Ifugao: The People of the Hills

Where is Ifugao and who are the people of the hills?

I am a traveler who admits that I do not know my geography. I just go to places. But sometimes the wind blows in a different direction that heaven suddenly brings the place to you.

I have never been to Ifugao. My usual spiel, “I do not know where it is in the map.” I never thought that a nature wonder had been sculpted in its mountains. I remember a foreigner who told me that he had been to Luzon. And when I asked where, he proudly said: “Ifugao, Banaue Rice Terraces.” I became so small of a Filipino, having heard that with all pride, and not having been there and seen those he mentioned. Yes, the famous. I only remember the black & white photos of these mountains in my social sciences books during my school days.

Since I had not been really seeing places in the past weeks, my thoughts would wander somewhere else, as I look at the box spaces in my 2012 Journey Calendar. I reflected, I need to fill in those boxes with something really priceless.

I usually do the things that I love to do towards the last quarter of the year. Since I was not going anywhere at the last quarter anyway. So I was thinking deeply. And that morning, it is what my mind had been engaged with.

And the winds brought my thoughts somewhere where the hills are.


Sharing with you the conversation on June 27, 2012.

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this morning i was thinking on what to do late november and december. i was supposed to go to japan, thru my brother's invite. but will just go in 2013. i was thinking of the usual thing that i do, give. then this message came up at my skype. wow God works wonders. (some confi info have not been included)

just want to share.


Maureen Bugatti: hello po..
Heiz Ramos: who is this
Maureen Bugatti: maureen po from banaue ifugao..
Heiz Ramos: what can i do for you
Maureen Bugatti: im jaz thinking if u do some outreach or mission and we cud be a beneficiaries here in ifugao po..
Heiz Ramos: oh yes i do but small time its my personal thingy in december we can do that or late nov ohmaygad am touched that you asked which part in ifugao
Maureen Bugatti: please kep intouch po, i worked for the Boardmembers of Ifugao n am really searching for any open doors outreach that cud helf unfortunate people here in Ifugao po...in return we cud accomodate u and ur stay here po..
Heiz Ramos: allrighty what do you need so that i can start asking friends also please do PM me anytime : i am thrilled to help
Maureen Bugatti: school supplies po and medical-dental meds and we cud do feeding program po...what agency or company po kau so i cud make d resolution and copy furnish po kau..
Heiz Ramos: ohhhh maureen, am a private citizen. :) i can ask my friend doctors about a medical mission, am not promising yet. feeding program is ok. and i can ask donations for school supplies already. how many are we talking about.
Heiz Ramos: i am sooo touched by you
Maureen Bugatti: wats ur email po par mag identify aq wd the help of deped here in ifugao..thank you po for reaching out...
Heiz Ramos: oh wow. am simply journeying pinay. :) i give. i have my own project i give school supplies clothes and do feeding: my own i can do that but ill ask doctor friends for meds
Maureen Bugatti: thats good to know...
****

After the temporary goodbyes, who would not get crazily excited about that? That was so unusual. Tell me, how did that happen so promptly? Unbelievable. But you got to believe it. I have to. I have to convince myself.

Whatever is happening in the air, I am just going with its flow. I have done this before. Not a single cent that I shelled out. Only inspiration. And I did not know where it all came from. A natural charm definitely not from me. This has drawn more than 300 children enjoy a party. As if everything was placed there at the right place, at the right time. And all I have now is a grateful heart to all those who G.I.V.E. (Give Intensely Victoriously Enthusiastically).








Let me share how it started, as I find it interesting to reflect on now. This is the first time I ever talk about it. As I keep these things undisclosed. I hope you understand. Still, sincerely honestly, mindboggling for me. Some youth went to schools and randomly asked pupils what gift they wanted to receive. There were those who said basketball ball, slippers, blankets, hairclips, 1 can sardines, 1 kilo of rice, 1 pad paper, 1 notebook, 1 pencil, book, bags. Innocent children’s little wants.














Their young Ate & Kuya saved some of their school allowance. The day came of gift giving and you could see that the children went home with boxes full of goodies, which their little hands could not even carry. It was enormously incredible. Isn’t it?

The youth continued to do GIVE Waves. They craved for it. To give more. We did acts of random kindness by just going to barrio schools and just give gifts. We encountered challenges as some school personnel would want me to present documents that “I am an organization.” This is still so difficult for me to accept. Because I am not an organization. That I could not present documents. They wanted me to be given a certificate for doing it. I said that it was not important. But they did not allow us. Hence, we could not give gifts.


I was broken-hearted, but it did not stop us from giving. There were times I would call the youth to help me give and share. Because I know how glad they would be to hand over gifts to their little sisters and brothers. Done upnorth, I called it Adopt-An-Ading (Ilocano term for younger brother or sister).








Now, I would like to say that I am so blessed with many friends, I was able to get in touch with a friend who volunteered to take care of the medical mission and some medicines being requested in Ifugao. Some travel blogger friends have mentioned interest. A cyber friend had vowed to give me via PayPal his kind $50 (even if I already “claimed” it and persuaded him to give it to another reach in); his generous heart would like to give me more for these things that I do. As he read a blog by me. But I do not have a Paypal account. He said it has been long overdue.

