Sagada: New Summer Capital of the Philippines

If, in case, Baguio City will lost its title as the summer capital of the Philippines, Sagada is very much ready to take-over!

We went home to Sagada last week to show our respect to a dead relative of my wife. I was so amazed by the cold weather temperature of the place. It was so cold that I call it the new summer capital of the Philippines.  If I guessed it right, it was on the 10 degrees centigrade to 12 degrees centigrade.

When I first arrived to Baguio in 1986, it was also cold, and you have to pray the sun comes out to warm up the air, but now, even with the sun is way beyond the dark clouds, you would feel like you’re inside a bakery.  Because Baguio city had lost a lot of its trees due to the establishment of new buildings, its title as the Summer Capital of the Philippines is also weakening. And anyone who have gone to Sagada will agree, that Sagada is now the best destination for people who wants to cool off.

As we were leaving Baguio City in our way to Sagada, it was so warm that you think you are in the lowlands.  The temperature was humid and the smell of the air is not fresh anymore because of so much smoke coming out from cars, and jitneys running on the road – add to it the slow traffic caused by road repairs being done by the DPWH(Department of Public Works and Highways)

I am not a resident of Sagada but it is the place, where my father was born; it was the place his ancestors’ were born and dead.   

Sagada was full of ghost stories and, according to my father, many were true.  This was due to the people's of the old times strong belief of "Anito" or spirit of the dead.  One story my father always told was a person could be carried out literally by ghosts and brought out of the dap-ay (it’s like a nipa hut where men sleeps during the night in the old days, and serves as the justice hall/barangay hall of the community to settle disputes) Aside from the ghost stories, there were also many stories of events that shaped the life of the people of Sagada.

Going there is very exciting.  You travel passing by the Mountain trail where most vegetables that supplies Manila are coming from, like, cabbages, carrots, lettuces, baguio beans, and more.  Aside from the gardens, you will see thick forests of Pine trees, and occasional waterfalls, and thick fogs, which make you think, “Am I in the first level of heaven?”

When you go to Sagada, be sure to bring with you thick jackets if your skin is too thin for the cold weather.  Traveling Mountain trail or now known as the Halsema highway could make you shiver to the bone with cold.  But, don’t you worry, if you came from the polluted parts of the country, be sure that the clean air will recharge you with pure energy, thus it is worth the adventure.

If you do not believe me, here is a story of one of the people I saw,  a cousin of my wife who told me his story when I wrongly assumed  he still resides in Baguio city.  He said, he had a bypass operation in 2002, and he had trouble breathing when he walks even for a short distance.  In fact, even when he is at home, he feels like being choked and his breathing becomes heavy.

One time, when there was a wedding in Sagada where they were invited, he went home to attend the wedding.  Once he was there, he already noticed a difference in his energy.  He said, he walked without the feeling of being out of breathe, and don’t have to stop to regain his strength.  Right on that moment he told his wife, “Sagada is my home, let us stay here” which his wife happily accepted.

Aside from the cold weather, most of their culture is still preserved which shows you are in a real vacation, especially when you want to forget about the hassles of life in the city. 

Places you can see in Sagada:  Sumaguing cave, hanging coffins, green mountains, old houses, and most of all you could learn firsthand their traditions and culture on how they conduct weddings, which is done after the couple already have a child or more.* How they attend to their dead, and many more unbelievable practices that makes your thinking travel back on the old days of Philippines history.

The people of Sagada are the most friendly, and peaceful people of the cordillera, even during the time of the uncivilized generation of head hunting.  It’s only the people who have fear of their god Kabunyan.  They are the only people who have the word “Inayan” which has no exact translation in English; however, it means, “it is not nice to do bad” especially against your fellow men.

The following images are just some of the views and things you will see and learn when you come to visit.  When you get here, you can ask for tourist guides who will be very much happy to take you around with a minimal fee.

Fig. 1 = This is one of the common scene you'll see as you go up the mountains on your way to Sagada.

