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P15 July 11-17, 2016
ISIS threatens Duterte hometown D
AVAO CIT Y–A uthor ities hav e tightened CITY Author uthorities have secur ity in D av ao City – hometo wn of security Dav avao hometown popular F ilipino leader R odr igo D uter te Filipino Rodr odrigo Duter uterte – follo wing intelligence rrepor epor ts that the following eports Islamic S tate may launch terr or attacks her e. State terror here Acting mayor Paolo world to go the largely Duterte, the president’s Catholic countr y and son, ordered police and wage holy war. military to stay alert and The heightened setightened security in all cur ity in Da vao also entry points to Davao coincided with on-going City. military operations in He said authorities Basilan and Sulu provwere trying to verify the inces which are part of reports, but just the the Autonomous Region same urged locals to be in Muslim Mindanao. vigilant and report to Ar my Major Ez ra the police and military Balagtey, a spokesman any suspicious persons for the Eastern or baggage left unat- Mindanao Command tended in public places. based in Davao City, said The threats came they have intensified following a recent ISIS support to law enforceattack on a night club in ment and strengthened Puchong, Selangor in anti-terror ism operaMalaysia just outside tions. the capital Kuala He said the General Lumpur that wounded Rey Leonardo Guerrero, at least 8 people; and a the regional militar y suicide attack on a po- chief, has directed army lice station in central commanders to coordiJava in Indonesia that nate closely with the police authorities and injured an officer. ISIS has also threat- intensify intelligence ened the Philippines gathering and to conand in one of its latest duct anti-terrorism and propaganda called for counter-terrorism activijihadists around the ties not only in Davao,
but the whole region. Just recently, suspected jihadists ambushed a militar y convoy in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, also in the Muslim autonomous region, and killed an army soldier and wounded three more. The convoy of the 65th Infantry Battalion and 51st Mechanized Company was heading back to 103rd Infantry Br igade headquarters when about a dozen gunmen detonated a roadside bomb and then opened fire with automatic weapons on their target. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the dar ing attack, but previous assaults on the militar y had been largely blamed to an extremist group headed by Abdullah Maute, although copycat attacks, mostly launched by armed civilians opposing the presence of troops in the province, are widespread in the region. (Mindanao Examiner)
President Rodrigo Duterte(Photo by Michael Rey Baniquet)
‘Iron-hand policy won’t solve Sayyaf problem’
Thousands of displaced people in Lanao Sur get aid COTABATO CITY – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed its concern for thousands of people from the town of Butig in Lanao del Sur province in the Muslim autonomous region in
southern Philippines, who remain displaced following clashes between government forces and an armed group in late May to early June. “Thousands of civilians in Butig were forced to flee their homes in Feb-
ruary, when the first clashes began. Some were able to return in April, and just when they started planting a new crop, they were forced to flee their homes again in May, when hostilities resumed.” Continue on page 5 Government troops on a convoy of 3 military trucks pass on a village in Jolo town in the southern Philippine province of Sulu where security forces are battling Abu Sayyaf militants holding 7 kidnapped Indonesians, a Norwegian, a Dutch and a Japanese man. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
The combined efforts of the ICRC, the PRC Marawi Chapter, the local government unit, and other nongovernmental organizations made possible the distribution of emergency food rations, essential household items, and hygiene kits to more than 2,300 conflict-affected families, most of them displaced since February from six villages in Lanao del Sur. (Photo by A.G. Marohom)
ARMM
Eastern Mindanao
SULU - Amid continued speculation on whether martial law remains an option for the Duterte government in fighting the Abu Sayyaf insurgency, former Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan said an iron-hand policy alone will not help solve the kidnappings and criminality problem in the province. Instead, Tan said peace and development efforts are also needed to
Western Mindanao
address the threats posed by the Abu Sayyaf and other criminal groups. Tan, who was with Duterte in Davao City recently, said he personally heard how passionate the President was about the changes he wants to see in the country, and how angry he was—as he had always been—about the evils of drugs and criminality. And Duterte is deadly serious about it, Tan observed.
