I shall Return

My first expedition to Mt. Binaratan is so very hard so i shall return to improve the trail and to establish a camp site for future climber..I am planning of bringing a "pala" i will dig that water source to make a basin para indi na mag-antay mga future hiker ng ilang oras para lang malagyan ang 250ml botle container for atleast 15 min..I promise gusto pa namin establish yung ibang mountains with the help of the Kalinga Mountaineering Club,such as sleeping Beuty Mountain etc..So for those who are interested for the climb join na! April 28 to May 1..di lang naman Mt. Binaratan pupuntahan natin pati Matabor falls etc....konting exercise lang mahirap ang daanan or should i say wala pa ring daan dun...

My Adventure to Tanudan

Tanudan has a lot of Tourist spot which is still unexplored, I spent my holy week climbing the rugged mountains of tanudan specially Mt. Binaratan and Matabor falls.I have only one day to prepare for the climb so i went unprepared.
From Tabuk we travel through the rugged road of Tanudan until we reached the end of the road which is the start of our adventure.From tattakkan Tanudan we decided to spent the night at Barangay Dacalan after a long hike and river crossing.We spent the night planning for our climb at Mt. Binaratan..We are being warned by the people that the place is infiltrated by the NPA (Mt. Binaratan is the boundary of Tanudan Kalinga and Mountain Province).So we even armed ourselves with automatic rifles just incase ,we will die engaging them.We hired people to guide us through our climb and to make a way for us because the place have never been explored for a long time.We are told that we are the 2nd team to attempt before this Group from UP although they didn't make it to the summit so we will try to attempt to be the first outsiders group to reach the summit..We are even surprised to know that 95% of the people of Dacalan didn't even went to what was called "The Silent Mountain" Mt. Binaratan..
I have a lot of hiking experience when i was still a cadet from PMA. We even climbed Sto. Thomas from PMA to Kennon to Mt. Sto Thomas..Our footmarch from Baguio to Poro Point La union, Our FTX at Ternate Cavite But i still consider Mt. Binaratan to be one of the challenging adventure. It is very hard to climb a mountain when there is no existing way,Just Like Mt. Binaratan..Maybe someday when the site will be promoted it will soon develop into a tourist spot and to be declared as protected area..
One of our cameras have been soaked in the middle of the river when one of our companion slip when we are crossing the river.The trail is so bad,The path is full of blood sucking leech (matek), Black ants, and it is very slippery.The land is always wet but you can't find a stream with in Mt. Binaratan(Silent Mountain)..We decided to established our camp atleast halfway to the summit because it is the only place where we can find water although we are still frustrated due to the facts that we can only get a drop of water at a time (Imagine filling a galoon with only a few drops of water)..Our main goal is to document and film the place but since the place is so foggy and the sun doesn't cooperate we decided to spent the night at our camp site hoping that tomorrow we could see the sun and the fogs will disappear inorder to take the perfect shots we want..The night is even disappointing although exciting because of the extreme cold much worst it is raining, majority of us doesn't have any tents,only hamoks..Our plan for the night to go hunting for deers and wild pigs didn't even pursue because of the rain, so our breakfast is "Pa-it" rattan and can goods, our cofee is from the leaf of this tree they call it "Itsa tree"..
We are even disappointed to wake up early in the morning only to see the same weather although we decided to pursue to the summit despite bad weather condition..We can't even have the perfect shots we want..All the scenery is covered with fogs, sweating in cold place hiking the rugged trail (I can't even tell if it is a trail) and atlast we reached the summit proud to be the first group regardless of the locals who go their but they are only few to name.We take some pictures and video despite the weather,we stayed their for atleast one hour.We leave the place going directly to Dacalan where we spent our first night.The people are hospitable, we eat for atleast five times for our dinner (House to House invitation) wild pigs,eels,small fishes etc...The night is memorable, I love to drink Gin while i hate it in Tabuk, we consumed 10 bottles of gin (Round) our pulutan is "Ugadiw" small fish..We wake up early the next day without feeling any hang-over..Our next target is Mt. Matabor where we can find the highEst water falls in Kalinga or the Cordillera i think or whatsoever because it was not even measured at all..The way to the waterfalls is the river itself so we decided to left our backpacks because even the river is so deep in some places..From Matabor we go directly to Lubo Tanudan to spent the night..same experience house to house invitation..They even butchered a pig for us, gave us some tokens like softbrooms,cofees etc..wake up early din after a long night of drinking (I think 3am ako nakatulog)...The only problem left for us is to climb again Mt. Tatakkan where we can find our service vehicle but not like binaratan it is a establish trail..someday when Mt. Binaratan will develop the climb would not be as hard as we did.It is an easy climb only when the place is develop..
Legends told that Mt. Binaratan "Silent Mountain" is the hunting ground of Kabunian,In one case ,he can't hear the barkings of his dogs so he ordered the birds to stay silent..long story to tell just read the books na lang hehe..

