Man Shot And Killed Along Harrison Road In Baguio City Last Tuesday Morning

A man was fatally shot by still unidentified men along Harrison Road in Baguio City in the early morning of July 29 (Tuesday). According to a police report by Station 7 of the Baguio City Police Office, the shooting occurred at the waiting shed just beside the entrance to the Jadewell Parking grounds along Harrison Road.

The victim has been identified as a certain Alfonso Fontanos Suringa alias Al. Suringa is 36 years old and a resident of Camanggaan, Virac in the municipality of Itogon in Benguet. Upon verification that the victim was indeed Suringa, the girlfriend and a sibling went immediately to the funeral house where the victim was kept.

According to the police report, Suringa was playing a game of tong-its with two taxi drivers at the waiting shed along Harrison Road when two men approached and shot him five times. The police are still investigating as to the identities and motive of the suspects.

As per police records, the victim has committed several crimes in the past. He had cases involving theft, attempted theft and vagrancy. These happened between 2011 and 2013. With that said, there's a possibility that his tragic fate at the waiting shed may be connected to these previous crimes or any unrecorded crimes that he may have committed.

Igorot Men Are Not Sweet Lovers. True Or False?

About a week ago, I was browsing through one of the many Cordilleran groups on Facebook when I came across a thread wherein the main post said something about Igorot men being not expressive enough when it comes to professing their love to their girlfriends or wives. Apparently, they fail miserably in the sweetness department. It was of course posted in a joking manner but still it had me thinking.

To answer the question "Are Igorot men sweet lovers or not?", first we need to define what is meant by the term "sweet" in the context of a man having feelings towards a woman. The common understanding of the term is that a sweet man is someone who is rather generous or bold when it comes to expressing his affections. He holds the girl's hand in public. He buys her flowers. He sends her boxes of Toblerones. He ends his text messages to her with mwuah's. He serenades her at her place of residence. He picks her up at school and accompanies her home. These are just among the instances that would make an observer exclaim "Wow, ang sweet naman." It's therefore safe to say that this is how most of us define the expression sweet.

Calling Igorot men not that sweet is a form of stereotyping but as we all know stereotypes carry some truth to them. There's basis to them, a foundation if you may. Like Ilocanos are often tagged as kuripot or taga-Kiangans are deemed pilosopo. People did not just come up with these conclusions out of thin air.

Photo from sariasknitncrochet.com. Credits to the owner/photographer.

Based on how we defined the term sweet above, let's go back to the question "Are Igorot men sweet lovers or not?" It's not of course black and white so the question can't be answered by a definitive yes or no. However, if we are to compare Igorot men with men from other groups, say the Tagalogs or the Ilocanos or the Bicolanos, I think most of us would agree when I say that Igorot men's "level of sweetness" pales in comparison  to the other groups mentioned.

Why is this the case? Why are Igorot men not that expressive when it comes to matters of the heart? Is it because of our cultural and traditional roots? We'll try to answer these questions in Part II of this planned three-part article series. We'd like to hear your thoughts and reactions so please feel free to leave your comments in the comments section below.

Related story: What Does The Common Cordilleran Word "Taraki" Mean?

These Cordillera-Inspired Paintings By A Cordilleran Artist Are....Well, Magnificent

When is a piece of art considered Cordilleran art? This is a question I've been mulling over for quite some time. In effect, what are the criteria for something to be called Cordilleran art? Does the artist have to be Cordilleran? Does the piece need to be of Cordilleran theme? I am yet to come up with a conclusion.

However, I do believe that the perfect example of Cordilleran art would be one that meets the two criteria mentioned above. The artist is Cordilleran and the art he/she makes has Cordilleran themes. This brings us to Jef Cablog, a painter who hails from Barlig, Mt. Province. Most of his canvasses feature the culture, traditions and people of this region.

Below are just a few of his paintings. For more information on the artist and his works, you can check them out here, here, or here. [Photos courtesy of Artodyssey]

Cordilleran Mixed Martial Artist Geje Eustaquio To Fight For The ONE FC Inaugural Flyweight Belt

After dominant wins over Eugene Toquero and Kentaro Watanabe, Geje "Gravity" Eustaquio has earned the chance to become the One Fighting Championship's inaugural flyweight champion. The Team Lakay fighter is scheduled to face Adriano "Black Diamond" Moraes of Brazil at the Koh Pich Theatre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on September 12, 2014. The two fighters will be headlining ONE FC 20: Rise of the Kingdom.

