The Mindanao Cross | October 15, 2022

NO BARANGAY AND SK

YEAR

BARMM builds halal meat hub, slaughterhouse in Maguindanao

• Polls will be on last Monday of Oct 2023

Village, SK officials to remain in office

Ex-officio members in town, city, province councils stay

Comelec to comply

Poll body to come up with updated calendar of activities

Republic Act (RA) No. 11935, signed by Marcos on Oct. 10, postpones the Barangay and SK elections on Dec. 5 this year to the last Monday of October 2023.

“There shall be synchronized Barangay

and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, which shall be held on the last Monday of October 2023 and every three years thereafter,” the law reads.

Under RA 11935, the term of office of the Barangay and SK officials will commence at noon of Nov. 30 following their election.

“Until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, all incumbent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials shall remain in office, unless sooner removed or suspended,” it

By John Felix Unson

THE commander of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade said Thursday they need support from Bangsamoro parliament members based in North Cotabato in pushing their peace programs for the local communities forward.

Two members of the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority, physician Kadil Sinolinding, Jr. and Moro leader Kelly Antao, separately assured

the commander of the 602nd Brigade, Brig. Gen. Jovencio Gonzales, of their commitment to his efforts in sustaining peace and order in North Cotabato.

Both MPs are involved in local community projects promoting religious and cultural solidarity among Muslim, Christian and indigenous communities.

Gonzales told Sinolinding, in a brief dialogue Monday, that the

602nd Infantry Brigade will maximize its activities attuned to the peace goals of the national government and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“We have to pool our strength in helping restore normalcy, foster sustainable development in Moro communities in different towns in North Cotabato,” Gonzales said.

is National Indigenous Peoples Month

AS part of its halal program, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has laying down the foundation for the Halal meat hub worth PHP15 million in Maguindanao.

By Edwin O. Fernandez

On Wednesday, Dr. Mohammad Yacob, MAFAR-BARMM minister, said the project will rise in Barangay Madia, Datu Saudi Ampatuan town and Barangay Sambolawan, Datu Salibo town, both in Maguindanao.

The ground breaking

ceremonies were held Tuesday in Barangay Madia.

The projects consist of Halal Meat Processing, Training Center and Integrated Halal Slaughterhouse that can cater to 50 heads of animals per day Datu Saudi

DBS folks fete BARMM officials in Layag Festival

By Nash B. Maulana

GRATEFUL residents feted officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the culmination Sunday of this town’s first Layag Festival Mayor Marshall Sinsuat said his town now regularly receives Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) funds from BARMM— after 10 years of maintaining an “empty bank account.”

Sinsuat said this had been situation since the national government had then declined the grant of IRA to municipalities then created by BARMM’s forerunner, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

(ARMM).

BARMM Local Government Minister Baguib Sinarimbo said the current regional government has now prioritized the provision of IRA to those municipalities.

This town is named after Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, a member of the 1935 Constitution and the last Muslim Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Interim Batasan Pambansa. He died in 1983.

Datu Blah Sinsuat is home to 28,243 people, a culturally diverse community of the Indigenous Teduray Tribe of Cotabato Valley; Moro Maguindanaons, Taosugs, and Christian settlers who

OMI IP MINISTRY.The Oblates of Mary Immaculate, in partnership with South LGU, MIPA and Timuay Justice and Governance, celebrated the 45th IP Sunday in Kulayan, Romongaob, South Upi, Maguindanao. IP Month celebration theme is “Pagtataguyod ng Pamayanang Kultural para sa Isang Matatag na Pilipinas.”

Photo

COCONUT FEST. After

the Lubi-Lubi Festival was

in Glan, Sarangani to highlight Glan’s

the

Photo courtesy of PhotoWalkers Andra Sevillano and MichaelAlido

Gen. Galido tells new soldiers: “Avoid drugs, do what is right”

THE Army’s 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division now has 88 new soldiers who will help in peacekeeping mission of the Armed Forces in South-Central Mindanao.

On Friday, 69 male and 19 female soldiers completed their Basic Military Training from the 6th Division Training School in Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguidanao.

Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, 6th ID commander, officiated the oath of office of 88 new Army privates belonging to Class 708-2021 Bagtikan (Bagong Tinakdang Kalasag ng Bayan) class.

Private Sharmaine Salvilla of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat topped the class while Private Mark Anthony Nietes received the Top Gun Award for registering 100 percent rating in marksmanship.

Maj. Gen. Galido, also commander of Joint Task Force Central (JTFC), urged the young soldier to manage their pay and keep savings while still new in military service.

He also urged them “never to engage in illegal drugs or anything against the law and do good at all times.”

“I also urged your parents to support your son/daughter soldiers who chose to serve the country. They are now part of the government, entrust them to us,” he told parents who were present during the graduation rites. Edwin O. Fernandez

Army seize BIFF’s bombs, guns in Maguindanao

ACTING on a tip from civilians, government forces in Maguindanao have recovered Monday improvised explosive devices and firearms kept in an abandoned safe house in the Liguasan marshland.

On Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Glenn Manansala, commander of the 6th Infantry “Redskin” Battalion, said the explosives and firearms were owned by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a local terrorist groups allied with ISIS.

“We found the safe house in the middle of the marshland,” Lt. Colonel Manansala said in his report to 601st Infantry Brigade commander Colonel Oriel Pangcog.

The safe house believed to be an area the BIFF manufacture improvised bombs was found in the borders of Barangay Pandi and Barangay Pindeten, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao.

“Civilians tipped off the soldiers about the presence of armed men in the area so we conducted

the operation,” he said. Manansala said government forces braved the marshland and recovered 16 IEDs (hand thrown grenades), one rocket propelled grenade, one kilo black powder, 36 improvised blasting caps, two rocket propelled grenades, ammunition and personal items of the BIFF.

Colonel Pangcog lauded the 6th IB troopers and the public for providing timely and valuable intelligence information.

Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, 6th Infantry Division commander, lauded the 601st brigade and 6th IB for the successful operation that in effect prevent possible bombing operations of terrorist groups with the recovery of explosives.

Maj. Gen. Galido and Colonel Pangcog both appealed to the terrorists to take the opportunity offered by the government for them to lay down their guns and live peacefully with their families and love ones instead of fighting a lost cause. Edwin O. Fernandez

MILG turns over 5 police cars to PRO-BAR

THE Bangsamoro Government has turned five units of brand new police patrol cars to the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR).

The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) led the turnover ceremonies on Wednesday, at the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) ground in Cotabato City.

The official turnover of the five units of patrol car is covered by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entered into by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s MILG represented by Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo and the PRO BAR through Regional Director PBGen John G. Guyguyon.

The signing ceremonies were witnessed by Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua and MILG Deputy Minister Abubawas "Von Al Haq" Maslamama.

