Governor Leonard Mayaen Of Mt. Province Has Died Due To A Heart Attack

Leonard G. Mayaen, the Governor of Mountain Province has died due to a heart attack on Thursday afternoon (March 31). He was 63 years old. Mayaen reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest before noon in the capital town of Bontoc on said date. He was airlifted by a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter to Baguio City. He was declared dead on arrival by attending physicians past 3:00 PM when he was brought to the Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital in the city.

Mayaen was running unopposed in the upcoming May elections. He was seeking his third term as Governor of Mt. Province. Mayaen first entered politics in 1988 when he easily won a seat as a Board Member in the province. He then served two terms as Vice-Governor from 1992 to 1998. He was elected as Governor during the 1998, 2010, and 2013 elections.

The province is about to start celebrating this year's Lang-ay Festival with the opening ceremonies to be held tomorrow (April 1) at the provincial plaza. The Mt. Province Foundation Day will be observed on April 7.

Governor Leonard Mayaen (center) during the Ayyoweng di Lambak ed Tadian Festival a few weeks ago. Image credit: Leonard G. Mayaen - Mountain Province Facebook page.

BENECO Notice Of Scheduled Power Interruptions From March 28 To April 1

March 28, Monday, 9 am to 5 pm - Near barangay hall of Lourdes Subdivision Proper, Baguio City; Mercury Street, Upper Quezon Hill, Baguio City; West Quirino Hill, Baguio City

March 29, Tuesday, 9 am to 5 pm - Purok 15, Irisan, Baguio City; Kilometer 57, Halsema, Timbac Kabayan and parts of Natubleng, Buguias

March 30, Wednesday, 9 am to 5 pm - Jurungan, Baloy Checkpoint to Marian Village, Binga, Tinongdan, Itogon

March 31, Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm - Kilometer 57, Halsema, Timbac Kabayan and parts of Natubleng, Buguias

April 1, Friday, 9 am to 5 pm - Kias, Lower Liwanag, Loakan Proper, Bubon, EPZA, Pinesville, PMA, Atok Trail, Magsaysay, Apugan, Spring Hills, Loakan, Woodlane Court, Kadaclan Village, VOA, DENR

Mark Eddiva Of Team Lakay Loses Via Submission In Brisbane, Australia

Victory remains elusive for Mark Eddiva. The mixed martial arts fighter from Team Lakay lost his third fight in a row when he got submitted by Dan Hooker in the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs Mir last March 19 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Eddiva tapped out just a minute and a half through the first round after getting caught in a guillotine choke.

Eddiva was the underdog going into the fight. The exchange was pretty even until Eddiva went for a high single-leg takedown. With his back pushed against the cage wall, Hooker saw Eddiva's open neck and quickly wrapped his arms around it. The two fighters dropped to the ground and Hooker ended up in full mount with the guillotine choke still in place. Eddiva tried to wriggle his way out of it to no avail. He tapped out at the 1:24 mark in the first round.

The loss is Eddiva's third loss in a row. He previously lost to Edimilson Souza and Levan Makashvili. With the loss, his record drops to six wins and three losses. Hooker improves his to thirteen wins and six losses.

A day after the loss, Eddiva thanked his fans and supporters through his Facebook page, He wrote: "I did not win today but I won lessons that I won't get from winning.Thanks for all the prayers and the support even after the fight. Priceless. God is good all the time. We are safe and I got no injuries."

This K-To-12 Book Is Teaching Students That Aetas Are From Mountain Province

It's not exactly a secret that Igorots are among the most misunderstood indigenous groups in the Philippines. A lot of non-Igorots harbor several misconceptions about us. We have tails. We live in trees. We have flat noses. We attend to our daily chores wearing our traditional g-strings and skirts. We have feet that are bigger than everyone else's. We have dark skins, We have curly hair. There's nothing wrong with having a dark complexion or curly short hair. But the fact remains that these are not typical features of Igorots in the same way that almond-shaped eyes aren't typical features of Americans or the Brits.