Eustaquio's current record stands at 6 wins and 2 losses. Three of these wins were under the One Fighting Championship banner. Moraes, the more experienced fighter between the two has a record of 11 wins and 1 loss. His last two wins were submission victories against contenders in the ONE FC.

If Eustaquio wins, he will join Honorio Banario as among the Filipino mixed martial artists to win a title in the One Fighting Championship.

Geje Eustaquio landing a knee on Kentaro Watanabe during his most recent bout in the ONE FC. Photo by ONE FC.

Reforesting The Mountains Of Naguey And Pasdong In Atok, Benguet

If you are to pass through the stretch of the Halsema Highway that runs within Benguet, it's hard not to notice the hills and mountains that have been stripped of their forest covers. The creation of these open and treeless spaces were due to various reasons the most noticeable of which is the clearing of forest covers for vegetable gardens.

This is not to say that creating farms out of previously forested hills and mountains is a bad thing. After all, the main source of income in the province is agriculture. Putting a death sentence to farming mountains would be tantamount to putting thousands of people out of jobs. However, there should be a balance between farming and preserving the environment. It's about time that people learn the value of protecting the natural resources that they have.

Among those in the forefront of preserving and conserving the mountains in the Cordillera region is the Cordillera Conservation Trust (CCT). An organization headed by JP Alipio, CCT helps in building forests and sustainable communities. Last July 26 and 27, CCT spearheaded forest building activities in Pasdong and Naguey in the municipality of Atok in Benguet. Below is a video featuring footage from said forest building activities.
CCT will be conducting more forest building activities in the coming months. They'll be going to Tinoc, Ifugao on August 15-17 and to Tacadang, Kibungan on September 19-21. They will also be conducting roots and shoots trainings. These trainings are scheduled for September 27-28 and October 4-5 in Kabayan, Benguet and Bokod, Benguet respectively.

CCT was also behind the forest building activities done last July 15 in Mt. Cabuyao in Santo Tomas, Tuba. Dubbed #reforestthereoad, pine tree and coffee seedlings were planted in a stretch of land destroyed by a road project. Baguio City Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr. has been tagged as the one behind the road project. The solon however has been denying any involvement in the road project.

A Conference Of Baguio Bloggers Where You Can Learn How To Tap Into The Power Of Blogging

Ever wanted to start your own blog but you are confused as to how you can get your foot through the door? Then this blog conference is for you. It's free and it's happening next Saturday (July 26) at the Granary Academy and Assessment Center at the Resurrection Church Compound along Magsaysay Avenue in Baguio City. It's a one day event starting at 8:30 in the morning and ending at 4:30 in the afternoon.

The lineup of speakers consists of seven Baguio-based bloggers. The keynote speaker will be Vincent Tabor of Lakbay Baguio (http://lakbaybaguio.com/). The other speakers are:

1) Clayre Chaokas II (http://shuttercaptured.com/) on blog basics

2) Carl Taawan (http://www.baguiosmile.com/) on photo blogging and photo journalism

3) Ane Fallarme (http://www.diaryofane.com/) on Fashion and beauty blogging

4) Christian Lizardo Aligo (http://www.christianlizardoaligo.com/) on political and satirical blogging

5) Jag Fernando (http://www.accessoryholics.com/) on blogging your business

6) Dean Cuanso (http://watwatworld.com/) on business blogging and online marketing 101

This conference will be the third installment of its kind. The first Baguio blog conference was held in 2012 followed by another one in 2013. For next week's conference, follow this link to register.

Road Accident In Quezon Hill Leads To Street Brawl Involving A Taxi Driver, A Motorist, And A Concerned Citizen

Here's another case of road rage in the streets of Baguio City and it involved what we often refer to as a "rambulan", a street fight. A citizen who happened to witness the altercation posted on Facebook photos from the incident as well as his/her version of what transpired.

The whole text of his/her post is embedded below but here's the gist of it: Taxi driver and Toyota Hilux driver collide. Hilux driver tries to drive away while taxi driver gets out of his car to chase the Hilux. Front tire of the Hilux explodes prompting the driver to stop. The taxi driver (who is aging) had to be rushed by a fellow taxi driver to the hospital after his blood pressure went up. A police mobile arrives.

