Dumaguete Metropost, November 27, 2022 edition

Pineda out; Lizarde in

Barely three months into the job as PNP Provincial Police Director for Negros Oriental, Police Col. Jonathan Pineda has been replaced as the Province’s top cop.

Pineda told reporters that Police Col. Reynaldo Lizardo started as OIC of the PNP Negros Oriental last November 23.

Pineda, who served as police chief of Dumaguete City from 2017-2019, was named OIC of the Provincial Police Office last August 16, taking over Col. Germano Mallari, who only served for 10 months.

Police Colonel Reynaldo L Lizardo, on the other hand, held several assignments in Luzon prior to his assignment to Negros Oriental.

There was no reason given for the turnover and there was even no ceremony announcing the change in administration.

The Facebook page of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office only announced the change by posting a photo on November 25 where Lizardo was identified as the OIC of the NOPPO and not anymore Pineda.

Improved lives? 249 ‘graduate’ from 4Ps

The government has delisted a total of 249 household-beneficiaries from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who have since found diversified sources of income, and attaining the “self-sufficient level”.

The acknowledgement of the improved living conditions of these beneficiaries was held in a Ceremonial Graduation and Partnership Summit of the Department of Social Welfare & Development in Region 7 last week at the Negros Oriental Convention Center.

All 249 families who graduated from the program come from nine local government units here, while five graduates are from the four towns of Siquijor.

Social Welfare Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero presented the individual successes of the graduating households of the program with the help of various partners, such as national government agencies, LGUs, civil society organizations, and the academe.

“We would like to announce that some of these graduates were previously farmers and fishermen. They now have diversified sources of income since they have livelihood training and have built

confidence in engaging in business,” said Lucero.

Most of the graduates were also members of the Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative, a partner of the 4Ps in Negros Oriental that provides trainings such as financial literacy through the Family Development Session, and are now engaged in small businesses.

The batch of graduating households has 361 previously monitored children that are in school.

Some of the children have now graduated and are working professionally in their chosen fields.

Because of the program, it was observed that there was a significant change from a high incidence of dropouts to children attending school in the province.

“Ang mga pamilya padayun nagsupport sa mga anak aron mahimong professional (The families continually support their children

Cong. Chiquiting Sagarbarria, chairperson of the Commission on Appointments-Committee on Executive Secretary & Presidential Communications Operations Office, presides the deliberations on the ad-interim appointment of former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin as executive secretary of the Office of the President. Beside him is Senate President Migz Zubiri, chairman of the Commission on Appointments. (Photo by E. Alagao)

Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, National Museum of the Philippines BOT Chair Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas, NMP Director-Gen. Jeremy Barns, Trustee Andoni Aboitiz, and Atty. Cecille Tirol of the Visayas National Museum officially open the National Museum of the Philippines-Dumaguete at the Presidencia. The National Museum’s 14th branch will feature the diverse culture, built heritage, architectural arts, archeology, and history of Negros Oriental and Siquijor. The officials also unveiled a cultural marker declaring the Dumaguete Presidencia, built in 1937 and designed by Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano, an Important Cultural Property on account of its artistic and historical significance.

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Alleged kumander killed in Guihulngan

The rebel who was killed in a clash with government troops in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental was a local guerrilla unit commander of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in Central Negros, a Philippine Army official said on Tuesday.

“He was the head of a local NPA unit that was responsible for the death of a CAFGU (Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit) armed auxiliary and other atrocities in Guihulngan and nearby areas,” Lt. Col. William Pesase, 62nd Infantry Battalion commanding officer, said in an interview with the media.

Victoriano Baldonado, alias Rudy, 34, from Sitio Amumuyong in barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan, was commanding officer of Section Guerrilla Unit, Central Negros Front 1, Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor.

The group operates in the tri-boundaries of Guihulngan City and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental and Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, the Army official said.

Baldonado was killed during a five-minute

to become professionals),” said Lucero.

Among those graduates were families that now owned vehicles, stalls, plantations, and wide farmland, while some members have occupied barangay postts, become presidents of associations, become employees of government offices, and become overseas Filipino workers, teachers, police officers, and seafarers.

Kini nagmatuod lamang nga ang kalampusan sa programa, makita pinaagi sa na-achieve sa mga graduates (These are manifestations that the success of the program can be seen through the achievement of the graduates),” she added.

In his keynote message, DSWD Undersecretary for Operations Jerico Francis Javier congratulated the 4Ps

encounter between his group of five NPA rebels and 62IB troops in Sitio Banderahan, barangay Trinidad, early Monday.

Local police, City Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office personnel, and soldiers recovered the body of Baldonado hours after the clash and brought it to a funeral parlor in the Vity proper. His family was already informed, the police said.

Pesase said Baldonado and his group were responsible for the killing of CAA Joselito Raboy on Sept. 24 in Barangay Montilla, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, and the harassment of a Philippine National Police detachment in barangay Trinidad on Sept. 10, and on Nov. 1.

“Ito pa rin yung armadong grupo sa mga areas na iyan na pag may pinaghihinalaan silang na kahit sa isip-isip lang nila ay supporter daw namin, pinapaalis nila (this is the same armed group in the tri-boundary hinterland areas that drive away residents who they think are supporting government forces),” he said.

“They also harass and

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graduates for their families’ improved well-being through the program’s intervention.

He also cited the convergence efforts of the different national government agencies, LGUs, and civil society organizations in alleviating the quality of life of 4Ps partner-beneficiaries.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo also saw the event as a personification of the program’s successful implementation in collaboration with LGUs.

Degamo said that apart from the psychosocial and educational components of the program, 4Ps members have also learned skills and ways that help them develop and establish self-sustaining livelihoods while improving their way of life. (JCT/PIA7 NegOr, with reports from DSWD7)

Search on for outstanding women in NegOr

The Provincial Commission on Women is still accepting nominations for the search for 2022 Babayeng Garbo and Grupong Garbo sa Katilingban through the Gender and Development Resource & Coordinating Center at PSWDO.

In its fourth year, this annual search conducted by PCW honors the outstanding women and women’s groups for women empowerment and gender equality.

GAD Focal Person Josie Columna of the provincial government of Negros Oriental said the search is open to all women and organizations working or doing development work that contributed to the empowerment of rural women and the promotion of gender equality in any of the following fields: agriculture, fishery, home management, environmental protection, child care, livelihood, social services, and health.

For Babayeng Garbo

Award, the nominee must be involved in community work for at least two years, and has no pending case in any court of law.

For the Grupong Garbo , the organization must submit a certification from the barangay captain, the municipal mayor, or the social welfare officer recognizing its existence.

Columna said for both categories, nominations must be officially endorsed by the barangay captain or the municipal mayor or by any legitimate socio-civic or religious organization.

The Babayeng Garbo carries a grand prize of P25,000, while the Grupong Garbo winner will receive P50,000.

Deadline for submission of nominations is on Dec. 1st.

Forms are available at th Philippine Information Agency, and at the GAD Resource & Coordinating Center, Provincial Social Welfare & Development Office at the Capitol Area. (jct/PIA7-NegOr)

Children’s mental health underscored

The provincial government here marked the 30th National Children’s Month observation with government agencies and private organizations calling for public support to prioritize efforts to protect the children’s mental health.

For the Department of Education here, in recognizing school children’s mental health issues, DepEd has continued to provide psycho-social support to learners as they go back to in-person classes after pandemic.

However, it was noted that based on police

investigation, suiciderelated cases in the province involving minors were caused by family problems, personal or emotional distress, and academic concerns or studies.

DepEd Medical Officer Dr. Karina Louies de la Cruz said during the recent Kapihan sa PIA that under the Oplan Kalusugan sa DepEd (OK sa DepEd), mental health lessons are incorporated in the modules.

Some teachers were also trained to conduct psychological first aid

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Senior citizens urged to register with OSCA

The head of the Office for Senior Citizen Affairs is urging those 60 years old and older, rich or poor, to enlist with the Association to be able to enjoy various benefits provided only to registered seniors.

“I am encouraging senior citizens in Dumaguete to register with OSCA as this will give them benefits such as health, recreation, socialization, faster information access to senior citizen programs,” said Philboneri Duran, head of the government agency that looks after the interests of the elderly.

Based on records of the Department of Social Welfare & Development, Dumaguete has about 22,000 senior citizens (or 16 percent) among its population of about 134,103 individuals (2020 census).

However, Duran lamented, only 41 percent of the senior citizens, or 9,000 individuals who are 60 years old and above, are registered with OSCA.

She said that this year, OSCA conducted various activities for the seniors: variety/talent show in July, stress management, and health & nutrition lectures starting in July, skills training on urban gardening and livestock rating in August, Basic Integrated Theater Arts Workshop (BITAW) in August, livelihood and skills training on food preservation in September, a sports fest in October, Tayada sa Pantawan in October. The weekly health consultations per barangay continue until the end of the year.

She added that Dumaguete also has 56 other barangaybased senior citizen associations that operate under OSCA. Through these two or three sub-associations stationed in each barangay, information relating to the interests of senior citizens are disseminated quicker.

Duran said a major benefit for those who live up to a hundred years old is the awarding of the “centenarian gift”of P200,000.

This year, she said, seven senior citizens from Dumaguete reached the age of 100, and were awarded the centenarian cash gift: P100,000 from the national budget, and another P100,000 from the Province. The P200,000 cash gift comes with a Letter of Felicitation from the Philippine President.

Duran announced that by next year, senior citizens who will reach a hundred years old will receive P250,000 as the Dumaguete government has committed to add P50,000.

The centenarian gift is for the rich or poor alike, residing in the country or abroad. (Keizer Rose Campomanes and Jan Aarron Dela Torre/SU Masscom)

Charter Day highlights peace, culture

Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said the local government upholds and promotes the principles of “sustainable development and peace” as the City marked its 74th charter anniversary with jampacked activities, including the hosting of the Miss Earth pageant.

“There will be no development in this world without peace,” he said in his message during the gown competition of the pageant, referring to a 1955 Christmas hymn, Let there be Peace on Earth. The Mayor said it is “very timely and very significant” for him “because what we need in this world is peace, and that is what we promote in Dumaguete. [We’re] not just a City of Gentle People, but we are Godfearing individuals,” he said.

The Mayor added he had promised himself that after the pandemic, he would treat the people of Negros Oriental with an international event like the Miss Earth pageant.

“No one has the monopoly to claim that he or she is the only one concerned about the environment. You see, it’s a collective effort to protect the environment through promotional events like Miss Earth,” he said.

Meanwhile, urging climate action, promoting environmental education, stopping wetland reclamations were some of the advocacies shared by the 20 Miss Earth candidates.

Daniela Riquelme of Chile won Best in Evening Gown among 19 other bets on Monday night at The Presidencia grounds, then the Old City Hall.

Riquelme, a senior medical student, said her advocacy is on environmental awareness and education. “If we work together, we can all make change.”

Maria Rosado of Portugal, and Paul Anne Estima of Haiti placed 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.

The pageant is an international environmental event based on “beauty and responsibility” as it searches for women who could serve as role models dedicated to restoring and preserving Mother Earth.

City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Veloso-Antonio said the candidates were in Dumaguete not just to compete in a pageant, but to experience as well various local heritage, culture, arts, and visit some creative industries like Lumago Designs, a social enterprise composed of women artisans from barangay Candau-ay who handcraft and design costume jewelry by upcycling materials from the City dumpsite.

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our 10 years in the

will enjoy the panoramic

Tijing,

one of the

She said that hosting the Miss Earth candidates is also an opportunity for the City to amplify what Dumaguete has to offer to the world. “A lot of people in the world will know about Dumaguete and what we have to offer; [hosting them] is definitely relevant and advantageous to Dumaguete,” Antonio said.

NEGROS ORIENTAL’S FIRST GLASS WALK. Tierra Alta Residential Resort in barangay Palinpinon in the mountain town of Valencia unveils Terraza, its newest addition to the newly-renovated Tierra Café. Terraza is an expansion of the existing al fresco that showcases a glass walk podium. The platform consists of six panels of tempered glass that allows one to peer down at the Ocoy River (in the background), and the lush greenery of the surrounding area at about 705 feet above sea level. Guests

Terraza

view, and creating reels from different angles of the mountainside. “Throughout

tourism industry, and as

tourist destinations in Negros Oriental, I am confident this recent development in Tierra Alta will give more reasons for local and foreign tourists to come visit and enjoy the scenery of the place,” said Louie

CEO. Tijing said he envisions Tierra Alta to be a fast, vibrant, and emerging tourism establishment that also promotes cultural engagement of the Valencianons. (PR)

NEWS and UPDATES CAMPUS NEWS

DOST scholar tops geologist board exam

A scholar of the Department of Science & Technology topped the November 2022 Geologist Licensure Examination.

Ralph Tenido ranked 6th in the recently-concluded board examination for licensed geologists, with a rating of 80.80 percent.

He finished his bachelor’s degree in geology at Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete City as a DOST SEI Undergraduate Merit scholar from 2018-2022.

Other DOST scholars who passed the same board examination are Trishia Ysabel Calibat, Sirach Anne Magbanua, Theodore Sanchez, and Pamela Mae Piñero. They also finished BS Geology from NORSU.

Upon learning that he made it in the Top 10, Tenido said the first thing he thought about were his parents, friends, classmates, and advisers who had encouraged him all these years. “Passing the board exam is just another step in our lives. I look forward to the future,” he said.

