By Anthony A. Araos
Located just adjacent to the towns of Hingyon, Hungduan and Mayoyao (all in Ifugao) and Bontoc (in Mountain Province), Banaue has become primed for local and foreign tourists for so many years, and today it boasts the unique reputation as a major destination in the Philippines.
In a recent visit to Banaue this year, I got a clear cut picture of the town’s all-important tourism industry. You only have to look around to see that this largely rural town still retains the tag as a “must-visit” place in the country. It’s no longer a puzzle to work out.
So visit the popular Battad Rice Terraces. Enjoy your Banaue visit with a little twist. Then go to Tappiyah Falls, visit the church at the main Poblacion area and buy souvenirs and other provisions at the public market.
There are a number of simple pleasures to do while in Banaue. One such thing to do is to eat at small eateries without any guilty feeling or worrying on the budget.
You’re not in Banaue merely to see the world-famous rice terraces. There’s much, much, much more to it, including the need to know yourself and the others and contribute to an effort of saving these terraces (from soil erosion and earthworms) one can be easily proud of.
Good vacation plan mean good thinking. I am also dreaming of a good vacation that’s why I know what I really need: a good plan.
Dreams are good. Plans are better. A little of both, I guess, will serve the purpose. Then I’ll go where it is interesting enough and practical enough at this point of time. Banaue can do no wrong. I’ll visit two or three attractions outside of the Barangay Poblacion section. A place offering a quiet escape with attractive landscapes is quite perfect for me. Tell your loved ones and friends to visit Banaue. Appreciate and enjoy the sights of breathtaking rice terraces for free.
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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Ifugao Office conducted last year in Lagawe an activity geared on educating the public on the ill-effects of hacking. I remembered a speaker stressing that certain sites are dangerous. He said that by clicking on these sites, the malware can allow hackers to invade phones, laptops and tablets and steal private information including bank account numbers, private emails as well as to have access to other confidential information.
I’m wondering if there is a monitoring report of the said office in so far as the situation in the province. How many complaints were filed?
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I saw the training of Abra-bound archery competitors of Ifugao to the forthcoming Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA). A young female archer from Alfonso Lista showed me her badly bruised left arm. It pretty looks like she suffered a “hematoma.” No doctor attended to her for treatment while she was in Lagawe. Lack of protective gadgets of athletes pose a major risk to their health because of obvious reasons.
How do you solve such a problem at the training sites? We don’t have time for putting that in the agenda of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Someone has to go out and get the job done.
Just to be honest with you, the Sanguniang Panlalawigan doesn’t have time either. Thus, Ifugao is in big trouble.
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Innovative programs in the tourism industry. The conduct of new projects should be prioritized by incumbent and incoming municipal government officials in Banaue.
My recommendations: hold a Fruit Market Trade Fair for the promotion of local fruits and other produce with colorful fruit-decorated stalls. Likewise, conduct fruit-preparation contests and agricultural exhibitions.
While the municipal tourism office remain vital in the promotion of tourism in Banaue, the barangay government, the community, including the business and educational sectors, should greatly contribute to the cause. Otherwise, we might not attain the desired results.
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The chicken and piggery projects of the Municipal Agriculture Office in Hingyon certainly add teeth to the town’s quest for growth and development. Aside from attracting tourists, the project helps in raising the conditions of poor residents. The project is a major component of the town’s agriculture sector. Increased budgetary allocation by the Sangguniang Bayan is the key in implementing this noteworthy endeavor. Hingyon’s hardworking and dedicated Municipal Agriculture Officer is Martha Urbano.
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House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez warned recently that the local government units (LGUs) not towing the line of the federalism plan stand to get “zero budgets” from the government.
This threat essentially transforms the House of Representatives into a Yes-men Club, wherein officials with contrary views to the plan to shift to a federal form of government are arbitrarily punished.
I could not recall the commission of any offense ascribed to expressing one’s dissent. Frankly, I never heard of it. Even, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos allowed the opposition to stand up and criticize his martial law regime.
It only shows utter disregard of the tenet on “checks and balances” in the government. For the sake of democracy and raising the level of discourse at the lower chamber, especially during public hearings on the federalism bill, the threat should be withdrawn immediately. It is uncalled for.
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One of the promises made by a major winning candidate in Ifugao during the May 2016 polls was on the resolution of the longstanding problem on the lack of an operational hospital in the capital town of Lagawe.
Nearly two years later, the problem persists.
The Ifugao General Hospital is touted as a major health facility of the province, intended to provide services to the people, most especially the poor. Ifugao is still one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
The Ifugao health system is now ailing as it tries to confront old and emerging health challenges. While the health of all adult people in Ifugao and communities is still very much threatened by lingering problems like major infectious diseases and the wide disparities that exist between the rich and the poor in terms of access to health care, concerned residents are compelled to face the more daunting challenges on the field: burden of going to a Nueva Vizcaya hospital for treatment or operation, rising costs of health care, a fragmented and generally unresponsive health system and increasing demands for quality but affordable services.
One volatile issue that the provincial government has to deal with is the plight of poor children who are in need of hospitalization and medicines. A strategy to protect them is badly needed. This is why the presence of a hospital in the town really matters.
A simple perusal of the complaint filed by an anonymous resident of Lagawe at the Office of the President late last year, which was already revealed to the public, would already belie the claim that actions were taken by the provincial government on this matter.
With prayers and joint and concerted actions of concerned parties, there is indeed great promise that people can compel “officials” to act swiftly and decisively on this nagging problem, in the quest to safeguard children’s welfare and maintain a healthy citizenry. It is high time to ask them to respond concretely and positively to the people’s health needs.
What is the best action to take on the Ifugao General Hospital issue? Retrofit or construct a new hospital? I would prefer to answer the query with a little more common sense. I convulse at the thought that too many lives have been lost for quite some time. Need we add more to the obituary list? Unjustified inaction actually has taken a heavy toll on the people.
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Tips for success: Good work is something natural. Prayers are very important. There is no need whatsoever to elaborate on these matters.
For starters of this new section of my column: “Do not look for a life of ease.” It is so nice to hit the nerve when challenges are around.
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For our food delights corner: East meets west. This is a rare treat for your family, loved ones or friends. Main course speaks of Vietnamese summer roll and grilled salmon served with pancetta, coupled with great steamed rice and asparagus soup.
For appetizers: vanilla cake, bananas and chilled pineapple juice.
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Finally, some thoughts to our readers: “It is I! Don’t be afraid.” Jesus told his disciples when they saw him walking on the sea, and he was drawing near to the boat. Jn.6:16-21
“Pessimism is just a state of mind and optimism is a strategy for living.” A quote from the late Labor Secretary Blas Ople.**