These misconceptions can be attributed to several factors. However, I strongly believe that the biggest contributor to these erroneous ideas is what's being taught about us in our educational system. I can still remember the textbooks we used when I was in elementary school (the 90s). The Igorot is often portrayed as a grizzled and half-naked man puffing on a pipe. If it's an Igorot kid, he's short, he has bulging muscles disproportionate to his body, and he has feet that equal that of Bigfoot. And yes, there's the ubiquitous bowl-cut haircut.

Anyway, we're marching through the 21st century and it's sad to say that these misconceptions still abound. And making matters worse, the Department of Education is still spreading inaccurate information about us. Take for instance an erroneous paragraph found in a book for Grade 4 students under the K-to-12 program.

The paragraph in question goes: "Tinatayang may humigit kumulang 180 pangkat etniko sa Pilipinas. sa Luzon, ilan sa mga kilala ang mga Aeta sa Mountain Province, Bikolano sa Kabikulan, Gaddang at Ibanag sa Gitnang Luzon, Ivatan sa Batanes, Mangyan sa Mindoro, Tagalog sa Kamaynilaan, at iba pa. Sa Visayas at Mindanao ay kilala rin ang mga Subanon sa Zamboanga Peninsula, Bisaya sa Kabisayaan, Zamboangueno sa Kamindanawan, at marami pang iba."

The book just directly stated that Aetas are from Mountain Province. That's the very definition of false. Aetas are found in Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Panay, Bataan, and Nueva Ecija. The authors of the book have made a very common mistake. And that is equating Igorots to Aetas when in fact they are completely different groups.

The book in question is a grade 4 student's workbook titled Edukasyon sa Pagkakatao. The erroneous paragraph I quoted above is from a lesson from the book titled "Kultura ng mga Pangkat Etniko, Mahalagang Malaman". So yeah, the lesson is about ethnic groups in the country and their cultures. So this begs the question: Why does a blatant error like this happen in a lesson about ethnic cultures? This is like writing a lesson about classic English literature and claiming that Leo Tolstoy is an English writer.

I dug deeper into the book (thanks to Google) and found out that it's a first edition book published in 2015. And here's the shocker:
- it had one consultant
- it had three editors
- it had thirteen (13) writers
- it was examined by two people

I would like to think that these people at least consulted with someone who is knowledgeable about the different ethnic groups in the country. I'm also hoping that this is an honest mistake. Because if the writers truly thought that Aetas are in Mountain Province, then they have no business writing lessons about ethnic groups and cultures.

A mural painting of an Igorota during the La Trinidad Strawberry Festival.

Anyway, I sent an email to action@deped.gov.ph informing them of the erroneous paragraph. Here's to hoping that they do something about it. If you have time, send them an email as well. The more emails they receive, the more pressured they will be to correct the error. You can read the complete workbook here.

Edward Kelly Of Team Lakay Submits Australian Foe In ONE Championship: Union Of Warriors

Edward Kelly is back in the winning column. After getting stopped in November last year by Martin Nguyen, Kelly bounced back with an impressive victory on Friday night against his Aussie foe Jordan Lucas. The two fought in the undercard of ONE Championship: Union of Warriors, an event held at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Before submitting Lucas with a rear-naked choke in the very first round, Kelly had to survive the aggressive onslaught of the young Aussie fighter. Lucas took down Kelly in the first few seconds of the fight, mounted him, and rained down punches and elbows. Kelly was able to make his way back up only to be taken down again to the mat. Kelly managed to reverse the position but wasn't able to do much damage.

Back on their feet again, Lucas attempted another takedown. Right there, Kelly saw his chance and immediately wrapped his arms around the Aussie's neck. Lucas had no choice but to tap out. With the victory, Kelly improves his record to seven wins and three losses. The loss is Lucas's first in nine professional fights.

Edward Kelly is the younger brother of Eric Kelly, also a mixed martial artist fighting under ONE Championship. Eric is scheduled to lock horns with Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in ONE Championship: Global Rivals this coming April 15th at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Also fighting in the Global Rivals card are Geje Eustaquio, Honorio Banario, April Osenio, and Danny Kingad. All four fighters hail from the Team Lakay gym.