He urged his fellow DOST scholars to be resourceful and to practice discipline. “Having the initiative to start early, and to stick to your goal is needed as you prepare for the board exam,” Tenido said.

Typhoid cases still up in NegOr

The number of typhoid fever cases in Negros Oriental is still rising, with the latest figures showing a 131 percent increase compared to last year, a health official said on Friday.

Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion said the latest report gathered from the

23 coop scholars get ICT skills

The 23 trainee-scholars of the Perpetual Help Community Cooperative Inc. have graduated from the two-month DigitalJobsPH training and are eyeing to acquire job opportunities online and full-time freelancers.

The djPh face-to-face training program on Social Media Marketing and Advertising was conducted by the Department of Information & Communications Technology in Dumaguete.

This tripartite program of PHCCI, DICT and the Cooperative Development Authority aim to provide employability and improve the ICT skills of interested member-residents amid the pandemic.

PHCCI Board of Director Leovigildo Elmaco said the Cooperative’s corporate social responsibility is to provide livelihood or education program to the cooperative members or community.

“While the Cooperative is tax exempted from the government, it is but proper to give back free trainingservice to the community as we also provided the trainees of computers or laptop, daily meals to the trainees during the training period,” Elmaco said.

field showed that from Jan. 1 to Nov. 12, the Province logged 383 cases with four deaths.

For the same period last year, Negros Oriental only had 166 cases, with zero death.

For this year, two deaths were reported in Guihulngan City, and one each here in Dumaguete and in Bayawan City.

Estacion said the rise in typhoid fever cases is mostly attributed to the rainy season, with possible water contamination in affected areas.

She reiterated her appeal to the public to boil tap water before drinking, and to make sure their food is safe for consumption. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)

Authorities vow solution to Napacao land conflict

Authorities on Wednesday assured farmers and other individuals in Barangay Napacao, Siaton town in Negros Oriental they will find ways to resolve a land conflict while also reviewing some of their petitions for inclusion in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

The assurance was made during a dialogue with Gov. Roel Degamo and officials from the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, Commission on Human Rights, and other municipal and barangay representatives.

Manuel Galon Jr., provincial Agrarian Reform officer, said there is a pending case on the inclusion and exclusion of CARP beneficiaries in the said village.

In 2016, the DAR installed and gave Certificates of Land Ownership Award to 72 beneficiaries of the Cabrera Enterprises land holdings that were covered by CARP, he said.

“There was a petition filed for inclusion by farm workers of Cabrera Enterprises and at the same time filing for exclusion of other beneficiaries that they alleged are not farm workers of the same employer,” Galon said.

In the process, the DAR

Adjudication Board in the Province ruled that 54 were not qualified as they are not farm workers, while 18 were recommended at the time, he said.

The DARAB later said that only seven were qualified, but Galon said that during the dialogue that 18 were recognized.

“The decision has been elevated to the DARAB central (office) which reversed the local ruling due to questions over jurisdiction, thus the case was forwarded to the Court of Appeals,” Galon said.

The appellate court remanded the decision which was then forwarded to the central DARAB, but to date, there is no word yet on the finality of the case, he added.

“Even with the pendency of the case, the landowners are willing to give a portion of the awarded land to the beneficiaries, as a result of our meeting last Monday,” Galon said.

However, PARPO said it still has to determine whether all 18 will be included in the awarding of the land.

Meanwhile, the Governor and the other officials present also reassured the other “landless” informal settlers who are hoping for inclusion in the CARP coverage that they will do their best to assist them.

Miss Chile wins gown competition

Miss Chile Daniela Alajandra Riquelme bested 19 other candidates from different countries to win the evening gown competiton of the Ms. Earth 2022 on Monday night at the Old Presidencia grounds here in Dumaguete.

Maria Beatriz Rosado of Portugal and Paul Anne Americus Estima of Haiti won 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

The candidates arrived here last Sunday, toured the City, and joined some activities in line with the city’s 74th Charter Day anniversary on Thursday while promoting their advocacies.

They are part of the total of 90 delegates from various countries who are now in the Philippines for the beauty pageant which was held virtually last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The candidates who are in town are Liliya Levaya (Belarus), Fabiane Valdivia (Bolivia), Daniela Riquelme (Chile), Abuana Nkumu (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Paul Anne Estima (Haiti), Vanshika Parmar (India), Jehan Majeed (Iraq), Vonesa Alijaj (Kosovo), Nandin Sergelen (Mongolia), Diana Andimba (Namibia), Camilla Diagne (Senegal), Chawanphat Kongnim (Thailand), Indira Meneses (Mexico), Andela Draskovic (Montenegro), Esther Ajayi (Nigeria), Angjela Jakimovska (North Macedonia), Maria Rosado (Portugal), Marcie Reid (Scotland), Aura Dosoftei (Romania) and Caroline Ngabire (Uganda).

City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Veloso-Antonio said the evening gown competition was hosted by Destiny Wagner, Miss Earth 2021, and Michelle Gomez-Bustos, Miss Earth Air 2016.

Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said it is an honor for the City to be a partner in this year’s search for Miss Earth 2022, considering that some of the contestants’ environmental advocacies are aligned with the City’s efforts to protect the environment. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)

He also urged them to find the best method of studying that suits their personality. “We all have different styles of learning, and being able to take advantage of that can greatly increase your efficiency and productivity in studying.” Tenido said using flashcards to make a “database” of terms and concepts encountered in all his subjects helped him. “I also used mind-mapping for subjects that involve a timeline or processes.”

Tenido expressed his gratitude to DOST-Negros Oriental for the opportunities and the support that he received from the government agency. “DOST has been one of my backbones as I went through with college life, and I am forever grateful.” (Reinhold Jek Abin/DOST NegOr)

YMCA to conduct SHS ‘camp-ference’

The YMCA of Negros Oriental will conduct the Provincial Senior High Student Campference on Dec. 16-18 at the YMCA Guest House & Conference Center in barangay Talay.

The three-day live-in Campference, which will be participated in by senior high school students from public and private schools in the Province, will tackle the theme: K to 12 Program: A Challenge to the Philippine Education System with the following sub-topics: Education Reforms: Problems and Prospects; Pressing Issues and Challenges in the Implementation; The SK Challenges and Relevance (Special Inclusion). Campference activities will include lectures, group discussions, plenary sessions, campfire and cultural program, group interest activities, swimming, and lunch at the beach.

Registration of student delegates is now going on at the YMCA office in Talay. Deadline for registration is on Dec. 15.

Live-in delegates will be on first-come- first serve basis as YMCA has only 11 aircon rooms. Interested students may check the principal’s office in their respective schools. The YMCA campference is organized by the Youth Work & Education Committee headed by Orlando Alonso. (PR)

YATTA performs in theatre fest in Cambodia

The Dumaguete-based Youth Advocates through Theater Arts is currently representing the Philippines in Cambodia, performing in the Asian Youth Theatre Festival with the theme Roots and Routes

YATTA, headed by Artistic Director Dessa QuesadaPalm, is performing in Cambodia with two other Philippine-based groups, Teatro Guindegan and USA Little Theater.

Earlier in Nov. 15, YATTA held a premiere at Silliman Hall of the play I Juana B in the Mirror, its official entry to the Asian Youth Theater Fest, written by Junsly Kitay and directed by Mellard Manogura.

The play is about “Juana B” who timetravels through a magical well, and is transported to the past where she meets dinosaurs, Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Tandang Sora, then teleported to the year 1972 during Martial Law.

According to the director Manogura, the play is the youth group’s take on how fast fake news spreads, the dangers of disinformation, and why it should not be normalized.

“The young people have a voice to change what’s happening in the world, and although the mirrors of truth aren’t here with us right now, the people who know exactly what happened in the past have the power to change, to influence, and to share the message,” Manogura said.

He said that during the production, he was actually concerned about being Red-tagged. “Telling the truth shouldn’t cost us our lives, and we should never surrender to oppression,” he said.

When they return from Cambodia, YATTA will have an excerpt performance of I Juana B on Nov. 30 at the Luce Auditorium. (Stephen Tiu, Shari Garzon, Oliver Olivas/ SU Masscom)

Board Member Woodrow Maquiling Sr., National Commission of Senior Citizens Chairperson Franklin Quijano, and Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo lead Dumagueteños in the 74th Charter Day anniversary civic-military parade Friday night. The colorful parade ended at the Pantawan People’s Park. The Most Creative contingents among 155 delegations were the City Environment & Natural Resources Office, North City Elementary School, Barangay Banilad, and M. Lhuillier Financials Inc. The event also marked the 402nd Feast of Sta. Catalina de Alejandra.

Extend 4Ps

The government last week graduated 249 Negros Oriental beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the Philippines, known as the 4Ps, saying their lives have already improved.

The 4Ps beneficiaries were deleted from the list, after they had been given trainings, and had acquired certain livelihood skills.

“They now have diversified sources of income since they have livelihood training, and have built confidence in engaging in business,” said DSWD7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero.

Developed by the World Bank and the government of the Philippines, and signed into law on April 17, 2019, the 4Ps provides conditional cash grants to qualified indigent families for a maximum of seven years to improve their health, nutrition, and the education of their children aged 0-18.

This program is one of the several social programs that have cushioned the poor from the adverse impacts of various shocks the country experienced in recent years.

A study estimates that the program has led to a poverty reduction of 1.4 percentage points per year, or 1.5 million less poor Filipinos prior to the pandemic.

However, according to a Social Weather Stations survey, the protracted impositions of lockdowns not only exacerbated the economic insecurity of poor families but also created an estimated 1.8 million new poor families by July 2021.

The shift into online and distance learning has reportedly exacerbated the crises of many Filipino households, especially students from low-income and poor families, given their severely-limited access to essential educational needs.

The government should rethink the idea of graduating 4Ps beneficiaries, while the economy is still in the doldrums.

There is a need to follow through with these families by extending their inclusion in the program, to avoid the scenario of these people sliding back to poverty.

Section 4 of the 4Ps Act “provides conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven years” but allows the National Advisory Council to also recommend providing conditional cash transfer “for a longer period under exceptional circumstances.”

The prevailing economic scenario should qualify under exceptional circumstances, and allow the government to provide continued assistance to poor families.

Withthe aftermath of the Dumaguete fiesta activities, various controversies, political posturings, and nagging issues plaguing the City leadership, let the celebration of Gat Andres Bonifacio’s Day on Nov. 30th restore the feeling of unity of purpose to work for the common good, as a vital element in nation-building. By his own tenacity

Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, Les Misérables, and other patriotic publications.

Andres Bonifacio is known as the Father of the Philippine Revolution or the Great Plebeian, and founder of the Katipunan or the Kataastaasan, Kagalang-galangang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK).

Sometime in July 1892 after the Spanish authorities

cedulas as a sign of resistance and revolt. That courageous act signaled the start of the uprising, to take up arms, and to boldly stand up against the Spanish civil guards.

Andres Bonifacio is a shining symbol of Filipino bravery and heroism as he fought using bolos, farm implements, and a few guns.

After successful campaigns later, there was in-fighting for

Remembering Andres Bonifacio

and perseverance,Andres Bonifacio undoubtedly contributed much to the history and independence of the Philippines.

After the untimely death of his parents when he was only 14 years old, Andres Bonifacio raised his siblings by himself. Because of his brilliant outlook on life, he educated himself, increasing his reading by studying the novels of Dr. Jose Rizal, the lives of Presidents, the French Revolution as immortalized in

had arrested Rizal, Andres Bonifacio decided that independence could only be achieved through a revolution. Hence, he founded the Katipunan, a militant nationalist secret society open to both peasants and the middle class that employed Masonic rituals to impart an air of sacred mystery towards rebellion against Spain.

Due to the cruelty and corruption of the colonizers, at the Cry of Pugad Lawin, the KKK members tore their

leadership of Aguinaldo; and were sentenced to death. Sadly, Procopio was executed by his co-Katipuneros on May 10, 1897 at Mount Buntis, Maragondon in Cavite -- something which was not made known to many Filipinos.

The memorialization of the iconic image of Andres Bonifacio as both a hero and revolutionary, a symbol to the Filipinos of their never-ending struggle against imperialism, oppression, censorship, and corruption.

During the Marcos regime, figures and symbols of Filipinos struggling to destroy tyranny, dictatorship, and censorship were prominent.

Today, Filipinos continue to face similar structural injustices

(1863-1897)

control within the Katipunan, resulting in its division into two groups: the Magdiwang chapter was started by Mariano Álvarez, related by marriage to Andrés Bonifacio; and the Magdalo group led by Baldomero Aguinaldo, a cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo (who eventually became the country’s first President).

Afterwards, the brothers Andres and Procopio Aguinaldo were found guilty of rebellion since they did not want to be under the

of society, and ordinary citizens battling against the elite and politicians whose greed over wealth and power consume and destroy the fabric of our young democracy.

May the Supremo’s contributions and sacrifices be a constant reminder to the country of the victorious revolutions they waged, one which ended the Spanish colonization, and the greatness of the Filipinos demonstrated during the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Happy fiesta, Amlan!

because we know that it is God who has the final word.

I know this is not easy to do, especially when everything is not working according to what we want.

On this month of Thanksgiving, I would like to share with you two different scenes.

The strange thing about these scenarios is that when you first hear them, you will be hard pressed to understand why I selected these stories to exemplify Thanksgiving. On the surface they will seem to be the antithesis of Thanksgiving. Yet, I am convinced that at the heart of these stories is the real Biblical understanding of what it means to be thankful.

