The Mass wedding at Ab-abaan

By Regie Wacas

Joining an IEC (Information Education Campaign) caravan of the local government unit of Balbalan with Mayor Sonny Mangaoang, brought me to Barangay Ab-abaan, a landlocked Barangay just adjacent to the municipality of Pinukpuk. The nearest jump off point in going there is via Limos in Pinukpuk. There are other routes but ascending from Limos is gradual compared to the more steep routes on the other side. But some locals have encourage me to try the more challenging routes because according to them, the path is dotted with beautiful waterfalls which I found to be abound in Balbalan. Certainly that’s a good hint for an upcoming documentation project on the town’s beautiful spots, people, culture, and worth emulating local governance practices which the LGU is venturing into. I bode the suggestion will surely bring me back to that sky land Barangay via the suggested route. Taking the Limos route in the company of the mayor, the Municipal Social Welfare and development officer- which I’ve found out to be a native air wizard, the Municipal Planning and development coordinator and some LGU employees took as almost three hours wading through the mud on the trail. Someone suggested me to use a rubber boots which I readily followed and it did solve my worry slipping on the trail- of course I’ve been used to such trail conditions because Tanudan has a lot more of it but I just couldn’t fret on doing some comical gymnastic balance on wet clay with quite an overweight figure, so the advise has served me well. Some of the LGU’s “men of action” (that’s how DILG Provincial Director Francisco Gamatero describes them) went ahead of us which includes the municipal agriculturist and the ever youthful local civil registrar. Every office is represented in the IEC caravan and that practically validates Director Gamatero’s adjective on the Balbalan LGU employees. What with the hands on leadership the mayor is exhibiting, which is inspiringly towing the personnel into whatever activity the LGU is undertaking. Of course the primary reason why the mayor is obliging his presence getting imbedded into the IEC caravan is that, he owes the people every bit of explanation and presentation on the different programs the LGU is undertaking to uplift their status.

From earlier accounts of the LGU employees who have been into the early itineraries of this activity it’s quite physically tormenting going up to the barangays but the ordeals usually are mended with the festive atmosphere that is being brought by the conduct of the civil mass weddings. Even I have more interest on the mass wedding after I was informed a priest will also be there to validate for the church. Balbalan people by history are always in high spirits in social celebrations and in the Ab-abaan mass wedding, it was indeed a typical show on how they really put their heart into such occasions. But in my observation, it might even be gauged as more than the usual considering the attendance of nursing mothers who have stayed with us till morning the following day and maybe trying to deduce the meaning of their beloved barangay’s name with their babies lugged on their backs.

It was getting dark when we arrived at Ab-abaan but our worn out energies were recharged with the warm reception we received from the villagers. We came upon a mass about to be started by Father JB Mubeke, A missionary from Zaire, Congo who is into his second year as parish priest in Allagiya, Pinukpuk. Being notified of our arrival Father JB told us that he’ll just go on with the introductory part of the Eucharistic celebration and whenever the mayor is ready, he’ll just give way for the mayor’s solemnization after which he shall validate it in the church rites. There were eighth couples ready to tie the knot that evening. Without letting father JB wait for so long Mayor Mangaoang just washed his shoes camouflaged by the mud and joined the priest at the altar vividly in sweat soaked polo. The solemnization went on upon the arrangement of the good priest and after the mass the native action peaked.

While on the sidelines watching the celebration going on and snapping a few shots from my camera, I ask Fr. JB if he could recall one occasion in his priestly life having been a party to weddings solemnized simultaneously in the civil and church rites. His answer was none. I raise the same curiosity with the mayor and still the answer was in the negative. Even my memory can’t recall of the same occasion to have happened at least in Kalinga. The rarity of Ab-abaan mass weddings being done in civil and church ceremonies put historical ingredient on its occurrence and that’s now were the point of interest lies in writing about it despite the many other issues that could be tackled on this column.

Much has been said about “only in Kalinga” stories”. The potteries of Dalupa, the loom weaving of Lubuagan, sleeping beauty of Tinglayan, the pinikpikan festival of Rizal. Now, like its neighbor barangay of Poswoy made known for its sweet “Poswoy Olen” Barangay Ab-abaan will now put in the map and be added to the long list as host to that historic mass wedding. And what about another rare show of sportsmanship during the last Barangay Elections where the losers carried on their backs the victors of that election and made a round of the school plaza. If that’s not historic then it’s still a proud of the “InabAba-abaan”.

