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Heightened Alert S ECURITY FORCES are in heightened alert in Southern Philippines due to threats of attacks by terrorists amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic in the country. Just last week, sol- explosives in the village of At least 5 Abu Sayyaf diers killed over a doz- Lamsugod in South Cota- gunmen were also killed en terrorists in separate bato’s Surallah town when by soldiers in fierce clashclashes in the troubled soldiers intercepted and es in Zamboanga Sibugay region from Sulu prov- engage the duo in a fire- province, but 2 infantryince to Zamboanga Pen- fight. Their group is being men and a civilian were insula and as far South linked by authorities to also injured in the fighting Cotabato province. previous attacks in Magu- in the village of President Two pro-ISIS fight- indanao and Sultan Kuda- Roxas in R.T. Lim town. ers were transporting rat provinces. Continue on page 3
Decorated army man takes over ‘Kampilan’ Division
Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, and Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy salute during the formal change of command ceremony recently at the 6th Infantry Division. Uy replaces Carreon who retires at 56. (Caption by Rhoderick Benez)
MAJOR GENERAL Juvymax Uy has formally assumed as the new commander of the 6th Infantry Division, replacing Major General Diosdado Carreon who retired at age 56. Uy, a decorated officer, served as asassistant division commander for two years prior to his assumption, and he vowedto build more on the gains of his predecessor. “Undeniably, it is a great honor to accept this position as a responsibility leading 6th Continue on page 2
A Philippine Army photo shows soldiers in training.
Pinay writer launches sci-fi novel, now on Kindle
Piracy, other high seas crimes rise in Asia DESPITE THE coronavirus pandemic, piracy and other crimes have surged in Asian waters in the first seven months of the year, many committed by a Philippines-based Islamist
group linked to Islamic State, according to a report by Babel Street. Especially hard hit have been the Sulu Sea and coastal areas of the southern Philippines, Babel Street, an open source
data analysis company based in Virginia, reported. The author, McDaniel Wicker, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and a company vice Continue on page 2
Book covers of ‘58 Minutes in Driftland’. A FILIPINO NOVEL writer I.S.A. Crisostomo-Lopez has launched her new scifi adventure book entitled “58 Minutes in Driftland,”
and is now available in both digital and paperback editions on Kindle from Amazon. “It has always been
my dream to write a story about the Filipino and bring it to the international arena. This Continue on page 2
DILG, Zambo mayor nagsampa ng kasong libel PORMAL NANG nagsampa ng reklamo si Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año laban sa pinagmulan umano ng fake news sa social media na kung saan ay pinayuhan umano niya ang mga mag-asawa na mag-physical distancing matapos magtalik.
ARMM
Ito ay kinumpirma ng tagapagsalita ng DILG na si Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya matapos ang imbestigasyon ng Philippine National Police (PNP) na kinilala ang nagpakalat ng viral post bilang si Gabriel Marvin Cabier, 26, residente ng Cebu City. “Opisyal na pong nakapagsampa ng kaso si
DILG Secretary Año sa nagpakalat ng malisyoso at maling impormasyon na sinabi niya diumano na mag-physical distancing ang mga couple matapos mag-sex. Ang pagsasampa natin ng kaso ay isang paalala na maging responsable po tayo sa ating ipinopost sa social media. Gamitin po natin Continue on page 7
Eastern Mindanao
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año and Mayor Beng Climaco
Western Mindanao
Cebu
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Decorated army man takes over ‘Kampilan’ Division Continued from page 1 Infantry Division,” he said. Philippine Army’s Lieutenant General CirilitoSobejana presided over the change of command attended by local government and military and police officials at the 6th Infantry Division headquarters in Maguindanao’s Datu Odin Sinsuat town. Sobejana praised Carreon for his achievements and even outlined the accomplishments of the 6th Infantry Division during his stint and the various security operations that resulted in the “neutraliza-
tion”of 613 enemies and the recovery of 415 firearms and 84 improvised explosivedevice, including the confiscation of 308 illegal firearms. “The past 33 years, the 6th Infantry Division flourished from a brigade to division, similar to assault - a test of time and challenges certain it’s great to a unit. Today, the 6th Infantry Division remains a formidable force to safeguard our communities in Central Mindanao and we hope primarily for the effective succession of leadership,” he said. Uy, who also served as commander of the anti-ter-
