blog of the SaGaDa-iGoRoT

Lang-ay Festival 2009 is On-going

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:53:00 +0000

Mountain Province's biggest crowd drawer is currently on-going. The Lang-ay Festival which started on 2004 will be featuring an agro-industrial fair, tribal sports, indigenous games and exhibits, a fashion show, and cultural dance presentations including the much anticipated street dancing parade on the last day of the festival. The town of Barlig has consistently performed well in the street dancing category and will be a favorite again this year. Hoping to end Barlig's reign will be entries from Bauko, Besao, Bontoc, Natonin, Paracelis, Sabangan, Sadangga, Sagada, and Tadian. I'll definitely be rooting for Sagada to do well. E-esten yo!

Links: 2009 Lang-ay Festival Program of Activities; Lang-ay Festival Photo Gallery 1; Lang-ay Festival Photo Gallery 2; Lang-ay Festival Youtube Videos

SaGaDa-iGoRoT.com Traffic Increase

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:10:00 +0000

What a difference a year makes! After shifting to the SaGaDa-iGoRoT.com domain, the website traffic has more than doubled from 1,938 visitors on Apr 2008 to an all time high of 4,591 visitors for the month of Mar 2009. With regards to website pages viewed, the number increased from 6,444 to 10,953. This is still far from my target traffic, so there's still much work to be done. I'm working to merge the SaGaDa-iGoRoT.com website with this blog and traffic should increase by another 25% if there will be no surprises. Look for some major updates by the end of this month. To all visitors and readers, thank you for dropping by.

Igorot Links for this Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:17:00 +0000

Some interesting weekend reading on blog posts regarding Igorots.

3 lady bloggers made a mention on "big Igorot legs". One going as far to say that her Igorot mom's legs "suggested their ancestors were built to do manual labor outside—they could easily squat and wash by the river". Ah, vanity. See Cheri Lucas, Ubbog Cordillera, and Kalawakan.
Howie Severino's blog post on Igorot Cowboys.
Adventurers from Monash University feature the Easter Weaving Room's role in preserving traditional Igorot weaving.
A spa now offers dagdagay, described as ancient foot massage from Mountain Province. See Hot City. Naganas met-a nan menpa-dagay.
See Sadiri's brief commentary on why Igorots are still considered primitive amongst Filipinos.

Igorot Veterans die after applying for US Lump Sum

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:37:00 +0000

Inquirer reports that several Igorot war veterans have died after applying for the $9,000 lump sum benefit that the US government has granted Filipinos who fought alongside American soldiers during the war. Records from PVAO Cordillera showed that the following war veterans have since died after filing their claims: Leon Wacay, Balosdan Alcido, Gabriel Fabian, Francisco Agmalew, Maximo Lagiman, Ponciano Lawaguey, Martin Liampo and Perez Dinangwatan, all of Benguet; Mauro Bambico and Tranquilino Andres, of Baguio City; and Emilio Nacatab of Tadian, Mountain Province. Apparently, only the surviving spouses of these veterans could claim the money. The benefit would not be given to the veterans' children because the law specifies that only the surviving spouses could claim it on behalf of the veterans. What happens if there is no surviving spouse? $9,000 is roughly P450,000 - still a huge amount. Surely, after the very long wait, the children of these veterans deserve the benefit their parents risked their lives for. Read the full story.

Featured Sagada Restaurants

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I don't think there were any outstanding restaurants in Sagada when I was growing up. Nowadays, Sagada restaurants are featured in regional and national newspapers. The latest mention is from Inquirer Lifestyle's Kitchen Rescue. In an article titled "Dining in Baguio and Sagada this summer", the manager of Mario's Baguio singled out 3 Sagada restaurants as recommended stops. I've eaten in 2 of the 3 places mentioned, and judging from friends' feedback, this group are must-visits for Sagada tourists. Contact numbers are provided - not surprisingly, one of the restaurants require a reservation as it is heavily booked. Here's a section from Inquirer's Article:

Chef Aklay—Run by a lambé chef who has lived in Sagada for the last eight to nine years. Does Saturday-only dinner buffets at Log Cabin. Reservations necessary as he is always booked. Soups and salads made from homegrown greens, wild ferns, wild berries, wild mushrooms gathered from his hikes, Sagada pears or whatever is in season. Roasts (usually pork and chicken), homemade smoked hams, potatoes, homemade breads and wonderful desserts. Very good chocolatier; also whips up great croissants, pain de chocolat, baguette, onion breads, etc. Look for Dave to make reservations at 0920-5200463.

Yoghurt House—Walk down the main road leading to the caves. It’s around 300 m from town center, on the right side. Generous servings of homemade yogurt topped with fruit jams or granola. Good pastas. My favorite: eggplant pasta.

Ganduyan Inn—in the town plaza itself. One of the first coffee houses in Sagada. Good crepes and breakfasts by Marina. Bonus: nice Cordillera museum on the second floor by Christina Aben (Marina’s mom). My fave: wild blueberry and banana crepes. Call Marina at 0921-2738097.

For the full story, read Dining in Baguio and Sagada this summer.

Sagada Men jailed for Peddling Hashish

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:53:00 +0000

A March 29, 2009 GMANews.TV report indicates that drug groups have been targeting foreign tourists going to Sagada in the Mountain Province, Subic and Angeles in Pampanga, and even Boracay Island in Aklan. Three Sagada locals were caught peddling hashish to foreign tourists in Sagada. Seized were 13 bricks of hashish amounting to P325,000. Hashish, a hallucinogen extracted from hemp, may be among the illegal substances being peddled in tourist spots, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Read the full story.

Blogabbles 004 - Sagada Tours, 1924 NY Times article mentioning Sagada, and a Sagada Robbery

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:34:00 +0000

This bloggable is a month late and features recent SAGADA articles and blog items.

#1. You won’t believe this but a 1924 New York Times article mentions Sagada. It is about the dispute of then American Episcopal Bishop of the Philippine Islands and the Rev. Father Staunton who was described as in charge of the Episcopal Mission among the Igorots in Sagada. It would be interesting to know what the dispute was all about. The article is for a $3.95 fee at this New York Times webpage.

#2. A tourist from New York gets robbed in Sagada. This is very unfortunate albeit it does happen rarely in Sagada. Lesson Learned – tourists should always be with a guide when going around Sagada sites. I did like the writer’s detailed report and even if this has occurred, the Sagada folks worked together to right the wrong done. I just smiled at the scathing critique on Sagada’ police. Ine, e-esten yo ta adi kayo mai-babain.

