Let’s take a break from controversial (and depressing) stuff like those Baguio City Council members (except Councilor Tabora and Vice Mayor Fariñas) voting to buy cars for themselves to give out our next Boon Award.
If you remember, we give this award to people or groups who have done something good for their communities. This time we are giving the award to the Sagada Genuine Guides Association (SAGGA) for their “cave vandalism cleanup”. Visit this site and read more about the group.
As you’ll see in the above video, the members of SAGGA spent their time cleaning up the writings/ paintings/ markings of destructive mammals who wanted to immortalize themselves by vandalizing the cave’s walls. I guess it’s human to try to leave your mark wherever you can but let’s not do it by destroying the work of nature.
So let’s give a shoutout to the SAGGA kids for their effort to return the cave to its “unvandalized” state. Thanks, guys and gals for your service to the community. We hope you continue your good works.
We also hope that those Baguio councilors (Hello, Councilor Balisong nga kailiyan ni Nadjhin!) will learn a lesson or two from you kids about the meaning of “community service” or “public service”.
For our previous Boon Awardees, click the following links:
1. The Catholic Church for maintaining the Bontoc Museum.
2. Government Employees and their cleanup project.
3. The Bibaknets Educational Subsidy Fund.
4. MPGCHS Principal Evelyn Taguiba.
5. La Trinidad Mayor Artemio Galwan.
Of course, we also have the Boo Award for those whose actions are “booable”.
1. A judge in Baguio city.
2. Baguio city officials for filing a case against Tabuk cityhood.
And here’s an explanation of the Boo and Boon Awards or the Boondock Awards. If you know of any person or group who deserves to be praised or to be booed, please share the info in the comment section. Thanks.
VIDEO CREDIT: SAGGA.
I also would like to commend the group in their effort to maintain the hailed beauty of the caves there in Sagada, sayang naman kasi kung pabayaan na lang na gawing papel ng mga spelunkers na walang malasakit, I haven’t been to Sagada yet but I am looking forward to having a vacation there someday, sana it’s not too late para naman maappreciate kung pa ang beauty jan…^^
While those guys seem jolly cleaning, at the same token, those writings on the walls were unnecessary.
I think the solution Bill, is to check everyone’s backpack and pockets for pentel/markers, whether they like it or not prior to entering the caves. After all, it’s our town and must remain as natural as it should. Cheers to those Sagada Kids!
almost all of the marks were 30 years of age and above.. most were marks from charcoals and paint..
the existence of this Guides Organization is a new Hope for Sagada’s Tourism… You will see more of this as time would pass by..
hey, bill billig, thanks for posting that newbie photo presentation.. hehehe.. arrigato guzaimasu
i didn’t realize the cave walls were vandalized or maybe i was just too afraid to look further around while inside the cave or maybe i was simply awed by the beautiful sights so i didn’t consider looking for other things.
Trublue’s proposal on checking markers before entering the cave sounds like a good idea.It’s really unnecessary to leave marks such as “I was here!” or whatever. Kudos to SAGGA. BTW, one thing we also appreciate in Sagada’s Tourism is that they only charge 10php (or 20php) for tourist registration.We were told some Israel tourists were even making “tawar” hahaha. What could be lower than 10php these days? LOL. We’d love to go back to the place.
congratulations aztigs! sana dumami pa ang mga lahi nila!
thank you for featuring SAGGAS (they are actually saggas) aka ASTIGS. they may be new but the things that they have accomplished in such a short span of time are just too much. i’ve met john and gareth when i visited sagada for the first time this year, and i fell in love with the place, its people, and the music.
if you visit their official blog, you will see another video, which i’ve made and dedicated to them, because i was so inspired with everything and everyone that i’ve seen. my sagada video will soon be featured in clickthecity website and i hope that you will support it.
mabuhay ang sagada, mabuhay ang saggas.
Hi Lord,
Hope you would be able to visit. It really is a nice place. Thanks.
Hi Trublue,
Yup, the townspeople should really watch out or else they will lose their beautiful place. Thanks.
Hi Gareth,
As I said in the post, it’s good that you are doing something like this. Hope you will continue to do it. No problem about posting the video. Thanks.
Hi Jane,
Di mo siguro napansin dahil sa dilim. Come to think of it, maybe its a good idea to show tourists what the vandals did as examples of what not to do when visiting a cave . Gawing exhibit kung baga. Thanks.
Hi Abella,
Sana nga 🙂
Hi Biyaheng Pinoy,
Thanks for dropping by. I will go check your video in their blog as well as in clickinthecity 🙂
im not sure if you’ve seen my sagada video. but hey, clickthecity is currently featuring that video. here is the link to that at: http://www.clickthecity.com/clipcast/?v=357
Wow what a really cool video you made there. I’m impressed. Thanks for adding the link. I didn’t know where to find it earlier. Good too that it is in Youtube, I will upload it here in the coming days. Thanks.
lord, you miss half of your life if you’re not going to visit my hometown SAGADA. HAIL SAGGAS.
hey bill, thank you for the comment, and sure, you can use my sagada video in your blog. i just made the video, but it’s really YOU, PEOPLE FROM MOUNTAIN PROVINCE, OWN THIS VIDEO. i really admire your blog and it is very informative. i hope that you will keep on posting so people here in manila and all over the world will know what is really going UP THERE.
Hi Adam&me,
Tama ka diyan 🙂
Hi Biyaheng Pinoy,
Thanks again. Will upload your video soon. Yup, I intend to keep blogging about the Cordilleras 🙂