Edward Kelly tightening his grip on Jordan Lucas enroute to his rear-naked submission victory. ONE Championship

Winners Of The Strawberry Festival Drum And Lyre, Street Dancing, And Mini-Float Competitions

The highlights and most anticipated events in the La Trinidad Strawberry Festival were held today. The town's different barangays and schools competed in the drum and lyre, street dancing, and mini-float competitions. The winners of the competitions are now out. Check them out below.

Street Dancing Competition:
1st - Barangay Ambiong (90.50%)
2nd - Barangay Beckel (89.50%)
3rd - Benguet State University (88.67%)

Drum and Lyre Competition:
1st - La Trinidad Central School (95.67%)
2nd - Puguis Elementary School (94.50%)
3rd - Buyagan Elementary School (94.40%)

Mini-Float Competition:
Barangay Category:
1st - Barangay Bineng (92.80%)
2nd - Barangay Bahong (90.00%)
3rd - Barangay Ambiong (87.40%)
3rd - Barangay Lubas (87.40%) - tied with Ambiong

Open Category:
1st - Taloy Norte (90.00%)
2nd - Benguet State University (88.20%)
3rd - Cutflower Farmers Association (85.40%)

Image credit: Jude Yonzon via the La Trinidad Tourism Facebook group page.

5 Cordilleran MMA Fighters Set To Compete In One Championship: Global Rivals

The Cordillera region continues to build its reputation as a breeding ground for professional mixed martial arts fighters with the addition of five local talents to the under-card of ONE Championship: Global Rivals. This is an event put together by ONE Championship, the biggest and most influential mixed martial arts promotion company in Asia. It will be held on April 15, 2016 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Of the five Cordillerans in the card, four are fighters from Team Lakay (Danny Kingad, April Osenio, Honorio Banario, Geje Eustaquio) and one is from Pinoy Top Team (Eric Kelly).

Geje Eustaquio, who is coming off a knockout win over Saiful Merican last January, will face Gianni Suba of Malaysia in the flyweight division. This is a must-win fight for Eustaquio if he plans on working his way back to the ONE Championship flyweight belt. It can be recalled that Eustaquio challenged Adriano Moraes for the title back in 2014 but he got submitted in the second round. Interestingly enough, Moraes is no longer the champion as he was decisioned by Kairat Akhmetov in November of 2015. Eustaquio's next opponent Subba is the less experienced fighter between the two but he has only been defeated once and he is currently riding a four-fight winning streak.

Eric Kelly will share the cage with Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in the featherweight division. The two fighters share something in common. They are both coming off nasty losses in fights that would've set them up for title contention in the event that they won. Kelly lost by submission to Ev Ting. Nastyukhin lost to Herbert Burns, also by submission. Whoever wins in their upcoming fight will put himself back in the choices for title contention. The belt is currently held by Marat Gafurov of Russia.

Honorio Banario, the former ONE Championship featherweight champion, is in a do-or-die situation. He has lost five bouts in a row. Two by knockout and two by submission. At 26 years old, he is still young and has a lot of ground ahead of him but six losses in a row would be a bitter pill to swallow. If it's any consolation, he'll be facing fellow Filipino Vaughn Donayre, another fighter who's been on a downward spiral lately. Donayre has lost four of his last five fights.

April Osenio, a native of Kapangan, Benguet will be taking on Natalie Gonzales Hills in the atomweight division for her second MMA fight. Osenio made her MMA debut last year and lost to Kirstie Gannaway via submission. Her opponent, Hills, is more experienced with five professional bouts under her belt (2 wins, 3 losses).

Danny Kingad, a neophyte in the game with just one professional fight, will face off with Muhamad Haidar of Malaysia. Haidar will be making his MMA debut.

ONE Championship: Global Rivals will be headlined by a battle between Ben Askren and Nikolay Aleksakhin for the ONE Championship welterweight belt. Askren, the champion, will be defending his belt for the second time.

