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From dreams to reality, Sulu scholars finish education
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From Warriors to Preachers! More Rebels Embrace Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry
The Sultan of Sulu, circa 1884 AN EXTREMELY rare and wonderful photograph of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II (18631936), which I recently discovered in France, apparently from an old German collection. Inscribed in the border: "Der Sultan von Sulu
und sein (Oncle) StateSecretair,” which translates to “The Sultan of Sulu and his (Uncle) State Secretary.” The date is a guess: Kiram was born around 1863 and proclaimed the Sultan of Sulu by his followers in 1884, at age
21, a designation that was eventually formalized by Spanish decree ten years later, in 1894. This young man looks to be in his early twenties, and 1884 would be just about the right time to sit for his first formal royal portrait. (By Matthew Westfall)
Members of the New Indigenous People's Army Reform in Bukidnon province led by Alde Salusad embrace God through the Jesus Mirace Crusade International Ministry. CA GA YAN DE OR O CIT Y–M or e for mer communist rrebels ebels in souther nP hilippines CAGA GAY ORO CITY Mor ore former southern Philippines hav e embr aced the teachings of G od and vvo owed to pr each the mir acles they have embraced God preach miracles themselv es witnessed after being convinced b y so-called “pr ay er warr iors themselves by pray ayer warriors iors”” of the influential JJesus esus M ir acle C nter national M inistr y. Mir iracle Crrusade IInter nternational Ministr inistry Barely five months after warriors led by Brother Reform or NIPAR, was a small team of prayer Danny Cuarteros braved baptized by Cuarteros in the mountains of Bukidnon June and so were dozens just to meet up with the upon dozens of his brace armed group of Alde followers and villagers Salusad and convinced him loyal to the indigenous the education and literacy and his followers to group. Cuarteros said God, status of Filipinos 10 years embrace Jesus Miracle Crusade International through the Jesus Miracle and older. ARMM had the lowest Ministry – the preachers Crusade International convinced functional literacy rate of once again risked life and Ministry, limbs in trekking the jungle Salusad, a former leader of 72.1%. The survey - involving to bring the powerful the communist rebel 26,000 households - shows message of hope and love of group New People’s Army, that 26% of those who God to the others, actually and his followers to embrace the faith dropped out left school to to the whole community. Salusad, alias following the daring look for jobs and 17.7% in the quit to marry, and 16.5% Commander Butchoy, who missions lost interest in education. is now the leader of the New hinterlands of Bukidnon. Continue on page 4 Indigenous People’s Army (Mindanao Examiner)
3 regions have lowest literacy rate COTABATO CITY – A recent government survey has showed that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has the country’s highest student dropout rate with SOCSARGEN and Davao regions following behind, the Philippines News Agency reported. Citing reports by the Philippine Statistics Authority, ARMM has
ARMM
14% dropout rate while SOCSARGEN follows with 12.3% and Davao region with 12.2. ARMM is composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao provinces, including the cities of Marawi and Lamitan; while SACSARGEN is comprised of the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani
and General Santos City. And Davao region has the following provinces under it - Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental and Davao City. The three regions even surpassed the national rate of 10%, according to the latest Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey which provides the baseline information on
Eastern Mindanao
Western Mindanao
Cebu
Manila
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The Mindanao Examiner
Nov. 16-22, 2015
From dreams to reality, Sulu scholars finish education
Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan (center) and his scholars together with members of the Notre Dame of Jolo college faculty.
