What was Kalinga life like in the 90s?

You might be wondering what life was like in the 90s in far-flung barrios in Kalinga – the experiences of residents, the food and traditional games they enjoyed, and everything which became part of the childhood of those born in the 90s.

There is a book published by a lady Philippine Air Force officer that could provide a nostalgic visit to the past and a window through which the younger generation may have a view of some things and routines they will no longer experience.

Joan Saga-oc, a native of Upper, Uma, Lubuagan was inspired to write a book giving a glimpse of her personal experiences as a village girl in a community of only 20 families. She compiled these experiences in a book titled “Stories from Kalinga: Memoir of a Village Girl”.

Saga-oc relayed that the book was the first one she wrote. This time, she plans to write another one about the folktales of her village through the narratives of still-surviving elders.

According to her, the book is comprised of 20 stories, narrating ‘mostly of a vanishing past, pathways into modernity, struggles to survive and how communally shared values and culture forge character and identity.’

It also highlights the wisdom, depth, warmth, and inherent traditional knowledge of the Indigenous community of Uma, Lubuagan, she witnessed during her younger days.

“The big differences between life back then and life now inspired me to make a record of all the values, culture and traditions that a Kalinga girl experienced in the past. It might have been a common experience among my childhood friends, but no one had ever considered writing about it and it might give valuable teachings to younger and future generations,” she told GURU Press Cordillera.

The book was published on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing – the Amazon self-publishing platform – May 28 this year. It already had an assigned International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

At present, copies of the book are now being printed by JMD Prints while its launching is scheduled first week of July 2024.

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