By Anthony A. Araos
I have pointed out recently that Mayoyao has a key role in Ifugao’s tourism industry. In a previous commentary, I underscored the fact that the prospects of Mayoyao’s rise as the next hub of tourism (after Banaue town) are as bright as ever. Well, I’m not back tracking on this assertion.
What’s worrisome to me is the fact that out of the proposed 27 tourism roads in Ifugao, Mayoyao got only one in the said listing. Repeat: one out of 27. In other words, that’s about 4 percent of the total.
Consider for one that Mayoyao’s rice terraces are acknowledged as a UNESCO Heritage Site. There are countless scenic destinations in Mayoyao for local and foreign tourists to visit in any given year.
There are six listed heritage sites in the Philippines. One of them is the Rice Terraces in the Cordilleras. Specifically, one such terraces is in Mayoyao. Another town was blessed with two tourism roads to be prioritized. Yet, it is nowhere in the UNESCO heritage sites list.
Only, Liwo (a far-flung village where there is a primary school with a handful of pupils) road ended up in the said list. By the way, the list was reportedly endorsed by a high-ranking officer of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) – Ifugao Chapter. I’m wondering on what basis.
This is a very contentious matter- the most dramatic move to finally up the ante on upgrading the road network vis-à-vis the tourism industry of this upland Cordillera province. It is truly worrisome regardless these tourism roads are constructed next month or next year.
The buzzword is that it’s soon-to-be Mayoyao as the “next best destination in Ifugao.” Considering that travelers prefer places that are still largely untouched by development, I have no doubts that the town should easily elicit heightened interest from high-end tourists from around the world. For instance, there are barangay Mapawoy’s picturesque rice terraces. The moral of the story: Good roads are needed to attract first time visitors and those who already visited Mayoyao.
Even the best-laid plans for tourism development will simply suffer as a direct consequence of the absence of good roads. It would be a terrible mistake and a missed opportunity not to add one more tourism road in Mayoyao in the said list.
Why is Mayoyao not being prioritized by the officialdom in its tourism industry agenda?
It is high time to identify towns with the greatest prospects of attracting these tourists. I believe that can be done when the government will view the issue from a more practical and realistic perspective.
A conduct of province-wide consultations of the pressing needs of the tourism industry is badly needed. A consultation is indeed an integral part of any study intended to look into the possibility of improving the overall infrastructure component of the tourism industry.
The private sector should be tapped as a partner in helping the officialdom to improve and modernize the province’s pipeline of roads to increase the number of inbound tourists in 2017 and beyond.
Sadly, unsound policies and poor prioritization of tourism-related needs are real and simply cannot be ignored or denied.
Their adverse implications are pressing and far-reaching, going beyond local communities to encompass the province itself.
-o0o-
It’s time to look into the plight of daycare teachers in Ifugao, particularly those in Lagawe, still a fourth-class municipality despite the fact that it is the capital of the province.
How do you know the difference between a fortunate and privileged public servant and a less fortunate and unprivileged one? Their salaries will tell.
The former has more than enough to bring food to the table for his or her loved ones. But, they are just a few.
The latter has to contend with a very low salary and how to make both ends meet in difficult economic times. Yet, they constitute the vast majority.
If you still have some doubts about it, consider the predicament of a daycare teacher in the main Barangay Poblacion area of Lagawe who is only earning about Php 9,000 a month. Worse, she even received her January salary a month after. She has to pay Php 60 for her identification (I.D.) card.
Every time the daycare teacher’s needs arise, a fee has to be paid by her. In effect, the daycare teacher gets a much lower take-home pay due to these fees.
Instead of letting a daycare teacher pay for her ID card, let the municipal government take care of such expenses. The same problem can be seen in another angle. Instead of asking a daycare mentor to shell out Php 60 for her ID card, the municipal government should pay for it. A Php 60 savings is good enough for the daycare teacher to buy a kilo of rice at Php 40. Surely, it makes a lot of sense!
This is by far the best way of uplifting the conditions of these overworked but underpaid daycare teachers.
If only common sense and good wisdom prevail, this action is a welcome breather for these cash-strapped daycare teachers.
Where on earth do you find someone who is working in the government and is paying for his or her ID card? That’s outrageous, to say the least. Pardon me, that’s the height of stupidity.
-o0o-
It was not all that long ago (last February 12 to be more exact) when fighting broke out between the military and the New People’s Army (NPA) at barangay Namal in Asipulo town in Ifugao.
The journey for a just and long lasting peace in the Philippines is arduous and tedious. Now more than ever, the need to settle differences in a peaceful manner rather than through an armed conflict arises.
It is so difficult to imagine why many in the Ifugao provincial government- particularly in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, are so silent on the issue regarding the need to resume peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
Both sides, with an infusing sense of the common good of the Filipino people, should listen to the clamor to give peace a chance. It not, the costs are huge. To my mind, it is unimaginable. Social injustice and underdevelopment will persist.
I’m, therefore, humbly urging the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to sponsor an appropriate resolution calling for the resumption of the peace talks between the GRP and NDFP panels.
By all accounts, it’s the same reason why Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. called for the resumption of the aborted peace talks.
“Just days after the breakdown of the peace talks and the lifting of the ceasefire, the military and the NPA have renewed fighting. While casualties on both sides are expected, the greater tragedy is the displacement of the peace-loving indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands,” Baguilat said in a statement.
I implore their good judgment to take such action. To enact such resolution, strengthened by legislative wisdom, should indeed go a very long way in advancing the cause of peace in many strife-torn parts of the Philippines.
-o0o-
One area of improving the quality of education in Ifugao public schools is giving teachers the opportunity to avail of scholarships for their continuing studies.
Teachers, many of them young, are all too eager to upgrade the students’ academic performance but are experiencing economic hardships. They should be ensured of a comfortable life, free from difficulties, worry, pain and anxiety.
Many of them relished little blessings in life. “Having an access to a scholarship program as I don’t have the means. My salary is not even enough to help send my brother to college.” I heard from a public elementary school teacher of Banaue. Sounds like a typical middle-income bracket teacher.
-o0o-
Time has come for the Mayam-o administration to enjoin Ifugao’s young to study the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and instill a global business mindset.
Aspiring youthful entrepreneurs or business owners should acquire knowledge and skills that serve as the foundation for their future careers in business. Set out and explore Metro Manila, Cebu City, Davao City and other countries. There’s no point in merely trying your luck in Ifugao. Go out of your comfort zone and test your mettle. Be competitive!
-o0o-
Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “I am not a president who would enjoy waging war against the citizens of this republic.” President Rodrigo Duterte
“An effective leader influences a subordinate’s attitude and values.” The late
Senator Miriam Defensor- Santiago.**
