PhD Fellowships in the UK

1. PhD Studentship - University of Winchester

The University of Winchester will have a number of fully-funded PhD
studentships, attached to Research Centres, available from February
2009 for three years. Candidates should have, or expect to obtain, a
first class or upper second class degree and a Masters degree in a
relevant subject area. The studentships are reserved for potential
full-time students.

The University is a dynamic institution with an ambitious research
agenda. As one of the UK's smallest and most innovative universities,
we offer a stimulating research environment and rigorous research
training combined with the intimacy and personal interaction only a
small institution can afford. We have established strengths in subject
areas ranging across: archaeology, communication, cultural and media
studies; dance, drama and performing arts (including contemporary
performance across disciplines); English and creative writing;
education; history; theology and religious studies.

Within and across these disciplines, our research centres create
effervescent communities of reflection that explore new knowledges
across the scholarly continuum.

Subject areas for proposals are open, but must be within the remit of
the Research Centre within which you hope to work. Please refer to our
website for further information on Research Centres, and please feel
free to approach academic members of staff for advice. For all
information and initial inquiries, contact Chrissie Ferngrove at the
address below. Information on our research centres is available at
http://www.winchester.ac.uk/?page=3532.

If you are unsure whether your proposed project can be supervised,
please submit a paragraph explaining what you are intending to do, by
email to Chrissie Ferngrove (again, see below), for onward
transmission to the relevant Faculty Head of Research & Knowledge
Exchange.

Applications are welcome from domestic, EU and non-EU International
Students. From 1 February 2008, the University is offering domestic
tuition rates to all overseas doctoral students who qualify for study.

Existing Probationer research students at the University of Winchester
may also apply.

For application forms and further information please contact:
Chrissie Ferngrove
Research & Knowledge Exchange Co-ordinator
The Research & Knowledge Exchange Centre
University of Winchester
Winchester SO22 4NR

Tel: 01962 827483
Email: Chrissie.Ferngrove@winchester.ac.uk

Closing date for applications: 31 October 2008
Interviews to be held: early to mid November 200

2. Graduate Scholarship - Bangor University
The School of Creative Studies and Media and GeoMôn

The School of Creative Studies and Media at Bangor University in
conjunction with GeoMôn is seeking applications for a postgraduate
student in the area of Marketing and Publicity.

This dynamic new School is leading the University's Creative
Industries initiative as part of a substantial investment fostering
international excellence. The graduate scholarship is an exciting and
innovative development between the School and GeoMôn to increase
awareness of Anglesey as an international 'Geopark'.

The successful candidate will be expected to work towards a
postgraduate degree within the School's multidisciplinary environment
while working together with staff at GeoMôn to create marketing and
publicity materials.

Experience of practical marketing and publicity is essential. The
one-year scholarship entitles the applicant to a full fee waiver.

Informal enquiries and applications should be made to Dr Nathan
Abrams, Director of Graduate Studies, the School of Creative Studies
and Media, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG, UK; e-mail:
n.abrams@bangor.ac.uk; skype: Nathan.abrams

Applicants should submit an application form, which can be downloaded here:
http://www.bangor.ac.uk/courses/postgrad/documents/POSTGRADUATEAPPLICATIONFORMENGLISH.doc,
together with a CV, covering letter and samples of their work by 1st
November 2008.

Did the Americans give us our Igorot identity?

I was struck by the ideas presented by Gerard Finin in his book The Making of the Igorot: Contours of Cordillera Consciousness while reading it this morning for a paper I need to write. Couldn't help but share it. What do you think of the following paragraphs?

Crucial in the formulation of American plans for bringing "civilization" to the Cordillera and making highlanders a more integral part of the already largely Hispanized lowland Philippines was the view that all of the "natives" were basically "the same." Establishment of a distinctive administrative grid in the Cordillera was not the product of a grand plan for divide and rule designed to put highlanders against lowlanders. Rather, it was based more on prevailing American conceptions about "types" of people and a strong desire for a "rational" system of administration based on "scientifically" justifiable principles for overseeing highlanders.

