In Search of Baguio and Sagada

In Search of Baguio & Sagada: Epilogue

2007-12-21T17:05:00.000+08:00

I particularly enjoyed this year’s study trip to the Philippines. Taking almost one year to plot and orientate my novice co-travelers for what might come their way, it was the exciting prospect of revisiting a place that I had spent time for fieldwork (in 2006) that kept my own sights and energies focused.

The entries in this blog – textual and visual - are of course the best witness to some of the many exciting episodes that transpired in this particular trip. But, in no small measure the challenging and spectacular physical and cultural landscapes of the Cordillera region, the powerful stories of struggle, vision and hope shared by the groups we met, and the youthful enthusiasm and spontaneity of this cohort of travelers made the many months of preparation insignificant. The few unexpected twists and turns cropping up along the way also infused this trip with a distinctive character that only my co-travelers can know and share.

A journey of this nature would not be possible in the absence of the assistance of a number of institutions and individuals. I would like to thank the Cordillera Studies Centre of the University of the Philippines, Baguio City Campus for kindly consenting to be the host institution, and for identifying energetic and knowledgeable student guides for the journey. In addition to her own valuable insights into the many issues faced in the region, Mary Carling provided key assistance in logistical preparations and facilitating cross-cultural bridges for us. Last but not least, the generosity of knowledge shared by the many groups and individuals that we met along the way will remain lodged in our hearts.

If there are any learning points that my fellow travelers can discern from this year’s trip to what may seem to be exotic and unfamiliar lifeworlds, I believe there are two. Firstly, it is the tenacity of the human spirit in search for better livelihoods as embodied in the courageous daily struggles of local communities and civil society groups. And, secondly, the singular wisdom and necessity of valuing and protecting cultural diversities wherever they may be found in order to shape a more convivial place for all. Whilst the study trip has ended, that part of the journey remains in motion.

By YSG

Day 10: Signing Off

2007-12-21T16:00:00.000+08:00

The whole idea of signing off and writing a closing post would be to summarize our entire trip into a succinct piece and give a teary farewell to how much I missed everyone and how the whole trip was a lesson learnt that I would cherish for a lifetime. Yet for me, I know some of those big flowery sentences won’t always ring through, I’ll always be getting myself too busy and sometimes the whole bit slowing down to enjoy my surroundings also becomes a problem.

But in all honesty, I do know that going to Baguio and Sagada was a very eye-opening trip, not just in the tourist sense of knowing I saw the culture and experienced the sights, sounds and taste of the place. But that I also learnt something about myself. About how I adapt in different circumstances and how I’ll mostly see myself as the person who observes and hopefully try to remember what I’ve seen.

This blog is an accumulation of the many groups we visited, the personal experiences we had from the downright eye-popping ones to the more awe-inspiring occurrences of nature and even the gut-popping and heart wrenchingly funny and sad incidents we saw and heard. Of the many names and faces of people we met, we’ll surely have forgotten half their name but knowing the cause that they fight doesn’t end here but that it continues till a certain plateau is reached before they can afford to rest and then continue on.

One special mention I wanted to take note of is that the Sagada National High School is still lacking one computer for their technology class. Mindy, you still up for raising funds for them? Maybe we as a group could find some means to raise the money for them.

Here are some places that were not mentioned.

We visited Oh My Gulay, a gallery-restaurant (which literally means Oh My Vegetable, which brings to mind the phrase, vegetroubles), a hip and happening place with an artsy vibe and a basic menu of mostly pasta and salads. Kidlat Tahimik the world renowned film director and Baguio City local owns the place.

The Minstrel, an A Capella group worth mentioning was singing at Oh My Gulay the night we were there and also during the 2nd mini Christmas concert in UP Baguio on the 20th of December. I thought the group had a pretty good harmony worked out between them and the choice of songs worked to their voices too.

Quirino Hill near the CPA office really caught my attention, it literally looked like there were houses growing out of it as the houses were built at very close proximity to one another. And as Maya noted, the houses are growing at a rate of mushrooms in Baguio City.

It was also interesting to note that even God’s animals (dogs) were welcomed visitors at His house, in Sagada. I like to think that it’s because it’s a village and people weren’t too picky (as such, I’m sure the Malaysian churches would be horrified to allow dogs into the church sanctuary). I’m just glad I got to see how church is conducted away from home, as it gave me a different perspective on a similar faith I myself practice.

Five names must be mentioned and graciously thanked. Janice Bagawi (Maya), Macario Lacbawan (Mac), Rommel de Guzman (Rommel), Maureen Macaraeg (Mau) and Chinee Palatino (Chinee). Lastly also Mary Carling, the one who got things off the ground for us from the Philippines. Thank you very much all of you for the effort and time you took to help us all through the ins and out of a language that can sometimes sound vaguely familiar yet isn’t very much so.

Two quotes come to mind at the end of a post like this.

One:
Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts.
And we are never, ever the same.

Two:
Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I'll miss you.
Until we meet again!

I actually have no idea who wrote the above lines but I thought the short poems very nicely explained how most of us would feel at the end of the trip, from both the Malaysian and the Filipino parties.

So I pray that as we all left Baguio and Sagada with our eyes and heart opened a little bigger and wider. To understand that our world isn't as small as it seems and how much can be achieved if we just put our heart and minds to it.

Editor-in-Chief
Shu Yi

An Ode to Baguio

2007-12-21T00:31:00.000+08:00

To say the least, Baguio has flouted my initial assumptions of the city. The pictures I saw over the internet in research before coming here did not betray many things, such as the very strange traffic “rules” (or lack of), which by Malaysian standards, will shock the most seasoned of KL pedestrians. For the information of those who do not know, the traffic in KL is bad and trust me, that, is an understatement. Still, for those who want to travel here, the trick seems to be, that we walk in packs; because then, they will have to stop for you. We often forget that they drive on the opposite side of the road and just tonight, I screamed at the glaring headlights of an oncoming taxi because I forgot to look right after I looked left and crossed. A friend from the group and I joked the other day, that Filipino drivers have their hands surgically attached to their car horns.

Yet just as the saying goes, “never judge a book by its cover”, one must not judge a city merely, by its traffic. Baguio holds many little wonders for those who can see past its unashamed forwardness and little offences (such as safety for tourists – we are warned of the many pickpockets roaming the streets), to see the beauty and hospitality of it's local inhabitants. Till today, I still cringe when a much older woman salesperson calls me, “ma’am”. One only has to recall the hawkers back home to know the value of good manners. Many people here mind their p’s and q’s.

A word of praise goes out to our student guides, volunteers from the University of Philippines, Baguio campus Maya, Mau, Mac, (the three mighty M’s) and the adorable Chinee and Rommel. Frankly, I think we gave them more than they bargained for; with our often ignorant questions and shameless and constant harassment, it is a wonder they did not run for their lives on the very first day. To you all, I say thank you on behalf of my uni-mates. May God return you your sanity so that you can continue your lives where you left off before we invaded your perfect city and healthy minds.

To the organisations that hosted us for the past ten days, a very big Salamat. It was an honour to understand the cause that you fight for everyday of your lives - that we, from a very privileged nation, in which its people often take its prosperity and freedom from grave poverty and other struggles for granted, cannot begin to fathom. My wish is that in my understanding of your battles, I will remember to repeat you, and your cause to everyone I meet, so that they, and I, might remember the smaller things in life.

As an aspiring academic, I now know that what is said in endless and often forgotten tutorial discussions on intricate issues like poverty, women’s issues, equality, economics, and the role of government, the talk ends when the clock’s second hand strikes 12 to mark the end of the hour, and we all leave to meet our friends at the local Starbucks. Your fight, on the other hand, is real. Your fight is noble. Your fight is bold. Your fight will be won.

By Melissa

Day 9: A Bollywood Ending

2007-12-20T23:50:00.000+08:00

Today is the last day before we end our challenging yet glorious trip to Baguio and Sagada and I was given the honours to document it in a diary entry. Well first and foremost I would like to warn readers that my memory is failing me nowadays (old age catching up) so I would like to apologize in advance if I missed out on anything important.

Well, the first thing we did in the morning, was the visit to Camp John Hay. It was an eventful visit, simply because of the numbing walk uphill and of course the making of Aaron’s Bollywood musical flick. But, before I go there, it is worth mentioning that we went to a very classy hotel indeed, can’t remember the name though (Ed: it’s called Camp John Hay – The Manor Hotel). Just to enjoy the environment and use the comfort rooms (known as toilets and restrooms in Malaysia) of course. The point I wanted to make, well actually Susan made me realize, was that there is a vast and obvious difference between the rich and the poor in the Philippines. Here we see rich guests mostly from foreign countries with their expensive coats, Gucci handbags and an aristocrat feel about them and after witnessing the poverty going around Baguio City, the world seems to be really quite cruel.

After the hotel visit were more excruciating walks uphill and finally to the spot to film Aron’s newest production. We all tried out best to dance although honestly I think we looked like a bunch of monkeys getting excited. The best part of it was definitely Rommel and Mau running around in D-I-Y slow motion mode. It was simply hilarious. After all the hard work, all of us being actors and all, got tired, and me as usual, got hungry. So off we went to find food and we ended up at what was that name again? Sorry I forgot, told you, old age catching up. Anyway, it has one of the best burgers I’ve tried, I think Aron would agree with me or he would probably still choose the ever so wonderful 7/11 hotdog.

Well, fast-forward till night and we attended an annual Christmas concert at UP Baguio and we rocked the house down.

The dancing lessons this morning seriously paid off as Monash students simply took center stage. Right back at ya UP Baguio peeps! We were then treated to a very nice dinner by our very own Prof. Daniel. Thanks a lot sir, I appreciate it, the rest as well I’m sure. Then came the emotional goodbye at a music bar of all places (Ed: it’s Ayuyang Bar at Governor Pack Road.) The emotional goodbye was spearheaded by Jojo and Pooi Yarn who both eventually began a chain reaction. But anyways, I love you guys to bits, best friends forever. So that’s it, I am in Manila now and you guys are missing out a lot, seriously, wish you guys were here.

P/S Me and Susan got harassed by a street thug on the way to the CC to do this story. One of the many sacrifices I go through to help complete this blog. (Ed: and the editor sincerely thanks both of you for sparing time on your short Manila trip for the life of this blog =)

By Zeck

Three

2007-12-20T21:24:00.000+08:00

Here's a poem that is found behind the back of a University of the Philippines shirt that some of us were so gung ho to buy. The 'three' represents the minimal grade a student at a UP can get in his/ her academic year. Here's a similar cheer for the Monash Arts students who still have one - two sems more to go in the next year to come, all the best for whatever you achieve and may it never be lower than a 'three'.

I think that I shall never see

A grade as lovely as a three

A three that's earned with

Blood and sweat

When failing is a serious threat

A three I've asked from

God all day.

Knowing praying is the only way
Exams are taken by fools

Like me

But only God can give a three

By Shu Yi

[im]press[i]ons

2007-12-20T13:25:00.000+08:00

What would five students of UP Baguio who don't know what to expect get when they meet eighteen students from Monash University in Malaysia who speak English with what, at first, seems like a British accent? They get nosebleed. And what more would these five UPB students get when they spend a week with these eighteen students from Monash? Indeed, more nosebleed. That is a word young Filipinos use these days to describe anything not easy to deal with or anything that requires effort. Despite our professed proficiency in English, we Filipinos prefer to speak the idioms of our languages. Thus, playing the role of a "student guide" to students from Malaysia is not nosebleed; having to constantly speak English is.

Owing to my ignorance of Malaysia, I was surprised that our visitors from Malaysia spoke good English. I expected them to be like the Koreans and Japanese in the city who spoke a halting and simplified English. While observing them the first day, I came up with a tentative hypothesis that these students spoke English so well because they belonged to the upper middle class, if not upper class families. I based that on the situation in the Philippines where a good command of the English language is a status symbol, and it may be said that children of rich families speak English as their first language. I found out later though, that there are three races in Malaysia, namely the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indians, and they have to speak English in order to communicate. So much for my hypothesis. Nevertheless, rich kids or not, these students from Monash University aren't bratty at all, thank goodness. They are actually very eager to learn as much as they can about Baguio and Sagada. During lectures and discussions with the various groups we met they were always teeming with questions, no matter how soporific the session had been.

Nosebleed aside, being with eighteen students from Malaysia during their stay here was almost like being a tourist myself. Seeing the city I grew up in and the province where my parents grew up in through the eyes of first-timers allowed me to experience things I had taken for granted-- mountain scenery, bumpy winding roads, hiking, cold weather, rainbows, balut and one day old chicks--with child-like excitement. They say they came here in search of Baguio and Sagada, and I hope they found it.

I did, through their eyes.

By Maya

Session Road

2007-12-20T00:19:00.000+08:00

Ask a traveler where he has been to in Baguio, the answer would definitely include Session Road. If you had the chance to visit Baguio, you would most definitely have walked along Session Road at least once, unless you rarely leave your place of accommodation, of course. I was lucky enough to stay in an inn situated along Session Road itself, so there wouldn’t be any excuse to not explore this most visited section of Baguio City.

Unlike most busy streets in US, Europe and some parts of Asia, Session Road, I noticed has few, if not, no bill boards along the streets. You will, however, find many residents and visitors still enjoying their climb up and down the hilly streets of Session Road. Session Road is the main pathway across Baguio city and it happens to be the city’s main commercial district. This is where you will find establishments ranging from food to fashion and accommodations. A variety of stores, bazaars, restaurants and banks are just a few examples of what you can find on Session Road. As a result, Session Road is often crowded with people, mostly Filipinos coming from the lowlands to enjoy the cool weather in Baguio.

