Jeordan Dominguez from Bauko, Mt. Province wins GOLD in Freestyle poomsae taekwondo

Photo Courtesy || Jeordan Dominguez

Cordillera - Jeordan Dominguez won Gold medal in the Freestyle Poomsae Individual Men's competition during the 2019 Southeast Asian game on December 4, 2019

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Cordillera- Igorot Jeordan Dominguez marked history when he won the bronze medal scoring 7.52 points, in the World first Taekwondo Poomsae Grand Prix in Rome, Italy last Friday.

"First ever medal ng Philippines sa World Grand Prix," Dominguez told PNA

The fifth seed Dominguez scored 4.5 and 3.02  which qualified for third place after the world number 2 Lin Yu Han from Taiwan who got 7.88 points for the gold medal and third seed Dhin Khul Nguyen from Vietnam who got 7.7 points to take the second place.

Dominguez is a native of Otucan, Mountain Province but lives in Baguio. He hopes to bring his luck to the next competition in the pair on Sunday along with his compatriot Janna Dominuque Oliva who made 6.54 points to finish fifth on the women's side.

The president of World Taekwondo Federation, Chungwon Choue said that  the Rome Grand Prix included poomsae, a form component of the Korean martial arts, for the first time in his invitation to all national federations including the Philippines where Dominguez qualified.

Only the world's eight players were invited to the tournament in the "Eternal City" in which Dominguez ranked fifth.

"Ranked 1 to 8 ng world ang mag lalaban-laban and I'm so lucky po na na-invite ako. Nasa rank 5 po ako ngayon," said Domuinguez who won a bronze in the team poomsae of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Dominguez thanked the Philippine Taekwondo Association and its president Grand master Sung Chon Hong for letting him have the opportunity to compete in the poomsae competition of the World Grand Prix in his Facebook page. He also extended his  appreciation to all his fellow players who encouraged him to do his best despite sleepless nights, pains, and aches that brought the Philippines' first medal in the World Grand Prix.

Source || PNA

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Apayao PMA graduates encourage fellow youth to follow their footsteps

Photo courtesy: RMC-PIA CAR

Baguio City-  Recently commissioned  Arm Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officers from Apayao encourage their fellow youth to follow their footsteps and join the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

"Sa mga kabataan sa aking bayan ng Apayao, nauna na kami sa PMA, at sana kayo naman ang sumunod" Tugaoen said during an interview after the graduation ceremony.

Iapayao's pride Navy Ensign Mike Tugaoen from Luna and 2nd Lieutenant Dexter Tucrang from Kabugao  who are both members of the 261-strong PMA "MABALASIK" class of 2019 graduated on May 26 at the Fort Del Pilar.

Navy Ensign Mike Tugaoen
 Photo courtesy: RMC-PIA CAR

Tugaoen who hails from Turod Luna and will be joining the Philippine Navy had a simple life but with a dream to join the military. His ambition to become a peacekeeper of the country and to help alleviate the  living standard of his family are among his reasons to join the PMA.

"Pangarap ko talagang maging sundalo para makatulong sa bansa at syempre para matulungan ko din ang pamilya ko na umangat sa buhay," Tugaoen said.

His desire to become a soldier of the country's armed forces to defend the people and the country came about with the history of his hometown in Marag Valley which was once called "no man's land".  This was back in the 1970's when the New People's Army (NPA) took the Valley as their stronghold.

He decided to take the PMA entrance exams and passed while on his 3rd year in Criminology  at the University of the Cordilleras (UC) in Baguio City. After four years of Academic and training in the Academy, his dream to become a soldier, a junior military officer has been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, another Iapayao's pride Dexter Tucrang from Publacion, Kabugao also aspired to become a PMA cadet and soldier to ensure peace and order in the country. He was a graduating Engineering student at Saint Louis Tuguegarao back then when he entered the PMA in 2015.

2nd Lieutenant Dexter Tucrang
Photo courtesy: RMC-PIA CAR

Tucrang was a scholar of the Provincial Government of Apayao under the programs initiated by Governor Elias Bulut, Jr. and Congressman Eleanor Begtang and eventually a scholar  at the PMA. Being a scholar made him study hard, exceed expectations and strive to graduate.

"Take the PMA challenge and enter the road less traveled; enter the noblest profession," Tucrang said as an encouragement to the younger generations of Apayao.

He already helped his parents and siblings in their daily lives by becoming a cadet which he would still do now that he became a fully pledged member of the AFP as 2nd Lieutenant of the Philippine Army.

