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Feb. 1-7, 2016
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach during her recent visit to Malacanang where she met with President Benigno Aquino.(Rey S. Baniquet)
T
Sayyafs or not?
he Philippine military has paraded 7 alleged Abu Sayyaf rebels who surrendered in the restive province of Basilan where security forces are battling the jihadist group which pledged allegiance to ISIS or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Major General Gerardo Barrientos, Jr, commander of the 1st Infantry Division and
ARMM
anti-terror Joint Task Group ZAMBASULTA, said the rebels also surrendered their weapons – four automatic rifles, a grenade launcher and a pistol – to Colonel Rolando Joselito Bautista, the army commander in Basilan, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region. Barrientos praised Bautista, also the commander of Joint Task Group Basilan, for a job well done. “The surrender of the Abu
Sayyaf fighters is a clear victory for the people of Basilan who yearn for peace and desire to live lawfully and peacefully,” he said. In his report, Bautista said the rebels voluntarily surrendered in two groups on January 18 and 19 in Camalig village in Ungkaya Pukan town, a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a peace deal with Manila in 2014. Continue to page 3
Eastern Mindanao
Sulu’s rich, colorful past in book presentation SULU – The colorful history of Sulu – the seat of the powerful Sultanate in the Philippines – again drew accolades and praises following a two-day book presentation on the province’s rich cultural heritage. The Sulu provincial government in collaboration with distinguished Tausug writers, scholars and historians hosted the book presentation – Lindu Randam Sin Masa: Foregrounding Sulu History – held recently at the Sumadja Hall in the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town. The program highlighted the syndicated and partial presentation a comprehensive book on Sulu’s rich history
Western Mindanao
which aims to promote the authentic knowledge and awareness about the province. Among the writers who spoke during the book presentation were Dr. Benjamin Bangahan, who discussed the pre-Islamic Sulu civilization; Professor Darwin Absari presented the topics on the spread of Islam and Rise of Sulu sultanate; lawyer Mehol Sadain who presented the history and the legal significance of the treaty-making power of the Sultanate of Sulu, and Dr. Abraham Sakili who presented Tausug arts and symbols. Continue on page 6
Cebu
Manila
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The Mindanao Examiner
Maguindanao's Mamasapano town gets P667 million ARMM peace projects MAGUINDANAO - The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has earmarked at least P667 million for various infrastructure projects in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province scene of bloody battle between rebels and police commandos in January 25 last year. The projects aimed to improve the lives of local residents and Del Dagadas, a 42-year old farmer from Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano town, expressed his optimism - which is also shared by local farmers and residents - that the infrastructure will bring peace and development in his hometown where at least 60 people perished in the fighting. Dagadas said the recently constructed 120-meter Tukanalipao footbridge known as ‘Bridge of Peace’ and the 880-meter Tukanalipao Road are now accessible to local residents. “Su dala pan bridge ba niya na ibelipag nami e mga produkto nami san sa footbridge a malemu gageba, u di menem na beladaw kami san ba sa pulangi ah. Aren antu na ibageda sa pambut (Before this bridge was constructed, we used to move our agricultural products through a weak footbridge, or by walking through the river. Sometimes, we transport them through the motor boat),” Dagadas said. “Saguna na malemu den e kapembedtas, malemu ren e kabelyu endu kabeludup nami di kena mana kanu nona. Masla e kindtabang na kinaumbal a
nya sa titayan sa lekami a mga bangangawid (Now, our farms are easily accessible and we are able to transport our products smoothly unlike before. The construction of this bridge benefits us farmers),” he added. Engr. James Mlok, head of ARMM’s 2nd district engineering office, said his office has implemented various infrastructure projects that include a footbridge, access roads, school buildings and water sanitation projects. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said these projects will surely deliver development and peace in the area. He added that the region’s infrastructure program will help boost ARMM’s economic development, agricultural growth, and programs aimed at poverty alleviation. Aside from the bridge and access road, the ARMM’s Public Works and Highways department (DPWH-ARMM) constructed 8 school buildings - Hadji Salik Kalaing Elementary School, Hadji Kalaing National High School, Tatak PS, Libutan Elementary School, Datu Tahir Central Elementary School, Datu Tahir Ampatuan National High School, Mamasapano National High School, and Maulana National High School. DPWH-ARMM also put up 8 water and sanitation facilities in the following schools Datu Tahir Ampatuan National High School, Maulana National High School, Tuka Elementary School, Datu Tahir
Central Elementary School, Hadji Salik Kalaing Elementary School, Linantangan Elementary School, Lusay Elementary School and Pidsandawan Elementary School. The funds used in constructing the school buildings and in completing the water sanitation projects came from the ARMM’s Department of Education. “Sobrang saya po namin ngayon dahil maayos at maganda na ang aming paaralan ( We are very glad that we now have a better school building),” said Montasser Tago, a Grade 10 student of Hadji Salik Kalaing National High School. “Hindi na namin kailangan manatili sa mainit at maliit na classroom na dating bodega, kaya po sobra po kaming nagpapasalamat sa ARMM government (We don’t need to stay in an old warehouseturned classroom that is humid and small, that’s why we are very thankful to the ARMM government).” “We will also construct different infrastructure projects in Barangay Tukanalipao, under the ARMM’s Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy (HELPS) program,” Engr. Mlok said. ARMM HELPS is the region’s banner program that aims at bringing a convergence of government services closer to the people through the delivery of integrated and enhanced interventions in identified communities. (Bureau of Public Information)
