Misamis Probe

Ozamiznon presidentiable still hopeful of bid

2010-02-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—Why would the Commission on Elections (Comelec) get rid of a presidential wanna-be whose lineage is of heroes, leaders and even a relative of the second most powerful man in the Philippines?

Jose Isabelo “Sonny” Leuterio, who claimed he is a “true-blooded Ozamiznon” and known among the populace as a contender in every election, uttered his dismay on why the poll body junked his candidacy for being a nuisance bet.

But he said in an interview over the radio that he has not given up on his presidential aspiration and expects his name to be finally included as the tenth in the official list of presidential candidates in due time, putting his hope upon the intercession of Vice-president Noli de Castro, whom he claims is his cousin.

Comelec Resolution No. 8678 defines a nuisance candidate is one who “put(s) the election process in mockery or disrepute,” “cause(s) confusion among the voters by the similarity of names of registered candidates,” or one who “has no bona fide intention to run for the office.”

An engineer, Leuterio said that, if he wins the presidency, he will build a cable car transport system linking Ozamiz and the nearby Sinacaban, the home of the well-known Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park, some 20 kilometers away.

Claiming that he is the presidential bet of the Beta Epsilon Sigma, a fraternity and sorority foundation of engineers, he also promised to construct a light railway transport system between Ozamiz and Tangub cities.

However, Leuterio reveals that all these will come to pass after he wins his crucial and legal battle to reverse Comelec’s ruling declaring him a nuisance bet. News grabbed from www.micmedina.tk

Presently, the Comelec only approved nine official presidential bets out of the 99 who filed their certificates of candidacy.

Leuterio, who has a brother living in Hawaii and is said to be a close friend of the Marcoses during their exile there, is famous in the locality for his one-on-one solicitation of votes, shaking hands with anybody he meet whether in homes, public market or in the streets.

He was chanced by reporters the other day when he visited the office of a local radio station to inquire about rates for advertising his political propaganda, bringing with him a short-sized bond paper that contains his and de Castro’s picture and the contact numbers of his campaign offices in Manila, Cebu, and Ozamiz.

He asked to be interviewed over the radio to clarify some issues relating to his presidential bid, saying that as Lord Chancellor of the Beta Epsilon Sigma Fraternity and Sorority, he has the following of some 20 million members in 5,000 chapters in almost all universities and colleges in the country.

Seemingly banking on this strength, Leuterio said the Comelec cannot deny his high chances of winning.

Leuterio said he had been running for several posts in the past elections, as assemblyman in the former unicameral Batasang Pambansa, for district representative in the present bicameral Congress, for vice-president in the 1998 general elections and as city councilor in 2004.

Earlier, last December, the Comelec said they have a “record breaker” full list of 277 aspirants for national posts who have filed their COCs, composed of 99 for president, 20 for vice president and 158 for senator.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

www.micmedina.tk

Zamsureco loses P2.5-M from brownouts

2010-02-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

THE Zamboanga del Sur Electric Cooperative (Zamsureco-I) said it reels from the continued power curtailment brought about by El Niño, an abnormal weather pattern that triggers severe drought.

Anastacio Autor, Zamsureco-I technical service manager, said in an interview, that although the electric cooperative lives with the present electricity challenge as a natural occurrence, it also had to deal with the negative economic implications brought by the continued brownouts.

Autor disclosed that from Feb. 1 to 23, a total of 178.81 megawatts, which is equivalent to 357.66 hours or a total of 421,259.50 kilowatt hours were lost by Zamsureco.

This kilowatt hours lost by Zamsureco when converted in monetary terms will total to more or less P2.5-million, depending on how much the rates National Power Corporation will charge or adjust to the electric cooperative, also said Charina Arabijo, Zamsureco finance manager.

In 2006, during the widespread brownouts attributed to huge demand for electricity and antiquity of power plants in the country, Zamsureco incurred a total loss of about P5-million, added Arabijo.

The entire coverage of Zamsureco-I has a total capacity load of 15 to 16 MW and at present is allocating less than half of its total load following the implementation of power curtailment imposed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

So far, only Mindanao is suffering from serious power shortage as a result of a dry spell, raising fears that this could put at risk the coming automated elections in May.

But small businesses in Pagadian, those who depend entirely on electricity, do not care of the May elections at the moment, saying the worsening power situation is killing them softly, reducing their income to more or less 50 percent.

“Sa una maka-gross ko ug P1,200 ang adlaw unya maka net income na ko ug P500, pero karon P250 to P300 na lang akong mahimo gumikan sa brown out,” Jun Acot, who sells ice candy and ice water for a living, said. News grabbed from www.micmedina.tk

“We used to produce 600 gallons a day but now we can only produce 200 to 300 gallons at P50 per gallon,” likewise said Bobby Soriano, owner of Crystal Clear water refilling Station.

Soriano said he has contemplated of buying a generator to boost their power supply needs but aside from the high gas price, he said that water supply is also a problem since the water district relies mainly on Zamsureco to pump water from its springs.

Last week, the Pagadian City Water District (PCWD) declared the dry spell also affected water supply in their spring sources in Danlugan and Manga.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

www.micmedina.tk

Gibo side trips in Zambosur

2010-02-25T01:38:00.000-08:00

(FILE PHOTO CONTRIBUTED)

ADMINISTRATION standard bearer former Defense Sec. Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. made a stopover in Zamboanga del Sur, Feb. 24, and led a forum held inside the Amusement and Events Center, Provincial Capitol Compound, Pagadian City.

Provincial officials headed by Gov. Aurora Cerilles, Representatives Antonio Cerilles and Victor Yu, Mayor Samuel Co and LMP President Mayor Ace William Cerilles welcomed Teodoro and party.

Also, Capitol workers, the academe and members of the Katipunan ng Guardians Brotherhood (KGB) and Junior Chamber International Inc. (Jaycees) flocked to the venue to hear and see Teodoro articulate on his platforms.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet said that he will see to it that the P400-million Zamboanga del Sur Coastal Road, one of the vital road infrastructure projects of Pres. Gloria Arroyo, will be given priority once he is elected.

The said coastal road project has been proposed for implementation under the Rural Road Network Development Project Mindanao sections to strategically integrate poor coastal towns to the overall regional development and ease the burden of traders in transporting agricultural and marine products throughout Zamboanga Peninsula region.

“We will use Zamboanga del Sur and Pagadian City as an example of synergy–driven progress,” Teodoro promised.

He then laid out his platforms on education, health and food security, including the introduction and implementation of an education road map; complete PhilHealth coverage among indigents and promote agricultural development in the countryside.

Teodoro said that he will prioritize wide-ranging reforms in public health care that would provide Filipinos inexpensive medical coverage, saying PhilHealth is already providing this “but it needs an infusion of additional funds and resources to expand the coverage of medical benefits.”

“Everything should be given attention and solution. Sa dami ng problema ng Pilipinas, kailangan sabay-sabay na tugunan,” he said, as he stressed another thing, that is “genuine national unity and reconciliation,” as one action that is desirable after the May elections.

He added that he too, is anxious about the first ever automated elections. “Like everything new, I’m quite scared. [With] several experiences with computerization, it takes several months or years to iron out the bugs. February pa lang ma-deliver ang machines, May na ang eleksyon. Dapat last year pa lang na-testing na yan,” he said.

With regard to his poor ratings in surveys, Teodoro brushed this aside saying other presidentiables like Manny Villar and Noynoy Aquino may be leading but this doesn’t reflect the choice of the people.

“Maaring leading sila, pero sa init ng pagtanggap ninyo sa akin, wala na yan. Manalo na sila sa survey, basta manalo lang ako sa eleksyon. Kanila na ang survey,” he quipped.

Teodoro then left in a hurry to catch an appointment in Cebu City as Rey Langit, Philip Salvador and the campaign staff of Raul Lambino, Ramon Guico and Bebot Bello—all senatorial candidates—arrived shortly after the former defense chief left.

REPORT FROM ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

www.micmedina.tk

No place safe from nothing cheap

2010-02-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing cheap anymore, even rice, our staple food, that poor families living on the edge may soon be forced to cut down on the quantity and quality of food they are consuming.

A study conducted by United Nations’ International Finance for Agriculture Development called “Soaring Food Prices and the Rural Poor,” states the existent sting on the rising cost of food to those living in rural areas. Based on that study, it was learned that almost all developing countries food prices have increased during 2007 and early 2008, and have more than doubled, and what’s bad, there have been absolute scarcities of foods available in local markets. The Food and Agricultural Organization has warned that 37 countries presently face food crisis.

This is serious. Poor Juan, who can hardly eat a square meal a day, may be made to survive further by reducing his food intake while rich politician Jose is making gains with his rackets.

And as what has been seen at present may have to extend until 2011, so the reports said, since our country may not be able to cut rice imports in the next three years as it cannot expect to reach self-sufficiency in rice.

Here, we can see clearly where the government failed. Had the Arroyo administration worked for the implementation of the agriculture and fisheries modernization program, which could have provided an annual P20 billion earnings for concerned sectors, our country could have been self-sufficient by now. But instead on looking after the welfare of its people, the government concentrated on other priorities, er politics.

Somebody asked, “What will one do to get a handful of rice?” Probably everything, including thievery and murder. Evidently, if this problem continues to linger, children will suffer most, especially when there will be food shortages and heaven forbid, war.

EDITORIAL

www.micmedina.tk

Remembering the heroes of the Daima Tragedy

2010-02-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—Aside from its innumerable survivors, the February 25, 2000 tragedy gave birth to a dozen of acclaimed but forgotten heroes.

Among the list of those who unselfishly put their lives and limbs on the line to save others is a modest college student, who still learns to forget the bitter memories of that fateful Friday afternoon five years ago.

Ronald Milo Villasis, 20 years old and a resident of Baybay Triunfo, Ozamiz City, recalls how he became in an instant a man of distinguished valor by saving the lives of several passengers from the burning M/V Our Lady of Mediatrix barge of Daima Shipping.

Villasis saved three women and a man on the verge of drowning after they jumped from the so-called “Floating Inferno.”

A working student-helper of the port police of Philippine Ports Authority, Villasis, then 15-year old high school student of Ozamiz City National High School, received a plaque of commendation from the head office of the PPA for his heroic act.

In handing out the commendation, then PPA General Manager Juan Peña, Northern Mindanao District Port Manager Ernesto Fernando, Acting General Manager for Operations Benjamin Cecilio and Ozamiz Port Manager Necitas Layola Jr. complimented the young man’s “presence of mind, heroism, bravery and unselfishness, all of which are “models for all of us to follow.”

“The men and women whose lives you saved that day, their families and friends will forever be grateful to you,” the commendation reads.

A BELLOW OF GLOOM

What could have been a peaceful afternoon at Ozamiz port suddenly turned to feeble cries for help when at 4:00 o’clock, while the Our Lady of Mediatrix was moving closer to dock from its 15-minute trip from Mukas, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte, a deafening blast roared, recalls acting port chief Hernando Hallares.

Hallares recounts the tragedy in his article entitled “The valiant acts of those who dared” which was published in the April-June 2000 issue of Port News, the PPA’s quarterly publication.

The PPA chief also acknowledged Wellie Melmao, PMO-Ozamiz contract worker who saved six victims, including a four-year old girl, and retrieved the lifeless bodies of an infant, a six-year old girl and a woman.

“There could have been more lives lost if not for the quick response of Melmao and Villasis. Without regard of their own safety, they braved the disaster area saving other people,” Hallares wrote.

He commended Villasis and Melmao as brave and exceptional workers.

“Though many grieved on that fateful day, what is consoling was the fast rescue of more than a hundred passengers through the valiant acts of a few who dared put their lives in danger to save others,” Hallares wrote.

SPRING TO ACTION

An explosion from a Super 5 Express bus, one of the 13 vehicles aboard the barge, quickly set the vehicle on fire which startled the passengers who dashed in all directions for safety.

A minute later, another incendiary bomb exploded in another Super 5 bus, creating a holocaust of flames and heavy smoke inside the ferry and causing panicked passengers, even those who do not know how to swim, to jump overboard.

Others died of drowning, while a number of scarred and injured survivors were fished out of the water and brought to the hospitals by good-hearted civilians who helped in the rescue operations.

Villasis recalls he was doing siesta at the PPA quarters when he heard the commotion outside.

“Pagkakita nako sa barge nga gakalayo, midagan dayon ko ug mitan-aw. Naay usa ka baye nga naglugos ug langoy ug nangayo nakog tabang, maong nilukso ko ug ako siyang giguyod padaplin,” he said.

Villasis’ brush with death came when the second woman he helped grabbed and stuck to him tightly. A good diver, he slipped from the woman by swimming deeper. When he came back, he calmed her down and saved her.

“Ayaw kog guniti, di tika maluwas ana,” he recalls having scolded the woman.

THE HERO IS A SURVIVOR TOO

A survivor himself, Ronald grew up in the care of his grandmother. The third of the five siblings, he started earning money at an early age as a shoeshine boy inside the port.

Then PPA-Ozamiz port police chief Bert Alferez took the skinny boy to do the daily errands for them. This and his frequent hanging out in the port police office became his ticket in getting his job.

Presently a third year Bachelor of Science in Criminology student at Misamis University, Villasis claims then vice-governor and now governor Loreto Leo Ocampos promised - in addition to the commendation he received from the PPA - to shoulder his college education by making him a scholar.

But the promise remains a promise five long years after the tragedy. Jokingly, during the interview with this paper, he quipped that he has survived that long holding on to Ocampos’ promise.

“I hope the promise will be fulfilled before I graduate,” Villasis said. For him, free tuition fees would at least help him “stay afloat” and “swim through” the rudimentary of schooling in the great sea of life.

HEROES LEAGUE

Bam Cuartero, in his essay published on Tinig ng Marino Internet edition May-June 2000 issue, narrated the heroic acts of Capt. Rene Maglasang, founder and leader of the Project Alpha of Misamis Institute of Technology (MIT) as he and his men assisted the rescue operation conducted by the PPA, Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority.

“While people started to gather ashore and stare hopelessly at the burning barge and its helpless passengers and crew, Maglasang had something ‘burning in his mind,” writes Cuartero. “Like a true man of the sea, Maglasang readily set the members of MIT Project Alpha to respond to an emergency that is slowly turning into one big sea tragedy.”

Equipped with functional life jackets, ten oxygen tanks and rescue gears, aided by two ferry boats and motor vehicles, a bus for mass transport and a Nissan Safari for emergency runs, including the MV Nardel for scouring the seas for survivors, Maglasang deployed 10 fittest and finest members of Project Alpha, including a midshipman and one NCO personnel from MIT’s 613th NROTC unit, to supervise the rescue operations.

“The immediate response of the well-equipped Alpha Team has dramatically reduced what could have turned into an accident of major proportions. Ferrying of every injured passenger and crew was done post haste and the MIT team’s two vehicles made transport to hospitals or medical clinics on a non-stop basis,” Cuartero writes.

At about the same time of the ferry attack, a third bomb went off in another bus in the town of Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte, killing five and injuring 15 passengers.

A third attack was foiled in Cagayan de Oro City, when police authorities discovered a mortar inside a bag placed under the seat of another Super 5 bus preparing to leave for Ozamiz. A digital timer showed that the bomb was set to explode at 3:00 in the afternoon, a spokesman of the military’s Southern Command said. The police and military set up checkpoints along the highway to search vehicles and passengers for bombs.

Because Super 5 Express owned the buses, investigators speculated that Muslim extortionists or separatist rebels planted the bombs after the firm refused to give in to their demand.

A certain Allan Saumay, a.k.a Kumander Merkado, was arrested as the principal suspect, along with Amanodin Dimalna. Their case was dismissed on April 23, 2001 by presiding Judge Pedro Suan for insufficiency of evidence.

FEATURE STORY BY MICHAEL MEDINA
Reprinted from Panguil Bay Monitor, Feb. 25, 2005 issue

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Zambosur seniors hail passage of VAT exemption bill

2010-02-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

THE Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines (FESCA)-Zamboanga del Sur Chapter hailed the signing of the law exempting the elderly from the 12% value added tax (VAT), saying the money saved can be used to more essential needs like medicine and food for their families.

Under the proposed law, Filipinos at least 60 years of age will enjoy an increased discount of 20% from 8% if they are exempted from the VAT. This means that for every P100, the senior citizens save P12.

FESCA President Ricardo Javate told this paper through a telephone interview they were relieved that Pres. Gloria Arroyo finally made good her promise to give the elderly her post-Valentines gift by signing the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.

“Nagpaabot gyod mi ana gikan pa atong Pebrero 14. Nalipay kaayo mi sa maong development. Bisan gani sa karaan nga 8% ra ang among ma-avail samot na og 20% na,” Javate said.

The VAT exemption applies to medicines and essential medical supplies, accessories and equipment; fees of attending physicians; medical, dental fees and diagnostic and laboratory fees; fares for buses, jeepneys, taxis, AUVs, shuttle services, public railways, domestic air transport and other vessels.

The new measure also entitle senior citizens to a 5% discount on their water and electric bills on the condition that the utilities are named under the senior citizen residing in the household, and that the consumption for electricity and water should be below 100 kilowatt-hours and 30 cubic meters per month, respectively.

Also, indigent senior citizens will be given a monthly stipend of P500 which will be subject to the periodic review of Congress in coordination with the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD). In case of death of an indigent senior citizen, an amount of P2,000 will also be awarded to his or her nearest kin as death benefit assistance.

All these discounts were originally envisioned in RA 7342, the Senior Citizens Act passed in 1992 and later expanded via RA 9257 in 2004. RA 9331 or the new VAT law of 2005, however, effectively trimmed the discount to just 8% when it raised the tax rate to 12%.

Malacañang had earlier hinted unwillingness to sign the bill into law due to the revenue losses it would bring to the government, which is trying to plug its widening fiscal deficit.

“Its signing into law is overdue. While the rich can wait, our indigent senior citizens cannot afford the delay in discounts and benefits,” vice presidential candidate and Sen. Loren Legarda recently stated in her press release emailed to this paper.

Javate, when asked, revealed that only Mercury Drugs would grant them the discount on medicines purchased upon presentation of a valid senior citizens card, the purchase booklet and prescription.

“Ang People’s Plaza nakadungog ko nga mohatag na pod daw. Sa mga fast food centers, ang Chowking ug Jollibee ra ang gahatag discount,” he added.

Javate said that last Feb. 4, during their regular monthly meeting, they invited the manager of Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. (RTMI) to endorse their request of a special fare discount, not the special privilege given by the bus company at present.

“Kanang klaro jud nga 20% ang among request dili lang kay kana ilang gina-offer nga SP,” he said.

The Office of Senior Citizens Affairs in Pagadian, which is attached to the City Mayor’s Office, is the authorized office that will issue senior citizens identification cards, purchase requests and receive complaints.

Javate said that city residents who reach 60 years old are automatic members, even without securing any ID but those who enroll in FESCA will have to pay P20 in membership fee and other fees.

He claimed FESCA at present has 19,000 members in Zamboanga del Sur.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO

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Camp Abelon holds earthquake drill

2010-02-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

IN connection with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) 4-Point Plan of Action for Disaster Preparedness, the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office (ZSPPO) joined the nationwide earthquake drill conducted by the Civil Defense (OCD) last Wednesday, Feb. 17.

With the theme, “Pag Alerto Malayo sa Peligro,” the OCD-led 1st Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill was held inside Camp Abelon.

Police Provincial Director S/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena said their participation in the activity is in response to PNP directives and pursuant to the pronouncement of Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s call for government offices to be alert always in any event of disaster.

The 1st nationwide earthquake drill last June 20, 2006 was organized after the chief executive mandated that “earthquake drills should be conducted on a quarterly basis and further expand the participation of government and private offices and establishments, until such time that will be perfected and people's reaction during and after an earthquake become second nature to prevent casualties.”

Simultaneous nationwide earthquake drills are also conducted in all local government units, private and public schools as well as private and government entities nationwide.

NDCC’s 4-Point Plan of Action for Disaster Preparedness includes the upgrading of emergency and disaster forecasting capability, public information campaign on disaster preparedness, capacity-building for local government units particularly in identified vulnerable areas and mechanisms for government and private sector as partner in relief and rehabilitation.

The NDCC has said that among the most common disasters that hit the country claiming thousands of lives and damaging properties are typhoons, flooding, storm surges, landslides, volcanic eruptions, lahar and mud flows and earthquakes.

“While the country has maintained a level of resilience and has developed appropriate response mechanisms to cope with the dangers of natural and human-induced disasters, the country still needs to prepare for climate change impact,” the NDCC added.

It can be recalled that Pagadian City was hit by a tsunami following a 7.5 intensity earthquake on Aug. 17, 1976 where thousands of people died and millions of properties were damaged.

REPORT BY JONG CADION (PHOTOS PROVIDED)

www.micmedina.tk

Longer power outage in Mindanao seen

2010-02-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY--The water level in Lake Lanao where the Agus plants draw water for electricity has gone down to an alarming level requiring an increase in power curtailment levels or longer periods of brownout, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Wednesday.

Pedro Ambos, officer-in-charge of the Operations and Planning department of the National Power Corporation (NPC)-Mindanao Generation, said there is a possibility that Lake Lanao’s water level will hit the curtailment point of 699.16 meters above sea level this March. At present, the given level is only 10 meters away at 699.25 meters above sea level.

February 23, NGCP corporate communications officer Betty Martinez said they started the power load curtailment 8:00 in the morning, anticipating the deficiency of 358 megawatts (MW) of power supply in the Mindanao grid for its period of peak demand of 1,220 MW as against available capacity of only 863 MW.

This power supply deficiency increased 130 percent from its previous level of 156 MW two weeks ago, as the hydro plants were churning power at only 50 percent of rated capacity, Martinez added.

NGCP’s advisory said the Agus Plant is running at 120 MW out of total rated capacity of 727 MW while the Pulangi Plant is running at 100 MW out of total rated capacity of 255 MW.

Contributing to the deficiency in Mindanao’s power generation capability is the non-availability of Iligan Diesel Power Plant (IDPP) which has a capacity of 35 MW and the planned outage of Power Barge 117 which has a capacity of 50 MW, NGCP added.

Earlier, Eugene Bicar, head of NGCP’s Mindanao-Systems Operations, has pointed to the resumption of the operation of IDPP as among several short-term measures that can be adopted in order to address the current situation.

Meanwhile, Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Alonto-Adiong Jr. said Lake Lanao’s dip in water level is due not only to the prevailing El Niño phenomenon but to alleged neglect of concerned agencies and entities over the preservation of its surrounding watersheds and river tributaries.

Adiong added that he hired Engr. Pipalawan Naga, a local hydrology and environmental expert, to delve into the Lake Lanao problem following persistent reports on the status of the lake’s water level posed on the prevailing power shortage.

“The water level in Lake Lanao has gone down from critical to very alarming level. If this situation continues unabated, Mindanao in particular and the country in general will be in trouble,” Adiong quoted Naga as saying.

It was learned that cases of alleged illegal logging in the lake’s remaining 180,000-hectare watersheds and surrounding mountains have hardly been checked, causing soil erosions to silt heavily the four main river tributaries of Lake Lanao, a report from the Manila Bulletin said.

In another Presentation Paper entitled “Man and Environment: The Case of Lake Lanao,” by Dr. Ali Macawaris and Associate Professor Medior Mamoko of MSU College of Engineering stated that Lake Lanao has a surface area of 356.6 square kilometers. It is shallowest in the northern portion and becomes progressively deeper towards the south.

“An extensive area with depth greater than 110 meters is located at Balut Maito and Masla Islands. Its maximum depth is about 112 meters. Its volume is about 21.5 cubic kilometers and the records of maximum and minimum surface elevation are 702.92 and 698.59 meters, respectively,” Macawaris and Mamoko said.

Lake Lanao watershed includes Lake Lanao, about thirty rivers feeding water into the lake. Aside from the four biggest rivers named Ramain, Taraka, Gata, and Masiu, the Agus River is the only outlet of the lake.

Both professors believed NPC’s operation of Agus hydro plants in Lake Lanao attributed to the low water level in the area which in affected fisheries, agriculture, domestic water needs, and transportation system of the lake, including the religious practices of Maranaos in performing their religious obligations “because they have to walk a certain distance, at many points up to 200 meters, between the lake water and the mosques to perform their ablution.”

“The Maranaos around the lake are using the lake water as drinking water to satisfy their health and hygiene needs. The lowering of the water level is causing them inconvenience because they have to walk a certain distance, in some cases 200 m, bathing and washing purposes,” the two professors from Marawi said.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO & MICHAEL MEDINA

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MILF tells electorate to vote for pro-peace bets

2010-02-23T01:51:00.000-08:00

CANDIDATES who have a clear perspective on pursuing peace in Mindanao should be chosen by the electorate this May elections, an official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said the other day.

Abdulmanaf Mantawil Jr., secretariat chair of the MILF peace panel, sounded this call amid an earlier pronouncement by their group that it would remain neutral in the forthcoming general elections.

He made clear, however, that MILF’s non-interventionist stand on the May elections does not also mean disallowing its mass supporters to vote for particular candidates.

Mantawil said the MILF is interested in who would succeed Pres. Gloria Arroyo, whether the heir to the much-coveted Malacañang seat would be concerned about the fate of its negotiations for a political settlement to the Moro conflict.

Last week, the MILF declared they are willing to conclude a peace pact within the remaining period of the Arroyo administration as long as commitments will be binding regardless of whoever succeeds her as chief executive.

The declaration was understood as humorless although Matawil said the likelihood of a peace pact being concluded within the Arroyo regime’s remaining four months would be a miracle owing to the widely opposing proposals between the two parties.

In its draft agreement, government negotiators said they are offering enhanced powers, functions and governance role for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The MILF, on the other hand, is seeking the creation of a sub-state which would be an entirely new arrangement for political administration for the Muslim polity in Moro-dominated areas of Mindanao.

The MILF proposal embodies power-sharing between the central government and Moro sub-state, which, in the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), said Mantawil.

He explained that in order to implement the MILF draft, it will require “constitutional amendments,” and given the eventful election period, this requisite changes are not likely to be achieved in the next four months.

Another Muslim leader, Muhammad Ameen, chief of the MILF general secretariat, said they will not endorse any candidate but will just make available to its mass supporters the profile of every candidate and an analysis of their platforms of government.

So far, the MILF identified only Liberal party candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada as the ones with an articulate view on how to go about the so-called Bangsamoro problem.

“With Estrada, we all know he wants to settle the matter through war,” Mohagher Iqbal quipped.

Aquino, meanwhile, was observed to have openly declared the primacy of peace negotiations as a pillar of how his administration would deal with the Moro aspiration for self-governance.

But Iqbal, quickly added that they are wary with Noynoy as president given the idea of his would-be advisers, referring to North Cotabato vice-governor Manny Piñol, vice-presidential bet Mar Roxas, and senatorial bets Franklin Drilon and Teodoro Locsin who, in the past, have showed opposition to the aborted MOA-AD.

Iqbal said they are relaxed with a Gordon presidency but doubts “his chances of capturing the post” while the MILF peace panel chair characterizes the stances of both Sen. Manny Villar and that of Gilbert Teodoro on the same level of vagueness.

Maulana Alonto, a member of the MILF peace panel, also noted the slim regard accorded to the Moro right to self-determination in the current discourse of the presidential campaign.

“To Moros, especially those involved in the liberation struggle whether on the negotiating table or the battlefield, the priority will always be the just resolution of the Moro Question. Other than this, we do not give a hoot who becomes president of the Philippine state,” he stressed.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

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El Niño affects PCWD’s spring sources

2010-02-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

THE dry spell is not only causing negative effects on agriculture and daily weather conditions but on water supply as well, this was the statement of Edilberto Yorong, general manager of the Pagadian City Water District (PCWD).

