Halsema view, Benguet. Photo @Kat Palasi 2010
Halsema, Mt. Trail, Philippines. Photo @Kat Palasi 2010
Mankayan, Benguet Photo @ Kat Palasi 2010
I have lived and worked in Manila for almost 20 years now but I was born and raised in Baguio in Northern Luzon which is about 7 hours away from Manila. My memories are of my father driving us to Atok Central in Benguet so we could attend the wake of my great grandmother Piyana Suaking. But few years before that, it was the wake of her husband, my great grandfather, Piopiaon Palasi. They lived and raised their nine children in Atok. Some of their children had been allowed to go to school while all the women were simply made to stay at home since they would get married anyway. That was the old man Piopioan’s belief anyway. These are snippets from stories I would hear from conversations of relatives who would come and visit us in Baguio. I was allowed to stay up and hear the stories but if it was past midnight, I would be herded to my bed. Those were great times.
