Ullalim Festival | Valentine's Day | Chinese New Year

February 14 holds a lot of events; local, national and international celebrations. Kalinga Province is currently celebrating its foundation day, the Ullalim Festival. Congratulations!

Today is also the celebration of the Chinese New Year. 一夜连双岁，五更分二年 (Kung Hei Fat Choi)!

Also, happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Kalinga Day | Valentine's Day

The Ullalim Festival (Kalinga Day) is fast approaching and yet my filed leave is not yet approved. I'm thinking that there's a slight chance that it would be approved since there are a lot of agents that filed their own leaves as well for that week (Feb 14-20) not because they will attend the Kalinga Day celebration but to have their own dates, it's Valentine's Day! Ouch!

Though my filed leave may not be approved I will still try to figure out a way to go home; attend the festival and of course to sell my merchandise, the iKALINGA t-shirts.

Blogging Mode

Just arrived this morning from the province, had my New Year celebration there with my family and also with Kim and her family. 4 days of 'vacation' in my beloved Kalinga is just short, very short, I wish it could be longer.

Anyways, Happy New Year to everybody and I hope you had enjoyed 2009 as we start 2010. Also, I'm back on my blogging and money-making mode.

Going home...

Kalinga my beloved homeland... here I come.

The Igorot-haters!

If you're an Igorot what would you feel (and what would you do) if you heard someone say, "mga bobo kayong mga igorot, mga walang pinag-aralan" without any reason; and that someone is just around the corner?

It's really annoying when you hear somebody saying something bad about your race or let's just say the place where you came from. It will make you wanna' confront that person and stab him/her with piercing trash talks. Ouch!

This is rather a short story about this thing that me and my girl had experienced; in fact, we are currently experiencing it.

We have these neighbors, they are Ilocanos, who believed that they have the best family in the whole world; also they believed that the Igorots are the dirtiest and dumbest people. Such a description.

This is not about war-of-races; this is not to disgrace the two races (Igorot and Ilocano) as well. This is, I believe, a war between that family (the Igorot-haters) and their belief. A war between themselves alone.

According to wikipedia.org the Ilocano people are characterized as being hardworking and frugal, and they engage primarily in farming and fishing. The Ilocano culture represents very simple, sometimes spartan day-to-day living, focusing mostly on work and productivity, spending only on necessities and not on so much on ostentatious material possessions. Ilocanos also exemplify a great degree of respect and humility in their everyday dealings, much similar to their Tagalog counterparts.

Well it would be a good thing if one of the descriptions above fits the Igorot-haters, so bad not even one could be right for them.

I have a 25% Igorot blood, the other part makes me a Kalinga. My girlfriend is half-Igorot and I know she is proud to be one. We are both proud to be.

Exactly about a year ago we relocated to this place recommended by the sister of my girlfriend; she had an information that this place would be very comfortable for us. Also from this place there would be an easy access to almost all; like the market, grocery stores, malls, hospital, restaurants, etc. So we decided to pick the place; it's located somewhere in Sampaloc, Manila. It's an old 2-storey house; it has four rooms in the second-floor and a room downstairs. Three rooms upstairs are occupied now, 2 of them are occupied by friendly girls from Isabela. The only room at the ground-floor was occupied by the haters; they claimed they've been there for about 20 years now. Hmmm, I wonder why no tenants up-stairs are lasting for more than 2 years.

To be continued...

A Prayer (Banao Tribe)

I've seen a video of this prayer in Youtube and it is really touching.

Apo Kabunyan, Amami un mannakabalin,
Sika jit nanjayjayawan jajit manakom mi
Sika jit nanvantay kabayatan un siviviyag pay laeng jajit A-ammami
Sika nagtod si laing sijajit A-appomi un siya jit gapu na un kaawad mi sin saton un al-algaw
Sin saton un algaw, jawaton mi kan sika un ipatawid nu kan jakami jit sirib kan laing
Un kama met laeng sijit panangipatawid nu sijajit manakom mi
Tapno sinsaton un kaawad mi ket manballigi para si manpiya-an ton Vanao(Banao) un ili mi.

Kama met laeng un jawatun mi un bendisyonam amin jajit ganakmi
Iti kasta ket itultuloy ja ton napintas un panggopmi un aamma ja.
Namnamami un gapu si panangtarabay nu ket matago ja un manjayjayaw si kinamannakabalin nu.
Kama met laeng un magangpot ton gapun ji kaawad mi sin saton
Namnamami un awad jajit angheles nu un mansalaknib kan jakami nu kawad man ji manturungan ji dalan mi.