Let us first take a look at the story by the littleknown, seldom-read prophet Habakkuk. Many call this passage as the Psalm of Joy. Habakkuk lived during a time of extreme adversity, probably 600 B.C., when a dying Egypt was being beaten into submission by a growing Chaldea.

The Battle of Carchemish saw the two nations engaged in mortal combat. Prostrate Judah now exchanged masters: from Egyptians to Chaldeans.

For generations, the Hebrews had suffered through invading armies. A Judaean

planted his field, never knowing whether or not he and his family would partake of the fruit of it. People existed from day to day, always fearful that a marauding band would descend upon the village to burn, plunder, and kill. As an agricultural people, they depended upon the land -crops and herds -- and when these failed, starvation came.

seem awfully bad. But this is only one of a series of mishaps that has occurred during his stormy ministry. He has been shipwrecked, beaten nearly to death, imprisoned, and even many of his fellow Christians are now openly opposing him. Now he faces what surely seems to be a death sentence.

In the midst of this situation, Paul writes the Christians in

The blessings of thorns

It was a grim choice: death by starvation or the sword.

In the midst of this affliction, Habakkuk affirmed, “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold... yet I will exult in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (3:17)

The second scenario comes from the New Testament, the book of Ephesians. The Apostle Paul now finds himself squarely in the midst of a dingy Roman prison, and facing serious charges. Things

Ephesus. He started his letter by saying, “Thanks be to God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every blessing.” (1:3)

Strange words from a man facing execution. We are forced to ask the question, “What has he to be thankful for?”

In these two passages we see gratitude. It is joy regardless of external circumstances.

This does not mean that we are to put on a false front of happiness. It does not mean that we are to psych ourselves into feeling better.

Rather, we are thankful even in times of hardship

However, we also know that in Christ, we find that quality of living which is not dependent upon circumstances for ultimate meaning and purpose.

Adversity is a wind separating wheat and chaff. It is said that who we really are often becomes known only when the going gets tough.

Gratitude to God, whatever the situation; this is faith.

Why gratitude? Because God is God who has made us, redeemed us, sustained us. He is life; without him our days would be meaningless.

From his concentration camp, Dietrich Bonhoeffer could write, “Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine!” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: The Macmillan Company, paperback edition, 1963, p. 20.)

In my reading, I discovered that in the Bible the words for gratitude and thankfulness. If one is thankful, he must also be a person of faith.

For most of us, life can be full of challenges. Here in the Philippines, a lot of people have difficulty surviving for economic reasons. We have typhoons, earthquakes, landslides and floodings.

DR. JUSTIN JOSE A. BULADO

THE OBSCURE ACADEMIC

JJAbulado@norsu.edu.ph

Among the multitude of national heroes in the Philippines, Andres Bonifacio is perhaps best remembered as the supremo of the Katipunan.

Bonifacio was the one who took action in his own hands, and fought against colonial Spain.

Many books have been written about him – the popular one by renowned historian Teodoro Agoncillo titled Revolt of the Masses –but many Filipinos still seem

unity since the Katipuneros limited number of weapons and ammunition.

Even with Rizal’s advice not to push through with the revolution, however, Bonifacio, obstinate as he was, still pushed through with the revolution of 1896.

It was as if he had no choice, especially that the Spaniards already knew about the secret society he had organized.

In hindsight, the decision to start the revolution at that time was a mistake. Clearly,

accept orders from our superiors, even if they know it’s morally wrong.

We tend not to act against the orders, nor do anything contrary to it -- mainly out of fear for possible consequences.

As a result, many people in power take advantage of our submissiveness. And to think we have been like this for more than 300 years now; it is an old habit that dies hard.

One lesson we can learn from history to get rid of this old bad habit is to follow

Andres Bonifacio: Man of action

not to fully understand the significance of what Bonifacio did for our nation.

There is no doubt that Bonifacio, like all men in history, had flaws. He was not a perfect man; in fact, he had his own shortcomings. Although he had the intent of starting a revolution against the Spaniards, it was apparent that one of his shortcomings was that he and his men were not ready for what they were about to do.

Jose Rizal was right when he noted that the time was not yet ripe for them to revolt against Spain, given the Filipino people’s lack of

Bonifacio and his men lacked the training to go against the Spaniards, and most importantly, they did not have the proper weapons and ammunition.

Suffice it to say, it is futile exercise to compare Rizal with Bonifacio. Both of them are national heroes in their own right. Rizal being the realist; while Bonifacio the idealist. Be that as it may, the most important lesson one can learn from Bonifacio’s heroism was that he was indeed a man of action.

Filipinos generally have a penchant to be subservient, and would just reticently

Andres Bonifacio’s lead of taking action or taking matters into our own hands.

Whenever we see corrupt practices being done, we must call the perpetrators out. We must speak truth to power, and if push comes to shove, it behooves us to follow Bonifacio’s lead for radical change.

However, with the benefit of hindsight, we can always avoid the mistake that Andres Bonifacio did, which was to rush things without proper planning and logistical preparations.

All things must be planned

DIANA BANOGON-BUGEYA

PEOPLE’S CORNER

DianaBugeya@gmail.com

LUJANA CIARRA ROMERO-HERRENAUW

HearHerNow

LujanaHerrenauw7@gmail.com

Wehave always prayed to our heavenly Father to keep our family together, and for us to never be apart from each other, no matter what.

For the first time, I never thought it would come sooner, although in the most fulfilling way, and that is to serve Him in His

Promises are one-way. Promises are what we commit ourselves to do for something or someone.

Covenants, on the other hand, are two-way.

As we covenant to serve the Lord in His House, we can hold to the promise that He will always keep our family safe together, no matter what.

God loves to bless us in ways we cannot imagine, and is always rooting for us, His children.

As we remember our covenants, and keep His commandments, “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated. And when we obtain any blessing

Understanding our covenants with the Lord

Holy House.

Life is a beautiful paradox.

While we prayed for Him to keep us together, we are now apart from each other so we can manifest that promise by serving Him.

And now we have taken to higher heights to show our Heavenly Father our willingness to attain that blessing.

Just like when we partake of the bread and water as sacred emblems of the sacrament, and ponder the covenants we have made to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments, our Heavenly Father, in return, extends the promise that His Spirit may be with us always.

JG UMBAC

from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:2021).

The Lord said, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (D&C 82:10.)

We love to serve the Lord, and I always know that when we are in the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to His help.

THE WAY IT IS

bjplug@gmail.com

AsWorld Cup fever is in the air, so is the spirit of the holidays. Soccer fans are all agog to see who would win the 2022 World Cup.

Ina number of articles where I’ve called out the past City Council for the destruction of the Dumaguete waterfront without consent from the public, I’ve asked for written documentation citing the benefits and consequences of this reclamation. And proof that this is the will of the people to wreck destruction on our environment.

I have read many articles condemning the planned 174-hectare reclamation project. I do not recall articles defending this project, and citing the advantage it will give Dumaguete. If there’s been any, I missed them, and I would certainly be happy to be pointed to these articles.

Not once did I talk about population growth, and the challenges faced by our growing population, and what the City Council is doing about it.

and its challenges. I leave that to the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the Church, etc.

Secondly, if it is true you are the mastermind behind the massive reclamation projects that Mr. Remollo is actively forcing down people’s throats, that you are his “whisperer” then I would be letting the fox into the hen house by accepting any kind of help from you.

And if you are indeed the mastermind, would you kindly not deflect the scrutiny from yourself by changing the subject, and putting me on the spotlight instead to do something I do not have the skill set for?

because most, if not all, did not grow up in Dumaguete but transferred here for a better quality of life and business opportunities. So why are they helping destroy our quality of life? Is it all just about business, and making money, quality of life be damned?

And yes, there are the many who see the reclamation projects as job “opportunities” because our government, at all levels, is not capable of creating an environment for sustained investment and job creation.

Thanks but no thanks

I am not fooled by your pretension to be an ordinary citizen, Dr. Efren N. Padilla. That, you are not.

And when I point out to these people the consequences of these projects, their answer is typically, “ M’o ba? Sagdi lang, Ma’am, mamason ra mi nga makagawas among anak ug makakita ug trabaho sa gawas.”

In Dumaguete, some establishments have put up huge flat screen television sets so their patrons can watch the games, a nice gesture of appreciation for their loyal patronage.

The 2022 World Cup falls right within the Philippine’s Christmas season, which started in September, and thanks to Qatar’s intense summer heat, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) decided to hold it between November and December, instead of June and July

I would say this is a bonus for Dumagueteños because we like our holidays to be as festive as they can be.

those who are living well, most of what you might see around you, but there are those whose lives are so miserable, that watching them just tears at my heart.

Why should an old man, badly hunched-over, barely able to outpace a turtle, be left alone to wander the streets? He is able to see only four feet ahead of him, using pavement markings, and the curb to correct his direction. He carries a piece of cardboard, his bed.

I saw him two nights ago, and I couldn’t enjoy my food and drink unless I did something for him. So, to give peace to my crying heart, I gave him food and a drink, while my friend told him to sit down, rest his bones, and not offer his food to anyone else.

I guess my heart is looking for that ‘holiday spirit’ that

In a way, they are part of the reason why there no longer is that special Christmas air that encourages giving, because just as soon as you are done helping a healthy-looking able-bodied person carrying a child, a truly decrepit old man or woman comes along. We simply cannot keep helping everyone who begs.

Christmas is just around the corner. Should we, the able, pursue happiness in giving? Is that something we even have to think about, or is it something we just do?

When I give, I just give. I feel satisfied whenever I have helped. It gives me a feeling that I have done a good deed.

I believe that everyone else believes in that, too. We all should, including the government.

Yes, the government should be the foremost

Families united in the finals

So, Mr. Padilla, thanks, but no thanks to your offer to provide me with data to develop a plan to tackle population growth in Dumaguete and its challenges.

Firstly, because you missed the point in all my articles -- they are about the destruction of our environment, and the lack of care for the welfare of people affected, for example, the blind masseurs whose eight-bed facility is now down to four, each room even smaller than it was, and no reception and waiting room.

All so that a parking lot could be created at Pantawan 2. Jobs taken away for a parking lot!

I will not pretend to be an expert on what to do about population growth

I read your criticism of MetroPost columnist Mr. JG Umbac, so I know of you. And more importantly, enough Dumaguete learned scholars rushed to point this out to me: the architect of Dumaguete’s environmental woes. So enough with the games.

Thus, thanks, but no thanks!

And, yes, I am very aware there is a large sector in Dumaguete who are for the continued destruction of our environment, our waterways, our land, our air. Businessmen, in particular, some of who are my friends.

Disappointing, but not that surprising. The siren call of Money is hypnotic and mesmerizing, it pulls seductively. For some, there can never be enough.

And I am intrigued

In other words, abandon our destroyed land to go to a land where the government and citizens are not actively destroying it.

And oh, yeah, the rich businessmen and their families can surely do the same, but with greater ease than the common tao.

Yes, there are very many who are against these destruction plans but readily admit they are too afraid to say this in public. Because they know they will be punished by the government through the hands of government workers.

What has our City become? A police state?

No to 174 and Burn Not Dumaguete , Mr. Padilla. And do read my articles more carefully next time.

I am still waiting for documentation which -- if you are the mastermind, the Ipe Remollo “ whisperer” -- you should have.

And what’s more festive than Dumaguete’s 74 th charter anniversary, fiesta, the World Cup, Christmas, and then the New Year in this holiday season!

I will be leaving for the States soon to spend Christmas with my family there. Since I retired, this Christmas would have been my third here.

As everyone who’d spent Christmas outside of the Philippines knows, there’s no Christmas like Philippine Christmas.

Well, that used to be true, but somehow two years of pandemic has changed that a bit. It is hard to believe, but it has taken away that holiday spirit from the air. The season no longer feels like it did before CoViD-19.

Where the air used to create a feeling of joy and warmth, it seems now unable to even cause a feeling of nostalgia—of that deep yearning for the bliss of a time past.

As I live my life in Dumaguete, I also see the lives of others. There are

gives us happiness in giving. I found it that evening in that one man.

I wish I’ll keep finding it in others, before I leave.

Sometimes, we want so much to be of service to others, and we do try. However, our personal resources are so limited that we are often left with sadness for those we cannot help.

The plight of people like that old man is often misconstrued as bogus because the City has so many wanderers pretending to be mendicants. These are the Badjao-poseurs. There are the women who carry around little children, begging tourists and locals alike. The children are to make people more sympathetic towards them.

I even heard that some women rent children from others in their community for the effect.

My friends and I know these same old pretenders, and we shoo them away because they have made begging a living, and they are breeding more like them.

institution to lead in helping those who need to be helped, and weeding out those who do not respect the dignity of work but instead endure the ignominy of begging.

It is for the government to help the hunched-over old people, and simply put a stop on healthy beggars who may have never even worked a day in their lives. They are just cluttering up the streets of Dumaguete, taking away help from people like the old man, and promoting a shameful image for the award-winning City.

The World Cup will have its finals in December. It will be the culmination of a month of thrill and excitement.

The way it is in Dumaguete this season, perhaps as always, all the people, or at least families, can unite, and make it to the finals of 2022, and face anew the challenges of another New Year, all in a bubble of happiness.

And as we get there, let us not forget the less fortunate, and may our government realize that a big part of the effort belongs to it.