Cebu
“We in Sulu have to attune ourselves to the dare and challenge of the new President if only to take them as opportunities to mend the new damages done to the image of our province because of incidences of kidnapping, the drug trade and other criminal activities by a few in our midst. No one can block the wave of changes,” Tan said. Continue on page 4
Manila
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July 11-17, 2016
LGBT group elated over UN resolution MANILA - Bahaghari, a national progressive and anti-imperialist organization of LGBT Filipinos, welcomes the recentlypassed UN Human Rights Council Resolution instituting an independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity. The expert will serve as an international watchdog tasked with identifying the root causes of violence and discrimination against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people and coordinating with governments in providing protection from violence and discrimination. For the United Nations Human Rights Council, as an institution with the mandate to work on the protection and promotion of human rights all over the world, the recognition that LGBT people need to be
protected from violence and discrimination is a step towards the right direction. Unfortunately, although not surprisingly, the Philippine government— still under the Aquino administration— chose to remain complicit in the violence and discrimination against LGBT Filipinos to the end when it voted “abstain.” It chose to remain silent despite the fact that many LGBT Filipinos continue to face discrimination in employment, education and social services, and are subject to an intensifying violence perpetrated by the police, families, communities and other members of the society. Bahaghari thus challenges the newly-installed Duterte presidency to do better than its predecessor and fulfill its promise of
bringing about change in the lives of the Filipino people, including the LGBT people, by enacting domestic measures that will protect them. Bahaghari also cautions the UNHRC against letting this special procedure become a tool for pink-washing to justify imperialist states’ intervention in the political-economic affairs of other nations. "We strongly emphasize the universality, inseparability and indivisibility of the rights of LGBT people—that our civil and political rights cannot be extricated from our economic, social and cultural rights. Our rights are not distinct from our rights as sovereign people," it said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. (Bahaghari, Mindanao Examiner)
DOH-ARMM underscores youth, community's role in dengue prevention COTABATO CITY - The Department of Health in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOHARMM) underscores the role of the youth and the community in addressing health issues such as dengue. Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, DOH-ARMM Secretary, said dengue is a year round public health threat and the number of dengue cases in the region is expected to increase especially now that the wet season has started. “The number of dengue cases was down (from last year’s figures). However, DOH-ARMM will not be confident and will continue its campaign to control and prevent this disease,” he said. The DOH-ARMM has recorded 78 dengue cases with one fatality in the entire region during the first quarter. The number is significantly lower compared with the first quarter of 2015, where 487 cases with five fatalities were reported. This year’s figures indicated roughly an 84% decline in the number of cases. The agency has recorded a total of 2,376 cases with 24 deaths across the region in 2015. Marawi City recorded the highest number of cases with 758 followed by Maguindanao province with 614 cases. Dr. Sinolinding emphasized that the key to control and to prevent the spread of the disease is correct information relayed to residents. He said a massive information drive, includ-
ing symposiums, will be conducted in public schools in the region to create awareness among the members of the community. On June 22, DOHARMM in coordination with the region’s Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM) held a dengue symposium at Tenorio Elementary School in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. The activity was in line with the celebration of the ASEAN Dengue Day and was attended by around 200 Grade 6 students along with teachers and school nurses from DepEd-ARMM. Dr. Sinolinding said the information drive targets public school children since they are the most vulnerable sector in the population because of their exposure to the environment where cases of dengue exist. “Binibigyan natin sila ng sapat na kaalaman upang maiwasan, ma-control at magawaan ng paraan kung sakaling ito (dengue) ay pumasok sa kanilang mga tahanan o kaya sila ay maging pasyente ( We are giving them enough knowledge to prevent, control, and to make ways if ever this disease will penetrate their households or if they will become the victims),” he said. “Ang mga impormasyon na makukuha nila ay pwede nilang ipasa sa kanilang mga kaibigan, kapitbahay,
kapamilya, at sino man sa kanilang komunidad (They can spread the information they will acquire to their friends, neighbors, family members, and to anyone in their community),” he added. Aside from the symposium, the agency also distributed five Olyset mosquito net rolls to the school. Each roll is 25 meters long and can cover up to six classroom windows. Dr. Sinolinding said that the symposium is just the beginning of the campaign. DOH-ARMM will tap local government units for continuous education and campaign. Furthermore, he encouraged the residents in ARMM to observe the ‘4S’ in dengue prevention and control. The ‘4S’ means: • Search and destroy; • Seek immediate action; • Say no to indiscriminate fogging; and • Self-protection measures. Dengue is an acute viral infection acquired from the bite of a female Aedes aegypti mosquito. This fatal disease usually affects infants and children in tropical and subtropical countries like the Philippines. Its signs and symptoms include fever that extends from two to seven days, skin flushing, loss of appetite, vomiting, and in severe cases, nose bleeding and bleeding of gums. (Bureau of Public Information)
