Advisory:
The following document contains the perilous journey of the seven self proclaimed elite military forces of PMA. Please be advised that since our team was composed of mostly grown boys, we didn't particularly take millions of pictures and instead compensated with unforgettably memories.
Operation Baguio
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| Dream Team (Section T): Louis Menor, Joseph Khio, Carlo Toledo, Charlie Lapid, Chauncy Chu and Vince Liwanag ... but wait, where's the other Chinese specialist? |
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| There he is, Neil Yu. |
Strategy on Organizing the Order of the Tasks:
"Why are boys more likely to bring home backpacks that resemble black holes?" -McCabe Jocelyn
In being true to our nature, boys will be boys and so we were disorganized and you could say that we were in a sense "sabog". And that is why one of the
greatest difficulties we encountered was in the stage of planning and
mapping out the best possible route to finish the tasks in the least amount of
time. But how could we effectively plan this if we were unfamiliar of the geography
of Baguio? In facing this problem, we decided to interview the locals, mostly
street vendors and taxi drivers as they were the most knowledgeable of our
tasks. Enlightened with their directions and advises, we mapped out our route
and from then on we traveled on foot to the closer tasks and after, used public
transportation to reach the more distant destinations.
Sociological Reflection:
The PMA cadets’ lives are filled with rigorous training and
strict rules. Discipline is instilled in each one of them through the
institution’s programs. The main highlights of their daily routines were their
shifts, which could span many hours into the night, and the assemblies and
sequences that they memorize and perform. The shifts are what you do as a PMA
cadet, and in a way it defines you as a glimpse of your future role in the
society, while the sequences complement this.
As mentioned above, there are many rules to being a cadet
in PMA, following the honor codes and the value systems they have inside the
campus. They are restricted to show any rash behavior while on duty, such as
playing around, laughing, or showing public affection. They will be penalized
through expulsion for any dishonesty, small or big, may it be lying or stealing
even a one peso coin. From this, we can say that they value morals and the
truth in their principles. They are supposed to appear in complete, clean, and
proper attire during call days, and they must always keep the barracks clean
and orderly for inspection.
As expected, the PMA cadets have very rigid stances. They
stand upright, back straight, eyes never leaving what’s in front of them. They
walk in practiced unison as an army.
The cadets aren't as free as Ateneans are, or any other
general college student there is. They are free to talk, walk, eat, study, form
camaraderie, train, think, talk, express themselves, but there are a lot of
rules that they have to stand by with. They are very limited and their
available actions are shaped by the institution they are in. Like Charon’s
perspective of freedom, we can say that the PMA students are free on some
level, but the ‘free’ actions and activities that they have are still
influenced by their routines, the life in PMA, thehonor code and value systems.
The PMA can be viewed as a total institution, wherein the
cadets are cut off from others and are shaped to live a life according to the
institution’s systems, in this case the honor codes and the various rules
implemented by the PMA.All their activities, such as eating, working, and
sleeping are conducted in the same place, that being the PMA campus. Through
their stay in the PMA, the cadets are reconstructed from the ground up. The
programs and classes that they have instills certain characteristics and values
in them that they might not have beforehand. Their rigorous daily routines that
they only experience firsthand while in the institution becomes a part of them
and who they are, in this sense redeveloping them as beings. They also have
privileges and punishments for good and poor behavior respectively, indicative
of PMA as a total institution. As said before, cadets will be penalized for any
form of dishonesty or by breaking the honor code. They will also be penalized
if they do not adhere to the requirements of the institution, such as proper
uniform on call days and a clean and orderly barracks upon inspection. Aside
from the militaristic requirements, they also have to do well academically,
just like ordinary college students. There is also a phase of adaptation to
their new environment, especially the female cadets who belong to the minority
of the two genders and are shocked by
the intense physical training in store for them in PMA. Tying the whole thing
up is the culture of the PMA, referenced by their value systems of honor,
justice and the truth. This is how PMA functions as a total institution.#buhayPMA
Personal Reflection:
The PMA visit was very interesting. It was
nice to hear about the lives of the cadets in their stay in the PMA, and to
learn of their struggles and pains. Though it was only half a day, being there
and immersing ourselves in the history and presence of the PMA and its honor
codes, it felt like we were already a part of it. In a way, it was inspiring
how much passion they had for the PMA and what they were doing, and although
their lives in PMA are hard, we could see that they were enjoying their stay.
