From the Boondocks

Our Theme Song: Boondocks

2008-11-01T05:37:00.000+08:00

So I was watching American Idol last night and one of the contestants sang a song about the boondocks. I must say that I fell in love with the song because it goes,

I feel no shame
I'm proud of where I came from
I was born and raised in the boondocks
One thing I know
No matter where I go
I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

Nice, no? It kind of describes most of us I think. This song is by an American country music group called Little Big Town and is titled Boondocks. In the absence of a more fitting song, I think this will be our theme song for now hehe. My only misgiving is that someone could rightfully say, "Hey Bill Bilig, how colonial-minded are you? Picking an American song, huh."

Well, I ain't no singer. And non-singers can't be too choosy in picking their theme songs hehe. Anyways, if you want to sing along with the Little Big Town folks, you'll find the lyrics after the jump.

Boondocks
By Little Big Town
(Chorus:)
I feel no shame
I'm proud of where I came from
I was born and raised in the boondocks
One thing I know
No matter where I go
I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

And I can feel
That muddy water running through my veins
And I can hear that lullaby of a midnight train
It sings to me and it sounds familiar

(Chorus)

And I can taste
That honeysuckle and it's still so sweet
When it grows wild
On the banks down at old camp creek
Yeah, and it calls to me like a warm wind blowing

(Chorus)

It's where I learned about living
It's where I learned about love
It's where I learned about working hard
And having a little was just enough

It's where I learned about Jesus
And knowing where I stand
You can take it or leave it, this is me
This is who I am

Give me a tin roof
A front porch and a gravel road
And that's home to me
It feels like home to me

(Chorus)

I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

You get a line, I'll get a pole
We'll go fishing in the crawfish hole
Five-card poker on a Saturday night
Church on Sunday morning

(2x)
You get a line, I'll get a pole
We'll go fishing in the crawfish hole
(Down in the boondocks)
Five-card poker on a Saturday night
Church on Sunday morning

Say a little prayer for me

Trapped 700 Feet Underground

2008-09-24T04:04:00.005+08:00

A really bad news from the boondocks. Let's hope authorities will be able to rescue these trapped miners. Meanwhile, our condolences to the families of those who, because of Typhoon Nina, died in unrelated separate incidents.

Inquirer:
At least five people were killed as Typhoon “Nina” ripped through Northern Luzon on Sunday and Monday, reports from the Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera and the Ilocos showed on Tuesday.

In Baguio City, three people were killed in separate incidents when landslides swamped their houses.

Landslides also trapped 13 miners at a 60-year-old underground exit portal of mining firm Benguet Corp.

The miners were trapped by water that filled the tunnels between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Tuesday. The waters are as deep as 300 feet beneath Purok 7 of a subvillage that used to be called Gold Field in Benguet.

Hopes are high that the miners will be rescued.

Reports from the Cordillera Office of Civil Defense said Lolita Baroma, 76, and Juan Baroma were killed when a landslide buried their house in Guisad Surong at past 4 p.m. on Monday. Lielany Fetcha, 38, died when another landslide covered her house at Dominican Extension.

At least 19 others were reported hurt in La Trinidad and Itogon towns in Benguet and in Baguio City due to landslides and floods.

In the Ilocos, OCD reports said Rodolfo Villanueva, 27, of Barangay Bucayab in Bauang, La Union, was electrocuted on Monday at the height of the typhoon.

Censio Culapit, 40, a resident of Quirino, Ilocos Sur, drowned in the Abra River also on Monday.

The three fishermen reported missing in Ilocos Sur and La Union were rescued by their fellow fishermen on Monday.

The OCD said the motorized fishing boat of Sonny Darang, 32, and Jeffrey Graychochea, 28, both of Barangay Bia-o in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, ran out of fuel while they were at sea. Fishermen found them in waters off Apatot village in San Esteban town on Monday afternoon.

Fishermen found Carlos Quello, 46, in the waters off Caba, La Union, also on Monday.

The Cordillera OCD report said the following roads were closed to traffic on Tuesday due to road cuts and landslides along its sections: Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun, Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya, Tawang and Alapang roads in Benguet; Balbalan-Pinukpuk and Kalinga-Abra roads in Kalinga; Abra-Cervantes and Abra-Kalinga roads in Abra.

