By Anthony A. Araos
The other side of culturally rich Mayoyao is the adventure presented by horse-back riding and other-related sports events. In other words, there are competitive sports.
Sports are grounded in adventure and challenges. It helps individuals to grow, physically, emotionally and mentally and feel like heroes and icons even for a few hours or days. Thus, now may also be a good time to learn riding a horse on the weeks ahead, may you consider a vacation trip to Mayoyao and enjoy the thrills and frills of horse-back riding.
Horse-back riding is just the beginning of many other wonderful things in one’s life. There’s equestrian sports too. Also, horse-racing is a competitive sports event to reckon with. Therefore, Ifugao folks should level up and not only focus on their ethnic games.
It is time to rethink and refocus on contemporary games long calendared in the Summer Olympic Games. The transition to modern-day sports is also expected to enhance a healthy lifestyle. It shall affirm local government unit’s commitment to the national government to promote sports development in the youth sector. I think that young Mayoyao athletes have what it takes to win. Just give them a new mindset, proper training facilities and other much-needed support.
In Mayoyao horse-back riding is a popular activity at Barangay Nattum. It is also attracting great interest in other routes in some other villages.
Since the town offers a number of breathtaking sceneries and cool climate practically all year round, horse-back riding should easily join trekking and mountain biking as major attractions for local and foreign tourists.
If Mayor Jimmy Padchanan Jr. really wants to make a difference in boosting Mayoyao’s tourism industry, considering the potentials of horse-back riding should not be a tough challenge. Here, enjoy Mayoyao’s natural environment through a good dosage of sports activities. Remember, the objective of sports is help participants stay healthy and live longer. I have friends from abroad who think that horse-back riding is a stress reliever. Nearly all of them enjoyed horseback riding. I also noticed them coming back more and more each year to their favorite destinations for such reasons.
So the municipal government should try putting up its tourism portal. It should have its database of natural attractions and tourism stakeholders. Mayoyao has to upgrade its tourism industry.
December can be the perfect time for horse-back riding in Mayoyao and other outdoor fun such as campfires and hiking. Each activity typically revolves around minute-to-minute excitement. By spending quality time here with loved ones. The tourists come to grasp the literal reasons of life. This is vacation with a promise and an invitation for every family brave enough to engage in horse-back riding together.
A big part of Mayoyao’s appeal comes from the effect, even a three-day, two-night vacation can have, some foreign tourists I encouraged to visit the town in the past say, No need to wait for brochures and the likes. You could enjoy this wonderful place tomorrow.
You can now easily manage your expectations in one great place, all in one place, all in Mayoyao!
-o0o-
Unlimited odd thoughts unloaded: A Filipino inventor: “Believe me, this pirated PCOS machine will help a candidate win an election without even campaigning.” Corrupt politician: “Great, when it does, I’ll buy thirty of them. Send them to me.”
-o0o-
In sum, the last May midterm elections are not yet over for some candidates who threw their hats in the political arena. There are still posters of winners and non-winners in practically all towns and cities in the Philippines. There are also tarpaulins and streamers of winning candidates who expressed their gratitude to their supporters. Well, that’s over three months, just how long will it take you to say “Thank you” to the public? There should be a law to be passed by Congress expressly mandating the removal of all election paraphernalia on display thirty (30) days after the elections. The remaining ones are just mere eye-sores. “Thank you” tarpaulins should also be removed immediately. This is to level the playing field for the next polls- or 2022 to be more exact. Imagine going up against an official whose tarpaulin is there for the next three years. It is fair to say that 30 days are enough to express your gratitude to the people. Democracy and honest elections complement each other.
-o0o-
The environment situation in Ifugao is truly alarming since illegal tree cutting activities and open burning of garbage still persist to this day. Expect more of the same from incredible stupid folks out here. Most of them are even loudly saying that “kaingin” and open burning of garbage are good practices. The result will be the continued deterioration of the environment. This only shows the extent of the state of backwardness in their mentality. But then I see why they wouldn’t want to follow the law. In their minds here is nothing wrong in going against the laws of men and climate change is nothing else but is a figment of imagination. I heard a couple of times from insurmountably ignorant Ifugao folks say: “Bayaan mo na lang iyan. Wala na tayong magagawa pa.” (“Just ignore it. We can’t do anything about it.”). To my mind, that’s not true and downright silly! These are solvable problems.
