins. Photo Credit – Mr. Kent Sinkey.

Mount AMPAKAW

The tallest mountain in Sagada; this is an ideal picnic place during the months of April and May when the summer sun is pleasant and the blackberries are ripe for picking. Photo Credit – Tiff, Marge, Happy and Cindy.

LAKE DANUM

On the outskirts of Sagada, on the road going to the neighboring town of Besao, you can take a glimpse of this dying lake. (Danum in Kankana-ey means "water"). Further down the road, a daughter lake is springing up with fresher and clearer waters (in picture). Photo Credit – Kent Sinkey.

SAGADA WEAVING

Sagada Weaving (in picture) definitely has the best handwoven souvenirs in town! It is one of Sagada's biggest employers and one can visit the weaving looms to view how intricate the weavers go about in producing the handwoven raw materials.

Sagada Can't Miss Sites - Part 1

2009-11-23T14:22:00.005-06:00

I’m posting my list of 9 can’t-miss sites for any Sagada visitor. This list is in just one webpage in the sagada-igorot.com website, but I’m splitting it into 2 blog posts. It may take around 3-4 days to visit and enjoy these places. I’m listing the first 4 in this post; the list includes an American-established institution, rice paddies carved out of whole mountainsides, an unusual burial place, and a huge limestone cave.

The Mission Compound

The Mission of St. Mary the Virgin in Sagada was founded in 1904 by American Missionary John Staunton. Visit St. Mary the Virgin Church (in picture), St. Mary's School, the cemetery, Calvary and the alleged bottomless pit of Kingkitongan. At the cemetery, locate the grave of the late historian and adopted Sagada son, Dr. William Henry Scott. Photo Credit – Mr. Kent Sinkey

Kiltepan Rice Terraces

The Kiltepan Rice Terraces are arguably the most extensive found in Sagada. It got the name from its three bounding barangays: KILONG, TETEP-AN, and ANTADAO. Other Can't Miss Rice Terraces include the Big Terraces in Banga-an and the Rice Terraces on the way to Sumaging Cave and Bokong. Photo Credit – Hatow's Gallery

ECHO VALLEY Cliffs and Hanging Coffins

The Hanging Coffins found at the ECHO VALLEY takes a little bit of adventurous spirit to be able to reach it. Hidden in the dense foliage of the valley, the hanging coffins are "hanged" from the limestone cliff using slabs driven into the rocks. Other Can't Miss Hanging Coffins include the Hanging Coffins on the Way to Ambasing. Photo Credit – Tiff, Marge, Happy and Cindy

SUMAGING, The Big Cave

This multi-chambered cave is a must see for visitors and locals alike. One may choose to go down the tunnel (lower chamber) and/or explore the upper chamber where the "Dancing Hall", the "Cauliflower", the "Dap-ay", etc... are found. Be sure to ask your guide to lead you to the "Giant's Foot". Reserve at least a half day for exploring this cave. Photo Credit – Mr. Kent Sinkey

Other Can't Miss Caves: Balangagan, Matangkib, Lumiang. Crystal Cave is closed due to rampant vandalism. There are plenty of other caves in Sagada that are not yet fully explored.

How to Behave in Sagada

2009-11-23T12:34:00.001-06:00

Tourism requires responsibility. When going to a particular place, it is best to be acquainted with the history and the culture of the people as to facilitate the best relationships between tourists and locals. (That's what travel guides are for.) As for the locals of Sagada, they warmly welcome tourists and visitors AS LONG AS they are respectful of Sagada ways, traditions and unwritten laws. Here are some tips on how one might enjoy his/her stay in Sagada.

ON ATTIRE: Sagada is a temperate place for hiking so it would not be proper for somebody dressed for the beach to be walking around Sagada. To avoid cat calls, do not dress on the skimpy side. Shorts and jerseys are okay... beyond that, you'll get stares and wind burn.

ON GOING AROUND: Always get a registered SEGA guide to lead you around. Vandalism is punishable by local laws as to protect Sagada's natural and manmade wonders. No littering please, keep Sagada clean (and green!).

ON THE NIGHTLIFE: Sagada imposes a 9:00 pm curfew. Lodging and boarding houses strictly follow these curfew and you wouldn't want to spend the night outside with temperatures reaching single digit levels on the Centigrade scale. There are a few bars and restaurants in town where one may get a beer or two but these bars adhere to the curfew. One thing more, there are also NO nightclubs in Sagada.

ON THE PEOPLE: Sagada locals are inherently friendly as long as one knows how to stay in his/her place. If you are taking a photograph with a particular person as a subject, ALWAYS ask permission first. If its a local holiday (obaya) wherein one is not allowed to go to particular places, RESPECT it. Otherwise, something untowards may happen which has occurred many times in the past. Respect Sagada traditions and the gesture will be returned back. A travel guide describes Sagada as " a community where tourism is integrated with life and culture of the place" which really makes Sagada a very pleasant place to stay. Let us keep it that way.

ON DRUGS: If you are going to Sagada to look for drugs, FORGET IT!!! Recent crackdowns by local and national police have led to locals and foreigners being prosecuted and jailed. The locals do not tolerate anybody (tourists and locals alike) who use or peddle drugs. The "high" one gets from the beauty of the place is simply unmatchable!

Sagada Guides

2009-11-23T12:23:00.005-06:00

The local government recognizes the need for protecting the natural wonders of Sagada with the birth of Sagada Guide Associations. There are currently two - the Sagada Environmental Guide Association (SEGA) and the The Sagada Genuine Guides Association (SAGGAS). While the former was the first group created, it is the latter that has currently an upperhand in its web presence. There looks to be a healthy competition between the 2 groups. All tourists are required to register at the municipal hall and visits to most Sagada sites require the help of registered guides. Click on the linked images below to visit the websites of the Sagada Environmental Guide Association (SEGA) and the The Sagada Genuine Guides Association (SAGGAS).

SEGA WEBSITE:

SAGGAS WEBSITE:

Sagada Itinerary

2009-11-23T11:58:00.002-06:00

It is highly recommended to stay in Sagada for at least 4 days to enjoy the place. The following is a suggested 4-day itinerary:

Day 1. If you arrive in Sagada with plenty of time to spare in the afternoon, it would be advisable to visit the Kiltepan viewing peak which is best seen during this time of the day. You may then be able to go to Sagada Weaving for souvenirs. During busy months, it is really best to go to this shop on your first day since you'll probably need to order what you like because they're usually out of stock.

Day 2. Explore the caves in the Southern part of Sagada. Bring food so you can have a picnic in between explorations. You'll probably end up dead tired after these and you may just want to visit sites near the town such as St. Mary's the Virgin Church, Saint Mary's School, Echo Valley, the cemetery and the Calvary in the afternoon or early in the evening.

Day 3. Visit Bomod-ok and the Big Terraces in the northern barangays of Fidelisan and Banga-an respectively. This is a considerable hike and it would be good to bring lunch for there are plenty of nice picnic groves along the way.

Day 4. Go to Mt. Datacan viewpoint in the morning and then try tracing the underground river from Matangkib to Bokong waterfalls in the afternoon. A swim at Bokong would be a nice way to end your stay in Sagada.

Sagada Restaurants and Cafes

2009-11-23T11:44:00.003-06:00

Sagada is fast gaining a reputation for the splendid food offered by its restaurants and cafes. From cafes that serve home-made yoghurt and lemon pies, to sumptous meals cooked by a French chef, there are now plenty of choices for eating out than ever before. Some guesthouses have their own dining rooms but one can always find a good restaurant in town serving delectable dishes for all kinds of tastes.

When in Sagada, sample dishes with local produce - vegetables are fresh and crisp. Look also for locally grown fruits that are not easily available anywhere else in the Philippines. Depending on the season, fruits such as masa flora (passion fruit), persimmon, pomengranate, and pears are available in the market or even in the wild. One can also befriend an i-Sagada for a taste of the heavenly pinikpikan (a local chicken dish) and a swig of tapey (rice wine). I did hear that one restaurant serves pinikpikan at a very high price.

Popular Restaurants include the Yoghurt House, Log Cabin, the Sagada Lemon Pie House, Alfred's Cabin, Rock Cafe, St. Joseph Cafe, Bilig Cafe, and Cuisina Igorota.

Sagada Weather

2009-11-23T11:31:00.004-06:00

One may visit Sagada anytime of the year. It can be quite rainy from June to November which should not really dampen any adventurous spirit. The problem during this time of the year is more of the landslides along the Halsema Road connecting Baguio City and Sagada due to the mountainsides being battered by heavy rain. Slides may result in longer bus trips and at extreme situations, cancellation of trips. October to November is the time when the persimmon and other temperate trees turn their green coats into gold.

The months of December to February are Sagada's coldest. Daytime room temperature ranges from 7 - 15 oC (45 - 59 oF) and it sometimes goes down to 3oC (37oF) at dawn. It is also during these times when the weather becomes so unpredictable - bursting with sunshine on one day and drizzling on the next. The cold can also be biting especially when drizzling is accompanied by high winds.

March to May are relatively dry with occassional thunderstorms occurring more often as June approaches. Bring appropriate clothing for the corresponding months.