In Cagayan Valley, officials of the island town of Calayan in Cagayan said the typhoon destroyed at least P25-million worth of property in the town.
Calayan Mayor Joseph Llopis said at least 125 hectares of rice and corn farms were destroyed by heavy rains.

Llopis said the typhoon also damaged three bridges and 16 school buildings and toppled 37 electric posts in the town.

Update: Sunstar Baguio reports that there are 14 people trapped in the mine and lists them as follows: Gilbert Nattem of Banaue, Ifugao; Rudy Boling of Bangaan, Ifugao; Garry Ganu, Joel Bulga, Jeyson Himmayod, Rudy Himmayod, Jojo Himmayod, Juan Himmayod, Marvin Himmayod, Vincent Himmayod, all of Quirino Province; Joseph Anayasan, Mario Annayasan of Bauko, Mt. Province; Gerry Monyobda of Ifugao and Robert Buway of Itogon.

These names were based from a logbook that miners' sign when they enter the mine site. More from Sunstar: Rescue teams are having a difficult time extracting the trapped pocket miners because of the strong current where the makeshift mine is located and strong smell of poisonous gas.

The landslide at sitio Tuge and Vida in Barangay Loacan was said to have triggered the collapse of the wall along the diversion tunnel of the mine site, causing the buildup of water.

Teams from the Philex Mines and Benguet Corporation, as well as rescue groups from Baguio City also joined the rescue efforts. The SN Aboitiz Power, which runs the Binga Power Plant, also sent a team and equipment to the site for assistance.

Hey, That Gong Looks Familiar

2008-09-10T11:50:00.005+08:00

When I came across this picture I went, "Hmmm, that gong looks familiar. Who's the one playing it? And what's the occasion?" I thought it was an overseas kailiyan during one of their occasional get -togethers.

But it turns out that the guy is famous Taiwanese Director Ang Lee leading a "big luck" ceremony for his newest film. Nala-ing met gayam nga agpattong ni Ang Lee.

Congratulations, Criminologists!

2008-09-05T05:43:00.006+08:00

Congratulations to Kristen Joy Gonzales Pagud of the University of the Cordilleras (Baguio Colleges Foundation) for making it to the top with a rating of 87.90%.

Likewise, congratulations to the following schools too for making it to the list of "top performing schools".

A. With 100 or more examinees:
Cordillera Career Development College, 63 of 104, 61 percent; University of Baguio, 61 of 100, 61 percent; PLT College Inc., 89 of 149, 60 percent; and University of La Sallete - Santiago, 61 of 108, 56 percent.

B. With 50-99 examinees:
Universidad de Manila (City College of Manila), 83 of 92, 90 percent; University of the Cordilleras (Baguio Colleges Foundation) 63 of 72, 88 percent; and Pangasinan College of Science and Technology, 52 of 69, 75 percent.

C. With 20-49 examinees:
University of Manila, 21 of 24, 88 percent; Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry-Lamut, 36 of 44, 82 percent; and Hercor College, 17 of 26, 65 percent.

Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will start on Wednesday, Sept, 10, but not later than Friday, Oct. 3.

The oathtaking ceremony of the examinees will be held before the Board on Saturday, Oct. 11, 1 p.m., at the Tent City of the historic landmark Manila Hotel.

Registration for membership with The Professional Criminologists Association of the Philippines (PCAP) will start on Wednesday, Sept. 10

Source: Manila Bulletin

Rigodon in Mt. Province

2008-08-31T11:11:00.002+08:00

Here's an interesting idea. I don't know what benefits can be derived from rotating the different Mt. Province mayors -- they will serve as "guest mayors" for two days in the province's ten towns -- but if I am a mayor with aspirations for a higher office, I sure will take this opportunity to build political bridges.

If this will help create a new pool of provincial leaders attuned to the needs of the different parts of the province and who can challenge the old order, then I am all for it.

Mt Province mayors to rotate positions
by Lito Dar/PIA

Baguio City (22 August) -- Starting September, all the ten towns of the Mountain Province will be having a "guest mayor' for two days.

