‘There Are Places ISIS Is Punish those involved in PhilHealth More Powerful Today than corruption, fraud - HEAD Three or Four Years Ago’ US SECRETARY of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged during an interview with CBS ‘This Morning’ that the Islamic State has regained strength in the Middle East and elsewhere, even though their “caliphate” of stolen Syrian and Iraqi
Founded 2006
territory has been destroyed. CBS News interviewer Gayle King asked Pompeo about a New York Times piece from Monday that reported ISIS is “gathering new strength, conducting guerrilla attacks across Iraq and Syria, retooling
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its financial networks and targeting new recruits at an allied-run tent camp.” The NYT argued President Donald Trump was wrong to declare ISIS “defeated” when its occupied territory was reclaimed and worried Trump’s Continue on page 5
FOLLOWING ALLEGATIONS of corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation of PhilHealth, the Health Alliance for Democracy or HEAD has urged the Duterte government to investigate and punish all those involved in the fraudulent schemes – from health providers to top ranking
officials of the agency. An estimated P154 billions of public money was lost from 2013 to 2018 due to PhilHealth overpayments and other fraudulent schemes – among them the “ghost” dialysis scam that defrauded people’s money, fraudulent claims on cataract operations and pneumonia.
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Dr. Edelina de la Paz, chairperson of HEAD, a nongovernmental organization, said for years, PhilHealth have become a milking cow of those in power. Citing the 2012 Annual Financial Report on Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations or GOCC, she said Continue on page 2
Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2019
Duterte offers own regional government to Misuari, MNLF Read Story on page 3
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Punish those involved in PhilHealth corruption, fraud - HEAD Continued from page 1 PhilHealth topped all GOCCs in bonuses. And that Commission on Audit or COA disclosed that more than 22 sort of allowances and benefits were paid to the top officials of PhilHealth. It released P1.65 billion in unauthorized dole-outs. In addition, COA reported in 2014 that PhilHealth continuously received bonuses, allowances and other benefits despite issuances of notice of disallowances by COA. As of December 2014, unsettled disallowed benefits and allowances amounted to P3.11 billion, including the P811.5 million bonuses and allowances for 2014. In 2015, Ruben Basa, a PhilHealth official, alleged that PhillHealth officials illegally diverted P10.6 billion in funds supposedly meant for senior citizens to set up barangay health stations. In 2017, the interim president of PhilHealth reportedly spent P627,000 for travel, when the agency tallied a loss of nearly P9 billion, according to a COA document. De la Paz said they consistently raised questions and opposition to
the government’s program of allocating billions of pesos to PhilHealth. “More importantly, HEAD maintains that neither the corruption-laded PhilHealth nor the Universal Health Care or UHC law will solve the people’s health problems. As a Government Business Enterprise, PhilHealth will seek to make profit and compete against other companies with a main purpose of commercial activities in the private sector. Its income-generating scheme is by increasing the number of members and premium contributions while reducing the benefits for the sick through cost-efficiency,” she said. HEAD believes that for health care to be really universal, the government should go beyond a health insurance scheme, according to De la Paz. “Government funds which came from people’s money should be allocated directly to strengthen public health care system. This includes allotting funds for the provision of direct health services, primary health care, hiring more doctors, nurses and other health personnel and developing more public health facilities
like hospitals and health centers especially in far flung areas,” she said. She accused PhilHealth as being run by a “mafia” which, over the years, managed not less than P60 billion worth of public funds on top of the billions worth of members’ premium contributions. “The fraudulent schemes and corruption in PhilHealth is just a symptom of a sick health care system. The management of public funds by the PhilHealth mafia is a very serious concern that the Filipino people must be alarmed about, especially with the enactment of the insurance-based Universal Health Care Law that placed the implementation of the health care program and the management of huge amount of public funds to PhilHealth.” “It will manage not only the billions from the premium contributions of PhilHealth members, but also funds allocated by the General Appropriations Act, the shares from Philippine Gaming Corporation and the proceeds from the sin taxes,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)
Young residents from Marawi showcases the vibrant Maranao culture through a cultural performance held during the 79th Charter Day celebration. (James Umaran)
