Mindanao Examiner Newspaper Apr. 20-26, 2015 by Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

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Stranded OFWs living in harsh condition in Saudi Arabia

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Need for a lifeline? Utilize social networking sites to seek help, urges Migrante

DOLE’s JobStart Philippines to improve youth employability

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BLACKOUT! F

or the past several months, Zamboanga City has been suffering from severe power curtailment – as much as 6 hours a day and at worst, 8 hours or more. And local electric cooperative officials quickly blamed the lack of electricity to the dry season and maintenance shutdown of hydro and coal-fired power plants in Mindanao for the power crisis in Zamboanga and the rest of Mindanao. The Zamboanga City ippines – 42 megawatts, and Electric Cooperative said it 18 megawatts more from needs at least 80 megawatts Therma Marine Inc., of the of electricity and in previous Aboitiz Power Corp. and statements, George from Mapalad Power Corp. The NGCP has previLedesma, manager of the local electric cooperative, ously blamed the low water said they were only receiv- level and routine mainteing the power from National nance in hydro-power Grid Corporation of the plants in Mindanao as the Philippines. culprit for the lack of power Ledesma said Power supply in the region. And Sector Assets and Liabilities with this problem, big Management Corporation power producers take adis only giving Zamboanga – vantage of the situation and a highly urbanized city and offer alternative, but expenone of the largest in the Phil- sive solutions – diesel-fed

Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan leads the ground breaking ceremony recently for a P12-million edifice that will serve as the new Sanguniang Panlalawigan building in Patikul town. (Photos by Ahl-franzie Salinas)

Sulu legislators to get state-of-the-art edifice

he construction of a state-of-theart building that would serve as offices and session hall for members of the provincial legislators in Sulu has began following the ground breaking ceremony in Patikul town. Vice Governor Sakur Tan led the ground breaking ceremony witnessed by local government officials and legislators. The new building is a project of Governor Toto Tan and funding for the construction of the P12-million edifice comes from the provincial government. Provincial Engineer

ARMM

Abdurasad Baih said the building will have a modern architecture that boasts a huge plenary hall and complete facility for the lawmakers and Vice Governor Tan, who serves as the presiding officer of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan. He said the elevated edifice will have its own security cameras, lighting and cooling system and emergency power in case of blackout, and telephony and Internet services, among others. “This building will be one of its kind in Sulu and is very conducive to the kind of work that its occupants – our legislators and Vice Governor Tan – do every time they

meet and I am sure that the legacy of Governor Toto Tan will have an impact to the future of Sulu,” he said. He said the construction of the building would take about 8 months. Vice Governor Tan said this would be the first time since the Sulu Provincial Capitol Building in Patikul town was erected 46 years ago that legislators would have their own edifice. “We are happy with the project and this is only a part and parcel of the peace and development efforts and infrastructure projects of Governor Totoh Tan,” he said. (Ahlfranzie Salinas) See photos on page 4

Southern Mindanao

Davao

power barges and dirty coal-fired power plants – to provide more electricity supply. The long hours of blackout are affecting not only many business establishments, but also hundreds of thousands of households here and there is no tangible solution in sight, not until 2016 when the 100-megawatt coalfired power plant of the Alsons Power Holdings begins operations in the village of Talisayan. But villagers have been opposing the establishment of the coal-fired power plant in the village due to the serious health hazards this pose to humans and animals. Continue to page 3

BIFF vows to pursue Islamic state in Mindanao

ihadists have vowed to continue the fight for Muslim independence in southern Philippines despite the death of their leader, Ustadz Ameril Umra Kato. Kato, one of the country’s most wanted rebel leader, has reportedly died following a massive heart attack last week in Maguindanao province in the restive Muslim autonomous region. “We will continue the fight for self-determination and freedom of the Bangsamoro and eventually an independent Islamic state. We will not relent in our quest for independence,” Gani Saligan, a commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. Continue to page 4

Ameril Umra Kato (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Mark Navales)

Western Mindanao

Cebu

Manila

The Mindanao Examiner

Apr. 20-26, 2015

Korean, German join mass wedding GENERAL SANTOS CITY – It is indeed a love story made in heaven for two foreigners who traveled to the southern Philippines to marry their Filipino girlfriends in a mass wedding held recently in General Santos City. South Korean Woosik Shin, 40; married Efrelita Espadilla; and Sebastian Geyer, 22; from Germany, married Regine Canton. They joined three other Filipino couples Alver Baldiviso and Rachel Ana Aguillas; Rameses Borres and Junabeth Sangil; and Kent Anating and Sheena