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Two government soldiers stand guard on a busy street in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines as security forces continue its operations against the Abu Sayyaf group in nearby Basilan and Sulu provinces in the Muslim autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Troops pursue commies in Zambo Sur PAGADIAN CITY – Army troops continue to pursue the New People’s Army rebels in Zamboanga del Sur province where the separatist group is actively operating. Just last week, three people were killed in a clash between military forces and communist rebels in Supon village in Bayog town after patrolling soldiers chanced upon a group of NPA fighters, sparking a running gun battle. Two rebels and a militiaman were killed in the battle and officials said troops recovered an M16 automatic rifle and antigovernment propaganda, including a medical kit from the slain insurgents. The bodies of the rebels were also recovered by soldiers. The fighting occurred ahead of the resumption of peace talks this month between the Duterte
government and communist leaders in Oslo, Norway. There was no immediate statement from the NPA on the latest clashes, but it is unlikely to affect the resumption of the stalled peace talks. Last month, six policemen and two civilians were also wounded in a suspected rebel attack outside a police station in Sarangani’s Maasim town also in southern Philippines. The attack coincided with continuing military operations in the province – a known stronghold of insurgents in the troubled region. Peace adviser Jesus Dureza last month held talks with communist leader Jose Maria Sison in Oslo to discuss the resumption of stalled talks. Dureza said the formal peace talks are expected to discuss the affirmation of previously signed agree-
ment, the timeline of the talks, and reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees list, and amnesty proclamation for the release of all detained political prisoners and NDFP consultants and the mode of interim ceasefire, among others. Government peace talks with the NPA collapsed in 2004 after rebels accused then President Gloria Arroyo of reneging on several agreements, among them the release of all political prisoners in the country and the removal of the terrorist tag on the Communist Party of the Philippines and its political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the NPA. Arroyo also suspended the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees after the peace talks failed. (With a report from Ely Dumaboc)
Hustisya para sa pinaslang na DENR official KORONADAL CITY – Hustisya ang hinihingi ng mga kaanak at kaibigan ng isang opisyal ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources na walang pinatay matapos itong tadtarin ng bala dito. Pinagbabaril si Dr. Noel Dungca, ang Chief Science Research Spe-
cialist at Program Coordinator ng DENR sa Region 12, habang nakasakay ito sa kanyang motorsiklo noon nakaraang linggo sa Barangay Sta. Cruz. Hindi pa mabatid kung ano ang motibo sa pamamamaslang sa opisyal na ayon sa mga kasamahan ay mabait na
tao. Patuloy ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya sa naturang krimen. Nabatid na naulila nito ang kanyang 7-anyos na pinagaaral sa kabila ng pagiging diabetiko. Hindi mabatid kung may personal itong nakaaway o wala o kung sino ang nagpatira sa kanya. (Mindanao Examiner)
July 11-17, 2016
The Mindanao Examiner
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The Mindanao Examiner
July 11-17, 2016
‘Iron-hand policy won’t solve Sayyaf problem’
Due to heavy rain last week, the village of Limbahan in Davao Oriental’s Lupon town was submerged in flood and stranded civilians. (Kilab Multimedia)
Kidnapped Muslim trader freed ZAMBOANGA CITY – Abu Sayyaf militants have freed a Muslim trader they kidnapped last year in Zamboanga City as security forces clashed with the gunmen in Sulu province in southern Philippines, officials said. Officials said Araji Maani was released last week in the village called Wanih Piyanjihan in Sulu’s Parang town. It was unknown whether Maani’s family had paid ransom to the militant
group. Maani, who was kidnapped in July 27, 2015, was also interviewed by the police and military before returning to Zamboanga City to be reunited with his anxious family. His release coincided with fighting between soldiers and militants in Maligay province in Patikul town on the other side of the province that left one Abu Sayyaf member dead. There were no reports
Continued fr om page 1 from “The imposition of martial law by the new leadership is being considered in areas known to be lairs of kidnap-for-ransom and other armed groups. We are of the opinion that we should tread light and with utmost care on the matter of imposing martial law. Even the mere mention of it reawakens the stigma of the bygone era more than four decades ago. Many us personally experienced that dark episode which was punctuated by abuses of the military authorities, and ignited a devastating and destructive rebellion,” he added. Tan said that if and when martial law is imposed as the only option left to take, then it must be well-defined and limited only to target areas. The emergency powers, he said, that goes with it should not be intrusive on the civil rights of the people and should maintain, protect and respect the mandate of the dulyelected local government. “We will not get in the way of the law against those who are proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt whatever their positions in the government or stature in society may be,” Tan, who supported Duterte’s presidency in the elections, said. He stressed that inci-
dences of criminality cannot find solution in an iron-hand policy alone. The causes of such crimes and the emergence of armed groups trading in what has been termed as a “thriving industry” of kidnapping and drug trade, Tan said, should be seriously looked into. He said there should be parallel actions by the national government to the military operations and law enforcement, in the form of social, economic and livelihood programs, and the necessary infrastructures that are basic and prerequisites in nation-building such as roads, schools and hospitals, seaports, post-harvest facilities and so forth. Tan said on hindsight, that if the huge allocations to the region were prudently and diligently spent for which they were earmarked, development would have served as a formidable deterrent to any form of adventurism from any group. “We take exception to the tirades of some sectors that the proliferation of crimes, specifically the kidnappings, as indicative of the failure of local governance. The local government is not in the chain of command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police where competency