Maranaos told to stay strong, resilient MARAWI CITY – The ruins and reminder of deadly wars in Marawi - once a booming city in the South – did not stop Muslim residents here to celebrate its 79th Charter Day anniversary with a grand parade and cultural performances. Mayor Majul Gandamra urged residents to start change within themselves for the betterment of Marawi. “Upang tayo ay umahon nang lubusan sa nangyari sa atin kailangan natin ang Pagbabago. Ang
pagbabagong ito ay manggagaling sa ating sarili,” he said. Gandamra also thanked the different government agencies and humanitarian organizations that have been providing assistance and support to the residents since proISIS militants laid siege to the city. The mayor also thanked the residents for their resiliency and determination. “I would like to thank each Marawi citizen and every man who believes in
Marawi, for caring and for striving in doing good for this city - for being strong and resilient and for the courage and determination that someday life will get better,” he said during the recent celebration. The different city offices decorated their respective places and displayed various delicacies to showcase the vibrant culture of Maranao. A sports fest was also conducted to highlight camaraderie and unity among the residents. (Lou Ellen Antonio)
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Duterte offers own regional government to Misuari, MNLF
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RESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE has reiterated his offer to former rebel Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF chieftain Nur Misuari the same peace deal the government granted to rival group Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF. Duterte said he is open er as Ebrahim’s deputy in and Lanao del Sur. to the creation of a region- BARMM. But this may not It was not immediateal government for Misu- sit well with Misuari, who is ly known whether political ari’s group in the southern campaigning for the estab- leaders and Muslims in BAPhilippine province of Sulu lishment of a federal gov- SULTA would accept Misuwhich is under the Bang- ernment in the country and ari as their regional goversamoro Autonomous Re- be one of its ministers. nor or federal minister. gion in Muslim Mindanao “We will look into this Federalism or BARMM, whose chief because we see that the Misuari had previously minister is Ahod Ebrahim, BARMM is subdivided. We threatened Duterte that he the MILF chieftain. have what we call a deputy would go to war if his deManila signed a peace for the mainland, and then mand for federalism fails accord with the MILF in a deputy for Lanao, and and Defense Secretary Del2014, ending more than then deputy for the BASUL- fin said the ageing MNLF three decades of secession- TA (Basilan, Sulu and Ta- leader and his loyal followist war in the South. wi-Tawi) area. And I believe ers are still capable of creBARMM Deputy the MNLF-Misuari group ating trouble. “They are still Chief Minister is more predominant in capable of creating trouble Carlito Galvez, Duter- the BASULTA area,” Galvez like what they did in the te’s peace adviser, said they was also quoted in a news Zamboanga City siege. But are studying the President’s report by the Philippines’ war? Not anymore,” Looffer to Misuari, who is oldest daily, The Manila renzana said, explaining facing criminal charges in Times, as saying. that Misuari no longer has connection to deadly atBut Misuari’s strong- manpower. tacks by his loyal followers hold is only in Sulu, alBut Lorenzana’s view in Zamboanga City and though he has small, but of Misuari as incapable of Sulu in 2001 and Zambo- heavily-armed fighters waging war is naïve, acanga City again in 2013 in a scattered in Basilan and in cording to residents of Sulu failed rebellion. Maguindanao, also in the where the MNLF continues To appease Misuari, BARMM. While Ebrahim’s to maintain thousands of the government is also forces are all over in Magu- armed members and suplooking into possibility of indanao, Basilan and few porters. “They cannot just appointing a MNLF lead- areas in North Cotabato arrest Misuari and that
‘Oplan Kalusagan’ launched in Oroquieta City
The Departmernt of Education headed by Northern Mindanao Regional Director Arturo Bayucot together with Provincial Administrator Edimar Alota, Board Member Glenn Blanco, and Oroquieta City councilors lead the “Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd” in Oroquieta City. (Shaine Mae Nagtalon) OROQUIETA CITY – To ensure that schoolchildren are provided with basic primary health and dental care, the Department of Education spearheaded the “Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd” or “OK sa DepEd” here. The program initially focused on DepEd’s five major school health initiatives such as the SchoolBased Feeding Program, National Drug Education Program, Adolescent Reproductive Health Education, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools, and Medical, Dental, and Nursing Services. This year, the School Mental Health Program has been added as the sixth flagship program focusing on the fulfilment of the DepEd’s mandate under Republic Act No. 11036 or the Mental Health Act. Dr. Edemar Alota, Provincial Administrator of Misamis Occidental, read a message of Governor Philip Tan, who was not able to attend the event. Tan’s