This is an innovation on local governance with all the ten municipal mayors agreeing to rotate positions in order to observe the good practices and programs of each local government units (LGUs) in the province. The planned rotation is set to commence on the first week of September.

Natonin Mayor, Atty Anna Marie Paz Rafael Banaag explained that the mayors will rotate simultaneously, just like in a "rigodon" and each mayor will stay for two days on a municipality where he will be assigned. Banaag said the guest mayor will act as the local chief executive on his host municipality however, he cannot sign any documents in behalf of the host mayor. The guest mayor will also be observing the staff and employees of the host LGU.

Banaag further explained that they will do this rotation once every month, beginning in September staying in a host municipality for two days, until all the mayors have visited all the member municipalities. There will be a "learning-sharing" activity in connection to this, the lady mayor said.

Meanwhile, Banaag also announced that there will be a CINDEWOLL Medical/Dental mission in Natonin on September 8. CINDEWOLL stands for Cordillera Indigenous Elected Women Leaders League headed by USEC Josie Dominguez.

Banaag added that the "Bontoc Brigada" will also visit their municipality on this day, together with the Red Cross which will have a school feeding program.

For Obama Supporters

2008-08-30T18:31:00.003+08:00

Are you a closet Barack Obama supporter who's still hiding your political leanings? After the successful Democratic National Convention in Denver where he wowed pretty much everyone [including the conservative Pat Buchanan], you should now come out of your political closet and get some of these Giant Obama Bumper Stickers.

Pretty cool, eh? You can plaster it in your car to annoy your very annoying Republican neighbor (it's better though if you manage to convince him to be part of the Change We Can Believe In and to vote for Barack instead). Make sure you buy an extra sticker to keep as a memorabilia to remind you that you witnessed the most exciting years in the annals of U.S. presidential elections. Seriously, is there something comparable to this year's election?

Sarah Efron's Disgusting and Morally Dubious Food

2008-08-30T08:06:00.006+08:00

Haha. Igorot/iCordillera food made it to the pages of Canada's National Post courtesy of Sarah Efron who introduced them as "intriguing, disgusting and morally-dubious foods". I'll take disgusting because that's a personal thing and she's got a right to be disgusted with any food under the sun-- heck a good friend is disgusted with tomatoes -- but "morally dubious"? Seriously, Sarah? Morally dubious?

If there's such a thing as morally dubious food, I think the most morally dubious would be hamburger the main ingredient of which is taken from the carcass of slaughtered cows -- an animal very sacred to our brother and sister Hindus -- which were butchered (hacked, beheaded, then "chop-chopped") by professional animal killers.

Anyways, here's Sarah's pictures and descriptions -- the quotes below are hers -- of our food from the boondocks. To be fair to her, except for the "morally dubious" thingie, she didn't really say anything bad. Read her article here.

"Ube jam: Ube is a purple yam that is used in Philippine pastries and candies. The ube jam was sweet, but the consistency was strangely starchy."

"Betel nut: Chew this nut and you're supposed to get a natural buzz. In rural areas of the Philippines, you see people with their teeth permanently stained orange from partaking in the betelnut. I tried chewing it but it was very uncomfortable--like I was getting a dental X-ray--and gave up without feeling any effects."

"Dog meat: In the Cordillera region of the Philippines, you can find the occasional restaurant that serves dog meat. This dog dish is from the Sagada Lunch restaurant in Baguio City. They serve nothing but dog meat, seen in the photo above served with rice and dog soup. The restaurant also features karaoke and cheap bottles of gin. The dog meat was very tasty--like wild meat--but incredibly tender."

"Pinikpikan: Animal rights activists wouldn't enjoy the traditional dish in the Cordillera region, pinikpikan. First, you beat a live chicken to death with a stick. This makes the chicken bruise, changing the texture of the meat. Then you cut the meat up and boil it with salt pork."