When another taxi driver tries to take a picture of the Hilux car, the owner got angry and grabbed a tire wrench. That's when the two got into a fight. A bystander tried to stop the fight but the Hilux driver fought him instead. The policemen who numbered about 10 or 12 can't seem to do anything to stop the altercation. The Hilux driver then locked himself in his car. This transpired for almost 4 hours. The cops then drove away leaving the Hilux driver in his car. Susunod na lang daw siya sa presinto.

There you go. You've read the events. You be the judge on the competence or incompetence of Baguio's finest.

Post by Nivla Nosiuc.

Congressman Aliping's Chief Of Staff Says The Solon Was Not Involved In Logging Activity

In a letter written to the Manila Standard Today, Lito Pangilinan (Baguio City Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr.'s chief of staff) defended the solon from allegations that he was involved in logging activities in Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas. Pangilinan particularly pointed out two articles published by the newspaper during the first week of July as "libelous". The word "libelous" was mentioned in said letter three times.

Reading the letter, the threatening stance is too obvious. Dexter See, the Manila Standard Today correspondent has been among those who have been more ardent in covering the Mt. Sto. Tomas issue. In short, he's been at the forefront of informing the public regarding developments in the Sto. Tomas tragedy. This letter is just another of Aliping's efforts to muscle his way out of the mess he got himself into.

To be fair to Pangilinan, See overstepped in the first paragraph of his July 2 article titled Watershed Logging Defended. The paragraph in question stated "A lawmaker facing various charges for destruction of a huge portion of a protected forest broke a self-imposed silence on Tuesday and said he cut down 1,000 trees and bulldozed the earth to put up an “eco-park” to help sustain the biodiversity of the Mount Sto. Tomas watershed." This created the impression that the Congressman directly said that he cut trees. Aliping never admitted cutting trees. However, most of the evidence says that he did cut trees. Just because Aliping did not admit cutting trees does not mean he did not do it. Non-admission does not equate to innocence.

If Pangilinan's claims that Aliping did not cut trees or engage in logging, then what were the fallen timber that we saw scattered all over the area in Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas when we went there just a few days ago to plant trees? We took photos. Here's just a few of them. What are these, if not the victims of logging? If Aliping wants to stop people from talking about Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas, then he should stop playing around and start addressing the issue directly and clearly. Quit beating around the bush. If he did not do these as he claims, then who did? The vegetable farmers? The small scale miners? It's nearing two months already when the issue first broke out. If Aliping is more enthusiastic in addressing the issue instead of stalling it, fixing this mess would be quicker.

Seeing The Damage Done In Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas Is Shocking And That's Putting It Mildly

Yesterday, July 15, we participated in the tree planting activity at the destroyed forest in Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas. The activity which was organized by JP Alipio of the Cordillera Conservation Trust aims to reforest the road. That is to plant trees on the scarred earth with the hope of seeing it return to its original state. If I remember it right, over a thousand pine tree and coffee seedlings were planted that day.

Seeing the damage done in the forest is shocking to say the least. Aliping said that he planned on building an eco park in the area, a nature and adventure site. Suffice it to say that Aliping's idea of an eco park seems to be the complete opposite of what most of us know.

When a politician gets implicated in something tragic wherein he/she has grossly betrayed public trust, it is always wise to keep an open mind and give him/her the benefit of the doubt. When the destruction in Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas first came to light and no other than Baguio City Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr. was tagged as the culprit, I gave the solon the benefit of the doubt. Surely, the top leader of this parts of the land would not be that stupid to cut a swath of destruction through a protected forest without the necessary permits. Anyone accused of a crime deserves the chance to provide an explanation. Aliping deserved the chance to explain himself.

But what did he do? He lied by telling a television station that the project was by his brother Brian Aliping whom he said resides in the U.S. only to admit later on that he indeed is behind the project. That's a complete turnaround from his initial stance. Even if it is true that the project is indeed by Brian, shouldn't it be Nicasio Jr.'s responsibility to his constituents in Baguio City that he prevents Brian in proceeding with the road project? Is he implying that he wouldn't wag a finger even if the whole of Cabuyao mountain goes down because the person doing the destruction is his brother? 

