By Anthony A. Araos
Ibulao River is so blessed with a million reasons!
There is a good reason to transform it as the next destination of Ifugao since the Ibulao river is majestic with its golden brown water and winding turns as just some of its attractions.
It passes through villages characterized by a vast interior of forests and scenic waterfalls. Indeed, there are varied attractions for local and foreign tourists to enjoy. You’ll get to see a lot of lush green landscapes. This synergy with the environment easily resonates with the traveler. This serves as an ideal rest and recreation area for the visitor.
In the hilly area of barangays Tungngod and Caba (both in Lagawe town), one can see breathtaking views of the Ibulao river.
Or take this cue, as it provides another view: Along the way, the natural surroundings also are conducive to the conduct of water sports events. Want adventure? If only developed by an investor or the government itself, Ibulao River should fit the wishes of water sports enthusiasts. If and only if!
Now, it’s time to savor water sports wonders. Be delighted on this different kind of adventure. It surely helps overcome the many difficult challenges going through life as dragon boat racing, kayaking or swimming builds the confidence of individuals to reach their full potential.
Being different from the usual rough and bruising type of play like basketball, boxing or wrestling, water sports events serve as a platform that gather sports enthusiasts who collectively give back and empower the people through appreciation of nature and the environment. A visitor will surely enjoy interacting with others. He or she feels positive about your present and future goals.
Frankly, Governor Pedro Mayam-o should not be squandering a great opportunity to make use of the Ibulao River as an ideal venue for water sports events in the years to come. If developed, the Ibulao river will address the needs of water sports aficionados here and elsewhere- in more ways than one.
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A popular place along the Ibulao River is Ibulao Bed and Breakfast. What makes the place attractive is the fact that it is overlooking the Ibulao River. Celebrate your birthday or hold a workshop here. It is also ideal for all other important occasions. It’s invigorating atmosphere that will get you there.
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What is admirable about Board Member Clemente Bongtiwon is that he is committed to the cause of protecting the people’s welfare at all times, most especially during an emergency period.
Board Member Bongtiwon never hesitated to answer affirmatively the clarion call to assist the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) of Ifugao on the matter of acquiring much-needed emergency service-related vehicles.
On my part, I cannot think of a better way of fast-tracking all-related efforts than to seek recently an initial meeting and preside over it and subsequently enlist the support of kind-hearted and generous quarters outside of the provincial government as a means of adding teeth to this noteworthy action.
Thus, I wrote Governor Mayam-o on the concern of informing him of the pitiful situation of the said office. Portions of the September 7, 2017 letter read as follows: “This longstanding problem certainly affects the conduct of PDRRMO’s operations. Needless to say, the morale of its personnel is at an unprecedented lowest level.
I sincerely hope that your good office shall extend its endorsement for the said initiative at the soonest time.”
With these general considerations in mind, stakeholders and concerned parties are now prepared to address this problem.
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A post-Victory Day program in Kiangan note: I hope program organizers raise a notch higher commemorative activities by conducting interactive presentations a week or so before September 2, 2018. Usage of interactive touchscreen monitor and hologram is an excellent idea. This is a fitting tribute to the Filipino guerillas that fought the Japanese Imperial Army in this part of the nation. What is it about the high-technology, state-of-the-art presentation that attracts a good number of people? This has to be set to get the attention of present and incoming generations through young-friendly e-learning facility by which history lessons on World War II can be enjoyed. Undoubtedly, this will be a wise investment.
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Ifugao is presently confronted with bad transportation as well as bad communication systems. There are still many inaccessible mountain roads, bad telecommunication and Internet signals. These should be attended to with a sense of urgency. Who among the highly-placed provincial government officials can ignore these longstanding problems?
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The poor do not need charity. They need jobs- permanent and well-paying jobs– generated by economic improvement that filters down to the villages, most especially remote or far-flung ones.
The government, therefore, should focus more on economics not politics!
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Congratulations to the winners of the just-concluded Mun-abol weaving skills competition of the Indigenous People’s Education (IPED) Congress in Ifugao. They are Rose Bahatan of Banaue, first place; Emilia Viloria of Lamut, second place; and Fancie Bang-ud of Asipulo, third place. The contest was sponsored by the Department of Education Division Schools Office of the province.
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A two-day Healthy Lifestyle seminar was conducted recently at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall. I drew the participation of employees of the provincial government. I missed covering it for some good reasons. Anyhow, in 2012 I was a speaker of the same concern at a seminar (sponsored by a fraternity at the University of the Philippines) in Batangas City. I deliberately shunned away from power point presentations and handouts. I viewed them as utterly ridiculous for individuals who are already bombarded with information on food and nutrition on television. I simply told them drink lots of water. Lots! I saw three of the participants two months ago in Quezon City. They quipped: “We have forgotten all what they said. Except, the tips you gave us on water. There’s lot of it during the rainy season. Then drink lots of water. This is also true during the summer season. Drink lots of water. Lots! This time around, my advice: Drink plenty of water and eat nutritious food!
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For our food delights corner: Awakening your senses with a delicious meal consisting of sinigang na bangus (milkfish), rice and eggplant omelet is a great idea.
For appetizers, have a vanilla cake, potato salad, watermelon and chilled four seasons juice.
It doesn’t exactly end there. It is great to have Toblerone on the table too. The taste of premium, high-quality chocolate with honey and nougat from Switzerland is simply irresistible. At Royal duty-free outlet in Subic, a 200 gram Toblerone pack sells at $2.20 or Php 132.
Also, for snack or merienda, it is good to have ube-flavored “ensaymada” from Iloilo City. I remember eating a couple of them during my trips there.
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Monggo is a favorite of most Filipinos. It is also known as mung beans. It is a small green legume grown almost anywhere in the Philippines. It is a favorite item among vegetarians. It is used for soup or stews. Count me as a non-vegetarian who loves monggo at any given time of the day. My advice: Heap a good portion of the monggo soup into your plate, now!
Go, go, go for guyabano! Why guyabano? A friend of mine in Banaue once asked. My answer: it is rich in vitamins C, B1 and B2 as well as potassium and dietary fiber. It has also the ability to fight cancer cells, kill viruses, bacteria and parasites. So make it a pleasant day by eating guyabano or drinking guyabano juice.
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Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “Be agitated, but do not sin, Have your say in your heart.” Psalm 4:4
“For life, like theology, consider of the unceasing battle between good and evil.” A quote from the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.**