Photo credit: Sarah Efron/National Post

New Domain Name: Igorotblogger.com

2008-08-30T06:07:00.004+08:00

Maybe some of you noticed our blog's new domain name, eh? It's courtesy of Tina of My Good Finds. She actually reserved it a year ago and thankfully maintained it as I dilly-dallied whether to use the domain or not. Thanks Tina for the free registration :-). [You actually shamed me to blog here more often hehehe.]

If you have a link to the old domain name, it should be automatically redirected to this new domain. But I would appreciate it if you change the URL address so our new domain will have some incoming links. Thanks.

Killer Typhoon in the Cordilleras

2008-08-22T06:15:00.002+08:00

Our condolences to the families of the victims.

'Karen' leaves 6 dead in Cordillera
Jane Cadalig/Sunstar

SIX persons died and one was injured in various areas of the region at the height of typhoon Karen (Nuri) on Wednesday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported.

Four persons, including three kids in Benguet and one woman in Baguio, were buried in mudslides caused by the heavy downpour. The casualty in Abra was pinned down by a fallen tree.

Those killed were identified as siblings Mark Anthony, one year old; Lester, three years old; and Alvin Somera, 10 years old, all of 1st Gate Antamok, Ucab, Itogon.

The victims were rushed to Saint Louis Hospital of the Sacred Heart but were pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan reported the victims were left inside the house when the landslide occurred. Their father, a miner, was out for work. The mother, who was cooking at the time and her two other children, aged eight and six, were out of the house, sparing them from the tragedy, Fongwan said.

The Provincial Government will shoulder the funeral services for the victims.

Several other landslide-affected families in the same village were relocated to a nearby church. Fongwan said 14 families, with 69 members, were assisted.

In Baguio City and Abra, the OCD identified the casualties as Petra Kadatar, 72 years old and Camille Rasalan, 12, while the one injured was identified as Leslie Carpiso, 21.

An estimated P3.7-million worth of damages to infrastructure was also reported in the region.

Meanwhile, 11 major roads in various provinces were closed to traffic, including Kennon Road, the Baguio-Bontoc Road and the Bontoc Cagayan Road.

However, most of the roads were opened to traffic after clearing operations were conducted.

All Quiet on the Boondock Front ... But Not on the Olympics Front

2008-08-17T09:37:00.005+08:00

My apologies, it's been so quiet here. But I've been busy at our Olympics blog which is where I'm camping out while the Olympic Games is ongoing.

Do join me there if you're into Olympic hotties [got to do it coz people are looking for it hehe], American crybabies, the art of Olympic hugging, and other silly stuff. We do also get serious sometimes and talk about things like how much money Olympians make.

Anyways, here's a video of Jon Stewart talking about some Olympic controversies.

Iyaman, kailiyans.

Gotcha!

2008-08-06T19:54:00.004+08:00

We should be doing more of this. Kudos to William Todcor for breaking this story before the media picked it up. Susunod na tutukan yung mga taga-Highways hehe.

GMA News: BONTOC, Mountain Province – Josefino Ong, the revenue district officer of this province who is set to retire this year, could lose his retirement benefits should he be found guilty of bribery charges.

Ong was indicted by the Mountain Province prosecutor’s office this week for direct bribery with no bail recommended, a week after his arrest during an entrapment operation by the police on July 24.

Sr. Supt. Pedro Ganir, the provincial police director, ordered the entrapment operation following a complaint by businessman-contractor James Lingbanan that Ong demanded a P15,000 bribe in exchange for a tax clearance.

Lingbanan, who is from Bauko town, said he needed a Tax Clearance Certificate to qualify for the supply of materials and equipment at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College.

The arrest of Ong, which was witnessed by local journalists, has reportedly encouraged his other alleged victims to speak up during a rally outside the Bureau of Internal Revenue district office in Bontoc.

Said veteran journalist Greg Taguiba, “some were seething in rage and waiting for Ong to be escorted out from the office for them to vent their anger."

Taguiba said many of those who came have been insulted by Ong’s alleged flaunting of his illegal activities and making snide remarks against natives in the past.

Ong, a native of Iloilo who assumed his post in October 2006, is 64 and about to retire. Prosecutors and police said that his benefits from years of service in government could be forfeited if he is found guilty by the courts.

Sr. Supt. Ganir said other alleged victims are coming out to help teach Ong a lesson.