If we were to be critical, it was slightly
disappointing to witness that the strictness in rigidness and quietness was not
held up to par during the mass we attended. Some cadets shifted in their pews
from time to time, while some were chatting and looking around.
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| After the mass, just like a bunch of robots they mobilized :o |
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| It was a masterpiece, just like any other spectator we were at awe with their performance of the silent march. #awesmazing |
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| No markers and yet they operated so precisely :o |
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| Company of heroes |
Operation Spot the Koreans
Key Informant: Local vendors
Sociological Reflection:
Burnham Park is probably the most popular picnic place in Baguio. It was
also in this venue where we managed to interview a local Filipina family and a
friendly foreign couple. In our inquiry, we asked their favorite picnic and
hang out places were in Baguio. It’s interesting to find out that they answered
our questions in a different manner. Perhaps the reason for this is due to
their different social classes, culture and values. The Filipina family said
that they enjoyed simple traditional picnics with their children in Burnham
Park during Sundays. It was also in this day that their families played sports
and board games together. As for the Korean couple, they mentioned various
places where they enjoyed shopping and dining. In their answers we noticed a
pattern, those mentioned by the Koreans were mostly modern and high-end venues
such as Camp John Hay, Mines View and the Mansion and even mentioned SM
to our mystery. In their choice of destinations, it’s becomes clear that the
different classes have different ways of entertainment and leisure activities.
#Sweetstuff #Adventure
Personal Reflection:
Filipinos truly are hospitable and humble. In our search for answers in
this seemingly easy task, it’s nice to know that Filipinos generally reply in
such a friendly manner to strangers. When we passed by a picnic spot with
Filipino families, it just took us a few minutes to get the short talk that we
needed. It was a Filipino mother we interviewed first and although she was very
shy and humble when she knew that what we were doing was strictly academic, she
cooperated instantly. She even asked us to take a seat and though we
respectfully declined she even did the polite gesture of introducing her family
to us. And so we met her kids who were all smiles and curiosity. It was a
different story, in our interview of a foreigner as most of them that we asked
were rejecting and would always replied with “I speak no English”. At times
language does become a gap in communication but I think some foreigners are
making it just an excuse, thinking that we were strangers who pretty much
deviant. Finally, we met a Korean couple and to our joy they opened up to us
and it’s nice to realize that although I’m racist, maybe not all Koreans are
that rude. Just maybe… #Yolo #Strangerdanger
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As you can see, we tried our best in mapping out Baguio but sadly our artistic skills were limited.
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| Thumbs up :-bd, let's see who conforms. |
gy7
Operation Coco
Sociological Reflection:
The local artists in Baguio draw your face on a piece of paper and they get an instant 100 pesos. They charge at a high rate since not a lot of people are going there. The place is great for vacations but on a regular basis, it just becomes a hassle to go to. This pushes the artists in the area to maximize what they can get from their costumers even if they know it is overpriced. Even though they are faced with such a dilemma, they consider themselves in a self-sustaining socio-economic situation. That being said, they don’t rely much on outside forces to help them because tourists aren't the only ones they cater to.
It’s funny how Baguio artist differ their art from other art like American or European. They simply say that it is different because Baguio art is made by the artists in Baguio. Not that it is wrong, it still feels lacking. #MenOfFewWords
Personal Reflection:
Being the model of a drawing feels weird and strange. Long before, only the royalty and the nobility had their portraits taken yet now, you can get one for 100 PhP. Coming from an era of instants (instant photo, instant food, instant transportation, etc.), I couldn't help but get curious on how the drawing was going. You see your friends looking at the drawing then to you then back to the drawing then nodding and giving remarks without saying any words. In my head I couldn't help but think “these guys are making fun of me but the artist looks serious but they are laughing…” In the end it didn't look like me that much but the experience was well worth around 80-95 pesos… #CheapAsian
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Mr. Local Artist's paintings and Khio's Portrait.
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| In the spirit of doppleganger week, here's the close up of Sef' portrait. For those confused, Sef's the one to the left. #KhioKhioMartin #CrushngEscopa #Crushngbayan |
Operation I See Dead People
Personal Reflection:
Filipinos, it
is in our culture that we value giving respect to the dead, usually through
giving them a proper burial in public or private cemeteries. This culture can
also be seen annually on All Saint’s
Day, on November 1, when Filipino families gather together at the cemetery to
spend time with each other in jubilance, reminisce, as if their deceased
relatives are still with them. Baguio is no different, with its cemetery full
of graves of people of varying names and ages.
. .
