Of Igorot Cowboys and Overseas Authors

I found a couple of real interesting news reports regarding Igorots - something that I missed in the past months when I ignored blogging / keeping up-to-date on Igorot news and happenings. The first one is a story on Igorot author, Analyn Aryo. She is a native of Mankayan, Benguet currently based in Ontario, Canada. Her book "Nanny Tales" is a "kaleidoscope of amazing experiences, memories, friendships and gratitude among overseas workers". Her story is titled An Igorot nanny’s real nanny tales. The second one is a take on the Igorot as a Cowboy. In my latest visits to our beloved hometown, the endearing sights of cowboy boots and hats worn by kailyans makes me feel so at home. I'd like to see Igorot students make a study on the cowboy culture in the Cordilleras. Add to that the Igorot fascination with country music - this is with our generation I guess. Not sure if the younger ones are as cowboy-loving as the older generation.

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Marky Cielo 1st Death Anniversary

The daughter of our next door neighbor here in Illinois, a teenager, alerted us on the death of Marky Cielo on December 7, 2008. I immediately checked the news and on the next days, my wife and I were glued to Youtube and other Filipino showbiz websites as news of the young Igorot's death, and various speculations surround it, dominated the networks until his funeral more than a week later. It was a shocking event - a young very promising actor at the peak of his career found dead by his mother on his bedroom. There were many speculations about his death and to date, the family has refused to provide additional details except that he was found lying on the floor of his bedroom and that he was rushed immediately to the hospital. It has been a year now - in a few days, as is the custom of Igorots and I believe most Filipinos in general, his 1st death anniversary will be observed by at least, his family members and closest friends.

I did a quick online search to see if there are any plans on how the day will be observed. No news. In the BIBAKNETS mailing group, there is no additional information either. It looks like it's going to be observed solemnly and privately - as should really be the case. From last year, I have received the following very few updates on Marky:

- His mother, Mildred, hasn't washed some of his clothes in an effort to retain "his scent";
- He was given a star at the Eastwood City Walk of Fame (Eastwood was our family's favorite tambayan when we still lived in Provident Village, Marikina);
- He has a Wikipedia page.

Interestingly enough, his Wikipedia page contains multiple issues. From the comments at the top, the information on his page contains "weasel words" that compromise the neutrality or of the information befitting an encyclopedia. It also appears to represent a biased viewpoint and could have been edited by a person with a conflict of interest. How they come up with these indicators - no one knows, but it does show how strictly Wikipedia is filtering the information in its pages. Not bad at all. The longest section in Marky's Wikipedia entry? It's the one marked under DEATH.

It would be a good idea to write Marky's mother an encouraging letter for the holidays. She doesn't know me, but I'm a kailyan; someone from the same region who have felt the loss of a loved one before as well. When Marky first joined the Starstruck contest and became a household name, a lot of acquaintances teased me on our similar features. Magkamukha raw po kami. I didn't agree. The young man was really good looking. I'm what you may call "average". But we do have one thing in common. We both are proud of our Igorot roots.

Above photo is a screenshot taken from MarkyCielo.net .

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Igorot Voice in Copenhagen Climate Talks

The Igorot voice is going to be heard during the historic Copenhagen climate talks. In a December 3 article in the IPS News website, an Igorot representative will be joining a small group of indigenous people to show negotiators dramatic documentary videos they have made of the immediate impacts of climate change on their homelands. Keidy Magtoto Transfiguracion from the Igorot Cordillera region will be presenting how climate change has increased the number and strength of "super storms" that have pounded the Philippines in recent years. Her video documents show how large-scale mining operations have rerouted rivers and destroyed the local environment and are the root cause of the landslides. "The land can no longer absorb the heavy rains," she explained. Article Reference: CLIMATE CHANGE: "We Are a Harbinger of What Is to Come"

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Igorots in Seattle: 100 years later

Jerry Large, a Seattle Times staff columnist wrote a feature on the recently held annual festival that recognized how shabbily the Igorots were treated in a human exhibition in 1909. He starts his article with "After a century, the Igorots are back with an update on how they fit into the world". The writer noted that "Filipinos and Filipino Americans have tended to view the Igorot as a backward culture". He countered that what is really backward is that view. The article mentioned his conversation with several Igorots - Lulu Fang-Asan a professor at Benguet State University; Tony Gomowad, an Episcopal priest and Igorot activist; Caridad Fiar-Od, a retired professor; and Gloria Golocan, president of BIBAK of the Pacific Northwest, and an Igorot nurse based in Seattle. Full Article: Getting it right 100 years later; Photo Credit: Igorot Village: Then & Now

