Category Archives: History

Lost in Translation

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 aƱos 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.

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Boon Award: The Center for Ibaloi Heritage and Loakan History

Remember the Boon Awards which we started last year to honor people or groups who are doing something positive for our communities? We haven’t been giving it for some time but here’s another awardee: The Center for Ibaloi Heritage and Loakan History.

Vincent Cabreza’s article below will tell you why they deserve the award. Kudos to the people behind the Center particularly in light of the following:
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Rapelling at the Kiangan War Memorial


I don’t know about you but this video bugs me a lot. I visited the Kiangan War Memorial ten years ago and I really appreciate what the government did in putting up this shrine which commemorates the bravery of our foreparents during World War II. So I’m a little shocked and quite irritated that this guy and his companions are using the shrine for their rappelling activities.

Dude, it’s a shrine. A shrine is almost like a church or any place of worship. It is almost like a burial ground hallowed by the dead who lie there.

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Blast From the Past: American Governor of Benguet Investigated

So these “indiscretions” by the American Governor in Benguet must be one of the ways how American mining companies ended up owning much of the province’s rich mines. Funny how he was only charged with “indiscretions” when he was practically stealing the land of the iBenguets. But then again, at least he was charged with something unlike Gloria and her alipores who will likely get away with their various crimes against the Republic and its peoples.

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Apologies for the Past

I first thought of just adding this to the quick links I posted earlier but then thought that maybe it needs a post of its own.

I think the Japanese tend to have a longer memory than Filipinos so it’s good that they continue to remind us of the lessons of the past. In the GMA News article which you will find below, two Japanese women went to Kiangan, Ifugao to apologize in behalf of some Japanese soldiers for the horrors of World War II.

I’m sure you’ll agree that apologies like these are welcome. Still, in addition to these individual apologies, the Japanese government should also apologize for forcing women to become sex slaves during the war. It’s refusal to apologize on this matter continues to be a thorn in Japan’s otherwise good relations with the Philippines as well as other parts of Asia.

Anyways, in case you missed our earlier posts on the heroism of our people during the second World War, here are the links: Those Gallant Igorots; A Video Documentary; Those Gallant Igorots: A Word From the Producers; and Major Dennis Molintas.

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