ARMM investors to enjoy duty-free importation COTABATO CITY – Investors in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) can now enjoy duty-free importation of identified materials and equipment following the signing of a Joint Memorandum Order (JMO) between the Regional Economic Zone Authority (REZA)-ARMM and the Bureau of Customs in this city. The JMO will allow REZA locators or those investors registered under the region’s board of investments (RBOI-ARMM) and other economic investors to enjoy duty-free importation of capital equipment, breeding stocks, generic materials, import construction materials, and office equipment. They will also be entitled to avail of other incentives from local taxation in close coordination with the Local Government Units concerned. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, Commissioner Alberto Lina, REZA-ARMM Executive Director Eshan Mabang, other ARMM officials and some BoC district collectors attended the signing. Mabang said “the signing of the JMO is a historical breakthrough in the Moro people’s experience and economic independence.” He said the JMO will create a big impact in both the economic and labor aspect of the ARMM for it “is envisioned to create employment opportunity leading to improved human resource development
index.” “It is also seen to generate micro and even macro-economic benefits, attract domestic and foreign investors, and will promote e-commerce,” he added. Mabang said the REZA will establish the Joint-REZA Customs Office (JRCO) that will be used by both agencies to perform organizational functions, including joint conduct of inspection and clearance area. The REZA-ARMM is “mandated to oversee the integration, coordination, planning and monitoring of special economic zones, industrial estate/parks, export processing zones and other economic zones in the region.” Under the JMO, the REZA will accredit, issue and approve the documentary requirements of investors in the region and the BoC, on the other hand, shall be incharge of the approval, activation and validation of client profile registration system in line with Customs Memorandum Order 392008. Moreover, the BoC will set-up the electronic-tomobile system (e2m) for effective and efficient exportation and importation transactions and help curb possible frauds in the agency. The e2m system will “streamline imports and exports processing and improve trade facilitation among BOC, other government agencies and its stakeholders anywhere, anytime through Internetbased and wireless technologies.“ Meanwhile, Governor Hataman and
Commissioner Lina lauded the REZA-ARMM for the milestone it has accomplished. Hataman urged the BoC and other investors to help boost ARMM’s economy. The JMO, he said, is a manifestation of good governance in the region. For his part, Lina said the cooperation between the BoC and the ARMM government will contribute to progress and prosperity in the region. (Bureau of Public Information)
SULU – Muslim scholars have praised Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan for his support to their education as well as dozens of other more who are benefiting from the philanthropic and magnanimous free educational program of the influential and respected leader. Tan, through his Minsu Oil Scholarship Program, has given fresh opportunities to mostly poor and deserving students to finish their college education and become productive members of society. Since 2009, at least 8
of Tan’s scholars graduated with honors – two of them cum laude and one magna cum laude – and the others passed government licensure examinations on nursing, education and accountancy. Some of those are now professional degree holders and among them are Abdelimar Baybayan, Fauzia Joe, Michael Rubio, Alonan Banagudos, Hartina Mansul, Sherienata Tam, Marlina Hadja, and Wida Hajihil. Tan is also supporting many scholars in Zamboanga City. Tan is actively
involved in many philanthropic and peace and development programs in Sulu and also in other parts of Mindanao where there are large Muslim communities in an effort to improve the welfare of the Muslims. He is also running as regional governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in next year’s polls and being supported by fellow governors and members of the civil society, religious and business groups, among others in the South. (Mindanao Examiner)
Bank robbers, pinaghahanap CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Isang malaking operasyon ang inilunsad ng pulisya upang madakip ang 4 kataong lumusob sa United Coconut Planters Bank sa Surigao City at tumangay sa halos P5 milyon. Ayon sa ulat, hindi pa mabatid ang nasa likod ng bank robbery na naganap kamakailan matapos na
madisarmahan ng mga ito ang dalawang mga tatanga-tangang security guards. Naagaw ng mga suspek ang armas ng mga security at siyang ginamit sa mga hintatakot na empleyado at customers sa loob ng bangko. Tinangay rin ng mga armado ang mga salaping idedeposito sana ng mga customers. Hindi naman sinabi ng pulisya kung
nakunan ba ng CCTVs o security cameras ng bangko ang kaganapan o kung may namukhaan sa mga salarin. Patuloy ngayon ang imbestigasyon sa naganap, subali’t wala pa umanong lead sa kasalukuyan ang mga awtoridad kung anong grupo ang nasa likod ng nakawan. (Mindanao Examiner)
POLITICAL ALLIES of Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan - former Tawi-Tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali and Basilan Governor Jum Akbar - during a recent get-together in Zamboanga City. Tan is running for regional governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in next year’s polls.