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Igorot Veterans die after applying for US Lump Sum

Inquirer reports that several Igorot war veterans have died after applying for the $9,000 lump sum benefit that the US government has granted Filipinos who fought alongside American soldiers during the war. Records from PVAO Cordillera showed that the following war veterans have since died after filing their claims: Leon Wacay, Balosdan Alcido, Gabriel Fabian, Francisco Agmalew, Maximo Lagiman, Ponciano Lawaguey, Martin Liampo and Perez Dinangwatan, all of Benguet; Mauro Bambico and Tranquilino Andres, of Baguio City; and Emilio Nacatab of Tadian, Mountain Province. Apparently, only the surviving spouses of these veterans could claim the money. The benefit would not be given to the veterans' children because the law specifies that only the surviving spouses could claim it on behalf of the veterans. What happens if there is no surviving spouse? $9,000 is roughly P450,000 - still a huge amount. Surely, after the very long wait, the children of these veterans deserve the benefit their parents risked their lives for. Read the full story.

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Marky Cielo Wake and Burial Videos

The following are 5 selected videos during Marky Cielo's Wake and Burial, from Antipolo City, to Baguio, and finally, to Sinto, Bauko, Mountain Province.

Marky Cielo Burial Video - Sinto, Bauko, Mountain Province




Bobby Cielo, Marky Cielo's Father Video



Marky Cielo Wake Video – Sinto, Bauko



Marky Cielo Wake Video – Baguio City



Marky Cielo Wake Video - Antipolo

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Kapuso vs Kapamilya over Marky Cielo

(Photo Credit: Screenshot of PEP Homepage)

The unexpected death of young Igorot actor Marky Cielo, is seen as a factor in boosting several GMA-7 programs in the past days. Discovered during the Season 3 of the network's highly popular Starstruck competition, Marky Cielo has been a regular star of GMA-7. It is no wonder that the network "milked" what it could from the tragedy. In one of the SIS shows this week, an hour long tribute / cry-festival complete with interviews and emotional singing was offered to a very curious international audience that were just so hungry for news on the young actor.

Not to be outdone, ABS-CBN also did its part in covering the wake of the Kapuso star. Television crews of the Kapamilya network apparently disregarded protocol by not being sensitive to the requests of Marky Cielo's family particularly in not taking any shots of the actor's body during his wake in Sinto, Bauko. This incident apparently prompted the actor's mother to have yet another breakdown. Saturday shows however that were shown in ABS-CBN didn't feature any supposedly "stolen shots" of the actor. Still, this didn't stop GMA-7 from throwing some barbs at the rival network's insensitivity during its weekend afternoon shows.

As a fellow Igorot watching from afar, I can only shake my head and murmur, INE, KEDENG! (ENOUGH!) There is a death here, let's not turn it into a circus. Milking a personal tragedy just to increase ratings and have bragging rights run contrary to Filipino values that we so proudly claim we have. Where is delicadeza? Where is pakikisama? Is everything really all about the money?

It is exactly one week since the country was shocked by the death of Marky Cielo. The Kapuso and Kapamilya networks are expected to continue to outdo each other during today's afternoon gossip shows. Again, sensationalism and segments that cater to the tear glands will dominate the programming. At the middle of it is a grieving family who just lost the eldest son. Do the networks really care? I highly doubt it.

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Leave a Message for Marky Cielo's Family

I've contacted a family friend of Marky Cielo suggesting if an online guestbook for the family is a good idea for fans / supporters of Marky who would not be able to relay messages in other ways. She indicated that "comforting words are much needed" and that it would "help lift her frozen soul a bit", referring to Marky's mom. All posts will later on be downloaded for Mildred and the family to read.

Folks, please be as comforting and as assuring in the comments you leave in this post. If you are like me who would like to do something for Marky Cielo and his family but couldn't because of distance or any reason whatsoever, expressions of comfort / support will still help the family cope. I also suggest to leave your first name and location as opposed to posting anonymously.

Thank you!

Click here to leave a message.

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Sinto, Bauko on the Spotlight: Marky Cielo's Final Resting Place

It was early 2006, when Starstruck Season 3 was going underway, that a young Igorot boy brought the spotlight to Sinto, Bauko. Dozens of residents came out chanting “Dream, Believe, Survive” in support of this young man’s bid to become the first Igorot winner of the contest. There were joyous community singing and dancing led by his grandmother. Now, almost 3 years later, the same boy is being brought home but there will be no joy in whatever singing or dancing that will be done. Marky Cielo is being brought to Sinto for his final resting place.