Police patrol ambushed in MILF area ahead of new Mamasapano ‘massacre’ investigation PAGADIAN CITY – Unidentified gunmen ambushed a police patrol and wounded at least 4 people in the southern Filipino province of Zamboanga del Norte, officials said. Officials said the ambushed in Santo Nino village in Sibuco town sparked a firefight and that two civilians were among the injured. Police and military forces were sent to the town to pursue the attackers who escaped to the neighboring village of Lakiki. The wounded police officers have been identified as SPO2 Berhay Ali and PO1 Atani Fahad. No individuals of group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the town is a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front which signed an interim peace deal with the Aquino government in 2014. MILF forces had killed over a dozen miners working for the TVI Resources Development, Inc. in previous ambush in Zamboanga del Norte after they ignored warnings to stop operation in Mount Canatuan in neighboring Siocon town, a sacred altar to an indigenous tribe called the Subanon whose ancestors settled in the area centuries ago. And MILF gunmen also ambushed a police patrol in Sibuco’s Lakiki village in 2008 that left four officers wounded. Security officials did not say if the latest attack was perpetrated by the MILF, but the ambush came ahead of
another senate investigation into the brutal killings of 44 police commandos last year in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province by the MILF and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). The commandos were in a secret mission deep inside MILF territory to arrest a Malaysian bomber, Marwan, who was eventually killed by the raiders. But MILF gunmen and BIFF – alerted by the clandestine mission approved by President Benigno Aquino – caught up with the commandos and engaged them in a daylong battle until all the members of the Special Action Force were brutally killed and stripped of their weapons and uniform. (E. Dumaboc)
Feb. 1-7, 2016
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Military officer in drug raid says he’s in covert ops MANILA – Marine Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino insisted he was in a covert mission when government agents arrested him and a Chinese man during a raid in Manila. Police said Mercelino was arrested along with Yan Yi Shou, alias Randy and agents seized some P380 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or locally known as shabu or ice from the hideout in Santa Cruz. The raiders – all
agents of the Anti-Illegal Detection Group of the Philippine National police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – were armed with warrants when they swooped down on the hideout and arrested the duo. “The operation was conducted by virtue of search warrant issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court which said that the house serves as a storage facility of illegal drugs,” police said in a statement. It said some 64 kilos of
shabu were confiscated from the house that served as storage for the illegal drugs. Assorted chemicals and laboratory equipment believed used in the manufacture of the drugs were also seized by the raiders, including a car. Police said the two men – who previously worked with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – are facing criminal charges. They are currently being interrogated by the police. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Feb. 1-7, 2016
7 Sayyaf fighters surrender in Southern Philippines
Major General Gerardo Barrientos, Jr, commander of the 1st Infantry Division and anti-terror Joint Task Group ZAMBASULTA, and Colonel Rolando Joselito Bautista, the army commander in Basilan, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, receive the 7 Abu Sayyaf rebels who surrendered in Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan province. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - E. Dumaboc) Continued fr om page 1 from The rebels have been identified as Sulaiman Kasaran, Mar win Asan Kasaran, Derwin Asan Kasaran, Halid Asan Kasaran, Hadzmin Kuluman Kasaran, Faisal Laudmin Kasaran and Salman Najallon Kasaran. “The Abu Sayyaf members successively surrendered on two separate occasions and subsequently underwent custodial debriefing. They will be duly endorsed to the ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman for rehabilitation and integration into the mainstream of our society,” Bautista said. “The Abu Sayyaf members realized that fighting the government and enduring hard life in the mountains is a lost cause. The surrender was made possible through the help of the populace and local government of Ungkaya Pukan. The sincere coordination and passion of the government in delivering the
message for peace and reconciliation on the ground made the pivotal role to convince the other Abu Sayyaf members to return to the folds of the law,” he added. It was not immediately known whether the rebels would be criminally charged or pardoned, but the Aquino government has made no peace offer or amnesty to the Abu Sayyaf – blamed by police and military for the spate of terror attacks and kidnappings for ransom in the region. Bastion of po wer pow Just recently, Abu Sayyaf leader in Basilan Isnilon Hapilon - has renewed their pledged of allegiance to ISIS. In a propaganda video released by the Abu Sayyaf and picked up by international and local media, more than two dozen gunmen – including child warriors – led by Hapilon were seen hiking in the hinterlands of Basilan while chanting the “Dawlah Islamiyah