However, the crowds on Session Road could spell trouble especially to tourists as they would mostly like be in possession of more cash compared to locals. I myself, thankfully, never encountered any problems but the warnings you get about pickpockets and handphone snatchers does keep me on alert mode, as it’s better to be safe then sorry I guess. Being in restaurants and shops however, ensures your safety as there are security guards, as weird as it may sound in these places. Going into a mall will get you searched and possibly walking through a metal detector. Walking down Session Road is no doubt, a lot of fun, especially window shopping, looking at different types of people conducting all forms of trades or just simply walking down this lengthy road. It is advisable however, to spend more time walking along Session Road during the night as the pollution is not as bad then.

Well I guess that would be everything, in a nutshell of course, on what you should know about Session Road. I am sure that there are more alleys and lanes that branch out from Session Road ready to be explored so that is exactly what I am going to do now. Session Road, here I come!

By Zeck

Jeepney

2007-12-20T00:03:00.001+08:00

Jeepneys are an integral part of the Filippino culture, playing an important role in the national transportation system. Therefore, I really think that if you’re in the Philippines, traveling in a Jeepney is a must. The jeepneys are the gleaming and glittering vehicles on the street and were apparently inspired by the locals the Americans left army jeeps behind after World War II. These jeepneys proudly symbolize the culture of the Philippines, attaching colorful and flashing decorations to their shiny chrome bodies.

Jeepneys cover practically all the streets in Baguio, picking passengers up at every corner of the main road. Jeepneys can easily accommodate more than 15 people (around 18, if we squeezed tightly). Charging a mere 6 pesos for students (or 7.5 for non-students), it is definitely a riveting and intriguing experience. Speaking from experience, sitting at the back of a jeepney, as the driver presses hard on the accelerator and never lets the gearshaft go, smelling the inevitable fumes was painstakingly torturous and at the same time, unusually fun. I was shocked when I saw people easily jumping on to the Jeepneys, even though it was full and just holding on to the side of the railing. According to a reliable source of information, accidents do not occur often. Amazing!

The unique thing about these Jeepneys is that each Jeepney is different compared to another. Each Jeepney is a work of art, as it's important to make an name for ones self on the streets. The ability to be creative in designing the Jeepneys is essential for Jeepney drivers because these vehicles are basically their pride and joy, as well as their source of income. It is known to this transportation culture that these Jeepney owners name their Jeepneys, often after their family name or sometimes, with tacky and unusual names such as ‘Tom Jones’, ‘Igorots’, ‘Billy Bob’, ‘I will pick you up’(Ed: there were a ton of Christian related phrases too) and etc. Jeepney owners took a fancy to decorate their Jeepneys with colorful paintings of American symbols too, such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones and there were others who preferred to stick closer to their traditional designs.

I was told that Jeepney drivers depend upon the honesty of the customers when it comes to paying them. Sometimes, there are costumers who just hop into the Jeepneys, and once they reach their destinations, they just hop off without paying a single cent to the driver. However, I am proud to say that Monash students are not among these dishonest people especially after finding out that Jeepney drivers only earned an average of 300-350 pesos on a normal day. If it was school holidays or a rainy day, they can earn a shockingly low amount of 200 pesos. Many Jeepney drivers from the lowlands, especially from Manila, often do not become Jeepney drivers in Baguio because of the mountainous terrains. It is too difficult for them to get used to it.

Jeepneys are by far one of the coolest rides I have ever been on. It’s like riding a ‘tuk tuk’ in Thailand, but as a much more comfortable ride. Jeepney drivers are incredible drivers, put them into a F1 ring and they can easily defeat Michael Schumacher or even Fernando Alonso. Whoever has ridden on a Jeepney, would agree.

By Susan

Day 8: Cultural Night

2007-12-19T22:07:00.000+08:00

12 am: I can hear “Lonely” by Akon. A reasonably good-looking Filipino woman with a strapless black halter and denim mini-skirt holds two baluts and takes a seat next to a man. She proceeds to shake his hand, introduce herself and then place her hand on his thigh. I am in Gegambak (which means spider in Tagalog). The dancers are amateurs. It is no strip club though. The women keep their clothes on. After Aron downs his last beer we walk back to the inn.

For the first time in days, I wake up at 10 am. Bliss. Today is the day that we all take a holiday from our holiday. Lunch is at Chowking Express. I was informed by the locals that Chowking is Filipino owned. The Pancit Canton tastes very much like Hokkien Mee.

Halo-Halo is the Filipino version of our ais kacang. It is shaved ice with ube (yam paste), oats, jelly pieces, beans and a host of other things. Feeza asks me, “Is that yam ah?” I thought she was trying to be Rastafarian and say “Ya Man”.

After lunch, my personal itinerary tells me it is time to resume chilling time by watching television. Some of us watched TV and some went to the black market. At 3 pm we met to rehearse our cultural performance and then we left to the CSC in UP Baguio. We look a strange bunch today (much stranger than how we usually look on the streets of Baguio) with some of us sporting sarongs around our waists.

We started with an icebreaker that Rommel and Chinee taught us. It was very similar to the dances we normally have at secondary school campfires. Dinner was satisfying. There was Filipino popiah, malakit (a sticky rice kuih), roast chicken, pancit and cream puffs. After dinner we proceeded to embarrass ourselves and we were repaid with laughter, smiles and claps from our gracious hosts.

We performed a dikir barat, a dance comedy and also presented a video entitled Kadhal Sagada (Sagada Romance). Our dikir barat singing of Rasa Sayang sounded pretty good to me and the Filipinos were quite amused with the backup singing for Feliz Navidad courtesy of Aron, Zeck, Max, Feeza and Temme. The laughter at the end of our dance comedy convinced me that we Monash students managed to put on a smashing performance. (Ed: the dance comedy was an absolutely fabulous performance that was prepared in about 10 minutes and everyone just jumbled ideas together and walah! We had a historical-dance-comedy) Look out for the link to Kadhal Sagada, its hilariously funny!

Our student guides put on a traditional song performance for us with accompanying footwork whilst Claire Daguio from Migrante and Ani Bungaoen from Ornus taught us an Igorot song. To end the night we were treated to a special video by Dr. Yeoh about our journey in the Cordilleras. It was very touching and left us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Gifts were presented. Contact numbers and hugs were exchanged. The solidarity goal of the trip was a success.

There was leftover food and we decided to distribute it to those in need. While holding a huge tray of pancit, Max asked two male street vendors, “Do you all want pancit?” They shake their heads. Perhaps they think he was trying to sell them pancit. Eventually we gave the food to some street vendors with children.

By Grace

In the Still of the Night

2007-12-19T21:55:00.000+08:00

The night life in Baguio City is rather interesting. Unlike most cities in Malaysia where the people are either out partying or staying at home, the people of Baguio have a different way of spending their nights.

The ever famous Session Road in Baguio City is not only the home to street vendors during the day, but also at night. At night, a whole new world unfolds in the streets of Baguio. Food and cloth peddlers are replaced with DVD sellers and child beggars. It’s not really a nice feeling when a child walks up to you and begs you for money. 1 Peso is not a big amount to give. However, when you give one, a whole colony of children will come begging from you as well.

Homeless people and scavengers are also seen going through trashes looking for recyclable items. Being in a third world country, it may seem a normal thing to the society living there. But most of us, found it hard to truly understand what was happening.

Nevertheless, we kept our spirits up as we explored the night life of the streets of Baguio. And eventually, we came across something or rather a place where most members of society would be against its establishment. It was a striper club. To be exact, a male strippers club.

The girls were really excited about it. But the guys were not. Anyway, we still went ahead to the stripper club. It was the first time for most of us. When we got there, the setting of the club was very Americanized and there was a cage-shaped podium where the strippers would perform.

The male strippers were not really gay strippers. They were heterosexual and were doing it for the good money. One of them said he was introduced into the business by a friend and later realized he was making a reasonably good amount of money. And they also said that they offer sexual services if they were asked depending on the amount of money offered.

The situation in the bar on the other hand was different for both the guys and girls. The guys were starting to feel a little uncomfortable seeing other men strip in front of them. Yet all was not lost as we were told that there was a female strip club just above the male one.

So, we, the guys went up. The female strip club was almost the same. Although, it had more performers. But it wasn’t really a nice show to view. We did get to see some strippers in action but we realize that most of them weren’t really happy doing it. It was like they were forced into doing it.

In the end, the night life in Baguio is definitely filled with lots of amazing things to do. It may not have the best night lifestyle in the region, but it’s different in its own way. And poverty is definitely a factor in all of this.

By Aron

Home

2007-12-19T13:30:00.000+08:00

I packed my things.

I put my foot forward then the other.

One step…

Two steps...

Until I embarked on a sojourn.

I found myself exploring what I have

not seen back home.

Things beautiful, things amazing,

Things rare, things exciting.

I found the beauty of the unexplored

world and it soon enslaved me.

My untrained, much more, innocent eyes

began to drift in the impeccable

sight of the new world.

I found it faultless…

Pristine...

And I thought I was better-off roaming

the vast expanse of the seemingly

perfect place where my feet have led

me.

I yearned for a new kind of life

after I left my home where life was

muddled...

Where my soul was eternally restless...

Where thoughts collided with

feelings...

Where the mind almost always

functioned in disarrayed fashion…
I wandered...

As my journey away from home took time,

I saw the treachery of the

unknown world I was in.

There I was, beginning to feel tired and

lost in the idea of a better life in

an unknown realm.

I slept, thinking it would soon be

over.

With a gust of wind that blew against

my pale cheeks

and with raindrops, I woke up.

I knew I had to go back home.

It felt lost in a milieu

of a thousand chestnut trees, a

million birds and a hundred bees.

I had to find my way back

despite being clueless of how long it would

take.

With a little energy left, I leaped up

on my feet, ran as fast as I

could...

In the end, my eyes were blurred with

tears as darkness further weakened my

sight...

But a little spark of light changed

everything.

The little lamp that hung above the

doorstep did not burn out while I was

away...

The roof was a bit dingy,

The mats were new...

But much of it remained the same...

I know I am home...

*Finding your way back

home is always a delight to the heart

and a joy to the soul...

To the Monash students I have shared nine days with, may the Philippines be your second home.I will always be waiting for your return…

By Mau

Halal Food Hunt in Baguio and Sagada

2007-12-19T00:49:00.000+08:00

Before the trip to the Philippines, I’ve had countless advices of - “do” and “do not” eat when I’m here from my parents. Packed with lots of everyday emergency food items like cup noodles, Campbell soup packets and biscuits, I was ready to be a survivor in a foreign land. Not forgetting, I packed along the thermos for boiling water to cook the noodles and soups. Yes, people, you can call me ‘kiasu’. But it came in very handy. My room became famous for emergency food supplies.

Being mentally prepared not to easily find Halal food, my buddy (Feeza) and I had to go surveying restaurants, food stalls etc. Days past; the truth was that I couldn’t bear to eat any more junk food as my real meals. Till now, I'm constantly craving for home cooked food, mamak food etc.

The first day we had Fillet-O-Fish for dinner. We ate there after interviewing the manager for a few minutes, asking whether the fish burger was cooked together or separately from other meats like beef and chicken. He said that it was cooked separately. The manager also said that they do not serve pork in McDonalds and thus Muslims can go there too. We were convinced that we had come to the right restaurant. McDonalds was the first restaurant in Baguio where we could have our first decent meal.

Back in Sagada, I think we had a few choices to choose from. I’ve tried the vegetable fried rice and vegetable pasta. I think I had too much vegetables, very unlike what I always have back home.

All in all, I became a vegetarian here. Like Feeza always says, “We’re becoming like goats”, and she would do the sound of a goat. On the bright side, I think in a way it’s good to eat vegetables daily as it’s good for digestion and good for the bowel as well.

Truthfully, it’s hard to find Halal food here. Feeza and I had to constantly ask the person in charge of the place how the food is to be cooked. In Baguio, when the Muslim leaders came here to have the discussion. I asked them of places where we could find Halal food. They said that we could find them at the market which opens from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. But the hard thing was that we were out by 7 a.m. on most days and only back after 7 p.m. so the only choices left was McDonalds and of course my food stock, which I was very tired of eating. That was the experiences I’ve had of my first few days in Baguio.

Just now, I wanted to try ‘Halo-Halo', the local desert. It’s similar to our local dish of ‘ice-kacang’ back home. So the gang and I went to ‘Chowking’ and interviewed the manager in charge at that time about the food available there. As a result, the restaurant became the second one where we could find our fish dishes.

Apart from the fish and vegetarian food I could eat, I bought bread, cookies and potato chips as well.

I realized how lucky I am to be living in a multi religious and multi racial country (Singapore!) where people understand my culture and religion. There are sections for Halal and Non-Halal food. Gosh, I miss my ‘nasi lemak ayam’! I’m mentally preparing myself for the first chicken I want to have upon returning to Malaysia (via Air Asia), that is ‘nasi lemak ayam’ on the plane!

By Alia

Preserving the Traditional Igorot's Weaving Culture

2007-12-19T00:40:00.000+08:00

A tourist should not leave Baguio city without first paying a visit to the Easter Weaving Room, Inc. (EWR Inc.) that was established since 1908. Unlike other weaving workshops in the Philippines, Easter Weaving Room is open to the public for visits from 8am - 5pm. Tourists who pay a visit to this centre will gain an insight to the process of making weaving products. EWR Inc.'s mission is to uphold the traditional method of weaving using manual looms instead of machines in order to maintain the sense of authenticity. Anne Hargreave, a missionary academic of Easter School unleashed the amazing weaving skills of female students who hailed from Mt. Province by incorporating the weaving curriculum into Home Economics.

