A Quick Guide For Those Planning To Visit Whang-od In Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga

I've had the privilege of joining some friends to visit Apo Whang-od in the village of Buscalan a few days ago. Buscalan is a community of a few dozen houses and is one of the barangays of Tinglayan in the province of Kalinga. It's most well-known as the home village of Whang-od Oggay, the 97-year-old woman who still practices the ancient art of Kalinga tattooing. Hordes of people travel to the sleepy town every month to get inked.

It was a culturally enriching experience. Although I grew up in a place that's very similar to Buscalan, I've amassed a few nuggets of new wisdom during our visit and our interactions with the locals. In many ways, the village reminded me of home. From the old men having a chit-chat in the doorsteps of a house to the rice paddies surrounding the village, they made me feel........at home.

How To Get To Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga

Whether you're coming from Manila, Baguio City, Banaue, or Sagada, there's only one entry point. And that is the capital town of Bontoc in Mountain Province. There are jeeps there that will take you to Tinglayan. Bontoc isn't a huge town so finding the jeep station shouldn't be that difficult. Just flag a tricycle and tell the driver to take you to the Tinglayan jeep station. I'm not sure if there are regular trips going to Buscalan from Bontoc. It's advisable that you plan your itinerary in advance to make sure that you get to the village without any hang-ups. It's also worth mentioning here that the road doesn't reach Buscalan. You have to hike a trail that's about two to three kilometers long. Locals often complete the trail between 45 minutes to an hour. If you're physically fit, you can probably keep up. If you're not used to hiking mountains, it will likely take you one to two hours.

How To Conduct Yourself In The Village

Always keep in mind that the residents of Buscalan still practice a lot of their cultural traditions. Suffice it to say that you show respect to these traditions whether you agree with them or not. If you're doubtful about something, there's always a tourist guide who can help you. There's a poster inside the village that says, "Please observe and respect the privacy, personal time, and traditions of the artists and the community." Heed it.

What To Do With Your Waste And Garbage

There are no garbage collectors in the village. You are responsible for disposing your own garbage. Of course, you can always seek the help of the locals but ask permission first before you dump your waste in their bins. For your non-biodegradable wastes like plastic, it's best that you stuff them in your backpack and dispose of them properly when you're out of the village.

Where To Stay And Spend The Night In Buscalan

Some of the houses in the village offer home-stay services. That is you live with the occupants for the duration of your stay for a fee. Tell your guide that you are planning to stay the night so they can arrange if there's a home available for you. Or you can talk with other travelers if they would like to take you in for the night.

Where To Get Food

There are at least two sari-sari stores in the village. They sell mostly pre-packed food like canned goods, noodles, snacks, and biscuits. If you are staying in a home-stay, you can request for a home-cooked meal as long as your hosts are able to oblige. There's an abundance of chickens and pigs in the village if you are in a protein diet.

Getting A Tattoo

Getting inked by Whang-od is on a first-come, first-served basis. When you enter the village, you will be asked by your guide if you're getting a tattoo. If your answer is in the affirmative, you will be added to the waiting list. Furthermore, there's no guarantee that Whang-od will be the one to tattoo you. She's old and she needs her rest every now and then. That's why there are two young women who also ink visitors in the same tattoo hut as Whang-od's. You also have the option of getting inked by other Kalinga artists in a tattoo hut further up the village. Look for Renalyn if you want one of the more experienced ones.

There you go, have fun in Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga.

A lone house made of cogon grass in Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga. Photo: Daniel Feliciano/The Cordilleran Sun

15 Houses Razed By A Fire In Poblacion, Mankayan, Benguet

Around 15 houses including several business establishments were razed by a huge fire that hit barangay Poblacion in Mankayan, Benguet on Thursday night. The fire reportedly broke out around 7:00 pm. Firefighters, residents, and volunteers put out the fire around 10:30 pm. Fire-out was declared early dawn on the next day. The authorities are still investigating what caused the blaze.

