‘Kaljo'

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

Kalajo. It is better pronounced minus the second letter “a”. Although, in other instances, it is pronounced “kaledjo” depending on how the speaker feels it should be said and depending on which part of Benguet he hails from. It is an Ibaloy term meaning “umay kayun.” It is used to invite people to eat, attend an event, or used as a simple welcome note.  Its equivalent term used in the North of Benguet, including parts of the Northern provinces is “umali kayu”.

No wonder, aside from those who honestly bought their homelots or intermarried with native Ibaloys, our brothers from up North are coming to reside in every corner of Baguio now because they were called. Proof of this is the sign on the arc at the Igorot Park along Harrison Road. It says in big, bold, golden metallic letters “Umali Kayo”. It is not our brothers’ fault. I put the responsibility on political leaders who fund construction projects without any sense of community, no sense of history and no consultation. What is most important to them is the lining of their pockets. “Pagkwartaan” that is. Indeed, “aramid ti pagkakitaan”.

Talking about having a sense of history, it is time the Ibaloys should now have a park where they can hold their activities. This should be a priority in the city council’s agenda. They should find ways on how to segregate the more or less one-hectare lot between the Orchidarium and the Children’s Park. I believe that is not too much to ask for as other areas inside Burnham Park have already been designated and allocated to private groups. The so called Igorot Park with the “Umali Kayo” arc is open to all but the modest Ibaloy does not feel any sense of belonging there. What I see when I pass by the place are Mindanao traders, brothers from the North, migrants and visitors from the lowlands.

The biking area, the skating rink, the orchidarium, the area where the former City Library building stood, the turo-turo and ihaw-ihaw eateries across the Bayanihan building, and the parking areas fronting the Ganza and Solibao restaurants were all given to private businessmen. This is the effect resulting from the Regalian Doctrine. There is nothing for the Baguio Ibaloy – a glaring manifestation of unfair treatment for a tribe who by the Doctrine of Native Title as defined by US Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in a court decision in 1909, own the lands in the Baguio.  

And talking about conducting consultations, the Ibaloys, in case they acquire tenurial rights over the lot between the Orchidarium area and the Children’s Park, should be given the freehand to improve the place the way want to. I was told that improvements to be made inside the Burnham area should conform to a new Burnham plan conceptualized by architects of a university in the city.

But wait. Who were consulted prior to the rehabilitation of the multi-million peso and self-styled Rose Garden in Burnham? I have not heard of any announcement calling for a public consultation hence, it was not in conformity with what Baguio folks wanted but the product of the minds of a few. So that one morning, we woke up to find it there. Of course, planners would justify their move by saying that anyone was free to contribute inputs. But I doubt if there was any chance for suggestions from the public to be considered. To me, the Rose Garden is just another multi-million peso artificial reproduction of the parks we see in the big cities somewhere and at the same time, a “cheap” imagination of how unnatural parks are made. I call it “fake tourism”.

For the proposed Ibaloy Park, I visualize a landscape of a genuine Ibaloy settlement of huts made of natural material – pinewood, cogon grass, davidav or runo sticks with leaves that others call sapsap, according to my cousin Ibaloy Chef Pol Lamsis. It is the silver-feathered grasswith the scientific name miscantossinensis, according to Forester Rex Sapla of the DENR. A house is to be realistically constructed with a shep-olan or dirty kitchen for you, where meat is left hanging above to dry to become kinuday or dried meat. In the attic of every hut, rice stalks are stacked. The houses are separated by stonewalls called atoll, while the backyard of every homelot is covered by shiny pebbles. Let native chickens roam around too.

If all these are put in place, we will witness a living museum of an Ibaloy settlement in Burnham Park that will not only help the dying tourism industry but put back Baguio in the map. But first things first. The officers and members of the Onjon Ni Ivadoy led by its president Jackson Chiday should have the area allocated for all Ibaloys in the world. I am confident NCIP Commissioner Bridgette Hamada-Pawid will do her part along with the government agencies she can connect with if she sees that the association is solid and sincere in pushing an Ibaloy Park plan.

In fact, the officers and the volunteers they were able to convince have constructed a big Ibaloy hut in place. It is the biggest runo hut I have seen so far. For as long as nobody will oppose it, the house will stay there. The hut has become the center of activities since the Ibaloy festival opened with a parade on February 2, 2014, followed by weekend parties hosted by Ibaloy families.

The Ibaloy festival will culminate on Feb. 23  with the butchering of pigs, and a concert by Ibaloy talents in the evening, but that that will not be the end of it because I understand that there will be a monthly activity as envisioned. See you on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. Kaljonemin!  - ozram.666@gmail.com