Deep inside the barangay of Hacienda-Intal, deep as seven zones, is the peaceful village of Birao. This semi-remote, far, and treacherous mountainous village sits atop several mountains of North Eastern Sierras. The diversity of the indigenous is mainly Igorot and Agta with the minority of Itawis and Ilokano with their children’s tongue speaks mostly of “Kankana-ey”. Their lives revolve around farming of root crops and bananas, manpower to help in wells and entrepreneurship. As it is, their lives were very simple. But even this peaceful little village receives problems of great concern.

The main problem is the mud walk of huge length during wet seasons. Jeeps carrying crops, fertilizers, pesticides, supplies or passengers can barely reach the high terrains of Birao. The jeeps fight through stones and mud about 5 inches deep in areas where the cliff is near. The slippery road also makes steering hard so before they reach the perilous terrains of Birao, drivers let all passengers out, deducting their fare, to walk on the slippery road some call, “Mud Walk”. Students are the ones mostly affected because aside from carrying their bags, they will have to wade in the deep, chocolate brown mud. One wrong step can put your shoes into mud and you will have to wade across leaving your skirt or pants with brown stains. This kind of walk is dangerous and very alarming as mud even slopes down if rain is continuous and heavy at that.

The “Mud Walk” doesn’t stop if you live further upwards like the Agtan community. They will cross two more rivers which will then be all mud. Torrents can increase for at least 2 feet in continuous heavy rain for two hours. The indigenous Agtas carefully thread the mud river to reach their homes.

People in Birao are suffering gravely because of mud. What more to those who live beyond Birao? What more to those who live in higher terrains? They probably experience more of the real life mud walk.