Refrigeration

Common practice in Ifugao is for the meat markets to sell the food (pork, poultry, seafood) without refrigeration. It is believed that since the food is fresh, (the fish tend to still be alive, and only the number of pigs needed for the day is slaughtered). This practice would never fly in the U.S. but does this mean that it is not fine? Is the meat still fine without being refrigerated? Do the people know about bacteria, and that even though one can not see it, that it is still present?

Twirlers are spun above the food the keep the flies off. The flies are attracted because the food is not refrigerated. Is it a difference between bacteria that can be seen and cannot be seen?

Units

What does one use when a known unit of food must be sold. In the US, a common form of measuring is by weight. What does one do when there is no electricity to power a modern day scale or one does not have access to a portable scale?

Macaroni Salid, Philippino style, where a common cup is used at the unit of measurement.

Farmers Market

Being able to by the food from the person that produces or grows it. Seeing the person who is purchasing and probably consuming the food. How does this impact the transition. Once there is a face behind the food, is the buyer going to go back to this seller? If the transaction becomes more than just monetary but also personal, how will the producer change? Will they keep the buyers well being in mind and sacrifice the profit margin for their well being? At the same point, by knowing who ones buyers are, will the buyer take this added knowledge and improve the experience. Will they get to know the buyers, their preferences and make their future purchases even better?

Should the seller can focus in on their current buyers and make them happy, letting the business take its course or should they just worry about selling their crops.

The perceived quality of bananas. It is known that bananas that have small black marks and blemishes on them are natural and also healthier. This is caused by a local practice of the farmers to spray the bananas a day or two before harvesting and in doing so causes them to stay perfectly yellow and blemish free. Bananas that are blemish free sell higher in the commercial market but at the expense of the consumer who doesn't know that the fruit it tainted with chemicals.

Who is the one that must step up and fix this, the market, the buyer or the seller? Where does ethics come into play? Where does educating the consumer come into play?

Fresh produce picked within 24 hours of purchase.

Soft Drinks

Coca-cola completely dominates Pepsi as the preferred drink, since the locals say that Pepsi is too sweet. A local drink Pop Cola, was becoming the more popular drink and such it was bought by Coke. The local drink is more attune to the local taste along with the being cheaper. An 8-ounce bottle of coke costs around P10 (under $0.25), a Pop Cola is around P6-7.

Landslide

Heavy rains have led to landslides in Kiangan. Although known to occur in other municipalities such as Banaue, it is very uncommon for them to happen in Kiangan, and even rarer to occur with frequency and devastation.

The small tree in the center right, used to be at the top of the hill on the right, and where the tree is now, there used to be a home where four kids died.

Scooter Race

A traditional scooter race is a part of the festivities. The wooden scooters are ridden from Kiangan down the long hill to the bridge the connects to road to Lagawe.

Local Organizations

Parade

Float from the municipality of Kiangan.

Part of the celebrations is the Municipality Parade, with floats and people from each of the provinces of Ifugao come to display a part of their culture. By my estimates over a thousand people were a part of the parade.

Traditional male clothing, the g-string.

Traditional female clothing.

Market

Venders line the side streets of the provincial capital, Lagawe.

For four days, the entire province celebrates the Ifugao Independence Day, held in the provincial capital, Lagawe. The week is filled with parades, dances, contests, traditional games, and modern sports.

Funeral

A local Mumbaki, a local priest and medicine man, who is highly ranked in the village. After his death many steps take place continuing from 3 to 9 days. The big community event is on the third day were all the relatives gather. Based on the position of the person who has died, different animals are slaughtered. Being a Mumbaki, two caribou along with pigs are all to be slaughtered. It is not done to be cruel and violent, but it is a cultural thing done to honor the one that has passed away. I will spare the details, but after this, the rest of the day is spent eating, drinking, and carrying on the ceremonies. The neighbors each do their part and help out by cooking and hosting guests in their house.

One of two caribou.

A community event, everyone is there to watch.

Post Harvest

Once the rice has been harvested, it need to be dried before it can be milled and cleaned. The rice is spread out onto pavement and a couple of hours under the sun

In the process of being spread out.

Many use the streets since that is the only large concrete surface they have available.

Tricycle

The Tricycle is the preferred form of public transportation in Ifugao, although the Jeepney is still around for certain routes. Used for either personal short trips, or longer group trips, the Tricycles are more adapt to the remote environment and the narrow and hilly streets. It is able to hold 5 people, three in the cab and two sitting sideways on the motorcycle behind the driver. On a fully loaded trip, it costs only P20 (under $0.50) to travel between Kiangan and Lagawe, over a 10km trip.

Lending a Helping Hand 2

Lending a Helping Hand

Everyone in a household helps in collecting water, since without water, one would not survive.

A Group Effort

It is a group effort to harvest the rice. Each sack weighs 50kg and it takes two sacks to make a one 50kg sack of cleaned and processed rice.

Having a personal connection to the land where ones food is grown.

Old Meets New

Safety

Pictured: The road to the left is the Roxas Boulevard, a main road with cars easily traveling at 50kmh. Neither the worker nor the drivers even flinched to the fact that the two kids were there.

For every culture, there is a different level of safety.

Robinsons Place

Robinsons Place is just like any American mall, in fact, in many ways it improves on the common US mall. One fact is that the prices are cheaper. I was able to go to Dairy Queen and get a vanilla dipped in chocolate cone for only P40 (under $1), something that you cannot find in the US. Additionally, there is a much wider variety of just about everything, clothing, food, activities. It combines stores from high end designer stores, to a movie theater, to arcades and pirated movie stores.

Jeepney

Jeepneys are the most common form of public transportation in Manila. They fill the void left by the lack of normal western public transportation. The trucks run different routes, which is designated with a sign on the front windshield, and prices vary based on the distance traveled.

I have arrived in Manila and am now at the hotel, Pension Navidad. I have also picked up a sim card so I now have a cell number. To call from the US it is 011-63-915-286-0518. Other ways to reach me is through email, aim or skype. Right now the only internet access I have is through an internet cafe, so my ability to check will be sparse for the next couple of days but it should be better after that.

Pictures will start to be added shortly.