Lanterns Galore

The Talakag Municipal Hall is currently showcasing Lanterns made from local native materials. What a refreshing change!

Made from Corn Husks.
Made from Rice Husks.
Made from Banana Leaves.
Made from Corn Cobs 1.
Made from Corn Cobs 2.

Made from Ipil-ipil Pods.

To those of you who can't make it to Talakag this Christmas, hope you'll enjoy the display here. Merry Christmas Talakag!

Christmas Spirit in Talakag

The Christmas lights are now on display at the Plaza and the Municipal Hall in Talakag every night. Very soon all the trees around the Plaza will be decorated and lit as each Barangay and some Business Establishments join the Annual Christmas Tree Decoration Contest. It’s nice to see so many people going out and strolling around the Plaza in the evenings and meeting up with friends amidst the bright and colourful display. A far cry from the old Talakag since it wasn't until the early 1970s that the town started to have electricity.

If you are thinking about visiting or coming home to Talakag, plan to be here around the 22nd of December when the Municipal Carol Singing and Lantern Contests will be held. However, I have yet to get confirmation whether there will be similar contests at Barangay level.

May 2010 Election: List of Candidates for the Municipality of Talakag

Today, I visited the COMELEC Office of Talakag to obtain the names of candidates seeking election come May 2010:

Lakas-Kampi-CMD
Macapayag, Nestor - Mayor
Sulatan, Renato - Vice Mayor
Gayonan, Susan - SB
Pacuno, Abdon - SB
Lladas, Raul - SB
Sansanan, Rosenio - SB
Samontao, Morillo - SB
Seno, Wilfredo - SB
Factura, Vergito - SB
Monje, Angelo - SB

Nacionalista
Noble, Amado Sr - Vice Mayor
Noble, Amado Jr - SB
Haguingan, Fidel - SB
Janao, Pedro Jr - SB
Ciervo, Daniel Fabian - SB
Borreta, Eugenio - SB
Ngaso, Felizardo - SB
Sabang, Yolanda - SB
Mapano, Rey - SB

Liberal
Santiago, Timoteo - SB
Bigcas, Alberto - SB
Madrigal, Lito - SB

Independent
Romulo, Rodrigo - Mayor
Tinoy, Rodney - Mayor
Lanado, Emeterio Jr - SB
Taqueban, Carlos - SB
Gozo,Eleazar - SB
Tianzon, Romeo - SB
Mapano, Freniel - SB
Palangga, Thomas - SB

For a list of candidates for various Bukidnon provincial seats, please go to Bukidnon Online.

A Tribal Hall in Talakag

We were on our way to Bethany when we passed a group of people gathered and dressed in their colourful traditional Bukidnon attire. We were curious so we stopped and asked if we could take some pictures.

Datu Linggian Modesto B. Pocol, Jr. (who happened to be an old schoolmate) kindly explained what was going on. It turned out that there was a Tribal Wedding going on. We were excited as this was real and not a performance put on for visitors. The rituals, the music and the dances were indeed mesmerizing.

The venue was the Tribal Hall and as you can see it is still under construction. The land it sits on was kindly loaned by the Nobles (a very well-known family in Talakag); however, they need help to complete the construction of the Hall itself. Any donations, financial or in kind (nails, paint, cement, hollow blocks, etc), would be gratefully received.

Datu Linggian and two other Senior Tribal Elders explained why this Tribal Hall means so much to them. It would help preserve their culture and provide a common meeting place where they can learn skills; run basic education classes; and learn to integrate into society which would greatly contribute to the peacekeeping process that is so vital to an area besot with conflict. Likewise, visitors or anyone who is interested can also drop by the Tribal Hall anytime and learn more about the Tribes in Talakag.

Firepower in Talakag: Pacquiao vs. Cotto

The people of Talakag may not have been able to travel to Las Vegas, USA to watch the Pacquiao vs. Cotto boxing match but, thanks to Jess Paras, the general public were able to witness today via satellite how Pacman stopped Cotto at 55 seconds of the 12th round right here in Talakag.

Jess Paras is running for Congressman for our District in Bukidnon in the 2010 elections. What a way to launch his candidacy to a wider audience by sponsoring this show here in Talakag and I must admit that the gesture was impressive. A smart promotional strategy for Jess indeed and his contenders better think fast of something smarter to beat this one.

Kevin Bacungan Manansala

The banner says it all. Well done Kevin and best wishes for the future.

“Kalag-kalag” in Talakag

Just been to the cemetery to celebrate “kalag-kalag” (All Souls Day) and remember the lives of our beloved relatives and friends who have passed on. Saturday has been spent clearing around the graves and painting the tombs. Yesterday and today we went back to light candles, offer flowers and prayers.

When I left Talakag to go abroad, my father was still alive and even before that we always went to celebrate “kalag-kalag” in Cagayan de Oro where most of our relatives who have passed on were buried. So this is really my first “kalag-kalag” in Talakag.

For two days, Talakag cemetery was full, glowing and lively. You bump into so many people you haven’t seen for a long time. There’s a party atmosphere with people singing, playing, eating and drinking. Across the cemetery and under the shade of the rubber trees, vendors set up selling flowers, candles and refreshments. Barriers were set up at both ends of the cemetery to provide pedestrian only areas while the PNP were around to keep the peace and order. I must confess it’s no different from celebrating in Cagayan de Oro, except that I think Talakag is a lot cooler, less crowded and more organised.