In a telephone interview, Yorong recommends that consumers conserve or use water wisely as the lingering dry spell will continue to disturb rainfall patterns in Zamboanga del Sur and this early has already affected domestic water supply.

Yorong added that even though PCWD is slightly affected by the drought season, still they mapped out contingency measures to avert the impact of water shortage just in case the dry spell persist until summer time.

He said that such contingency measures involved the expansion of their spring sources in Danlugan and Manga, which now produce additional 20 liters per second aside from its daily volume.

However, Yorong said they regulated both springs to release to only 5 liters per second to augment the old and established water sources in the area as he confirmed water supply level from the mentioned springs have decreased by several cubic meters.

Aside from this, PCWD also constructed deep wells in Tiguma and Napolan with a total budget of P8 million.

He said that even with the worst scenario coming in, PCWD will not cut down its water supply to its customers although it has been a frequent complaint among residents that the water district is “rationing” its water because of irregular water schedules.

Yorong corrected that they are not rationing water but this is because of the generation deficiency, insufficient power supply and the Mindanao-wide load curtailment resulting to brownouts that lasts for 12 hours.

He explains that after every scheduled brownout, PCWD will wait some 24 hours to bring back the pressure of water to pipes because of the city’s steep terrain, which is also causing the low water pressure.

Again, with the El Niño phenomenon, consumers use more water, up from the minimum 10 cubic meters per month, Yorong observed, since households use water for their plants and animals and because of the warm weather, people take baths twice a day.

Yorong said that for the city proper, water supply is satisfactory because this is enhanced by electric power from deep wells, like the ones in Napolan and Sto. Niño which have generator sets.

This summer, if the dry spell and the power curtailment keep on, the water utility firm will try to purchase generator sets, the general manager said.

But he said PCWD still has to come to a decision on this matter because a generator costs more than a million peso and that it would be impractical for the water district to secure generators because brownouts were seldom in the city.

Besides, a public consultation is needed for this to materialize, he concluded, and for the mean time, they are constructing additional lines in those areas where water supply is low.

Presently, it was learned that PCWD is implementing a P113 million project which consists of two water reservoirs and pumping house stations in Bolatok and Dao.

The water tank in Bolatok will serve consumers in Lumbia, Kawit, San Pedro, Tuburan, Sta. Maria and Paglaum-I & II while the one in Dao will distribute water to Banale, Sto. Niño, Balangasan, San Jose and Gatas districts.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO

www.micmedina.tk

Bishop says more Catholics shun confession

2010-02-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

THE outspoken prelate of Ozamiz City, who once questioned the propriety of “anti-life” legislators receiving the Holy Communion, this time declared his sadness on the deteriorating habit of the faithful in going to confession.

The Catholic Church teaches confession as one of the elements of Sacrament of Reconciliation where a repentant sinner finds God's unconditional forgiveness, and as a result is called to forgive others too.

Catholics are supposed to confess their sins to a priest at least once a year. The priest absolves them in God's name.

Archbishop Jesus Dosado, in his latest circular letter, noted the ever declining number of churchgoers who no longer feel obliged to confess their sins, saying almost a third of Catholics shy away from the confession box these days.

Dosado was quoting a recent Vatican survey, which asked respondents “how often, if ever, do you participate in confession?”

The survey, according to the bishop, showed that only 60% admitted to confession “a few times a year or less” while another 22% said doing it “less than weekly but at least once a month” and 15% said “weekly or more.” By average, a fourth of Catholics do confession once a year or less.

“Sa tinuod lang makaguol gyod pag-ayo nga mga Katoliko maglikay sa kumpisal. Wala sila mahibalo sa nawala kanila,” Dosado said in his letter.

“Paghangyo og kumpisal mikunhod paglabay sa panahon kay ang mga sala mismo gikuhaan sa gibug-aton. Wagtanga ang mga sala og mawagtang ang panginahanglan sa pagkumpisal,” he added.

Dosado stressed that like the faithful, priests should also need to “exert effort” and spend more time in the booth, seeing such action as “an excellent example to each other.”

“Ang yawe sa kasulbaran mao nga ang pari malipay nga magpakumpisal ug regular nga magwali mahitungod niini. Ang regular nga kumpisal tukma nga dili kabiyaang bahin sa kultura nga katoliko sa atong pagkakita,” he said.

“There needs to be a regular schedule for confessions. Aside from that, priests should show up for their scheduled masses 15 to 30 minutes before in order to hear last minutes confessions. Confessions should be available even before and during all Sunday masses.”

“Bisan usa ka gamay nga gidaghanon sa mga tawo nga regular mangumpisal adunay dako nga paghapak sa ilang kinabuhi ug sangputanan niini sa kinabuhi sa simbahan,” the bishop concluded.

Traditionally the Catholic Church has had a list of seven deadly sins, that of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride established by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century.

A person who commits these sins risk burning in hell unless absolved through confession and penitence.

In 2009, the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican body that issues decisions on matters of conscience and grants absolutions, published a list of new sins, which included genetic manipulation, experiments on humans, polluting the environment, social injustice, causing poverty, financial gluttony and taking drugs.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

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Basilan mine blast kills two ‘Daredevil’ soldiers

2010-02-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

TWO soldiers were killed in a landmine explosion, Feb. 19, in Pamatsaken, Sumisip, Basilan, reports reaching the 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division in Camp Cesar Sang-an, Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur said.

The report went on to say that 32nd IB “Daredevil” troops were heading for Maluso in search for the two kidnapped Chinese nationals who were reported to have been sighted in Pamatsaken with an armed group when one of the soldiers stepped on an improvised landmine.

Major Gen. Romeo Lustestica identified the two fatalities as PFC Ramton Martel, a resident of Lumbia District, this city, and PFC Hamid Aki, of Sinunuc, Zamboanga City.

Lustestica and wife, Marilou, handed a P20,000 cash assistance to the family of Martel during the military official’s visit at Fatima Funeral Homes this weekend.

It was learned that the family of the slain soldiers, aside from the burial assistance, will also received P250,000 cash assistance and house and lot from the Office of the President while their children will also avail of free education scholarship assistance from elementary up to college.

Lustestica recalled that the 32nd IB “Daredevils” stationed in Lanao del Norte were sent off to Basilan, August last year, to augment to Marine troops in the area.

About 20 men disguised as soldiers kidnapped Zi Shun Lu, alias Oscar Lu; and Bo Shung Tan alias Michael Tan, November last year, from a plywood factory in Sitio Buting, Maluso along with a Filipino worker identified as Mark Singson.

Singson was later beheaded after his employer, Hi-Tech Wood Craft Corp. failed to pay the P1.5 million ransom demand.

The Basilan provincial crisis management committee, headed by Vice-governor Alrasheed Sakalahul, said the kidnappers of the Chinese nationals demanded P13-million ransom for their release.

Sakalahul said the kidnappers are most likely related to the dreaded Abu Sayyaf Group as he disclosed the two kidnapped victims are still alive but no updates were given by their captors as to the status of their health.

Last Feb. 2, a soldier from the 32nd IB died and eight others were wounded in a landmine explosion while on board a six by six armored truck traversing between the villages of Libug and Cabacan.

September, last year, a land mine blew up a Humvee carrying two American soldiers and a Filipino marine and killing them on the spot. The Americans were army non-combatants helping supervise a school-building project.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

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Muggers cart P34T from LBC branch

2010-02-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

AN estimated P34,000 in cold cash and two cellular phones were carted away by three muggers who barged inside the LBC-Rizal Branch in Rizal Avenue, noontime of Feb. 20.

Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo said some witnesses identified one of the three suspects in a mug shot gallery as Muammar Bantilan Mama, also known as Tong Mama and Tong Angeles.

Mama, according to Palermo, is a known member of a crime syndicate based in Dinas, and has pending criminal cases and warrant of arrests at present.

Facts gathered from the police chief narrated that Mama, together with his two companions, entered LBC establishment; gun pointed its two tellers, identified as Ethel Blanche Acas and Rey Marcial Pallar, and declared a hold up.

The suspects then took the cash inside the tellers’ drawers including two cellular phones.

A commotion happened when one of the customers was able to run outside and call for help which prompted the robbers to breakout and board a waiting motorcycle in their get-away.

One of the suspects even shot Pallar hitting his left hand.

Palermo told this paper they are preparing charges of robbery and frustrated murder against Mama and his companions.

Last December, a driver was killed and his lady co-worker wounded when two muggers tried to rob and shoot them in the process.

The foiled robbery occurred at the PAFCPIC office, located along Lawiswis Drive in Sagun St., this city, just about 500 meters from the PNP Provincial Headquarters.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

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Police raid Misoc dad’s house

2010-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

OROQUIETA CITY—Joint police forces swooped down on a town councilor’s residence, dawn of Wednesday, Feb. 17, and found several short ammunitions and a grenade purportedly hidden by the subject in inconspicuous places inside his house.

A report from the Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Command (MOPPC) said the search on councilor Joel “Tiwi” Daque’s house in Brgy. Caluya yielded a Smith & Wesson Super .38 caliber with ammunitions, a 9 mm pistol and .38 caliber found hidden at the back of the fireplace, and a grenade placed in the clothes cabinet.

Police Provincial Director S/Supt. Robert Quenery confirmed the discovered firearms are without licenses and they will file charges of illegal possession of firearms, explosives and violation of the Election Omnibus Code against Daque.

The police director added that several complaints from residents of Sapang Dalaga and the neighboring Baliangao town have prodded them to apply for a search warrant. “Yung bahay niya parang ginagamit na lalagyan ng mga armas,” Quenery said.

Quenery disclosed that Daque is the brother of Francisco “Dondon” Daque, a known gun-for-hire in the area believed to be responsible in the recent incident in Naburos, Baliangao where armed men harassed and threatened local settlers.

A previous report attributed to Baliangao vice-mayor Agne Yap, a mayoralty bet, alleged that his political rival, Svetlana Jalosjos, hired a group of criminals lead by Dondon who intimidated residents by forcing them to sign a document supporting Jalosjos’ candidacy in the coming May election.

Svetlana is the daughter of former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos.

Some 121 families including children, women moved out of Naburos early this month and refused to return for fear of their lives as Punong Barangay Alberto Garcia said armed men led by Dondon were roaming in his village and niggling helpless residents since January 28.

In 2001, Baliangao has been tagged as a “hot spot” during the 2001 polls due to the presence of private armies. As of this writing, the police and the 55th IB have already established checkpoints in entry and exit points of Naburos.

REPORT BY ARCHIE AJIAS

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Workers put down tools, paralyzes Global Steel

2010-02-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

ILIGAN CITY—Striking employees of the country’s biggest domestic manufacturer and exporter of flat steel products is calling for the intervention of Pres. Gloria Arroyo to help work out their differences with the management.

Elmer Nelson Nayon, president of the Global Steel Labor Union (GLSU), said steel workers walked out from their posts last Feb. 15 after the mediation conference with Global Steel Philippines, Inc. (GSPI) management brokered by personnel from the labor department.

The lightning strike of some 500 workers paralyzed the operation of the steel plant for about a week already until this writing as the workers picketed “by shifts” in front of the plant’s gates 1, 3, and 4.

Nayon said the conference was called to resolve issues in GLSU’s collective bargaining agreement, unpaid salaries, non-payment of 13th month benefits of 2009, including the non-remittances of SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig premiums and non-payment of overtime premiums for six months.

The workers union also scored GSPI’s alleged non-compliance of safety and environmental standards on industrial waste disposal which threatened the health of workers and purportedly caused the recurrent fish kills in Iligan Bay.

Nayon said the mass action was an individual decision of the workers who wanted to level out their grievances against GSPI management, who was reported to have expressed reservations to GLSU’s demands during the mediation conference.

A report from Iligan City’s website however said, citing an unnamed GSPI official that the company could not agree on the workers wage plea since their rates are 2.3 times more than the mandated wages under the law.

The report added that the Indian-owned steel company has barely came out of the slump in 2009 due to the financial crisis and still has to recoup its losses by boosting production up to 80,000 MT for this quarter.

It was learned that GSPI, which exports 70 percent of its production primarily to Southeast Asian countries, Europe and Africa, was operating on orders only and on rotation after demand for flat steel products dropped in the last quarter of 2008.

Juanito Enriquez of the Civil Society Organizations Forum for Peace, which is assisting the needs of the protesting workers, said a dialogue was called by Mayor Lawrence Cruz last Tuesday, Feb. 16, between GSPI management and the workers’ union but nothing happened.

This time, Nayon said he believes the president’s intervention might help resolve the labor dispute.

GSPI has over 1,100 skilled Filipino workers under its employ at present.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

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BFP reports good take in fire code fees

2010-02-20T00:34:00.000-08:00

THE Bureau of fire Protection (BFP) reported a big leap in its income from fire code fees after it successfully performed its first month implementation of collections, City Fire Marshal Christopher Morales said.

In a visit inside his office, Morales disclosed that for Jan. 1 to Feb. 5 alone, they collected a total of P441,535.98, more than double their collections for the same period, as compared to last year’s P290.573.24.

This total collection was taken from the four common coverage charges of the fire code fees, which is composed of a tenth in Safety Inspection Fee taken from the total charges of the local government, 0.1% Fire Code Construction Tax from building cost, another .01% Fire Code Realty Tax of the assessed value of commercial buildings and Storage Clearance fee from gasoline stations.

Morales explained that gasoline tanks with a capacity of 12,000 to 14,000 liters are collected P240, while diesel tanks with the capacity of 4,000 to 20,000 litters are collected P90, and kerosene tanks with capacity of 20,000 to 40,000 liters will pay P120.

This initial collection performance is a good indication of taxpayers’ support and understanding to the new policies and process of securing fire safety permits and conducting fire inspection to establishments, Morales noted.

He added that their collection will be remitted to the National Treasury after which 20% will go back to the local government to be used in the maintenance operation and programs for the implementation of fire safety.

This 20% share from total collections is mandated under RA 9514, the Comprehensive Fire Code of the Philippines, which now provides wider scope on fire safety measures to residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

Of the remaining 80%, about 18 percent will be coursed through the Department of Budget and Management in the acquisition of fire trucks, fire fighting equipments and accessories, and construction of more buildings.

In the old fire code, which is Presidential Decree 1185, any collection pertaining to fire code fees goes directly to the National Treasury without retention percentage for local government concerned.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

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CPC-6 to extend assistance for another 2 years

2010-02-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

THE Sixth Country Program for Children (CPC-6) Executive Committee has chosen Zamboanga del Sur as one of the central areas of its two-year extension period, latest information from the Capitol said.

The CPC aims to accelerate efforts to reduce disparities in selected areas in Mindanao composed of Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Agusan Sur, Maguindanao and Sulu, through the Child-Friendly Movement (CFM).

The bit of good news was made in a letter addressed to Gov. Aurora Cerilles from Vanessa Tobin, representative of UNICEF Philippines, and Augusto Santos, NEDA acting socio-economic planning secretary and director general and chairperson of CPC 6 Executive Committee and National Steering Committee.

It was learned that the UNICEF assistance to Zambosur already ended last December marking the ten years of support for CFM in the province as well as the development and implementation of CPC-6.

Tobin, said in her letter, that CPC 6 team will visit Zambosur to agree on the scope of our assistance during the next two years, agree on results for children they can aim for, and develop the new annual work plans.

If and when this pushes through, the CPC will have to extend the current memorandum of agreement with the province for the next two-year extension project to carry on.

CPC’s components include the promotion of gender-fair participation, retention and achievement in education; health and nutrition; children in need of special protection; HIV/AIDS prevention; local policy and institutional development and communication for the promotion of children's rights

The CPC team also opened up out its achievements for children with the cooperation of the province, mentioning the early childhood education; Child Friendly School System and student tracking system which were aimed at reducing the drop-out rates for primary education; ensured immunization rates of over 80%; introduced a de-worming program; trained BHWs on the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses and maternal care; and supported the Garantisadong Pambata program.

In addition, the partnership has also improved work in child protection and on juvenile justice; concluded an agreement with the MILF to ensure no children are caught up in armed conflict; achievements on program policy with the success of the 4 gifts for children project; and ensured that the voices of children are heard in various meetings.

In the coming months, the province will be consulted and involved in the start of the formal evaluation of the CFM while the two-year extension program will focus more on strengthening the capacity to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in areas where progress is most lacking for women and children.

These MDG goals are identified as poverty and malnutrition, universal primary education and maternal and neonatal mortality.

Also, re-established area focal officers will provide technical support in the duration of the new two-year extension.

REPORT BY ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

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Capitol deals with garbage management

2010-02-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

CLEANLINESS is always next to righteousness, the Provincial Government sees good sense in this adage in its new fight against wanton littering of trash and junks in offices.

This effort, along with the reality of the lack of adequate disposal sites and solid waste management (SWM) systems, is being initiated by assigning the so-called regular and auxiliary enforcers who will see to it that garbage in offices is dealt with properly.

The deputization of enforcers, according to Acting DENR regional executive director Rogelio Lagat, is in line with the Enhanced Solid Waste Management Program (ESWMP) undertaken by the Capitol.

The enforcers will not only keep watch over Capitol offices, but also the national and provincial offices outside the compound, on who’s who are following Executive Order No. 01-01.

EO No. 01-01 provides for an enhanced SWM program for all government offices with the jurisdiction of the Provincial Government to “define and coordinate SWM efforts and serve as a model for “waste avoidance, segregation and reduction at source.”

Supervising Environmental Management Specialist Carmencita Singgo said EO No. 01-01 complements the provisions contained in RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and the Environment Code of Zamboanga del Sur.

RA 9003 provides for an ESWMP, creates the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declares certain acts prohibited and provides penalties for violations.

Lagat explains again that RA 9003 is a legislation that aims to address garbage problem in the country, especially in urban areas while it seeks to prevent garbage crisis in the country by minimizing waste, recovery and collection, treatment and disposal.

Pursuant to RA 9003, non-recyclable packaging materials are prohibited and SWM is to be integrated in the academe while local and national government officials who fail to implement the law in their localities will be subjected to sanctions, penalties and will be charged with administrative, criminal and civil cases.

Gov. Aurora Cerilles, whose message was read by Provincial Administrator Pepito Degamo, raised her hopes that the program may finally bring the answer to the age-old problem on garbage as she urged Capitol employees to play ideal roles in implementing the ESWMP.

“As workmen in the government, we must first set the example [and make] our own offices clean,” Cerilles said, urging cooperation and support for the program and in promoting environment awareness in each place of work.

“I am hoping that from here we shall go a long way in the proper and effective management of our solid wastes, not only in the Capitol but also in the entire Zamboanga del Sur,” she stressed.

REPORT BY ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

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BFP: More fires, property damages in 2009

2010-02-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) suppressed more fires in 2009 as compared to the previous year, 21 to 18, City Fire Marshal Christopher Morales said last weekend.

The fire marshal likewise said that total damages to property due to fires scaled up, from more than P49 million in 2008 to P59-million in 2009.

Using BFP’s comparative report, Morales noted the big fires last year, especially on the first two months where four fires were recorded: the January dawn fire at the PJC High School along Sanson Street, damaging some P3,171,664 in properties, and a warehouse located in Tiguma, which burned P400,000 in property damages.

In February, last year, a total of 110 residential houses, including the Pulmones matriarchal home and a bit of Santiago Elementary School, were razed to the ground and damages amounting to more than P25-million.

Compared to 2008 figures, only two fires were reported on January, the one in Bagong silang and between the boundary of Dumagoc and Sta. Lucia with P600,000 worth of property damages.

Two fire incidents were listed in February 2008: the one involving four residential houses in Kapamanok, San Pablo, that of Bagong Silang and the nine residential houses near the Bodega Warehouse of Rural Transit. Total damages were recorded at P1.8-million.

For March 2008 and 2009, BFP reported a zero fire but on April 26, 2008, a P45-million worth of property in Agora was destroyed by fire, followed by the one that happened at the residence of DILG officer James Yañez with an estimated damages of P700,000.

April 2009, a fire hit San Francisco District, along Alano Street where the old building of the Provincial Schools Division, the City Gymnasium and four residential houses beside the Zamsureco I building was devastated costing total damages of more than P25-million.

Aside from electrical accidents, Morales traced the cause of the mentioned fires to negligence of concerned residents as he said their office has intensified the implementation of fire safety and prevention campaign through the conduct massive building inspection in commercial areas around the city.

“We were able to increase about 91% in total buildings inspected, from 1,063 in 2008 to 2,032 in 2009. For this year, we will see to it that the compliance of fire safety will be implemented as mandated in RA 9514, the Comprehensive Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008,” he said.

The BFP chief then told this paper that last Christmas and New Year, their office, in collaboration with DOH, jointly conducted “Oplan Iwas Paputok,” reminding the public to practice safety during the holidays. He said that it gained positive results and no fire incident was reported.

Morales concluded that later this year, two fire trucks will be arriving from their national office. One surplus truck from Japan was already released and fitted with accessories at the moment.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

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BFP tells residents to show concern on trash fires

2010-02-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the city is urging the public to practice segregating or recycling their garbage to reduce the amount of trash going to the dump site in Bagong Silang in Balangasan and avoid incidents of trash fires.

City Fire Marshal Christopher Morales told this paper that since January, nine trash fire incidents have been reported to their office, three of which speak about a billowing smoke emanating from the Bagong Silang dump site.

He said he is not sure if these trash fires were started intentionally or just by a careless smoker discarding a cigarette.

Morales warned residents to be extra careful since garbage dump sites produce huge amount of highly combustible methane gas which could be set ablaze or explode when in contact with fire or get ignited by the extensive dry weather brought by El Niño.

Methane forms in dump sites when rotting garbage decomposes in the absence of oxygen. Some uninformed operators burn the trash to prevent a build-up of dangerous quantities of the flammable gas.

Morales said that trash fires nowadays happen because of carelessness of residents in disposing their wastes; some would even throw away their loose litter or garbage into vacant lots in between schools or residential structures.

He cited, for example, what happened last Feb. 15 when a garbage fire hit the garbage area near Camp Abelon Elementary School that nearly burned the school if not for the timely arrival of the firefighters.

The next day, the vacant lot near Medina College in Brgy. Bolatok experienced a trash fire and another one happened last Feb. 18 near the Pilot Elementary School in San Jose District and Hikers Palace in Brgy. Dao.

The amount of garbage going into a dumpsite like the one in Bagong Silang, will always be an instance of fire incidents in the area, Morales explained, adding the experience should compel village officials to implement proper waste management in their respective areas.

It was learned that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has already disallowed the throwing away of trash in the site and has suggested to the city government to find another a landfill site away from the populated area.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

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Comelec takes control of AFP, PNP

2010-02-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

THE provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), headed by lawyer Ignacio Baya has activated the Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) that will synchronize all strategies and implement all election-related information, guidelines and orders.

Police Provincial Director S/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena said the PJSCC, which serves as a coordinating office of the Comelec and law enforcers, maintains an office at Camp Abelon and is presided by Baya, with him and the respective commanders of the 101st and 102nd Brigades as members.

The police director disclosed that PJSCC will see to it that applicable Comelec resolutions will be put into operation like the prohibited acts during election period, the nationwide firearms ban and the policies involving the provision of security details and the establishment of mobile checkpoints around Zambosur.

The establishment of mobile checkpoints already started last Jan. 10, as with other regions around the country, making sure that all persons in civilian attire are presumed unauthorized to carry guns.

The PJSCC will likewise receive complaints regarding police and military personnel during the election period, Ochotorena said, by just contacting PJSCC’s mobile hotlines: 09083770447, 09053224497 and 09326822083.

On fears of human rights violations, the police director assured there are guidelines being followed so that abuses are not committed.

“We are asking the public to cooperate. We are only using all resources to help Comelec achieve a successful, peaceful and orderly election this May,” he said.

Ochotorena concluded that at present, they are “carefully evaluating and assessing” security and contingency plans during the campaign period of both national and local candidates; including the election so-called watch list areas (EWAs).

He said that initially there are nine EWAs in Zambosur. “Possibly mo-reduce pa ni or madugangan, pabag-o-bag-o man and sitwasyon sa mga lungsod. So far, peaceful man ang probinsiya but we are not too confident, we are still on the lookout,” he said.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

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Pagadian tryke drivers implement P9 fare

2010-02-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

THE Pagadian Independent Tricycle Drivers and Operators Confederation (PITDOCON) headed by Jesuseller “Dodong” Duterte said they are now implementing the P9 fare matrix after the City Council formally gave it a go signal last Tuesday.

Duterte said the P9 straight fare applies to passengers bound for city proper routes while an additional P.50 will be added after the boundary thereof.

In 2008, the City Council approved PITDOCON’s request to increase its fares, from P7 to P9, in the wake of the deviant gasoline prices in the market.

But PITDOCON voluntary collected only P8 after the public protested and gas stations then made a backward trend in their pump prices.

Duterte explains that even they still have to recoup their losses; they find it necessary to implement the P9 fare matrix since gas prices now have not dropped to the expected P36 per liter level to give the tricycle drivers a generous earning.

He said that the present P45.80 per liter price of gasoline and the rising prices of commodities and motor parts accessories are the factors why they are requesting councilors to implement the present fare matrix; anyway the commuters have enjoyed the voluntary fare holiday they initiated then.

The P2 fare increase was permitted after councilor Arnold “Glaveys” Gavenia, chair of the committee on public utilities, transportation, communications and franchising, found PITDOCON’s request as “reasonable.”

PITDOCON’s request then came in the wake of the P55.11 per liter price of gasoline, which Duterte said, should be an insight to the riding public to consider their demand as “just and reasonable.”

Gavenia advised PITDOCON to maintain courtesy to riders, especially students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities by granting them a P1 discount.

Presently, in Pagadian, premium gasoline is being sold at P45.80 per liter while regular is at P43.20, diesel at P35.90 and kerosene at 45.25.

This current range of pump prices, according to Duterte, is still above average and not enough to “make drivers enjoy the fruits of their labor.”

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

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Bedroom boredom

2010-02-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

The issue on reproductive health has brought pastoral concerns from the high and mighty Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to impose its will on couples to adhere and use only the allowable method of natural family planning.

It has been the official stand of the Catholic Church to do away with contraceptives and the like, even condemning anybody insisting on using it for procreation or political agenda and sensationalism.

Now, this often tackled issue remains due to the vehemence of several lawmakers to have the so-called “anti-life” and “anti-family” bills passed in Congress, in the light of bishops retaining a considerable influence on some of the congressmen.

Although the bishops does support family planning it seems not to be that effective since it allows only abstinence or the rhythm method. What we need, therefore, is a drastic measure for curbing population surge but whether how to do it between and by married couples; the government and the militant church should only give guidelines and leave the couple to do their intercourse. We need a reproductive health bill that is consent of conscience and general welfare and not the one promoting contraceptive culture.

Since then, other than the Catholic Church, the media is also seen as one of the main impediments to the realization of a favorable policy environment for sexual and reproductive health rights in the country, dubbed as “third-party interventionists” and influence to the political structure.

There has been a legal demarcation between Church and State and the church’s interference in political matters has obscured that so-called “separation,” given the fact that religion is hardly a factor in family planning decisions, as what Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations consistently showed.

Mainstream media, as we said, was blamed for covering only a substantial aspect of reproductive health issues; oftentimes taking into account only the church’s views.

www.micmedina.tk

Pagadian celebrates Chinese New Year

2010-02-18T00:21:00.000-08:00

AS part of the city's yearly initiative, city officials headed by Mayor Samuel Co led the celebration of the Chinese Lunar Year, Feb. 13, with thousands of well-wishers converging at Plaza Luz.

Since 2004, Co formally recognized the yearly celebration of the Chinese New Year and festival, where a fireworks display and an array of Chinese delicacies would be displayed in booths lining up the city plaza.