At P2.5 million each unit, a total of P12.5 million worth of police cars were officially accepted by the PRO BAR.

Three of the police patrol cars will be used by the PRO BAR, one unit for the 1404th Regional Mobile Force Company, and one unit for the

Cotabato City Police Office.

These were in addition to five police patrol cars the MILGBARMM had turned over to the PNP PRO BAR. Eleven more units are set to be turned over within the year under the Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF).

Sinarimbo said the turnover of police cars “is a manifestation of the Bangsamoro Government and Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim's strong commitment of support to the PNP,” stressing that "stable peace and security will lead to a more sustainable development."

The police patrol cars will be used by the PRO BAR in their law enforcement operations and in combating criminality in BARMM, which is in line with the MILG's function to implement plans, policies, programs, and project to promote public order and safety and disaster preparedness within the BARMM.

Sinarimbo added that in addition to police patrol cars, the MILG has also been implementing construction of Municipal Police Station buildings across the Bangsamoro region: two stations already completed in the municipalities of Datu

Blah Sinsuat and Marantao; two almost completed stations in the Municipalities of Rajah Buayan and Amai Manabilang; and five stations are still being constructed.

In addition, a PNP Regional Headquarter building is also being constructed within the PRO BAR Camp BGen Salipada K Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao Norte.

Dir. Marvin Mokamad of the Interior Affairs Services (IAS) of the MILG BARMM said that the Ministry also implements soft component support projects such as capacity development activities for the members of the PNP PRO BAR.

Meanwhile, Atty. Aelan Arumpac, Cotabato City Administrator representing City Mayor Bruce Matabalao shared that the City Government also turned over eight motor vehicles to the City PNP “to improve mobility in securing peace and order in the city.”

“These two days of consecutive turnovers is another blessing and a manifestation that the Administrasyong Para sa Lahat puts its attention in strengthening forces against crime,” she said. Nash B. Maulana

DBS folks fete BARMM officials in Layag Festival

are mostly dependent on fishing for livelihood.

Member of Parliament Baintan Adil-Ampatuan stressed the need for a continuing support to local government units (LGUs) from Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament along their charted course of sustainable development.

Adil-Ampatuan said members of the Bangsamoro Parliament often drew inspiration to work harder from their Moro constituents.

She told residents that the Parliament ought to give whatever it can — big or small — to constituent-LGUs to fast-track development.

Adil-Ampatuan, an engineer by profession and acknowledged

one of the few technocrats in the BTA, said: Upon the Bangsamoro constituents the Bangsamoro Parliament drew much inspiration to work harder in the Parliament, adding: “whatever is it that we can support, big or small, towards attaining sustainable development.”

Layag or Sailboat Festival symbolizes the town’s journey towards peace and in state of unity amid diversity in culture and religion.

“Holding of festivals is essential to today’s trend of development. The Layag Festival symbolizes your journey to peace. DBS is gifted with beautiful beaches and majestic mountains,” said Sinarimbo.

Sinarimbo added that the

Layag Festival has the potential to be in the top list of regional festivities of the BARMM to transform the town into DBS being a premier tourist destination in the coastal area of Maguindanao del Norte.

The Minister also urged the LGU to submit their resolution to the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism (MTIT) for the Layag Festival to be included in the calendar of tourist destinations in the Bangsamoro Region.

According to Baislaniya M. Kabamblan, Municipal Tourism Officer of DBS LGU, the layag or sail is part of the municipality’s history, culture, and livelihood of its people.

“As it puts emphasis on the locals’ recognition of the importance

5 suspects slain in SulKud anti-drug ops

FOR resisting arrest, five suspected drug personalities were slain during police law enforcement operation Tuesday afternoon in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat, police said.

Police operatives, backed by soldiers from the Army’s First Mechanized Infantry Battalion and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), also seized 50 grams of suspected shabu and high-powered firearms, Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, police director for the Soccsksargen region said.

Macaraeg identified the slain drug personalities as Adhen Salbo who was the subject of search warrant implementation and his four companions, namely, Razul Luyugan Dalandang, Ivan Kilapan Macmod, Nasrudin Banto Abdilla and Sadam Mamadtud Abdul (in legal age) all residents of Barangay Pimbalayan, Lambayong town, about 15 kilometers south of here.

Macaraeg said at past 5

p.m., the Lambayong police, backed by police personnel from Sultan Kudarat provincial police office, Regional Special Operations Group, Regional Intelligence Unit and elements from 14th Mechanized Company of 1st Mechanized Battalion and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency were to serve the warrant against Adhen Salbo for violation of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

“Our troops were approaching the house of Salbo in Barangay Pimbalayan he and his four male companions deliberately opened fire that prompted our troops to retaliate,” Brig. Gen. Macaraeg said.

Meanwhile, Loy Salbo, brother of Adhen Salbo, also a subject of the writ was able to elude arrest and fled to unknown direction.

After clearing the area, the operating team conducted a search

of history, and as it symbolizes our sustainable journey to peace and development, the Municipal Council has passed Ordinance No. 09-01 Series of 2022 to promote and protect the coastal and marine resources of DBS,” said Kabamblan in Filipino.

Now With Regular IRA

Among several others, the municipality of Datu Blah Sinsuat is one of those municipalities the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had categorized as “ARMM creation and therefore, the region had to provide for their operational funding resources.”

The now regular IRA funding provision has helped transform Datu Blah Sinsuat, and is now able to fund peace and development

programs, Sinsuat said.

“We now are receiving our IRA because of BARMM. That's why I said no matter what happens we will still be with BARMM because if not for the BARMM [government], we could not have had our financial resources for salaries and other administrative and operational needs, the DBS account would still be empty –for ten years, we didn’t know where to get resources. But when BARMM assumed, DBS's IRA also came. Thank you to Chief Minister Ebrahim, Minister Sinarimbo, Minister Macacua, Minister Iqbal, for all your help,” Sinusat said.

The Layag Festival will now be celebrated in DBS every second week of October of every year, he said.

TO SERVE THE NATION. New Army privates celebrate after graduating from basic military training under the 6th Infantry Division. Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, 6th ID commander, tells them to avoid drugs and do what is right, always. Photo courtesy of DPAO 6th ID

Ampatuan Municipal Mayor Hon. Edris A. Sindatok has pledged to provide the needed help and logistical support, when necessary, for the project's sustainability.

“We assure you that all the projects implemented in our town will be useful for our community,” said Mayor Sindatok who also lauded MAFAR for choosing his town as one of the project beneficiaries.

Datu Teng Sandigan, Datu Salibo Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer, who represented Mayor Solaiman Sandigan in the ground breaking program, also lauded MAFAR.

“We are blessed to have this project that will be beneficial to our farmers and fisherfolks,” MENRO Sandigan said.

Dr. Daud K. Lagasi, Director General for Agriculture Services, said the project aims to help farmers avail of the meat processing center and slaughterhouse.