Fig. 2 = The Highest Point

Fig. 3

Fig. 4 = The houses you can see at the entrance of Sagada

Fig. 5 = One of the forests of Sagada

Fig. 6 = The century hanging coffins(pointed by the arrows)

Fig. 7 = The traditional way we cook meat, we call it "anger"(a-nger like in apple) or boiled meat with only salt added

Fig. 8 = The "Apag" or serving of wine to those who wants drink to fight the cold weather; This was usually a rice wine(Tapey) in the old,old days.

Fig. 9 = A collection of urinary bladder of pigs butchered during the wake

Fig 10 = Meat being chopped to be cooked

Fig. 11 = It was raining, and Two kids taking advantage of a shade provided by the side of the mountain

Fig. 12 = A foreigner just arrived at the poblacion Sagada or Sagada main center where the police station, market, and business area

Fig. 13 = A man doing his job. Home based wood works is one of the source of income

Fig. 14 = A woman from visayas region selling sweet oranges on the side of the road.

Fig. 15 = Hotel is one of the thriving business in Sagada, so don't worry of a place where to stay

Fig. 16 = Bugang one of the barangays of Sagada

Fig. 17 = The rocks where the dead of the old days were brought up; either the folks hang the coffins with the dead, or make a hole on the side of the rocks and push in the coffin with the dead, or find a cave to put down the dead.

These and more are the excitements you can see when you visit Sagada - the new summer capital of the Philippines!

HINAGPIS SA ABROAD (CAREGIVER’S WOES)

Being away with our family could bring out the best of us, especially, in writing.  One of which is to compose poems, and songs where we tell our feelings when no one is there to listen and give us a shoulder to cry on.   "Hinagpis sa abroad(Caregiver's Woes)" was composed by me when I was thinking how hard was it to be away from our love ones sacrificing almost everything just to give them the best we can give as a parent, a child, and as a brother or a sister, 

I hope this can give an idea to those who's love ones are away, that life abroad is not the best, but one of the worst experience any family would have. 

I hope that thru this song something must be changed and that OFWs not be promoted again as the unsung heroes just to ease the pains they feel, and continue sacrificing to save the country from the corruptions, and selfishness of people who were assigned by the Lord to lead the country from the rot its in.

              1

Kapag amo’y masungit                                                                            

Inis mo’y di masambit                                        

Iyo na lang kinikimkim

Hinagpis sa iyong dibdib

‘Pag s’ya naman ay makulit

‘Di ka pwedeng magalit

Dahil iyong iniisip

Na s’ya ay may sakit

      Iyo na lang tinitiis

     Iyo na lang tinitiis

     Iyo na lang tinitiis

Koro 1

T’yaga lang kabayan

Ang iyong kailangan

Yan ay puhunan

Sa pag-unlad ng buhay

O, kay hirap nitong buhay Pilipino

Kailangan pang lumayo

Para umasenso

Magsilbi sa hindi kadugo.

              11

Sa gabi’y puyat ka

Dahil tinatawag ka

Kahit ikaw ay hirap na

Wala kang magawa

Ang mahirap pa nito

Minsan ay inaabuso

Amo mong matino

Lalong pahirap sa ‘yo

    Sa sobrang pagod mo

    Sa maghapon

    Tuliro na ang utak mo.

Repeat Koro….

,br />

           111

Kay hirap talaga

Nasa ibang bansa

Nagsasakripisyo ka

Para sa pamilya

Kahit oras ng pahinga

Ay kumakayod ka

Para madagdagan pa

Dolyar na maipadala

    Makaahon ka lang sa hirap

    Wala nang pahinga

     Ang iyong katawan.

Koro 11

O, kay hirap nitong

Buhay Pilipino

Kailangang lumayo

Para umasenso

Pamilya mo’y iniwan mo

Lupa’y isinangla mo

Magpakahirap ng todo

At magsakripisyo

Baka sakaling buhay ay

    umasenso!!!

Hanggang Kailan Kabayan?

Hanggang kailan Kabayan?
Hanggang kailan ka magpapa-alipin sa ibang bayan?
Hanggang kailan mo titiisin ang insulto sa iyong kakayahan?
Na pagkatapos mong mag-aral sa unibersidad
Ikaw ay mangingibang bansa para maging alipin lamang!

