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CAGAYANLifestyle TIMES Weekly DE ORO
Volume 9 | No. 9 | Cagayan de Oro City | October 4-10, 2021
Maria Ressa first Filipino Nobel Laureate Lacson renews call to decriminalize libel
J
OURNALISTS Maria Ressa, of the Philippines, and Dmitry Muratov, of Russia, have won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, cited “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression”, which the prize-giving committee described as being under threat worldwide. The two were awarded “for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia,” Berit ReissAndersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said on Friday. “At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions,” she told a news conference in Norway’s capital, Oslo. The prize is the first for journalists since German Carl von Ossietzky won it in 1935 for revealing his country’s secret post-war rearmament program. “Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda,” ReissAndersen said. Ressa, who founded investigative journalism website Rappler, has focused much of her work on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial and violent war on drugs. She and Rappler “have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse,” the Nobel committee noted.
“I’m a little shocked. It’s really emotional,” Ressa said after learning of the award. “Journalism has never been as important as it is today,” she said, adding that journalists had “lost our gatekeeping powers to technology platforms” and called for nations to come together to stop the rise of misinformation. She also said that despite her news website being under “the possibility of shutdown on a daily basis” she continues striving for factfinding journalism. Critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, Ressa and former researcherwriter Reynaldo Santos Jr. had been convicted with cyberlibel in a decision seen as a major blow to press global freedom. She was the first woman awarded a Nobel this year. “If you keep the North Star ahead of you, you protect the facts, you hold power to account. You exercise the rights that is in the Philippine Constitution. That’s what we did, and that’s what we’ll keep doing,” Ressa said. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 17 media workers were killed in the Philippines in the last decade and 23 in Russia. The award is
accompanied by a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.1m). The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896. Decriminalize libel “Ms. Maria Ressa deserves our congratulations for being one of the awardees of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize the first Filipino to have this distinction,” lauded Senator Panfilo M. Lacson in a congratulatory statement posted in his
website pinglacson.net. “But more than the prestige that comes with the award, is the responsibility of continuing to uphold the freedom of expression - the reason for the award.” “It is hoped that the Nobel Peace Prize will further inspire the responsible practice of journalism for the good of all,” Lacson added. Lacson supports the call to decriminalize libel since “information technology has become borderless.”
“Ako supportive to decriminalize libel. Borderless na ang ating information technology (I am supportive of moves to decriminalize libel, as our information technology has become borderless),” Lacson said. Lacson made the statement following black propaganda attacks against him. For instance, he said prior to his filing of certificate of candidacy for president there have been fake news circulating on social media that he had
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withdrawn or is withdrawing from the race and a rigged mobile presidentiable ‘text’ survey that excluded his name from the list of choices. He said he has been at the receiving end of black propaganda since his first term as senator in 2001 during the Arroyo administration. During this time, Lacson was forced to file libel to protect his dignity. Recently, he said a media personality was approached to destroy him.
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CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021
Alsons Power-Hidilyn Diaz Scholars Triumph at World Weightlifting Youth Tilt
Two weightlifting scholars of the Alsons Power Hidilyn Diaz Program won four medals at the 2021 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Youth World Championships in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 14- year- old Jeaneth Hipolito bagged the bronze medal for the Philippines in the women’s 40 kg snatch. Hipolito lifted 52 kg in her third try for a podium finish in the snatch behind gold winner Turkey and Colombia which got the silver. In the 45kg division, 16-year-old Rose Jean Ramos gave the
Philippines two gold medals: one in the snatch and the other as the overall champion in the category. Ramos also won the silver in the clean and jerk behind Oliwia Drzazga of Poland. Both young weightlifters, are among 15 “power scholars” from Zamboanga City under the Alsons PowerHidilyn Diaz scholarship program spearheaded by the Mindanao-based power firm and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz. Alsons Power partnered with Diaz in 2016 to spearhead this scholarship program as part of the power
2021 World Youth Weightlifting Gold and Silver Medalist Rose Jean Ramos.
company’s commitment to help provide more educational opportunities for young people in Mindanao. The partnership aims to produce world-class Filipino weightlifters and support the country’s efforts to continue winning gold in the Olympics and in other international sports competitions. “I’m happy to see that more girls are going into weightlifting and aiming to become Olympic medalists as well,” Diaz said. “I am hopeful that weightlifting will grow with more kids getting into the sport not just from Zamboanga City but all over the
Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz (center) with the 2nd batch of Alsons Power Hidilyn Diaz Power Scholars including 2021 World Youth Weightlifting Bronze Medalist Jeaneth Hipolito (extreme right).
Philippines.” “We remain fully committed in helping our Alsons PowerHidilyn Diaz scholars achieve their hopes and dreams,” said Alsons
2021 World Youth Weightlifting Bronze Medalist Jeaneth Hipolito.
Power Group executive vice president Tirso G. Santillan, Jr. “It has always been our mission to empower the young people of Mindanao through our scholarship programs.” Alsons Power is
Mindanao’s first private sector power generator with a portfolio of four power facilities serving over eight million people in 14 cities and 11 provinces in the Philippines’ second largest island.