lies in the maintaining peace and order. People should not be barking up the wrong tree and instead let those who are mandated with responsibilities do so with due diligence and they should be held to account for any dereliction of duties and tasks,” Tan declared. “ We have always maintained the position that law enforcement operations, to be more effective, should entail the involvement of the community and local leaders. It is not fair to pass judgment that local leaders and the people in the communities are coddling criminals and in one way or the other alleged to be committing the crimes themselves. We must bear in mind that this outlook is not healthy and may aggravate the situation further and ignite the flame of resistance against the authorities. The peace-loving and the exponents of the rule of law are still in the majority. Where will true justice be if we bundle the good and the bad together and judge the entire province to be in cahoots with criminals? Let the law take its course and do not let the innocent be the collateral damage to overzealousness or self-agenda of some players in the field,” he added. (Mindanao Examiner)
of military casualties, but officials said troops were continuing with their operation in Sulu against the Abu Sayyaf which is still holding 7 Indonesians, a Dutch, Norwegian and a Japanese man, including three more Filipinos. Military forces were also battling another Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan province. Both Sulu and Basilan belong to the Muslim autonomous region. (With a report from Ely Dumaboc)
Ito ang isa sa mga gusali ng Ateneo de Zamboanga University na nilamon ng apoy. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Nicole Priscilla)
Ateneo, nahagip ng malaking sunog
Undisciplined truck and jeepney drivers occupy the opposite lane of this busy road near Veterans Avenue in Zamboanga City and block the flow of traffic during rush hour. A traffic enforcer who is near the area ignore this violation of traffic rule. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Z AMBOANGA CITY – Lungkot pa rin ang nadarama ng maraming mga estudyante ng Ateneo de Zamboanga University isang linggo matapos na lamunin ng apoy ang ilang mga gusali sa paaralan. Tinupok ng malaking sunog nitong Hulyo 7 ang mga gusali at masuwer teng walang nasawi o nasaktan na mga guro at estudyante. Tumagal rin ng halos dalawang oras ang sunog na sinasabing nagmula sa cafeteria ng naturang paaralan. Ngunit patuloy pa rin ang imbestigasyon
ng Bureau of Fire Protection ukol dito. Kabilang sa mga nasunog ay ang Manuel Sauras Hall – na kung saan ay naroon ang cafeteria at College of Law, ang Xavier Hall, Brebeuf Gymnasium at Kostka Hall. Nadamay rin ang mga sumusunod na tanggapan - Assistant to the Academic Vice-President, Academic Vice-President, School of Education, School of Management and Accountancy, University Registrar, School of Liberal Ar ts, College of
Nursing, Center of Information Technology Services at Computer Laboratories (Advanced and Basic Laboratories). Naglabas agad ng anunsyo ang Ateneo na suspendido ang mga klase at pinayuhan ang mga estudyante na maghintay na lamang kung kailan ito babalik. Nostalgia ang nadarama ng maraming mga estudyante at alumni sa naganap na sunog dahil naging bahagi ng kanilang buhay ang makasaysayang lugar. (Mindanao Examiner)
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July 11-17, 2016
Military forces search for Sayyaf hostages COTABATO CITY - Troops continue to search for at least 10 foreigners being held by the Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines. The notorious group is still holding 7 Indonesians, a Dutch man, a Norwegian and a Japanese man, including 3 Filipinos in Sulu province. Just this month, government soldiers dug up the body of Canadian hostage Robert Hall - who was beheaded by the Abu
Republic of the P hilippines Philippines Autonomous R egion in M uslim M indanao Region Muslim Mindanao MUNICIP ALIT Y OF P ATA MUNICIPALIT ALITY PA Province of S ulu Sulu
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
INVITATION TO BID CONSTRUCTION OF PHP 3,158,802.40 SAIMBANGON-PISAKPISAK FARM TO MARKET ROAD, PHP 2,500,000.00 SPRING DEVELOPMENT (WATER SYSTEM, LEVEL I) AND PHP 3,500,000.00 CONCRETING OF BANGALAN BRIDGE, MUNICIPALITY OF PATA, SULU (Source of Fund: 20% DF-2016) The Municipal Government of Pata, Province of Sulu intends to apply the sum of Nine Million Oner Hundred Fifty Thousand Eight Hundred Two and Forty Centavos (Php 9,158,802.40) from the 20% Local Development Fund as the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) shall be automatically rejected at the time of Bid Opening. The Municipal Government of Pata, Province of Sulu now invites bids for the Construction of Saimbangon-Pisakpisak Access Road, Water System and Concreting of Bangalan Bridge, Municipality of Pata, Province of Sulu. Completion of the Work required within 85 Calendar Days from the date of start of subproject. Scope of Works involves Excavation, Embankment, Sub Grade Preparation, Aggregate Base Course and PCCP. Bidders should have completed in the last 5 years a contract for work similar to the project. The description of an eligible Bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II, instruction to Bidders. Minimum Equipment required; Bulldozer, Road Roller, Road Grader Back Hoe Excavator, Vibratory Compactor, Dump Truck, Water Truck and Survey Instruments. Interested Bidders may obtain further information from the LGU-BAC of Pata, Sulu and inspect and purchased the bidding documents upon payment of a non refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of P5,000.00 from July 11, 2016 to July 26, 2016 at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM It maybe also downloaded free of charge from the website of the Government Policy Board (www.gppb.gov.ph) provided that bidders shall pay the non refundable fee for the bidding documents not later than the submission of their bids The bidder may request that the Bid Documents be sent to them by mail or courier, and for this, the bidders shall pay the amount in Philippine Pesos to cover the cost of mail or courier delivery. The fee for obtaining a copy of the Bid Documents and the cost of mail or courier shall be paid by the bidder thru a Cashier’s Check or Manager Check issued in favor of the Municipality of Pata. The Municipality of Pata, Sulu will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 21, 2016 @ 9:00 AM at the Sanggunian Bayan Session Hall, Saimbangun, Pata, Sulu which shall be open to all interested parties. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before July 22, 2016 at the Sanggunian Bayan Session Hall. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the form of Bank Guarantee and in the amount of 2.5% of the total ABC. Bids will be opened in the presence of Bidder’s Representatives at the address below. Late Bids shall not be accepted. The deadline for the submission of Bids must not be later than 9:00 AM on July 22, 2016. The opening of Bids will proceed immediately after the time set for the deadline of submission of Bids as indicated above. The Municipality of Pata, Sulu reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incuring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. The invitation to Bid is not an integral part of the bidding documents.