Hanggang kailan kabayan?
Hanggang kailan mo titiisin na malayo ka sa mga mahal mo sa buhay?
Hanggang kailan ka hihintayin ng iyong mga anak?
Na sa katagalan, hindi na matandaan o maalala ang araw
        na sila’y iyong yakapin at halikan
Habang ikaw ay luhaang nagpapaalam
      para makipagsapalaran sa malayong lugar!

Hanggang kailan kabayan?
Hanggang kailan sarili mo ay dadamutan?
Dahil iyong iniisip na maraming nangangailangan,
At umaasa ng iyong ipapadalang dolyar!
Hanggang kailan mo rin maiiwasan
Ang maraming tukso sa iyong kapaligiran?
Na dahil sa pangungulila at problema
       ay nagiging marupok kung minsan!

Hanggang kailan kabayan?
Hanggang kailan ka aalipinin ng iyong kahirapan?
Kahirapan na bunga ng kasakiman
Ng mga kapatid nating iniluklok sa upuan ng kapangyarihan!
Kahirapan- na bunga ng kawalanghiyaan
Ng mga kapatid nating salot sa bayan!
Kahirapan- na sanhi ng hindi natin pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan!  

Ahhh…… Kabayan….
Napakabigat ng dinadala mong responsabilidad!
Hanggang kailan ka magsasakripisyo?
At kailan kaya ito magwawakas?

(This was published in different my blogs in the internet, but was all removed when the websites
upgraded due to competitions. This is now found in Definitely Filipino as my guest entry,
but I wanted to share it here for the others who would like to read about it.)

Pilipinas: Tatak Ng Alipin

Ang pangalan ng ating bansa ay simbolo ng isang alipin. Ito ay parang tatak na tayo ay pagmamay-ari ng isang amo na pinagsisilbihan natin. Bagaman masasabi natin na tayo ay malaya na sa kamay ng amo na ito, ang tatak ay hindi pa rin nabura sa ating katawan.

May kasabihan ang mga matatanda na ang marka sa katawan ng tao ay pwedeng marka na malas o marka ng pagiging swerte. At kung ating iisipin, bakit kug totoo na tayo ay malaya na, bakit kahit sa ayaw o gusto natin ay lumalayo tayo at pilit na nagpapaalipin sa ibang bansa? Bakit kailangan natin na magsakripisyo ng dugo at buhay para lamang guminhawa ang ating pamumuhay?

Bakit sa kabila ng kayamanan ng ating mahal na bansa ay hindi natin ito mapakinabangan? Bakit hindi tayo nagkakaroon ng magandang buhay, samantalang kumpara sa ibang bansa na sinakop ng mga dayuhan ay nauna pa tayong lumaya, pero bakit sila ngayon ay mas mayaman na?

Dapat maging buo ang ating kalayaan. Burahin na natin ang pangalan ng dayuhan na umalipin sa atin. Oo, palitan na natin ang pangalan na Pilipinas! Dahil ito ay ang pangalan ng hari noon ng bansang umalipin sa ating mahal na bansa ng 300 daan na taon. Naniniwala ako na bago nila tayo inalipin ay may sariling pangalan ang ating mahal na inang bayan. Yon nga lamang at nawala ito kasabay ng pagkawala, at pagkabago ng sarili natin na titik, kultura, at tradisyon.

Kung papalitan natin ang pangalan ng ating bansa, ano ngayon ang magandang pangalan nya? Ito ay matagal ng pinagpapalitan ng galing sa mataas na sangay ng gobyerno natin subalit hindi sila nagkaunawaan dahil wala silang mapagkaisahan na pangalan, gaya ng pangalan na Maharlika, at Manila. Kaya nanatili ang tatak na Pilipinas sa atin.

Pero ang pagkabigo nila noon na magkaisa sa pagpapalit ng pangalan ng bansa natin ay hindi ibig sabihin na tapos na ang usapin. Dahil, kung hindi man tayo ang magkaayos ngayon, alam ko na sa mga susunod na henerasyon ay mayroon maipapanganak na makakaisip na hindi dapat na Pilipinas ang pangalan ng bansa natin at siguradong ilalabas pa rin ang usapin na ito para pag-usapan.