Also, choirs would sing their songs and lion dancers would bounce and prance in front of the delighted spectators. The Lion Dance is meant to ring in wealth and prosperity in the New Year and scare away evil spirits.

This year’s Chinese New Year coincided with Valentine’s Day, symbolically known as the Year of the Metal Tiger, which Co associates with bravery.

In his message, the Filipino-Chinese chief executive, thanked the help and support of Filipino-Chinese community, his wife, Ilang Ilang, the City Tourism Council chaired Dr. Dicky Fernandez, and the academe for its dedication to promote the Chinese culture in their participative songs and dances.

Looking back the past year, Co recalled that 2009 was one remarkable year for city officials and Pagadianons because, with the support of Gov, Aurora Cerilles and the Provincial Board, tangible projects were started and the city slowly transformed into a regional center.

For this year, Co predicts huge infrastructure projects coming out, like the completion of the P482-million city commercial complex and the ongoing four-lane highways in the urban center, an air-conditioned gymnasium, a bay walk drive at the coastal area, the development of Plaza Luz and a food processing project in Danlugan.

During the program, Congressman Antonio Cerilles, who was one of the invited speakers, noted the progress attained by Pagadian City, saying the city hosts the biggest Gaisano Mall, aside from the sprouting big hotels commercial establishments in the city.

Cerilles, said all these were achieved with the trust and confidence of the Filipino-Chinese in the business environment and favorable peace and order condition of Pagadian so they invested their money.

With Cerilles are 1st Infantry Division Commanding General Romeo Lustestica and Bernard Gregorio, who represented Tourism regional director James Elridge Adriancem.

In the morning of Feb. 14, the mayor solemnized the wedding of 143 couples in the Kasalan ng Bayan. Co gave remarks and advised couples to have a sustainable relationship, respect to one another and be a responsible parent to their children.

“Ako manghinauton nga unta magmalipayon kamo, magmalampuson ug labaw sa tanan mahimong responsableng ginikanan diin anaa kaninyo ang pag-edukar, pagmintinar ug pagdisiplina sa inyong mga anak nga mao unyay mahimo natong mga lideres sa dakbayan,” Co said.

“Atong tarungon sa pagplano ug pagdala ang atong pamilya kay kao maoy sumbanan sa inyong mga kaanakan puhon,” he added.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO & MICHAEL MEDINA

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RT Lim opens four Rubber Bagsakan sites

2010-02-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

WITH the aim of strengthening the thriving rubber industry in Zamboanga Peninsula, the agriculture department recently turned over to Roseller T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay, four new rubber bagsakan sites.

Amounting to a total of P1 million, the four rubber bagsakan sites were established in JS Perfecto, San Jose, Calula and Casacon. Aside from the building, each received two units of 500 kilograms weighing scale.

Ferdinand Gamorot, divison chief for agribusiness and marketing assistance, who likewise represented DA regional executive director Oscar Parawan, explained to the recipients the rubber bagsakan outlets will help farmers “sell, promote and regulate rubber products.”

R.T. Lim mayor Danilo Piodena responded with a message that they are grateful with the DA for the projects as he promised they will take good care of the given facilities.

Casacon punong barangay Ernesto Herniani said that because of the rubber bagsakan outlet, they will propagate more rubber trees in their area.

During the ceremony, Gamorot and Piodena were assisted by Vice Mayor Michael Piodena, Councilors Rico Calipayan. Rogelio Hanoy of San Jose, Nemecio Roxas of Calula, HVCC coordinator Marcial Fantone and Municipal Agriculturist Emil Ventura.

To recall, the DA regional office said it is targeting to develop an additional 20,000-hectare rubber plantation in Zamboanga Peninsula, augmenting the region's existing 35,000 hectares.

The DA is also set to establish more budwood gardens and nurseries in emerging rubber production municipalities in the region as well as conduct trainings to local farmers to increase their capability to produce their own clonal planting materials.

According to statistics from the DA, total area planted with rubber nationwide is at 81,925 hectares, with Zamboanga Sibugay having the largest area with 19,576 hectares, followed by North Cotabato and Basilan.

REPORT BY YVET AVELLANADA, DA-9

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MILF keen on inking peace pact within Arroyo’s term

2010-02-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has said they are willing to conclude a peace pact within the remaining period of the Arroyo administration as long as commitments will be binding regardless of whoever succeeds her as president.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF’s chair of the peace panel, said that on the part of government, the binding commitment would likely include substantive reforms in the current legal framework of the Philippine state including amendments to the Constitution.

Iqbal said the constitutional issues are to be discussed “because we are dealing with a government” but he clarifies that it does not mean the peace pact acceptable to them is one crafted within the purview of the Constitution and existing legal framework.

Rather, he said it should outline what needs to be changed as well as what new laws and policies to be enacted in order to institutionalize the political settlement.

Iqbal cited the case between Indonesia and the Banda Aceh rebels as well as the Good Friday Agreement that settled the conflict in Northern Ireland in which the peace accord was made to form part of the respective state’s legal framework, principally amending their basic charters.

Under the MILF proposal, performance of the set of obligations by both the MILF and government will be subject to independent review and oversight; the current International Contact Group (ICG) is proposed to be converted into a monitoring body, Iqbal further said.

The ICG was created to guarantee compliance of both parties to any consensus reached during the peace negotiations. The idea of creating this cropped up following the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).

Iqbal revealed that the federal arrangement the MILF proposes to be set up to address their self-governance aspiration “is similar to Sarawak.”

Sarawak, the largest among Malaysia’s 13 states, used to be an independent state prior to becoming a British Crown colony in 1946. In 1963, it joined Sabah and the former Crown colonies in Malaya in the Federation of Malaysia.

According to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook, under the terms of federation, “Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives” like the right to maintain their own immigration controls.

When reckoned with the current centralized political administration of the country, the MILF proposal accounts for creating a Bangsamoro sub-state.

Given that the binding commitment as conceived by the MILF would need to be performed beyond the Arroyo incumbency, Iqbal said they are confident the next administration would honor any signed agreement “as we are dealing here with a government, not a specific (presidential) regime.”

Iqbal emphasized that any forthcoming peace deal “is not a final peace agreement as we do not believe in finality of negotiations for a political solution, but a comprehensive compact.”

“By comprehensive compact, this means addressing as many issues that form the heart of the Moro conflict,” he explained.

Meanwhile, in a recent special forum hosted by ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) called “Mindanao: The Way Forward,” several experts cited reasons why the Mindanao peace process unraveled with tragic consequences.

They mentioned the lack of political will to the unchecked attacks by key MILF commanders to a massive misinterpretation of a sub-agreement that would have given the rebels an ancestral domain.

In related news, Zamboanga mayor Celso Lobregat also expressed apprehensions over the manner the government pursues negotiations with the secessionist group as he observes that both the GRP and MILF “are not undertaking genuine and honest to goodness consultations with the concerned stakeholders on issues concerning the peace talks.”

“It seems that the lessons of MOA-AD have not been learned. We called for genuine consultations and transparency in the negotiations,” Lobregat told a local newspaper.

The mayor added that he was likewise disgust over the policy on confidentiality espoused by the peace panels, stressing that genuine and meaningful public consultations to all concerned sectors would spell the success of the negotiations.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO, WITH MICHAEL MEDINA

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RT Lim receives farm animals from DA-MRDP

2010-02-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

THE Department of Agriculture-Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRDP) recently distributed a total of 83 carabaos and another 13 cattle to identified people’s organization in Roseller T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay.

These farm animals form part of the DA-MRDP’s Community Fund for Agricultural Development component.

R.T. Lim has a total land area of 48,800 hectares and is composed of 26 barangays. As of 2006, the municipality has 38,774 inhabitants in 7,754 households and at present, has a total of 1.64 million for their animal raising project.

The mentioned livestocks were given to Balansag Samahang ng Magsasaka (BASMAG) and Balansag Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Gango Indigenous Farmers Organization, Gango Integrated Development Association, Silingan CARP Beneficiaries Multi-purpose Cooperative, Pigsalabukan Nog Subanon Association, Tilasan Small Farmers Association and Samahang Magsasaka ng Barangay Pres. Roxas.

Since the distributed carabaos and cattles are not adequate in number to be dispersed among the 208 beneficiaries, it was agreed that the female animals will be in the custody of the respective organizations and members will take turns in taking care of the animals for breeding purposes. The offspring will then be owned by the concerned member.

Last week, the said animals were tagged, dewormed and given vitamins by the Western Mindanao Integrated agricultural Research Center (WESMIARC)—DA’s research arm—Provincial Veterinarian Office of Zamboanga Sibugay and the Municipal Agriculturist Office of RT. Lim.

BASMAG President Pascual Pat expressed his thanks to DA-MRDP for the project as he said that the animals will reduce their cost of farming operation and at the same time will be used to transport their produce.

REPORT & PHOTO BY YVET AVELLANADA, DA-9

www.micmedina.tk

Zambosur corn farmers shine

2010-02-17T01:59:00.000-08:00

ANTONIO AND LUZ AMAYA OF SAN MIGUEL SHOW OFF THEIR HYBRID CORN

ARSENIO AND ASUNCION COSTINO IN THEIR FARM IN DINAS

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is replete with success stories of productive farmers it has documented around Zamboanga Peninsula. One inspiring story is about Antonio Amaya of San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur.

Amaya works as a village tanod of San Isidro while maintaining a farm owned by the Ocapan couple who offered a piece of their land to be cultivated by Amaya without any obligation.

The land consisted of more than two hectares and Amaya propagated this with hybrid corn while a portion was planted with ampalaya and eggplant.

The 47-year old farmer, with the help of his wife, Luz, also raised farm animals like hogs, goats and chicken while maintaining several mango and lanzones trees in their yard.

Antonio said he only finished elementary. Yet it was all hard work and patience that made them rich. Because of their diligence, the Amaya couple was able to buy several properties in the area, and saved money in the bank. Two of their five siblings have finished college already and are now working professionals.

Last Feb. 10, the DA information team went to Amaya’s place together with Encar Molina, GMA corn focal person, and municipal agriculturist Alicio Pabiran.

There, Amaya narrated to his visitors that last January, for example, he harvested 682 sacks of corn-on-cob, which is equivalent to 30,000 kilos. So far, this is his biggest yield since September, last year, when he netted some P130,785 in earnings.

This March, Amaya is scheduled to harvest 100 kilos of ginger he planted in a piece of land near where he planted his hybrid corn. He said that ginger is a good crop and he plans to plant it in a bigger area.

Amaya said he plants only the high-yielding hybrid corn since he is assured of a double income compared to the white variety.

Under the government's Corn Banner Program, there are four hybrid yellow corn varieties that have already been tested in some planting areas in the country including Mindanao. It is said that about 54 percent of the total corn production comes from yellow corn.

The DA also said that the country has been exporting yellow corn since 2009. Several buying stations like the National Food Authority buy yellow corn for export, at P9.50 per kilo.

Like Amaya, another corn farmer named Arsenio Costino of Upper Sibol, Dinas prefers yellow corn too because of its yield density.

He said he has been planting the said variety for almost ten years already and has once made it big time with P168,000 from his four-hectare land and with the money, he bought a motorcycle as his service vehicle to his farm.

Costino’s wife, Asuncion, helped him with the chores in their farm where they planted Falcatta trees, intercropping these with corn, bananas and some vegetables, while a portion of the land is planted with rice adopting the rice-duck farming system and they also raised several goats.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, DA-9, PHOTOS BY MARK LARIDE

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Woman, driver dodge shooters

2010-02-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

A businesswoman, her driver and other passengers escaped death last Sunday, Feb. 14, after unidentified shooters waylaid them and peppered their vehicle with bullets when they refused to stop.

Police investigators identified the businesswoman as a certain Carmelita Cimafranca Villena, a resident of Ballesteros, Balangasan District, this city.

Facts gathered from the police blotter narrated that Villena, along with her driver and some fishmongers were on their way home from the fish port riding a KIA Bonggo elf when unidentified men with short firearms flagged them along Pulmones corner Fernan streets in San Pedro.

The driver, sensing the motive of the armed men, tried to ignore and passed through which prompted the aggressors to shoot the vehicle.

The driver, who later gave his name as Joel Barredo Galagar, a resident of Lower Lomboy, Tuburan, was hit in his back and stomach while Villena sustained slight wounds at her buttocks.

Villena said the quick-thinking Galagar was able to drive them off to the Pagadian City Medical Center after the shooting.

Several witnesses claimed to have seen the shooters fled immediately from the area after the incident as police recovered from the crime scene several empty caliber 9mm shells.

City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo surmised the shooters intended to rob or extort money from Villena, basing this statement from testimonies of the victim’s relatives.

February 18, a habal-habal driver was shot at close range while sitting outside the entrance of Dunkin Donut along Rizal Avenue-Ariosa St., 9:30 in the evening.

The victim, whom police identified as Rhodel Cañales Agua, died on the spot. He is said to be a relative of the Navarro family and a resident of Purok Bliss, Lenienza, who collects fees in city terminals.

Witnesses said the shooter wore a bull cap and maong jacket and used a .45 caliber pistol, based on seven empty shells and two slugs found at the crime scene.

Palermo said the killing may have something to do with a family feud between the victim and somebody he wouldn’t name for now.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

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2010-02-16T23:24:00.000-08:00

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Activists tells Palace to rethink choice of new DENR chief

2010-02-16T00:17:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—Environmental activists are urging Malacañang to rethink its choice of placing a new person-in-charge over the environment and natural resources department as they uttered fears the newly seated chief lacks the integrity to command.

In a press statement, the non-government group Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KsK) said the appointment of Horacio Ramos as DENR chief “does not serve the cause of rational conservation, development and utilization of (our) natural resources.”

The LRC-KsK points out that the governance of the country’s natural resource base should not just hinge on optimizing opportunities for resource exploitation like mining and logging because of their huge potential to sabotage ecological integrity.

Environmental activists like LRC-KsK have registered strong opposition to the appointment of Ramos as DENR’s chief, seeing him as representing a framework of ecological governance largely swaying towards the primacy of resource extraction.

Ramos is a long-time director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) which has regulatory supervision over mining operations. Labeled by activists as “the country’s long running top mining bureaucrat,” he is credited with making government’s policy regime friendly to investments into minerals development.

For over a decade now, government had set out to exploit the country’s minerals potential—estimated at billions of dollars in value—as a major engine for economic growth.

Enacted in 1995, RA 7942 or the Philippine Mining Code was an attempt to haul the industry out of the doldrums through providing mining companies juicy concessions like longer tax holidays.

But this strategy has continually met opposition from communities and the influential Catholic bishops.

According to Carl Cesar Rebuta, LRC-KsK-Cagayan de Oro field office team leader, because of its bold pursuit for minerals development, government has relegated the social costs of these activities into the sidelines.

For one, to further facilitate entry of mining firms, the MGB has reduced processing time of their applications. As a result, the agency has diluted the right of communities to be sought a free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) regarding the planned mining projects.

“And in almost all cases, the MGB has turned a deaf ear on the protests or opposition of communities where human rights violations to health, work and livelihood, education, culture, environment and peace also abound,” said Rebuta.

“We have not seen or heard Mr. Ramos being concerned with the attendant civil and political rights violations such as violent dispersals, displacement of communities, harassment of individuals, restrictions on mobility of persons, and extra-legal killings of community rights defenders,” the LRC-KsK claims.

Amid all these, the environmental activists criticize Ramos for having acted more like a “salesman of our country’s mineral resources rather than its administrator.”

The LRC-KsK notes that under Ramos’ watch, the MGB had approved Mineral Production and Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) covering 432,091.5017 hectares of land, Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAAs) covering 94,712.91 hectares, as well as allowed exploration in some 171,549.95 hectares.

In areas where extraction is already allowed, there are overlaps with agricultural lands, watersheds, protected areas, geo-hazard areas, forests, and ancestral domains, leading to resource use and community conflicts, the group further noted.

So far, government had entered into 272 MPSAs, four FTAAs, and granted 46 Exploration Permits (EPs).

Because of the way minerals extraction activities are pursued, the LRC-KsK notes a shift between mining and other development objectives which have not led to the industrialization of our economy nor supported sustainable areas development.

Given this reality, there is a clear need to reflect again on mining as a major economic development option, Rebuta concluded, and at the very least, serious policy considerations must be displayed in the choice of appointing a new DENR chief.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

www.micmedina.tk

Zambosur PNP gets new vehicles

2010-02-16T00:03:00.000-08:00

(PHOTO BY ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU)

THE Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office (ZSPPO) received nine brand new patrol cars last Feb. 11, for the province’s municipal police stations in simple turn-over ceremonies held at Camp Abelon.

Police Provincial Director S/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena personally received seven of the nine vehicles and presented these to the municipal police chiefs of Tigbao, Margos, Midsalip, Lapuyan, Josefina, Sominot and Pitogo.

Ochotorena added that one unit was issued to the Provincial Public Safety Management Company. The turn-over of the new units bring to a total of 22 police patrol cars already distributed in Zambosur since 2008.

Additional police vehicles will arrive this summer and will be given to the police stations of Labangan, Tambulig, Bayog, Guipos and Ramon Magsaysay, Ochotorena said, as he thanked PNP Regional Director Angelo Sunglao for the issuance of the said vehicles.

The police director said the presence of the vehicles will help the police force smarten up their capability to go against all forms of criminalities within their area of responsibilities especially in the maintenance of peace and order during the conduct of this May elections.

He urged each police unit–recipient of the newly-acquired cars to take care of “this particular property since it’s seldom for PNP to provide” such vehicles.

REPORT BY JONG CADION & ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

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Palarong Panlalawigan 2010 opens

2010-02-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

THE Palarong Panlalawigan 2010 had its opening salvo last Sunday, Feb. 14, at the Dumalinao Sports Complex in Dumalinao, this province.

The five-day sports competition will pit elementary and high school athletes across the Zamboanga del Sur schools division, as spearheaded by DepEd.

Regional Director Walter Albos heads DepEd-9 along with Superintendent Visminda Serrato.

Provincial officials headed by Gov. Aurora Cerilles, Rep. Antonio Cerilles and Mayor Ace William Cerilles attended the affair, which carried the theme, “Nurturing Athletes through Sports and Promote Discipline.”

Six Quality Learning Centers (QualCis) in the province and their respective athletes and sports officials took part in this year’s provincial sports competition.

Cerilles, in her message, explained the role and importance of sports among the youth.

“Sports develop the youth not only in health but also in character, discipline, self-confidence, courage to win and teamwork. We need strong and resilient young generation, imbued with determination to win, who shall be soon at the frontlines of service leadership,” she said.

Cerilles mentioned renowned world boxer Manny Pacquiao, making him an example of a “Filipino inspiration to all, especially to the youth to achieve something for their lives.

“If GenSan has Manny Pacquaio, Zambo Sur shall also produce outstanding pool of athletes who would bring honor and fame to our province,” the governor said.

Cerilles stressed all these achievements in sports will be realized if one stays out of drugs. “Ayaw kamo patonto nianang ginadili nga droga nga maoy mopatay sa inyong kaugmaon ug sa kaugmaon sa atong lalawigan ug nasud. Stand firm. Be disciplined and emerge victorious,” she said.

This year is the second time of the Palarong Panlalawigan is being held in the 1.8 hectare sports complex in Dumalinao, which costs about P15 million for its development, complete with Olympic-sized swimming pool, track and field oval, bleachers, and ball courts.

Winners of the Palarong Panlalawigan will do battle with frontrunners from Zanorte and ZamboSibugay and the cities of Pagadian, Dapitan, Dipolog, Zamboanga and Isabela in the coming Zamboanga Regional Athletics Meet.

REPORT BY ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

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Is the energy outlook for Mindanao bleak?

2010-02-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—The onset of the El Niño phenomenon is not only affecting the levels of sources of hydroelectric power servicing Mindanao but also disrupted normal human activities and reduced productivity and subsequent revenue of various industries because of frequent brownouts.

The water in Lake Lanao and Pulangi River is now at low levels, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said, and then there’s this non-accessibility of non-hydro plants which is adding up to the reduction of its power generating capacity.

According to Betty Martinez, NGCP corporate communications officer, the Mindanao grid’s hydro-power generation plants are presently operating at 50 percent of capacity and NGCP is resorting to power load shedding in the island since January, this year.

Because of this energy outlook, the NGCP-which took over grid systems operation from the National Transmission Corporation (Transco)—has directed five electric cooperatives in Mindanao to implement rotating brownouts in their areas of coverage.

This load shedding measure, confined to peak hours, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., is being resorted to as a way of adjusting energy distribution with available power at a given period within a day, Martinez explained, and may likely be enforced at least for the whole of February.

But she assured NGCP's Mindanao System Operations Department (SOD) will lift the curtailment when grid load goes downward after the peak hours and when generation reserves are sufficient in a given day.

A Feb. 9 advisory from NGCP has suggested a “red alert status” of Mindanao grid because “contingency reserve is zero due to generation deficiency” brought about by the reduced capabilities of Agus and Pulangi hydro plants by 50 percent and the outage of the Mindanao Coal Fired Power Plant (MCFPP) and the 35-megawatt Iligan Diesel Power Plant (IDPP).

However, here’s a bit of good news. The Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative (LANECO) has announced it is set to energize completely its franchise area by end of this month through the use of solar power, General Manager Resnol Torres said.

Torres disclosed LANECO has hired a solar lighting company that will install 60 solar power machines to 6o homes along the hinter villages of Magsaysay, Nunungan, Munai, Poona Piagapo and Tangkal, all in Lanao del Norte.

With this solar power lighting in place, LANECO will have reached 61,423 residences, business establishments, public buildings and others posting 93 percent in accomplishment. This is already “a mission almost accomplished,” the general manager added.

LANECO franchised area covers Linamon, Matungao, Kauswagan, Baculod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Tangkal, Tubod, Magsaysay, Baroy, Lala, Salvador, Kapatagan, Sapad, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Poona Piagapo and Munai.

Other areas outside its franchised area that are partially served are Baloi and some parts of Aurora and Tukuran in Zamboanga del Sur, including barangays Abaga, Maria Cristina, Nangka and Matampay of Iligan City.

At the moment, the poblacions of Nunungan and Tagoloan are already being served with solar power and in a little while, Torres said barangays Tawian and Tumbador of Magsaysay will be “solarized.”

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO & MICHAEL MEDINA

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DA warming up for El Niño

2010-02-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

(PHOTO BY MARK LARIDE, DA-9)

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is getting ready and putting things in order all its efforts to mitigate or hold the adverse effects of El Niño phenomenon on agriculture and food production.

The prolonged dry spell, according to a Feb. 6 advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), “continues to sustain its moderate strength and is recently in its mature stage.”

This gradual decrease in sea surface temperature is expected but still within the El Niño threshold and likely to last up to June 2010, the PAGASA continued, while some areas of the country exhibited below normal rainfall condition during the last 3-4 months.

DA regional executive director Oscar Parawan said he has anticipated this eventuality that will likely affect farmers and fisherfolks and their productivity that he organized a Quick Response Team (QRT), in response also to the call of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council.

Parawan, who chairs the QRT, said in a meeting held last Feb. 19 that he has the support of the 24 heads of DA’s line and attached agencies like the National Irrigation Administration, Bureau of Soil and Water Management and Bureau of Plant and Animal Industries, among others.

The QRT, at present, is busy gathering together data on vulnerable areas of the four banner programs of the department such as rice, corn, high value commercial crops and livestock and drafting action plans.

Regional technical director Constancio Alama, for his part, briefed the personnel and staff of the regional field unit on El Niño’s effects on rice farming, saying dry season usually is from September to March but there’s warmth already nowadays, possibly because the ozone layer has been damaged.

Alama feels at ease from PAGASA’S recent forecast that Zamboanga Peninsula will be “moderately affected by drought” but the DA is still not taking chances and will be monitoring the rainfall observations since El Niño has strong influence on global rainfall patterns.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics likewise stated that wet planting season is from March to September and “if there is no rain in April and May that is the time we consider it an El Niño.”

Alama disclosed that even with DA’s 16 drought resistant rice varieties with optimum yield that can be used by farmers in the event of El Niño, he is still open to giving options to farmers “to shift crops” or recommend the planting of after-rice crops like mongo, peanuts or water melon.

Or farmers can plant short-termed green leafy vegetables in case the prolonged drought settles, planting these near river banks for continuous water supply, also said Marcial Fantone of the High Value Commercial Crops.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, DA-9

City’s estate tax examined, needs revision

2010-02-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

THE business community uttered their contentment on Mayor Samuel Co’s move to grant their request of reducing the schedule fair market value (FMV) of first class commercial area.

The reduction unit value was agreed after a series of tax forum called by the city government and attended by land holders, businessmen, concerned citizens and the media.

It can be recalled that the offices of the city treasurer and city assessor were deluged with complaints by taxpayers who whined of the overblown rates contained in the real property tax increase of the city’s revised tax ordinance.

City Assessor head Federico Bahio, in an interview, explained to this paper using a comparative schedule of FMVs between the 1995 FMV of Ozamiz and the 1985 to 1997 FMV of Pagadian as an example. Bahio said that he is using such basis in order to reach the 2009 FMV increase.

In Ozamiz City, for example, the 1995 unit value of residential estate from 1st to 4th class (R-1,2,3 & 4) were levied with 20% assessment level while the commercial 1st to 4th class were assessed by 50%, still bigger compared to Pagadian’s 1985-1997 assessment level of only 15% for residential and 50% for commercial 1st to 4th class, Bahio said.

The city assessor official said that in the 2009 implementation of tax increase, the assessment level reduced by 10%. The assessed value is still lower compared to Ozamiz’s 1995 FMV.

Again, for example, if the R-1 unit value in Ozamiz is P700, multiply this by 20% assessment level equals P140 assessed value. But in Pagadian, the 1985-1997 unit value is P196, multiplied by 15% equals P29.45 assessed value. For 2009, the unit value is P2,300 multiplied by 10% assessment level equals P230, Bahio added.

Ozamiz’s computation of 1995 R-2 unit value is P520 x 20% = P104 assessed value while for Pagadian 1985-1997 is P138.60 x 15% = P20.79 assessed value, which is lower indeed.

The unit value in Ozamiz City’s C-1 is P3,500 x 50% = P1,750 while Pagadian City’s 1985-1997 is P433.12 x 50 = P216.56. For 2009, the increase is P12,200 x 10% = P1,220.00 assessed value.

In addition, the C-2 in Ozamiz is computed as P2, 500 x 50% = P1,250, 00 while Pagadian is P369.60 x 50% = P184.80. For 2009, the increase is P5, 630.00 x 10% = P563.00 assessed value.

“We noticed the large increased in 2009 C-1 area compared to the 1985 to 1997 bracket because the city did not conduct tax revision for the last 24 years. Compared to Ozamiz and other neighboring cities, Pagadian has still the cheapest assessment of FMV,” the mayor said.

Co added that he too, noticed that the unit value for first class commercial is a way too much that he said he will request the City Council to amend the tax ordinance, reducing this from P12,200.00 to P6,500 or P7, 000.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Police arrest fake immigration man

2010-02-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

A man impersonating as an employee of the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) who allegedly victimizes Chinese foreigners by extorting money from them in exchange for no deportation proceedings was arrested by authorities last Tuesday.

Joint forces of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and this city’s police force arrested the said immigration employee, identified as Hadji Bangkula Tawasil Pangkoh, in an entrapment operation at Springland Hotel and Restaurant, Feb. 9.

Pangkoh, according to NBI special agent Eric Distor, introduced himself as an employee of the BOI Zamboanga Field Office who picks on naïve foreigners, especially Chinese businessmen.