#3. 12 days to go for Advocate Tours Banaue-Sagada Holy Week Get-away scheduled from April 8-11, 2009. I’d recommend this trip as it includes a visit to Sagada Weaving as part of its itinerary. For more information about the tour, visit the Advocate Tour Multiply webpage.

#4. Travel Factor’s Sagada tour on April 4-6, 2009 also includes a stop in Sagada Weaving so it deserves a mention here. The tour is called Conquer Sagada and details are available at Travel Factor’s Multiply Site.

#5. Josh Halpern, an environmental film maker working on organic farms around the globe made a film called WWOOF ‘n Wander. The film will be screened this weekend in Princeton, New Jersey. It will feature Batad’s Rice Terraces, Sagada’s hanging coffins along with other sites found in Hawaii, the Philippines, Thailand, and India. See Town Topics for the full story.

#6. Sagada is endorsed several times by people suggesting summer getaways in this Philstar.com article. And, Sagada is also featured as a vacation and tourist spot in the Philippines at the Philippine Vacation Spots blog.

#7. Gina Dizon’s blog has an entry on LOCAL PRODUCTS MAKING GAINS in the Cordillera region. The post has information on Sagada’s budding wine industry.

Have a blessed weekend!

Sagada and Baseball

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:53:00 +0000

It's spring time which only means one thing - baseball season is about to start! America's favorite sport may not be as big in the Philippines as basketball but in Sagada, baseball is a favorite past-time too - at least for children in elementary and high school.

While neighborhoods around the US organize baseball leagues for children, and children compete in well trimmed fields, use new equipment, and play in their snappy uniforms, children in Sagada play with equal passion though with definitely less resources. There are only a few baseball bats and actual baseballs, but that doesn't stop the regular Sagada kid from being resourceful. Bats can be any tree branch that can be swung comfortably and as for balls, we've used anything from tennis balls, to old socks compacted as hard as possible. We didn't need any well-trimmed field back then. We could play in any field as long as it allowed us to bat and run. We used markers to determine where the bases are; and it doesn't have to be 4 bases and 9 players per team. Such pure love for the game has paid results for Sagada teams outside of the town. Sagada little league teams have competed and done well in regional and national competitions.

Last summer, I asked my eldest to write about our visit to the US Cellular Field (see photo above) - the stadium of the Chicago White Sox baseball team. We were there as part of our company's summer outing. Our tickets allowed us to move between the different levels of the stadium. Here's what my then 9-year old wrote for a family journal:

It was September 28th and my dad and I were going to the Sox Game. This was the first baseball game my dad and I watched together. First, we went to my dad’s friend’s house as they were going to the game with us. We then drove to the train station since we were going to ride a train to the US Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox. Inside the train, my dad and his friends took pictures of us. I also got to take pictures. It took us a while to get to the stadium.

When we were there, the stadium looked huge. Then we went inside. We went to the lowest part of the stadium. We went there because my dad’s company paid for the tickets. The place we went wasn’t boring since there was a buffet and we were close to the players.

When the game began there were fireworks. Wow! Fireworks on the middle of the day? I thought that was cool! I was cheering my lungs out. Then I got bit bored so my dad and I went to the upper level. We also heard that there was something for kids at that place. When we got up it almost looked like a mall. Then while we were walking we saw some games for kids. The first game that I tried was that I have to race this cardboard that has a picture of a baseball player in it and moves. I ran faster than the baseball player. I also got to hit a ball, catch one, and pitch one.

When the 9th inning started my dad and I went back down. Soon we were cheering for the Sox team again. People were shouting like crazy. Finally, as the 9th inning ended the Chicago White Sox won. Their score was 5 to 1. They won against the Cleveland Indians, the team they played against. It was a great game since the team we were cheering for won.

We left after the game. When we went outside, one of my dad’s officemates was giving bags of candy to the people who works in his office. I was glad they gave candy since I am going to share some to my brothers. We went back to the train station as we were going home. It was kind of crowded at first, but people were starting to get off. It was a great experience for my dad and I to go to a baseball game.

Photos Below: Left - My son at a batting cage; Right - Enjoying the baseball atmosphere

Encounter with an American Indian

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:10:00 +0000

Once in awhile, you get to meet persons that even if you listen to them talk for just a few minutes, they leave you with lasting impressions. Such was the case one Saturday morning when my family and I braved the January wintry weather to participate in cultural presentations at the nearby library. The events program listed a particular presentation as American Indian Dances. I thought that my boys would be interested so we joined other families at the library conference room.

The speaker was an American Indian from an Illinois tribe. He was garbed in what he described as his tribe's attire. He said it wasn't a costume, since costume is what you wear during Halloween. I thought that he looked like a normal white American, not having the features that we watch of Indians in Hollywood movies. He hosts a radio program and he introduced his wife, who he says works as a banker. He spoke on which particular tribe he was a part of, and shared some information that I took some mental notes on. Among other things he shared were:

The word "chicago" was derived from a local word that sounded like 'shikaag' which meant skunk. Apparently, if you added an "o" at the end, it denotes a place. Chicago would have meant a stinking place.

Tribes in the US that are known as "American Indians" do not really see themselves as such. They go by the actual name of their tribes / nations. Most of them wouldn't know much about other tribal cultures.

Different tribes organize pow-wows where they gather together, eat, and participate in dances.

In the US, few institutions / individuals are legally allowed to hold eagles feathers like the one he was wearing as a headgear. This include museums, research institutes, and native Americans.

There is no truth that original native Americans crossed land bridges from Asia. All their creation and migration stories do not include such stories.

In native American mythology, there are 8 phases in this world. The current time is nearing the end of the 7th phase, and the 8th phase would be the arrival of a new earth.

Most depiction of Indian culture in Hollywood movies are far from reality.

Listening to him talk, I sensed the deep love he has for his roots. I fully understand it. In a way, both native American tribes and the Igorots share something in common. We've managed to keep our values despite the influence of the outer world. We also share being misunderstood and misrepresented.

This guy did warn of one thing - it's about losing one's dialect. He said that once the dialect is dead, everything about the culture also dies. Amongst my children, only my 10-year old understand Kankana-ey, our dialect in Sagada. But he cannot speak it. He's also the only one amongst my children who speaks and understands Tagalog. I know I've been procrastinating about it - but something must be done. My children also need to learn how to speak Kankana-ey and Tagalog. It will make them appreciate their roots more, and somehow, allow them to understand where they're going.

