Let me introduce myself.

My full name is Rex Dumlao "Leusen" Batay-an.

"Rex" is a Latin word, which means, "king". It imports stability and fairness of mind.

My Native name is "Leusen", which is given to me by my grandfather. It is our practice in our tribe that the elderly's name would be passed on to his grandchildren in order to retain that identity.

My middle name "Dumlao" speaks of my Ilocano blood line.

I also have a bloodline of Itnegs from the Province of Abra. My grandmother in the maternal line is a pure blooded Itneg, while my grandfather in the maternal line is pure blooded Ilocano. Both my grandparents in the paternal line are Aplais.

Hence, I am also bona fide member of the APLAI group of peoples, a minority group of peoples, with ancestral roots based at Sagada, Mt. Province.

I am therefore familiar with the ways of our elders of Aplais, Itnegs and Ilocanos.

I was born at Kalinga Province, where i witnessed several triabl warfares during my sixteen (16) years of stay there. From the day i was born on April 19, 1984 up to my Secondary Education. I moved to Laguna for four (4) years when i pursued my Bachelor's degree in Philosophy.

I am presently residing at Davao City, Midanao order to pursue my studies of Law.

I am now in my junior years at the Ateneo de Davao University College of Law.

In my next and succeeding entries, we will discuss the heart of this site.
PAGTAS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE TO OUR SOCIETY will be our guiding theme.

Henceforth, the term PAGTA shall embrace all kinds of contracts, written or unwritten, indigenous or otherwise. More importantly, it is an amicable way of settling disputes, whether on life, liberty or property.