"Super proud ako. Parang nanalo ako ng sweepstakes sa saya ko," Robert Tucrang cried while hugging his son, Dexter, at the graduation grounds.

For Tucrang, he fulfilled his father's dream of having one of his children graduate from the premiere military school in Asia.

Mayor-elect Bensmar Ligwang of Kabugao expressed his joy for having a  PMA cadet graduate hailing from their remote municipality.

"I am very happy we have the first PMA graduate from Kabugao and I even witnessed it personally at the PMA grounds. This  gives pride to our municipality and even to the province of Apayao and we will be giving recognition for this accomplishment," Ligwang said.

The provincial government of Apayao will be recognizing the two new graduates who gave pride to the Iapayaos and served as an inspiration to the youth.

source || PIA

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Honest taxi driver from Sagada returns lost mobile phone to owner

As posted by Marlon Bernard Baso on Facebook

Photo Courtesy || Marlon Bernard Baso

Cordillera - An honest taxi driver Mr. Joseph Inso from Sagada, Mt. Province returned the cellphone which was accidentally dropped from the pocket of my niece at the front seat of the taxi Ganduyan. 

We boarded the taxi at Lubas going to Km 4, La Trinidad, Benguet at about past 9am last Sunday - May 26, 2019 when the cellphone dropped unknowingly from the pocket of my niece. 

It was only when we arrived at the house when she noticed that her cellphone is missing. Frantically, she searched her pockets and her bags but shed didn't find it in either of them. 

So she suspected she might have dropped in the taxi we boarded.

Right away we contacted the missing cellphone and it was ringing but no reply. We also sent text messages but no reply. 

It's only this day June 2, 2019 about a week ago that the taxi driver found the cellphone when a passenger adjusted the seat and the cell phone dropped. 

Then the taxi driver was reminded of the calls and text that we had sent him. So he contacted me this afternoon and I met him at Slaughter Compound, Baguio City. 

He handed me the cell phone of which I am very grateful. 

With permission I asked for his name and took pictures of the taxi. To the taxi driver, thank you very much for your honesty. May God bless you and protect you through out your life. 

Photo Courtesy || Marlon Bernard Baso

Photo courtesy || Marlon Bernard Baso

source || Marlon Bernard Baso

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Fearless and courageous young Igorota girl saves a child from an evil molester

Reposted from Cheryl L. Daytec-Yangot FB post

A few hours  ago, JM Madinno rode a jeepney from La Trinidad to Baguio. She noticed that an adult was molesting a child, a girl, who was leaning on him. Secretly, JM took a video recording. She and her friends went to Burnham Park and saw the same man with same child. His one arm was wrapped around the child whose attention was glued to a phone. Meanwhile, his other hand was moving on the child's privates. JM took pictures. 

JM reported the matter to the police. She also uploaded on the Baguio Sumbungan Forum FB Group the video and pictures she took. Within hours, the child molester, a chess/damath coach, was apprehended by the police. The child is one of the kids he has been coaching. 

If we all try to be JM OLSIM MADINNO who, even if very young, courageously made a stand against evil, we can make the world a safe place for our children and everyone. The government has interagency committees to end sexual exploitation of children. One challenge is how to get everyone to be a JM whose concern went beyond herself to an innocent stranger. 

I have to further commend JM because she took extra care to protect the privacy of the girl-child by blurring the latter's face in the pictures. 

Let us all try to be a JM. She embraces the pain of others as hers. She teachers us not lose hope in humanity. Hers should be the face of that humanity. 

We apologize to JM for the public bashing she got. She should have reported the matter to the police, bashers say. Geez, she did that. JM should not have blurred the victim's face, so people could identify her, bashers say. Ha??

Thankfully, JM is cut above all of us. Even if herself a child, she knew exactly what to do. There were adults in that jeepney. Some of them must have seen what this girl of tender years saw and found not right. But who made a stand? Who stood up?

The police say JM was afraid and confused as to what to do about what she witnessed. But in the end, she rose above her fears and did what no adult in that jeepney she fortuitously took did. That is courage. It is not being fearless: it is rising above one's fear to do the right thing even at great peril to oneself.

source || Cheryl L. Daytec-Yangot FB

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Undefeated Ifugao boxer Carl Jammes “Wonder Boy” Martin to face "dangerous" Indian boxer in June 9

Photo Courtesy || Carl Martin "Wonder Boy" Martin FB.