“We want this project to be successful and acknowledged as one of the sources of halal meat in the BARMM Region,” Dr. Lagasi said.

The project is expected to be completed in the next 150 days or sometime in March 2023.

5 suspects slain in SulKud anti-drug

in the house of the suspect duly witnessed by Andod Mama, common law wife of Adhen Salbo together with the Barangay officials and media representative.

The team recovered one huge sachet of suspected shabu weighing about 50 grams with an estimated cost of PHP340,000, one 12-gauge shotgun; one Colt Caliber .45 pistol, one 1911 A1 Caliber .45 pistol, one unit homemade Caliber 45

Ingram submachine gun chamber loaded, one Colt M16 A1 Rifle, ammunition and magazines.

Macaraeg said a case for violation of RA 9165 against Loy Salbo is being prepared for regular filing at Provincial Prosecutor’s office, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

“We have proven once again that our commitment to end the menace of illegal drugs is unyielding. We

P2

will go above and beyond in achieving our goal towards a peaceful and drug free country,” Brig. Gen. Macaraeg said in a statement.

Macaraeg said PRO 12 personnel will always exercise maximum tolerance in dealing with criminals. “However, we will never let them discredit police law enforcement and endanger our operating troops,” he added. Edwin O. Fernandez

Army, Moro MPs one in provincial

There are enclaves of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the province that are recognized as “peace zones” by the national government in keeping with its separate peace compacts with both groups.

Gonzales and Sinolinding met at the headquarters of the brigade in Carmen town where they also discussed support for the common peace initiatives of the local government unit of Pikit, the police and the Army’s 90th Infantry Battalion.

Pikit has been hitting the news for months now owing to the seemingly unending spate of killings in the municipality, mostly in barangays under BARMM’s Special Geographic Area.

Antao, who was in the North Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan prior to his appointment as Bangsamoro parliament member by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in August, said residents of Pikit should not

leave alone to their LGU and state security entities the role of maintaining law and order in their barangays.

“We need to get involved. All sectors must cooperate. Let’s unite and help,” Antao said.

Monday’s visit of MP Sinolinding 602nd brigade was his first as an appointed BTA member, also known as the interim Bangsamoro parliament.

He and Gonzales had also talked about the need to educate the crosssection communities in towns covered by the brigade to support, like a typical community-driven initiative, the joint peace and security efforts of the LGUs, the police and the military to boost domestic security.

Gonzales had said that he is focused on collaborating with LGU officials and the police in addressing “rido,” or clan conflicts, prevalent in some areas covered by the 602nd Infantry Brigade.

Killer of SoCot student hunted

KORONADAL CITY —

The police is now trying to locate a murder suspect, Junel Vega, allegedly hired by a teacher, Rustom Baloyo, to kill a male student in Tampakan, South Cotabato.

A statement released Wednesday by the office of Brig. Gen. Jamili Macaraeg, director of the Police Regional Office-12, stated that personnel of the Tampakan Municipal Police Station and intelligence agents from the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office are trying to

convince relatives to help locate Vega.

Macaraeg also confirmed that a criminal case had been filed against the 33-yearold Baloyo for his having allegedly plotted the murder of male student Jade Vince Eribal last October 8 in Purok San Isidro 1 Upper in Barangay Poblacion in Tampakan, South Cotabato.

Friends and relatives of Eribal had told investigators Baloyo had an illicit relationship with him that turned awry when he

learned that the 22-year-old student had a girlfriend.

“Everything is being done now to fully solve this crime,” Macaraeg said.

Captain Jucint Aput, Tampakan police chief, earlier said their investigators have established that Baloyo contracted Vega to kill Eribal.

Aput said they also have the mobile phone of Baloyo containing messages pertaining to the murder plan that he and Vega had hatched and carried out.

John Felix Unson

No Barangay and SK elections

added.

Barangay and SK officials who are ex officio members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, or Sangguniang Panlalawigan will continue to serve as such members in the Sanggunian concerned until the next Barangay and SK elections unless removed.

The amount necessary for the implementation of

RA 11935 will be taken from the appropriations of the Commission on Elections under the General Appropriations Act and/or supplementary appropriations.

“If any portion or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect,” RA 11935 reads.

SULTAN PAWNSHOP

corner Bonifacio and Don Rufino Alonzo Sts., Cotabato City

Ang Sultan Pawnshop ay nagpapatalastas na mayroon silang Subasta ng mga hindi natutubos na mga sangla. Ang mga ito ay isinangla noong Marso 2022. Ang subasta ay sa Nobyembre 2, 2022 sa ganap na ika-8:00 ng mga umaga hanggang ika-4:30 ng hapon sa nasabing lugar.

MC:Oct. 15 & 22, 2022

RANEN PAWNSHOP MAIN, BRANCH I, II & III

Don Rufino Alonzo & Don Tomas Martinez Sts, Cot. City

Notice for Auction

All unredeemed articles pledged on March 2022 will be auctioned on November 2, 2022 at 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Please come before November 2, 2022 for renewal or redemption.

Patalastas ng Subasta

Lahat ng sangla noong Marso 2022 ay ipagbibili ng Subasta sa Nobyembre 2, 2022 sa ganap na ika-8:30 ng umaga hanggang ika-4:30 ng hapon. Kung maari ay pumunta bago ang Nobyembre 2, 2022 para sa pagbayad ng tubo o pagtubos.

MC:Oct. 15 & 22, 2022

CONLUCK PAWNSHOP MAIN CONLUCK DON RUFINO BRANCH CONLUCK PAWNSHOP BRANCH 4 & CONLUCK PAWNSHOP PLAZA

Cotabato City

ay nagpapatalastas na mayroon silang Subasta ng mga hindi natutubos na mga sanla. Ang mga ito ay isinangla magmula Setyembre hanggang Oktubre 2021 . Ang Subasta ay sa Oktubre 31, 2022 sa ganap na ika 8:00 ng umaga hanggang ika 4:00 ng hapon sa nasabing lugar. MC:Sept. 15 & 22, 2022

Notice for Auction

Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Main, Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Roman Vilo Branch, SK Pendatun Branch, Mabini Branch, ORC Branch, Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Branch I, II, III, IV in Parang Branch, Carmen Branch, Pikit 1 and Pikit 2 Branch, Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Dalican 1, Dalican 2, Shariff Aguak Branch of Cotabato City, Parang North Cotabato, Datu Odin Sinsuat and Shariff Aguak announce the Auction Sale of all unredeemed pledges contracted October 1-30, 2021 at 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Main 4J Bldg. Corner Jose Lim Sr., and Don Roman Vilo St. Cotabato City. Auction sale will be on October 26, 2022.

