Security forces now stronger to fight terrorism, insurgents in Mindanao PAGE 2
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Sept. 15-21, 2014
WILL THERE BE ENOUGH TIME FOR BANGSAMORO LAW? President Benigno Aquino and MILF Chieftain Murad Ebrahim.
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ill there be enough time for Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law? This was the question now raised by many Muslims following the long delayed submission by President Benigno Aquino of the draft law to the House of Representatives. Aquino has appealed oughly. to Congress to immedi“Sa atin naman pong ately pass the proposed Kongreso, nauunawaan law, but some lawmakers namin na kailangan who are opposed to the ninyong suriin nang Muslim rule have vowed mabuti ang panukalang to scrutinize every provi- batas na ito. Ang hiling lang sion in the BBL and this namin, maipasa po sana ito early are planning to sa lalong madaling question the constitu- panahon. Sa ganitong tionality of the proposed paraan po, mabibigyan law to the Supreme Court. natin ng sapat na oras ang Congress has to review ating mga kapatid na Musthe proposed bill thor- lim na makapaghanda, at
ARMM
tuluyang mapalago ang ipinunla nating pagbabago sa pamamahala sa Bangsamoro,” Aquino said. Senate President Franklin Drilon said they aim to pass the proposed law in the first quarter of 2015, saying, it would give the Muslim autonomous region enough time to conduct a plebiscite and have the transition commission in place before the 2016 national elections. Drilon said he is confident that the measure will be passed. “What we will look at with care is that the Bangsamoro Basic Law
Southern Mindanao
Davao
should be within the four corners of the Constitution,” he said. Once the basic law is ratified, the Organic Law that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be repealed and replaced by the new Bangsamoro regional government – a parliamentary form of government. “Malabo na yan at siguradong maraming mga kongresista na hindi pabor sa BBL ang siguradong mangunguna sa pagtutol nito. Wala ng oras dahil matagal na naantala ang pagpapasa ng BBL sa
Malakanyang,” villager Abubakar Abdullah said. The Bangsamoro Transition Commission which crafted the draft law submitted it to Aquino in April this year and he should have signed it the next month, but it has been delayed by so much review to ensure that all the provisions in it do not violate the Constitution. The former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a peace agreement with Manila in March this year, has previously expressed serious concern over the delay in
Western Mindanao
Cebu
the signing of the proposed Muslim homeland. Once Aquino signs the draft law, it can be ratified and implemented in time for the 2016 local and national elections. The law will pave the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro region in 2016 that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which is composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, including the cities of Lamitan and Marawi. (Mindanao Examiner)
Manila
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Sept. 15-21, 2014
Security forces now stronger to fight terrorism, insurgents in Mindanao ZAMBOANGA CITY – Military and police authorities in western Mindanao have signed an agreement that would unify efforts in battling insurgencies and terrorism in that part of the southern Philippines. Marine Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela said senior military and police officers led by Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, of the Western Mindanao Command; and Police Director Edgardo Ingking, of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations, signed the “Joint Letter Directives” that solidify the unity of effort between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in addressing peace and security concerns in the region. The accord will address the growing threats pose by the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants who are behind kidnappings for ransom and terrorism; and the communist New People’s Army rebels. The signing ceremony – held at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City - was also witnessed Lt. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr., the commander of Northern Luzon, who represented AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.,
Photos released by the Western Mindanao Command show the signing ceremony between Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, of the Western Mindanao Command; and Police Director Edgardo Ingking, of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations. and Police Director Juanito Vaño, of the Directorate for Logistics, who represented PNP Director General Alan Purisima. “This (agreement) will further boost government efforts in fighting lawlessness and at the same time effectively promote peace and development in partnership with local governments and the communities as well. This is a very good development both for the AFP and the PNP,” Muyuela told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner. It was the second accord entered between the AFP and the PNP this year. In July, AFP and PNP authorities also signed a similar agreement that paves way for a joint antiinsurgency operation in eastern Mindanao. The accord was signed at the headquarters of the military’s Eastern Minda-
nao Command in Davao City between Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command; and Chief Superintendent Wendy del Rosario, who represented Chief Superintendent Angelito Pacia, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations. The signing ceremony was also attended by army commanders from the 4th and 10th Infantry Divisions and representatives from the AFP General Headquarters. The officials signed the Joint Standing Operating Procedure Number 1 or the Condition Situation Response System. The JSOP prescribes certain minimum actions or responses pertaining to the counter-insurgency campaign by the PNP and AFP operating forces working under the Area Joint
Peace and Security Coordinating Center Eastern Mindanao within the territorial boundaries of Regions 10, 11, 12 and 13 in accordance with the established Condition Situation Response System. The new system will further enhance the interoperability operations between the police and military and effectively address the threats pose by the communist rebels and other threats, including terrorism. Capt. Franco Suelto, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, and Insp. Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesperson, told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner that police and military forces are closely coordinating its efforts in law enforcement and antiinsurgency operations, and have been successful so far in their security cam-
paign. The joint police and military operations, according to Suelto, is covered by a Joint Letter Directive which mandates the AFP to support PNP law enforcement operations against lawless groups; and the Internal Peace and Security Operation that also mandates the PNP to support the AFP in counter-insurgency operations. A Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center was also created to craft and implement plans for intensified security operations against lawless and criminal elements, private armed and other threat groups in support of the local governments; assume functions during elections; monitor and assess peace and security situations; coordinate the implementation of necessary measures to ensure peace and security in their area of respon-
sibility; conduct intensified law-enforcement; initiate and coordinate training and exercises; conduct information dissemination of timely and relevant information and enhance awareness program. “Police and military efforts in maintaining peace and order, and the close coordination with the local government units in protecting the civilians, are working perfectly well with the support of course of various sectors of the society, the community and the public,” Suelto said. Just this year, a joint police and military operation led to the capture of a senior NPA leader, Mercy Maghinay, in Zamboanga del Norte’s Siayan town following a clash with rebels. Security forces recovered a shot gun, a .45-caliber pistol, a hand grenade and some P100,000 in cash from Maghinay. Brig. Gen. Gerardo Barrientos, Jr, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said Maghinay heads the NPA forces in the province and was behind the spate of attacks on military and police targets. He said in Zamboanga City, policemen and army troops from the Task Force Zamboanga have captured more than a dozen Abu Sayyaf militants in joint operations in recent months. ( With a report from J. Magtanggol)
Zamboanga commemorates deadly rebel attack
Zamboanga City government photos show housing units in Mariki and Santa Catalina villages. And Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar addresses the press during a news conference.