Siya jato amin ton jawat mi Apo Kabunyan ot namnamaon mi un itod nu kan jakami gapu ta ma-id savalin langtay nu aji si Jesu Kristo un Anak nu kan Apo mi. Amen.

KALINGA Day!

Balita ko OK naman daw yung selebrasyon sa nakaraang Kalinga Day (Ullalim Festival), good naman kung ganun. Di nga lang ako nakauwi sa probinsya sa kadahilanan na may mga unekspekted na pangyayari na nangyari dito na sana di nangyari.. eh nangyari naman. Hehehe.

Ang ipinagtataka ko lang ay kung bakit Forward Rural Development ang tema nung okasyon; so bale ang akronym neto ay FRD? Hmmm.. Galing naman; Floydelia R. Diasen ang pangalan ng aming respetadong gobernador sa aming lalawigan eh. Coincidence kaya? No comment. Basta ang importante ay masaya at mapayapa ang bayan.

Matago-tago tako losan!

iKALINGA

Malapit na naman ang Ullalim Festival (Kalinga Day) sa aking bayang kinalakhan; ang pestibal na ito ay mangyayari sa buwan ng Pebrero. Lahat kayo ay imbitado para dumalo, sabihin niyo na rin ito sa mga kaibigan niyo; at kaibigan ng mga kaibigan niyo. Hehehe.

(The 2 logos that you are seeing above will be used on the t-shirts that we will be selling on Kalinga Day)

My Mom and my pursuit of education...

My mom told me before that education could be the best gift that she could give us (her children) and as long as she is living she would try her best to let us finish college. For me, as the eldest of her five children, I considered that as an act of a loving and caring mother.

She tried.

Mom ascended to heaven couple of days after the New Year in 2004. A big loss for the family. She had plans and dreams for us but God had better ones for her; actually the best ones.

After she passed away I still pursued my college education, I was taking B.S. Agriculture Engineering (BSAE) in the Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC) back then. I promised myself that I will finish that course not just for me and the family but especially for her. I failed.

I was not able to finish my BS course, that's a fact.

I want to finish college and have a degree, that's another fact.

I was studying back then when the opportunity of 'working' reveals itself and was able to convince me follow its path. That was late 2005. On that time, deciding whether to continue my studies or start working was not easy. I can't do both at the same time, as much I want to, for the workplace is in Baguio. Before going to the City of Pines I told my friends and relatives that I'm sure I can manage my time in Baguio and become a working-student; but that never happened.

Now that I'm here in Manila, still I cannot find time to enroll myself to any college to continue education. Until my girlfriend told me an idea about distance education. Distance education?

So we researched the internet about the colleges that offfers distance education. What caught my attention is University of the Philippines Open Univeristy, will this be another opportunity for me to go back to the school that I left? I guess not. Their offered courses were not in my interest. Tsktsk!

Distance education, distance education. How can I avail of you? Having further net search about it we came across CAP College - College on the Web. Nice one. I did a lookup on their program and I was somewhat interested on their A.B. Information Technology (IT) course. I will be taking that and finish it! Angst! Hopefully this month I can enroll and start my distance education.

Maybe the BSAE is not the proper degree for me; however, anything is possible according to God's plans for me. In every opportunity that will open for me to continue the education that my Mom once started I'll make sure that I will give it a shot. I can do it; I believe in me.

Mama is the best mother in the world! She still is. I know that she is always guiding us from up above. Now, I can say that education is not actually the best gift that she could have given us; it's her LOVE.

Mountaineers

I like hiking and trekking. I like going up the mountains, feel the air up there and shout, "I am the king of the world!"

When I was studying in U.P. I joined the UP Mountaineers; that was last 2001. I experienced jogging around the UP oval for about 4 times, very tiring. Well, I wasn't able to complete all the Basic Mountaineering Courses though, so I can say that I'm not one of them. So sad.

When I decided to continue my college education at the Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC) in my beloved province I tried to establish a mountaineering organization and called it Tagu Mountaineers (Tagu means life or person), many become interested and actually joined. However, that organization didn't last long for we lack equipments and that I wasn't able to complete its paperworks. Also, I lacked support. So we called it quits for good.