Due to the use of traditional weaving methods, EWR Inc. faces obstacles in meeting the demands from customers and business partners because their factory cannot churn out mass productions. In addition, the cotton farming industry in the Philippines is non-existent therefore suppliers in Manila have to import raw cotton in order to manufacture threads for weaving. These threads are then transported to Easter Weaving Room in Baguio City. Due to the distance and the seasonal complications, many tourists choose not to visit Baguio and thus business prospects are affected as a result. Despite these challenges, EWR Inc. still continues to preserve the Cordillera culture, particularly the weaving heritage, by serving as a mechanism to market native handicrafts as well as establishing a sanctuary for the enhancement of indigenous Igorot skills. This corporation even exports goods to America, Australia, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Canada.

The making of a final product entails an incredibly patient and meticulous worker. First of all, the primary step of weaving is warping. The warping machine serves as a set of lengthwise yarns through which the weft is woven. Each individual warp thread in a fabric is vital to produce threads. The weft is the yarn that is woven back and forth through the warp to make cloth. Thereon, winding is conducted by 2 workers as a process of thickening fine threads. During the threading process, each line of thread is inserted into individual holes followed by skilful weaving techniques in order to produce materials for sewing end products. These include place mats, shawls, mufflers, scarves, neckties, coats, books, bags, belts and such.

As I walked around the workshop, I interviewed workers to find out whether they have been paid reasonably. All workers have a day off based on duty rotation throughout the week. They work from 8am - 5pm. Lunch time is at noon. However, most of them push themselves to produce as many weaving materials as possible because time is money. For every material they manage to churn out, the workers are paid by final amount of completed products. Therefore, salaries among workers vary depending on how capable they are in being productive. An average monthly pay check never goes below 2200 pesos. According to Elena, a 58-year-old warping worker, she believed that as long as Filipinos work hard, they should be able to make a living. With all the pressing labour exploitation controversies upon multinational fashion corporations like Arcadia that owns fashion stores like Topshop and Ms Selfridge, at least Easter Weaving Room Incorporation is doing Cordillera's indigenous weaving traditions proud. Not only do they promote authentic weaving techniques but they also exercise corporate social responsibility by not exploiting means of labour.

By Jasmine Chew

Day 7: Back to Baguio

2007-12-18T14:02:00.000+08:00

At 6:30am, the elite group boarded the bus from Sagada back to Baguio. It was time to say goodbye to fresh air and Echo Valley, hot tour guides and very affordable weaving products.

Although Feeza thought that the journey back was terrible and when we reached Baguio the dust was worst than Sagada, deep in all of us we had the same four words as Feeza.

“I miss Sagada already.”

Back in Session Road, Baguio, Aron was contented.

“Finally I ate a fine Chinese meal at Chow King! (Spicy Fried Rice with siomai)”

For Pooi Yarn, having Spicy Wanton Noodle Soup for the first time since arriving in the Philippines really made her miss home.

Jasmine Chew indulged in the FTV (Fashion TV) Channel and shopping at SM Mall. Meanwhile, some of the others shopped at the local market.

Maxine and Zeck loved the market. “A shopaholic’s paradise! Better learn to bargain and bargain fast!” Maxine’s bargaining skills could be heard from a couple of stores down the alley. “There are so many things to buy at the market and I’m into indigenous stuff so it’s a perfect place for me to go!” says Zeck displaying a new collection or so every day or two.

After a long search, Linda even found the Balisong knife she had been looking for! However, Max Tan has a piece of advice for all travelers here:

Max: “It’s dangerous to shop in Baguio. There are many imitation goods.”

Some people: …

…went for night entertainment at night...

For Grace and Jojo, it was their first time seeing male strippers.

“Interesting…” Grace definitely saw much more than she counted on.

Jojo spent her 21st birthday there. She felt the guys-in-underwear were “so close to her”.

That same night, Susan thought she was at the Baguio Zoo. “I felt really bad for the male dancers because they danced to us like caged animals.”

Meanwhile, our Cultural Director gave her thoughts about their performance standard. “I think some of the male entertainers are really hot! I admire their flexibility and their dancing moves!”

Erica interacted with the entertainers there for the inside stories. “I was surprised to find that the male entertainers are straight and most of them are single parents.”

What does 1300-13-1300 taste like in Baguio?

“Not as good as Malaysia.” It was Shu Yi’s first time trying McDonalds in the Philippines. The primary reason being the lack in variety.

“I tried Jollibee and the sauce for the spaghetti tasted like sambal!” Melissa, our chaperone identified Malaysian tastes in the food. For me, spaghetti would no longer be limited to just what we normally eat as the typically Italian dish..

Prof. Daniel didn’t really mind where he ate.

“I had dinner with Baguio friends whom I hadn’t seen in one and a half years!” The anticipated reunion was the highlight of his day.

For Alia and Temme, satisfying the lowest level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs had never felt better.

“Yesterday night was the best slept I had since I arrived!” Alia is not shy to proclaim her immense interest in, sleep.

Temme slept for 12 hours straight. “It felt good to finally sleep for a long long time!”

A good night’s sleep only left us eager to embrace the new day ahead. I couldn’t wait!

By Mindy

Children in Baguio & Sagada

2007-12-18T13:43:00.000+08:00

Baguio may not be a bustling metropolitan city but it is a relatively busy city with its own standards of living and attractions. In the Philippines, a large majority of its population live in poverty. This is not an exception in Baguio as well. One of the things that stand out is the number of street vendors selling their goods by the roadside. Even more noticeable is the crowd of children asking for money in the streets or some selling goods with their parents.

It is not unusual for parents to bring their children along while they wait patiently by the roadside for someone to buy their items. Many children are seen loitering around the whole day, with nothing to do but to help their parents to gain more business. Some of the parents, mainly women, would be cradling a baby in one hand and guarding the stall while their children wander off to get people to buy their things. A couple of children who were selling plastic bags in the market approached me to buy their bags.

Another common sight would be of the children asking for money with their arms outstretched. They have nothing to sell but sometimes they would exchange your money for services. Personally, I come across some that would sing Christmas carols to you or others that offer to carry your bags or groceries for a donation from you.

Similarly, when we arrived in Sagada, we were also greeted with sights of children on the streets. The only thing different here is that the children are playing among themselves, creating their own activities and basically acting like how children should be. This was unlike in Baguio where the children sometimes take over the mother’s role of selling the goods while she takes care of her baby.

The children here enjoy gathering, just talking or playing. One of the activities that caught my eye is a game of baseball played by an all-girls team. They were all relatively young, probably in their pre-teens. There were not enough members to form a proper team and not even the lack of equipment could deter them from playing. Armed with bats and a pine cone as the ball, they cleverly altered the rules of the game to suit their numbers.

Here, the children seemed much happier and contented although the life is harsh and simple. They have the freedom to follow their parents around or to mingle with the other children. Unlike in Baguio, most of those who take to the streets do not even have that choice in the first place. Probably this is the difference between living in a cold and relatively fast paced city and a quieter, more community based village. Nevertheless, the children from these both places have their own charms and uniqueness.

By Pooi Yarn

Contact Zones

2007-12-18T13:30:00.000+08:00

I have always dreamt of having friends from foreign lands. I have always thought that having some would be both exciting and challenging primarily because of several self-imposed requisites, one of which is learning their language. Extra effort must be exerted in acquiring sufficient knowledge on a language you were not born to learn. But if you are eager enough to establish a good rapport with them, regardless of their cultural origin, language will not really be a barrier. Not only can the mouth do the talking anyway.

When Maya compelled me to write my own story about the whole experience of being a student guide of Malaysian collegians from Monash University, I started remembering a lesson from an undergraduate writing class. The lecture was actually about intercultural communication and the art of interacting with people from different cultures. My head was beginning to ache when I finally remembered the term I was thinking about- contact zones. According to the author of the article (which I totally forgot) [Ed: I searched through the amazing internet and found the author to be Mary Louise Pratt], contact zones are specific spots where two or more cultures meet. They may refer to material places or edifices, or to immaterial aspects such as state of mind, emotion, point of view, etc.

While on my way home from Ayuyang bar where we bade our final goodbyes, everything that the group had gone through flashed clearly in my mind. From the moment we all met up to the time when we danced madly at the Oblation Plaza. I came to realize how fruitful the entire experience was. It all started with the "balut." Almost everybody tried it and enjoyed it. Then, there were the slow and shaky jeepney rides. We all indulged in Filipino food of all sorts. We traveled on bus along the rough roads of Mountain Province. We explored the exotic beauty of the Sumaging Cave (where Max lost his glasses). We walked through the narrow and muddy footpaths along the rice paddies (where Alia almost fell). We discovered the night adventures at "Gagamba" (which Aron and Maxine enjoyed the most). Maureen and I tried the Bollywood experience. And everybody did their craziest moves at the UP Baguio's Christmas Program. The very moment the Filipinos and the Malaysians met was also the meeting of two distinct cultures. The balut, the jeepney, the Filipino dishes, the rough roads, the scenic spots, the muddy paths, the adventures and the dance moves were only a few of the contact zones where each found an arena to express his/her unique way of living.

Soon after being a guide of our colleagues from Monash University in Malaysia, one of my biggest dreams in life came true. I now have pals from foreign lands. Yes, I found the experience very exciting and challenging at the same time although there were moments when I felt indolent to speak in their tongues since English is not my first language. But more than words, my smiles, laughter, gestures, nods and expressions of affection did the talking. We might have been segregated by geographical distance, language and modes of life, but we are unified and binded by one special thing- friendship.

Cheers to the start of good relations, which all began in the contact zones.

By Rommel

Sang Sarap Food!!

2007-12-18T13:00:00.000+08:00

Culture can be experienced through a country’s culinary offerings and when travelling through Baguio and Sagada, that was what we did. Eat our way through! Balut was one of the more exotic and weird food that we tried. A half formed duck embryo still in the egg, it turned out to be quite a surprise as it was delicious!

For those who love the yolk, this is the dish for you as it is rich and bursting with the taste of chicken broth and a strong yolky taste. One has to first peel of a small section of egg shell then suck the juicy liquid and finally attack the foetus. Yum!

Lovers of fried goodies should try the “one-day old chicks” sold by roadside vendors. These chicks are marinated and deep fried into a golden crunchy goodness and its taste and texture is equivalent to deep fried burung puyuh (pigeon). There are a variety of sauces to dip your bird into, ranging from sweet and salty, to sour and spicy. Besides that, there are also fish balls, chicken balls, pig’s innards and cuttlefish to choose from.

Mc Jolly Bee is a stall that sells delicious barbequed meat ranging from a variety of fish, chicken, and pork. The meats are excellently marinated and tender, leaving one yearning for more. This stall is situated near the wet market and the hawkers nearby sell top notch burgers that taste a lot better than most fast food chains. One can choose from a variety of fillings such as ham, sausages, eggs, homemade burger patty and this is all topped off with a sauce that taste like thousand island dressing, and fresh veggies. The buns are extremely soft and fluffy and are different from the buns found in Malaysia.

When the night is cold and one has growling tummy but on a shoestring budget, head to the roadside vendor crowded with youths digging-out from Styrofoam bowls. These bowls contain yellow noodles swimming in minced pork soup and for 10 pesos only, the soup is bottomless! One can refill until contented. You can chose to add seasonings like chilli, fish sauce, vinegar etc. The perfect anecdote for a cold night in Baguio and not to mention the youths, especially the extremely friendly boys!

Other snacks available from vendors are sticky gooey rice cakes, caramelised bananas, lumpia, and prawn fritters. Fresh but extremely sour mangoes are also sold by the roadside but try this only if you are into extremely sour food. Japanese pancakes are also sold here but unlike in Malaysia which uses chocolate, red beans or peanut butter as fillings, here, it is filled with cheese. Pork crackle or chicharon is also a favourite snack amongst Filipinos and this crunchy, high cholesterol goody can be eaten spiced with vinegar for more ‘kick’.

How can one come to the Philippines and not be bombarded by Jollibee adverts inviting you to savour its westernised local delights? I have to say the food here is good and should not be dismissed as just another fast food chain. The cheese fries are definitely catered to cheese lovers like me, and there is this bee-hoon dish that is covered in brown sweetish gravy garnished with an egg, cucumbers and fritters. Taste vaguely like rojak. Its delicious fried chicken is either served with fries, rice and gravy, or spaghetti. Wonton soup is also available here.

Another local fast food chain here, Chow King is also very popular, every time I pass by, there is always a long queue. The food here consists of “Chinese food” and local delicacies such as deep fried bangus with rice and veggies. Halo-halo is also served here which is a something like our ice-kacang except that it is richer with the addition of jackfruits, ube and mango ice-cream, bread and butter pudding, and various other goodies. This dessert is hard to miss as it is very colourful and attractive looking.

Goldilocks is a local bakery that sells a range of cakes, cookies and snacks and it is a heaven for those with a sweet tooth. The goodies are wrapped individually and are perfect for those who want to bring it back to their home country.

When in Sagada, do not leave without trying the yoghurt at Yoghurt House which is freshly made and served with fruits and a drizzle of honey. Unlike Baguio, the food in Sagada is generously garnished with fresh crisp vegetables, albeit being a tad pricier due to its mountainous location.

My appetite is definitely bigger than my stomach and due to time constraints I did not manage to try as many local delicacies as I had wanted to such as dog meat. Hopefully my next trip to the Philippines will reveal new culinary adventures!!

By Erica

Baguio Public Market: The Heart of Baguio

2007-12-18T12:16:00.000+08:00

A wise Monash student once said that in order to truly understand the city you visit as a tourist, you have to visit the local market. Baguio’s Public Market truly embodies the local experience. Situated at the end of Session Road, the Baguio Public Market is the heart and pulse of this university cum tourist city. The market is the newer establishment of the previous market place which was burnt down in the 60s.