Patalastas ng Subasta

Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Main, Agencia de OroPawnshop Inc. Roman Vilo Branch, SK Pendatun Branch, Mabini Branch, ORC Branch, Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Branch I, II, III, IV sa Parang Branch, Carmen Branch, Pikit 1 and Pikit 2 Branch, Agencia de Oro Pawnshop Inc. Dalican 1, Dalican 2, Shariff Aguak Branch of Cotabato City, Parang North Cotabato, Datu Odin Sinsuat and Shariff Aguak ay nagpapatalastas na mayroon silang Subasta ng mga hindi natutubos na mga sangla. Ang mga ito ay isinangla noong Oktubre 1-30, 2021 sa alas 8:00 ng umaga hanggang alas 4:00 ng hapon sa Agencia de Oro - Jose Lim Branch, corner Jose Lim Sr, and Don Roman Vilo St., Cotabato City sa Oktubre 26, 2022.

All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, issuances, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations which are contrary to and inconsistent with any provision of RA 11953 are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

RA 11935 is a consolidation of House Bill No. 4673 and Senate Bill No. 1306, which was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines on Sept. 28, 2022.

Last month, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said they are considering moving the dates of filing the certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 Barangay SK elections pending the decision on proposals to postpone it.

The COC filing for the 2022 Barangay and SK elections was initially set from Oct. 6 to 13.

Comelec will comply

In a statement on Wednesday, Garcia said Comelec will comply with the law postponing the BSKE.

“As I have said before, the Comelec shall comply with the law. I have conveyed the Comelec position with regard to postponement of the BSKE to the legislature and the President and I trust that such position was duly noted and considered,” he said.

“With this law, the legislative and the executive departments have seen fit to postpone the Barangay and SK Elections (BSKE) to October of 2023,” he added.

He said the poll body will be coming out with an updated calendar of activities regarding the postponed electoral exercises “the soonest possible time.”

“We shall also revisit our existing and planned procurement contracts related to the BSKE and act accordingly with the best interest of all parties in mind,” he said. PNA

In compliance with R.A. No. 10172, a notice is hereby served to the public that Merhamah A. Hadji Serad has filed with this office a petition for change of sex from Male to Female in the birth certificate of Merhamah A. Hadji Serad who was born on 26 November 1996 at Butig, Lanao del Sur and whose parents are Abdullah P. Hadji Serad and Sunang L. Alamada.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office.

(Sgd.) MERCEDES P. TOLENTINO Acting City Civil Registrar

Republic of the Philippines Province of Cotabato City of Kidapawan LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICE

Bishop urges gov’t to act more on ancestral land claims

Bishop Valentine Dimoc, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples, said ancestral domain issues remain among major challenges that IP communities face until today.

“Many indigenous groups still do not have their CADT (certificate of ancestral domain title) and are still struggling,” Dimoc said.

“And sometimes, there is no NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples) to help them,” he lamented.

The bishop was

speaking during the national celebration of the 45th Indigenous Peoples’ Sunday at the Upper Sirib in the southern Philippine city of Davao’s Calinan district on October 9.

Speaking to the Bagobo-Klata tribe, he told them that they are “blessed” to have an NCIP that cares for them.

“I’m sure that your NCIP here, along with your government, your church and other organizations are biddable, merciful and loving that they worked for and helped you to have your CADT. Sana all,” Dimoc added, using a modern-day Filipino

catchphrase.

This year’s IP Sunday national celebration was hosted by the Archdiocese of Davao in partnership with the ECIP.

Various activities were held during the day including dialogues, tree-planting and Mass officiated by Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao and former CBCP president.

The event was also held a day after the “Panagtagbo 2022”, a local celebration of the indigenous peoples’ “culture, faith and of life”.

Nikko Balbedina/CBCP News

Asia’s Catholic bishops open two-week general conference

general conference,” read a statement from the organizing body in the Thai capital.

“The Archdiocese of Bangkok, the Catholic community of Thailand and our friends, extend the warmest welcome to all the delegates of the FABC’s

“We proudly and joyously join in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the FABC and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the success of this historic conference,” it added.

At least 270 Catholic Church leaders and guests will be welcomed by Thailand’s Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome, Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanich, archbishop of Bangkok, and Bishop Joseph Chusak Sirisuth, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand.

“We will start a monumental task of reaffirming, renewing, and revitalizing the Church in Asia,” said Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay, convenor of this year’s celebrations, in a statement during the opening ceremonies that were held in Bangkok on August 22.

“We will gather to commemorate, celebrate and chart the direction that we, as Church in Asia, will take on our journey together in the next decades,” said the prelate.

In his message for the occasion, Pope Francis expressed hope that FABC’s general conference will “renew the Churches in Asia in fraternal communion and in missionary zeal for the spread of the Gospel among the richly diverse peoples, cultures and social realities of the vast Asian continent.”

The gathering aims to “reaffirm, renew and revitalize” the Catholic Church in Asia under the theme: Journeying Together As Peoples of Asia, which is inspired by the scripture “then they went another way.”

Italian Catholic news agency Fides reported

that some key questions will be asked during the conference, including how the Church in Asia continue to be “Good News” in under “emerging realities.”

“How can the FABC serve and support the bishops and their episcopal conferences in Asia? How can Catholic communities on the continent contribute to a better Asia?” said the report.

The gathering will witness a “multicultural picture” of prayers and hymns that will be sung in Asian languages.

With the usual reflections and group work for the bishops, special events have been planned, such as a “Talk Show with Asia” where believers from all over Asia participate in a videoconference.

The life and pastoral activity of 14 selected parishes in different Asian nations will also be shared with those present, with a “virtual visit” of the bishops, who will meet online with the faithful of the specific local community.

The FABC is a voluntary association of episcopal conferences in Asia that was established with the approval of the Holy See. Its aim is to foster among its members solidarity and co-responsibility for the welfare of Church and society in Asia.

FABC members include Church leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Thailand, China and its special administrative regions — Macao and Hong Kong. Jose Torres Jr./LiCAS.news

We have two interesting stories about perseverance in prayer this Sunday. The first story,taken from book of Exodus tells of Moses praying for the Israelites while they were engaged in a battle with the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-13). Joshua led the fighters while Moses prayed with his hands raised.

Perseverance in Prayer

Reflections

Whenever Moses tired of raising his hands and put them down, the tide of battle went against the Israelites. Moses was made to sit on a stone while Aaron and Hur assisted him to keep raising his hands until they won the battle. It shows us a lesson of perseverance in prayer as well as the benefit of praying with others. The second story is Jesus’ parable about a corrupt judge who was delaying a decision in favor of a widow’s case (Luke 18:1-8). It seems the judge knew that the widow was in the right. As usually happens with small people, the widow did not have much influence with the judge.

Her only weapon was persistence and wearing the judge down by keeping on appealing. Since the judge was described as corrupt, he must be waiting for a bribe. He finally succumbed to the poor widow’s persistence.

