Benguet Association of Tourism Officers (BATO)

BATO

The Benguet Association of Tourism Officers (BATO) has turned over a new leaf with the election (or appointment) of its new officials last week (yes, this is not the ‘bato’ that gets you executed these days). The organization wishes the best in life for Engr. Nicomides Caliguing the association’s outgoing president, who held the position for seven bountiful years. We also wish the same for Ma’am Claire Prudencio, the Benguet Tourism Officer head and pioneer who has also retired recently this year. They say that the most awaited adventures of ‘apo-stolic’ duties are much more interesting than the world of travel and tourism.

Since the other twelve Municipal Tourism Action Officers conspired to get me into such trouble (or maybe just to compel me to attend the regular meetings, hehe), I don’t really much have choice but to accept the responsibilities of heading the association after the outgoing officials. As the youngest among the Benguet tourism and cultural workers, I acknowledge that my abilities and knowledge are way too limited for such obligations. But since my fellow tourism workers believed in me, it would only be just and proper to believe in myself too. I thank them with a humble appeal for them to work with me, guide me, and even admonish me should I stray away from our goals.

Benguet agri-products ffind their way to the capital trading post

Our first organizational meeting as new officers explored our status as an organization, our direction, and our future activities, which includes our participation on the upcoming Benguet Adivay celebrations of 2018. As an additional activity, we proposed for a Benguet Tourism Conference (which I suspect to be a first) that will gather tourism workers and stakeholders in the whole province.  As the first order of business in our care, we intend to make the community know about our organization that mainly serves as a tourism partner of the Benguet Provincial Government and its Municipalities. This includes conferences, seminars, and tourism-orientation activities since tourism can be a tool for environmental protection, culture and heritage preservation, and community development.

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I write this article from the beautiful queen city of the south where tourism is flourishing to a very swift extent. ‘Suroy-suroy sa Sugbo’ (Going around Cebu), their gems or attractions traditionally employs the best tourism elements in the country – great tourism products and natural resources, the rich sea and its beautiful shores, culture and heritage, innovations, and substantial tourism investments. It has that unique beauty of its own that attracts foreign and local visitors alike – that unique inviting town soul which makes travelers stop with awe and admiration.

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Just how quickly the summer days have passed, we will soon feel that familiar air of September – the memories and longing through the years etched in the lines around our eyes from both laughter and tears. And, like most of the young romances which are born only to fade away, we try to shy away from the convenient numbness in attempt to start feeling again. The future, albeit scary, is always fascinating.

Valentines in the Valley 2018

Valentines in the Valley

February 14 is my birthday, not Valentine’s day. When some people have already buried Feb. 14 in their calendars to oblivion, I am (un)fortunately mandated by my own being to celebrate the same. The fact is, my name came from ‘Val’entines day, which further added ‘Red’ to (intentionally) highlight the color of the heart. “Adu la angot!” expressed my unmarried friend whose name is “Mary”.

The Valentine season as they say is a time of victors and victims for those who volunteer and vie for the cupid’s arrow. Depending on who you ask; it is either a valuable volition, or a virulent vexation, usually a failure to honor a verbose vow, or simply a violation from the romantic villain. For the veterans of the game who have endured such vicissitudes of fate brought by said valentine madness, it is just another vacant day not in vain. Since, as “V” said: “the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous”.

Obviously, such fad is economic more than cultural. February is the gain season for our rose and flower farmers in La Trinidad, the better time for our coffee shops and restaurants, and an opportunity for many of our local gift shops to exploit. Money is meant to be used and shared after all.

For those who want to spend a romantic time in the valley, you can hike and have a picnic at Mt. Yangbew, or at Mt. Kalugong eco-park. You can also visit Jeffrey Visaya’s garden at Brgy. Bahong/Alapang and spend the day with their plants and flowers. Of course our town is teeming with great coffee shops. Hunt them all from Km.3, Km.4, Km.5, Km.6, to Brgy. Poblacion. For those who prefer to go out at night, La Trinidad has a cowboy bar lane in Km.6 (from Oldwest to Cowboy town).

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The “Eternal Student” book published to cap my 30 years of existence (kuno) is out. I dedicate them to my supportive kapamilya and friends. I planned to consign copies to local bookstores and offer them for a cause – following a tradition that calls for us to share what we have in order to welcome more ‘blessings’.