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JERA partnership seen as ‘enabler’ in CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly Metro
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DANTE SUDARIA Publisher MIKE BAÑOS Editor-in-Chief SUSAN P. DENNIS GEAN T. CESAR RANDY FAMACION MAI MAI SISON KLAUS DORING ANNIE GORRA RAGO WENDY RAMOS-GARCIA Contributing Editors CLIFFORD SANTILLAN Layout Artist PINKY DOMINGO Marketing KHRISTHA RIVA FELICILDA Advertising ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI Legal Counsel
AboitizPower’s 10-year RE expansion journey AboitizPower’s renewable energy aspirations are taking a huge leap forward following Japanese firm JERA’s recent acquisition of a 27-percent stake in the Aboitiz-led power company for $1.46 billion. The sale was announced on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, and was characterized as a “transaction [that] unlocks significant capital that will be used toward fueling the [Aboitiz Equity Ventures] Group’s growth initiatives.” “This transaction will deepen our bonds and represent a leap forward in our shared mission to support economic
development in the Philippines and beyond while supporting the energy transition towards a decarbonized future,” AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio said. JERA is one of the world’s largest power producers and the largest single liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyer in the world. Rubio said that as the energy sector undergoes a transition, this presents a great opportunity for AboitizPower. With a presence in over 10 countries across the globe, JERA’s
international footprint provides AboitizPower with further opportunities for collaboration and new market entry. Rubio shared that this partnership with JERA will result in a more futureready organization with access to new perspectives, capabilities, and a global network. “Through this partnership, we hope to build on our 10-year plan, where we aim to reduce the carbon intensity of our business. We intend to explore new pathways toward decarbonization that will complement our renewable energy growth
The Metro CAGAYAN de ORO TIMES newspaper is published weekly at Tanleh Bldg., Abellanosa Street, Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 10 with Certificate No. 01801884, and with Business Registration Plane No. 17211 with Business License Certificate 2014-00691. TIN No. 311-982-549-000 Tele/Fax #: (088) 856-3344 Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CagayandeOroTIMES email us at thecagayandeorotimes@gmail.com Member: Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber)
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AboitizPower subsidiary Hedcor’s Ampohaw Hydro, located in Banengbeng, Sablan, Benguet, harnesses the power of the Balili river to generate clean and renewable electricity. (AboitizPower photo)
plan and our nature-based carbon sequestration program,” said Rubio. AboitizPower earlier announced its 10-year growth ambition, where it aims to exponentially increase its Cleanergy capacity to 4,600 MW to achieve a 50:50 balance between its renewable and thermal portfolios. The company’s top executive pointed out that its “partnership with JERA will be a key enabler in this journey.” Both parties have already identified potential areas for collaboration across multiple fronts including joint development of LNG-topower projects, LNG fuel sourcing and management, potential participation in aspects of plant operations and maintenance, as well as the exploration of the use of new generation technologies. Rubio assured that there will be no management changes resulting from the partnership, but rather a “greater diversity of perspective at the board and enhanced governance.” “We are optimistic that our partnership will bring about positive change not only for our organizations but, ultimately, for the customers and communities we serve,” Rubio said.
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CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021
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Thomas Kellenberger’s 2-Year Trek:
Walking 15,000 Kilometers from Switzerland to the Philippines
At the Croatian Border
Join Day 37 of Kuya Thom's epic trek from Bern, Switzerland back home to Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. In one day he crossed two borders from Italy into Slovenia, and thence from Slovenia to Croatia. Here’s more from his online diary we are sharing in print for those with no access to the internet or social media: Leaving Trieste (Italy), I crossed two borders in one day. First from Italy into Slovenia and then from Slovenia to Croatia. On my way through the woods, I came across
Enjoying a drink at Jelovice
abandoned camp sites. Franco was telling me about migrants using the route through Slovenia. Probably these camp sites were put up by them. He also told me that he had given temporary shelter to two young refugees from Afghanistan. And he told me about the delicious mushrooms in the forest that eventually became my dinner. At the Croatian border, two very kind police officers checked my documents. I learned that Croatia, though a member of the EU, is not a member of the Shengen-agreement.
The officers were amazed about my hike to the Philippines and wished me good luck. It was getting dark when I reached Jelovice, the first village after the border. I was lucky to find a little restaurant and a place to sleep. From the locals I learned that only 7 people are living in Jelovice. All guests in the restaurant were men, two of them hunters from Italy, a former captain of cargo ships and the rest were locals. They of course invited me for a drink. More to come!