All of the houses and establishments burned are located along Aurora Street just beside the town's plaza. The municipality's fire department weren't enough to contain the fire so firefighters from nearby municipalities rushed into the area to help. Firetrucks and staff came all the way from Buguias, Bakun, Atok, Tadian, Sabangan, and Cervantes (Ilocos Sur). Private water delivery businesses like the Abatan Water Delivery Association also lent a hand in putting out the fire.

Nobody was killed nor seriously hurt during the incident although five individuals suffered minor injuries. Those displaced by the fire were temporarily housed at the municipal hall and at a nearby church.

Meanwhile, netizens voiced out their support and prayers for those affected. Caesar Salcedo, a Baguio City-based singer who hails from Mankayan said he's planning to hold a benefit gig for those affected by the fire.

The Fake Monk Mafia In Baguio City

Beware of these men dressed up as Buddhist monks roaming the streets of Baguio City. They've been spotted in Session Road, in Leonard Wood, in Harrison Road, and other major streets in the city. Their alleged modus operandi is to put a bracelet in your hand or hang beads or a necklace on your neck and then suddenly ask for money ranging from 100 to 500 pesos. They can be aggressive in insisting that you pay them. They often don't accept amounts below these. This is a scam, pure and simple.

If these men are genuine devotees of Buddhism, they should be spreading the belief system's teachings, not trying to siphon away money from people. A lot of the people they approach are young people (mostly students) because they are easier to manipulate.

In short, please stay away from these robed men. They are even seen wearing cowboy hats to sort of take advantage of the prevailing culture here in the Cordilleras.

Stay away from these men. If you see them, move aside. Don't let them put a bracelet on your hand or beads on your neck. If they insist, just remove the bracelet or necklace and return it to them. If they become aggressive, call the police.

To the Baguio City police, please do something about this. Many people, especially unsuspecting students have fallen for their traps. To those who have fallen to these men's modus operandi, please feel free to tell your stories below to raise more awareness.

Apparently, the "fake monks" problem is rampant in places like Hongkong, Macau, Los Angeles, and New York City. Here is a link to a story by the New York Times about fake monks roaming Times Square: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/02/nyregion/fake-monks-begging-buddhist.html

Photo by Mr. Dagiw-a via Facebook

To All Tourists Visiting Baguio City, Please Read This

[Note]: This is an edited and updated version of a piece I wrote about two years ago. I'm republishing it here since the issues discussed here are yearly problems that the city has to face.

Before anything else, in behalf of Baguio folks, I would like to extend my gratitude for your interest in spending time in our beloved city. I'm fully aware of the undeniable fact that a huge chunk of the reason why Baguio City continues to grow and develop is because of the economic benefits that tourists have poured into the city's coffers through the years. Baguio City has reached its status as a top tourist destination in the Philippines partly through word-of-mouth. And at the forefront of this word-of-mouth campaign are the thousands of tourists who flock to the city every year.

So thanks again, tourists. You are a major part of the lifeblood of this city. You are directly embedded into the complicated system that has been keeping the city afloat since its founding over a hundred years ago.

But here's the thing. Being a tourist destination is a double-edged sword. It has its dark side. Tourists can harm a place just as much as they can help it grow and improve. Thus this humble letter to tourists planning to visit or are currently in Baguio City.

When I logged in online this morning, I saw a lot of people complaining about the state of Baguio City this holiday season. People are crawling like thick ants in the streets that there is barely space to breathe. Vehicular traffic is so slow you'd think that somebody poured thick molasses on the road. Garbage is in every nook and corner. Many visitors are not respecting city rules and regulations.

I thought to myself, it couldn't be this bad? So I went to town to sort of verify the complaints. I reside in the nearby town of La Trinidad so I had to commute to town. It took me nearly two hours to reach Baguio City. This commute on average would take me 30 minutes. This shows how bad the traffic has become because of the congestion within the city. And yes, when I reached the city, trash is indeed mounting and city rules and regulations are being violated left and right.