Sinto is one of the 22 barangays of Bauko – Mountain Province’s most populated town. Reporters and columnists of major newspapers have mistakenly reported that it was a part of Benguet province. It is a relatively remote place, a 4-5 hour drive from Baguio City through the Halsema Highway. Visitors to the place will see terrain that is widely used for vegetable farming. Mt. Data Hotel, a popular stop nestled amongst evergreen forests at an elevation of 7,200 feet is also located in Sinto.

Sinto is a quiet and peaceful place but that will hardly be the case during the wake and eventual funeral of perhaps its most popular son. If the crowds at the Resurrection Cathedral in Baguio City were an indication on the activity surrounding Marky Cielo’s wake, expect a similar number to flock to Sinto for the final days of his wake. Plenty of relatives and friends from the surrounding towns of Bontoc, Tadian, Sabangan, Besao and Sagada will also be attending the wake for the first time. Expect too, that the burial that is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 will be highly attended.

Two of Mountain Province’s prominent politicians will surely visit during the wake or be present during the burial. Governor Maximo Dalog had earlier supported Marky Cielo’s Starstruck bid, and ex-Congresswoman and now undersecretary Josephine Dominguez had also expressed her fondness for the young Igorot actor. Other town and provincial leaders will also be expected to attend. What remains to be seen is the number of fans and admirers of Marky who will follow from Baguio and maybe even as far as Manila. There will also be relatives coming from far Butuan, where Marky spent his childhood days.

Reports have indicated that Marky will be buried according to Igorot custom. I don’t particularly know what that means since 99% of the Igorot funerals I’ve attended was done either in an Anglican or Catholic Church. The wake will be conducted in a slightly different manner than the normal wakes in Manila or the lowlands. There will be plenty of church hymn singing. Baya-o, a type of sing-song storytelling regarding the dead which I normally observed is done for older people may also be done during his wake as well. The normal time for the burial of younger folks like Marky would be in the morning, but everything about the actor has seemed a deviation from the norm so far and this custom may or may not be followed.

It would be interesting to see how Sinto and its residents will be able to handle the situation. Television crews would be in the town as Marky Cielo’s death has hogged the limelight in recent days. I don’t believe the hotel will be able to accommodate all visitors staying overnight – most likely, local residents or even the schools will open their places for visitors as well. Support will most likely come also from the provincial government. It is just the appropriate thing to do – Marky has brought Mountain Province a lot of positive attention in his brief stint in showbiz. In death, he and his family are entitled to the respect and admiration they need, and deserve.

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Increased searching on "Marky Cielo Suicide"

12/10 UPDATE: A family friend of Marky Cielo has indicated that "comforting words are much needed". If you want to leave a note for the family, please do so through this link. Thanks!

The cause of Marky Cielo's death as of this writing remains unknown - and I've seen reports that the family wishes not to disclose this to the media. And they have all the right to do so, unless perhaps, some criminal investigation is under way. I was checking the source of traffic for this blog in the past 12 hours and I've noticed an increasing number of searches on the keywords "marky cielo suicide". (See screen capture on left.) This blog happens to pop out under these searches because of the 2 recent posts on the young actor together with a post I had on cyber bullying that led to suicide.

While my wife and I pondered on the cause, the immediate reasons that came to our minds were the following: an unknown medical condition, or over-fatigue. Eventually, it was reported that he died of "bangungot", and if I haven't been told old wives tales, this apparently is a sort of heart attack. These however, do not fit into why he was found sprawled on the floor. Furthermore, as I was searching for news on Marky Cielo, I found the Inquirer article titled "Cops probing Marky Cielo's death". (See screenshot below.) Upon viewing this article however, it had nothing to do with any cop probes. So, I thought it was rather strange.


In an interview with the SIS show, Marky Cielo's mother hinted on a possible personal issue that has been troubling the actor recently. An article from a Filipino portal alleged that one of the young actor's siblings talked about Marky discussing death in recent days. The whispers on the actor committing suicide eventually turned into Internet searches, and eventually blog posts. I will not be surprised if a major newspaper will delve into this angle.

The sad thing about the whole affair is - it doesn't help the family one bit considering that they are already in a most difficult situation. Marky as a celebrity means that his most private moments will be heavily scrutinized, speculated upon, discussed appropriately or inappropriately, examined through a microscope, and even criticized. This is the price of a life in the public eye. I do wish however that the public will truly put themselves in the shoes of Marky's family. They need support, comfort, encouragement, and love as they go through this valley. As the public and the media admired Marky while he was alive, it is my hope that they will behave admiringly if only for the sake of Marky's loved ones.

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Thousands, Blogosphere mourn Marky Cielo's Death

(Photo: Screen capture of iGMA.tv) While thousands of fans and non-fans alike mourn the death of Starstruck winner Marky Cielo, the blogosphere is also keeping up with hundreds of blog posts being written about the young actor's passing. In the last 12 hours alone, 280+ entries have been written on the topic, and the list is still growing. A lot of the entries were expressions of shock and remorse. Another consistent theme amongst the posts were the impressions on how Marky Cielo carried himself while in showbusiness. There was one blogger who said that though he wasn't a Marky Cielo fan, he knew from the way Marky was interviewed in TV that he was kind. Colleagues and fans echoed the sincerity and humility that Marky Cielo showed amidst an industry that is known for scandals and self-promoting personalities. The first YouTube video posted on his death has been viewed 34,000+ times in 24 hours, and has been commented on hundreds of times. The outpouring of emotions on his death indicates that though he has been a celebrity in just 3 years, this young Igorot has touched thousands of lives in a positive way. As a fellow Igorot, I've always been proud of him.

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Marky Cielo, 20 - Rest in Peace

The lad who captivated the hearts of Filipinos and Igorots alike 3 years ago has now left this world. (See video below.) Marky has inspired thousands of people in the Philippines and abroad. He has shown that humility and hard work, combined with talent, brings you a long way. Its too sad that he has to die at such an early age. To the Cielo family, we send our deepest condolences. May your family find comfort and support in our Heavenly Father as you go through this very difficult time. You are not alone in grieving the loss of this much beloved young man.

Related News Articles:
Fellow GMA 7 artists honor Marky
Glaiza de Castro had a dream about Marky Cielo before he passed away
Actor Marky Cielo Dead
Cordillerans mourn Marky Cielo death
Mom, Colleague Mourn Marky Cielo's death

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Apayao in Focus

Photo Credit: Inquirer.net

Of the various Igorot ethnic groups, it is the Apayao that I have been least exposed to. I remember faces and friends from every other Igorot ethnic group, but not from the Apayao. That is strange for me, since I spent majority of my first 7 years in the small barangay of Gobgob, Tabuk, in what was then known as the province of Kalinga-Apayao. I was told that I did visit relatives in Apayao when I was 3/4 years old. The family of my first cousin lived there. But they were Sagada Igorots who based themselves there, they were not Apayaos. Of my nephew/nieces from my cousin who lived there, I don't remember any of them marrying an Apayao. In 1995, when I was already in college, Kalinga and Apayao became 2 different provinces. Tabuk remained as the capital of Kalinga, and Kabugao was designated as Apayao's capital.

It is great then, to read an article on Apayao from the Inquirer. (See Faces from a Festival) The festival described in the article was Panagwawagi, a celebration of brotherhood between Ilocano lowlanders and the Cordillera people. If we were to check a map, Apayao shares most of its western border with Ilocos Norte. But these provinces share different histories. Ilocos Norte was heavily colonized by the Spaniards for almost 400 years. The locals of Apayao, like other Igorots living in the Cordilleras, were successful in resisting Spanish colonization.

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Igorot discovers instant way to enjoy brewed coffee

IMPRESSIVE. Can't wait to sip this coffee. I liked the fact though that Mr. Discoverer chose to remain anonymous. What's next? Instant wine?

"Igorot discovers instant way to enjoy brewed coffee
By Maurice Malanes
Northern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 22:44:00 04/05/2008

BAGUIO CITY—A budding Igorot entrepreneur has found out that a revolutionary business idea comes in unexpected places.

The challenge was translating the idea—a novel way for consumers to enjoy instant brewed coffee—into a profitable venture.

During a break while exhibiting antique crafts at the World Trade Center in Manila in 2005, Peter Yangki (not his real name), a former antique craft trader, and a British client, took time out to sip coffee at the center’s cafe.

...."

Read the full article at Inquirer's Money Section

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Igorot bloggers protest pissing statue

"Statue of pissing Igorot removed amid blog protests
By Vincent Cabreza Northern
Luzon Bureau
First Posted 09:29pm (Mla time) 03/08/2007

BAGUIO CITY—Owners of a restaurant here have removed a statue of a urinating Igorot man, a week after Cordillerans based abroad learned of and protested the statue’s existence...."

Read more from the Inquirer Regions Section

Lesson Learned: Don't mess with Igorots. Igorot bloggers will get back at you. This reminded me of the Lucy Torres "Igorot ang tatay niya" comment in the late 90s. Congress had to ask her to testify. Sensibilities 101 should really be taught at our schools.

Kudos to bloggers BUGAN and BILL BILLIG. Write on!

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