This is the latest conversation on July 10, 2012:

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Maureen Bugatti
yes po, am preparing the identified barangays here in ifugao supported by the status to be centralized at their schools, kc db u have 5days stay here and we need also 5 schools deserving to be a beneficiaries on your outreach,,jaz wait for my copy furnish..

Journeying Pinay
ooohhh wow that is sooo exciting.so notebooks and pencils?how many pupils per school?malalayo ba, or pwedeng 1 event lang for all?I need data ha?number of pupils.we might hav epedia, obgyne and surgeon doctors.what to give? para i can already announce lang sa volunteers

Maureen Bugatti.
yap medjo remote areas target natin, y dont u come kaya for inspection and we will tour u to the remote areas and also you will meet boardmember bontiwon that will assist your program? wat do you think??

Journeying Pinay
allrighty.how do i go there? i can go 27 28 29 July

Maureen Bugatti
u have to come kc u need to present yourself as the mentor of this program...

Journeying Pinay
i can sleep in a sofa

Maureen Bugatti
yap i understand..il do my best for your accomodation or actually qung cowboy ka you can stay with me..simple lang tirahan q pero atlist mei matutuluyan ka...u will be meeting my kids n family as well..hehehehe

Journeying Pinay
i can drink buko and eat bread i usually fast when i travel surely i can stay with you
THANKS for that

Maureen Bugatti
un na nga ala pa aq consolidated na people..let u know tomorrow ha??ikaw pa lang ang contact namin..

Journeying Pinay
Allrighty like is that 100 kids? 200 kids? would you need an obygyne, surgeon?

Maureen Bugatti
i think obgyne would be ok..kc open gym place natin or in a municipality,,kaya nga u have to come para mapag usapan din natin ng maayos qung ilan kc bka masyado kmi sumobra s counting..

Journeying Pinay
Hahahah oh no am not a big time thingy. but i organized and 300 kids benefited last March 2011

Maureen Bugatti
foods and school supplies and medical mission n some vitamins n meds..un i think qouta natin ei 300 children in IFUGAO,

Journeying Pinay
oh ok thats clearer Medical Mission Vitamins, meds and school supplies

Maureen Bugatti
anything you think na good we will be open kaya nga u need to come n see para magka idea ka..

Journeying Pinay
yes i will go.what will i visit on 28Th

Maureen Bugatti
will go around banaue and a part of alista na medjo far from banaue n mayoyao..

Maureen Bugatti
no c boz q lang mami meet mo, retired supervisor ng deped and now 2nd term BOARD ans super bait promise u will be treated well..

Journeying Pinay
SURELY am sure of the TREATED WELL i trust you

Journeying Pinay
300 kids. school supplies. and medical mission. so do we go to the areas to GIVE?

Maureen Bugatti
cge..im so touch also with your efforts po..

Journeying Pinay
youre welcome, i have done this before by gods grace.just inspiration.and prayers
i am thrilled and i am so touched already.ang tagal pa pero if we collect earlier--then we go earlier? kids need bags?

Maureen Bugatti
thank you..yes they need also bags n slippers as well..

Journeying Pinay
or can we identify na targets by july 28?

Maureen Bugatti
maybe we cud identify them wen we u get here and pag napunthan natin ung mga schools..

Journeying Pinay
seeyou then. i already got $50. donation

Maureen Bugatti
galing ah! good very good po!

Journeying Pinay
yah matagal na yan e. he pledged na before pa.pag may gagawin daw ako

Maureen Bugatti
godbless them...make a list also s mga donors natin i would like to thank them also after our outreach..

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I am honoured and blessed to organize and GIVE to the people of the hills, whom I have never ever met. 300 children. Bags, Slippers, Notebooks, Pencils, Ballpens. And some food to eat. My doctor friend will hopefully bring along more doctors for the consultations.

When we travel, I am sure how God’s wonders tickle our hearts with joy. How those waterfalls ignite all the veins in your body and get thrilled with the trickling of water. How those peaks of mountains mesmerize you with those views of the horizon. How the sunsets rise those romantic spirits within you. You are God’s most wonderful creation. More wonderful than the terraces created in the mountains. Now is your time to spread happiness. To the people of the hills.

God bless you more! My heart is overflowing with thanks for whatever sincere gift you can contribute.

Then let’s go there, join me, and give your gifts.

Enjoy life, more happy travels to all of you!

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The GIVE IFUGAO is set to happen on

November 29, 30, December 1, 2, 3, the year of our Lord 2012.

A P150-200 per head budget per child is being explored to
cover for the bag, notebook, pencil, slippers.

Cash and Kind (bags, slippers, notebooks, pencils) will be much appreciated.
You may entrust your cash to my account so that we can buy the gifts.

BPI Current/Checking Account / Hazel R. Go

Anyone who can share his/her PayPal account so that those who
wish to transfer gifts thru PayPal can do so? Please let me know.
Please PM me at http://www.facebook.com/journeyingpinay

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THANKS to Ean, EAZY Traveler, who gave me an idea to write this.
He is also raising funds for the T’boli School in Lake Sebu.