PRC Scrutinizes Agri-Eng’g Program of KASC

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

A team from the Board of Examiners for Agricultural Engineers of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) visited the Kalinga-Apayao State College last November 22 to look into the present developments of the Agricultural Engineering Program of the school.

Headed by Examiner Domingo Tabbal, the team also included Engr. Eduardo Tadeja and Engr. Abraham Os-osas. The visit was in consonance with the mandate of the Board to assess schools offering Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering.

The Board of Examiners for Agricultural Engineers was created to regulate the practice of agricultural engineering in the country. Realizing the need to promote and upgrade the practice of agricultural engineering in the Philippines, the Congress enacted on February 26, 1998 Republic Act No. 8559 or “The New Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998.” The law which took effect on March 23, 1998 expanded the practice of the profession to reflect current developments in agricultural engineering and resulted to better agricultural engineering career prospects.

It also hastened the delivery of basic and technical agricultural services in the countryside. Today, 4,752 agricultural engineers registered with the PRC ensure food security for Filipinos.

During the post conference with the faculty of the Institute of Mathematics, Engineering and Applied Technology, headed by Dean Amado Imper, the team gave positive feedback as to the direction being taken by the school.

PDEA-CAR Team Visits Kalinga Schools

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

Following its mandate as the main implementer of the anti-drug law (RA 9165 – Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) – CAR visited some schools in the community, with the leadership of Regional Director P. Supt. Oliver Enmodias, from November 21-22 to hold symposia with students.

St. William’s Academy, St. Louis College of Bulanao held the symposium on the 21^st while the Kalinga-Apayao State College had its turn with the Regional Director on the 22^nd.

For the KASC affair, Hon. Alma Sandra Uyam, City Council Chairperson on Environment and Health, briefed the students on the city government’s plans and accomplishments with regards to the city’s problem on drug abuse and drug-pushing.

“You, the youth, are our immediate concern when we speak of drug abuse because you may be easily influenced to try these things,” the Councilor said in her message. “That is why the City Government of Tabuk is seriously taking steps to save you from such self-destruction.”

During P. Supt. Enmodias’ turn, he gave a visual presentation on the effects of drug abuse. Also, he discussed why people turn to drugs, emphasizing peer pressure and the adventurous spirit of the youth to try new things.

The Regional Director also enlightened the youth on the history of PDEA. He said that the enactment of RA 9165 reorganized the Philippine drug law enforcement system.

“While the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) remains as the policy-making body, RA 9165 created the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency(PDEA) under the Office of the President. The new law also abolished the National Drug Law Enforcement and Prevention Coordinating Center, Philippine National Police Narcotics Group (PNP Nargrp), National Bureau of Investigation Narcotics Unit (NBI NU), and the Customs Narcotics Interdiction Office (CNIO). Personnel of these abolished agencies continue to perform their tasks on detail service with the PDEA subject to a rigid screening process,” P. Supt. Enmodias explained.

The Regional Director ended his talk by enjoining young men to join PDEA as employees in the third level positions which the agency has opened recently. Successful applicants would be detailed to the Legal and Prosecution Service and in the Internal
Affairs Service.

The KASC symposium was made possible through the efforts of the Office of

Student Services under Dr. Adoracion T. Taguba, with able support from Student Coordinators Placido Alsiyang Jr. and Tulles Banwa.

KASC Papers to Compete in Malaysia

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

Researchers from KASC continue to put the name of the state college in various research forums, not only in the regional and national levels, but in the international level as well.

Two papers – Geographic Information System (GIS) Utilization in Project Development (by Manuel Bilagot Jr.), Patch Cultivation Among Tribe-Based Communities in Kalinga (by Jovita Saguibo and Ernesto Miguel) – will be competing in the conference of the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS) in Malaysia on December 12-14.