Isa tayo sa henerasyon na iyan, at aking tatanungin sa inyo kung ano ang magandang pangalan na ipapalit natin sa pangalan ng ating bansa?

At kung ako ang inyong tatanungin mga mahal kong kababayan ay, PERLAS NG SILANGAN (puwede rin na PERLAS lang) sa sarili natin na wika at sa englis ay PEARL OF THE ORIENT(or simply PEARL). Ito ay batay sa pambansang awit natin na Bayang Magiliw, at saka nabanggit din ng ating GAT Jose Rizal sa kanyang mga sulat. Ang mga ibang bansa ay kumbinasyon din na naglalarawan sa kanilang bansa, gaya halimbawa ng: United States o Estados Unidos, United Kingdom o Britanya.

Kabayan, ano ang iyong palagay/opinion sa bagay na ito?

1. Gusto nyo ba na palitan ang pangalan na Pilipinas?

2. Boto ka basa pangalan na PERLAS NG SILANGAN O PEARL OF THE ORIENT?(Kung Payag ka sa pangalan na ito, ano ang dapat na itawag sa atin na mga mamamayan?)

3. Mayron ka bang maimumungkahi na pangalan na mas nababagay sa ating inang Bansa?

The Fear of Going Home

In my ten years of stay abroad, it was disheartening to know that almost all of the Kababayans* who are there are afraid to go home - for good.  No one will admit it face blank, but that is what his or her words are saying.  The common words will be, "In two more years,” “In four more years,” or, “I'll go home once I could saved enough to put up a little business."  On my part, I said, “In four years, I should be home!”

Life there is not a joke.  It is a real struggle day by day.  As I watch my friends and the others, I saw how much they value their time.  On days they were supposed to rest, they will use that to go to part time jobs to earn more dollars to send home.  I myself had to go in different places to give massage treatment, massage relaxation, to customers who called me for my service.

In my first year, I thought it was peanuts, that in a couple of years, all my dreams will be achieved, but, like the others who went there first, I was dead wrong. Ten years gone and I was still struggling to earn more. 

Because Israel allows only a limited years of stay for foreign workers, in the 3rd year, most if not all kababayan start to worry about looking for a place or another country to go into before their time is up.  The reason was that they had not achieved their dreams yet. Their savings, if they have, was not enough to carry them through, especially when they have children in college.

Thinking about all the unachieved goals and stream of unending expenses ahead, makes each one of us cringe to think about going home yet. 

The scream of being with our children and families is being overcome by the fear of not being able to give them their needs, and the fear that we do not have a business or any other source of income to sustain us. 

Add to that the news brought by kabayans(countrymen) who just arrived from a vacation to our beloved country-Philippines.  That life in there is terrible.  Business is not doing well.  The prices of goods now doubled compared to the prices when you left two or three years ago.  The government officials are all corrupt.  There are no jobs, and if there is one, the pay is not even enough to pay for your bills, and pay for the travel from home to work. These news and more negative things about our beloved country always make us think, not twice, but a thousand and one times about going home.

Fear gripped us, because we know for a fact that most ex- abroad who tried to settle home after long years of being away, went back abroad just after a year of staying home because of one or all of the reasons stated above.  In fact, I am contemplating to do the same and break my words of not going away from home again.

Every OFW wants to go home. But the dilemma of where to find the next source of income is too much to think about, so they rather make the most of their time while they have the chance and health to work for “a few” more years.  

Tatak na Malas!

TATAK NA MALAS! 

By: C’ZAR 


 
Kabayan, totoo yata ang kasabihan
Na kung minsa ang kapalaran ng tao ay sadya ng nakatatak
Tatak na dito mo makikita kung s’ya’y swerte o malas!


Baka nga totoo!
Dahil ng aking suriin kung mayroon akong tatak
Ako’y nagulat sa aking natuklasan
Mayroon nga akong tatak!
Tatak na sa pakiwari ko’y hindi swerte kundi malas!