For information on how to watch the fight, go to http://www.onefc.com/livestream.

New President Of The Benguet State University Proclaimed By The BSU Board Of Regents

The Benguet State University (BSU) has a new president. In a ceremony held on March 16, 2016 at the central office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Quezon City, the BSU Board of Regents proclaimed Dr. Feliciano Calora Jr. as the new and 6th president of the state university. Dr. Calora took his oath of office in the presence of CHED Chair Patricia B. Licuanan and CHED Commissioner Alex B. Brilliantes Jr. Calora was with BSU from 1986 to 2012.

Calora was chosen over seven other applicants for the presidency. The other applicants were Dr. Grace Bengwayan, Dr. Felipe Comila, Dr. Nieves Dacyon, Dr. Dominador Garin, Dr. Percyveranda Lubrica, Dr. Janet Luis, and Dr. Diosdado Zulueta.

It can be recalled that Dr. Ben Ladilad, the 5th president of the university vacated his position in December of 2015. CHED then appointed Dr. Jones Feleciano, then the BSU Vice President of Business Affairs, to serve as OIC president.

March 18 Declared As A Non-Working Holiday In La Trinidad, Benguet

Mayor Edna Tabanda of La Trinidad has issued an executive order directing the observance of March 18, 2016 as a special non-working holiday in the town. This is to allow residents of the town to participate in the events scheduled during said date. These events are parts of the celebration of the town's annual Strawberry Festival. Observance of the date as a non-working holiday is also expected to significantly boost the town's tourism industry.

The events scheduled for March 18 are as follows: Civic Parade, Main Program, Kekkan, Multi-cultural Celebrations and Owik Tan Tayao, and Sisterhood Signing with Guam.

It can be recalled that in 2004, then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared March 18 as a special non-working holiday in the municipality of La Trinidad in celebration of the Strawberry Festival.

Photo by Daniel Feliciano

BENECO Notice Of Scheduled Power Interruptions From March 7 To March 12

March 7, Monday, 9 am to 5 pm - Parts of Ambiong near BWD Busol Watershed, Baguio City; Upper Parapad, Ambiong, La Trinidad; Sitio Ampasit, Puguis, La Trinidad

March 8, Tuesday, 9 am to 5 pm - Parts of Guitley, Lubas, La Trinidad, Parts of Botiwtiw, La Trinidad, BCNHS Governor Pack Road, near Parking Area, Baguio City

March 9, Wednesday, 9 am to 5 pm - New Supreme Hotel, St. Vincent, Camp Allen, Abanao Extension, Justice Hall, City Hall, City Jail, Abanao St., Chanum Street, Abanao Square, Sunshine Supermart, Ganza Restaurant, Labsan St., Carino St., Otek St., Palma-Urbano, MRR-Queen of Peace Road, City Camp, Quarry, Dr. Carino St., Q.M., Legarda Road, Kisad Road, General Lim St., Baguio General Hospital, Baguio Medical Center, UP Baguio, BCNHS, Phil-Am Compound, Upper Balsigan, Campo Sioco, Sto. Rosario, Green Summerville Subdivision, Richview Square, Old Site Bakakeng, Bakakeng Norte, Justice Village, Pucay Road, Kitma, Chapis Village, Sta. Catalina, Crystal Dale Subdivision, Crystal Cave, San Lorenzo, PNB Ville Subdivision, Bengao, Teacher's Village, Atab, Suello Village, Balacbac, Lexberville Subdivision, Dontogan, BPI Dairy Farm, Stone Hill, Fogy Hill, Green Valley Country Club, Adiwang Road, Apugan, Sto. Tomas, Pula to Digdigwayan, Mount Kabuyao, Relay Station, Poblacion Tuba, Badiwan, Poyopoy, Bejajeng, Taloy Norte, Taloy Sur