With two kind police officers at the Croatian border
The delicious mushroom in a Slovenian forest that became Thom’s dinner
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ARTS & CULTURE | HEALTH | EVENTS | TRAVEL & TOURISM | PEOPLE
CAGAYANTIMES Feature DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021 Page 4
A German Expat in the Philippines
By Klaus Döring
The Music of My Life II
Music occupies an important place in my life. Definitely also in yours. This morning, I was sitting on my porch and realized that it's kind of lonely around me. I really can’t live without music. I turned on my radio. Well, people have different musical tastes depending on their age, education and even mood. Some people like classical music, others prefer rock, pop or jazz, but nobody is indifferent to it. As for me, I used to sing in front of the mirror in my childhood. A pencil box served as my microphone and I imitated a show on the stage. It was great fun! At the age of 9, I wanted to become a radio host. Not knowing then, that one day it would become true. At present I can’t spend a day without music. In the morning I prefer fast rhythmic music. It’s like a cup of coffee or a cool shower that encourages you and freshens you up. So, since
the early morning you are in a cheerful spirit and the forthcoming day seems to give many pleasant surprises. Isn’t it a great start to the day? If I am in a bad mood, so I turn to music. Nothing can help me better to forget my problems than a merry song. Listen to your favorite melody and your spleen will disappear, and you are in a good temper again. What's my favorite melody? Well, I don't have one. Or something between Beethoven and the Apo Hiking Society. After a hard working day I like to listen to some slow, beautiful melody. It helps me to relax and to forget about my tiredness. My entire Filipino family cannot live without music. They listen to music, dance to music or learn to play musical instruments. There is music everywhere: at home, in the car, in a concert hall, in the park, at the seaside, in the forest and even in the street. Music is not only a
combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art which reflects life. Music reflects people’s ideas and emotions. My ideas and emotions. In this world of ours, filled with conflicts, tragedies, joys and hopes, music strives to speak to people of what is most important. Music in the lives of different people is different: some compose music, others play music, and others only listen to it. A lot of people who cannot play any musical instrument love to listen to music either at home or at a concert. Different people like different kinds of music. I tried to "compose" my first pieces on the grand piano, when I was 11. Something between Beethoven's "Für Elise" and Freddy Aguilar's "Mindanao". At the age of 7, I started collecting records. The then vinyl long plays. Later I got a lot of CDs. I downloaded music whenever I got the chance to. I tried to watch all the programs dealing with it on TV and went to the concerts as often as possible. Different people like
different music. The scientists say that they can define your character if they know what music you like. For example, they suppose that people who listen to rock music are very clever and reasonable. British scientists confirm that most young people listen to aggressive music such as metal and rock. Scientists say that these people are good students, because of their character and assiduousness. I agree with this statement, because I think that music shows your soul and nature. I always adore people who compose music and write poems. I think that such people are very talented. Also I believe that they can draw pictures and show their feelings by their music or poetry. They can make you cry or laugh. Moreover, they make you think about global problems or you may lie soft and just dream while you are listening to the music. Nowadays we have relaxing music, which we use in medicine. More helpful than all kinds of music is classical music by such famous composers as Bach,
Beethoven, Mozart and Vivaldi. I didn't expect that Filipinos would like (or even love!) this kind of classical music. Up to the day, I started hosting classical music radio shows. The music I hate is heavy metal. I find it noisy and dreadful. When I listen to this style of music it presents to my mind pictures of dark days. Though some young people are fond of this style of music, it is not to everyone’s taste. To my mind, too loud music can do damage to our ears. I am indifferent to other styles of music. For example, I don’t mind listening to jazz. Improvisation is an important part of this style, that’s why a jazz song may sound a little different each time it is played. I think that jazz is a mixture of many different kinds of music, but I consider it a bit complicated. My mother and father approve of my tastes in
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music. Though they prefer to listen to classical and “bard music”, they think that, on the whole, modern music is not too bad. My parents agree that each generation has its own tastes. It goes without saying that music plays a very important role in people’s lives. It reflects our moods and emotions. Music appeals to our hearts and transforms our feelings. It conquers our souls and enriches our minds. Besides, listening to music is the perfect way to spend free time and not to feel bored. You can hardly find a person who doesn’t like or need music and who never sings or dances. Music is beauty in sounds; it is our magic source of inspiration. Well, and then, one day during 2001, I was introduced to Philippine (Classical) Music. I was invited to several performances. (To be continued)
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CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021
This Week in Philippine History
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A replica of the wreck of the Dutch privateer RIJNSBURG is the centerpiece of Seven Seas Waterpark half hectare Tsunami Pool (RMB)
Seven Seas Water Park honors La Naval de Manila By T2 MIKE
Marian devotees will on Monday, October 11, the 375th Anniversary of the feast of Nuestra Señora Santissimo Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary), La Naval de Manila at the Santo Domingo Church (National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary) on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. Enthronement rites for the revered image were held last October 1 at 5 p.m. Novena masses that were preceded by the praying of the holy rosary were held from October 2 to 10. Feast rites in honor of La Naval will also be observed in Fort San Felipe in Cavite City, as well as in other towns and parishes placed under her patronage. The first celebration of the Feast of La Naval de Manila was held on Oct. 8, 1646 in Intramuros, Manila, to mark the naval victory of the Spanish and Filipino Catholic forces against the invading Dutch
privateers. Reminiscent of the victory of the greatly outnumbered Christian naval forces against the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, which was attributed to the intercession of the
pirates abandoned their invasion. In thanksgiving to God and the Holy Mother for the victory, Spanish church leaders initiated the celebration of the first Feast of La Naval de Manila, which has since been annually marked with holy masses and a
Fuerte de San Agustin is a replica of a cotta or fort watch tower common in the coastal towns of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. (RMB)
Blessed Mother, the joint Spanish and Filipino forces, upon the advice of the Dominican friars, prayed the Holy Rosary before each encounter with the invading forces between March 15 and Oct. 4. Finally, the Dutch
A replica of the wreck of the Dutch fluyt BRUINVIS at the entrance of the Seven Seas Events Tent (RMB)
grand procession of the sacred image. Not many Catholics or devotees of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary or La Naval de Manila are aware that the theme of the Seven Seas Water Park and Resort in Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental honors this almost forgotten chapter in Philippine history that history teachers and their students can revisit with a field trip to Seven Seas. Prominently featured as center pieces of the park’s pirate themed attractions are replicas of Dutch privateers which waged a series of battles with the Spanish colonizers of the Philippines during the first five decades of the 1600s.