If Session Road draws the largest crowd of students, tourists and local folk, then the market is where all of them throng to get everything under the sun. Mornings at the Baguio Public market is a sight to behold. The Baguio Public Market ‘experience’, as I like to refer it as, comes in two parts. The first part is the actual market itself which sell local fruits, vegetables and best of all, local delicacies and popular food items like week-old chicks (tiny chicks strung up on sticks like our Malaysian satay), grilled fish and different types of glutinous rice.

Although the Baguio Market is in many ways similar to Malaysia’s dying legacy of old markets, it proved to be truly fun coming across things that you couldn’t find anywhere in Malaysia. One example are the fresh strawberries laid out as common as mangoes back home. Another is the wide array of gorgeous potted flowers. Truly, both are the little-spoken benefits of being in a temperate climate.

However, the gem of the market has to be from the basement of the Maharlika shopping complex, which is connected to the public market. This second part of the market is undeniably a tourists’ paradise. One of the highlights in Maharlika’s basement are the numerous stalls selling woodcarvings that dot the floor. Although popular woodcarvings are statues of the traveler (no guesses why, for tourists!) and the Ifugao community’ Rice God (to represent a good harvest), one of the main items displayed are the dozens of Catholic-inspired statues and ornaments, a reflection of the Catholic stronghold here.

Nestor Celi Mamarli, who owns one of the woodcarving shops (where I purchased my Bolo) explains that his business, which he has taken over from his father, Pedro, has been in existence for over 50 years. The woodcarvings from his shop like many others, are from Asin, Ifugao, Banaue and even Manila. Albert, his assistant, explains that suppliers from these various places go to those places every three to five months to sell their products. From small ornamental wooden pipes to huge wall displays, the wooden products are mainly made from acacia, ebony or mahogany. Needless to say, I was rather impressed to discover that the Rice God statue I bought was made from mahogany wood!

No market anywhere in the world would be complete without ‘freaky’ souvenir knick-knacks. In the Baguio Public Market, the prize for the most unusual tourist souvenir would hands-down, go to the key chains and purses made from original frog skin. A ‘manang’* who sold a fearsome-looking one told me that the frog skins are made from bullfrogs and supplied from Pangasinan.

If the promise of frog skins and lovely woodcarvings are not enough to draw you to Baguio’s public market when you stop by, you don’t know what you are missing. It is a place that marries the rich local culture from all parts of the Philippines with practical tourist consumer culture. If anything, you will learn to haggle and do it well because the communicating with the locals is all part of the unforgettable ‘Baguio Market Experience’.

*manang: polite Illocano term to address older women. In Tagalog, 'ate' is commonly used for the same reason. (Thanks Maya!)

By Maxine

Day 6: Drama in Sagada

2007-12-17T03:35:00.000+08:00

Since arriving in the Philippines, the days have really passed us by. After a day of caving and hiking yesterday, the whole gang (or most of us!) have been suffering from muscle ache due to the intensive workout we had trawling all over Sagada. There was nothing hilarious about the painful condition we were in but it was just so funny each time someone goes down a flight of stairs, followed by moans of “owws” and “oohs”. I myself am guilty of that, going down the steps while tightly hanging on to the railing for support. Honestly, I could not decide which was worse; going up exhausted or coming down and feeling the pain.

Later, the first drama of the day began. When visiting the Sagada National High School, despite the less well-off conditions of the place, they still find it in their hearts to extend their hospitability and kindness to us. The gesture of serving us with biscuits and drinks touched all of us. Mindy was so welled up in emotions that her tears just flowed out. It was then that everyone decided to chip in and presented them with a token of our sincerity.

The second drama began shortly after we returned to our cottages. Max and Maxine were caught dancing Bollywood style in the garden outside. Zeck appeared and both were engaged in a “very violent” and fast paced fist fight while Maxine could only watch helplessly at the side. Later, even Dr. Yeoh got involved and was doing his part in “beating” Max up. Sounds fun? Remember to catch the latest production from Aron, with his film Kadhal Sagada :)

After completing the short film in record breaking time, we all gathered again in Aron’s cottage, this time to play werewolves and vampires. No, it does not involve any painful transformation or physical biting. Instead, it was a suspenseful and strategic game of forming alliances and winning. Very survival material minus the physical challenges and mental exhaustion. The whole game was full of drama, right from the part where many were led on to suspect the other and concealing one’s true identity to me having been “killed off” yet again before the end of the third round of each game.

Phew! What a day! Tears, violence, love, betrayal and suspense all rolled into one. This journey so far has indeed been a rollercoaster of emotions. Not bad, I actually feel a little more grown up and independent :) By the way, kudos to Feeza for her hawk-like observations and excellent reasoning! ;)

By Pooi Yarn

A Social Guide to UP Baguio.

2007-12-17T02:30:00.000+08:00

UP Baguio is a noticeably fun university. Despite being not as financially and technologically endowed as Monash University, it is bursting with life. Maybe there are those amongst us Malaysian students who are considering doing their Masters in UP Baguio.

Based on my observations at UP Baguio and through the comments of our gracious and perceptive student guides, I have prepared a guide for anyone who wants to fit in at UP Baguio. This guide is simple to use. Just select your preferred group and follow the steps to ensure full integration into its bevy.

There are the groups known as the Legally Blondes. These are the beautiful girls of the university who hang out together. There are also the sportsmen who can be spotted being surgically attached to their UP Baguio jackets. (Ed: this group sounds like the jocks and cheerleaders we see on American TV shows.) If you are not blessed with beauty or sporting talent you may want to join a political group.

Joining a political group will make you part of the activist clique. One of the benefits of selecting this group is that it is kind on your pocket. If you are male, you can save money on haircuts and shaving cream as members of the activists tend to have long, messy hair and beards. Keeping dread locks may also ensure quicker initiation. The preferred form of foot wear is slippers so be sure to stock up on these. Your hang-out area is known as the Kiosk Plaza. There are 3 main political groups that you can choose from: Cadua, ACS and United UP.

For the women who are not too keen on shaving, the women’s advocate groups are probably a good option. Some of the feminist groups are: Men in Purple and Gabriella.

If you are up for it, you may want to think of joining a fraternity or a sorority. The frat brothers and sorority sisters tell me that there is absolutely no discrimination practiced while recruiting members. As long as you are willing to go through the secret initiation rites, you may become a member. There are three stages you must go through: the presentation stage, the baptismal stage and the final stage.

You may also choose to be part of an academic organization. There are 6 of these to choose from. These groups hold activities to promote their respective disciplines. These disciplines include History, Literature, Languages and etc.

There are also the dance groups that you may become a member of. Try to wear bright, sporty looking clothing. Owning a portable CD player may also make you a very popular member of the group as dance practices on campus grounds are very necessary. Having the ability to dance could also be an added benefit. If dance is not your thing, there are singing groups such as the Tinig and the Amianan.

If all fails and you find yourself desperately left out and lost, there is always room at the bottom of the social ladder – the Anime HQ. By being part of the anime group, you can watch anime films and talk about anime till Naruto comes home. In order to fit in you should ideally equip yourself with some Japanese style clothing.

By Grace

The Lighting of the Twig of Education

2007-12-17T02:12:00.000+08:00

The Sagada National High School is located amidst the high mountains of Northern Luzon Island with an amazing backdrop of lush greenery that is almost foreign to urban schools. (Ed: It’s located on a mountain that was ‘hacked’ away to make space for the school and it’s extra high location has it overlooking the town of Sagada, very cool concept I dare say) It was established back in 1996, hence it is considered to be the youngest high school among the other 5 schools in Sagada.

As the school mainly caters to the local indigenous people and is located at approximately 400km from Manila, one would expect the school to be in need of amenities and its students lacking the sophistication of their city counterparts. In contrast, an average of 2–3 students from the Sagada National High School gains entrance to local universities.

Their curriculum consists of English, Tagalog studies, Math, Science, Technology and Livelihood education, Social Studies, Physical Education and Values (Ed: part of which Father Jerry Bolinget the local priest tells us to be Respect, Responsibility, Identity and Service. Four very main values that is taught as a curriculum to students!). There is an array of activities to help stimulate the student’s mental and physical abilities such as a sport and science club, and a basketball team in which the members are part of the waste management team.
Students have won numerous trophies from maths and writing contest and sports. This is due to the dedication of the teachers such as Sir Joseph Kaligton and Cherr Umaming who even though restrained in terms of resources, try their best to instill as much knowledge as possible to the children of Sagada.

The main form of transportation for the students is by foot and the longest distance that a student has to walk is 30 minutes. This indeed sounds like a feat to us spoilt city kids! In the advent of a typhoon, students will be warned via radio announcements, text messages and through the yelling of neighbours.

High school here is different from Malaysia. The school buzzer buzzes every hour, unlike ours which is only at intervals of 40 minutes. They have 7 hours of classes each day which is almost the same as us. Most students bring their home cooked food to school during break or go home for lunch if they live nearby while you will see the Malaysian students pushing their way through the queue to purchase their meals from the canteen.

As Sagada is an agricultural province, the students are also involved in farming. Therefore, during harvesting season some students will be absent from classes to help their parents in the farm and a written letter is needed from the parents to affirm that. According to Sir Joseph, there are times when students who stop their schooling to farm would not return to school indefinitely but the number has slowly dropped as students become more aware of the importance of education.

Sexual education has also recently been introduced to the students but this has lead to some minor conflicts with some parents as the Igorots are a conservative people. The Catholic Church has also strongly opposed sexual education by boycotting the arrival of text books meant for the school and the reason given is that sexual education promotes the use of birth control.

The dedication and devotion that the teachers have for their students is admirable and is a far cry from our local teachers. The teachers are sincerely concern with the welfare of their students while ours are just teaching us for the sake of getting paid.

In Sagada National High School, it is where we see the stories about teachers who change the lives of students, coming true. As quoted in their website, the Sagada National High School is committed to:

E: Equip the students with necessary skills to prepare them for competitive life
A: Advocate the development of core values
G: Guide students to discover the relevant talents and skills for maximum productivity
L: Link the community with programs geared towards the preservation and development of indigenous cultures
E: Enhance the individual’s creativity and critical thinking through academic excellence.

The teachers in Sagada National High School truly offer a personal touch in the education of the future generations of Sagada to ensure a bright future for the region and its people.

By Erica & Jojo

Montañosa Research Development Center (MRDC)

2007-12-17T01:30:00.000+08:00

MRDC was established in 1978 and it was the first NGO in Mt. Province. The MRDC speaker, Mr. Robert Pangod, explain that the reason behind the establishment of this NGO was the result of a conflict between government and local groups (like CPA), to find a way to create sustainable agriculture, that is culturally acceptable, environmentally friendly, and also as a source for alternative energy.

After 30 years, MRDC was able to encourage most of the Cordillera region into organic farming (something that the government did not do). They started the Microhydro project (the first one in the Philippines) and established the longest-lasting generator. The Microhydro Project is a program to generate canal water into producing electric current and the current is used to distribute the lighting system in small villages and to power agricultural tools.

MRDC is involved in traditional agriculture and at the same time adapting new technology. In order to keep the balance and to decide which techniques should or should not be used. MRDC is slowly changing the perception of people, to get them to maintain a vegetable garden. As seen in Sagada, the current trend is for many people to have vegetable plots, as it allows maximum use of the soil. Back in the 1980’s very few NGO’s promoted farming, but thankfully it wasn’t too late to maintain a safe and fertile soil. Now people plant broccoli, potatoes and other vegetables.

Organic fertilizer can be produced 10-20 times a month in small portions. And MRDC has not only introduced fertilizer but also introduced new breeds of seeds, and new methods of seed selection. They do not find it hard to introduce and convince the indigenous people to use advance technology as compared to the traditional systems as the new methods have proven to increase crops. Indigenous people know that the change in the system is for their benefit. If the indigenous people stick with the traditional system of farming, they would need a minimum of three years to get the same amount of produce. Organic farming yields more in the long run and is a more fruitful option.

MRDC does not just conduct community farming. It also organizes music shows, performance arts, focusing on the agricultural aspect and raising awareness amongst the people. They also support CPA programs. For this reason, government threats do take place. For example, recently the chairman of MRDC, Dr. Claver and his wife were ambushed. And the MRDC office at Sagada, is constantly being watched by guards.

One of the most recent projects by MRDC was to assign the distribution of water. Water is the main source of tribal conflict among rice terraces and water hills. The distribution of water is assigned to one or two people and used as a practical means to reduce conflict with the distribution of water.

Another issue that was recently handled, is the problem of giant earth worms. These giant earth worm could be as small as the size of a thumb, yet also as large as that of a snake. They do not harm the vegetables. However, these giant earth worms would dig a hole right through the water walls or the rice fields draining out all the water in the rice terraces and causing the rice fields to dry up. MRDC has been trying to find a solution to obliterate these giant earth worms.

Another campaign that MRDC tries to encourage is the cause to save the forest. They continue to this day to fight against multinational co-operations. MRDC tries to persuade people to have more concern for the environment and to not only think of financial benefits but to also consider the ethical investments. “Here, we are not trying to welcome big companies who have an interest towards mining. We are more keen to accept companies who respect the culture of the people and want to support agriculture” said Robert Pangod.

By Dyah

Mysterious Stones in Sagada

2007-12-17T01:00:00.000+08:00

In the scorching Sagadan mid-morning, our group took a stroll to an agricultural village to see Dap-ay. The Dap-ay is a circular gathering place which can be found across neighbouring towns in Mt. Province. The Dap-ay serves as a rallying point for villagers as they conduct necessary rituals to celebrate harvesting season in order to ensure the productivity of good crops before the first process of a seedling grows into a primary plant. Begnas (the rice ritual) is celebrated twice a year. During large scale celebrations like Begnas, pigs would be slaughtered for bigger rituals whereas chickens are served during smaller rituals. Within a Dap-ay, a Sab-ong which consists of reed and chicken feathers are attached together to mark the end of ritualistic conducts. A distinct social hierarchy is inherent among communities within a tribe based on one's age. The older people have to gather on the upper ground of the Dap-ay. On the other hand, the younger ones are required to congregate on lower ground as a sign of respect to their elders.

