Shalom to our blog visitors from Israel. Ma shlomcha/Ma shlomech?

The topmost photo, courtesy of My Share of Israel Sun, shows our kailiyans during the Purim carnival parade last March 2007. The second photo also taken during the same event is courtesy of the DFA which reports that “the Igorot Association of Migrant Workers in Israel wowed the crowd with their authentic agong and banga dances while performing in the streets of Holon.” [DFA/PDF File]

Note to DFA: It’s called gangsa, not agong. Anyways, for those of us who are not in Israel but are wondering about how our kailiyans are doing in that Holy Land, here’s a collection of articles we found on the net.

From a Department of Foreign Affairs press release (PDF File):

9 May 2007 — Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. (CDA) and SBOC Chairman Gilberto G. B. Asuque of the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel leads Embassy personnel in explaining to OFWs and Overseas Absentee Voters (OAVs) of the Association of Igorot Migrant Workers in Israel (AIMWI) the 2007 Senatorial and Party List election.CDA Asuque spoke before the Igorots during the Ms. AIMWI Coronation night held in Tel Aviv on 5 May 2007. The Embassy’s “Balota Brigade” also brought the return to sender (RTS) electoral mails and assisted the registered Igorot OAVs to collect their electoral mails, complete and submit their ballots to the Embassy.

[Photos courtesy of the DFA] Good to know that our kailiyans continue to exercise their right to vote despite the fact that they’re away from home. Iyan ang good citizen 🙂

From Mabuhay Philippines, we learn more about the beauty contest mentioned above. An excerpt:

It was a night of overwhelming excitement from the candidates, officers, and guest for the long awaited coronation night of the AIMWI Beauty Pageant. It was indeed, the first ever activity of the AIMWI organization, which attracted the attention of the members of the United Nations, the Office of the Consul General Alberto Asuque and the Philippine Embassy staff to come and witnessed.

Read the complete story here. We’re tempted to steal the picture of the winners and upload it here, but we are not doing that for now hehe. Anyways, you can view the pictures here and here.

Of course, like Igorots/iCordilleras elsewhere, our kailiyans in Israel are ever willing to extend a helping hand where it is needed. From Mabuhay Philippines we learn about a fund raising effort to help Aaron Balisong Tuldong:

Message from R.F Tudsky: We express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming solidarity of Igorot Migrant Workers in Israel and their full support for the cause of Aaron Balisong Tuldong of Alab, Gonogon, and Central Bontoc. To everyone who sympathized, and gracefully handed their donations- thank you for your generosity. The amount accumulated brought us unimaginable relief and left a priceless memory we can never repay.

To our friends and colleagues who assumed full responsibility to conduct or solicit donations, despite intrigues and pressures from erring critics, thanks for your effort and humble sacrifice. We pray also for your excellent health, enduring strength and enthusiasm to your future projects.

We don’t know anything about what happened to Aaron Tuldong (Tudlong?) but those of you who are in the know might want to help us out. We hope he is now doing okay.

Okidok, that’s it for now. Once again, thanks to our blog visitors from Israel. Toda raba! L’Shana Tovah. Hah, we’re pretending we know Hebrew but we don’t know a thing at all. Well, we do know that Shalom Beharim means peace upon the mountains or something like that.

PHOTO CREDITS: My Share of Sun in Israel and the DFA. INFO SOURCE: Mabuhay Philippines.