Just like Moses and the widow we have battles to face in life. We can face our battles relying on our own power alone, or we can ask God’s help in prayer and ask other to pray with us. There are many kinds of prayer such as the prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, and contrition but the prayer of supplication is making ourselves humble before God, knowing that God is the source of everything that we need. Even as we do battle with life’s daily challenges, we seek God’s assistance to strengthen us so that we do not lose heart. The prayer of supplication is a prayer of faith and hope. We trust that God will sustain us and we have hope in God’s goodness. We pray for our daily needs as we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Notice that Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread, not for weekly or monthly bread. We have to pray daily for our needs, otherwise we would be tempted to think that we have complete control over our lives and we do not need God.

Why keep praying to God? It is because God is God and we are creatures. How does one pray always amidst one’s daily activities? Certainly, when we wake up, we do not rush into our activities. We take the time to thank God for the day and to make our prayer intentions and make known our needs.

Even as we work we keep ourselves in God’s presence by short prayers such as “God help me, Lord have mercy.” When we are tired and resting at the end of the day, we can rest in the Lord. Pope Francis is famous for his devotion to the sleeping St. Joseph. It was in his dreams that God spoke to St. Joseph.

Before Pope Francis sleeps he turns over to St. Joseph his petitions and the care of the church. We can also read the bible. In the second reading, St. Paul encouraged Timothy to use the sacred scriptures to grow in the Christian life (2Tim. 3:14 ff. ).

The older I get, the more I realize that one prays because it is part of being human. Prayer is not just an obligation. Prayer is built into our human genes. We have a human need to converse with God who is invisible to us. Some regimes have tried to abolish religion and public worship in such a way that generations grew without a sense of religiosity. But then, eventually the need for the spiritual aspect of life rises like a phoenix from the ashes. Way back in the late 1960’s I was educated in academic circles that say the human species have matured to the point of throwing away the crutch of religion.

Secularist culture was taking over. The slogans of the day were, “God is dead. Religion is the opium of the people. God is a mere projection of our unrealized powers. ” In the late 1990’s and up to the present there is a comeback of religion. Even sociologists and political analysts realize that the religion sense cannot be deleted from the human consciousness. To reject the religious dimension is to set aside an important factor in analysis and planning. The obvious sign of that religious sense is prayer.

Whatever religion is professed, people seek to pray. Why pray? One might as well ask a bird, “why sing”?

Daily Scripture Readings

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Exodus 17.8-13; 2 Timothy 3.14 – 4.2; Luke 18.1-8

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Readings: no. 473, p. 1675 or no. 660, p. 1857

1st Reading: Ephesians 2.1-10 Gospel: Luke 12.13-21

Readings: no. 661, p. 1859; BG, p. 534

1st Reading: 2 Timothy 4.9-17a Gospel: Luke 10.1-9

Readings: no. 475, p. 1679

1st Reading: Ephesians 3.1-12++ Gospel: Luke 12.39-48

Readings: no. 476, p. 1682

1st Reading: Ephesians 3.13-21++ Gospel: Luke 12.49-53

Readings: no. 477, p. 1684

1st Reading: Ephesians 4.1-6 Gospel: Luke 12.54-59

22 Readings: no. 478, p. 1686;

1st Reading:Ephesians 4.7-16; Gospel: Luke 13.1-9

ASIA’S Catholic bishops opened a two-week general conference in Bangkok on Wednesday, October 12, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).

Rev. Fr. Antonio P. Pueyo, DCCtonypoy_dcc0@yahoo.com

A Catholic bishop has called on the government to pay more attention to legitimate ancestral land claims by indigenous peoples living in different parts of the country.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, hits the gong to signal the formal opening of the celebrations of FABC’s 50th year in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 22, 2022. Photo courtesy of FABC

Bishop Valentin Dimoc (right) of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples (ECIP) play the gongs with Bagobo-Klata men during the national celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Sunday at the Upper Sirib in the southern city of Davao’s Calinan district on Oct. 9, 2022.

Photo courtesy of NIKKO BALBEDINA

The Sudden Interest on the Internet

Wehave to accept the fact that the internet is now an integral part of our life. We should thank the COVID Pandemic for having forcibly opened the lines for the use of the internet. Many of us were surprised when the DEP-ED came up with this program of students using the modules to limit the exposure to COVID cases. It was a brilliant answer to the daily humdrum of students attending classes, and being exposed to the disease, and at the same time maintaining the pedagogy of learning where the teacher still leads the students in the assigned lessons for the day.

However, this has been patterned after the school system in other countries where the technology has been perfected. The interaction between the teacher and the student is through the internet, using modules which are designed to continue and facilitate the lessons.

A look at the school system during the Pandemic shows that this system is working well in private schools where the students have access to the internet. Everyday, different lessons; and even the conduct of tests (or evaluation of learnings) are done through the internet.

But when we look at the students to whom many of the public schools cater to, it seems that they have difficulty coping with the costs that comes with the new system. The modules will have to be copied, and the computers becomes an integral part of the system. Otherwise, if students lack any of these tools - computer, printer, copier- it becomes difficult to keep abreast of the lessons in class. Fortunately, Filipinos have this love affair with the mobile phones which are sold at very low cost but enables the students to communicate with their teacher and other classmates.

The scenario would have been perfect for what Dep-ED envisioned. But what about the students who live in the rural areas? Will they have good access to this technological changes? And what about the promised improvement in the internet service all over the country? Without the internet, the whole system falls. At the very least, parents become acquainted with the wi-fi, and signals.

Supposing the new Vice President Duterte, who is now at the helm of DEP-ED can sort out what the internet has done to the school system, it would be a big task for her indeed. Nevertheless, we have to admit that the internet has penetrated every aspect of our lives.

One of the dangers we face with the internet is the unsolicited communications and messages meant to facilitate fraud. Fraud has been around for a long time. Unscrupulous persons have been into fraud and that their use of the internet as part of their scam has become more rampant and has caused more harm. We often hear of senior citizen who lost their pension fund to these scammers.

We should therefore be aware of these scammers who use the internet to send e-mails to innocent people with the purpose of duping them. Remember, there are still many Filipinos who are alive today but hasn’t gone through the computer lessons in College. When I was in college, the only requirement is knowledge in typing. With this fast moving technology, I wonder what challenges awaits us in the future. MC

Ina recent post on Facebook, a friend from the indigenous community lamented the continuing predicament of indigenous peoples of the Philippines losing their ancestral lands to big business, moneyed and influential groups and individuals, including political leaders and people in government. The lure of money is always hard to resist for people who continue to live in poverty. Sadly, 25 years after a law meant “to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous communities/indigenous peoples, “ was passed. Apparently little has changed.