Panagbenga 2009 - Belly Dancers, Expensive Floats on Display

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:34:00 +0000

Photo: Baguio Country Club's float featured a pharaoh's head accompanied by belly dancers. Dunkin Donuts float had giant donuts and munchkins made of flowers.

Big businesses didn't tone down on the float parade for Baguio's Panagbenga 2009. The cost for the participation of the Baguio Country Club (BCC) alone almost reached half a million pesos. It didn't disappoint as the more than 350,000 tourists feasted on an Egyptian-inspired float complete with accompanying belly dancers and performers in Egyptian costumes. BCC general manager Anthony de Leon was quoted as saying “We are not really toning down the festivities and we are not being conservative amid the crisis. This is the time that people should spend more. The direction should be towards consumerism. People should go out to spend; it helps local economy. Tourism provides jobs.” Uhhm sir, I don't agree. That amount of money could have helped finance a dozen micro-businesses and in the process made for some great PR. Other businesses participating in the parade included SM Baguio, Surf, Greenwich, Abanao Mall, M. Lhuillier and Chowking.

Related News: Floral carpet spreads in Baguio (Inq7.net) | Flowers help Pinoys have fun amid downturn (Business Mirror)

Mayon with a Cloud "Shawl"

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:12:00 +0000

Is this image photoshopped? Apparently not. Inquirer.net featured this photo by Dr. Jullie Sy, a surgeon from Legazpi City. It was taken on June 22, 2007 at 7am. Note the flight of 7 birds in the upper left portion of the photo. Apparently, the photographer's lucky number is 7. It takes incredible luck to take a photo such as this.

Panagbenga 2009 Photos and Videos

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:56:00 +0000

Check this out. I'm seeing photos and videos of the street dancing competitions for Baguio City's Panagbenga 2009 Festival in the Inquirer.net VDO webpage. More than 20 schools participated in the parade, and Baguio played host to 300,000 visitors during the week. The float competition starts March 1. The first float to roll down Session Road will be that of the Baguio Country Club (BCC). The cost for this massive float alone is a staggering P320,000 - add this to the P170,000 bill for the accompanying dancers and their costumes and you have the BCC spending almost half a million pesos for this year's celebration!

Sagada Fiesta - Sports, Cheering, and School Rivalries

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:48:00 +0000

(Above photo is a collage of icons from the Paul Villegas' Sagada Fiesta Galleries.)

During my elementary years (and that was in the mid to late 80s) and I believe until now, Sagada fiestas were filled up with sport competitions. The fiesta program shows the schedule of volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball games and watching or participating in these can be enough to fill up a day. There were also the sprinting races generally held at the last day of the fiesta. I only knew of 100-meter dash at the baseball ground; Sagada doesn't have a track for the longer events. If one is near the town center, the PA system is heard broadcasting matches that will soon be starting or about to start. The calls would go like this - "First call for boys baseball. Sagada Central School vs Antadao Elementary School." or this - "Last call for women's volleyball. Sagada ECW vs Besao ECW". I don't recall if they ever broadcast the results over the PA system.

I probably am included in the less than 1% of Philippine males that do not play basketball. (This is a noteworthy blog post in the future if someone is interested.) But I was fast enough to finish fourth in the 100m dash against taller opponents. I probably would have won had I not started school 2 years earlier and had to compete with boys a year or two older than me. (Now that's a good excuse, hehe.) I also had good hand-eye coordination enough to make the volleyball team as a regular player when I was in 5th grade. That means I beat out some 6th graders for the team. That would have been enough to make me proud if I didn't have a teammate who was in the 3rd grade. This boy, who goes by the initials FK, is probably the youngest ever volleyball player from our school. He was short for the team but had very good anticipation and placed the ball well. His mother was the high school principal and I saw him practicing with high school students before he even entered elementary school. Not fair.

CHEERING. Sagada didn't have the drum-beating-boosters-and-pompom-type-squads that constituted the cheering I learned as a student in Manila. What was there were normally a group of mostly women and girls, normally led by a teacher or so, and they would sit outside the playing area and sing some jingles. The opposing team, if they're fortunate to have a cheering group too, would sit in the opposite side. So if you're watching a softball game, you'd hear the following being sung while a player would walk up to bat:

"Bat that ball, bat that ball,
Name of School would bat that ball,
Name of School would bat that ball,
And we will win, the game today."

Gee, that sounded lame having to hum it while writing it down, hahaha. Still, I remember it sounding just right at that time. It probably is not that bad if delivered as a chant, as opposed to a jingle, and accompanied by drums. Anyway, that particular cheer would be cut off had the player actually hit the ball and was running towards the 1st base. Or, the 3rd line would just be muted had the player struck out. That cheer applied also to volleyball to basketball. Just change the lines to "Serve that ball" or "Shoot that ball" as needed.

One of the funnier cheers though, especially if a player hit a clean ball and the opposing team is scrambling to get that ball is this:

"The ball went over the mountain, the ball went over the mountain,
The ball went over the mountain, (high note being held here...)
To see the carabao. To see the carabao, to see the carabao.
The ball went over the mountain, the ball went over the mountain,
The ball went over the mountain, To see the carabao."

Ah! That was fun. I've also actually heard it sang as a taunt when a volleyball player overhit a serve or a return and it went way beyond wide.As a student of Sagada Central School, a.k.a. Bomabanga, and since we lived in the central barangays of Sagada, it was natural for me to cheer for my sisters' teams from St. Mary's School. With the creation of the Sagada National High School, there are now 2 high schools in the central barangays. It would be interesting to know which high school someone from Bomabanga would cheer on.Of my 3 sisters, only one was a varsity in high school. St. Mary's had dominating teams while I was growing up, but there were years where I'd wish we lived somewhere else. The softball team of our oldest sister during their senior high school year was really terrible. They'd lose by more than 10 runs to teams that they used to dominate in previous years.

School Rivalries. I remember a couple of interesting rivalries. In volleyball - it was Tetep-an versus the central schools, for both boys and girls volleyball in elementary and high school. St. Mary's High was virtually untouchable in high school male volleyball thanks largely to the Balanon-trained Guinaang imports. Female volleybelles from St. Mary's, also trained by the same coach, also won 99.99% of the time, but Tetep-an always gave a worthy challenge. In provincial meets, Sagada would most of the time be represented by St. Mary's teams, with one or two players from Tetep-an.