MAYOR Maria Isabelle Salazar led various inauguration of government housing units for victims of war during last week’s commemoration of the deadly rebel attack in 2013 that killed and wounded over 400 people in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. The commemoration of the siege by members of the Moro National Liberation Front has reopened the bitter memories of the war that raged for three weeks and affected more than 120,000 people in Zamboanga, and hundreds of thousands more in nearby Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Salazar reminded residents to stay vigilant as she led officials in “Honoring the Heroes, Commemorating the Brave and (Stay) United in Defending the Flag.” She and other officials led the ground-breaking ceremony of houses on stilts in the village of Mariki following a mass blood donation and the hand-over of 120 newly-built housing units for war refugees in Santa Catalina village.
Catholic churches also rung its bells simultaneously and offered masses followed by candle-lighting. Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, who was here recently, has already declared the end of humanitarian stage for war refugees in Zamboanga, but she stressed that government program to ensure total recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by the siege will continue. She did not elaborate. The stretch of the Roseller Lim Boulevard that was dotted by hundreds of refugee tents has been cleared last week and those that occupied the coastline had been transferred to various bunkhouses in different transitory sites here, although a few thousand refugees still remain inside the sport complex nearby while awaiting new housing units from the government. Just recently, Salazar also handed over more than 160 duplex housing units to refugees in Santa Catalina.
SUPPORT PEACE IN MINDANAO
The Department of Social Welfare and Development also committed to construct an additional 30 bunkhouses at the transitory site in Mampang village that can accommodate over 700 families. More than 170 refugees had died from diseases in the evacuation centers due to lack of sufficient medical and emergency facilities there. The United Nations has expressed alarm over the poor conditions of refugees still at different evacuation centers and transition sites here. Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar has been going around refugee sites to personally see their condition and assured them of the government’s rehabilitation efforts. She is frequently spotted in transitory sites and in housing projects supervising ongoing works in those areas. President Benigno Aquino visited Zamboanga City in December and assured the refugees of the government’s rehabilitation efforts, saying his administration is working closely with various agencies to rebuild houses destroyed during the war. Aquino said the government already spent some P273.8 million in relief aid and cash-for-work program for those displaced by the fighting and that he allocated an additional P3.5 billion for the rehabilitation efforts here. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Sept. 15-21, 2014
BPO firms recruiting Filipino nurses as clinical analysts
DOLE Davao Regional Director Joffrey Suyao (4th from right) and some personnel show off the citations the office received during the DOLE Mid-Year Performance Assessment held in Iloilo City recently. (Photo by Sherwin Manual)
DOLE Davao’s mid-year performance cited DAVAO CITY - The Department of Labor and Employment in Davao Region received a total of five special citations for its “commendable” first semester performance during the DOLE National Mid-Year Performance Assessment held recently in Iloilo City. DOLE Davao was cited for having the highest number of Child LaborFree Establishments and most number of Tripartite Certificate of Compliance. In the first semester, the regional office awarded 13 establishments with Tripartite Certificate of Compliance with Labor Standards, making a total of 26 establishments from 2012 to present. DOLE Davao has also awarded this year five Child Labor-Free Establishments. The citation notes “the remarkable contribution of the Davao Regional Office in promoting workers’ protection and welfare.”
The regional office also received Special Citation for its efficiency in funds utilization for the first semester with 100% disbursement rate. “We share all these citations to our partners who worked with us to achieve these accomplishments,” Regional Director Joffrey Suyao said. The DOLE Mindanao Cluster - all six regions in Mindanao - was also cited for the concerted efforts in adapting continuous process improvement and being the first cluster to complete the ISO certification on its front-line and support services. Another citation the cluster was for its commendable Advocacy Initiatives for the implementation of the Tier 2 (Incentive Scheme) of the TwoTiered Wage System. The two-tier wage system consists of a fixed
“floor wage,” or entry level for new entrants and lowskilled workers, while tier two is a flexible wage above the floor based on worker productivity and performance of the industry and enterprises, which may be negotiated between the employer and the workers. Suyao said he highly appreciates the active involvement and support of the various labor and management organizations in the region; the Public Employment Service Office; the local government units, the strong partners of the agencies at the grassroots level; attached agencies and all other stakeholders who in one one or another were instrumental to improve the performance of the DOLE in Davao Region. “With these citations, we are all the more challenged to improve and further better our service delivery to our clients,” Suyao added. (Sherwin Manual)
MANILA - Filipino nurses who are looking for opportunities to gainfully practice their profession should consider applying for wellpaying clinical service and medical coding jobs in the business process outsourcing or BPO sector, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said. “We have a growing number of BPO companies here, particularly those servicing the US healthcare industry, that are recruiting nurses for local employment. We are hopeful that these job openings will somewhat help ease joblessness among nurses,” said Romulo, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education. He said unemployment remains high among nurses, mainly because the country continues to produce a large surplus of them. This year alone, the Professional Regulatory Commission issued licenses to 22,222 new registered nurses. “These outsourcing jobs for nurses require strong communication as well as analytical skills, and the readiness to work in shifts,” Romulo said. He said Teaneck, New Jersey-based Cognizant Technology Solutions
Corp., is signing up “nursing associates” to build up its global clinical services. It has five offices in the cities of Pasig, Taguig, Makati and Cebu. Makati-based VMCO Corp., a subsidiary of Visaya Knowledge Process Outsourcing Corp., is also enlisting nursing graduates as well as registered nurses for medical coding jobs, according to Romulo. He said medical coders review and analyze in detail the medical records of hospitals, physicians and diagnostic centers, and list out all findings and treatments, including procedures performed. They then convert the records into international medical codes, making it easier for healthcare providers in America to electronically manage and access their data, he said. Romulo said Irelandbased Accenture plc is also drafting Filipino nurses for local employment as clinical support analysts. Accenture favors the hiring of local nurses who have passed the US State Boards of Nursing Inc.’s National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, and USregistered Filipino nurses with active or inactive US licenses. Accenture already has
more than 35,000 Filipino employees in 16 offices in Metro Manila and Cebu. Romulo authored the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which has helped to attract global corporations to either establish new inhouse outsourcing units here in Manila, or to relegate their non-core, business support activities to highly specialized independent BPO firms operating here. The law mandates all entities, including BPO firms, to protect the confidentiality of personal information collected from clients and stored in information-technology (IT ) systems, in accordance with rigorous international privacy standards. The Philippines’ highly labor-intensive, BPO and IT-enabled services industry includes contact center services; back offices; medical, legal and other data transcription and coding; animation; software development; engineering design; and digital content. The IT and Business Processing Association of the Philippines sees the industry yielding up to $27 billion in annual revenues and directly employing some 1.3 million Filipinos by 2016.