Republic Act 8371 or “The Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997” was signed into law by then President Fidel V. Ramos on October 29, 1997. The law also gave birth to the creation of the National Commission Indigenous Peoples with the mandate to “protect and promote the interest and well-being of the ICCs/IPs with due regard to their beliefs, customs, traditions and institutions.” Central to these beliefs, customs, traditions and institutions is their right to ancestral domain and self-determination.

In fact, formal recognition of ancestral domains ranks first among the 14 major concerns of the NCIP. This list of major concerns also includes destruction of the ecosystems within ancestral domains; displacement of IPs from their ancestral domains; non-compliance and violation of FPIC or free, prior and informed consent which is a legal right granted to indigenous peoples based on their fundamental human right of self-determination which allows them to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.

According to Bishop Valentine Dimoc, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples, ancestral domain issues remain among major challenges that IP communities face until today. Many IP communities still do not have their certificate of ancestral domain title and continue to struggle, according to Bishop Dimoc.

In 2020, commemorating the 23rd year of IPRA, the ECIP said in a statement that much is left to be

THE GOVERNMENT still has to fill in on probable technical gaps to fine-tune the law into the task of drafting the IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations) in operationalizing Republic Act 11934, “An Act Requiring the Registration of SIM Cards.”

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law RA 11934 amid an unrestrained reality that the sale of prepaid SIM cards remains largely unregulated in a domestic underground market, openly by sidewalk and ambulant vendors.

This makes the sale of prepaid SIM cards in underground market still an open challenge to the law, as it is to National Security in the case of violent terror attacks, reportedly using such devices for triggering mechanism. But still, most people think about its possible deterrence against proliferating varying schemes at online scam.

Secretary Ivan John Uy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology admitted that “the challenge would be (on) the prepaid (SIMs).”

25 years of IPRA and how are the IPs?

hinking A loud

desired in the implementation of IPRA: “We look at its present implementation and enforcement with foreboding and frustration. Government policies and indifference of responsibility bearers continue to fortify the unjust societal structures and have exacerbated existing inequities.” The Episcopal Commission cited the continuing negative impact of extractive industries particularly large-scale mining on the environment and indigenous communities as these are “forcefully promoted and continued even if communities already rejected and opposed them.” It described responsibility bearers in government as “blind and deaf to the call and cries of indigenous people who depend on their agricultural lands and forests for their sustenance,” adding that “these large-scale mining become the vehicle for gross human rights violations, irreparable damage to indigenous communities and culture, and even deaths to those who oppose them.”

In his message for the 2022 National Indigenous Peoples Month Celebration and IPRA Commemoration this month of October, NCIP Chairperson Allen A. Capuyan said it is “imperative that we achieve our objectives.” For NCIP Commissioner Atty. Pinky Grace Pareja, “this celebration is not only a reminder but also a call to action.”

Concrete action to uplift the economic situation of indigenous communities while respecting and preserving their tribal culture, traditions, customary laws and the ecosystem in ancestral domains on which tribal communities are very much dependent would go a long way in ensuring that the gains of the past 25 years do not go to waste or are compromised.

P enlight

Nash B. Maulana

“disclose-able” information from the national ID of individual SIM buyers. By which way, every transaction would electronically reflect and be recorded of a particular SIM card number to an individual buyer or end-user.

The local government units should also revisit local measures and ordinances and that they should be stricter on a no-permit no-sale policy— and to also encourage street vendors to give up the underground trade and train to bind themselves up into buy-and-sell cooperatives instead.

Among others, the salient features of the new law include:

COTABATO

Williamor

Lourd

In New York, I had the instance of locating (days after) a shop that sells prepaid SIM cards which are most difficult to find in big economic districts like Manhattan. I bought one for $14. But I could not use it until activated by the storeowner using a table device by which the sale of that SIM card was essentially e-reported to the state by scanning it, installed. To install it on, I presented a new unit I had earlier bought from an old (Bombay) department store a few blocks from Wall Street. Strangely, the process randomly floated back SMS messages that were already deleted in the previous five years. And if you buy a SIM along with a prepaid e-load for local calls, the registration would have to include an answer to a question as to how long you intend to stay in that state in particular and within U.S. territory in general, so that the prepaid e-load you had bought was set to expire within that period.

The corresponding IRR when drafted for RA 11934 should consider empowering authorities to go after retailers or that the government can require telecommunications companies (telcos) and the retailers’ network of store-vendors the scanning activating device even if it would touch on some

 All public telecommunications entities (PTEs) and direct sellers shall require the SIM card user to present a valid identification document with a photo;

 Information provided in the SIM card registration will be treated as confidential unless the subscriber authorizes access to his information;

The measure also directs telecommunications companies to disclose the full name and address contained in the SIM card registration upon a duly issued subpoena or order of a court;

 Law enforcement agencies that investigate purported crimes committed through phones may also submit a written request to telecommunications providers to disclose the details of the SIM card holder.

All these make the law more reactive than preventive of crimes using mobile phone and prepaid SIM card numbers; unlike in the U.S. On the other hand, any retroactive application can be useful in validating affidavits in court or in the prosecutor’s office, or statements in the police alleging mobile phone conversation in the commission or omission of heinous crime.

Carlos C.

Probable technical lapses in SIM registration law

What’s New Pussycat?

to f

Señase

government to raise the cash-incentive reward from P500K to P6.5 million on whoever can lead in the arrest of radio commentator Percival Mabasa’s killer.

Introduction to the Urinary System

e A lth c o R ne R

components are accessory structures to eliminate the urine from the body.

From

ancient past to the future, world leaders come and go with non-stopped blame and complain politburos. Most if not all with their rhetoric promises to instill peace, prosperity and equitable coexistence. In short, a much better future for the living.

But contrary to all these optimistic aspirations come these mind-boggling natural and man-made catastrophes that have been in our midst for nearly three years since the start of COVID-19 pandemic.

World inflation, unemployment, soaring prices of basic goods and services worsening with the PH devalued peso reaching almost sixty to a dollar. While the world craves for goodwill and well-being, it has been said that which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done. And there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The world has become lovers of self and money as prophesied to be perilous times in the last days. And this news headline reflects the biblical warning.

Once considered best cop in the PNP Anti-Drug Group was arrested in possession of 2 kilos of Shabu worth P13 million that led to the recovery of huge stockpile of Shabu worth P6.7 billion inside a warehouse believed smuggled from China. The unblemished Police M/ Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo, Jr., could have been tempted if proven true by his colleagues’ allegation.

Love of self and money are traits of people who are arrogant, disrespectful, boastful, ungodly, ungrateful, bold and without mercy (2 Timothy 3:1).

And experts consider President Marcos’s imprimatur of the SIM Card Registration Law as timely to nip the worsening complaints on digital scams and other cybercrimes for the love of money.