Now, it would be completely unfair to blame these problems to tourists. City residents also have a part in it. However, it would be fair to say that tourists contribute significantly to these problems (especially during the holiday season when tourist arrival reaches its peak).

I'm going to make this brief and clear. As a concerned resident, I've listed below some of the things that I would love tourists to do and not to do. Please take these as friendly suggestions.

1) Don't treat Baguio City as if it's a huge waste basket. It's utterly disappointing to walk around Burnham Park and see trash and litter everywhere - under the flower beds, under the park benches, on the picnic grounds, etc. When I walked up to SM, I passed a lot of trash on the flower beds between the police station and Banco De Oro below the shopping mall. Candy wrappers and empty soda cups were deliberately thrown into the flower beds.

It's highly recommended that you carry bags with you where you can place your trash. There are garbage bins distributed around the city but these aren't enough to accommodate all the litter produced by the thousands of residents and tourists. If you see a full garbage bin, don't just throw your trash around or near it because such act will cause others to do the same. Before you know it, the bin will turn into a mounting garbage dump.

2) Follow traffic and pedestrian rules. Most Baguio residents know how and when to cross the street especially within the central business district (CBD). They know what red, orange and green lights mean. With the influx of tourists, Session Road has turned into a mad house. The traffic lights seem to be non-existent. People walk and cross the street whenever they wish.

Photo by Daniel Feliciano / The Cordilleran Sun

3) As much as possible, don't bring your cars into Baguio City. Try to take the bus. Baguio City has very narrow streets and nearly zero parking facilities. The city is having a very difficult time dealing with the number of resident cars already. Bring tourist cars into the picture and the city will literally choke.

4) Make sure that you have a place to stay before you travel to the city. At this time of the year, most hotels, inns and lodges are fully-booked. So if you come here without an advanced booking, you will likely find yourself stranded with no place to stay. Tourists often take this for granted but this is a very serious problem. Worse, there are scammers out there who prey on stranded tourists. Consider yourself warned.

5) Do a bit of research and read about the city and its people before you come here. You have no idea how insulting and saddening it can be to hear tourists say, "Asan na mga Igorot? Gusto ko makakita ng Igorot!". There's nothing wrong with the question per se but in the context of the rampant ignorance about indigenous peoples in the Cordillera, it's rather insulting. The truth is you are walking among them in Session Road, eating among them at a nearby fast food restaurant, etc. Or better yet, go to City Hall. The mayor and majority of the councilors are Igorots.

These aren't too much to ask. Do keep them in mind. So, welcome to Baguio City, enjoy your stay, and have a blast. Thank you.

Baby Kidnapped Inside Benguet General Hospital Rescued And Returned To Parents

The three-day-old baby boy who was kidnapped last Tuesday inside the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) in La Trinidad has been rescued and returned to his rightful parents. The parents, in the company of relatives, confirmed the report when they appeared at a local radio station (Bombo Radyo Baguio) to thank everyone who helped in the recovery of their son. The family thanked the local police, the Benguet Provincial Office, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the BeGH, the local media, all the concerned citizens who helped in the search, and the person who tipped the police about the whereabouts of the suspect.

According to a Bombo Radyo report, the La Trinidad police was alerted by a concerned citizen who saw the suspect somewhere in Puguis, La Trinidad. The suspect was immediately arrested and the baby boy rescued. The family of the boy was called to the police station and they confirmed that the boy is indeed their missing son. The baby was brought to a nearby hospital for medical check-ups. The name of the suspect has not been released. The motive behind the kidnapping is yet to be known.

It can be recalled that the boy was taken from the BeGH ward by a woman who posed as a doctor. The woman reportedly entered the ward, took the baby with the pretense that she'll be taking him for weighing and other routine tests, stuffed the baby in a bag, then immediately left the hospital premises. CCTV cameras installed inside the hospital showed the woman exiting the building. Screenshots from the footage were released and circulated online for possible identification of the suspect.

Due to the incident, netizens are calling for stricter rules inside the BeGH especially in the maternity ward. Many were alarmed by how easy the woman walked away with the baby.

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