By Anthony A. Araos
The remote and scenic villages in the countryside became a main concern of the Department of Tourism in promoting the government’s ecotourism program.
Case in point, Barangay Banao in Mayoyao town got sufficient attention from the DOT official who inquired on the unheralded and unspoiled destinations in Ifugao. It took me only five seconds to answer her query during a meeting in Quezon City. It was rather so fast to reply but I never hesitated to take the moment to endorse this village in the picturesque town of Mayoyao.
Well, Banao is a distant village of this upland town also known for advancing the cause of organic farming. It is practically sandwiched or locked by the villages of Balangbang and Nattum.
With an increased attention given by local and foreign tourists in ecotourism, activities related to ecotourism were able to catch up with other forms or types of tourism notable farm, education and medical.
Small wonder, many have invested significantly in ecotourism in many parts of the Philippines. Ifugao has a lot of room to improve in order to reap the benefits of tourism. For the most part, Ifugao’s tourism industry has only a dismal record to speak of.
Easily, the natural wonders of Banao shall draw a good number of visitors at any given time of the year. The village continues to hold the favorable status of being untouched by misguided folks who cut trees for ridiculous reasons. Yes, its true Banao’s surroundings are quite protected over the years. Hence, opportunities to promote ecotourism have expanded.
A couple from Toronto, Canada, along with their teenage daughter who once studied in the Philippines, easily was impressed by the natural trails of the sitio they visited in Banao village in 2017. I met them earlier in Makati City. They promised to come back to Mayoyao and stay a bit longer.
Barangay Banao is truly fortunate for it is blessed by the Almighty Creator with a lot of natural wonders to be enjoyed by current and incoming generations of Ifugao folks.
An ecotourism adventure to Banao should entail a checkup of the traveler’s physical fitness. He or she is usually rewarded with marked improvement in agility, power, endurance and speed. This generally refers to a trekking activity. Ultimately, it’s nice recalling the challenges of an ecotourism trip.
In line with this, it is hoped that incoming officials of Mayoyao shall manifest strong-willed leadership to safeguard the town’s environment and spur economic growth. They should remain relentless in making sure that Mayoyao is not affected one way or another by the problem on environmental degradation. It calls for vigilant monitoring for all levels of the tourism industry vis-à-vis the concerns on environment.
Anyhow, the next officials of Mayoyao should strive to improve the living standards of the town’s countless underprivileged folks. This may be realized through ecotourism and other gainful ventures.
In the long run, economies of local communities are not only improved, but villagers are also empowered to enable them to attain a life full of dignity and pride. Don’t forget ecotourism seeks to promote the value of respecting culture, beliefs, customs and traditions.
The importance of ecotourism for Mayoyao in 2019 and beyond is for incoming officials to allocate resources for this concern. The tremendous impact on the town’s economy is hopefully translated into actions that would pave the way for more jobs and earnings for all stakeholders of the tourism industry.
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It is fervently prayed that in the event Samson Atluna is elected as board member in the second district of Ifugao, he seriously ponder and consider a major road project connecting the towns of Lagawe and Mayoyao. The connectivity lies at a certain portions between Barangay Abinuan in Lagawe and Barangay Nattum in Mayoyao. The widening and paving of such road shall help businesses reach out to these distant areas. Travel time shall also be cut significantly. Farm produce are likely to be transported faster and costs are reduced. This is what improved infrastructure is all about. In other words, what is badly needed here is an infrastructure that ease the movement of goods and services as well as travel.
Mr. Atluna, according to political observers here, is likely to emerge the top winner in the said geographical district. It is composed of Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Banaue and Mayoyao, the hometown of Atluna, The come backing legislator is widely acknowledged as the “Father of Organic Farming in Ifugao.” He authored the landmark “Organic Farming Code of Ifugao.”
Fundamentally, the growth of rural areas starts from the presence of all-weather, concrete roads. I suppose in any other developed provinces, it is next to impossible to attain progress if roads are rough and nearly passable.
In this aspect, the proposed project serves as a tool to spur growth and development in the villages of Nattum and Abinuan, both described as depressed and underserved. The plan is doable and essential for the province’s overall development program. It ensure a better future for folks out here. All plans and programs in both towns flow from this proposal.
