Thursday, March 29, 2007

Ifugao Chapter Launch Provincial Youth Conference

Ifugao Heritage and Community Education Center
Dinapugan, Tarlac, Kiangan, Ifugao
March 25 - 27, 2007
DAY 1
Most of the participants came on time at 9:00 A.M. The PRRM group from the Central Office who were to conduct the Voters Education Training did not make it on the scheduled time of the Opening Program due to an incident (sumabog daw windshield sa Vizcaya) thus we moved on with some introductions regarding PRRYA and the PRRM and SITMo, including the conference
itself. Then we had lunch. At about 1:00 P.M., the PRRM group arrived and so we started with the Opening Program. Next was the Voters Education Training conducted by Mr. Nishimori. We had expected it to be more in-depth or more socio-psychological, i.e. on how to convince voters to choose particular candidates but it turned out to be a “voters education”. I raised this to Mr. Nishimori and Madam Becky replied that it was what Mr. James Tayaban had asked her. On a positive note, we learned how there were many avenues of cheating once someone enters a polling place until the votes are counted and tallied in the municipal and provincial levels. Mr. Nishimori told us that upon invitation, they may come back for my request on deeper lessons on voters education training or “voter persuasion”. After a bit of socials, we called it a day.
DAY 2

The second day was a community dialogue in Nagacadan, Kiangan, a depressed barangay. We had intended to walk all the way from the IHCEC-PRRM office until Nagacadan (about an hour and half) but, like in the past days, it rained strong in the morning thus we rode in tricycles instead. We reached Nagacadan at 9:00 A.M. The president of a farmers association, including some fellow farmers, gave a lecture on the continuing neglect and destruction facing the Ifugao Rice Terraces including the plight of the farmers. He also briefed the audience on the System of Rice Intensification project of the SITMo. A Q & A followed. We had lunch then went back to the IHCEC at 1: 30 P.M. Feeling rested at 3:00 P.M., we had the SWOT analysis. Co-workers at SITMo- Architect Rachel Guimbatan and Madam Esther Licnachan- facilitated. Sir James Tayaban followed with a talk on some activities of the SITMo then we called it a day.

DAY 3

First activity was the Agenda Setting facilitated by Kuya Ronnel Acio. Then we had the team building lecture again by Kuya Ronnel. We had lunch then the elections after.
By: Armand Camhol

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