ARMM investment reaches record high in 3rd Quarter COTABATO CITY – The Regional Board of Investments in the Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines on Tuesday announced P3.372 billion in new investments - more than double the investments of 1.463 billion in 2013 and jobs created by this 3rd quarter have reached 2,994 compared to last years' 1,743. It said strong economic growth in the region has attracted more investors. The RBOI said three new firms Darussalam Mining Corporation, Al Mujahidun Agro-Resources and Development, Inc. and Bangsamoro Oil and Fuels Corporation - posted a total of P848 million worth of projects that generated 1,210 jobs. Darussalam Mining Corporation based in the village of Tumbagaan in Tawi-Tawi’s Languyan town is engaged in a P192.87 million mining and quarrying operation of nickel ore for export to
China. The company generated 310 local jobs. Bangsamoro Oil and Fuels Corporation, which invested P85.85 million, is expected to provide about three dozen new jobs. The company is engaged in importation, distribution and sales of petroleum products. It also has plans to construct an oil depot in Polloc Port in Parang town in Maguindanao province. While the Al Mujahidun Agro-Resources and Development, Inc. is a new player in the region’s banana industry. The company has initially planted with Cavendish bananas some 550 hectares in the village of Salman in Maguindanao’s Ampatuan town. The company has infused P570 million in the project and is expected to generate 867 jobs. The bananas are to be exported to the United Arab Emirates, Middle East and Europe. RBOI Chairman and
Managing Head, lawyer Ishak Mastura said: "We have achieved our investment target for this year and we hope that we will continue to attract more businessmen to invest given our strong agribased economy. Other than our rich agricultural resources, the impending submission of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress is anticipated to effect positive signals to the business community that the peace process is on track." "However, we are aware that any change in government or structural changes usually brings about a period of adjustment as the business community evaluates the impact of new policies. So this may mean that investment growth in 2015 could be affected. If impediments to doing business are reduced and if the security environment continues to improve, this could result to robust business and jobs creation in the region,” Mastura said.
NPA leader arrested in CDO CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Security forces arrested a senior communist rebel leader in Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental province in southern Philippines, officials said. Officials said Victoriano Dimco, whose forces operate in
Bukidnon province, was captured in the village of Puerto. Dimco also tried to escape, but failed. Dimco was linked to the spate of attacks in the province and is now under interrogation to determine whether he was on a new mission or planning
an attack in Cagayan de Oro. Officials did not say if Dimco was armed when nabbed by the policemen and soldiers. He is also facing a string of arrest warrants for various criminal charges. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Sept. 15-21, 2014
Zamboanga Electric Cooperative in ‘financial constraints’ ZAMBOANGA CITY – Three years after the head of the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative had been removed by the National Electrification Administration over anomalous transactions involving millions of pesos in funding, the cooperative is still struggling with its finances. Engineer George Ledesma is the current General Manager of the electric cooperative, but despite the new leadership and reforms he reportedly introduced, the cooperative is presently in “financial constraints.” Aside from the previous head, many of its former board directors were also removed by NEA and disqualified them from holding any position in rural electric cooperatives in the country. NEA’s decision was based on its investigations in 2011on the power firm after an independent group called Movement for Better ZAMCELCO accused the officials of purchasing of luxury cars, band equipment and sound system, among others despite its ballooning debts. Past records showed that ZAMCELCO, through negotiated purchase, acquired a 10 MVA substation for P33 million while the 2010 NEA price index for it was only P24,468,449.57. It also purchased 34 brand new KIA vehicles – 20 units in 2009 and another 14 units in 2010 – and ten of them were
Sportage luxury vehicles, and was allegedly overpriced by over P5 million and the acquisition of a piece of land in TalonTalon village for some P2,500 per square meter which was not in accordance with the current real estate price; acquisition from a local restaurant of used lighting and sound system, including a band equipment worth more P1 million, and several other questionable transactions. Local business and civic groups, and politicians questioned the extravagant spending of the power firm despite its P1 billion debts then. The power firm was also criticized after announcing that it would raise electric rates and pass on to consumers the millions of its unpaid taxes charged by the local government. Electric consumers have been complaining about the high cost of power rates and asked the NEA to investigate the purchases and other dealings of the cooperative. Former cooperative officials accused of wrongdoings strongly denied all allegations against them and said all their transactions were legal and sanctioned by the NEA. NEA had installed Engineer Jesus Castro as Project Supervisor to oversee the operation of the cooperative, but was also dragged into a controversy and eventually recalled. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Philippine military chief General Gregorio Catapang, Lieutenant General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III and Major General Aurelio Baladad and their wives. And Lieutenant General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III and Major General Aurelio Balada, behind.
Eastern Mindanao decorated general retires, leaves brilliant legacy behind DAVAO CITY – General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, has retired last week formally ending his 17-month stint as one of the best military officer behind the capture of four of the most notorious leaders of the communist rebel group New People’s Army in southern Philippines. Soft-spoken and lowkey, the 56-year old Cruz was largely credited by the military for the drastic decline of NPA offensives in the eastern part of Mindanao. During his time - from April 22, 2013 to September 6, 2014 – at least 247 armed rebels had surrendered to the Eastern Mindanao Command, taking advantage of the “Guns for Peace Program” that Cruz aggressively pursued under the “Oplan Bayanihan” or the Internal Peace and Security Plan to give fresh hope to those deceived by the communist ideology. Under Cruz’s leadership, the Eastern Mindanao Command scored not one, but two major accomplishments with the capture of two wanted front secretaries and two other regional
secretaries of the Communist Party of the Philippines. He was also able to free Paquibato District in Davao City which was long under the influence of the NPA that allowed the government and other stakeholders to launched various socio-economic development. The Eastern Mindanao Command was also adjudged as the “Best Unified Command” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Performance Base Bonus in 2013, and was a recipient of Certificate of Excellence for having attained an excellent rating of 96.80% in Leadership and Management, Morale and Welfare, and Discipline, Law and Order during the conduct of Annual General Inspection last year. Cruz, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1980, had successfully implemented the Oplan Bayanihan through the Eastern Mindanao Command’s campaign plan dubbed “Panagdait Mindanaw II” aimed at winning peace in the region. Panagdait is local term which means “to help each other.”