(Islamic State)” after which they recited an Arabic script of bayah or pledge of allegiance. Hapilon, alias Abu Abdullah, was named as the new leader of the “Harakatul Islamiyah” (Islamic Movement)” the new name given to the Abu Sayyaf by its founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani who was slain in a police shootout in Basilan in December 1998. The Abu Sayyaf evolved to a notorious group known for having carried out kidnappings, bombings and other criminal activities in southern Philippines. The US government has offered a $5 million bounty for Hapilon’s head – dead or alive. In the video, Hapilon was shown with Abu Harith Al-Filibbieni, who is reported to be deputy commander of the alAnsar Infantry Division of the ISIS, and Mohd Najib Husen (Hussein) alias Abu Annas Al Muhajir, a
‘Pagbaugbug Ha Kamaruan Iban Martabbat’
‘In Defense of Honor and Dignity’
division head of the Ansar al-Sharia of the ISIS. The rebels explained in the video that they had previously done the bayah, but did it again in front of their new leaders. It was unknown when the video was recorded, but it was released just after the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City claimed last month that Husen was killed during offensive operations against the Abu Sayyaf in the troubled province of Basilan in December. Husen was with other Malaysian jihadists – Mahmud Ahmad, Muhammad Joraimee Awang Raimee, Amin Baco and Jeknal Adil – who fled to southern Philippines reportedly to recruit militants and send them to “Dar al-Harb (place of war),” referring to Syria and Iraq, where the ISIS established its own caliphate state. The Abu Sayyaf hoisted a black flag similar to those being used by
the Khilafah Islamiyah Movement and other hard-line radical jihadist groups like the Boko Haram in Africa. In Maguindanao and nearby provinces, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the Ansarul Khilafah also pledged allegiance to the ISIS. Radical militants in Indonesia and Malaysia, including the Southeast Asian terror group Jema’ah Islamiyah had also done the same. Just last month, the jihadists also released a video of the ISIS’s Alhayat Media Center which shows the Philippines as among countries in Southeast Asia they were planning to expand its “Khilafah (caliphate).” The Abu Sayyaf is now using the Daesh flag and also the Khilafah Islamiyah Movement and other radical groups in Lanao del Sur, also in the Muslim autonomous region where local militants of the Ghuraba (Strangers) – both the Ghuraba
and Khilafah Islamiyah Movement are headed by a leader called Humam Abdul Najid, who was implicated in the 2013 Cagayan de Oro City bombings. In October 2014, the jihadists Ghuraba had claimed that they established the Khilafah after courting other radical jihadists in the South to vow their allegiance to the Muslims’ caliph alBaghdadi. The Ghuraba is reportedly harboring foreign militants, including an agent of the Jama’at al-Tawhid walJihad, a group believed to be the original name of now infamous international threat group ISIS. The Khilafah Islamiyah Movement and Ghuraba militants declared jihad or holy war in February 1, 2013 following a deadly against security forces in Marawi City. (Ely Dumaboc reports in Basilan province and Mohd Saaduddin in Marawi City.)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Feb. 1-7, 2016
South Cotabato farmers' cooperatives get tractors SOUTH COTABATO - The Department of Agriculture turned-over 5 tractors to farmers in Polomolok town in South Cotabato province in Mindanao to further boost implementation of cassava granule production and marketing under the socalled Philippine Rural Development Project or PRDP. The beneficiaries of the tractors are also members of 5 farmers' cooperatives Polo Samahang Nayon Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which is the lead proponent of the P39-million enterprise, and cluster members Self-Reliant Multi-Purpose Cooperative, San Jose MultiPurpose Cooperative, Pobusilla Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Topland Multi-Purpose Cooperative. They were initially released P20 million to jump-start the implementation of the project in June last year. “We are moving forward. The five cooperatives continue our positive and upbeat implementation of the project,” said Raul Gerada, chairman of the Polo Samahang Nayon
Multi-Purpose Cooperative. At least 250 cassava farmers directly benefited from the enterprise when the project started in 2015. The clusters aim to increase beneficiaries by 40% every year of implementation. “I am thankful to the strong leadership and partnership of the Department of Agriculture led by Secretary Proceso Alcala, the Department of Agriculture in Region 12 headed by Regional Executive Director Amalia Datukan, and the provincial government of South Cotabato under Governor Daisy Fuentes for making things happen,” Gerada said. Karen Daguro, manager of the Polo Samahang Nayon Multi-Purpose Cooperative, also said that the tractors will be used to make land preparation of the existing 250-hectare cassava farm easier and more efficient, and expansion of their farm areas. "Part of cassava granule production project includes construction of nursery for planting materials, acquisition delivery and
hauling trucks, setting-up truck-scale, post-harvest and processing facilities such as granulators, mechanical chipper, solar dryer, warehouse, and organic fertilizer plant,” she said, adding, the first wave of farm inputs comprised of cassava granulators and cassava chippers here handed to the cluster members in November last year. Daguro said that they will also turn-over some trucks and additional moisture meters which are now ready for procurement. The PDRP - implemented by the Department of Agriculture and jointly funded by the World Bank is a six-year project designed to establish the government platform for a modern, climate-smart and market-oriented agri-fishery sector. PRDP is in partnership with local governments and the private sector in providing key infrastructure, facilities, technology, and information that will raise incomes, productivity, and competitiveness in the countryside. (Mindanao Examiner)
Zamboanga City reaps awards
South Cotabato 2nd District Board Member Vicente De Jesus (leftmost) leads the ceremonial turn-over of tractors to the cluster members of the Cassava Production and Marketing Project represented by Polo Samahang Nayon Multi-purpose Cooperative chairman Raul Gerada (5th from left). Also with them are (left to right) Mon Mati, South Cotabato 1st District Board Member Romeo Tamayo, Abner Navarro, Karen Daguro, Provincial Agriculturist Justina Navarete, and Marlyn Almaden.