PATHWAYS

legis616821@gmail.com

Many of us know what is June 12 or July 4.

We know about Feb. 14, Aug. 21, Sept. 21, and Dec. 25 (for millions of Catholics). But what about Nov. 24?

For thousands of Dumagueteños, it is Charter Day, and November 25 is Fiesta Day.

This is all we know. At least, for many of us. And last Thursday (Nov. 24), Dumaguete celebrated Charter Day. It was its 74th anniversary.

However, earlier that day, another anniversary was commemorated. An event in our history that has been forgotten, ignored, or not given importance to.

The liberation of Dumaguete from Spanish rule.

This is the 124th anniversary,

yet not many of us know that. Not so many of us have heard of the ‘Heritage March in 1898’ and not all of us know who Gen. De la Viña is.

Or do we know who Gen. Sergio Lopez Sinco, Demetrio Larena, and Hermenigildo Teves Villanueva Jr. are? And what they did in 1898?

Did we know that in that Heritage March, the revolutionaries walked barefoot all the way from Bagawines, Vallehermoso until they got to the center of the plaza?

The plaza we now know where most Zumba enthusiasts are seen dancing and sweating it out to their hearts’ content?

It was in that same plaza that on that fateful day in 1898, Don Diego de la Vina shouted,

ALLEGED

threaten former rebels and those who intend to surrender to the government,” he added.

Baldonado is the third NPA member to be killed in separate encounters in Guihulngan City since late October as Army troops continue relentless anti-insurgency operations in NegrosPesaseIsland.said the deaths of the three rebels is a “big blow” to the NPA.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, lauded the locals of Guihulngan City for their continued support especially in providing timely information to the troops of 62IB regarding the presence of rebels in their area.

He also expressed his appreciation to the 62IB, saying their dedication to duty exhibited during the encounter is “incomparable”.

“Continue to be the best in going after the NPA. I am proud of the efforts and selfless dedication to service that you have rendered. I know that you are always prepared and ready to conduct security operations and employ the legitimate use of force against threat groups that endanger the well-being of the people, especially the Guihulnganons,” he added.

Pasaporte called for unity as he urged the remaining NPA members to surrender, and avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. (Judy F. Partlow/ PNA)

Viva Filipinas!, Mabuhi ang Republica!, Viva Negrense!

De la Viña played an active part in the Philippine Revolution with the rank of general de brigada comandante del Ejercito Filipino Provincia de Negros Oriental

Not many of us know that he led revolutionary men in Negros Oriental, and that he recruited men from Hacienda Vallehermoso and from the nearby sitios to his revolutionary army. We don’t know that together with his men, De La Viña, armed only with assorted, self-supplied bolos, pinute, talibong, bahi, spears and lances, were able to liberate Dumaguete on Nov. 24, 1898.

Of course, we don’t know that, since many of us weren’t

born yet. But there are schools, there are teachers, and there are books, how come we know so little of these people, and we don’t know anything about that day in our history?

But our ignorance (and indifference) is over. A few like-minded individuals have banded together to advocate for the pursuit of history so that more people will develop a lifelong interest in it.

The Negros Oriental History, Heritage & Arts Society (NOHHAS) is campaigning to make history a vital framework in decision-making, attitudes, and action so that communities receive counsel on issues, avoid repeating mistakes of the past, and are informed about positive lessons from way back. This group aims to increase

CHARTER DAY....FROM P. 2

public engagement with history so that audiences and users benefit from fresh insights and relevant information.

Eventually, it targets to make the province a hub for history and heritage, be an effective and professional portal linking relevant organizations, programs, information, and activities so that the public can confidently access historians and historical resources, and strengthen the history sector via networking and cooperation.

It was this infant organization that initiated the Liberation Day celebration last Nov. 24. It was also this tiny organization that sent a “wakeup call” to everyone that Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio were not the only heroes in our

country. We also have our own heroes and their descendants are walking in our midst.

Realization

Even Dumaguete City Mayor Ipe Remollo in his speech that morning, recognized the fact that we have forgotten the things that we need to remember always. And to hammer down such realization, the honorable Mayor “ordered” that beginning next year, prior to the Catholic mass commemorating the City’s Charter Day, Dumaguete’s Liberation from Spanish Rule will henceforth be conducted every year.

It is his way of saying that we should now start remembering what has long been forgotten.

The Presidencia, declared by the National Historical Commission in 2019 as an Important Cultural Property, was the main venue of the gown competition.

It was officially opened Friday afternoon, coinciding with the Dumaguete fiesta, as a branch of the National Museum of the Philippines in Central Visayas, showcasing culture, heritage, and the history of Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

A cultural marker was also unveiled for the Presidencia, designed and built in 1937 by renowned pre-war architect Juan Arellano.

According to the National Museum PH, “Exciting exhibitions await you as NMP Dumaguete will soon feature artifacts, relics, antique collections, documents, natural history, and the architectural arts of Negros Oriental and the region,” it said.

Among other events were the Terracotta Art Exhibit by Hemrod Duran, Fiesta Trade & Food Fair, Lutas Film Festival, Balitaw Contest, and Budbud Gabi Cooking Contest.

Antonio said that budbud gabi is a ‘dying’ heritage dish of Dumaguete that needs to be promoted and revived.

“All these things are important, and need to be documented,” she said.

A “Fiesta Sayaw: A Dance Concert” and the lighting of the community Christmas tree on Sunday, Nov. 27 will cap the week-long Dumaguete celebration. (Francis Ryan Pabiania and Sophia Garzon/SU Masscom)

Board the concerns of

composed of barangays Balugo, Bajumpandan, Batinguel, Buñao, Cadawinonan, Cantil-e, Camanjac, Candau-ay, Junob, Pulangtubig, and Talay. With them during the proclamation were Percival Crisostomo, Noreco Organizational Management & Development Division manager, and Claire Quetua, senior information officer of the National Electrification Administration-Institutional Development. Noreco Director Alma Ramirez

her Bachelor of Accounting

the Australian Institute of Higher Learning in Sydney, and a BS in Computer Science from the University of San Juan Recoletos in Cebu. (Noreco II photo)

Businesswoman Alma Flores-Ramirez

finished

from

KUMANDER....FROM P. 2

WILLIAM E. ABLONG

EYE OPENER

wea_129@yahoo.com

In a nationwide daily newspaper, Social Welfare & Development Sec. Erwin Tulfo said the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is effective but it needs to be “fine-tuned.”

He was of course referring to the country’s anti-poverty program providing cash assistance to poor Filipino families. I think when he said that the program needs “finetuning,” he meant that changes need to be inserted because many beneficiaries abuse the cash grant by using it for gambling or other types of expenses that do not directly benefit the family.

that they have this “privilege,” they have this “prerogative,” and that they are “entitled” always to government assistance.

The end result is that they will no longer depend on their own effort, which is essential for them to better their status in life.

It would be better if we can allocate public funds to enhancing social services and programs and to build up people’s self-reliance, for instance, through education, entrepreneurship, and micro-

A dole-out is a mere bandaid solution that is never meant to last. Distributing wealth does not generate wealth and, instead, diminishes its intrinsic value.

In her book titled Statecraft, British stateswoman Margaret Thatcher identified five important factors that can make capitalism function well.

No more dole-outs, please

Alleviation of poverty?

As a poverty alleviation method, the program rates high in instant gratification, however, it raises serious questions about impact and sustainability.

For the government to regularly hand out cash to hundreds of thousands of Filipino families, a massive reservoir of resources must be infused to sustain the flow of assistance. Does our government have this “massive reservoir”?

I have said this before and I will say it again – “doleouts” develop a mentality of dependence in people. It deceives the poor into thinking

finance.

When the dole-outs are gone, people will simply wait again for the next dole-out.

Experts say that the money given will ramp up the consumption of goods and services, therefore, propelling the entire economy.

Leftist politicians and left-leaning groups will say that wealth distribution is a method of promoting social justice, while Catholics and other Christian denominations preach that the virtue of generosity is manifested in wealth distribution.

I don’t agree. Considering how inefficient and the ineffective doling-out system is, it is actually a waste of taxpayers’ money.

AUTHORITIES VOW....FROM P. 3

They also said, however, that “the law is the law” and in the event it would be determined they are not included, the government officials will find ways for them to own a piece of property in another area, such as a 500-hectare government land that the DENR said is available in Siaton.

Galon said this is a separate case involving some 337 families who are occupying a property in Napacao owned by a certain Andre Reyes, et. al., also a Cabrera Enterprises awardee, who filed an ejectment proceeding in court.

The informal settlers started occupying the land in question in March, erecting makeshift structures of bamboo and other indigenous materials.

“There is already a decision for their eviction, however, the judge said the implementation will not take effect immediately to give time for the informal settlers to vacate the property and find another place to stay,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Governor said the 337 landless farmers

in Siaton will each receive a P3,000 cash aid under the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

“To give immediate attention to your current situation, I will give as a bandaid solution P3,000 each from the AICS of Senator Imee Marcos pending the resolution of your cases while we and our partner agencies also find ways for a more permanent answer,” the Governor said in mixed English and Cebuano.

He said he will push for the utilization of some 500 hectares of government land in Siaton for them if they are evicted from their current location.

Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña, the Philippine Army’s 302nd Brigade chief, said while the land conflict is not directly related to the communist insurgency, the TF-ELCAC deemed it necessary for them to step in and help find ways to resolve the land dispute issues to prevent the group from being “infiltrated” by the communist insurgents. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)

These are private ownership, the culture of entrepreneurship, rule of law, competition, and limited government intervention. All of these factors can also be found in Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom , which denounced socialism and collectivism.

As a consumption-based economy, we have the potential to make capitalism work. It is therefore imperative for our policymakers to adhere to these five stipulations.

The direct beneficiaries of this approach would be all of the citizens, who are both consumers and producers of goods and services in the free market.

Many of us Filipinos may be poor, but we are not beggars. Let us not keep on giving people fish. Let us truly start teaching people how to fish.

I would like to greet every Dumagueteño a Happy 74 th Charter Day and Happy Fiesta to all?

23

COOP SCHOLARS....FROM P. 3

DICT djPH Regional Focal Angelito Geverola said this is the first time in the country that DICT isnpartnering with a private sector, represented by PHCCI, in providing digital jobs training for the Filipino people, “because most of our partners are from government agencies or LGUs.”

“With this successful training on DigitalJobs with PHCCI, hopefully there will be more training for residents without age limit in Negros Oriental and we can look for another active partner as PHCCI to benefit more of the program,” said Geverola.

A 71 year-old agricultural worker, Zosima Flores, is one of the graduates who went through tedious digital practical exercises on campaign strategies.

“Initially, it’s just for curiosity and the lessons I learned really challenged me considering my age. I felt amazed and sometimes confused, but hopefully I can share my learning such as

IAN ROSALES CASOCOT

TEMPEST IN A COFFEEMUG

icasocot@gmail.com

Last Thursday, November 24, we celebrated the 74th anniversary of the charter of Dumaguete as a city—and while it’s tempting to think only of those preceding 74 years as the period that has mattered most for the growth of the city, it’s not. Most people think ahistorically. It’s an inability to think beyond our own time, to comprehend in a significant way what came before. Which is forgivable, in a way: we only really have our own lifetimes to witness developments as they progress, which makes us think of our own present as the most concrete building block in the historical scheme of things. This is a kind of historical

existence, when it was first constructed, impacted the very make-up of the city. If you take note, most urban centers in the Philippines, especially those that are located right beside the sea, do not have this kind of relationship with their seafront—all you get, for the most part in heavily urbanized cities, is a seaport and an industrial enclave that feels gritty. Dumaguete and its seaside boulevard is a rarity, but this didn’t come about accidentally. It was more or less designed by city fathers we don’t even remember anymore.

Sr. Ramon Teves Pastor, the municipal presidente of

connection of Calle Sta. Cecilia [now Silliman Avenue] to Calle Real, and further developed the seafront stretch which was later called the Marina [later renamed Rizal Avenue]. Many families of the local landed class also chose to build their houses—called the “sugar mansions”—along the Marina, further designating this stretch of promenade as something unique. All that would lead to the Rizal Boulevard that we have to love today.

But who remembers Sr. Pastor today? We only know him as the namesake of the local Science High—but when you Google him, all you get is information about the school

The years that molded Dumaguete

blindness that makes us forget that change takes time—over years, decades, centuries—and alas also makes us forget the very people and circumstances who and which have made those changes possible, their contributions reverberating down towards our own time in anonymity.

I think of this historical blindness sometimes when I find myself taking a walk around town, and taking note of things that I have come to take for granted—because they have always been there—and then forcing myself to reconsider them in the light of history. Like the Rizal Boulevard, for instance. Long considered Dumaguete’s picturesque “window to the world,” it has always been an object of local pride—but because it has always been “there,” we also do not really see how its

creating content and videos, scheduling, graphic designing, among others,” said Flores.

For Lucky Villanueva, 40, from Dumaguete, it was an opportunity to become a PHCCI that provided him with an avenue to pursue his dream to be a freelance businessman.

During the course of the training, Villanueva have accepted or landed clients online and wish to have more clients in the future to earn more.