He also signed three Joint Letter Directives with the Philippine National Police that furtherstrengthened the operational inter-operability of the AFP and the PNP against the threats posed by NPA, and built partnerships with the different stakeholders clamoring for peace and stability in eastern Mindanao region. With that, Cruz managed to secure the cooperation and support of various companies and corporations in the region to provide “Corporate Social Responsibility” packages for the campaign that brought the peace and development teams closer to the communities. Cruz also led the “Joint Task Force Tambayayong II” - a contingent of construction-skilled soldiers assembled from the different units of the Eastern Mindanao Command that assisted in the repair and reconstruction of damaged houses and public utilities; and supported the delivery and distribution of tons of foreign and local relief goods in the earthquake and typhoon (Haiyan) stricken provinces in the Visayas. Under his command,
Cruz oversaw the planning and execution of the 32nd and 33rd Republic of the Philippines – Republic of Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s and Vice Chairmen’s Conference, and the Philippines-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol Operations. For now, Cruz said he would spend much of his time with his beautiful wife and two children. “I will now have more time with my family, my beautiful wife and two children, watch television and movies with them, cooking and gardening and enjoy the civilian life,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner, adding, he would also attend to the estate of his father in Quezon City. Cruz was formally replaced by similarly decorated Major General Aurelio Baladad, who belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Class 1982, was the former commander of the 3rd Infantry Division in the Visayas and held various positions in the past as brigade and assistant division commander with the 2nd and 9th Infantry Divisions in Rizal and Camarines Sur provinces. (J. Magtanggol)
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Sept. 15-21, 2014
Aquino lauds businesses that contribute to social reforms PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino honored Asian businesses that have contributed to social transformation by carrying out projects through corporate social responsibility. In his speech during the 13th Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility in Makati City, Aquino said businesses have changed for the better through the years. He said that while in the past, businesses only considered profit as the end-all and be-all and viewed their responsibilities in isolation from the community, today's manufacturing facilities think of how to minimize their environmental impact and waste, thus preserving the sustainability of their source materials as well as enhancing their relations with the community. "When I see corporations focused on social responsibility, I see kindred spirits who, like me, have to
tackle issues in their multifaceted forms and complications—who realize that, indeed, no man is an island," he said. To the institutions being recognized for helping redefine the concept of business, Aquino said corporate responsibility is good business. “Your shareholders include your employees, consumers, and now, the members of the communities in which you operate, thus redefining value not only in terms of profit, but also in terms of the empowerment of others,” he said. He cited Jollibee Foods Corporation’s Busog, Lusog, Talino School Feeding Program, which provides lunch for undernourished students in kindergarten, and first and second grades, has resulted in 80 percent of the beneficiaries reaching a normal Body Mass Index, as well as a decrease in absenteeism. The Farmer Entrepre-
neurship Program, which aims to support the livelihood of Filipino farmers by linking them to the supply chain of institutional markets such as Jollibee, has helped more than 900 farmers across the country become more productive and gain access to a broader market, he said. Aquino commended the awardees for proving that the growth of companies and of private industry cannot be separated from the growth of the communities. He further said that companies joining social reforms inspire him. "These events never fail to inspire me—and I hope that they have the same, if not a greater effect on you and even your peers," he said. "Through your work, you have already shown that the simplest ideas can bring about the most profound transformations." Several companies were awarded during the
Sandiganbayan convicts 2 for NGO-related fund mess GENERAL SANTOS CITY The Sandiganbayan said it convicted Sarangani Provincial Board Member Marlind Marcelo and former Assistant Provincial Veterinarian Nicolas Sunio for conspiring in the misappropriation of funds amounting to P129,450. In a 48-page Decision, the anti-graft court found Marcelo guilty of the complex crime of Malversation through Falsification of Public Documents, and Sunio guilty of Falsification of Public Document. In 2003, the Office of the Ombudsman requested the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit on the alleged anomalies in Sarangani on the release of financial assistance to various non-governmental organizations and people’s organizations. Results of the special audit investigation disclosed that financial assistance rendered to various NGOs were fraudulent or illegal, and the projects were non-existent resulting to damage and loss to the government. In convicting the ac-
cused, the Sandiganbayan said it determined that Marcelo and Sunio falsified disbursement vouchers and supporting documents by making it appear that financial assistance was requested by the Datal Bila Multi-Purpose Cooperative despite knowing that the cooperative was fictitious. The COA audit team established that DBMPC had no certificate of accreditation from the Cooperative Development Authority and had also failed to submit its financial statements for the last three years. More importantly, no Memorandum of Agreement was executed between DBMPC and the provincial government of Sarangani. Constantino’s former staff member and whistleblower Mary Ann Gadian testified that “she was assigned a special task during employment in the office of Constantino which consisted of creating fictitious cooperatives and falsifying documents relating to cooperatives as a means to get provincial funds for their personal use. Another former staff
member and whistle-blower Sheryll Desiree Jane Tangan testified that she signed above the names of the representatives of DBMPC requesting financial assistance in the amount of P125,000.00 and that she signed the Bylaws of DBMPC. Marcelo was sentenced to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua and perpetual special disqualification, and was also directed to indemnify the Province of Sarangani in the amount of P129,450. Insofar as Sunio is concerned, the anti-graft court sentenced him to suffer the indeterminate penalty of four years, two months and one day of prision correccional maximum as minimum, to ten years of prision mayor medium, as maximum penalty, and to pay the fine of P5,000. The criminal case of coaccused former Sarangani Vice-Governor Felipe Constantino was ordered dismissed in view of his death. Co-accused ex-Provincial Accountant Maria Camanay remains at large, according to the Sandiganbayan.
event for their contributions to solving social challenges. The awardees were the Jollibee Group Foundation for its poverty alleviation initiatives; the Dow Chemical Thailand for its works on preserving the environment; the Jollibee Group Foundation for its initiatives on
education; PT Unilever Indonesia for its health care programs; the Valsad District Cooperative Milk Producer in India for providing livelihood to farmers; and the Magsaysay Maritime Corp. for producing highly skilled seafarers for the maritime industry. The Asian Forum on Corporate Social Respon-
sibility is the largest annual conference on corporate social responsibility in the region. It was launched in 2002 by the AIM-Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, one of the first research centers in Asia to concentrate on corporate social responsibility issues.