How to go to Sagada

2009-11-23T11:10:00.004-06:00

With Baguio City, the Philippines' Summer Capital, becoming more and more saturated during vacation time (Christmas Season and the Holy Week), local tourists are looking for other alternative vacation spots. SAGADA, with its cool climate and pine sceneries seems to be a choice, A BETTER ONE, and and an increased flow of local tourists have been observed the past couple of years.

SAGADA not only offers a more temperate climate and fresher and greener pine sceneries than Baguio BUT also has caves, waterfalls and a host of other man-made tourist attractions such as hanging coffins and rice terraces concentrated within a smaller geographical location. It has been an ideal haven for foreign spelunking-loving tourists and is now offering the less active but nonetheless nature-seeking local tourists an escape from the pollution, noise, and heat of urban places.

TRANSPORTATION: HOW TO GET TO SAGADA

Sagada is a 6 to 7-hour bus ride from Baguio City which is in turn a 5-hour bus ride from the National Capital Region. This route enables one to experience the grandiose of the Halsema Highway with its zig-zagging roads and the breathtaking Benguet countryside. At some point, the highway runs alongside the meandering Chico River as it moves towards the Cagayan River, the longest river in the Philippines.

An alternative route would be to go via Banaue (10 hours bus ride from Manila) and from there, take two jeepney rides going to Sagada. Although this route takes a longer time, some tourists prefer it for they will get a chance to view the famous Banaue Rice Terraces and at the same time, they would pass through the capital town of Bontoc.

There are now other options to go to Sagada which includes convenient travel tour transportation. The more popular ones are Autobus and Florida.

Sagada Accomodations

2009-11-23T10:59:00.003-06:00

The past 10 years saw an explosion of locally owned businesses providing lodging and accomodations in Sagada. Though most offer spartan facilities, the cozy cabin-like accomodations provide for breathtaking views. The A7 House, Mapiya-aw Pension House, the Green House, and church-run St. Joseph Resthouse are amongst the older guesthouses. The Sagada Igorot Inn, the Rock Inn, and Olahbinan Resthouse are also popular.

During heavy tourist season like Holy Week and the week between Christmas and New Year, local residents, the hospital, and St. Mary's School open their doors to boarders. For a fee of course.

List of Sagada Hotels / Accomodations / Boarding Houses:

A-7 House
Alapo’s
Alfredo’s Inn
Billy’s House
Churya-a
Ganduyan
Gecko Inn
George’s Guesthouse
Igorot Inn
Mapiyaaw Pension
Olahbinan
Residential Lodge
Rocky Valley Inn
Rock Inn
Sagada Homestay
Travelers’ Inn
Yabami Lodge

Sagada Song - Downloadable Music Sheet

2009-11-23T09:44:00.000-06:00

As I am transferring all files from my sagada-igorot.com site to this blog, I realized that BLOGGER does not allow to save any other files except image files. This downloadable music sheet of the Sagada Song is in PDF format. What I did was to create a file sharing page in Google Site, upload the music sheet into that site, and create a link from this blog post. The file can be downloaded by clicking on the image on the left. My thanks to Mr. Kent Sinkey and Mr. David Faustino for providing this copy of the music sheet.

Sagada Song / Hymn Lyrics

2009-11-23T06:00:00.005-06:00

I don't believe that all Philippine towns have their own town songs / hymns. But since Sagada is one particularly special town, it has its own town song. The song is composed by Dennis Faustino, an adopted Sagada son, and the Igorot lyrics were supplied by Rhoda Bondad. I used to hear this song during town gatherings, and during bonfires. It has that familiar tune, a soothing one, that I sometimes hum to myself during moments of nostalgia. The lyrics of the song are found below:

"Beyond those troubled hills of the north
Lies my hope all laden with pine
Amidst the soft and silken touch
Of morning mist I lay my pr'yer b'fore thy shrine

My pr'yers to Thee my love dressed in green,
My paradise unforeseen
My thanks to Thee who spawned my love
Sagada, Sagada will always be mine

With you, I believe
In a life I can live
With you, I can share
what I have, without care

Isnan ad-ad-dawi ay bilbilig
Isdi nan i-itaw tet-e-wa
Kaneg issan kan-ka-nanda
Ay Shangrila men luwaluwak ken sik-a

Maday-dayaw ay ili natalna
Umeyak ay m'id egyat na
Salamat isnan Dios ay na-napo
Sagada, Sagada ko-ak engana

Ken sik-a, mamati-ak
Isnan biag, matagu-ak
Ken sik-a, makibingay-ak
M'id bali na isnan ko-ak

Beyond those troubled hills of the North
lies my hope all laden with pine
Amidst the soft and silken touch
of morning mist I lay my pr'yer b'fore thy shrine

My thanks to Thee who spawned my love
Sagada, Sagada will always be mine"

Sagada - Recent History

2009-11-23T05:54:00.002-06:00

Sagada as a tourist spot came alive in the early 70s when electricity once more lighted up the place. Sagada was lighted up in the 20s - when most provincial capitals were doing with kinki, a kerosene wicker lamp - with a steam engine fired by sawmill wastes. Depression in America wrought havoc on the local nascent money; economy and Sagada went dark. Even the Episcopal mission work was imperiled. The indefatigable Rev. and Mrs. Staunton - she was a nurse by training and who also taught home crafts - had left in 1924. They were given a warm adieu, with men and children volunteering to lug their personal effects on the road via Bagnen.

Hippies flocked and along also came local writers and artists, part internal refugees from Martial Law. Not much literary output or artistic work came from them, during and after Marcos, and many preferred to be apparatchiks afterwards.

With insurgency burgeoning, engulfing nearby Abra and Kalinga toward the end of the Marcos regime, the Philippine military establishment got locked into their idea fixed that somewhere in and around Sagada thrives the daemon of this rebellion, which survives to this day on account of, so goes their theory, foreign funding - the white turista connection.

In the 60s, a denizen by the name of William Henry Scott came to stay. He had spent sometime in China, like the earlier missionaries, but as a scholar. He had to pack up when Mao's armies overran China and went briefly to Harvard, before joining the Episcopal mission, first at Laoag, eventually at Sagada.

The early Episcopalian missionaries were also refugees of a sort. After decades of missionary frenzy the congregatons in deeply-ingrained Confucian China consisted of only "rice Christians". When the Philippine territory was opened up Bishop Charles Brent, then directing missionary work from Shanghai, lost no time in getting the Episcopal Church of America established in the Philippine Islands and appoint him as its bishop. Many of his fellow churchmen thought this was a demotion but they were dead wrong.

If there ever was something resembling an establishment church in America it was the Episcopal, which remains within the Anglican Communion. Bishop Brent was an unabashed imperialist, when imperialism was the ethic of the day. He was convinced, like Kipling, that God had placed the destiny of the world at the hands of the Anglo-Saxon race.

In terms of faith he had not much need for the bulk of Filipinos, already Roman Catholics, but the pagan cultures of the Cordilleras fascinated him and he decided to erect the fortress of his faith at the most central of the Cordilleras, and high up, rather than at Bontoc which had more people, at sparse Sagada.

Today Sagada (and the nearby town of Besao) remain solidly Anglican, down to the villages. And the many fundamentalist cults, appealing largely to the untermenschen, which have penetrated many a Philippine village, have yet to make a toehold here. There is a special way the people from these towns regard each other above the rest of the tribes. The Protestant Ethic has melded well with native enterprise and industry.

Unlikely the outwardly self-effacing "rice Christians" of China or the bulk of the Roman Catholic Filipinos who had baptized en masse before frailes, the Kankanae natives came slowly to the Anglican fold, taking piece by piece from the bundle of Christian civilization.

And, unlike many tourist spots in the Philippines, Sagada remains a community where tourism is integrated with life and culture of the place, which makes it more pleasant to stay here than any place else.

Interest in Cordillera cultures outside of the overacted display of "native" tableaux, began to pick up when some of the writings of Dr. Scott, an anthropologist-historian, found their way into popular publications. And Scotty, as he was known to all was never a dry, humorless pedantic writer - the bane of all those who are seekers of truth - even when he wrote for scholarly journals.

Noting the passing of traditional society in the Cordilleras, Scott observed wryly: "pork barrel has taken the place of headhunting". Scott also remains the foremost historian of northern Luzon from Conquest times. He made available to a wide reading public, in a number of interpretative essays, old Spanish texts of eyewitness accounts of the encounter between Spain and the Igorot.

A bright lass from St. Mary's School, exasperated by the history of the Iberian debauchery and greed in the Philippines, pointedly asked Scott: "Why did you not come earlier to colonize us?" To which Scott replied, "If we did you would not exist. Look what happened to the American Indians."

Well, Sagada exists as it does today, thanks to the concatenation of historical events, which even a non-believer like this writer is willing to subsume under the Will of God.

(NOTE: Sagada's recorded history could only be traced until very recently. This is the reason why this page is entitled as Recent History. The text above is condensed from Ross Tipon's manuscript, "The old and the New: The Town Itself".)

Sagada Tourist Map

2009-11-23T05:43:00.004-06:00

The Sagada tourist map is a must have for all Sagada visitors. It is available at the Sagada Tourist Info center at the municipal center. The map is not drawn to scale, but it contains enough information to help the new visitor around town. The Sagada map is a helpful guide to finding the relative positions of Sagada tourist attractions. It also includes a list of restaurants, lodging houses, and souvenir shops. Download the Sagada tourist map by clicking on the image on the left, and viewing the higher resolution version of the image.