Scrap Physical Education!

2008-08-06T19:35:00.004+08:00

I'm not sure I'll agree with a University of Baguio official's proposal to scrap Rizal courses in college but I definitely agree with the proposal to scrap Physical Education. Seriously, I don't see the relevance of PE as a general education subject. If someone wants to major in PE, then that's well and good. But to require everyone to take PE courses is just a waste of time and resources.

I actually have a friend from our part of the world who refused to take PE in college. Well, she eventually took the PE classes but she was on her early 30s when she graduated. Eh paano ba naman pinadadamit ng leotard sa kanilang Rhythmics class? Tapos sasayaw pa sila sa Foundation Day?

School officials seek removal of PE, Rizal courses
PDI/Vincent Cabreza

BAGUIO CITY – Officials of colleges and universities in northern Luzon have asked the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to finally drop general subjects like physical education (PE) and courses on national hero Dr. Jose Rizal from their curriculum to make way for specialized subjects.

Veronica Garcia, vice president for academic affairs of the University of Baguio, raised the proposal during a consultation on Friday.

She said this rationalizes college education by removing subjects that students have taken in grade school and high school.

Garcia said keeping university curricula lean during times of economic crisis would reduce a student’s course load as well as his or her tuition expenses.

But Dr. William Medrano, CHEd executive secretary, said changing the curriculum would take too much effort because it will require new legislation.

“These are GE [general education] courses that are legislated… It would be difficult to ignore them. We have to include Rizal [subjects] as mandated by the Constitution… (If we remove them from the curriculum, that would take a tedious process because) we will have to go to Congress,” he said.

Medrano said CHEd still believes there is value to these GE subjects because these serve to “cultivate the value of patriotism.”

The conference was hosted by the University of the Cordilleras, which is now led by former Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus.

De Jesus, UC president, did not attend the forum.

But he told the Inquirer in an earlier interview that the cost of college education continues to grow because of the need to add basic remedial courses for freshmen who have inadequate basic education backgrounds.

Go Negosyo Fetes CAR Entrepreneurs

2008-08-06T19:15:00.003+08:00

Congratulations to these entrepreneurs. It's good that some organizations are recognizing their achievements and contribution to our communities. It's honest to goodness businesses like these that should give us hope that all is not lost in the Philippines, ano?

PhilStar via yahoo: The Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship-Go Negosyo awarded seven traders in the Cordilleras as "The Most Inspiring Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) Entrepreneurs" for achieving success in small and medium-scale industries.

The awardees are Angelita de la Cruz of Tartland's Pasalubong of Baguio City; Carlo Balneg of Carlo's Bamboocrafts in Abra; Rosemarie Bestre of Gadenline Vegetables; Angelisa Calalo of Naduma Enterprises; Maria Que of Jason's Homemade Products; Jack Dulnuan, owner of the famous Jack's Restaurant and Jack's Transport of La Trinidad, Benguet; and Thelma Bayle-Ng of Davidson Hotel in Tabuk City, Kalinga. Dulnuan and Ng are already big business icons in the region but they were given special awards.

The top entrepreneurs were cited last Wednesday afternoon after the Teen Negosyo Edition III seminar, which was held at Teachers Camp in Baguio City.

The eight traders were awarded for their positive contribution and inspiration to their community with their "rags-to-riches" stories. They are traders who overcame the challenges of life and served as role models through their businesses ventures.

"It is good that micro entrepreneurs are given recognition for their efforts in helping the economy no matter how small we are. Hopefully, our stories will indeed inspire others to pursue entrepreneurship," De la Cruz said.

The Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, Jaime Ongpin Foundation, and the Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative also endorsed the awardees.

The awardees were presented to 1,500 students, teachers, would-be entrepreneurs and out-of-school youths from various parts of the country who attended the Teen Negosyo Edition III.

Joey Pelaez, executive director of the Department of Education's Center for Students and Co-curricular Affairs, said the seminar provided "would-be entrepreneurs with the skills to become better prepared for the future."

Skills training started last Monday for the young participants, he said.