The graduates of djPH training course on Social Media Marketing and Advertising are expected to work in the promotion of companies or products and services utilizing social media platforms as tools in creating and optimizing social campaigns. (JCT/PIA7 NegOr)

Dumaguete from October 1912 to October 1916, oversaw many of the infrastructure projects that would largely shape Dumaguete to the place people love today. In the last year of his administration, in 1916, the Rizal Boulevard and the M.L. Quezon Park were built, on land donated by the Pastor and Patero families. He also paved the way to the electrification of Dumaguete, entertaining the interest of La Electrica to put up a power plant in town [a project completed under the next presidente , Sr. Jacinto Catada]; and he also laid the foundation which led to the eventual building of the Dumaguete pier in 1919 [began under the administration of Sr. Alfredo Arrieta]. The building of that pier would connect Dumaguete in a very substantial way to the rest of the world—and it necessitated the

and nothing else. His ancestral house still stands at the corner of V. Locsin Street and the part of Calle Real that has been renamed after him—always in danger of demolition by people who probably don’t know the significance of this house and its padre de familia to the history of the city.

1916 and 1919 are thus significant years in the molding of Dumaguete. That stretch of five years between them contains important infrastructure decisions by city fathers that set in stone not just the layout of the poblacion, but also invariably the kind of air we have come to identify as uniquely Dumaguetnon.

What are the other years that have shaped Dumaguete?

I’ll choose 1620 next. This was the year that Dumaguete became a pueblo [or a town] TO PAGE 9

CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH....FROM P. 2

to respond to students or personnel who exhibit signs of depression, de la Cruz said.

The DepEd Division of Negros Oriental also created a competition on spoken word poetry among students to raise awareness on mental health issues.

The panelists, however, cited that non-supportive families can detract from a child’s mental health or cause a mental health illness to worsen.

Some participants during the Kapihan forum expressed concerns about the impact of allowing children access to technology at an early age, which they believe have an impact on a child’s mental health.

Meanwhile, Reggie Locsin of the Department of Social Welfare & Development also called on individuals,

including children, who wish to access mental health services and psychosocial support to call for help through its WiSupport Program using technology-based platforms. The program uses online platforms such as mobile phone, DSWD WiServ or text messaging, electronic mail, and mobile application to provide easy access to communication tools on mental health matters.

Locsin said that for emergency cases needing immediate attention, the clients will be referred to psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health institutions.

Negros Oriental clients or family members who want to avail or request for a free consultation may access WiSupport by calling or texting 0999-849-9733 (Smart) and 0945-712-3718 (Globe). (JCT/PIA7 NegOr)

Members of the Commission on Appointments, including Negros Oriental Cong. Chiquiting Sagarbarria (2nd row, 2nd from left), pose with at least two of the newly-confirmed members of the President’s Cabinet: former Bangko Sentral governor Benjamin Diokno as Finance Secretary (2nd row, 7th from left), and former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin as executive secretary of the Office of the President (2nd row, 9th from left). Between the two newly-confirmed Cabinet Secretaries is Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairperson of the Commission on Appointments.

(Photo by E. Alagao)

Present: Honorable Neil T. Salma City Vice-Mayor/Presiding Officer

Honorable Reynil C. Arcide Member

Honorable Jovencio S. Bumanglag, Sr. Member

Honorable Regalado D. Salma, Jr. Member

Honorable Epifanio T. Busmion Member

Honorable Daryll T. Aba Member

Honorable Juanito S. Condes Member

Honorable Joselito R. Manso Member

Honorable Arlot T. Regalado Member

Honorable Felix R. Mira, Jr. Member

Honorable Segfredo O. Buagas (ABC President) Member

On leave:

Honorable Domiciano R. Catubig, Jr. Member Honorable James Kenneth G. Aguilar (SK President) Member

RESOLUTION NO. 22-466

A resolution enacting an Ordinance which provides free and complete doses of anti rabies immunization to all Tanjay City residents who are exposed to potentially rabid animals and the creation of an Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC) and providing funds thereof.

Author: Hon. Reynil C. Arcide

WHEREAS, Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that, “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them”;

“WHEREAS, Section 7 of Republic Act No. 9482, otherwise known as the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, states the responsibilities of the Local Government Units in the implementation of the National Rabies, Prevention and Control Program and its Implementing Rules and Regulations under the Joint DA, DOH, DepEd, DILG Administrative Order No. 1 S-2008;

“WHEREAS, Rabies is regarded as a significant public health problem as it is 100% fatal, though 100% preventable. It is responsible for the death of 200300 Filipinos annually;

“WHEREAS, there is an increasing reported number of rabies exposures in Tanjay City;

“WHEREAS, the City Government shall provide free anti-rabies immunization and complete rabies exposure management, such as but not limited, to wound care, counselling, Tetanus Toxoid immunization and provision of medicines and drugs;

“WHEREAS, there is a need to have an Animal Bites Treatment Center

Excerpts from the Journal of the 16th Regular Session of the 9th Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Tanjay held at the SP Session Hall on Oct. 17, 2022.

Present: Honorable Neil T. Salma City Vice-Mayor/Presiding Officer

Honorable Reynil C. Arcide Member

Honorable Jovencio S. Bumanglag, Sr. Member

Honorable Regalado D. Salma, Jr. Member

Honorable Epifanio T. Busmion Member

Honorable Daryll T. Aba Member

Honorable Juanito S. Condes Member

Honorable Joselito R. Manso Member

Honorable Arlot T. Regalado Member

Honorable Felix R. Mira, Jr. Member

Honorable Segfredo O. Buagas (ABC President) Member

On leave:

Honorable Domiciano R. Catubig, Jr. Member

Honorable James Kenneth G. Aguilar (SK President) Member RESOLUTION NO. 22-465

A resolution enacting an ordinance strengthening the cooperative promotion, organization, and development by establishing the Tanjay City Cooperative Development Council and providing funds thereof

Author: Hon. Segfredo O. Buagas

“WHEREAS, Congress is mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution under Section 15, Article XII to create an agency to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments of equity, social justice and economic development;

“WHEREAS, the Cooperative Development Authority is the agency created by virtue of RA 6939 as amended by RA 11364, otherwise known as the “Cooperative Development Authority Charter of 2019”;

“WHEREAS, it is the declared policy of the State under Article 2, RA 9520 or the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 to foster the creation and growth of cooperatives as a practical vehicle for promoting self-reliance and harnessing people power towards the attainment of economic development and social justice;

“WHEREAS, the promotion of social justice shall include the commitment to create economic opportunities based on freedom of initiative and selfreliance per Section 2 Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution;

“WHEREAS, the mandate to enhance economic prosperity and social justice is given to the Local government Units as provided for in the General Welfare Clause under Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991;

“WHEREAS, the Government and all its branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, and agencies in paragraph 2, Article 2 of RA 9520 are also mandated to ensure the provision of technical guidance, financial assistance and other services to enable said cooperatives to develop into viable and responsive economic enterprises;

“WHEREAS, to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the growth and development of cooperatives, Section 4 (cc) of RA No. 11364 mandates to establish the formation and organization of Cooperative Development Councils in the national, regional, provincial, city and municipal levels in order to provide the cooperative movement a system of policy consultation and program coordination;

“WHEREAS, Rule X of the IRR of RA 11364 provides the detailed guidance in the establishment of the Cooperative Development Councils in all levels;

“THEREFORE, on motion of Hon. Segfredo O. Buagas, seconded En Masse, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved to enact the following ordinance:

ORDINANCE NO. 19

An ordinance strengthening the cooperative promotion, organization, and development by establishing the Tanjay City Cooperative Development Council and providing funds thereof

“Be it enacted by the City Council duly assembled and in session, to wit:

“SECTION 1. This ordinance shall be known as the TANJAY CITY COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ORDINANCE or TCCDC Ordinance

“SECTION 2. Definition of Terms

a. Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) – a government agency created by virtue of RA No. 6939, as amended by RA No. 11364 that leads in cooperative promotion, development and in-charge of registration and regulation of cooperatives; and herein referred to as the Authority;

b. Cooperative Development Council (CDC) – referred herein as the Council, is a multi-sectoral body established at the national, regional, provincial, city, and municipal levels under the supervision of the Authority;

c. Coop Federations – refers to three or more primary cooperatives doing the same line of business, organized at the municipal, city, provincial, special metropolitan political subdivision, or economic zones created by law, registered with the Authority to undertake business activities in support to its member-cooperatives;

d. Coop Unions – are organizations at appropriate levels of registered primary cooperatives and federations to represent the interest and welfare of all types of cooperatives at the city, provincial, regional and national levels;

e. Coop-promoting institutions – refer to local, national or international government or private agencies and institutions which are implementing programs, projects, activities and other services that advocate and promote the growth and welfare of cooperatives;

f. Consultation – refers to a structured public engagement which involves seeking, receiving, analyzing and responding to feedbacks from stakeholders and are mutually discussed by the parties;

g. Cooperative – refers to an autonomous and duly registered association of persons, with a common bond of interest who have voluntarily joined together to achieve their social, economic, and cultural needs and aspirations by making equitable contributions to the capital required, patronizing their products and services and accepting a fair share of the risks and benefits of the undertaking in accordance with universally accepted cooperative principles;

h. Multi-Sectoral Body – refers to a group consisting of representatives of cooperatives, LGU, National Government Agencies (NGAs), NonGovernment Organizations (NGOs), Government Financial Institutions (GFIs), academe and other stakeholders at the national, regional, provincial, city and municipal levels working together as a system with regard to the policy consultation and coordination of cooperative programs and projects.

“SECTION 3. The role of the Local Government Unit in cooperative promotion, organization and development.

(ABTC) wherein information dissemination for animal bite treatment can be made. More importantly, the center will be used as an evaluation area for individuals with potential rabies exposures where Post-Exposure Measures will be performed.

“WHEREAS, the City Government shall adapt the component activities of the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program such as provision of Preexposure Prophylaxis to high risk personnel and provision of Post Exposure Prophylaxis to animal bite victims and to persons exposed to Rabies.

“THEREFORE, on motion of Member Reynil C. Arcide, seconded En Masse, the Honorable Sangguniang Panlungsod.

“RESOLVED to pass the following ordinance, to wit:

ORDINANCE NO. _20

An Ordinance which provides free and complete doses of anti rabies immunization to all Tanjay City residents who are exposed to potentially rabid animals and the creation of an Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC) and providing funds thereof

“Be it ordained by the Honorable Sangguniang Panlungsod, that:

“SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE - This Ordinance shall be known as “An Ordinance providing Free and Complete doses of Anti-Rabies Immunization to all Tanjay City Residents who are exposed to potentially rabid animals and the creation of an Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC) and providing funds thereof”.

“SECTION 2. DEFINITION OF TERMS - For purposes of this ordinance, the following terms shall mean:

2.1 Anti-Rabies Immunization refers to either active or passive immunization.

2.1.1 Active immunization refers to the administration of a vaccine to induce protective immune response.

2.1.2 Passive immunization refers to the administration of pre-formed anti-bodies (Immune globulins OT Passive immunization products) to provide immediate protection. This anti-bodies comes from either human or animal source.

2.2 Pre-exposure Prophylaxis refers to Rabies vaccination administered before an exposure to potentially rabid animals. This is usually given to those who are at high risk of getting rabies.

2.3 Post-exposure Prophylaxis refers to an anti-Rabies treatment administered after an exposure to potentially rabid animals, which include local wound care, administration of Rabies vaccine, with or without Rabies Immune Globulin (RIG) depending on category of exposure.

2.4 Rabies Exposure refers to either bite, scratch or contamination of mucous membranes by an animal.

2.5 Rabies Infection refers to a human infection that occurs after a transdermal bite or scratch from infected animals, like dogs, cats, livestocks, as well as wild animals. It can be transmitted when infectious material, usually saliva, comes into direct contact with a victim’s fresh skin lesions. Rabies may also occur, though in very rare cases, through inhalation of virus containing transplants, aerosol or through organ transplants.

2.6 Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC)- is a unit for the Rabies Prevention and Control Program.

“SECTION 3. OBJECTIVE - To ensure uninterrupted supply of human rabies vaccine for effective management and reduction, if not elimination, of human rabies deaths in Tanjay City.

a. Formulate Local Cooperative Development Plan consistent with the National Development Plan and the Philippine Cooperative Mediumterm Development Plan, to be incorporated in the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), and Annual Investment Plan (AIP) of the City; b. Ensure the provision of technical guidance, financial assistance and other services to develop cooperatives into viable and responsive economic enterprises; c. Promote the organization of cooperatives and support their development;

d. Appoint the Cooperative Development Officer to take charge of the office for the development of cooperatives; e. Establish partnership and collaboration with other cooperatives, coop federations, coop unions, local and international coop-promoting institutions, and the Authority in the benchmarking of best practices, sharing of cooperative information and implementation of cooperative development plans, projects, programs and activities;

f. Assist the cooperatives in the preparation of registration documents and compliance to mandatory reports;

g. Provide training for the development of cooperatives in accordance to applicable rules and guidelines; h. Initiate and implement a localized program for cooperatives promotion and development in line with the national policy on cooperatives; and i. Provide such information as required by the Authority in relation to its coop research projects.

“SECTION 4. Creation and Purpose of the Cooperative Development Council (CDC). The Tanjay City Cooperative Development Council shall be created in the Local Government Unit. It shall serve as a mechanism for program collaboration and coordination in the implementation of various cooperative programs, projects and activities, and development of policy initiatives for cooperative development implemented by all government branches, instrumentalities, subdivisions, agencies and other coop-promoting institutions.