Allow us to remind the reader that springs have been polluted so Baguio City and Tuba's water sources have been affected. Most reports say that the number of trees cut and burned were about 750. After seeing the area destroyed, it has to be much more than that. Additionally, as you read this article, some of the trees there continue to die. They are doomed. With their roots exposed, there is very little chance of them ever getting the right sustenance to survive. There are also several cracks in the constructed road. These are recipes for massive erosions. With the rainy season in full swing, it wouldn't be surprising to hear about more trees dying there because of erosions.

Another thing, it's worth mentioning over and over again that during his campaign in 2013 for the Congressional post, Aliping promised a "pagbabagong rumerespeto sa kalikasan at kapaligiran". He even made a campaign video about his love of the environment. Also, in 2012 when he was a Baguio City councilor, Aliping promised to the municipality of Tuba in Benguet that he won't cut trees when he builds what he called a nature and adventure site in Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas. Can you see the pattern here? Aliping promises something but does the complete opposite. It's scary.

Lately, I've received a few emails (through this blog) that accused us of only writing negative things about the Congressman. The main point of these letter-senders is that Aliping has done a lot of good things for Baguio City that it's not right for us to keep on beating him with the Sto. Tomas tragedy. I just wish to make it clear to these letter-senders that Aliping's good works is not the issue here. The issue here is his hand in the destruction in Cabuyao/Sto. Tomas. His positive accomplishments are separate from his follies. Think of it this way: if a man rescued a person and killed another, the good act does not free the man from paying for the implications of the bad act.

We invite you, the reader of this article, to look closely at the photos below. Setting aside the fact that Aliping promised not to cut trees, is this the way to build an eco park? All these photos were taken just yesterday. You are the reader. You be the judge. #reforesttheroad

Note 1: All of the people in these photos were there yesterday to plant trees in the area. For more photos of the tree-planting activity, click here.

Note 2: You are free to copy and use these photos (including the the ones contained in the link above) with just one condition. And that is you use them responsibly and that you use them in something relevant/related to the issue.

Igorot Fighter Eric Kelly Wins In One Of The Bloodiest Battles In ONE FC History

In the lead-up to their bout last night at the NTU Sports Center in Taipei, Taiwan, Cordilleran mixed martial artist Eric "The Natural" Kelly and Australian Rob "Ruthless" Lisita promised a war. Well, they more than delivered. At the main event of One Fighting Championship: War of Dragons, they stayed true to their words and traded punches from the moment the cage was closed and the bell was rung. The affair which lasted for only two rounds had both fighters attempting submissions. The scramble was not surprising as both fighters are submission specialists.

The first round was both a striking and grappling match. Kelly and Lisita traded punches, kicks and knees when they were on their feet. On the ground, they found themselves attempting to submit each other. In the second round, the fighters picked up from where they left off. Lisita had the better of the exchanges and was able to bust Kelly's nose from which blood started gushing out. Kelly's nose was bleeding so bad that the referee had to give a temporary halt to the bout to have a doctor check on Kelly's nose. When the fight continued, the two combatants went for another grappling match. In the end, Kelly took Lisita's back and immediately locked in a rear-naked choke. Lisita tapped out at the 3:43 mark in the second round.

With the win, Kelly improves his record to 11 wins and 1 loss while Lisita drops to 14 wins and 6 losses. The victory also provided Kelly with the chance to fight for the ONE FC featherweight belt which is currently held by Koji Oishi of Japan. Oishi is scheduled to defend his title this coming August in Dubai against an unnamed opponent. Kelly will likely be that opponent as long as he can heal fast enough from the injuries he incurred with the fight against Lisita.

If you missed the fight, here's a GIF of Kelly's rear-naked choke victory over Lisita. You have to wait for a few seconds for the GIF to completely load.

In Just A Few Hours, Igorot Fighter Eric Kelly Will Be Entering The ONE FC Ring

A big mixed martial arts event is happening tonight at the TNU Sports Arena in Taipei, Taiwan. One Fighting Championship, the biggest mixed martial arts organization in Asia is staging their 18th fight card in the historic city. Headlining the 11-bout card is Eric "The Natural" Kelly of Baguio City and Rob "Ruthless" Lisita of New South Wales, Australia.

