January 2008
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01.27.08The Scientologists Are Coming: Run, iBaguios, Run Away!
Or better yet drive those Scientologists out of your city. It pains me to say this because I believe in ecumenism (respect other religions, pare) but the Church of Scientology, which is apparently now in Baguio doing good deeds, is not a religion but a cult.
So one wonders why Baguio officials are, like, consorting with them and why the Philippine Information Agency is uncritically promoting their activities.
Hello people, just because these Scientologists pretend to speak your language (i.e., let’s solve poverty, prevent drugs, do relief work, etc.) doesn’t mean that they are what they pretend they are. Really, you have to be totally uninformed (or very gullible) these days to be taken in by this cult.
So Baguio folks beware, this is Scientologist’s modus operandi: They will catch you when you are particularly vulnerable, they will offer you help with their psychological “security auditing” mumbo-jumbo, and they will bait you to reveal everything to them (yes everything from your sexual dreams to your financial assets). Now, when you want to leave the, ehem, “church” they will use your revelations (which they recorded) to blackmail you so you can’t leave.
You can watch a Scientology audit here. It is beyond weird.
Lastly, in case you missed it, we did a post on L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology who claimed that he was able to learn the Igoroti language in one single night. You can read in in our first home, from the boondocks.
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01.27.08Quote of the Day
“We cannot go to Afghanistan to march as a people of Sagada to condemn terrorism. What we can do is make our call for peace reach Afghanistan.” - Herminia Cadiogan, mother of Kabul bomb victim Zennia Aguilan.
We’re with Ma’am Herminia on this one. Meanwhile, read Desiree Caluza’s report on Zennia’s interment.
In the blogosphere, fellow iSagada blogger Juan Bondad blogs about Zennia here. So does Manja Bayang who quotes Zennia quoting Douglas Adams’ “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have gone, where I needed to be.”
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01.26.08Igorot Achiever: Reynold Domalsin
As promised, here is our post on Reynold Domalsin, the Igorot body builder who has successfully followed his father’s footsteps. Like his dad, Reynold has a number of body building titles to boast of the latest of which is Mr. Asia Pacific 2007 (Nabba International). Here’s a photo of Reynold with his female counterpart, Ms. Asia Pacific.
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01.26.08Laoagan Trust Fund
Kudos to Arcelie Laoagan’s employer, Western Canadian, for setting up a trust fund for Arcelie. According to the company, the fund raised “will be used to cover funeral expenses and transportation costs to the Philippines which will total about $15,000. Donations surpassing the $15,000 mark will be put into an account for Arcelie’s children to help continue her dream of bringing her boys to Canada.”
To date over $20,000 have been donated to the fund. Visit West Canadian’s site to see how you can contribute.
ERRATUM: Contrary to an OWWA officer’s report as quoted by the Inquirer (and which we republished here), Arcelie Laoagan is not from Sagada, Mt. Province. She was born in Naguilian, Isabela and lived in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur with her husband and children. Thanks to Samuel Cabrera for the clarification.
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01.25.08Take Two on That Logo
Earlier, we stated that the Baguio Centennial Logo looks cool. We still believe it does. However, Karla raises a valid point in the comment section which we are reprinting here.
Regarding the logo, it is aesthetically pleasing and exudes a city that is vibrant. Logo design is always a controversial process and everyone not directly involved has an opinion. Congratulations to the artist for coming up with a centennial logo that is vibrant. Baguio’s children will remember it for a long, long time because it is very colorful.
BUT it would have been better if it also made one FEEL that Baguio is located in the highlands and that it was once a dominantly Ibaloi place, had an American presence, and now a very cosmopolitan city. Possible solutions could have included an image of zigzag road somewhere, use of Ibaloi language in expressing “culture of caring”, a building reminiscent of American presence, people images that express this cosmopolitan complex.
True indeed. The logo might be a good representation of Baguio now but it says very little about Baguio’s history particularly its Ibaloi heritage. This is unfortunate because the centennial is, more than anything else, a celebration of the past. Maybe they can include an Ibaloy version of the tagline (”a culture of caring”) as Karla suggests? Or add a more distinctive Baguio/Ibaloy icon?
Of course you can say, “What about the strawberry and the sunflower”? Well, I’m not quite sure if these are distinctive enough. They are pretty generic symbols and are not really uniquely Baguio. In fact, without the headline (i.e., Baguio Centennial) you would be hard pressed to immediately identify the logo with Baguio.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the logo looks cool as I mentioned earlier. It is an inspired work and let’s give kudos to the artist who made it. There is no doubt that it is, to use Karla’s words, aesthetically pleasing. However, it lacks a certain connection with the city’s unique character, its cultural heritage, and the past 100 years. What do you think?
By the way, thanks Karla :-)
PHOTO SOURCE: Baguio Centennial Commission.
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01.25.08Finally Home
Here’s a report on the service held for Arcelie Laoagan:
On the day they put their friend, fellow parishioner and sister to rest, the more than 400 people who fill Calgary Full Gospel Church Thursday console themselves with the conviction that the devoutly Christian mother of five is now, as Pastor Denzel Fenn tells them, “safe in the arms of Jesus,” in a place “where there are no more tears.”
They chant “yes, yes” when the pastor celebrates Arcelie’s passion for her faith; they heartily sing along when the choir — of which she was a member — belts out a jazzy rendition of Amazing Grace; and they hug one another throughout the service that is a moving send-off to what by all accounts was a gentle, kind woman whose life was filled with more challenges and pain than anyone should have to endure.
Read the full story here. Photo shows Laoagan’s siblings during the service. Photo credit: Canada.com
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01.25.08Suspect Arrested in Laoagan Case
From cbc.ca: A man has been arrested and is being questioned by Calgary police in connection with the murder of a woman whose badly mutilated body was found last week near a Calgary LRT station.
Police are questioning a man in connection with the murder of Arcelie Laoagan, who was found dead near the Franklin LRT station last week.Police are questioning a man in connection with the murder of Arcelie Laoagan, who was found dead near the Franklin LRT station last week.
In a news conference held late Thursday, Insp. Guy Slater said charges had not been laid in the death of Arcelie Sombrito de Laoagan.
“What we’re trying to determine now is the role this man played in the homicide,” said Slater, quoted in the Calgary Sun.
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