“SECTION 5. Powers and Functions of the Council.

a. Coordinate and harmonize the implementation of various cooperative plans, programs and projects of the government; b. Assist the Authority in the broad-based monitoring and coordination of the implementation of the Philippine Cooperative Development Plan (PCDP), through the collective efforts of all sectors and to develop such mechanism in line with the PCDP;

c. Propose policies affecting cooperatives for local and national implementation; and d. Prepare reports on the state of the cooperative movement and the status of its programs, projects and activities.

“SECTION 6. Composition. The Composition of the Tanjay City Cooperative Development Council (TCCDC). The Council shall be composed of the following: a. City Director of the NGAs or their equivalent designation; b. City Cooperative Development Officer or its equivalent designation; c. Chairperson of the Committee on Cooperatives of the Sangguniang Panlungsod; d. Chairpersons of primary and secondary cooperatives or their representatives; e. Representative from other offices of the LGU with cooperative programs; f. Chairperson of the City Development Council; g. Representative from the People’s Development Council; h. Official representative from the Authority; i. Official representative of NGOs with cooperative programs and other coop-promoting institutions; and j. Official representative of the Congressman of the second district.

“SECTION 7. Honorary Chairperson. The Local Chief Executive (LCE) of the city who is the chairperson of the City Development Council shall act as Honorary Chairperson of the Council.

“SECTION 8. Officers of the Council. The Council shall elect from among themselves the following officers: a. Chairperson d. Treasurer b. Vice-Chairperson e. Auditor c. Secretary “SECTION 9. Duties and Responsibilities of Officers. The officers shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

a. Chairperson

1) Presides in all the meetings of the Council;

2) Exercises general supervision and control over the operation and internal administration of the Council;

3) Signs all papers, agreements and other documents for and on behalf of the Council, subject to its existing policies and guidelines;

4) Calls special meetings of the Council, when necessary; 5) Ensures that the Council maintains records of all its proceedings and operations and;

6) Performs such other duties and responsibilities as may be necessary.

b. Vice-Chairperson

1) Acts as Chairperson in case of the absence of the Chairperson; and

2) Performs such other duties and responsibilities as may be delegated to him or her by the Chairperson.

c. Secretary 1) Oversees the preparation of the Minutes and Agenda and keeps a record of the attendance and proceedings of all meetings of the Council’

2) Ensures that Notices of all meetings of the Council are sent to members;

3) Signs the Minutes of the Meetings prepared by the Secretariat;

4) Keeps a complete record of the names, addresses and contact details of the members of the Council; and

5) Performs all the duties incidental to the functions of the Secretariat and those that may be assigned to him or her by the Chairperson.

d. Treasurer 1) Have custody, control and accountability of funds and properties of the Council;

2) Disburses all administrative expenditures of the Council in accordance with its plans and budgets and such expenditures duly approved by the Council through a resolution;

3) Renders financial reports during meetings; and

4) Performs such other duties as maybe assigned by the Chairperson and/or the Council.

e. Auditor 1) Inspects, examines, and audits all transactions, financial or otherwise, made by the Chairperson, other officers, other officers, and/or the Council itself; and

2) Submits reports to the Council at least once a year, or as required by the Council.

“SECTION 10. Schedule of Elections. The election of officers shall be on the second week of April. The first regular election under this ordinance shall be in Year 2023 and every other year thereafter.

“SECTION 11. Terms of Office of Officers. The term of office of the elected officers shall be two (2) years and shall commence at noon on the day following

“SECTION 4. COVERAGE - The Tanjay City Animal Bite Treatment Center shall adopt this for all Tanjay City Residents who are exposed to potentially rabid animals. Residents must present at least two (2) of any of the following proof of Tanjay City residency: 4.1 COMELEC Voters ID/Voters Certification 4.2 Updated Postal ID 4.3 UMID 4.4 Passport 4.5 4Ps/Conditional Cash Transfer ID 4.6 Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) ID 4.7 Person with Disability (PWD) ID 4.8 Latest Proof of Billing 4.9 National ID

“SECTION 5. IMMUNIZATION - Free Anti-Rabies Immunization is hereby provided which shall be administered by the Animal Bite Treatment Center to all Tanjay City residents who are victims of bites from animals known to transmit the rabies.

“SECTION 6. APPROPRIATIONS - An amount of PHP 20,000,000.00 shall be appropriated by the City Government for the purpose and shall be sourced from any available funds of the Tanjay City Government.

“SECTION 7. IMPLEMENTATION - The provisions of this Ordinance shall be implemented by the Tanjay City Health Office, who shall formulate an Implementing Rules and Regulations necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of this Ordinance.

“SECTION 8. REPEALING CLAUSE - All Ordinances, Local Executive Orders, Rules and Regulations or any part thereof which are inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

“SECTION 9. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE - In case any provision of this ordinance is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

“SECTION 10. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE- This Ordinance shall take effect upon its approval.

“UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.”

I HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the above-quoted resolution. (Sgd) Mary Ellen S. Asonan Board Secretary IV

(Sgd) Reynil C. Arcide (Sgd) Jovencio S. Bumanglag, Sr. (Sgd) Regalado D. Salma, Jr. (Sgd) Epifanio T. Busmion

(Sgd) Daryll T. Aba (Sgd) Juanito S. Condes (Sgd) Joselito R. Manso (Sgd) Arlot T. Regalado (Sgd) Felix R. Mira, Jr. (Sgd) Segfredo O. Buagas

Attested: Approved: (Sgd) Neil T. Salma (Sgd) Jose T. Orlino City Vice-Mayor/Presiding Officer City Mayor MetroPost 2022 Nov. 20 • Nov. 27 • Dec. 4

their election. No officer shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

“SECTION 12. Vacancy among officers. Any vacancy in the officers of the Council shall be filled by a majority vote of the members of the Council during the next regular meeting. The elected officer shall serve only the unexpired term of his or her predecessor.

“SECTION 13. Secretariat of the Council. The Secretariat of the Council shall be the Cooperative Development Officer or his duly authorized representative. In case the Cooperative Development Officer is not yet functional, the Council shall choose from among their members the Secretariat.

“SECTION 14. Functions of the Secretariat. The functions of the Secretariat are the following:

a. In consultation with the Chairperson of the council, prepares the agenda of meetings and records the attendance and proceedings of all meetings of the Council;

b. Serves notices of meetings to all members of the Council;

c. Furnishes the officers and members certified copies of minutes of the meeting;

d. Keeps a register of the names and addresses of all members and keeps a complete file of the laws, resolution and executive orders relevant to the organization and operation of the Council; and e. Performs all duties incidental to the Office of the Secretariat and those that may be assigned to it by the Chairperson and/or the Council.

“SECTION 15. Committees. The Council may create such committees that will study and/or carry out specific undertakings and make coordination more effective, whose term shall be co-terminus with the appointing officers after the mandate or purpose for which it is created has been fulfilled or accomplished. For all purposes and intent, the Chairperson of the Committees created shall be considered officer of the Council.

“SECTION 16. Meetings. The Council shall meet at least quarterly. However, the Officers of the Council may call special meetings when necessary. All meetings of the Council shall be in quorum. The Officers of the Council may meet regularly to discuss operational matters.

“SECTION 17. Notice of Meeting. A notice of meeting containing the date, place, time and agenda shall be sent to every member at least one week before the scheduled meeting, either by email, personal delivery short messaging (text messaging), facsimile transmittal or any means approved by the Council.

“SECTION 18. Quorum. The quorum required for any meeting of the Council shall be at least 25% of all the members. However, for purposes of meeting, the presence of five members and/or officers shall be considered in quorum provided the Chairperson of the Council is present. A quorum based on all the members of the Council must be present when making decisions concerning all matters. All decisions must at least garner simple majority vote of the members present to be valid.

“SECTION 19. Order of Business. As far as practicable, the order of business of the meeting of the Council shall be as follows:

a. Call to Order g. Officer’s/Committee’s Report b. Roll Call h. Unfinished business

c. Determination of quorum i. Business of the day d. Approval of the Agenda j. Other matters e. Reading, consideration and k. Announcements approval of the Minutes of the l. Adjournment previous meeting f. Matters arising from the previous meeting

“SECTION 20. Manual of Operations. The Council shall develop and adopt its own manual of operations which shall govern their operation.

“SECTION 21. Funding. For the effective and efficient operation of the Council, the Tanjay City LGU shall allocate at least P1,000,000.00 annually for its maintenance and other operating expenses including office supplies and equipment, honoraria of its members and officers for every meeting attended in accordance to applicable rules and regulations and costs in the implementation of its programs, projects and activities.

“SECTION 22. Honorarium. All members and officers of the Council shall receive an honorarium of P1,000.00 each per meeting attended. However, the Chairperson of the Council shall receive double the amount of the honorarium of the members. The Secretariat shall receive P800.00 honorarium per meeting.

“SECTION 23. Fiscal year. The Fiscal Year of the Council shall be April of the current year to March of the succeeding year.

SECTION 24. Prohibited Acts and Activities. The Council is prohibited to do the following acts and activities:

a. Undertaking of any fundraising and/or income generating activities, except for accepting donations, benefits and grants from any person, whether natural or juridical, including allocations or appropriations from Local Government Units (LGUs);

b. Registering with any government agency for the purpose of acquiring a juridical personality; and c. Engaging in activities other than those allowed under RA No. 11364, its IRR and this Ordinance.

Any violations committed under this section shall be a ground for the removal of incumbent officers, after due process.

“SECTION 25. Transitory provision.

The Cooperative Development Officer or its equivalent shall facilitate the election of the interim officers of the Council immediately upon approval of this Ordinance. The interim officers shall perform the duties and responsibilities of the Council Officer until the new set of Council Officers are elected in a regular election held for the purpose, duly inducted and have assumed office. In the event the Cooperative Development Officer or its equivalent is not yet functional, the members may on its own convene to organize itself and elect among themselves the Officers of the Council.

“SECTION 26. Separability. In any instance that certain provisions of this Ordinance are declared unconstitutional and invalid, the remaining provisions shall be considered in full force and effect.

“SECTION 27. Effectivity. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its approval.

“UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.”

I HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the above-quoted resolution.

(Sgd) Mary Ellen S. Asonan Board Secretary IV

(Sgd) Reynil C. Arcide (Sgd) Jovencio S. Bumanglag, Sr.

(Sgd) Regalado D. Salma, Jr. (Sgd) Epifanio T. Busmion (Sgd) Daryll T. Aba (Sgd) Juanito S. Condes (Sgd) Joselito R. Manso (Sgd) Arlot T. Regalado (Sgd) Felix R. Mira, Jr. (Sgd) Segfredo O. Buagas

Attested: Approved: (Sgd) Neil T. Salma (Sgd) Jose T. Orlino City Vice-Mayor/Presiding Officer City Mayor MetroPost 2022 Nov. 20 • Nov. 27 • Dec. 4

Republic of the Philippines Province of Negros Oriental Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod City of Tanjay ***

Republic of the Philippines Province of Negros Oriental Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod City of Tanjay ***

Excerpts from the Journal of the 16th Regular Session of the 9th Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Tanjay held at the SP Session Hall on Oct. 17, 2022.

in the growing Spanish colony embracing most of the archipelago. So if we trace back how old Dumaguete is, officially speaking, it is 402 years old in 2022. Its becoming a pueblo only came about after the establishment of the corregimiento in Negros, which was a long process that began in 1608 and stretched until 1618—which the historian T. Valentino Sitoy surmised as having stemmed from the resistance by locals to be subjugated to Spanish rule.

The exact date is 15 March 1620, which is actually the establishment of the parish that came to control and provide spiritual guidance to the souls residing in settlements around the coastal area of southeastern Negros—which included sitios such as Bacong, Sibulan, Dauin, Siaton, all the way to Bayawan. In 1627, this parish also included Siquijor. All these would be “Dumaguete.” Eventually, many of these sitios would become towns of their own right in the ensuing years. The first curate was Fr. Juan de Roa y Herrera, serving the new parish in 1620-1623, borrowed from the Tanjay parish to help set up the new town, and then returning back after three years to serve Tanjay again for the next decade. We know nothing else about him, save for his name.

1620 would be the year that Dumaguete would exist officially as a town—binding it to a very specific historical existence beyond haphazard mentions of the place as a settlement called “Dumaguet” or “Danaguet” in older Spanish records.

The next important year is 1760

This was the year that truly made Dumaguete a progressive town—a distinction it had to make amidst the constant destruction of the regular Moro raids that began in 1599 and would go on to the 19th century. 1760 was the year Dumaguete ceased to be a target for marauders—and it was all because of a visionary parish priest named Fr. Jose Manuel Fernandez de Septien. He was actually an exile, a noble banished to the islands by the King of Spain himself, and with no hope of returning back to his country, he settled in Cebu to pursue the priesthood—and was soon ordained and appointed the parish priest of Dumaguete in 1754.

Fr. Septien, taking note of his new assignment, quickly decided to bolster the defenses of the town by doing two things:

First, he convinced the Bishop of Cebu to allow him to gather all the people in coastal villages from Bacong to Siaton to settle for good in Dumaguete, bolstering the population of the town into at least 2,000 people, and giving him enough manpower to resist possible marauding incursions. The population was also augmented by refugees from Bohol who were escaping the repercussions of the Dagohoy rebellion in that island. All these factors made Dumaguete the most populous town in eastern Negros.