Authorities aware of human frailties and weaknesses that life is money that they can’t live without, prompted

What’s earthly possession to wonder about that we may be the richest man in the world only to die naked? Knowing that from-dust-to-dust we shall one day return while the spirit awaits God’s appointed day to judge the world in righteousness regardless of persons.

Former Senator Leila de Lima could have realized that death is God’s appointed when she escaped the inevitable during her hostage-taking experience. In an FB post, she confessed having psychological and emotional ordeal which the incarcerated public official regarded as “near death experience” that made her “value life even more.”

De Lima acknowledged all the prayers and the LORD’s protection during those terrible moments. This reflection is for all to repent and reconcile with the Almighty that with Him we are completely in contentment even if we are penniless.

We first met De Lima in a press conference in Cotabato City when she was Comelec Commissioner under Christian Monsod’s chairmanship. Then she was Human Rights Commission chair before becoming Justice Secretary and ultimately elected senator only to end-up in jail due to illegal drug-related case.

For almost six years of incarceration at the PNP custodial center, three improvised knife-wielding inmates belonging to the dreaded Abu Sayyaf group attempted to take the former senator hostage but safely rescued by alert Police Col. Mark Pespes, who was praised by superiors with a promised meritorious promotion.

In life, we are masters because of our freewill to choose between good and evil or blessing and curse. That before life ends, here’s our whole duty – Fear God and keep His commandments, for God will bring every work into judgment, including secrets, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12-13-14). And finally, for us to take it to heart that all visible things are temporal but the unseen things are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

A burst of sunshine

he s tuff of l ife Victoria R. Franco, RPh, MS Pharmacy

Two delightful, lovely ladies, made my day on this what would have been an uneventful week. I am amazed at how they have turned out to be such fine mothers, and ideal wives to their respective husbands. Despite losing their mother while they were growing adults, both inherited the endearing qualities of their charming mother, the late Perla Kimpo, , my sisterin-law, wife of my brother Dr. Ramon H. Rabago, Jr.

Over lunch at Reese Resto, we recalled their childhood memories. Bernadette Rabago Ganuelas mother of three, fresh from a special trip to Australia for the wedding of her daughter Celine, and Madelline Rabago Decangchon, mother of brilliant Faith , were here to partake of 40th year, Class Reunion of Notre Dame of Cotabato for Girls and for Boys.

It is expected that, Bernadette, or Bernie, the first grandchild in our family was the apple of everybody’s eyes. Her first steps, her first words, her smiles were all recorded by the doting amateur photographer Lolo. All the attention and affection showered on her was heartily reciprocated by her, a quality she has continued to this day. (Imagine if celphones were in existence then)

While Madelline, equally lovable and cute, holds her own, in the shadow of her older sister. Articulate, street smart, inquisitive, speaking her own mind, Mai is very engaging and conversant about many matters. We are both die-hard, “makapink”.

Mai described the latest resort Yllana Bay where they spent the day and night catching up with over 50 former classmates. In one word, Yllana Bay is world-class, according to guests. Check it out. The class was honoured with the presence of their famous classmate achiever, the ever fashionable, gracious Vice-Governor Bai Sandra Sema, who owns it with her ever supportive husband former City Mayor Muslimin Sema.

It is heartwarming to realize that our nieces enjoyed their growing years with us,

their uncles, aunties, cousins and their grandparents, the Kimpo side included, a privilege deprived of our grandchildren. There were so many cousins in the compound they were never wanting of playmates; they had their own cheering squad; when their grandparents went on vacation, one representative each from a family joins them.

Our father, their Lolo, envisioned us to stay close to them, hence not one was encouraged to go abroad. He said, go abroad, see the world, travel, but come home to be with us always, and we did. No regrets in that regard.

Our Christmas and New Year Days were riots of sorts when relatives descend at our compound. During WW II, Dr. Ramon Rabago Sr. called for our mother, Charito to join him at Camp Parang. As a military doctor, one by one, they called their sisters and brother to join them. That was the time when government encouraged the migration to the sparsely inhabited Cotabato province. Learning about this “promised land of boundless opportunities” and with the assurances of their well placed relative, more ilocanos, the adventurers followed, thus, the Rabagos gathered together, extended families. These include the Guerreros, Javiers, Anchetas, de Castros, Medinas and many more. I believe, the same was true for the Ilonggos, Visayans, Boholanons and many others.

The diaspora begun when the second generation needed to pursue their higher education out of Cotabato; most found greener pastures away from home, found their life partners and started their own families. That is the sad state of many of us, senior citizens specially. At the end of the day, there is just my husband and myself, tending to each other in our old age.

Thus, it was such a respite from our “huhum” days to have these two special nieces sharing their sunshine with us, even for a short while. Regretfully, we cannot house them in our humble abode , ours is a selfrestricted home at least until Covid is gone.

Dear Dette and Mai, you cannot measure the depth of our gratitude for that brief lunch engagement. Come around sometime , make it sooner than later. Love you both from here to the galaxy and back.

Theprincipal function of the urinary system is to maintain the volume and composition of body fluids within normal limits. One aspect of this function is to rid the body of waste products that accumulate as a result of cellular metabolism, and, because of this, it is sometimes referred to as the excretory system.

Although the urinary system has a major role in excretion, other organs contribute to the excretory function. The lungs in the respiratory system excrete some waste products, such as carbon dioxide and water. The skin is another excretory organ that rids the body of wastes through the sweat glands. The liver and intestines excrete bile pigments that result from the destruction of hemoglobin. The major task of excretion still belongs to the urinary system. If it fails the other organs cannot take over and compensate adequately.

The urinary system maintains an appropriate fluid volume by regulating the amount of water that is excreted in the urine. Other aspects of its function include regulating the concentrations of various electrolytes in the body fluids and maintaining normal pH of the blood.

In addition to maintaining fluid homeostasis in the body, the urinary system controls red blood cell production by secreting the hormone erythropoietin. The urinary system also plays a role in maintaining normal blood pressure by secreting the enzyme renin.

The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. The kidneys form the urine and account for the other functions attributed to the urinary system. The ureters carry the urine away from kidneys to the urinary bladder, which is a temporary reservoir for the urine. The urethra is a tubular structure that carries the urine from the urinary bladder to the outside.

The kidneys are the primary organs of the urinary system. The kidneys are the organs that filter the blood, remove the wastes, and excrete the wastes in the urine. They are the organs that perform the functions of the urinary system. The other

The paired kidneys are located between the twelfth thoracic and third lumbar vertebrae, one on each side of the vertebral column. The right kidney usually is slightly lower than the left because the liver displaces it downward. The kidneys, protected by the lower ribs, lie in shallow depressions against the posterior abdominal wall and behind the parietal peritoneum. This means they are retroperitoneal. Each kidney is held in place by connective tissue, called renal fascia, and is surrounded by a thick layer of adipose tissue, called perirenal fat, which helps to protect it. A tough, fibrous, connective tissue renal capsule closely envelopes each kidney and provides support for the soft tissue that is inside.