Sagada Folk Stories

2009-11-22T23:11:00.000-06:00

Growing up in Sagada, my grandparents from both sides amused me with stories. My maternal grandfather told about Otot-otot (otot is the Kankana-ey word for rat), and his adventures. I remember my cousins and I sitting attentively, as he sat on his rocking chair in Bang-owaw, and told us about one adventure after another. In fact, my sons have listened to similar Otot-otot tales I've concocted on my own. I've learned to "modernize" my Otot-otot stories as well. I've told tales of Otot-otot and the Pokemon Trainer as well as Otot-otot and the Sith Lord.

My paternal grandmother also liked to tell stories. She called it her "story-telling-a-lie". I don't remember much of her made up stories. I don't suppose they were that interesting - what I really liked best about my grandmother were her stories about her childhood.

Sagada's older folks like to tell stories. The list of stories I have below are from a Dr. Henry Scott compilation of Sagada folk tales translated by Sagada high school students in the 1950s. If you have Sagada folk stories that you want to share with this blog, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you and enjoy the stories.

The Origin of Sagada
How Sagada got its Name
Why some are Pagans and some are Christians
The Origin of the Rocks of Sagada
Why the Spirits of the Dead Cannot be Seen
Why our Heads Cannot be Removed

The Origin of the Rocks of Sagada

2009-11-22T11:41:00.001-06:00

Many years ago there lived only a few people in this place. These people gathered one day and one of the men said, "Let's elect a man who is very brave to rule over us. But first of all, let that man fight the thunder."

One proud man rose and aid, "I had better be the one". Then he went home and got his big club and his stone ax and started on his journey to fight the thunder.

Not more than a kilometer away from the village, he remembered something that could anger the thunder. He came to the brook where there was a cave that was wide enough for his body to fit in and it was about ten meters long. As everything as now ready to fight that huge person who could shout and his voice could be heard to the corners of the earth, he went out and challenged the thunder. At his challenge, the thunder began to shout and come down from the sky and dashed at the cave where the man was hiding, but the thunder couldn't get him. A second time the thunder was successful and the man in the cave was smashed to pieces.

After this great but short war between these two, there grew along the brook many white stones like castles. These stone castles were the bones of the man who had been defeated in the fight. In these castles there were beautiful caves and inside them you could still see many beautiful stones hanging down. In addition to this, the blood of the man became the red clay that in this place is mixed with natural clay.

(As told by Alipio Owaten)

Why our Heads cannot be Removed

2009-11-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

A long time ago, when the world was young, people's heads could be removed. People could remove their heads to wash them. They did not have to bother anybody to look for their lice, because they could remove their own heads and see for themselves. People had lots of fun sometimes exchanging their heads.

But one day there was a girl who washed her head and when she finished washing her head, she examined it carefully and then hung it on the fence in front of her house to dry. Then she went in to cook. When she was inside, a dog came along. The dog thought that the head hanging there was a bone or a piece of meat so he got it and ran away. The neighbors did not pay attentiopn because they also thought that it was the hairy bone of some animal.

But alas! When the girl came out, she found that her head was gone. She knew right away that it was a dog that had run away with it. She cried bitterly and for the whole day she cursed and said she wished that the heads of people would not be removed. The god, Lumawig, heard her and pitied her so much that he granted her wish.

That is why our heads cannot be removed nowadays.

(As told by Maria Likigan)

Why the Spirits of the Dead cannot be seen

2009-11-22T11:35:00.001-06:00

Long ago, the spirits of dead people were visible. Men often wrestled with them. These spirits looked like human beings. Whenever they had a wresting match with men, they were defeated. Men always defeated these anitos or spirits.

Whenever these anitos or spirits were put down on the ground, they turned into what we call linesnes or camote vines. But the men saw that they always stood up ready to wrestle with the men again. This made the men very angry. So their quarrels never stopped.

Finally, the men used their heads. They started a fire near the place they had their fights. Then they fought those troublesome spirits for the last time to end their disturbances among the human beings.

When the fights began, the men directed the anitos near the place where the fire was burning. Then these anitos were thrown to the ground near the fire. Immediately the anitos turned into camote vines. Quickly the men got fire and burned the vines. Thus ended the anitos showing themselves to human beings.

That is why we people of today cannot see the spirits or anitos of dead people.

(As told by Edward Umaming)

Why Some are Pagans and some are Christians

2009-11-22T11:32:00.001-06:00

A good many years before Christianity came to Sagada, there lived in Tanulong two brothers. They were called Abaya and Dina-ongan. Abaya was the older and Dina-ongan was his young brother. At that time, people inhabiting that place were very few.

One bright morning they had started out for a place they thought would be better. That place was called Candang (which is at present called Candon) in the province of Ilocos Sur. So they set out on their journey. According to the story, they travelled for many days and finally reached the place where they were bound. But before they reached that place, they had to encounter difficulties on the way. At that time, there were no roads or any modern means of travel. However, that was fate so it did not matter to them. They didn't give up the journey. In spite of their difficulty and the heat of the sun, they pushed forward.

After a perilous journey, they saw many people busy tilling the soil of the mountains. Some were planting rice and some were plowing. The women in that province wore loose strips of cloth which hung down from the waistline to the foot, with another piece of cloth for the top. The lower piece was called pan de ling in the olden times. The men wore pants with their shirts not tucked in.

Upon arriving at that place, they had to make acquaintance for they knew nobody there. The people who knew Christianity invited them to their house. After staying there for some time, these Cambaba (or Christian people) began to ask for information about them. Upon learning that these two brothers were pagans, they began to talk of how to convert them to Christianity. The two brothers didn't know what was going to happen to them. However, the found out later. But on learning of the people's plans, they ran away for fear of God of whom they had never heard before. They had a god called Lumaig, too, but they worshipped in an entirely different way.

But the two brothers were followed by these Cambaba for the sake of making them believe and worship their God in their way. Still, they refused to be converted for fear of the Cambaba's God. So they were still followed. They were followed until they reached Kitang (a mountain just above Tanulong) and there they were caught. The Cambaba people got hold of Abaya, the elder, while Dina-ongan escaped and went back to his town and remained a pagan. But his elder brother was taken back to Candang and baptized. Thus some people came to follow Abaya, a Christian, and some followed Dina-ongan, the pagan.

(As told by Paulina Malugdas)

How Sagada got its Name

2009-11-22T11:30:00.001-06:00

During the Spanish regime, Sagada was settled by a group of peace-loving people. It was covered with forest, mostly pine trees. These early people of Sagada found some small people known as Negritos hunting in the forest. They drove the Negritos away and began a settlement in the lower part of the valley. These settlers wore the bark of trees for their g-strings and were otherwise entirely naked. They cleared the forest and began to raise camotes, a little rice and vegetables - just enough for their own use.

They increased their fields more and more till the forest was all cleared away but still the food which they raised was not enough for them. From time to time they were so hard up for food that it was necessary for them to import food from other places outside the valley. They had to import rice, salt, sugar and clothes from the lowlands. There were no roads in those days, so it was very hard for these people to bring food up from the lowlands to the Mountain Province. They were like animals going to the lowlands and bring up heavy loads of food.

Their chief occupation was fishing. They had a net called sagada for catching fish. This net is common here even now. The people came to think that it was necessary to call this place Sagada because it imported almost everything it needed.

(As told by Santiago Lominio)

The Origin of Sagada

2009-11-22T11:27:00.002-06:00

Generations ago, the town of Sagada did not exist. There were only hills and valleys around, but no town.

In one of these hills there dwelt a huge white dog that gave birth to a baby boy. The dog nursed the child and he grew up to be a sturdy boy. When the boy was about ten, he wandered off from their mountain home and got lost. He looked and looked for his dog mother but couldn't find her. When night came, he lay down on the soft grass under a tree and went to sleep. The next day, he renewed his search but in vain. At the end of the second day he came upon the opening of a cave and there he decided to spend the night. As he was looking for a nice snug place to sleep, he heard a voice. He turned around and saw a beautiful woman standing before him.

"What are you doing here?” she asked.

The boy told her the whole story, his dog-mother, how he got lost, and his fruitless search.

The woman, being kind-hearted, comforted the boy and said that he could sleep with her. She told him that she had a child too, a girl, and that she was probably asleep.

The next day, the boy wanted to go away and continue his search for his mother, but the woman bade him to stay, saying that he should stay in their cave with them because his mother had probably, in her anger over his absence gone off to another mountain to live. The boy was persuaded and so he stayed and lived with the woman and her child.

Years later, when the boy and the woman's child grew up to be a young man and woman, the woman told thay they must marry. They consented, married, and went to another cave to live. It so happened that this place was what is now known as Demang. Here, the first woman and man of Sagada dwelt. They begot many children, and thse in turn multiplied. They came out of their cave and built huts to live in.

That is how Sagada came to be.

(As told by Justo Dongail, Jr.)

The IGOROT People

2009-11-19T04:42:00.008-06:00

Inhabiting the rugged terrain of the Cordillera Region of Northern Philippines are six ethno-linguistic tribes known as the Ibaloy, Kankana-ey, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao/Isneg, and the Bontoc. They are referred to by a generic term, Igorot, a word coined from the root word, "golot" meaning mountain.