At stake for Kelly and Lisita is the opportunity to fight for the ONE FC featherweight belt which is currently held by the Japanese knockout artist Koji Oishi. Whoever wins the bout tonight will likely be facing Oishi for the championship belt in the next ONE FC event which is scheduled to be held on August 29, 2014 at the World Trade Centre in Dubai.

Oishi took the belt away from Honorio Banario (also a Cordillera-based fighter). Coincidentally, banario won the belt when he defeated Eric Kelly. Watch a breakdown of tonight's bout below.

Igorot Fighter Eric Kelly Is Fighting Tomorrow Night. Watch This Preview Of The Bout.

Tomorrow night at the TNU Sports Arena in Taipei, Taiwan, a Cordilleran mixed martial artist will enter the cage of the One Fighting Championship to do battle with a very dangerous fighter from Australia. Eric "The Natural" Kelly of Baguio City and Rob "Ruthless" Lisita of New South Wales will be headlining ONE FC 18: War of Dragons. A lot is at stake in this match-up. Whoever clinches the victory will set himself up for a chance to fight for the ONE FC featherweight championship belt which is currently held by Koji Oishi of Japan.

Oishi has already been penciled to defend his belt on August 29, 2014 at the World Trade Centre in Dubai against a yet to be named opponent. So whoever wins tomorrow night between Kelly and Lisita will likely fight for the title. It is a very intriguing bout as Kelly and Lisita are submission specialists. Majority of their wins came via submissions. Watch the preview for the upcoming fight below.

Rob Lisita: "When that bell rings, I'm coming to get you. I'm coming to kill. It's the way I fight. I'm aggressive. I'm fast-paced. And I get into people's face and I make it into a dog fight. You know I can fight from the outside and I can box. Like I said, I'm not looking for points, I'm looking for the finish."

Eric Kelly: "I'm preparing hard. I'm training hard to get back to the championship belt again. I'm eager to fight and I'm eager to win."

Back In 2012, Aliping Promised That He Will Preserve All The Trees When He Develops His Nature And Adventure Site

So, apparently Baguio City Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr.'s project in Mt. Sto. Tomas dates back to 2012 when Aliping (then a Baguio City councilor) appeared in front of the Tuba municipal council and outlined his project which he referred to as a nature and adventure site. During the session, Aliping said "My plan there is first, to develop a nature and adventure site. Primarily, we have to preserve all the trees that are in that area." This is just a portion of the minutes of said council session that were released to the media. You can read additional details about what transpired during this session here (Inquirer) and here (Midland Courier).

I just want to make a quick detour here regarding the minutes of the meeting. Is there a way for a small blogger such as myself to acquire a copy of said "minutes"? The two reports I linked to above directly mentioned that the "minutes" were released to the media. So if there's a media person or anyone knowledgeable about my query who can tell me how I should go about in procuring a copy of said "minutes", I would be very grateful.

Anyway, this development in the Mt. Sto. Tomas issue raises a HUGE question. If the Tuba municipal council has known about this project for over two years then why did we arrive at such a tragic ending? Trees were cut and the earth excavated within a forest reserve. And these were done without the necessary permits, mind you.

A portion of the road project in Sto. Tomas. Photo by the Cordillera Conservation Trust

From these, we can come up with a few conclusions. One, the Tuba council watched the trees get cut without doing anything. Two, the Tuba council did try to do something but they were rather too late. Three, the Tuba council watched but didn't do anything because they were expecting somebody else (DENR, EMB) to stop the cutting. Pick your poison. But be informed that whichever you pick, it leaks of incompetence on the part of the Tuba council. They simply didn't flex their muscles enough.

Still Confused About What's Happening In Santo Tomas? Then This Forum Is For You.

The statesman and former President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government." In light of these strong words, we remind the reader of the massacre of trees in Mount Santo Tomas. Said environmental crime was allegedly the handiwork of no other than Nicasio Aliping Jr., the top government leader in these parts of the land.

The irony here is obvious. We have a Congressman who was confident enough to burn and cut trees, wound the earth, and pollute the water springs. All these were done without the necessary permits from concerned agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). And for what? An eco-park, the embattled solon said in a recent conference. That's tantamount to saying let's cut a swath through the Amazon forest to establish an eco-park.

