By KATHLEEN T. OKUBO
www.nordis.net

Carol Brady deRaedt is part of an old Baguio family who were friends and neighbors to my paternal grandparents. She is a descendant of one of the ‘kadangyan’ clans of Mankayan and a German who joined the prewar American mine prospectors and hit it big in Lepanto. They established residence in Baguio. Her late mother, Olga Muller – Brady were childhood friends of my late Aunt Cecile and my late Dad whom Aunt Olga always called “Yuskad”.

I met Carol as a student in the University of the Philippines College Baguio (UPCB) in the 70’s as a friend and classmate of my upperclassmen and older cousins. I was to meet her again a decade later as a professor in UPCB during studies and discussions about the identity, history and culture of national minorities, and the regionalization of the Cordillera and during the foment of the anti-Chico dam movement. I witnessed Carol’s talk on the situation and the proposed regionalization of the Cordillera before members of the press, Bontocs and Kalinga peoples held at Bugnay, Kalinga. The emcee introduced her as a professor and so on. The moment she opened her mouth, there was noticeably a sudden silence (the kind where you can hear a pin drop) in the audience that made me check out the crowd. Many jaws dropped and eyes popped wide followed by giggles and murmurs from the people in the audience, huddled and whispering. I overheard one exchange, (roughly translated) “…Not all whitepeople are ‘milikano’, hihihi…” Carol (a caucasian, fair and naturally light haired) talked to the people in her spirited forceful Kankana-ey which surprised the majority (men) of the audience.

She will be missed. On October 23 Carol moved on to the Great Beyond. Our deepest condolences to her family and clan.

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El pueblo unido jamás será vencido

Roughly translated, “the people united shall never be defeated”. According to Wikipedia this line is part of the lyrics of a Chilean song composed by Sergio Ortega with text written by Quilapay and recorded in June 1973. The song reflecting the spirit behind the mass mobilization of working-class people who in 1970 elected Salvador Allende for the socialist transformation of Chile. It then became the anthem of the Chilean resistance against the dictatorial Pinochet regime. It is now internationally translated in different languages, sung or chanted during protest rallies and peoples’ mass mobilizations. In the Philippines, protest rallies and marches chant to its tune, ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!

A befitting agit for the ‘Save the 182’ activists who put their wits and resources together to defend the Baguio peoples rights to a clean and healthy environment by appealing to everyone to support the protest against the cutting of 182 trees, and preserving it as a natural breather for living things (especially human beings). These trees are located in the middle of the over-developed, over-populated, over- burdened City of Pines.

Their appeal successfully reached another environmental-activist, artist, poet, composer, an icon and a top billing Star on stage in the otherside of the globe. A favorite especially among the teenagers of the mid 90s, the artist sometimes called by the title of one of his compositions as the “Englishman in New York” is scheduled to have a big concert in the country in the first half of December this year. His concert was originally set at the Mall of Asia.

However, the great artist was informed that the assigned venue for his concert was among the numerous properties owned by the same conglemerate that owns SM Baguio, that very mall that insists on cutting the 182 trees in favor of developing the site for the mall’s expansion. This top star performer, envi-activist and founder of Save the Rainforest Foundation asked the organizers of his concert in Manila to find a different venue. The organizers obliged and are now processing tickets and reservations bought for that concert for the change of venue.

As a part of Baguio’s concerned citizenry, I am so very grateful for STING’s support for a healthy environment in Baguio. And now, I feel kind of guilty for scolding my boys (brothers, sons and nephews) when they sung Sting to the top of their voices inside the house.

I am also inspired by, and share what Sting’s Save the Rainforest Foundation views, that “the past and the future are connected through the decisions we make in the present;” and “While indigenous and tribal populations (all over the world) fight for their environment, they fight for ours, as well.” The environment is after all, “All for one and one for all” (from the song “All for Love”, Sting sung with Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams for a movie version of the Three Musketeers).

El pueblo unido jamás será vencido! # nordis.net