Unlike most of the Philippines, which were ruled by Spaniards for about four hundred years, the Cordillera region was generally unfazed by Spanish colonization. The Igorot tribes are held together by their common socio-cultural traits as well as their geographic proximity to each other. During pre-Christian Cordillera (and to some extent, the present), the six different tribes shared similar religious beliefs, generally nature-related, and they make proprietary offerings to "anitos" (spirits) as well as to household gods.

The topics covered in the IGOROT section of this blog are the following:

Igorot Dances
Igorot Discrimination
Igorot Ethnic Groups
Igorot Events
Igorot History
Igorot Identity
Igorot Pictures/Videos
Igorot Recipe
Igorot Websites/Blogs
Igorotland News
Igorots in the News
Igorots Worldwide

Privacy Policy for Sagada-Igorot.com

2009-11-19T03:35:00.004-06:00

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How to Make Etag / Innasin

2009-11-16T18:08:00.003-06:00

Etag / Innasin - also known as Igorot smoked meat. Some foreigners call this as Igorot ham. It refers to salted pork and is cooked best with pinikpikan, legumes, or plain vegetables. It can also be deep fried and then eaten with vinegar or hot sauce. Yum.

Needs:

- Pork (1/5 of it should at least be fat).
- Plenty of Salt
- Garlic (optional)
- Pepper (optional)
- Storage container (Preferably wooden or clay jars)

(Note: Traditional Igorots use the meat on top of the neck of the pig. The Chops are a good alternative. The container must not be metal, because of the reaction of the salt with the metal. If you are using plastic, make sure you use the hard ones and the meat should be used before six months are over otherwise, the meat would taste like well .. plastic... )

Ways:

Rub the meat with generous amounts of salt. You may also add garlic or pepper. Look for a suitable place where the meat can be hanged so it will undergo the curing process. The best way is to smoke it in the shade.

(Note: You can use any of the varieties of redwood, oak, dried birch, or "dapong". As much as possible, avoid any of the Pine family. If you have no choice but to use Pine wood, make sure the wood is dry, and avoid using resin-packed wood, since the meat will have a bitter taste. The best wood to use is rosewood.)

Make a fire under the meat. The meat should be high enough so that the flames and excessive heat won't reach it, but low enough so that the smoke reaches the meat. Smoke it for a minimum of thirty minutes and a maximum of three hours per day, for at least two weeks. If you used rosewood, and the place you are curing it is clean, surely free from insects, dust, and dirt, the meat can actually be eaten raw. The result is the best type of innasin/etag. Store in container for future use.

How to Make Tapey (Igorot Rice Wine)

2009-11-16T17:55:00.004-06:00

TAPEY, or Igorot rice wine is traditionally served when a host invites someone to partake of his rice wine at his house. It is also drank in volumes during public festivities and celebrations. Tapey is nowadays available in stores around the Cordilleras.

Needs:

- half a pound of bubod
- a kilo of diket preferrably of the red variety
- a labba (or any wide space) to spread the rice to dry
- a gosi or any closed container

(Note: One of the most high-grade kind of bubod is available from the vendors of Abatan, Benguet. Don't try plastics as containers, they add a plasticky flavor.)

Ways:

Cook the kilo of diket with a little less water than you would cook an ordinay rice. Just after the boiling water has been absorbed (na-ilowagan), set aside the diket.

(Before continuing, tell everyone not to disturb you until everything as not to destroy the spirit of the tapey. The oldies even ask, 'Maid um-umtot' or 'No farting".)

Spread the diket on a labba covered with banana leaves (or just spread the diket around any open space) and wait until its a little bit dry. Crush the bobod into very fine powder. Then, spread the bobod evenly. (This is a crucial part - you have to do it very evenly. My mother told me that one of the secrets to a good tapey lies in the quality of the distribution of bobod in the diket).

Put this in your container and seal tightly. If you are in a cold place, put it in a warm location. (usually near the dalikan or in the corner of the house) Wait for at least 4-5 days, after which the tapey is now ready. Remember, the sweetness of the tapey decreases with time.

How to Cook Pinikpikan

2009-11-16T17:43:00.005-06:00

PINIKPIKAN is a chicken dish extremely popular in the Cordilleras and amongst Igorots. It is served on special occassions. The recipe below was copied over from my existing sagada-igorot.com website. I wrote the recipe down, around 12 years ago, with the help of Lakay Badu.

Needs:

- A live Chicken
- Sayote (Quantity is variable)
- a head of Chinese cabbage/pechay
- one half to one kilo of innasin/etag
- enough knowledge in butchering fowls
- wood for fire
- a clean, flat surface, preferably smooth
- a piece of stick for beating.

(Note: The common Barn Chicken is preferred to Broilers, and Cobbs preferred to other broiler chickens. The Igorots use a species that produces the best of this dish. The meat, when cooked, is dark in color. After the introduction of broilers in the Philippines, it became increasingly known as "nitib" for "native".)

Ways:

DO NOT DRESS THE CHICKEN (or should I say, undress? :-) ). Start a fire. Put one wing of the chicken on the flat surface. Using the stick, beat the wing from the inside, not to soft, but not to hard that it will break the bones and the skin of the chicken. (Of course, the chicken will squawk and fight back, so you have to hold the head, the other wing, and the legs in the other hand.) Beat it from the tip of the wing to the side, then back. Do it again. Now do the same to the other wing. After beating the wings, lay the neck of the chicken sideways on the flat surface. Beat the neck from end to end.

Now KILL THE CHICKEN! Of course... But to kill the chicken, hold the chicken by the feet and wings in one hand. Hit the back of the head with the stick, just below the comb. Not too hard, or the chicken will bleed, and not too soft either, or the chicken will get mad, and may peck at you. One well placed blow will do it without breaking the skin.

Afterwards, burn all of the feathers off the chicken on the fire you made. You can use your gas range, but it will be very messy afterwards. Better burn the feathers off using an outside fire.

After the feathers are removed, remove excess charred feathers from the chicken. Chances are, the chicken has also started to look like roast chicken. Now, butcher the chicken, slice it, and put the slices into a cooking container. Cut the innasin/etag into pieces as large as the chicken pieces. Put them into the cooking container. Do not put the sayote if there is very little innasin/etag. On the other hand, if you think it will be very salty, add sayote to minimize the salty taste. Clean the vegetables and separate the leaves. It is better to cook this over heavy heat. When the meat is done, Put the vegetables into the container, remove from the fire/heat, and cover. Leave for two minutes. Stir, and serve.

Igorot Dance Video - Maryland

2009-11-15T08:09:00.003-06:00

There is an Igorot Dance video taken during the 18th anniversary of the Philippine International Bible Church of Montgomery County, in Maryland last month. What's special about the video is that it had my sister and my brother-in-law amongst the dancers. While my brother-in-law is a natural dancer, I haven't seen my sister dance that much. And, this is the second time I saw them dance together (though with other dancers) since they got married more than 8 years ago. Check this video from the Igorot Video Collection website.

Igorot Dances - Pictures

2009-11-15T07:48:00.007-06:00

I am slowly transferring all my webpages from the sagada-igorot.com website into this blog. I just copied over 2 articles on Igorot Dances; and I have some left-over pictures. I can't remember where I got these 12-year old photographs. If some kind soul out there can let me know, I'd appreciate it very much.

IGOROT Ethnic Groups

2009-11-13T12:57:00.004-06:00

The Cordillera region of Northern Philippines is the ancestral domain of the Igorots. It is comprised of the six provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province plus the lone city of Baguio. The Igorots are grouped into six ethno-linguistic groups, the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Isneg (or Apayao), Kalinga, and the Kankana-ey. Below are brief descriptions of these Igorot ethnic groups.

the BONTOC

Alternative/Associated Names: Bontok, Bontoc
LOCATION: Central Mountain Province
DIALECT: Bontok

The Bontocs live in the banks of the Chico River. It used to be a group that was known because of its head-hunting practices. Present day Bontocs are a peaceful agricultural people who have, by choice, retained most of their traditional culture despite frequent contacts with other groups.

The pre-Christian Bontoc belief system centers around a hierarchy of spirits, the highest being a supreme deity called "Lumawig". Lumawig "personifies the forces of nature and is the legendary creator, friend, and teacher of the Bontoc". A hereditary class of priests hold various monthly ceremonies for this deity for their crops, the weather, and for healing. In addition the Bontoc believe in the "anito" -- spirits of the dead who must be consulted before anything important is done. Ancestral anitos are invited to family feasts when a death occurs to ensure the well-being of the deceased's soul.

The Bontoc social structure used to be centered around village wards ("ato"), containing about 14 to 50 homes. Traditionally, young men and women lived in dormitories and ate meals with their families. This gradually changed as with the advent of Christianity. In general, however, it can be said that all Bontocs are very aware of their own way of life and are not overly eager to change.

the IBALOI

Alternative/Associated Names: Ibaloi/Nabaloi
LOCATION: Southern Benguet
DIALECT: Ibaloi

The Ibaloi live mostly in the southern part of Benguet. An agricultural people cultivating rice in terraced fields, they have some affinity in language with Pangasinan, its southern neighbor. Baguio City, the Cordilleras lone city and dubbed as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” is also situated in Ibaloi country.