The Teen Negosyo program aims to create a nationwide entrepreneurial revolution by promoting an optimistic and entrepreneurial mindset among Filipinos, Pelaez explained.

Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III and the DepEd, in cooperation with other groups including The Philippine STAR, spearheaded the Teen Negosyo training program for students and educators to prepare them to take on active and responsible roles in entrepreneurial endeavors.

Lost in Translation

2008-07-26T15:17:00.006+08:00

This is interesting. Using Google translate to convert a Spanish article on the Cordilleras to English produces an interesting, maybe "eyebrow-raising", results. Consider this:

Spanish:
Los miembros de la tribu Igorot hace ya algunos años que dejaron de vestir su tradicional taparrabos o "bahad", que ahora portan en ocasiones especiales, como bodas o festivales, y las mujeres tampoco lucen a diario el "tapis", una falda blanca, negra y roja que deja al descubierto todo su torso.

English translation:
Members of the tribe Igorot few years ago that left their traditional dress loincloth or "bah", which now carry on special occasions such as weddings and festivals, and women also look to the daily "tapis", a white skirt , Black and red that lays bare all his torso.

As a Swiss friend used to say, "I'm lost. I'm lost trying to understand the English."

Now, the Google translation for the next paragraph is somewhat controversial. I doubt if it is the correct translation but my Spanish is non-existent so I don't know what the Spanish writer was really saying. Maybe some of you can translate it correctly.

Spanish:
Como ocurría antaño, los Igorot sienten aversión por la tribu Ifugao, rival y pobladora de la zona sur de la sierra, a la que critican por haber consentido vivir casi recluidos en las llamadas "aldeas étnicas" creadas por el Gobierno, y por enterrar a sus muertos, acción que consideran abominable.

English translation:
As happened yesterday, the Igorot feel aversion to Ifugao tribe, rival and residents of the area south of the mountain, which was criticized for having consented to live virtually imprisoned in so-called "ethnic villages" set up by the Government, and bury their dead, they consider abhorrent action.

The Ifugaos "consented to live virtually imprisoned in so called 'ethnic villages'"? I don't think so. And "Igorot feel aversion to Ifugao tribe"? I don't know of any such aversion but maybe the writer was referring to the past ["as happened yesterday"?] when war between tribes was the way of life in the highlands.

Anyways, this is one of the days when I wish that the generation before us [hehe] didn't complain too much about Spanish being taught in college. By the time I went to college, Spanish was no longer a required course so I'm totally clueless when I come across Spanish articles like this.

If you want to go through the full article, here is the original article in Spanish and here's the English translation by Google.

Franklin Kawaen is Karate World Champ

2008-07-26T14:52:00.006+08:00

Congratulations to our Dubai-based kailiyan Franklin Kawaen for his karate world championship win. He joins the ranks of Julian Chees and company whose achievements in the field of martial arts have helped shape a positive image for Igorots around the world. Kudos to you Franklin and keep on kicking.

Here's the report on Franklin by Harley Palangchao. Photo above is courtesy of k-1.ae; please note that it is taken from a different event and not from the world championship which is the subject of Harley's article.

Igorot karate teacher wins world championship
By Harley F. Palangchao/Manila Times

BAGUIO CITY: Franklin Kawaen may have represented the “wrong” country but to people in this northern hideaway, he will always be one of them—an Igorot who has brought pride and honor to the Philippines.

Kawaen, a karate instructor based in Dubai, won the championship in the Kobe Osaka International Karate World Cup held in Latina, Italy, from June 29 to July 6, 2008. He represented the United Arab Emirates in the competition.

His reportedly perfect and convincing execution of the Unsu (cloud hands) kata (form) earned him the victory over a Japanese shitoryu instructor for the title.

Kawaen, a fifth dan blackbelt and member of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) Orient before settling in Dubai, was a top contender in the kata competition participated by seasoned karatekas from 24 countries.

A true-blue Igorot from Maligcong (located in the Mountain Province) and Baguio City, he defeated an Italian in the semifinal to enter the championship match.

One of his students represented Iran and won a bronze medal. Kawaen teaches at Al Shabab Club in Dubai.