Pangkoh’s arrest came after Mayor Samuel Co requested assistance from the NBI and PNP after a visitor from Fujian, China complained to the mayor about the alleged extortion of P50,000 by the suspect in exchange for no deportation proceedings.

Co said he received information which said that a certain immigration agent extorted money from new Chinese businessmen in Pagadian and even demanded girls for sex and a cellular phone.

“This, if true, is an abuse of authority and should not be tolerated,” the mayor said in a meeting with journalists yesterday.

In coordination with Chief Inspector Michael Palermo, the entrapment operation was conducted along with the complainant in a supposed pay-off where Pangkoh was caught in the act of receiving the marked money but threw it upon sensing the presence of the law enforcers.

As of this writing, an inquest proceeding is being prepared to be sent out to the City Prosecutor’s Office while it was not known what really is the true status of the suspect.

REPORT BY JONG CADION, WITH ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

NSCB report irks Zambosur execs

2010-02-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

MEMBERS of the Provincial Board took turns last Thursday, Feb. 4, in airing their comments during the session with regards to a report published in a national daily placing Zambosur del Sur as fifth in the list of “worst governed” province in the country.

The report came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) and its subject matter picked out from a 2005 statistical study of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) and interviews from Secretary-general Dr. Romulo Virola.

The NSCB survey in 2005 listed the 10 “worst-governed” provinces as Maguindanao, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Camarines Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Albay and Romblon.

The survey based its ranking on a study measuring the good governance index (GGI) of 79 provinces all over the country, which involved economic, political and administrative indicators. The Human Development Index (HDI) was said to have validated NSCB’s findings.

In the said study where the PDI based its report, the data used were based on the 2003 and 2005 GGI. The reason, as claimed by NSCB, was that the 2006 data were not yet available and that “the data used were generally based on reported cases only instead of the actual number.”

However, in sum, the board members called the NSCB report “highly questionable, irrelevant, baseless and tainted with political color.”

“Pwerting maota kay wala silay makuti ug haom nga pagtoon. It’s very generic and is not in fairness to Zambosur as far as the present accomplishment of its officials is concerned. We have been successfully implementing various foreign programs in our province, how come we are rated low? This is an attack on Zambosurians,” said board member Eriberto Sumalinog.

Sumalinog’s colleague, board member Ernesto Mondarte, said he too, was “highly affected” with the report as he said: “If you are a responsible researcher, you will not resort to using such sentences. It is a clear manifestation of maligning the leadership of our governor.”

Board member Roger Saniel likewise commented that the NSCB report, which was presented during the 10th National Convention on Statistics at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel last October 2007, “is not realistic because these are gathered from national offices whose data are delayed.”

Board member Juan Regala, who presided last Thursday’s session, spoke the longest remark, citing a different view.

“Sa tinuod lang, mangutana ko. Ito ba ay hindi kaya nabahiran ng pagsabotahe na ganoon ang i-report para dili madayon ang pagbalhin sa regional center from Zamboanga to Pagadian?” he asked.

“The GGI indicators in the NSCB report did not include the efforts of the provincial officials and all are just assumptions. It is not fair and does not suit the present condition of the province,” he added, explaining they have done their part and came out with flying colors in implementing the 7-Point Agenda of Gov. Aurora Cerilles in infrastructure, health, education, environment and development projects.

“Ang timing ani is malisyoso kay migawas man hapit na ang eleksiyon. Kita na lang katawhan dinhi sa Zamboanga del Sur ang mohusga unsay nahimo ni Gov. Cerilles dinhi sa lalawigan,” he said.

During the deliberation of the local legislators, a resolution was passed and approved, which refutes the result of the study made by NSCB.

The said resolution stated that the article on the NSCB research “irked the members of this august body, it being without basis and being tainted with political color.”

Furthermore, copies of the resolution, together with the 7–Point Agenda of Gov. Aurora Cerilles, will be mailed to the PDI and Virola for information, as well as to all the municipal mayors of the Zambosur and Mayor Samuel Co for reference.

As for the governor, she told press members later in a conference that the NSCB report “is unfair, with malice, politically motivated and ill-timed.”

“Simple lang ang akong estorya. Moingon ko nga unfair tungod kay kung atong tan-awon dili man gani ta apil sa 21 poorest province. Ambot unsay intention ani nga 2005 pa man ni nga survey unya karon pa ipublish. Unya gikubit sa atong mga kontra sa politika,” Cerilles said.

“Kita tanan dinhi nakaila ug nakahibalo naunsa ang atong probinsiya,” she added, making her point.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Activists frown on MGB head’s new post as DENR chief

2010-02-11T01:40:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—Two environmental advocacy groups have expressed their apprehension and dismay over the appointment of Horacio Ramos as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan (LRC-KsK) and Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), a people’s movement composed of people from mining-affected communities and civil society organizations in the country each released their statements expressing this sentiments.

Carl Cesar Rebuta LRC-KsK said Ramos represents an environmental policy ripe for more “mining intrusions” into indigenous peoples’ communities. “It will be no different from the current policy track—relentless exploitation of the country’s mineral resources,” he said.

ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera, on the other hand, called Ramos’ appointment as a “bad fung shui” or bad omen “to the current unhealthy state of the Philippine environment, which is threatened by the impacts of 348 mining tenements.”

Ramos formerly is the director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) since 1996. He took over from erstwhile acting DENR Sec. Eleazar Quinto, who was appointed as director general of the Presidential Coalition Affairs Office.
Quinto replaced then Sec. Lito Atienza who resigned last Dec. 28 to run for mayor in Manila.

Advocates of the controversial National Minerals Policy (NMP), which Ramos formerly handles, claim the NMP “virtually guaranteed unhampered entry of large-scale mining operations without so much regard to social and environmental costs.”

Primarily taking off from the Philippine Mining Code of 1995, government had set out to exploit the country’s minerals potential—estimated at billions of dollars in value—as among its panacea for economic development.

At the time the Mining Code or Republic Act 7942 was enacted, the mining industry was in the doldrums.

But opposition from communities and the influential Catholic bishops is dragging a rebirth of the industry simply along the policy of providing juicy concessions to resource management companies.

Amid this, the choice of DENR chief has been a barometer of which direction government policy sways with respect to mining.

“We fear that Ramos’ appointment will pursue the crime of irrational exploitation of our natural resources and turn a blind eye and deaf ears to the legitimate resistance of mining affected communities and environmental groups,” Garganera said in his statement.

“His appointment is bad news for the communities, and for the environment,” seconded Rebuta.

A CBCP report has said, quoting figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which said that mining companies in the country exported a total of P178.556 billion worth of mineral resources from 2001 to 2005.

But the Arroyo government, added the CBCP report, only collected a total of P1.938 billion worth of taxes, fees and royalties or 1% of the total mineral exported.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO & MICHAEL MEDINA

NGCP implements rotational brownouts in Mindanao

2010-02-10T01:01:00.000-08:00

BIG cities in Mindanao are now feeling the effects of the power shortage being experienced every now and then due to load curtailment brought about by generation insufficiency.

According to the Mindanao System Operation Zamboanga Area Control Center (ZACC) of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the non-availability of generating units, power plant shutdown, and plants undergoing preventive maintenance, has reduced the capacity of the supply network going to General Santos City and other parts of Mindanao.

A grid alert state notice sent by ZACC to Avelino Dawis, NGCP head for the Northwestern Mindanao Area, which was also furnished to this paper, stated that the contingency reserve is zero due to generation deficiency brought about by reduced capabilities of Agus and Pulangi hydro plants because of very low water inflow.

Added to this is the planned outage of Agus5 U2, which carries some 28 megawatts and MCFPP U2, with 105 megawatts; the forced outage of Agus5.U1; reduced capability of WMPC and non-availability of Iligan Diesel Power Plant.

The NGCP is urging electric cooperatives to tell their consumers to brace for a more critical power crisis in the next three or four years if no additional power plants can supply power into the Mindanao Grid.

As of now, the NGCP could only say the the Mindanao power grid is on a “red alert status,” which means that it is reeling badly with the critical water elevation of the two major sources of hydroelectric power in the island—the Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur and Pulangi River in Bukidnon, again, caused by the El Nino phenomenon.

NGCP information officer Betty Martinez told this paper that load curtailment is allowed under Philippine Grid Code if a grid is under an alert state.

She added that this is why the inconvenience of brownouts in several areas in Mindanao, including Zamboanga Peninsula is being felt this week because of the load curtailment and load shedding schedule undertaken by NGCP as temporary solutions to the problem.

As to the issue of power supply problem as a result of the sale of the hydro plants per se, this is not true, Martinez added, explaining it is the operation, management and administration that will be bided out like what was done to Transco.

The transmission lines and the substations remain government's property but the operation of the grids will be private based on the concession agreement and franchise granted to NGCP by Congress, Martinez disclosed.

“As to the schedules of feeders of electric cooperatives, NGCP has no jurisdiction over it. We just assign location to each coop, then it’s up to them to execute their compliance, meaning it’s their call which feeders to drop in how long to keep them out. Also we have the systematic way of implementing the load curtailment,” she added.

As of February 9, load curtailment in Northwestern Mindanao area is being divided in three substations scheduled three times a day and Martinez hopes electric cooperatives will comply with the initiative.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

8 PMG members face suspension over Tukuran incident

2010-02-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

EIGHT of 37 members of the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office (ZSPPO) were slapped with a 90-day preventive suspension order from the National Police Commission (Napolcom), latest information from the PNP said.

All the eight policemen are members of the 905th Provincial Mobile Group (PMG) and were identified as S/Insp. Oscar Tan Buenaobra, Police Inspectors Lee Eric Sale Humpa, Van Froilan Penados Tompong, Nestor Mantes Vicentre Sr., SPO2 Eliezer Yuzon Requejo, SPO1 Carlos Donggon Omentic, PO3 Dexter Dalena and PO1 Maxim Valdez Peralta.

These men, according to the Napolcom document obtained by this paper, were allegedly involved in the Aug. 22, 2008 Tukuran shooting incident which killed six people.

The Napolcom document was actually a resolution dated Jan. 11, 2010 and signed by DILG Sec. Ronaldo Puno as Napolcom chairman, and Commissioners Eduardo Escueta, Luis Mario General and Jesus Verzosa transmitting the suspension order of the said policemen “within five days of receipt.”

According to the Napolcom document, the 90-days preventive suspension was based on the grounds raised by the complainant, Labangan vice mayor Wilson “Kiti” Nandang, and that “the charge is serious or grave and the evidence of guilt is strong, that there is evidence to show that the respondents are exerting efforts to harass, intimidate, coerce or unduly influence complaining witnesses into withdrawing or retracting their statement against the respondents.”

The document also mentioned Nandang’s claim that on Aug. 22, 2008, he received a text message that members of the 905th PMG, led by Buenaobra, are laying in wait for him prompting the complainant to stop at the Headquarters Service Battalion, 1st Tabak Division.

Facts of the document continued to state that Army Captain Turla of the said unit advised Nandang to remain at the detachment and allowed only his escorts to proceed in order to verify the truth of the text message.

Accompanying the vice mayor’s in his Toyota Hilux Pick-up were Thong Abdulalh, Tjho Adam, Tony Salangani, and Tinie Buesan, followed by another vehicle where Datukan Macmod, Halil Acang, Jay Minalang, duran Alpad, Saldamen Tabayag, CPL. Allan Diguet, PFC Jesus Gaudencio, Burlat and PO1 Michael Jover were riding.

Minutes after the said party left, Nandang ang Turla heard volleys of automatic gun fire followed by additional burst of gun fire from the direction that the advance party took, the document said.

“A review of the evaluation report shows that the said eight policemen were positively identified to have directly engaged in the killing of Sgt. Paulino Tapang, Thong Abdullah, Tho Adam, PFC Jesus Burlat and PO1 Michael Jover as well as the physical injuries on Tony Salangani, thinie Buesan, Duran Alpad, Datukan Macmod and Cpl. Alan Diguet,” the Napolcom document stated.

“The physical presence of the eight aforementioned policemen in the time and place of the incident complained of is supported by evidence. Given the manner in which the offence was committed, coupled with the evidences presented in support of the motion, the Commission is convinced of the wisdom of granting the motion prayed for the complainant,” it concluded.

Last Saturday, PNP Regional Director C/Supt Angelo Hipolito Sunglao, told reporters in a huddle that the 90-days preventive suspension order against the policemen was not implemented due to pending order from the Comelec.

“Lahat kasi nga directive ngayon regarding transfer, movement of troops within the election period will be referred to Comelec. Iyan lang ang hinintay namin and once we receive the order we will implement it immediately,” Sunglao said.

The Comelec, through Resolution 8737 promulgated on Dec. 29, said that from Jan. 10 to June 9, there shall be no transfers of public officials or employees, including teachers, to other government agencies or to other divisions or field offices of their current agencies without permission from the poll body.

To recall, Mayor Abubakar Afdal, Nandang’s uncle has declared in 2008 that he is bent on securing justice to the victims of the so-called Tukuran incident, saying his heart feels for the dead and wounded victims “because they were from Labangan and some of them are my relatives, my police and military escorts.”

“If somebody sees this act as a false move, I have no choice. I am just helping the families of the victims in seeking justice. I am only doing my duties and responsibilities as a father of my municipality,” he said then.

Statements taken from police sources said a shootout happened between the two groups after Nandang’s convoy refused to stop along a checkpoint. But Afdal maintains what happened was a rubout.

The shooting, according to the said police source, added that the incident between the military escorts of Nandang and members of the 905th PMG ensued after a verbal confrontation turned into a violent reaction during a routinary police check in Brgy. Sto. Niño, Tukuran.

A team from NBI-Special Cases Division has been sent by then DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzalez to investigate the incident as the Provincial Board conducted its own fact-finding team headed by board member Ernesto Mondarte.

Mondarte, in an interview with this paper then, disclosed part of their fact-finding report, saying they were able to gather evidence that specify there was no ambush made by the PNP personnel.

Part of the fact-finding report stated that the committee, headed by Mondarte, “gave more credence to the statements of the eyewitness and nearby residents who narrated the incident during ocular inspection and personal interviews rather than the submitted affidavits and sworn statements of the survivors or PNP personnel which might be self-serving in themselves as they are the very same persons involved.”

Mondarte’s team also concluded, among others, that “the presence of the illegally possessed firearms must be the reason why the two vehicles did not stop” and “given a tension so high and the number of heavily armed men from both sides, even a single shot of a firearm (intentional or not) could spark a shooting incident.”

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Two Tigbao villages get farm road, riverbank shield project

2010-02-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

GOVERNOR Aurora Cerilles recently led the groundbreaking of the Limas-Guinlin farm-to-market road, a 2.90 kilometer stretch linking two interior barangays of Tigbao, this province.

The road project costs P2,996,137.48 and was undertaken through a counter-parting scheme by Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) and the municipal government.

Mayor Edmundo Dalid and DA chief of operations Edgardo Tabal, concurrent MRDP regional coordinator who represented DA regional executive director Oscar Parawan, assisted Cerilles in the ribbon cutting ceremonies of the newly finished projects.

Tigbao is a 5th class municipality politically subdivided into 18 villages. Known as a trade and commercial center of Zambosur, the town prides itself with Mt. Timolan, the highest peak in the region.

Limas-Guinlin punong barangay Silvestre Alegarbes said the project offers a big improvement to farmers’ lives in his village since it would reduce the delivery cost of agriculture products because of travel convenience.

Aside from the farm-to-market road, the DA likewise turned-over a river bank protection project to Brgy. Maragang, headed by Luzminda Sante, who said that the construction of the water channel project will stop further loss and damage to their access road because of erosion.

According to Edgardo Tabal, this bank protection project is undertaken through the Support to Emergency and Livelihood Assistance Program (SELAP) costing some P1.5 million. It has a catchment area of 30 hectares of rice land and other crops.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, DA-9

Zambosur pols sign peace covenant

2010-02-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

A ranking official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded the public not to expect a perfect election because of the use of an automated counting process.

“Many of the sins of election are not answered by technology,” stressed regional election director Helen Aguila-Flores during a stakeholders’ dialogue Saturday attended by leaders of various sectoral organizations.

During the dialogue, Zamboanga del Sur politicians gunning for provincial and congressional seats signed a covenant for a peaceful and orderly conduct of the upcoming May 2010 polls in the province.

Among others, the covenant bind the candidates to the pledge “not employ force, threat and intimidation; protect human rights and put an end to political killings;” and to launch a campaign “based on moral values.”

Flores said the automated counting “only hastens the (electoral) process” but does not in any way affect the presence or absence of fraud techniques like vote-buying, and armed intimidation of voters and poll officials.

“If this (covenant pledge) is converted into sincere action, (it) will be a potent force for a credible election,” she pointed out.

Principally addressing the politicians and the security forces, she reminded: “Be guided by the law.”

The covenant was inked by some two politicians who attended the dialogue, among them outgoing Gov. Aurora Cerilles who seeks a congressional seat, and her husband, Rep. Antonio Cerilles, who seeks the gubernatorial seat, for the administration party.

The Liberal Party is led by outgoing vice-governor Roseller Ariosa who guns for governor, lawyers Romeo Vera-Cruz and Tersindo Poloyapoy who are both seeking the two congressional seats in the province.

Major Gen. Romeo Lustestica, commanding-general of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said he is inking the covenant “not as witness but as principal to underscore our commitment to make the 2010 polls as peaceful as possible.”

Flores said the strength of the covenant lies in how the parties allow its ideals to seep through their attitude towards waging a political campaign.

“At the end of the day, you must be able to ask yourself courageously, ‘Did I not cheat?’” she said.

Flores related that “this place of the country is where many contingencies arise. Many of the situations are not in the books.”

Police Provincial Director S/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena, meanwhile, said there are 12 towns of the province’s total of 26 that are listed as probable areas of concern, although he did not name these.

These are towns that have a history of political violence in previous elections, and those that are vulnerable to lawless elements.

In a short briefing of previous “election problems” in the province, provincial election supervisor Ignacio Baya mentioned the attempt of losing bets in Tukuran town to sabotage the counting process; the attempt to bar poll officials from holding balloting in Tikala, San Pablo by firing them with high-powered guns; a bombing incident in Dimataling; and a shootout in Gasa, Lakewood, a known stronghold of leftist rebels.

In blessing the covenant, Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar urged politicians to “put before the people sheer platform instead of attacking one another” in order to help them intelligently form their political decision.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

Dolorfino urges civil society unity for the sake of credible polls

2010-02-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

A ranking military official in Mindanao has called on the civil society “to be one and become a very important partner” of the Armed Forces, the police and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in overseeing a credible election come May 10.

“We need a strong civil society to serve as eyes and ears of the electoral conduct,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino, commander of the western Mindanao command (Westmincom).

Although he made no reference to it, Dolorfino’s remarks came amid mounting calls for Comelec to accredit more than one poll watchdog after it rejected the application of the National Citizens Movement for Free Election (Namfrel) in favor of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

The issue has threatened to divide the poll watchdog community.

“We are enjoining civil society to be one and partner with us for honest, orderly and peaceful elections,” Dolorfino urged.

Lawyer Helen Aguila-Flores western Mindanao regional election director, said “success of the election is a multi-sectoral effort.”

Dolorfino counseled those involved in poll watch, voter’s education and other election-related initiatives to “be strong and exert a strong voice.”

Dolorfino stressed that an assertive civil society “can exert pressure on voters to vote wisely; and politicians and institutions involved in elections not to engage in any irregularity.”

“We should no longer miss this chance,” he said.

Dolorfino added that “our commitment to a credible election in 2010 should be our contribution to political stability.”

He notes that because of the alleged massive fraud surrounding the 2004 presidential vote, there has been lingering questions on legitimacy which in turn brought political instability and a host of other problems in the country.

Dolorfino requested the public to report to authorities any military personnel who is involved in partisan activities so that the appropriate administrative sanctions can be meted.

Major Gen. Romeo Lustestica, commanding-general of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, clarified that the partisan activities of military officers before “are not institutional decisions” but their personal discretions.

Lustestica was referring to the alleged involvement of ranking field commanders in assuring a one-million margin for President Arroyo in the 2004 presidential race. They would later be infamously tagged as the “Hello, Garci” generals.

For purposes of transparency, Dolorfino said he will be requesting for observers from civil society to also watch over the election-related activities of the military like in the transport of election materials, if they are requested to.

“We will go out of our way, out of our box for (the sake of) honest and credible elections,” he assured.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

Comelec lacks demo machines for voters’ education

2010-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

WHEN the Commission on Elections (Comelec) talked about demonstrating the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the coming May elections, well, they were only “talking about it” yet.

Regional election director Helen Aguila-Flores, in a recent stakeholders’ dialogue held here last Saturday, admitted there is only one PCOS machine available in the region for familiarizing the electorate on its operation.

With just less than 100 days to go before the country's first nationwide automated polls on May 10, the Comelec has yet to wrap up their series of testing and fixing some of the counting machines, which, it was learned, is made from China.

The Comelec has disclosed that the Qisda factory in China has yet to complete the production of some 82,200 PCOS machines required for the May 2010 polls.

As of January 27, the Comelec disclosed they have already tested 72 machines out of the 120 units received. Flores said there are only 14 demo machines sent to all Comelec offices over the country and the one under her disposal services also the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

With the present set up, Flores said Comelec offices, especially in the provinces, will probably face tough challenges in conducting education seminars to voters about the automated election system.

But she said they are committed to “optimize the opportunities for voter education within available resources,” which means that Comelec will start instructing voters on key lessons of automated voting, like how to shade properly the ovals in the ballot, and not to over-vote.

Earlier, board member Flaviano Fucoy Jr. expressed his hesitation about Comelec’s rate of coverage of voter education featuring a machine demo so that voters will be comfortable with the process come balloting day.

Also, Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar hopes Comelec will be able to address the lingering questions on the readiness of their personnel and the electorates to make an automated election a reality come May.

Earlier, in his weekly radio program, Rep. Antonio Cerilles said that Comelec violated laws and the Constitution in its poll automation program because it did not take into account the law which authorized the poll body to comply with the condition that the conduct nationwide automated elections can only be done in at least “two highly-urbanized cities and two provinces each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.”

Cerilles added that he and three other colleagues have filed a petition disputing that the system to be used must have been “successfully used” in prior elections.

He said the congressional oversight committee was not able to assess and evaluate the past 2007 automation because Comelec only conducted it in ARMM and not as mandated by the law.

As for provincial election supervisor Ignacio Baya, he said that he is confident there is still so much time to educate Zambosurian voters on the automated election system emphasizing that shading is the primary concern for voters while PCOS operation is for teachers.

Baya added he is hopeful more machines would be available in due time for use to train would-be members of the board of election inspectors (BEIs).

He, however, also admitted they are constrained by lack of logistics and supplies in pursuing their mandate of preparing the ground for the upcoming elections, like the financial resources, which, regretfully is solely for personnel salaries only.

Presently, Comelec’s problems encountered in the field tests include glitches in the PCOS machines which failed to read 4 out of 10 valid ballots, difficulties in internet connection both from the precinct and the Municipal Board of Canvassers, and delay and crash in transmission of data after shifting to 3 SIM cards.

With automation, the country's next president should officially be known in two days, instead of the usual two to three weeks.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO & MICHAEL MEDINA

Alex Sy buried today

2010-02-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—Local broadcast executive Alex Velayo Sy will be interred today, Feb. 10, after solemn rites to be attended by colleagues, family and radio fans.

The passing of Sy, station manager of DxSY, marks an end to over two decades of broadcast management career that saw him turning around an ailing family-owned enterprise into a top-rating radio network in the northwestern Mindanao area.

Sy successfully stirred radio DxSY that it has become a news organization of major influence in the region. Through its public affairs programs, several of its anchors even established wide popularity that they have launched successful forays into local politics.

But Sy is largely remembered by the public as a cool-voiced disc jockey that dominates the airwaves for four hours every night with his unique brand of music mixes.

Sy succumbed to heart failure Wednesday last week. He just turned 59 on January 5.

At the time of his death, Sy oversees the operation of three FM stations located in Pagadian, Dipolog and Ozamiz where the DxSY-AM station is also based.

From 8pm to 12 midnight at everyday, the bemustached Sy is “Mr. Shy Guy” to many listeners of Y96, their FM station in Ozamiz.

Sy is scion of a family that made a fortune operating theaters in the city beginning in the post-World War II period. During his teen-aged years, he cultivated the talent of music-mixing and disc jockeying in a local disco house.

He inherited from his father the radio enterprise, originally consisting of the Ozamiz-based AM and FM stations.

In the late 1970s until his return here in the mid-1980s, Sy is a Makati-based marketing executive. After settling back here, he briefly entered politics but abandoned it after a loss in one election.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

JHCSC’s 15 new nurses

2010-02-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

FIFTEEN new nurses from the JH Cerilles State College (JHCSC)–Pagadian City Campus will take their oath this March after passing the 2009 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) conducted, November last year, here by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

The new nurses are Clifford A. Alo, Jessabel S. Bellido, Faith M. Bullecer, Audrey Cyreen P. Cabo, Ashly Dianne L. Cabrales, Rocelyn Y. Eltagon, Gwen Arvi P. Gangoso, Joanie Rose C. Juele, Laarni P. Larubis, Katherine T. Larubis, Sheryl A. Monarez, Juraida S. Osores, Donalyn Joan P. Osores, Helene Mae G. Regis, and Senith May A. Tenajeros.

JHCSC–Pagadian garnered the passing average of 78.94%, since only four of the total 19 did not make it. The PRC revealed that 37, 527 out of the 94,462 nursing examinees passed the exam. About half of these are re-takers.

Lawyer Domingo Redelosa IV, dean of the schools’ College of Law, who is also the campus administrator and Dr. Wendell Glenn Cagape, college/board secretary and Campus academic head, both congratulated the new nurses for their achievement.

Successful examinees of November 2009 NLE are advised to personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals at the PRC office and pay the initial registration fee of P600 and annual registration fee of P450.

The oath taking ceremonies has been scheduled on March 8 and 9, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has said a total of 152 nursing schools face closure for registering poor passing percentages in the nursing licensure examinations over the past five years, which is below the national passing rate of 46.14 percent.

WITH REPORTS FROM ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

DENR regional office has the most budget

2010-02-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

THE regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) leads other offices which transferred from Zamboanga City in the needed annual rental budget.

This information is contained in the matrix rentals paper of regional offices occupying spaces in Pagadian City which was forwarded by Mayor Samuel Co to Gov. Aurora Cerilles.

This said document, prepared by Engr. Leonila Sisona of the Pagadian Regional Center Management and Coordinating Office (PRCMCO), will be used to support the claims of the regional officer for their relocation allowances and office rentals, chargeable to the so-called “bridging fund” and pursuant to the national budget.

The matrix showed DENR’s needed rental for the whole year in the amount of P2,644,760 for the total and actual 1,343.39 square meters of space occupied as per contract.

The rental was estimated to be between P150-P200 per square meter and DENR has about three spaces occupied at present.

The environment office, which likewise has the most number of employees—344 as of Jan. 7, 2008— still needs 942.61 square meters of space to be rented, as reflected in the matrix paper.

Following DENR is DepEd, with P1000,000 in needed rentals for its 534 square meters of area occupied. Third is DILG with P960,000; National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) with P654,000, and Telecommunications Officer with P600,000.

The next five offices with rental budgets of less than a million pesos included MARINA and LTFRB with P312,000 each; Professional Regulations Commission with P300,000, Philippine Ports Authority with P258,000 and National Housing Authority with P225,000.

Two offices maintaining low budgets in rentals are the National Statistics Office with only P40,000 and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board with P31,500.

This paper’s latest count of regional offices which have transferred here since 2004 totaled 50, including the so-called “Club 21.” Of the total number, 13 were partially transferred, seven established presence and 33 have fully transferred, according to Sisona.

