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Here’s a pretty cool scooter race in Banaue. When was the last time you did something as fun as this? Maybe we should all join the race next year, no? What do you think? Thanks, to Art Tibaldo for alerting us on this video.

Related story from the Inquirer after the jump.

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From Sunstar: The betel nut chew or more popularly known as “moma” in the local dialect was never barred from being used as the traditional chewing gum in Ifugao.

Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. issued the clarification after some expatriates who attended the recently concluded International Igorot Consultation (IIC), asked why the Provincial Government is banning a tradition known to be practiced not only by Igorots but also by lowlanders.
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The humorous side of the Ifugao people
By Delmar Cariño/Philippine Daily Inquirer

BANAUE, Ifugao – The jokes are still on them, but the Ifugao have managed to keep things in stride. And just like those who have heard the funny stories, the people themselves relish listening to the stories.

The so-called Ifugao jokes have made the natives popular, making others want to know more about them as indigenous peoples, next to the curiosity over their woodcarving skills, world-renowned rice terraces, and years of chewing muma (momma) or betel nut.

Ramon Dacawi of Hungduan town, Baguio City’s public information officer, brought the house down during the Igorot International Consultation (ICC) at Banaue Hotel when he dished out samples that ribbed the delegates to the hilt.

Here are some of them:

An Ifugao flagged down a Dangwa Tranco bus bound for Baguio. When the bus stopped, the conductor asked where he was going. The man answered, “Ket siempre dita oneg a (There, inside),” meaning, he would go inside the bus.

The man had a pig placed in the bus compartment. When the conductor asked him to pay for the cargo, the man said, “Damagen a no adda pagpliti na (Ask the pig if he has money for fare).”

Evolution of jokes
Dacawi’s jokes, narrated with native accent and facial expression, were enough to generate discussion on their evolution.
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Here’s a video on the latest development on the Donald Dontugan murder trial. In case you missed our earlier post, click here.

Video Credit: GMANews.TV

Here’s the latest update on the Campbell tragedy which we started covering last year. According to the this report, the judge is expected to issue her decision about three months from now. Here’s the links to our previous posts on the Campbell tragedy should you want to revisit them: Missing in Ifugao; Video Updates on Julia Campbell; On Juan Dontugan’s Surrender; People vs. Dontugan I; People vs. Dontugan II; Campbell Family to Attend Dontugan Hearing.

Campbell slay trial ends; verdict to be out June 30
Melvin Gascon/Inquirer

BANAUE, Ifugao, Philippines — The trial of the accused in the murder of United States Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell ended here Wednesday, a day after her first death anniversary.

Presiding Judge Ester Piscoso-Flor of the Regional Trial Court Branch 34 gave the prosecution and the defense 30 days to file their memorandum or a summary of the evidence presented in the case.

She set the issuance of the court’s decision for June 30.

“We are glad that we are on schedule. We expect to come out with the verdict before the end of June to enable both parties get over with this trial,” Flor said.

Wednesday’s hearing, which lasted only 10 minutes, capped more than 11 months of trial of one of this mountain town’s most celebrated cases — the murder of a foreigner in a village that draws thousands of foreign and local tourists every year.

Campbell, 40, a former journalist and an English teacher then assigned in Albay, disappeared on April 8, 2007, while walking along the mountain trail leading to remote Batad village. Her decomposing body was found 10 days later, buried in a gorge about 20 meters from the trail.
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Good luck to my good friend Philian Weygan and the rest of those organizing and joining the International Igorot Consultation this 12-15 April 2008 in Banaue, Ifugao. Visit Philian’s site for the schedule of activities or program overview as well as a backgrounder on the IIC.

Photo shamelessly stolen from Philian’s site.

Kudos to Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat for working out this deal which will result in more tax money (in the tune of P57 million) flowing into Ifugao. Equal kudos goes to Isabela Governor Grace Padaca for agreeing to the deal. Finally, the court which brokered the agreement also deserves kudos. As Trublue says, “Cheers to you all!”

Ifugao, Isabela OK deal to split P114M in taxes
By Vincent Cabreza, Villamor Visaya/PDI

BAGUIO CITY – Ifugao and Isabela have agreed to split a P114-million transfer tax paid by the new operators of the 360-megawatt Magat hydroelectric power plant, easing the tension between the two provinces over the power facilities’ profits.

Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said he and Isabela Gov. Maria Gracia Cielo Padaca agreed to a 50-50 percent split during a six-hour meeting at an Isabela resort on Monday.

It was the first meeting set to resolve their legal and boundary problems, which resurfaced when Magat was sold to the SN Aboitiz Power Inc. (Snap) in 2007, Baguilat said.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue said taxes were paid to Isabela in the last few years of the Magat plant operations because the facility was located in what had previously been acknowledged as Isabela territory.

Magat’s main plant is located in Ramon town. But Baguilat said some of the areas attributed to Isabela are Ifugao lands.
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