Over 2,000 ARMM barangays to receive PAMANA projects
Zamboanga City has been adjudged most improved among cities and municipalities in Western Mindanao for its strong performance in the competitiveness index. ZAMBOANGA CITY Mayor Beng Climaco said Zamboanga City was adjudged as the most improved among cities and municipalities in Western Mindanao for its strong performance in the competitiveness index. She said the award was given by the Regional Competitiveness Committee led by the Department of Trade and Industry on Tuesday. “The award gave distinction to Zamboanga’s giant leap forward in overall competitiveness ranking based on the results released during the 3rd Regional Competitiveness Summit in July last year,” Climaco said. Zamboanga rose from Rank 74 in 2014 to Rank 15 in 2015 among highly urbanized cities and 14th among all cities in the country. Climaco largely credited the “hard work and resiliency of the
people of Zamboanga” as instrumental in the performance of the local government in the competitiveness index. “Our story is really a story of God’s grace, hard work, and resiliency. We continually support the CMCI (Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index) and we hope to have more in the national competition so that we will not only gauge our winning, but we will also be able to gauge our competencies within us and within the other cities. Much work has to be done. With hard work, perseverance, and God’s grace, we will achieve more,” she said. Climaco said Zamboanga City also received plaques of recognition for its top rank performances in the infrastructure category - Rank 3 - and as a highly urbanized City Rank 15. The CMCI is an annual
ranking of cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council in 2013 with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development through Project – INVEST. The index measures economic dynamism, government efficiency, and infrastructure of a local government. For 2015, Zamboanga ranked 3rd in infrastructure, 15th in Government Efficiency and 26th in Economic Dynamism. Climaco also praised City Planning Officer Rodrigo Sicat, Investment and Promotion Chief Apple Go, Special Assistant to the City Mayor Jose Genaro Aizon, and Business Licensing Head Benjie Barredo for their exemplary performance and commitment to their work. (Mindanao Examiner. With a report from Jasmine Mohammadsali)
COTABATO CITY - More than 2,000 barangays in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will receive projects this year under the national government’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program through the region’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWDARMM). The projects would be delivered under the PAMANA Community Driven Development (CDD) Expansion and PAMANA MNLF Program. The PAMANA CDD Expansion will target a total of 1,777 barangays in the entire region while the PAMANA MNLF is set to be implemented in 291 preidentified barangays in 74 ARMM municipalities. Both initiatives are in their last year of implementation. Rahima Alba, DSWDARMM Secretary and concurrent PAMANA program manager, said this year’s PAMANA will be geared towards sustainability of the cooperatives the program has established and supported. “We want them (beneficiary cooperatives) to continue operating, and for them to have even wider opportunities in their localities. Kahit tapos na ang programa, sila mismo ang magpatuloy ng kanilang pag-unlad (Even
if the program ends, they can sustain their development),” Secretary Alba said. This year, PAMANA CDD will boost its implementation through the Integrated Community Enterprising Market Program. This will augment livelihood opportunities in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable communities in three modalities: Capacity development trainings; Production of inputs; and, Additional capital assistance. Each barangay would have a total project cost allocation of P300,000. The PAMANA MNLF program, on the other hand, will provide services to the families of MNLF combatants through healthcare benefits, college scholarships, tech-voc capacity development, and livelihood ventures support. Each identified MNLF cooperative is allotted a project cost ceiling worth P885,000 from DSWDARMM. From January 15 to 18, DSWD-ARMM has conducted an orientation and planning workshop that marked the start of the 2016 project implementation of the program. The event was designed to orient the stakeholders at the provincial level on the new process and mecha-
nisms of implementation of the last cycle of PAMANA. The program’s provincial teams, provincial social welfare officers, project development officers, provincial focal persons, and special project staff attended the three-day activity spearheaded by the agency’s Regional Project Management Office. Also present are officials from the PAMANA National Project Management Office, which is under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP). Howard Cafugauan, OPAPP assistant secretary for Special Programs, said by the end of 2015, a total of 5,659 households were covered with health insurance, 400 beneficiaries received study grants, and 5,115 households – specifically those displaced by the 2008 conflict brought about by the rejection of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain – were provided with shelters. PAMANA is a project aimed at making citizens become stronger agents of peace and development in the region and in the country. This is the current administration’s peace and development framework anchored on promoting inclusive growth and lasting peace. (Bureau of Public Information)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Feb. 1-7, 2016
Motorista, pinagiingat sa Kidapawan highway KIDAPAWAN CITY – Pinagiingat ngayon ng pulisya ang mga motorista at biyahero sa kanilang pagmamaneho sa highway matapos ng madugong aksidente na kumitil sa buhay ng 3 katao kamakailan lamang. Nasawi ang mga biktima matapos na sumalpok ang kanilang Bongo truck sa mas malaking Coca-Cola truck sa highway ng Koronadal City sa Mindanao. Nakilala ang nasawi na sina Marco