Marie Ablay in the wedding ceremony officiated by local mayor Ronnel Rivera at the City Hall. The mayor said he was delighted with the wedding of the couples since it was his first time to officiate such “racially diverse mass wedding.” “This just goes to show that love knows no racial boundaries; lahat tayo basta nagkaka-intindihan pwedeng magmahalan,” Rivera said. Woosik Shin, 40 years old from Korea was among the couples, giddy with excitement as he held his

newly wedded wife hand. Geyer said he met his Filipina bride through social media and decided to tie the knot two years into their relationship. Most of the couples are already in long standing relationships, but lacked the opportunity to get married. Before the civil wedding, the couples were asked to undergo marriage counselling at the City Population Management Office. The foreigner and Filipino couples were also asked to attend a special (Gilli counselling. Himbing)

Davao, Zamboanga sign MOA for sisterhood pact DAVAO CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, of Davao City, and Maria Isabelle Salazar, mayor of Zamboanga City, have signed an agreement that would forge a sisterhood pact between the two cities in southern Philippines. Salazar led an official delegation to Davao recently and both mayors signed a memorandum of agreement which serves as the initial step towards the forging of the sisterhood pact. The visiting officials were also briefed on Davao City’s governance

and ordinances, and the local business and economy here, including its emergency facility and security. “We thank Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for hosting us and the members of the City Council in the initiation of a Sisterhood Agreement between the cities of Zamboanga and Davao. This is a first step towards a shared progress and development of both cities,” Salazar said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. She said the proposed

new Central Command Center in Zamboanga will be patterned after Davao’s 911 integrated operation centers. The training of the personnel in Davao, which was sponsored by Duterte’s office, was led by Zamboangueno Manuel Jaldon, who heads the Central 911. Salazar also met with some investors in Davao. The proposed sisterhood agreement between Zamboanga and Davao City is pursuant to a resolution approved by the Zamboanga City Council. (Mindanao Examiner)

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BLACKOUT! Continued fr om page 1 from But Alsons have not started building its facility and cited many reasons for the alarming delay – from the failed rebellion in 2013 to the P900-million enhancement program it wanted from theZamboanga City Electric Cooperative – in the construction of the 100 megawatt coal-fired power plant, although it finished another coal-fired power plant in Sarangani province. Mindanao has been hit by repeated power crises in the past and nothing has been done by the government except to promote the use of coal-fired power plants – but this too, comes with a price and that translates to huge electric bills and environmental pollutions. The same problem occurred in 2013 when the region suffered to as much as 14 hours of blackout. And the Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the acute power shortage has affected many business establishments here – big and small – and continues to threaten the vibrant economy. “Sixty hours of power interruptions last March is bad for business. It increases our cost of operation and decreased the productivity of everyone, public and private offices. Even small businesses like Internet shops, beauty parlors and restaurants. No power, no business,” Edwin To, president of the local business chamber, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. He said business owners who can afford the use of power generators were also complaining because it adds up to the cost of running their establishment. “For those with generator, power costs are double. The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative charges P8 per kilowatt hour while diesel generator is P18-P20 per kilowatt hour. Even if you have a generator, it’s not cheap to operate,” To said. He also said that the entry of big business establishments in Zamboanga city will further affect the current power situation if the local electric cooperative cannot provide additional supply into the grid. “And this means more and longer power interruptions. Zamboanga chamber is always concern with the welfare of the entire city. We see it in a macro-perspective. We oversee the interest of the businesses and the people in the community,” To said. At least 3 new malls are being constructed in Zamboanga – City Mall, Yubenco and KCC Mall de Zamboanga – aside from other smaller shops and establishments. The Department of Energy said the acute power shortage is expected to improve by 2017, and in the meantime, To said the Aquino government should push for the so-called Interruptible Load Program or

ILP.