ror Task Force Zamboanga, praised Carreon’s leadership and thanked Sobejana for his “all-out support” to the 6th Infantry Division. For his part, Carreon called on soldiers to continue to serve the people and safeguard the communities. “Do your duties diligently with passion your daily grind and its output shall serveas a building blocks of what you shall become as you grow in the service, whatever you shall be at the end of your journey as you reach a peak in your military career shall all be based on what you shall do today,” he said. (Rhoderick Beñez)
Pinay writer launches sci-fi novel, now on Kindle Continued from page 1 dream has finally come true with the launch of my new science fiction novel on Amazon titled, 58 Minutes in Driftland. Since my story is a story of a Filipino immigrant’s journey to self-realization and empowerment, I hope to be able to reach as many people as possible,” she told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. The story, according to the author, revolves around Alunsinag Bayani, a 17-year-old Filipino immigrant in the United States who is trying to find his place in the world. His mother Mercedes or “Chedeng” Bayani is a nurse who works at a community hospital in Los Angeles, while his father Artemio “Miyo” Bayani is a travel writer
who is mostly out of town on assignment to feature endangered plants or animals. Alunsinag or “Al” as his friends call him, faces many adventures with his two best friends, Ming Ju-long, a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong; and Tej Ondrej, an Indian immigrant from Bangalore. Lopez said: “Driftland is an alternative realm where childhood dreams and nightmares exist. The adventure begins when Alunsinag accidentally steps into Driftland and discovers he can switch places with his alternate, more efficient self for 58 minutes. The switch opens doors to discovering one’s strengths and regaining confidence in one’s abilities.” “An interesting allegory on a person’s journey to
self-realization and the battle between good and evil, 58 Minutes in Driftland is also a coming of age story which explores current issues facing young people today like belongingness and discrimination, standing up to bullies, discovering one’s potential, and falling in love,” explained Lopez, a stay-at-home mother who has retired after 17 years of office work. Lopez, who is based in Binan City in Laguna province, just outside Manila, revealed that she composes story ideas in her mind while doing the laundry, changing diapers or mopping the floors. She is with her husband, four children and two dogs. 58 Minutes in Driftland: A Journey to an Alternate Realm has 110 pages. (Mindanao Examiner)
Piracy, other high seas crimes rise in Asia Continued from page 1 president, said rising crime in that area carried significant security implications. The Sulu Sea, he said, is a key shipping route and controlling crime there would require shifting regional security forces from other areas where they also are needed. “There’s also a very serious global Islamic terror threat tied up in this,” Wicker continued, referring to the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is based in the south-
ern Philippines and has links to Islamic State. There have been at least 50 incidents of piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping for profit in Asian waters during the first seven months of 2020, the vast majority of them in the Sulu Sea and the Strait of Malacca, the world’s busiest shipping lane, Wicker said. Those were double the numbers of such incidents recorded for the same period last year and represent the highest level since 2016,
according to the report, citing data from a regional anti-piracy coalition. The Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible for many attacks this year, it said. The rise in the group’s maritime activities has paralleled stepped up attacks in the southern Philippines. An Aug. 24 suicide bombing killed 14 people, including security force personnel, it said. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Reuters)
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Heightened Alert
Continued from page 1 Security forces caught up with a group of gunmen escaping a military operation from the nearby town of Alicia where a terrorist had been killed and 2 soldiers and three civilians also wounded in the battle in La Paz village. Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, commander of the 44th Infantry Battalion, whose group is pursuing the terrorists, said: “This is the result of our pursuit operations against the armed elements of Abral Abdusalam and Sahibad Group led by Furuji Indama after our encounter in Barangay La Paz in Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay.” Templonuevo said troops recovered the bodies of the gunmen and their automatic weapons. The identities of the dead remain unknown, he said, adding, soldiers clashed with at least 10 armed men in the area. Citing intelligence reports, Brig. Gen. Leonel Nicolas, commander of the 102nd Infantry Brigade, said the Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf gunmen were on a kidnapping mission.
