Ex-NPA members, supporters in Aurora get financial aid

By Jason De Asis

BALER, Aurora – Former members and supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Maria Aurora town, this province, have received government livelihood assistance aimed at making them productive members of society.

"It’s hard (to implement) but we need to balance the predicaments of both sectors,” he said, noting that the establishments they have so far asked to stop using plastic have appealed to “use our last stock of plastic supply."

The local government unit is pushing for the use of alternatives instead of single-use plastics, such as “bayong” or eco-bags, reusable drinking containers, and metal drinking straws and utensils.

In the Philippines, records show that 2.7 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year, and about 20 percent of this end up in the ocean.

Two million plastic bags are also used every minute worldwide. (PNA)

Lt. Col. Julito Recto Jr., commander of the Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion (91IB), said on Friday the local government unit of Maria Aurora and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist turned over last Tuesday to the former communist terrorist group members and supporters, who are now members of the people’s organizations, some PHP65,000 worth of livelihood aid that could help them rebuild their lives as they reintegrate to their communities.

He said the people’s organizations Dianawan Upland Farmers Association and Buloy Upland Farmers Association received PHP30,000 and PHP35,000 worth of livelihood assistance, respectively.

Recto said the assistance is part of the government’s programs which aim to support the people’s organizations by providing them income-

(LIVELIHOOD ASSISTANCE. Mayor Ariel Bitong (second from left) gives livelihood assistance to members of two people's organizations in Maria Aurora town, Aurora province on March 14, 2023. The recipients are the Dianawan Upland Farmers Association and Buloy Upland Farmers Association, which received PHP30,000 and PHP35,000 worth of cash aid, respectively. (Photo courtesy of the Army's 91IB) generating opportunities that will sustain their daily needs and help them become selfsustaining organizations in their communities.

He expressed hope that more ex-rebels will benefit from the peace-building initiatives of the government in the fulfillment and attainment of a sustainable, just and lasting peace.

Mayor Ariel Bitong, for his part, said the government is exerting its best efforts to help the people by providing livelihood resources to the communities once affected by armed conflict or insurgency.

“Kami sa LGU ay tumutugon, sana ay makatulong ito at maging kapaki-pakinabang (We, in the LGU, is responding. Hopefully, this could help and become beneficial),” Bitong said in an interview.

Meanwhile, the association officials thanked the LGU and the other concerned government agencies for the assistance.

“Sana po ay mas marami pa silang matulungan na iba

The MINDANAO DAILY is pubished by MINDANAO DAILY NEWS PUBLISHING CORPORATION. Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with Reg. No. CS201531735, Business Plate No. 202003336, under Business License Certificate No. 2020-04013, BIR-TIN No. 464-682-324-000.

DANTE M. SUDARIA Publisher and President

ALLAN MARIO MEDIANTE

Vice President for Corporate Affairs

RUFINO T. MAGBANUA

Vice President for Business Development

VICENTE C. DELA VICTORIA

Vice President for Operations

ALLAN M. MEDIANTE

Editor-in-Chief

RUFFY MAGBANUA

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

JOEL ESCOL

Managing Editor

RENE MICHAEL BAÑOS

Regional Editor - North-

Min and Motoring Editor AL JACINTO

Regional Editor - WestMin

RENE MICHAEL BAÑOS

Vice President for Special Projects

DANTE SUDARIA, JR.

Vice President for Digital

ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, PhD

Vice president for FINANCE

JOE FELICILDA Vice President for Administration

EDITORIAL

GERRY LEE

Abellanosa St., Brgy. Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City.

Tel. Nos: (088) 856-3344, 0917-7121424, 0947-8935776, 0917-5183590, 0917-6701544. E-mails: Advertising: mindanaodaily.ads@gmail.com Editorial: mindanaodailynews@gmail.com ROSE MARY SUDARIA, PHD manager

MELANIE RIVERA Advertising JOSE FELIX SANTILLAN creative

DANNYCAROSE SUDARIA comptroller

9th Flr, Unit 918, CityLand Herrera VA Rufino cor. Valero St. Salcedo Village, Makati City | TEL. #: 5555392

CECILIA FRESNIDO - HONRADE marketing and sales manager 0955-366-5968, 0918-527-5898

Unit 520 Bldg. 2 Camella Northpoint Bajada, Davap City 8000 Landline #: (082) 293-9152 email:mdnndavao@gmail.com

NORMA N. PACHECO BUREAU CHIEF 0919-097-9024/0929-714-6599

An 1848 speech attributed to Chief Seattle of the Suquamish tribe poetically expressed: “How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist of in the dark woods, every clearing and every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people.” nomic system has gone berserk in pursuing the growth-at-all cost strategy even sacrificing mother nature to the altar of greed and profit. All because individual ownership gives one the absolute right of exploitation, even if devoid of any sense of morality as long as there is profit. This is Res Ipsa Loquitor (the thing speaks for itself) considering the global state of the environment.