News about Kawaen’s triumph spread quickly not only among his colleagues in the JKA Orient Young Men Christian Academy in Baguio but also among his former teammates in the Philippine national karate team.

The victory is seen as a morale-booster to his fellow karatekas in the Philippines.

Kawaen is described by the Martial Arts Academy-Dubai website as a famous karate instructor and competitor.

He also was a champion in the Third International Open Karate Master Cup held at Al Shabab Club in Dubai in September 2007. In 2006, he won in the Second International Open Karate Master Cup held in Etisalat Academy Recreation and Sports Complex, also in Dubai.

Again, his reportedly great execution of the Unsu, which he performed when he was promoted to first-dan blackbelt in Manila several years ago, was his weapon in winning the championship in Italy.

The execution of the Unsu requires constant transformations where all parts of the body are used as weapons, with feints and provocations leading to unique combination techniques and multidirectional kicks.

Kawaen, 42, is one of the Igorots bringing pride and honor to the Philippines and, perhaps, the United Arab Emirates, too.

Seasoned karate kata champion Julian Chees, who also hails from Maligcong and Baguio City, teaches karate in Germany.

Related:
A Tribute to Ambrose Sagalla, First Igorot Karate World Champion
The Noel Sumingwa Story
The List: More on Julian Chees
In Pictures: FtB Lister Julian Chees
Billy Alumno Shows Us How To Kick Ass

Remote Deposits with Deposit Now

2008-07-25T18:35:00.005+08:00

Here's something that our U.S.-based readers might be interested in.

Did you know that you can deposit your checks to your bank electronically, i.e., that you don't have to physically deliver the check to the bank? Apparently, a law was passed in 2001 -- the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act or the Check 21 Act -- which makes the digital image of a check legally acceptable for deposit purposes.

What this means is that instead of having to drive to your bank to deposit your check, you can just have your check scanned and have the digital copy sent to your bank. Pretty convenient, isn't it?

Still, despite the fact that this will make check depositing faster and more convenient, not a lot of people are using this process? Why not? Because of the prohibitive cost of check scanners and because check scanners only read nothing but checks. Understandably, people would not invest in expensive scanners if all they do is read checks.

Good thing DepositNow developed a check scanner which also works as a regular scanner; thus, you can use it not only for the purposes of scanning your checks but to make digital copies of other documents as well. DepositNow is selling their scanners at a price more affordable than the "can-only-read-checks" scanners too.

If you are interested in this product, you can check them out at www.depositnow.com. You can also sign up for their online deposit service using this blog's name [From the Boondocks] as your promo code. If you become an actual customer, they will take $25 off the price of your scanner and they will give me a $25 commission.

Hah. If that ain't a win-win situation, I don't know what is :-)

Edward Folayang is URCC Open Weight Champ

2008-07-23T09:55:00.002+08:00

The video shows Edward Folayang beating Carlos Baduria in their championship bout during the Universal Reality Combat Championship [URCC] held this month. ABS-CBN has a report on Folayang but the video is beyond bad so I decided not to upload it; still you can watch it here.

Warning: Some violence in the footage as may be expected in combat sports.

Back to the '80s With War Games

2008-07-22T16:25:00.003+08:00

Note: Sponsored Post

What is your favorite '80s movie? For me, its got to be Karate Kid and Back to the Future. Karate Kid is the first film I watched in a movie house so I was pretty much impressed by it. Meanwhile, Back to the Future stuck to my mind because I was intrigued by its proposition that one can travel across time. Maybe we can actually do that but, outside the movies, no one has cracked the code on how time travel can be possibly done.

Speaking of '80s films, WarGames, a movie which is undoubtedly far ahead of its time -- a computer geek hacks into the military's computer system -- is making a comeback in select cinemas across the U.S. Check out fathomevents.com to see if it is playing near you.

The screening will not only feature the movie; it also includes interviews with the cast and a sneak peek at the making of WarGames: The Dead Code, the movie's sequel. You should go watch this one if you'd like to have boasting rights that you're among the first who saw the making of The Dead Code.