“We secured one of the pirate ship replicas from a water theme park in Indonesia, and the other two we built from scratch using steel and concrete” said Elpidio M. Paras, President and CEO of UC-1 Corporation which owns and operates Seven Seas. “We came up with the idea of using them to educate while they amuse our guests on this particular forgotten chapter in Philippine history since the VOC in particular was based in Batavia (present day Jakarta, Indonesia).” In the center of the half hectare tsunami pool is a replica of the wreck of the RINJSBURG, which the oral tradition of legends from the 1600s say was a pirate ship skippered by the scion
La Naval de Manila
supposedly armed with cannon taken from the Dutch East Indiaman AMBOINA while the events tent entrance facade is a replica of the wreck of BRUINVIS, a Dutch fluyt that extant records say was either scuttled or blown up by the Spanish during this period. The Spanish-Dutch Wars
The replica of the Dutch VOC type pinnace BRUINVIS is the centerpiece of Seven Seas Waterpark half hectare Tsunami Pool. (RMB)
of Olivier Van Noort, the first of the Dutch navigators to successfully circumnavigate the globe. Facing the pool is a reconstruction of Fuerte de San Agustin, a cotta or fort cum watchtower
in the Philippines, 16001646 According to historical sources, this period marked the height of the Spanish-Dutch Wars in the Philippines, when Dutch privateers harassed foreign
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and Spanish trading ships in a bid to wrest the colony from the Spanish crown. Privateers were essentially ships privately owned, armed and crewed by private individuals holding a government commission, and authorized for use in war, especially in the capture of enemy merchant shipping to seize control of the seas. During this time of war, naval resources were auxiliary to operations on land so privateering was a way of subsidizing state power by mobilizing privately owned armed ships and sailors. Being a privateer was only legal in relation to the countries which issued the papers, so as far as the Spanish crown was concerned, the Dutch privateers were pirate ships. In a series of battles spanning five decades, the Spaniards with the help of native Filipinos (who were mostly Kapampangans) successfully turned back the Dutch time after time, from December 14, 1600; HONORS/PAGE 7
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CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021
This Week in Mindanao History
31 Anniversary of the 1990 Mindanao crisis st
October 4, 2021 is the 31st Anniversary of the 1990 Mindanao Crisis, better known hereabouts as the Alexander Noble Mutiny. It was counted as the seventh of the 1986-1990 coup attempts against the government of President Corazon C. Aquino and lasted from October 4-6, 1990 in the Mindanao cities of Butuan, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. There have been rumors that a coup attempt was brewing in the region for nearly six months. Military sources said the mutineers were planning to stage ″pocket rebellions″ in remote areas of the country before striking in the capital. Mrs. Aquino had previously survived six coup attempts since she took office in February 1986. In the most recent attempt, in December, rebels seized Manila’s financial district in bloody fighting and nearly toppled the government. Over 100 people were killed. On Thursday, October 4th, 1990, a bomb exploded at a water pumping station at the Philippine Army headquarters in Manila three hours after the Mindanao base was taken, but caused no casualties. It was the 35th explosion in the capital since August. Officials see the bombings as the work of military officers hoping to destabilize the country. The 1990 Mindanao crisis began when rogue Col. Alexander Noble and his supporters seized two military garrisons in Cagayan de Oro and Butuan without firing a shot and unilaterally proclaimed the independence of the Federal Republic of Mindanao on Thursday, October 4, 1990. According to an informed military source, Noble had
gathered some 500 military followers from two infantry units that had been chasing him through the jungles of northern Mindanao for the past two months. The 43-year-old former deputy chief of Aquino's Presidential Security Guard was also backed by about 200 Higaonon tribesmen and 1,500 civilian supporters of Reuben Canoy's Mindanao Independence Movement, the source said. Some 150 Scout Rangers from Iligan also declared their support. According to Noble, the proclaimed state would have a civilian-military junta as government. He later announced the next day that he was calling for dialogue with the Philippine government. Noble is a former bodyguard of President Corazon C. Aquino. He had been hiding in the jungles of northern Mindanao since his involvement in plotting the two attempts against Aquino last December 1989. The police had offered a $40,000 reward for his capture. Butuan Officials said about 200 rebel soldiers launched the revolt about 1 a.m. on Thursday, October 10, 1990, seizing the 402nd Brigade army base in Butuan City. Flights to Mindanao were canceled and schools on the island were closed. De Villa said soldiers from the 53rd Infantry Battalion, one of the units of the 402nd Brigade, organized the takeover. The rebels later moved to Cagayan de Oro, 70 miles west of Butuan. ″This shows that the free Mindanao movement is not just propaganda,″ Noble told reporters at Camp Evangelista. Iligan Earlier Friday, about 150
Alex Noble at the headquarters of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion based in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, during the unit’s 37th-anniversary celebration on March 1, 2020. Noble served as the battalion’s seventh commander from April 10, 1980, to November 1, 1985. (Philippine News Agency photo by Alexander Lopez)
Cagayan de Oro media interview Alex Noble. (Photo courtesy of Herbie Gomez)
Rebel Col. Alex Noble with his Higaonon bodyguards. (The Associated Press)