During Begnas, females are requested to cook for the elders and dine separately from the men. Other than Begnas, they are welcome to join the others during the feast. The whole community including other nearby villagers and visitors are cordially invited to get together around Dap-ay throughout special occasions like Begnas. Nowadays, tourists are also welcome to experience the various festive occasions.

Back in the day, an Abong, a hut which served as the dorms for males was situated next to the Dap-ay whereby male adolescents slept there. During the olden days, the Dap-ay was a gathering place that symbolized the civil conflict among indigenous tribes in Sagada. This historical artefact was built thousands of years ago. Each stone represented a beheaded head or skull (from an opposing village) being buried underneath, connoting one's tribe victory during a particular civil war. The head was beheaded but not other human body parts simply because a head signified a seed of the spirit. Hence, during funerals, exactly 21 pigs must be slaughtered in order to appease the spirit. Furthermore, since the Dap-ay is deemed a sacred place, girls who have hit puberty are forbidden from entering inside the surrounding area.

There are 19 Barangays in Sagada. Each Barangay can have more than one Dap-ay. Dates of occasional celebration and ritualistic conducts around Dap-ay are based on different decisions made among these Barangays.

It used to be that the council of elders were consulted to impose punishment on the criminals, while the degree of punishment on criminals was based on a case-to-case basis. Now, villagers handle criminal issues in the court. Ah. Such are the modern ways these days

By Jasmine Chew

Female Comfort Rooms

2007-12-17T00:32:00.000+08:00

The idea of home is very fluid nowadays. One of the many ways to identify a home is where toilet tissues unroll endlessly and clean water gush out in places where we expect. Thus, the entire washroom experience can be enjoyed no matter while we sit, squat, stand or fidget.

However, in Baguio and Sagada, a 30 seconds relief may end up as a great struggle ranging from one minute to four minutes and 17 seconds. Several days in these two tourist hot spots has allowed me to gain an insight to the total level of enjoyment by the standard of their toilets, known as comfort rooms (CR) in the Philippines.

Departing from Clarke Airport, the public toilet on the way to Baguio is classified as One Star. It is simply a drainage system which allows faeces to pile up as time goes by. Doors are non-existent and during the process of urination, it is better to stare at your own knees or arms.

Two Star Comfort Rooms are slightly better. These are either without doors, without flushes, or crammed units. Our visit to the University of Philippines Baguio couldn’t have been complete without a toilet inspection. Upon entering the cubicle, there was only enough space to make a 180 degrees turn and do it. Very much like most comfort rooms in Baguio and Sagada, water doesn’t come with just one push or nudge. A bucket is used to scoop water manually. Sometimes it requires more than one or two scoops to get the water as clear as when you entered.

One thing is particularly evident for toilets in Sagada. The windows are positioned very close to the toilet seat. At the St Joseph Guesthouse restaurant toilet, the same leveled window is next to the toilet seat. I kept my head low and dare not swing my head too much in case someone caught my unintended attention. However, this is considered Three Star due to the fully covered doors and more often than not, the functioning flushes. At the cottage I stayed in, there was no toilet seat so I resorted to the numbing coldness that took over during every toilet visit.

Nevertheless, the Four Star toilet since I have arrived in the Philippines is undoubtedly at La Brea Inn in Baguio. With one little flush, all our wastes are drained away instantly. Toilet tissue is replenished everyday and it is possible to comfortably warm up the toilet seat while reflecting on the events which occurred earlier in the day or even week. There is no need to do the horse stand, nor fold up long pants.

I have yet to see a Six Star comfort room, but to this date, the comfort rooms at Camp John Hay Manor is rated a Five Star. As you open the door with the little stick man in a skirt, an invigorating breeze welcomes you. The tiles are cautiously arranged and the mirrors bring out sparkles in your hair. It is spacious and clean, equipped with no less than two rolls of toilet tissues. The comfort room is suitable for hanging out with your girlfriends or to exchange some quick news feeds.

I like the feeling of clean water running through my fingers and my toes. I’m aware that even a Six Star comfort room may not refresh me like the Bokong Waterfall in Sagada. Perhaps a visit in the next decade to the comfort rooms of Baguio and Sagada will exceed my expectations so you never know…

You never know what lies behind closed doors.

By Mindy

Day 5: Discovering Sagada

2007-12-16T14:11:00.000+08:00

Dear diary

I woke up earlier than usual to pray and to have a walk around the cottage. I ate my breakfast at St. Joseph Café and had a cheese and herb omelet (Ed: the omelet was definitely to die for, all creamy and gooey inside it was), and surprisingly I chose coffee over tea (normally I am a tea person). I was surprised to find that that I loved drinking the local coffee.

We went to the St. Mary the Virgin Church and joined Aron, Shu Yi, Melissa, and Dr. Yeoh who where there. After church, we were accompanied by Darwin and Dandan (two local boys we met at St. Joseph’s Café, who decided to be our impromptu tour guides) to Echo Valley. We faced muddy lands, slippery rocks, and a steep landscape and arrived at the Hanging Coffin area and took some pictures of the wonder of such a feat.

We continued climbing to the exact place where a French tourist passed away about a month ago. We shouted the names of our loved ones and tried to find a way out with the help of a very friendly dog. This dog came out of nowhere to help us when our previous guides, Darwin and Dandan went home.
(Ed: Maya started calling the dog, Foot-long and the name kinda stuck whenever we saw Foot-long around Sagada)

After stopping at Sagada Weaving to shop for the some gifts to bring home, the next hot spot we went to was a small waterfall, where we passed by Mary Carling’s (the great lady who helped coordinate our visits to local NGOs from the Philippine end) house on the way there. We faced a pretty tough landscape getting to the waterfall but survived! The water was freezing but we didn’t care. We started taking off our shoes and walked across the small pond with our bare feet. We splashed water on each other and took some pictures. Pooi Yarn even dared me to put my hands into the water as long as possible.

After leaving the waterfall, we went back to St. Joseph’s Café to have lunch. After I ordered a dish of boneless Bangus (fish), I realized that one of my fingers was bleeding (it must have bled while I held the rough grass when climbing up the hill). So while the others waited for their food, I went to my cottage and put a plaster on the bleeding finger.

After lunch, we went back to the cottage to get ready for dinner with the priest from St. Mary’s, Father Jerry. We ended up at having dinner at Masferres, a small restaurant with him.

Back at the cottage, 9 of us girls living together found out that nobody had the key to our cottage. We had accidentally locked ourselves out while making the assumption that someone had the key. I tried to open the door with a hair pin but failed. Finally one of the workers at the guest house came with screwdriver and opened the door with it since they could not find the spare key.

We all went into the attic in the cottage and celebrated the birthdays of the December girls with a pie. We all wish you a wonderful year, girls. :-P

By Dyah

The Sumaging Caves: Part 2

2007-12-16T01:45:00.000+08:00

Today, 8 brave Monash-ians (Maxine, Eunice, Alia, Feeza, Grace, Temme, Max and me) with their 2 fun-loving student guides (Chinee and Rommel) embarked on a journey to the unknown aka the Sumaging cave. Most of us have never been into any serious caving before. We were excited but scared at the same time. With the exceptional of Temme since this is not her first experience. Maxine wanted to back out but thank goodness she did not for she would surely have missed out on one of the best times of her life.

It all started with us walking 45 minutes to get to the destination, later we climbed down a flight of stairs into the cave. We ventured deeper into the cave with the sound of bats echoing in our ears and the feeling of bat poop on both hands and feet. It was very disgusting for me. I shuddered just recalling the squashy texture on my hands. The path we took was not a smooth ride. It was filled with sharp edged rocks and stones and the bat poop just make the ground slippery which made the walk much more difficult than it already was. You really have to concentrate on where you were walking. It is a pity for I was not able to enjoy the scenery around me. Not that there was much to see for the cave was really dark.

The cave was lit only by two lanterns held by our two professional eco-guides - one in the front and the other at the back. Adventurers would not get to see what was ahead of them nor could they see anything behind them. Our vision was filled with plain darkness. After walking past the bat poop part, we were told to walk barefooted as it helped with our walking. Our arms and legs were smeared with poop so it was heavenly when we stepped into the cooling water and washed up. We have to climb down and wade through the chilling yet refreshing water (I don’t think many would agree with me on this as all of them screamed COLD the moment they got into the water). We passed by some interesting rock formations as mentioned in Feeza’s post.

However, the highlight of this entire expedition was Max losing his glasses. We had passed by a small yet deep pool in the middle of the cave. The two guides jumped into it and looking at them swimming around happily made some of us itch to join in the fun. Eunice was the first daring soul to leap into the chilly water. Max jumped into the pool and the force must have been too hard and his glasses came off from it's position. I must say that the two guides were really nice for they dived into the pool several times to search for it. It wasn’t an easy task for the water was freezing and it got difficult to go underwater.

It was quite annoying that after we were clean, we had to return to the surface using the same route. All of us got filthy again by the time we reached the starting point. It was truly an experience not to be missed. For those who told me that it would be difficult and tiring, they were wrong. The scrapes and cuts on my arms and legs are symbols of victory to me.

By Jojo

The Sumaging Cave: Part 1

2007-12-16T01:42:00.000+08:00

On the 15th of December the whole ‘Philippines’ gang was divided into 2 groups. Since there are some of them who did not want to go on a caving trip, instead they went on a hiking trip. As for those who went on the hiking trip. We had a blast! I’ll leave the further details of what happened in the cave to Jojo to tell.

The cave that we ventured into is known as The Sumaging Cave or also known as the Big Cave. This cave is situated in Sagada and Sagada is a town in Mt. Province. It takes a 6 hour bus ride to get to Sagada from Baguio. According to the guide, the cave was once filled with sea water a few decades ago hence the cave was created by water erosion. We had to first register at the Sagada Municipal hall indicating our intention to go caving and we paid 110 pesos for that activity, 100 pesos for the guides and 10 pesos for environmental fees. (I guess that the 10 pesos will be paid to Mother Nature in case we mess up the cave.)

Our guides were well equipped with lanterns and they were familiar with the ins and outs of the cave. All their explanations were really beneficial to us. We were basically awed by Sumaging cave’s sheer size, fascinating chambers and rock formations, all the rock formations really mesmerized us especially the size of it. Without looking too closely I don’t think we would make sense of the formation. The names I could remember was the “Kings’s Curtain”, “Chocolate Cake”, “Pregnant Women”, “The Penis”, “The Elephant”, “The Pig’s Pen”, “The Hiding Turtle” and etc. All their larger than life resemblances of the real things really made our jaws drop and our eyes popped out not believing what we saw.

To get around the cave we had to make our body flexible because a part of the cave that is known as "The Tunnel" consists of a series of tiny passages that made us to do limbo-like movements, army and baby-like crawling to pass through. Somewhere deep in the caves there were “bats poop” or also known as “Guano” the smell was bearable but not the texture however the guano was mostly at the top of the caves.

Further in the caves, it started to get cold due to the water features that existed in the cave. There are some areas of the caves that is covered with water and the first water encounter was about knee deep only but not long after that the water level was up to the chest level. There were also routes that needed us to repel down, jump like monkeys side ways and even used the guide’s leg as stepping stone. (Pity him I hope he’s not down with a fracture or something).

The excited amateur cavers then had a chance to have a dip in the pool with a waterfall. It was a deep pool since it was once a deep sea area. The temperature of the water was so cold until at one point I felt like a penguin having to be able to stand the ice cold water. The whole cave was chilly until we could see mist coming out from us, not only from our mouth but from our hands, fingers, body and everywhere. I think it’s our warm mammal body reacting to the cold temperatures in the cave. But seriously, a sweater and warm clothing are not needed. Just slippers, and suitable sports attire is enough. In case you want to go swimming in the pool down the cave. Swim suits are a necessity or just dive in with whatever you have! All in all that is a brief description of the Sumaging cave in Sagada. Photos will appear, as soon as Temme gets them from Rommel and Chini and I bet you’ll understand what I’ve been trying to tell you when you see the pictures. Don’t forget to read Jojo’s entry about us being silly in the Sumanging Cave. Until then, take care!

By Feeza

A Taste of Filipino Culture

2007-12-16T00:20:00.000+08:00

I must say that the Filipino culture is one of a kind. Despite how the media would portray the people from developing countries, the people there are far from being backward. In fact, a majority is very much “Americanized” but still retain a distinct pride for their Asian and for some, indigenous heritage. Unlike the Malaysian “tidak apa” (don’t care) attitude, the Filipinos are a brave bunch of fighters who are active in asserting their rights and believes especially the indigenous peoples rights (particularly in the Cordillera region where we were). Although some may be living under grim situation due to political unrest and poverty, they always exude such positive energy and show their passion to bring change.

Baguio is like an old town in Malaysia with very few high-rise buildings, with shops at a convenient distance. We lived on Session Road, the main street of Baguio which can get pretty crowded during peak hours.

I observed that security can be pretty tight in Baguio, in response to the political unrest and terrorism. Before we entered SM Mall, our bags and bodies were briefly checked and even places such as 7 Eleven and McDonald’s would have armed security guards present. For me, I find it as a good sign and it made me feel safe during the stay. In Baguio, we were approached by many locals and police officers that would advise us to be careful with pickpockets, although none of us were victims; I really appreciated the efforts and kind advice from the locals.