Second, Fr. Septien decided to build a fortification. He constructed a massive stone church, which still stands today [and is the oldest in the island of Negros], and a convento—both built of choice strong materials. According to the historical record written by Fr. Miguel Bernad [the last Spanish parish priest of Dumaguete before the coming of the Americans] and annotated by Fr. Roman Sagun, “it was fortified by a wall over two meters in height from the outside, forming a large square in the center of which the church and the convento were situated; there was also a large plaza where the inhabitants could take refuge in times of necessity. At the four corners of the fortress, there were four massive watchtowers made from stone and mortar, and each was mounted with cannons.”

[These watchtowers no longer exist except as remnants: one of the corners became the foundation of the belfry built during the administration of Fr. Juan Felix de la Encarnacion, which we know today as the campanario or the Dumaguete belltower.] In addition, “there was a contravalla, another defense perimeter walling of a smaller size than the former.”

Fr. Septien also built bulwarks, which were positioned in strategic places around the Dumaguete beachfront of. All these were made of stone and were well secured, and they were utilized to keep watch on the coast and prevent any surprise Moro attack.”

He was immediately tested in his first year in Dumaguete. In 1754, the marauders made the Visayas the brunt of their pillaging, and they stayed in Negros until 1760, using the cove in Si-it, Siaton as their base. All coastal towns in from Dumaguete to Bayawan were raided—but the assault on Dumaguete proved futile, all because of the defenses that Fr. Septien managed to set up. Sitoy writes: “Except for Dumaguete, all other towns and barrios all over Negros were sacked and stripped of all movable prized objects and burned, together with the churches and convents. The fields were torched, and domestic and work animals killed. As usual, the Moros took all the captives they could load on their vessels. In Tanjay, it was said that the dead and wounded during the period 1756-1760 exceeded two hundred.”

After 1760, Dumaguete was no longer threatened by the marauders—and this proved providential: it was the culmination of Dumaguete’s growth as a settlement, and it became the largest town in the Negrense east coast.

But Dumaguete was still largely under the shadow of its sister town to the west, Bacolod. It needed a decisive break. Which is why the next important year for Dumaguete’s development is 1901

In Negros, a schism that originated as a military experiment in 1857 would later come to full fruition in 1898, dividing the island briefly into the two provinces of Oriental and Occidental, and eventually manifesting for real in 1901. It actually began in 1857, when an inspection of Negros by the Audiencia led one of the judges—Jose Manuel Aguirre— to propose to the Spanish Governor General in Manila “the convenience of creating a military command in the north” of the island, with Escalante as capital of the northern jurisdiction, which included the towns of Escalantre, Guijulngan [Guihulngan], Jinubaan, Jimalalud, Tayasan, and Ayunon in 1859, and then Arguelles and Calatrava in 1863. The experiment proved short-lived because administrative affairs were still being conducted from Bacolod, the capital of Negros. But it begat the idea of an ultimate, workable division. In August 1864, Brigadier General Remigio Molto proposed for the creation of an autonomous politico-military province to the east of the island, with Dumaguete as capital, with the territory encompassing the areas from the border of Guijulngan with Calatrava in the north, and including the island of Siquijor.

The proposal made by Molto did not progress, but by 1888, with the arrival of Gen. Valeriano Weyler in Manila, the separation of the island would take a decisive step towards eventuality. Weyler inspected the territory in January 1889 and observed that because of the distance of Bacolod from most of the eastern towns—compounded by geographical and linguistic challenges [the central mountain ranges virtually separated the island into two, and both spoke different languages, with Binisaya to the east, and Hiligaynon to the west]—proper administration of these places proved difficult. The Madrid government eventually moved to divide the island into two provinces in October 1889, and issued a royal decree to install in Dumaguete a politico-military government, a court of first instance, and a treasury of the third category. By December of that year, the boundaries were set, even if nebulous for a few more decades: to the south, between Tolong and Sipalay, and to the north, between Guijulngan and Calatrava.

Nine years later, in November 1898, the two provinces would be reunited once more under the cantonal government proclaimed by Negrense revolutionaries,

which lasted until the fall of Bacolod into American hands in February 1899. On 20 March 1901, William Howard Taft together with members of the Second Philippine Commission, visited Negros to present the political plan for the island to the Negrenses: either to retain Negros as one province, or divide it once more into two. On 21 March 1901, delegates from all over the island converged in Bacolod to decide on its fate—which put to rest of the hopes of many of the Negrense elites to transform the island into a federal state. On 9 April 1901, a follow-up meeting held in Dumaguete 1decided unanimously for the creation of the two separate provinces. By May, the island was once more divided.

1901 then is a landmark year because of the full independence of Negros Oriental as a political entity, separate from Bacolod. This is the first significance. The second one is cultural: also in 1901, Silliman Institute was founded by American missionaries in Dumaguete, and this paved the way to the formative period of contemporary culture in Negros Oriental, with Dumaguete and Silliman leading the way.

The last year I would consider important is 1948 World War II just ended, and the Philippines was granted independence from the United States. In those early years after the War, a bright kind of optimism engulfed much of Dumaguete town—and many of the cultural developments that happened in these years would actually bear greater significance in the coming decades. It was during these years that locals started influencing not just national politics, but also the national culture. Local statesmen such as Jose Romero, Lorenzo Teves, and Serafin Teves would occupy the high echelons of governance, and local artists such as Eddie Romero, Edith Tiempo, Edilberto Tiempo, Ricaredo Demetillo, and Cesar Jalandoni Amigo would soon make waves in the national cultural consciousness. Dumaguete was a town bursting at the seams—it needed to seek higher reckoning. It needed to become a city. Not that it wanted for challenges. The post-war reconstruction was a headache, a task that then municipal presidente Mariano Perdices took to heartily—he had plans to put up a waterworks system in the locality—but politics took its toll, and he was virtually forced out of office by then Philippine President Manuel Roxas who wanted to appoint his own party man into the office of local executive. [The position of presidente was appointive in those years.] Perdices was able to revive the public school system, which was completely ravaged by the war, but his planned waterworks system did not materialize because he was replaced in 1946 with Narciso Infante [briefly, from May to June], and then finally by Deogracias Pinili, who would become Dumaguete’s last presidente and first city mayor during his tenure in 1946-1952. It was Pinili then who would head the town when it became a city in 1948, and who would see the establishment of Foundation College [now University] in 1949, and then the first airing of DYSR in 1950.

In 5 June 1948, Congressman Lorenzo Teves set to motion the charter of Dumaguete town into a full-fledge city, with the filing of House Bill No. 1922 to the First Congress of the Republic. It led to Republic Act No. 327, creating the City of Dumaguete. And then, on October 11, President Elpidio Quirino signed Proclamation No. 93, fixing the date of effectivity of RA No. 327 on the 24th day of November, 1948. The fiesta that year was an awesome, if rainy, affair—and hopes were running high. Until 1953, when a fire broke out on the Christmas Eve of 1953, which swept over the main business district of the city and burned down the public market, parts of the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, and the buildings of Saint Paul’s College right beside the Cathedral. That fire would remake Dumaguete in considerable ways.

THE OBSCURE....FROM P.

well in order to achieve victory!

Sadly, it might take years for us to realize this, just like how it took more than 300 years for the Filipinos to have a unified revolution against the Spaniards.

I hope sooner, and not later, another Andres Bonifacio will stand up among us who will inspire the Filipinos to rise up and seek to extirpate social inequality, fight for social

5

justice, and by and large the kaginhawaan of the Filipino people.

At present, we live in an elite democracy where majority of the Filipinos are simply being played with, or are being capitalized by these political elites.

My hope is that soon enough, the Filipino people will wake up from their long hibernation, and refuse to

BREAKING BREAD....FROM P. 4

Even here in Dumaguete, we have shootings and until now, nobody has been punished for it.

And just for the last few years, we have this virus making a lot of people sick, killing many, and making our lives miserable. And when one dies, he or she is buried without the family. There was a time when it was difficult to travel from one town to another. And when one got to another town, one had to be quarantined for several days. Special events were celebrated alone or by Zoom.

But then even in the midst of the pandemic, we also experienced blessings, joys, and ecstasies. Life with its pain, but also life with excitement and victory and surprises, and times of incomparable inspiration.

We saw people sharing their food to those who had none. We saw healthcare workers giving their time, and even dying to take care of the sick. Now churches can reach out to others in various places through the wonders of electronics.

How can one be ungrateful, regardless of the circumstances? How can anyone of us fail to thank God for all thatHe has done for us?

It is the kind of gratitude that allowed the apostle Paul to write from a prison cell: I give thanks to God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We know that we have received benefits we could not have provided for ourselves. We also know that we do not have to struggle alone through the trials of life. We know that we can trust in the One who is greater than any of us can provide. We also know that many times, we are surrounded by so much more than we could ask or imagine, such an embarrassment of riches, that if we only notice, we will realize that our times are safe and well in God’s great hand.

What a gift it is to realize that! What a wonder it is to soak in the awareness of blessings already received! Not just once a year, but once a week, once a day, once in every painful hour, we need to stop and recognize just how much we have to be thankful for.

Lastly, let me share another story. Maybe this will give us an idea why we love rainbows. No matter how fierce a storm may be, if we see a rainbow afterward, it gives us hope.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss, in her radio series The Blessing of Thorns tells a truly touching story. It’s about a woman named Sandra who was feeling exceedingly low as she made her way into the florist shop door. It was Thanksgiving week. This is the week she would have delivered her second child, a son. But there was an automobile accident.

As a result, she lost her baby. As if to add to her grief, her husband’s company was threatening a transfer, and her sister called to say she could not come for the holiday.

“Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?” she wondered aloud. “For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?”

“Good afternoon, can I help you?,” the shop clerk’s approach startled her.

“I...I need an arrangement,” stammered Sandra. “For Thanksgiving.”

“Are you looking for something that conveys ‘gratitude’ this Thanksgiving?” asked the shop clerk.

“Not exactly!,” Sandra blurted out. “In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.” Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, “I have the perfect arrangement for you.”

Just then, another customer entered the shop. The clerk said, “Hi Barbara, let me get your order.” She walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems had been snipped... there were no roses, just stems with lots and lots of thorns. “Want this in a box?” asked the clerk.

Was this a joke? thought Sandra. Who would want rose stems with no flowers? But it was no joke. After the customer left with her order Sandra stammered, “Uhh, that lady just left with, uhh...with no flowers!”

“Right,” said the clerk. “I cut off the flowers. That’s the Special ...I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.” She explained: “Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery. That same year, I had lost my husband,” continued the clerk, “and for the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.”

“So what did you do?,” asked Sandra.

“I learned to be thankful for thorns,” answered the clerk quietly. “I’ve always thanked God for good things in life, and never thought to ask God why those good things happened to me; but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask?! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the ‘flowers’ of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God’s comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we’re afflicted, and from His consolation, we learn to comfort others.”

Sandra said, “I guess the truth is I don’t want comfort. I’ve lost a baby, and I’m angry with God.”

Just then someone else, a

acquiesce to these abusive political elites.

Someday, I hope to see genuine change happen in our government – where majority of the politicians, if not all, genuinely act as public servants who seek for reforms in government for the betterment of their constituents.

That, in the essence of Bonifacio Day, would be a great exhibition of action.

man named Phil, walked in the shop. He said his wife sent him to pick up their usual Thanksgiving arrangement...12 thorny, longstemmed stems!

“Those are for your wife?” asked Sandra. “Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?”

“No, I’m glad you asked,” Phil replied. “Four years ago, my wife and I were in a real mess, but with the Lord’s grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. God rescued our marriage. Jenny here told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from ‘thorny’ times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific ‘problem’ and give thanks to [God] for what that problem taught us.”

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, “I highly recommend the Special!”

“I don’t know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life,” Sandra said to the clerk. “It’s all too...fresh.”

“Well,” the clerk replied carefully, “my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God’s providential care more during trouble, than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don’t resent the thorns.” Tears rolled down Sandra’s cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. “I’ll take those 12 long-stemmed thorns, please,” she managed to choke out.

“I hoped you would,” said the clerk gently. “I’ll have them ready in a minute.”

“Thank you. What do I owe you?” asked Sandra.

“Nothing,” said the clerk. “Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year’s arrangement is always on me.” The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. “I’ll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you’d like to read it first.”

It read: “Dear God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain. Show me that through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant.”

(Revive our Hearts. Adapted and used with permission. www. ReviveOurHearts.com

As what St. Paul would say, “We know that in any and all circumstances, the victory is ours through faith in Christ Jesus.” Amen.

The Rotary Club of Dumaguete South, led by Pres. Aurelio “Ely” Bodo, hold a two-day medical mission for Political Detainees and Persons Deprived of Liberty at the Dumaguete City and Guihulngan City Bureau of Jail Management and Penology on Nov. 25 and 26, with the help of volunteer doctors from the University of the Philippines who were classmates of Dr. Avelex Amor, the former chief of the Canlaon District Hospital, who was ambushed in Guihulngan on November 20, 2018. (Contributed photo)

Residents of Valencia, led by the Valencia Local Council of Women and The Gender Watch against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE) stage an indignation rally Thursday over the killing of a public school teacher, Irma Klyne Costas, who was killed by her husband on November 18. She had repeatedly complained of physical abuse but refused to press charges against her spouse. (Photos by Alex Pal)

NOTICE

The public is hereby informed that ALEJANDRO TEVES, of Junob, Dumaguete City, the legal husband and sole heir of AURORA G. TEVES, has executed a DECLARATION OF HEIRSHIP WITH SELF ADJUDICATION AND ABSOLUTE SALE over a parcel of land registered to ALEJANDRO TEVES AND AURORA G. TEVES, known as Lot 1, Block 3 of the subdivision plan Psd-07-058735 being a portion of Lot 3073 in Junob, Dumaguete City, and is selling the same to REY VICENTE B. DONATO, married to QUEEN ANN CORTEZ, of Tanjay City, on June 2, 2022 in Dumaguete City and is registered as Document No. 99, Page No. 21, Book No. III Series of 2022 in the notarial register of Atty. Rogelio V. Solon.