This thinking drove the American officials who imposed the colonial structure on Luzon's largest highland territory. From the plans and policies that were devised and implemented during the early part of the 1900s emerged the spatial and social dimensions of the shared pan-Cordillera regional consciousness that so strongly influences the Cordillera today (italics mine). Before discussing what American rule bequeathed, however, it is important to consider the conditions preceding the American presence. (pp. 19-20)

From Chapter 5:

In keeping with the long-range plan to unite highlanders and, in time, assimilate Mountain Province into lowland Philippine society, American officials early in the century began introducing features of American-style democracy. The establishment of Mountain Province's local governments was key to this effort. As yet another element of the grid, it changed highlanders' consciousness in terms of the way they thought about themselves and those around them. (p. 108)

These paragraphs basically sum up what the book is all about: how the American colonial government in the early 1900s were able to create a region in the highlands - unlike the Spaniards who miserably failed to penetrate it - which has then led to the emergence of a pan-Igorot consciousness. He then goes on to write (and illustrate with some examples) that due to this American legacy, highlanders have learned to identify with one another, despite their different tribal or ethnic groupings - a rather picture-perfect image of a united Igorotlandia. Hmmm...

Just before coming here, my Bicolano historian friend who read it kidded me saying, 'Hey, you should thank the Americans because they gave you your Igorot identity'. Huh? It's a must-read for those interested in Cordillera studies.

I actually have a signed copy of this book as I was there at UP Baguio when Gerard Finin launched his book. I found him a warm, charming scholar who was sincerely interested in the Cordillera. He stayed in Abra for two years as a young Peace Corps volunteer and he still speaks Ilocano fluently. But now that I am reading his book, I realize that it's almost impossible to look at the world and analyse events without bringing in your socio-cultural background into the picture. But I must say that some of his analyses are patronizing. He may be an academic but then he is first and foremost an American who is looking at us, Igorots, with an American perspective. I guess Bakhtin is right: we always speak from a particular position.

Some questions:

Without the Americans, would our forebears not learn to live with one another and respect each other's rights despite their different tribes/ethnic groups, languages, and culture?

Would we have never learned to govern ourselves and advance as a people, at least politically and socially? (Except for Benguet, economically, our leaders still have a lot of work to do to bring us out of the country's list of 20 poorest provinces)

Sadly, we would never find out the answers to these questions because the Americans came into the picture and that's that. We cannot undo what actually happened. But we can create a clearer picture by bringing in more voices into the narrative of the making of Igorot consciousness. How I wish we could find out more how early Igorots saw the world during their time. Maybe we could start asking our own parents' stories who may be in their 70s, 80s, or even 90s. It's never too late to write the stories of ordinary, average, working class Igorots. I am certain their narratives are rich and meaningful despite their lack of education, money or power.

Links: Blast from the Past

Ateneo de Manila University Press

UK-style U-kay

UK? United Kingdom. At U-kay:-)

Car boot sale ang tawag nila sa ukayan dito. Apart from the usual charity shops where you can buy used items, one of the more popular destinations for bargain hunters are car boot sales, the 'British form of market' where people sell both used and new items from the 'boot' ('trunk' in the US) of their cars.

Yesterday, with the perfect weather (16 C) on our side, my flatmate and I went to Grangetown where the biggest carboot sale in Cardiff takes place. You can find all sorts of interesting items, from this cute personal 'Playboy' water dispenser



to this assortment of saws



yes, even antique radios and a camera!



And one seemingly happy bargain-hunter checking a piece of linen.



The place was packed with people at 11 in the morning it was so much like our very own tiangges. British couples with their babies in carriers, Indians and Pakistanis, Africans, Malaysians - you can find all sorts of people haggling, turning over items, or just eyeing some interesting item.

Although tired from all the walking, I went home happily with my £20 used bike purchase.

Comfort Food

If you've been eating one type of food for almost all your life, you're certainly bound to crave for it when you go to another country. More than missing speaking Tagalog, Ilocano and Kankana-ey, it's really our foooood that I miss most. I guess because food engages all your senses: sight, taste, smell, touch, and yes, even hearing. And all these senses somewhat evoke memories of cold, rainy days (arroz caldo!), late evening with friends (sisig), hot summer picnics with the family (grilled pork chops), six-hour bus trips to Manila (a pack of hot sweet corn), etc.

And so you go on a mission to find Filipino food where you live. Thank God for Chinese and Asian stores because they do sell a number of Pinoy brands. Some items I recently bought:



Bagoong! This particular brand lacks the sweet-salty taste I'm used to but I guess some manufacturers have to suit not just Asian palettes but British consumers as well. The Brits prefer a low-salt, low-fat diet.



Mestizo na itlog na maalat :-) Despite its Chinese brand, these salted eggs are 'made in the UK'. Unlike our 'red eggs' which have been previously boiled before they are sold in the market, these mestizos are sold raw so that you have to boil them first before you can eat them.