Cordillera - Ifugao youngest boxing sensation Carl Jammes "Wonder Boy" Martin is set to face "dangerous" undefeated Indian boxer on June 9 at the Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City. 

Martin is undefeated with a record of 12 wins with all 11 wins came by way of technical knockout (TKO). 

The 20-year-old Martin's last fight was against the veteran Thai champion Pethchorhae Kokietgym who suffered a TKO in the third round during their encounter on February 16 at the SM City North Edsa. 

The hard-punching Martin is a native of Lagawe, Ifugao and had been training under his new coach and former world champion Gerry Penalosa. 

Martin was recently cited by the Ring Magazine as one of five Filipino prospects under the category "Keep An Eye On" and once compared to senator Manny Pacquao by Penalosa because of his explosiveness and left-handed punch.

"The kid has charisma. He's not hard to talk to. Carl is explosive and left-handed. He reminds me of Manny and has tremendous power."

Penalosa promised to keep testing and training Martin and hopefully will get a world title shot next year.

Martin currently holds the WBO Oriental Youth bantamweight title and the WBA Asia bantamweight championship. 

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19-year-old golfing pride of Cordillera wins amateur golf tilt in Florida

Photo Courtesy || Fil-am Golf Media  via PNA

Cordillera - A young parbuster from La Trinidad, Benguet won the Bridgestone Tournament of Champions held at the Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday.

19-year-old Luigi Paolo Wong who is a member of the Philippine team closed with a three under par for a three-round total of five under 211 to win the games in Florida.

Wong, who saw action in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Malaysia had earlier rounds of two under 70 and even par 72 to take the crown in the event, which he had "accidentally" joined. 

"Paolo was supposed to just visit his coach in Florida for some swing adjustment, but he took advantage of joining this tournament which is played just an hour drive away from his coach's place," his sibling Da Net Wong told told the Philippines News Agency (PNA).

Paolo shot a total of 5 under for three days, a 2-under 70 on the first day, an even par 72 on the second day and three-under 69 on the last day, according to Da Net. 

Wong learned and honed his skills at the Baguio Country Club and John Hay golf course about seven kilometers from his hometown in La Trinidad. 

He is the second Cordilleran to make good in national golf, the first is Baguio-raised Mars Pucay who was the best amateur golfer in the city and later became a top pro. 

Wong, together with Carl Jano Corpus, Sean Jean Ramos and Aidric Chan will be leaving for Japan in two weeks to compete in the Toyota World Junior Championship. 

source || PNA

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The beauty of the Igorot traditional dances showcased in South Korea by SLU Dance Troupe.

Photo Courtesy || SLU Dance Troupe FB

Dance Troupe of Saint Louis University (SLU) Baguio performed and showcased the beauty of traditional Igorot dances at the 2019 Jinju World Folk Arts Biennale in Jinju, South Korea.

Sherwin Santagio, SLU Dance troupe's trainer and choreographer was so thrilled to represent the country and share the culture and unique identity of the Cordillera during the art festival on May 23-26 in South Korea.

"We are so delighted to be chosen to represent Philippines, because it is not only a chance of representing the country but a chance to share the culture of the Philippines especially the unique identity of the Cordillera" Santiago said in an interview with Good News Pilipinas.

The SLU dance troupe represented the Philippines in the World Folk Arts  along with other dancers from other countries like China, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

Despite having less than a month of preparation,  they represented their country and their Igorot tribe with pride as they danced with grace like they always do.

SLU dance troupe had been performing in various festivals and been representing the country abroad like Belgium, US, China and Thailand.

All members of the dance troupe are grateful to everyone who supported them making their recent shows in South Korea a success.

Watch the short video clip of their presentation below.

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Good News: House OKs bill on free dialysis treatment for indigent patients

The House of Representatives  has recently approved  a  bill seeking to provide free dialysis treatment for indigent patients on a final reading.

House Bill 9156 or the "Comprehensive Renal Replacement Therapy Act"  obtained a majority of 177 votes from lawmakers. 

The bill intends to provide free dialysis treatment to indigent patients, a comprehensive renal replacement therapy (RRT) for patients with end stage renal disease, and expand the PhilHealth benefit package. 

The PhilHealth benefit package includes coverage for kidney transplant replacement therapy for both living and deceased donors. The package shall also cover the cost of laboratory expenses for both the recipient and donor, hospitalization for the transplant operation and cost of organ retrieval. Likewise, the benefit package covers the medication and post-discharge laboratories for the recipient for a month and the donor for the span of one year.