If you really want to solve the problem on poverty, you have to merely concentrate on the countryside. When this succeeds, the rest of the Philippines will copy Ifugao. It is hoped and prayed that this humble contribution, course through presumptive Board Member Samson Atluna, shall add teeth to the effort of promoting the well-being of folks in these villages.
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In a recent trip to Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, I was captivated by the beauty of its surroundings. To this day, I have vibrant and vivid recollections of the panoramic sceneries of this upland town. I saw a clear blue sky unmistakably hovering its breathtaking landscape. There are wonderful rice terraces, just like in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Easily, it’s a place to capture true-to-life, colorful photographs. It’s a great place to attract local and foreign tourists. In the event, Tam-an Tomas emerges winner of the contest for Vice Governor in Nueva Vizcaya, I’ll not hesitate to tell him to prioritize Kasibu in the provincial government’s tourism agenda.
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Age doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, it is not applicable in the case of Pedro Dulawan, a former board director of Ifugao Electric Cooperative (IFELCO).
At 71, Mr. Dulawan was asked to relinquish his post allegedly due to a regulation of the government-operated National Energy Administration (NEA). Honestly, I don’t buy the contention of the IFELCO. In other words, it is unacceptable. I heard that not a few IFELCO individuals raised their “grave concern” about the injustice on Mr, Dulawan.
Mr. Dulawan spent a lot of time attending to his chores in such capacity at the IFELCO which he truly enjoyed. No doubt about it!
Fundamental fairness dictates that a government entity such as the NEA, having accepted the benefit of the people’s hard-earned taxes to manage its operations, must then respect the rights of the elderly.
There’s no reason why some institutions wouldn’t be willing to provide the elderly sector the chance of still actively taking part in nation-building.
Mr. Dulawan was devastated. An electric cooperative broke his heart for one reason. All because he is 71 years old and it makes me unhappy. Mr. Dulawan is an energetic, articulate, God-fearing and law-abiding Philippine national. That is discrimination based on age.
No one should have to endure what he went through. Elderlies can run for local and national positions, yet some quarters utterly failed to recognize that President Rodrigo Duterte is even one of them. I call it a simple case of being insurmountably ignorant. This is not just about Pedro Dulawan, a hardworking and intelligent guy who used to work in a key position in the Ifugao provincial government in Lagawe- it’s about all senior citizens. While I continue to pray for his good health and success in whatever endeavor he is planning to pursue this year and beyond, it is critical that the national government- Congress in particular, expressly protect the elderly from discrimination. No one should be denied the right to serve the citizenry because of age.
We’re talking about five million senior citizens, and while I feel sorry for the individuals that have contributed a lot to the country, we’re talking about a significant portion of the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP). So it’s not like they are no longer productive members of society.
Bottomline: I’m asking the NEA to respect the elderly sector and fair play and respect the votes of the ordinary folks who chose Mr. Dulawan by rescinding this patently ridiculous regulation or law. As it is, Asipulo, Kiangan and Tinoc towns are not presently represented in the IFELCI BOD helm for quite some time- over six months to be more precise. It’s a big disservice to the folks of these impoverished municipalities.
Think about it: This is one stupid law or regulation ostensibly adhered to by a supposedly socially sensitive and committed government that looks after the good and well-being of all, including the elderlies.
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Once again, I’m congratulating the officers and members of the Ifugao Multi-Purpose Development Cooperative (IMDC) for their highly-successful 24th Founding Anniversary as well as General Assembly and Election of Officers Program in Lagawe.
Credit it to IMDC Manager Ignacio Bunolna and Board of Directors (BOD) Chairperson Jennelyn Bilog and a low-profile but hardworking guy who also contributed a lot before, during and after the well-attended program. I’m referring no less to bookkeeper James Sawey. He focused his significant time and energy to office work and preparing the program. He is also most helpful in molding an enlightened and competent staff. Furthermore, he helps its members become more effective on their tasks by stressing the human aspect of management.
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For our food delights corner: Let’s have something simple but, surely delicious meal. This has reference to my all-time favorite fare of sizzling gambas and steamed rice. May be served at the table for your family or loved ones at lunch or dinner. This is certainly great with chilled mango juice and vanilla cake. Make it this yummy meal truly memorable with bananas or papaya. Just like in the past, don’t forget to say your prayers for God’s blessings.
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Finally, a thought for our readers: “My power will rest on you when you are weak.” (2 Cor 12:9)**
