Welcome to the House of Rules

After work in Sagada, on a Saturday afternoon, we stopped at the Heritage Coffee Shop and Picnic Grove. We were met by the amiable owner, Ms. Grace Pit-og Dayag. Ushering us at the back of the cafe, we were greeted by fresh river air and a full view of Kadchug Rice Terraces. What struck me in particular were a row of miniature house replicas (locally term-fawi) set at the viewing area and the numerous signs posted in strategic areas of the coffee shop. Grace explained that part of the Heritage Coffee Shop property is pagwawalitan or hallowed ground. It is in this place where numerous rituals of making contact with our dead ancestors are made. As Grace started to explain, in my mind, I was having thoughts of a late night movie “The Lord of the Rings.” I blurted “this must be the centre of the universe. Well Grace continued to explain that in times of sickness or hardship, a family member contacts the local shaman (translation in my mind- career executives who contact the dead). Grace relates that even shamans from as far as Bauko visit the place. The shaman brings offerings such as wine, tobacco or chicken and performs the ceremony to contact the dead. The shaman usually gets a stick points to the air (in my mind, a magic wand- point to the east and point to the west...hello hello, anybody home?) north to south, east to west and starts to call the ancestors of the sick one. “Calling all the members of the family of ______who have gone ahead of us....hear ye....your grand daughter______________ is in need of your help.” Again, in my mind, it looks like the spot is where one can receive the strongest signal from the underworld or it could also be considered the door to the underworld. The ritual is performed (in my mind, message sent) and the shaman heads home expecting favours from the spirit world. And so, I realized that the reason signs (actually, rules) were posted so that visitors will be aware of the significance of the place to our Igorot culture. While it is a place where one can drink and dine, there are certain rules one has to observe. I notice that on the (stone) wall of the “dynamite” house hang a plastic wrapped tobacco and a bottle of gin, “I placed it there as an offering.”Grace said. Grace was not taking any chances, lest the spirits will be disturbed and wreak havoc on the cafe’s visitors. One sign clearly displays “you are on hallowed ground please behave..”, another sign says “Tinadlangan rock bed of god Lumawig,” and another says “please don’t step on the seats and headrest of the Ato.” A first time visitor would be awed by the numerous rules (code of conduct) posted and would be amused. In fact as much as possible, conversations should be hush-hush and please no boisterous laughter. But what about the “karaoke” singing, I asked; well the singing wan bees are inside the main house. The spirits are perhaps more tolerant of the singing, I said to myself.
Heritage Coffee Shop could be the start of reviving stories of old, developing an appreciation of our Bontoc culture and a jump off point to places of interest, the present generation might not know. In front of the coffee shop, the sign provides quite a mouthful of places to explore while in Bontoc and is within range of the Heritage. The view of the Kadchug Terraces is breathtaking, the Chico River, Mount Palikot Aso and Amkinak River, a venture to the dynamite house (with a rich history), an exploration of the Amkidchangen Tunnel, Tinadlangan, the Ato and the sacred prayer mountain. Grace said, developing the property is a labor of love and devotion, add to it -sensitivity to preserving the Bontoc life ways and culture. All Grace’s brothers, nieces and nephews have done their share of working to improve the place. Immerse yourself in the stories of old, enjoy a great view over a cup of steaming native coffee—welcome to the house of rules, welcome to Heritage Coffee Shop.

Amlosong Bridge View (Amlosong, Bontoc)

Kiltepan Rice Terraces, Sagada

Kiltepan Rice Terraces, Sagada, June 20, 2009.

Job Hunting Tips

For fresh tech-vocational and college graduates, here are some tips on how to make an impression during a job hunt. First, do your homework. Before filing your application, make sure you have researched well about the organization you intend to apply to. Know what the organization does, its programs or activities. Knowledge of the organization will come in handy as it might be asked during the interview or in the preliminary examinations. Second, brush up on your communication skills. Read. Improve on your writing skills. In answering questions whether oral or written, make sure you understand the question. Be direct to the point. In written essay type examinations, The proctor might still give you points for the effort. make it a point not to leave a question blank. Make it a point to answer even in two sentences. You can also improve further on your communication skills by typing in full and in English whenever you send text messages. The practice of sending text messages in truncated language is carried over when you start to write. Third, computer skills are an important factor in getting hired. Find time to improve on your computer operations-skills. Creating a chart or graph in a spreadsheets application is one favorite test of computer skills. Also, brush up on procedures like mail merge, formulas (redounds to your math skills), page numbering, email, etc. Fourth, dress up for the interview. Even in the submitting your application credentials, dress up! Jeans, t-shirts are a big no no. Fifth, arrive on time for the interview. Finally, remember that there are still some government agencies which adhere to recruitment procedures. Think twice before getting an endorsement from your congressman or government official to support your application, some government agencies detest this practice and you might lose the chance to that job.

