Sulu Pictures In The News
Troops hunt Abu Sayyaf in Basilan province PAGE 2
Investors alarmed over backlash of ‘diluted’ BBL
Lindsay Lohan, the Koran and her apparent ‘conversion to Islam’
PAGE 4
PAGE 6
PAGE 3
Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong: Best Ways To Protect Your Kidneys PAGE 7
FOR SALE Mitsubishi Pajero P550,000
Call 0917-7103642 Zamboanga City Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com
FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2960658
P15 May 25-31, 2015
Military links MILF to abductions in Mindanao
A Moro Islamic Liberation Front sniper, camouflaged in a ghillie suit aiming with a replica of Barrett M82A1 rifle during a military exercise in southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)
Malaysia continues search for 2 abducted citizens
A
uthorities in Sabah continue to search for 2 Malaysians abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen at a popular restaurant in Sandakan in Sabah. As Philippine policemen killed a suspected Abu Sayyaf gunman who may be involved in the spate of kidnappings in Malaysia’s oil-rich state. The gunman, who was initially identified as Muktadil, was fatally shot during a firefight last week in Jolo town in Sulu province following a police raid on his hideout. Muktadil was trying to escape from pursuing policemen when shot dead during a running gun battle. No policemen or civilians were killed or in-
jured in the fighting. Filipino authorities were still trying to verify whether the slain rebel was among those that recently kidnapped Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, the manager of Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sabah’s Sandakan town; and customer Bernard Ghen Ted Fen, 39. Malaysian policemen said four gunmen raided the restaurant on the evening of May 14 and seized the duo. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the abductions, but authorities in Sabah have linked two siblings Nilson Muktadil, who is his 30s; and Badong, alias Adzmil Muktadil, in his 40s, to the latest abductions. The Muktadil brothers are natives of Southern Philippines and were also
tagged as behind the kidnapping of Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29, and Filipino worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, in Sabah in April last year. Just recently, troops also clashed with suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels in the village of Panducan in Sulu’s Pangutaran town that left a still undetermined number of gunmen dead and wounded, according to the Western Mindanao Command. Sulu is being used by the Abu Sayyaf as their hideout because of its thick, virgin forests and rugged terrain that makes the province a suitable hideout and base for the notorious rebel group linked by the Philippine military to al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiya and now ISIS. (Mindanao Examiner)
A Christian farmer in full battle gear crossing in a tree trunk as bridge along the irrigation canal after guarding his farmland against Moro armed group claiming their alleged "ancestral lands" because it is part of the Bangsamoro land. Lawmakers have voted on the controversial law that will govern the Muslims in the restive South. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)
ARMM
Southern Mindanao
Davao
COTABATO CITY – The Philippine military has linked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front – which signed a peace deal with Manila last year – in the abduction of three people in the southern province of Lanao del Sur. The trio – Omainah Cuno, Jabbar Mimbala and Maisara Mangoranca – were seized this month and freed a day later to international peace observers in the village called Bualan in Balindong town. The military tagged MILF Commander Haji Malik in the abductions. It said the army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade has filed a protest
with the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities following the abductions because the MILF violated the cease-fire agreement it signed with the government. Capt. Ben June Cerbo, of theWestern Mindanao Command, said the MILF released the victims due to the pressure exerted by the military. “Pursuit operations and prior coordination with the peace mechanism of the MILF-Ad Hoc Joint Action Group were conducted by Joint Task Force ZAMPELAN (Zamboanga PeninsulaLanao), pressuring the MILF
to release and turn over the kidnap victims to the International Monitoring Team and Crisis Management Committee of Ditsaan Ramain in Lanao del Sur,” Cerbo said. Cerbo did not say the motives of the abductions and the MILF has not issued any statement about this, but it occurred at the height of widespread opposition by lawmakers and civilians over the proposed law on the creation of a new Muslim autonomous region in the troubled, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Christian community in Sultan Kudarat province armed themselves protecting their ownership of lands they had acquired legally from Muslim brethren, Moro armed group resurfacing to claiming their alleged "ancestral lands" because it’s part of the new Bangsamoro government. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)
Davao jail gets new solar water-heating system DAVAO CITY - A new solar water-heating system, which was installed in Davao City Jail’s kitchen with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross, was inaugurated recently - and it is expected to significantly reduce environmental and financial costs for the jail. By using energy from the sun to heat the water used to cook food for over 2,000 inmates, the new system will reduce the boiling time for each pot by up to 30 minutes, thereby saving up to 60,000 kilos of wood per year. It will also save time and money, and lessen the exposure of kitchen staff to health risks associated with cooking with firewood. “It’s a big help to everyone as the meals are now served on time, unlike in the past, when they took so much effort to cook. This
initiative has not only helped the jail save on costs; it has also instilled good housekeeping practices among the inmates. I always remind them to maintain such important projects to ensure their sustainability,” said Jail Superintendent Simeon Dolojo, Jr., Davao City Jail’s warden. Before the system was installed, the jail management had built nine energy-saving stoves for cooking pots and had begun heating water using electrical water heaters to reduce wood consumption and the kitchen staff’s exposure to smoke. Although they used less wood, the electricity bill increased, prompting them to explore alternatives. Other jails have likewise benefited from innovative energy-saving projects supported by the
Western Mindanao
Cebu
ICRC and these were Digos City District Jail (Davao del Sur), Panabo City District Jail (Davao del Norte) and Valencia City Jail (Bukidnon). In 2009, a biogas system was installed in Cagayan de Oro City Jail (Misamis Oriental). “Aside from promoting renewable energy, we introduce these projects so that the money that will be saved could be used to improve the living conditions of inmates,” said Marco Albertini, the ICRC water and habitat coordinator. Since 2007, the ICRC has been working closely with Philippine jail authorities, including the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, to reduce overcrowding and improve the general living conditions of detainees.
Manila
2
The Mindanao Examiner
May 25-31, 2015
Troops hunt Abu Sayyaf in Basilan province GOVERNMENT troops continue their hunt for Abu Sayyaf rebels and a small group of Malaysian jihadists hiding in the restive province of Basilan. Just last week, soldiers have seized more than a dozen motorized boats used by the Abu Sayyafs in their terror operations in Basilan and nearby areas that included Zamboanga Peninsula. Officials said troops also recovered materials used in the fabrication of explosives during an operation in Hadji Mohammad
Ajul. “Law enforcement operations launched by military troops resulted to the capture of 13 watercrafts and several components of improvised explosive devices belonging to the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan,” said Capt. Ben June Cerbo, of the Western Mindanao Command. He said members of the Marines Special Operations Group and Naval Special Operations Unit 6 recovered the boats while pursuing the Abu Sayyaf under Ustadz Abbas Alam and Malaysian
jihadist, Mohammed Najib Bin Husein. “The watercrafts were utilized (by the Abu Sayyafs) in distributing improvised explosive devices in Basilan and Zamboanga Peninsula,” he said. Army troops also recovered components for improvised explosives and munitions and weapons in the village of Tuburan also in the same town. Basilan is one of five provinces under the restive Muslim autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner)
Kelot ginawang ‘punching bag’ ang asawang Malaysiana ZAMBOANGA CITY – Nahaharap sa kaso ang isang residente dito matapos na umano’y ireklamo ng kanyang asawang Malaysiana ng pambubugbog. Dinakip ng pulisya ang suspek na si Dakula na kilala rin sa pangalan Asibi matapos na iligtas ng awtoridad ang asawa nitong si Munera Mohamed sa kanilang bahay sa Barangay
Baliwasan. Nabatid na nagsumbong si Munera sa kanyang pamilya sa Sabah at humingi naman ng tulong ang mga ito sa Malaysian government. At sa pamamagitan ng aksyon ng embahada nito sa Maynila ay nailigtas ang babae mula sa mapag-aping asawa nito. Nagkakilala umano ang dalawa sa Sandakan at doon rin ikinasal noon
2013, ngunit sa Zamboanga City naman nanirahan ang mga ito. Hindi naman sinabi ng pulisya kung bakit sinasaktan ni Dakula ang kanyang asawa dahil iniimbestigahan pa umano ito. Balak rin ni Munira na bumalik na lamang sa Sandakan at iwan ng tuluyan ang 23-anyos nitong asawa. (Mindanao Examiner)
Navy officer arrested in Zamboanga Sibugay PAGADIAN CITY – Military authorities are holding a naval officer who was a suspect in the 2014 murder of a marine official in Manila, officials said. Officials said Lieutenant Junior Grade Benjie Chico was arrested in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Imelda town where military and police agents tracked him down. Chico was implicated in the killing of Marine Lieutenant Shelina Calumay, whose body was found inside her car in Fort Andres Bonifacio in Taguig City.
Capt. Ben June Cerbo, of the Western Mindanao Command, has confirmed the capture of Chico, who had gone on leave without permission from his superior, until his arrest. “A Navy officer on AWOL (absent without official leave), tagged as one of the suspects behind the killing of Marine Lieutenant Shelina Calumay, was arrested by joint elements of the military and police in Zamboanga Sibugay. Lieutenant Junior Grade Benjie Chico was nabbed by joint operating troops of
the Naval Intelligence Security Group; 44th Infantry Battalion; 3rd Air Division, Philippine Air Force (3rd Air Division); and Imelda Municipal Police Station in Barangay Poblacion, Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay,” Cerbo said. Cerbo did not give any details on Chico’s arrest or whether his alleged involvement in the killing of Calumay; or whether weapons were seized from the officer at the time of his capture. (Mindanao Examiner)
NOTICE Please report to us any individual or persons who are illegally soliciting money or donations for or in behalf of THE MINDANAO EXAMINER REGIONAL NEWSPAPER. We have a strict company policy against solicitation in any forms and the Company shall not be responsible for illegal practice of unscrupulous persons, who pass themselves off as Reporter, Stringer, Correspondent or Sales Executive of The Mindanao Examiner. When in doubt, please call or SMS us at these numbers (062) 9925480 or SMS (0917) 7103642 or email us – mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
DO Y OU WANT T O YOU TO HA VE Y OUR O WN NEWSLETTER? HAVE YOUR OWN Are you in a corporation, a company, a club or organization, a school or institution, church or religious group, in government or cooperative? Make your own NEWSLETTER now! Why send your press releases when you can have your own NEWSLETTER just like this NEWSPAPER? No more expensive magazines as your quarterly or monthly NEWSLETTER when you can have a cheaper alternative just like this NEWSPAPER! Mindanao Examiner Productions offer NEWSLETTER printing at a very low price. And it comes with FREE LAYOUT and we can even make a digital copy of your NEWSLETTER also for FREE! We will also assist you in editing your articles for FREE! For inquiry, call us now at (062) 992-5480 or 0917-7103642 or email us at mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
May 25-31, 2015
The Mindanao Examiner
3
SULU PICTURES IN THE NEWS
Sulu Governor Totoh Tan convenes the Provincial Census Coordinating Board for the 2015 Census Of Population (Photos from the Sulu Provincial Government)
The ongoing construction of the new Sangguniang Panlalawigan Building. A project of the Sulu Provincial Government under the auspices of Governor Totoh Tan.(Photos from the Sulu Provincial Government)
Sulu Governor Totoh Tan With Talipao Vice Mayor Tambrin Tulawie and other officials, taking a stroll along the main road towards Talipao Municipal Hall. (Photos from the Sulu Provincial Government)
General Romeo Tanalgo, of the Philippine Marines, and members of the 8th Marine Battalion with Maimbung town Mayor Samier Tan. (Photos from Maimbung Municipal Government )
Distribution of PAMANA livelihood projects - animal dispersal, agri and aquatic production and machinery equipment - to beneficiaries in Sulu. (Photos from the Sulu Provincial Government)
4
The Mindanao Examiner
May 25-31, 2015
Investors alarmed over backlash of ‘diluted’ BBL COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao continues to attract more investors as prospects for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law becomes promising. The Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) reported the entry of a P686.74 million worth of biomass plant project in Sultan Kudarat, a new addition to the growing list of investments in the region that so far registered around P1.5 billion in the second semester of 2015. The biomass project of Lamsan Power Corp. is set to generate 5.5 MW additional capacity for Mindanao. The project was approved in May. Another multimillion power generation project and nickel mining project will also be established in Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi. As this developed, the Promotion of Investment Sustainability Organization (PISO) is alarmed over investment sustainability in the region once the BBL turns out diluted or watered-down. The group is composed of RBOI-registered firms in ARMM. In a statement, the group said Congress must ensure that it will pass a BBL that is faithful to the
promise of full autonomy for the Bangsamoro as it is the essence of the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Currently, investors have the convenience of securing permits, licenses, approvals, administrative consents and regulatory framework from the regional government without having to go to Manila or regional administrative offices. They are concerned that if the BBL is less than what the Bangsamoro aspired for, it would lessen the regional government’s autonomy and degrade the ‘investment friendly environment’ set by the current government. These businessfriendly mechanisms set by ARMM, according to the group, must be maintained or improved. The group also cautioned Congress not to lose sight of the “ease of doing business” in the region to encourage more private sector development and not to unduly burden investors. “The only way to have stability of investment policy for private sector development in the region is to make sure that the level
of autonomy currently being experienced in ARMM is not reduced by the proposed changes to the BBL,” said the group. The United Kingdom, a member state of the International Contact Group for the peace process, stressed the importance of stability in investment policy, particularly in mining at the signing of a P5-million grant agreement between the British Embassy in Manila and a non-government organization, Bantay Kita, in support of the Department of Finance-led Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. “There are projects that are frozen, where they simply said ‘we are not going to touch them until the rules are clear,” said British Ambassador Asif Ahmad. “There are others where they have already made an investment, ready to extract and suddenly the rules have changed. If it is a very expensive, extractive investment where there’s downstream investment as well, you can’t suddenly change the rules because these are global industries—they will simply decide that they have got other places to invest in.” (Bureau of Public Information)
Landless farmers march in Bacolod City in Negros province to seek ‘divine assistance’ for the government to grant them land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. (Photos by Jimmy Domingo)
Negros farmers march to pray for ‘divine assistance’ BACOLOD CITY – Thousands of poor and landless Negros peasants took a day off from their backbreaking work in haciendas to seek divine assistance on during the feast of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. “We pray for an end to landlords’ greed that has caused widespread poverty and misery among peasants. We also ask divine intervention in convincing our lawmakers to immediately pass legislations that will extend and overhaul the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Buksan po sana ninyo ang kanilang puso at isipan upang maisulong ang hustisya para sa mga aping mangunguma,” said Alberto Jayme, Negros chapter president of the national peasant federation Task Force Mapalad (TFM). Carrying images of the patron saint of farmers and offerings of vegetable and fruit harvests, some of which were loaded in a cart pulled by a carabao, the farmers marched from the TFM office in Bacolod to the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church in the village of Tangub to hear Mass officiated by Bishop Vicente Navarra. The farmers also attended another Mass in the city’s San Sebastian Cathedral. The activity, dubbed “Mass and March for Land and Justice,” also included a program held in front of the Fountain of Justice at the old City Hall where farmers spoke of their sufferings due to landlessness nearly three decades after the CARP implementation and
amid the non-passage of House Bill 4296 and House Bill 4375. HB 4296 seeks to renew the DAR’s authority to issue notices of coverage and provide adequate funding for support services to agricultural landholdings that have not yet been placed under the CARP. And HB 4375 seeks to create an independent Agrarian Reform Commission to review the actual accomplishment of CARP and investigate circumventions and violations of the CARP Law with a view to cause those landholdings to be redistributed to qualified beneficiaries. TFM farmers carried out the activity a month before the House of Representatives’ schedule to pass on third and final reading HB 4296 after President Benigno Aquino in March, gave marching orders to his allies in Congress to complete the CARP. “We are hoping for the best. But we can’t just sit down and wait for HB 4296’s passage even when there’s already an instruction from the President,” said Jayme. “The landlord-politicians’ strong resistance to CARP and how the program’s implementation was stalled, blocked, or watered down in the past by lawmakers and their allies, who want to control vast tracks of agricultural landholdings, give us reason to remain vigilant and continue pressing for CARP’s completion and overhaul,” he added. Just recently, foreign business groups, under the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, were reported to
have been planning to submit to President Aquino an updated list of proposed measures that the groups think will hone the reform focus of the current administration as it enters the homestretch. Among the foreign business groups’ proposed so-called reforms is the non-extension of the CARP by countering HB 4296’s passage. “We are grateful for having Aquino as our ally. But many lawmakers and their allies are still finding ways to kill CARP and mire us in poverty, hunger, and slavery. But we remain optimistic because we know that not only the President but the Almighty, who is a God of justice, is also on our side. God will not allow oppression to persist in the lands that that were promised to its tillers through the agrarian reform program,” said Jayme. Based on April 15, 2015 data from the DAR, some 15,391 landholdings nationwide with a total area of 164,156 hectares have not yet been issued CARP notices of coverage (NOC), the first of the many steps in acquiring and distributing lands to farmer-beneficiaries of the program. Nearly 26,000 hectares or about 16 percent of the landholdings without NOC are found in Negros Occidental. More than 700,000 hectares of agricultural landholdings nationwide are not yet awarded to farmer-beneficiaries of the CARP. Nearly 130,000 hectares or about 18 percent of the said CARP balance are found in Negros Occidental. (TFM)
We are moving to film and television productions!
ALL RIGHTS FOR SALE Mindanao Examiner Newspaper Mindanao Examiner Television mindanaoexaminer.com (web contents, office inventory included)
Call: (062) 992 5480
May 25-31, 2015
The Mindanao Examiner
5
6
The Mindanao Examiner - FOREIGN
May 25-31, 2015
Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89 in Las Vegas RILEY B. KING, the legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, whose velvety voice and staccatopicking style brought blues from the margins to the mainstream, died Thursday night. He was 89. His daughter, Patty King, said he died in Las Vegas, where he announced two weeks ago that he was in home hospice care after suffering from dehydration. The Mississippi native’s reign as “king of the blues” lasted more than six decades and straddled two centuries, influencing a generation of rock and blues musicians, from Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Sheryl Crow and John Mayer. His life was the subject of the documentary “B.B. King: The Life of Riley,” and the inspiration for the The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, which opened in 2008. King’s enduring legacy came from his refusal to slow down even after cementing his status as an American music icon. Even with a long list of honors to his name — Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Presidential Medal of Freedom — he maintained a relentless touring schedule well into his 80s. Throughout his career, King evolved with the times to incorporate contemporary trends and influences without
straying from his Delta blues roots. Whether he was sharing the stage with U2 on “When Loves Comes to Town” — a scene memorialized in the 1988 concert film, “Rattle and Hum” — or playing in the East Room of the White House with Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and others, King’s single-string guitar notes trilled with an unmistakable vibrato from his hollow-bodied Gibson affectionately known as Lucille. Slo wing do wn lowing down King finally started showing signs of his age last year after decades of living with Type II diabetes. A shaky show in St. Louis prompted his reps to issue an apology for “a performance that did not match Mr. King’s usual standard of excellence.” He fell ill in October after a show at Chicago’s House of Blues due to dehydration and exhaustion, prompting a rare cancellation of the remainder of his tour. He was hospitalized for dehydration April in Las Vegas, a long way from his modest roots as the son of a sharecropper. King was born on September 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation between Indianola and what is now Itta Bena, Mississippi. He sang with church choirs as a child and learned basic guitar chords from his uncle, a preacher. In his youth, he played on street corners for dimes, saying he earned more in one night singing on the corner
than he did in one week working in the cotton field. Beale S tr eet B lues B oy Str treet Blues Bo He enlisted in the Army during World War II but was released because he drove a tractor, an essential homefront occupation. In 1947, he hitchhiked to Memphis, Tennessee, home to a thriving music scene that supported aspiring black performers. He stayed with his cousin Bukka White, one of the most celebrated blues performers of his time, who schooled King further in the art of the blues. King took the Beale Street Blues Boy, or BB for short, as a disc jockey for radio station WDIA/AM Memphis. He got his first big break in 1948 by performing on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program out of West Memphis, leading to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis, and a 10minute spot on WDIA. As “King’s Spot” grew in popularity on WDIA, King shortened “Beale Street Blues Boy” to “Blues Boy King,” and eventually B.B. King. His ascent continued in 1949 with his first recordings, “Miss Martha King/Take a Swing with Me” and “How Do You Feel When Your Baby Packs Up and Goes/I’ve Got the Blues.” His first hit record “Three O’clock Blues” was released in 1951 and stayed on the top of the charts for four months. (By Todd Leopold, CNN)
The actor was spotted carrying a copy of the Muslim holy text.
Lindsay Lohan, the Koran and her apparent ‘conversion to Islam’ LINDSAY LOHAN was seen carrying a leatherbound copy of the Koran on her first day of community service – prompting speculation that she’d converted to Islam. However, this might not be the case. Despite reading the Muslim text, she is apparently not “fully converting” to Islam. A spokesperson for Lohan told The Independent: “To my knowledge she is not considering fully converting to Islam, but I know she has been taking a keen interest in the Arabic culture of late.” They added that Lohan had upcoming projects in the Middle East and was keen to learn the language. “She also spent some time in Dubai earlier this year and became inter-
ested in their way of life,” the spokesperson said. Lohan was recently mocked for posting a picture to Instagram mistaking the Arabic words “you’re a donkey” for “I’m beautiful”. She later explained that the slip-up was an “inside joke” with a friend while she was learning the language, and posts pictures of her efforts to improve her Arabic. Lohan was raised a Catholic but is reported to have previously dabbled in Scientology and Kabbalah. She has described herself as a “very spiritual person” to Oprah Winfrey, and added that she had “become more spiritual as time has gone on.” “I’m really in touch, whether it’s prayer or meditation,” she said.
“There are so many powers greater than me in the world. I’ve been blessed and lucky enough to have been given a gift to share with other people.’ She was seen wearing the red string bracelet of Kabbalah, andVanity Fair once named her as a prospective Scientologist bride for Tom Cruise in 2012. However, Lohan denied any links to the story. High-profile converts to Islam include Cat Stevens, Jemima Goldsmith and Mike Tyson. Loahn has had a difficult few years involving spells in jail and rehab and a well-documented struggle with alcohol. Islam preaches abstinence from drinking, and the Koran calls alcohol “an abomination”. (Helen Nianias)
7
The Mindanao Examiner - OPINION
May 25-31, 2015
What To Do With China By Jess Dureza I TALKED on the phone last Saturday with Zambales Gov. Hermogenes ” Jun” Ebdane who was a colleague in the Arroyo Cabinet. He has set up a high-tech coastal watch monitoring system in his province, in cooperation with a Canadian firm, to spot foreign vessels intruding into his provincial territorial limits. This is clearly aimed at China which has started shooing away Zambales fishermen from the Panatag or Scarborough shoals, around only 230 kilometers from Masinloc town. What the Philippine government intends to do if China indeed intrudes into our claimed territorial waters, I have no idea as yet. Over the weekend, a team of foreign journalists visited Masinloc as part of their study tour on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) issues. They belong to various international news organizations as Jefferson Fellows under the auspices of the East West Center based in Honolulu, Hawaii and skippered in their Philippine trip by EWC’s Ms. Ann Hartman. WATER CANNONED - I missed joining the team of journalists on their Zambales visit as they came right smack into the annual media forum of the Philippine Press Institute that I had to host, PPI also being the local partner of the Fellows’ visit. Fortunately, my long-time “girl Friday” Charmaine Olea joined in my behalf and she reported how Masinloc fishermen aired their anger at losing their livelihood. This was the group of fishermen who were driven away from their usual fishing grounds by the Chinese using
water cannons. They were terribly missing the protective presence of the US bases, according to “Cha”, and they (including the local LGUs) seemed not in the loop on what Malacanang is doing. I suspect Gov. Jun being not with the Liberal Party is the reason why. CHINA - The way things are shaping up and if things are not properly handled, our country is on a collision course with China in our territorial dispute. I remember having a chat sometime ago with the previous Chinese lady Ambassador Ma. She was stressing a more effective way of settling issues among neighbors, the Asian way. Although we need to go to an international body like the United Nations to seek redress on a multilateral basis, we ought to have opened up also a parallel, backchannel route on a bilateral basis. President Ramos again called for “backchannel” direct contacts. Why this was not done up to now, I still cannot understand. Fact is we cannot go to war with other countries, much more with China. Lest we all forget: we all have Chinese blood in our veins. And yes, sorry to say, we are no match to China militarily. PAPAL MAGIC - I read a report earlier this week that Cuban President Raul Castro, a communist and brother of famous Fidel Castro, after meeting with Pope Francis, said that that he was “returning” to the Catholic Church. Cuba although a next door neighbor of the US has been an “enemy” of the US for half a century. It was through the recent facilitation and assis-
The Mindanao Examiner
Newspaper, Film and Television Productions
Maritess Fernandez Publisher/Executive Producer (On Leave) Al Jacinto Editor-in-Chief/Producer Carl Deala Graphics/Video Editor Mindanao Examiner Productions Web Master REGIONAL PARTNERS Mindanao Daily Business Week Mindanao Star NEWS/ADVERTISING OFFICES Mark Navales Central Mindanao Richard Suarez Pagadian City Zamboanga del Sur
Alan Navales North- South Cotabato Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat Jeng Fernandez Juna Subd., Matina, Davao City
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
tance of the Pope that both countries resumed diplomatic relations. As a result the 50-year economic blockade of Cuba that practically isolated it to the world was lifted by the US. Papal magic at work. “HAVING STOMACH” Elections is just 12 months away. The rigor and the heavy burden that a candidate and an elected official for public office must experience to win — and then serve if elected — are principally the reasons why only a few good men, who “have the stomach” venture into politics. Yes, there are blessings in many forms but, take it from me, there’s “life after politics“. When public officials refuse to dismount or they consider politics as a lifetime career or claim it as their own birthright or consider themselves (or their kin) as God’s gifts to mankind, that’s where the problem lies. I’ve been there before, folks. So I know! BANGSAMORO - The crucial vote on the BBL in Congress, both in the House and in the Senate and its final fate will be known in due time. Congress is bent on removing some provisions that were subject; I am sure, to intense negotiations over the years. Mind you, during my time as peace negotiator, even a word or a comma, could be a serious bone of contention. I now worry that the milestones that both government and MILF achieved will be put to naught in one single sweep when the final version is passed. This is a repeat of Congress “writing its own peace agreement” as what Misuari’s faction complained about before. In fact, up to now, MNLF still complains about the alleged nonimplementation of the original Tripoli Agreement signed in 1976 during Marcos time. NO MORE WAR? – Fast forward today. While Congress now talks of major revisions, MILF keeps saying that they will not accept a “watered-down” BBL. But at the same time, MILF hurriedly says they will not go back to war again. To me, this sounds more like an early warning that while MILF may not accept Congress’ own version, they will still continue their struggle through peace negotiations to get their “non-negotiable” concessions at another time, perhaps beyond the Aquino administration. Of course, the so-called “rogue elements”, the BIFF and other armed groups that MILF disclaims links with, will do their own thing. Anyway, things will come to a head soon. Whatever is the final outcome of all this, the fact remains that the work for peace is a never-ending journey. JOURNALISM AWARDS The Philippine Press Institute this week honored the winners of the annual 2014 Civic Community Journalism Press Awards during appropriate ceremonies at the Diamond Hotel in Manila. They are: Bohol Chronicle, Baguio Midland Courier, Baguio Chronicle, Cebu Daily News, Sun Star Davao, Edge Davao, Sun Star Cebu, Mindanao Cross and Business Week Mindanao. Congratulations! (info@advocacymindanow.org)
Best Ways To Protect Your Kidneys Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong 1. Limit your salt intake -Too much salt is not only bad for your blood pressure, it's also bad for your kidneys. Many die of kidney disease, which can be partly attributed to a high salt intake and fondness for fish sauce, soy sauce, plain salt and salted fish. Even instant noodles, chips and nuts are teeming with salt. The problem with salt is that it encourages the body to retain water, and can increase your blood pressure (which damages the kidneys). 2. Don't load up on high protein foods such as meat and steaks --A high protein diet makes the kidneys work twice as hard. Pretty soon, your kidneys could get tired and some of the weaker kidney cells can die. A friendly reminder to people on a high-protein Atkin's Diet or South Beach Diet. The timetested doctor's advice of moderation in everything will serve you well. Eat a balanced diet of rice, vegetables, fish and fruits and you can't go wrong. 3. Keep your blood pressure at 130/80 or lower -If your blood pressure is above 140 over 90, this can cause kidney damage within five years. The kidneys are said to be "happiest" with a blood pressure of 130/80 or lower. To help control your blood pressure, you should limit your salt intake, reduce weight and take medicines for high blood pressure, if needed.
Dr. Willie T. Ong 4. Keep your blood sugar below 120 mg/dl -- Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney failure. A person with uncontrolled diabetes for 5-10 years may develop significant kidney damage. Consult your doctor and keep your blood sugar under control with diet, exercise and maintenance medicines. 5. Drink 8 glasses of water a day -- Doctors usually advise people to take in 8 glasses of water a day, but this really depends on your age and condition. If you're sweating a lot and work outdoors, you may need to drink more than 8 glasses a day. However, if you are above 65 years of age, you may do well with just 6 glasses a day. Drinking enough water also prevents the formation of kidney stones. 6. Watch your intake of pain relievers and other drugs -Taking pain relievers like mefenamic acid, ibuprofen and the coxibs (like celecoxib) for a prolonged period of time may cause kidney damage. Because of this, we should limit taking
these medicines to only a week, or just take them as needed. For those with chronic arthritis, try to look for other ways to relieve the pain such as using a hot water bag, pain reliever ointments, or the safer paracetamol tablet. 7. Be careful with tests and procedures using contrast dyes -- Some tests, like CT Scans and MRIs, and angiograms, use a contrast dye which helps doctors delineate the organs better. The problem with such dyes is that they can cause kidney damage. To be safe, I would strongly advise you to consult a kidney specialist before undergoing such procedures. 8. Don't drink too much Vitamin C -- Excess vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can lead to the formation of kidney stones in predisposed individuals. If you need to take vitamin C, a dose of 500 mg or less is safer. 9. Don't rely on food supplements to protect your kidneys -- The above tips are so far the best tips to care for the kidneys. 10. Get a kidney check-up --Simple tests, such as a complete blood count, BUN and creatinine, and a urinalysis are the first screening tests for the kidneys. Finding a trace of protein in the urine can alert the doctor of possible kidney disease. Bottomline is: Kidney diseases are expensive and difficult to treat. Let's take the necessary steps to protect our kidneys today.
Office Space For Rent Zamboanga City For more inquiries Call: 0929-2189937
Advertising Department Tel. (062) 9925480
Founded 2006 mindanaoexaminer.com FOR ADVERTISEMENTS, PLEASE CALL (062) 9925480 or (082) 2960658
P15 May 25-31, 2015
Mystifying Bohol’s Lamanoc Island BOHOL - From the crevices of this uninhabited isle off Badiang Anda, rise supplications to the gods offerings to appease the bad spirits and thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, fish catch and productive hunting. This is Lamanoc Island a place avoided by most locals who fear the graveyards and the spirits homing in this karst cliffs and its numerous mystical crevices. Here too are countless bones, shards of broken jar, wooden dug-out coffins, and remnants of offerings: empty wine bottles, human bones, wild boar jaws and a pile of white chicken feathers lie somewhere, waiting for the breeze to blow them off. Lamanoc Island has been pinned in the region's healers and quack doctors map as a sacred place, its numerous caves a testament of the countless rituals these medicine men have to perform to tap the powers of nature to continue with their healing. An annual visit to this island promontory in Bohol then is for them, an imperative one can't simply forego. For everyone also, Lamanoc allows every Boholano that rare chance to be reconnected to the past, one that could be far advanced compared to other settlements in those times. The G eyar dR ock Grrav aveyar eyard Rock Shelter The Lamanoc graveyard is technically not a yard. It is a rock ledge facing the seas of the island's south east side. Elevated at about 20 meters from the sea level, the ledge can be accessed by following a trail carved in the cliff's rocky face, leading to a cleared rock shelter. At the rock shelter, the air is humid; perhaps it had something to do with the climb. The graveyard features clay jar shards with traces of pre-Hispanic designs, bones now encased in a glass topped cement box after they lay scattered for decades and wooden dugout coffins placed in the nooks of the ledge. These wooden coffins, points out Lamanoc caretaker and tour guide Fortunato Simbajon are either primary (the dead were placed inside), secondary (after the flesh has eroded, the bones are col-
ARMM
lected and replaced inside) or multiple tertiary, (bones collected from relatives graves are placed inside). Boholano natives in the tradition of the people in the western pacific islands bury their dead in the same manner: in huge clay jars or wooden coffins and placed facing the east, where the spirits rise, Simbajon said. Archaeologists said a human bone can last for about a 100 years after which they decompose, Simbajon added, hinting that the oldest bone in the ledge could be less than a 100 years. Spanish period Bohol however started burying their dead in cemeteries making the assumption that some of the bones here could be over a 100 years already. The wooden dug-out coffins of Molave are possibly about over a century too. With the musty place littered with bone fragments, pausing and whispering a prayer or too could be prim. Ka IIska ska C av e Cav ave On the trek to another part of the small island one passes by a rock shelter that shows traces of vandalism. A fairly level cave floor is now clearly dug the stalactites and stalagmites show these tell-tale signs. Here, fishermen forced to the island by storms wait it out here, says the hunched tour guide as he weaves his way to rock columns in the shelter to Ka Iska Cave. It was said that a healer from the nearby barangay was mobbed by residents who believed she was a witch. Curing her patients suffering from mystifying illnesses through herbal medicines and rituals, Francisca became popular until the village turned on her and drove her off to Lamanoc, certain that no one would follow her. Settling on a cave, Francisca lived a peaceful life until the people in the village mustered the courage to pursue her in the cave mosslined multi-chamber cave featuring arches and passageways too narrow for a group to venture into. Many believe Iska has died. Some people professed they still see her in the cave, Simbajon said. Titanic R ock and B il-aton Rock Bil-aton Pass Another moderate trek down the trail and it leads to a few meters above sea level on the eastern side of Lamanoc. From the waterline, an islet floats a couple of hundred meters from Lamanoc - Titanic Island, because when you view it
from the south, it looks like a ship. Largely limestone with sharp rocky foundation, like any of the numerous karst bases, the island has your tropical green trees and study shrubs as crown, the limestone whites of the cliff sides forming stark contrast with the white and grey boulders upon which exude the aura worthy of awe. A small rock lays anchored on its left side and the space in between these two is just narrow enough for a paddleboat to slip through. This isle is also called Bilaton, according to the over 60 years old guide. At night fall, if it's no man's land at Lamanoc that unwritten code is revered even more in Bil-aton. Simbajon, who has had over ten year of sallying back and forth the island, hints something even more mystifying there. Shaman's C av e and Cav ave Diwatas On the north-eastern side of the island just a little above the seas edge is the ritual cave of the shamans who frequent the place. Outside the cave at its mouth empty bottles of cheap gin and occasional pile of chicken feathers remnants of ritual offerings performed in the cave or at its mouth, when the cave is occupied by offering healers, Nong Forting said. Accessible through a tricky navigation over sharp rocks carved by the thunderous waves below, Shaman's cave features a hall which hides a ritual altar behind a rock wall which can be scaled. The hidden platform now contains personal effects of healers who died without somebody picking up the healing tradition. The right niche of the cave shows a National Museum inventory tag, and way below it is a low rock curtain that hides another opening: this one accordingly goes to the ten altars for the healers who come to the island. Nobody in the nearby area has ventured deep into the caves where healers speak to the spirits and beg for the healing of patients who may have angered them. Fossiliz ed Clam ossilized Another wonder in the island is a fossilized giant clam, stuck in a rock wall a meter above sea level. This fossil proves Lamanoc Island is but among the older islands in the archipelago, maybe in the country. The giant clam
Southern Mindanao
Davao
Photo Š Jeroen Hellingman, www.bohol.ph can well be over a foot in diameter. Perhaps a proper carbon dating can help us determine the age of the fossil giant clam. The island ritual sites also show numerous giant clam shells, one of the biggest is at the graveyard. But most of these giant clams’ shells are separated from where they may have stuck while still alive. This proof or the giant clam provenance in the area was enough reason for the local leaders to seed new giant clams in the nearby marine sanctuary, to help repropagate one of the most potent agents for biodiversity. Tangob C av e Cav ave Resident tour guide Fortunato "Forting" Simbajon would get you to Tangob Cave, a huge rock shelter covered by mangroves on the island facing the south east. Tangob, according to Nong Forting is a place where the Muslim traders hid their stash of goods which they would sell to the coastal trading communities in the Visayas and Luzon. There was never an animosity between Boholanos and the Muslims, until the coming of the Spaniards, he said. When the Spaniards came, they convinced the Boholanos that the Muslims were the enemy, the guide said. Well, with the historic Pangayaw as tradition of the southern islands , Muslim raids were regular occurrences during the pre-Spanish period and the details of a local lore of the exploits of a legendary fighter name Kabel, comfortably resembles the Christian exploits of the Moro-Moro when Muslims are defeated by the locals who fight beside a man who could fly. The story of Kabel, as
Nong Forting narrates, fit with the stories of San Miguel, the Ark Angel, in defending the shores of Jagna as told in their Sinuog Estokada) and the Christain Community of Karaang Dungguan, where the men of Punta Cruz, fight intruders with the help of San Vicente Ferrer. Hematite hand pr ints and prints oak cr oss cross On the southern side of the island that faces Mindanao is another rock shelter which feature blots of red pigment. A close scrutiny would reveal that these are hand prints, probably the oldest traces of printed mark in the island, marks using hematite. Hematite is a ferric oxide dark red pigment that is used in the hand prints. As to where the printers sourced out the ferrous oxide, the guide didn't tell but it should be one good story if the provenance could be established as local. Another anomaly in the rock shelter is the presence an oak log which, according to Simbajon was soon fashioned into a cross erected overlooking the sea. The oak, an alien in the tropics, could have been brought by Spanish authorities to Lamanoc where it was abandoned at the Shaman's cave, according to Simbajon. The oak provenance could possibly date the hematite, which, if found to be absent in the island, could only be brought by some strangers visiting the island. The tr eks in betw een treks between If visiting the site in Lamanoc Island is interesting so does the treks. Lamanok is basically your rocky island of porous crevices where trees and shrubs reach out their roots to gather the nutrient it needs to survive. This also makes trekking across the island trickily delicate one false step and
Western Mindanao
Cebu
you could get hurt. The trek up and down can be burdensome to those who are indisposed, but would pose a challenge to those who come unprepared. Depending on the tides, the treks may take you wading in the shallows to the fossilized clam or Tangob Cave, but that too can be a nice test of balance and footwork. Lamanoc M ystical IIsland sland Mystical Tour Upon arrival at the Tourist Center overlooking the mangrove forests and the towering cliffs of Lamanoc, one needs to maneuver down the carved steps to a board walk which leads to a jump-off point where one can get a paddle boat to the island. The board walk, made from bamboo stakes and mangroves are lined with bamboo slats. The walkway cuts across a mangrove forest which could also be perfect for educating tourists on the diverse world of mangroves and tide flats: the spawning grounds for countless fish and crustaceans. Over 20 species of mangroves can be seen in a short walk way span but the most common species are Bakauan, Bungalon and Pagatpat, all bearing mangrove propagules this time of summer. The boatman's quarter is a decent native shed with a spacious hall where guests can linger and take breathers, breeze here, owing to the mangrove forests is delightfully cool. Next off is a paddling feat: one must step into a paddle boat and make sure one doesn't fall off. A paddler would guide you to the 20 minutes of cruise to the island. (Rey Anthony H. Chiu)
Manila