And the most important of all, RICE! Amazingly, Thai products such as jasmine rice and chili sauce are available in the grocery stores. You don't even have to go to an Indian or Chinese shop to buy rice here in the UK. It so frustrating that the Thais, who used to come to the Philippines and study at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), are now one of the leading rice exporters in the world with Vietnam while poor Philippines is experiencing rice shortage. And the saddest thing of all is that this rice shortage is actually due to corruption and bad governance, as with almost all the ills that plague the country. Billions and billions more are being pocketed by a few at the expense of taxpayers. And we are Asia's only Christian nation? Tsk tsk tsk. Now that isn't a comforting thought.

Gates, Passageways, Doors

What would the world be without doors? What if we just had holes as entrances to homes, buildings or rooms? Hmm, parang exciting isipin.



The ancient-looking, simple wooden gate (with a small door) of Eton College at Windsor. Just by looking at this door, you wouldn't think that this is the same door that Princes Harry and William passed through as students at Eton. As far as we know, the wooden gate is off-limits to visitors of Eton. Two Pinoy postgrads and I ended up in front of this gate during a day tour at Windsor because the visitors' entrance was already closed. Lesson: Don't judge a school by its door:-)



But hey, the door was open so I ventured inside and here's what I got: a photo of the school's courtyard! Sayang, Sabado kaya walang students hanging around. Lesson: Don't hesitate to enter open doors. You'll never know what you're gonna find!:-)




A 'Book Passage' at Hay-on-Wye, the only book town in the world. Too bad I didn't check it when I went there for a day tour so I have no idea what it's like inside. I felt there were plenty of other bigger and nicer bookshops to visit I decided to skip this one. Lesson: Don't miss the chance to look around and explore interesting-looking passages or walkways. There's more to life than reading books, anyway:-)



French door of a hotel room overlooking Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. I think that the best kind of door is a French door as it serves both as a window and as a door. Depending on your mood, you can either enjoy the view while inside your room, or push that glass door and be out in the sun. Well, a door is what you make of it;-)

More on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

My Pinay friend, Joan, got interested as well about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and she found out that one celebrity known to have suffered from it was Natalie Imbruglia! Salamat, kaayo for the info:-) By the way, SAD, a mood disorder, is also known as winter depression. Read more about it here.

One of the treatments given to 'SAD people' is light therapy using sun lamps. These are a special kind of lamps which are much brighter than the ordinary ones. For ellenmayjoyceasacla and for us (that includes me) who have never seen a sun lamp in our lives, here's how it looks like, thanks to a photo taken from Amazon:



And here's another one with a more contemporary design, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Perspectives

I'm totally convinced that our socio-cultural background largely determine the way we look at the world. Wow, what a serious statement to make, you might say:-) But here goes an interesting story from my friend Janice.

Janice attended a workshop about coping with the demands of postgrad studies recently. The presenter was a British professor and she started by asking the participants what made them sign-up for the workshop. 'What problems are you having right now?' she asked them. Janice didn't have a problem at all - she just wanted to know some techniques how she could cope better with the demands of postgrad work:-)

Near the end of the workshop, the presenter gave interesting suggestions for each of the participants. 'Hey Janice, you might want to buy a sun lamp if you miss the sunshine from your country,' she told my friend. By the way, Janice is Asian just like me. She thought that the professor may have had the idea that the British gloomy weather must be making her depressed! And then to another female participant, 'Why not take a trip to the Canary Islands?' It's a great place to spend your Christmas break.'



The Stonehenge against a gloomy December sky.


Janice and I were both almost down to our knees laughing when we met after her workshop. 'Why am I going to need a sun lamp?' she asked, her eyes almost filled with tears as she laughed. We found the whole idea of getting a sun lamp to ease depression totally ridiculous! Or so we thought.

Back in my flat, I shared Janice's little story with my young male British flatmate. I was relating this story to him in an amused way but he looked serious the whole time. Hmm, puzzling. And then he said, 'But there are people who do get depressed because of lack of sunlight.' He then said 'X (I'm not sure anymore) percent of the UK population are affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD).'*** Ohhhh. I was speechless for two seconds. 'Wow, I didn't know that,' I told him rather lamely. Argg. Blame my ignorance. Or my being Filipino? I thought to myself.

The next day, Janice and I had an interesting talk about this whole sun lamp thing. We both agreed that although we come from a region where we have plenty of sunlight, we found it somewhat unthinkable that people could feel depressed with the weather. 'We have at least 26 typhoons a year in the Philippines but I haven't heard of anybody getting depressed because of the flooding and the rains,' I told her. Janice said, 'It's the same thing where I come from. I guess depression is not an Asian thing (maybe except in the more affluent parts of Asia).' Okay, maybe a good number of Pinoys do get depressed but I'm almost certain that bad weather is not the main reason for it:-)

And then we made the same observation of the Brits apologizing constantly about their weather, almost to a fault. Wow, I wonder how they'd feel if they get the chance to live in the Philippines, or worse, Bangladesh. Where I come from, heavy rains and strong winds are almost a daily companion for six months. But I rarely hear people apologize about it to visitors in the city. Maybe because there's little we can do about the weather...