message reads: “I hope that today inspires ideas and discussions along the ways that we can make the health policies, plans, programs and activities. One of the priorities of the province of Misamis Occidental is health services. Knowledge above health care starts within ourselves and second from you teachers as you impart health education to your students.” Mayor Lemuel Acosta praised the event and told the organizers and stakeholders that “we can create or mold our people to become better Filipinos, better Misamisnons and better Oroquitanons.” He also encouraged everyone, including other local governments to stand by the DepEd program. DepEd Regional Director, Dr. Arturo Bayocot, said the “OK sa DepEd” is a converging effort where health plans, policies, programs, and activities are implemented to ensure that all schoolchildren are provided with basic prima-
ry health and dental care to allow them to attain their full educational potential. “It will also ensure that all DepEd school health personnel and schoolchildren practice healthier behavior that they can do on their own, and get linked up with health providers and local government units for child and adolescent health services,” he said. Bayocot further underscored the significant role of DepEd health personnel in bringing to the ground the various school health programs of the department. “We want our learners to grow and be educated up to their full potential, and this can be achieved through the active contribution of all of you DepEd health workers in keeping our learners healthy, as well as our teaching and other nonteaching personnel, thus increasing the level of school participation, attendance, and access to education of Filipino learners,” he said. (Shaine Mae Nagtalon)
proves the government is incapable of putting him behind bars for his alleged crimes against humanity in so far as the siege in Zamboanga and Jolo. The MNLF is more stronger now and have more weapons, powerful that your ordinary soldiers,” the 60-year old Ibrahim said, describing Misuari’s firepower. “He may not be as popular as other politicians, but Misuari has this charisma, the way he talks to the people, just like Duterte. They know how to deal with ordinary people and let them believe what he wants to say,” he added. Lorenzana said Misuari is just bluffing when he threatened the President with war. He dismissed Misuari’s threat as a mere sound bite in an attempt to make himself be noticed. “But he is missing a great chance to be really relevant. He should accept the BARMM, work within it and lend his leadership, stature and expertise to make it succeed. My guess, he’s bluffing,” Lorenzana said. Best Friends In July, Duterte also offered Misuari, his best friend and political ally, the same concession Manila gave to the MILF. Duterte said he hope to sign a new peace deal with Misuari despite warrants
for his arrest in connection to deadly attacks in Sulu and Zamboanga. He said he is ready to offer Misuari the same structure of government and concession. Misuari had openly opposed the government’s peace talks with the MILF and the BARMM and insisting the MNLF signed a deal with Manila in September 1996 that led to the creation of the Muslim autonomous region which was abolished this year to pave way for the new autonomous region under Ebrahim’s rule. But despite the peace accord with the MNLF, Misuari said there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted. Under the peace agreement, Manila would have to provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards. Nur under Duterte’s protection Misuari’s loyal forces and former MNLF rebels who joined the Philippine Army following the signing of the peace accord, attacked a key military base in Sulu and civilian targets in Zamboanga in 2001 in an effort to stop the govern-
ment from calling an election in the autonomous region where Misuari wanted to be a perpetual governor. Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, where he had been arrested and deported to the Philippines. He also ran several times for governor in Sulu even while under detention, but lost miserably. And he was eventually pardoned and released by then President Gloria Arroyo in exchange for MNLF support for her election bid as well as her allies in the Senate and Congress in 2004. Misuari’s loyal forces again attacked Zamboanga City in 2013 and for three weeks security forces battled rebels that left dozens of people dead and wounded. He is also facing graft charges at the Sandigan Bayan over the alleged anomalous purchase of education materials when he was the regional governor of the autonomous region. Despite all charges against Misuari, Duterte ordered police and military authorities not arrest the MNLF chieftain and even offered him safe refuge in his hometown in Davao City. Misuari has repeatedly denied all criminal and graft accusations against him. (Mindanao Examiner and Zamboanga Post.)