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The Mindanao Examiner
Nov. 16-22, 2015
The Tausug, as a historic people should have representation in Congress: Shernee A. Tan (Kusug Tausug) ZAMBOANGA CITY – Some 300 people have attended the 1st Tausug Summit held recently in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. The delegates were mostly from all sectors of the Tausug society from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi; and the Zamboanga Peninsula. The summit touched on wide-ranging issues as introspection of the Tausug as a historic people vis-à-vis the current situation. The discussions and deliberations were more on the passionate rhetoric on the glorious past of the Tausug bringing into fore the call for the restoration of the Sultanate. The summit’s keynote speaker, Shernee A. Tan, who is the president of the KusugTausug movement, offered the most practical alternative and legally feasible option – while awaiting resolution – to the issue of the sultanate which
was raised during the event. “We are setting our eyes on a larger picture; that of our people who are scattered all over the Philippines or toiling in foreign lands. They are inclusive to the humble efforts we are pursuing,” Tan, youngest daughter of Vice Governor Sakur M. Tan, said in her speech. Tan expounded further and cited old protocols and agreements documenting the territory of the Sulu Archipelago, in particular the Madrid Protocol of 1885 which sets territorial domain of sovereign Sulu. “The Archipelago of Sulu (Jolo), conformably to the definition contained in Article I of the treaty signed September 23rd, 1846, between the Spanish Government and the Sultan of Sulu, comprises all the islands which are found between the western extremity of the island of Mindanao on the one, and
Shernee A. Tan, president of the Kusug Tausug movement. the continent of Borneo and the Island of Paragua (the old name of Palawan) on the other side, with the
KL: No ransom paid for release of Malaysian hostage COTABATO CITY – Kuala Lumpur has strongly denied that ransom was paid for the safe release of a kidnapped Malaysian woman, saying, her freedom was the result of a successful negotiation between Malaysian authorities and her captors. The 50-year old Thien Nyuk Fun, manager of Ocean King Restaurant in Sandakan town in Sabah, was freed by the Abu Sayyaf on November 8 in Indanan town in the southern Filipino province of Sulu after 6 months in captivity. Thien was kidnapped along with another Malaysian Bernard Then, 39, who remains in the hands of the rebel group after Abu Sayyaf gunmen raided the restaurant and spirited their victims to Tawi-Tawi province and eventually in Sulu. Malaysia’s news website The Star Online also quoted Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying that Thien was released following negotiations between the Malaysian authorities and
her captors. He said the close collaboration between the Malaysian and Philippine authorities led to her release. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Malaysia’s Home Minister, said the “close collaboration between the Malaysian and Philippine authorities led to her release.” “The kidnap of one victim is settled, but we have another victim who has not been released. Negotiations will continue to be carried out to secure his release. We believe if the captors are generous to not impose strict conditions, then the other victim will be released soon,” he said. The release of Thien came six weeks later after Abu Sayyaf rebels threatened to kill one of the hostages if their demand for ransom is not paid. The Abu Sayyaf had earlier demanded P30 million pesos for the safe release of the Malaysian. Sulu provincial officials have also repeatedly said that the Philippine government has a strict no-ransom policy. "The government has a strict
no-ransom policy," said Vice Governor Sakur Tan, who was even quoted in unconfirmed media reports as having participated in the negotiations. Tan branded the reports as "black propaganda." Filipino troops continue it operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, but it was unknown why the release of Thien was undetected by the military or police in the province. Just late in August, troops clashed with about 300 rebels in Patikul town during a failed rescue mission that left over a dozen soldiers and rebels wounded. The rebels, led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, Muammar Askali, Almuktar Suddung, Namiel Ahajari, and Basaron Arok, managed to escape a huge military assault. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several foreign hostages, including two Canadians, a Norwegian, an Italian and Filipinos kidnapped from other places and brought to Sulu’s jungle. (Mindanao Examiner)
exception of those which are indicated in Article III. It is understood that the Islands of Balabac and of
Cagayan-Jolo form part of the archipelago.” “We are not out to reclaim the old territory and we recognize the present political and geographical delineation,” Tan said. She said that the KusugTausug, while recognizing any legal rights of any quarters, is more concern on the state and condition of the Tausug who are residing in many parts of the Philippines and toiling in foreign lands. She said that while the Tausug is represented through the congressional districts of the component provinces of the ARMM or through their respective local government units, they will have no half-way institutions to make representations for them when they are outside of particularized areas. “Hindi po naming sinasabi na ang mga lokal na pamahalaan na
kanilang kinaroroonan ay hindi kayang ipagtanggol o ipaglaban ang kanilang mga karapatan, subali’t higit pong mapagtutuunan sila ng pansin if they have a representative of their own aside from the ones we mentioned, which are limited in scope,” Tan said. In reply to questions during an open forum, Tan said that during the socalled Zamboanga siege in 2013, majority of those who were in the evacuation centers were Tausug and those who were in the local government, civic organizations and ordinary citizens in Sulu did their very best to send immediate assistance in any form and way possible to their brethren. “Such a situation adds credence to the clamor that the Tausug should be represented and attended to wherever fortune may take them,” she said. (B. Concepcion)