Last October 4, gunmen led by a rogue leader Abdul Alip, of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, kidnapped a 70-year old British man, Allan Arthur Hyrons, and his Filipina wife, Welma Paglinawan, in Tukuran town in Zamboanga del Sur. Alip handed over the couple to the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province where the pro-ISIS group demanded P50 million for the safe release of the victims. The victims were allegedly rescued by soldiers November 25 after a clash with the Abu Sayyaf. In Sulu province, army soldiers killed 2 Abu Sayyaf fighters in the township of Patikul, a known stronghold of the pro-ISIS group. Members of the 3rd and 5th Scout Ranger Battalions recovered the bodies of the militants, including their weapons, according to Brig. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of both the 11th Infantry Division and anti-terror Joint Task Force Sulu. He said the slain terrorists were followers of Mundi Sawadjaan, who is being linked to the August 24 twin suicide bombings
in the capital town of Jolo that killed and wounded dozens of soldiers and civilians. “We will employ all military assets to destroy the fleeing Abu Sayyaf members who are perpetrators of the Jolo bombings,” Gonzales said, adding he ordered all units under him to track down Sawadjaan and his cohorts. Brig. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade, said there will be no let-up in the operation until Sawadjaan’s group is neutralized. “The 1102nd Infantry Brigade, under the direction of the Joint Task Force Sulu, will continue to conduct sustained military operations to pursue the perpetrators of the twin bombings. There will be no let-up until we have neutralized the terror group of Mundi Sawadjaan,” he said. Security forces also launched a massive hunt for 2 Indonesian and a Filipino member of the Abu Sayyaf who are planning attacks in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Zamboanga City May-
Microsoft launches program to aid PwDs
Vivek Puthucode, Chief Partner Officer at Microsoft in Asia Pacific. The Microsoft Enabler Program launched pioneers disability inclusive workplaces across Asia Pacific by removing the barriers for a more diverse workforce. With more than 1 billion people with disabilities (PwDs) in the world, disability-inclusive employment can lead to 1-7% rise in GDP in Asia Pacific through increased economic productivity, it said. The program will pilot in five markets - Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, before expanding to the rest of the region by the end of 2020.
Organizations committed to the program will receive training from the non-profit organizations (NPOs) to become inclusive employers, and these businesses will in turn provide job shadowing, internships, mentoring and opportunities in tech jobs for PwDs. Microsoft will provide industry required training in cloud and artificial intelligence, as well as a platform for all three to collaborate towards an inclusive future for every person. “In today’s workplace, it is imperative that we include everyone, and accessibility is the vehicle to inclusion. It is a responsibility and an opportunity. There are no limits to what people can achieve when technology reflects the diversity of everyone who uses it. Inclusive organizations outperform their peers and attract and keep top talent, and we have seen how inclusion drives innovation,” said Vivek Puthucode, Chief Partner Officer at Microsoft in Asia Pacific. Puthucode said Mic-
rosoft will provide online training in data engineering and programming, cloud computing on Microsoft Azure and application development in GitHub to the PwDs. These modules will provide crucial technology skills that are globally recognized, and highly sought after in our digital first and remote everything world, therefore providing them with a learning path for industry leading skillsets that improves their employability. For the employer partners, Microsoft will conduct workshops on inclusive design and assistive technologies enabled through artificial intelligence on Microsoft Azure. “At the heart of the Microsoft Enabler Program is a comprehensive accessibility model that will not only improve inclusion of people with disabilities across Asia Pacific for years to come; it also connects to local talent from underrepresented communities and improves our society,” Puthucode said. (With a report from Mindanao Examiner.)