For further information please refer to: RONNIE S. NULON BAC Pata, Sulu Prepared by:
Noted by:
RONNIE S. NULON BAC Pata, Sulu
(Sgd.) Hon. ANTON J. BURAHAN Municipal Mayor
July 11-17, Issue 1
Sayyaf - in a shallow grave in the village of Kamuntayan in Talipao town. Hall was kidnapped along with fellow Canadian John Ridsdel and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Maritess Flor on a resort in Samal Island in Davao del Norte province and brought to Sulu. His head was recovered in Jolo town on June 13 the day the Abu Sayyaf
decapitated him for failing to raise P300 million ransom. Ridsdel was also beheaded after his family failed to pay P300 million ransom to the Abu Sayyaf which pledged allegiance with the Islamic State, while Flor had been released following a series of negotiations by former Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan on orders from President Rodrigo Duterte. (Mindanao Examiner)
Environmental group urges Filipinos to help Duterte government MANILA - The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental watch group on chemicals and wastes, on Sunday urged the public to support the effort of the Duterte government to protect the ecosystems by simply saying “no bag, please.” As the International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed June 3, the group rallied the people to shun disposable bags to reduce plastic garbage and pollution that will surely eat up a huge chunk of the government’s budget. “Shifting from disposable to reusable bags will substantially cut the waste volume and save hundreds of millions of pesos in disposal costs, which can be diverted to improve public services for the people,” Ochie Tolentino, Zero Waste Campaigner of the EcoWaste Coalition, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. “In lieu of plastic or paper bags, we request the public to keep a stack of bags and containers that can be reused over and over again rather than becoming litter in the streets or the oceans,” she said. “The government can help the public move away from disposable to reusable bags by banning the giving of plastic bags for free and by banning plastic carry bags, particularly the single-use, nationally,” she added. The group cited figures from the National
Solid Waste Management Commission’s website showing the projected waste generation in 2016 at 40,087 tons per day for the entire country and 9,213 tons per day for Metro Manila. Plastics constitute at least 25% of the generated wastes. To give an idea as to the costs involved, the group cited a Commission on Audit report indicating that Metro Manila’s local government units spent over P4 billion pesos for solid waste management in 2012. Metro Manila’s waste generation then was 8,601 tons per day. “This does not include the tens of millions of pesos used by the Metro Manila Development Authority year in and year out to de-clog our esteros of plastic waste and other rubbish, which comes from the agency’s own budget allotment,” Tolentino said. “There is no estimate as to how much is spent to get rid of the plastic discards polluting our beaches and coastlines,” she added. The EcoWaste Coalition also expressed concern over the spillage of plastic trash in the rivers, seas and the oceans, warning that “the plasticization of our waterways and water bodies is a disturbing reality for our fish-eating nation where fishing is also a major source of livelihood.” Tolentino recalled that a 2014 waste audit conducted at the Manila
Bay by the EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace and the Mother Earth Foundation showed that plastic materials was 61.9 percent of the discards collected, with plastic bags topping the list at 23.2 percent and followed by composites or plastic wrappers at 18.8 percent. The group said that a recently-published study by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation has indicated there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050 unless the world takes action. The group further expressed serious concern over the consumption by marine organisms, who mistake them for food, of minute pieces of plastic containing extremely toxic substances. According to the report “Contaminants in Marine Plastic Pollution: ‘The New Toxic TimeBomb’ by the National Toxics Network of Australia, “marine plastics and in particular micro-plastics, provide a global transport medium for the most toxic chemicals into the marine food chain and ultimately, to humans,” including persistent bio-accumulative toxins and persistent organic pollutants. According to the United Nations Environment Program, “plastic waste causes financial damage of US$13 billion to marine ecosystems each year.” (EcoWaste Coalition, Mindanao Examiner)
Thousands of displaced people in Lanao Sur get aid
Continued fr om page 1 from “Now many of the displaced are living with relatives and depend heavily on their kin and the authorities, as they are still too afraid to go back home. Civilian houses were also destroyed in the fighting. We ask all sides in the conflict to exercise utmost precaution to protect civilians and their property,” Dominic Earnshaw, head of the ICRC office in Cotabato City, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. He said between
June 8 and July 2, the ICRC, together with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), provided food and household items to some 12,500 people displaced from Butig. The distributions, he added, took place in Butig and n e i g h b o r i n g Lumbayanague municipalities as well as in Marawi City. The ICRC-PRC assistance augmented the aid provided by the government and helped families meet their basic needs, according to the Earnshaw. Each displaced family received 25 kilograms
of rice, 12 tins of sardines, 2 liters of cooking oil, 2 liters of soy sauce, 2 kilograms of sugar, 500 grams of salt, and essential household items, including two blankets, two mosquito nets, one sleeping mat, and one hygiene kit. Prior to its relief operation in Butig, the ICRC conducted its own assessments and coordinated closely with community leaders, the Depar tment of Social Welfare and Development, and nongovernmental organizations. (ICRC, Mindanao Examiner)
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July 11-17, 2016
Islamic State launches first successful attack in Malaysia
MALAYSIAN police say the Islamic State has carried out its first successful attack in the country. Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told CNN that a grenade attack on June 28 at a nightspot near Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital, was carried out on the orders of a Malaysian Islamic State fighter in Syria, Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi. While there were no fatalities in the attack, eight people were injured. Most of the people at the nightclub, called Movida, were there to watch the Spain-Italy Euro 2016 match. Khalid said 15 people have been arrested in wake of the attack, including the two men who lobbed the bomb at Movida. Those arrested
also included two policemen. "One of the policemen was picked up for harboring ISIS elements, while the other was arrested for involvement in robberies to collect funds for ISIS," he told CNN. Khalid added that Muhammad Wanndy had ordered attacks on prominent Malaysians, including Prime Minister Najib Razak, police counter terrorism division senior assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, and Khalid himself. Khalid, who declined to release more details, said investigations are ongoing and that police expect to make more arrests. The police had initially ruled out terrorism as the reason for the attack on Movida, believing instead
that the motive was a business rivalry or a dispute among patrons. However, Muhammad Wanndy later claimed on Facebook that the attack had been carried out by ISIS followers. The Malaysian police have foiled nine ISIS plots to attack Malaysia since the declaration of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Terrorism expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Center for Terrorism Research and Political Violence (ICPVTR) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, said in an analysis the attack in Malaysia, despite counter terrorism operations, shows ISIS ideology has spread and established a regional presence in Southeast Asia.