The Ibaloi’s major feast is the Pesshet, a public prestige feast of the wealthy, that could last for weeks and involving the butchering and sacrifice of dozens of animals. One of their more popular dances is the Bendiyan Dance that could be participated in by as many as a hundred men and women dancers.

the IFUGAO

Alternative/Associated Names: Ifugao, Amganad, Ayangan, Kiangan, Gilipanes, Quiangan, Tuwali Ifugao, Mayoyao (Mayoyao, Mayaoyaw)
LOCATION: Ifugao Province
DIALECT: Four distinct Ifugao dialects

The country of the Ifugao in the southern part of the Cordillera region is best known for its famous rice terraces, which in modern times have become one of the big tourist attractions of the Philippines. The Ifugaos build their typical houses at the edge of their fields. As distinctive aspect of these house post just below the floor beams to keep rats from climbing into the house.

Aside from their rice terraces, the Ifugaos are known for their literary traditions of the 'hudhud' and the 'alim' . The term "Ifugao" is derived from "ipugo" which means earth people or mortals or humans, as distinguished from spirits and deities. It also means "from the hill", as "pugo" means hill. The Ifugaos’ highest prestige feasts are the "hagabi", for the most wealthy; and the "uyauy", a feast for those immediately below the wealthiest.

the ISNEG

Alternative/Associated Names: Isnag, Dibagat-Kabugao-Isneg, Apayao
LOCATION: Northern Apayao
DIALECT: Isnag

The Isneg (or Apayao) inhabits the banks of the Apayao River and its tributaries in Northern Luzon. Like most erstwhile head-hunters, they are slash-and-burn farmers who have recently, under the influence of their neighbors, begun to practice wet-rice agriculture.

As dry rice farmers, the male head of a household annually clears a fresh section of tropical forest where his wife will plant and harvest their rice. Isneg women also cook the meals, gather wild vegetables, and weave bamboo mats and baskets, while the men cut timber, build houses, and take extended hunting and fishing trips. Often when a wild pig or deer is killed, its meat is skewered on bamboo and distributed to neighbors and relatives. Nearly all Isneg households also harvest a small grove of coffee trees since the main cash crop grown is coffee.

the KALINGA

Alternative/Associated Names: Linimos, Limos; Limos-Liwan Kalinga
LOCATION: Kalinga Province
DIALECT: Kalinga, Limos

Inhabiting the drainage areas of the middle Chico River, the Kalingas are noted for their strong sense of tribal awareness and the peace pacts they have made among themselves. They practice both wet and dry rice farming and they have developed an institution of peace pacts which has minimized traditional warfare and head hunting and serves as a mechanism for the initiation, maintenance, renewal and re-enforcement of kinship and social ties. The Kalinga are divided into Southern and Northern groups; the latter is considered the most heavily ornamented people of the northern Philippines.

The Kalinga society is very kinship oriented and relatives are held responsible for avenging any injury to a member. Disputes are usually settled by the regional leaders, who listen to all sides and then impose fines on the guilty party. These are not formal council meetings but carry a good deal of authority.

the KANKANA-EY

Alternative/Associated Names: Northern Kankana-ey; Sagada/Besao Igorot, Western Bontoc, Applai
LOCATION: Western Mountain Province, Southeastern Ilocos Sur Province, Northern Benguet
DIALECT: Northern Kankana-ey

The Kankana-ey’s domain includes Western Mountain Province, Northern Benguet and Southeastern Ilocos Sur. Like most Igorot ethnic groups, the Kankana-ey built sloping terraces to maximize farm space in the rugged terrain of the Cordilleras. Two famous institutions of the Kankana-ey of Mountain Province are the dap-ay, the men’s dormitory and civic center, and the ebgan, the girl’s dormitory where courtship between young men and women took place.

Kankana-ey’s major dances include takik, a wedding dance and ballangbang.

References

1. "PHILIPPINE ETHNIC MOTIFS Vol. 3" as part of the Okir project by the Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines and the Philippine National Museum)
2. UNREACHED PEOPLES `81 -- David C. Cook Publishing Company
3. Cordillera Philippines
4. BIBAK NE Homepage

Igorot Dances, 2 of 2 Posts

2009-11-13T12:43:00.003-06:00

Here is the second set of Igorot Dances. This set includes the Kayaw, Lumagen, Manerwap, Manmanok, Palakis, Ragragsakan, Sakpaya, Salip and Takik. The list of dances mentioned are from the Bontoc, Bago, Kalinga and Ifugao tribes.

Kayaw (kah-YAHW)

Kalingas of yore considered headhunting a revered tradition. A budong or peace pact is made between ili or village clusters to maintain peaceful relations and security. Breaking this pact by causing blood to flow will inevitably result in kayaw or headhunting. The offended village has the right to raid their transgressors and indiscriminately taking as many heads as they can as trophies. Mangayaw or listening to Idao, a mysterious bird, is supposed to lead a group to a successful head hunt.

Lumagen (looh-MAH-gehn)

This is a dance performed at Kalinga festivals to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Manerwap (MAH-nehr-wahp)

In times of severe drought, the Bontoc Igorots performed rituals imploring Kabunian (God) to open the sky and allow raindrops to water the rice terraces and the mountains. Participants in the Manerwap climb the mountain to reach a sacred place called fawi where they offer a piece of meat and some rice wine to God. Tribal folk rule that participants in the Manerwap must be physically strong to withstand the fast required during the rites, when they're allowed only water and no food. Senior members of the tribe perform the rain dance for two days and two nights, incessantly beating gongs throughout the vigil.

Manmanok (mahn-mah-NOHK)

Three Bago Tribe roosters compete against each other for the attention of Lady Love. They use blankets depicting colorful plumes to attract her.

Palakis (pah-LAH-keehs)

This courtship dance originates from Western Bontoc and is usually performed at weddings and during festivals like the begnas, celebrated by the community before a harvest or planting. The dance is characterized by free-form interactions between male and female dancers, with each dancer carrying a square-meter piece of brightly colored cloth, held or shaken to convey sentiments such as flirtation or desire. A set of four gongs accompanies this dance.

Ragragsakan (rahg-rahg-SAH-kahn)

This is an adaptation of a tradition in which Kalinga women gather and prepare for a budong, or peace pact.

Sakpaya (sahk-pah-YAH)

The hands of Ifugao farmers dig the hard soil and push heavy stones off cliffs to make way for a new rice field, part of the world-famous Banaue rice terraces. High-flying sakpaya birds swoop and hover over the terraces as the Ifugao toil. In times of plenty, the Ifugao farmers give thanks to their sakpaya "gods" by donning traditional costumes and imitating their flight in this dance.

Salip (SAH-lihp)

The Salip of the Kalinga tribe depicts a warrior claiming his bride by presenting her with a matrimonial blanket. The woman responds by balancing several clay pots upon her head. She follows the man to connote obedience. He simulates the movements of a rooster at love play, aspiring to attract and seize his love. A version of this dance has two warriors competing for the approval of the fair maiden.

Takik (TAH-kihk)

The Bontoc tribe performs this flirtation-type dance with five or more male dancers who provide music and rhythms for a male dancer and a female dancer doing a love or courtship dance. The dancers are in single-file forming circular or spiral patterns, and are led by the male dancer, who is immediately followed in the circular path by the chief gongbeater, who usually displays steps more fanciful than those of the rest of his fellow gongbeaters. At one point, he holds his foot sideward in the air, in an eloquent pause.

References: The contents of this page was lifted with permission from Noel's Pilipino Folkdance Glossary: Mountain/Igorot Suite. The original content was slightly altered to fit this site.

Back to: IGOROT DANCES - Part I

Igorot Dances, 1 of 2 Posts

2009-11-13T12:40:00.003-06:00

Among the Igorots, dance continues to be an expression of community life that animates the various rituals and ceremonies. It serves for self-edification of the performers and entertainment for the spectators. Dances originated to appease ancestors and gods to cure ailments, to insure successful war-mating activities, or to ward off bad luck or natural calamities. Igorots dance to congregate and socialize, for general welfare and recreation, and perhaps, as an outlet for repressed feeling. They also dance to insure bountiful harvests, favorable weather, and to mark milestones in the cycle of life.

Here are some Igorot dances:

Apayao (ah-pah-YAHW) Courtship Dance

This dance comes from the northernmost section of the Mountain provinces. Here, the couple raise and wave their arms and hands like the wings of a bird in flight, and the ceremonial blanket worn by the woman is lightly wrapped around her. The man's movements resemble those of a fighting cock in the preening, strutting, and flying-off-the-ground gestures.

Banga (bahng-AH)

Igorot maidens go to the river and prepare for a marriage ceremony. They display not only their grace and agility, but also their stamina and strength as they go about their daily task of fetching water and balancing the banga, claypots full of water, on their heads.

Bindian (BIHN-deeh-ahn)

The Ibaloy who inhabit the southernmost mountain regions in Northern Luzon perform victory dances to extol the bravery of the warriors of yesterday. In this version from the barrio of Kabayan, hand movements are downward, suggesting the people's affinity with the earth. The basic step consists of a stamp by the left foot and a light, forward movement by the right. Instrumentalists lead the line, followed by male dancers, while the female dancers bring in the rear.