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Sulu Pictures in î…ťe News
Judge Grace Tillah, of Regional Trial Court Branch 3 in Sulu and her staff pay their courtesy call on Governor Sakur Tan, who has always been in support of the judiciary in the administration of justice as integral to peace and security. (NBJ)
Governor Sakur Tan joins actor Robin Padilla, Vice Governor Toto Tan and other guests at the Notre Dame Vicariate Gymnasium for the 2nd Sulu Youth Empowerment for Preventing Countering Violent Extremism.(NBJ)
Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Sulu paid their courtesy on Governor Sakur Tan. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform headed by Minister Mohammad Yacob meets with Sulu Governor Sakur Tan. The Sulu Provincial Government offered the Sulu Demo Farm as training center for farmers. (Ahl-franzie Salinas)
Jeanet Abtuh, NFA-Sulu OIC Provincial Manager and staff pay their courtesy call on Staff of the Department of Agriculture in Sulu led by its Provincial Director Mercia Aspi called on Governor Sakur Tan to relay their concerns on the new arrangements to be Governor Sakur Tan, and discuss concerns on NFA rice supply. (NBJ) made by the BARMM Ministry of Agriculture. Also in the meeting was the caretaker of BFAR-Sulu, Feraida Sabatal.
Judge Shene CaĂąete of Regional Trial Court Branch 4 in Sulu also paid a courtesy call on Hassan Alfad, Planning Officer of Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 9 visited Governor Sakur Tan to pay his courtesy call to the newly elected official. Governor Sakur Tan.
The Mindanao Examiner
Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2019
‘There Are Places ISIS Is More Powerful Today than Three or Four Years Ago’ Continued from page 1 order to reduce the 2,000-strong American force in Syria by half was dangerous because the small U.S. force was supporting Syrian “partner forces” that are fighting Islamic State remnants. According to the NYT: “Although there is little concern that the Islamic State will reclaim its former physical territory, a caliphate that was once the size of Britain and controlled the lives of up to 12 million people, the terrorist group has still mobilized as many as 18,000 remaining fighters in Iraq and Syria. These sleeper cells and strike teams have carried out sniper attacks, ambushes, kidnappings and assassinations against security forces and community leaders. The Islamic State can still tap a large war chest of as much as $400 million, which has been hidden in either Iraq and Syria or smuggled into neighboring countries for safekeeping. It is also believed to have invested in businesses, including fish farming, car dealing and cannabis growing. And ISIS uses extortion to finance clandestine operations: Farmers in northern Iraq who refuse to pay have had their crops burned to the ground. Over the past several months, ISIS has made inroads into a sprawling tent camp in northeast Syria, and there is no ready plan to deal with the 70,000 people there, including thousands of family members of ISIS fighters. American intelligence officials say the Al Hol camp, managed by Syrian Kurdish allies with little aid or security, is evolving into a hotbed of ISIS ideology and a huge breeding ground for future terrorists. The American-backed Syrian Kurdish force also holds more than 10,000 ISIS fighters, including 2,000 foreigners, in separate makeshift prisons.” “President Trump has been very focused on this,” Pompeo responded on CBS This Morning. “We executed a plan with 80 other countries to defeat ISIS. We were very successful.” “What we’ve always said is the caliphate’s been gone and that there’s always risk that there’ll be a resurgence, not just from ISIS,” he continued. “There’s risk from al-Qaeda and other radical Islamic terrorist groups. President Trump is very focused on making sure that we apply the right resources against the problem set everywhere to protect the homeland and keep the American people safe. We’ll do that.” Pressed by King on whether the Islamic State is “gaining strength,” Pompeo said the issue is “complicated.” “There are certainly places where ISIS is more powerful today than they were three or four years ago, but the caliphate is gone and their capacity to conduct external attacks has been made much more difficult,” he said. “We’ve taken down signif-