Andrin Raj, regional director of International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals Center for Security Studies Southeast Asia, told CNN that threats against the country will continue. "The modus operandi will be suicide attacks as well as explosive/IED attacks as it is easier to conduct an attack and difficult to prevent," he said. Raj added that while police are calling it ISIS operations in the sense that it has been given approval and authority by ISIS, the terror group's presence has not yet fully developed into actual ISIS cells. "As of now, they are sympathizers. But the fact is, this will eventually grow into ISIS cells," he said. (Marc Lourdes, CNN)
Historic Tropical Cyclone Drought History shows that we can expect a tropical cyclone drought in the Northwest Pacific during years that transition from a strong El Niño to a La Niña. While El Niño created warm waters and enhanced activity in 2015, the strong El Niño can also be blamed for the lack of activity during the first half of 2016. According to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, "El Niño's force mass subsidence during the early part of the Northwest Pacific tropical cyclone season." This essentially puts a lid on the atmosphere, preventing thunderstorm activity from organizing into tropical storms and typhoons. According to Klotzbach, the four longest droughts in West Pacific history have occurred in 1973, 1983, 1998 and 2016. In each of these
years, we were in the waning period of a strong El Niño. Klotzbach notes that in each of the previous occurrences the entire season continued to have well below average activity. While a typical season averages 27 named storms and 17 typhoons (the equivalent of a hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific), 1973, 1983, and 1998 averaged just 21 named storms and 11 typhoons. The transition to La Niña is also helping to set records in the East Pacific. The season officially started on May 15, but as of the end of June we still haven't had a single named storm -- a record for the latest start, according to Klotzbach. (Taylor Ward, CNN Senior Meteorologist. CNN meteorologists Brandon Miller, Judson Jones, and Jennifer Gray contributed to this report)
EL NIÑO and La Niña are commonly associated with devastating floods and crippling droughts, but the current transition from El Niño to La Niña is aiding one drought that can certainly be viewed as a positive: There hasn't been a named tropical system in the Northwest Pacific since December 17, 2015. As of Friday, that makes 198 days without a storm, tying the previous longest stretch. The Northwest Pacific is the most active basin in all of the tropics, averaging 27 named storms per year. Unlike each of the other basins around the globe, the Northwest Pacific doesn't have a defined season -- the season is simply the entire calendar year. In 2015 there was a lot of publicity about El Niño warming the Pacific and enhancing tropical cyclone activity. It seemed as if every named storm was blowing up into a monster. During 2015, there were a record 26 category 4 or 5 storms in the northern hemisphere, with the large majority of those occurring in the Pacific. This raced past the previous record of 18 category 4-5 storms. Now that El Niño is of-
ficially dead, we are rapidly heading toward the La Niña phase. According to the Climate Prediction Center, there is a 75% chance of La Niña developing by the fall. This comes as no surprise as the historical record shows that all of the strongest El Niño's have been immediately followed by a La Nina event. So what is the difference between the two? La Niña is the cool phase of the El NinoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern - a naturally occurring phenomenon that involves fluctuating ocean temperatures in the Pacific. La Niña is the opposite of El Niño, which is the warm phase of the cycle. El Niño is characterized by a warming of the waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. La Niña features a cooling of those same Pacific waters.
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TECH TIPS: How to back up Android and keep your data safe BACKUPS are indispensable. Whether it's a backup of your Android smartphone, your photo albums or your laptop PC, backups come in at just the right moment to save the day. There is nothing worse than losing everything on your phone or computer and realizing you never backed anything up. So here are a few methods for making an Android backup. G oogle backup As you probably know, Google is more than willing to help keep all your apps and data safe. If you go into your phone's settings, you'll find a section called Backup & Reset. In here you'll find an option for backing up your data, including Wi-Fi passwords, preferences and app data. All of this will be tied to your Google account, which you can set to automatically restore when you re-install an app. App backup (for nonr ooted phones) There are plenty of useful backup solutions in the Play Store. Some for specific purposes like backing up your text messages and others for an all-in-one backup. Easy Backup & Restore is a free app that lets you back up your contacts, call logs, text messages, calendars and bookmarks. Easy Backup doesn't back up your photos, music, videos or documents. These are very easy to back up yourself though using a USB cable and your computer: just locate the appropriate folders on your phone in a Windows Explorer window and copy and paste the contents to your computer. How to back up everything on Android with Easy Backup & Restore 1. Download Easy Backup on your Android device. 2. When you launch the app, you'll be asked if you want to create a backup. Tap Yes. 3. You'll then see a bunch of check boxes next to the things you can back up: SMS, MMS, call logs, calendar, bookmarks, dictionary and contacts. Make your selections and tap OK. 4. You'll be asked for a save location for your backup. Make your selection and tap it. 5. If you select a cloud service you'll have to sign in. If you select SD card you'll have to confirm the directory. 6. You'll then be asked to give the backup a file name. The date and time is the default. If you have multiple devices you might want to modify the file name to include the device you're backing up. 7. You'll then see a progress page when your data is being backed up. Once completed, you'll get a pop up window with a summary of what was backed up.