Bontoc War Dance or Pattong(PAH-tohng)

Also called the Bontoc War Dance, Pattong is part of the headhunting and war ceremonials inciting feelings of strength and courage as the warriors prepare to stalk their enemy. In Central Bontoc, the dance is also performed in February, March, and April, to implore the god Lumawig to send rain, similar in purpose to that of the rain-calling ceremony of Native American tribes. Much of the movements are improvised; two camps of warriors are usually featured pursuing each other, culminating in a melee where a fighter from one tribe kills one of his opponents.

Bumayah (booh-mah-YAH)

Thanksgiving festivals are one of many occasions for tribal celebrations. The movements in this dance of the Ifugao tribe, imitating those of a rooster scratching the ground, symbolize a thanksgiving prayer to the god Kabunian for a bountiful harvest of rice. Both men and women express their joy in this thanksgiving.

Dinuyya (dih-NOOH-yah)

A festival dance from Lagawe, it is performed by the Ifugao men and women during a major feast. Accompanying the dance are three gangsa or gongs: the tobtob, a brass gong about ten inches in diameter and played by beating with open palms, and the various hibat or gongs played by beating the inner surface with a stick of softwood.

Lepanto (leh-PAHN-toh) Festival Dance

This dance is performed by the Kankana-ey of northern Benguet and the people of Western Bontoc. It is usually danced at wedding celebrations (when it signifies the well-wishing of the bride and groom) and also after a harvesting season, when thanksgiving is rendered to the Benguet god Kabunyan for the bountiful harvest of the year.

Continue to: IGOROT DANCES - Part II

2 Sagada Blogs finalists in 2009 Philippine Blog Awards

2009-10-18T06:51:00.003-05:00

Kudos to two Sagada blogs for being named as finalists for the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards nationwide categories. The SAGADA GENUINE GUIDES ASSOCIATION and the SAGADA LEMON PIE HOUSE were cited in the Best Travel and Best Business blog categories, respectively. The Philippine Blog Awards aims to recognize notable Filipino-owned blogs in their respective niches. The awards night were held at the PETA-PHINMA Theater in New Manila, Quezon City last October 9, 2009. Though the Sagada entries didn't get the biggest prize in their categories, I salute them for being included among the chosen few. I hope to see a Sagada blog win a category one day. Click this link for a complete list of the Philippine Blog Awards finalists.

Respecting the Landslide Victims

2009-10-18T06:28:00.004-05:00

I've seen Facebook photo galleries of the landslide tragedies in Benguet and Mountain Province - particularly that of Little Kibungan and Tadian. The images were very graphic. I saw the faces of those who perished, a lot of them muddied but very recognizable. In one photo, I saw a dead child, very stiff and still in his pajamas being carried by 2 adults. In the same picture, I saw another adult, with his phone camera, most likely taking pictures of what's going on. This child has family and relatives - some of them surviving no doubt. I don't believe they would have wanted this particularly image to have been posted in social networking sites for all to see. Don't add more to the suffering of the victims. Do respect the landslide victims.

Sagada Pictures at Lawstude's Journeys

2009-10-10T15:42:00.005-05:00

I was viewing a list of recent Sagada blogs and was impressed with posts from Atty. Oman's blog. His latest Sagada photo gallery features Sagada Weekend Market images. Viewing those images were like a ratatouille moment for me. That's what our family refers when describing something very familiar that gives you a warm nostalgic feeling; very much like how the food critic in the movie felt when he had his first bite of the ratatouille dish. Definitely, those Sagada market images reminded me of the many Saturdays helping my mother and my grandma with those market chores. It was one of the tasks I didn't particularly like as a kid, but which I remembered with fondness as an adult. View more Sagada pictures at the Lawstude Journey blog.

Dozens Killed in Benguet, Mountain Province, Baguio landslides

2009-10-09T05:21:00.004-05:00

I was checking the news early today and I'm deeply saddened to read that dozens of people have died in landslides impacting the Igorot provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, and Baguio. Benguet is the most affected with 120 deaths. Tadian in Mountain Province has suffered 23 deaths, and Baguio reported 25 deaths. The landslides were triggered by the weeklong rains brought about by Typhoon Parma. The Halsema highway that links Sagada and Baguio is closed. Related News Articles: Philippine mudslides, floods kill more than 160; Dozens Killed in Landslides in Philippines; Rain, floods in N. Philippines kill over 100; 51 bodies recovered in Benguet landslides Photo Credit: TimesOnline.co.uk

Sagada Redux - Part Deux

2009-10-07T02:19:00.005-05:00

Here's a sequel to an earlier post of Sagada black and white pictures (See Sagada Redux - Sagada B&W Photos). Caesar Gonzales, a friend from high school took the photos during his recent Sagada visit last August 2009. He has informed me that he is planning another visit with a common friend also from high school. I'm envious that he got to visit Sagada more than I have in the past 2 years or so. His photographs are a good consolation though. They remind me of some black and white photos I acquired from a French photographer who visited Sagada in the 1980s. (See my previous posts: 1980s Sagada Images by a French Photographer - Part I & 1980s Sagada Images by a French Photographer - Part II). Enjoy the second batch of pictures below:

Woman in Philippines catches Oklahoma burglars through webcam

2009-10-06T23:06:00.002-05:00

I read Yahoo's collection of Odd News once in awhile to look for interesting stories. A story caught my eye on how a Filipina, married to an American Air Force seargeant, was instrumental in catching 3 burglary suspects in Oklahoma city, even though she was in the Philippines. How did she do it? Through a webcam that she uses to communicate with her husband. Huling-huli sila. I'm re-posting the full text of this AP story:

Woman in Philippines cracks Oklahoma case

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. – Police say three people who tried to rob a man's suburban Oklahoma City apartment were caught by his wife in the Philippines, who saw them on the webcam the couple uses to communicate while they're apart.

Midwest City police Chief Brandon Clabes says officers nabbed the three burglary suspects over the weekend after Maribel Chouinard spotted them and called her husband, an Air Force master sergeant at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City.

The husband called police, who found two teens near the apartment and later found the third suspect.

Clabes says all three were identified from a photo lineup e-mailed to Chouinard in the Philippines.

Master Sgt. Jim Chouinard says he met his wife overseas and she's waiting for her visa to be processed.

To all Filipinos Everywhere, from a Concerned Pinay

2009-10-04T23:24:00.005-05:00

I got the following letter forwarded through Sagada's St. Mary's School Alumni email group and thought it was an inspiring read to start the week. The letter is from a concerned Filipina and from its salutation, it is a plea to all Filipinos everywhere. Very well written - I couldn't help but nod in agreement while going through the letter. The only things I would add is to pray for (a) servant leaders who love GOD, the Philippines, and their neighbors as much as they love themselves to increase in numbers - I'm sure they exist though very rare; and (b) for current leaders to have a change of heart and become the servant leaders I described in (a). Here's the full letter:

To all Filipinos Everywhere:

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn't true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and apalling that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!

I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like "Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President". Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich."

It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!

I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.

And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his own "pag bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan.. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it's all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?

And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.

They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won't make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it..

But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.

Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!

I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion – right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.

I call on educators and teachers – we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future – and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.

I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.

Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country.. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field.. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself.

For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.

Remedios C. Paningbatan
Administrative Officer
Office of the General Counsel
Asian Development Bank
Tel (632) 632-4248
www.adb.org

Typhoon Pepeng/Parma kills 12 in Benguet

2009-10-04T02:20:00.005-05:00

The Cordillera province of Benguet suffered 12 deaths due to Typhoon Pepeng, internationally known as Parma. Provincial police director Chief Superintendent Loreto Espinili reported that the deaths were caused by 2 landslides. In the only article I can find on the typhoon's impact on Sagada, a resident describes that there were no evacuations and that it is "windy and raining, but it is not strong." Multiple roads in the Cordilleras were deemed impassable in the typhoon's aftermath.

Related Articles: Pepeng kills 15, Latest typhoon kills 16 in northern Philippines, Relief as Typhoon Parma veers course, 'Pepeng' renders roads in N. Luzon impassable. Photo Credit: Inquirer.net

BIBBAK Illinois, American Igorots raising funds for Ondoy victims

2009-10-04T00:21:00.005-05:00

BIBBAK Illinois (see photo), in association with the American Igorot group, will be performing Igorot dances on stage at the local Asian Heritage Festival this Sunday. This is an effort to help raise relief funds under the American Red Cross for victims of Typhoon Ketsana. My family won't be there due to prior commitments, but we'll be praying for the success of the fund raising effort. Here's the full post from Rex Delson taken from the American Igorot Facebook page:

"As some of you know, the Philippines recently suffered from Typhoon Ketsana a few days ago (Sept 26th). Sadly, many of you may not even be aware of this because the American media’s coverage of this tragedy has been poor at best. In short, Ketsana blew across Luzon dumping a month’s worth of rain in just six hours and flooded most of Manila and its surrounding areas. More than 3 million people were affected by Ketsana and 676,235 are in evacuation centers not to mention the dozens that remain missing. To make matters worse, a category 4 typhoon (second strongest category), named “Parma”, is heading for Luzon and is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning.