Earlier, these papers were brought to the national conference of ISSAAS- Philippines in University of the Philippines-Los Baňos last October 26, with the theme “Impact of Climate Change and Bio-Fuels on Agriculture.” In UPLB, Dr. Bilagot’s GIS paper was awarded as the Best Paper in the Oral Category, while that of Dr. Saguibo and Dr. Miguel placed first in the Poster Presentation.

Having won in their respective categories, the researchers shall present their studies in the international forum in Malaysia where their undertakings would be put under more stringent scrutiny by other scientists and technical experts from the Southeast Asian region.

The GIS Program

This study was conducted to develop a GIS program to support Project Development efforts in the province of Kalinga, like the Barangay Electrification Program (BEP). BEP is a program of the government to support the number 6 item among the ten-point agenda of President Arroyo’s Administration. This is the provision of electricity to the un-energized places in the country.

The DOE entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC) as the implementing arm of the Department in the province through the KASC-ANEC program. This program is mandated to support the implementation of the renewable energy in the province. It has been identified that there is a high number of renewable energy sources in the province – specifically micro hydro. Anchored on its desire to support this program of the government in planning, implementing and monitoring and evaluation of these installed micro hydro sources and to support a faster implementation of the energization of Kalinga, this GIS program was developed.

The Patch Cultivation Paper

This study was conducted to assess the factors associated with Swidden Farming or Patch cultivation in Barangay Magao-gao, Pinukpuk – zeroing-in on the factors why the rural dwellers there are so much dependent on the environmentally harmful practice. It focused mainly on the factors of Socioeconomic, Cultural and Political aspects in the community.

Results of the investigation showed that the factor of culture and tradition is the main reason for patch cultivation in Magao-gao. The socio economic factors on labor, capital and knowledge also showed strong factors.

WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS TO FAIL

When you look around you and everything seems to fall to pieces, you stop momentarily in your tracks and contemplate: what, the hell, is going on... and where exactly did you go wrong?


In school, as I walk through the corridors and the pathways that lead from one building to another, I get this feeling that I am not the same person I sued to know: vibrant and energetic in attitude. While it is true that I continue to function efficiently my tasks as a college instructor, there no longer seems to be the heart that took me to the teaching profession in the first place.

And so i brood... wondering what is wrong.

SAGKA Mountaineers Team Up With KMS for Mt. Patukan Climb

SAGKA Mountaineers Team Up With KMS for Mt. Patukan Climb

by Marciano Paroy Jr.

Sagipin at Alagaan ang Ganda ng Kalikasang Atin (SAGKA) Mountaineering Society – a Manila-based group headed by upstart film director Noel Montano – recently visited Kalinga and teamed up with the newly organized Kalinga Mountaineering Society (KMS) for the planned trek up Mt. Patukan in Tanudan.

“But before my group forged the partnership with SAGKA, I had to subject my newly recruited KMS members to a rigorous training,” Nathaniel Dalanao, KMS founder, said.

The KMS training for the neophyte climbers was a basic mountaineering course that included a seminar on environmental awareness, first-aid application, knot-tying, anchoring and tent-pitching, rescue procedures, map-reading, trail sign-reading, basic rapelling, day-packing, full-packing, water-proofing and back pack water-riding.

The two-day basic mountaineering course (October 29-30) was held at the St. William’s grounds and at the Pasunglao bridge.

The adventure took the two groups to Upper Tanudan where the villagers’ warm welcome impressed the Manila visitors.

“Everything we have heard about Kalinga was proven wrong,” Montano expressed. “Our parents and relatives had been warning us about practices they have heard about the province, but instead we were immersed in a community full of friendly and hospitable people.”

Aside from the usual mountaineering activities, like the rapelling experience at a hanging bridge in barangay Pugo, SAGKA and KMS held a meeting with barangay officials and the villagers on environmental awareness. Having seen the immediate needs of the clustered barangays in Upper Tanudan, SAGKA promised to solicit the help of some NGO’s in Metro Manila for the installation of septic tanks.

The whole experience had a twist when, on their way back to Tabuk, the mountaineers chanced upon a stranded pick-up truck, with its passengers exposed to the harsh cold wind and the stinging drizzle from the storm.

“Without hesitation, we responded to the passengers’ needs by bringing out medicines, bondages, thermal blankets – especially so that three of the passengers were babies bound for a check-up in Tabuk,” Montano recounted. “We had to heat them up by boiling water for their milk that we still had in our supplies.”

