By Anthony A. Araos
Trekking is a great activity at barangay Mungayan in Kiangan town. The village is an excellent place for such an activity right after the rainy season.
This village is known for lush greeneries. Trekking is so ideal along a path with a stunning background of green mountainous range and towering trees. These are natural qualities close to a visitor’s heart.
I remembered the ponds of cool, clear water while trekking in Waipahu, Hawaii a few years back. Of course, you don’t have to go there, for what is important is that there are lots of water in any trekking area in Ifugao for a trekker to freshen up.
A trekker’s life is indeed full of surprises and interactions, and it’s about to get even more interesting in that regard by going to this village. Indeed, the village is a perfect area for trekking and adventure. Trekkers love going to new places. Thus they should consider this village for their next trip.
Get assistance from Punong Barangay Francisco Cumaldi for other must-not-miss attractions of the village as well as other destinations in Kiangan. Services such as local guides may be asked at the barangay hall. There are tricycles bound for Mungayan bridge from Lagawe. Banawe-bound jeepneys from Lagawe are also passing by the village.
One thing I’d like to see in these thrilling trekking activities is the emergence of new forest and environmental advocates among trekkers.
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Why is it that good work and results thrive at the General Services Office (GSO) in Ifugao?
This is a nagging question which remains uppermost in the minds of the people for quite some time.
Together with the hardworking and dedicated men and women of the said office, Provincial General Services Officer Janet Sambrano spearheaded and coursed through the various initiatives that yielded them extraordinary contributions to the provincial government, often responding to the needs of the populace. Despite her hectic schedules, Ms. Sambrano has time to assist personnel in their clean-up and beautification drives. Recently, I saw her doing his at the municipal plaza grounds in Lagawe. Mind you, she actually doesn’t have to do it. In this sense, the unexpected “sight” pleases many who have been touched by her well-meaning action.
Indeed, she is a visionary. She has the drive and commitment to serve the people dutifully and faithfully well at all times.
She has shown genuine care and other admirable qualities which she unselfishly shared with others. Her compassionate leadership is what drove the men and women of the GSO to exert their utmost on programs, projects and activities- big or small– of the provincial government.
Today, she is easily held up to public esteem and extolled as an extraordinary public servant worthy of emulation. Yet, the sprightly GSO head wants to continue doing her part to improve services at a rather low-key manner. Thus, Ifugao is better off thinking about upgrading facilities designed primarily for the convenience and comfort of the underprivileged sector of society. The provincial government is toothless and helpless without the GSO. Will the Office of the Governor fix the Christmas tree for the Yuletide season revelry? It is scarecely thinkable.
Hence, augmenting the GSO’s undermanned plantilla and increasing its budget is of paramount importance.
I don’t find it hard to commend those who do their duties exceptionally well as to inspire others to follow their examples. The foregoing commentary on the exemplary performance of Provincial General Services Officer Sambrano is in a very real sense also a tribute to the men and women of the GSO, a place where their passion to service is rewarded with care and compassion.
The GSO’s strong attributes of courteous and prompt service, high efficiency and connectivity have underpinned its ability to perform remarkably for many years. Henceforth, the GSO- under the able and strong stewardship of Ms. Sambrano, shall continue to play a very significant role in the provincial government. Without a doubt, the GSO is rated highly for institutional effectiveness.
It is my prayerful wish that 2018 and beyond will bring Provincial General Services Officer Janet Sambrano continuous success in work and sound health. God bless and Mabuhay!
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Past anti-drug strategies involve drug-bust operations, house raids and searches, marijuana plantation raids, burning of marijuana leaves in public sites, arrest of pushers and users, confiscation of drugs, shabu laboratory raids, and filing of cases in courts and neutralization of syndicates.
Then there are the Operation Tokhang and Operation Double Barrel. There’s also a new twist in the government’s all-out war against prohibited drugs. It is called extrajudicial killings or EJKS. Many are accusing the government of resorting to EJKs to weed out the drug menace. A charge denied by President Duterte.
Is the case of 17-year-old Kian Lyod de los Santos, a Grade 11 student of Our Lady of Lourdes College, an EJK? What went wrong?
It was widely reported that on the evening of August 16 Kian was killed by three policemen of Caloocan City.
According to the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, they would file murder charges against the three policemen. They were identified as Police Officer 3 Arnel Oores (named as the one who shot Kian) and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz.
PAO findings showed that Kian was “intentionally killed” with three “treacherous wounds” to the head and back while lying face down with the gunman standing over him as shown by the few scratches in his belly. Findings were based on the autopsy report.
Witnesses said Kian was begging the policemen to stop beating him because he would still have to take a test the next day. Witnesses also said Kian was already in police custody, beaten up, given a gun and forced to run before getting shot.
Philippine Star columnist Cito Beltran described it as “cold-blooded public execution of a child.” Yes, Kian was a minor. And yes, it was a cold-blooded murder, plain and simple.
One of the fundamental freedoms protected by the Constitution is the right of a person to be presumed innocent until the contrary is proven. Proof of guilt must be beyond reasonable doubt. It is the courts that determine the part of innocence of a person. Government cannot violate this right without becoming a police state, a most abhorrent condition which throughout history the nation’s forbears had been fighting.
One of the main problems faced by Filipinos today is the darkness when night comes along. Kian was gunned down senselessly and mercilessly at about 8:45 in the evening.
If history is any indication, the Filipino people may learn that they are being taken for a ride all over again. Remember, the late Senator Ninoy Aquino (whom President Duterte described as a “patriot”) was tagged as a “communist” by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. While fall guy Rolando Galman (who died even before Ninoy was assassinated at the airport) was described as a “communist” hitman. All told, Ninoy’s assassin was a military escort.
Now, PNP officials are going to great lengths of discrediting Kian and even his grieving father in support of a malicious charge that Kian was a “courier” of drugs. The bungling, stupid cops even said Kian fired at the policemen. This does not even make any sense. Kian was negative of gunpowder burns in his hand.
By shooting Kian treacherously at the back, the erring policeman has taken it upon himself to determine the guilt of Kian and officially assume the functions of the court.
It is hoped and prayed that there is no whitewash of this case. It’s time for right-thinking leaders in Congress to act courageously on this matter. It’s high time for them to prove that the preponderant majority of policemen and policewomen are honest, dedicated and above all are law-abiding.
I wish people would take a moment and think that other alternatives in handling the drug scourge may finally work.
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For our food delights corner: Weekdays are just as great for bright ideas when it comes to preparing meals for the family because you easily can think of their welfare. Fill the table with love. Fill it with a well-prepared meal. One thing is certain and that is your disposition will change. How about grilled fish with pineapple and cucumber? Add braised pork-Hawaiian style, served with garlic rice. Likewise, mushroom and corn soup is an exciting item on the table. For dessert, there is baked cheese muffin, bananas and chilled guyabano juice. Your family truly deserves the best food around. No less. Just don’t forget to pray for the meal’s blessing.
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Relations with the family, loved ones and friends will be most enjoyable and positive with mangosteen at the table as an appetizer during lunch or dinner. Mangosteen is a popular fruit in Mindanao. It contains phytonutrients (xanthones, catechins peoanthocyanidins). It is very rich in iron, fiber and carbs. It prevents cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic diseases. So for meal time, share the joy of having mangosteen.
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Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “Develop one new proficiency a year” An all-time favorite thought of mine since high school days.
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8
“Necessity is an evil.” Epicurus
“The lack of money is the root of all evil” Mark Twain