***One in 50 people in the UK are affected by SAD.

The Breeze Blows West

It has been almost two months since I arrived here in Cardiff, Wales and I would still pause sometimes and ask myself, "What am I doing here?" A small university town (it's the capital city of Wales), Cardiff is so much like Baguio - small, friendly, charming. Except for the more challenging part of getting used to British and Welsh accents, I'm taking in all these rather new experience like an eight-year-old about to fly a kite for the first time. I'm somewhat anxious yet excited, a bit timid but determined.



Cardiff University's main building


Now that I'm here, I guess I won't be able to write much about my main interests, Cordi people and culture. Ironically, it's because of these same interests that I'm here - to research on ethnicity and identity in the media. Amusing, huh?

But I'd certainly try to write about fellow Pinoys who are working and studying here. I've already met some of them and I was deeply touched by their warmth and hospitality. Iba pa rin ang Pinoy:-)

So I guess this blog will take on a different flavor for the coming several months. I hope to chronicle new learnings, fresh perspectives and interesting characters in my new adventure. So little time, so much to learn:-) I fully agree with the following quote:

What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers.

Martina Horner, President of Radcliffe College

Neruda's 'Too Many Names'

Pablo Neruda (1904-73)

Monday entangles itself with Tuesday
and the week with the year:
time cannot be severed
with your weary shears,
and all the names of the day
the water of night clears.


No man can call himself Peter,
no woman Rose or Mary,
we are all sand or dust,
we are all rain in the rain.
They have told me of Venezuelas,
Paraguays and Chiles,
I don’t know what they’re talking about:
I know the skin of the Earth
and I know that it has no name.


When I lived among roots
they delighted me more than flowers,
and when I talked to a stone
it echoed like a bell.


It is so slow the spring
that lasts the winter long:
time has lost his shoes:
one year’s four centuries.


When I go to sleep each night
what am I called, not called?
And when I wake up, who am I
if it wasn’t ‘I’ who was sleeping?


This is to say that as soon as we
are thrust out into life,
that we come newly born,
that our mouths are not filled
with all these dubious names,
with all these mournful labels,
with all these meaningless letters,
with all this ‘yours’ and ‘mine’,
with all this signing of papers.


I think to confound things
mingling them, hatching them new,
seeing through them, stripping them naked,
until the light of the earth
has the unity of the ocean,
a generous integrity,
a crackle of starched perfume.

Harper Lee

I was in second year high school in Manila when my young Bulakena English teacher came to class one morning announcing she has a list of '100 Books You Must Read Or You'll Miss One Half of Your Life,' or something of that sort. She began by saying she has enjoyed reading all these books and that she hopes we would be interested in reading them as well before finally listing down the books in the deep green blackboard right before us.

The list includes Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, true-life novel on psychosis 'I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,' Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' and 'Little Men,' and plenty of other novels I can't recall right now. I think still have a copy of my list somewhere in my pile of old notebooks back home and it is one of my most treasured old notes.



Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was definitely on her list. How could it not find it's way there? That book is my old-time favorite, with Les Miserables coming in second. According to Wikipedia, the novel was voted the 'Best Novel of the 20th Century' by readers of the Library Journal in 1999. Not surpringsingly, The Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress' Center for the Book both found out through a survey conducted in 1991 that the novel was second only to the Bible.

Friendship, courage, and coming of age - these are the timeless themes that made me cry when I first read Harper Lee's Pulitzer-prize winning novel. How I wish I could write one novel that could move people this way, I thought to myself decades ago when I first read it. How could she write about prejudice, injustice and friendship all at the same time with such wit, depth and beauty?

I have re-read it a few times more and I still get this fresh, tingling feeling of reading it as if for the first time. I would still have goosebumps when I read that part of Boo Radley coming out of his house for the first time, when Atticus had to kill that rabid dog and the symbolism the whole scenario evoked, and the trial at the courthouse with Atticus delivering his deeply moving statements. I relished reading every page of this book, the characters almost speaking to me in their authentic, honest dialogues.

The book's author, Harper Lee, now 80 years old and living in Alabama, was honored yesterday for her contribution to American literature. Pres. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US' 'highest civilian award, to recognize contributions in science, the arts, literature and the cause of freedom.' It's an award that she so rightly deserves.