While prayer is the best thing to do at this time, we can also do more. Two days ago, Anin Goldiwhil of Igorots @ Facebook group sent a message to all its members informing them of ways they can help. Unfortunately, we in America (and some of you elsewhere) are not able to help in those ways because of our distance. American Igorots can help by contributing to relief funds already going towards the victims of these disasters. People can do this through their churches, schools and relief organizations such as the American Red Cross.

American Igorots is encouraging all members to contact their local relief organizations to help in this cause. If you are a member of BIBAK in your area, ask the leaders to organize fund raisers. If they already have fund raisers going on for other purposes, ask them to divert those funds to help disaster victims. These are just a few ideas. I’m sure others can think of some other ways.

Since I have been a child here in America, I can always remember the generosity and family closeness of Igorots that I believe makes being an Igorot special. For this reason, American Igorots with the help of BIBBAK Illinois will attempt to raise relief funds under the American Red Cross name this Sunday at the local Asian Heritage Festival that BIBBAK Illinois is planning to perform their Igorot dances on stage in public. Let us know what other kinds of efforts are taking place throughout the different parts of the country by posting in the American Igorots discussion topic, “Ketsana & Parma Disaster Relief.”

Agyamanak ken ag aluad ka,
- R. Delson"

Sagada Redux - Sagada B&W Photos

2009-10-03T13:45:00.010-05:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, and a nice way to start again is by posting some excellent black and white pictures of Sagada. The photos were taken by a friend from high school during his Aug 2009 Sagada trip. Topher, as we used to call him then, is from Baler, Aurora and has been one of the few individuals I would credit for keeping me sane during those crazy high school years. I'm no art / photo critic but having spent my early years in Sagada, I know when photos do justice to the beauty of my hometown. These group of photos capture Sagada in a unique yet familiar way it made me think of my childhood days all over again. Salamat, Topher. Gawi-gawis. Matago-tago ka! (Loosely translated - it means "Thanks Topher, very well done. May you live forever"). Hehehe. I'm definitely looking forward to more of his future Sagada pictures. Meanwhile, enjoy a sampling of them here:

Bagyong Ondoy: What it Didn't Drown

2009-10-02T15:51:00.005-05:00

PHOTO: Cars a block away from where our apartment stood in Provident Village, Marikina.

We were at the newly bought house of friends, celebrating with them, when I first heard about the flooding in the Philippines. I didn’t mind it that much, until I saw the photos. And the videos – and the news articles too. That got my attention. And we’ve been glued to all the updates we could get back home on the aftermath of Bagyong Ondoy.

Many photo galleries in Yahoo and in Facebook, focused on one place – Provident Village in Marikina. That was where we used to live – in fact, until 2 months ago, a lot of our precious stuff were in an apartment that we rented in Provident Village. My wife asked her siblings to move these to Baguio July of this year. Thankfully, these were not swept in the flood.

We did hear a very harrowing story that pierced our hearts. Our househelp, who has stayed with us since Dec 2000 and who we consider as a close friend, was in the Marikina apartment when the flood waters came. She was with her baby daughter who was less than a year old. The flood waters started seeping into the apartment on Saturday morning. By 1pm, she, the baby and other neighbors somehow managed to climb to the roof and stayed there for the whole night of Saturday, until a friend of my brother-in-law was able to go through the flooded roads and get her and the baby on Sunday morning. I was numb after hearing that. I don’t have details whether they had an umbrella or whether they ate or drank anything while they were on the roof. Our only consolation was that they were in the roof with neighbors – at least, they weren’t alone. She hasn’t replied to any of our text messages yet, though we know she is now at a safe place. I wonder how adults could survive such an ordeal, let alone children and infants. We Filipinos, are really a tough bunch.

I read so many stories, many close to our hearts since it affected those we know. The houses of friends were affected by varying degrees of flooding. I’ve yet to hear from kumpares in Marikina and Pasig. An email I sent to their workplace accounts haven’t been answered yet – perhaps they still haven’t reported for work? I heard of an officemate whose house was fully submerged in flood waters. The sibling of a friend was not able to contact her family for 48 hours since her phone went dead and she couldn’t recharge it. They thought she was missing and even paged her through a TV show. Another friend and her family are staying at a hotel – they can’t reach their home due to the floods.

And of course, there were the stories of those who didn’t survive. People clinging to rooftops saw bodies floating around. That of a young man, an elderly woman with her arms wrapped around a young child, a mother and her five children – it’s simply overwhelming.

For every calamity though, there are also the brave and unselfish acts that bring warmth to the soul. I was pleasantly surprised to recognize the name of a high school batch mate on one newspaper article – her hubby used a kayak he had never ridden before to help rescue strangers at the risk of losing his life. (Read Man loses belongings to save lives). I also saw friends from our church back home being very active in relief efforts. Tomorrow, a friend from Chicago is driving from house to house collecting clothes that her relatives will be sending through to the Philippines.

On our short stay in this life, calamities like Bagyong Ondoy come and go. I don’t hope any such calamity on anyone, but I know these calamities are there to help us realize what our priorities are. It is people and relationships that count. Floods may drown the most expensive cars and houses, but it can never drown the people’s hopes, or their abilities to help and love one another.

Chicago Loses 2016 Olympic Bid

2009-10-02T14:17:00.002-05:00

Sayang! Chicago didn’t win the right to host the Olympics on 2016. If we were going to stay here until then, our family would have volunteered for the Games. Anyway, it’s also good that Rio de Janiero won the bid so the continent of South America will have its 1st chance to host the Olympics. Furthermore, the US hosted 2 of the last 7 Olympic Games – with the universal nature of the games, it’s just right to have others take turns in hosting it.

Brazil doesn’t require Philippine citizens to have visas to enter their country. This bodes well for our countrymen hoping to visit the 2016 Olympic Games. US citizens need visas to go to Brazil though.

In a statement, Chicago’s Mayor Daley indicated that Chicago will not bid for the next Olympic Games in 2020. The host cities tend to rotate around the world. The next 2 Olympic Games may likely go to a European city / an Asian city / maybe even an African city. Realistically, the next summer Olympic Games to be hosted in the US would be on 2028.

Here are the 2016 Olympics voting results:

2016 Olympics 1st Round Vote Results:

Madrid = 28
Rio = 26
Tokyo = 22
Chicago = 18

2016 Olympics 2nd Round Vote Results:

Rio = 46
Madrid = 29
Tokyo = 20

2016 Olympics 3rd Round Vote Results:

Rio = 66
Madrid = 32

11 Years and Counting

2009-07-19T02:51:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, my wife and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. It was a simple celebration - we packed some snacks and headed to the beach, got lost along the way, but still arrived at the beach on time to enjoy the sun and the sand for a good 3 hours. Chicago's Foster Beach is one of the family friendlier ones, and the parking is relatively easy even on busy Saturday afternoons. Dinner was a visit to a Mediterranean restaurant near our place that had a good deal on kiddie meals. We dropped by for some coffee at the nearby Starbucks and went home late in the evening - exhausted but joyful. The next day after church service and lunch, we went looking for an ice cream parlor and found out that it just recently closed. No problem - the nearby grocery store had some ice cream and pretty soon, we were enjoying the treats near a fountain. A visit to a playground and hitting some balls at a tennis court rounded out our anniversary weekend.

11 years seem to have gone by so fast. After 3 children, and a seemingly nomadic existence that saw our family reside and visit 7 countries in 4 continents - still, I have that feeling that we're just starting our journey. I suppose that's a good thing. Better to have that than feeling the opposite.

My wife and I tried recalling how we celebrated our previous anniversaries. I had the better memory as she keeps on saying that part of her memories were lost due to anesthesia given on the three occasions that she gave birth. (Men, we really are blessed not to go through that). Here's my best effort in listing down our celebrations:

1998: got married in Quezon City; a morbid thought but 2 of the few present during our wedding are now gone - 1 was my paternal grandmother, and 1 was my college buddy.

1999: 1st anniversary - had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Timog. Our oldest was born earlier in the year and he was with us for that lunch.

2000: 2nd anniversary - had dinner at a seafood restaurant in Singapore, again, accompanied by our eldest who was now a toddler. We flew to Bangkok for a weekend later that month.

2001: 3rd anniversary - first time to miss my anniversary - I was on assignment in Portugal. A colleague dropped some flowers and a cake for my wife and boys. Our second child was born earlier in the year.

2002: 4th anniversary - missed our anniversary by a few days as I was in Paris. I did give my wife some letters I wrote on the plane coming home. We left the boys and had an evening on our own.

2003: 5th anniversary - we attended our first marriage retreat in Tagaytay. I was a new Christian and it was a huge realization how God had been working in our marriage even when I thought that it was "just chance" that brought us together.

2004: 6th anniversary - our third son was born earlier that year. I can't remember a specific celebration but it most likely was with our children as we couldn't leave our youngest who was breastfeeding at the time.

2005: 7th anniversary - dinner and a movie for the two of us in the Podium area. I remember this as the year we started our discipleship group. We opted out for that particular Monday meeting and then we bumped into our group as we were going for the movie.

2006: 8th anniversary - I'm drawing a blank but most likely, it was an evening just for the two of us in Eastwood - our favorite and convenient hang-out during this period. I'm also seeing photos of a family outing/picnic in UP during the weekend.

