After three years of doing nothing but sit in front of the computer (getting fat and unhealthy as a result), I know that it is time for me to take a break and do something different. So I decided to visit fellow iSagada Gina Dizon who is working in Thailand and, if my health permits, to backpack in nearby Southeast Asian countries.

Searching for cheap flights to Bangkok brought me to the Malaysian Airlines’ ASEAN Pass which, according to its advert, “gives you the freedom to enjoy up to 4 flights within ASEAN countries at a truly amazing price”. Sounds good, no?

The catch is that Malaysian Airlines does not have a direct flight from Manila to Bangkok (or from Manila to any other ASEAN city for that matter), so I have to pass by Kuala Lumpur. This means I will be using two of my four tickets flying in and out of Kuala Lumpur. Doesn’t sound as good a deal anymore, eh?

But I never visited Kuala Lumpur (or KL as the locals call it) so I thought this would be a good opportunity to visit. Well, I’m glad I did visit. KL is my kind of city: it’s organized, it has a very good mass transport system, the air is not bad, and the city is walkable. The last two are the most important to me because I love to walk when visiting places but only if the sidewalks are not health hazards and only if the air is not polluted. Eh sa Manila kasi, baka mahulog ka pa sa manhole pag lakad ka ng lakad. And instead of helping your lungs when you walk in Manila, you are actually poisoning it with the city’s famous nitrogen oxides, zinc oxides, and the other things that them darn vehicles emit.

Anyhoo, I didn’t take lots of photos in KL because I know I would be returning there en route back to Manila. But I did take a picture of the Petronas Towers and this photo of my left foot. Hehe. I’m publishing the foot photo here for those who are googling “foot fetish Kuala Lumpur” or “foot fetish Malaysia” or “Igorot feet big”. Hehehe.

I’m currently in Mae Sot where Gina works. It is a very interesting place not because it is “touristy” but because it is a border town full of refugees from Burma. I hope to write more about the town in an upcoming post.

Let us offer our prayers for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in Kayan, Tadian. The casualty list follows after the jump.

The letters and figures after the names denote the sex and the age of our kailiyans who perished in this tragedy. Our condolences to their families.

1. Albert Celino, M, 41
2. Roseni Celino, F, 39
3. Renya Celino, F, 5
4. Arjay Bansil, M, 6
5. Jason Bacsa, M, 16
6. Eliza Celino, F, 65
7. Regal Bansil, M, 13
8. Victor Balteng, M, 44
9. Resly”Balut” Bansil, M, 12
10. Florence Bantasan, F, 66
11. Beverly Pacyado, F, 19
12. Clever/Cribel Pacyado, M, 22
13. Christian Pacyado, M, 1.8
14. Baby Boy Pacyado (Chester), M, 1 mo.
15. Betty(Visitacion) Trinidad, F, 50
16. Reynaldo Trinidad, M, 65
17. Vanessa Trinidad, F, 9
18. Victorino Albing, M, 87
19. Felix Laging, M, 83
20. Lienden Rhee Quinto, M, 14
21. Marinet Bag-ay, F, 22
22. Reymart Bag-ay, M, 1.4
23. Dora Bantasan, F, 60
24. Benjamin Bantasan, M, 70
25. Lecio Mar Gao-ay, M, 33
26. Raymunda Gao-ay, F, 32
27. Kate Real Gao-ay, F, 10
28. Wencer (Girl) Gao-ay, G, 5
29. Syria Quinto, S, 39
30. Irish Pacyado, F, 14
31. Kahlil Quinto, M, 6
32. Kenny Quinto, 9
33. Frenchee Quinto, F, 5
34. Lydia Daweg, F, 65
35. Catalina (Taynan) Amoyen, F, 75

Note: Title changed to Typhoon Pepeng. We originally wrote Typhoon Ondoy which was a mistake. Thanks to Lulu for the correction.

Today, 14 October 2009, Senior Fire Office Richard Balusdan will reportedly also be laid to rest.

Siegfred and Richard were part of a team of fire fighters from the La-Trinidad Fire Department who responded to calls for help at the height of Typhoon Pepeng in the Cordilleras.

According to the story which reached us here at From the Boondocks, the two were trying to rescue a family in Puguis who were trapped underneath rocks and soil from a landslide caused by the typhoon. While doing their jobs, the mountain fell down on them and ended their lives.

They are heroes in our book. And they are the finest examples of Igorot/iCordillera public servants who ought to be given the highest accolades that the government gives to its employees.

Let us dedicate this video to them and to the other men in uniform who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The video, produced by the Bureau of Fire Protection, features the Fire Fighters Prayer the lyrics of which you will find below.

The Firefighter’s Prayer

When I’m called to duty God
wherever flames may rage
give me strength to save a life
whatever be its age

Help me to embrace a little child
before it is too late
or save an older person from
the horror of that fate

Enable me to be alert
to hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out

I want to fill my calling and
to give the best in me
to guard my neighbor and
protect his property

And if according to your will
I have to lose my life
bless with your protecting hand
my children and my wife.

Note and Disclosure: We would like to also pay our tribute to other men in uniform and public servants who died during Typhoon Ondoy. If you have some information on them that you would like us to publish in this blog, please email it to us at igorotblogger@gmail.com.

Siegfred is a close relative of your humble blogger.

My first post after a year of sabbatical from the internets. My apologies for the long silence. Let’s just say that I spent a year wandering in the wilderness. It’s good for the soul, actually. Hehe.

Anyway, its challenging to re-start a blog after a long hiatus. So for starters, here’s a comic version of a song – Hello Again – which kind of sums up what I feel at this point. The song is from a band called The Cars. Maybe some of you have heard of their music before? They were supposedly active in the 70s/80s.

The song is actually pretty cool and makes me wonder why The Cars did not become as big as other bands which were so famous that their songs reached our part of the boondocks. [Note: The guys in this video are not The Cars but a comic group spoofing their song.]

So we’re back. My thanks to those of you who kept visiting despite my absence. Cheers nga kuna ni Trublue.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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