Noble’s forces from Butuan parade along Velez Street in Cagayan de Oro surrounded by curious onlookers. (photo courtesy of Froilan Gallardo)
T-28 Trojans of the Philippine Air Force 15th Strike Wing (pinterest)
Scout Rangers from the 23rd Infantry Battalion in Iligan City, 88 kms from Cagayan de Oro, declared their allegiance to Noble. Military officials reported government planes attacked and destroyed a Sikorsky AUH-76 gunship commandeered by the rebel soldiers. Late Friday, the mutinous Rangers left their camp and marched to the heart of Iligan, where they planned to camp overnight. Government forces did not attempt to stop them to avoid a firefight in the industrial center. Cagayan de Oro National Security Adviser Rafael Ileto said that the rebels hoped to establish a secessionist government on Mindanao, then ″move up north.″ Witnesses said rebels were marching around the streets of Cagayan de Oro in a virtual ″victory parade,″ attracting large crowds of curiosity seekers. But no other Philippine Army units joined the uprising, and it fizzled out after government planes bombed the rebel positions in Butuan City on Friday. The Government's air strike on Friday morning, by two T-28 fighters deployed from Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City, destroyed buildings, trucks and equipment at the camp in Butuan. Air Response To counter the rebellion, six AT-26D Trojans (colloquially known as “ToraToras”) from Mactan Air Base and another two from Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City, took-off to eliminate the rebel gunship and perform persuasion flights over Cagayan de Oro. Lt. Hubert Yulo, one of
the pilots from Mactan was on his first combat mission with Lt. Arne Mangubat. They reached Cagayan de Oro after one and a half hours but were unable to locate the rebel helicopter and with Yulo’s plane low on fuel, Mangubat decided to return to Mactan. However, 20 minutes after turning back, Yulo reported engine vibration and soon after said his aircraft was losing power. Although he was ordered to eject, one of the pilots seeing a beach line below called out for him to ditch. But Yulo’s plane was descending too fast and was unable to reach the beach, so he ejected at around 100 feet and drowned underneath his parachute as he was unable to disengage from it. Yulo became the sole casualty of the Noble uprising, ironically it turned out, as Noble apparently staged his mutiny without firing a single shot. In four previous coup attempts, at least 168 persons were killed and more than 900 wounded. Government Response President Corazon Aquino ordered the country's security forces to stop the mutiny. The Armed Forces of the Philippines was put into red alert. Hundreds of troops were stationed near the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Manila due to a military report months before the rebellion warning of a coup attempt would follow an uprising in Mindanao. Troops with anti-aircraft weaponry were stationed around the military compound while troops with anti-tank weaponry and machine gun stationed within the walled compound and outside its gates. Aquino's military advisor, Mariano Adalem in a briefing for
Lt. Hubert Yulo (photo from the PAF Historical Records through Col Francis Karem E Neri PAF (MNSA))
foreign diplomats said that Noble's actions in Mindanao could be a distraction, and his actions in Mindanao a regional destabilization effort leading to a coup d'état. Gen. Renato S. de Villa, the armed forces Chief of Staff, said he was ''100 percent'' certain that Noble was coordinating with the leadership of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), an underground group of right-wing former military officers involved in previous coup attempts. Analyzing the revolt before the surrender, Alexander Magno, a professor of political science at University of the Philippines, said: ''Apparently the underground network began to develop a plan, although it was not prepared to execute it as yet.” ''Noble, under pressure, initiated the plan independently, hoping to create momentum, hoping for support from comrades in the rebel military network,'' he said. ''But a sequence of camp defections would have to occur quickly to build political momentum and force the Government to commit mistakes and to panic in the face of the defection. This didn't occur and Noble became isolated.'' Peaceful Surrender Accompanied by priests and local officials who negotiated his surrender, Noble gave himself up to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.,
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a former mayor of the city, at 3:00 am of Saturday, October 6. Pimentel flew to the city Friday to offer himself as a negotiator to end the crisis. Noble told reporters that his basic goal had been to call attention to Mindanao's problems, and that he had achieved it, The Associated Press reported. ''At least the basic issues can be resolved peacefully,'' the renegade colonel was quoted as saying. “They want me to continue their cause for Mindanao, which is for the national government to give enough attention,” Pimentel said. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.” Besides Noble, government forces arrested renegade colonel Victor Erfe, a former coup plotter who had been hiding out on Mindanao for three years; Reuben R. Canoy, a Mindanao independence advocate and the rebellion's leading civilian supporter; and about 200 other officers and enlisted men, military officials said. They said other rebels who changed into civilian clothes and fled were being hunted as part of "mopping up operations" on the northern coast of Mindanao. Noble was escorted to Manila by military officials led by Brig. Gen Arturo Enrile, superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy. Despite the arrest,
CRISIS/PAGE 7
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CAGAYANTIMES Lifestyle Weekly DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021
Honors...