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ARMM creates Darul Ifta AUTONOMOUS Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman has approved a legislation that establishes a regional religious authority in the ARMM to help address contemporary issues and challenges faced by Filipino Muslims. Hataman signed into law Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act (MMA) No. 323 or An Act Creating the Regional Darul Ifta’of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The law institutionalizes the Darul Ifta or the Islamic advisory council in the region. ARMM’s Regional Legislative Assembly House Speaker Datu Roonie Sinsuat, members of the region’s legislative assembly and some religious leaders (muftun) from different provinces of the region attended the signing. The RDI shall be primarily responsible for the promulgation and issuance of legal opinions (fatwa) pertaining to Muslim personal laws and jurisprudence pursuant to Article VIII, Section 20 of Republic Act 9054 or the act
strengthening and expanding the organic act for the ARMM. They will also advise and serve as consultant to the regional government of the ARMM and the RLA on matters pertaining to Islamic laws, jurisprudence and ecclesiastical matters and serve as the “religious guide” of ARMM leaders, bureaucrats and professionals, including those in the local government units. Governor Hataman said they have earmarked P5million for the initial operation of the RDI from the unexpended fund of the Office of the Regional Treasury (ORT) and its succeeding annual budget will be provided for in the Local Appropriations Act. He reiterated that the creation of the RDI will help unite all the Bangsamoro in the region and will boost good governance in the region. For his part, Speaker Sinsuat said: “This office will recognize rights and wellbeing of the Bangsamoro due regard to their beliefs, customs, traditions and
institutions, and further ensures their contribution to the regional government’s goals and aspirations.” The MMA 323 also calls for the establishment of RDI provincial offices in each of the five component provinces of the ARMM. The provincial office shall be headed by a Provincial Mufti who shall be selected from among the resident Ulama in the particular province. Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason, regional grand mufti, said they will work, collaborate and cooperate with the international, national, regional and local bodies on matters of mutual interest and benefit, such as halal businesses, marriages, hajj (pilgrimage), professional engagement, intellectual exchange and academic discourses. In September 2013, Governor Hataman institutionalized the juris consult in the region through Executive Order No. 009 series of 2014 to help oversee the conduct of religious activities in the region and the propagation of the Islamic faith. (Bureau of Public Information)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Nov. 16-22, 2015
From Warriors to Preachers! More Rebels Embrace Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry
Continued fr om page 1 from Now, Salusad’s own father, Benjamin – alias Ka Nonong – also wanted to join his son and become the instrument of God so he can spread the peace and love among other indigenous communities in Bukidnon. The father and son tandem is among the most influential in the local Manobo tribal communities. They help protect the ancestral rights of the tribe and the welfare of the indigenous people from harm and exploitation. Minister Wilde James Almeda, son of Evangelist Wilde Estrada Almeda, an internationally known pastor and founder of Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, is expected to lead another
evangelical mission in Bukidnon to fulfil God’s promises of salvation among the tribal people. Cuarteros’s group had travelled to Bukidnon and trekked through rains and mud and climbed cliffs and boulders for over 7 hours with nothing but the words of God to fulfil his promise to Salusad’s group that he shall return - the third time – bringing miracles of God through the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry. “We are only instruments here. We are instrument of God, of his everlasting love, of his salvation, and most of all our strong faith to succeed because we know that God is with us and guiding us in all we do in spreading his glorious words and miracles,”
Cuarteros told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. He said not only Salusad and his followers accepted and embraced God; they also donated a parcel of land for the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry, so it can put up a chapel in the heart of NIPAR’s stronghold in the town’s hinterlands. According to Cuarteros, Salusad also told village leaders to play worship songs every morning to remind them of God and the glorious mission of Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry. In his past mission to Salusad’s stronghold, Cuarteros said: “That journey of faith and mission from God has
Brothers Andy Biñas and Danny Cuarteros of the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry with NIPAR members in Bukidnon province. become one of my most u n f o r g e t t a b l e experiences and it is a mission of peace. Ka Alde and his group accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and they wanted to start a new life through the Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry.” Salusad, who is also being hunted by the now rival group New People’s Army, reportedly wanted to be part of the government’s militia force or CAFGU which is the acronym for Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit, to protect communities from lawless elements in the province. Cuarteros said God is
protecting the indigenous tribe and as long as the natives continue their strong faith in God and follow His teachings, no amount of harm shall befall them. “Everything is in the hands of God and God is protecting us all because He loves us,” he said. The Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry is one of the largest and most successful apostolic churches based in the Philippines with millions of followers in the country alone. It has stations also in the United States and other parts of the world. It was also Pastor Wilde Estrada Almeda who led a dozen “prayer
warriors,” including Cuarteros, to a miraculous journey and mission of 100-days of fasting and prayers that victoriously convinced the rebel group Abu Sayyaf to release the 21 Sipadan hostages in Talipao town in Sulu province in 2000. Almeda’s group also managed to convince a senior rebel leader Galib Andang, alias Commander Robot and his group to embrace the Christian faith and baptized them. And the victorious peace mission is related in vivid detail in the book, “Miracles in Moroland” written by American professor Dr. Sam Smith. (Mindanao Examiner)
Members of the New Indigenous People's Army Reform in Bukidnon province led by Alde Salusad - reading a copy of the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper -embrace God through the Jesus Mirace Crusade International Ministry.