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July 11-17, 2016
8. If your phone is rooted, you can also back up your apps and app data. If not, you can still tap on the Apps Tools tab in the main menu and create a backup of the APKs on your phone. APKs are like an .exe on a computer: it's the program or app package. If your Google settings are enabled to back up your app data and settings (outlined above) you can use this option to back up the apps themselves and Google's backup to save the settings and data in the apps. 9. Just check the boxes next to the apps you want to save and hit Backup at the bottom. 10. When you want to restore your apps or data, just hit the Restore tab. You'll be prompted to set Easy backup as the default SMS app. You can change this back once your backup has been restored. 11. Select the backup you want to restore and tap it. You'll see a pop up with details of what will be restored. Tap OK and you're done. 12. Restoring your apps is slightly different. Go back to Apps Tools in the main menu and tap the Archived tab. 13. You can check off the APKs you want to restore, then tap Install at the bottom. 14. You'll then see the permissions screen for each app, like you would with any new app you install. App backup (for rrooted ooted phones) If your phone is rooted then there is no better backup solution than Titanium Backup. Titanium Backup lets you back up absolutely everything on your phone. The complete backup can be restored at any time and you can set up scheduled backups so you have a regular snapshot of your Android phone's contents. Backups can be performed without even closing the apps you're currently using and they can be saved as flashable zips. Titanium also lets you transfer files between the SD card and your phone with the utmost ease. How to back up everything on Android with Titanium Backup 1. Download the Titanium Backup app on your rooted Android. 2. Start the app and grant it root privileges. You'll be asked to read some disclaimers and so on (this is a good idea). 3. You need to have USB Debugging enabled on your phone. 4. In Titanium you'll see three tabs. One is an Overview tab with information on your device, the second is Backup/Restore where all the fun stuff takes place and the third is for scheduling regular backups. 5. Go to the Backup and Restore tab. You'll see
a list of your phone's contents along with icons that indicate whether or not they have been backed up. Triangular warning signs mean you have no backup and smiley faces are pretty self explanatory. 6. If you want to back up your system data or apps, tap the little document with a check mark on it at the top. This will take you to the batch actions list. 7. You can then tap Run next to whatever action you want completed. If you want to back up your apps, tap Run next to Backup all User Apps and if you want to back up your system data tap Run next to Backup all System Data. 8. Titanium will then go through the process of creating your backup. This may take a while. 9. Once completed, your backup will be labeled with the date and saved. You can also create an update.zip file to be flashed through recovery if you like, or you can restore through Titanium itself. 10. To restore in Titanium, just go to the Batch Actions screen again and scroll down. You'll see options under the Restore setting for the actions you completed earlier: in this case, Restore all apps with data and Restore all system data. 11. Tap Run next to the actions you want to restore. 12. You'll then have the option to restore everything you backed up or just some sections of it. Make your choices and tap the green check mark in the top right-hand corner. PC backup Helium is a great tool for creating a complete backup without root access. You install the Helium app on your phone, grab the desktop version as well and pair the two. Once you've made the connection, you can do Titanium-like backups without needing root access. You simply tell Helium which apps and data you want to back up and away it goes. The Pro version lets you schedule automatic backups and store your backups in the cloud. PC backup for dummies If all of this sounds way too complicated, simply connect your Android phone to your PC with a USB cable, open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to your phone. Here you will see a bunch of folders including photos, videos, music and documents. Just go into each folder and copy paste the stuff you want to save onto your computer for safekeeping. This is a pretty handy thing to do even if you have other backup solutions at hand, because there's no such thing as too many backups. (Kris Carlon, AndroidPIT)
HEALTH: Mga Posibleng Sanhi ng Sakit ng Tiyan Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong PARA MALAMAN ang mga posibleng dahilan ng pananakit ng tiyan, heto ang mga itatanong sa pasyente. Una, saang parte ng tiyan ang masakit? Pangalawa, ano pa ang iba mong nararamdaman? Alamin natin ang mga posibleng sanhi ng sakit ng tiyan: 1. Ulcer o hyperacidity - Kapag ang pananakit ay nasa itaas ng tiyan at nasa gitna o bandang kaliwa, ito ang lugar ng sikmura. Posibleng ulcer o hyperacidity ang iyong sakit. Ang sakit na ito ay k a d a l a s a n g nararamdaman kapag ika’y gutom. Nababawasan ang sakit kapag kumain ka ng saging o tinapay. Uminom din ng maraming tubig para mahugasan ang asido sa tiyan. 2. Gallbladder stones - Kapag ang sakit ay nasa itaas ng tiyan at nasa kanan, ito ang puwesto ng gallbladder o apdo. Posibleng may bato ka sa apdo. Minsan ang sakit ay tumutugon sa bandang likod. Dumarating din ang sakit kapag nakakain ka ng mamantika at matatabang pagkain.
Dr. Willie T. Ong Magpa-ultrasound ng tiyan para malaman kung may bato sa apdo o wala. 3. Appendicitis Kapag nasa ibaba at kanan ang sakit, ito ang lugar ng appendix. Ang sakit na appendicitis ay nag-uumpisa sa may sikmura at pagkaraan ng 2-3 araw ay lumilipat sa kanang bahagi. Masakit ang lugar na ito kapag dinidiinan. Kumonsulta agad iyong sa doktor. 4. Colic - Kapag paikot-ikot ang sakit at walang permanenteng lugar, ito ay marahil sa paghilab ng bituka. Ang tawag dito ay colic at hindi naman delikado. Maaaring nakakain ka ng maduming pagkain at magtatae ka lang. 5. Gastroenteritis Kung mahilab ang iyong tiyan at nagtatae ka, ito ay malamang dahil sa gas-
troenteritis o impeksyon na nakuha sa panis o maduming pagkain. Uminom ng maraming likido (tubig, sopas o lugaw) at kumain ng saging. 6. Amebiasis Kapag madalas kang dumumi at may bahid ito ng sipon at dugo, posibleng amebiasis ito. Magpasuri ng dumi (fecalysis) sa laboratory. 7. Kidney infection o stones - Kapag nasa may puson ang sumasakit at mahapdi ang iyong pag-ihi, posibleng may impeksyon ka sa ihi o may bato sa bato (kidney stones). Magpa-check ng urinalysis para malaman ang sakit. 8. Sakit sa matris o obaryo - Kapag ika’y babae at sa may puson ang sumasakit, posibleng nasa obaryo at matris ang iyong problema. Puwede itong dysmennorhea (sakit kapag malapit na ang regla), ovarian cyst (bukol sa obaryo) o myoma. Tandaan: Huwag matakot kumonsulta sa isang doktor para malaman ang dahilan ng pananakit ng tiyan. Malulunasan natin iyan.
