Peace

Photo of the Day

Here’s an abandoned New People’s Army camp in Abra. You can read the story of how it got abandoned here.

So the longest running communist insurgency in Asia (the world?) continues and it continues to cost lives and money which should be spent on more important things.

When will the insurgency end? Who knows. Maybe it won’t end. And it’s not because people are all to eager to take up arms.

PHOTO CREDIT: PIA

Abra

Tingguian Province in the Making?

From the Philippine Information Agency:

Is a future Tingguian province in the making?

One of the significant matters discussed during the recent courtesy call to Governor Eustaquio P. Bersamin by the officers of the Abra Confederation of Tingguian Organizations (ACTO) led by its president, Atty. Isidro Espiritu is the creation of a Tingguian province.

The Governor, who is married to. Ruby Bersamin, a Tingguian from Peñarrubia, had expressed his support to the idea of having another province for the Tingguians if only to spur the long-overdue development for their communities.
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Outside Cordi

Ifugao Hut in London: Going, Going, Dead?

Cross-posted at From the Boondocks

UPDATE: For pictures of this soon to be dismantled Ifugao hut, visit The Nashman’s blog.

***
Well, we don’t know much about this story. But here are the facts which we gleaned from the announcement here:

    The Ifugao hut is presently located at the Philippine embassy in London.
    It was brought all the way from Kiangan.
    The embassy is moving to a new address.
    They haven’t found a suitable new home for the Ifugao hut.
    So they are performing a “death” ritual for the hut on December 15, 2007 (10:00 am).

Now the question is, who brought the hut to London, the government? And did embassy officials have sufficient time to find a new place or a new custodian for the hut?

Because if the answers to both questions happen to be “Yes” then I think they should have done more (or should do more) than this “death” ritual they are planning.

And what exactly are they going to do to the hut? Burn it? Cannibalize it? That is its end after it served its purpose of “showcasing” our culture?
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Achievers

SEA Games Medalists

How are our kailiyans faring in the ongoing Southeast Asian Games (SEA) in Thailand? So far so good. We have at least four medalists. At least? Well we don’t know all our kailiyans participating in the Games, so there could be more than four. Here are the Igorot/iCordillera medalists so far:

Gold:
Mariane Mariano, muay thai
University of the Cordilleras

Silver:
Benjie Rivera, muay thai

Bronze:
Eliezer Sunang,shot put
Jay Olod, muay thai

For more information on the medalists, click the following links: Mariane Mariano (Inquirer report); Benjie Rivera (From the Boondocks); Eliezer Sunang (Sagunto Star); Jay Olod (ABS-CBN).

Cheers to all of them.

Ifugao

Photo of the Day

- Banaue, Ifugao. Photo credit: Luis at webshots.com

Achievers

Quote of the Day

Our quote of the day comes from Fr. Rex Reyes, the new head of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines:

“I will definitely strengthen the program on indigenous peoples, not because I am an indigenous person myself, but because the churches can also learn a lot from indigenous peoples’ sense of justice, community and stewardship of creation.”

“As Christians, we have to affirm all that is good in the culture of our indigenous communities. We can affirm, for example, the strong sense of community and culture of sharing of indigenous peoples as our safeguard against the individualist and consumerist values being pushed by capitalist globalization.”

Read the Inquirer story here. And our first post on Padi Rex is here.

Achievers

More on Jaylord Langbayan

Here’s more information on Jaylord Langbayan, the 16 year old kid who is going to participate in a United Nations special session on children. Read more about him in our first post. Now, here’s some info on where he comes from.

Jaylord Langbayan, boy, 16 years old
Jaylord is a senior student at Dipaculao National High School. He was born in Cainta, Rizal, where he spent the first seven years of his life. His parents worked at the nearby ceramics factory, but when the factory closed down, the family relocated to Mucdol, Dipaculao, in the province of Aurora, where his father’s uncle lent them a piece of land to till. His mother now works as a housekeeper and his father as a farmer.

Jaylord and his family had to adapt to a different environment after their relocation. But two years into the move, they became acquainted with the work of World Vision and their lives changed. His mother turned from a plain housewife to an active leader and Jaylord became a child leader in his community. He was elected as the Chairperson of the Luzon Coalition of Children’s Association of the Philippines (LuCCAP) and represents Luzon children in National Coalition of Children’s Association of the Philippines. His group advocates for four priority issues: Child Participation, Child Protection, Environment, Peace and Order. They are also trying to build a child friendly community.

Jaylord wants to be a Social Worker and a responsible writer and journalist.

Source: unicef.org