icant risk – not all of it, but a significant amount. And we’re very pleased with the work that we’ve done,” he said. Few doubted the Islamic State’s ideology and terrorist organization would survive the collapse of the hideous nation-state it stitched together from conquered Iraqi and Syrian cities. Boasts of controlling such a state were an enormous boon to Islamic State recruiting, attracting both men and women eager to live in the “caliphate” and remote “lone wolf” terrorist operatives in the West, many of whom described themselves as frustrated by their inability to travel to Syria and fight for ISIS on the front lines. The tremendous amount of money ISIS pillaged from the caliphate – it was collecting taxes and tariffs at the height of its power – posed a formidable threat. As the New York Times indicated, too much of that money was spirited away, laundered, or spent to acquire influence that ISIS leaders still possess. As the Atlantic explained in March, the Middle East has a shadowy financial system known as hawala that has been used by Western governments to finance humanitarian operations that might otherwise have been blocked or looted by authoritarian regimes. That network was also used by the Islamic State to create an economic empire that is proving far more difficult to track and destroy than the physical caliphate was. The loss of its captured oil fields was a staggering blow for ISIS, but it still has millions of dollars to play with, and it no longer has to spend any of that money on governing captured cities. The Islamic State has been shopping for a new headquarters ever since it was knocked out of Raqqa, its Syrian capital. Raqqa has great significance to the terrorist organization’s fundamentalist Islamic ideology, so no other city can ever really replace it, but ISIS is keenly interested in developing new power bases that can serve as temporary headquarters until it can recapture Raqqa and resume its effort to engineer the final apocalyptic confrontation between holy warriors and infidels. ISIS made a strong push to get established in the Philippines that did not quite succeed, although it cannot be said to have permanently failed yet. Abu Sayyaf, the Islamic State franchise in the Philippines, is still a deadly threat. ISIS was driven out of Marawi, the Philippine city it briefly controlled, but the city was virtually destroyed in the process, and Islamic State affiliates are still gaining strength with new recruits. Africa is another theater where ISIS has not been able to meet its objectives for establishing a satellite caliphate, but it also has not abandoned its efforts. Voice of America News on Tuesday noted a distinct shift in ISIS propaganda
efforts from Somalia, where it has never been able to displace the al-Qaeda-aligned militants of al-Shabaab, to the increasingly attractive terrorist growth market of Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s mixture of ethnic strife and political unrest looks like a perfect breeding ground for the Islamic State virus, although its presence is currently very small. ISIS has unfortunately become a major player in Afghanistan, possibly with enough strength sabotage negotiations between the United States, the Taliban, and the Afghan government. Taliban insiders and Afghan security officials are both worried ISIS will be able to recruit disaffected extremists from the Taliban if it makes peace with Washington and Kabul, and might be able to present itself to the most nefarious elements in Pakistan as an alternative agent of influence if the Taliban becomes unsuitable. In fact, some Afghans charge that the Pakistanis are already financing Islamic State fighters to set them up as a replacement for the Taliban, although American officials believe Pakistan is moving away from its policy of supporting extremists in Afghanistan. Russia and China, which have interests in Afghanistan, have accused the United States of covertly nourishing ISIS as a check against the Taliban. President Trump on Wednesday called on other countries, such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkey – to step up and do more to combat the Islamic State as it becomes a more diffuse threat. “At a certain point, all of these other countries where ISIS is around — they’ve been decimated by the way, badly decimated — but all of these countries are going to have to fight them, because do we want to stay there for another 19 years? I don’t think so. The United States, we’re 7,000 miles away,” said Trump. Trump also said European nations should take in captured ISIS fighters currently languishing in Syrian detention camps. About 2,000 of those prisoners are believed to hail from Western countries. “If Europe doesn’t them take, I’ll have no choice but to release them into the countries from which they came, which is Germany and France and other places,” he warned. “We beat them. You captured them. We’ve got thousands of them, and now, as usual, our allies say, ‘Oh, no, we don’t want them,’ even though they came from France and Germany and other places,” he complained. “So we’re going to tell them, and we’ve already told them: Take these prisoners that we’ve captured, because the United States is not going to put them in Guantanamo for the next 50 years and pay for it,” Trump said. (By John Hayward - BREITBART)