Fernando at Bonileo Vicente na pawang mga taga-Zamboanga City; at si Vicente Santos na tubongIlaga sa Isabela province. Nabatid na may kargang mga daing at tuyo ang nasabing Bongo truck ng ito’y sumalpok sa papasalubong na truck na minamaneho ni Johnny Retardo – mula sa bayan ng Malalag sa Davao del Sur – na sugatan rin sa aksidente. Halos mayupi naman ang harapan ng Bongo
truck dahil sa malakas na pagkakasalpok nito at dead on the spot ang mga biktima na naiipit sa unahan ng kanilang sasakyan. Nabatid na sumabog umano ang gulong ng Bongo truck kung kaya’t nalihis ito at sumalpok sa truck. Kinailangan pa ng crane upang matanggal ang malaking truck na umipit sa driver at kasamahan nito sa Bongo truck. (Mindanao Examiner)
Police hunt down Misamis ambushers PAGADIAN CITY – Police were searching for gunmen who recently ambushed the group of Misamis Occidental Vice Mayor Annabelle Hamoy. Hamoy escaped death, but two other people were wounded when gunmen atteacked them in Don Victoriano Chiongbian when gunmen opened fire. Her
driver and a security aide were both injured in the ambush. Hamoy’s group was heading to Zamboanga del Sur province when armed men attacked them. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the ambush and it was unknown if the attack was politically motivated or
not. The communist rebel group New People’s Army is also actively operating in the province and notorious for attacking civilians and government targets. The town is also under the so-called “areas of concern” of the Commission on Elections due to political violence in previous elections. (Mindanao Examiner)
DILG Provincial Director Hja. Sitti Kausar Sahijuan hand over the Plaque and Certificate of Recognition as Regional Awardee for the Seal of Child Friedly Local Governance to Hon. Samier A. Tan, Mayor of Maimbung, Sulu (Maimbung Municipal Government)
12,000 ARMM residents to receive livelihood funds COTABATO CITY - As many as 12,000 residents in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) who wish to start up their own livelihood projects would receive financial assistance this year from the region’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-ARMM). Rahima Alba, Social Welfare Secretary, said the beneficiaries are members of 480 Self Emp l o y m e n t A s s i s t a n c e - Ka u n l a ra n (SEA-K) associations across the region. “Maibibigay na po natin kung ano ang nararapat sa bawat SEAK association ( We can now distribute what is due to each SEA-K association),” Sec. Alba said. Sec. Alba added the capital funds will assist the beneficiaries to put up their own source of income such as small business, or to support their livelihood such as farming or fishing. SEA-K associations, each composed of 25 members, were established in August 2012 through the initiative of DSWD-ARMM. Sec. Alba noted that the program was funded by the department’s Sustainable
Livelihood Program (SLP), which has a total funding of P120 million. Eighty seven associations in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur received funding of P250,000 on Wednesday, Januar y 20, in a ceremony held at the ARMM Compound here. Close to 400 more SEA-K associations from the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are set to receive similar grants this year. To be able to receive capital funds, associations must submit a livelihood proposal to be validated by the Regional Program Management Office of DSWD-ARMM. Sec. Alba noted that most of the proposals submitted were small businesses as well as fishing and farming-related projects. The target recipients of the SLP are Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members, and beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the flagship initiative of DSWDARMM. Among the recipients last Wednesday was Anisa Abdulfatah, 55, a resident of Poblacion,
Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao, who received P10,000. The money, she said, will be used to put up a small cafeteria. Abdulfatah is the president of MNLF Women’s Business Sector based in Shariff Aguak. “Su mga tagapeda ko a mga babay na papedtindeg bun sa mga madido a pegkanan (Some of the members will also set up small eateries, similar to mine),” Abdulfatah said. During the event, ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia posed a challenge to the recipients. “Kailangan natin ng commitment galing sa mga benepisyar yo ng SLP na sana ay gamitin sa maayos itong capital fund na maibibgay sa inyo (We need to ensure the commitment of our SLP beneficiaries to use the capital funds purposely),” Alamia said. Sana lumago ang business na inyong ipapatayo o gagawin (We hope that the business you will set up will prosper),” Alamia added. “This is one of the most important programs of DSWD,” Sec. Alba said. (Bureau of Public Information)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Feb. 1-7, 2016
Sulu’s rich, colorful past in book presentation
The Sulu provincial government in collaboration with distinguished Tausug writers, scholars and historians hosted the book presentation – Lindu Randam Sin Masa: Foregrounding Sulu History – held recently at the Sumadja Hall in the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town. (Ahl-franzie Salinas)
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Continued fr om page 1 from Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan, the project proponent, also welcomed and inspired the visitors to the event. He said the event was also in collaboration with Professor Julkipli Wadi, Dean of the University of the Philippines (UP)-Institute of Islamic Studies; Professor Sakili, of the UP College of Arts and Sciences; lawyer Sadain; Professor Absari, the of UP Islamic Studies, Dr. Bangahan, a medical practitioner and the only Tausug lexicographer and authority on the Sin?g language; and Dr. Kalbi Asain. Others who attended the book presentation were Professor Mucha Quilling, faculty member if the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Tawi-Tawi and Executive Director of Sulu Current Research Institute; Professor Benhal Tahil, Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Zamboanga Polytechnic College; Professor Anne Christine Ensomo, of Ateneo de Manila; Chancellor Adjarail Hapas, of MSU-Sulu; Dr. Hanbal Barra, former Dean MSU Graduate Studies; Professor Alih Aiyub, faculty member of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City; Professor Eddie Ladja, Dean, WMSU College of Asian and Islamic Studies, Professor Arsanial Sappayani, faculty member of the Sulu State College and Dr. Anwar Anzar, Commissioner of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. In his speech, Tan said: “A few days back, I came across a rather intriguing statement that – there is nothing in tomorrow that was not there yesterday – or if I may say it in another way – there is nothing in the future that was not there in the past – and the twist in the