A Philippine Army photo shows soldiers in training. or Beng Climaco released the photos of the terrorists and told the public to keep on the lookout for the trio. She said the government has offered a P3 million rewards for the capture of the Indonesian Andi Baso and his female partner Reski Fantasya; and Sawadjaan. Last month, police captured an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Jamiul Nassalon whose group was reportedly planning to launch attacks in Zamboanga Peninsula. Brig. Gen. Jesus Cam-
bay Jr, the regional police chief, said Nassalon was tracked down in his hideout in Caliran village in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Mabuhay town. He said the 41-year old Nassalon, who uses various nom de guerre, is facing a string of criminal charges in connection to his bloody attacks against civilians in the region. Cambay said Nassalon was also implicated in the 2009 kidnapping of 71-year old Doroteo Gonzales, a carpenter in Zamboanga City who
was eventually beheaded in Basilan province after his family failed to pay P25 million ransom in exchange for his life. Nassalon was tagged in the bombing of a provincial bus in Zamboanga City in 2012 that wounded at least 6 people. And the killings of 8 fishermen off Siromon Island, also in Zamboanga in 2017; and the strafing of a provincial in Buenavista village here that injured at least 8 passengers. (With a report from Rhoderick Beñez)
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Sulu Pictures in the News Sulu provincial government at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos from the Office of the Provincial Governor, Task Force Covid-19, and Jolo Municipal Government)
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Across : 1. Hoax 5. Cry loudly 8. Nest contents 12. Delhi dress 13. Animosity 14. Vicinity 15. Adventure 17. Stagger 18. Doll’s cry 19. Pack animal 20. Confess 23. Summer beverage (2 wds.) 27. Luau souvenir 28. Disregarded 30. Decrease 32. Beethoven work 35. Renters 37. Egg drink 38. Artist’s board 40. Bumbling 42. Impress 43. Burn balm 45. Percentage 47. Send 51. Steamy appliance 52. Barnyard layer 53. Fork point 54. Origin 55. Keats’ “before” 56. Behalf
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DILG, Zambo mayor nagsampa ng kasong libel Continued from page 1 ito para sa kabutihan lalo na at tayo ay nahaharap sa isang matinding krisis,” ani Malaya. “Ang ating freedom of expression ay hindi ganap lalo na kung nababaluktot ang mga totoong nangyari o sinabi. Ang kalayaang ito ay hindi maaaring gamitin
upang magpakalat ng fake news o disinformation,” dagdag pa nito. Sinabi ni Malaya na ang mga kasong isinampa laban kay Cabier ay paglabag sa Article 154 ng Revised Penal Code (Unlawful Use of Means of Publication and Unlawful Utterances), kaugnay ng
Section 6 ng Republic Act 10175 o ang Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 at Article 142 RPC na inamiyendahan ng Presidential Decree 1974 kaugnay sa RA 10175. Ang mga kaso ay isinampa sa Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office kamakailan matapos pasi-
China Aggression Dear Editor: We cannot blame the United States for tagging China as the worst country when it comes to being the most violator of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. US Secretary Michael Pompeo stated that The United States ratified sanctions and visa limitations on both Chinese individuals and entities accountable for the Chinese Communist Party’s imperialism. This is also because China keeps on occupying more territories that it claims as its own despite the protestations of other claimant-countries. It continues building manmade islands and turns them into missile bases, even as it causes massive destruction of the environment. There are also traced jamming devices in Fiery Cross Reefs on the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea. Also, there were military planes spotted on Mischief Reef. This is part of its strategy to project supremacy and advance its economic agenda and military designs.
China wants to take control of the Spratly Islands, and obviously is interested in Philippine water territories, because of its vast economic resources and strategic location. It desires to secure all methane hydrate for its own and make the West Philippine Sea as an asylum for its nuclear-armed submarine. China’s government has already declared that the military installations it has built on the islands will be limited to required resistance necessities The Kagitingan Reef now occupied by China is also claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China’s display of power signals its aggressive designs which the international community has condemned from the day the sea disputed erupted. Nevertheless, such aggression does not diminish our sovereign rights which the Permanent Court of Arbitration of categorically acknowledges on July 12, 2016. The question is, are we allowing China to exploit our natural resources?
Are we permitting them to militarize our territories? Our country should be extra concerned with this because such activity poses a serious threat to our country as well as to other claimant-nations. This particular issue should awaken the spirit of patriotism in every Filipino and unite the nation in asserting our sovereign right to our exclusive economic zone or EEZ. The hard part is that we cannot call for war or for a more hardline reaction. China is a global superpower with nuclear warheads and a missile arsenal that could hit the Philippines from the mainland. But if China wants to respect as a global power, it should abide by the UN-backed arbitral court ruling that invalidated its expansive maritime claims. We hope China would not threaten peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea nor disrupt other countries in the exercise of their sovereign rights. Ann R. Aquino Cavite
Lola, pinatay dahil ayaw magpa-halik NORTH COTABATO – Nahaharap sa kasong kriminal ang isang 72-anyos na lalaki matapos nitong patayin sa saksak ang kanyang 70-anyos na asawa dahil lamang sa isang halik na tinanggihan ng biktima. Nabatid sa pulisya na humingi umano ng halik si Lolo Leonardo Tuadles sa kanyang maybahay na si Lola Leonidez Tuadles sa kanilang bahay sa Purok 10, Barangay Poblacion sa bayan ng Makilala ngunit tumanggi umano ang bik-
tima. Nauwi umano sa pagtatalo ng dalawang matanda ang simpleng halik na hinihingi ni Lolo hanggang sa mauwi ito sa pananaksak sa lobb mismo ng kanilang kuwarto. Batay sa salaysay ng kanilang apo, dakong alas 3:30 ng hapon ng matagpuan nito na nakahandusay na sa sahig ang dalawang matanda at naliligo sa sariling dugo dahil sa tama ng saksak sa ibatibang bahagi ng kanilang katawan.