“In the meantime, the government should push for the ILP implementing rules and regulations and make it attractive for commercial establishments with excess power to join. Manage the demand side and advise users to conserve energy,” said To, who is also the president of Budgetwise supermarket, one of the biggest in Zamboanga; and the chairman of the modern Ciudad Medical Zamboanga. According to the Retail Electricity Suppliers Association, ILP – a program established by the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission aims to help mitigate the energy supply deficiency in the country until new capacities become available on the grid. Companies with stand-by generation capacities who participate in the ILP will be compensated under this program should they use their own generating facilities during instances of power supply deficit. But companies that will participate in the ILP will be asked by the distribution utility to “de-load” for particular hours in a day when the power supply in the grid will not be enough for the power de-

mand. “De-loading” will mean having to run its embedded stand-by generation sets to provide for its own electricity requirements. For Pedro Rufo Soliven, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Western Mindanao, said everybody must do their share in helping the government find a solution to the acute power crisis. Soliven, former president of the Zamboanga city Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “We would like to be part of the solution and we are working hand-in-hand with the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative and the Local government of Zamboanga and look for solution to address this problem of power curtailment.” “And we are also looking for short term and long term solutions on how we can really solve immediately the lack of electricity supply in the city and be able really to come up with something to address the (power) demand of the city.” The costs of the power shortage to the businesses and Zamboanga City’s economy is not readily available. (With a report from Christina Diabordo)

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Apr. 20-26, 2015

Sulu legislators to get state-of-the-art edifice Continued fr om page 1 from

Nasaan na si Mayor? PAGADIAN CITY – Tikom pa rin ang bibig ng pamilya ng dinukot na mayor ng bayan ng Naga sa Zamboanga Sibugay province habang patuloy naman ang paghahanap ng pulisya at militar sa biktima. Pinasok ng mga armado ang bahay ni Mayor Gemma Adana noon nitong buwan lamang at kinaladkad palabas hanggang sa tabing ilog ng naturang bayan. Inginuso ng

pulisya ang isang breakaway group ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front na siyang nasa likod ng krimen. Hindi naman mabatid ngayon kung saan dinala si Adana – sa Sulu, Basilan o Central Mindanao – ngunit hawak na ng AntiKidnapping Task Group ng Philippine National Police ang naturang kaso. Bukod kay Adana, bihag pa rin ng mga kidnappers ang isang bata at teenager na kanilang

dinukot noon Marso 31 sa bayan ng Pitogo sa Zamboanga del Sur. Pinatay naman ng mga kidnapper ang 3-anyos na si Zynielle Jay Garban na kasamahan ng mga biktimang sina Ledegie Tomarong, 17; at Ace Jay Garban, 3. Hinila ng mga kidnappers ang tatlong biktima matapos na mabigo ang mga itong dukutin ang isang negosyante sa nasabing lugar. (Mindanao Examiner) Ameril Umra Kato. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Mark Navales)

BIFF vows to pursue Islamic state in Mindanao Continued fr om page 1 from News of Kato’s death broke out after villagers in Guindulungan town reported the tragic end for the former commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, who led a series of deadly attacks in Mindanao in 2008 after peace talks with the Filipino government failed. Kato, who suffered a stroke in 2011, split with the MILF after accusing its leader Murad Ebrahim of abandoning their struggle for independence and betraying the rebel group when he agreed to a secret meeting called by President Benigno Aquino in Japan in August of the same year. “Murad corrupted the rights of the Bangsamoro

people,” Kato had said following that meeting in Tokyo. The 6th Infantry Division said it has no report about the news of Kato’s death, although it ordered commanders to verify the information. “Wala pa kaming official report (on the death of Kato),” Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, an army spokeswoman told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. A little known jihadist, Sheik Mohidin Animbang, has been said to have taken over Kato’s leadership. Authorities have linked the rebel group to Jemaah Islamiya and al-Qaeda, including a rag-tag army of militants fighting for the Islamization of Mindanao. The

military said Kato’s group had coddled Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir, tagged as among those behind the 2002 Bali bombings. Zulkifli was killed in a police raid in January this year in Maguindanao’s Mamasapano town that also left 44 commandos dead after BIFF and MILF rebels ambushed them on their way out in Tukanalipao village. Kato’s group vowed to disrupt the peace talks between the MILF and the Aquino government and pursue an independent Muslim state in Mindanao, home to some four million Muslims in a region of about 18 million, mostly Christian inhabitants. (Mindanao Examiner)