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SULU PICTURES IN THE NEWS
Sulu Governor Totoh Tan leads the opening of the Sulu Provincial Athletic Association Meet 2015 organized by the Department of Education. Thousands of people have attended the sports festival. (Sulu Provincial Government)
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The Mindanao Examiner – FOREIGN
Nov. 16-22, 2015
Leaked Military Documents Expose the U.S. ‘Assassination Complex’ THOSE at The Intercept have recently obtained leaked documents from an anonymous intelligence source that provides an in-depth look into the U.S. military’s secretive global assassination program. The Drone Papers, as the series of articles is called, outlines the “flaws and consequences” of the aerial campaign that is being conducted by the U.S. military in the Middle East. The Obama administration has portrayed drones as an effective and efficient weapon in the ongoing war with al Qaeda and other radical groups. Yet classified Pentagon documents obtained by The Intercept reveal that the U.S. military has faced “critical shortfalls” in the technology and intelligence it uses to find and kill suspected terrorists in Yemen and Somalia. According to The Intercept, “the
documents are part of a study by a Pentagon Task Force on Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance.” In particular, the documents provide details into how targets in Yemen and Somalia were marked, tracked, and killed by the Joint Special Operations Command ( JSOC), often sentencing people to death without “establishing checks and balances of arrest, trial, and appeal.” At the time the study circulated, the Obama administration was considering the idea of switching the drone program from the CIA to the Pentagon, and the military was all too “eager to make the case for more bases, more drones, higher video quality, and better eavesdropping.” In a statement from the source: “It’s stunning the number of instances when I’ve come across intelligence that was faulty, when sources of information used to finish targets were
misattributed to people, and it isn’t until several months or years later that you realize that the entire time you thought you were going after this target, it was his mother’s phone the whole time. Anyone caught in the vicinity is guilty by association—it’s a phenomenal gamble.” Those at Global Research have compiled a list of key revelations as outlined by The Intercept: -Assassinations have depended on unreliable intelligence. More than half the intelligence used to track potential kills in Yemen and Somalia was based on electronic communications data from phones, computers, and targeted intercepts (known as signals intelligence) which, the government admits, it has “poor” and “limited” capability to collect. By the military’s own admission, it was lacking in reliable information from human sources. -The documents
c o n t r a d i c t Administration claims that its operations against high-value terrorists are limited and precise. Contrary to claims that these campaigns narrowly target specific individuals, the documents show that air strikes under the Obama administration have killed significant numbers of unnamed bystanders. Documents detailing a 14-month kill/ capture campaign in Afghanistan, for example, show that while the U.S. military killed 35 of its direct targets with air strikes, 219 other individuals also died in the attacks. -In Afghanistan, the military has designated unknown men it kills as “Enemies Killed in Action.” According to The Intercept’s source, the military has a practice of labeling individuals killed in air strikes this way unless evidence emerges to prove otherwise. -Assassinations hurt
Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer PRAYERS offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and longawaited study has found. And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of postoperative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested. Because it is the most scientifically rigorous investigation of whether prayer can heal illness, the study, begun almost a decade ago and involving more than 1,800 patients, has for years been the subject of speculation. The question has been a contentious one among researchers. Proponents have argued that prayer is perhaps the most deeply human response to disease, and that it may relieve suffering by some mechanism that is not yet understood. Skeptics have contended that studying prayer is a waste of money and that it presupposes supernatural intervention, putting it by definition beyond the reach of science. At least 10 studies of the effects of prayer have been carried out in the last six years, with mixed results. The new study was intended to overcome flaws in the earlier investigations. The report was scheduled to appear in The American Heart Journal next week, but the journal's publisher released it online yesterday. In a hurriedly convened news conference, the study's authors, led by Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist and director of the Mind/Body Medical Institute near Boston, said that the findings were not the last word on the effects of so-called intercessory