idea might sit well with theoretical physics or quantum mechanics that have been astounding our knowledge of the universe with the curvature of light, the warping of time and space through the fabric of the universe.” “On the ordinary dayto-day life we actually are going through with those ideas especially when we envision the future. All too frequently, when we think of the future there is always the past that goes with it. We look forward in consideration of the past. Both events of the timeline merge and blur our consciousness of what was there in the past to fill in the future. Perhaps nowhere is the thought more clearly laid out than the blockbuster scifi movie, Star Wars. The movie spins off into the future which is made real with the backdrops of the past civilization.” “The scenes drift into dessert and foreboding landscape with characters in flowing robes and turbans. The storyline also revolve around the proverbial struggle between good and evil. The good possesses the ancient mystical power – the force in all of us. Evil is represented by the ultimate dark side created by high end technology and artificial intelligence robotics. Of course, the primal human instinct and spirit triumph in the end. The future is indeed defined not by its own willpower, on the advancement therein by virtue of technology; it is still the past that directs and controls the outcome,” he said. Tan said needless to say, the stronger the foundation therein in the past, the greater is the force it bears upon the shaping of the future. “This goes without saying then, that the occasion
we are witnessing at the moment, is basically an imperative on our desire to look at history, the Sulu history, not as nostalgia or of romanticism on the glories of the past but for the simple reason that our future is in our history. I presume that the task on hand is beyond efforts of looking back at what has transpired with the mission of rectifying the errors on the accounts or to fill in the gaps on what has been missed; in short, rewriting history as one would wont to call it. What is important is the human will and the human spirit that were wielded in creating the conditions ideal to our existence as a people.” “What force drives us? What was there that guaranteed that we have remained conscious of who we are? What makes us Tausug? Certainly, again as in the Star Wars episode, we awaken the force. Of course, this not to say the least, that we forego scholarship on our history. We need it to establish or to instil certitude that we deserve the sacrifices that our ancestors have made for us to be truly a proud and undaunted people. We need it to strengthen the foundation of our being, of our existence that we may take on our ambitions, our dreams, and our aspirations with determined will and unshaken confidence as it has always been. We are what we are because we had the will to shape what we have in the past, wielded us in a distinct way that we bear the truth of who we are,” he said. Tan added: “Personally, this could only mean that we made the past and we make the future. Sulu’s history is not an accident of succession of events; the Tausug created the events, they made history as history.
That otherwise, we will never be Tausug as we are now and be merely at the mercy of events that happens at random and in a flux. And we shall be at lost in calamities and disasters begging for donations and the like. We never do that, and will never will. It is so for the simple reason that we have faith in ourselves.” “There is so more in store by way of Sulu’s history. The last four hundred years are strewn with accounts on the resiliency of the Tausug in times of living dangerously. Individual feats and adventures is a lifetime research and the cultures and traditions that followed equally put scholarship to the test. Nonetheless, we are led to ponder on the essential factor that set all these things into place. It may be considered herein on how the phenomenon of the “parangsabil” was wrought by the inability of the Sultan to defend the area from foreign aggression. Individuals took on the responsibility but still on behalf of the community. There is something there that we need to look into that we may understand what it means to be a Tausug or what Sulu history is. *I trust that this occasion, the meeting of the minds so to speak, will bear some substantial and significant ideas in the challenge before us – who we were, who we are and who we will be. Honestly, we are because we are, since we make history and not history taking us along in the flow of time. Let me say, the force has always been with us.” The event ended on the third day with many of the guests touring the Ahmad Timhar Magbalu Shrine at Bud Datu and Poon Tao Kong. (Ahlfranzie Salinas)
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TECH TIPS: Android Lollipop tips and tricks: 9 ways to make it awesome ANDROID LOLLIPOP has been one of the best versions of our favorite mobile OS yet. To help you get the most out of your device, here are some of the best tips and tricks to make the most of Android 5.0 Lollipop – and to avoid some the biggest Lollipop issues as well. 1. E nable D ev eloper Enable Dev eveloper Options Lollipop's Developer Options enable you to tweak the system for improved performance and access various diagnostics, but they're hidden by default. To enable them, go into Settings > About Phone and tap Build Number seven times. This will unlock Settings > Developer Options, where you can fiddle with settings to make your phone even more personal. 2. S tr eamline yyour our lock Str treamline scr een secur ity screen security Android 5.0 Lollipop comes with a variety of lock screen security options, from the classic pattern, PIN or password, to the more funky Lollipop options like Trusted Faces, Trusted Devices or Trusted Places. Whatever lock screen method you choose, setting it up should be one of the first things you do with any phone. If you choose the Trusted Faces option, you don't even have to bother with the hassle of entering a PIN, you can unlock your screen just by showing it your face. Marvellous. 3. P ut Chr ome tabs back Put Chrome in Chr ome Chrome This isn't a huge problem — and maybe you like having your Chrome for Android tabs spread across your recent apps stack