invasion of the Philippines. The victories against from page 5 the Dutch invaders were attributed by the Spanish again in 1609 at the Battle and Filipino troops to the of Playa Honda by Spanish intercession of the Virgin governor-general Juan Mary. de Silva; and again on On 9 April 1652, the the Second Battle of Playa Honda on April 1617, when victories in the five sea battles were declared a a Dutch fleet of 10 galleons under Joris van Spilbergen miracle by the Archdiocese of Manila after a thorough was defeated by a Spanish canonical investigation, armada of seven galleons giving rise to the centuriesled by Juan Ronquillo. old festivities of Our Lady From 1640 to 1641, a Dutch flotilla of three ships of La Naval de Manila. The victories of the Filipinopatrolled near Embocadero Spanish forces over the de San Bernardino to Dutch pirates also ensured capture galleons coming that the Philippines would from Acapulco, Mexico remain a Catholic and not a with no success. Protestant nation. However, the wreck Olivier Van Noort and the of the RIJNSBURG, RIJNSBURG AMBOINA and BRUINVIS Built in 1637 at and the FUERTE DE Amsterdam by the SAN AGUSTIN are Verenigde Oostindische historically and culturally Compagnie (VOC or the most significant because of Dutch East India Company) the Battles of La Naval de Manila, a series of five naval the Dutch pinnace RIJNSBURG was owned by engagements fought in the VOC and in service for Philippines waters in 1646, the Kamer van Amsterdam. when the forces of Spain repelled various attempts by The VOC was the Dutch to invade Manila, established in 1602, and remained a major trading during the Eighty Years’ industry until 1798. War. Following its establishment The outnumbered on the site of the razed city Spanish forces, which of Jayakarta by the Dutch included many native in 1619, Batavia became Filipino volunteers, the center of the VOCs consisted of two (later, trading network in Asia. three) ancient, rotting Monopolies on nutmeg, Manila galleons converted to men-of-war by stripping black pepper, cloves and cinnamon were augmented guns from the fort of by cash crops like coffee, Manila, a galley and four tea, cacao, tobacco, rubber, brigantines. sugar and opium. The duo outfought a To safeguard their Dutch fleet of nineteen warships, divided into three commercial interests, the VOC and the colonial separate squadrons. The administration, which Spanish-Filipino forces replaced it in 1799, inflicted heavy damage on progressively absorbed the Dutch flotilla, forcing surrounding territory. them to abandon their
The RIJNSBURG was a VOC type pinnace class weighing 100 tons burthen (bm) of the type which was used mainly for transport and raiding by the Dutch. The Dutch built pinnaces during the early 17th century. Dutch pinnaces had a hull resembling a small “fast” galleon, and were usually rigged as a ship (square rigged on three masts), or carried a similar rig on two masts (in a fashion akin to the later “brig”). Pinnaces were used as merchant vessels, pirate vessels and small warships. After her first voyage to the East on 11 October 1637, the RIJNSBURG arrived on 28 April 1638 in Batavia (kamer van Amsterdam), the capital of the Dutch East Indies (present day Jakarta, Indonesia) and from thence proceeded to India. In 1638, RIJNSBURG, was lost in a battle with the Spanish, off the Philippines. Local legends have it that the ship fell into dire straits after Olivier van Noort, Jr., led a mutiny and took to piracy, lured by the riches to be gained by attacking the spice ships of the Portuguese in the East Indies, the Chinese and Japanese merchant ships trading with the Filipinos at the time, and the biggest prizes of all, the Spanish galleons plying the Acapulco-Manila route. Van Noort was the son and namesake of the commander of the first Dutch privateer squadron to battle the Spaniards in December 14, 1600 when they sank the SAN DIEGO, flagship of the Spanish fleet
under Antonio de Morga. When the elder Van Noort returned to Holland, he became the first Dutchman to circumnavigate the globe. But the reckless bravado of the young Van Noort apparently proved to be his undoing, and the pirate ship RIJNSBURG was lost in battle when it rashly attacked a bigger Spanish galleon from Acapulco and was blown in two by the galleon’s bigger cannons. The wreck of the pinnace washed up in the shores of Opol, a barrio of what was then known as the Segundo Distrito de Misamis. Seven Seas Water Park and Resorts features a full scale replica of the shipwreck on a rock island as its center of attraction for the half hectare tsunami wave pool. The AMBOINA and BRUINVIS Besides the RIJNSBURG, Seven Seas also features full scale replicas of relics from two other Dutch East Indiamen, the AMBOINA and BRUINVIS. The AMBOINA was a VOC type spiegelretour class 3-masted sailing ship built in 1629 of 550 tons burthen (bm) which was scuttled by her own crew on Sept. 9, 1647. The oral history handed down through generations has it that local officials from the nearby town of Cagayan mustered the local populace to build a cotta or fort named FUERTE DE SAN AGUSTIN (after the town’s Patron Saint) armed with the cannons taken from the wreck of the AMBOINA as a defense against marauding Dutch
Crisis...
