Activist turned writer-publisher JACK Cariño is knocking at the hearts of all the people of Baguio and Cordillera who have made the land of his ancestors their own home.
JACK, scion of the original Ibaloi settlers of Baguio, is a direct descendant of AMKIDIT, the Hero of Tonglo, and the Ibaloi chieftain Mateo Cariño, whose bust sits among the country’s revolutionary heroes at the Luneta Park near that of Dr. Jose Rizal’s.
Mateo and Bayosa’s US-educated son, Dr. Jose Maria Cariño, the first Igorot mayor of Baguio, is the lolo of Jack Cariño.
He is a co-publisher (with Chi) of the glossy magazines – Baguio City YEARBOOK, Baguio City TRAVELERS Guidebook, and soon the CORDILLERA Geographic -- which is committed to bring back and enhance Baguio’s Pride of Place and Pride of Heritage.
A consistent 1st Honor and Valedictorian at Holy Family Academy, Campo Filipino and then at the UB Science High School -- JACK studied four years of BS Mining Engineering as a UP Government Scholar at the University of the Philippines in Diliman from 1976 to 1980 but dropped out to become a full-time organizer/cadre of the nationalist underground movement. Before this, he was a student leader, the chairman of SANLAHI, an alliance of regional varsitarian organizations at UP.
He worked as draftsman and eventually as Design Section Head of the Benguet Electric Cooperative from 1980-83. He would have assumed as Electronic Data Processing Diviision Chief but resigned to resume work with the underground till 1992, including a stint in Ifugao from 1987 to 1990. In 1992 to 1997 he worked as a researcher and development worker with the NGO Katinnulong Dagiti Umili ti Amianan (KADUAMI) and also as the Team Leader and writer of two major reports: “The Disaster Situation in Northern Luzon” and “Development Work among the War-Ravaged Areas in Northern Luzon.” Among the many other NGO programs he headed was the Community Volunteer Program which facilitated the volunteer placement of urban professionals in rural communities.
In 1998, he ventured into independent business and set up the Lola Bayosa’s Food Products for tourist pasalubong and then, the weekly local newspaper Skyland News, where he was the editor in chief. With the closure of Skyland News, he set up Heritage Promotions, a media consultancy group which publishes the above-mentioned annual magazines.
His father is Atty. Jose Cariño Jr, while his mother, Josefina Kintanar Cariño of the Kintanar clan of Cebu, is the sister of incumbent congressman Simeon Kintanar of Cebu.
He has 3 children -- Bayosa B. Cariño, 17, a freshman DOST Scholar at the University of the Philippines taking up BS Physics, graduated from the Philippine Science High School; Gabriela B. Cariño, 13, is top one in her 1st year high school class at Lagro High School and Joaquin Mateo B. Cariño, 9, grade 3, is a child actor for independent films.
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