Batang nagtutulak ng shabu, arestado sa Davao DAVAO CITY – Isang batang paslit sa Davao City ang dinakip kahapon ng mga awtoridad matapos diumano’y mahulihan ito na may dalang shabu na nagkakahalaga ng halos P300,000 sa isang buybust operation. Hindi naman sinabi ng pulisya kung paano nilang naamoy na nagtutulak ng droga ang 12-anyos na batang lalaki na si Celso (hindi tunay na pangalan) na kanilang inaresto sa Magsaysay Avenue matapos itong
magbenta ng shabu sa isang undercover agent. Base sa imbestigasyon, lumalabas na ginagamit ng isang sindikato ang bata sa pagdedeliver at pagbebenta ng droga na hinihnalang galing pa sa Davao del Norte province. Hindi pa mabatid kung sino ang nasa likod ng sindikato o kung ilan bata ang ginagamit nito sa ilegal na gawain. Iniimbestigahan pa ng pulisya si Celso at posibleng maging ang mga magulang ng paslit ay isailalim rin sa pagsisiyasat upang
mabatid kung may kinalaman sila sa pagtutulak nito ng droga. Inaasahan na ibibigay rin sa Department of Social Welfare and Development ang bata. Walang ibang detalye na inilabas ang pulisya dahil sa patuloy pa rin ang operasyon nito upang mabatid kung sino-sino ang nasa likod ng pagkalat ng shabu sa Davao. Matindi ang kautusan ni Mayor Rodrigo Duterte sa pulisya ukol sa kampanya kontra droga. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner
Sept. 15-21, 2014
Civic organizations hihingan ng tulong ng PNP
Photos released by the Western Mindanao Command to the press show the recovered improvised explosive planted by the Abu Sayyaf on a village in Lamitan City.
Troops foil bombing in Lamitan City BASILAN PROVINCE – Government troops recovered a power improvised explosive planted by the Abu Sayyaf in Lamitan City in the restive province of Basilan in the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao, officials said. Captain Mar ia Rowena Muyuela, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said army soldiers disarmed the explosive planted in the village called Sabong. She said the militant group tied to Jemaah Islamiya filled a gas cooking cylinder with ammonium nitrate and iron nails and wired the explosive to blasting
caps. Quoting a military report, Muyuela tagged a militant Erik Ajibon as behind the foiled bombing in the village, whose route which is frequented by civilians and soldiers. Muyuela said troops have intensified its operations against the Abu Sayyaf which has been largely blamed by authorities for the spate of killings and kidnappings in Basilan and nearby provinces, including Zamboanga. Just recently, a Special Forces commander Captain Mark Gamboa died in a clash with militants in Basilan’s Lantawan town. (Mindanao Examiner)
MANILA - Inatasan ni Interior at Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas ang National Police Directorate at National Capital Regional Police Office Command na pag-aralan ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng opisyal na ugnayan ang PNP at civic organizations. Ang kautusan ay inilabas ni Roxas matapos ang ulat ni NCRPO Director Carmelo Valmoria na nagtala ng malaking pagbaba ang insidente ng kriminalidad sa Kamaynilaan sa nakalipas na dalawang linggo. Tinukoy ni Valmoria ang kaso ng theft at robbery na naitala mula Agosto 11-17 sa Metro Manila na umabot sa 757 kaso ay bumaba sa 692 mula Agosto 18-24 at higit pang gumanda sa panahon ng Agosto 25-31 sa bilang na 605. Samantalang ang murder o insidente ng pagpatay ay nabawasan din mula Agosto 11-17 na 38 kaso ay bumbaba sa 32 kaso ng murder mula Agosto 25-31. “Malaking bagay ang pagkalat nitong ating mga pulis, itong mga blue shirts natin kahit police trainees
pa lang sila dahil malaking tulong na ang nagagawa nila para mabawasan ang krimen," pahayag ni Roxas. Kaugnay nito, inatasan ni Roxas na repasuhin ng NCRPO command ang mga units nito na maaaring pagkunan ng dagdag na puwersa na idadagdag sa naunang 1,000 augmentation force na nasa Kamaynilaan na. "Ang tanong ko lang saan pa tayo maaring kumuha ng blue shirts na idadagdag natin dito sa naka-augment ng operatiba ng PNP sa Metro Manila,” ani Roxas. Bunsod nito, hiniling ni Roxas kay Police Deputy Director Leonardo Espina na pag-aralan kung maaaring makatulong ng PNP sa police visibility ang civic groups gaya ng Kabalikat, Barangay Patrol, Liga ng mga Barangay at ibat-iba pang civic action team at civic communication groups. "Ginagawa na ng ating civil society, mga civic groups at action team ang ganitong pagtulong sa mga kababayan natin kapag panahon ng Mahal na Araw dahil panahon ito ng ating mga kababayan
na bumiyahe at maguwian sa mga probinsiya. Kung magustuhan nila, baka puwede natin silang i-accredit at bigyan ng guidelines para makatulong sa ating police visibility bilang isang paraan ng pagpigil sa krimen," paglilinaw pa ni Roxas. “Ang krimen, maging ito ay kidnapping, carnapping at theft, at robbery ay nag-uumpisa sa pagmamanman ng mga tao sa aktibidades ng target nila. Inaalam ang gawa ng posibleng biktima, mga dinadaan, kinakausap o kasama ng target para maisayos nila ang masamang balak,” dagdag nito. Inirekumenda din ni Roxas ang pakikipagugnayan ng pulisya sa mga unibersidad at magkaroon ng pag-uusap kung maaari din makatulong ang ROTC para sa mga paaralan na mayroon pa nito at Literacy Training Service naman at kahalintulad na programa para sa ibang unibersidad o kolehiyo. "Baka puwede natin na kausapin ang mga eskuwelahan at tignan
natin kung maaari nating bigyan ng karampatang credits ang mga estudyante at paaralan na lalahok sa atin," ani Roxas. Ipinaalala ni Roxas na: “Habang ginagawa ng kapulisan ang trabaho nila, we need to keep an eye on each other. Kailangan natin magtulungan para alagaan natin ang isa’t isa.” Dagdag pa nito: “Tinatawagan ko din ang ating mga kasangga katulad ng Liga ng mga Barangay, BPATS at Kabalikat na makiisa at tulungan tayong magmanman sa kapaligiran sa mga gawaing kaduda-duda ng mga taong may balak na gumawa ng kidnapping. Mahalaga na magkaroon ng malinaw na ugnayan ang pamahalaan, PNP at civil society habang sinususugan ang modernisasyon ng PNP upang magawa nila nang mas mahusay ang kanilang tungkulin para sa kapakanan ng mga mamamayan na umaasa sa kanila para protektahan ang kanilang mga buhay at ari-arian.”