The girls from Bomabanga were also as formidable as their high school counterparts, but the talent was somehow missing for the team during my 6th grade. I will not identify the team. That year, the Tetep-an girls team was vastly superior in all aspects that it was an achievement for Bomabanga to get a third of their total points. As for the boys team, our Bomabanga team beat everyone, including Tetep-an, handily. Eherm!

Another interesting rivalry was between the All Saints Mission school, Bontoc's Anglican elementary school, and Bomabanga. These schools are rivals in Mountain Province in a lot of competitions, both sports and academic. The All Saints team were very strong in softball girls. They've beaten the Bomabanga team several years in a row. On my first Sagada fiesta when I was in 2nd grade, they visited Sagada to play against the Bomabanga team that included my second eldest sister. Somehow that year, the Bomabanga team beat them. If I remember right, it was an ill-tempered game where the losers failed to acknowledge the winning team and just left for Bontoc.

Girls volleyball was also hotly contested between the two teams. I believe that the most talented volleyball's team that Bomabanga has produced was the 1986 team. My sister belonged to that team and in high school, they represented the Cordillera Region in the Palarong Pambansa. However, during the division competition earlier that schoolyear, the All Saints team initially lost to a Sagada team missing their tallest player because apparently, she was deemed overheight. (Yes, there was such a thing!) The match was held in Bontoc, and the losing team complained to their supervisors and wanted a rematch. Somehow, the Sagada coach agreed to a rematch late in the afternoon, and the visiting and fatigued Sagada team lost in 3 tight sets. (Ok, I wasn't there but I knew the players involved.) The second result stood so the All Saints team became the division champions. When they visited Sagada for the fiesta, the Sagada team beat them easily in two straight sets. The whole affair was so bizarre I remember all the details after 20+ years!

Sagada Fiesta - Batanguenos, Pabunot and Parade

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:40:00 +0000

(Sagada street dancing during the 2008 Fiesta. Above photo is a screenshot from one of Paul Villegas' Sagada Fiesta galleries.)

The Sagada Fiesta, an annual celebration held every last week of January / first week of February is an event I always looked forward to as a child. I can't confirm it but I'm guessing that the fiesta is actually an Anglican celebration falling either on February 2, or on the Sunday between January 28 and February 3. This religious celebration is marked as the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or more traditionally, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin. After all, Sagada's patron saint is Saint Mary the Virgin. (Just a disclaimer - I've learned about these occassions from research as an adult, I never knew about this as a child.) February 2 is a special date in our family. It is the birthday of my Grandma Andrea, my paternal grandmother. It also is the birthday of my oldest son.

On the days before the fiesta, the sidewalk from the townhall to the hospital would be marked with red paint spaced a few meters apart. These spaces would be rented by Batanguenos, a misnomer for merchants from the lowlands who are in town to showcase their wares for the Sagada folk to buy. (Nope, not all of them come from the province of Batangas - that's just how we, i-Sagada call them.) Anticipation would be building high the afternoon before the first day of the fiesta. Majority of these Batanguenos would have set-up their booths, and people would already be looking for good bargains.

The first fiesta I remembered was during my second grade. The first day of the fiesta was a parade from Dao-angan to the church. I marched with my classmates proudly to town. After the church service, I was given my very first allowance by my grandparents. My allowance that day didn't amount to P1. And, I wasn't even allowed to hold it. My older sister, then a 4th grader handled it for me. We were told to keep out from children who would snatch whatever we bought. I remember getting my first taste of cotton candy from that allowance.

My entrepeneuring sister used her allowance and I believe some of mine too, to buy a pabunot. Imagine a calendar sized paper that had around 100 tiny squares - each of these squares were covered. The idea is to let other children pay a small amount like 5 centavos or so, to get the chance to uncover a square, and see if that square has a prize attached to it. The prizes are also small amounts of money, like 25 centavos, or 50 centavos - some pabunot also had squares amounting to a peso or even 2 pesos. To us children, if you spend 5 centavos and get lucky enough to win 50 centavos, that would be like winning the jackpot. (Somehow, those were my naive days.)

I vividly remember that when my sister bought this pabunot, and after she was paid a few centavos to open just a few squares, a boy also with a pabunot approached her. He paid to open one square. I saw him count rows and columns before picking a particular square. The prize attached to that square was the whole pabunot itself. Waaah! There we were, our allowance was gone, and the boy left us and went about peddling his pabunot and ours too.

Not all my fiesta experiences were as bad as that one though. I remember cheering for Sagada Central School (or Bomabanga) and St. Mary's School teams and seeing them win. Years later, I would be tasked to lead the drum and bugle corp from our school when I was in 5th and 6th grade. My cousin has hinted to me that I should be the band leader since a lot of band leaders came from our neighborhood. Imagine that pressure on my young shoulders - what if I wasn't picked to lead the band? During a fifth grade drum practice, I think our teacher saw how clumsy I was at the drums and made a very smart move. He gave me the baton and whistle and told me to lead the band. I don't believe I deserved that one but heck, who was I to argue? I took to the baton and the whistle as if they were the brothers I never had. That made me really proud.

The parade normally kicked off the fiesta. My sisters and I would put on our freshly ironed school uniforms and make the 15minute hike to where the parade would start. During our time, the parade started from Dao-angan, went up to the municipal hall, followed the road to the main gate near the hospital, and ended at church. Compared to the bigger parades I've witnessed as an older person, the ones we had were simpler. But that didn't mean it was less fun. There were normally 2 marching bands. (1 from the our school, and the other from Saint Mary's School.) Majority of elementary and high school students from the different barangays would be present in the parade. Teachers and government officials would join as well.

The parade has evolved through the years. I left Sagada to attend high school in Manila. Pictures of the parade where my younger sisters participated in are very different from the parades during my time. My younger sisters were actually band majorettes, something not present when I was part of the parade. Nowadays, they're trying to spice up the Sagada Fiesta parade by showcasing the culture of the Igorots. Streetdancing and gong-playing as shown in the above photograph looks to be a common feature. And that's a good thing. The only bad thing about it is - I haven't attended a Sagada Fiesta in almost 20-gasp-years!