-o0o-
The comfort rooms at the Ifugao Provincial Capitol Building in Lagawe are surely not comparable to the others in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Particularly, those at the third floor where the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Session Hall and offices of the governor, vice governor and board members are located. When I say not comparable, I’m speaking of its despicable conditions. There is no running water in faucets. These comfort rooms- or better still, call them discomfort rooms, are obviously poorly maintained.
How officials like those in the executive and legislative branches of the provincial government like to use a comfort room says much of the outlook on hygiene of the people.
The rehabilitation of these all-important facilities through privatization scheme has an immediate positive effect, the return of clean comfort rooms. This was what I had in mind when I talked last year in Manila with Board Member Victor Bunnol Jr., who was then the chairman of the Committee on Health and Sanitation. Now, I’ll raise this point with Board Member Joselito Guyguyon. He took over the chairmanship of this committee.
I hope the SP members could attain an acceptable legislative middle ground so that ailments brought forth by poor conditions at these comfort rooms could now be a thing of the past. If the flame of leadership is bestowed to the SP for keeping radiance in Ifugao and being the prime mover in striving for greater impact in the fight to contain dreaded illnesses, the battle starts right in the SP’s backyard. It is good to know that SP members don’t have to go far. These comfort rooms are just right at their doorsteps.
-o0o-
Every once in a long while emerges a dynamic leader worthy of the people’s unwavering trust and support. This happened in Baguio City in the last polls where Mayor Benjamin Magalong emerged the winner. The same is true in a farming town in Ifugao. A case in point: Lamut Vice Mayor Victomar Bunnol regained his post in the last May midterm elections. Bunnol’s fame as a distinguished public servant in this part of the province rests upon a variety of achievements at the Sangguniang Bayan as its presiding officer. Vice Mayor Bunnol strengthened ties with non-government organizations (NGOs) and peoples’ organizations (POs). At the synchronized elections of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP) on August 16, 2019, Vice Mayor was elected president of the 11-member Ifugao chapter of the VMLP.
-o0o-
Lagawe is still facing a host of socio-economic problems. The world is moving forward and we’re already witnessing solutions that make the whole gamut of government operations more efficient. The solution lies in the political spectrum. This early, the capital town is clearly in need of well-meaning and independent-minded councilors, This development prompted me to cite the need of putting into office the likes of Ryan Tumapang.
Tumapang, a former Punong Barangay of Poblacion West, has contributed a lot to the improvement of the lives of the people in the grassroots level. A young and vibrant individual, Tumapang should run for councilor in the 2022 elections.
Tumapang, who backed the failed congressional bid of former Ifugao governor Eugene Balitang in the last May polls, should consider preparing early for the next elections. The only drawback is that Mr. Tumapang was surrounded and seemingly influenced by incredibly stupid
Foloks and kibitzers who told him that the moon’s shape in square, there are 13 months in a year and Magellan was gunned down by a bullet.
-o0o-
Take someone’s attention and you take their time. I asked an appointment recently with Board Member Agustin Calya-en at his office in Lagawe. I got a “yes” reply from a personnel and it was scheduled 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. of the following day. So I went to his office the next day at 8:30 a.m. and stayed there for 35 minutes. The board member was a no show.
Not the first time it happened to me. A couple of time in the last two years I experienced the same. Twice with then Board Member Robert Mangyao it took place. It’s always been true, as Benjamin Franklin once said: “If time be of all things most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again.”
Indeed, time is the most precious resource in one’s life. I see a number of times SP employees busy with some sort of paper work on a Tuesday with their “bosses” around for their session. However, they’re elsewhere on other days of the week. Or they are busy with their cellphones. They must become more conscious of the passage of time and more intentional about how they spend it. Bottom line: Productivity at the office should be a consequence of hard work! This is the perfect time to reeducate Ifugao folks on the essence of understanding and appreciating the need for them to value and manage their time.
-o0o-
Blooper in Ifugao: An elder without blinking an eye blurted out: “Dengvaxia is a disease and my relative is unfortunately is now in the cemetery.” He is so confused with “disease” and “deceased.” Ops, someone please tell him something about “dengue.” Dumb folks need not say more!
-o0o-
Finally, here are some thoughts for our readers: “In the Philippines, politics is dominated by two kinds of clowns: rich clowns and poor clowns hoping to be rich.” Late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago
“Leaders have to be careful not to be too timid.” Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Former South African President Nelson Mandela
“The righteous care for the needs of their animals.” Proverbs 12
“Gold is not an essential thing for survival. You need trees.” Late Environment Secretary Gina Lopez
“Happiness is in doing what God wants us to do.” Saint Katherine Drexel of Philadelphia, Pennyslvania**