prayer. But the results, they said, raised questions about how and whether patients should be told that prayers were being offered for them. "One conclusion from this is that the role of awareness of prayer should be studied further," said Dr. Charles Bethea, a cardiologist at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City and a coauthor of the study. Other experts said the study underscored the question of whether prayer was an appropriate subject for scientific study. "The problem with studying religion scientifically is that you do violence to the phenomenon by reducing it to basic elements that can be quantified, and that makes for bad science and bad religion," said Dr. Richard Sloan, a professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia and author of a forthcoming book, "Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine." The study cost $2.4 million, and most of the money came from the John Templeton Foundation, which supports research into spirituality. The government has spent more than $2.3 million on prayer research since 2000. Dean Marek, a chaplain at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a coauthor of the report, said the study said nothing about the power of personal prayer or about prayers for family members and friends. Working in a large medical center like Mayo, Mr. Marek said, "You hear tons of stories about the power of prayer, and I don't doubt them." In the study, the researchers monitored 1,802 patients at six hospitals who received coronary bypass surgery, in
which doctors reroute circulation around a clogged vein or artery. The patients were broken into three groups. Two were prayed for; the third was not. Half the patients who received the prayers were told that they were being prayed for; half were told that they might or might not receive prayers. The researchers asked the members of three congregations — St. Paul's Monastery in St. Paul; the Community of Teresian Carmelites in Worcester, Mass.; and Silent Unity, a Missouri prayer ministry near Kansas City — to deliver the prayers, using the patients' first names and the first initials of their last names. The congregations were told that they could pray in their own ways, but they were instructed to include the phrase, "for a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications." A n a l y z i n g complications in the 30 days after the operations, the researchers found no differences between those patients who were prayed for and those who were not. In another of the study's findings, a significantly higher number of the patients who knew that they were being prayed for — 59 percent — suffered complications, compared with 51 percent of those who were uncertain. The authors left open the possibility that this was a chance finding. But they said that being aware of the strangers' prayers also may have caused some of the patients a kind of performance anxiety. "It may have made them uncertain, wondering am I so sick they had to call in their prayer team?" Dr. Bethea said.
The study also found that more patients in the uninformed prayer group — 18 percent — suffered major complications, like heart attack or stroke, compared with 13 percent in the group that did not receive prayers. In their report, the researchers suggested that this finding might also be a result of chance. One reason the study was so widely anticipated was that it was led by Dr. Benson, who in his work has emphasized the soothing power of personal prayer and meditation. At least one earlier study found lower complication rates in patients who received intercessory prayers; others found no difference. A 1997 study at the University of New Mexico, involving 40 alcoholics in rehabilitation, found that the men and women who knew they were being prayed for actually fared worse. The new study was rigorously designed to avoid problems like the ones that came up in the earlier studies. But experts said the study could not overcome perhaps the largest obstacle to prayer study: the unknown amount of prayer each person received from friends, families, and congregations around the world who pray daily for the sick and dying. Bob Barth, the spiritual director of Silent Unity, the Missouri prayer ministry, said the findings would not affect the ministry's mission. "A person of faith would say that this study is interesting," Mr. Barth said, "but we've been praying a long time and we've seen prayer work, we know it works, and the research on prayer and spirituality is just getting started."
intelligence gathering. The Pentagon study finds that killing suspected terrorists, even if they are legitimate targets, “significantly reduce[s]” the information available and further hampers intelligence gathering. -New details about the ‘kill chain’ reveal a bureaucratic structure headed by President Obama, by which U.S. government officials select and authorize targets for assassination outside traditional legal and justice systems, and with little transparency. The system included creating a portrait of a potential target in a condensed format known as a ‘Baseball Card,’ which was passed to the White House for approval, while individual drone strikes were often authorized by other officials. -Inconsistencies with publicly available White House statements about targeted killings. Administration policy standards issued in 2013 state that lethal force will be launched only against targets that pose a “continuing, imminent threat to U.S. persons,” however documents from the same time reveal much more vague criteria, including that a person only need present “a threat to U.S. interest or personnel.” -New details of highprofile drone kills, including the 2012 killing in Somalia of Bilal alBerjawi, which raise questions about whether the British government