In addition, the people in the Philippines are exceptionally polite to the point that makes me feel undeserving or pampered. Especially when people would greet you “Mam” (Madame) or “Sir” constantly and greet you with such warmth and offering great assistance. Similarly in the Filipino language, deference is showed by calling elder people “Manong” (similar to Uncle) and “Manang” (Auntie) while among younger groups its “Kuya” (big brother) or “Ate” (elder sister).

In between our stay in Baguio, we went high up in the mountainous Cordillera region of Sagada. The indigenous community that resides in Sagada are mainly Kankana-ey and they are largely Anglicans and some practise paganism.

The local lifestyle in Sagada moves at a slower pace which I totally understand since the scenery and nature there is so breathtaking that one must just pause for a moment to just embrace nature’s beauty. Being a city kid, I was entirely captivated by Sagada. Everything excited me and call for my appreciation, the cool breeze, the sunshine, the rainbows, walking barefoot and the feel of fresh earth on my feet, waterfalls, meadows, rice terrains, rolling hills or even the sunflowers that grow in such abundance.

Nonetheless, nothing captivates me more than the people. The children are adorable and have such sparkling eyes and cheeky smiles. I saw many of us having a great time interacting with and giving candies to them. At night, we sat around bonfires to warm ourselves. Bonfire gatherings are one of the common bonding sessions of the indigenous culture where they sing and dance to their traditional songs or to country music which they have adapted from the Americans.

Interacting with the indigenous people was a really precious and learning experience to me. I must say I was dumbstruck at how Westernised some indigenous people are, I felt like I was in cowboy-land instead. It took me some time to register when some would speak to me with a thick American accent, and occasionally and naturally, the common American vocab: the F word would come up, now that is what I call culture shock. I got to witness the workings of globalization where there cultures are no longer seen as authentic and yet can still remain untainted by modernity.

Generally, the local people are a great joy to be with. It is hard not to fall in love with the Philipines and I can only say “I love Baguio and Sagada”, mahal kita and laylaydeksika (I love you in Tagalog and the Igorot dialect).

By Eunice

Day 4: Into Sagada

2007-12-15T11:37:00.000+08:00

Today hailed a long and arduous journey (about six hours on a winding and bumpy road by bus) to Sagada and like the champions that my roommates and I are, we slept at 4.30am the night before due to a strange burst of enthusiasm to talk late into the night. Nevertheless, despite breaking the travellers’ taboo of having enough sleep before a tiring day ahead, we were all down on time (Malaysian-wise) and raring to go. One of the most tiresome things traveling forces upon a person is the need to pack. Due to a misguided decision to buy a packet of fried chicharon*, I found myself having to cram it into my backpack without crushing it.

By meeting time at 6.30am, we students of Monash University were looking like a sleep-deprived bunch of backpackers, strapped to the gills with all of our earthly belongings. I personally would not wish a six hour bus ride with bumpy road on my worst enemy but countless sources have informed us repeatedly of the famed beauty of the Mountain Province rice terraces.

As we descended into the valley, close enough to see the twisting blue Chico River, one of us spotted a rainbow over the valley. This resulted in a clamour to get from one end of the bus to another for a better look. I chose to see it as a good omen for our trip to Sagada. When this was closely followed by three other rainbows, we began to wonder if our luck really was going to be that spectacular or nature was just being generous that day.

Perhaps the grueling six to seven hour bus ride from Clark Air Base to Baguio had trained us to withstand long hours in a cramped and rattling space. Whatever it was, we arrived at St Joseph Inn in Sagada on time and lugged our humongous bags up stone stairs that never seemed to end. Admittingly, halfway through the trip, I did wonder (uncharitably) if Sagada was really worth the six hour ride.

When we reached the top of the guesthouse, we took a long hard look around. It had none of the bustle of Baguio city, or its conveniences but it was simply beautiful. Best of all, it was exhaust-pollution free!

If that did not change my mind, seeing the quaint wooden cottage and finding out that I would be sleeping in the kind of sloping loft you only find in Enid Blyton books certainly did. I was ready for what Sagada could throw at me for sure, I thought.

At the end of the day, what struck me most during the days’ trip were the rice terraces. Apart from the sheer beauty of its uniformity, they symbolise the spirit of endurance and strength of the human character. It is a reminder that we are all able to adapt to the harshest conditions as long as we have the will to do so. At the end of the day, we may come away beaten but never truly defeated.

*Deep fried pork belly, a local delicacy

By Maxine

Day 3: Me, the Filipino?

2007-12-14T23:40:00.000+08:00

Okay, so it's day 3 already, how time flies! When I look back on what has happened since day 1, being mistaken to be a local was a funny and scary experience at the same time, hehe.

On day 2, the first question that the local guides asked me was, whether I had Filipino roots. ;). Really, I guess it felt like a compliment at first because I could blend in anytime. But yesterday, we had about an hour break so the student guides took us to the biggest park in the city and I noticed a lot of Muslims there. As usual, being the ‘jakun’ tourist, I took pictures of the place. Then out of nowhere a stranger comes up to me and showed me a picture of the back of my head. He said “nice, nice”. I was so scared then and decided that blending in wasn’t such a good idea.

Today being day 3, most of us went to the black market after the talk at Nordis. Feeza and I got separated from the rest of the gang at the market. We had to buy hand phone credit in order to make calls to contact the rest of them. I checked out the nearest shop to buy credit, I asked them in English (of course) if they sold reload cards. Guess what language they replied us in…hahha. I had to repeat myself a couple of times before they finally answered in English.

After that, as usual, Feeza and I went food hunting. Our forced favourite food spot was McDonalds. Both of us stood at the counter ordering our food and we had to wait at the side for a few minutes for the order to get through. It was amusing that the cashier talked to me since Feeza was the one who ordered. The funny part was, the cashier spoke to me in Tagalog which appeared to be quite lengthy to me and I had no idea what she meant. I figured that she told me to wait at the side to get our orders. Haha. So I just nodded my head. Feeza had to go back to the inn immediately due to an emergency so I had to wait till the food was packed.

So I thought to myself only three experiences so far, should be enough to last this entire trip. Little did I know that there was another one coming. No one gave a second look when I walked back to the inn. I told that to Feeza, but she said the opposite. That people gave way and looked as she rushed back to the inn.

As a whole, I think, it’s kinda cool to blend in without the scary parts (of course). It’s the end of day three and I’m looking forward to more unforgettable and enjoyable experiences here.

By Alia

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.

ORNUS

2007-12-14T21:07:00.000+08:00

At five in the evening, we visited the ORNUS (Organisasyon dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili ti Syudad), an organization focused on helping the urban poor. We had to embark four flights of dark steep stairs to get to. Beyond those stairs, a small room was situated in one corner. It is in this room that the ORNUS community humbly holds their meetings.

ORNUS consists of sub-groups such as the youth organization, transport organization and women organization. The aim of ORNUS is to provide support to the urban poor for many of these individuals have been marginalised by the government. Within a short hour, ORNUS explained their role in Baguio City and addressed the serious issues concerning the urban poor which left us very stunned.

Many members of the ORNUS contributed to the talk about their struggles in Baguio City. They explained the current situation of urban men, women and children who have been desperately trying to make a basic living in Baguio City.

As we all know, the local people of Baguio City depend heavily on jeepneys as their main mode of transport. In January, jeepney drivers could earn 200 pesos per day. Although this figure may seem insufficient, after the 15 ^th oil price increment this year, they are now earning a staggering daily income of only 80 pesos per day. In addition, if they are caught by any officials to be breaking any road laws, they could be fined a minimum of 150 pesos.

One of the objectives of ORNUS is to solve the root problem by suggesting that the government should nationalize its oil industry. The government should take control over its natural oil resources in order to benefit both the public and the jeepney drivers.

Available jobs for construction workers in Baguio are seasonal. Women construction workers opt to work as side-walk vendors during the low peak seasons in order to contribute to the family income. The side-walk vendors sell an assortment of basic goods such as vegetables, fruits, newspapers, cigarettes and etc.

The government views the side-walk vendors as illegal. Therefore, the government imposes a 1000 pesos fine and confiscation of both goods and equipment of the vendors. This creates a larger hurdle for the urban poor to survive in Baguio City. The children of side-walk vendors are equally exposed to dangers and ill-treatments.

The people who are forced to live in squatters are deprived from water supply and public health services. The Philippines constitution acknowledges the social problems of the poor by giving them the right to shelter and relocation after having their houses demolished. However, in reality that is not the case. Thus, these people are forced to return to their province of origin. Meanwhile the land which they were residing before it was destroyed is sold to interested buyers at a rate of 2500 sq meters; which is unaffordable to them.

After listening to an hour of intense talk, it was difficult to imagine living in these conditions. However we are grateful to be educated about the urban poor, as it was something that many of us may have taken for granted. ORNUS ended the session with a simple and touching song which they composed. Remnants of their song lingered in our hearts as we climbed our way back up the stairs.

By Susan and Mindy

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.

Voices of the People

2007-12-14T13:02:00.000+08:00

One of the events today included a talk by Jun Verzola and Kathleen Okubo from the Northern Dispatch Weekly (NORDIS). NORDIS is a weekly newspaper covering the three regions of Northern Luzon Illocos (with Pangasinan), Cordilerra, and Cagayan Valley. It comes out every Sunday. NORDIS has been in operation since 1989 whereby at that time, the layouts and frills were very simple as compared to the present publications.

NORDIS had to closedown for around a year in 1999 due to difficulties in getting funds as well as adjustment problems in light to the emergence of the internet. However, NORDIS re-gathered and resumed their publications in 2001. By that time, they had come to a new vision in response to their initial problems on adjusting to the contemporary digital world. This vision holds the idea of having a much more alternative media but not totally diverging from mainstream media.

This vision was also the start of NORDIS becoming advocates and practitioners of grassroots media. Grassroots media such as NORDIS prioritise the often neglected issues of basic sectors (farmers, fisherfolk, workers, urban poor, youth, women, and indigenous people) especially at the community level. Grassroots media operate at none or minimal profit, and rely on a network of supporters and volunteers rather then salaried staff. Grassroots media is driven by the idea of connecting to the people or communities that have more often than not been sidelined to the peripheries in national publications.

NORDIS takes the initiative of addressing issues in a more local context instead of unifying everything into a general issue. The logic behind this is to give voices to certain communities that have long been overshadowed. These are the issues that do not normally get into national newspapers and the function of NORDIS is to serve as a bridge between these communities and the mainstream media.

According to Jun, NORDIS relies more on volunteers to contribute stories. This means that they would not need to depend solely on sponsors and organisations to fund their newspaper. In a way, this can ensure that the agenda of the newspaper is not determined by the people or organisations that fund it.

He further explained that they will take proper measures to verify the accuracy and legitimacy of the stories. They will only accept contributions of stories from volunteers who are listed in their established network of sources. This network is made up of relatively well known and reliable individuals and groups in their fields of expertise.

The staff in NORDIS will also counter check each story using book based referencing, their own personal knowledge and the internet. Sometimes, they would also contact the sources to obtain verifications.

NORDIS distinguishes itself from the mainstream press and its main objective is to provide a forum for the community to speak out. The highlights of the newspaper are usually topics not covered by the mainstream press. Its concerns lie in the heart of the people, often the marginalised ones and it aims to give space to various points of views. Put simply, NORDIS strives to give voice to those with no voice.

By Zeck & Pooi Yarn

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.

Migrante

2007-12-14T13:00:00.000+08:00

Migrante Metro Baguio was established in 2005. It currently has two chapters, anchoring in Itogon, Benguet and Irisan, Baguio respectively.

According to Migrante Metro Baguio City’s Chairperson Flora Belinan, the organization aspires to become Migrante Cordillera. In other words, the organization decided not to limit their assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Benguet and Baguio alone, but to also cater to the needs of the OFWs from other parts of the Cordillera region.

Migrante also has migrant linkages internationally to allow the coordination of the OFWs. Besides that, Migrante Metro Baguio is also a channel for OFWs to voice out their opinions, as well as a place for OFWs to seek assistance should they face any problems when working overseas.

What causes migration?

What causes migration in the Philippines? According to the government, migration is a natural phenomenon, and that OFWs made the decision to leave their country. From the government’s point of view, the OFWs are generally too ambitious and adventurous.

On the other side of the story, from the viewpoints of the OFWs, the story has a completely different twist. Firstly, people migrate to earn a living. If the country’s economy permits them to stay in the Philippines, they would not have to leave their country for better jobs abroad. Currently, ten percent of the Philippines’ population has been sent worldwide for more job opportunities and OFW’s regular remit approximately $8 billion to the Philippines and are hailed as economic heroes to the economically failing country.

The problems faced by OFWs

However the OFWs do face many problems, both within the Phillipines and internationally. There are a few examples. In a particular case study, the Filipino government stated that OFWs did not have to pay placement fees. However, the government later collected P80,000 placement fees from some of the OFWs. The government allowed OFWs to apply for a loan to pay for the placement fee (which in itself is quite preposterous, as the OFWs are working abroad to pay back the government loan they took to work abroad)

In another case study, people were forced to migrate because the government’s economic policies was a burden. The government calculated that a family of five could survive with a monthly household income of P9,672. The problem here is that, many Filipinos are still unemployed. Even if they were employed, they were being underpaid. According to the 2007 Ibon Facts & Figures, 80% of Filipinos are still considered poor for the fact that they can only afford to have two meals a day.

On the relational end. While Filipinos are working overseas, they are not able to fulfill family commitments. In other words, working overseas ruin the relationships of families. Couples seek divorce when they lack the constant communication to make a marriage work. Largely due to the lack of parental guidance, youths have also resorted to drug trafficking as a desperate means to fulfill their monetary needs.

Many Filipinos do not get the chance to shine in their desired field of interest because of unemployment. Instead, they have to work abroad as domestic workers in order to earn a living for their impoverished families back home.