Ayoko maging Presidente: Duterte DAVAO CITY – Nagpasalamat si Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte kay Senadora Miriam Santiago sa pagpili sa kanya bilang vice presidential running mate sa 2016 national elections, ngunit sinabi nito na hindi niya matatanggap ang alok dahil magreretiro na umano siya sa susunod na taon. Sa halip ay todo naman ang suporta ni Duterte kay dating Defense chief at presidential candidate na si Gilbert
Teodoro na kabilang rin sa pinagpipilian ni Santiago bilang kanyang running mate kung sasabak ito sa eleksyon matapos na magpagaling sa kanyang cancer ngayon taon. Maging si Senadora Grace Poe ay kabilang sa mga nais nitong maging vice presidential candidate. "Oh, I would love to run with Rudy Duterte whom I have always loved from the very beginning but he himself said he will not run for public office although I don't know if
we can change his mind," ani Santiago sa panayam sa mga mamamahayag kamakalawa. Nais ni Santiago na maging running mate si Duterte dahil sa kanyang kalibre bilang magaling na pinuno na walang bahid ng korapsyon. “I am honored by the declaration of senator Santiago but unfortunately I said I am not good for national office and besides I intend to retire after this term, gusto ko ng mag retire at matanda na ako, instead I am asking Gilbert Teodoro to accept the draft, alam mo he is a man of integrity and competence and he would make a good vice president.” “I know him and on a personal note may utang na loob ako sa kanya. Itong tao na ito is honest and his capability is beyond issue. In my low moments sa buhay ko noon, he stood by me, abogado kasi siya. Tutulungan ko siya at kung siya ang tatakbo for vice president I will support him all the way lahat na ang resources ko pati
tutulungan ko siya at siya ang choice ko for vice president. Teodoro ako and he will make a good vice president,” sabi pa ni Duterte sa isang press conference sa Davao City. Paulit-ulit nitong sinasabi na tanging si Teodoro ang kanyang susuportahan at wala ng iba. Sinabi pa ni Duterte na kahit sa kanyang mga nakaraang pahayag at wala itong balak na tumakbo bilang president bagama’t maraming grupo ang sumusuporta sa kanya sa Davao at nais itong patakbuhin sa pagka-presidente. “Wala akong ambisyon na personal and I am very consistent in my declarations to public (that I will not run for the presidency),” ani Duterte. Mahigit na sa 1.6 milyon ang populasyon ngayon ng Davao at isa sa pinakatahimik at maunlad sa buong bansa. Posibleng tumakbo bilang mayor ng Davao ang anak ni Duterte na si Paolo na siyang kasalukuyang vice mayor nito. (Mindanao Examiner)
7
The Mindanao Examiner
Sept. 15-21, 2014
Pinoy world champion performer gets Working Child Permit
WINNING the 2014 Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World, Lloyd Edisonne Judilla Montebon is already being offered a number of working contracts either in Davao or among the major networks and labels in the Philippines. “We are preparing for offers of local shows sponsored by some companies and hopefully a concert,” said Llyod’s father Ernesto Montebon. Before winning the World Championship of Perfor ming Arts ( WCOPA), 12-year old Montebon was Grand Champion of local talent search, Talent Edge under talent scout Arthur Zata. “Impossible Dream” Lloyd’s favorite song was his winning piece during the WCOPA competition. “There are possible contracts but we cannot enter into it because they all require the Working Child Permit, as legal basis for Lloyd to be employed,” said Zata who is the sole WCOPA talent scout for Mindanao. The Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) issues the Working Child Permit through the Department Advisory Number 01-08 in compliance with the Republic Act 9231 (Act Providing for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor and affording Special protection for Working Child, amending RA 7610. Section 12 of this law states that children below 15 years of age shall not be employed except when a child works directly under the sole responsibility of his parent or guardian… that his employment neither endangers his life, safety, health and morals, nor impairs his normal development. Employment of children is also allowed where a child’s employment or participation in public entertainment or information through cinema, theater, radio or television is essential but the employer shall institute measures to prevent the child’s exploitation or discrimination considering the system of level of remuneration and duration of engagement and
working time. RA 9231 defines that a child shall not be allowed to work for more than 8 hours a day and in no case beyond 40 hours a week. It added, “no child (below 18 years of age) shall be allowed to work between 10 o’clock in the evening until 6 o’clock in the morning the following day.” “The Department ensures that the rights of the child are upheld and protected especially if he or she is engaged in employment,” said DOLE Davao Regional Director Joffrey Suyao, adding, the law has set parameters and it must be observed. “Aside from singing, I can also dance, and act,” said the young Montebon. The Montebons are originally from Banay-Banay, Davao Oriental. “Kahit mahirap ang buhay, kung magsusumikap ka kaya mong abutin ang pangarap. We should stay humble,” said the talented Llyod, when sought for a message to other kids like him who dreams big. (Sherwin Manual)
2014 Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World, Lloyd Montebon secures his Working Child Permit recently at the Department of Labor and Employment - Davao Region. Also in photo is (left to right) talent scout Arthur Zata, Lloyd's father Ernesto Montebon and DOLE Senior Officer Heraclea Dela Torre. (Photo by Sherwin Manual)
First Aid para sa Heart Attack Ni Dr. Willie T. Ong GANITO ang dapat gawin bilang First Aid sa atake sa Puso: 1. Una sa lahat, tumawag ng doktor o ospital. Ihanda na ang sasakyan para maihatid kaagad sa ospital. 2. Habang naghihintay ng sasakyan, bigyan ng sapat na hangin ang pasyente. Gumamit ng pamaypay, electric fan o aircon. Ito's dahil sa nagku-kulang sa oxygen ang puso ng pasyente. 3. Paupuin ang pasyente sa kumportableng silya o kama. Kailangan mataas ang kanyang upo, mga 45 degrees. Maglagay ng maliit na unan sa ilalim ng paa para kumpor-table sya. 4. Luwagan ang kanyang damit at necktie para hindi maipit ang ugat sa leeg.
5. Ang layunin natin ay ma-relax ang pasyente. Huwag syang tanunging ng tanungin. Sabihin lang na magpahinga sya, "kami na ang aayos sa mga gawain at problema." Pwedeneg ipikit ang mata
Dr. Willie T. Ong at magrelax lang. 6. Sabihan ang pasyente na huminga ng malalim at mabagal, yung tinatawag na deep and slow breathing. Nakakarelax ito at nakakababa
ng blood pressure. 7. Kung meron syang maintance na gamot sa puso, ipainom ito. 8. Para sa heart attack, kailangan magbigay ng first aid medicine. Painumin ang pasyente ng isang Aspirin 325mg tablet o 2 tablet ng Aspirin 80mg tablet. 9. Kung marunong kayong kumuha ng blood pressure, i-monitor ang kanyang blood pressure. Binabantayan natin ang biglang pagbagsak ng blood pressure. 10. At siyempre, dalhin kaagad ang pasyente sa Emergency Room ng ospital. Ang mga doktor na ang magsasabi kung ano ang tamang gamutan para sa kanya.
Makikita sa larawan ng Kilab Multimedia na ipinasa sa Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper ang rally kontra hepe ng pulisya sa Davao City na si Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao noon Agosto.
