Well, we’re sure you know that we’re not a fan of Baguio Congressman Mauricio Domogan (note: we used to like him when he was starting his political career) but we’re giving him credit for putting up a website which provides details on where his pork barrel is going. So let’s give the Congressman points for transparency. We hope that other Cordillera officials are just as transparent with their use of public funds so their constituents can see where these are being spent.
Mom rues loss of OFW daughter to insurgent attack in Kabul
By Frank Cimatu/Inquirer
Herminia’s sweet little girl is coming home but it is not the homecoming she wanted for her daughter. Zennia Aguilan, 31, a physical therapist, was killed with five other people on Monday when armed men stormed the Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Her 60-year-old mother, Herminia Aguilan, was not sure when her body would be brought home. “She’s short and very sweet,” said Herminia, a retired teacher at Saint Mary’s School in the tourist town of Sagada in Mt. Province.
“She called regularly and the last time was when she greeted me ‘Happy New Year,’” she said by telephone.
Zennia, the fifth of seven children, was still small when her father died.
Her only sister is the eldest and a nurse in the United States so Zennia was her mother’s little helper, said her aunt, Mary Padilan.
“She’s very loving especially with kids,” said her cousin Shirley Lebeng. “Zennia wanted to help her family and I don’t think she had a boyfriend. She always gave us gifts,” Lebeng said.
“My daughter is very thoughtful,” Herminia said.
Although originally from Agawa village in neighboring Besao town in Mt. Province, Zennia and her siblings had to stay in Sagada to be with their mother. Continue reading Update on Zennia Aguilan
Thanks to our tipster from Canada who wrote us about the achievements of Nick Domalsin. Here’s what he said:
I would like to contribute something to the article First Igorots to achieve…… in BodyBuilder category. The first Mr. Philippines is Nick Domalsin Sr. in 1962 and he is from Barlig Mt.Province. He founded the Baguio Health Club and the older Ayochok was his student & kabagian also from Barlig.
With that tip, we did some research on Nick Domalsin. Thankfully, we found photos and more information about him which you can see after the jump.
Continue reading Igorot Achiever: Nick Domalsin
Our condolences to the family of Zennia Aguilan especially to Ma’am Herminia. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
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From GmaNews.TV: Relatives and friends describe 31-year-old Zennia P. Aguilan as daring, adventurous, kind-hearted, and bright. With this attitude, Zennia left her hometown in Sagada, Mountain Province after completing a course on physical therapy in 2004 to work in Taiwan.
Two years later, she moved to Dubai, then to Afghanistan in July last year.
Little did she know that her adventure in Kabul would end her life. Zennia passed away on Tuesday after sustaining serious injuries from explosions when suicide bombers attacked Monday night the only five-star Serena Hotel in the Afghan capital where she worked as a spa supervisor.
Wire reports said at least eight other persons died in the attack.
Shirley Lebeng, Zennia’s cousin residing in Baguio City, described her as modest and a very bright child since her elementary days at the Anglican-run St. Mary’s School in Sagada. “She was good and kind-hearted.”
Lebeng said Zennia’s employer, a European who owns Spa Resources International at the Serena Hotel, telephoned the OFW’s mother and assured her of the repatriation of Zennia’s remains as soon as possible.
Herminia Aguilan, Zennia’s mother, is a retired school teacher in Sagada. She appealed to authorities to help bring her body home soon.
Continue reading iSagada Killed in Afghanistan
Ramon Tulfo is not my kind of columnist but he does have interesting “exposes” sometimes. In his December 22, 2007 column he writes about a Cordillera official who is reportedly selling Baguio ancestral lands.
Hah! If Tulfo’s story is true, we are totally clueless as to who this official is but maybe some of you know.