At hindi lang ako kabayan
Ikaw ay mayroon din nito!
At kahit saan man tayo magpunta
Dito nila tayo nakikilala kung sino tayo.


Noon taas noo kong sinasabi
At ipinagmamalaki ang aking tatak sa lahat!
Subalit ngayon ay nanlulumo ako na ito’y sabihin!
Oo, ngayong alam ko na ang sinisimbolo nito
Hindi ko alam kung ito’y aking ipagmamalaki pa rin, o, ikakahiya!


Kabayan, alam nating lahat
Na ang tatak na inilagay sa atin ay parangal
Sa hari ng dayuhang sumakop sa atin!
Ito’y simbolo na tayo’y inari at parang hayop na inalipin!


At ako ngayon ay naniniwala
Na ito ang sanhi ng malas natin!
Dahil sa mahigit isang-daang taon na sinasabing kalayaan natin
Wala tayong asenso kung hindi tayo magpapaalipin!!!


Sa aking pagmumunimuni, kabayan
Ito ang nalaman kong katotohanan!
TAYO’Y ALIPIN PA RIN!!!
Dahil dalawa lamang ang gating pagpipilian
Kakapit ka sa patalim, o, mamatay ka sa kahirapan!
At ang sinsabi nilang ating kalayaan
Ay kalayaan lamang na mamili ng among ating pagsisilbihan!!!


Ngayon ang tanong ko sayo kabayan
Kailan tayo kikilos para burahin na ang sanhi ng malas natin?
Kailan tayo kikilos para gumawa ng tatak na sariling atin,
Baka sakaling matanggal na ang malas natin!!!


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Philippines RH Bill: Needed or Not?

RH BILL is dividing the people, not because it is a bad idea but because the people arguing about it seems do not understand their stand. Worst, confused people are drag into it even though they do not clearly understand what it is all about. The only thing they understood is it is good for the economy of the country for the pro, and it is against the law of the Holy book for those who are against it.

 Both reasons are correct; however, the leaders whom we trust to resolve the problem cannot come into agreement or into terms, and decide what to do. Worst, because of their ineffectiveness to resolve their differences, people are being allowed to commit actions for the detrimental of our economy - resulting into more problems.

How I cringed when I am thinking how foolish it is to make such foolish actions when the problem or issue is not that big. It angers me that those learned people could not solve the problem without involving the common people. They are sowing bitterness and creating misunderstanding among the people; dividing them instead of uniting them.

If I am to be asked this is what I will advice to these honorable leaders.

Yes, the church is right on its reason; on the other hand, the government also is justified in its action of creating the bill - and is obligated to implement it.

Let us understand that the church and the government are two separate entities as written and defined in our constitution. Each one has to govern its own people according to their books – The church is its followers, and the government is its citizens. They are responsible to make their people well disciplined. Failure on their part to instill discipline to their people will result into problems, and chaos in the country where they both resides. Therefore, both parties have to do their job diligently.

So, what are their obligations to their people? And how does each ones’ failure affects the other?

Discipline I think is supposed to be coming first from the teachings of the churches, or religious groups to which the people belong. They teach good moral behavior to their people according to the teachings of their religion. Now, if the churches are successful in making their people to practice good moral behavior, and then the government will not have any reasons creating policies, bills, or laws to control the people or for the people to abide with.

However, since, the church failed miserably in its obligations, the government had no choice but to find a solution for the result of such failure. In this case, is illicit sex, and illegal abortions?

Instead, therefore of wasting their time arguing, they should both think on how they focus on their own obligations, especially for the church leaders, who are supposed to teach the people about good behaviors and to fear G-D. Teach their people what are the moral implications, and bad effects of not following a good moral behavior.

If they can do that, the RH BILL will become useless. It will just be there waiting for people who do not want to become responsible enough by following the guidelines of living morally.

Now, since there is a wide practice of immorality among us (as a result of failure from the church leaders) the government has no choice but to create a solution, in that matter, to protect its own interest; because for not doing anything, then it is an irresponsibility in its part.