I was 30 when I read a self-help book that advised readers to write down their dreams in life, no matter how odd these may seem. It can be 'Learn to tap dance' or maybe even 'Fly to the moon.' I drew up my own list and it certainly included 'Meet Harper Lee in person.' I don't know if it will ever happen so I am blogging about her and her outstanding novel and quietly hope that she comes across this obscure blog for some random reason. That to me, is as good as meeting her in person.

Ms. Lee, you have broadened my perspective of people and relationships and I'm eternally grateful for that:-)

But nothing really is impossible if you put your heart into what you do, I guess. After all, Atticus Finch in the novel defined courage as '...When you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.'

Photo credit: University of Alabama

A New Approach to Tourism?

Last month, some cousins and I were on our way to Itogon via Tuding Road when we thought of taking a short visit at Mines View Park. Although one cousin lives in Baguio, she hasn't brought her kids to Mines View so we decided to be "tourists" for 30 minutes.

There's really not much to see there, only views of the mountains (kaya nga Mines View) of Itogon where small-scale mining continues to thrive. But there are plenty of things to buy: you'll find endless stalls of flowers, food, and pasalubong items.

We were about to leave the "park," which is actually more of a market, when we noticed a group of young people walking up a stage near the entrance to the view deck. Speaking in Tagalog, they sounded excited to have their photo taken while they wore Igorot head gears.



"Mukha na ba tayong mga Igorot?" asked a female tourist to her companions as they took their seats. I didn't hear the reply of one of her friends but the group broke into laughter and seemed to relish the whole experience.

They looked students to me and I felt more dismayed than angry that these young people from the lowlands have little knowledge about Igorots. I can't blame them for having a stereotype image of Igorots as a people who continue to wear head gears. That's what we often see on TV, that's why.

Now I ask: Shouldn't tourism initiatives involve educating tourists as well, and not just concern itself with "selling" a place?

Baguio City thrives on tourism. Decades before Panagbenga, it was and remains to be known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Now we have Panagbenga, a month-long event in February, Baguio Tossed Salad Festival in November, the UP Summer Arts Festival usually in April, and other interesting activities to attract tourists to the city. But except for the UP Arts Festival, do these touristy events help other Filipinos get to know more about the people of Baguio and Benguet? Or do they just unfortunately deepen lowlanders'prejudice against Igorots?

I've visited Internet tourist sites for New Zealand and Australia and I'm truly impressed with how they inform readers about the Maoris and Aborigines, "selling" destinations and yes, even their culture, while educating tourists as well.

Isn't the distinct culture and traditions of the Cordillera the unique selling point of Baguio? The city, after all, is part of Benguet, a land of indigenous people. But why do our tourism initiatives dismally fail to inform tourists who the Igorots are? Panagbenga organizers do make an effort to lend some sense of history and context to their events but almost always, the activities are so unrelated to the concept of panagbenga.

Just to show you what I mean, here are some of the activities last February: (at SM) Aloha Hula, Jazz Up Your Jeans, and the Panagbenga Closing Party with Kamikaze; (at Baguio Center Mall) taekwando and arnis competitions. We also had the search for Mr. and Ms. Fashionista, and Mr. Panagbenga and Flower Princess. The rest of the events were about gardening, flowers and trade fairs.

Hey, I'm not saying we do away with pop culture-type money-making events. But can't we make our "festival" more meaningful by showcasing films, concerts, plays or other cultural events that tell more about the Ibalois, or the early builders of Baguio for instance? Or maybe an activity that highlights Baguio's historical sites? Baguio may now be a bustling city peopled by migrants but it will cease to be Baguio if it loses its soul.

Touching the Skies

I was in college when I read a title of a book that went Igorot: A People Who Daily Touch the Earth and Sky. Coming from a region with the highest elevation in the country, we literally do almost touch the skies everyday of our lives.

Here's a photo of sunset taken three weeks ago from Ucab, Itogon. I'm an amateur photographer and I must admit that this photo doesn't quite capture the enchanting scene I saw. But hey, magical views like these are my kind of food for the soul. Mangan takon, apo:-)

A Glimpse of Heaven

I just love views of mountains hugged by fog on misty afternoons. These, for me, are a glimpse of heaven:-) One look at the scene and I know there's a Higher Being painting these beautiful images right before my eyes. Simply mesmerizing.