Also, a status report prepared by the PRCMO reported the top six regional offices and their roster of employees who have reported to their office here.

Leading the office again is DENR with 344, followed by DAR with 107; DILG with 60; Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines with 46; NCIP with 26; and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation with 14.

All in all, there are 121 regional offices with an estimated 2,500 employees eyed to be transferred from Zamboanga to Pagadian.

In related report, DENR regional executive director Arleigh Adorable said in an interview that their office at present continues to promote broader multi-stakeholder participation and integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“You cannot be credible in what you’re saying if you cannot practice it,” he said, as he urged Zambosurians to become potent advocates for the environment.

He advised that people do their part for the environment by recycling waste, use only energy-efficient appliances and plant trees.

For his part, newly appointed DENR assistant secretary for fields operations-Mindanao Ernesto Adobo Jr. called for the establishment of a community-based materials recovery facility (MRF) in every LGUs as mandated by RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

RA 9003 orders the segregation and collection of solid waste at the barangay level and an MRF be established to receive, sort, process and store collected compostable and recyclable materials.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Sinnott gives thanks to prayers, rescue efforts

2010-02-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

IN his first speaking engagement ever since he arrived from a two-month vacation in Ireland, Fr. Michael “Mick” Sinnott acknowledged the prayers of many people and the rescue efforts made for his safe release.

Sinnott stood up, Tuesday, Feb. 2, and delivered his brief speech during the public welcome rites at the Hangop Kabataan Foundation Inc. (HKFI) where he addressed provincial and city officials, social workers, members of the Interfaith Forum for Solidarity and Peace, parents and children the charity house he founded.

“Epektibo kaayo ang inyong mga pag-ampo, rally ug prayer vigil kay nakagawas ko nga maayo ang panglawas,” Sinnott began his message.

“Sa tinuod lang, gilisdan ko sa paghimo sa mga pulong of expressing my thanks to you that I was able to return in good health even though I had nothing to sleep on (during my days of captivity) and I had to walk long hours,” he added, recalling his ordeal.

The Columban priest narrated that in the early evening of Oct. 11, after he was snatched from his house in Gatas District, his abductors took him to Labangan where they transferred to a speed boat and travelled some two and a half hours across the bay, which he guessed is somewhere in Malabang, Lanao del Sur or Cotabato.

Sinnott said he was most likely in Cotabato because he later learned from his captors that the pump boat they rode returned to Cotabato and after ten days, brought him his medicines.

He said he could only recall and describe the place as a swampy area where he found it difficult to walk on foot. After ten days, his kidnappers decided to move away from the area and they “travelled another seven and a half hour to nowhere.”

Sinnott added that from there they stayed in the same place most of the time since during his release, the time they travelled by speedboat from his camping site to Zamboanga City took the same eight hours, although he said he could not distinguish the surroundings on the way.

“Tungod sa inyong mga pag-ampo nothing happened to me,” he said.

“Natingala ko sa paggawas nako kadaghan bas a mga tawo nga nag-ampo diay para kanako, dili lang dinhi sa Pilipinas ug sa Ireland kondili hasta tibuok kalibutan who knew of my kidnapping. I therefore thanked the (Philippine) government, the people and everyone, the parents of the children of Hangop for letting everybody know I was kidnapped,” the 80-year old priest said.

“Maayo gyod nga nakagawas ang balita sa akong pagkidnap as it created an awareness sa mga problema sa mga special children sa Hangop. Salamat kaayo sa kinasing-kinasing. Pasayloa ako nga dili paigo ang akong pulong, sa pag-express niining tanan. Salamat gayod,” he repeated his gratitude.

For her part, Gov. Aurora Cerilles left these words: “I thank and commend the HKFI for their dedication and commitment in taking care of the development and learning of our special children.”

“Today we have come together in this welcome program for Fr. Mick Sinnott as a gesture of our joy and gratitude of the safe release from the 30 days of abduction, which indeed was a test of faith of his life and among us who prayed for his safety.”

“We salute the love and compassion of Fr. Mick Sinnott for the welfare of the children who is not a Pagadian by blood but a Pagadianon by heart. And we hope that through his example of greatness, there shall be more like him who will work for the best interest of special children and break the stream of discrimination. Whatever condition these children have, they deserve the best from us because they are our gift from above,” the governor said.

During the program, both Cerilles and Mayor Samuel Co handed the check of P400,000—the promised financial assistance counterparted by the provincial and city governments.

Half of the amount is supposedly the reward money for informants who could tell where Sinnott and his abductors were after the priest’s kidnapping last October.

It was upon the request of Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar during the Crisis Management Committee (CMC)’s last meeting that the unused reward money is given instead to HKFI, which has been relying mainly on financial donations from generous organizations and individuals from the locality.

It was not known whether Sinnott will still run the HKFI as the Missionary Society of St. Columban has yet to give him clearance to continue his ministry at Hangop owing to his advancing age and delicate heart condition.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Auring: Zambosur drug problem licked

2010-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

GOVERNOR Aurora Cerilles has declared that she is making progress in her fight against illegal drugs in Zamboanga del Sur after she was inspired by Pres. Gloria Arroyo taking the helm in the fight against the menace and made herself a drug czar.

January, last year, Cerilles cracked the whip and announced that she will wage her own war against drug lords and gunrunners in her province.

Treading after Arrroyo’s pace, Cerilles said: “As long as I am the chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) of Zamboanga Peninsula, I will do my best to stop illegal drugs in the region. We should protect the future of our children and grandchildren as illegal drugs are considered a menace of society.”

The governor then zeroed in on the several political personalities in Zambosur, warning them to “stop their illegal trade because it won’t do well to the people.”

Cerilles said she felt uncomfortable every time she presides the RPOC meeting because she would encounter reports of high incidence of drug-related cases in Zambosur as compared to the Zambo Norte and Zambo Sibugay.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has earlier hinted they are keeping watch on some 200 drug personalities in Zamboanga del Sur while dealer after dealer fall in several busts conducted by them, the 53rd IB, Task Force Kontra Droga (TFKD) and the PNP’s Provincial Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Force (PAIDSOTF).

Complimenting the strength of the government authorities is TFKD, an anti-illegal drug working team created by Cerilles and headed by board member Ernesto Mondarte as action officer.

Mondarte, in an interview, claimed that they have suppressed circulation of shabu illegal in the province, resulting to the increase of shabu street price due to dwindling supply.

Prices have increased five times, from P100 per sachet to P500, said Mondarte, as evidenced by relentless entrapment and buy-bust operations against drug traffickers in identified barangays in Pagadian.

“The price now is high because of the diminishing supply,” Mondarte disclosed, adding the supply reduction and their strategy against shabu proliferation have been successful because they saturated the secondary and tertiary schools through information campaign on the dangers and effects of illegal drugs.

Likewise, the legislator said that he requested each town to activate their municipal anti drug abuse councils, which they did, and intensified advocacies on radio airtimes and media reports in the all out war against illegal drugs.

“Nakita nato ang effect niining nanglabay nga confiscations, tungod sa scarcity sa supply, mimahal ang shabu. Magdungan ning supply and demand reduction and the community has done well, I hope kita tanan, with the parents and all sectors in the society will help flush out illegal drugs in our communities,” Mondarte said.

However, reports reaching Cerilles’ ears have said that her heroic antics and those of the government agents in Zambosur infuriated the businessmen who are in the shabu business that as the governor puts it, she started to hear threats about her life.

“If you try to analyze it, ang business sa droga dali kaayo, daghan kaayo and these people involved in the trade can just hire anybody. Kay matod pa, nakuhaan gyod ang ilang negosyo diin pila ka higyaon, pila ka panahon ug katuigan nakatagamtam sila pinaagi aning ilegal nga droga,” Cerilles said during a recent meeting with the press inside her office.

Referring to her threat, the governor added: “Karon duna koy nahibaw-an, they are getting professional hired killers [to kill me] and they can do that because they have the money.”

The governor explained that she has already informed DILG Provincial Director Abcede Asjali about the threat of her life and that of her family.

“To me, makakontra man gyod ko sa politka, dili kaayo ko ana maguol.
But in case something happens to me and any members of my family, kahibalo na mo kinsay pangitaan,” she said.

“But my conscience is clear; I’m doing this for our children’s future. I just wish, hope and call on people with intentions to harm me and my family that they will be enlightened,” Cerilles concluded.

Meanwhile, PDEA, this city’s PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed the news of the decline of the illegal drug trade in Zambosur.

PDEA agent Rommel Torres said that in collaboration with other law enforcers, the military and concerned citizens and groups, they have conducted 75 operations, arrested 144 persons, filed 200 cases and ceased almost a P1 million worth of illegal drugs.

City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo also said that based on the considerable statistics presented, indeed they “have won the streets with the fight against drugs” and that shabu selling activities have lessened at present as compared to previous years.

NBI Chief Eric Distor concurs with Palermo and explained that the authorities their office is “busy on the intelligence support for the PDEA and this city’s PNP.”

“Ang problema tungkol sa droga ay problema nating lahat. So we should involve the community. If we can’t [eradicate it], at least ma-lessen natin,” Distor said.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

DxSY boss dies of heart attack

2010-02-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—He became the favorite of late night tuners of Y96-FM with his SMS dedication portion and love songs segue requested by lovelorn listeners.

People know him as Shy Guy. But for the media community, he is Alex Velayo Sy, the mentor and boss of DxSY. He died, Feb. 3, of heart attack.

Jed Boniao, one of the station’s announcers, told this paper in a telephone conversation that Sy was entertaining visitors in his office and signing several contract papers when he suddenly slumped on his desk and was brought to the hospital at 11:28 a.m.

“Kalit ra kayo, wala ko kabalo unsay buhaton. Kinsa gud ang magdahom ana nga maayo pa namong istorya anang buntaga,” Boniao narrates.

Sy, who turned 59 last Jan. 25, played a key role in enhancing the concept of local radio programming in Ozamiz City keeping pace with modern technology. Since the 1980’s, his station, which goes with the "Radyo Bantay" moniker, is credited as a training ground for aspiring broadcasters.

As the executive manager of the family-owned Times Broadcasting Network, the company founded by his late father, Emilio, Sy operated and supervised two other stations in Northwestern Mindanao—DxWO-FM in Pagadian City and DxEQ-FM in Dipolog City.

He was a man with good business sense, strict and outspoken, said Rocky Reyes, a reporter from DxSY. “Morag amahan na akong turing sa iyaha,” he said.

DxWO reporter John Mark Cocos likewise recalled how humble his manager was and how he treats everyone as a friend, not only as a mere employee.

“Dili siya hakog, kung unsa ang iyang gikaon mao sad ang imong gikaon. Kung problemado ka ug moduol ka niya, dali ra siya kayo maluoy. Ug mangayo ka og tabang, tabangan dayon ka niya basta gamiton lang nimo sa maayo. Daghan siya’g gipakaon nga dili niya kadugo ug gitabangan nga naa sa iyang poder,” Cocos said.

For Jovencio Godoy Jr., former program director of DxOC-AM and presently National Union of Journalists of the Philippines national director, Sy inherited his father’s traits and fondness.

“He continued to live up to his late father’s dream and love for radio, not just as popular disc jock in Manila but in having and managing his own radio network,” he said.

“Gikaguol usab namo ang wala damhang kamatayon niya sanglit ako ug duha nako ka mga kauban karon nagsugod sa among panarbaho sa DxSY,” also said Wendell Talibong, reporter of DxDD-AM and CBCP News.

Though silent on issues affecting media, like the threats and killings, Sy once confided that he values press freedom and would always come to the aid of his reporters who end up getting the ire of politicians and other people who became subject of their news commentaries.

One time, he revealed that he wants to push the point that broadcasting is not just business but pleasure and public service and the fair practice of the freedom of expression.

For all his achievements, he said he likes to maintain a low “shy guy” profile and would even deny interviews from reporters, reminding them that as a manager, he has a separate public image and private life too.

His estate lies today at Rivera Funeral Homes and will be interred on Feb. 10 at Pryce Memorial Gardens in Brgy. Dimaluna, this city.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

DA encourages farmers to go organic

2010-02-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

DO not burn rice stalks and hulls, the agriculture department (DA) tells farmers while reminding them to promote agriculture development and conserve environmental resources.

Rice hull burning is a traditional cultural practice of many farmers in the country, mainly for weed control and increased yield.

Executive Order No. 481, also known as the Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines, signed by Pres. Gloria Arroyo, declares the promotion of agriculture development, social equity, access to agriculture and fishery commodities while conserving the environment.

And in recognizing the big potential of organic agriculture in increasing local consumption of agricultural products, DA-9 collaborated with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) in implementing the Organic Fertilizer Production Project.

This is through the provision of Community-Based Composting Facility (CBCF) to various LGUs and farmers and women’s groups around Zamboanga Peninsula, with 16 already distributed in Zamboanga Sibugay, 15 in Zamboanga del Norte and one in Zamboanga City.

A memorandum of agreement with DA and BSWM will govern the delivery of CBCF, which costs about P350,000 each, and the kind of vermi technology involved, said BSWM area coordinator Florentino Agustin.

A CBCF package includes a shredder machine, two tea brewers, three vermibeds and 15 kilos of African night crawler worms to be used in vermi-composting. A capacity-building training is included, which teaches recipients on the production of pure vermicast.

Angelita Marcia, BSWM vermicomposting specialist, said waste disposal can be lessened through vermicomposting, where earthworms convert biodegradable organic wastes into organic composts.

Representing RED Oscar Parawan, Alex Pulmano, assistant chief for operations, said that DA’s promotion of agricultural development and food production should be both environment and health friendly.

He mentioned that they have noticed the decline of corn production in the region, which he believes is due to climate change, especially the irregular variations of the weather condition.

This is when farmers should start using organic compost and do away with inorganic fertilizer and pesticides in order to mitigate the adverse effects of global warming, Pulmano said.

Provincial Agriculturist Marilyn Bersales likewise explained that the use of organic fertilizer is safe and beneficial to human consumers because of the absence of harmful chemicals.

Bersales recalled that organic farming was practiced in previous decades thus ecological balance prevailed but soon, diversified farming technology inputs gave way to chemical-based agriculture and resulted to different negative impacts.

The agriculture sector has been found to have contributed at least 32 percent to global warming owing to inappropriate burning of farm wastes and injudicious use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, DA-9

Pagadianons meet, greet Fr. Mick

2010-02-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

City residents publicly welcomed last Tuesday kidnapped Columban priest Michael “Mick” Sinnott after his five-week vacation in Ireland to visit his family following his release last Nov. 12.

He also celebrated his birthday there last Dec. 17 where he wished for Pagadian “to have peace and no more kidnapping.”

The 80-year-old Sinnott, who belongs to the Missionary Society of St. Columban, returned to the country last Jan. 15 and was staying in an undisclosed residence shortly after his arrival in Pagadian.

Sinnot said he’s “happy to be back” and looks forward to continue his ministry at the Hangop Kabataan Foundation Inc. (HKFI), the charity house he founded in 1988 for children with disabilities.

He, however, said that he is yet to get consent from his superiors whether he will be allowed to continue serving Hangop given his advanced age and delicate heart condition.

“I’d like to do the little bit I can for as long as I can,” he quips, as he expressed gratitude to all the Filipinos who prayed for his safety.

Last Tuesday’s reunion was led by provincial and city officials headed by Gov. Aurora Cerilles, Mayor Samuel Co, social workers, members of the Interfaith Forum for Solidarity and Peace, parents and children of HKFI who welcomed Sinnott at the Hangop center, a stone’s throw from the San Jose Parish, this city.

Both Cerilles and Co delivered their respective messages and handed the check of P400,000, the promised financial assistance counterparted by the provincial and city governments.

Half of the amount is supposedly the reward money for informants who could tell where Sinnott and his abductors were after the priest’s kidnapping last Oct. 11.

It was upon the request of Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar during the Crisis Management Committee (CMC)’s last meeting that the unused reward money be given instead to HKFI, which has been relying mainly on financial donations from generous organizations and individuals from the locality.

Cerilles, who created and chaired the CMC tasked to look for Sinnott, said she welcomed the priest’s release with a glad heart, adding everybody’s prayers for the clergy’s release was heard.

The governor then commended Sinnott for his love and compassion for special children, calling his deeds as an achievement by somebody who is a "Pagadianon by heart" although he is not a "Pagadianon by blood."

Co, in his message, also said that nothing is impossible when people pray to God. “That was all that the people can do at that moment, to look up to heaven with prayers in our lips for the safe release of a very caring priest even as the incident caused a very unspeakable sadness in our hearts.’

“Now, with the return of Fr. Sinnott, we cannot describe the happiness and joy in our hearts. We express our sincere thanks to Fr. Sinnott for considering Pagadian City as his home and continue serving the underprivileged children in Hangop Kabataan,” the mayor added.

For his part, Edgardo Alcachupas, chair of the board of trustees of HKFI, commented that the incident befalling on Sinnott, his safe release and his homecoming gave two moral lessons to the faithful in their everyday encounters.

“Ang unang lintunganay niini mao ang bunga sa kahiusahan sa tanang sektor sa komunidad ug ang nagpakabanang katawhan sa tibuok kalibutan kinsa nag-ampo ug naglihok aron mahibalik si Fr. Sinnott nga luwas,” he said.

Second, Alcachupas said, is the realization that Sinnott’s advocacy for the welfare of children with disabilities, especially those with hearing and learning difficulties, to lead productive lives, are made known to many.

“Nagpasabot kini nga ang special nga kabataan dili na mapasagdan kay maatiman na man kini sila. Dili na kita mabalaka sa panahon nga si Fr. Sinnott ibalhin na sa laing lugar sa iyang misyon,” he said.

Sinnott has since cleared the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of involvement in his abduction, saying it was a “lost command” even as the PNP filed kidnap for ransom and serious illegal detention charges against three individuals and other unnamed MILF fighters who belonged to the 113th Base Command.

Sinnott added he never felt in any danger from his captives and they had told him they'd never kill a priest. His only fear was that he might be hurt if the military had tried to release him by force.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Midsalip, Bayog open Barangay Bagsakan

2010-02-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

Two municipalities of the first district of Zamboanga del Sur recently opened their respective Barangay Bagsakan (BB) projects as outlets for farmers where they will sell their products by retail or wholesale.

The two BB centers are located in Brgy. Guma, Midsalip and Brgy. Bobuan, Bayog. These are described as a barangay-based food depot and distribution system offering affordable, safe and quality food products like meat, poultry, fish, vegetable and fruits.

Midsalip mayor Leonida Angcap was happy with the presence of the food terminal that she declared her gratefulness to the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (DA-AMAD) for establishing the said facility.

“This is one of the many opportunities that we have right now and we hope for more to come. I am appealing to the community to be responsible and supportive to what has been given to us. Together our efforts will lead us to progress and we can create steps to extend our development to other municipalities,” she said.

With the BB being strategically set up in Brgy. Guma, Angcap said that vegetable growers from the nearby Baluran, Golictop, Boloron, Tumarong, Ginabot, Matalang and Canipay Norte can now take advantage and deliver their agricultural produce there.

This will help both farmers and consumers as products will be directly bought from the source at a lower price than the prevailing market value and at the same, save travel time and fare expenses for them.

DA Agribusiness Chief Ferdinand Gamorot said that the BB project costs P50,000 for repair and renovation while the P30,000 for initial capital is being financed as a loan to be paid after a year without interest.

The launching of the BBs comes with amenities like two chest freezers, two chillers, 20 plastic crates, three weighing scales and styrofoam boxes and two heavy duty calculators.

A two-day management team training for operators and staff was likewise held to instruct barangay folk of the importance of the livelihood project shared to them by the government.

As to the one in Brgy Bobuan, Bayog, the launching was attended by Joseph Baldelomar, DA–Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service representative, Gamorot, who represented DA RED Oscar Parawan, kagawad Saturnino Amor and members of the barangay council.

The two barangay terminals mentioned brings to eight the number of BBs in the province. Since the first launching of BB projects last year, a total of 31 BBs are now operating in the region.

For 2010, seven BBs are targeted to be opened in Zamboanga del Norte while five will be in Zamboanga Sibugay.

The DA said that each BB proposal that will be approved by their office will get an assistance of P170,000, for the purchasing of the needs of the BB stalls, such as cooler, chillers and weighing scales.

REPORT BY CHERRY CADIZ, DA-9

Ocampos tells media to report fair and square

2010-02-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—When it comes to friendship with the media, Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos has many, not because of envelopmental journalism, but because he’s a newsmaker.

Still, Ocampos cautions media they will not be welcome friends when election period comes because of politics-motivated excitement, disputes, difference of opinion including the white and black propaganda of both politicians and media.

“I don’t care if you vote for me or not. What’s important is you tell the truth,” the governor strikes a chord to journalists.

“Kay kaming mga politiko magpataka ra og storya and sometimes the truth blurs,” he added, predicting the political mood.

Ocampos said he hold the media profession in high regard and their role as icons of democracy but reminded them of the consequences of unfair reporting, especially when journalists keep tight deadlines and in the pursuit to come out with the news, put forward one-sided and unwarranted reports.

Ocampos, who is running for the congressional seat in the second district, also predicted that antagonism may one day come to members of the fourth estate especially that its election period.

“In reporting a story, stay in the middle; be neutral even if it is difficult. You will be subjected to different interpretations, usahay ma-misunderstood mo. But as long as your heart is pure and you are speaking the truth, nothing will happen. You will stand tall and liberate yourself,” he said.

Ocampos then reminded journalists to be responsible members of the community too and pay attention to the shenanigans being employed by candidates in the coming May elections, like vote-buying, as he said he is apprehensive with the holding of the first ever automated polls in the country.

“I want you to exercise your freedom. Find the truth. You are the strong voice of idealism. You must campaign for the truth and disregard politics,” he said.

The governor then mentioned his observation that this year’s election has taken the form of a mass-media based campaign and counter-advertising that attempts to change the behavior of the electorate, especially the youth voters.

“The more you spend the more high your ratings will be. There’s falsehood everywhere. The challenge now is how you look at the person and vote for him,” he concluded.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Media groups welcome verdict of Amoro murder

2010-01-31T23:40:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY--The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in Misamis Occidental receives with comfort the conviction of the accused killer of a radio broadcaster from Pagadian City in 2005, who was a key witness in the killing of Edgar Damalerio.

A statement emailed to this paper by the media chapter president, Ryan Rosauro, called the ruling of a Cebu regional trial court convicting Mohammad “Madix” Maulana as “a victory for justice for his family and colleagues” who have anxiously waited for justice in the last four years.

Maulana was found guilty of killing Edgar Amoro, a freelance broadcaster of DxKP and a friend of Damalerio, on Feb. 2, 2005 in front of the gate of Zamboanga del Sur National High School.

Maulana was sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to pay Amoro’s family of some P195,000. In handing the decision, the court gave weight to the testimony of Amoro's wife, Erlinda, who said she heard her husband utter the name “Madix” while lying bloodied on the ground.

The convicted killer, a known gun-for-hire, claimed in his defense during the hearings that he could not have killed Amoro as he was in Dinas attending a wedding when the crime happened.

Amoro witnessed the murder of Damalerio on May 13, 2002 in which an ex-police officer, Guillermo Wapile, was later convicted with a life sentence in November 2005.

Two other witnesses, a responding police officer and a barangay tanod, have positively identified Maulana as one of the three killers who shot Amoro.

NUJP and other media watchdogs believed Amoro was killed by accomplices of Wapile at a time when the prosecution for the Damalerio murder was ongoing—an attempt—they said, to cripple the legal battle against its perpetrators.

“The conviction of Maulana comes at a time when the Philippine media community is still experiencing the hangover of the brutality committed against some 32 colleagues who were massacred in Ampatuan, Maguindanao November 23 last year. It is therefore a whiff of good news!” Rosauro said in the statement.

“As we celebrate this success, we note the remaining challenge in confronting the problem of journalist-killings which is directly tied to a pervading culture of impunity throughout the country,” Rosauro continued.

He implied the challenge that needs to be confronted to as both the “inadequate competence of enforcing the law fairly” and “weaknesses in the justice system” which conspired to create the social atmosphere that resulted in 137 journalist-murders from 1986 up to the end of 2009.

The Maulana conviction is the sixth case so far among nearly 100 cases that was successfully prosecuted, although these only involved the gunmen and no masterminds, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) noted.

“The challenge of prosecuting the other cases is admittedly enormous. We hope to count on a vigilant public’s support in this quest for justice, and to protect the journalism profession which has been an important aspect of our democratic society,” Rosauro concluded.

Meanwhile, the Pagadian City chapter of NUJP and Zamboanga del Sur Pagadian City Press Club Inc. (ZPPI) released their joint statements “jubilantly appreciating the verdict.”

“We are grateful to the courts on the verdict, even if the same does not assuage the pain in the hearts of both the bereaved families of Amoro and Damalerio because the truth of the matter is that the real masterminds of these killings were not as yet been brought to court for them to pay the crime,” the two media organizations said.

According to NUJP, there are already 104 journalists killed since 1986, including the victims of the Maguindanao massacre in November last year.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Tax incentives for high-rise buildings extended

2010-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

Is Mayor Samuel Co trying to transform Pagadian City into a new Makati of the south?

High rise buildings, the ones referred to by the mayor in his extension of tax incentive for four-storey or more edifices are classified as buildings between 23 to 150 meters in height.

In Manila, massive flooding gave way to the so-called “high-rise living,” property industry officials said, as rich people, along with their businesses, are moving to higher ground to avoid a repeat of the devastation from recent storms and floods.

With tropical storm “Ondoy” dumping heavy rains in Manila in September, last year, more than 80 percent of Manila was flooded and people started migrating to areas which are of higher elevation.

Here in Pagadian, it’s another thing. Co wants to have more high-rise buildings constructed around the busy urban districts of the city. A come-on for this is the extension of the Council Resolution No. 2009-1131, which extended the implementation of the Investment Incentive Package (IIP) until Dec. 31, this year.

The IIP is for those who will construct commercial building or structures and cause to facelift or improve their edifices.

This incentive will come in the form of full exemption from payment of building permit fee including the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, occupancy and locational zonal fees.

Also the building’s real property taxes will be re-assessed only after three years of construction of renovation.

The mayor said the extension was upon the recommendation of the Pagadian City Investment Incentive Board (PCIB) to persuade investors to erect condominiums, regencies, tower malls, townhouses, even skyscrapers and apartments, which will spruce up the City Government’s thrust to modernize the physical appearance of the regional center.

Actually, the city council, during its regular session held last April 21, 2009, first approved and adopted the implementation of the IIP exclusively within calendar year 2009.

“There is a felt need for the IIP to be extended for another year to provide and lure other investors to avail of the program, which I firmly believe, will best rebound to the economic condition of the city in the very near future,” Co told this paper.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Greenpeace: One meter tide to sink Zampen

2010-01-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

A one-meter rise in sea level as a result of climate change will sink 64 of the 81 provinces in the country including Zamboanga Peninsula region, a special report by Greenpeace Southeast Asia (GSA) said.

Climate change is defined as a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole earth.

GSA’s shorter list of top 20 provinces in the country which are most vulnerable to extreme high tide listed Zamboanga del Sur in third place, Zamboanga Sibugay in fifth and Zamboanga del Norte in the 19th spot, with a total of 40 low-lying municipalities most likely affected.

These three provinces comprising Zampen listed a total of 81,129,600 square meters likely to be affected with Zambosur having the biggest land area threatened, which is estimated at 37,818,900 square meters.

Zambosur only trailed Sulu and Palawan with more than double the land area of the province whose human settlements along coastal areas, agriculture lands, tourist hubs and vital ecosystems that will be inundated should the climate disaster happen, GSA added.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated in another report that sea level rose at an average of about 1.8 mm/year during the years 1961-2003.