RECIPE: Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup
INGREDIENT S: INGREDIENTS: - 1 Tbsp olive oil - 2 chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes - ¼ cup butter - 6 Tbsp flour - 2 cups half & half (if you dont have this you can replace one cup of half and half with 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 cup of milk).
- 2 cups milk - 2 cups chicken broth - 8 oz diced ham - ½ cup real bacon bits - 8 oz swiss, shredded - ¼ tsp black pepper - 1 tsp garlic salt, or garlic powder and salt to taste
INSTR UCTIONS: INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Heat the olive oil in a stock pot. Add the cubed chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink; about 6 minutes. Remove meat from pan and set aside. 2) Add butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Whisk in flour and cook until the fragrance is nutty about 1 minute. 3) Add the half and half, milk, and broth, whisking briskly as you pour. Whisk until all the flour mixture is smooth. 4) Return the chicken to the pot and add the ham as well. Simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes; the sauce will thicken up. 5) Remove the pot from the heat and add the bacon bits and shredded swiss. Stir until cheese melts. Taste the soup and add the seasonings to taste. (The ham, bacon, and swiss all have high sodium contents, so you may want to opt for garlic powder instead of garlic salt, or just some black pepper.) (http://www.kusinamaster.asia)
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CEBU - New Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said he plans to reprise his role as a keen guardian of the government’s purse, vowing to correct past spending habits as he heads the agency that formulates and releases the annual budget under the Duterte administration. Diokno, 68, headed the budget department during the Estrada administration, but stepped down in 2001 when then Vice President Gloria Arroyo took power. He then taught economics at the state-run University of the Philippines. Diokno said the government planned to review the proposed 2017 national budget, even as he stressed there would be no reenacted budget in the next six years. He said the annual budget of the Duterte administration would prioritize higher public expenditures on vital infrastructure, equivalent to 5 to 7 percent of the gross domestic product. “The Duterte administration will not spend money for spending’s sake. The economy is deficient in all types of infrastructure—highways and bridges, ports and airports,” Diokno said. He also vowed to end under-spending on public goods and services, which tempered the country’s growth potentials in the past two to three years. “First of all, I will put a lot of effort in budget preparation. I know that under-spending is partly due to poor budget preparation. Many programs and projects are included in the annual budget, yet they are not ready to implement. Some departments ask for a budget that they are unable to implement: they bite more than what they can chew,” Diokno said. Noting that underspending is due to the “ineptness or incompetence” of some department chiefs, Diokno said he would ask secretaries and undersecretaries to un-
Western Mindanao
dergo retraining, while a program to boost project monitoring would also be strengthened. He said he would also do away with the practice of allowing fiscal planners to “play around with the slacks in the budget” to finance projects not authorized by Congress, in a controversial practice by the past administration that became known as the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or DAP. The Supreme Court in 2014 ruled DAP was unconstitutional. “This practice has to stop. President Duterte’s 2017 to 2022 budgets will be compliant with the Supreme Court decision on the DAP,” Diokno said. Moving forward, he said the annual budgets to be proposed by the Duterte administration would prioritize the following: higher infrastructure spending of 5-7 percent of the GDP; investment in human resources (education, healthcare and nutrition) in order to develop a dynamic and nimble work force; agriculture modernization and rural development in order to make growth inclusive; raising rural incomes; and making food available and affordable. Diokno, however, said the new administration would follow the Aquino government’s move in adopting the General Appropriations Act (GAA) as release document. The DBM adopted the GAA as a release document in 2014, scrapping the special allotment release order system. “This is not novel. I did this 16 years ago when I adopted the ‘what-yousee-is-what-you-get’ budget execution system. However, this was forgotten by [former President Gloria] Arroyo during her entire term and [President] Aquino during his first [few] years in office,” Diokno said. Diokno also said that on his watch, the DBM will “revisit” the bottomup budgeting (BUB) scheme, another program introduced by the Aquino administration that al-
Cebu
lows local governments as well as civil society and community groups to pitch the priority poverty-reduction projects to be bankrolled by the annual national budget. Also, the Duterte administration “will revisit the CCT (conditional cash transfer) program with the intention of minimizing the leakages (giving benefits to those undeserving and not giving benefits to the deserving) and minimizing the administrative costs,” Diokno said, referring to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or “4Ps.” “We will adopt economic measures so that a bigger part of the budget will be used for projects that will truly benefit the Filipino people,” he said. During his first tenure as budget chief, Diokno initiated reforms that included strengthening of the public expenditure management system. He also imposed a moratorium on the creation of new state universities and colleges, and pushed for the abolition of several agencies. And to improve strategic budget planning, he initiated a joint public-pr ivate sector consultative group called the Budget Dialogue Group. Among his specializations is public economics focusing on governance, tax reform and policies, expenditure analysis. He has also given policy advise on transitional economies in Southeast Asia. In resource management, he specialized on public policy concerning oil and water resources. He served as budget undersecretary to President Corazon Aquino until March 1991, during which he was involved in the creation of the 1986 Tax Reform Program that significantly improved collection. He was also involved in drafting the Local Government Code of 1991.
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