Next Post: Sagada Fiesta - Sports, Cheering and School Rivalries

Best Sagada Videos in YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:25:00 +0000

If I were to sell Sagada as a tourist destination through videos, I would use 5 of the best YouTube posts that I feel best demonstrate what Sagada is all about. 3 of my top five best Sagada videos are from the Biyaheng Pinoy blog. One is from a cousin based in Australia, and the other is from a young Sagada lad. Here are my best Sagada videos in YouTube. If you have other clips that you think should have included, please let me know.

Click on this link to view the 5 best Sagada Videos:

1. Surviving Sagada - by Biyaheng Pinoy
Short clip of scenes around Sagada. The background music is just beautiful.

2. Sagada Scenes - by filmmaker Luke Torrevillas
Scenes of Sagada landscapes and that of a wedding. I have lots of relatives in this clip including my paternal grandfather's sister.

3. Sagada Fiesta 2008 - by Biyaheng Pinoy
Longer clip that showcased activities during the annual Sagada fiesta. I used to lead Bomabanga's drum and bugle corp.

4. Sagada Song - by Shayenne88
I always get sentimental with this song. Video clip starts with a bus going to Sagada. In a way, it captures what I feel each time I am at Dapdapanan to start the winding ascent to my beloved hometown.

5. Sagada Begnas - by Biyaheng Pinoy
This movie clip showcases a spectacular Sagada traditional event.

Illinois Senate Removes Rod Blagojevich

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:09:00 +0000

(Above image is a screen print from the Chicago Tribune website.)

In an expected yet heavily anticipated vote, the Illinois Senate unanimously removed former Governor Rod Blagojevich by a vote of 59-0. Another 59-0 vote was passed to ban Blagojevich from ever holding elected office again. The new Illinois governor, Patrick Quinn, has taken the oath of office administered by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke. He was the former Lieutenant Governor and is now the 41st Governor of Illinois.

To people following this story, it is a sad ending for an elected official who could have been a shining example of the American Dream. In a way, his rise to power is similar to that of Barack Obama; both men coming from non privileged families and working hard to achieve what they both had. Blagojevich parents are immigrants from Serbia who moved to Chicago after World War II. The young Rod Blagojevich spent a lot of time during his childhood working odd jobs to help his family pay bills. He shined shoes, delivered pizzas, worked at a meat packing plant and washed dishes to support his university costs.

He got his law degree from Pepperdine University, married the daughter of an influential Illinois alderman, and took the job of assistant prosecutor of Cook County. He won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1992 and served for 10 years as a legislator. He was elected governor in 2002 and won a re-election in 2006; on both elections, he ran on the platform of reforming a historically corrupt Illinois capital. In December 2008, he was arrested on federal corruption charges. While he has been a well publicized target of federal investigations for years, he was caught on tape discussing a way to profit from the vacated Senate post of President-elect Barack Obama. He was impeached by the Illinois House of Representatives earlier this month, and today, he was removed from his post due to corruption and misconduct in office charges.

Looking back at where he came from and how far he has reached, this blogger wonders what made Blagojevich do what he did. Is it lust for power? Is it greed for money? Maybe a combination of both? Was he so blinded that he never actually thought he would be caught? My limited mind has a theory – this man was not corrupted immediately. He learned it somewhere. It started small, and then got bigger and bigger. He got away with small things, and was soon able to get away with bigger things. It all had to end though, and it ended in the worst possible way. I’m amazed at how the governor can appear publicly and deny any kind of wrongdoing. Incredibly despicable!

In western countries, and in some Asian countries like South Korea, corrupt men can actually be caught and brought to justice. I look forward to the day that the Philippines can do the same as well. Right now, the system of checks and balances in the Philippines is not as solid as it should to get the intended results. I’ve heard that gubernatorial candidates spend millions of money campaigning for a post that offers a salary of less than P60,000 a month. Do the math – are Philippine gubernatorial candidates running for office at such a great personal loss? Definitely not! The sad thing is that people vote for them anyway. When I think about these things, I arrive at the conclusion that majority of Filipinos are either stupid, or they are not educated / informed. I believe it’s the latter. And the sooner it is acknowledged, the sooner a solution can be identified. Unless, those in power decide to keep it that way. Then, it becomes more tragic than the Rod Blagojevich story.

President Obama and the Man with the Golden "Bahag"

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Left: A statue of King Kamehameha I at the US Capitol. Right: A smiling cut-out of President Obama at the Washington, D.C. Union Station. Photos taken on December 2008.

The Man in the Golden Bahag. Upon entering the main lobby of the newly created Visitors Center at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., there was one particular statue that caught my eye. It was that of a dark colored man, standing in a very regal manner, and dressed in what seemed like golden clothing. He was dressed in a “bahag” or loincloth, although it was not your ordinary loincloth. I read the inscription in the statue and learned that it was that of King Kamehameha I (pronounced kuh-mey-huh-mey-huh), the first king of Hawaii.

I was amused. I read about this king from a green colored hard bound book borrowed from the IATM library in Sagada during my elementary days. I recall a legend about his golden spear – if other people touch this spear, they would disappear. That’s actually a cool gadget to have don’t you think?

Above: Our youngest chase squirrels at the US Capitol grounds. The fenced area in the background is where President Obama was inaugurated.

Hollywood’s President. When we were at the US Capitol, we took the chance to see the site where Obama will be inaugurated. At that time, there was a white fence that covered perimeter at the back of the Capitol where he would take his oath. We could not see much of the place. And rightly so – security was expected to be tight for weeks around the area. To say that there was huge excitement over his inauguration is an understatement. It was all over the place – Chicago Tribune had a whole section published the Sunday before the event. Major TV and Internet networks covered the preparations non-stop. Yes, it is a historic event. Yes, he’s the first African American to be president of the United States. Yes, he has the highest approval rating of any recent president-elects entering this office. Yes, his ascent to the highest position in the US, and perhaps even the world, is a testament to what he has achieved considering his humble origins.

But what stood out to me was the heavy involvement of Hollywood stars in the run-up events to his inauguration. It seemed that every major star was present in the capital. Oprah even got to host her show in Washington DC and had Vice President Biden and his wife attend as surprise guests. Oprah’s show also featured the world debut of "America's Song" sang by such superstars as Seal, Faith Hill, Bono, etc… I was disappointed about the song though. I was expecting a bit too much I guess. I was hoping for some excitement ala WE-ARE-THE-WORLD or maybe even the lesser known VOICES-THAT-CARE. To me, it was worse than the performance of the America’s Got Talent’s top 10 contestants during finals night. I didn’t even feel a single tingle run down my spine.