Last 2005, there were KASC students who planned to organized a mountaineering group in the campus. They were determined and ambitious. They had seeked my opinion and help. Because I knew that these students had the potential and determination I decided to give them some information. But I wasn't able to hear from them since I left KASC.

Last year I've heard from some friends in the province that there is a new organization called Kalinga Mountaineering Society (KMS) being put up and planned by good people. I felt very glad for it. I've been hearing good news and comments for KMS; they had already their climbs and events. In fact we and Nats had a little chat before and he was inviting mo to join, well as much I want to but I'm based here in the metro and my schedule could hardly allow me to join the fun and events. The organization is growing, thumbs up to that!

White Water Rafting and the Great Chico River

I am so proud that our province is the white water rafting capital of the northern Philippines. I've been hearing and reading information that a lot of locals and tourists are visiting our province to experience the rapids of the great Chico River. Well that's good for us iKalingas.

I am an adventurous person; I like doing things that involves physical and mental capability. However, it saddens me that I've never tried rafting. I never had the chance to go white water rafting when I was in Tabuk; how much more that now I'm 12 hours away? Arrgghh! I envy those people who were able to go extreme and conquered the excitement that the Chico River is offering. I'm hoping that I can do that too. Oh well!

The local government of Kalinga should maintain the "greatness" of the river. By doing so they can invite more tourists and enthusiasts to visit the province and that is a big help to the ecotourism industry. It would be also good to pair that with peace and order. Way to go Kalinga!

I'm a Coffee Drinker

I'm a coffee drinker. I love coffee. When I was still in Tabuk I drink about 3-5 cups of coffee everyday; that had diminished to 1-2 mugs ever since I stayed here in Manila. I drink coffee at home and even here in the office. I drink coffee almost everyday. But what I missed the most is the coffee from our province. Kalinga is now producing processed native coffee powder and also being commercially introduced; Kalinga Coffee and Kalinga Blend are the top brands. I've tried those brands already but still I'm missing the taste of something, the taste of a coffee that I haven't drink for a long time. It is the coffee that my beloved grandmother used to roast and process by herself; so sad she is now very old that she cannot identify what is a good coffee bean from not.

Last Friday me and my girlfriend went to the University of the Philippines (UPD) and after requesting for my OTR we decided to take a little walk and visit the Vargas Museum; it's going to be our first time to enter that museum. Before we entered the museum we noticed that there is a small cafe on the left wing of the building and we were somewhat surprised, it is Cordillera Coffee. I have a friend in Kalinga that talked a lot about the Cordillera Coffee when I was still there. The cafe is owned by a family from our hometown. My friend is actually staying with that family and he once had tried to work in a branch of that cafe here in the metro; he had roasted coffee beans. So me and my girl decided to try what the Cordillere Coffee can offer; to my curiousity I ordered their Kalinga Cafe with whip cream and orange slice. Well the coffee is good but the orange slice had added a little sweetness to it, I like a coffee that is a little bitter or let's just say less sugar.

Cordillera Coffee says Drink for a Cause for they are patronizing the best coffees of the entire Cordillera Region, that's good. Kalinga coffees are also being sold not just here in the Philippines but also abroad; if the iKalingas and the governmnet will continue supporting these native products then we might see a boom and economic progress in the province.

I love coffee. Well then I have to drink my coffee first for it's getting cold.

iKalinga

If you are a writer you know that there's nothing more difficult than to think how you will start your work. If you are a good writer then you could immediately work your imagination and move out of that stage. If you are a very good writer then you may or may not agree to me and stick to what you know.

In this blog you can read about what I do. You can read about what I've been through. I am not encouraging you to know more about me, that's alright for what I will be posting here is somewhat near to my personal interests. I do have my other blogs that talks about sports and anything under the sun. I have my blog about basketball, about boxing, and about anything. Well you see you can have a daily dose of nothing here; if my posts can help you in any way then that will be good, if not then I still have to thank you for reading.

You might be asking what iKalinga means; well it means that I am raised and from the province of Kalinga. People had been relating names to my beloved province; the Land of the Brave,the Home of the Warriors, the Place of No Return! Behind those tags, still Kalinga is Kalinga.

This post could be a good start for this blog. I'll try to update or post everyday. Oh, the coffee is getting cold, I will have to drink it up. By the way, I love coffee!