Entrepreneurship Course Online Debuts in Mountain Province

And pardon me, but I got to make this plug. Xijen College of Mountain Province will offer the first full online course on Entrepreneurship, a first in Mountain Province. There are two variants of the course, one, Starting and Managing a Small Enterprise, a non-formal course/certificate program. The other one is a full BS Entrepreneurship Course. The course is designed for those with existing businesses or contemplating a career in managing one’s own business. In offering the program, the school’s administration is banking on the statement of Professor Marion Antonio Lopez of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) that an entrepreneur who finished a degree in entrepreneurship would be able to quadruple the impact of his business in the community by being able to spot his strength and weaknesses. The courses will be offered within Mountain Province initially and students enrolled in the program must have access to the Internet. The course will be conducted via the e-learning portal of Xijen College (www.xijen.com/elearning). The college has been into online learning but initially it was offered as support learning to class room bound students of the said college. The full online course will not require students to meet in a classroom setting. Classes will be conducted in cyberspace. For those interested to enroll in the program you can send your queries to 0920 903 1948 or email joelfagsao@yahoo.com. (Photo credit: Joe Barrera)

BONTOC AS “UNIVERSITY TOWN”

Welcome back students. Bontoc is being primed as a “university town.” Still, there’s much work to be done if we want to attract a larger percentage of the student population who usually flock to Baguio City. First, student security is a prime concern. Students form part of the economic landscape of a community. To make life better for a growing student population, we need to look at several areas of concern. First is security. This calls for vigilance among all sectors concerned. The Local Government Unit, police force, barangay tanods, land lords are prime support to ensure the safety of our students. How I wish we could also rid Bontoc of stray dogs. Bushamir, a student of Xijen College was bitten by a rabid dog at Samoki bridge last March. He died this May and with it, a lad with so much to look forward to has gone too soon. Second is the condition of boarding houses. A check for sanitation, fire safety standards compliance and related conditions is in order. Third is water service. Bontoc is twenty years behind in terms of a quality water service. A build operate transfer scheme where a private group could take (similar to Maynilad) over the management of the Bontoc water system could be a possibility. For several decades now, nothing really improved in terms of water service. If private management is not acceptable to the populace, then turning over management to a true blue cooperative where everybody benefits could be an option. It’s also time; we really have to pay up for the amount of water we use. How can sixty pesos a year fund a quality water service. Tabuk City has a good water service in place. Fourth is the selling of liquor and cigarette to minors. I do not have knowledge if we have local regulations on the sale of liquor and cigarette to minors. Fifth, is for the local businesses to adapt to the paying capacity of students. Food can be sold in affordable sizes/quantity ( tingi system or the sachet economy). Host schools also need to work on the quality of life for students in this town. Some schools do visit boarding houses to check their condition. If we are able to attract more students into the community, then educational services can be spread over to other towns within Mountain Province. Tabuk city has at least four private colleges and a state college. Mountain Province has one private college and a state college. More educational service providers should be coming in through the years. Alas, the local government units and all related sectors have to move in unison to serve the student populace. It is just about time!

COME HOME and RETIRE IN MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

Imagine if we can invite our US (and from other countries) based relatives to consider retiring here. Imagine, if they can also bring their friends and family to live in Mountain Province. That’s exactly what the Philippine Retirement Authority is trying to sell to locals. With retirement funds following overseas retirees, the economic impact is simply good. Along with employment, almost all service and trade sectors where retirees choose to live will benefit. If our retired nurse- relatives in the U.S. are operating nursing homes, they can opt to set up nursing homes in the community too. Caregivers/nurses can thus find local employment. Vacant houses or an investment in apartments for lease to retirees is also a good idea. So how does the system work? Simply, the Philippine’s encourages retirees from other countries including Filipinos who are now citizens of their adaptive countries to retire in the Philippines. A special visa is issued to these retires and with it come some privileges. Allow me to provide information coming from the website of the Philippine Retirement Authority. Here goes: WHAT IS THE SPECIAL RESIDENT RETIREE’S VISA (SRRV)? A. It is a special non-immigrant visa issued by the Bureau of Immigration of the Republic of the Philippines through the Retirement Program of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) to foreigners and former Filipino citizens. It entitles the holder to multiple-entry privileges with the option to reside permanently in the Philippines. WHO MAY APPLY? A. All foreign nationals provided they are issued an entry visa by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate and former Filipino citizens who are now holders of foreign passports both of whom are at least 35 years old. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS UNDER THE PROGRAM? A: Once you are an SRRV Visa holder, it opens the door to vast opportunities and benefits. These include: 1. Option to Retire Permanently a. You may live, work and study in the Philippines 2. Multiple Entry Privileges b. You may travel outside the Philippines and re-enter anytime 3. Exemptions from: a. Income tax over your pension and annuities; b. Exit and re-entry permits of the Bureau of Immigration; c. Annual registration requirement of the Bureau of Immigration; d. Customs Duties and Taxes with regard to the importation of household goods and e. personal effects up to US$7,000.00; f. Travel tax, if you stay in the Philippines is less than one year from the last entry date; and g. I-Card As an SRR Visa holder, the PRA can assist you in obtaining basic documents from other government agencies. These include, but are not limited to: a. Alien Employment Permit b. Driver's License c. Tax Exemption/Extension Certificate National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance. Q: WHAT AREAS OF INVESTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO A RESIDENT RETIREE? A: The areas of investment are the following: Purchase of condominium unit/s; Long term Lease of a house and lot, condominium or townhouse unit/s; Construction of a residential unit on a leased parcel of land; Purchase of Proprietary Membership/Golf shares in golf clubs; for former Filipinos, purchase of a lot not exceeding 5,000 square meters in urban areas or three (3) hectares rural areas to be used for business or other purposes. More information can be had at the PRA website at http://www.pra.gov.ph/main/faq. Local government units and the local chamber of commerce should start moving now and act on this opportunity. Everybody benefits when retirees especially our own relatives start coming in to spend their remaining years here. Note that retirees can those ranging in age from 35 and up. We need investments in real estate development, wellness centers, resorts, book shops, entertainment services. The Local Government Unit can also support investors by providing incentives either through tax holidays or other means of support.