the battalion’s seventh commander from April 10, 1980, to November 1, 1985. “The insurgency problem and its solution must be entrenched with all-inclusive development interventions that will bring impacts into the lives of ordinary people,” Noble said He pointed out that the majority of those enticed by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) to join their ranks “are the poor, particularly the indigenous peoples (IPs)”. The former Army official recalled that he once trained members of “Alimaong” when he served the intelligence service of the Army in the hinterlands of Esperanza and Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, in parts of Surigao del Sur, in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, and in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. “The warriors are an integral part of the tribe. They can effectively defend their territories and communities from the NPA,” he said. However, this strategy must also be complemented by programs geared at
improving the economic standing of the tribe members. Failure to address the economic side, he said, would render any effort to bring the IP communities on the government side unsustainable. For instance, Noble said that despite the campaigns and training they provided to the tribal warriors, the NPA still managed to recruit them. “The tribes were neglected. When the NPA did the recruitment, they (the tribe) were easily swayed and convinced to join the communist movement,” he added. Noble also recalled the time he was invited to a National Security Council meeting in Malacañang during the administration of former president Fidel V. Ramos where the problem of insurgency was discussed. “I told them that insurgency is not a political or military problem. Insurgency is an economic problem. The NPA recruitment is anchored on the poverty the ordinary people experience,” Noble said. The former Army
from page 6
Noble claimed success in his goal into bringing attention to the issues affecting Mindanao. Aquino’s Executive Secretary Catalino Macaraig said Noble and Erfe would face a courtmartial. Canoy would be charged with rebellion before a civilian court. US ambassador Nicholas Platt said that America “strongly condemns any effort to destabilize the elected Philippine government.” The United States provided air support for Aquino in quelling the December uprising in which 119 people were killed and more than 500 were wounded. Epilogue In an online post dated August 24, 2013, Mindanao Gold Star Daily Editor in Chief Herbie Gomez, and veteran journalist Froilan Gallardo interviewed Noble 23 years after he led the 7th unsuccessful military rebellion against the Cory Aquino government. “Froilan and I were
among those who covered the pocket rebellion in October 1990,” Gomez remarked. “Early this week, we sat down and had coffee with Col. Noble and I asked him if he encountered the fleeing Brig. Gen. Miguel Sol (4 th Infantry Division commander) after the siege of Camp Evangelista. He said, “Yes.” Sol allegedly told him: “Ikaw talaga Alex. Kung hindi dahil sa kalokohan mo, wala sana tayo dito ngayon.” Both faced the military court. Noble still has that pony tail 23 years later.” In an even later interview published by the Philippine News Agency on March 1, 2020, Noble told journalist Alexander Lopez of the Philippine News Agency that the longstanding communist insurgency problem in the Philippines is deeplyrooted in economic inequality, not in ideology. Lopez interviewed Noble at the headquarters of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion based in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, during the unit’s 37th-anniversary celebration, served as
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A replica of the wreck of the VOC fluyt BRUINVIS (RMB)
Cannon from the wreck of the AMBOINA at Fuerte de San Agustin (RMB)
pirates and privateers, the Sultanates of Maguindanao and Buayan led by Sultan Kudarat, and Sultan Maputi, respectively; and the far-ranging proas from Jolo of Moro slavers who were also active during this period. The BRUINVIS was a Dutch fluyt ship built in Amsterdam of 120 tons burthen (bm) and acquired by the VOC in 1645. Records show it first departed Texel as a VOC ship on April 24, 1645 and operated out of Batavia until she was either blown up by the Spanish or by her own Dutch Crew on January 20, 1658 off Maginado in the Philippines. A fluyt is a type of Dutch sailing ship originally designed by the shipwrights of Hoorn as a dedicated cargo vessel designed to
facilitate transoceanic delivery with the maximum of space and crew efficiency. It was not built for conversion in wartime to a warship, but it was cheaper to build and carried twice the cargo, and could be handled by a smaller crew. “With these footnotes in a forgotten chapter of Philippine history, Seven Seas hopes to awaken the interest of our guests, especially the youth, in the relevance of history to current events, and keep in mind as they journey through their lives that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time we come to a problem that requires transport,” Paras said. View information and photos of Seven Seas Water Park and Resort by clicking on this link: https://www. sevenseaswaterparkresort. com/.