Here's a photo I took of the mountains of Benguet as seen from Tuding, Itogon, one misty afternoon last June. Enjoy:-)

Post Script on Gen. Antonio Taguba

Mea culpa. So I relied on my journalist friend's forwarded message (which he got from another person) that Gen. Antonio Taguba has Igorot blood running through his veins. Eh mali pala. Tsk tsk. Trublue was kind enough to point out the error and so I have to write this post script. I did have a female classmate surnamed Taguba from Kalinga but she said her family trace their roots in Mountain Province. But as far as our hero is concerned, he's an Ilocano, period.

I Googled Tomas Taguba, Gen. Taguba's dad, and here's what I found:

After serving in two wars and being captured by the Japanese Imperial Army at Bataan in the Philippines in 1942, Tomas B. Taguba finally has been recognized for his service.

"I don't know what happened," Taguba said after receiving two medals recently from Maj. Gen. James T. Hill, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division. Taguba's son, Brig. Gen. Antonio Taguba, the U.S. Army's first Filipino-American general officer, observed the ceremony.

"This was a special honor for him and his family," said Gen. Taguba, deputy commander of the 1st Army at Fort Jackson in North Carolina.

Tomas Taguba was 24 when he was inducted into the U.S. Army on Feb. 10, 1942, as a member of the Philippine Scouts.

During the Japanese attack on the Philippines, Taguba was a truck driver assigned to haul ammunition and food supplies to the front lines on Bataan and Corregidor. He was captured by the Japanese when Bataan fell on April 9, 1942.

During the infamous Bataan death march, Taguba escaped, joined the underground movement and avoided being recaptured by the Japanese until U.S. forces returned to the Philippines. He was listed as missing in action for more than three years -- a period spent reporting on Japanese movements in his home province of Isabella, (emphasis mine) he said.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1945, and rose to the rank of sergeant 1st class before he retired in 1962. During his more than 20 years in the Army, Taguba served in South Korea, Germany and Okinawa, spending his last 17 years as a motor-pool sergeant.

After retiring from the Army, Taguba returned to the service to spend another 17 years at Schofield Barracks working as an arms specialist.

He has been married to the former Maria Batulan for more than 52 years. They have seven children and nine grandchildren.

Igorot or not, I continue to admire Gen. Taguba, a shining example of a man of valor and honor.

Gen. Antonio Taguba: An Igorot Hero in These Troubled Times

A journalist friend forwarded this beautiful article regarding the modern-day heroism of General Antonio Taguba, "the highest-ranking US military officer of Filipino descent. He was born and raised in the Philippines before migrating to the US, and is the son of an Igorot Philippine Scout who survived the Bataan Death March."

I couldn't help but be moved by this man's awe-inspiring sense of integrity as he evealed the damning truth about the abuses committed by his fellow American soldiers at Abu Ghraib. Sir, you make me feel honored to be an Igorot.

The eminent journalist Seymour Hersh has just published a story in the New Yorker on the man who told the truth about Abu Ghraib.

The US government investigation of the Abu Ghraib prison atrocities in 2004 was led by General Antonio Taguba, the highest-ranking US military officer of Filipino descent. He was born and raised in the Philippines before migrating to the US, and is the son of an Igorot Philippine Scout who survived the Bataan Death March.

General Taguba's report on the Abu Ghraib atrocities is lucid, damning and fearless, and shows a trail of responsibility leading to the top levels of the most powerful government in the world.

Only a military man of the greatest integrity could have had the courage to file a report so unflinching in its analysis, and so damning of his superiors and of the military system around which his whole career--his life--was built.

I remember watching on C-SPAN as General Taguba entered a crowded meeting room to testify before the US Senate Armed Forces Committee regarding his findings. It took him a while to make his way to his chair, because so many wanted to shake his hand--the hand of a man who was not afraid to tell the truth.

A Filipino friend who lives in Washington, DC, rode a taxi to the hearing. When the taxi driver learned that she was a Filipino, and where she was headed, he refused payment for the ride.

"The world needs more people like General Taguba," he said.
*************************************

>From the article in the New Yorker:

"From the moment a soldier enlists, we inculcate loyalty, duty, honor, integrity, and selfless service," Taguba said. "And yet when we get to the senior-officer level we forget those values. I know that my peers in the Army will be mad at me for speaking out, but the fact is that we violated the laws of land warfare in Abu Ghraib. We violated the tenets of the Geneva Convention. We violated our own principles and we violated the core of our military values. The stress of combat is not an excuse, and I believe, even today, that those civilian and military leaders responsible should be held accountable."

Read "The General's Report: How Antonio Taguba, who investigated the Abu Ghraib scandal, became one of its casualties by Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker, 25 June 2007 here.