Aliping's defensive statements after the issue broke out were also rife with contradictions. He stated on television that the project was by Brian, a brother of his currently based in the United States. It turned out that the project was actually by him. He owns property in the forest reserve (although the municipality of Tuba says there are no documents for such). And in the recent conference we mentioned earlier, Aliping went as far as saying that it wasn't his project that was responsible for the destruction in the reserve. If we recall it correctly, he mentioned private miners, farmers, and some sort of a road widening project.

It would be unwise to fully slap Aliping in the face. Charges have been filed against him but these do not equate to truth. Not yet. Maybe private miners are partly to blame. Maybe small farmers are partly to blame. Maybe that road widening thing is partly to blame. We have yet a lot to know before we can say that it's about time that Aliping be walked to the gallows. However, we can't just set aside the mounting evidence that points to Aliping as the big bad wolf. And it's our right and responsibility as occupants of these parts of the land to make the big bad wolf answer to all the allegations.

We go back to the words of Roosevelt and reflect a little. When Aliping cut through Mt. Sto. Tomas, was he protecting the interests of the people or the interests of himself or that of his brother (whoever really is behind the project)? The other question to ask would be are the people of Baguio and Tuba "strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government"? Such a question brings us to an upcoming forum to be held at the University of The Philippines Baguio. Said forum will tackle the Santo Tomas issue. This is worth-attending because the more informed you are about what's happening to your land, what the government is doing to said land, and what government leaders are doing to said land, the more power you have to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. That leaders do not overstep. That leaders don't use the gift of power given to them by the public to serve their own interests.

Everyone is invited to this forum. The date to mark on your calendar is July 12. Forum starts at 2 PM and ends at 5 PM.

More than 25% Of The Children In Atok, Benguet Are Malnourished, Survey Says

A recent article on Rappler by Fritzie Rodriguez highlighted what could be a serious problem in the municipality of Atok in Benguet. Actually, that should be a series of serious problems. One, there's plenty of food in the municipality but people are getting very little nutrition. Two, more than 25% of children under five are stunted which means they are too short for their age because of malnutrition. Three, farmers are being paid very low wages. Four, there's extreme inequality when it comes to the distribution of lands. Five, parents lack information about proper nutrition. And six, the people's diet is unbalanced, the highlight of which is the obvious lack in protein.

Now, it would of course be unwise to treat everything you read from the internet as true but in this case the people of Atok and the powers that be need to embrace this as truth. Atok is close to home and having passed the place countless of times, I could see the basis for these problems.

According to the Rappler piece, a joint survey conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the World Food Programme found out that more than 25% of children under 5 in Atok are stunted. Before anything else, it's worth pointing out that this percentage given is very vague. "More than 25%" means it could be between 26% and 100%. I don't know if this is an error on the part of the writer or on the part of those behind the survey. However, this doesn't take away the fact that a huge chunk of the children in Atok are malnourished.

A terrace of vegetable gardens. Photo by MKA via Flickr

The unbalanced diet is pretty obvious. It would be safe to claim that the main diet in the municipality consists of rice and vegetables. This is also among the main reasons why a lot of children are malnourished. Essential nutrients from other food groups (protein especially) are lacking in their diets. Atok is really not livestock country. Only a few people raise cows, pigs and chickens.

But then again, given the terrain in Atok, it would be very difficult to raise livestock in bigger scales. There's simply no room for pasture. This is not to say it's impossible but it would take double or even triple the effort to raise livestock in Atok compared to livestock-friendly lands.

As to the low wages of farmers and the unequal distribution of lands, more facts and data need to be gathered as to why this is the case. I don't know where Rodriguez got the numbers wherein farmers earn as low as Php12 a week. If it's true, that's just inhumane.

Missing Girls From Bauko, Mt. Province Have Been Found

Last June 29, three teenaged girls from Bauko, Mt. Province went missing. The three reportedly went to Balili, Mankayan but failed to return back home. You can read the full story here.

Here's the good news: they've been found. They were spotted by a woman in Lamagan, Abatan, Buguias. She reported it to the Buguias Police Station who in turn immediately went and rescued the girls who were weakened and unable to talk. They are now undergoing medication and recovering at the Abatan Lutheran Hospital in Abatan, Buguias.

It's still unknown as to what happened to them as they are unable to talk. They were also carrying bus tickets originating from the town of Tinoc in Ifugao. The bus company name is Blooming Hill Express. More updates coming soon.