Apr. 20-26, 2015

The Mindanao Examiner

The Mindanao Examiner - FOREIGN

Apr. 20-26, 2015

Man undergoing head transplant could experience something ‘a lot worse than death’, says neurological expert A 30-year-old Russian man Valery Spiridonov volunteered to become the first person in the world to undergo a complete head transplant. Literally his entire head. On a different body. The operation will be carried out by Italian sur-

geon Dr Sergio Canavero, in what he expects to be a 36hour procedure involving 150 doctors and nurses. AWerdnig-Hoffman disease sufferer with rapidly declining health, Spiridonov is willing to take a punt on this very experimental surgery

and you can’t really blame him, but while he is prepared for the possibility that the body will reject his head and he will die, his fate could be considerably worse than death. “I would not wish this on anyone,” said Dr Hunt Batjer,

Stranded OFWs living in harsh condition in Saudi Arabia MIGRANT rights group Migrante-Middle East has expressed alarm over the sad and deplorable state of stranded Filipino workers now living in a cramped shelter in Riyadh City in Saudi Arabia. John Leonard Monterona, Migrante’s regional coordinator, said he and his team has recently visited the distress workers and was shocked to see their poor living condition. He said the Filipinos, estimated at around 120, also had little supply of food. “Wondering how it is like to be living in a villa or a lodging house in Saudi Arabia during summer when the temperature ranges about 48 to 52 degrees Celsius at its peak? How about if actually some of the tenants, who are distress and stranded OFWs, are not living inside the villa, but in an empty swimming pool with only tarpaulin serving as their roof? Would you survive for a couple of months or three or even a year inside that villa?” Monterona asked after inspecting the area. Monterona said most of the Filipinos there were victims of labor malpractices such as non-payment of salaries, illegal salary deductions, no Iqama or residence permit provided by their employer, and others had been abandoned by their employers for various reasons.

“They’re like sardines in cans. The only difference is that sardines in cans are usually stored in an appropriate place such as storeroom, secured. And the stranded OFWs are just left under harsh environment. We really need to get first-hand information about the condition of the stranded OFWs inside that villa. We have been receiving complaints from the stranded few months ago.” “Wala man lang silang bed foams. Ang ginagamit nila ay karton lang panlapat ng kanilang katawan laban sa lamig o init ng semento ng swimming pool,” Monterona narrated. He said the limited supply of food is threatening the health of the Filipinos in the shelter. “Even the food donations coming from various OFW groups are not distributed evenly among them. May alegasyon na nawawala ang mga eto at hindi naibibigay sa mga stranded OFWs,” Monterona claimed. “We want this investigated. And of course, we are expecting the end result is improvement of the situation of the stranded OFWs at the halfway shelter.” He said more than 50 women, some of them with children, are also in Bahay Kalinga in Riyadh. Monterona said the Philippine government should immediately act on the problems. He said some 1.2 mil-

lion OFWs are working in Saudi Arabia. “The Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives committee on labor and overseas workers affairs, and even the Office of the President should conduct an investigation not only on the deplorable condition of OFWs in Saudi Arabia, but as well as seriously work for their swift and mass repatriation,” he said.There was no immediate statement from the Filipino government about the report made by Migrante. (Mindanao Examiner)

president elect of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons. “I would not allow anyone to do it to me as there are a lot of things worse than death.” The problem is, fusing a head with a separate body (including spinal cord, jugular vein etc) could result in a hitherto never experienced level and quality of insanity.

Arthur Caplan, director of medical ethics at NewYork University’s Langone Medical Centre, who described Dr Canavero as “nuts”, believes that the bodies of head transplant patients “would end up being overwhelmed with different pathways and chemistry than they are used to and they’d go crazy.” A head transplant was performed on a monkey 45

years ago in 1970. It lived, but only for eight days, with the body rejecting the new head and the monkey being left unable to breathe and unable to move because the spinal cord of the head and body were not connected properly. Dr Canavero hopes to complete the operation in 2017. (By Christopher Hooton)