How Baguio's Barangays Got Their Names Part II

As promised, here's part 2 of our list. You could add up to this list if you know how or why a certain place in Cordi was so named. Trublue, Holy Ghost was named after a convent:-) Hmmm...I wonder how Barangay Palpaltogan in Lepanto, Mankayan got its name;-)

Dagsian (Upper Dagsian and Lower Dagsian)- Originally called DAGSI for its springs of pure water. It was later changed to DAGSIAN, meaning plenty of pure water.

Fairview - So named because of its panoramic view of Guisad Valley, Aurora Hill, and Camp Allen.

Gibraltar - Major Jonathan Spith, a German national who married a Filipino and lived and died in this barangay, is said to have named Gibraltar after the Rock of Gibraltar in Europe.

Green Water - Named after greenish water spewed out of its numerous moss-covered springs.

Central Guisad - From the Ibaloi word no i-shoclshad, which literally describes how the mountain top was carried by the strong current into the deepest part of Guisad Valley after a strong typhoon.

Holy Ghost - Named after the Holy Ghost convent atop a plateau to the northeast which overlooks the entire barangay.

Loakan Apugan - Named after the main product of the barangay – apugy. Years back, the place was a quarry for lime and silicon.

Military Cut-off - So named by General William Wagner, as the cut-off point to the former Camp John Hay, one of the military installations of the American forces in Luzon during World War II.

Mines View - So called because of Mines View Park, from which tourists could glimpse Baguio Gold and other mines from the view deck.

How Baguio’s Barangays Got Their Names Part I

How did our different barangays here in Baguio get their names? The Saint Louis University (SLU) Library and Museum staff thought this was worth researching. Last January, during SLU’s foundation day celebration at Melvin Jones, I had a fun time visiting the SLU Library and Museum’s booth which presented several panels listing down the names of Baguio’s barangays and a brief history of their names.

As I was reading over these panels, I recalled three places I know and a few details about their names. For instance, Otucan in Bauko, where I was born, used to be known as "Kiodan." Mainit in Bontoc was called "Chonglian" before some lowlander gave it its current name. Sabangan? Until now this village has plenty of saba (bananas);-)

Well, here’s the first installment of what I got from the SLU Library and Museum (reproduced here in toto).

ABCR – Acronyms for Andres Bonifacio, Caguioa and Rimando

Ambiong – Named after a bee species that is said to have once produced the sweetest honey among all the local bee species, which abounded in the place during the olden times.

Atok Trail – So called since it was the road that led to Atok Gold Mines.

Balsigan – From the Ilocano word pagbalsigan (a place for chopping wood). So called since most of the residents then were engaged in chopping wood, which they sold to the rich people for their fireplaces.

Brookside – So called because it is alongside a winding brook that snakes through the roofing hills from Pacdal and empties at Lucban.

Bakakeng – From the local word baka (cow) or bakaan (pastureland for cows) and mambebkeng (to build dikes for the farm and animals).

Cabinet Hill – Teachers’ Camp Barangay so called because it is the location of the cottages of Cabinet Secretaries and of Teachers’ Camp, originally planned as the “summer camp of public school teachers.”

Camp 8 – The builders of Kennon Road had to set up eight camps on their way up starting from the bottom of Rosario, La Union, to finish the city’s first gravel road artery. The last camp was Camp 8.

City Camp (City Camp Central, City Camp Proper) – This was a camp for City government personnel and workers of the Rock Quarry during the pre-war days. A camp for equipment, dubbed Motorpool, was also constructed as a depot for heavy equipment used in quarrying.

More "Mainit" Photos

Mainit is a must-see destination when you're in Bontoc. You can find Mainit-bound jeepneys at the corner of Chakas Building (sorry I don't know the name of the street) and the main road of Bontoc Central. Travel time is between 30 to 45 minutes.



Enjoy a relaxing dip at the Ben-Vick's Rest House, owned by Mr. Benedict Odsey.



Or try Mrs. Eleanor Geston's swimming pools near the entrance of the village.



Walk around Mainit and you'll find interesting aspects of its people's culture.



Mainit also boasts of its own stone-walled ricefields.

Hot talaga ang Mainit, di ba?:-)

Mainit, Bontoc

Too bad the rainy season started early this year. But for those of you who still want to have a late summer adventure, try visiting Mainit, a small village in Bontoc. My advice: you have to stay overnight so you could visit the public dipping pools at dusk and listen to the women (and men) share their stories.

Here are some photos taken by a friend's mobile phone camera.



A close-up shot of the "luwag" or hotspring



Kids at play on a lazy, Sunday morning

Remembering Yogyakarta

One year and three days ago today, I almost died in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. That’s me being dramatic about my experience:-) But honestly, I’ve never been so frightened in my whole life.