revoked his citizenship to facilitate the strike. -Information about a largely covert effort to extend the U.S. military’s footprintacross the African continent, including through a network of mostly small and low-profile airfields in Djibouti and other African countries. Although the documents contain recommendations for improvement, one of the most crucial aspects is the mentality reflected in the documents, which according to the source is: “This process can work. We can work out the kinks. We can excuse the mistakes. And eventually we will get it down to the point where we don’t have to continuously come back… and explain why a bunch of innocent people got killed.” As those at The Intercept points out, the architects of this global assassination campaign don’t seem to care about the enduring impact, or moral implications of their actions. The source states: “All you have to do is take a look at the world and what it’s become, and the ineptitude of our Congress, the power grab of the executive branch over the past decade. It’s never considered: Is what we’re doing going to ensure the safety of our moral integrity? Of not just our moral integrity, but the lives and humanity of the people that are going to have to live with this the most?” (EV, anonhq.com)
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CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Ely Dumaboc/Jun Feliciano Zamboanga Peninsula The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines. ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: Unit 15, 3rd Floor, Fairland Building, Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Phone & fax: 062-9925480 Mobile: 0917-7103642 DAVAO CITY OFFICE: Unit 3B, 3/F Ledesma Building, 26 Juna Avenue, Juna Subdivision, Matina Phone: 082-2960658 Mobile: 0918-9180895 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
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The Mindanao Examiner
Nov. 16-22, 2015
TECH TIPS: Best cloud storage apps to backup your Android device
HEALTH: Gamot Para Sa Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong
THE importance of SD cards and internal storage is waning in the face of the greater options for "cloud storage." For those who aren't aware, cloud storage allows you to upload and back up your Android to an online source, saving you precious gigabytes of data on your Android device. Here is our list of the best cloud storage apps to back up your Android. O neD e neDrr iv ive OneDr ive is a free online storage solution brought to you by Microsoft. As such, OneDrive is primed for usage with Microsoft products like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It features automatic photo and videos backup, as well as simple sharing and collaboration features. What's more OneDrive integrates with Android Wear so you can view your pictures from the watch face. Free and easy-to-use, if you frequently use Microsoft files you should give this a go. C op y opy Copy is one of the less heard-of veterans of cloud storage on Android. It's extremely simply to use, and aside from its obvious benefit of backing all your stuff up to the cloud, it has a few welcome extra features. These include PhotoCopy, which lets you upload any photo you take into the cloud automiatcally, and folder-sharing too. One of the more interesting recent features added to Copy is Chromecast support, so by simply tapping the Chromecast icon in copy, you can stream music, photos and videos from your device straight onto your TV. For most people this is now a standard feature on Android, of course, but if you don't have it yet then this is a great alternative. G oogle D e Drriv ive Google Drive is just so hard to overlook because it offers 15 GB of no-questions-asked free storage and never fails. Google Drive shows a nice histor y of your changes too, you can allow others to view and edit your work and it offers support for many different file types.
It's an obvious solution for anybody with a Google account because it's so seamless and requires very little time or management from the user. As a side note, the Google+ social network app provides a pretty excellent cloud storage service, allowing you to store an infinite amount of pictures (at less than 2048 pixels) and videos (under 15 minutes long and no more than 1080p resolution). Not too shabby. D r opbo x opbox Dropbox has been a firm favorite on Android for many years now. It has a relatively small storage capacity - a paltry 2 GB to begin with - but this can be expanded up to 16 GB in various (and fairly simple) ways. Dropbox is fast, intuitive and free, with some unobtrusive automatic backup features perfect for those who want to take quick snaps and then view them on their desktop computer in a flash. It's a great overall package if you can invest a little bit of time expanding the initial storage cap. Box Box is available free in the Google Play Store and is very easy to use, offering 10 GB of free space with a 250 MB upload limit. Beyond this point you are asked to pay 10 USD per year for 25 GB of cloud storage. Box is perhaps the most basic application of our list because it has no super special features: Box is there simply to upload, download and share files, although it is possible to edit and comment on files in the cloud. Box also has a widget that notifies you of any changes to shared documents. S ugarS ync ugarSync SugarSync offers 5 GB of free data as a 90 day trial, and after that the cheapest package is 9.99 USD per month for 100 GB. But it is really simple and fast! This cloud application differs from others because it offers more payment methods, more storage space in the cloud, and it allows you to invite friends to use your files for example, and is also connected to