Back to the topic though – for someone like me who frowns on the ideals that Hollywood is promoting, I thought that the heavy involvement of the stars cheapened the run-up events a bit. I would rather hear ordinary people say how excited they are with President Obama than have big name celebrities gush and try to exhaust every available superlative to describe their feelings. It just feels, I don’t know – insincere?

The President's Inauguration. My wife was wondering why businesses and classes had to go as usual on the day of the inauguration. I agree. In the Philippines, it would have been a holiday, hehehe. For my son at least, they got to watch the inauguration on TV at school. I was only able to read the text of his inaugural address from the CNN website a couple of hours after the inauguration. My wife and our homeschoolers got to watch the whole thing.

I thought his speech can be summed up like this – we have problems, we will be facing the problems, I cannot do it on my own, all of us are very much a part of this mess and so I would like everyone’s help to solve it. It is a step back from the I-will-do-this-and-I-will-do-that rhetoric that categorized the campaign period. I suppose that’s the way it is. You campaign to win. Now that he won, its time to set the expectations down a bit.

President Obama was not my candidate, but I am cheering for the guy to do a good job during his term. At church last Sunday, the whole congregation bowed down in prayer for him and his family. We are not citizens of this country, but President Obama’s decisions are bound to impact lives in or outside the United States. In the end, his presidency will be most remembered by the decisions he makes, and not the speeches he delivers.

President Obama and King Kamehameha. There’s actually a link between President Obama and King Kamehameha that’s why I decided to lump both figures in this one post. They were both born and grew up in Hawaii of course, but there’s more. In a biography of President Obama that I didn’t complete reading at Barnes and Nobles, I read an anecdote where the president’s white grandfather teased tourists in Hawaii, that the boy Barack was actually a direct descendant of King Kamehameha. This made the tourists shoot souvenir photos of the future president.

Last Tuesday, somewhere in rural United States, an elderly couple was checking some old travel photographs from a Hawaii vacation decades ago. While watching the inauguration, the old lady turns to her near deaf husband and says, "Dear, our new president looks very much like that great-great-grandchild of the Hawaiian king with a weird name. He has a weird name too."

A Photographer from Barlig

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Langfia Ayeona is a young Igorot photographer from Barlig, currently based in the UK. I stumbled upon her work while creating my recent bloggable entry. She has dozens of "treasures" in her galleries. She also started a blog on Barlig.

US Capitol Tour, Close Encounters with Erap and GMA

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:08:00 +0000

(Left: Posing in front of the US Capitol)

One Saturday afternoon during our December holiday, my brother-in-law took us to Washington, DC for a tour of the US Capitol. We took the train to the capital's Union Station, and from there did the 10 minute or so walk to the United States Capitol Complex. The weather was very mild, and it was a good time to stroll with the kids and do a bit of sight seeing / history field trip.

The Capitol is amongst the world's most widely recognizable buildings. It is the meeting place of the US legislative bodies, a museum, and a tourist attraction apparently visited by millions every year. The construction of the building began in 1793 and has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored. It is part of a complex that includes the US House and Senate buildings, the Supreme Court building, the Library of Congress buildings. For this afternoon, we only had time to explore the museum inside the Capitol.

We got on a mid-afternoon guided tour that started with a 13-minute film, "Out of Many, One" - a look back on how modern United States was created. The tour went around several chambers including a huge one at the bottom of the dome. Each chamber was filled with artworks and statues representing all 50 states in the US.

As we were waiting in line, I had a quick conversation with my wife as I saw our 3 sons goofing around with their cousins. Our conversation turned to whether or not our children comprehend the places that we visit. Our 2 older sons probably appreciate that they get to see some of the characters and places that they learn about in their lessons. Our youngest at 4 years old, may probably think of this day as just another sightseeing afternoon. He'd most likely remember the train ride and his encounter with the squirrels at the Capitol grounds more than the tour itself.

Close Encounters with Philippine Presidents. Visiting the Capitol, so near the powers that be in this country made me think back of my own encounters with 2 Philippine presidents, and a near encounter with an American president. I was in senior high school in Manila when I joined a group of students that went to attend one of the US bases hearing at the Senate building in Manila. After the session, some of the senators approached the visitors gallery and had conversations with us, the regular folks. Then Senator Erap Estrada was nearby so wanting to start a conversation with him, I turned on an audio recorder I had in my hand, held it out in front of his face like a reporter, and proceeded to ask him some of the questions I had in mind. I noticed that while talking to me, he would put his mouth close to the recorder, maybe to ensure that what he was telling me was properly recorded. What he didn't know was that I ran out of tape earlier in the day, and I just turned the recorder's power on though there was no tape inside. My teachers had a good laugh when I told them about it while we were going back to school.

As for President Gloria Arroyo, I was a listener at a forum in the University of the Philippines during the campaign period of the 1996 Senatorial Elections. Then Senator Arroyo was on stage with other senatorial candidates, and I could vividly recall how small a lady she was. When she spoke at the podium, she had a low commanding voice and an immense presence that I don't think is captured on TV. That was the time when she was completing her first term as a senator, and she was better known as one of the hard working senators. Public perception on her is totally different now, a blogger posted on this blog that she is the biggest bully of them all.

I did have a near encounter with President George W Bush. This was during his visit to the Philippines though I don't remember which year it was. I was watching TV when I learned that a motorcade bearing him was driving from Manila to the Batasan Complex where he was scheduled to give a speech in front of the Philippine Congress. His route would take him through Commonwealth Avenue and then right to Batasan Road. That was a 10minute walk from our home and it was where I pass by when I ride a tricycle to work. I was in house clothes (sorry, no better term for pambahay) and rubber slippers but when I got to where he was supposed to pass, I believe that the motorcade passed by already. Sayang! (Too bad.) The road was narrow, and I could have told my family that day that I got within 2 or 3 meters of President Bush, hehehe.

(Below: The Capitol in the afternoon sun)

(Below: A closer look at the dome. Note the Statue of Freedom at the top of the dome.)

(Below: My eldest joins other tourist in checking out a replica of the Statue of Freedom in the newly opened Visitor's Center at the Capitol.)

(Below: A YouTube video of the US Capitol. I chose this video because it showed what the inside of the dome looked like. Too bad, I wasn't able to write "SaGaDa-iGoRoT was here" in the walls, hehehe)

Bloggables 003 - Baguio's coldest, Sagada Squash Noodles and a Blasting Priest

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:54:00 +0000

Some interesting news items, captivating blog posts, and a trio of Igorot bloggers are in my third bloggable.