Dried up swimming pool converted into temporary shelter for distress and stranded Filipino workers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Need for a lifeline? Utilize social networking sites to seek help, urges Migrante MANILA – Need for a lifeline? Utilize social networking sites to seek for assistance, a migrant rights group advice to distress and maltreated Filipino migrant workers abroad. “Tapping social networking sites to seek help and convey the concerns of migrant workers who were victim of abuses and maltreatment is a best antidote for government criminal neglect and failure to provide

onsite assistance.” “We have concrete victories staging our campaign in social media sites complemented by actual mass mobilizations such was the case of then Saudi OFW-ondeath-row Rogelio Lanuza, among several others,” John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante-Middle East (MME), said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

He added that many migrant workers especially household service workers (HSWs) in the Middle East should maintain discretely a spare personal mobile phone with an access to social networking sites. “This will serve as their lifeline amid dilly-dally assistance from the concerned Philippine embassy and labor and welfare officials,” he said. Monterona observed that HSWs in the Middle East were deprived by their employers of their right to have an access to their families as their mobile phones were confiscated. “This right has been grossly violated by employers,” he said, citing a recent case of an overseas Filipino household service worker Abby Luna – based in Bahrain – who alleged that she was raped by the son of her employer. Luna, in a post on her Facebook account, appealed to netizens to bring her case to the attention on the Philippine embassy and was immediately rescued by authorities. “I’ve got several personal messages too regarding Ms. Luna’s FB appeal. Some have called to get my attention. And yes because of the overwhelming attention she got, Ms. Luna was immediately saved by the concerned PH embassy and labor officials in Bahrain,” Monterona said. Monterona claimed that without overwhelming attention from netizens who shared Luna’s appeal, the Philippine embassy and labor officials may say – as they normally do – “Hey back off, rescuing OFW is a no, no in the Middle East. It is not allowed” an excuse repeatedly heard from embassy and la-

bor-welfare officials. Right after she was rescued, Luna issued a brief statement in her FB account thanking all the people who helped her and eventually rescued from her employer’s house. She has filed a case against her attacker. “The family of abused OFWs should do their part. They should actively seek assistance from genuine migrant rights group and advocates,” Monterona said. Monterona also lambasted the Philippine embassy officials in Kuwait and in Saudi Arabia as he accused them of negligence and their failure to provide prompt assistance to distress and stranded OFWs there. “We have endorsed numerous cases of distress and abused OFWs in Kuwait. Until now, we have not received even acknowledgement from our embassy and labor-welfare officials,” Monterona said. He said the Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia would only reply to OFW cases referred to them through an email auto reply. “We knew that there are more than 100 male distress and stranded OFWs in Riyadh temporarily staying at a villa, while there are more than 50 plus at a women shelter or Bahay Kalinga. They have been crying and pleading for their repatriation 3 months, 6 months, some more than a year ago. No one at the Philippine embassy hears them and not even (President) Benigno Aquino himself and his foreign affairs and labor honchos – all are criminally negligent,” Monterona said. (Mindanao Examiner)

The Mindanao Examiner

Apr. 20-26, 2015

Suspek sa pagpatay sa ARMM official timbog COTABATO CITY — Hawak na ng pulisya ngayon ang pangunahing suspek sa pagpatay sa isang opisyal ng Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Ayon sa pulisya, nadakip ang suspek sa kanyang hideout sa Cotabato City na kung saan rin nito diumano pinatay si Norodin Manalao, ang Executive Director ng Regional Reconciliation and

Reunification Commission, nitong buwan lamang. Napatay si Manalao habang hinihintay nito ang asawa mula sa pamamalengke. Hinahanap pa umano ang isang suspek na nagsilbing lookout sa nasabing krimen. Hindi inilabas ng pulisya ang pangalan ng dalawang suspek dahil sa i s i n a s a g a w a n g

interogasyon sa trigger man. Ngunit ayon sa ibang sources ay Nasser diumano ang pangalan ng nadakip na lalaki. Nasa kustodiya na rin ito ng Criminal Investigation and Detection Group sa Cotabato City. Nais umanong malaman ng pulisya ang motibo at kung sino ang utak o nag-utos na patayin si Manalao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Davao's Southshield Football Club Takes 3rd Place in 11th Del Monte Football Cup

Career Headstart. Dominique R. Tutay (right), Director of Bureau of Local Employment explains how the JobStart Philippines could give a good headstart for the career of the youth in the country. With her is DOLE 11 Regional Director Joffrey M. Suyao. (Photo by Sherwin B. Manual)