ROLANDO SUDARIA production

Chief Seattle is now proven absolutely right when he and the natives of America, whom he then led some four centuries ago, questioned the economic system that was uprooting them from their native land and their culture as well. Indeed, the “ownership” of the rich white men in the US then was based on the “dispossession” of the Indigenous Peoples. It is also true based on the experience of the Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao. For a while they resisted but “might was right,” so it came to pass that by virtue of conquest, it was another culture that prevailed over the land. That gave way to the imposition of the colonizers’ economic system that provided titles to everything that could be owned or sold.

Today, that kind of eco-

Highly attached to Mother Earth, the Indigenous Peoples then of the North American Continent were puzzled why everything was the subject of commerce especially the land and all the natural wonders found in it. How can you own something that will outlast you. You can not own the land, the land will own you. Perhaps, even the sky will be sold if only such can be owned by the colonizers, so they thought.

In the Philippines, our Indigenous Peoples are also of the belief that land can be owned only when one is using it or working to make it productive otherwise it is owned communally. In fact, they believe that there are things which by their very nature should not be owned or be the subject of commerce because these are means to life and are therefore universal in nature. A good example is air. Just

Susan’s Notes

VIRGINIA P. RECONALLA marketing manager 0927-380-7878

LIZANDRE A. PACO sale manager 0919-234-0606/082-284-0519

PTR. LITO L. MAPAYO account officer 0945-679-9809 REY M. EPIS circulation in charge 0968-851-0774

Block 20-12, Cacacho Subd., Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao del Norte Tel/CP #: 0917-891-2514

O ffice in Charge: BELEN V. TAPING

G/F IBJT North Terminal, Tambo, Hinaplanon, Iligan City Office in Charge: SONNY SUDARIA (0916-349-7422)

Door 3, 2nd Floor Go Bldg., Lam an, Ozamiz City Office in Charge: FORTUNATO “Teddy” ALCUIZAR, JR. (0956-180-4249)

NCR – Rotsen Abejuela

Bulacan – Washington Mediante

Manila – Danica Paulino

LUZON

Caesar Gatchalian – Subic

Godz Dolfo – Zambales

Armando Magalang – Nueva Ecija

VILLAMOR VISAYA JR., Bureau Chief - northern luzon region 2

FRANCIS C. SORIANO, Bureau Chief - nCr, region 3 & 4

CINDY JOYCE D. ALCANZO, asst. Bureau Chief - region 3 (Central luzon)

CYRIL QUILO, asst. Bureau Chief - region 4a (CalaBarzon)

ELMER JAMES BANDOL (B Col region)

RIZA O. ARES - 0926-2242-653

CANDY MACABALE - 0977-092-0561

LOLONG NABONG - Misor - 0906-875-8650

MANNY ANSIHAGAN - gingoog City - 0936-287-7788

ANNABELLE D. FLORENDO - South Bukidnon - 0975-102-8444

PHILIP ‘PHIL’ CALUMBA - ValenCia City - 0905-652-5407

RUFINA CUALES - MaraMag - 0926-336-1585

DAHLIA S. BENEMERITO - MalayBalay - 0955-150-6602

LALAINE SUDARIA - MalayBalay - 0975-251-7882

JEFFREY OPONDA - iligan City - 0936-117-4378

BOBBY MAGUSARA - tanguB City

PJ TREMEDAL - o roquieta C ity - 0919-3452375

SONY SUDARIA - R-10, BARMM - 0947-4810371/0916-349-7422

ANALISA ESPAÑOLA - C ota B ato C ity - 0916-9351714

SHAMMAH SUNGA - C ota B ato C ity - 0967-219-4261 imagine one entrepreneur who is able to develop a technology that can capture all the air available, then, start selling it. Only those with money will survive, isn’t it?

This is also true to water and to electricity, without which we are all doomed. It was unimaginable in the past to sell our water as it is beyond comprehension now to sell air. But in a land where there is the propensity to subject everything to business, who knows?

Indeed, “our world is not for sale.” “Our water is not for sale.” “Our seeds and biodiversity are not for sale.” This should be our response to privatization under the insane ideology known as corporate globalization.” To quote the world-renowned environmentalist and a friend, Dr. Vandanna Shiva, “Corporate globalization is based on new enclosures of the commons, enclosures which