I was alone in my hotel room that Saturday, May 27, when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Central Java at 5:53 in the morning. The tremor was so strong I felt like I was inside a small boat caught in storm. The coffee table near my bed toppled and with it, the three mugs my Indonesian friends Trina, Asi and I used the previous evening.

Sitting outside Hotel Saphir where I stayed, I saw an endless stream of pick-ups, trucks and ambulances carrying dead or injured people. At nine in the morning, people started running towards the north. A woman was screaming and crying so I asked the male hotel staff what the woman was saying. Looking frightened himself, he said that according to the woman, a tsunami is coming. My heart skipped a beat and my mind went blank. With the airport and train station closed, I felt trapped in a chaotic situation. Is this really happening, I asked myself.






I took this photo of the fifth floor of Hotel Saphir on my way down to the lobby.

Here’s a rundown of the earthquake’s devastating effect:
- At least 5,749 people were killed
- 38,568 were injured
- as many as 600,000 people were displaced in the Bantul-Yogyakarta area
- more than 127,000 houses were destroyed
- an additional 451,000 were damaged in the area

The total loss was estimated at approximately 3.1 billion US dollars.



Saphir Square, a newly-built mall beside Hotel Saphir, suffered heavy damage.

Although the experience was traumatic (I have become extra sensitive for the slightest shake or vibration wherever I am), I would always remember the Yogya earthquake, and my Indonesia adventure in general, for the beautiful lessons it taught me:

1. Good people are everywhere. And they come when you need them most.

After I went to the airport only to find out that it was damaged and closed for flights, I went back to my hotel to ask directions how I could leave Yogya. I had to catch an early flight to Singapore the next day and be in Manila by Monday for an interview. As I was asking directions, a bespectacled male asked me “Miss, Pilipino ka ba?” I swear that I almost cried out of joy when I heard him speak Tagalog at that moment. He wasn’t only a Pinoy, he was from Baguio, too! Prof. Bobby Arguelles of SLU and his two male Indonesian friends helped me find a taxi so I could go to Solo, some 45 minutes away, where the flights had been transferred. Thanks to Bobby, Andrei and Bhayu, I was on my way to Solo – and to safety – at around 12 noon.

2. Religion does not define people.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, with 85 percent of its 220 million people adhering to Islam. While I had my own biases against Muslims in general based on what I read and my limited interaction with Pinoy Muslims in tiangges, I learned that ultimately, it is people who define the quality of the religions they choose to practice.

I became friends with Purwani Prabandari (or Dari), a woman Muslim editor of Koran Tempo in Jakarta, and we realized that despite our different faiths, we have so much in common in terms of how we view the world. She and many other Muslims I have met shattered my limited concept of Islam as a religion. They have shown me only kindness and respect. I guess we have to go beyond religion to be truly spiritual.

It was this Muslim woman who first texted me that morning of May 27, asking how I was. She kept me updated through text on what was happening around Yogya. A native of Solo, she was the one who instructed me to go to her town when she found out that the airport in Yogya was damaged. I couldn’t have remained in one piece without her texts to reassure me I would be safe.




3. Be careful for what you pray for.

Mount Merapi was already erupting when I decided to go to Indonesia for my short-tem journalism fellowship. My family kept asking me why I chose Indonesia when there are other safer and more progressive places to go to. Well, I just want to know more about Islam, I told them. Silently, I was telling myself that I’m going for an adventure of a lifetime. My 21 days’ stay in Jakarta and 4 days in Yogyakarta had just been that – one memorable adventure of a lifetime, one experience I would always be thankful for.



A photo of Mount Merapi taken by Dari.

4. New places give us the gift of ourselves.

Before I went to Indonesia, I considered myself disorganized, often misplacing my pen, earrings, anything. But alone in a strange land, I was forced to keep my things in order and to remember where I placed them. Although I have always thought of myself as independent and strong, I didn’t know how independent and strong I was until I was on my own in a foreign land. Unable to speak and understand Bahasa Indonesia, I found myself oftentimes alone taking trains, taxis and buses to unknown places, holding on to my small notebook for the helpful directions Dari gave me. Sometimes I would get lost but more often than not, I would reach my destination without a hitch as I pretended to be Indonesian and mimicked their accent whenever I spoke to drivers. Alone in my room at night, I would smile as I recalled small mishaps I encountered during the day.

For my Indonesian adventure, the best lesson I learned is that sometimes we have to leave in order to find our way home:-)

Terimah kasih, Indonesia!