31/08/2026
August arrived not merely as a season of rain, but as a harsh mirror, laying bare both the frailties and the strength of our spirit.
The nonstop rain exposed the hollow promises of engineered solutions. Projects that are meant to protect us gave in to continuous downpours. Along the highways, driving became an ugly game of sungka, where maneuvering around cratered asphalt and cement is a gamble in order to dodge potholes, only to encounter more just meters ahead. The narrow drainage systems choked, unable to receive the fury of water descending from the ridges. But the accusations are not given to the government alone. The mountain demands an honest evaluation from us as stewards. In clearing the slopes and stripping the soil of deep-rooted trees, we tore down the earth’s natural cover, letting the torrents carve away the hillsides and send the soil beneath our feet.
But, where infrastructures weakened, community spirit blossomed. In the delay of institutional salvation, the true heart of the highlands revealed itself. Our time-honored tradition of Aduyon among the Ibaloy or Binnadang among the Kankanaey, or commonly known as the Bayanihan spirit, came into life. Men and women worked side by side, offering their time, labor, food, equipment, and hard-earned money without hesitation, inspiring an ache of humility and pride in who we are when stripped of convenience. We’ve become each other’s lifeline.
As the curtain falls on August, the rain continues to tap its steady rhythm on our roofs. We leave this month with a complex emotion of grief for the tragedies and silent losses, but holding gratitude for the respite and reflection forced upon us by the storm. Nature does not offer absolute good or bad. Nature simply moves indifferently with its might, reshaping the terrain and reminding us that survival is an ongoing act of adaptation, humility, and kinship with the land.
And so, this National Heroes Day, we honor not only distant legends, but also our community volunteers.
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Soaking up the memory of Goatcliff skies. Really miss this comforting warmth.