DOLE’s JobStart Philippines to improve youth employability

Members and coaches of Southshield Football Club are all smiles after their team won 2 third place trophies in the recently concluded 11th Del Monte Football Cup in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. BUKIDNON - The decision of Southshield Football Club to join the prestigious 11th Del Monte Football Cup in Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon province has been rewarded after win-

ning 3rd place – not only once, but two trophies in the national tournament. The team, who are mostly made up of students from Southpoint School in Davao City’s Maa village, returned

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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Ely Dumaboc/Jun Feliciano Zamboanga Peninsula The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines. The Mindanao Examiner Television is broadcast in KISMET Cable TV and Pagadian Cable Television Channel 63. Our main business and editorial offices are located at Units 15, 3rd Floor, Fair Land Bldg., Nuñez St., Zamboanga City Phone & fax: 062- 9925480 Mobile: 0917-7103642 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

home proud and fulfilled. The under nine and under 11 divisions of Southshield FC won trophies in the soccer tournament participated by some 200 teams across the country. The under nine division of Southshield FC beat Higala Football Club of Cagayan de Oro City in a thrilling 3-1 penalty shoot-out. Southshield FC players Mariano Abella, Rhryan JamisolaDordas and defender Charles Kenn Chiu scored the decisive penalty goals for the team in their hear t-pounding win. The under 11 division of Southshield FC for their won their trophy without any sweat after their supposed opponent was disqualified after one of its players was discovered to be overage. The three coaches of Southshield namely Greg Napuran, Junard Pinonggan and Angelo John Adana were elated since their daily practice yielded positive results. Some of the members of the Southshield soccer team that competed in Bukidnon are Bob Benedict Braceros, Karl Sumampong, Charles Kenn Chiu, Zyk Lopez, Rhyan Gabrielle Jamisola Dordas, Kristoff Madrid, Devon Kierulf, Adrian Elarmo, Rhian Mendoza, Aaron Pelonio, Jian Matthew Goyonan, Jose Nuenay, Mariano Abella, Jared Distancia, Luiz Digman, Raymond Pahuyo, John Morales, Earl Sison, Hendrich Denilla, Simone Guerrero, Karlos Donado, James Gamite, Kevin Sayon and Jan Pritz Llubit.

DAVAO CITY – With the aim to cut down the rising youth unemployment in the country, the Department of Labor and Employment is set to roll out a program that will enhance employability of the youth. It is set to launch this year JobStart Philippines identifying local governments of Davao City and Tagum City as among the second wave of pilot sites for the program. “The program aims to help young Filipino jobseekers, 18 to 24 years old with less than one year or no work experience, at least high school graduate who is not currently working or enrolled in school or training and is seeking for a job; to get a head start in their career by creating opportunities to enhance their technical skill and develop their life skill,” said Bureau of Local employment Director Domique R. Tutay during the JobStart Orientation in Davao City. “This also aims to increase employment creation and reduce poverty as it will help young adults to have the right skills that would fit a job and can lead them in finding their permanent wage jobs,” she added. According to a survey on Youth School-To-Work (STW ) Transition con-

ducted by Asian Development Bank (ADB), it takes a college graduate 1 year to find a first job and up to 2 years to find a regular job while it takes a high school leaver up to 3 years to find a first job and 4 years to find a regular wage job. The significant factors that influence the length and quality of the STW transition include the limited social networks and inadequate life skills including job search behavior. “Unemployment in the country can be largely attributed to mismatches between demand and supply of labor, and big part of the unemployed population is consists of young educated workers with a high youth NEET (not in employment, education and training) rate of 24.3%”, Tutay said. “The JobStart Philippines pilot provided life skills training focusing on attitudes to work and workplace environment, job hunting skills and networking, personal and interpersonal skills, and health and financial management,” said Regional Director Joffrey M. Suyao. JobStart Philippines also funded technical skills training of up to 3 months with competencies and subjects as nominated by the employer, can be tech-

nically specific or generic or can be a mix of competencies, provided by a TESDA-registered training provider, or another employer designated trainer, or employer training program, Suyao explained. In the first wave of pilot implementation, four institutionalized Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) for this program: NCR (Quezon City and Taguig), Region IV-A (General Trias City), and Region III (San Fernando City). In 2015, DOLE is looking forward for 14 PESOs, including the four pilots, to carry the JobStart Philippines program with a target of 3,200 beneficiaries. In a response during the orientation in Tagum City, Mayor Allan Rellon said: “We are ready for the JobStart Philippines program because we have already implemented some of its requirements like support PESO, data banking and enough personnel complement.” DOLE is in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Canada for this program. JobStart Philippines program is also part of the Technical Assistance Program on Employment Facilitation for Inclusive Growth (EFIG). (Sherwin B. Manual)