CARAA 2007 Results

2007 CARAA MEET RESULTS
EVENTS CHAMPION

ELEMENTARY GIRLS

Athletics Baguio
Badminton Ifugao
Chess Baguio
Gymnastics Benguet
Lawn Tennis Baguio
Softball Mt. Province
Table Tennis Baguio
Taekwondo Baguio
Volleyball Baguio
Swimming Baguio

ELEMENTARY BOYS

Athletics Baguio
Badminton Baguio
Baseball Kalinga
Basketball Ifugao
Chess Baguio
Football Benguet
Gymnastics Baguio
Lawn Tennis Mt. Province
Sipa Ifugao
Table Tennis Baguio
Taekwondo Baguio
Volleyball Baguio
Swimming Baguio

SECONDARY BOYS

Archery Baguio
Arnis Baguio
Athletics Baguio
Badminton Benguet
Basketball Baguio
Boxing Baguio
Chess Baguio
Football Benguet
Gymnastics Baguio
Lawn Tennis Baguio
Sepak Takraw Baguio
Table Tennis Baguio
Taekwondo Baguio
Volleyball Benguet
Swimming Baguio

SECONDARY GIRLS

Archery Baguio
Athletics Baguio
Badminton Baguio
Basketball Baguio
Chess Baguio
Gymnastics Baguio
Lawn Tennis Benguet
Softball Baguio
Table Tennis Baguio
Taekwondo Baguio
Volleyball Kalinga
Swimming Baguio

SUMMARY OF POINTS

ELEMENTARY LEVEL

PROVINCE BOYS GIRLS TOTAL
Abra 76.5 26 102.5
Apayao 40 54 94
Baguio 272.5 236 508.5
Benguet 161 128 289
Ifugao 139 74 213
Kalinga 134 124 258
Mt. Province 99 105 204

SECONDARY LEVEL
Abra 21 20 41
Apayao 28 30 58
Baguio 350 350 700
Benguet 243 153 396
Ifugao 117 112 229
Kalinga 173 140 313
Mt. Province 182 80 262

SUMMARY OF POINTS
OVERALL STANDING
PROVINCE BOYS GIRLS TOTAL
Abra 97.5 46 143.5
Apayao 68 84 152
Baguio 622.5 586 1208.5
Benguet 404 281 685
Ifugao 256 186 442
Kalinga 307 264 571
Mt. Province 281 185 466

We are expected to be the champion in the Incoming CARAA!

Yeah! i am pretty sure we will win the game in basketball, not only the players are good in playing even the audiences..Off course we are all sure about it, our players are very good in stealing and they raised our banners as criticisms flow all the way from tsismis to media to the internet.. stealing is the key for winning the game in basketball, and of course team effort! but i am not talking about basketball at all.
Is their anything bad for the ear to hear such whispers that Mt. Province Swimming delegation have been robbed off at their own quarters? while they are sleeping..We don't care of the value being taken off but we should care enough for our own reputation as the host province for the CARAA meet.. WTF, they are our visitors, and an act by small groups in the conclusion of others becomes the reputation of the whole province..No more blaming for our officials! we lack to provide our visitors the security they needed and much worst they are 50m near the Police station block 5..(by the way i am not referring to our basketball players and audiences i just use the game to describe the matter at best hehe..)
We didn't learned from the past! During the provincial meet, one of the gun of the security personnels have been stolen..so sad how much more to ordinary people and visitors like the delegations of MP..
Repetition of the same thing or process but you are expecting a different output or outcome is insanity...!!!

Looking for the real Blogger?

I have been reading so many Blogs and i found out this guys the real blogger, in many aspects he always updated his blog daily, we can learn a lot from his blog on many aspects...That is Bill Bilig " From the boondoocks"..you can visit his blogs at http://igorotblogger.blogspot.com/ ...You can trust this man, any updated news on the cordilleras i will always depends on him, even comments he is always open... Maybe i can contribute to bill biligs success by providing him some informations about kalingas...kasi nga tayong mga taga kalinga everything is being paid as labor kahit walang ginawa man lang, di na tayo natuto sa mga SOP! =Suhol operating procedure para ma signed man lang ang isang project.... I will comment on the statistics of Kalinga being one of the most improved Province or etc....That is on the record lamang, Sang alaws "in the reports of development nung 2003 released by wacnang "Is their any existing roads from Tabuk to Tanudan To MT. Province? wen adda piman, napanda picture ti kalsa diay Asin Benguet tapos nalpas piman report..automatic da met gayam pero the reality is there is no road connecting Tanudan to Mountain Province...The only existing road is tinglayan to Mt province...

Educating The young ones on our Cultures

The picture on the left is my son, in traditional bahag playing the Gong i made from a can.. I just want him to grow as ekalinga.
I am just against our artist in the movie industry depicting our cultures and tradition in their own concept and interpretation..Even the Kalinga dance they even choreographed it with modern dance..
Maybe we should try to make an effort in trying to let the world understand what's really our culture is. I read a lot of impressions from the outside world that the Kalingas are Living in the mountains, ignorants, uncivilized people etc etc.. Yes that is the impression being made by the movie industry, and to those who pretends to speak for the Kalingas.
Today we are so modern that we couldn't even teach our children the proper way of using our traditional dresses and cultures.

Message from the Governor

Message of the Governor

On February 14, 1995, our people resoundingly ratified Republic Act 7878, which re-shaped the 29-year old Province of Kalinga-Apayao into two distinct, separate and independent provinces. On that day, too, we shed off our vintage political identity as “Sub province of Kalinga”.

A glimpse into the history of the province will unfold interesting chapters that could lend an eloquent importance to our political metamorphosis into a regular province.

It is noted that towards the end of the 300-year Spanish colonial rule, nothing is chronicled on the pages of Philippine history of a political entity called “Kalinga”. All that is offered by historians is that this land now called “Kalinga” was a forbidding expanse of impenetrable mountain villages and inhospitable plains inhabited by hardy remnants of malaria scourge.

Now, Kalinga beckons you to a thrilling, action-packed adventure. A destination boasting a distinct experience with nature and culture which ranges from white water river rafting, kayaking, trekking, mountain climbing, biking and village immersion.

At the outset of my administration, I have identified Nature and Culture as indispensable ingredients in achieving genuine development along with infrastructure and agricultural programs. It has become part of our strategy to attain the vision of “Consultative Governance”.

In fulfilling this vision, I urge the sectors; the service providers from the private sector, NGOs, POs and the Academe to continue strengthening their support and cooperation in preserving our natural resources and cultural heritage.

Matatago Tako Losan!