The bill states  that all qualified indigent patients shall be covered by a  "No Balance Billing Policy" (NBB) while increasing the PhilHealth Z Benefit package  rates for peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis after kidney transplant procedures.

The bill mandates all government hospitals from regional, provincial or national including stand-alone dialysis facilities, to have a dialysis service area compliant with the licensing of the Department of Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Furthermore, the bill ordered the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to cover for the expenses of the remaining sessions needed for both peritoneal and hemodialysis patients after they have used up all their benefit package from PhilHealth.

source || abc-cbn.

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"I met some of the most civilized people [Igorots] in my life" - Kulas, Becoming Filipino

Photo Courtesy || Becoming Filipino

Cordillera - If you are following the journey of "Kulas" over the past days, you would have watched his solo travels  from Baguio going up to Atok, Bugias, Mankayan and all the way to Bontoc. 

Kyle Gennerman or  Kulas is one of the famous non-Filipino vloggers that started his YouTube career in Cagayan De Oro in the Northern part of Mindanao. 

He created his own video contents that are all genuine and full of positive vibes to promote every bit of the Filipino culture including the people,  language, food, and almost everything you could think of. 

He is the kind of a vlogger who likes interacting with the local people almost everywhere.

Kulas is a very polite, positive, happy and a down to earth vlogger who truly loves the Philippines and the Filipino people. 

In his latest post in his Facebook page, he made a live stream to express his admiration to the Igorots of the Cordilleras and the beauty of the rice terraces. 

"Igorots are freaking tough. I just wanted to go live just to say how much I appreciate you people in the mountains because of your attitude, and your strength and your courage...," Kulas said while showing scenes of the Bontoc river in the background. 

Kulas also acknowledged how the Igorots work so hard  planting rice in the field and building massive and beautiful rice terraces.  He then encourages every tourists to always remember  that behind the beauty we see are the Igorots who built them. 

"We  have to always remember that there are people who are living here who are doing back-breaking labor to provide rice for others and to make these rice terraces that beauty that they are," Kulas said. 

He also had a message to those people who are discriminating the Igorots calling them uncivilized only because they are living in the mountains. 

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

"I tell you right now. For anybody who comes to the Philippines, if you discriminate without getting to know  people, you shouldn't even come here.... All it takes is coming up and  talking  to people and understand . 'Cause I tell you right now, I met some of the most civilized people in my life here in the mountains. They open up for you, they give you tea, they care for you, they take you  somewhere and they want nothing in return," Kulas added. 

Many netizens following Kulas in his journey are so thankful for his sensible comments and his adventure in the north  allowing the beauty of the Cordilleras  be featured in his vlog. 

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67-year-old Baguio former cop snatches 4 golds in SEA Athletic Championship

Photo Courtesy || Erlinda Lavandia FB Page

Baguio City - A retired police officer and the queen of Philippine javelin proves that age is just a number after bringing home 4 gold medals from the recently concluded South East Asia Athletic Championship held in Singapore from May 4 to May 5, 2019. 

67-year-old Erlinda Lavandia, one of the greatest javelin throwers in the history of Southeast Asian games won four golds in different throwing events namely javelin throw, discus throw, shotput and hammer throw. 

In the javelin event, Lavandia recorded a distance of 25.6 meters; discus throw with a distance of 18.99 meters; shotput with record distance of 7.25 meters and hammer throw with a record of 20.8 meters. She bested athletes from several countries such as India, Malaysia, and Singapore. 

On Monday, the city government of Baguio honored Lavandia during the flag-raising ceremony for bringing home glory and honor to the city. 

She received cash incentives from the city government as part of the city's program of giving incentives to Baguians who bring honor to the city through sports. 

The strong 67-year-old Lavandia told in a local news interview about how she was able to pull out her energy despite her age. 

To stay fit and strong, Lavandia said that she keeps on training, eating healthy foods and sleeping on time. 

"Thorough training. Kailangan mag-training ng maigi. Dapat may dedication at determination and discipline," Lavandia said. 

"Kailangan on time ka matulog, yan ang sikreto ko doon" she added. 

Lavandia's goal is to always be a world champion and wants to compete with best athlete from the USA.

Lavandia is taking her rest these days as she prepares to represent the country in yet another competition. 

She will be flying to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to compete in the Asian Masters Athletic Championships from November 28 to December 9, 2019.

Watch her interview in ESPN5 YT channel below

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