IPCC noted sea level rose during 1993-2003 was at an average rate of 3.1 mm/year. It is not clear whether this is a long-term trend or just variability.

As to the GSA report, it quoted Filipino scientist Leoncio Amadore who have been tracking extreme weather events from 1991 to 2004. Amadore’s scientific works resulted to an empirical method of forecasting tropical cyclone movement, which had been internationally recognized as the Amadore Method.

In one of his articles, Amadore said that storms, droughts, along with excessive precipitation in certain areas of the country are likely local manifestations of global climate trends.

He added that based on his study, persistent torrential rains causing landslides and flashfloods, killing people and destroying properties and the environment along its path have already damaged a total of P7.5 billion.

He cited, for example, the year 2006, when at least 11 million Filipinos were affected and some P20 billion in agriculture and infrastructure was lost and the government spending big rehabilitating directly-hit areas.

Greenpeace already has sounded its call to the government to take steps in arresting the runaway growth of global greenhouse emissions and address climate change by choosing an energy development path built on clean and renewable sources of energy and which promotes energy efficiency for a secure and sustainable future.

Senator Loren Legarda, a staunch climate change advocate, in her recent visit to Ozamiz City last January, urged Mindanaoans to intensify efforts to protect the natural environment and to adapt to climate change.

“We have stronger typhoons today because of climate change. On the other hand, we will also witness prolonged dry spells and droughts that will affect agriculture and destroy crops,” she said.

The senator also stressed the need to protect the country’s ecosystems. “It was found that 60% of all ecosystem services—the services natures provides to sustain human life on earth—are declining, with some services like fisheries beyond repair.”

“In addition, we are also creating trade-offs between these ecosystem services: for when we convert mangrove plantations to shrimp ponds, we actually increase storm surge risk; for when we cut down forests for agriculture use, we actually increase landslide risk; for when we drain wetlands, we increase flood risk,” Legarda said.

RA 9728, the Climate Change Act of 2009 authored by Legarda, was signed into law last October 23, which puts LGUs in the frontline of formulation and implementation of climate change action plans, which includes risk reduction in their respective areas as a leading edge of defense.

According to Greenpeace, excessive greenhouse gas emissions by highly industrialized country like Korea, Russia, Brazil, Japan, United States and China have contributed to global warming, which resulted to heat waves, violent downpours, rising oceans and melting ice poles.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Zambosur, GRF launch Barangay Justice for Peace

2010-01-31T00:06:00.000-08:00

The Provincial Government and barangay justice advocate group Gerry Roxas Foundation (GRF) recently launched the Barangay Justice for Peace (BJP) Project in a bid to strengthen the village justice system of the province’s 26 towns and lone city.

Launched last Jan. 21 at the Bulwagan ng Kabataan, Provincial Government Center in Brgy. Dao, The BJP is also supported by the Southern Philippines Research and Extension Foundation (SOPREX) and the Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“This project aims to promote community peace in unserved ARMM and non–ARMM communities by replicating the Barangay Justice Service System (BJSS) project and integrating community–based alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in local level planning and implementation,” Provincial Information Officer Allan June Molde said.

The said launching will formally introduce the project to the stakeholders and establish connections between key officials and SOPREX as the local resource partner and will be involve the training and mobilization of peace advocates in nine Mindanao provinces and in alliance with civic organizations and LGUs of the province.

Molde said the towns of Dimataling, Dinas, Lapuyan, Josefina, and Ramon Magsaysay will be the target locations where BJP will be implemented in the province with a two-year memorandum of agreement with its partner organizations.

More than 10,000 BJP advocates can be found at present in Lanao and Davao provinces, Marawi City, Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Bohol, Zamboanga del Norte, Bulacan, and Camarines Sur.

REPORT BY ZAMBOSUR PRESS BUREAU

DSWD-9 forges guidebook for children’s shelter

2010-01-30T23:47:00.000-08:00

A workshop aimed in creating a long-lasting manual of operation for the established shelter for children in the city was recently discussed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD–9).

Participated by the different children’s shelters of Pagadian like the Home for Children In-Conflict with the Law (CICL), Kaabag Women Center, the 3–day activity tackled on determining the target clientele who can be placed for temporary shelter while defining its programs and services.

Representatives from the first district municipalities of Tukuran, Mahayag, Molave, Ramon Magsaysay and Sominot were also present, as they took interest for their CICL referrals.

Assistant Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo facilitated the entire workshop composed of the inputs on the preparation of manual format presentation and the outputs as she discussed with the participants the modification and amendments of the formulated manual of operation (MOP).

Provincial Social Welfare and Development officer Conchita San Diego said the MOP states DSWD’s operational policies, its short, focused statements that follow the agreed regulations, operational policies and guidelines adopted for the Home for Children.

The formulation of the programs and services of the Home for Children is anchored on several laws like RA 9344, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act; RA 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act and RA 8369, the Family Courts Act of 1997.

It can be recalled that the Provincial Government forged a partnership with the national government agencies, NGOs and civic organizations for the establishment of the Home for Children CICL at the Provincial Government Complex to protect the rights of children in conflict with the law and respect their needs in the development of separate and specialized systems of juvenile justice.

San Diego said the Home for Children in the Provincial Government Complex in Dao, this city, is a classic example that “provides protective services and temporary shelter to neglected children, and to those children awaiting trial.”

She added that the center serves as a temporary home for the disadvantaged children and those in conflict with the law who are mostly male, where “immediate assessment of the physical, psychosocial, medical, and educational needs and the best intervention program that promotes positive behavioral change and skills enhancement are being determined.”

REPORT BY ZAMBOSUR PROVINCIAL PRESS BUREAU

Tryke drivers to volunteer as ‘crime reporters’

2010-01-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

COUNCILMAN Arnold “Glavys” Gavenia knows just the right crime-fighting tool—the ordinary tricycle driver—as the routinely crime solving Sherlock Holmes in the streets.

Seriously, the high crime rate in the city, especially with the infrequent extra judicial killings, speaks for the close rapport and cooperation between the police and the motorcycle drivers; this is what Gavenia meant in a huddle with this paper.

He added that the transportation sector, particularly the motorized tricycle drivers and operators’ organization have agreed to help the police by reporting crime occurrences, even traffic accidents on the roads as they take crime prevention measures so that they do not become victims of crime themselves.

The murders happening should be stopped and killings should push concerned citizens to swiftness of action as crime incident reporters, giving out whatever useful information they have, Gavenia explained.

“There has to be a common participation from the transport sector. Now is the time that we will educate our transport sector to get involve. Being ambulant and mobile all the time, they can directly contact or access any police station whenever they notice any untoward incident happening in the streets,” the councilor said.

At one instance, PNP Regional Director, C/Supt. Angelo Hipolito Sunglao revealed that their contingent only has a total manpower complement of 4,615 uniformed personnel and 116 non-uniformed personnel, with a Regional Mobile Group as its primary maneuver force.

As of May 1, 2007 NSO data, Zamboanga Peninsula’s police-population ratio is 1:700, Sunglao said, as PNP Provincial Director S/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena also commented in one interview with this paper the need to augment the police forces to further intensify monitoring, surveillance and operations against criminalities, especially in Pagadian.

This ratio at present is not sufficient to respond the needs of the city in fighting against criminality that is why we need a force multiplier, Gavenia said, like the 2,850 drivers and operators of motorized tricycles scattered around the city streets.

This move by the motorcycle drivers should serve to remind and enlighten city residents that the community can do a big part in various crime prevention measures to adopt by reporting crime occurrences, Gavenia said.

The councilor concluded that he will initiate in the coming days basic education and training on how to gather basic information, suggesting that if drivers have adequate instruction on crime information, it will be easier for them to be responsible and get involved.

Rosseller “Dodong” Duterte, president of the federated motorized tricycle organization, welcomed the idea and said they will support it 100 percent.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Palermo says EJKs caused by rido, not politics

2010-01-28T23:57:00.001-08:00

PAGADIAN City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo categorically said the recent extra judicial killings happening in the city in the past weeks is caused by grudges or family feud, not politically motivated as reported by media.

Palermo said that based on their investigations of the killings, self-motivated Muslim clan conflicts resulted in such unfortunate murders, one aspect that needs strategic interventions from its beginnings.

The police official cited the murder of Mohaliden “Steve” Tapodoc, executive secretary of Labangan vice mayor Wilson “Kity” Nandang and a candidate for councilor, who was killed by motorcycle-riding gun men near the Filipinista Church here.

Palermo narrated that Tapodoc escaped a prior attempt on his life in 2008, which, the police chief attributed to Tapodoc’s dispute with another resident of Labangan.

Complaining on earlier reports by media, Palermo wondered why the news of the extra judicial killings are being blown up at a time when elections are approaching. “It cannot be necessarily concluded that since the killings happened near election, it is already election–related,” he added.

He also corrected impressions that the police are not doing its job on the killings, adding no suspects were apprehended as of the moment since no complainants have come forward to tell something.

“In the process of our investigation, there was no complainant that came to our station, nobody, not even from the family members to complain on the shooting incidents. Who’s there to prosecute?” he asked.

It can be recalled last week that the Liberal Party (LP) in the province headed by Vice Governor Roseller “Roy” Ariosa decried the series of extra judicial killings in the city, believing these were politically motivated.

The LP mentioned in their press statement the deaths of Rascal Tiban Afdal, a political leader and a relative of Mayor Abubakar Afdal of Labangan, Hadja Hanira Abdullah Agcong and Tapodoc.

Senator Mar Roxas, in the same statement, also called for an investigation on the murders, saying it “could be the kick-off of organized violence against opposition candidates and supporters to sabotage the widely-expected opposition victory in May 10 elections.”

Roxas then called on the Comelec “to take drastic steps to stop the rising poll-related incidents violence, or risk demanding the credibility of the elections” and alluded to the need to replace the entire PNP contingent in Zambosur to quell the apprehension of LP leaders and supporters who expressed concern that the gunmen maybe men in uniform. “moonlighting or co-opted to do their dirty work for pro-administration candidates in the region.”

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)–Pagadian City Chief Eric Distor, meanwhile, said Roxas is just expressing his political opinion “as a normal reaction.” He added the senator may have been “misinformed” or he failed to see the full view of the recent happenings in Zambosur.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Palermo says EJKs caused by rido, not politics

2010-01-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

PAGADIAN City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo categorically said the recent extra judicial killings happening in the city in the past weeks is caused by grudges or family feud, not politically motivated as reported by media.

Palermo said that based on their investigations of the killings, self-motivated Muslim clan conflicts resulted in such unfortunate murders, one aspect that needs strategic interventions from its beginnings.

The police official cited the murder of Mohaliden “Steve” Tapodoc, executive secretary of Labangan vice mayor Wilson “Kity” Nandang and a candidate for councilor, who was killed by motorcycle-riding gun men near the Filipinista Church here.

Palermo narrated that Tapodoc escaped a prior attempt on his life in 2008, which, the police chief, attributed to Tapodoc’s dispute with another of resident of Labangan.

Complaining on earlier reports by media, Palermo wondered why the news of the extra judicial killings are being blown up at a time when elections are approaching. “It cannot be necessarily concluded that since the killings happened near election, it is already election–related,” he added.

He also corrected impressions that the police are not doing its job on the killings, adding no suspects were apprehended as of the moment since no complainants have come forward to tell something.

“In the process of our investigation, there was no complainant that came to our station, nobody, not even from the family members to complain on the shooting incidents. Who’s there to prosecute?” he asked.

It can be recalled last week that the Liberal Party (LP in the province headed by Vice Governor Roseller “Roy” Ariosa decried the series of extra judicial killings in the city, believing these were politically motivated.

The LP mentioned in their press statement the deaths of Rascal Tiban Afdal a political leader and a relative of Mayor Abubakar Afdal of Labangan, Hadja Hanira Abdullah Agcong and Tapodoc.

Senator Mar Roxas, in the same statement, called for an investigation on the murders, likewise saying killings “could be the kick-off of organized violence against opposition candidates and supporters to sabotage the widely-expected opposition victory in May 10 elections.”

Roxas likewise called on the Comelec “to take drastic steps to stop the rising poll-related incidents violence, or risk demanding the credibility of the elections” and alluded to the need to replace the entire PNP contingent in Zambosur to quell the apprehension of LP leaders and supporters who expressed concern that the gunmen maybe men in uniform. “moonlighting or co-opted to do their dirty work for pro-administration candidates in the region.”

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)–Pagadian City Chief Eric Distor, meanwhile, said Roxas is just expressing his political opinion “as a normal reaction.”

Distor said the senator may have been “misinformed” or he failed to see the full view of the happenings in Zambosur.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Cerilles hails NEDA’s presence in Pagadian

2010-01-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

GOVERNOR Aurora Cerilles appreciated the gesture of NEDA regional director Arturo Valero to finally transfer their office to Pagadian.

NEDA stands for the National Economic Development Authority, the country’s independent economic development and planning agency.

Its regional office is presently located at V. Sagun Street in Gatas District, this city.

“Your office manifests the [compliance] to the order, a proof that proves your hallmarks of integrity and professionalism,” Cerilles commended Valero and staff as she mentioned their “sacrifices and extra effort” in adherence to Special Order No. 40-2009.

SO No. 40-2009, signed by then NEDA Director-General and Socio-economic Planning Sec. Ralph Recto, mandated the transfer of the NEDA regional office from Zamboanga to Pagadian last March 2009, pursuant to EO No. 429 reorganizing the administrative regions in Mindanao.

Valero, in an interview with this paper, said they are making headway in adjustments, especially in the provisions and requirements of their employees, who mostly are mostly from Zamboanga City.

He added that there are, of course, newly hired employees from this city and that they are considering the number of duty hours from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. so that they can satisfy the 40 hours of work week since, again, most of his employees will leave early every Friday for Zamboanga City.

So far, in talking about Zamboanga Peninsula, Valero said that the global financial crisis that swept the country last year did not affect much of the region because many of products are agri-based and is minimal in the exportation compared to the electronics industry.

He said that most projects implemented in Region 9 are roads network, irrigation system and the much-ballyhooed west-coast road project linking Zamboanga City to Siraway and Siocon.

REPORT BY JONG CADION, WITH ZAMBOSUR PPB

Global warming: A threat to our lives

2010-01-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

THE islands of Maldives and the Philippines are both threatened by rising waters due to global warming, specifically caused by heavy and excessive carbon emission from rich and industrialized countries, Sen. Loren Legarda said.

The Republic of Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of 26 atolls spreading over roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most disparate countries in the world.

With features similar to our archipelago, it has 1,192 islets, of which 200 are inhabited. It is the smallest Asian country in both population and area and is described as “the lowest country on the planet” with an average ground level of 1.5 meters.

Constantly threatened by rising sea level, our country stands on the possibility of getting obliterated from the world map too; if for example, a one-meter rise in sea level will happen.

The 1,192 islands in Madives would be almost gone at this deep while in our country; the same rise in sea level can affect 28 coastal settlements around the archipelago, Legarda said.

And while the senator laments that both Maldives and the Philippines may have contributed less to the problem of climate change, people living in the scattered islands of the two countries are on the brink of getting exterminated as the threats of climate change become more and more visible in its borders.

Meteorologists and weather experts have said that the current sea level rise is due partly to human-induced global warming, to mention also the glacial flows from North America.

Global warming is the result of the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide.

Carbon dioxide, a by-product of the burning of fossil fuels, such as gasoline in an automobile or coal in power plants that generate electricity is slowly enveloping our skies. So too with atmospheric methane, a powerful greenhouse gas derived from sources such as rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel production.

Remember that a carbon dioxide’s lifetime in the atmosphere can range from 50-200 years. This kind of gas prevent the reflection of solar radiation back out into space. Once it is there in the atmosphere, there is very little we can do to reduce it.

Experts have claimed that temperature increase of several degrees wouldn't be experienced consistently but there’s evidence that this is felt by particular regions more profoundly than others. Some might suffer changes in the amount of rainfall received. Again, this rise in temperatures could cause sea level increase of 20 or more inches, which in effect will destroy coastal wetlands and flood coastal areas.

It’s not difficult to sense the effects of global warming. It is still July here yet unabated rainfall has started to flood our agricultural lands, damage homes and infrastructures. The abnormal weather is new to a tropical country like ours because we should be expecting downpours by August but the current situation shows otherwise.

In the universal scale, we have the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty which agreement requires the United States, the European Union and Japan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2010. We don’t know if this agreement has been complied with by the concerned countries.

A study made by the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that 154,000 people die every year from the effects of global warming, from malaria to malnutrition, with children in developing nations seemingly the most vulnerable.

WHO estimates the said numbers could almost double by 2020, further suggesting that even a small shift in temperature, for instance, could extend the range of mosquitoes that spread malaria.

Dr. Thomas Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center, says that global warming has produced an increase in precipitation during the 20th century, mostly in the form of heavy rainstorms and little in moderate, beneficial rainstorms.

Meanwhile, Britain's Meteorological Office has warned in its report issued in November, 1999 that flooding in Asia and Southeast Asia would increase more than nine-fold over the coming decades.

An October 2007 report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer stated that the country’s corals are under threat from bleaching and illegal fishing and ocean “acidification,” which is caused by excessive carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is slowly dissolving in the oceans, reducing the ability of the coral reefs to deposit calcium carbonate or calcify.

With the ocean becoming more acidic, corals would stop growing and eventually disintegrate and this would affect other sea shells and mollusks.

Another PDI report dated June 25, 2009 notes the briskly changing weather pattern all over the countryside, which is hurting the fishing industry. The fishing season has become shorter as heavy rains and strong waves now begin as early as late March or early April.

Global warming is a global concern. Calamities of sort occur frequently in our archipelago due to climate change that was also rooted from the people's lack of concern to the environment and even by abuses.

So what can developing countries do? How can we Filipinos take part in reducing the effects of global warming? With the 2010 election a few months from now, we should know how prepared the government is in responding to the effects of global warming as well as to its impact on the population.

We should demand from our candidates their convincing action in fighting climate change since it is their responsibility as our representatives in public office to protect our children and future generations from damage to the environment they will inherit. In short, let us vote only for those who care about our planet.

Even in the local scene, we can step up efforts to lessen the impact of climate change by tackling on issues about environmental management such as solid waste management, forest management, pollution and coastal management, among others.

With all these information identifying the problems, let us address the global warming problem and anticipate its effects on our lives. There are solutions, if people will only care to take action.

So then, let us help rid the atmosphere of poisonous gases. Let’s suggest the use of clean and renewable energy. Let’s advance organic farming and protect our remaining forests.

Let us try. We must.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Zanorte farmers finish corn production course over radio

2010-01-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

DIPOLOG CITY--More than 300 farmers from Zamboanga del Norte completed the course on corn production and Hi-GREEN University-On-the-Air (UOA) program dubbed as “Universidad ni Lando sa Kahanginan.”

UOA is a joint of project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) of the province airing through DXRJ.

It is a non-formal education on corn production to create awareness among interested farmers on the potentials of corn production while presenting and discuss new technologies over the radio.

Participating farmer-enrollees must complete and pass all requirements, including the final assessment in order to graduate.

The graduation rites were held at Liloy Municipal gym with the following honor students: Imelda Diaz of Lawaan Tampilisan, Odon Molina of Pitogo Gutalac, Maria Luz Baltazar of San Francisco Liloy, Roger Lim of Osukan and Reynaldo Amora of Balas, all of Labason; Venturada Potutan and Maynilda Templado of San Jose Kalawit.

Others coming from Leon Postigo are Elena Chico and Melba Tigo of Mangop, Dominador Fabillar and Nelia Mazo of Tinuyop, Jimboy Hamac of Tiniguiban, Nelia Mazo-Tinuyop Leon Postigo.

Provincial Agriculture Coordinator Engr. Peter Andalahao of Zamboanga Sibugay, representing RED Oscar Parawan, said the UOA can uplift the lives of the farmers through a participatory information dissemination of technologies thru radio.

Andalahao added that UOA has reached out to Zamboanga del Norte to help the people start off with corn production and vegetable projects in tandem with DA’s High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) program.

He said the benefits of the corn farmers in the third district will get the benefit of their efforts because of the presence of a corn grains center in Liloy, the farm-to-market road projects as well as the Barangay Bagsakan established by DA in collaboration with Gov. Rolando Yebes.

Asterio Saliot Jr., director of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), likewise hailed the farmers, saying they play a vital role in the country’s economy as models of resilience.

The DA-ATI, he said, embarks on maximizing the potentials of information and communication technology to reach out further towards empowering our stakeholders for agriculture and fisheries.

“We believe that knowledge is power and power comes from sharing information so that it can be utilized. If we lack information, we also lack the knowledge we need for our farming operations,” Saliot said.

For his part, Liloy Mayor Jaime Lim said that “we are indeed benefited by this program and we cannot contest the value of achievements and knowledge we get.”

With Lim during the graduation ceremonies are Vice Mayor Alfred Chan, board members Aniceto Darunday, Joseph Ajero and Florentino Daaron, barangay officials, municipal agriculturists, agricultural technicians and DA info chief Maria Melba Wee.

REPORT BY MARK LARIDE, DA-9

Joint statement on the Maulana verdict

2010-01-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

January 28,1010

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Pagadian City- ZamboSur (NUJP) and Zamboanga del Sur Pagadian City Press Club, Inc. (ZPP)I, both an active media organizations in Pagadian City jubilantly appreciate the verdict handed down on Mohammad Maulana by the RTC Branch 6 of Cebu City, finding him guilty of killing Edgar Amoro, a material witness of the killing of another radio reporter and commentator Edgar Damalerio, managing editor of Zamboanga Scribe and radio announcer of radio station DXKP of the Radio Philippines Network (RPN) Pagadian on May 13, 2002.

Much as we, in the highest term condemns such killings, the above media institutions are very grateful to the Honorable Judge of RTC Br. No. 6 of Cebu City on the verdict handed on Maulana, even if the same does not assuage the pain in the hearts of both the bereaved families of Amoro and Damalerio because the truth of the matter is that the real masterminds of these killings were not as yet been brought to court for them to pay the crime.

SIGNED

JONG D. CADION
Chair, NUJP Pagadian-Zamboanga del Sur

CHARNYL S. ALBARRACIN
President, Zamboanga del Sur-Pagadian City Press Club, Inc.

Zambosur voters near 600T

2010-01-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

A total of 558,871 Zambosurian voters will cast their ballot this May in the first ever nationwide automated elections, a latest Comelec voters list stated.

The said number already include the 109,339 voters of Pagadian City, the regional center, which is part of the first district.

The said list, which was taken by this paper last Nov. 16, 2009, excluded the newly registered voters in the province culled during the 5-day extension of registration of the Comelec last Dec. 21-29,2009.

A source from the provincial Comelec office, however, said additional new voters during the said period for Pagadian only reached 395 while an estimated 1,500 voters will likely be added to the overall current list in the province.

Previously, City Election Officer Dinah Sapong listed a total of 5,592 first time voters in Pagadian. All in all, there are 143 clustered precincts out of the established 724 in 54 barangays all over the city.

Another Comelec report dated June 2009 obtained from the national office disclosed a total of 936,797 voters for Zambosur in the last 2007 elections. Minus the present figure, an overall difference of 377,926 is noted.

For the first district, the towns of Tukuran, Aurora, Mahayag, Molave and Labangan can be classified as vote-rich municipalities with voters numbering more than 25,000. The towns of Josefina and Sominot tallied only 6,193 and 9,299 voters, respectively.

Bayog, Dimataling, Dumalinao, Margosatubig and Lapuyan are the vote-rich places in the second district with voters numbering between 17,000 to 20,000. Tigbao and Lakewood has the least voters in the same district, with 10,558 and 10,864, respectively.

All in all, the first district registered 223,023 electorates while 226,509 were counted in the second district.

There are 27,793 new registrants for the whole province, including some 6,845 who transferred from other municipalities, another 158 were reactivated with transfer and 788 were reactivated.

A total of 4,158 registrants were canceled either by reason of death, transfer, double registry or double entry.

There are pairing bets vying for the two congress seats, governorship, vice-governorship, and mayoralty and vice-mayoralty posts in Pagadian while 22 candidates are running for the provincial board and another 20 for the city council.

Comelec Resolution 8646 has confined the dates of campaign relative to the May polls to March 26 to May 8 for members of the House of Representatives, elective provincial, city and municipal officials.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

SSS surpasses 2009 collection goal

2010-01-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

The Social Security System (SSS) office exceeded its 2009 goal with P102,900,327.89 actual collection in members’ contribution, a big feat compared to last year’s P94,412,786.14

Godofredo Martinez, branch head, said this sterling achievement by their office can be ascribed to the hard work of all his staff and the members, as well, for enlisting with SSS to avail of its benefits.

SSS benefits include sickness, disability, retirement, maternity, death and funeral and the so-called Employees’ Compensation (EC) program, which assist workers who suffer work-connected sickness or injury resulting in disability or death.

Martinez added that their painstaking efforts in educating the public about the benefits of SSS paid off just as 2009 started with already P10,695,620.37 actual collections in January, up from their P7.8 million target.

This achievement was replicated in July and October with an all time 7.88% and 7.95% rate increase, respectively, as compared to the other months in 2009.

From March until November, the SSS collected an average of P8 million every month, way above their monthly target, Martinez said, as he revealed that their office has raised some 100,601 members to date, of which 6,781 are employee-members or household employers and 37,347 are self-employed (SE) or voluntary members (VM).

SSS defines a self-employed person as those with an income of at least P1,000 a month, regardless of trade, business or occupation, and not over 60 years old.

These are the self-employed professionals, business partners, single proprietors and board directors, actors, actresses, directors, scriptwriters and news reporters who are not under an employer-employee relationship, professional athletes, coaches, trainers and jockeys, farmers and fisherfolks; and workers in the informal sector such as cigarette vendors, watch-your-car boys, hospitality girls, among others.

As to collections in contributions delinquencies, this was pegged at P5,011,716.62 while a total of P16,141,400.21 were collected for both current and delinquencies in member loans, still upbeat as compared to 2008 statistics.

Total SE/VM and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) remittances for 2009, meanwhile, was listed at P32,411,659.30 as Martinez said total contributions and loan amortizations was listed at P119,123,089.17, a 10.87% over from 2008’s P107,442.371.31. Part of this are real estate loans (REL) amounting to P81,361.07.

Martinez concluded that SSS will continue to be responsive to its members’ needs and with its commitment to extend social security protection to workers and their beneficiaries, will further strive to surpass its goals for the current year.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

LTO-Pagadian posts 31% hike in revenues for ‘09

2010-01-25T21:15:00.001-08:00

TOTAL revenues of the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Pagadian City District Office slightly increased to 31.1 percent in 2009, equivalent to some P5,356,019.70.

A two-year comparative report provided by Emmanuel Barretto Sr., Senior Transportation Regulation Officer (STRO), showed some P17,200,279.47 posted for 2008 and P22,556,299.17 for 2009.

Barreto said there is a decrease in motor vehicle (MV) registrations last year in both government and For-hire, with the former dropping by at least half from the previous year’s statistics.

All in all, there were 16,348 total MVs registered in the city, a 7.2 percent increase from 2008 figures.

For licenses and permits issued, student permits, which previously showed the bulk of transactions in the said office, likewise showed a downtrend, with a 692 decrease from its 2008 figures of 6,990 along with Non-Professional drivers’ license, showing 2,765 for 2009, again, a decrease of 22 from the 2008 report.

However, professional drivers licenses increased by 4.9 percent, from 8,779 in 2008 to 9,206 for last year. All in all, the total for licenses and permits issued still sank with 18,308 for 2009 as compared to 18,593 the previous year.