Hepe ng pulisya sa Davao sinibak sa puwesto DAVAO CITY – Sinibak na rin sa wakas ng pulisya ang hepe nito sa Davao City dahil sa kasong grave misconduct at physical injuries na inihain ng asawa nito noon 2012. Nasa “floating status” umano si Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao matapos na ito’y alisin sa kanyang puwesto at ngayon ay nasa Police Regional Office. Matatandaang naglunsad ng rally ang Gabriela sa Davao City upang hingin sa pulisya na papanagutin si Danao dahil sa paglabag ng batas sa the RA 9262 o Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004 matapos na lumutang ang video nito na hinahampas ang asawa sa gitna ng kanilang pagtatalo sa loob ng kanilang bahay. Inakusahan ng Gabriela si Danao ng paglabag sa batas, ngunit naunang sinabi ng opisyal na siya ay naset-up lamang ng kanyang asawa at anak. Mismong ang anak nito ang kumuha ng video gamit ang
kanyang cell phone at ito ay na-upload sa Youtube at naging viral. Sinabi naman ni Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte na personal itong problema ni Danao. “Alarming, this is how we describe, at the very least, the actions of Davao City Police Chief Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao Jr. who was caught assaulting his wife in an uploaded video, and dismissing it thereafter as a private matter. To say that we are aghast at this police officer who publicly admitted to his crime, yet tries to escape responsibility in the pretext of privacy is an understatement,” pahayag pa ni Mary Ann Sapar, ang Secretary General ng Gabriela. Naunang nanawagan si Sapar sa pamahalaang lokal na patawan ng disciplinary action si Danao o kaya ay suspindihin bilang hepe ng pulisya. “We demand that he be suspended from his post for no one is above the law. Women, as our laws mandate, “have the right to the
prevention of and protection from all forms of violence and coercion against their person, their freedom, their sexuality, and their individuality. If Senior Superintendent Danao gets away with his crime, it would be a perilous precedent against women’s rights,” wika pa ni Sapar. Sa dami ng mga human rights groups at civil society organizations na diumano’y concerned sa isyu ng human rights ay tanging Gabriela lamang ang naglunsad ng rally at nagkondena kay Danao. Naunang inireklamo ng National Union of Journalists of the Philippines ang pulisya sa Davao matapos na umano’y saktan ng isang parak sa ilalim ni Danao ang mamamahayag na si Barry Ohaylan, correspondent ng Pinoy Weekly and Kilab Multimedia Group, noon Agosto. Nagko-cover umano si Ohaylan ng rally ng mga magsasaka ng ito’y paluin ng batuta sa ulo. (Mindanao Examiner)
4 wounded in billiard hall shooting in Dipolog City DIPOLOG CITY – A lone gunman shot four people in a daring attack inside a billiard hall in Dipolog City in southern Philippines, police said. Police said the gunman barged inside the billiard hall owned by Abraham Vergara, 51, in the village of Turno on the evening of September 2 and shot him with a .45-
caliber pistol. The gunman then went on shooting and hitting Iky Jet Campomanes, 29; Joel Cayud-Ong, 43; and a teenager and escaped on a motorcycle after the horrifying attack. Witnesses told police investigators the gunman was about 5’8” in height and had a white and black scarf covering his face.
Police said all the victims were rushed to Zamboanga Del Norte North Cooperative Hospital and Zamboanga Del Norte Medical Center. Investigators recovered 10 shell casings inside the billiard hall. The motive of the attack is still being investigated by the police. (Mindanao Examiner)
Police cleansing own ranks of rogue cops MANILA - The Aquino administration said there are serious efforts within the Philippine National Police to cleanse its ranks of rogue cops following the involvement of policemen in criminal activities. A government spokesman Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the small number of rogue police officers should not tarnish the image of the entire police organization.
"They form a very small proportion of the total strength of the PNP," Coloma said. Nine police officers, seven of whom are members of the La Loma Police station in Quezon City, have been linked to a recent robbery and illegal detention case and that two of them have been arrested. Coloma said the PNP
is doing its job, given the challenges of a large number of people to be covered and given the shortage in manpower and equipment that it is still trying to address. Despite the incident, the police is working to gain the trust of the public, Coloma said, stressing the importance of police and community coordination to fight crimes.
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P10
Sept. 15-21, 2014
Modern auction market to rise in Cebu Sex and the Internet and
T
he municipal government of Barili in Cebu province has mapped out a proposal to modernize its livestock auction market as part of its master development plan in a seven-hectare property there. Barili Mayor Teresito Mariñas said the project in the village of in Mantalongon will be funded by a loan from Land Bank of Philippines. The provincial government also pledged an initial P2.5 million financial aid to augment its budgetary requirements. He said they will also implement loading and unloading area and pay parking system. The facility will also be provided with clean water,rest rooms and food section. There will be defined areas for small and large animals, including fowls and swine. Also part of the master plan are bus terminals and
low cost housing units for its municipal employees. The municipality allocated Php 100,000 for the crafting of master plan, which is still ongoing. The upgrading of the facility will prevent the sale of livestock lower than its standard farmgate prices. Farmgate price is the value of a cultivated product in agriculture or aquaculture is the net value of the product when it leaves the farm, after marketing costs have been subtracted. The farm gate value is typically lower than the retail price consumers pay in a store as it does not include costs for shipping, handling, storage, marketing, and profit margins of the involved companies. Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy said: “This is beneficial to the farmers because once the facility is modernized, dili na jud mata-mata ang pagpalit (the sale of animals will not be based on estimates anymore).”