The Trinity

By Valred Olsim

The cross-carrying armored conquerors came with ordained swords – purging the pagan relics and substituting them with the Christian religious icons. Then, the paths were named after the Saints, and villages were named after Christian doctrines, events and symbols. The unification of lands at the foot of Montanosa was named “La Union” (The Union), and the valley town where the Cabacera (Capitol) overlooks “three prominent hills” was named “La Trinidad” (The Trinity).

The skeptic may insist that La Trinidad was named after Spanish Soldier Guillermo Galvey’s wife, Donya Trinidad, but Galvey’s military records show no wife, and the name “La Trinidad” was actually recorded to have been given by Galvey’s successor Commandante Manuel Scheidnagel, decades after Galvey’s death. As an imperative, Conquistadors dedicate a subjugated place to their Christian faith, or to the Royal crown…not to their wives or girlfriends.

Before the Trinity of Benguet, there was the island of “Trinidad (and Tobago)” which was encountered by Christopher Columbus in his “third” voyage. It was named similarly to the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity which holds that God is three consubstantial persons or hypostases—the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit— or as "one God in three Divine Persons".

The number three is popular in the context of symbolism and spirituality. It can refer to the harmony of “Mind, Body, and Spirit”, the “3^rd Dimension”, the “three wishes”, the resurrection on the “3^rd day”, the “three stages” of birth, life, and death, the “three timelines” of past, present, and future. Hence, the number “three” is said to mean “completion”.

An i-La Trinidad friend reminded me that for a successful life, one must have the three essentials of friends, family, and faith. A day should be fun, fruitful and fair. And we should always have the three values of love, hope, and joy. Three is indeed, a special number. Just the same, the Trinity (La Trinidad), is a very special place to me.

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With newfound vigor, I’m back to the job of telling good stories about the Trinity (La Trinidad). Despite the mounting number of meetings and paper works, we made sure that we will have a year-ender event which is related to tourism. Hence, we have organized the 2^nd La Trinidad Tourism Conference on December 20, 2017 at the beautiful Mt. Kalugong Eco-park. We imagine it to be a meeting of tourism stakeholders and tourism-interested members of the community, and at the same time an avenue to appreciate the gems of our town (since the yearly conferences will be held on the different tourist spots of La Trinidad). We will also have an afternoon music jam to further add value to the event experience while offering coffee and wine to the attendees! Due to the limited capacity of the mountain park and the unique condition of the access road, we only produced 200 tickets to effectively manage the activity. Interested persons may visit the Mayor’s Office for the registration forms and tickets! Asen taha shiman da! Men-iila tako isdi! Kitakits!

Apayao: the last Nature Frontier of the Cordilleras

When you've been to the majestic Benguet mountains like Ulap or Pulag, or at the caves and nature wonders of Mt. Province like Bauko and Sagada, or at Kalinga's nature adventures and cultural immersions, or to the Ifugao wonders of the world, what is there left to do? Go further north to the last nature frontier of the Cordilleras: Apayao! Here are some pics of the day tour:

Dupag Rock Formations at Marag (which has sharper rocks compared to our Mt. Kalugong

Also in Marag is the Manacota underground river adventure

For more info please click here : Apayao Transport and Accomodations

VISIT PH (Random Sights and Scenes from Travels)

On the bus and plane windows, I often think of how lucky I am to have been given many opportunities to roam around the country and learn - see the country's beautiful and ugly sides, talk to people from their own lenses...and contemplate on how interesting life is. They say pictures speak a thousand words,so, here are Random snapshots from my Philippine travels:

Rolling Hills, Basco, Batanes

D' Bone Collector Museum, Davao City

Mt. Kalawitan view from Mt. Tinmakudo, Mt. Province

Buscalan Village of Apo Whang-od, Tinglayan, Kalinga

Luna, La Union

Samal port, Samal City

Tuba, Benguet

Balibago, Pampanga

Temple of Leah, Cebu City

Fontana, Clark 

Pasay City, Metro Manila

Mt. Cabuyao, Benguet

Tabuk City, Kalinga

Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Alaminos, Pangasinan

Espana, Manila

Bat Cave, Samal City

Bacnotan, La Union

Lussok, Apayao

to Cagayan valley

Bangui, Ilocos Norte

The blue lagoon of Ilocos

Siburan, Mindoro

Mitra's Ranch, Puerto Princesa