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Feb. 1-7, 2016
rather than in the browser — but for me, it's an irritating default setting. Fortunately, all you need to do to get your Chrome tabs back to their rightful place is to go to Chrome settings and disable Merge tabs and apps. Your Chrome tabs will now be accessible via the traditional button on the URL bar in the Chrome browser. 4. P lay the hidden game Play Go to Settings > About Phone and tap Android Version four times. You should see a lollipop; tap and hold it and you can play the Flappy Bird-esque Easter egg game featuring the Android mascot. 5. B lock non-essential Block notifications Priority interruptions are a key part of Android 5.0 Lollipop. The function allows you to determine who your most important contacts are, and silence notifications from everyone but them. Once you get your priorities in order you can enjoy peace and quiet unless your mom's dog runs away or your girlfriend is texting you. 6. C ontr ol yyour our phone Contr ontrol with vvoice oice po wer pow Want to launch a program? Just drag up the Home button until it displays the Google logo then say, "OK Google, launch Photos" — or whatever app you want to launch. Easy! 7. D itch that dead E mail Ditch Email app For some odd reason, Google decided to keep the now useless Email app in Android Lollipop. When you launch it for the first time, you'll get a splash screen that tells you Gmail is now handling Email services, and you can check
the box to launch Gmail instead. But why do that and have a hollow app sitting in your app drawer? Go to Settings > Apps > All tab, find Email and disable that useless waste of space. Your emails will still be handled by Gmail but you won't have the dead app icon cluttering up your precious app drawer. 8. S top people accessing Stop your stuff You hand your phone to a pal to show them something funny on Twitter, and before you know it they're looking at your stuff and posting on your Facebook profile. You can stop that by using pinned mode. Go to Settings > Security and turn on Screen Pinning. Now, when you tap the multi-tasking button you'll see a pin; tap that to pin the screen and nobody can get out of that screen until they tap and hold the back button and multi-tasking button simultaneously. You can PIN-protect that if you wish, or get your phone to automatically lock itself when exiting the pinned screen. 9. M ake yyour our batter y go Make battery fur ther further As soon as you have Android 5.0 Lollipop on your phone, go to Settings > Battery and hit the action overflow button at the top right. Hit Battery Saver and enable that bad boy. Pick your default battery life point (5 percent or 15 percent) and learn to live with the odd orange status and navigation bars to take advantage of the awesome battery saving potential of Battery Saver. (Kris Carlon, AndroidPIT)
HEALTH: Okra’s Health Benefits Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong OKRA is also known as “lady finger” because of its unique elongated shape. It has a green colored and fibrous fruit, called a pod, and measures between 2 to 7 inches in length. The okra pod contains rows of small round white-colored seeds and a slimy thick fluid. A half cup of sliced cooked okra contains the following nutritional value: 25 calories, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 1.5 grams of protein, 5.8 grams of carbohydrates, 460 IU of vitamin A, 200 mcg of beta-carotene, 13 mg of vitamin C, 36.5 micrograms of folate, 50 mg of calcium, 0.4 mg of iron, 32 micrograms of Vitamin K, 257 mg of potassium, and 46 mg of magnesium. Health Benefits of Okra: 1. Prevents constipation and good for the bowels - Okra contains a unique gooey fluid, called mucilage, which lubricates the intestines and helps in the passage of stools. The okra fiber also absorbs lots of water and adds to the bulk of the stools. Both characteristics make the okra beneficial for maintaining a healthy gut. 2. Can be taken by
Dr. Willie T. Ong diabetics and those with heart disease - Okra contains both insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is good for the intestines and build the bulk of the stool, while soluble fiber is absorbed by the body and helps lower cholesterol levels. Okra’s soluble fiber binds with excess cholesterol and toxins and excretes them out of the body. It can also reduce the absorption rate of sugar in the intestines. 3. Good for weight loss – A half cup of cooked okra contains only 25 calories, one of the lowest amounts for any kind of food. Okra is high in dietary fiber (insoluble fiber), which makes one feel full and satisfied. Moreover, okra contains zero fat and zero cholesterol. 4. May prevent cancers – A study at Emory Univer-
sity showed that persons who consumed foods high in glutathione had a 50% reduction in the risk of developing oral and throat cancers. Okra has moderate levels of glutathione, similar to other foods like watermelon and avocados. A high intake of vegetables and fruits is likewise proven to reduce the risk of colon cancer. 5. Other possible benefits - Okra contains ample quantities of antioxidants like vitamin A, beta-carotene, xanthin and lutein, which are known to be beneficial for one’s vision. Some claim it may lower the risk of cataracts. The high vitamin C content of okra may be good for the immune system and help prevent cough and colds. Okra also has adequate amounts of folates (folic acid), a compound that is proven to help decrease neural tube defects in the fetus. Hence, pregnant and breastfeeding women may benefit from okra. Finally, I know you may not be fond of eating okra. But after discovering its wonderful health benefits, you may want to reconsider and add it to your regular meals.