The
decade with the highest mortality rate is the 1900s. Considering the context of
the place then, Baguio was newly established by the Americans. Baguio then was
akin to a very rural province abundant with open land. Hospitals and general
medical care such as medicines would be lacking in Baguio during those times,
if there were any at all, and whenever there would be sick people, they might
have needed to go down into the other more urbanized cities to get help, which
in turn explains why the mortality rate was so high. Looking at the list of
names, two distinct characteristics come up: the names are influenced by
Filipino and American culture, sometimes a mix of both. #arawngmgapatay
Personal Reflection:
As soon as we reached the cemetery, we tore our papers and split into three groups
of pairs, each having a piece of paper and a pen. Each pair then started
jotting down names and dates from the tombstones, each pair taking one
direction from the three-way fork in the path. Through this, we were able to
finish the task quickly and efficiently.
There’s always this eerie yet
calming feeling in cemeteries. Whenever I happen to visit one, I usually browse
through the graves, somehow reliving the lives of those who came before. At the
cemetery in Baguio, we found this block of land where there the graves placed
were only of stillborns or immediate deaths. It was a sad sight to see, the
‘born’ and ‘died’ dates imprinted on the stone tablets being on the exact same
date. Such is life.
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| Here's the lastest grave of Josephine Lapara (1936 - January 9, 2013) |
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| Here's the oldest grave of Paula Garcia (1883 - 1920) |
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| Here are the 100 names we gathered, sorry for the chicken scratch. Operation Stairway to Heaven |
Sociological Reflection:
Our Lady of Atonement church or simply known as the Baguio Cathedral is one of the most frequented sites in Baguio for religious tourists. It is famous for the 100 or 104 steps it has. A lot of different lives can be seen when climbing up the stairs. #SocialclassThere were a lot of churchgoers climbing up the stairs. Some were dressed nicely but there were others who dressed in a lesser manner. There were also some beggars who would stay on the stairs and beg for alms. And on the top of the stairs were vendors. We asked one of the vendors about the profile of the people which could be seen climbing up the stairs. She gave four different types of people. First there are the religious ones, she sees them going to church everyday and praying #values. There are the tourists, who would climb the stairs to experience it. The vendors can also be seen in these stairs, they usually sell candles or candies to churchgoers. And finally the beggars, they usually stay here and try to get money out of churchgoers before or after the mass. The ale candle vendor also said that Baguio people are very religious #culture. They usually go here and pray all their problems to God. #InGodWeTrust
Climbing one hundred steps
is easy for me but there were some climbing the stairs who were at least sixty
or probably even seventy years old. This shows a lot about their faith.
Climbing one hundred steps for an old person is surely difficult but they still
attempt to do this because of their faith. They sacrifice their effort and
possibly health just to attend mass in this church. It seemed effortless for
some of the old people climbing up the stairs but there were some who would climb up slowly step by step. #WalaKaSaLoloKo:
Operation market-market
Key informants:
Salesladies/salesmen
Sociological Reflection: . Prices of the goods sold in Baguio’s
public market were more expensive but it only differed by a few pesos (say 5-20
pesos). Most of the goods sold to tourists were grown locally like Benguet
coffee, Benguet oranges, strawberries, strawberry jams, rice wines, wood key chains, and etc. mostly
patronizing their own produce and it also gives the buyers a piece of Baguio.
The whole experience did more than
information gathering on the prices of the different commodities in the market.
Not only did we learn the different prices, we got to know how the market was
divided. The market basically occupies blocks and streets that it is still
passable by vehicles but only by a few inches away from the pedestrians. Much
like the theory on structural functionalism, the market is one society that is
composed of different stalls. Each stall is playing its part in a specific
area. If that area is for vegetables, you cannot find a stall for flowers, toys
or raw meat.
The
market proved to be a place for people expert in haggling prices. Also, it is
easy to get lost if you don’t know what you are looking for. People point in
different directions even though you only asked one question. #TouristProblems
Personal Reflection:
One
of frustrations of the task was asking the people around where to get the
things we were looking for. They took advantage of us and pointed at different
locations. A map could have helped but it was a public market, there isn’t and
will never be any maps for that. It was a good thing that we travelled as a
group though. If we had separated we would have another task of looking for the
others in the giant maze that is the public market. Every step we took we were
paranoid and always looked around to see if anything was wrong.