First, the news - Business Mirror reports that Baguio had its coldest day in 23 years hitting 7.5C on Thursday, Jan 14. Frost affected towns across the Cordilleras such as Atok, Buguias, Kibungan, and Mankayan, Benguet; and Bauko, Sagada, and Besao, Mountain Province. If only Chicago winter is this warm, sigh! Inquirer reports the launching of the Sagada Squash Canton Noodles. And, SunStar Baguio published a rebuttal of the Baguio Flower Festival organizers that the yearly Panagbenga is a "commercialization of Igorot culture". Read this article with eyebrows raised - BFF brass denies using Igorot culture to lure tourists.

Interesting Blog Reads:

Photographer Fung Yu wrote on his second visit to Enchanting Sagada and he blew me away with his 360-degree VR images of Arroyo's visit and other Sagada tourist spots.

Chez Razzbuffnik had an enthralling post on The Blasting Priest of Barlig. The photos accompanying the post offers a glimpse of life in Mountain Province's smallest town in the mid 70s.

Atty Cheryl did a piece on Marky Cielo's Igorot role on "Marky, reshaping Igorot image".

The man behind the blog, lagal[og], a frequent visitor to Sagada laments the negative manner that Sagada was portrayed on a National Geographic Adventure feature.

John Grant's Reaching for the Gods in Sagada offers great detail on Sagada's traditional rituals for the dead. I must admit, this foreigner knew more about this topic than me, an i-Sagada.

Luvina's Sagada Misadventure photos and captions were funny. Did she really date those three foreign tourists? Hmmmmm, maybe. Its her business not ours, hehehe.

Paul Manansala's post on the Rice Terraces on Google Earth feature awesome views of the terraces from the air.

Additions to my Blog Roll included the following Igorot blogs:

1. Postcards from Miss Igorota details the worldwide travels of an Igorot doll named Miss Igorota, or Miss Iggy for short. This blog has been active for a year now, so it's surprising that I just stumbled across it just now. I believe the bloggers are ladies from Benguet.

2. Life - the good, the bad and the ugly is the Friendster blog of our friend, Atty. Manja B of Demang, Sagada. The lawyer / activist / mother / world traveller writes about her adventures and her passions in her own "brutally frank" way. (I remember over-using that description back in high school.)

3. An Igorot Journey: Brisbane-based Martin Polichay of Mountain Province chronicles his thoughts and experiences on this blog.

Chicago Winter and Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:23:00 +0000

Men-tingnin: cold. Men-te-leledek: very cold.

These Kankana-ey adjectives are not enough to describe the current Arctic weather enveloping the Midwest.

Dreaming of Australia. It's summer in Australia, and I am just salivating at the prospect of watching top notch tennis in the 1st grand slam of the year - the Australian Open in Melbourne. Here in the metro Chicago area, we're in the middle of a 3-day cold spell; and this year's winter is supposed to be the coldest winter in the past 8 years.

After days of snow, the sun came out today and its really bright outside. But its a joke, the sun is but a flashlight - no heat, no warmth, just cold, frigging Chicago cold. At least the wind has died down and the accumulated 12+ inches of snow is not being blown against the windshield while driving.

Still, where is global warming when its needed?

Ice Cream, Anyone? What we've learned the past 3 years is that - life continues despite the cold weather. We had 12+ inches of snow in the past 3 days - it didn't stop the activities. I still was able to drive to work, my eldest's school classes went on, and we all had to troop to the boys AWANA classes on Tuesday evening. Nothing got cancelled. When we got out around 8:30 pm, whatever water droplets there were inside the car accumulated in the windows as a very thin film of ice which the boys had mighty fun drawing pictures on.

Last Saturday, there were strong winds and regular snowfall and the roads were not cleared at all. We planned to attend some cultural activities in the library. When I called the library to check if the activities were going to be cancelled, I was informed that the performers and the audience were all there and things were going as planned. So, our whole family bundled up and made the short but slippery ride to the library. And we're mighty glad we did! The Israeli music and North American Indian presentations were a treat to the kids and us too, and we got to taste some pastries from all over the world. The driving was scary but once we were inside the building, the place was buzzing with activity and the people acted as if nothing was happening outside. For us, relatively newbies in this place, I'm still amazed how the people treat such extreme weather condition as "normal". When we headed back home after 4 hours at the library, it took me 15 minutes to clean around 3 inches of snow from our car and to warm the car.

By the way, guess what was they served during my second child's "Night with Dad" class 2 evenings ago? ICE CREAM!

When 28F becomes Warm. We're so looking forward to this weekend when the temperature will go "up" to 28F (-2C), just below freezing. Compared to these past days, we'll be feeling so warm we'll be going out with just long sleeves and thin jackets. This friday evening, we're going swimming. I guess the idea is not to mind the cold, and continue with the normal routine as much as we can. In the bigger picture, we are still very blessed. Can you imagine living in Canada where there are places where winter lasts for 8 months or so?

The Flowers of Sagada

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:34:00 +0000

1,2,3... common now and join me in belting this 80s teenybopper song.

"THE FLOWERS IN SAGADA, ARE JUST ABOUT TO DIE!" hehehe... I think I'm affected by the sub zero temperature that is engulfing the Midwest. To escape, I was going over Attorney Manja's Facebook photo album when I stumbled upon her "Smelling the Flowers" gallery featuring Sagada flowers she photographed over the holidays. It's nostalgic looking at the photos. They bring back a lot of memories from childhood years. Here are some of them, and you may want to help me identify those I couldn't.

Flower 01 - The calla lily.
This flower somehow scared me. It reminded me of death, or the church, or both.

Flower 02 - The sunflower. One of my sisters told me that this flower follows the sun when it rises from the east and sets on the west. That's why the name "sun-follower". How true? Never proved it really. I had more important things to do than watching a flower follow the sun, hehehe. What I do remember is our neighbor with the huge sunflowers and we got to taste some of their seeds once harvested. Not so tasty - thought they were bland. And then there's the classmate in Grade 6 who made sunflower-orange juice or something like that for his science project and made it all the way to the Regionals. He blended sunflower LEAVES into the juice. Yum.

Flower 03 - The "lantana" - at least that's how we called it. The round green things that grew in its stem were ideal for throwing or shooting at a playmate.