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Across : 1. Hurt 5. Make a selection 8. Frank 12. Legal hold 13. Bad grade 14. Gambling city 15. School groups (abbr.) 16. Became more profound 18. That woman 19. River mouths 20. House locations 22. Large antelope 25. Washington, DC time zone 26. Food allotment 28. Knife feature 31. Australian dog 32. Witty reply 34. Chaps 35. Poetic work 36. Big, hairy spider 41. India’s Mother ___ 42. Pen point 43. Abnormally sensitive 46. Linger 47. Little piggies 48. Self 49. Broadcasts 50. Egg on 51. High explosive (abbr.) 52. Scottish loch
Answer to last week’s crossword:
Down : 1. First Greek letter 2. Used footnotes 3. Listened to 4. Printers’ measures 5. Most bizarre 6. Rinds 7. Wobble 8. Unrefined metals 9. Writing instrument 10. Compass direction (abbr.) 11. Drift off 17. Rose Bowl City 19. AWOL soldier 21. Make over 22. Card game 23. Yule drink
24. One, in Havana 27. Hue 28. Sis’s sibling 29. Directed 30. Ingested 33. Archer’s goal 34. Team’s symbol 37. Royal rule 38. Loosen laces 39. Those who fib 40. Chasm 41. Try out 43. One ___ time (2 wds.) 44. Toss 45. Rebel general 46. ___ Juan
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BSP recognizes outstanding partners in Mindanao
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas cited its outstanding partners that supported its various initiatives and advocacy programs in 2018 in Northern Mindanao and CARAGA regions.
WiFi, libre na sa Gingoog City GINGOOG CITY - Ang Gingoog City Hall Ground ug pipila ka publiko nga lugar sa ciudad ma WiFi zone na. Sa pag hinabi ni Mayor Erick Canosa sa Department of Information and Communication Technology ( DITC) ang ciudad sa dili madugay maga enjoy na sa free WiFi. Sama sa libre WiFi ang City Library, Plaza, Pantalan mahimo na kining maka himulo sa kusog nga
Internet connection kay nasabtan sa Mayor kung unsa kini ka importante ilabina sa naay mga pamilya sa lain dapit diin maka video call sila sa ilang mga pamilya. Apan naay pahimangno si Cañosa, ilabina sa mga trabahante sa City hall nga dapat e disiplina gyud ang kaugalingon ug kinanlan naay saktong oras sa pag gamit ug Facebook ug pag Internet nga
dili maka balda sa panarbaho. Matod pa sa Mayor, dili angay mahikaw ang mga trabahante sa kani nga technolihiya ky gamit kaayo kini ang internet inkaso adunay mga emergency dali ra ma contact o ma chat ang ilang pamilya sa laing dapit. Ang Gingoog City maga enjoy sa 14-mbps Internet connection karon. (Mindanao Examiner)
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – More than a dozen private and government agencies in Northern Mindanao and CARAGA regions were given recognition by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for their outstanding contribution to the various initiatives and advocacy programs of the BSP in 2018. Juan De Zuñiga, Jr., Monetary Board Member of the BSP, led the recognition during the Annual Awards Ceremony and Appreciation Lunch for BSP Stakeholders held recently here. The awardees were Liceo de Cagayan University, Inc. as outstanding respondent among large and medium firms, National Economic and Development Authority - Northern Mindanao and CARAGA as outstanding partners for the
report on regional economic developments in the Philippines (sources of information); and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) – Regional Welfare Office X, La Salle University Ozamiz, and Hope Radio Philippines Butuan as outstanding regional partners. Other awardees were Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company–Cagayan de Oro City Main, Mercury Drug Store-Ozamiz City Main, and Philippine National Bank- Montilla Branch as outstanding regional partners for Clean Note and Coin Policy Program; Cagayan de Oro National High School, Robinsons Supermarket– Ozamiz City, and St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan College as outstanding regional partners for Coin Recirculation Program; and Camiguin Polytechnic
State College Camiguin, Misamis Occidental Provincial Library and Information Center, and Saint Paul University–Surigao City as outstanding regional knowledge resource network partners. Two hall of fame awardees were also honored during the event - the Liceo de Cagayan University, Inc. as Outstanding Respondent among Large and Medium Firms (Business Expectations Survey) and the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company-Cagayan de Oro City Main as the Outstanding Regional Partner (Currency Programs of BSP). The awarding was part of BSP’s 26thanniversary with the theme “One Team One Goal: Resilient Partnership Towards Inclusive Economic Growth.” (Apipa Bagumbaran)
