April 12th, 2008 — Activism, Baguio, National Affairs
From gmanews.tv
BAGUIO CITY – Celebrated ZTE whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada is finally coming to the North, and his visit would be capped by a series of dialogues with religious leaders here from April 15 to 16.
Chie Galvez of the Baguio-based Inter-Faith Gathering for Truth and Accountability said Friday Lozada would be accompanied by the Association of Major Religious Superiors in his talk in the afternoon of April 15 at the Saint Louis University Social Hall.
December 13th, 2007 — Activism, Indigenous World, National Affairs
Is there hope for this country? Of course, but you won’t find it in our “leaders” or in our politicians.
Instead, you will find it in ordinary people like the Higaonon farmers of Sumilao, Bukidnon who walked (and are walking) from Mindanao to Manila.
Why are they doing this? Are they crazy? Of course not. They are doing this historic walk to ask the government to give them titles to their land. Under the agrarian reform law, this land should have been awarded to them years ago.
December 5th, 2007 — Activism, Human Rights
We’re publishing the reflections of Dom-an Macagne-Manegdeg on the killing of her husband Jose “Pepe” Manegdeg. Pepe was an NGO/church worker who was killed in Ilocos Sur two years ago. His case remains unsolved and according to this update, Dom-an and her family are now facing threats apparently because they continue to seek justice for Pepe.
Gloria and her ilk will, of course, deny that activists are being killed in the Philippines but these killings are real.
October 23rd, 2007 — Activism, Bontoc, Government, Mt. Province
PATALASTAS MUNA: Have you voted for our blog yet? No? Then vote for us by simply clicking here. You’ve already voted? Thank you very much, please vote again. (Sumusobra na yata itong Bill Bilig na ito ah, masyadong demanding hehe.)
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Now that that shameless, shameless plug from the Evil Bill Bilig is over and done with, let’s go back to one of one of our favorite blog topics, the Halsema Road. Because I’ve already yacked a lot about this much lamented (but nonetheless scenic) highway, I am stealing the ideas of our blogger friends (with their permission of course) and putting them here:
October 22nd, 2007 — Activism, Ifugao, Outside Cordi
Toronto Updates:
Our thanks to Tan Canchela for forwarding us the link to the Philippine Reporter, a Filipino community newspaper in Toronto which covered this tragedy.
Hermie Garcia: The groundswell of community support generated by the Oct. 1 murder of 27-year old live-in caregiver Jocelyn Dulnuan is very encouraging. The struggle for justice in the Jeffrey Reodica fatal shooting by a police officer is still fresh in the minds of Filipino Canadians in Toronto . Yet here comes another campaign for justice for the community to take on. Read the full article here.
Jonathan Canchela: Indeed, if you are Filipino, you cannot help but grieve for what happened to Jocelyn, who was found dead in a basement of her employer’s multi-million-dollar mansion in Mississauga last October 1. Indeed, if you are Filipino, you cannot help but grieve more over the action (or inaction) of the Philippine Consulate – which, just to remind you, represents the Philippine government – in handling situations like this. While we seek justice for Jocelyn, we also ask questions about the actions of the government in this particular case. Read the whole article here.
October 14th, 2007 — Activism, Government, Mt. Province
Update: Those who are not from Mt. Province but who are concerned about the project might also want to include their names. We will identify you as “Friends of Halsema/Mt. Province”. Thanks.
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Now, here’s the open letter:
October 13th, 2007 — Activism, Art/Entertainment
Dear John Denver,
Thank you for your gift of music. I remember listening to you while riding the Skyland Bus from Sagada to Baguio. The bus conductor kept playing your songs over and over and yet over again. Maybe he didn’t have any other cassette tape to play. But maybe, and I think this is the more likely reason, he is a big fan of yours.
The interesting thing is that no passenger complained about it. No one got up to tell the conductor to shut you down after we heard Rocky Mountain High for the uptenth time. Maybe we were all too tired to care. After all, the Halsema trip is a tiresome ride, then, as it is now. But maybe, and this is the more likely reason, we too were all big fans of yours.
October 5th, 2007 — Activism, Ifugao, Outside Cordi
Please note that we have previous updates on the following links:
Jocelyn and Julia: A Tale of Two Women
A Toronto Tragedy II
A Toronto Tragedy
Also, check out the fundraising update here and a video report from Ifugao here.
October 1st, 2007 — Activism, Government, Mt. Province
This is the portion of Halsema Road where this tragic accident happened.
RELATED POST: Safety First. PHOTO CREDIT: Gloria Tuazon/Baguio.city.com.
September 28th, 2007 — Activism, Government, Mt. Province
Joel Fagsao, who blogs at Mountain Life and who maintains the mountainprovince.net website has a sad letter about a truck driver who died when boulders fell on his truck while driving on the Halsema Road. Some excerpts from Joel’s letter:
On September 14, 2007 at about 9:00 PM, Winston Sili Pawid, a native of Lesseb, Bauko was driving home towards Bontoc. He is a truck driver of Ranee Enterprises, the San Miguel Beer products dealer here in Mountain Province owned by Mrs. Eugenia Manao. When his truck passed by within the vicinity of Lukib, boulders and all fell down on his truck. The landslide carried with it his truck down below. It was only in the morning of September 15, 2007 that the incident was discovered. Winston leaves behind 1.6 year old son and his wife, Geraldine Cabiadan Pawid who is my employee.
