“ALAMAT NG MGA PUTING MANGYAN”
(Myth of the White Mangyans)
An I-Witness documentary
Airing Monday at midnight: January 28, 2008
GMA-7 (delayed by a day or two on Pinoy Tv overseas)

Howie Severino travels to Mindoro to investigate the legend of “lost tisoys,” a tribe of Mangyans called Olandes, mountain people in Mindoro descended from shipwrecked Dutch sailors.

Various people give conflicting accounts, including a scholar who proclaims that the “white Mangyans” are a myth, along with other popular beliefs such as Mangyans with tails.

But are the white Mangyans really a myth? In a Mangyan tiangge in the remote village of Bait, Howie is told of Mangyan tisoys in the local high school. He finds them there and learns they come from a mountain community called Panaytayan.

But it is not what he expected. (more…)

Cybercelebrity Christine Gambito, popularly known on the Web as “Happy Slip”, appeared in a 24 Oras story about the launch of the Department of Tourism’s “virtual travel mall” website. Happy Slip is in the Philippines to help the DOT in its efforts to attract more visitors to the country.

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The Bathala Caves will be featured tonight in GMA-7’s Born to Be Wild, which airs after Saksi.

Dr. Ferds Recio will explore the Bathala Caves, which are located in Barangay Ipil, Santa Cruz, Marinduque–the place where I grew up.

Below is the teaser for the show from GMANews.tv. I have also posted some of our pictures at the Bathala Caves during our 2005 vacation in Marinduque.

This Wednesday, Born to be Wild goes into the dark and the deep to encounter creatures rarely seen by humans.

Doc Ferds explores the mystical Bathala Cave in Marinduque Island which is home to huge python snakes. Deep inside the cave, he studies reptile behavior and discovers why these creatures chose this cavern as their shelter.

In a province long-exploited by mining activities, Bathala Cave remains one of the last few sanctuaries for wildlife.

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“Pls support & pray 4 our farmers who will hold a peaceful march today to ask GMA 4 land & social justice.” Ganyan ang text message na natanggap ko kahapon mula kay Tonyo, kaibigan at kasamahan ko sa TXTPower at Bloggers’ Kapihan.

Ika-21 anibersaryo ng Mendiola Massacre kahapon, at nagtipun-tipon sa Chino Roces Bridge (dating Mendiola) ang mga magsasaka mula sa Timog Katagalugan upang igiit ang kanilang panawagan para sa tunay na repormang agraryo.

Sa Mendiola Massacre, 13 magsasaka ang namatay matapos pagbabarilin ng mga sundalo habang nagpoprotesta sila noong Enero 22, 1987–wala pang isang taon matapos maluklok sa Malacanang si Pangulong Cory Aquino dahil sa Edsa People Power Revolution.

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