The Muddy and Slippery Trails in Mt. Pulag Badly Needs Trailproofing

This is a section of the trail going up to Mt. Pulag. It's muddy and not in good condition. When a trail gets muddy and slippery, hikers would often try to skirt around it which means they would have to walk on either side of the trail. They'll step on new grass which will eventually widen the trail. Which also means vegetation loss.  

Before hikers climb Mt. Pulag, they are oriented by the DENR. The orientation reminds hikers to stick to the trails. Don't go off-trail, they always say. But you can't expect hikers to faithfully follow this directive if it means walking in deep mud that nearly covers the whole feet. 

The only way to prevent or at least minimize the occurence of these muddy situations is to trailproof the trails of Mt. Pulag. Trailproofing in the case of Mt. Pulag would mean paving the trails with stones. These muddy trails can be prevented. And it would be a better experience for the hikers. 

Many sections of the Mt. Pulag trail are already trailproofed. And it's great because hikers can walk on them with peace and without veering off to avoid mud or puddles. Why not do this in most of the trails in Pulag?

Trailproofing benefits Mt. Pulag by: 

1. Preventing erosion

2. Preventing vegetation loss

3. Preventing hikers from going off-trail 

Take note that this photo was taken this February. It looks like a scene from a Medieval movie. Imagine what this same trail would look like in the rainy months of June to September. 

Trailproofing is the key to this problem. 

The Buscalan Bridge in Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga

This is the Buscalan Bridge that now connects the village to the nearby mountain where the nearest road had been built. Access to the village, home to the tattooist Whang-od, is now easier and faster. I remember the first few times I've been to Buscalan years ago. It involved some hiking because there was no road and no bridge during that time. No tram line as well.

Political Fanaticism in the Philippines

Right now, political fanaticism is this country's biggest problem. It's what's dividing this country. It's what's stopping it from moving forward. It's also the root reason why people keep on voting for politicians who have histories of corruption. Their fanaticism is more important to them than the well-being of the republic.

If Filipinos really want to stop corruption, they need to stop voting for politicians who have been tagged in corruption issues. In theory, it's so easy to fix this country if you think about it. Just vote for politicians with zero or minimal corruption records. Vote for politicians who are champions of transparency and accountability. 

Confidential funds should be eradicated in all levels of government. This is a system that only enables politicians and people in public offices to fill their pockets without the risk of being caught.

Corrupt politicians will always be corrupt. Once they taste power and money, there's no going back for them. Their greed has no ceiling. 

Corrupt politicians thrive and stay in power because of fanaticism from the ranks of the voting public. Think about that.

Vintage Photo of a Kalinga Warrior

While browsing through a vintage 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 travel guidebook (𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 1990), I came across this featured photo of a man somewhere in Kalinga. Exact location wasn't specified. The man was armed with a long spear and a machete.

The caption for the photograph goes:

"A wary Kalinga warrior watches over a bend in the Chico river, north of the Luzon mountains. The Kalinga were enraged by plans to dam the river, at a cost of several villages and rice terraces, and the inundation of ancestral graves. Though they no longer display enemy heads on posts, the Kalinga are not to be tangled with."

[Image source: Reader's Digest People and Places, Copyright 1990]

Lebnakan or Lubnakan: Where Carabaos Cool Off

A "lebnakan" or a "lubnakan" is where carabaos dip in mud and water. There are a number of reasons why they do this. They do it to cool down. The mud also helps protect them from intensive heat and from pests like flies.

Other Cordilleran words for it: tabbakan, lubnaan, tablakan, pitlawan. 

We passed this "lebnakan" somewhere in Mallango, Tinglayan, Kalinga during the Lumin-awa Trek.

The Wild Sunflower (𝘛𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢) as a Medicinal Plant in the Cordillera Region

In some parts of the Cordillera region, the wild sunflower (𝘛𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢) or marapait is used as a medicinal plant, particularly for treating fresh wounds. Leaves of the plant are gathered and crushed/pounded. The resulting poultice is then directly applied to the wound to help stop the bleeding and for disinfection purposes.

There are studies which show that the wild sunflower has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Several cultures from the Americas, Africa, and Asia use the plant as a medicinal plant.

However, the marapait is not native to the Philippines. It was actually imported from Mexico. It was first brought into the country by the Spaniards through the Galleon Trade, the shipping route that connected Manila in the Philippines to Acapulco in Mexico. The plant was brought here as an ornamental plant. The American missionaries and teachers during the American period further introduced the wild sunflower into the Cordillera interior. 

These sunflowers are now everywhere in Baguio City and Cordillera provinces. 

There are various local names for it: 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘁, 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝘁, 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗶𝘁, 𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗹.

Funung: A Welcoming Tradition by the Sumadel Tribe in Tinglayan, Kalinga

Locals of barangay Sumadel 2 in Tinglayan, Kalinga welcomed Lumin-awa trekkers with a 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝘂𝗻𝗴. According to the emcee during the welcome party, the 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝘂𝗻𝗴 is a "practice of the Sumadel (Sumacher) tribe that reflects unity, hospitality and respect for our visitors. It's a practice observed during occasions especially when visitors arrive in the community." 

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