Lumalabas din sa imbestigasyon ng mga pulis na nagkaroon umano ng mainit na pagtatalo ang mag-asawa sa nakalipas na mga araw bago pa man ang insidente. Sa pahayag naman ni Lolo, hindi umano pumayag ang kanyang misis na halikan siya at dito na ito nagalit at kumuha ng panaksak at saka inundayan ang asawa. Nawala umano sa kanyang katinuan si Lolo at huli na mamalayan nito ang nagawa. (Rhoderick Beñez)
munuan ni Cabier ang pagpo-post ng Facebook page na “One Ride One Shot” na nagtaglay ng nasabing fake news at umani ng 11,000 shares, 3,600 reactions at 1,900 comments noong 1:20 p.m. ng Agosto 11, 2020. Kinumpirma ng PNP-CIDG na ang administrator ng nasabing page ay si Cabier, sabi ni Malaya. “Tinuloy namin ang pagsasampa ng kaso bilang babala sa mga nagbabalak gumawa ng fake news na mag-isip muna bago gumaya sa nasasakdal. Kakasuhan namin sila gamit ang buong puwersa ng batas. Mali po ito at hindi po natin ito dapat kunsintihin,” ayon kay Malaya. Hinihintay pa ng DILG ang paglalabas ng subpoena ng Investigating Prosecutor. Samantala, ang kontrobersyal na post ay inalis na ng administrator ng Facebook page.
Kumalat ang Bisayang post ni Cabier at nagdulot ng sama ng loob sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan lalo na si Año, na sinabing pinagmulan nito. Nilagyan pa ng larawan ni Año ang post na nagsaad na “Yowooo na! Wala na jud ko kasabot aning kalakihan ani man jud ni padong ba...Feel nako ang neurons anis utok nag-social distancing na pud ba hays. #photoolmine. #memes” na ang ibig sabihin ay “Matapos magtalik dapat may physical distancing na din sila. Para sure na walang Covid ang bawat isa.” “Sa panahong ito ng public health emergency, nakalulungkot na may mga taong nag-aaksaya ng kanilang oras at pagod sa pagkakalat ng fake news at paglilikha ng disinformation upang siraan ang mga tao katulad ni Secretary Año na isang Covid-19 survivor, subali’t walang
pagod na nagsisikap na sugpuin ang Covid-19 bilang Vice Chairman ng NTF (National Task Force Against) Covid-19,” ani Malaya. “Hinihimok namin ang mga taong ito na gamitin ang kanilang galing sa pagtulong sa pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng pamamahagi ng tamang impormasyon at pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan,” dagdag pa ng opisyal. Sa Zamboanga City, kinasuhan rin ng libel ni Mayor Beng Climaco ang dalawang radio announcer / television broadcasters na sina Rey Bayogin at Gil Climaco ng EMedia dahil umano sa mga inilabas nitong paratang laban sa opisyal. Pitong counts ng libel ang kinakaharap nina Bayogin at Climaco na handa naman umanong sagutin ang kanilang mga kaso. (May karagdagang ulat ang Mindanao Examiner.)
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Cebu stops dolomite mining!