Here are photos from the Abatan Lutheran Hospital. Photos courtesy of Councilor Ricky Samidan of Bauko via Facebook.

A Call For Help: Three Missing Girls From Bauko, Mt. Province

Three teenaged girls from Sadsadan, Bauko, Mt. Province have gone missing and their families are calling for your help. First of all, here's the contact number that you can text or call in the event that you have seen these girls. The number is 0946-4152-134. Or you can immediately report it to the authorities. You can approach the police, barangay officials, anybody who can assist you. Thank you.

For the full story behind their disappearance, read it below after the photo. (Text and photo courtesy of Ilam Adi Tan Inayan via Facebook).

"This morning one customer came to print this photo. I would like to use the social networking site to ask for your help.

According to the mother of Rena, every Saturday and Sunday the three ladies go to Cada, Balili, Mankayan, Benguet to work in one of their relatives' garden and will go home on the afternoon of Sunday for them to prepare for school on Monday. (Note: They are working for them to support their studies.)However, just this Saturday and Sunday (June 28 & 29, 2014), umulan po nang malakas sa kanila kaya the three ladies did not go home. Rena texted her mom to get her bag para diretso na siya sa school (Bansa National High School- Bansa, Bauko, Mt. Province). Pero nagulat po silang lahat dahil wala na 'yong tatlo sa school.

Last Monday (June 30, 2014) afternoon, Rena texted her mom with this message: "Mama tumulong kayo man nga agkararag tani haan min amo ti aramiden mi"- Mom please help us pray for we no longer know what we are going to do. Tuesday (July 1, 2014) morning, another text message was received from Rena: "Mama haan mi nga amo daytoy lugar nga ayan mi."- Mom, we don't know the place where we are.

Rena's mom said the text message she received last Monday and Tuesday is Rena's style of texting but the next text messages are now a different style.

These three ladies are students of Bansa National High School and residents of Sadsadan, Bauko, Mt. Province. Please share and let's help the family of these three ladies. God Bless."

We repeat, the number you can contact in case you saw these ladies is 0946-4152-134. Or you can immediately report it to the authorities. You can approach the police, barangay officials, anybody who can assist you. Thank you.

Aliping Finally Breaks His Silence About The Mt. Sto. Tomas Issue

After weeks of dodging queries thrown his way with regards to the Mt. Sto. Tomas issue, Baguio City Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr. finally broke his silence at a recent press conference. However, his statements raised more questions than answers. It's good that the solon is finally talking because the people of Baguio City and Tuba, Benguet deserve to be updated on the issue.

At the recent press conference, Aliping admitted that he has a project in Kabuyao, Sto. Tomas, Tuba, Benguet. At the same time, Aliping claimed that his project didn't cause the cutting of trees and contamination of springs there. What an anti-clincher! So if Aliping did not cut the trees and bulldoze the earth, who did? The Congressman did not directly accuse any party but he mentioned the "presence of illegal private miners" and of a "massive road improvement and widening" in the area.

Aliping did not elaborate further, preferring to issue a canned statement, saying that "In due time, because of the pendency of the case, I will also make my statements at the proper time at the proper forum."

The solon admitted that he has a project in the area but he had it plugged after getting a stoppage order from the Department of Natural Resources (DENR). As to the nature of the project, Aliping says that "It's an eco-tourism park." 

This case is starting to look really weird. Three cases had already been filed against Aliping by DENR and the Baguio Water District (BWD). Did these offices get sloppy and rushed their cases? And now, Aliping is trying to wash his hands clean by claiming that his project was not responsible for the cutting of trees and pollution of water springs.

Right now, it's very difficult to believe that Aliping has no hand in the damage done to Sto. Tomas. Most of the evidence points to him as the culprit. Three cases had been filed against him. Looking at the the extent of the damage done, it's hard to think that these had been caused by mere small miners.

And this excuse of an eco-park is insulting. The area is a watershed. It's a forest reserve. It's a protected area. So it's already an eco-park.

Hundreds of trees were burned and cut. The earth was excavated and opened up. These did not happen by themselves. Somebody lit the fires. Somebody drove the bulldozers. Somebody wielded the chainsaws. Who is this somebody? Is he congressman Aliping? Is he a private miner? Is he a vegetable farmer? Who is he?