social networks. Personally, I think this is the most intuitive online storage app I've ever tested, especially for inexperienced cloud service users. Instead of a series of folders, we are shown a clear menu with quick options such as Photos, Shared Documents, Private Documents, etc. The app's simplicity and clarity certainly helps to better locate each file. MediaF ir e ediaFir ire With this tool, you can really say that you are using cloud storage. MediaFire serves it up on a platter, because this application offers up to 50 GB of free available space, which is perfect for saving or sharing music or videos. But all that glitters is not gold: there is obviously critical points too. First of all, you only get 12 GB to start and have to earn the rest (or you can pay $2.50 US/ month for 100 GB) and although its interface is clean the menu is a bit confusing. It has all the basic functions to download images, download and share archives etc., including those off your camera, which saves a lot of time. But another disadvantage is that the size limit for each file is 200 MB, at least in the free version. Paying more of course will earn you access to more privileges. Mega Mega is an application that provides 50 GB of storage to users upon arrival, free of charge! This is one of the best offers on Android and is based out of New Zealand, the Land of the Long White Cloud. Everything you upload is encrypted and the encryption keys stay with the user, so there's no need for privacy concerns here. You can manage your Mega account, download files and even synchronize your camera directly to your account to automatically obtain a copy of the images and videos when you connect it. For now, it is pretty basic, but it should be updated soon, and it is offer ing you 50 GB of genuine free cloud storage. Choice bro! (Kris Carlon, AndroidPIT)
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L AHAT nang tao ay nagkakaedad. Pero may mga paraan para mapabagal ang ating pag-edad. Alamin natin ang 21 paraan: 1. Kumain ng almusal araw-araw. Ang gulay, sardinas, kanin, gatas, itlog at prutas ay masustansyang almusal. 2. Kumain ng pagkaing may tomato sauce (ketsap at spaghetti sauce) at uminom ng green tea. Panlaban ito sa maraming kanser. 3. Kumain ng maberdeng gulay at mga prutas, tulad ng mansanas, saging at pakwan. 4. Huwag sosobrahan ang kahit anong pagkain. Huwag magpakabusog. Katamtaman lamang ang kainin. 5. Mag-asawa o magkaroon ng kasama sa buhay – Mas mahaba ang buhay ng mga may asawa kumpara sa mga nag-iisa. 6. Tumawa ng 15 minutos bawat araw. Laughter is the best medicine. 7. Magkaroon nang
Dr. Willie T. Ong mabait na kaibigan. Makatutulong siya sa pagtanggal ng stress sa buhay. 8. Makipag-sex (sa iyong asawa o partner) ng mas madalas. Kontrobersyal itong payo pero napatunayang may katotohanan. Ang pakikipag-sex ay isang ur i ng ehersisyo at nakababawas din sa stress. 9. Umiwas sa bisyo at peligro. 10. Matulog ng 7-8 oras bawat araw. 11. Mag-ehersisyo. 12. Mag-alaga ng aso. Nagbibigay ng pagmamahal ang aso sa kanyang amo. 13. Magsipilyo ng 3 beses bawat araw. Gumamit din ng dental
floss. 14. Magpabakuna. May mga bakuna laban sa hepatitis B, pulmonya, trangkaso, at iba pa. 15. Inumin lang ang tamang gamot. Itanong muna sa doktor bago uminom ng kahit anong gamot o supplement. Mas mainam na magtanong sa 2 doktor para makasiguro na tama ang iyong iniinom. 16.Alamin ang mga sakit sa pamilya at gumawa ng paraan para maiwasan ito. Halimbawa, kung may lahi kayo ng sakit sa puso, magpasuri nang maaga sa doktor. 17. Uminom ng 810 basong tubig arawaraw. 18. Umiwas sa araw, usok, alikabok at iba pang polusyon sa lansangan. 19. Umiwas sa usok ng sigarilyo. 20. Mamuhay lamang ayon sa iyong kakayahan. Umiwas sa pagkabaon sa utang. 21. Huwag magretiro. Laging ituloy ang iyong trabaho.
RECIPE: Relyenong Pusit
Sangkap:
Par aan ng pagluluto: araan
10 pusit, malalaki ½ tasa hipon, tinadtad ¼ tasa kintsay, hiniwa ½ tasa singkamas, hiniwa 1 itlog, batihin 1 kutsarang harina 1 sibuyas, hiniwa 1 kamatis, hiniwa 3 butil ng bawang, dinikdik suka asin paminta
Linising mabuti ang pusit, alisin ang tinta, tadtarin ang ulo. Ibabad sa suka, asin, paminta at bawang ang katawan ng pusit. Igisa ang bawang sibuyas, kamatis, hipon at tinadtad na ulo ng pusit. Ihalo ang singkamas, kintsay at paminta. Ilagay sa loob ng katawan ng pusit. Ilubog sa itlog ang pusit. Isawsaw sa harina. Iprito.
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P10 Nov. 16-22, 2015
Remembering 'Yolanda'
The aftemath of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that ravaged Tacloban City in the central Philippine province of Leyte in 2013 that left thousands of people dead. (Al Jacinto / Mindanao Examiner Photo)
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