C
EBU CITY – Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has issued a cease and desist order against two mining companies in the town of Alcoy and effectively stopping the extraction of dolomites used in the controversial Manila Bay white sand project.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. (Cebu Provincial PIO) Garcia signed Executive Order No. 25 ordering Dolomite Mining Corporation (DMC) and Philippine Mining Service Corporation (PMSC) to “immediately cease and desist from further extracting, processing, selling, and transporting of dolomite, associated mineral deposits, and other quarry resources”. The order, she said, was “to further prevent more damage to the terrestrial environment in the Municipality of Alcoy,” claiming that the activities of the companies that undertook the extraction and transport of dolomites to Manila are not covered with Environmental Impact Study as mandated under Proclamation No. 2146. “The Provincial Government of Cebu, and even the Municipality of Alcoy, was not informed of the beautification project nor was there any public consultation held before the issuance of the two OTPs (ore transport permits) to PMSC for the transport of said dolomite rocks from Cebu to Manila,” she said. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) in Central Visayas said it issued two OTPs to the PMSC which allowed the company to transport 7 tons of dolomite for the Manila Bay beautification project. Garcia, however, said issuance of such OTPS to the mining firm, PMSC, was without proper
notice to the Alcoy municipality, noting that the absence of public consultation “clearly lacks transparency” on the part of MGB and the mining firms. She said it violated Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2010-21 which defines the role of an LGU in ensuring compliance with “public notice, public consultation and public participation”. “The absence of Environmental Impact Study is a clear and blatant violation of DENR Administrative Order No. 200330, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1586, establishing the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System,” she added. The governor also invoked the constitutional principle of “balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony with nature” in issuing the order. She asked the Alcoy LGU, the police and the military to assist the provincial government in implementing the cease and desist order. DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said the crushed dolomite boulders overlaid on the beach area of Manila Bay came from Cebu and were already crushed before being brought to the capital. The project, Antiporda said, “will serve as a campaign for the people to tell them that it’s about
The Manila Bay white sand project continues to pique the public’s curiosity as bikers and other passersby stop and try to take a look at the large heap of white sand at the bay front. Manila Bay has always been famous for its breathtaking sunset. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan) time we take care of our environment and maintain cleanliness, because, as DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu believes, the current pandemic is connected to our being neglectful (of) our environment”. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo defended the Manila Bay project and said it has been on the pipeline and was already allotted with funds last year.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also said the white sand project will prevent soil erosion and flooding. “Itong ginawa po nila, ito po ay tinatawag na beach enhancement, so hindi lang po ito pagpapaganda. Itong beach enhancement pong ito ay para po maiwasan ang soil erosion at para makatulong din po sa flood control,” he said in defending the project.
Lawmakers and environmental groups criticized the project since dolomite sand could pose public health risks and environmental problems. Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso also sided with Panelo and Roque and defended the project. “Our stand is very clear, until particular sand is found pollutive harmful without proper studies, we will support the rehabilitation
of Manila Bay,” Domagoso said. “To know na makapaminsala siyempre me mga syentipiko naman and I think DENR is in the right position to know better than me, sapagkat sila naman ang talagang tinalaga ng batas na mangalaga sa ating kapaligiran.” There was no immediate statement from the DENR on Garcia’s order. (John Rey Saavedra, Marita Moaje and Azer Parrocha.)
Small entrepreneurs to get business mentor CEBU CITY – The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) said it will mentor budding micro-entrepreneurs, who are recipients of the provincial government’s micro-business aid program, and also those seeking to revive their businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. MCCI president Steven Yu and its past president Stanley Go also met with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who championed the concept of countryside enterprise business upliftment in partnership with MCCI in 2011. Garcia said the seasoned MCCI entrepreneurs can part-
ner with the Provincial Board and the Office of the Vice Governor in handling the applications and share their knowledge to the program beneficiaries. They will also guide program recipients and transmit to them their know-how in turning in a high chance for the business to succeed. The micro-business assistance program mulls providing P50,000 to recipients applying for a business reboot, P20,000 to those in the manufacturing industry, and P10,000 for recipients engaged in trading and services. Go, who is vice president for
sales and marketing at Virginia Foods Inc., recommended a business template, a so-called pro-forma, just like the business model observed by the franchising sector. He vowed to join the partner-suppliers of capitol to this program. Garcia disclosed that the Cebu CFI Community Cooperative, with the chairmanship of lawyer Winston Garcia, is also committed to provide operating capital through collateral-free loans. The Philippine Veterans Bank also assured collateral-free loans worth P300,000 to back the recipients.
The provincial government once worked with MCCI in the “Obra Negosyo Eskwela” program in 2011 that honed the entrepreneurial skills of students. The program encouraged food product developers and manufacturers among university students. The capitol’s program gears to provide livelihood opportunities to displaced workers, such as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and individuals in the lowest 20-percent income group as certified by the municipal or city social welfare development office. (Carlo Lorenciana)
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