#MarketLabyrinth
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| Manu datoy Strawberry, manang? |
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| The market is such a different world in itself, it's busy, crowded and full of life. Remember to watch your step! #Marketcrowd |
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| Souvenirs, souvenirs everywhere! |
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| Our gathered price list. Operation Find Ifugao |
Key
Informants: Mr. Ifugao in Traditional Costume and Modern Ifugao
Sociological
Reflections:
The Ifugaos were in the cultural
places around Baguio like in the Mines View Park and the Botannical Gardens but
we chose to go to Mines View Park since we thought there might be a bigger
chance there would be an Ifugao in their traditional costume there. When we got
to the Park there was already a pair of Ifugaos right outside a heritage store
showcasing their culture.
It was quite easy for us to find
them because there were just near their store at the entrance of the park. The
Ifugaos who were interviewed were right next to each other so we didn’t have to
look far. The one in costume said it was to help tourists to going into their
store and promote their culture while the other one was just his younger Ifugao
friend who was in plain clothes. In our inquiry, we asked why their clothing
were different and they just replied that some Igorots don’t practice the same
fashion as the new generation is pretty much more receptive and conforming to
the more modern culture. #ModernFashion
Personal
Reflections:
I think this task was in the
middle of the other tasks when we did. So, when we immediately found the
Ifugaos, I think I felt relieved that this undertaking was quickly finished so
we could move on the next assignment on the list. When we asked to take a
picture, the one in the traditional costume was a little bit apprehensive
because he was still working but he eventually gave in to the camera’s request. #GenerationGap
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| A real life taong gubat/caveman/Igorot. Kidding! #Photofail |
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| Modern Igorot got style! Operation Maharlika |
Key Informant: Security guard and street vendor
Sociological
Reflections:
Maharlika is, perhaps, one of the
earliest and most familiar commercial establishments in Baguio. When we went to
the place, we noticed that it looked a bit ancient compared with its peers like
SM Baguio; however, this didn’t seem to affect its status since it there were
still lots of people shopping inside. Maharlika caters mostly to the lower
social classes but because of its famous status, tourists flock to the place as
well. This may be a remnant of structural functionalism, as people shop in
Maharlika, they contribute to its longevity and maybe that’s why it still
exists to this day.#OldSchool
Personal
Reflections:
We went around Burnham Park to
ask the locals about the oldest establishment they know in Baguio, and one told
us about Maharlika. From what we also recall, Maharlika was an old market
place, and so we went there and immediately saw a security guard working for
the establishment itself. We asked him about the history of Maharlika and he
told us that it indeed was the oldest establishment in Baguio; we also saw its
age in its physical appearance. The building looked very old, and it seems very
unfitting in Baguio since it’s experiencing a redevelopment (since there are a
lot of new establishments) but its presence stood very firm. We asked the guard
if new establishments, especially the indestructible SM Baguio, played a big
role against Maharlika, but the guard told us that despite the presence of big
competition, Maharlika was living well. We realized that Maharlika is a symbol
for Baguio since people flock there, and hopefully will get to stay there for
even longer. #Legend
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| Trivia: Did you know that Maharlika was designed for more than 12 stories yet the Baguio government only limited them to 5 stories? It must be a blessing in disguise as this building survived numerous quakes due to it's over-designed foundations. Operation Bulol |
Key
Informants: Taxi drivers and locals
Sociological
Reflection:
The bulul is a symbol of
fertility and security to the indigenous people of Baguio. The locals that we
interviewed –mainly taxi drivers and one local mostly answered that the
definition of “bulul” is one who cannot speak properly. Culture-wise, their
ways of life are different which is probably why they referred to the bulul as
merely a word and not an idol. The bulul is part of the indigenous culture so
we cannot assume that the folks from the city could elaborate about it in
depth.#CulturalDifferences
Personal
Reflections:
I actually expected this to be
the easiest task on the list but to my surprise it was a bit more difficult
than what I expected. The locals kept telling the same thing to us: “Bulul?
Nahihirapang magsalita” which surprises me since I was expecting them to know.
Well, they are part of different cultures though they live in almost the same
areas.
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| The bulul represents the God of rice when worshiped. Operation Manok |
Key
Informants: Taxi drivers and food vendors
Procedure
of Cooking Pinikpikan:
In short, a native/commercial
chicken is first prepared. It’s lightly beaten by a stick until it’s meat turns
darkish violet. After, the whole chicken is thrown in an open flame to burn off
it’s feathers. Once all of these are gone, the chicken is removed from the
flame and cleaned with water. Then the chicken meat is precisely cut to pieces
and is boiled with herbs, vegetables and other ingredients. Voila!