Barreto justified the decline of the data for licenses and permits in Pagadian City was due to the improvement of the LTO extension offices located in Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay and Molave following their automation and approval of its service as an International Organization Standardization (ISO) accredited office.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

City BFP starts collecting fire code fees

2010-01-25T21:15:00.000-08:00

THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), through City Fire Marshal Cristopher Morales, announced they will start collecting fire code fees for this year as part of the pre-requisites of the new business permits and renewals.

Morales said their move is part of the government’s mandate to fully implement RA 9514, the Comprehensive Fire Code of the Philippines, through the collections of fees in respective local government units.

He said in an interview inside his office that they were a bit late in conducting their collections owing to the delay of the arrival of receipts coming from the BFP national office.

For this year, the BFP will collect 10 percent from the charges imposed by the local government on all new and renewed business permits as fire safety inspection fees.

For building permits, the BFP will collect a tenth of the verified estimated value of buildings or structures to be erected as fire code construction tax.

Morales said this fee will not exceed P50,000 half of which will be prior to the issuance of the building permit, and the balance, after final inspection and prior to the issuance of the use and occupancy permit.

Another fee to be collected is the fire code realty tax, which is 0.01% of a building’s assessed, to be collected annually and payable upon payment of the real estate tax, except on structures used as single family dwellings.

Morales added that 80 percent of the total collected fire code fees will be remitted to the National Treasury while the rest will be retained in the local purse to be used in the implementation of various projects and programs related to fire safety.

A BFP one-stop shop desk is being set up at the City Hall to attend to inquiries and receipt of payments, Morales said.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Oh Romeo, my Romeo

2010-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

IT is not by pure coincidence that the vice mayoralty seat is up for grab by two Romeos, it is with absolute certainty that both are vying for one hotly contested prize, not for the love of Juliet but for the love of public service

For Romeo “Tata” Pulmones, he has already considered seriously his dream of finishing his term as the council’s presiding officer under Lakas-Kampi.

“My focus is only to help Mayor Sammy Co in all his programs for the city,” was his message to this paper.

“Dili na ko pwede moatras kay ania na man ta sa politika. Nabasa na man ta, maligo na lang ta,” he added, describing his motivation.

Pulmones, a second-termed vice mayor, is not new to politics indeed, being a scion of the well-known Mayor Warlito Pulmones who propelled Pagadian’s dent in the history books with his short stint as this city’s chief executive.

Although Pulmones admits having difficulty in going after his father’s image, he said he makes up for the differences through his determination, youthfulness and honed discipline.

“Usa ra ang akong ipanghambog, ang akong pagkamatinud-anon,” he quips.

No doubt and no fear, as he is running against a well-taken fight of another titan in politics, in the person of his first councilor.

He adds his experience may be a “second best” compared to his opponent but he knows he will have an edge and believes he’s “halfway until the finish line.”

“Siguro, ang katawhan na lang ang mohusga namo giunsa namo pagdala ang siyudad sa Pagadian sa pag-abag sa konseho,” he said.

Challenging Pulmones is Romeo “Romy” Tan, a busybody who has kept above fray all these years. Like Pulmones, he knows he isn’t destined to remain in the backseat forever.

He said he has been waiting for years to take his turn as vice mayor as many believe his long experience indicate good leadership.

It will be now or never, as he disclosed his running as an independent has the backing of the same people he calls a “structured organization” that trust his leadership and experience.

“If I won’t run, there will be no election,” he curtly said.

The first councilor then declared that he is facing the crossroads of his life when the choices he makes determine his future. For while his recent optimism suggest favorable meaning, it has never been tougher.

Tan added that he is running without money. “When I serve, I serve with dignity. I have the backing of the people so that whatever I do, I always have their support,” he said.

Tan knows where the competitive edge is and the pitfalls but he has to be innovative too. Ask if why he is running at this time, he replied there’s much more to do, more projects that need to be implemented and more social legislations to be made.

“Pagadian needs people who are development-oriented. I want to help propel Pagadian not just as a regional center but as a highly urbanized city,” he added.

“All my life I’ve been serving the public by holding key positions. Kung mosugot ang katawhan moserbisyo ko at this age, why not? I know my capability and limitation. Public service is like and imong kaugalingon ang imong i-offer,” Tan said.

Will Pulmones stand back at this one eager mortal?

“Taas akong respeto sa iya. Di pod nako hilig manglabay og lapok. Kung unsa man ang mg sulti gikan sa uban, wala koy labot ana,” was Pulmones’ straightforward reply.

Arguably, Tan is unperturbed with facing Pulmones head on. “I am ready to accept defeat. Duha na lang gud ang akong gihuna-huna—God and the people of Pagadian City,” he said.

“Ma-zero gani ko, dili na ko mopuyo sa Pagadian,” he quipped.

REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA

How safe is your lechon?

2010-01-25T21:13:00.001-08:00

Animal meat is one of the most common foods for humans, a source of protein, fats and carbohydrates. It may refer to organs, including lungs, liver, skin, brains, bone marrow, kidneys and a variety of other internal organs as well as blood.

But animal meat can also be a source of toxic and cancer through the feeds and medicines of banned drugs used on the live animal and acquired by human after it is butchered and eaten.

Dr. Arturo de Jesus Jr., regional director of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), said animal meat can be a carrier of contagious diseases if not properly slaughtered and inspected.

De Jesus added that there is a need to drum up support from the respective local governments in creating an ordinance adopting the implementation of RA 9296.

RA 9296 or the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, governs the procedures on the flow of food animals, meat and meat products through the various stages of marketing and the proper preservation and inspection of such products.

It also ensures food security and provides safety and quality standards for consumer products related to agriculture to assure the protection of the public against reasonable risks of injury and hazards to health.
For De Jesus, the establishment of slaughter houses in every town in Zamboanga del Sur and the provision of trained personnel authorized to conduct meat inspection from the NMIS will help see to it that meat serve in the table is safe.

He disclosed that, so far, Pagadian City and six other towns in the province have established slaughter houses and these were accredited by their office.

Aside from the city, De Jesus identified those which passed the standard as that of Molave, Mahayag, Dumingag, Guipos, Margosatubig and Bayog.

Four accredited inspectors do their rounds in checking the meat supply and activities in the said abattoirs.

Other municipalities also have their own slaughter houses but these were not accredited by NMIS, De Jesus disclosed, and no personnel were authorized to conduct meat inspection.

“We need to protect the consuming public because is also the vehicle of transmittable diseases if these are not properly inspected,” he said.

“We encourage the public to be aware and if possible, to look for the necessary permit on certification from the meat inspector on date before buying the meat, especially the lechon,” the NMIS official added.

De Jesus then advised that even for personal consumption, those who maintain improvised slaughter house in their backyard may do so with the use of bamboos for flooring and should be a few feet above the ground.

But still, meat inspectors are needed in order to check the slaughtered meat, he said.

The meat inspectors do this by touching, visual or physical examination, smelling and palpation. Sometimes, they take a sample and conduct a laboratory examination.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Butcher fees dip with ‘hot meat’

2010-01-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

TO ensure the safety of meat consumed, the butchering of all hogs, large cattle and goats should be done inside the slaughter house irregardless of the purpose to which it will be butchered, Lauro Mendoza, head of the slaughter house, said.

This practice, he added, would count up to more income for the city also, as fees will be collected from the slaughtered animals while the meat will be certified as safe and uncontaminated.

But in spite of a local ordinance mandating the same, “hot meat” continues to proliferate in the city. “Hot meat” is the term given to those hogs slaughtered outside the city’s abattoir in Brgy. Napolan.

This illegal slaughtering activity in the city needs to be controlled, explained Mendoza that is why the need for a task force to monitor the city market every morning and apprehend erring butchers and vendors.

A source from the city market told this paper that some meat shops operating in Pagadian and those in the lechon business slaughter hogs in their own yard and sell these for public consumption.

This is a clear violation of RA 9296, the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, said Olympio Yecpot of the National Meat Inspection Service office, as the butchered animal meat needs to be properly butchered and inspected in the slaughter house.

For her part, Lucille Juros, City Economic Enterprises (CEE) operations officer, sees a third-quarter slide in net income and revenues for 2009 attributed to low collections of slaughter house fees.

Juros stated that slaughter house collections trimmed down to P5,144,721.64 this year compared to the P5,781, 327.05 in 2008.

This year-end trend in slaughter fees cost the local government an estimated losses of about P646,605.41—the actual difference from the 2008 and 2009 figures.

A comparative report from the CEE showed 952,987 kilos of hogs were butchered in 2009, slightly lower than that of 2008 figures which reached 1,080,028 kilos.

Mayor Samuel Co, when told of this observation, said he will develop a strategy and effect a comprehensive investigation of all “hot meat” through an executive order to be named “Bantay Karne” (BANKA), the same idea thought of by Yecpot, Mendoza and Juros.

“Naa na koy nadawat nga report bahin ana, tinuod na,” Co said.

A draft paper of BANKA will designate Co as the chairman, the vice mayor as and the chair of the committee on market as co-chairs and the heads of the PNP, DENR/CENRO, city legal officer, CEE officer, City Veterinarian, Chief of Security and Patrol 117 chief as members.

BANKA, according to the draft, will formulate implementing policies and guidelines to safeguard the slaughtering of hogs in the locality and to cause fines and other forms of penalties on any violations of existing rules and regulations.

The Taskforce will also be responsible in instituting appropriate measures in the buy and sell of meat and meat products and its prices, establish a feedback mechanism, formulate programs aimed at affecting full compliance of standards in meat handling and distribution and secure all possible means in ensuring that all meat and meat products are clean and safe for consumption.

REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA

SP okays Misoc’s Dev’t Fund

2010-01-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

OROQUIETA CITY—The provincial board of Misamis Occidental recently approved the disbursement of the province’s 20 percent Development Fund totaling P101,600,000.

The Development Fund will be used to expedite funding and implementation of various programs and projects in the province, Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos said.

Of the said amount, about 51,000,000 will be billed to economic, cultural and social development programs.

Included in the program is the productivity consciousness drive of the governor called “Kakugi ko, Kalamboan ko, Responsibilidad ko,” other water projects and infrastructure programs, scholarship and peace and order.

Provincial lawmakers also shared P10,400 from their province-wide development program while around P8 million is being set aside for the universal enrolment of indigents in Philhealth and another P10 million will be used for loan repayment in Land Bank and DBP.

Ocampos has earlier announced he will aim to double Philhealth enrollees by 2010 with a 50-50 payment scheme shouldered between the Provincial Government and the beneficiary.

Also, some P7 million is being readied as cash counterpart for the different foreign-funded projects from the Australian, US and European governments.

Ocampos said he will provide P5,000,000 for the maintenance and rehabilitation of provincial roads; P3 million for the upkeep of the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park in Tigdok; and P1 million each for the Misamis Occidental Enterprise Development and Research Center and Misamis Occidental Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center; and P3 million for the Misamis Occidental Children's Welfare Code.

The remaining funds, according to the governor, will be budgeted for the Gender and Development Center and Traffic Safety Management Program worth P500,000 each; P300,000 for the development of Hoyohoy Highland Park in Tangub City; and P200,000 for Women organization activities.

The Senior Citizens group, Provincial Councilor's League and the federated associations of barangay councils and SK will share among themselves the P100,000 left.

REPORT BY ARCHIE AJIAS

Zambosur eyes full, complete Philhealth coverage

2010-01-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

Before bowing out on her last term, Gov. Aurora Cerilles said she is making sure her target to enroll 100 percent of Zambosurian indigents with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) will be met.

Cerilles vowed to expand the coverage of Philhealth to embrace more beneficiaries who were not enrolled before and were not covered by the Social Security System or the Government Service Insurance System and even those who do not have any health insurance.

With the presence of the Zambosur Medical Center (ZSMC) and the intensified Inter-Local Health Zones (ZILHZs) in trhe province, the governor stressed that securing health services in the province will be easy with Philhealth.

Cerilles who chairs of the Provincial Health Board, calls her plan “universal health insurance coverage.” This means that all eligible indigents of Zambosur will be given coverage in medical and dental health care.

Cerilles then urged all city and municipal executives to measure up with her target and aim for the same goal, enrolling all their indigent households with Philihealth.

“Health is our priority, it is sone of my 7-Points Agenda and before I finish my term. I want my agenda to succeed,” Cerilles said.

It was learned that the governor, along with Representatives Victor Yu and Antonio Cerilles, has implemented Philhealth’s multi-payor scheme, a system launched by Philhealth since 2005 that provides health insurance coverage to more 50 p[ercent of the indigent and underprivileged clients in the locality.

Such a scheme was implemented in order for all local government seats, whether the barangay, municipal and provincial, to allocate financial counterpart in the first two years of its implementation.

An example under this scheme, the beneficiary will only pay 25 percent of the total premium while LGUs will equally share the remaining 75 percent.

So far, of the total target of 134,301 beneficiaries, Philihealth data states that about 92.216 were enrolled in Zambgosur4, which is about 57 percent in total enrollment.

Cerilles said the with the Provincial-wide Investment Plan for health in place, the province was able to receive a grant from the health department amounting toP1.5 million for the maternal newborn child health and nutrition and commodity self reliance.

She likewise disclosed that with the teamwork of her husband, the congressman, they were able to obtain a subsidy from Senate President Juan Ponce Ebrile in the amount of P10-million for ZSMC’s expansion.

The funding, according to Cerilles will be for the establishment of the Physical Therapy Center and the construction of private rooms in the said hospital. The bidding for this project will be made next month.

All these plans, Cerilles hopes, will be achieved with the full backing of the provincial board and local chief executives as she urged them to attend the regular policy board meetings in their respective ILHZs.

Under Zambosur;s new health system, three ILHZs were set up: J-Smart, Dumanquillas and Yllana, from which all the 26 towns of the two districts Zambosur were assigned accordingly.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO

Can police still protect civilians?

2010-01-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

As Comelec election gun ban took effect Sunday, January 10, 2010, at least 18 people in the greater Metro Manila area were arrested during the first burst of the implementation. This is an indication that the government is not joking. Police Director Verosa said, this is to show that the PNP and AFP meant business to protect the people from being harassed during the election day. The ban will last for a period of 6 months, and addedly the purpose of which is to ensure an orderly and peaceful elections in May, this year.

Those arrested included policemen, lawyers, government personnel, navy enlisted man, retired military officers who were caught red handed with their firearms, covered with permits to carry outside residences, confiscated either inside their vehicles and/or tucked in their waists. No criminal element arrested? Those arrested claimed they were not aware the election gun ban has took already effect. Dir. Verzosa said in a statement that all permit to carry outside residences are deemed automatically revoked with the gun ban took effect the same day.

Those arrested will face criminal charges for violating the Omnibus Election Code which imposes a penalty of 1 to up to 6 years imprisonment without probation, disqualification from holding public office, and or right to suffrage and deportation of foreigners if found guilty of the charges.

Our apprehensions however is that while Verzosa’s success is only confined within the greater Manila area where uniformed police and armed forces just littered within its major thoroughfares, what about in the provinces? In this city, for example. In this city in particular, where police visibility is even a problem because of its scarcity. How could the community cope up the needs to secure our people. In this city where a ratio of 1 police as against 1000 residents is even a problem, how sure Dir. Verzosa can protect our citizens?

Just very recently in a month time there were already 3 or 4 people killed through assassin’s bullets and the suspects being described only by the police as “riding in tandem.” Of the many killing incidents in this city this week, not one suspect was neither arrested nor identified even by the police, how could Dir. Verzosa dare say this year’s election could be peaceful and orderly? Apart from the government’s failure to dismantle the private armies?

For Dir Verzosa to succeed, must not take pride only with the arrest and apprehensions of the innocent civilians, nevertheless must wage more punitive actions against armed and dreaded criminals who are right now lurking within our immediate premises. These scot free criminals are indeed the real threats to the civilians security. Dir Verzosa must bring the police action to where the criminals are.

EAGLE'S EYE COLUMN
By Vic G. del Pilar
EMAIL: delpilarvic@gmail.com

The City stands to lose in IRA

2010-01-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

With the additional 16 cities created anew, Pagadian City stands to lose over a hundred million pesos in regular income out of its yearly IRA appropriations from the national government. This development came in the wake of reports that the Supreme Court has ruled out that the creation of the 16 cities, which was questioned earlier by the League of Cities of the Philippines, as to its constitutionality and eligibility, pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991, was legal and constitutional.

The Local Government Code provides, among others the creation of local government units, i.e., barangay, municipality, city and province, only at certain conditions. Among which includes its area, population and income to mention, only few of the many other administrative requirements. As a matter of fact, it is always the prerogative of any local executive of any given area, particularly for an obscure town to dream to become a city as his own political commitment for his people to enjoy its benefits. It is for these reason that congress have given them the political nod, by approving its requests, and by virtue of a Republic Act, the 16 towns thus were converted to full pledge cities.

It was on this premise that the League of Cities of the Philippines petitioned the Supreme Court, questioning the eligibility and constitutionality of the above creation of Congress, praying among others, that such creation be declared unconstitutional, and thus subsequently consider its congressional approval inoperative, pending final resolution of the issue.

Earlier, in an en banc decision, the Supreme Court ruled out unconstitutional, to the jubilance of the petitioning League with the SC mandating its decision to be final and executory, which means that the issue has been terminated and resolved once and for all, and that anymore petition or motion for reconsideration for that matter cannot be entertained any further, by the concerned Court. The members of the League believe all the while, that by all means the issue has ended, only to find out that the SC’s decision was reverted in favor of the petitioning 16 cities, again to the disillusionment of the petitioning League of Cities of the Philippines. The League is now raising a question to the high court: Can Supreme Court decisions carrying a final and executory implementation, as in the instant case, be subjected for another debate, petition and other motion for reconsideration?

We are not at liberty to answer such an intriguing question. What we know, is that such an issue did never happen elsewhere, even in a given law school. The matter is for the high court to make a rejoinder. If the Court stands to sustain its recent decision, it is were Pagadian City will to lose a major part of its income, because its internal revenue allocation will be reduced to the minimum. This is so because the Internal Revenue Allotment, just like a pizza pie, it has to be equally and proportionately shared and/or divided among all the cities nationwide, including the recently approved 16 cities.

EAGLE'S EYE COLUMN
By Vic del Pilar
EMAIL: delpilarvic@gmail.com

Keep your guns at home, Ochotorera tells citizens

2010-01-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

Police Provincial Director Senior Superintendent Ramon Martinez Ochotorena has urged citizens to refrain from bringing their firearms, wither license or not, and gun replicas outside their homes or be arrested for violating the nationwide total gun ban ordered by the Comelec.

Ochotorena declared police operations against law breakers are on going through check points set up in strategic areas in the province.

The police director said he will not spare anybody, even fellow policemen and military in this campaigned.

“I am requesting the populace to cooperate and follow the provision of the law,” Ochotorena said.

Comelec Resolution 8714 strictly prohibits the carrying and transport of firearms, explosives and deadly weapons from January 10 to June 9,

Only PNP members, military men, and government security agencies wearing proper uniform and in performance of their official duties are allowed to carry firearms during the 150-day election period.

Ochotorena explained the gun ban will prevent or reduce poll related violence. “This early there are 30-mobile check points scattered around the province and in Pagadian City on the look out for gun ban violator and criminals,” he said.

As of January 12 three persons were arrested and their firearms confiscated Ochotorena told this paper, one in Pagadian City and two in Dumingag.

Ochotorena further said that those firearms license issued by the Firearms and Explosive Division that was signed by the PNP Chief was declared cancelled effective January 10.

During the last 2007 elections Zambosur topped the list of gun ban violators.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

City Economic Enterprise reports downtrend in 2009 income

2010-01-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

Net collections of the City Economic Enterprise (CEE) reached P34, 990, 852.03 for last year, Lucile Juros, CEE officer, disclosed.

The full figures, culled from January to December last year has a difference of P2,661,457.45 when compared to the 2008 statistics.

The statement of collections provided by Juros showed the five divisions of CEE with the city market as the biggest income earner with some P17,720,920.39.

Next is slaughter house, with P5,144,721.64, integrated bus terminal (IBT) with P4,592,419.50, city fish port with P4,420,500.64 and motor pool with P2,988,990.83.

Except for the city fish port and IBT, all the other divisions showed slight decrease in collections.

Juros explains that market fees composed of stall rental fees, cash tickets, parking fees, entrance fees, public rest rooms and application fees for market occupancies.

She told this paper that part of the market collections were credited to the trust liability account which is being handled by the City Treasurer’s Office, explaining further that market collections fell short of its target because of the fire that destroyed the vegetables section later part of 2008.

Another cause for the low market collections is the ongoing construction of the fresh fish section and portions of the grocery, dried fish, dry goods sections and the city commercial complex.

For the slaughter house, some 952,987 kilos of hugs were butchered while 406,513 kilos were for cattle and 20,630 kilos were goats. Both the number of hugs and cattles butchered decreased for 2009.

Juros attributed this to the illegal slaughtering activity in the city which did not pass the city abattoir.

Because of this, slaughter house income dipped to an estimated loss of about P646,605.41 annually.

It was learned that the slaughter house collects fees in corral, slaughter, entrails, postmortem, inspection and meat delivery van while the fish port collects fees for mooring, berthing, loading and unloading.

The CEE, a self-liquidating office set aside a total of P1,284,700.97 as its 2% administrative share out of the total P35,571,553 collections.

This will be used for its various expenditures and salaries of its 200 regular and casual employees, Juros said.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

Afdal wants end of violence in Labangan

2010-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Labangan, Zambosur – For Mayor Abubakar Afdal, the series of extra judicial killings targeting his political supporters and relatives is an act perpetrated by “evil persons” who are out to eliminate him, sooner or later, for good.

The killings are ill-tined, he said in an interview inside his residence and purely for political motives.

Aftdal was referring to the deaths of his cousin Rascal Afdal, Hanira Agcong and Steve Tapodoc, the mayor’s executive secretary and a candidate for the town council, who were all killed in a span of two weeks.

Afdal believes the killing of his supporters is being perpetrated to end his clout in Labangan, one of the vote-rich municipalities in Zamboanga del Sur.

“Dako gyod kayo ko ug pagtoo nga politika ni ug dili Rido sama sa gisulti sa uban. Election gun ban pa, ngano mapatay pa ang tawo, mao ni ang pangutana nako?” the Mayor asked.

The death list is long, Afdala claimed, as evidence by several text messages he received. “mohangyo nalang unta ko nga undangon nila ning pagpamatay sa akong mga tawo kay looy kayo ang ilang pamilya nga nabilin mga bata pa kayo ang ilang mga anak.”

“Sana mag-isip-isip sila, kasi kawawa naman ang mga bata,” he said

Last January 18, the Liberal Party (LP) took the cudgels of Afdal and condemned the gruesome murders of his political supporters and demanded a thorough investigation to find the killers so that justice could be meted out.

Afdal and his nephew Vice Mayor Kiti Nandang are presently allied with the LP.

Senator Mar Roxas in a statement said the killings “could be the kick-off of organized violence against opposition candidates and supporters to sabotage the widely-expected opposition victory in Mayo 10 elections.”

Roxas called on the comelec “to take drastic steps to stop the rising poll-related incidents violence, or risk demanding the credibility of the elections.”

Roxas added that there is a need to replace the entire PNP contingent in Zambosur to quell the apprehension of LP leaders and supporters who expressed concern that the gunmen maybe men in uniform. “Moonlighting or co-opted to do their dirty work for pro-administration candidates in the region.”

Without naming names, Afdal said he knows who are the mastermind and killers but he is still gathering more evidences.

“Dakong politiko and hinungdan aning mga panghitabo dinhi,” the Mayor said, as he disclosed many of his supporters are now afraid but he assured them to let the law take its course and not retaliate with violence.

As his concluding statement Afdal implored the help of Gov. Aurora Cerilles on the said issue.

“Ako mohangyo ni madam Governor isip siya ang chairman sa Peace and Order Council nga tabangan kami nga taga Labangan kay nagpakamatay man mi kaniya kaniadtong miaging election,” Afdal ended.

As of press time the governor can not be reached for comment.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Alice Ariosa, 79

2010-01-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

Alice Largo Ariosa wife of the late Governor “Mano” Javier Ariosa, died of colon cancer last week, she is 79 years old.

According to Vice Governor Roseller “Roy” Ariosa his mother complained of severe pain in her stomach last July and was brought to the Mercy Hospital in Iligan City.

Doctors who diagnosed the former educator found Alice’s colon cancer in its late stage. She was later transferred to Borbon General Hospital here, where she finally succumbed to death last Thursday January 14, few days shy of her 80th birthday.

Active in various civic and religious activities in Pagadian City Manang Alice retired in 1992 as Math and Science Division Supervisor.

Friends who know Manang Alice would open described her as mild-mannered, silent type and helpful person.

Her body now lies in estate at her residence in San Francisco District.

She will be interred on Saturday January 23 along side her husband at the Ariosa memorial estate, Pielago Morial Garden.

Governor Mano and Manang Alice have six children.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Rampant killing of pol aides alarm Liberals

2010-01-25T20:53:00.000-08:00

The Liberal Party (LP) hierarchy in Zamboanga del Sur headed by Vice Governor Roseller “Roy” Ariosa has decried the series of extra judicial killings in the city, happening at a time when cemelec’s total gun ban is being implemented.

The LP’s denunciation came after three of the murders where believed to be politically motivated and the suspects in all the killings are riding in tandem.

First to fell from an assassin’s bullet is Rascal Tiban Afdal a political leader and a relative of Mayor Abubakar Afdal of Labangan.

Afdal was killed, January 4 by three motorcycle riding gunmen at Poruk Bahada near Rotonda of Barangay Dao while on his way to work. He was with his wife when the shooting happened.

Last January 16 another political leader of the Afdal clan identified as Hadja Hanira Abdullah Agcong was shot at closed range while seating in her parked L-300 van just in front of Gaisano Capital along Rizal Avenue.

The next day Muttalidem “Steve” Tapodoc, Executive Secretary of Labangan Vice Mayor Kiti Nandang and a candidate for the town council, was shot dead along Datoc Street at the back of city hall a few meters away from the police station.

Nandang strongly believes the killing of the three victims has something to do with the up coming May election this year however, he refused to elaborate.

The gruesome murders should be investigated and killers be brought to the bar of justice, Senator Mar Roxas, LP Vice Presidential Candidate said in a statement.

Like Nandang, Roxas also believed the killings “could be the kick-off of organized violence against opposition candidates and supporters to sabotage the widely-expected opposition victory in Mayo 10 elections.”

He then called on the Comelec “to take drastic steps to stop the rising poll-related incidents violence, or risk demanding the credibility of the elections.”

The senator added that there is a need to replace the entire PNP contingent in Zambosur to quell the apprehension of LP leaders and supporters who expressed concern that the gunmen maybe men in uniform. “moonlighting or co-opted to do their dirty work for pro-administration candidates in the region.”

Asked for his comment, City Police Chief Inspector Michael P. Palermo did not rule out the political angle but said, base on their investigation that the killings had something to do with personal dealings and family matters.

Palermo cited, for example Afdal’s murder was in connection with the illegal drug trade while Agcong’s was due to Muslim family feud or Rido.

Since January 1 nearly a dozen extra judicial killings happened in Pagadian City, mostly involving political aides.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

DA hands over agri projects to Pagadian

2010-01-12T23:39:00.000-08:00

(LEFT TO RIGHT) PARAWAN, CO, PULMONES AND COUNCILMAN BEN CULVE

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has raised Pagadian City’s agricultural prospects to a higher level with the turnover of new projects for the city’s agriculture and fishery development.

Timed during the official opening of the Pasalamat Festival 2010 last Jan. 8, DA regional executive director Oscar Parawan turned over the various projects to the city.

