Sagada and Marijuana, Again...

A reader that goes by the nick "kat-eng" (and it would be interesting to know why he/she chose such a name) left a comment on my Arroyo post about Sagada being in the news recently due to the well publicized "Alabang Boys" drug case. True enough, I searched for recent news and there were several articles in major newspapers about the case. The "Alabang Boys" - Richard Brodett, Jorge Jordana Joseph, and Joseph Tecson – all scions of wealthy families, were arrested last year and are currently under the custody of the anti-drug agency for drug-related cases. DOJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez has said that an internal investigation on an apparent bribery attempt is currently on-going after a draft order for the release of the three suspects were put on his table for signing from one of his undersecretaries.

Former pro basketballer star and once character actor Dave Brodett, came out with his son, Anthony, and testified against his arrested cousin, Richard Brodett. In an effort to clear the family name, Dave Brodett has publicly pleaded with his brother Butch and sis-in-law Myra, whom he knew were watching, to tell all about their son Richard. Where does Sagada come into play? It was apparently the source of marijuana for Richard Brodett. "Pinaakyat pa ng nanay niya iyan sa Sagada para kumuha ng marijuana.", his cousin Anthony said.

I can't remember if there is a more publicized case in recent history than brings into attention the drug problem in Sagada. I hope this attention will make the leaders of Sagada and Mountain Province really act on the problem. Sagada would be much better without drugs. Here's what a local tourist once posted on this blog: "I believe there's so much more going for Sagada than a marijuana-induced high." Very true. Most tourists would confess that a visit to Sagada is a high in itself. No need for hallucinogens to enjoy this place.

Related Stories on the Brodett's Case:

Dave Brodett: old school gentleman
Brodett kin squeal: Richard used, peddled drugs early on
DOJ to probe official in ‘Alabang Boys’ drug case

Related Posts on Sagada and Drugs on this blog:

Sagada and Drugs
Sagada and Drugs - An On-going Struggle

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Bullying: An Issue in Sagada and Elsewhere

Lori Drew, a 49-year old Missouri mother was accused of cyberbullying a 13-year old neighbor that apparently led to the teenager's suicide. Drew reportedly targeted the teen after the girl had a falling out with Drew's daughter, and she set out to "embarrass her, to humiliate her, to make fun of her and to hurt her". She created a dummy MySpace account for a teenage boy and pretended to befriend the teenage girl and eventually broke up with her through an email. The teen was so distraught by what happened that she eventually hanged herself. See the full story on 'Cyber Bully' Mom Cleared Of Felony In MySpace Suicide Case.

This is such a sad case for both parties. You now have a dead teenager, and a mother who is going to jail for her actions. Two families are severely impacted by this bullying incident. What I cannot imagine is the hatred that existed in Lori Drew's mind. How can a mother do such a thing to another's child?

In the broader context, bullying - whether virtual or physical is a challenge for the children being bullied. As a student attending Bomabanga (Sagada Central School), I was also bullied by at least 3 boys who were much older and bigger than me. I was terrified meeting them on the school grounds, and as an adult, I can even remember the hurting taunts they'd tell when they see me. I was blessed to have had a loving family who raised me in an environment where my self-worth was not determined by what bullies thought. And later on, I learned to forgive these bullies. I was wise enough to acknowledge that I cannot control what others think, but I can control how I react to circumstances. Eventually, I would meet these bullies in the streets of Sagada when I was older. I'd greet them and smile at them as if nothing ever happened.

But that's me, and I'm blessed. There are other bullied children out there like the teen who created suicide and who may have allowed bullies to determine their self-worth. It is a common issue in schools and something that should be addressed by those in authority - whether this be in Sagada or in Missouri.

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Sagada and Drugs - An On-going Struggle

A reader left the following comment in a similar post I had on Sagada and drugs (click here for the link).

"i want to comment about this drug issue snan ili tako. ay inayan tay snan 16 years ay ninteteak snan ili tako, dan ado obpay nan adik amo ay maikikan. men-os-os-kila ak d wani sna up, ngem ay ngan nan aped da kanan ken sak-en, agtak kano daida is mj tay ado kano nan mula tako...

d siyempre nakikidebate ako na mali sila, ay maid kadtodi ken datako. ngem isnan nagbisitaak snan kabsat father ko, kanana ay tetewa kano di. siyempre shocked ako tay dan egay ko polos inamamo nan tetewa ay mikmikan."

Here's a typical i-Sagada talking, and with that, I'm referring to the way the reader uses English and Kankana-ey words and phrases in the same sentence. Here's my best translation of the above: "I want to comment about this drug issue in our town. Its surprising that in the 16 years that I've stayed in our town, there are many happenings that I wasn't aware of. I'm currently studying in UP, and this is what they told me - that I give them mj (for marijuana) since we have a lot of these planted... Of course, I debated and informed them that they were wrong, that we didn't have such stuff. But, upon meeting with an uncle, he told me that it was true. I was shocked because I didn't know what was really happening."

I empathize with the reader. He/she may have come from the same family as I did - a very protective one. I also didn't know much about this stuff, until I saw things firsthand. And that was already when I was in high school. Indeed, drugs in Sagada will only benefit a few persons - but it could lead to Sagada's downfall if this is not corrected.

One of the things that the local government can do is to work with schools and the teachers to increase awareness. Hold special programs to educate elementary and high school students about the effects of marijuana use. Make it as graphic as allowed to make the point across. Discuss not just the health effects, talk about other consequences as well. Selling and using marijuana is illegal and leads to imprisonment, family separation, and poverty. These impact not just one individual - but families and communities. How the Sagada community will handle this drug problem is critical - its a struggle it can't afford to lose.

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Sagada and Drugs

Photo Credit: AllPosters.com

"One traveller I met managed to occupy himself for almost two weeks in Sagada. Superficially I wonder how anyone wouldn't become terribly bored spending so long here; but after a few minutes of pensive, lethargic, delayed conversation with him, I realised that substances can play a role in keeping Sagada interesting. There is a rumor here about an expat who supplies the town with certain baked goods... perhaps that is why the people are so pleasant to get along with, but laid back to the point that in restaurants one must go to the counter to get service."

The above quote from one of Fatduck's Sagada entries at his TravelPod blog suggests that drugs has something to do with (a) keeping Sagada interesting, and (b) the pleasantness of the people.

Sadly, Sagada and drugs is a reality. As a teenager, I saw a couple of adult neighbors roll and smoke marijuana before my eyes. I'll be a hypocrite to say that I've never tried it; for out of curiosity and some teenage rebellion, I tried the substance once - and that was that. I was blessed to had some guidance from my folks to stay away from drugs, and not even to consider them at all. It's not the case for some i-Sagada. I know a couple of guys who are doing prison sentences having been convicted of drug dealing. I also remember a month when Sagada was the target of drug bust operations from the country's National Bureau of Investigation. Checking my website traffic report, I saw a hit coming from a browser in South Korea searching for "Sagada and drugs".

From the outside, Sagada's drug problem looks controlled and contained within a very small group. However, it is still a problem that needs to aggressively dealt with if Sagada is to remain amongst one of the better destinations in the country. It would be good to see both the local government and businesses working together on this. In the long run, a drug-free Sagada, will benefit the locals the most.

Having said that, drugs has nothing to do with keeping Sagada interesting or the attitude of the locals. Almost all visitors including Fatduck enjoy the place because of the natural high a stay in this town offers. Locals are pleasant and easy to get along with as with any other tourist town in the world. To suggest otherwise is just not right.

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The Lost Boys of Sagada

The PCIJ (PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM) has an article on Sagada Guides. Written by Danilova Molintas, the first lines resembles that which you read from romance novels, but over-all, it is a pretty good read. It takes a hard look on the life of several Sagada guides. I just don't recognize the photo of the town center / church in the article. I've never seen that in my lifetime. And I'm 30+.

"The Lost Boys of Sagada

The young men who grew up in the midst of Sagada’s tourist rush have fallen to the temptations of easy money, easy women, and what seemed for many years an easy life.

M—'S EYES are closed, but the rest of his bronzed, chiseled features are tight and tense. His heavy, muscular frame, sprawled on a rough-hewn bench of thick pine slabs, seems suspended on his big-boned hands that are desperately grasping a little homemade bong. His thick lips suck furiously on a small bamboo pipe stuck into a disposable plastic water bottle filled to a fourth with water, now swiftly turning green.

There are other ways to smoke hash, and faster ways to get a high. But smoking this circuitous way assures M— that his throat wouldn’t feel raspy, especially after all the smoking he knows he would be doing in the next six weeks.

..."

The full article is available here: http://www.pcij.org/i-report/6/sagada.html

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