Translation: How to Say "Sun" in Kankana-ey and Ibaloy

The Kankana-ey word for sun is "agew". I believe they say it "akew" in Ibaloy so very similar pa rin. There are also common phrases in Kankana-ey that relates to the sun.

Examples:

1. "balaan di agew" - where the sun rises

2. "kaunugan di agew" - where the sun sets 

Interestingly enough, "agew" is also the Kankana-ey word for "day". So this is a word that has two meanings in Kankana-ey: sun and day. 

They have different terms for sun in other parts of the Cordillera region.

About the photo: Snapped this sunrise when we climbed Mt. Pigingan in Itogon, Benguet way back in 2017.

Invitation Card to an "Igorote Village"

This was an invitation card for another human exhibit featuring real Igorots in December of 1912. These "human zoos" were more extensive than I thought. When we talk about the case of Igorots being brought outside the country to be exhibited, we often think about the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 in Missouri. 

After reading more about these exhibitions, I learned that it was an industry of its own. Igorots were brought from the Philippines to America and exhibited from one city to another. A lot of them were also exhibited in Canada and Europe. This practice went on for years and a number of foreign businessmen profited from it.

What's alarming is that very little is known as to what happened to these Igorots once the human exhibits were over.

📷 University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library

I Still Receive Hate Mail from Cat Lovers

To this day, I still receive messages from cat lovers. Most of these are hateful insults and below-the-belt remarks. Aside from their personal insults and name-calling, they keep repeating their argument that domesticated cats are not predators. This is simply false. Domesticated cats are predators. They are even considered as apex predators in certain environments. 

These people also keep on saying that it's okay for a domesticated cat to freely roam in a declared protected landscape and biodiverse area like Mt. Pulag. Again, this is wrong. There's a reason why Mt. Pulag was declared by the Philippine government as a protected landscape and forest reserve. A simple Google search would show anyone who cares enough to do a Google search that the impacts of domesticated cats to native wildlife have been recorded and studied all over the world. These data are readily available online.

They also keep blaming me for things I didn't do or say. It's not surprising though because there are pages out there who misrepresented or simply lied about everything that I said or did.

Misinformation and Fake News Got Worse in the Philippines as a Direct Result of Meta's Monetization Program

Parang mas lumala ang problema sa misinformation at fake news when Facebook opened monetization options for everyone. This problem is very apparent especially during natural disasters. During these times, people are hungry for news and updates about what's happening around them.

This is where many content creators take advantage of the situation. They start recycling photos and videos from years ago just to gain more views, likes, and shares. During Typhoon Crising, there are content creators who posted videos of landslides claiming that these happened along Kennon Road when in fact these occurred years ago in a different province. There are photos of landslides claiming that these happened in Wangal, La Trinidad when in fact these happened years ago in Bakun.

Here's another example. See the photo accompanying this post? It came across my newsfeed sa kasagsagan ng Typhoon Crising. And it was posted by a content creator na may medyo malaking following - around 25,000 followers. The person who posted it captioned it with: "Balili River at the moment. Stay safe everyone." 

The post is very wrong for several reasons. Yes, it's a real photo of an overflowing Balili River. But it wasn't taken in 2025. It was taken after a typhoon in 2012. That's more than 10 years ago. How do I know it was taken in 2012? Because it was me who took the photograph. The content creator who reposted it probably copied it from an old website. Balili River doesn't look like that anymore. There's actually a huge road built over that green space today.

I messaged the person who posted it. Fortunately, he obliged and deleted his misleading post. 

What's the lesson here? 

When it comes to news and updates about natural disasters, as much as possible, get your information from established news media outlets. Marami sila dito sa ating region: Bombo Radyo, Herald Express, North Luzon Monitor, Guru Press, Northern Dispatch, Mountain Beacon, etc. They are not perfect. They have their flaws. And sometimes they themselves spread misinformation. But they are still more credible than anonymous content creators. 

And yes, marami din tayong state media outlets as well as pages by public information offices. Get your information from them as well.

The Origin of Tapuy: And Other Cordillera Tales

"The Origin of Tapuy and Other Cordillera Tales" is a book featuring a collection of folk tales originating from the Cordillera region. 

Published in 1998 as an initiative by the Igorota Foundation, the volume contains 18 stories by various authors. The book was a collaborative effort with three editors (Rosella Camte - Bahni, Teresa R. Dagdag, and Marjorie M. Balay-as) and three illustrators (Anne Claire Delen, Brian Batong, and Edwin Dicksen).

The book champions women because all of the stories have prominent female protagonists. Not surprising as it was published by the Igorota Foundation, a non-profit organization who has made it one of their goals to recognize the roles that women play in community development and in inspiring localized progress.

Rosella Camte Bahni has this to say in her Introduction: "This book is special not only because it is the initial production if Igorota Foundation on the Cordillera culture presented in book form, but also because it highlights Cordillera folktales featuring Cordillera women as lead characters. It explores various non-stereotypic images of women and challenges us to review our taken-for-granted perspectives about them."

It's an interesting book for people who are looking for Cordillera folk tales and legends.

#cordilleraliterature #igorotliterature #reading #folktales

What Benguet Needs Is A Massive Tree Planting Initiative

What Benguet needs right now is a massive tree-planting initiative. It's time to cover those hills, empty spaces, and mountain slopes that are prone to landslides with trees to help hold the soil and prevent destructive erosion and landslides.

Erosion and landslides occur because there's nothing to hold the soil in place. 

Combine tree planting with projects like rock shedding and rock netting. Work with nature, not against it. 🌲

#communitysupport #communitybuilding #sustainableliving

The Kabayan Mummies And The Bendiyan Canao By Florentino S. Merino (Book)

A history/cultural book published in 1989 and authored by Florentino S. Merino, a former mayor of the town of Kabayan in Benguet.

The book covers the history and rituals of the people of Kabayan. It's also filled with photographs albeit in low-quality black and white format. 

📖: "The Kabayan Mummies and the Bendiyan Canao"

✍️: Florentino S. Merino

1989