Kalinga's Finest "Apo Whang-od" musical hits big stage in Manila

Photo Courtesy: Ang Pahayang Plaridel FB

Cordillera - The De La Salle University Harlequin Theater Guild (DSLU-HTG) has successfully re-run the first musical play inspired by the life of Apo Whang-od - the legendary tattooist of Kalinga on November 17, 2018 at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium, De La Salle.

The musical play explores the early traditions and rituals of Cordillera and also feature the personal life of Whang-od in the past: her struggle for choosing romantic love and the destiny offered to her. The play also mirror how the tradition of tattooing in Kalinga which served as a reward of honor to warriors has become part of Filipino culture. 

Apo Whang Od has long been recognized and respected in her community as a master tattooist. Her practice started in her early adolescence and has since tattooed elders, women, and warriors from her community in the traditional Kalinga practice - using charcoal as ink and calamansi/suha thorns to puncture the skin - National Commision of Culture and Arts.

Photo Courtesy: Ang Pahayang Plaride FB Page

Today, many local and international tourists have heard about Whang-od and flock to her house in Buscalan to get inked by her. Most of the time, Whang-od would inked her signature tattoo design which is a linear three-dot. 

Afraid of losing the traditional art of tattooing, Whang-od is teaching her nephew along with other Kalinga women her techniques. Now, her nephew is helping her tattoo some tourist who come to her home in Kalinga. 

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The Harlequin Theater Guild had been very honored to play the life of the Kalinga legend saying the production did not only seek to honor Whang-od, but also made her known as a Filipina who has lived a life full of dreams. 

Recently, the  National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) conferred the Dangal ng Haraya Award for Intangible Cultural Heritage to Apo Whang-od. 

She now joins the ranks of Senator Loren Legarda, architect Augusto Villalon, late senator Edgardo Angara and artist and former National Museum director Jesus Peralta.

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New fossil discovery in Kalinga suggests early humans lived in the Philippines 700,000 years ago

Cordillera - A new discovery by a team of Filipino, French and Dutch scientists have shown evidence suggesting the presence of the so-called archaic humans in the island of Southeast Asia 700,000 years ago before our known species Homo Sapiens even existed.

The new evidence which was excavated in Kalinga of the Cagayan valley of Northern Luzon shows  rhino bones and stone tools. 

Scientists found marks on the bones that indicates sharp-edge tools were used in butchering rhinos and removing flesh and fats from the bones. 

Mike Morley, an archaeologist from the University of Wollongong in Australia said that the marks on the bones were signs of butchery by unknown species of hominins. 

"The stones tools and the cut marks on the bones certainly point to a butchery site, with the bone being fractured and scored presumably during the dismembering of the animal, leaving characteristics signs of this butchery on the bones; the hominins who did this remain unknown, however, as there are no hominins bones associated with the archaeological material and fossils", Morley said.

But researchers were not able to determine what species  of rhino hunters and tool-makers had inhabited Luzon long time ago due to the lack of hominin fossils in the site.

If the age of the fossils which is around 700,000 years ago would be the basis, Thomas Ingicco who lead the Kalinga site discovery said Homo Erectus who seems to have been present on those years may be the tool-makers because these species were present all over those years in Asia. 

Where did these hominins come from and how did they come to Luzon? The teams conclude that hominins of some kind must have come originally from Borneo to the southwest or from Taiwan to the north and they could have used some sort of watercraft.

Scientists also uncovered different bones belonging to a species of brown deer, monitor lizards, freshwater turtles and stegodons - a kind of extinct mammal similar to elephants and mammoths.

Using different dating techniques like the electron-spin resonance methods, archaeologists were able to date the bones to be around 777,000 to 631,000 years ago. 

source || theConversation || Gizmodo.com

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Canadian vlogger says Sagada and Kalinga are the most beautiful places he had visited in the Philippines

Photo Courtesy || Becoming Filipino FB

Cordillera - A triumphant and memorable journey from the south all the way to the north passing through seas and mountains, Kyle Jennerman or popularly known as 'Kulas' had successfully concluded his road adventure in Batanes using his motorcycle he named 'Cindy'. 

When he arrived in Batanes, he was met by Rated K TV crew and conduct a short interview about his journey. 

When asked about his top 5 most memorable places in the Philippines, Sagada and Kalinga are his top one choice. The reason - the views of Sagada and Kalinga are incredible. 

"We literally drove from Manila up to Sagada and then Sagada to Kalinga. Sobrang malaki ang mountains, crazy roads but the views are incredible", Kulas said. 

In his travel diary in his BecomingFilipino Facebook Page, he shared what he learned about the Apayao Province. 

READ ALSO: Canadian vlogger "Kulas" admires the toughness of the Igorots and had a message to people discriminating them

"Driving trough Cagayan Valley, I realized I was near the Provincial Capital of Apayao. So, I decided to take a little detour. Even though I haven't explore the Province, it was great to learn a little and better understand just how big and diverse Luzon is! Did you know that Apayao is only 23 years old, and split from "Kaling-Apayao".

Yup, nestled away amongst  farmland on the foothills of massive mountains...Apayao's Provincial Capital kind of looks like a heart. Make sense! Because for the brief moments I spent there a lot of love was thrown at me...

It was such as beautiful simple experience outside the Capital, and without a doubt it made me realize..in the future I MUST explore this Province in the mountains."

Staying in Sagada is an incredible experience for Kulas. The cool temperatures and natural climate, the delicious local brewed coffee and Blueberries and the hospitality of the people, these are all the things Kulas will never forget about the town of Sagada. 

READ ALSO: WATCH: Canadian Vlogger "Kulas" travels to the vegetable terraces in Atok, Benguet

"Sagada, your environment is incredible, and you offer so many simple things that truly add comfort and happiness to days spent in your charming town", Kulas wrote in his FB page. 

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