Vision

Migrante Metro Baguio has a few visions. Firstly, it will continue to lobby for the amendment of the policies that might threaten migrant workers. Secondly, there will be more onsite visits, which is a good way for Migrante Metro Baguio to understand how to assist OFWs and their families on the ground level. Last but not least, the organization hopes to build a strong links with organizations in countries which OFWs are working in, to create awareness about mistreated OFWs and to seek ways to help them.

By Max Tan

Day 2: Cordillera 101

2007-12-13T23:34:00.000+08:00

Our entourage met up with professors and students from University Philippines of Baguio of the CSC to learn more about the historical, socio-political, geographical and economic issues of Baguio. There are a total of 27 municipalities and 303 barangays within the Cordillera political structure. The main produces of the Cordillera are rice, corn, coffee, vegetables, fruits and poultry. The primary mining industries of Baguio are gold and copper.

The Cordillera region has many traditional indigenous communities that have been dynamically transformed due to modernization. Nonetheless, ethnic identities still remain significant amongst Cordillera communities despite them living under the thumb of capitalism. Commercialization has turned the cultural lifestyles of indigenous communities into money making businesses. In addition, Filipino tourism industries are responsible for churning indigenous cultural lifestyles and practices into marketable commercial value. For example, misrepresentation of indigenous culture happens when tourists get to wear an igorot costume for 10 pesos.

During the afternoon seminar, social activists from the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance enlightened us on major issues related to the rights of the indigenous groups. The indigenous people of Cordillera are collectively addressed as the igorots.

Issues confronting the Cordillera communities are development aggression, conflicting laws and policies, lack of basic social services, tribal conflicts and militarization. Governmental incentives such as 100% foreign ownership and complete repatriation of capital profits are given to foreign companies to invest in major development projects. Hence, the Mining Act of 1995 was established to combat environmental degradation and socio-political issues concerning labour and land exploitation.

Increasing tribal conflicts also inevitably ensue due to escalating crime rates involving youths in cities like Tabuk and Baguio who are drawn into drug addiction, robbery and inebriated drunkenness leading to aggressive behaviours like murders and physical injuries. Militarization has also oppressed indigenous people in fighting for self-determination of land ownership and ethnic identity. Military groups would impose physical torture on protestors and political activists by pricking big nails into their skin. Some members of Cordillera Peoples Alliance have also received death threats by trying to voice out their rights.

After such an enlightening seminar, our student guides took us to Baguio's famous Burnham Park. Vendors are seen peddling around selling snacks and local delicacies. About 10 adventurous peers from our entourage gulped down Baluts. Balut is a duck's embryo which is a well-known local delicacy.

Everyone has been having a ball, riding on those creatively decorated Jeepneys that transport passenger from random stop-by spots to anywhere in the city. Riding on a Jeepney abreast with two other Jeepneyson our left and right shows how significant Jeepneyse to serve as the pulse of Baguio's public transport. As we returned to the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance HQ for dinner, Dr Yeoh aka Daniel whipped up a Malaysian-meets-Thai dish for all of us to savour.

In the evening, members of the Baguio Muslim Community Association were invited to participate in a conducive and enriching seminar on racial discrimination towards Muslims who are the minority in the Philippines. The tables turned when our entourage shed some light on how non-Muslims from Malaysia also get unequal rights. Therefore, we came to a mutual conclusion that minority groups in society will always be marginalized regardless of ethnicity, nationality or religion.

By Jasmine Chew

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.

A New Friend

2007-12-13T23:11:00.000+08:00

I have heard that Jollibee is a popular fast food chain in the Philippines but I did not have the chance to ask eyewitnesses how popular it was, until now. Today is my first day in the Phillipines, and I was really shocked to see that the Jollibee signboards actually outnumbered those of McDs. Our bus passed by a few Jollibee restaurants and they were literally packed.

While we (the travellers) were on our bus to Baguio, I sat beside a guy who was holding a Jollibee cup. I started off my conversation by asking him if Jollibee was as popular as McDs, and his answer was that Jollibee is actually the most preferred fast food brand in the Philippines. So what is so special about Jollibee? According to this guy, it is because Jollibee understands the Filipino market better. The company always comes up with food or promotions that generate Filipino's interests. I guess, the other reason Jollibee is so well-accepted is because it is a local brand, and people generally feel proud of products by their local companies. (Ed: Maya the student guide mentioned that, Jollibee made sweet spaghetti and that suited the Filipino market a whole lot more)

We talked a lot, from 'How freedom of speech became a buzzword amongst Filipinos in the 1980s', to 'how the Malaysian government controls the mass media'. People in the Philippines are allowed to voice out their opinions as newspapers (and other forms of media) in the Philippines are not owned by the government. A lot of parks can be found in the Philippines and Filipinos are allowed to hold non-violent demonstration in these parks if they are unhappy with certain governmental policies.

Being a car fanatic, I noticed that most of the sedan cars & MPVs in the Philippines are imported from Japan and Korea. I was wondering if the mass-production of foreign car models would threaten the local car industry, but it turned out that Filipino car makers are professionals in producing a special vehicle called 'jeepneys'. Jeepneys look like jeeps, but they are unusually long, and can easily accommodate as much as eighteen passengers.

This Filipino guy that I met on the bus told me that many Koreans are coming into the Philippines to learn English. He knows this because he is a lecturer in Tarlac State University, Philippines. When this guy was about to disembark the bus in Tarlac town, we introduced ourselves and I gave him my email address. Yes, I know it sounds weird to introduce myself at the end of a conversation but I see this conversation as a very good start for my post-graduate life. The reason is simply because I was shy to speak to people until I realized that communicating with other people is a good way of increasing my general knowledge.

It's only Day One, and I have had lots of fun. :-)

by Max Tan

Burnham Park

2007-12-13T23:08:00.000+08:00

After the sessions with CPA (Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance), our student guides from the University of Philippines Baguio (UP Baguio): Romel, Maya, and Maureen took us to Burnham Park. This park is known to be the biggest in Baguio and was named after Daniel Burnham, an American architect and urban planner. He was famous for the city planning of Chicago and he helped shaped Baguio City.

The park is located near UP Baguio, right in the middle of the city of Baguio and we took a jeepney to get to Burnham Park from CPA and we each paid 6 pesos each.

There are a lot of street vendor at Burnham Park. They mostly sell food and fruits. We tried soy bean and a famous delicacy in the Philippines, balut. Balut is a nearly developed duck embryo. This dish is known to be a healthy choice as it has a lot of protein. However, the image of swallowing a duckling with a half developed body made a lot of people (even Filipinos) not want to try eating balut.

But, unlike a lot of people, some Monash University Malaysia students dared to try this delicacy. Among them are Erica, Mindy, Max, Aaron, Grace and Susan. They found it hard to open the shell but after eating it, balut has a distinctly tasty flavor. Balut costs 12 pesos each.

This park used to be famous for the green grass, horse riding and boating activities. Now, Burnham Park grass has turned brown, the city council took the horses away because they were becoming an irritant to traffic and the pedal boats are still there but the water has turned murky, dark and smelly.

Most people come to this park in the morning to jog, ride bicycles or simply walk their dogs. In the afternoon, there are a lot of family picnics. Despite Baguio being a fairly safe city, I would not recommend you to come to this park after dark. There are a lot of people who will take advantage especially of women and conduct the sex trade.

Overall, our experience in Burnham Park was enjoyable. Unfortunately, we had to cut it short because Dr. Yeoh aka Daniel was waiting for us at CPA with a delicious Tom Yam dinner that he cooked for all of us. I would like to say thank you to Rommel, Maya, and Maureen who were willing to accompany us despite their own busy schedules and exams.

By Dyah

Muslim Community in Baguio

2007-12-13T21:06:00.000+08:00

On the sixth level of our hotel lobby, the people from the Baguio City Muslims Associations shared with us, the students from Monash Malaysia their experiences living in Baguio City. They shared their experiences as Muslims and also as the minorities here. The interactive and informative talk started at about 8 p.m. It was the last presentation for the day. The venue was changed due to the power circuit failure at the mosque. The talk was different in comparison to the two talks held earlier as they had used power point slides shows. It was more like a discussion with a two way communication; the organization gave their views and experiences and in turn, we did ours too.

The Muslims who shared their experiences was Abdul Muhaimin Manumbilao, the Chairman of that organization; Merwan Elnaur Yousif, a foreign student from Sudan studying in Baguio; Fahed Adib Hamdan, a businessman from Lebanon who has been living in the Philippines for 4 years but only a year in Baguio. The next two were Hadji Imran Baniaga, the Vice President and lastly Hadji Abdul Raffy Hassan, the Secretary.

There is said to be more than 10,000 Muslims in Baguio, who migrated from places such as Mindanao and Sudan. Approximately 1000 of the total number of Muslims are student migrants. Most of the students originate from Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Iran and Malaysia as well.

They explained that there were a few reasons as to why they migrated to Baguio City. The conditions of the place where they originated from, played a vital role in the migrating process. The misunderstanding between communities also made them to migrate to Baguio. The war torn areas and the search for greener pastures urged them to move as well.

When asked if they felt inferior by being the minority, Abdul Muhaimin gave a firm yes. There were numerous discriminations towards the Muslims communities living in Baguio, especially job discrimination. He re-called a story about a Muslim brother who could not get his barangay certificate immediately, like the normal procedure just because he's a Muslim.

Fahed, being a Lebanese faced obstacles along the way as well. One of his experiences was that while he was waiting at the boat jetty to get to somewhere within the Philippines, he realized he was being closely watched by the military intelligence. He was also observed when he was walking around to past the time while waiting for his boat to arrive. Coincidently as he was standing at a corner, there were also two other strangers standing at the same spot. The military intelligence then appeared and arrested him and the two men. The authorities accused him of collaborating with the intention of carrying out terrorist attacks. They were then interrogated for a few hours before he was released.

Other past experiences haunted him too. He continued saying that “I feel discriminated for keeping a beard because when I have a beard they call me a terrorist but when I shave, they call me an American”. He felt discriminated both ways. When asked about the issues pertaining to how Muslims are portrayed as terrorists, Fahed said that he does not agree with the term terrorist, as nobody in this world is born a 'terrorist'. He further explained that there was no such thing as being a good human or a bad one, for a person who carries out terrorist acts are provoked and given reasons to act as such.

In my (Alia) experience, I understood the situation as I recalled a much similar encounter myself after 9/11. (I’m sure you all know how much I'm afraid of dogs). Once as I was crossing the road and I stood next to a a man who was walking his dog. I squeaked upon seeing the dog and took a U-turn. He got furious and started swearing at me. All I heard in his reply was that he called me a killer, that I was afraid of dogs, but was still able to kill thousands during the 9/11 attack. I was very terrified after that incident but am always on the lookout for people who associate Muslims to murderers.

On the other hand, the community here is treated with respect and with good manners too. The examples given were that girls are allowed to wear the hijab to school and during the festive seasons they are allowed to celebrate openly and share with other religions.

At one point I (Feeza) thought that the Muslims in Baguio were really facing terrible problems by being the minorities but when they mentioned that the Muslim students were allowed to wear the hijab to school I felt happy. Even though the Philippines is not as well developed as some countries, yet they cherish the value of humanity (something I’ve learned in one of my units in Monash. That some minorities especially the Muslims are not allowed to celebrate their festivals in open spaces, in some countries)

Overall, we considered it a unique experience as it was not held in offices, halls etc like how the previous sessions were but at the hotel lobby where most of us had to sit on the cold floor.

On top of that, it was coordinated in such a way that the Muslims in Baguio session had no slides presentations but still the session was well developed and the Q and A session started from the beginning itself. And instead of having us the students ask them about the Muslims in Baguio they also asked us about the Muslims in Singapore from Alia, Muslims in Indonesia from Linda and Muslims in Malaysia fron Zeck and Feeza.

by Alia and Feeza

For more photos on Day 2, head over here.

Freedom Comes With a Price

2007-12-13T14:27:00.000+08:00

The idea of an indigenous people is not a myth. After an afternoon of learning and broadening our horizons, many of us are now more informed of the status of the indigenous people of the Philippines and how the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance (CPA) has been fighting for the rights of the indigenous people to self-determination and to determine the path of their own development.

In a matter of hours, repeated use of unfamiliar terms became the norm as we started to understand what words like barangay and Igorot meant and the deeper issues they carry. For example, the Cordillera region has many provinces and the many provinces has many municipalities and the many municipalities has many barangays and the many barangays has many ilis. Confused yet? Its only a matter of order and the means of how the structure works. While an Igorot is a general term for all the indigenous people in the Cordilleras and it can sometimes be taken as a derogatory term especially when the person involved is an Igorot. The source of the word never meant for it to carry negativity instead, Igorot means ‘from the mountain’, a simple term to carry the actual roots of these people.

Johnny Sawadan like so many of the staff and volunteers at CPA are natives of the Cordilleras and have a vested interest in the land they live in and in the people that claim residency in these lands. Johnny very graciously was our teacher for the day at CPA, patiently guiding us through the background and history of the Cordillera region and the issues and struggles faced by both indigenous and residents of the area.

Foreign investment in the country has brought on a lot of progress. If colonialism in Malaya had the British reaping the rewards of the tin and rubber for their own purposes and without much rewards to the people of Malaya. Here in modern day Philippines, the same acts of colonialism is now given a legitimate reason to ‘rape’ the land of its natural heritage, namely through the mining and potential dam projects. It’s true that the dam built would provide enough water to deliver a huge percentage of electrical current to the inhabitants of Luzon Island, yet the environmental damage destroy homes and cultural heritage, increases the commercialization of indigenous cultures, threatening the food security of farmers and peasants to Transnational Corporations and most of all, the quiet lives lived by these indigenous people.