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P15 Apr. 20-26, 2015

Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry brings praises, words of God in Cebu concert

Couple Luke Smith and Anna Liza Almeda-Smith, daughter of the self-styled Evangelist Wilde Estrada Almeda, leader of the 2-million strong Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, during a recent concert in Cebu province - dubbed “Holding Nothing Back” – attended by hundreds of graduating students from Talisay City National High School. “Do not be ashamed. P ourself and stand in what yyou ou Prroclaim yyourself believ e in as Chr istians!” – this was the message that rrev ev erber believe Christians!” everber erber-ated as hundr eds of gr aduating students fr om Talisay City N ahundreds graduating from National H igh School sang in jo yous music that gav e pr aise to G od High joy gave praise God in a concer y the JJesus esus M ir acle Youth C concertt b by Mir iracle Crrusade dubbed “Holding N othing B ack. Nothing Back. ack.”” “Sin is growing and in- tual obligation -and part of this creasing today, but the Bible obligation is their sincere comsays that we must go out and mitment to launch a series of tell about who Jesus Christ is,” concerts all over the country Luke Smith, a Minister of the “anytime where people want us Jesus Miracle Crusade Interna- to go.” MUSIC FOR THE SOUL tional Ministry Youth Crusade, Smith said the advent of said at the side line after the concert held recently at the technology and the rise of social grounds of Talisay City National media gave the youth of today “access to the world”. High School. “Social media is everything. Smith said it is important to reach out to the youth, espe- In Biblical times, if they would cially in this generation, where have our technology now they they are barraged with infor- (Christ and his disciples) would mation, influences – both good have reached more,” he said.The and bad – as well as the chal- Philippines has ranked among lenge of being heard and be accepted. “They are hungry (for God), but they don’t know how to express it,” Smith, who is the sonin-law of the self-styled Evangelist Wilde Estrada Almeda, leader of the 2-million strong Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, and one of the most influential and respected in the Philippines. “We have started these two years ago because we want to reach out to the youth,” Anna Liza Almeda-Smith, the Evangelist’s daughter who is now based in the United States. The Smith couple said they will be spending more time in the country to fulfil their spiri-

ARMM

Southern Mindanao

the top 3 countries globally for being active social media users and a large chunk of this are the teenagers and middle-age young professionals, who incidentally are reported to distance spiritual and religious activities. It is in this light that Smith underscored the importance of being spiritually strong while at the same time accepting the power of the social media to influence a larger part of the population. “Social media can be used for good or bad,” he said. It is also in the same situation that music will be Jesus Miracle Youth Crusade’s way to reach out to the youth. Almeda-Smith, who grew up with the Ministry as one of its triumvirate of singing sisters that included elder sister Rachel Almeda-Esguerra and

Davao

younger sister Leah AlmedaMallari, said it has been her lifelong dream to have a concert and share the words of God through music. “Young people are very impressionable. To be able to reach out to them we must listen to them,” Smith said. “What we can do is take the sound that they like but put words that has the voice of God and put in their hearts that I can do all things in Christ,” the Minister added. Smith said that if music will be able to influence the youth and allow them to express what is in their hearts “and give them hope” and instill in them “a message that I am a friend of God” will be a mission fulfilled. “Knowing that we are relating with them…even if we influ-

Western Mindanao

ence just one (out of the hundreds that are out there), then it is worth all,” the Preacher said. Many of those in the concert were so touched by the emotional preaching of the Smith couple that they broke down and cried and joined in praising God and His words. Many of them also joined the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry and vowed to spread the words of God in Cebu. The Jesus Miracle Youth Crusade has already scheduled series of concerts in the City of Naga, in Cebu province and the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao in May and June. It also held a concert recently in Baguio City. (With a report from the Cebu Examiner)

Cebu

Manila