“The ropes we had with us were used for pulling the truck from where it was ditched,” Dalanao recalled, “while some were sent to nearby Se-et to call for a rescue.”

As for future activities lined up for KMS, Dalanao envisions Balbalan to be in their hit list soon. He said, “As soon as we have completed the gadgets we need, we would be scheduling our next climb. KMS is not just a group of mountaineers, we are also environmentalist and rescue volunteers. We also involve ourselves with community projects.”

Which is perhaps why the group was able to seek the support of its sponsors Hon. Manuel Agyao, Hon. Jocel Baac, Hon. Camilo Lammawin Jr, Hon. Rhustom Dagadag, SWA Batch of 1992 and the Provincial Tourism Office.

As of now, the e-media is the most active promotion engine of Kalinga tourism, particularly the kalingatambayan website of Mr. Dalanao, which is now ranked #1 by the infophilippines.com on Travel and Places category.

“I just feel sad sometimes that Kalinga people are tourists in their own province,” Dalanao lamented. “I hope that KMS would be able to help in changing that.”

Joining Mr. Dalanao in his vision is the first batch of KMS that include April Joy Gayagay, Fanaliza Sacki, Jayson Bacacao, Bryan Baggas, Moises Manganip Jr., Brendon Awingan, Janelle Mangatam, Agagon Gumbawan, Roderick Wangi, Joji Banawa, Jeremias Baggas.

“The experience was quite fulfilling. Kalinga, indeed is beautiful,” Elpidio Lopez, a SAGKA member, ended.

Vice Governor Baac Inducts UCSCO Officers

Kalinga Vice Governor Jocel C. Baac in a meaningful ceremony inducted the officers of the United Cordillera Students’ Cultural Organization Inc. (USCO) held on September 23, 2007 at the Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao Mini-Gymnasium, Balzain, Tuguegarao City of Cagayan.

Inducted during the event are the following Chapter Presidents: Charles O. Banag as CCT-UCSCO President, Ceasar M. Apil as USLT-UCSCO President, Ben Fawas F.L. Vargas-UCSCO President, Froilan C. Malaga as CSU-UCSCO President and Melodio B. Bayongan Jr. as the President of the Centralized-UCSCO.

Inducted as advisers on the other hand were: SI-3 Norman Revita, SI-3 Filomeno P. Visaya, Jr., Hon. Raymond Joaquin S. Magsaysay, PO1 Din B. Sibaro and Engr. Vincent Talattag, with Miss Cynthia O. Banag as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Mr. Gary Arnel Damian as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The UCSCO’s objective as an organization is a geared towards the promotion and the preservation the cultural and indigenous heritage of the Cordillera people especially among the youth. It is a private non-stock and non-profit corporation organized under the corporate code of the Philippines and duly recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Organization was conceived from the vision and perseverance of the members and officers of the four member-schools that founded the corporation, namely, the University of St. Louis Chapter, the Cagayan State University Chapter, the Florencio L. Vargas Chapter and the Cagayan Colleges Tuguegarao Chapter. The UCSCO as of this date is composed of 1480 members from Kalinga, Apayao and other Cordillera provinces.

During the event Vice Governor Baac delivered the following message:

“I cancelled all my other appointments just to be with you today because I would not like to miss the opportunity to feel that wonderful sense of belonging that I used to feel when I was also in college. This occasion also reminds me of that feeling of almost perfect satisfaction that used to assail me.

As I go on, I would like to congratulate you all. I am inspired to see you all, and from this day onward, may we contribute to the development of our communities. May we work together. May we follow the late President John F. Kennedy of the United States of America when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.”

We cannot leave the fate of the next generation to chance. So we must provide the foundation of the future.

The tasks ahead are so difficult. But there are many things to be done. There are many things to be finished. But everything starts in our hearts, minds and spirits. So may we have the strength to do the task at hand, courage to meet the challenges ahead and the wisdom to always take the path of democratic governance.

