January 2008
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01.30.08Our First Boo Award
This is not really our first Boo Award because we have been doing this in our other home but this is the first time we are booing someone in this blog.
And the honor goes to: Virginia Gorospe, an elementary school principal in Baguio who has been suspended for 1) caressing female teachers and 2) collecting fees from a private affiliation school.
Read the story by Mike Guimbatan here. But here’s what Gorospe says about her caressing fellow teachers:
She added she was “neither a pervert or lesbian and her alleged malicious utterances and acts against female teachers were only jokes made between friends who have no malice in their minds.” She added “it is only in the minds of the complainants where they injected malice and lewd designs”.
So does this mean that the teachers who were caressed are not the complainants? Confusing, eh? But here’s our message to madam Gorospe: Whatever those utterances and acts, don’t do them in school. See it got you in trouble. And lifting someone else’s skirt in school? We hope you didn’t do it in front of the kids.
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01.30.08Native American Woodcarving - Made in Ifugao
Hey kailiyans in the U.S. did you know that those carvings of Native American chiefs came from Ifugao. Really? Maybe not all of them but some of them are. From Jennie Durant who was a Peace Corp Volunteer in Ifugao:
Ever wonder where those impressive, six foot tall Native American chief carvings come from? The ones you see in New Mexico and Arizona when you’re on a road trip through the Southwest?
I never thought about it, honestly, I suppose I assumed they were carved by Native Americans. Well, the other day I was bumping along in a tricycle on my way to a barangay called Kiangan. I was looking around, enjoying the scenery—the overhang of green, the small shops along the road, the mothers standing outside chatting with their children on their hips. We passed a carving shop, and under the cover of a tarp I saw a three foot tall Native American head, complete with an elaborate headdress. I was completely stunned. Did I see that right? What was a Native American chief carving, complete with an elaborate headdress, doing in Ifugao?
Read the whole post here. Hah, didn’t we tell you that Native Americans are our long lost relatives (like 56th degree cousin or something). We’re brothers/sisters forever as Renaldo Lapuz would say.
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01.29.08“Covering” Our Officials
What are the chances that any of our Cordillera officials will make the cover of international magazines? Unless they do something really really newsworthy like, say, win a Nobel Peace Price or get themselves adopted by Angelina Jolie, we must say that such chances are zero.
Of course, that shouldn’t stop us from creating fake magazine covers for our officials like we did here.
We used the National Geographic cover for Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat because he keeps talking about cultural heritage, environment, alternative tourism and those kinds of stuff that said magazine usually writes about.
Meanwhile, we used People magazine for Baguio Congressman Mauricio Domogan because we can’t resist it. Eh, how can we not use People magazine as the cover template with that hat he is wearing?
Now, do we have too much time in our hands or what? Kasalanan ni Ivadoy Country kasi sinimulan niya hehe (Thanks FBI).
If you have politicians you would like us to “cover”, please tell us in the comments.
CREDITS: Magmypic for the covers and Drasko and the Taipei Times for the original photos.
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01.29.08Ifugao Sponsors Terraces Tour
I like it when local government units seek to gain control over their local tourism industry. That is how our communities can directly benefit from tourism. I like it too when officials look at tourism beyond organizing that street dancing thing that Panagbenga has become. Good move Ifugao.
From Sunstar Baguio:
In line with the continuing promotion of the rice terraces as an eco-cultural destination, the Ifugao Provincial Government is sponsoring a package tour, which would show the series of cycles involved in the planting of rice in the hand-carved rice terraces.
The tour, which is scheduled on February 9 and 10 (two days, one night) and February 8 to 10 (three days and two nights) is part of the series of rice terraces cycle tours, which the Save the Ifugao rice terraces movement offers — from land preparation (lodah/mamanong), to harvesting (botok, pfoto) and the thanksgiving or bakle.
For a minimal fee of P2,800 per person for the February 9 tour and P3,600 per person for the February 8 tour, participants can expect meals on the day of arrival to lunch on day of departure, lodging transportation, guide, entrance and environmental fees will be provided to visitors.
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01.28.08
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01.28.08Going Up
Thanks to one of you who alerted us about the promotion of our kailiyans who are serving in the military:
Then Major General Nelson Allaga was promoted to Lieutenant General. According to the Inquirer, with this promotion Lt. Gen. Allaga now joins “other three-star generals as contenders to replace the Chief of Staff, General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.”
We first blogged about General Allaga here when he saved Gloria’s ass from those “disobedient” marines.
Anyways, aside from his talents in effectively spanking insubordinate subordinates and arresting suspected Abu Sayyaf members, General Allaga seems to have an additional talent in conducting lectures (or should we say “pen pointing”) as you can see in the pictures below:
Maybe he can become a professor when he retires? After all don’t military men retire when they’re still in their 50s?
The other kailiyan who was promoted recently is Brig. General Rommel Gomez who was promoted from Colonel. We can’t find any pictures of the new General but here’s two recent reports about him:
On the alleged torture of Aeta villagers in Zambales:
Inquirer report: In a phone interview on Friday, Col. Rommel Gomez, chief of the 703rd Infantry Brigade, which has command over the two battalions, urged those helping the Aeta to file the cases in court and have the erring soldiers summoned.“I will not tolerate these kinds of behaviors from our soldiers,” Gomez told the Inquirer.
On peace and order in Pampanga where the general is assigned:
Philippine Star: It quoted Gomez as urging the council “to take into consideration the possibility of working on a system, rather than a plan, and strategies on how to address social issues that breed criminality.”
Hah! That sounds like an academese language (or “professor speak”) if you ask me. Maybe General Gomez can join his superior General Allaga in becoming a professor when he retires, no?
Note: Everything is quiet in the rebel front so far. Come on, Ka Filiw, are you going to lose the public relations battle by default? Kailan may ma-propromote na iCordillera sa pinaka-inner circle ng NPA/CPP/NDF?
Related Posts:
Soldiers, Rebels, Rebel-Soldiers -
01.27.08