RECIPE: Seafood Chopsuey
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INGREDIENT S: INGREDIENTS: 2 tbs Olive oil 1/4 cup Liquid seasoning 1/2 tbs Pepper 1 1/2 cups Fish (preferably: herring, tuna, blue marlin) small head Cabbage, cubed 1 cup Water 1 cup Fish broth
1 medium sized Carrots, sliced 1 bulb Onion, sliced 1 tbs Garlic, crushed 1 cup sliced Bean sprouts, trimmed 1 small head Cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tbs Cornstarch 1 medium sized Chayote, sliced
INSTR UCTIONS: INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, liquid seasoning and pepper. 2. Saute the onions in a hot pan with the olive oil already on it. Do this until the onions look transparent. 3. Then, add the garlic until they become light brown. 4. After that add the fish and cook until it’s light brown. 5. Add the fish broth, chayote and carrots. Stir infrequently for 1 minute. 6. Then, add the cauliflower, cabbage and bean sprouts. 7. Next, pour the mixture of cornstarch, water, liquid seasoning and pepper into the pan. Cook until the vegetables are tender but still crispy and until the sauce is gel like. (http://www.kusinamaster.asia)
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Sinulog Festival Queen 2016 Coronation Night held at Cebu City Sports Center. (Cebu City PIO)
Cebu airport terminal soon to rise CEB U - Transpor tation S ecr etar y JJoseph oseph E milio A baya CEBU ansportation Secr ecretar etary Emilio Abaya led the cer emonial concr ete pour ing for the P17.5 bilceremonial concrete pouring lion passenger ter minal building II of the M actan C ebu terminal Mactan Cebu Inter national Airpor hilnternational Airportt (MCIA) at the old site of the P Philippine Air F or ce base in Lapu-Lapu City For orce City.. Abaya said the activity ing the terminal project, signifies the completion of bared that the facility occuthe government’s task un- pies over 65,000 sq. m. and is der the public-private expected to be finished by partnership (PPP) project February of 2018. as it shifts its role to being a The expansion will inregulator once the terminal crease passenger capacity to is completed. 12 million annually from the “The PPP is best exem- current 4.5 million, he furplified and explained by ther said. “This is actually the showcasing the Mactan first PPP airport project.With Cebu airport rather than go this, we are building history,” into technicalities. We said Ferrer. should push for PPP This year alone, four projects,” Abaya said. “Effi- new international flights will cient transportation is a open from Cebu to Los Anbasic human right and geles, Dubai via Clark, Taipei supports major drivers of and Xiamen, said GMCAC economic growth espe- Chief Executive Advisor Ancially in the areas of drew Harrison, further tourism and agriculture.” strengthening the Louie Ferrer, president company’s goal of promotof the GMR-Megawide ing Cebu as a regional hub to Cebu Airport Corp. the rest of the world. (GMCAC) that is undertak“The opening for addi-
tional flights this year will create more trade and employment opportunities for Cebu,” said Harrison, adding the construction of the terminal project within the next two years will generate around 3,000 jobs. Abaya said once the world-class terminal is completed, the MCIA is expected to become the best airport in the region from its current rank of 18th best airport in Asia. He said five new regional airports will soon be bidded out under the PPP structure. These airports with an estimated cost of P106 billion are located in Panglao, Bohol; Bacolod; Iloilo; Davao; and in Laguindingan, Cagayan de Oro. Seven well-known bidders are set to participate in the bidding of these five PPP regional airport projects, said Abaya. (Fayette C. Riñen)
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The Asia Journalism Fellowship program , which is also supported by Temasek Foundation, is bringing in 15 journalists from all over Asia to stay in Singapore for three months as journalism fellows. The fellowship will be fully funded and fellows will get to work with our experts here for research or investigative projects. The fellowship will run from July 18 to October 7, 2016. If you are interested in applying or know of anyone who will be interested, please visit our website: http://www.ajf.sg/applying/ ARMM
Eastern Mindanao
Alert status, gisaka sa human sa pag-atake sa Indonesia GISAKA na sa Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) ug Philippine National Police (PNP) ang security alert levels sa nasud human sa sunodsunod nga pag-atake sa Jakarta, Indonesia. Matud pa sa tigpamaba sa AFP nga si Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, naka-heightened alert karon ang tropa sa mga sundalo sa nagkalain-laing parte sa nasud isip pag-
Western Mindanao
pangandam kun adunay mahitabong dili maayong sitwasyon. Matud usab sa tigpamaba sa PNP nga si Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, naka-full alert karon ang kapolisan agig pagsunod sa gipagawas nga memorandum sa PNP Directorate for Operations. Apan gi-klaro sa duha ka opisyal nga wala pa sila’y na-monitor nga bisan unsang hulga sa
Cebu
terorismo dinhi sa Pilipinas. Bisan pa niini, nanawagan ang AFP ug PNP sa publiko nga mas mag-amping ug magbinantayon aron makatabang usab sa pagsumpo sa mga hulga sa atong seguridad. Sa pag-atake sa Jakarta, pito ang namatay nga gisugdan sa tulo ka ISIS suicide bombers sa usa ka coffee shop. (Elvira C. Bongosia)
Manila