March 10, Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm - Camp Dangwa, Alapang down to Balmuco Pumping Station, Samoyao, Peril Alno, Bahong, Tomay, Triniville, BENECO Warehouse, Sadag, Tality Payew, Koneg Alno, Part of Camp Dangwa, Botted, Tawang, La Trinidad, Balluay, Banengbeng, Bagong Sablan, Acop, Asin, Tuel, Tublay

March 11, Friday, 9 am to 5 pm - Manganese, Itogon; Lower Mangga, Tuding, Itogon; West Quirino Hill, Baguio City

March 11 and 12, Friday/Saturday, 10 pm to 6 am - Mabini Street, General Luna, Kabayanihan, Baguio City

Newly-Renovated Baguio City Athletic Bowl Now Open For The Public (Runners, Joggers, Athletes)

The newly-renovated Baguio City Athletic Bowl is now open for the public. Renovation of the oval started last year and was finished last month in time for the CARAA (Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association) sports meet. The new oval now features a rubberized track. It was opened for the public last week.

Those who want to use the facility can do so from 5 am to 6 pm. Rates are as follows:
1. Regulars - 25 (in pesos)
2. Students and government employees - 10
3. Baguio City athletes and senior citizens - free

*Students need to bring an ID as proof that they are indeed studying in the city.

Photo by Daniel Feliciano/The Cordilleran Sun

Portion Of Halsema Highway In La Trinidad To Be Closed On March 18 And 19 (Morning Hours)

The office of the municipal mayor in La Trinidad has released a public advisory informing motorists and commuters that a significant portion of the Halsema Highway running through the town will be closed at certain hours on March 18 and 19. This road closure will give way to scheduled events that are part of the month-long Strawberry Festival. On March 18, Kilometer 3 to Kilometer 5 (Bell Church to McDonalds) will be partially closed from 6:45 am to 11:00 am to give way to the civic parade.

On March 19, the same stretch of highway will be partially closed from 6:45 am to 12:00 pm to give way for the Street Dancing, Mini-Float, and Drum and Lyre Competitions scheduled for the day.

Because of the road closure, motorists are being advised to take the following alternate routes:

Motorists bound for Baguio City coming from Northern Benguet:
1. Shilan-Beckel-Lamut-Baguio Road
2. Shilan-Tawang-Ambiong-Baguio Road
3. Longlong-Tamawan-Baguio Road

Motorists bound for Northern Benguet from Baguio City
1. Baguio-Bontoc Road (National Road-One Lane)
2. Baguio-Ambiong Tawang Shilan Road
3. Baguio-Beckel Shilan Road
4. Baguio-Tamawan-Puguis Road

The portion of Halsema Highway in front of the La Trinidad Municipal Hall. Photo: Daniel Feliciano/The Cordilleran Sun

Hiking Destination In La Trinidad Gets Official Name. It's Mt. Yangbew, Not Jumbo, Or Jambo, Or Yangbo

The confusion ends here. That popular grassy mountain overlooking the La Trinidad Valley now has an official name. Often referred to as the Little Pulag of La Trinidad, the mountain is a popular destination for hikers looking for an easy hike that's very accessible from Baguio City. And it was called by many names - Jumbo, Jambo, Yangbaw, Yangbo. Well, all these turned out to be misnomers. In a consultation held last month, it was agreed upon that the right name for the mountain should be Mt. Yangbew.

Here's a statement from Valred Olsim, the town's tourism officer: "It's official. In a consultation held last Feb. 29, 2016 by the Brgy. Tawang officials with many old-timers and community leaders, the "Little Pulag" of La Trinidad should be called "MT. YANGBEW", not Jumbo, not Jambo, not Yangbo, as voted upon majority of its elders and local historians. "Bew/Beo" came from the kankana-ey "Le-beew" or fog (Apparently, although the Ibaloys originally inhabited the valley plains, the mountain areas are mostly occupied by the kankanaeys and kalanguyas). The name means "where fog/cloud resides", as opposed to the other suggestion of "Jambo" for Jamboree. We apologize for our earlier inadvertence." [Source: Facebook]

Young people setting up a tent at the peak of Mt. Yangbew. Photo by Daniel Feliciano/The Cordilleran Sun