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Nan Layad Nan Likhatan, The Pe’tune Version

bill bilig — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:34:50 +0000

We’ve been talking about the song, Nan Layad Nan Likhatan, in our other blog [here and here] but we haven’t uploaded any video performance of the song. Good thing the Pe’tune Band have this video which they recorded during their performance at the Baguio Convention Center. Good job, guys.

We will upload a more soulful version of the song when we find one.

Jun Utleg’s Igorota

bill bilig — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:30:15 +0000

Cross-posted at From the Boondocks.

Mapapa-wow ka sa ganda ng kantang ito. I think it typifies the kind of songs we love in the Cordilleras — smooth, kind of quiet (or walang vocal theatricals), and meaningful.

Jun Utleg used to be a member of Binhi, the Baguio band known for that hauntingly beautiful song, “Ang Bata”. I remember hearing “Ang Bata” performed in one of Baguio’s bars, was haunted by it, and went back the following night to buy a copy of the band’s record. I can imagine myself doing that for this song, “Igorota”.

Fellow bloggers: Let’s help promote this song. I-blog na rin ninyo sa inyong blog hehe.

VIDEO CREDIT: Jun Utleg

Taiwanese Aboriginal Music: Wild Fire by Samingad

bill bilig — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:50:51 +0000

Let’s expand the kind of songs we usually upload here and listen to this song by Samingad, a Taiwanese aboriginal singer of the Puyuma tribe. According to youtube commenters, the English title of this song is “Wild Fire”.

Samingad is reportedly more famous in Japan than in her native Taiwan. You can read more about her here.

Does anyone of you know any Samingad in the Cordillera? It sounds like an Igorot/iCordillera name doesn’t it? Maybe they’re related to this singer, baka 56th degree cousin sila?

It would have been nice if the video shows us some Taiwan aborigines but the road footage is good too and fits the music quite nicely. The road kinda looks like Halsema if Halsema is paved.

BSU’s Squash Noodles

bill bilig — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:01:48 +0000

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Earlier, when we came across news reports that a noodle factory will be built in Benguet to produce vegetable noodles, we wondered how vegetables — particularly the green, leafy ones — can be turned into noodles. Well, the folks at Benguet State University proved that you can make noodles out of squash as you can see in this Inquirer interview with Dr. Violeta Salda of BSU’s Vegetable Processing Center. I suppose this is a good project because it opens a market for squash farmers.

We’re Brothers Forever — An Ibaloi’s Version

bill bilig — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:09:11 +0000

Oops. Sorry. I’ve been ignoring this blog. It’s hard maintaining two blogs but I still haven’t figured out how best to merge them. Anyways, do you remember Reynaldo Lapuz? I’m sure you do, he’s the Fil-Am guy who became famous [infamous?] after his American Idol audition where he sang his own song, We’re Brothers Forever.

His fans produced different versions of his song which isn’t surprising because it’s really catchy [and as I stated here, sounds much better than the Olympic theme song hehe].

Anyways, here’s an Ibaloi’s version of Renaldo’s song courtesy of igoysiak, a kailiyan currently based in Illinois.

Panagwawagi: An Isneg Celebration

bill bilig — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:41:24 +0000

It’s a bit of a challenge to find news stories written about our Isneg brothers and sisters as well as stories on the Cordillera boundary towns so I’m thrilled when I came across this story by Floy Quintos.

Floy writes about the Panagwawagi Festival in Dumalneg, a town located between the Cordilleras and the Ilocos. Read it here.

But here’s an excerpt:

For Cordillera heritage, one must go to Baguio, or Sagada or Banaue. But Ilocos Norte?

Why not? We must remember the northern tip of the Gran Cordillera mountain range rises from the foothills of Ilocos Norte.

The mountainous jungle fastness bordering Ilocos and Cagayan Valley are home to the Apayao, just as the eastern ranges of Ilocos Sur and Abra are home to the Tingguian. Where does the Ilocos’ culture end and Cordillera’s begin? Or do they gradually meld together, here in these mist-covered foothills?

It’s good to discover the diversity of the peoples of the Cordilleras, no?

A GMA-7 Report: Illegal Quarrying in Tuba, Benguet

bill bilig — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:33:26 +0000

Mike Enriquez, GMA-7’s talking head and news reader, reports on illegal quarrying in Tuba, Benguet. This is the first part of the report. You can watch the second part here. It’s good of course that a television program is doing these kind of stories. The more illegal activities are brought to light, the lesser the probability that people will undertake them.

Having said that, I must say that its really frustrating to watch Imbestigador. Why? Because it only goes after the small fish. Puro naman pipitsugin ang iniimbistiga ng programang ito. Its reports are mostly about barangay captains who are corrupt, or army soldiers who did something wrong, or some principal out there who was misbehaving.

I don’t think Imbestigador has ever made an investigative report on corruption and illegal activities that are of national significance. I remember watching an Imbestigador episode during the time when Gloria admitted that she manipulated the elections in Mindanao. Mike Enriquez, with his booming voice, did a very short segment on the scandal but then he based his report on the investigative work of PCIJ.

I was like, “What a shame. GMA-7, the biggest network in the country with all the resources at its disposal, is depending its report on presidential cheating on the work of a small, underfunded, struggling but gallant media organization?”

Then and there, I stopped watching Imbestigador. And I lost respect for its talking head. Pipitsugin lang pala ang kaya nilang imbistigahan.

Scooter Race in Banaue

bill bilig — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:28:04 +0000

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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MGD and His Allies, 0 vs. JdcD and Her Allies, 1

bill bilig — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:28:03 +0000

Shall we have a running tally of this emerging rivalry? Even if Kalinga Representative Manuel Agyao has been appointed as “caretaker”, we hope Mt. Province officials will lobby to have a special election held so the peoples choice will come out. Eh matagal pa naman ang 2010 elections.

Kalinga solon appointed as Mountain Province congressional caretaker
By Dexter See/Northern Philippine Times

BONTOC, Mountain Province – House Speaker Prospero Nograles appointed first-term Kalinga Rep. Manuel S. Agyao as the caretaker of the congressional post of this province which was vacated by the demise of veteran lawmaker Victor S. Dominguez last Feb. 8.

Nograles appointed Agyao even as some politicians in the province endorsed Baguio City Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan as caretaker of the vacant congressional post for over two months now.
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Benguet Cowgirls

bill bilig — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:52:14 +0000

Wow. You got to be impressed with these girls. Can you imagine yourself grappling a bull to the ground and tying it up? Our Benguet State University coeds were able to do that during a rodeo contest in Masbate. They made the Inquirer as a result. Congratulations, cowgirls.

Coeds turn cowgirls in Masbate rodeo
By Jaymee T. Gamil / Inquirer

MASBATE CITY – At this time of the year, most “colegialas” can be found on the beach, flaunting the latest swimwear and perfecting their tans. Janice Mino and Juanita Palileng of Benguet State University (BSU), however, choose to spend the summer in Masbate’s dusty corrals, wearing denims and wrestling bulls.

For three years, Janice and Juanita have been roughing it, along with teammates from the BSU Highland Cowboys and Cowgirls, at the cattle sports events during the Rodeo Masbateño festival in Masbate City. The rodeo is a yearly event to celebrate the island-province’s “cattle country” culture.
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