2007: 9th anniversary - first year in the US. I took a long lunch break from work, and had lunch at a Japanese restaurant with the family. We then all spent a weekend afternoon boating in Kenosha, Wisconsin with a Filipina colleague and her husband.

2008: 10th anniversary - my mom and all 5 of my sisters greeted my wife. I'm sure they know how difficult a person I am to live with, and appreciated my wife's efforts through the years, hehehe. Also, I got my wife a gift that probably was the first one she approved of in terms of it being a "good deal". (Finally, after 10 years!) And, the family spent a day at a waterpark.

My wife and I joke that we are looking forward to the next 66 or 77 years of married life here on earth. It has been a great journey, and we do feel that the best is yet to come. Not everything is smooth sailing; we do have a lot of challenges and we're working on a lot of things. But at the same time, we are very much aware that part of God's plan for us is to be good stewards of the gifts He has provided. Marriage is one of the best gifts God has showered on His people - for this, we are simply very thankful.

Sagada.ws

2009-07-17T02:15:00.003-05:00

There's a relatively new and nice website on Sagada - and the URL uses a ".ws" domain, the Internet country code top level for "Western Samoa". I thought this strange and interesting and after doing some googling, I found out that the ".ws" domain is being marketed as "dot website". Sagada.ws is great because it is listing Sagada businesses - a first in the Internet. It has 22 in the list so far, and I hope it continues to grow. It does help to promote this website especially as it features Sagada Weaving in its front page, haha. Sagada.ws lists the Sagada Hospital website and Tom Coghill's Fasting.ws as sister sites.

South Beach Diet works...

2009-07-09T23:20:00.008-05:00

Growing up, I was always skinny. No matter how much I ate, I never seemed to gain weight. This was true all the way until college, and when I started working. Then I got married. And I suppose as true in almost a 100% of the cases, I started to pack it in. I never tracked my weight until recently, but I knew it wasn't a good situation when my clothes started NOT to fit. And then came the reminders. An aunt, very much aware that my dad passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 48 warned me to watch it. Other well-meaning relatives warned me of the same. Aside from my clothes not fitting, I also realized I was tiring easily. I couldn't keep up with my boys on a few minutes of soccer. My annual wellness check-up last year indicated I was well into the overweight stage - closer to being obese than being in the normal range. My blood sugar was up, and my cholesterol level was not ideal.

Somehow, I got convicted to do something about it. I remember a visitor we had last year indicating that the South Beach diet worked for her. I researched in the Internet and found out that the diet was designed by a cardiologist; and was used successfully by a lot of people including former President Bill Clinton. So I gritted my teeth and decided to pursue it.

The most challenging part was the first phase of the diet - the first 2 weeks was very strict. No RICE, no FRUIT, no PASTA, no CORN, no POTATOES - the idea was to emphasize lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish. Low-glycemic-index vegetables are allowed as well as low-fat cheese, nuts, eggs. I thought I wouldn't be able to keep it but I knew I had to try.

Day 1 was fine; but Day 2 was a disaster. There was a food festival at the office showcasing various foods from Asia Pacific countries - I threw the diet out of the window and indulged in all types of food from the Philippines, India, Russia, China, Pakistan and Korea. Yum. In my mind, there was always a Day 3, hahaha. Eventually, I was able to complete 14 consecutive days of strict dieting - the final result: a grand weight loss of 12 pounds. I did minimal exercising - just following a rigid diet that didn't allow me to starve and had me snacking twice a day between 3 full meals. The results were dramatic enough for some colleagues who saw me everyday at the office to notice it. I was smiling too as I noticed my once too-tight clothes fitting more nicely.

There's a sub-story to it - my wife, who wasn't really convinced initially that I would stick to my diet saw the changes in me. When I was on my second week, she started her first week too. She never got to complete the full 14-day routine, but she has cut down on her carbohydrate intake and voila, she also has lost 10 pounds or so. It's been almost 2 months since we lost weight and we've managed to keep the pounds off - even after attending several picnics and parties. We haven't really stuck to the 2nd and 3rd phases of the South Beach diet which should lead us to reach our target body weight, but we're getting there. The first phase was a good weight loss starter. We do plan to shed more pounds in the coming months so our body mass index (BMI) would be well within the normal range.

Some of the wonderful lessons on losing weight:
- losing weight together with your spouse is a very enriching experience
- exploring new food choices can be fun
- plain boiled / steamed vegetables can be very tasty
- you don't have to starve to lose weight
- me, a Filipino, can survive without rice
- attitude matters (I guess in everything, including losing weight)
- eating the right foods will make you continually crave for the right foods
- turning your back on an ice cream cone / soda can be very satisfying
- my knees are happier when I jog now that I'm 12 lbs lighter

Online tools I use: South Beach Diet for Beginner; Body Mass Index Calculator. The photo above is a lovingly prepared meal of scrambled egg, ground chicken breast and vegetables, string cheese, asparagus and assorted nuts. And, for any weight loss activity, the BEFORE (May 2009) and AFTER (June 2009) photos serve as evidence.

IGOROTak (Igorot Ako / I'm an Igorot) Shirts

2009-07-07T00:25:00.005-05:00

I'm running behind on my blogging; and will be attempting to catch up. What better way to do that than to blog about our IGOROTAK shirts. My cousin, a store manager of her older sister's NADUMA shop in SM Baguio, was searching the Internet for IGOROTAK shirts when she came across my blog post from August of last year when we attended an Igorot party here in Chicago and saw many fellow Igorots wearing the shirts. She felt bad that we didn't have our own so she sent 10 shirts through the mail - two for each of us. These shirts are just way cool! We immediately wore it to a party and had a friend begging to have one of them. My wife replied in jest - "Bakit, Igorot ka ba?" (Why, are you an Igorot?) It was just a testament of the shirts' uber-coolness. I wore my IGOROTAK shirt proudly to work during casual Friday and it was a conversation starter. I was asked multiple times what it meant, and of course, I willingly explained. Sharing more photos -

Sagada's Dennis Faustino in Spotlight

2009-06-10T00:17:00.004-05:00

Dr. Dennis Faustino, an adopted i-Sagada is featured in Inquirer's "An accidental tourist gives back to Sagada". The article described how Dr. Faustino first visited Sagada and how the former school administrator at the International School in Makati eventually became a principal of Sagada's St. Mary's School. I last saw him on my last visit to Sagada in November 2007 - during the 1st death anniversary of my aunt. He kindly offered to give my mother and I a lift from Nangonogan to Dagdag. What's interesting is his new Sagada project - he and his staff are preparing to stage another musical, “Fiddler on the Roof” in Kankana-ey with the working title “Mengasa id Atep” (A Gangsa Player on a Thatched Roof). This version retains the original’s melodies and storyline but is adapted to the local culture. It would be a treat to watch this as he has done great work in Sagada's community musicals in the past. Too bad it wouldn't be possible for me at this time. Photo Credit and Article Link at Inquirer.net.

Igorots in Seattle: 100 years later

2009-06-09T23:58:00.004-05:00

Jerry Large, a Seattle Times staff columnist wrote a feature on the recently held annual festival that recognized how shabbily the Igorots were treated in a human exhibition in 1909. He starts his article with "After a century, the Igorots are back with an update on how they fit into the world". The writer noted that "Filipinos and Filipino Americans have tended to view the Igorot as a backward culture". He countered that what is really backward is that view. The article mentioned his conversation with several Igorots - Lulu Fang-Asan a professor at Benguet State University; Tony Gomowad, an Episcopal priest and Igorot activist; Caridad Fiar-Od, a retired professor; and Gloria Golocan, president of BIBAK of the Pacific Northwest, and an Igorot nurse based in Seattle. Full Article: Getting it right 100 years later; Photo Credit: Igorot Village: Then & Now

Sagada Sumaging Cave has Seashells Imprints

2009-05-29T18:24:00.003-05:00

I found this recent, very clear photo of Sagada shell fossils in Sumaging Cave at the TrekNature galleries. I've seen these imprints while I was in the cave more than a decade ago. It's supposed to be proof that Sagada, with its vast network of limestone caves was once underwater many thousands or millions of years ago. I'm not sure if they're fossils though - or they're actual shells. This particular picture is amazing in clarity because the ones pointed to me before were high up in a wall, and with only the Petromax light, I couldn't see the imprints very clearly. Visit this TrekNature gallery for a higher resolution view of the image.

Swine Flu in Baguio and In our Office

2009-05-29T18:05:00.005-05:00

Manila Bulletin reports that a male adult has been confirmed to be infected with the Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus in Baguio City, bringing the total confirmed cases in the Philippines to 7. Dr. Myrna Cabotaje, DoH-Cordillera Administrative Region regional director, said the latest confirmed patient with H1N1 virus is now doing fine although he is still being closely monitored by doctors. Eight others from two provinces in the Cordillera are suspected of having the virus and are under close medical supervision. In the US, Wisconsin and Texas overtake Illinois as the states with the most H1N1 flu cases. 3 Fridays ago, an email circulated in the building I worked that an unnamed colleague in the same building was confirmed to have the H1N1 virus. We were informed that we can work from home that afternoon and I took up the offer. Business resumed as usual the next week. It's been 3 weeks and I have no update if our colleague got well or not. I don't even know his/her identity.
Related Links: US H1N1 Flu Situation Update; One more flu patient confirmed in Baguio