To all of you, my congratulations. With the oath you have taken, serving the studentry is not an easy task. But it is one of the greatest things one can do. Being the head of the group, you are compelled to perform the duties and responsibilities, which as campus leaders may tackle in order for you cater to your roles within your institution. You are now given the privilege to exercise your responsibility granted by the studentry. As such, you have to work hard. It entails sacrifice-the willingness to postpone personal gratification in favor of the common good. It requires a sense of urgency to finish what must be done, the ingenuity to find the best way of doing things and courage to try new ideas and the diligence to make them work.

You have taken your oath so that there is already a responsibility. This word is just a simple one, but behind it, it means a lot. It is a reality that when one’s responsible calls, it is a must for you to comply. Being responsible is one of the most valuable traits in which one may possess. It covers the totality of all attitudes man may ever have. As students, it is your responsibility to perform well your duties and obligations.

We need not be great men doing great things to contribute to the building of our nation. We are called upon in life to be all geniuses or to be all leaders. Life merely summons us to be good in what we do, to make our better best and our best even better. For a good society is not built by leaders and geniuses alone.

To paraphrase a writer, “good society is built not by extra-ordinary men doing extraordinary things but by ordinary people doing ordinary things extraordinary well.”

Lastly, may we have the strength to do the task at hand, courage to meet the challenges ahead and the wisdom to always take the path of democratic governance.

DIASEN URGES TOURISM PLANNERS TO COME UP WITH A SALEABLE PROMOTION STRATEGY

Encouraging the participants of the Seminar Workshop on Eco-Tourism Trade and Industry, Tourist Safety and Security to strategize their tourism promotion efforts, Kalinga Governor Floydelia Diasen said that Kalinga as a destination has much better goods to offer compared to other destinations in the country.

Sharing her experiences in Camiguin as a tourist, she disclosed that what really prompted her to visit the place was the packaging in the brochure. “The packaging was so attractive that you really want to see their sites,” she said adding that the Kalinga with its vast potentials has a better stand.

She then suggested that the packaging should include something mysterious about the place that would rouse the curiosity of the people to come and see it.

Citing some unique sites in the province, she said that aside from its natural beauty, Kalinga has several interesting things seen only in the province like the Sleeping Beauty of Tinglayan, culture and traditions that are still being practiced by the people and several others.

“We have a very rich tourism potential which we should be proud of, that we could harness to make it as a source of income,” she said stressing that to do this, it is just a matter of making the people appreciate these potentials.

“It is sad to note that we could not even appreciate what we have in the province since we are so engrossed with the unfortunate situations happening here,” she expressed.

In her discourse, the governor suggested that to make a change, the participants composing of planners, tourism officers and law enforcers, should advocate and direct the attitude of the people towards the development of the province’s eco-tourism industry.

“It is important that we showcase the real Kalinga, its culture, ecology and the things unique in our place,” the lady governor said underscoring that on e way of doing this is to “change the definition of Kalinga from head hunters to ‘Kalinga a caring and safe community,’” quoting that Kalinga in tagalong means ‘care’.

“As a people I know that we are better with rich customs and traditions that we could be proud of,” she said.

But all of this gets lost once a visitor experiences something unfortunate in the province she said urging government planners to sit down to discuss and plan with the people and all sectors to come up with a consolidated tourism effort that would turn and make ‘Kalinga as an eco- tourism destination’.

Meanwhile in her lecture on Eco-Tourism Development, Miss Natividad Sugguiyao, founder and owner of the only successful and world known tourism outfit in the province – the Chico River Quest Inc. said that the industry would positively boom and eventually at par to other world class provinces.

Taking such positive outlook on the province’s tourism industry, Miss Sugguiyao said that this could be possible if we only learn to appreciate and enhance what we have and be positive about it.

“Kalinga as a tourism destination basically has everything with its vast natural resources and rich culture,” she said adding that “because we have so much tourism assets in the province, we could not appreciation it.”

“The development of the industry should start from us,” she underscored.

Pointing out to the issue on peace and order in the province, she said that “sometimes the problems on peace and order are just imagined.”

Considering she said that the problems on peace in the province are isolated cases “why can’t we just say that our province is generally peaceful?” she said disclosing that as a proof, she had been entertaining ‘high end’ tourists and visitors in the province for the past years and they have left the province satisfied and wanting to come again. (ggd)