The Paraggi, a Bead by Ethnolinguistic Groups in the Cordillera

"The paraggi (also palaggi, panggi) is a barrel-shaped bead, usually with six facets, composed of seven layers of blue, white, and red glasses arranged in complex patterns. The bead is called chevron, star, or rosette bead because of the star-shaped pattern formed by the glass layers when the bead is viewed from the top. Because of the value of this bead, it is found in various bead ensembles such as necklaces, chokers, bracelets, and even breast beads. Old heirloom paraggi are believed to have originated from Murano, Venice, Italy in the early 1500s. (Abellera 1981; Francis 1992; Legarda 1977)"

Source: Museo Kordilyera 2024 calendar

Location of the Old Jack's Restaurant Building in La Trinidad, Benguet

The old Jack's Restaurant building used to stand in this location in Km. 4, La Trinidad. It was a major landmark in the area because it had this large, round, and easy-to-spot signage. It was a common spot for meet-ups. 

The restaurant closed several years ago. They no longer have a branch in La Trinidad. They still have open branches in Baguio City.

Plant Vandalism in Camp John Hay, Baguio City

This is plant vandalism. These agave plants along the Yellow Trail in Camp John Hay keep getting vandalized. Some trail users seem to think that this is fun and harmless. 

These cuts/scratches can disrupt a leaf's system. Rotting often starts at the points of impact then spread out. Some of the cuts are deep enough that the leaf can't fully recover. A hole appears which can enlarge until the leaf breaks apart.

Don't do this.

The "Dalisdis" of the Kalinga People and Gaddang of Eastern Cordillera

The "dalisdis" of the Kalinga people and the Gaddang in eastern Cordillera.

"The dalisdis, also known as kulkul and fangarat, is a bead choker or necklace worn by Kalinga women. The dalisdis was not originally intended to be used as a choker. This bead ensemble used to adorn the top of men's wooden or rattan hats known as cattagang. In the first half of the 1900s, the cattagang went out of fashion and the Kalinga women began to restring the beads and used them as chokers or necklaces. The dalisdis was a mark of prestige and beauty. (Abellera 1981; Maramba 1998; Masferre et. al. 1988; Vanoverbergh 1929)"

Source: Museo Kordilyera 2024 calendar

The Winayway of the Kalinga People

The "Winayway" of the Kalinga People

"The winayway is the most valuable adornment of the Kalinga as it is a long two-strand bead ensemble with the greatest number of the most valued agate stone beads in Cordillera societies. There are two types of agate beads in the winayway: the big agates called addongan or adiongan and the smaller one called impit. Other prized beads are used in the ensemble. The winayway is usually worn like a sash and placed over one shoulder. The  valuable beads are displayed prominently in front. The winayway can also be worn like a necklace. (Abellera 1981; Maramba 1998; Vanoverbergh 1929; Jimenez & Sabado 2017)."

Source: Museo Kordilyera calendar

These Birds Are Called "Biding" in Kankanaey

These birds are called "biding" among Kankanaey speakers in Mountain Province. In English, they're called chestnut munias (Lonchura atricapilla). 

These birds are often considered as pests among farming communities in the Cordillera region. They voraciously feast on rice grains. And because they fly from ricefield to ricefield in flocks, they can significantly reduce a ricefield's output.

Farmers would put up scarecrows and other scaring techniques (like cans stringed together to create a sustained noise barrage) to shoo away these birds.

Some also use a bird-catching technique called "ikik" to catch these birds at night. 

For a long time, these birds were recognized as the national bird of the Philippines. But in 1995, then President Fidel V. Ramos transferred the national bird honor to the Philippine eagle.

What do you call these birds in your place?

Photo by Cara Tabora. 

News Clipping: Antero Cabrera Writes a Letter in English Using the Typewriter (1904)

"N*ked Savage Writes Fairly Good English on the Machine"

This is a clipping from the Bisbee Daily Review, a now out-of-circulation newspaper that used to publish from Bisbee, Arizona in the U.S. This clipping is from the September 3, 1904 issue of the newspaper. 

It contained a news story about Antero Cabrera, the Igorot teenager who along with several other Igorots and a few Moros visited President Theodore Roosevelt Jr. at the White House in August of 1904. 

After the visit with the American president, Antero wrote a letter in English using a typewriter. The young man once again became a media sensation. It boggled them that a "n*ked savage" was capable of writing in English, let alone alone use the "machine" (typewriter). 

The recipient of Antero's letter was Reverend Walter Clayton Clapp, a missionary who was at the time stationed in Mountain Province in the Philippines. 

The letter was published alongside the news article in the Bisbee Daily Review. 

This was at the time of the infamous 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Antero's letter contained a short account of their visit at the White House. He also provided some updates on their conditions at the World's Fair. He mentioned in the letter that two of them died. One from "soyne" and one from "tatepan". He probably misspelled these words. He was probably referring to Suyoc and Tetep-an. He added that the Bontocs are "laveing". He probably meant "living" meaning no one had died. 

Image source: Theodore Roosevelt Center website