NPA threatens to attack power plants in South CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Communist rebels warned to paralyze and halt the operation of coal-fired power plants in Mindanao after insurgents raided the facility in the southern Philippine province of Misamis Oriental. Norsen Manggubat, a spokesman for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the troubled region, lauded insurgents for the daring raid on Mindanao Energy Systems, Inc. (Minergy) in the village of Quezon in Balingasag town where New People’s Army members disarmed security guards and seized 5 high-powered weapons and other military hardware. “The Communist Party of the Philippines - North Central Mindanao Region lauds the operatives of New People’s Army - Misamis Oriental for its roaring disarmament operation against the security guards of Mindanao Energy Systems, Inc. (Minergy),” Manggubat said. “The NPA’s military action is highly justifi-
able because of the grave legal injury and scathe the Minergy induces to the residents and to the people.” He said Minergy’s operation, which started in 2017 “under Duterte’s incitation of installing coal-fired power plants in the pretext of expanding energy resources in the country” allegedly dislocated dwellers from their homes and livelihood. As soon as Minergy started its operation, health risks among the residents were evident, according to Manggubat, who claimed that vegetation in the area were covered in coal ashes from an ash lagoon and also threatened the ecological balance in the town and contaminate the sea and potable water sources with toxic substances. He also blamed the power plant for massive fish kill in the town the past years. He said Minergy is also present in Misamis Oriental’s Claveria and Jasaan towns and despite the existence of these
companies the people are still deprived of fair energy service from the government. “The people detested Minergy and other anti-people and anti-environment multinational companies. These aggravated the residents’ severe condition,” Manggubat said. “This will serve as a warning to Minergy and other companies who are only serving for the interest of profit. The revolutionary movement is ever determined to paralyze and halt Minergy’s operation,” he added. Manggubat was referring to the operations of coal-fired power plants STEAG State Power Inc., and FDC Misamis Power Corporation in the town of Villanueva, also in Misamis Oriental. The NPA, armed wing of the CPP, has been fighting for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. The movement began in 1930 and is the world’s longest communist insurgency. (Mindanao Examiner)
180 child labor profilers ready for job in North Mindanao CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Some 180 people, chosen from 6 provinces in Northern Mindanao as enumerators for the profiling of child laborer, participated in the capacity development training conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment or DOLE which aims to capacitate them on their roles, including awareness on anti-child labor laws, and learn best practices in conducting interviews with families of working children. The enumerators came from Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Cagayan de Oro City, according Regional Community Facilitator Hannah Jemimah Navarro. Navarro said they discussed the global, nation-
al, and regional child labor perspective emphasizing statistics and the identified industry groups involving hazardous works engaged by children below 18 years old, including trends and causes, including anti-child labor laws and policies. Ebba Acosta, head of the DOLE Cagayan de Oro City Field Unit, also advised the enumerators to be keen observers during the conduct of their profiling. “You will not be in the field to assess but to determine the needs of the children. In that way, we at DOLE would know how we can extend our help to them,” she said. Earlier this year, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office here provided DOLE the list containing the names and
number of working children in the region for a speedy action mechanism in detecting, monitoring, and rescuing child laborer in hazardous and exploitative working conditions necessary for enforcement. The profiling is in line with the advocacy of the government to eliminate all forms of child labor activities with the hope to provide information on the names, addresses and specific needs as a basis for the provision of appropriate services and interventions necessary to remove them from their activities. DOLE serves as the lead agency in the implementation of the Philippine Program Against Child Labor, which seeks to eliminate child labor, according to Acosta. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Cebu Mayor Launches Cleanliness Drive, Offers Rewards
C
EBU CITY – Local Mayor Edgardo Labella has launched a new cleanliness campaign here and offered a reward of up to P5 million worth of “clean and green” projects for each of the cleanest barangay.