A phrase mentioned by CPA I found intriguing and yet contrasting was the issue of development aggression. The natural progression of development is supposed to bring on an improvement to standards of living. Instead the aggression that takes place ruins natural resources and demolishes the indigenous peoples’ basic source of revenue.

What is democracy in such a political system? As Malaysians, we can easily recall back to the Orang Asli’s in Malaysia and one oft mentioned struggle they face was the Bakun dam project and look where that got them. Here at the CPA, there is a sense of purpose as they push on with the objectives and purposes of the Alliance and continue on with their work, even when there is the Oplan Bantay Laya and extra judicial killings have been ordered. For the land they live on and its equivalent to life and all things holistic, the CPA will remain in defense of ancestral domain and for self determination of the indigenous people of the Philippines.

An image of a small girl holding up the sign of ‘Ako Na ba ang susunod’ which means ‘Am I next’ will be the one thing I remember most from the CPA and what I can in my small way do to spread the news and inform the public of what really takes place.

by Shu Yi

Being A Rebel

2007-12-13T13:06:00.000+08:00

The address of the headquarters is 02 P. Guevara.

Mary, a former member of the alliance sports a black cap worthy of Che himself. The Cordillera People’s Alliance; truly a people’s movement. The CPA’s affinities towards the People’s Republic of Cuba are undeniable. In fact, just recently, the CPA played host to Cuba’s Ambassador to the Philippines.

Socialism is the new cool thing. Wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt increases one’s cool factor very significantly considering rock icons such as Rage Against the Machine and Carlos Santana use Che as a fashion statement. In the Clayton campus of Monash University, dreadlocked, pot-smoking students walk around the grounds handing out “Support Socialism” flyers. Being anti-capitalist and anti-American denotes one is socially aware and non-conformist.

However, the edginess of being a rebel is overly hyped up and very misunderstood. 2 Guevarra Street, Baguio City is the headquarters of the true “non-conformists”. Socialism is really just an –ism. In the end it is all about the people. As Windel, the Secretary General from the CPA says, the CPA fights for the people; to free them from oppression and exploitation.

The Cordillera region is mineral rich and the mining industry is a dangerously profitable one. With that amount of minerals in the Philippines one would expect the people to be living life pretty good. However, The Mining Act of 1995 by the Macapagal government is definitely not an act that benefits the people. This act was passed as an initiative to revitalize the Philippine mining industry. The Macapagal government claimed that it would increase foreign investment which would in turn boost the nation’s economy.

Through the act, the government created deliciously lucrative packages to attract foreign mining companies which include rights to holiday tax and tax exemptions for the first 10 years. The act also allows 100% foreign ownership of mining land. This means that tons of money is flowing out of the Philippines. Of course there are increased work opportunities for the people. However, wages are low.

The big picture: foreigners steal from the locals, and pay them back 0.00001% of what they stole in exchange for labor. The CPA is not against mining and neither is it against development. They are against injustice. Their answer to the mining issue is to replace large-scale mining with small-scale mining.

Johnny Sawadan claims that it is proven that small-scale mining has a much more positive impact on the economy. Small-scale mining will be run by indigenous people, allowing them to have control over their own resources: baby steps in self-determination. This small-scale mining will be organized and responsible; taking into account factors like sustainability.

So what does Che Guevara have to do with mining in the Cordillera region? The mining issue really boils down to one of the most widely debated topics in the world: capitalism vs. socialism. Across the world, people in developing countries are being exploited and the situation is similar. Nike sweatshop workers ring a bell?

Both capitalism and socialism are heavily stereotyped. Capitalism is stereotyped as exploitative and evil (think Blood Diamond and An Inconvenient Truth) while socialism is stereotyped as being idealistic and radical (think Mao Zedong). If small-scale mining is implemented, resources will not be allocated to maximum efficiency as there is no competition. Prices will also increase as demand exceeds supply. Small-scale mining also fails to realize the global nature of the mining industry: an industry determined by market forces. In the long run, small-scale mining will no longer be profitable. If small-scale mining does run efficiently, it will unavoidably (according to principles of efficiency) become large-scale.

However, the capitalist system of large-scale mining is highly exploitative of the people, and destructive of the environment. Most of all, it involves taking land from the indigenous peoples through manipulative ways.

But can there be responsible capitalism? If people don’t buy shares in Anvil or Newcrest will these corporations still be mining in the Philippines? Will people buy shares in these corporations if they knew how people were being exploited? I’m going to make my new mission education.

by Grace

Backbone of Cordillera Research

2007-12-13T11:05:00.000+08:00

Today was the first day where we got down to the “serious business” part of the study trip and attended our first session talk on the Cordillera Study Center (CSC). Situated at the spacious and refreshingly hilly spot that is the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB), the CSC is a prominent research branch of the University.

As we lounged in a meeting room overlooking the rows of pine trees dotting the campus grounds, Professor Delfin L. Tolentino (or simply Delfin) walked us through the richly diverse and somewhat complex university system (to our Malaysian ears) in the Philippines.

Alice, part of the CSC research team then took on the task of explaining the background of Cordillera and the history of the CSC. The CSC which was established in June 1980, was established as a research sector of the Development Studies Program of the then Division of Social Sciences.

The CSC has essentially carved out UPB’s reputation as the lead research university in the Philippines and was reorganized as the university research center of UPB. As such, it sets the research directions of the University.

We were told that despite its namesake, the CSC is not only concerned with research within Cordillera itself but branches into four divisions, (1) Biodiversity Conservation; (2) Ethnicity Studies; (3) Governance and Public Policy; and (4) Local Language and Literature.

The CSC was established to serve as a venue to conduct research pursued by the UP Baguio as well as a platform for the exchange of information and dialogues among academics, social science practitioners, government officials and communities on regional development plans. It seeks to create a positive environment that encourages collaborative and multidisciplinary research, especially regarding developmental issues that involves the Cordillera communities. One of the center’s aims is to ensure full and substantive participation of all concerned parties, hence giving a voice to the indigenous communities as well. Nonetheless, the CSC is not just doing pure academic research but also actively forms close linkages with the local communities and respond to social issues.

Some of the issues of interest to the CSC are such as biodiversity conservation, governance and public policy, and ethnic studies. The center looks at how certain government initiated developmental policies could affect the Cordillera indigenous people and their cultural, political and socio-economic situation. The Center’s library has also became the Cordillera regional information, resource and referral center with its substantial collection of ethnographies and materials on developmental issues, economic change, social transformation and upland resource management. In addition, the CSC also provides research affiliation to local and foreign researchers such as our Monash lecturer, Dr Yeoh, by serving as institutional base and support.

The talk by the CSC has enlightened us about the people and their cultures in the Cordillera region. The Cordillera region is consisting of six provinces and they are Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao and Benguet; and have two chartered cities – Baguio and Tabuk. We were briefed about the diversity of indigenous groups in the six provinces such as the Ibaloy, Bontok, Kalinga, Isney, Gaddang and etc who come under the umbrella term Igorot. Igorot originated from the Spanish word I (from) and golot (mountain) hence the meaning from the mountain.

Essentially, the exposure to the CSC made us realize the importance of having a flagship research center. For without primary field research, larger social issues cannot be addressed.

by Eunice and Maxine

For more photos on Day 2, head over here

Humorous First Day

2007-12-12T23:30:00.000+08:00

It’s our first day exploring the Philippines, a neighbouring country that many of us, I assume, know so little about. The day started of with disappointment when one of our fellow comrades, Claudia could not join us but the sadness was swallowed up by some funny incidents. One might wonder, what would take place when a bunch of Monash Commies came under the care of Dr Yeoh and Melissa, our two chaperons? Lots of laughter, naturally.

Incident number one, Jojo (Jasmine Yeoh) had mistakenly lost her passport after going through the baggage check. A big no-no would be to lose one’s passport because no passport means no identity, means no Jasmine on the trip, means no fun…you get the equation. Everyone was in a frenzy searching in the rubbish bins for signs of her little red book while Erica dig frantically in Jasmine’s backpack but to no avail. I’d say Jasmine looked like she was going to have a heart attack while she fluttered around asking the security guards for help. The near death experience (yes, it was very dramatic) was remedied when Erica realized the precious passport to be in her pouch. Apparently, Jasmine had absent-mindedly handed her passport into Erica’s care for a while and Erica’s natural instinct was to automatically keep important documents into her pouch. It ended up with everyone having a good laugh and heaving a sigh of relief. That was just the beginning, and as promised there were more funny bits to come.

Incident number two, and again poor Jojo was caught in another false alarm as everyone had collected their luggage from the carousel while Jasmine was still searching and waiting eagerly for her backpack to arrive. After all the wait and worrying of a possible lost luggage and another potential heart attack (yes, again it was very dramatic), she realized that some comrades of ours had picked it up and her red backpack was snugly lying in the trolley without her knowledge. The good thing to know was that after all the chaos, everyone was cool and laugh it off like nothing happened.

After the miscommunication at the airport, we finally got onto the bus and it remains to be one of the most torturous rides of our lives. The bus is driving on the wrong side of the road (Philippines drivers drive on the right side of the road) which made many of us uncomfortable as incoming vehicles zoomed pass us, giving the illusion of a head-on collision. The bus ride was a long six hours with only two stops, Susan said “I can’t feel my ass” and Erica felt like she’d “been on the bus for two years”. Although the seats were slightly more comfortable than the claustrophobic Air Asia, the winding and bumpy roads did not help the situation.

I had several cultural shocks myself, looking out from the bus was pretty fun, you get to observe the beautiful scenery of Clark and Baguio, the paddy fields, the cows and cute-looking jeepneys and of course, the people. I was practically left with my mouth gaping when I saw a local man relieving himself on a wall in public, in wide-open-public! I could hardly believe my eyes; a few other men who saw me with my eyes nearly popping out were chuckling away, probably thinking “She ain’t seeing nothing yet!” Indeed, that was very true when I spotted a man who casually scooped up water with his bottle from a puddle on the street and guzzle it in. I was dumbstruck. He must have had a really strong stomach to survive the bacteria laden liquid. The toilet was another funny experience that cannot be left out. The first toilet we visited was pretty comely, the low door sort of made me feel exposed and uncomfortable, however in terms of cleanliness, it was better than many other public toilet in Malaysia.

Nevertheless the whole idea of being exposed, gave us the the biggest shock when we got to the next toilet stop and realize that there were no doors, NO DOORS! Nonetheless, the sheer desperation of needing to relieve our bursting bladders made us shrug of the embarrassment and continue with our business.

I guess after all the chaos and culture shock, it only make us more eager to explore Baguio and Sagada and crawl out of our comfort zone and embrace this new cultural experience with a big smile and a great sense of humour!

by Eunice

For more photos from Day 1, head over here.

Day 1: Signing In

2007-12-12T11:32:00.000+08:00

At first glance, it seems as if the countryside out of Clarke airport where we landed would be just as similar to the kampung lands of Malaysia. But I was oh so wrong to make such an assumption. As traveling through the region showed a lot of the land that made it typically Filipina.

Many of us came prepared for cool temperatures and we were disappointed to find the heat to be much worse than in KL. But only later in Baguio did we find the cooler mountainous temperature we were looking for, and it’s very similar to that of Cameron Highlands.

The bulk of the first day was mostly covered by traveling across the countryside and up towards the Cordillera region of Baguio. We saw lush greens, vendors selling their wares by the roadsides, narrow rivers, poorly kept houses, messy roads with all means of transportation littering the roads from jeepneys (remnant of the American occupation in the Philippines), to buses, cars and tricycles.

Vendors here have a daring bravado as they would stride onto buses with passengers to sell their wares and insist on selling, even when the passengers have already decline. Though most of us could see that making a living here is not an easy thing even though the cost of living doesn’t seem too high a price to pay.

The language barrier was frustrating at first as the people we were mostly in communication with, the vendors, would look blankly at us when we went ‘How much?’ or ‘What is this?’ But at the least, most of them spoke some basic English and we got by just fine.

Curving roads, misty air, purple sky and an orangey sunset would be the words I’d use to describe the road we finally took to go up the mountains after a 4 plus hour bus ride on normal roads. Not to mention the extremely audacious bus driver who drove the bend of the mountain like as if it was a road he could drive with his eyes blindfolded. Our bodies swayed and moved along with the dancing bus bringing us through a tango of sorts.

We ended the night with a fairly good meal at a pub with a live band. Though most of us were already tired beyond belief at the day long travel, many of us sat through the loud live music and enjoyed a decent meal to satisfy our tummies.

One thing of interest to note as we flew in is the lava-like design on the ground that could only be lava, remnant from a nearby volcano (I think). Definitely something for us to investigate as we travel around and ask, whether a living volcano still survives in this region of the Philippines?

Tomorrow seems to carry the promise of a new day, a day where we learn about the Cordillera Region, indigenous issues from the CPA and a feel of the Muslim religion here in Baguio would come into play.

Editor-in-chief
Shu Yi

For more photos from Day 1, head over here.

Introduction

2007-01-12T19:51:00.000+08:00

Hello, all!

From the 12th to the 21st of December 2007, the Arts students of Monash University (Sunway campus) will embark on a journey to a land not-so-foreign from our own -- Baguio and Sagada in the Philippines. Twenty members of our group may have 20 different goals and motivations in this study trip but we are united in a few key aims:

AIMS

We seek to gain awareness of the social, cultural and political circumstances in Baguio and Sagada, the Philippines.

We aim to share and learn from our experiences of these realities in our neighbouring country through our writing, videos and pictures in this blog

Lastly, being Arts students through and through, we want to communicate! This blog will be a first step towards building and maintaining a network of communication with the people we meet in our travels and everyone who is interested in our travellogs.

Until we see you, Baguio and Sagada:

Here's wishing you good hunting!

~Maxine Lim,

Blog Crew rep.