Local officials led by Mayor Samuel Co and Vice Mayor Romeo Pulmones and several councilors and barangay officials received the seven units of flatbed dryers worth P600,000 each.

Two flatbed dryers each are likewise installed in Tawagan Sur and Lison Valley while Lower Sibatang, Tulawas and Tiguma has one each.

Other projects given included a community-based composting facility worth P350,000, a shredder machine, two tea brewers, three vermi beds and 15 kilos of worms for the production of organic compost waste.

Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) National Director Asterio Saliot handed another check of P200,000 for fish the cage project initiated by the 4-H club of San Pedro District.

Saliot said he wanted the youth to renew their interest in farming by taking up courses in agriculture and fishery and “take over their parents as farmers of the future.”

Back to Parawan, he said that the agriculture department’s mission is to increase food production in the country through the FIELDS program, acronym for Fertilizer, Irrigation, Extension, Loans, Dryers and Seeds.

The agriculture official added that the flatbed dryers, which are provided by the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) will ease losses and quality deterioration of freshly harvested grains.

For a flatbed dryer to work, grains are loaded and laid out manually on perforated screen flooring and dried by forcing hot air from the plenum below the grain bed. The rice hull fed furnace provides the heat for drying.

The BPRE has said that flatbed dryers are low on cost compared to existing mechanical dryers due to the use of rice hull as fuel, low labor requirement and low maintenance cost and will reduce postharvest losses by 5 percent of the total production.

Parawan disclosed that in Zamboanga Peninsula, postharvest losses are estimated at 30,000 metric tons per year in rice equivalent to P300 million a year.

Also, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) regional coordinator Florence Agustin said that as to soil fertility, they collaborated with DA in promoting organic agriculture the region.

Agustin added that they have identified 58 sites as recipients of their community-based composting facility for organic fertilizer production. He identified Brgy. Tawagan Sur, this city, as one of their beneficiaries.

Co, in his message, thanked the DA for the “numerous multi-million projects” citing, among others, the heavy duty farm tractor given to the city, farm-to-market roads and a cold storage facility installed in this city bagsakan center.

Just last Thursday, the provincial office of the National Irrigation Administration turned-over the communal irrigation system (CIS) in Brgy. Tulawas.

The P1.5-million CIS will serve 70 hectares of rice land and is seen to benefit some 40 farmer-members of the Tulawas Irrigators Association.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO, DA-9

Tony Cerilles hails passage of MEDA law

2010-01-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

CONGRESSMAN Antonio “Tony” Cerilles sees the passing of the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA) bill into law as a vehicle for the harmonization of peace and development efforts in Mindanao.

The MEDA bill was then House Bill 6958 and its counterpart, Senate Bill 3496. Under both bills, the MEDA will become a permanent agency that will integrate Mindanao's socio-economic development.

General provisions of the MEDA proposal seek to strengthen the existing Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO) by converting it into a permanent MEDA.

Established in 1992 through EO 512, MEDCO operates as the only existing Mindanao-wide government mechanism that provides a coordinated and rationalized platform for program implementation and monitoring, investment promotion and policy advocacy for Mindanao.

In speaking of his commendations of the passage of the said law, Cerilles said that Mindanao at present will be able to unfold its full promise and thus catch up with the mainstream national in terms of development.

Cerilles, chair of the technical working group on MEDA bill, disclosed there were four versions of the bill—the one’s authored by Representatives Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin, Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao, Datu Pax Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat and the Cerilles version.

Cerilles said he and the other congressmen from Mindanao have been pushing for Mindanao’s potentials to be transformed into the country's front door to the East Asean region in terms of greater economic opportunities.

The MEDA will be headed by a chairman and the chairs of the different RDCs in Mindanao and will be presided by the undersecretary as head and over-all planner for development.

Cerilles recalled that during the administration of former president Joseph Estrada, the congressman represented Mindanao in the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) board and there he saw the deficient connections from Mindanao to the national government.

“Usually, in the RDC, the appointed secretaries are the directors in the NEDA and their jobs involve only the submission of approved programs and projects from the RDC to Manila. Once submitted, and whether their boss will approve it or not, they have nothing to do with it,” Cerilles laments.

He further cited for example the previous administration’s lack of concern in Mindanao’s project developments, like the budget allocation for Mindanao, which, he said, is just somewhere between 10 to 15 percent.

“But under the newly approved law, MEDA will represent the entire Mindanao in the NEDA board and will see to it that all the priority projects for the island will be given attention and implemented,” the congressman explained.

Cerilles, who also authored Mindanao Railway System, said that Mindanao legislators are now calling for consideration with regards to project developments.

“We will never have any development without a strong political will and you can only see that when your political leaders demonstrate strong unity among themselves. In Zamboanga del Sur, we have political leaders who have political will,” he said.

Because of such political will, Zamboanga del Sur successfully transferred the regional center from Zamboanga to Pagadian and also, a budget of P300 million was allocated for the upgrading of Pagadian City Airport into an international standard, he added.

For his part, MEDCO chairman Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana Sr. lauded passing of the MEDA law, saying its approval validates the lawmakers’ commitment to develop Mindanao and accelerate the region's inclusion in the mainstream of national body politic.

“The enactment of the MEDA Bill is seen to enhance the potential role of Mindanao as the bridge to all cultures in this country and in BIMP-EAGA as well as the linchpin of our country's security and national interest,” Leyretana said.

REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA

Joey Sapong is new market head

2010-01-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

BECAUSE of the repeated complaints in the city market and his perceived inability to act in response, Mayor Samuel Co has replaced Enrique Alawi as market supervisor and designated Joseph Isabelo Sapong to take Alawi’s place.

Co’s order, signed last Dec. 23, was effected five days after, which relieved Alawi and authorized Sapong “to act in all matters attached to the official functions of the Market Superintendent for Agora.”

The mayor’s memorandum order mentioned the relief was “due to the exigency of the service” but a source from the mayor’s office disclosed the former market superintendent was relieved due to “loss of confidence.”

Alawi, it was learned from Reyvenido Cesar Lingating, the mayor’s executive assistant and CMO chief of staff, is now detailed at the Office of the City Mayor.

No statement regarding his relief can be taken from Alawi as of press time by this paper.

This city’s Agora is one of the six divisions of the economic enterprise created by the city government to streamline operations at the City Treasurer’s Office.

The Agora generates the bulk of revenue for the local government through the management and operation of the public market, maintenance of sanitation and orderliness of all its premises and the collection of market fees, licenses and other charges due the city government.

Sapong, in an interview, said he will carry on with the existing rules and regulations in the operations of the city market, including the collections of stall fees and the Agora’s cleanliness.

He added that he will improve the system and procedures in enforcing the market ordinance, especially in guarding the buying public from dishonest and unscrupulous vendors and the collection of segregated garbage.

Last Dec. 14, Sapong lead the confiscation of tampered weighing scales during a random inspection on the fresh fish, meat and rice sections inside the Agora.

One week after, he installed one of the three Timbangan ng Bayan weighing scales inside the Agora to help consumers determine the exact weigh of their bought items.

The Timbangan ng Bayan is located between the fresh fish and vegetables section and is pursuant to the implementation of RA 7394, the Consumers Welfare Act.

Sapong said the two other Tambangan ng Bayan will soon be placed somewhere at the meat and rice section.

“I am requesting the sellers and buyers inside Agora to cooperate,” was Sapong’s short message.

REPORT BY JONG CADION

Pagadian-Cotabato sea route closes

2010-01-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

WHAT could have been a renewed domestic sea travel between Pagadian and Cotabato cities has yet again shut down due to "unfavorable business conditions."

An official from the Port Management Office of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), who requested anonymity, told this paper in an interview that M/L Putri-I have ceased operations for two months already.

The said official mentioned her sadness why M/L Putri has ceased operations when the number of frequenting passengers is already picking up in the past months.

She further speculated the improved road network and logistics corridor of Zamboanga Peninsula and Cotabato as well as travel convenience and minimal bus fares may have enticed passengers to travel by land and this probably affected M/L Putri’s operations.

Several travelling businessmen likewise told this paper that had M/L Putri’s undertaking prospered, interchange or tradeoff of local products such as dried fish, fruits, vegetables and grains could have been boosted.

M/L Putri-I, which started its ship call to Pagadian last July, announced its formal maiden voyage last Oct. 6 with a one-way fare rate of only P250, leaving Pagadian for Cotabato every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10:00 in the morning and vice versa every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The M/L Putri-I weighes a gross tonnage of 228.76, is manned by a crew of 12 and powered by two Cummins/Isuzu V12 engines with 350 horse power.

Mayor Samuel Co, who led the motor lanch’s inauguration, said the M/L Putri will strengthen the already thriving trade ties of the two cities.

The mayor added that sea vessel’s presence likewise will be an alternative choice for travelers who want to take a trip to General Santos and Davao cities aside from travelling by bus or commuter vans.

But again, hopes of spreading the good news of M/L Putri’s service to the public are hold in balance after the PPA said, quoting an official communication from M/L Putri’s management office in Cotabato, that the cause of the motor lanch’s break in operations was due to its engines presently undergoing repairs.

It was learned that the city seaport closed down sometime in 2002 due to the dwindling influx of passengers blamed on the enhanced sales promotion of buses and vans as well as the improved road network in the region.

The three competing ship owners also decided to close shop after passengers preferred to travel by land because of high arrastre fees and the unwillingness of porters to bring down their labor rates.

These sea vessels used to ferry city passengers to Zamboanga City up to Sandakan, Malaysia and the interisland routes of Jolo, Siasi, Bongao and Sitangkai.

In the coming months, Co disclosed that the city government will run its own sea cargo handling business using rented cargo ships or freighters that will carry goods and materials from Pagadian to any port in the country.

With this, Co said the rented freighters will be able to handle the bulk of the merchandise deliveries to and from Manila as well as address other logistical problems of the city.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

Pagadian media agree on drug testing

2010-01-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

MEDIA personalities in Pagadian find it necessary to undergo drug testing, whether there are suspected users or not, as a move of support to the Provincial Government’s campaign against illegal drug use.

However, most of the journalists asked by this paper replied that the government may shoulder the expenses for the drug test.

To recall, January last year, Gov. Aurora Cerilles staged her all-out war against illegal drugs in her turf and promised to rid Zamboanga del Sur of the drug menace by 2010.

The concern of placing themselves for drug testing came out after rumors circulated that there are drug users among media practitioners in Pagadian.

Opinions among the media circle said that if such rumors continue to persist, this might jeopardize local journalists’ careers and credibility.

Charnyl Albarracin, president of the Zamboanga del Sur-Pagadian City Press Club Inc. (ZPPI), applauded media’s decision, saying drug use should not be tolerated also among the fourth estate.

“Dako kaayo ko’g uyon to make it fair to all. Dapat walang pinipili ang batas,” he told this paper.

For the past year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has conducted its random drug testing on students and faculty members in more than 1,700 colleges and universities all over the country.

The CHED said that students who test positive would undergo counseling and would be subject to regular monitoring. Habitual users would be made to undergo drug rehabilitation.

Aside from students, the government has made it compulsory to prescribe drug testing on drivers, government employees, athletes, policemen, military and other law enforcement agencies, school faculty members and even candidates who will run for an elective post.

Cerilles, herself, said last year that a random drug testing on all Capitol officials and employees is being mandated in Zambosur.

The governor added this illustrates the Provincial Government’s attitude that the fight against drugs must start at her own front yard.

Albarracin comments media’s offer for voluntary drug testing is a show of support and as an example to the public that addressing the problem of drug use in the population can be attained with the community’s willingness to help.

No matter the profession or status in the community, drug tests should be implemented, concurs Jong Cadion, president of the local chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

Approximately, there are 40 media practitioners in Pagadian City, who are pledging members of ZPPI and NUJP, while a few are classified as public press officers and freelance journalists.

Both media organizations, however, were silent on what kind of sanctions will be imposed on colleagues who might be tested positive on a certain drug test.

For his part, board member Ernesto Mondarte, who is also the action officer of the Task Force Droga created by Cerilles to run after the illegal drug trade in the province, praised media’s move considering that the media has now been included as a member of the Provincial Anti-Dangerous Drugs Abuse Council (PADDAC).

He added that he will arrange a meeting with the media in the near future to talk about the suggestion and other discussions related to the province’s anti-drug campaign.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), meanwhile, has on their watch list some 200 drug personalities in Zamboanga del Sur.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

NUJP mulls trust fund for massacre victims

2010-01-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

OZAMIZ CITY—The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) plans to set up a support fund that will pay for efforts to seek justice to victims of the November 23 massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao that killed at least 57 people including 30 journalists and media workers.

This developed as newsmen look back into the “pains and gains” in 2009, the year which saw “Filipino journalists closed ranks and defiantly stood up for the freedom of the press and democracy.”

According to Inquirer reporter Nestor Burgos, NUJP chair, the fund will primarily support legal actions to advance the cause of justice for the journalist-victims, help address the needs of their families, and advocate the improvement of the environment of media practice especially in Mindanao.

The NUJP has noted that the Ampatuan massacre “has left the Philippine media community staggering, not just from the toll but also the task of helping rebuild the lives of those left behind, as well as of our colleagues who lost friends and co-workers, and have had to cover and live through the story as well.”

“Another vital task is working to hold accountable all those who should be held accountable, not just the persons who carried out the carnage, but those responsible for creating the circumstances that made it possible,” the group further said.

The NUJP admits that “to achieve all these will require substantial resources, thus, the need to reach out to colleagues, friends and the public for help.”

Burgos said that through the Justice Fund, individuals and groups who wish to help can send their donations.

The activities that the Fund will support will be posted on the NUJP website and will be regularly audited by an external auditor, the results of which will also be published and reported to the donors, he added.

But Burgos stressed that “the Justice Fund is more than just raising money. It seeks to build solidarity between the target beneficiaries of the program and the media, between media and the public.”

As conceived, the Fund will financially support the undertaking of a trauma and counseling program for the families of killed journalists and members of their local media community.

In litigation, the Fund seeks to support the legal actions against the suspects by assisting the private and public prosecutors, and providing sanctuary for witnesses and even litigants who may come under threat from the accused.

The Fund will also support a series of training on risk awareness and safety, especially in covering and reporting events from culturally and politically sensitive places.

Apart from the November 23 massacre, NUJP also seeks to document other incidents of harassment and attacks on the press in Mindanao, and launch a campaign “to build solidarity between media and the public, and to deepen public understanding of factors that led to the massacre.”

“The Justice Fund seeks to build awareness not just on what happened in Ampatuan, Maguindanao on November 23, 2009 but on the system that breeds corruption, warlordism and political patronage which paved the way to the carnage,” Burgos explained.

Among others, a monthly commemoration of the massacre will be done to continually highlight the issues related to the incident which is the worst case of political violence in the country’s history.

The Ampatuan massacre is the worst ever attack on the media throughout the world, placing the country in the top most dangerous places to practice journalism.

Yet, the NUJP points out that “attacks on the press are not likely to end despite the outrage stirred by the Ampatuan massacre and many Filipino journalists continue to embark on dangerous coverage with practically no tools to help them cope with the challenges as well as stress in doing the job.”

On Dec. 8, Camarines Norte broadcaster Efren Español was attacked inside the announcer’s booth by the former police chief of the province, who was armed with a .45-caliber pistol.

Unidentified persons also fired a gun in front of the house of journalist Edgar Cadagat, former NUJP chair and current president of the Negros Press Club. On Dec. 20, Misamis Occidental journalist Danilo Pilar survived a grenade attack on his house.

On Dec. 24, radio commentator Ismael Pasigma of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte was gunned down 6:30am while on his way to work.

The NUJP has considered 2009 as “a year of unprecedented tribulation” for the Philippine press because of the massacre.

“The carnage in Ampatuan capped years of continued impunity for killers of Filipino journalists,” an NUJP year-ender reads.

Before the massacre, 104 Filipino journalists had been slain since 1986, 67 of them under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, based on the NUJP’s count.

Of these, only around five cases have resulted in the conviction of the killers but no masterminds in any of the murders have been arrested so far.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO, PECOJON

City emergency hotline in distress

2010-01-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

THIS city’s emergency hotline Patrol 117 and call center operation is troubled with prank callers and is, in itself, needing assistance, this was learned last week.

Added to this is the sad truth, according to Patrol 117 Operation Officer Asuri Hawani, that the long-advertised emergency number is not yet operational due to the lack of space and equipment, thus defeating the purpose of the said facility.

117, referred to by its official name as the Emergency Network Philippines (ENP), is the national emergency telephone number for the Philippines and managed solely by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The project, it was learned, costs DILG some P80 million, aimed to foster crime prevention and quick response to emergency situations.

For the “real” Patrol 117, calls originating from Pagadian City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are supposed to be re-routed to Zamboanga City, the 117 call center for Region 9, since when a 117 call is made from a mobile phone, the call is automatically routed to the nearest 117 call center.

However, the DILG explains that 117 as an emergency number is not registered on most mobile phone models or SIM cards and that is why that at times calls are re-routed to other regional call centers in the event of an emergency.

Hawani said the Patrol 117 was only a title in reference to their office, which is designated to receive calls in urgent situations, disasters and emergency and provide quick assistance to concerned government agencies.

The landline is being manned by only two operators, identified as Florencio de la Peña and Elena Lahagan, who work on a ten-hour shift basis, 24 hours a day.

Lately, complaints about the said telephone number started to crop up after residents who rang 117 claimed a child keeps talking to them and sometimes the receiver would inform that they are calling a party line in Cebu.

A resident who wanted to remain anonymous recalled to this paper that last Oct. 11, when Columban father Michael Sinnott was reported to have been forcibly taken by armed men to Sta. Lucia, she dialed 117 using her cellular phone but the receiver on the other line started to reply with lewd remarks.

Hawani said he felt sorry for the said experience but went on to say that they failed to activate the “real” Patrol 117 because the city government still has to construct a building for the P50 million communications equipment.

“We need a big area for the equipment and for its office space, which is the needed counterpart of the city government in order to avail of the gadgets,” Hawani said.

At present, Hawani’s office is located within the unfinished Executive Building while the Patrol 117 landline is positioned in the information desk at the ground floor of the City Mayor’s Office.

The Patrol 117 operations chief then requested that the public be reminded anew to use the emergency lines 117 responsibly and for parents to educate their children to do the same.

He confided, showing an October-November call log, that for the two months alone, out of the 837 calls received, only 29 were valid and 808 were classified as illegitimate or prank calls made mostly by children.

Of the 29 valid calls reported, shooting incident top the list of cases brought to the attention of Patrol 117 covering Pagadian City. Hold-up, vehicular accident, thefts and public disturbance were also listed.

Hawani also disclosed that of the 837 calls, 679 were answered and the response was made within the average response time of less than the seven-minute standard.

The city hall based Patrol 117, is a calling hub which can facilitate responses to calls within Pagadian City only, confirms Cruztelco exchange manager Anotonio Beniga when visited at his office.

He added that they assigned the 117 telephone number to City Hall for emergency purposes.

Aside from Patrol 117, other emergency numbers published in local newspapers are: 215 3830, 353-1522, Police 166 and Fire 160, Mobile nos. 0908-955-3238, 0927-715-3025 and radio transceiver VHF frequency 141.170 MHZ.

This paper tried to call Patrol 117 last Tuesday and a certain child answered the phone, identifying himself as the son of Osman Abbas, a security guard assigned at the City Hall premises.

The child said: “Ako ang mitubag kay naa pay ka estorya akoang papa.”

REPORT BY JONG CADION & MICHAEL MEDINA

‘Let us not forget Rizal’s, other modern hero’s deeds’

2009-12-31T06:41:00.000-08:00

FILIPINOS of today face the challenge of building a republic with citizens who revere nationalism to the highest level— that which was in effect Jose Rizal’s and the rest of the heroes’ kind of patriotism.

Because this kind of devotion redeemed the country’s peace, unity, stability and progress, Mayor Samuel Co said in his message during the commemoration of the 113th anniversary of Rizal’s death.

Local government officials and employees, law enforcers, military men, civic groups, students and the public gathered at the Rizal Monument in front of the City Hall last Wednesday to mark the death anniversary of the martyr with a short program.

The significance of the celebration was highlighted with the laying of flowers and wreaths at the monument.

Co, in his message read by councilor Estrella Arao, praised the national hero for his many virtues and for teaching the spirit of nationalism to the Filipino people.

“Without the peacemakers, and if they were alive today, they would have brought the rightists, leftists, separatists, and oppositionists to the negotiating table and argued with them peacefully for the rarity of their ideas,” Co said.

In his speech, M/Gen. Romeo Lustestica, commanding general of the First Infantry (Tabak) Division, mentioned the hero’s fearless exposures of the injustices committed by the civil and clerical officials and his brilliance to which the great artist, novelist, doctor and poet was always remembered.

“Every year we gather to commemorate the most important event in our lives and we’re moved with a sense of pride and nationalism,” Lustestica said.

Adding Rizal did not only leave the Filipinos their dignity of a free and independent nation, he also left his countrymen a challenge to make every effort for fineness and distinction in all endeavors.

The army general cited, for example, the dynamism and achievements of modern-day heroes, the likes of Efren “Kuya Ef” Geronimo Peñaflorida Jr., the educator and social worker who became “CNN Hero of the Year” in 2009 for his outstanding advocacy to educate Filipino out-of-school youth through “pushcart classes.”

Other heroes Lustestica included in his speech are the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have selflessly helped during the evacuation of stranded victims from the onslaught of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng last October, and the soldiers who forfeit their comfort in exchange for safeguarding the country from its enemies.

Lustestica then dared everyone to think of the sacrifices of these living heroes and not leave them in vain memories, like how Rizal was often remembered—not forgetting these brave men for their noble act of making our country free and independent.

REPORT BY JUN CORGUE, PIA-9

New SWS survey shows PGMA's net satisfaction rating dip

2009-12-31T01:49:00.000-08:00

MORE Filipinos are dissatisfied with President Gloria Arroyo's performance, a new Social Weather Station (SWS) survey for the fourth quarter stated.

The survey, conducted from December 5-10, found 61% of the citizens dissatisfied with Arroyo, shrinking one point from the survey ratings conducted by SWS last September 2009.

“The President's net satisfaction ratings eased in Luzon outside Metro Manila, but worsened in the Visayas and Mindanao,” the SWS said.

The President's net satisfaction rating rose by 20 points in class ABC, to a bad -34 (27% satisfied, 62% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) in December, from a very bad -54 (17% satisfied, 70% dissatisfied, correctly rounded) in September.

Arroyo’s ratings stayed “bad” among the poor or the masa known as class D and E while the survey still showed dissatisfaction with Arroyo "with men and women equally dissatisfied.

SWS defined net satisfaction ratings as follows: +50 and above, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 or lower, “very bad.”

The quarterly survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 2,100 adults divided into random samples of 300 in Metro Manila and 600 each in Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Arroyo continues to suffer from unprecedented unpopularity, mistrust and dissatisfaction ratings like in the previous quarter survey where the least popular leader got 21% satisfied, 66% dissatisfied.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Up, up and away!

2009-12-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

ONCE serving the general area of Zambanga del Sur and Pagadian City, big commercial air companies like PAL, Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific will soon resume air traffic in the regional center by January, according to Mayor Samuel Co, after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines recently cleared the newly completed expanded and renovated airfield as useable and ready for flights.(PHOTO CONTRIBUTED)

3 Zambosur foodstuffs now Halal certified

2009-12-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

MUSLIMS in Zamboanga del Sur can now get a taste of the three processed foods which were recently halal certified, meaning such foodstuffs are permissible to use or eat, according to Islamic law.

Halal is an Arabic word that means permissible or lawful. It is the opposite of the Arabic word Haram, which means forbidden or prohibited.

Elvis Dablo, halal trade development program point person, identified the bottled milkfish product Bangus Pinoy and sardines Yllana food products, both based in Tiguma, this city, and Ogis Lechon Manok Dressing Plant in Molave as the three products that were certified halal.

A fourth, a cereal food maker called Nutribooster Food Phils., which is based in Balangasan District, is still in the process of complying the halal standard.

These products, said Dablo, has received the DTI–Bureau of Product Standards issued Philippine National Standards (PNS) 2067:2008, a standard which provides for the general guidelines on the preparation, production and processing of halal food including storage and handling.

Dablo added that because of the PNS 2067:2008, the said products can now gain entry into to the world halal market which is currently a $580 billion industry where it is estimated that 70 percent of Muslims worldwide follow halal food standards.

For her part, DTI Provincial Director Marichu Malate-Atay said that halal certification is one trend in food safety, a system of globally accepted food safety assurance guidelines and standards in manufacturing practice which will attest that such food products are processed packed and transported according to Shariah requirements and in accordance with the PNS 2067:2008.

Atay also acknowledged the effort of DTI Assistant Regional Director and DTI National Coordinator on Halal Initiatives, Sitti Amina Jain, who helped pushed for the development of the halal industry in the region and in the whole country.

She said that with the proliferation of food-borne illnesses sourced from production to consumption, halal-based food safety should be considered not only by Muslims but by other people as well.

Atay concluded that DTI will gladly help through seminars and workshops in linking halal certifiers with food firms who want their products halal certified.

Pagadian City has a halal consumers association headed by DILG Provincial Director Abcede Asjali while the whole country has an estimated Muslim population of 5 million.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

Hike in tourist arrivals seen in Pagadian

2009-12-30T18:14:00.000-08:00

EVEN with the absence of an airport and slow seaport traffic, Pagadian City still managed to pull off a mark in tourist arrivals for 2009 with favorable figures and a possible upward trend for next year.

A simplified tourist inflow report obtained by this paper showed a total of 119,924 tourists visited Pagadian from January to August alone. Of the said total, 119,210 composed of domestic visitors while some 714 were a mix of Chinese, American, Korean and Indonesian foreigners.

In the simplified report, some 14,951 local tourists were noted in February and these shoot up to 16,202 in March. The months of February, March, April and June listed heavy arrivals for domestic visitors.

Foreign tourists, meanwhile, were heavy during summer time, April to May, with 142 and 126 arrivals, respectively.

These factional data was praised by Mayor Samuel Co when he delivered his speech at the opening of the Paskuhan 2009 opening last Dec. 8 saying it was some good news for the regional center and will in turn pick up hopes of boosting the local tourism industry.

The current 119,924 figure even surpassed a Regional Development Council (RDC) report on tourist arrivals for 2007-2008 which was placed at 119,910 for Pagadian beating even the figures culled for Dipolog and Dapitan cities.

Unfortunately, statistics covering September to November was excluded in this report because of the failure of the City Tourism Office to provide this paper with the information.

The RDC report explained that tourist arrivals in 2008 decreased because of the global financial crisis and the travel advisories of countries prohibiting their citizens from visiting some parts of Mindanao because of unstable peace and order and kidnappings.

Co said he is unfettered with the dismal statistics in 2008 because there was a rational cause but he hopes that with the city airport already finished and open by second week of January and the existence of good roads connecting Zamboanga Peninsula to other regions, travels to Pagadian City will spruce up anew in 2010.

The mayor likewise said he is overwhelmed with the development he will ask fellow city officials to be enthusiastic and legislate more local laws concerning investor come-ons and captivate more tourists through the development of the city’s natural and man-made attractions.

With the same idea, City Police C/Insp. Michael Palermno told this paper in a huddle a few weeks ago that law enforcers are also making adjustments by fully concentrating on the safety of all tourists and visitors as he encouraged people to travel to Pagadian amid negative connotations of the region brought about by peace conflict and kidnappings.

Governor Aurora Cerilles once said that Pagadian City has already experienced a fast-growing economy because of the transfer of regional offices from Zamboanga and the presence of new business enterprises which helped the city grow into prosperity.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION