Was it expired medicines that downed students in massive deworming campaign? PAGE 2
Sulu Pictures in the News
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ARMM grants financial assistance to hundreds of scholars in Maguindanao
MH370: Boeing officials think Reunion debris could be from 777, source says
Letters to the Editor: Climate Walk Declaration
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Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong: Mga Pagkaing Pampatalino (Brain Foods) PAGE 7
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ISTUL ANG tanggap na ng M or o IIslamic slamic ISTULANG Mor oro Liber ation F Liberation Frront na malabo ng maipasa ang B angsamor oB asic Law sa ilalim ng Bangsamor angsamoro Basic administr asy ong A quino dahil na rrin in sa administrasy asyong Aquino pag-ayaw obisy on probisy obisyon pag-ayaw ng mga pulitiko sa ilang mga pr nito nito.. Sinabi naman ni mambabatas sa mga MILF chieftain Murad probisyon nito ay hindi Ebrahim na nakahanda agad ito naipasa. May na silang maghintay sa kanya-kanyang bersyon susunod na ng BBL ang Senado at administrasyon kung Kongreso. sakaling mabalam ang Naantala ng husto ang BBL. deliberasyon ng BBL sa Ngunit nilinaw nito Kongreso dahil sa naganap na hindi nila tatanggapin na pagpatay ng mga ang anumang bersyon ng rebeldeng MILF sa 44 mga BBL maliban lamang miyembro ng Special Ackung ito ay naaayon sa tion Force sa bayan ng Comprehensive Agree- Mamasapano sa ment on the Bangsamoro Maguindanao, isa sa at Framework Agreement limang lalawigan ng Auon the Bangsamoro na tonomous Region in Musnilagdaan ng lim Mindanao, nitong pamahalaang Aquino sa Enero. rebeldeng grupo. Nasa isang misyon ang Nakasalalay ngayon SAF na kung saan ay ang buhay ng BBL sa 16th napatay ng mga commanCongress, ngunit sa tindi dos ang Malaysian bomber ng pag-ayaw ng mga na si Marwan na K r i s t i y a n o n g kinakanlong diumano ng
ARMM
MILF – nang sila ay kuyugin ng mga rebelde at Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Dahil sa Mamasapano clash ay maraming grupo at pulitiko ang nanawagan na magbitiw si Pangulong Aquino at peace adviser Teresita Deles dahil sa kanilang kabiguan na pigilan ang sagupaan at pagpatay sa SAF commandos. Pangamba ngayon ni Murad na kung mababasura ang BBL ay posibleng bumalik sa rebelyon ang mga miyembro ng MILF. Dapat sana ay naipasa ang batas nitong June 11 bago nag-recess ang Kapulungan. Sinabi naman ni Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. na pagtutuunan muli nila ng atensyon ang BBL sa September, ngunit baka hindi ito matuloy o kaya ay iurong sa October, ayon pa
Southern Mindanao
Davao
sa ibang mga mambabatas. Naunang sinabi ng mga anti-BBL lawmakers na ibabasura nila ang tinatawag an “opt-in” provision na nakapaloob sa BBL na maaaring magamit upang palawigin ang teritoryo ng Bangsamoro na tinututulan ng mga Kristiyanong pulitiko. Maraming mga amendments ang nais gawin ng mga mambabatas sa BBL upang masigurado umanong hindi lalabag sa Konstitusyon ang mga probisyon sa nasabing draft law. Lumagda ng peace accord ang MILF at pamahalaan noon nakaraang taon, ngunit dahil sa naganap na labanan sa Mamasapno ay nabinbin ito at posibleng hindi na maipasa sa termino ni Aquino maliban lamang kung panghihimasukan nito ang
mga mambabatas. Sinabi naman ni Amirah Lidasan, ng grupong Suara Bangsamoro, sa Mindanao na hindi man lamang nabigyan ng hustisya ang mga Muslim dahil sa kakulangan ng mga probisyon sa BBL. “We from the Suara Bangsamoro have been very critical at the content of the Bangsamoro Basic Law because it falls short of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people’s struggle for genuine right to self-determination. The BBL is limiting and counter posing this right with the Philippine Constitution,” ani Lidasan. “BBL disregarded the reasons why the Moro people remain poverty stricken, enduring a backward economy and its communities are in conflict. Instead of addressing these issues, the BBL cop-
Western Mindanao
Cebu
ied the development paradigm and programs as well as security policies of the national government, which in the past have been the complaint of the Moro people and were deemed discriminatory.” Nitong taon lamang ay libo-libong Muslim ang nag-rally sa Marawi City sa Lanao del Sur bilang suporta sa BBL. Karamihan sa mga dumalo sa rally ay may kanya-kanyang bitbit na streamers, ngunit tanging ang placard na may larawan ni dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada at ngayon ay Manila Mayor, na ilang ulit sinabihan ang pamahalaang Aquino na dapat tapusin na ang MILF at mga teroristang pinoprotektahan nito. All-out war ang panawagan ni Estrada. (Mindanao Examiner)
Manila
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The Mindanao Examiner
Aug. 3-9, 2015
Was it expired medicines that downed students in massive deworming campaign? HUNDREDS, if not thousands of students were reported or may have been poisoned or fell ill from deworming medicines given last week by their schools in southern Philippines. It was part of the government’s National School Deworming Day. The campaign was launched by the Department of Health and targeted some 16 million elementary students in 38,000 public schools across the country. Initial reports from various media sources said the poisoning occurred in the towns of Manukan, Pinan, Dipolog, Osmena, and Rizal in Zamboanga del Norte province; and also in Tukuran, Bayog, Midsalip, Siay and Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur. There were also reports of poisoning in the towns of Lala, Maranding and Kapatagan in Lanao del Norte, and Iligan City. In the town of Midsalip, one mother – Mecsjams Lariosa said three of her children and a niece were poisoned by the medicines given at their school. She said the government should conduct an investigation into the incident. “Ipaalam ko lang na tatlo sa mga anak ko at isang pamangkin ko ang nalason dahil sa pinainom na pamurga ng mga
teacher. Hindi lang silang apat ang nalason at marami silang mga batang estudyante sa Poblacion B. Midsalip Elementary School sa Zamboanga del Sur ngayon pong umaga nangyari, sana paimbestigahan ang teachers doon lalo na yung pinapainom nila pamurga sa mga bata,” she said. (I wanted to inform that three of my children and my niece were poisoned after drinking deworming medicines this morning and there were many other victims – all from the Poblacion B. Midsalip Elementary School in Zamboanga del Sur. This incident must be investigated, especially the teachers who gave the medicines to the children.) There were also reports that several school children died from the incidents, but the Department of Health denied this. Dr. Joshua Brillantes, chief of the Local Health Support Division of the Department of Health regional office, said they have received reports of students complaining of dizziness and abdominal pains after taking the medicines and that they are investigating this incident. “There were some cases in the municipalities that were reported to us saka yun sa mga hospitals na may mga cases, mga
bata na after nakainom ng deworming drugs ay nagkaroon ng mga sakit ng tiyan, pagsusuka at saka nahihilo,” he told radio station E-media in Zamboanga City. Brillantes has denied reports that some children had died because of the drugs. He did not say what medicines were given, but other reports claimed it was Benzol (Albendazole), a 400mg chewable tablet. A reporter of online news site Rappler had taken a photo of the medicine which allegedly showed an expiry date marked December 2012. “May mga kumalat rin na namatay raw, gustong kong ipaalam sa lahat na walang namatay from the provinces. We admit na may mga minor symptoms, we are expecting these mga symptoms like yun pagsusuka kung saan yun maraming bulate o yun loob ng infection ay mataas sa bata usually doon lalabas yun mga symptoms, yun worms are erratic kasi dahil doon sa deworming, usually ang common is abdominal pains, although mayroon tayong mga na-admit sa hospitals yun ay dahil sa pagsusuka so to prevent yun dehydration eh pinaadmit sa hospitals,” he said. (There were reports that some of the students died after taking the deworming drugs and I want to
tell the public that there were no reports of deaths in the provinces….there were cases of vomiting, but this was due to the reactions of the drugs, especially to those who have worm infestation…and there were students admitted to the hospitals to prevent dehydration.) Brillantes said they were gathering reports
from surveillance officers dispatched in the provinces following the reported effects of the drugs to students who took them. “So far, unless we have to prove na may kuwan doon sa gamot, meron tayong mga surveillance officers na kumukuha ng mga samples ng gamot para masuri natin ito,” he said.
The deworming campaign in schools was aimed at eliminating so-called soil-transmitted Helminthiasis or intestinal worms among students which can cause poor physical growth and intellectual development and impaired cognitive functions in children and cause anemia and malnutrition. (E. Dumaboc and C. Diabordo)
Zamboanga sports complex rehab begins
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(Zamboanga City Government Photo) ZAMBOANGA CITY – The local government has started cleaning up the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex which served as the biggest temporary shelter for more than 120,000 people displaced by rebel attacks in 2013. Mayor Beng Climaco said the cost of the rehabilitation of the sports complex could reach P335 million, but the funding – according to Post Conflict and Needs Assessment (PCNA) is only P241 million. Climaco said the City Government will make a representation to the Office of the President for the additional amount needed for the rehabilitation project. “From a sports com-
plex to a haven for displaced families, the Grandstand begins its road to recovery after serving as one of the largest evacuation centers for internally displaced people during and after 2013 rebel siege. Clearing operations are now paving the way for its rehabilitation,” Climaco said. Rebel forces from Basilan and Sulu provinces under the command of Habier Malik, an aide of Moro National Liberation Front chieftain Nur Misuari, stormed Zamboanga on September 9, 2013 and took over 200 people hostage and used them as shield against government soldiers and policemen. More than 400 people were killed and wounded in the fighting that lasted three weeks.
Misuari, who signed a peace accord with Manila in 1996, accused the Aquino government of reneging on the peal deal and launched a new rebellion, the second in more than a decade. In 2001, loyal forces of Misuari also attacked military bases in Zamboanga City and Jolo town in Sulu province and the clashes killed over 100 people. Misuari, who fled to Malaysia after the failed siege, was arrested and jailed, but eventually released by then President Gloria Arroyo after he pledged loyalty and support to the politician. He is now at large and hiding in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao. (Stephanie P. Gonida)
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SULU PICTURES IN THE NEWS
Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan inspects the school renovations in Barangay Kulasi in the Municipality of Maimbung. (Sulu Provincial Government)
Distribution of 50 cassava graters with presser under Mayor Samier Tan’s agricultural projects to beneficiaries in 25 barangays of Maimbung, Sulu (Maimbung Municipal Government)
Maimbung Mayor Samier Tan leads the amicable settlement between families following a meeting among the parties involved that resulted in a peace settlement. (Maimbung Municipal Government)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Aug. 3-9, 2015
ARMM grants financial assistance to hundreds of scholars in Maguindanao
A number of local traders have benefited the concreting of Purok 2- San Martin Farm-toMarket Road in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat. This subproject is among the first projects under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project. (Photo by Gian Enrique)
P1-B agri-infra projects in Mindanao to boost rural productivity DAVAO CITY – A government development project boosts rural production areas in Mindanao with more agriculture-support infrastructures. According to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in its midJuly report, Mindanao is picking up on its implementation of infrastructure sub-projects particularly on road networks across Mindanao. A total of 27 concreting of farm-to-market road (FMR) subprojects are in its various stages of implementation covering a total of 102.19 kilometers with a total cost of P1.02 billion. These subprojects are implemented under PRDP’s infrastructure development arm IBUILD or the Intensive Building of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development Component. “With the IBUILD component, the project aims to put in place strategic and climate-resilient rural infrastructure facilities along the valuechain of the champion commodities in each province in the country. In this manner we elevate the productivity of the countryside and uplift ru-
ral lives particularly the farmers and fisherfolk,”said PRDP Mindanao Cluster Project Director Lealyn Ramos. Of the figure, Region 9 is implementing a total of 25.67 kilometer road networks amounting to P271.86 million in the towns of Buug, RT Lim, Tungawan and Siay in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay. The projects in Buug and RT Lim have above 50% accomplishment rate. Region 10 is implementing a total of P398.71 million worth of farm-tomarket roads with a total length of 38 kilometers. Now on its various stages of implementation, the projects are located in the towns of Salay and Initao in the province of Misamis Oriental; Tudela, Calamba and Pana-on in Misamis Occidental; Lala and Kapatagan in Lanao del Norte and Malitbog in Bukidnon province. The report also noted that Davao region is implementing a 2-kilometer FMR subproject with bridge component measuring 45 linear meters amounting P52.28 million in the town of Baganga in Davao Oriental. Region 12 is the first region to have completed
PRDP infra projects with its one potable water system project in the town of Tampakan in South Cotabato amounting to P4.3 million. The region also is implementing some 25.43 kilometer FMR subprojects in the towns of Isulan in Sultan Kudarat; Tupi and Banga in South Cotabato; Tulunan, North Cotabato and Maitum in Sarangani province. And Talacogon town in Caraga Region is implementing a 2.48-kilometer farm-tomarket road amounting to P29.3 million. While Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has three on-going FMR Subprojects including the 3.06 kilometer FMR in Balindong, Lanao del Sur; and two projects in Parang, Maguindanao with a total length of 5.55 kilometers. All these projects totaled to P88.77 million. PRDP is a six-year development project that aims to increase farmers’ income and develop a more market-oriented, climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector. It is jointly implemented by DA, the World Bank and local government units. (Sher win B. Manual)
COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (ARMM’s) ‘Empowering the Bangsamoro Region through Active Community Engagements in the ARMM (EMBRACEARMM)’ program has granted financial assistance to scholars in Maguindanao province. More than a hundred beneficiaries received from the regional government stipend covering the first and second semesters for school year 2014-2015 on July 28, at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City. Half-merit scholars received P10,000 while fullmerit scholars received P20,000. John Louie Balagot, ARMM’s deputy executive secretary and concurrent EMBRACE-ARMM program manager, said the regional government earmarked a total of P24 million for the scholarship and as of this month, it has assisted 1,539 students across the region. Checks were handed over by Balagot; Atty.
Rasol Mitmug Jr., ARMM’s chief of staff; Jo Guro, financial management officer of the Commission on Higher Education- ARMM; and Atty. Kirby Abdullah, assistant secretary for Maguindanao convergence. The scholarship program dubbed ‘Academic Investment for Muslim Mindanao’ (AIMM) is known in the past as ‘Iskolar: Para sa Pagbabago, Para sa Bangsamoro’. It aims at helping underprivileged students pursue college degrees. All valedictorian high school graduates from public and private schools in the region are eligible to avail of AIMM scholarship. “The scholarship grant is part of ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman’s commitment to help poor but deserving students in the region especially those living in conflict-affected communities,” said Balagot. He said that it is up to the beneficiary to choose the course and school he, or
she, wants to study at and that the program is closely monitoring the scholar’s performance. “We are very thankful to the ARMM government since this scholarship program helps us a lot, especially to me because my parents can’t send me to school,” Sittie Haya Naga, a 22-year old scholar from Capiton, Datu Odin Sinsuat, said in the vernacular. Naga, is a third year student at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College taking up Bachelor of Science in Public Administration. Abdilla Gintawan, a 46-year-old farmer from M a m a s a p a n o , Maguindanao and father of Saguira Gintawan, a recipient of a scholarship, said he commends the efforts of the regional government in helping poor families. “We are still fixing the schedule of the distribution of checks in other provinces such as Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,” Balagot said. (Bureau of Public Information)
NOTICE Missing Person This is to NOTIFY the public that Mrs. ZENEFER R. LUMOSAD, of legal age, married to Emmanuel Caliangan, a resident of Zamboanga City had been missing since 2007. Any information about Mrs. Lumosad, please notify his husband in his contact number 09056673000. Emmanuel Caliangan
Aug. 3-9, 2015
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The Mindanao Examiner
Aug. 3-9, 2015
MH370: Boeing officials think Reunion debris could be from 777, source says DEBRIS found in the western Indian Ocean last week appears to be part of a Boeing 777, the same model as Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared in 2014, according to a source close to the investigation. The source said there is a unique element to the Boeing 777's flaperon, a wing component, that Boeing observers believe they are seeing in photos. The debris was found Wednesday off the coast of Reunion Island, a French department in the western Indian Ocean. It is being examined to determine whether it is connected to flight MH370, a member of the French air force in Reunion said Wednesday. The debris was found off the coast of St. Andre, a community on the island, according to Adjutant Christian Retournat. Boeing officials conducted an initial assessment of the debris using photographs. The source stressed the observations are preliminary. K.S. Narendran, whose wife was on the plane, said he was reticent to call the discovery a major development. "I think this is very
early days yet. All we know is that a small part has been found. It is still a little early to suggest it does belong to MH370," he told CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" from India. "I think it is premature to feel that it is all coming to a close or that we are even closer to the truth." Sarah Bajc, whose partner, Philip Wood, was on MH370, said her "heart has been in my throat for most of the day." During the initial days of the search for the plane, there were several reports of possible debris sightings in the waters closer to where authorities believe the plane went down, but none of those was actual wreckage. Bajc said as an emotional safety mechanism she disbelieves any reports like Wednesday's discovery. She wants verification, she told "Anderson Cooper 360°." "If ultimately this is the piece of the wing, then that little thread of hope that I have been holding on to will, will have to break. And reality will have to take over," she said holding back tears. "But, yeah, up until now,
I and most of the family members have continued to believe that until we have a body ... we can't give up hoping they will still come back." If this turns out to be a piece of MH370, it would be the first piece of physical evidence that the plane crashed. Malaysian team en r oute Earlier, Retournat said the debris appeared to be a wing flap and had been taken to the island, about 380 nautical miles off the coast of Madagascar. The Malaysian government has dispatched a team to Reunion Island to investigate the debris, Malaysian Minister of Transportation Liow Tiong Lai said in New York. "We need to verify. We have wreckage found that needs to be further verified before we can further confirm if it belongs to MH370. So we have dispatched a team to investigate on these issues and we hope that we can identify it as soon as possible," the minister said. Malaysia Airlines said it was working with authorities to determine where the part came from.
Ageing navy warship visits Zamboanga
A Philippine Marine stands guard in Zamboanga City where the DRP Gregorio del Pilar made a stopover on its way to Davao City in Mindanao. (Photo by E. Dumaboc) A REFURBISHED 50-year old US Coast Guard ship bought by the Philippines made a stopover in Zamboanga City on its way to Davao City. The Philippines obtained the ship, now named BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, in 2011. The ship was a former US Coast Guard Weather High Endurance Cutter. The stopover, officials said, also allowed the public to see the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, which is now considered by the
navy as a modern war ship. Capt. Vincent Sibala, the ship’s commanding officer, said BRP Gregorio Del Pilar boasts of big guns and modern navigational system, among others. He said the voyage of the war ship in many parts of the country is a regular routine. In September 2012, American and Filipino sailors also worked together to repair and maintain submarine USS Frank Cable which was on a goodwill
visit - and the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar at Subic Bay in the Philippines and at the same time knowledge and honed basic engineering and technical skills, and improved their ships’ interoperability. The USS Frank Cable’s routine port call and goodwill visit highlighted the mutual benefits of the Philippine-US defense relationship, as well as the strong historic, community, and military connections between the two countries. (E. Dumaboc)
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Airplane debris is being examined to see if it's connected to MH370. (CNN Photo) "At the moment, it would be too premature for the airline to speculate on the origin of the flaperon," the carrier said. CNN analysts said there are indications the airplane part could be from a Boeing 777, and if that's the case, it's likely from MH370. Making the determination should be "very simple" because the serial numbers riveted to numerous parts of the plane can be linked to not only the plane's model, but also the exact aircraft, said CNN aviation analyst Les Abend, who flew 777s during his 30 years as a pilot. This means crash investigators may be able to figure it out from photographs of the part, which could be an aileron, a flap or a flaperon, even before arriving on the island, he said. Sev er al clues ever eral There are at least three elements of the discovery that are consistent with MH370, said CNN safety analyst David Soucie. The first is that the part appears to have been torn off the aircraft. "This is from a sudden impact, it looks like to me," Soucie said. There also is a seal on the top of the part that "is consistent with what I would see on an inside flap on a triple 7," he said, and the barnacles on the part are consistent with the "parasitic activity" that would take place from being underwater so long. However, the part appears to be coated in white paint, which would run counter to Soucie's other observations in that the 777's parts would be coated in zinc chromate, not paint. Soucie acknowledged, however,
that the part could be coated in something from the ocean. "If it is a part from a triple 7, we can be fairly confident it is from 370 because there just haven't been that many triple 7 crashes and there haven't been any in this area," said CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo. Antoine Forestier, a journalist on the island where the debris was found, said people who were on shore gardening saw the plane part drifting in the ocean. Reporters from Antenne Reunion looked at the debris, which Forestier said was about 2 meters by 1 meter (6.5 feet by 3 feet). There was a marking "BB670" on the part. Soucie said he believes the number is a part number, though it might be from a subcontractor. Dr ift possibilities The head of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the agency tasked by Malaysia with leading the search for MH370, said the piece of debris is "not inconsistent" with drift modeling done by Australian authorities. "If there was something from MH370 it could have reached Reunion Island from the area we're covering," said ATSB Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan. "It's not inconsistent with the drift modeling we've done. It's not inconsistent with the search area we're covering." Dolan would not say how likely it was that any debris would move in a westerly direction. "There's a range of possibilities," he said. "It's not an exact science." Dolan said surface currents, wind direction and how high an object was floating in the water
might all play a role. Q uestions linger Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, with 239 people aboard, disappeared after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, early on March 8, 2014, bound for Beijing. Timeline: The day MH370 disappeared Authorities have said they still don't know why it turned dramatically off course over the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, or where exactly its errant journey finished. Theories: What happened to MH370? An international team of experts used satellite data to calculate that the plane eventually went down in the southern Indian Ocean. Search teams have been combing a vast area of the seafloor in the southern Indian Ocean, hunting for traces of the passenger jet, about 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) from where the debris was found. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told Nine Network Australia that if the debris discovered off Reunion is determined to be from Flight 370, it's "not really going to be all that helpful in pinpointing precisely where the aircraft is." But he said Thursday that it would provide "further evidence that we're searching in roughly the right place." The Malaysian government eventually declared the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 an accident and all of its passengers and crew presumed dead. (Rene Marsh, Margot Haddad and Steve Almasy, CNN. CNN's David Molko, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Jethro Mullen and Jason Hanna contributed to this report.)
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The Mindanao Examiner - OPINION
Aug. 3-9, 2015
Letters to the Editor: Climate Walk Declaration “We, the 92-KM Coal Resistance Marchers representing 38 local and national organizations working in various sectors and communities from Misamis Occidental-Ozamis City, Lanao del Norte, Iligan City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Cotabato City and Caraga Region declare: The Island of Mindanao, according to Mindanao Power Monitoring Council, generates more than enough electricity needed by the consumers, thus additional coal-fired power plants in Iligan City, Ozamis City and Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte are not necessary. Mindanao is home to Agus-Pulanggi Hydro Power Complexes which have a combined generating capacity of more than 900 MW; The series of blackouts in the island is an orchestrated move to facilitate the interest of the investors who want to profit in power generation and distribution tapping coal as the main energy resource; In Mindanao, eleven
coal plants are expected to break ground within five years from now until 2020. This will dwarf the renewable energy share in the power mix, thus, undermining the current community and private sector efforts to veer away from fossil fuel dependence. The Philippines has more than 200,000 MW of untapped renewable energy potential; The operation of coal plants will pollute Iligan and Panguil Bays given the inherent presence of toxic elements in coal. This will displace significant numbers of fisherfolk whose livelihood largely depend on fishing; The host communities and those communities within the overlapping 35 to 50-kilometer radius according to the air dispersal modeling of the coal power plants will also suffer the adverse effects of air pollution; The lack of social acceptability defines the process by which coal plants are introduced into host communities. Our national experience would show the absence
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of informed consent and participation of these communities in the construction of coal projects yet they suffer the worst effects of coal plant operations; Far from involving communities, leaders are being harassed or intimidated into submission as in the case of Libertad Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte where community leaders have been dealt with threat, slapped with suits, and displaced without proper compensation and relocation; Since the industrial period, the world has seen the historical rise of carbon dioxide emission and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are responsible for heating the earth and altering the natural climate pattern favorable for the survival of all species on earth. This has spawned slow onset impacts as well as cataclysmic typhoons and cyclones; Recently, Mindanao has become one of the most affected areas of typhoons and other natural calamities that displaced millions of peoples, destroyed countless lives and properties; The establishment of more coal-fired power plants in Mindanao and throughout the country will not only increase the emission of carbon dioxide in the global scale but will also heighten the vulnerability of its communities in the face of climate change. To date there are 17 existing coal plants and 29 more loom over the horizon with the Government’s continued reliance on coal; We are alarmed by the danger this coal industry has caused and will cause on humanity and the survival of the only planet we live in: Earth; We join and support the call for a coal-free Philippines. We join and support the call for renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuel burning.” NO TO C OAL PL ANT S! CO PLANT ANTS! YES TO RENE WABLE RENEW ENER GY! ENERGY! Iligan City, Lanao del Norte 25 July 2015 Coal Resistance Movement (CoRe) Kilusang Maralita sa Kanayunan (Lanao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Cotabato ug Maguindanao Clusters) Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) Demokratikong Kilusang magbubukid ng Pilipinas- Lanao- Lala, LDN Freedom from Debt CoalitionWestern Mindanao Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement – Lanao- Iligan-Misamis Oriental and Occidental Cluster Lanao Fisheries Advocacy Network – Lanao Gitib, Inc. – Ozamis City Lapayan Power Movement OrganizationKauswagan, Lanao del
Mga Pagkaing Pampatalino (Brain Foods) Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong MAY mga pagkain na posibleng makatulong sa pagiging healthy ng ating utak. Kapag sapat sa bitamina at nutrisyon ang iyong pagkain, mas magiging matalas ang iyong pag-iisip at memorya kumpara sa mga taong hindi kumakain nito. Alamin natin itong mga tinaguriang “brain foods”: 1. Mani – Ang mani ay may taglay na vitamin E at good fats. Ayon sa pagsusuri, kapag mataas ang lebel ng vitamin E sa iyong katawan, mas matalas din ang iyong pag-iisip. May tulong din ang mani para sa memorya. Puwedeng kumain ng nilagang mani, kasoy at walnuts. Huwag lang piliin ang pritong mani na may maraming asin. Limitahan din ang pagkain ng mani sa isang dakot lamang (30 grams) dahil mataas din ito sa calories. 2. Matatabang isda (oily fish) – Ang mga oily fish ay ang tuna, tilapia, salmon, sardinas, tamban at taba ng bangus. May taglay itong omega-3 fatty acids na
nagpapaganda ng daloy ng dugo. Dahil dito, mababawasan ang tsansang magkaroon ng sakit sa stroke at atake sa puso. Subukang kumain ng 4 ounces ng isda tatlong beses kada linggo. 3. Itlog – Ang itlog ay mataas sa choline, isang kemikal na kailangan ng mga bata para mag-develop ang kanilang utak at memorya. Mataas din sa vitamin A, iron at folate ang itlog. Puwedeng pakainin ang bata ng 1 itlog bawat araw. Ngunit kung ikaw ay may sakit sa puso o mataas ang kolesterol, limitahan ang pagkain ng itlog sa 3 itlog bawat linggo. 4. Kape – Makatutulong ang kape para maiwasan ang Alzheimer’s disease at
panghihina ng ating isipan. May sangkap na antioxidants at caffeine ang kape. May tulong din ang kape sa pagmemorya ng iyong inaaral pero panandalian lang ang epekto nito. Puwedeng uminom ng 1 o 2 tasang kape sa maghapon. Huwag din sosobrahan at baka bumilis ang pagtibok ng iyong puso. At sana ay huwag nang lagyan ng whip cream at full cream milk ang kape para hindi nakatataba. 5. Abokado – Ang abokado ay mayaman sa vitamin B at healthy fats (monounsaturated fats) na nagpapaganda ng daloy ng dugo sa utak. May mga pagsusuri sa hayop na nagpapakita na ang abokado ay nakababawas sa stroke at nakakababa ng blood pressure. Bukod sa mga pagkaing ito, dapat din ay magkaroon ng healthy lifestyle para mapangalagaan ang ating utak. Matulog ng sapat at umiwas sa alak at sigarilyo. Good luck po.
Norte Our Rivers, Our Life PhDilippines (OROL PH) Liga ng Makabagong Kabataan -Iligan, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur Youth for Climate Justice – Misamis Occidental Nagkahiusang MagUumang OrganikoAgusan del Sur Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa K o l a m b u g a n Kolambugan, LDN Nagkahiusang Mangingisda sa Karumatan- SND, Lanao del Norte Teduray-Lambangian Youth and Student Association – Maguindanao PiekSalabukan Mieggulipit nga’K Subanen Gatawg Ginsalugan (PIEMSUGG) – Misamis Occidental BANWA TINABURAN – Mis. Occ.
Tri-People Organization against DisasterCotabato City Mindanao Tri-People Women Forum- Cotabato City Power Alternative Agenda in Mindanao (PALAG Mindanao) Sanlakas- Mis Occ. Muntay Active Youth Leaders AssociationKolambugan, LDN MasterPeace – Agusan del Sur Filipino Katoliko Youth AssociationSibagat, Agusan del Sur Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK) Ranao Women and Children Resource Center – Iligan City Lanao Aquatic Marine and Fisheries Center for Community Development – LDN Ranao Disasters Re-
sponse and Rehabilitation Assistance CenterIligan Youth Organization of Christian an Muslim – Maigo, LDN Liangan West Farmers Association- Maigo, LDN Titunod Farmers and Tillers Association – Kolambugan, LDN Kaagapay OFW Resource and Service Center – Cotabato Tri-People Youth for Change- Cotabato Bantay Dagat Organization- Kolambugan, LDN Sumpay-Mindanao, Inc.- Iligan Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uumang Muslim ug Kristiyano- SND, LN Mindanao Tri-People Youth Center- Iligan Bukluran ng mga Kababaihan sa Kapatagan- Kapatagan, LDN
Dr. Willie T. Ong
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Aug. 3-9, 2015
Metro Cebu administrative body hopes to be legalized soon
T
he move to formally declare Metro Cebu as an administrat ive region may be is hoped to be realized soonest to ensure sustainability of the Mega Cebu Roadmap, its movers said. There is a need for the legality of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) as a clustered administrative region and to finally make the body into law to ensure continuity of the Mega Cebu Roadmap, according to MCDCB consultant Atty. Lisa Osorio. Mega Cebu is the branding of the local cooperation towards a more sustainable, smar t and inclusive city-region. The roadmap which started in 2011 plotted the collaborative plans of the 14 local gover nment units in Metro Ce b u along with private and civic organizations about common areas of concern. “And the roadmap
is now ready, so it is better to have this body formalized for the implementation,” Osorio said, adding, although the set up now is that the MCDCB is covered by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), but it is not binding enough. “Local governments change leaders and one party may just opt out from the MOA,” Osorio said. Cebu’s congressmen already made the intention to propose the legislation after the recess of the House of Congress. They had recently made consultations with the concerned stakeholders as they want the legal body to be almost perfect, she said. Evelyn Nacario, an executive director of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., said the roadmap is a concerted effort. It threshed out the issues and concerns of the 13 cities and municipalities and the Province of Cebu. Jun Ledres, the assistant regional director of the National Economic
and Development Authority, said, the realization of Mega Cebu will address the traffic, flooding, garbage problems Metro Cebu. The areas of cooperation, he said, include urban and land use planning and zoning; transpor t and traffic management; pollution control; flood control, urban shelter; health and sanitation; public safety ; road improvement and infrastructure development; coastal, watershed and environmental management and disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and management. Included in the planning are cities of Carcar, Naga, Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue, Lapulapu, Danao and municipalities of San Fer nando, Minglanilla, Co rdova, Consolacion, Liloan and Compostela. Mega Cebu carries the tagline “Making Waves ( Wholesome, Advanced, Vibrant, Equitable, and Sustainable)”. (Ferliza Contratista)
Pilipinas, Vietnam nagka-uyon sa integrated pest management
A
NG Depar tment of Agriculture (DA) mi anunsyo n ga ang nasud sa Vietnam ug Pilipinas nagka-uyon sa pagpalig-on sa integrated pest management pinaagi sa pagbinaylo-ay ug kahibalo ug teknolohiya sa postharvest technologies, pag proseso sa high value crops ug ang fisheries sector. Si Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala namulong nga ang duha ka nasud nagkauyon nga magkita ang ilang mga plant protection exper ts aron matun-an ang gitawag ug phytosanitar y requirements sa prutas ug utan nga pang export. Ang maong kasabutan nakab-ot
ARMM
atol sa gihimo nga First Meeting of the Joint Agriculture Working Group gikan sa duha ka nasud. Ang tigom gipangulohan ni Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning, Orlan Calayag, ug Agriculture and Rural Development Vice Minister Vu Van Tam sa Vietnam. Matud ni Alcala, ang Pilipinas interesado sa dugang kahibalo ug teknolohiya pagpakgang sa black pepper disease. Dugang ni Alcala, ang Pilipinas ug Vietnam nagkahi-usa nga makabot ang katumanan sa Memorandum of Agreement sa Fisheries Cooperation nga gi lagdaan sa duha ka nasud sa tuig 2009. Miingon si Alcala, gitumong sa duha ka nasud nga mapalambo ang aquaculture, fisheries, processing ug marketing lakip na ang pag
bansay-bansay sa advanced technology transfer, training and capacity building, culinary kon processing practices, post-harvest technologies ug ang exchange visits. Maghimo usab ug hotline aron mabantayan ug mapakgang ang kalihokan sa Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing ug suportahan ang humanitarian search and rescue operations sa kadagatan. Ang Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines ug ang Directorate of Fisheries sa Vietnam mohimo ug detalye nga pagtoon nga i sumiti sa Department sa Pilipinas ug Ministry sa Vietnam aron ang giplanohang "hotline" matukod sa dili pa matapos ang tuig 2015. (Leandria P. Pagunsan)
Southern Mindanao
Davao
Marvel and enjoy the bounty of fresh produce or taste and wonder the distinctive delicacies from the different towns of Cebu! Come and visit "Tabo sa Kapitolyo" to run from August 3 to 7 (8am to 8pm) at the back of the Provincial Capitol Main Building. (Cebu Provincial Government)
VCDG II Decalogue in the Year of the Poor July 27-28, 2015, Cebu City We, the participants from the Archdioceses of Cebu and Jaro, and the Dioceses of Bacolod, Catarman, Dumaguete, Kalibo, Naval, Romblon, San Carlos, San Jose de Antique, and Talibon of the Second Visayas-wide Clergy Discernment Gathering, being aware of the beauty of our vocation and the deficiencies of our life of poverty according to the Gospel, commit ourselves to the following: 1. To radiate the joy of having found the treasure. We are priests because we have found the precious pearl of the Gospel. Once again, we want to sell all that hinders us from living in the freedom of evangelical poverty (cf. Mt 13:44); 2. To value our brotherhood as priests. We resolve to share what we have (Acts 2:44), to assist each other in proclaiming the mission entrusted to us by God, and to journey together as one with Christ as our head and shepherd; 3. To strengthen the bonds of communion with our bishops and superiors as a source of mutual strength and support in our prophetic task; 4. To continuously struggle at renewal. We realize that all efforts at change in favor of the poor would be futile unless we, ourselves, undergo our own personal conversion through setting in place and working within structures that promote such; 5. To be constantly aware that everything that we are and have, is God’s gift to us and is a sacred trust. Every centavo shared to our Church community is a precious offering that we should handle with great care and gratitude; therefore, we make our own personal and parish financial report reflective of our choice to follow Christ the Poor and our solidarity with the poor; 6. To journey with our poor brothers and sisters in their joys and sorrows. No poor should be denied of any Sacrament. “Freely we received, freely we give” (Matthew 10:8). 7. To recognize our need for ongoing formation and to work for the continuous formation of our leaders and organizers of our Christian communities whom we see as co-equal and partners in the mission; 8. To be not afraid to lose a wealthy sponsor or powerful benefactor in our commitment to stand for and by the poor; 9. To be constantly reminded of our own poverty, literally and figuratively. As such, we align ourselves with the poor, making true our commitment of preferential love for them and of their empowerment towards integral development and liberation; 10. Finally, to make time, “waste” time with the poor, learning from them, experiencing their pain, feeling their joys and triumphs and sharing their dreams. As Pope Francis reminds us, “The true shepherd sees his sheep, feels compassion for them and devotes his energy to care for them.” We entrust this commitment to Mary, Mother of the Poor, that we will always “smell like our sheep”, after the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Signed July 28, 2015 at the Talavera House of Prayer, Quiot, Cebu City.
Western Mindanao
Cebu
Manila