“There is an ideal layout or plan for livestock auction market based on guidelines, with desired equipment and flow. So by then magamit na jud na sa mga (this will be used by the) farmers with the right price sa ilang hayop (for their animals),” she added. Vincoy said that the Department of Trade and Industry regulates the livestock prices, but this largely depends on the supply and demand for farm animals. In 2013, the average farmgate price for live cattle is Php 86.27 per kilo based on the reports of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. In Barili, some high breed cattle are only sold for an estimate price of P71 per kilo - assuming that the live animal has a total weight of 350 kgs. The Mantalongon facility in the town of Dalaguete is the biggest auction market in the province. Some its livestock farmers come from as far as the town of San Fernando and even from
Santander in the southernmost tip of the province with wholesale buyers coming from Negros Oriental and Leyte provinces. An average of 250 to 300 cattle heads are sold weekly at the site even in lean season, according to Jinky Pañares, revenue officer assigned in the facility. The income generating facility of Mantalongon contributed to the town at least P300,000 in permit fees weekly. The figures already covered the cash proceeds from other livestock like chicken, goats, and swine. “We are the biggest livestock market in the province. We might as well improve the infrastructures there because that is one of our leading sources of income,” Mariñas said. Mariñas said they will showcase Mantalongon auction market as the “largest, the most modern and efficient livestock market in the entire province if not the entire Visayas.” (Xerxes Alkuino)
Cebu City nakadawat 3 ka ambulansya, truck gikan sa PAGCOR
N
akadawat og bag-ong tulo ka ambulansya ug usa ka p ick-up truck ang kagamhanan sa dakbayan sa Sugbo. Pormal kining giturn-over gikan sa Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation ngadto sa kagamhanan nga gipangulohan ni Mayor Michael Rama nga gipahigayon atubangan sa City Hall. Gani, diha-diha dayon gitunol sab sa mayor ngadto sa Quick Response Team ang mga bag-on ambulansya nga
Pormal kining giturn-over gikan sa Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation ngadto sa kagamhanan nga gipangulohan ni Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. naangkon sa pangagamhanan agi sa pagpaningkamot ni konsehal Dave Tumulak kinsa
nangulo sab sa maong grupo. Gamiton ang mga ambulansya alang sa
pagresponde sa mga emerhensiya sa matag barangay sud sa 24 oras nga walay bayad. Matud pa ni Tumulak, mahimutang ang maong ambulansya ngadto sa Command Control Center aron pahimuslan sama sa paghatud og serbisyo ngadto sa katawhan kon gikinahanglan. Mitambong usab sa turnover ceremony sina Bise Mayor Edgar Labella, Konsehal Mary Anne de Los Santos, Gerry Carillo, Noel Wenceslao ug ABC President Phillip Zafra. (C.L.K. Aznar)
Tribu Lumad Basakanon misalmot sa Asia Pacific Culture Festival
A
ng garbo sa mga Sugbuanon nga mao ang Tribu Lumad Basakanon sa Barangay Basak San Nicolas ning syudad maoy nirepresentar sa Pilipinas sa bag-ohay pa lang gipahigayon nga Asia Pacific Culture Festival. Kaduha nga mipasundayag sa Sinulog Dance Ritual ang Tribu
ARMM
Lumad Basakanon atol sa Gala Night ug Street Parade sa maong Festival nga gipahigayon sa Purwakarta Indonesia niadtong Agosto 27-30 ning tuiga. Kahinumdoman nga ang mikampiyon sa Sinulog Festival 2014 sa dakbayan sa Sugbo ug Aliwan Festival 2014 didto sa dakbayan sa Manila mao ang Tribu Lumad Basakanon nga mihakot usab sa Best in Musicality,
Best in Costume, ug kampiyon usab sa Street Dancing sa maong mga festivals. Ang Asia Pacific Culture Festival subay sa pagsaulog sa "183th Anniversary of the Township of Purwakarta" ug "46th Anniversary of the Regency of Purwakarta" sa naasoy nga nasod. Misalmot usab sa usa ka Cultural Exhibit ang Sinulog Festival sa
Southern Mindanao
Davao
Dakbayan sa Sugbo atol sa maong upat ka adlaw nga Asia Pacific Culture Festival. Hinoon dili usa ka kompetisyon ang exhibit ug ang festival. Dugang pa, ang Asia Pacific Culture Festival gisalmutan usab sa mga delegasyon gikan sa nasod sa Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Korea, Japan ug China. (Greggy Jiggs P. Senados)
its effect on the youth
D
id you know that high exposure of young people to Internet technology and other media platforms has led to the rise in the number of sexually active youths in Central Visayas? The Population Commission said it has noted that the emergence of new forms of information technology has given rise to new forms of sexual activity and new methods of meeting sexual partners which could lead into negative consequences to youths. According to the recent Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS 4) data, 67.0% of them use the Internet, 54.6% are on social media, 54.5% have actual email addresses while majority of the youths which are 77.6% have cellular phones, and 34.3% have text mates they have not met in person and that 25.9% have online friends which they have not met in person. This means most of young people in Central Visayas are digitally wired and because youths are getting hooked with the latest information and technology mediums with Internet becoming one of primary sources of information regarding sex. Also, there has been a considerable level of access to pornographic materials including sexually explicit media among youths in Central Visayas. YASF4 is the fourth in the series of studies on Filipino youth which began in 1982. It has been the primary source of information on sexual and non-sexual risk behaviors among youths in the Philippines at the national and regional level. POPCOM-7 Planning Officer Myrna Alaba said there has been an increase in the proportion of females who watch pornographic movies or video from 36.9 % in 2002 to 47.5% in 2013. While the number of males viewing pornographic videos have declined from 78.4% in 2002 to 76.0 in 2013. Moreover, two out of ten youths in the region have sent or received sex videos through cell phones or in the Internet. With this Central Visayas ranked third among other regions in the country with high percentage of youths who have watched pornographic movies or videos from the Internet with 62.4%, based on YAFS4 study. CARAGA region placed first with 66.7% while Na-
Western Mindanao
Cebu
tional Capital Region ranked second with 66.2%. Region7 is also fourth among regions with youths on high exposure to websites with sexually explicit content with 15.5%. The first was NCR with 33.3%, Region-4A with 19.0% and Region-3 with 16.7%, fifth was Region11 with 14.5%. Aside from these, Alaba also revealed other mediarelated sexual activities which young people in Central Visayas are involved in these include, recording himself or herself while having sexual intercourse or having sex with someone they met online or through text messages and phone sex. Meanwhile, POPCOM Information Officer Darlynn Remolino also reported that of the estimated 1,425,883 young people in the region (as of 2013), more than 503,000 of them have engaged in premarital sex; 353,000 of them did not use any form of protection during their first sexual intercourse. In addition, around 73,000 youths have casual sex experience while 29,000 out of 725,706 male youths have male having sex with male experience. On the other hand, of the 376,411 females aged 15-19, more than 49,000 have begun childbearing. Remolino added that “The awareness of AIDS is still high but the level of has sharply decline in the past decade and there is poor knowledge of HIV-AIDS because they have lots of misconceptions on HIV.” With this alarming data, the POPCOM-7 continues to call for intensified proper information dissemination about teenage sexuality and reproductive health as well as proper guidance from parents and school teachers to youths. “They (teenagers) have a hard time on understanding what is going on with them emotionally, physically, with the changes they undergo. This is the crucial stage (for them) and we, adults must come in to guide them,” POPCOM-7 Information Officer Sheryl May Ygay said. POPCOM-7 conducts U4U (You-for-You) that aims to provide an objective discussion to sexuality education. Ygay said they would explain to young people the changes they experience in adolescent and teach them how to become responsible in their actions and decisions. (Roi Anthoni Lomotan)
Manila