Flower 04 - Dandelions in Sagada. When I told Manila acquaintances of dandelions in Sagada, they looked at me like I was crazy. Somehow, lowlander ignorance is amusing.

Flower 05 - Bottlebrushes. Saw a lot of these at the U******s.

Flower 06 - Don't recall the name of this flower. Something like million flower or billion flower.
As a child, it didn't fool me. I'm sure that were only a few dozen petals at the most.

Flower 07 - The Sagada Gumamela. This variety is not common in other places I think. We'd use it to make our own bubbles. The ones in front of the B****s on the way to the elementary school were tasty. You pull the flower, and you suck the sweet liquid in its base. It was more than twice that I got an ant in my mouth just because of the my gumamela-sucking days. Ah, it's still protein.

Flower 08 - Poinsettia. The Christmas flower is free in Sagada.
Here, you have to buy it for some dollars at Walmart.

Someone do help me in naming these other flowers.
They all seem familiar, I just don't remember what they are called.

Flower 09

Flower 10

Flower 11

Flower 12

Flower 13

Sagada and Marijuana, Again...

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:44:00 +0000

A reader that goes by the nick "kat-eng" (and it would be interesting to know why he/she chose such a name) left a comment on my Arroyo post about Sagada being in the news recently due to the well publicized "Alabang Boys" drug case. True enough, I searched for recent news and there were several articles in major newspapers about the case. The "Alabang Boys" - Richard Brodett, Jorge Jordana Joseph, and Joseph Tecson – all scions of wealthy families, were arrested last year and are currently under the custody of the anti-drug agency for drug-related cases. DOJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez has said that an internal investigation on an apparent bribery attempt is currently on-going after a draft order for the release of the three suspects were put on his table for signing from one of his undersecretaries.

Former pro basketballer star and once character actor Dave Brodett, came out with his son, Anthony, and testified against his arrested cousin, Richard Brodett. In an effort to clear the family name, Dave Brodett has publicly pleaded with his brother Butch and sis-in-law Myra, whom he knew were watching, to tell all about their son Richard. Where does Sagada come into play? It was apparently the source of marijuana for Richard Brodett. "Pinaakyat pa ng nanay niya iyan sa Sagada para kumuha ng marijuana.", his cousin Anthony said.

I can't remember if there is a more publicized case in recent history than brings into attention the drug problem in Sagada. I hope this attention will make the leaders of Sagada and Mountain Province really act on the problem. Sagada would be much better without drugs. Here's what a local tourist once posted on this blog: "I believe there's so much more going for Sagada than a marijuana-induced high." Very true. Most tourists would confess that a visit to Sagada is a high in itself. No need for hallucinogens to enjoy this place.

Related Stories on the Brodett's Case:

Dave Brodett: old school gentleman
Brodett kin squeal: Richard used, peddled drugs early on
DOJ to probe official in ‘Alabang Boys’ drug case

Related Posts on Sagada and Drugs on this blog:

Sagada and Drugs
Sagada and Drugs - An On-going Struggle

2008 Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Before the second weekend of year 2009 is finished (and I’ve let the first weekend go by already), it is time to look back to the first year of this blog and reflect on what has happened.

April 2008: Created sagada-igorot.blogspot.com which later became blog.sagada-igorot.com. My first 27 posts were created this month though I backdated some of these to cover the earlier months of the year. I don’t remember why I did that. Maybe to fool readers that I launched the blog at the start of the year? That doesn’t make sense.

May 2008: My reaction to an ignorant use of the word “igorot” was the first post that gained attention amongst readers. The offender was a Filipina based in France. My personal request through an email for the blogger to correct her ignorance was ignored. I guess if people choose to be ignorant, then, there's nothing I can do about it. For other Filipinos that are broad minded and who still have an incorrect perception of my people, then, hopefully this blog will change their minds.

June 2008: Announced the re-launch of my site, Sagada Igorot Online. The original site that was launched in 1997 was called “Kamulo and Kosta’s Home”. I'm currently working on a re-launch to officially rename the site as SaGaDa-iGoRoT.com.

July 2008: 0 posts as my mind wandered away from blogging. Zero, jero, wala, maiwed, itlog, nothing, none. Did I say zero posts? Perhaps it had something to do with the nice weather and the longer days of the Chicago summer. Who wants to type anything after spending a full day swimming with the boys at the pool / beach?

August 2008: Featured posts on BIBBAK Illinois and the Olympics.

September 2008: Did another take on Sagada and Drugs. For another post called “An Igorot Moment”, I hunted down a photo of Marky Cielo wearing such shirt in the Internet.

October 2008: Started the Bloggables series.

November 2008: Obama is elected president and I received my first blog award. (Somehow, we are related, hehehe.) I was nominated and voted upon as the Filipino Blog of the Week for 2 consecutive weeks at the Composed Gentleman’s website. They gave me a Hall of Famer “trophy” to display on my side bar. I never knew there were actually some readers who cared enough to vote for my blog in another website.

December 2008 was the Marky Cielo month. I wrote a couple of blog posts on the death of the young Igorot actor, Marky Cielo, and lo and behold, my blog traffic skyrocketed to heights I’ve never thought possible. The total number of hits I received for the month of December alone was almost x times the number of hits I received from April to November COMBINED. My friend, T is right. Internet surfers are crazy about celebrities. This was a different kind of celebrity though – he was the first showbiz personality to declare on national TV that he was a proud Igorot. Eat your heart out, Martin Nievera. See chart to see how my December traffic compares to other months.

Moving Forward: There’re a lot of plans for this blog and sagada-igorot.com in general for the coming year. I hope my readers will stay with me as I continue to blog and build on sagada-igorot.com. Matago-tago tako am-in. Was-in di mamangset.

Gloria Visits / Promotes Sagada

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:15:00 +0000

(Photo above is a screenshot from Fung Yu's 3D shots of the president in Sagada)

In an effort to boost Sagada as a tourist destination, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited the town during the holidays. She was accompanied by 14 lawmakers, her husband, and grandchildren. The president visited the Echo Valley, the Hanging Coffins, and the Lumiang Burial Caves. Thomas Killip, a former mayor of the town and now presidential assistant for Cordillera affairs said that the trip was more of an exposure trip, not a meeting or conference trip.

Related Stories:

Arroyo visits Sagada caves to promote site as tourist destinations
Arroyo tours solons in Sagada