Bernadette Sembrano Embraces Her Igorotness

2008-07-22T07:28:00.003+08:00

Here's a video of ABS-CBN broadcaster Bernadette Sembrano learning to dance an Igorot courtship dance. She did well, IMHO. Bernadette is the daughter of Baguio City Councilor Elaine Sembrano. [h/t Sandati]

Also, the Philippine Entertainment Portal is reporting that Bernadette just got hitched to Emilio Aguinaldo IV, grandson of THE Emilio Aguinaldo.

Paper Roses From Baguio's Garbage

2008-07-20T07:18:00.006+08:00

Can you imagine the impact if seemingly simple projects like this one are implemented by government authorities at a much bigger scale. There would be much lesser garbage and more livelihood opportunities. If small organizations can do it, I don't see any reason why government cannot do it as well.

Let's give the Women's Livelihood Organization of Imelda Village in Baguio our Boon Award for their worthwhile project. Creating livelihood opportunities for 22 people is no joke and is a big accomplishment which deserves recognition. Cheers to you women of Imelda Village.

Baguio residents recycle garbage into flowers
Philip Erpelo/ABS-CBN Baguio

BAGUIO CITY – Flowers made from recycled paper; this is what makes the residents of Imelda Village Barangay proud!

Under the leadership of the Women’s Livelihood Organization, flower and basket-making are sustaining financially its 22 members.

"This livelihood prioritizes the indigenous people. We teach them how to make quality products. This will therefore help them satisfy their daily needs," said Kagawad Santos Casuga.

90% of the income goes to the members who made the flowers. Only 10% goes to the organization.

The group desires to help the families who do not have any other source of income.

"This is one way of providing resources to unemployed families. It’s also a way to divert the attention of the people away from bad habits and vices," said Annie Paraiso, Women’s Livelihood Organization president.

Residents said they are proud and willing to support the endeavors of this group.

"I’m so proud! This really helps the families who are in need," said Brian Dilan.

"This kind of work is of great help to the people. Those who do not have anything to do can definitely make this an option," said Nida Banaña.

The organization has reaped three livelihood awards including "Best Implemented Project" and "Best Recycled Product."

"We encourage mothers who have no work to study the making of flowers from recycled paper to uplift their condition," said Paraiso.

Such projects also promote tourism for the city of Baguio.

"Barangay activities are all geared towards tourism," said Community Affairs Officer Laurence Adube.

"This gives pride to us residents of Barangay Imelda Village because we use recycled materials to produce beautiful objects," said Casuga.

NCIP Chair Goes to the UN

2008-07-20T05:37:00.007+08:00

From gmanewstv: The Philippines gained added presence in the United Nations with the election into the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues earlier this week.

The Philippine Mission to the UN said Saturday (Manila time) that National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) chairman Eugenio Insigne will help advance the cause of indigenous peoples at the UN level.

"Chairman Insigne was elected during the 32nd meeting of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the 2008 Substantive Section of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN," the mission said in a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.

Philippine Ambassador to the UN Hilario Davide Jr. said Insigne will be among 16 independent experts who will compose the Permanent Forum, an advisory body to the ECOSOC.

The forum has a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

Established by an ECOSOC resolution in July 2000, the Permanent Forum will provide expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the UN system.

It will also raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of relevant activities within the UN system; and prepare and disseminate information on indigenous issues.

Davide said nsigne successfully ran against Ambassador Berenado Vunibobo, permanent representative of Fiji, to serve the unexpired term of Asian representative Xiaomei Qin of China from Jan. 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2010.

Insigne is a former government prosecutor and sectoral representative in Congress for indigenous peoples. He was appointed to the NCIP in 2007 and was a member of the Philippine delegation to various UN meetings in New York and Geneva.

His election followed that of Ambassador Leslie Gatan, Philippine deputy permanent representative to the UN, who was elected chairman of the preparatory meeting of the Economic and Social Committee of the 15th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held in Tehran later this month.

Last month, two other Filipino diplomats, Second Secretary Elmer Cato and Second Secretary Patrick Chuasoto, were elected vice chairman of the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) and rapporteur of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), respectively,of the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly.

Note: Insigne is a Tingguian from Abra according to his NCIP profile.

Photo credit: NCIP