Labella said barangay officials and residents who can maintain cleanliness of their streets and
sustain garbage-free rivers and creeks will receive the reward from the local government in the form
of “clean and green projects.” He said the amount would be on top of the
Governor Garcia Praised for Downsizing 4 Departments
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella leads a clean-up drive in one of the barangays recently. Labella offers P5 million in project for each barangay that can maintain the cleanliness of its roads, rivers and creeks. (Caption by Cebu Examiner. Photo from Barug-PDP Laban Ceby City Facebook Page) P5 million he promised to the barangay chairmen and councilmen. The hard-working mayor earlier gathered officials of the city’s 80 barangay and told them about the cleanliness campaign. “The budget should be given immediately. That has been included in the 2019 budget. They
will give us a resolution proposing their project that will be funded with the P5 million fund per barangay and another P5 million if they are found to be active in the city-wide cleanliness campaign,” Labella said, adding, the funds shall be subject to liquidation based on the existing state audit rules. Labella said some ba-
The Simala Shrine in Sibonga, Cebu province is one of the many tourist attractions in this part of the country. Local and foreign visitors flock to the shrine which is believed to be miraculous. (Photo by Jeng Fernandez)
rangays have proposed funding from the City Government for the purchase of garbage trucks, noting that most barangay are facing problems with garbage collection due to lack of trucks to haul and bring them to the sanitary landfill. He said barangay officials are responsible for the cleanliness and sanitation in their respective areas. Labella led City Hall workers in a four-hour clean-up drive at the Guadalupe River recently where they collected some 70 metric tons of garbage. But he lamented that after the clean-up, some residents in Pasil village began throwing trash in the river and ordered Barangay chairman Julius Guioguio to apprehend and issue environmental citation tickets to residents who would continue to litter the river. (John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY - Members of Cebu’s Provincial Board commended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for pushing to streamline the bureaucracy at the Provincial Capitol by downsizing four departments and downgrading them into mere divisions under her office. Edsel Galeos, provincial board member representing Cebu’s 2nd district, said Garcia is due to sign an ordinance passed recently that will reorganize the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO), Cebu Provincial Investments and Promotions Office (CPIPO), and Provincial Tourism Office (PTO). In effect, these offices will be downgraded from the level of a department into divisions under the Office of the Governor. Galeos, author of the ordinance, said Garcia’s rationalization program will result in trimming down to 31 plantilla employees from the original 166 under the measure passed during the previous administration of former governor, now Vice Governor Hilario Davide III. “The objective of the governor is to uphold the general welfare of the public. While we sacrifice more than a hundred positions, we will convert that into savings that can be used to finance
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia projects that can benefit the general populace,” Galeos told the Philippine News Agency. Glenn Anthony Soco, the provincial board’s representative from Cebu’s 6th district, also told PNA in a separate interview, that the province will save about P186 million per year when plantilla positions in the four departments are downsized. Under the ordinance, the original 37 plantilla positions of the PDRRMO will be reduced to 10; the original 49 in CPADAO to seven; the original 30 in CPIPO to seven; and the whopping 50 plantilla posts in PTO to seven. Galeos said the governor intended to make existing departments in the Provin-
cial Capitol multi-functional offices when needed. “For example, if there is a calamity, Governor Gwen will just tap the social services department, the Provincial Health Office, the Engineering Office, etc. While we induce downsizing of personnel in those departments, we see to it that efficiency in the delivery of basic services will not be sacrificed,” he said. Soco said that with Garcia’s “management style, we feel that functions of those offices will not just be efficient, they can even be improved.” He said more than half of those 166 plantilla positions were never filled up by the administration of Davide. (John Rey Saavedra)
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