Sociological
Reflections:
The simplicity of the dish
reflects the society (both of old and modern) of Baguio because the selection
of ingredients used here are readily available and the preparation of this dish
is not as complicated as opposed to let’s say, roast chicken. It also reaffirms
their culture’s dependence on nature because of the freshness of the
ingredients.
What made it difficult for us to
find a place that serves Pinikpikan was because our group was not part of the
same culture as the locals. Every person we asked said that we could get it
everywhere but to our frustration we could not find any. Since their way of
life was entirely different from ours, we were bound to have a hard time
finding the dish and ended up looking almost everywhere. #Outcast #CultureShock
Personal
Reflections:
It actually frustrated me that
this was one of the tasks at hand because my father (who lived in Baguio for a
time with his family) would always elaborate what this dish is. Along with
that, I didn't have my phone since I could’ve just asked my grandmother or
uncle if they knew where to get the dish. Although frustrating, the group,
(consisting of high amounts of testosterone) had fun in
the trip. The elusiveness of the dish helped the group to bond so the search
was not a loss entirely.
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| Pinikpikan at it's very first stage. Operation Picture and Run |
Key
Informants: Taxi driver
Sociological
Reflections:
In our quest in finding out the
spooky places in Baguio, we discovered that this vacation spot is haven for the
supernatural. In our inquiry, we found
out that some of the horrific places in Baguio are Teacher’s Camp, Hyatt
Terraces and finally the ever famous White House by the Loakan Road. We
wondered why were there many haunted places in Baguio and we later found out
that the reason for this is because Baguio was the venue of the bloody wars of
Filipinos, Americans and the Japanese. The locals told us about the White House
and said that it was the most popular one in the area because not only was it truly
haunted by a female apparition; it was also one of the few places that were converted
into a museum. I think the house itself
was deviant from the other scary places because it catered to the daredevil
types of young kids who were curious and brave enough to wander into the
house’s mystery.
The house itself was very
distinct in appearance since it was unlike the common houses. It was old, large
and it was painted in the unusual color of all white. Another factor that added
to it’s being different was that this house was isolated and this gave the impression
to us that nobody wanted to live near this foul place. And I won’t blame them,
because just like most people I’d rather stay away from anything deviant.
Personal
Reflections:
When we tried to get in the
house, we found out that it had been converted into a sort of museum. There was
already an entrance fee and so we decided not to enter the haunted house.
Personally, I felt a little disappointed since I wanted to go in even just to
get a picture inside the house but, we just had a picture outside and went to
the next task. #Scary
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| Spot the apparition. Operation Ukinam |
Key Informant: Local taxi driver
Sociological Reflection:
Ukinam is an
ilokano curse word. Using a sociological perspective, it serves as a symbol by
the Ilocanos to express their frustration and anger towards a specific person
or an object. It is a well known word in Baguio because of Baguio’s relativity
with Ilocos, and because of the taboo that the word presents to the people who
use the language. #taboo
Personal Reflection:
We went around town to
ask about a famous Ilocano curse word; however, the locals whom we interviewed
didn’t want to say it because it’s… “bad”. We decided to skip the objective and
focus on another instead, so we got a cab and went to the next destination.
While riding the taxi, we asked the driver if he knew any famous Ilokano curse
words, and he immediately told us that ukinam is perhaps the most famous
Ilocano curse word, because it has similarities with a tagalog curse word
(which we won’t mention here). #language
OTHER PHOTOS!
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| Silly kid |
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| The boss |
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| Charlie vs Carlberg |
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| Our Penthouse |
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| Doomsday Preppers |
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| Before |
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| Enjoying the view |
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| Out side the window :o |
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| The nightmarket |
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| Cards with buddies |
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| Cheetos for dinner? :)) |
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| Odd rituals |
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| Kinky Carlsberg |
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| Typical meal time |
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| Juice pong. Yea right... |
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| The boss. #angas |
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| Lethal jolly chickens |
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| Man down |
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| Where'd those come from? |
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| I'm still alive. |
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| Drug dealer. Kidding :D |
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| Human Nature = Disobedience |
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| Badass Douchebag :D |
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| KhioKhio Martin and his body guards |
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| The face that attracted a thousand chicks :D |
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| Travelling with the guys |
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| All smiles |
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| Sleepy again? |
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| After |
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| Neil smiles :P |
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Our female counterparts :)
|
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| Operation Baguio, success, time to get back home. |
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