MetroPost 2022 Nov. 27 • Dec. 4 • Dec 11

NOTICE

The public is hereby informed that RICHARD LUMACAD MANGA of Lazi, Siquijor has filed an AFFIDAVIT OF GUARDIANSHIP as Father and Legal guardian of minor RHECIA MAE MALONGO MANGA, born on December 7, 2010, to be entitled to receive the DAMAYAN Benefit and Savings/Share Capital on behalf of the minor, in Lazi, Siquijor on September 23, 2022 which is registered as Document No. 251, Page No. 58 Book No. XXXIX Series of 2022 in the Notarial Register of Orlando A. Fua Jr.

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Republic of the Philippines Sangguniang Panlalawigan Province of Negros Oriental Excerpts from the Journal of The Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session on: Date: April 4, 2022-2:25 P.M. Classification: Regular Session

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE:

Hon. Edward Mark L. Macias Vice Governor & Presiding Officer Present

Hon John T. Raymond, Jr. -Present Hon. Jaime L. Reyes -Present

Hon Peter Paul F. Renacia - OB Hon. Jose A. Baldado -Present

Hon Erwin Michael L. Macias -Present Hon. Estanislao V. Alviola -Present Hon Valented. Yap - OB Hon. Chester V. Lim -Present

Hon Ma Antonia E Villegas -Present Hon. Kit Marc B. Adanza -Present Hon Adem B. Maxino (SK) - OB Hon. Manuel L. Sagarbarria (PCL) -Present RESOLUTION NO. 240

“WHEREAS, on February 28, 2022 the August Body passed Resolution No. 113, enacting Tax Ordinance No. 25, otherwise known as ‘An Ordinance Granting an Extension in the Payment of Real Property Taxes without Surcharges or Penalties until June 30, 2022’;

“WHEREAS, questions raised by taxpayers regarding the coverage of said Ordinance necessitates the amendment of the same;

“WHEREFORE, On motion of Honorable Member Ma. Antonia E. Villegas, seconded by Honorable Member Erwin Michael L. Macias, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental, in session duly assembled, hereby enact the following Ordinance:

TAX ORDINANCE NO. 26 (Series of 2022)

Amending Resolution No. 113, Current Series, Enacting Tax Ordinance No. 25, Granting An Extension in The Payment of Real Property Taxes without Surcharges or Penalties until June 30, 2022.

“Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental that:

Section 1. In order to address the concerns of taxpayers greatly affected by Typhoon Odette and as a means of supporting the Oriental Negrenses, the payment of Real Property Taxes for Calendar Year 2022 is hereby extended until June 30, 2022, without any surcharges and penalties thereto.

Section 2. Prior years’ delinquencies are hereby excluded from the implementation of this Ordinance, even if concerned taxpayer was affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette.

Section 3. Payment within the extended time is encouraged to ensure that prompt taxpayers are fairly afforded a chance to settle their tax obligations within said time frame without surcharges and penalties.

Section 4. All Ordinances, Executive Orders issued by Municipalities within the Province of Negros Oriental which are inconsistent with any provision/s of this Ordinance are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 5. If for any reason or reasons, any part or provision of this Ordinance shall be held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

Section 6. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon approval.

“Enacted, April 4, 2022.”

I hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 26, current series,was enacted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan during its Regular Session on April 4, 2022.

(Sgd.) GEOFFREY P. VILLAHERMOSA Provincial Secretary

(Sgd.) EDWARD MARK L. MACIAS, M.D. Vice Governor of Negros Oriental Presiding Officer

ORIGINAL FOR GUBERNATORIAL APPROVAL: (Sgd.) ROEL R. DEGAMO Governor of Negros Oriental Date: April 27, 2022

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Republic of the Philippines

Regional Trial Court of Negros Oriental 7th Judicial Region BRANCH 41 Dumaguete City rtc1dum041@judiciary.gov.ph

In Re: Petition for the issuance of a New Owner’s Duplicate Copy of Transfer Certificate of Title No. 27713 in the City Dumaguete

Susan May F. Calumpang, Petitioner Cad. Case No. 2022-5250 x----------------------------------------------------/ ORDER

Petitioner, through Counsel, filed a verified Amended Petition, praying that after due notice and hearing, declare as null and void the owner’s duplicate copy of TCT No. 27713 covering Lot 2058-D-2 situated in Motong, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, for being lost, and order the Office the Register of Deeds of Dumaguete City to issue a new owner’s duplicate copy of TCT No. 27713 in the same terms and conditions as the original, upon payment of all proper fees thereof.

The Petition shall be heard by this Court on Feb. 14, 2023, at 8:30 in the morning.

Let this Order be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the province of Negros Oriental prior to the scheduled date of hearing. SO ORDERED. Given this 24th day of October, 2022 in Dumaguete City, Philippines.

Leoncio R. Bancoro Presiding Judge

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Republic of the Philippines Sangguniang Panlalawigan Province of Negros Oriental

Excerpts from the Journal of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session on: Date: February 28, 2022-4:13 P.M. Classification: Regular Session

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE:

Hon. Edward Mark L. Macias Vice Governor & Presiding Officer Present

Hon. John T. Raymond, Jr. -Present Hon. Jaime L. Reyes -Present Hon. Peter Paul F. Renacia -Present Hon. Jose A. Baldado -Present Hon. Erwin Michael L. Macias -Present Hon. Estanislao V. Alviola -Present Hon. Valente D. Yap -Present Hon. Chester V. Lim -Present Hon. Ma Antonia E. Villegas -Present Hon. Kit Marc B. Adanza -Present Hon. Adem B. Maxino (SK) -Present Hon. Kurt Matthew T. Teves (LNMB) Hon. Manuel L. Sagarbarria (PCL) - Present -Absent

RESOLUTION NO. 113

“WHEREAS, on December 16, 2021, Typhoon Odette hit several islands in the Visayas and Mindanao, including the Province of Negros Oriental; “WHEREAS, torrential rains and violent winds caused massive destruction to homes and property, and affected the livelihood of Oriental Negrenses;

“WHEREAS, the struggle to overcome the ongoing pandemic brought about by COVID-19 virus was compounded with the onslaught of Typhoon Odette;

“WHEREAS, due to the extensive damage caused by Typhoon Odette, the Province of Negros Oriental was declared under a State of Calamity per Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 948 dated December 23, 2021;

“WHEREAS, the provincial government’s initiatives to achieve economic and social recovery may include the extension of time in the payment of real property taxes without surcharges or penalties for a period not exceeding six (6) months;

“WHEREFORE, On motion of Honorable Member Ma. Antonia E. Villegas, seconded by Honorable Member Estanislao V. Alviola, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental, in session duly assembled, hereby enact the following Ordinance:

TAX ORDINANCE NO. 25 (Series of 2022)

An Ordinance Granting an Extension in the Payment of Real Property Taxes Without Surcharges or Penalties Until June 30, 2022.

“Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental that: Section 1. In order to address the concerns of taxpayers greatly affected by Typhoon Odette and as a means of supporting the Oriental Negrenses, the payment of Real Property Taxes is hereby extended until June 30, 2022, without any surcharges and penalties thereto.

Section 2. All Ordinances, Executive Orders issued by Municipalities within the Province of Negros Oriental which are inconsistent with any provision/s of this Ordinance are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 3. Separability Clause. If for any reason or reasons, any part or provision of this Ordinance shall be held to be unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

Section 4. Effectivity. This Ordinance shall take approval.

“Enacted, February 28, 2022.”

I hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 25, current series, was enacted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan during its Regular Session on February 28, 2022. (Sgd.) GEOFFREY P. VILLAHERMOSA Provincial Secretary (Sgd.) EDWARD MARK L. MACIAS, M.D. Vice Governor of Negros Oriental Presiding Officer

ORIGINAL FOR GUBERNATORIAL APPROVAL: (Sgd.) ROEL R. DEGAMO Governor of Negros Oriental Date: March 04, 2022

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Republic of the Philippines Sangguniang Panlalawigan Province of Negros Oriental

Excerpts from the Journal of The Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session on: Date: August 8, 2022-5:00 P.M. Classification: Regular Session

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE:

Hon. Carlo Jorge Joan L. Reyes

Vice Governor & Presiding Officer Present

Hon. Manuel L. Sagarbarria -O.B. Hon. Jaime L. Reyes Hon. Julius C. Sabac -Present Hon. Nyrth Christian R. Degamo Hon. Kit Marc B. Adanza -Present Hon. Woodrow S. Maquiling, S.R. Hon. Peter Paul F. Renacia -Present Hon. Apolinario P. Arnaiz, Jr. Hon. Carlo Remontal -O.B. Hon. Jessica Jane J. Villanueva Hon. Adem B. Maxino (SK) -Present Hon. Mamerto S. Bermil, Jr. (PCL)

RESOLUTION NO. 634

Author: Hon. Julius C. Sabac Co-Author: Hon. Kit Marc B. Adanza Hon. Manuel L. Sagarbarria

“WHEREAS, Section 186 of Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) provides, Power to Levy Taxes, Fees or Charges - Local government units may exercise the power to levy taxes, fees or charges on any base or subject not otherwise specifically enumerated herein or taxed under the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code as amended, or other applicable laws, provided, that the taxes, fees or charges shall not be unjust, excessive, oppressive, confiscatory or contrary to declared national policy: Provided, further, that the ordinance levying such taxes, fees or charges shall not be enacted without any prior public hearing conducted for the purpose;

“WHEREAS, Section 468 (a)(1)(vi) of RA 7160 provides, that the sanggunian shall have the power to protect the environment and impose appropriate penalties for acts which endanger the environment, such as smuggling of natural resources products and such other activities which result in pollution, acceleration of eutrophication of rivers and lakes, or of ecological imbalance;

“WHEREAS, exploration of minerals and other natural resources is inevitable in every developing place like the province however, the same must be regulated to avoid irreparable damage to the environment; “WHEREAS, the inventory of various quarry operations in the province yielded an alarming result hence, the need to hasten efforts to recuperate the environment;

“NOW THEREFORE, on motion of Honorable Member Julius C. Sabac, seconded by Honorable Member Apolinario P. Arnaiz, Jr. and Honorable Member Jessica Jane J. Villanueva, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan “RESOLVES, to enact, as it hereby enacted, the following ordinance:

TAX ORDINANCE NO. 27 (Series of 2022)

An Ordinance Imposing Environmental Fee On All Extraction of Minerals Within the Province of Negros Oriental

“Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Negros Oriental that: Section 1. TITLE. This ordinance shall be known as the ‘Environmental Fee Ordinance’.

Section 2. ENVIRONMENTAL FEE. There is hereby imposed an environmental fee in the amount of Seventy-Five (Php 75.00) Pesos per cubic meter of every mineral extracted within the territorial jurisdiction of Negros Oriental.

Section 2.1. The amount shall be divided equally into three namely, the province, the city/municipality and the barangay where the quarry operations is being undertaken, to wit: Provincial Government Php 25.00 per cubic meter

City/Municipality Php 25.00 per cubic meter Barangay Php 25.00 per cubic meter

For a total of Php 75.00 per cubic meter.

Section 2.2. Environmental fee shall be due and payable to the Provincial Treasurer or through Digital/Cashless transaction subject to DTI, DOF, DILG and other National Agencies with JMC No. 2019-001, series of 2019, of Implementing Rules and Regulations for RA 11032 of 2018 and COA Rules and Regulations.

Section 2.3. Every local government unit concerned shall pass a resolution or ordinance adopting the provisions hereof.

Section 3. ACCREDITATION. For purposes of monitoring, every seller, reseller, contractor, retailer, trader of sand, gravel and other minerals, not otherwise issued a permit to extract minerals are hereby enjoined to secure an accreditation with the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) free of charge.

Section 4. MONTHLY SUBMISSION OF REPORTS. The concerned Local Government Units where quarrying operations are undertaken shall provide a monthly report every 10th day of the preceding month addressed to the Office of the Governor through the Provincial Legal Office, copy furnished the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD).

Section 5. REPEALING CLAUSE. All ordinances, resolutions, executive orders and other issuances related hereto are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 6. PENAL CLAUSE. Failure to observe the provisions hereof shall be dealt in accordance with the provisions of the Revenue Code of the Province of Negros Oriental.

Section 7. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. If for any reason, a provision or application of this ordinance is declared invalid or unconstitutional, all other provisions hereof, not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 8. EFFECTIVITY. This ordinance shall take effect immediately from the completion of its publication. “Enacted.”

I hereby certify to the correctness of the above-quoted resolution.

(Sgd.) GEOFFREY P. VILLAHERMOSA

Provincial Secretary

(Sgd.) CARLO JORGE JOAN L. REYES

Vice Governor of Negros Oriental Presiding Officer

ORIGINAL FOR GUBERNATORIAL APPROVAL:

(Sgd.) PRYDE HENRY A. TEVES

Governor of Negros Oriental Date: Aug. 18, 2022

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