official said the government is on the right track when President Rodrigo Duterte introduced the “whole-ofnation” approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC). The new approach, he said, would address the core aspects of the insurgency problem in the country--economic
inequality--by mustering the weight of the entire government to develop areas in the countryside that have long been a breeding ground for antigovernment sentiments. “All instrumentalities of the government must contribute and participate in the fight to finally end the insurgency,” he said. (Collated by Mike Baños)
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ARTS & CULTURE | HEALTH | EVENTS | TRAVEL & TOURISM | PEOPLE
CAGAYANTIMES Feature DE ORO
October 4-10, 2021
Page 8
Architect Romolo Nati discusses the importance of Infrastructure for Economic Growth INFRASTRUCTURE was at the center of the discussions during a recently concluded virtual summit named “Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels”. Important speakers from the government and the private sector contributed to an overall exceptional event that followed up on the current state of the Build, Build, Build agenda and discussed the various bottlenecks and solutions for the slightly afflicted sector. The two-day summit was held on the 16th and 17th September 2021 and featured, among others, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar as well as Ms. Anna Mae Lamentillo, DPWH Build Build Build Committee Chairperson who discussed the progress of the construction projects of DPWH. The first day saw also Mr. Andres Pizarro, Sector leader, Transport, Infrastructure Development Region 1 Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) discuss the financing of infrastructure while companies like Fosroc Prime Star Global, Bentley, Michigan, Midas, and Phoenix Asphalt Philippines discussed the various applications of their products. The discussion panel that followed included Mr. Greg Smith, Managing Director, Global Programme Director, International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), Ms. Gizelle Mae Lim, Manager - Capital Projects & Infrastructure, PwC Philippines, Mr. Simon Mannion, Senior Tunnel Manager Megawide, and Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, Executive Director, DOSTPCIEERD. On the second day, the topics were slightly more colorful with Sec. Berna RomuloPuyat, Department of Tourism (DOT) who underlined the importance to work on the tourism infrastructure to strengthen the postpandemic recovery and make sure the Philippines can catch up with some of its neighboring peers. Atty. Maria Dionesia A. Rivera-Guillermo, Head
of Legal and Research Division, GPPB listed the legal and practical bottlenecks and solutions for government procurement, especially during these emergency situations and times of calamity. The most inspiring speaker on that second day was certainly Arch. Romolo Valentino Nati, Chairman & CEO of Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC) who explained the “Strategic Importance of Infrastructure for Economic Development and Inclusive Growth in the Philippines”. He made an important example of
how infrastructure drives investment decisions even in the case of his company IDC who decided to invest in Cagayan de Oro within Pueblo de Oro Busines Park, a prime infra development in Uptown CdO, dubbed to be the BGC of Northern Mindanao. The same criteria were used with their Miramonti Residences in Sto Tomas Batangas, where the strategic South Luzon Expressway was one of the main reasons for the investment to develop a 23 story multi-purpose eco-friendly building right at the Sto Tomas exit and within yet
another prime infra and business park: the LISP III Business Park. He further stressed that infrastructure connects market stakeholders and communities which, together with real estate development, is the foundation for unlocking economic growth. Architect Nati is a thought leader for sustainable development and green architectural design. During his presentation, he also asserted that infrastructure needs to consider sustainability and go beyond simple functionality. His own
passive green design features that are applied in both Miramonti Residences and Primavera City are a testimony on how natural features can be used to improve the resident’s living environment. To end the second day a very inspired group of panelists discussed Philippine Infrastructure Construction Opportunities and Challenges. Mr. Joey Radovan, Vice Chairman, JLL Philippines, Ar. Maan Shayne Pausanos, Specifications Manager, FOSROC Prime Star Global, Mr. Simon Mannion, Senior
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Tunnel Manager, Megawide, Mr. Andres Pizarro, Sector leader, Transport, Infrastructure Development Region 1 Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) engaged in a very colorful discussion which ended the event. During these times of uncertainty, it is important to see that infrastructure projects are carried forward as these will be the pillar for future growth. Events like these give hope not only to the related stakeholders but also to those local communities who are ultimately the beneficiaries of the planned projects.