In the adult, each kidney is approximately 3 cm thick, 6 cm wide, and 12 cm long. It is roughly bean-shaped with an indentation, called the hilum, on the medial side. The hilum leads to a large cavity, called the renal sinus, within the kidney. The ureter and renal vein leave the kidney, and the renal artery enters the kidney at the hilum.

The outer, reddish region, next to the capsule, is the renal cortex. This surrounds a darker reddish-brown region called the renal medulla. The renal medulla consists of a series of renal pyramids, which appear striated because they contain straight tubular structures and blood vessels. The wide bases of the pyramids are adjacent to the cortex and the pointed ends, called renal papillae, are directed toward the center of the kidney. Portions of the renal cortex extend into the spaces between adjacent pyramids to form renal columns. The cortex and medulla make up the parenchyma, or functional tissue, of the kidney.

The central region of the kidney contains the renal pelvis, which is located in the renal sinus, and is continuous with the ureter. The renal pelvis is a large cavity that collects the urine as it is produced. The periphery of the renal pelvis is interrupted by cuplike projections called calyces. A minor calyx surrounds the renal papillae of each pyramid and collects urine from that pyramid. Several minor calyces converge to form a major calyx. From the major calyces, the urine flows into the renal pelvis; and from there, it flows into the ureter.

Power, Water, and Telecommunications: Ingredients for Development

AR ket d R iven Danny Buenbrazo danny_buenbrazo@yahoo.com

local government units, government agencies and even private sector entities undertake initiatives that they envision to further the development of a place, sector, or an economic enterprise.

Various

Local governments, government agencies and GOCCs, and/or international aid organizations undertake economic and social projects that they envision to have a positive impact on a locality or a sector of society such as industrial estates, housing projects, and other socially-oriented facilities. Foreign and local business firms invest in agri-based enterprises, manufacturing activities, or services to benefit consumers and generate profits for the economic entity.

Frequently, however, these proposed projects never take off the ground or fail to fly when they don’t have access to good water, power, or telecommunication services either because unit cost is very high or the service is totally unavailable.

The ease of making available these three utilities in localities differ depending on factors such as peace and order condition, volume of demand, capacity to pay on the part of potential users, cost of establishing facilities, among others. Service providers tend to prefer serving urban areas since most of these factors are on the positive side (high demand, higher paying capacity, relative safety of the facility and company personnel, good infrastructure, and so on.

Telecommunications tend to have higher private sector investors with the advent of cellular technology, use of satellites, and other inventions that have lowered the cost of rolling out operation in a new franchise area.

Private sector participation in power generation projects have also risen especially in renewable energy but the transmission and distribution aspects (particularly those in areas with security

risk or lower propensity of consumers to diligently pay their bills remain a challenge. Transmission faces the difficulty of securing right-of-way and maintaining the security of the physical infrastructure. Often, the distribution of power to the consumers in rural areas is done mostly by electric cooperatives and many of these face collection problems.

The provision of water services also has its challenges especially with climate change and rapid increase of population in potential sources of water such as rivers, springs, among others. Unlike telecommunications, the delivery of the service from source to destination (households, business firms, and institutions) cannot be done remotely. Transmission pipes need to be constructed to transport water from its source to the location of consumers. A water utility company has to secure permit to extract water, permit to construct transmission pipes through public ad private properties, and conform with health and safety standards set by various agencies such as the National Water Resources Board and the Department of Health.

With the high cost of extracting, treating, and transmitting water from source to the taps of consumers, water districts (mostly government owned and /or controlled corporations) resort to innovations to improve their reach and quality of service without using their own funds or contracting loans. One of these innovations is the outsourcing of water extraction and treatment to a third-party provider through a bulk water supply contract. The water district and the supplier mutually agree for the latter to produce and deliver to the injection point (distribution network of the water district) a certain volume of water for a stated price.

Bulk water supply contracts last for several years that allow the third-party supplier to recover its investments and gain some profits.

To them and my other mentors and sources of inspiration, I am forever grateful.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ANDAMAN ANGKAD MANDUGAY, who passed away on April 30, 2015 in Cotabato City, a parcel of land Lot 2, Block 24, Psd123804-019622, situated in Malagapas, Cotabato City containing an area of 120 sq. mts., more or less, covered by TCT No. T-44942 is subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate with deed of absolute sale before Notary Public Atty. Jeihan Jein M. Gulo, RN as per Doc. No. 84; Page No. 17; Book No. III; Series of 2022.

MC:

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement of OCRG Memorandum Circular 2013-1 No. 1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 IRR on RA 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Jade Barte Baliguat has filed with this office petition for correction of entry in sex from Female to Male in the certificate of live birth of Jade Barte Baliguat who was born on February 8, 1988 at Magpet Cotabato and whose parents are Jorge Traycon Baliguat and Evy Linda Dela Cruz Barte.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office not later than October 25, 2022.

(Sgd.) CHONA M. PROVIDA, MPA Municipal Civil Registrar

MC: Oct. 8 & 15, 2022

AFFIDAVIT OF SELFADJUDICATION

Notice is hereby given that the late MARILOU C. CASUELA who died intestate on September 18, 2017 at Libungan, Cotabato, left a bank deposit with Landbank of the Philippines under SA Account No. 10062654-01 is subject of affidavit of selfadjudication before Notary Public Noel A. Gretare, CPA as per Doc. No. 1203; Page No. 32; Book No. XCIV; Series of 2022B.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ADOLFO T. ADRIATICO and PACIENCIA PEDROLA, who died on November 7, 2012 and November 1, 2017 in Kidapawan City and President Roxas, respectively, a parcel of land Lot 2-T-11, Psd12-004230, situated in Nuangan, Kidapawan, North Cotabato, containing an area of 289 sq. mts., more or less, covered by TCT No. T-66587 is subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate before Notary Public Angeli Ness Casador Evangelista as per Doc. No. 5; Page No. 2; Book No. VIII; Series of 2022.

MC: Oct. 15,

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that Aberto C. Gocotano has filed with this office a petition for change of first name from Jessie to Alberto in the birth certificate of Jessie Gocotano who was born on November 17, 1956 at Pagalungan, Maguindanao and whose parents are Jesus Gocotano and Trifna Caballero.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition in this office.

(Sgd.) MERCEDES P. TOLENTINO Acting City Civil Registrar

MC: Oct. 8 & 15, 2022

DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE

Notice is hereby given that the late GENARO BALLANO, who died intestate, left a parcel of land Lot 8539-A (portion of Lot 8539, Pls135), containing an area of 40,438 sq. mts., more or less is subject of deed of absolute sale before Notary Public Antonio F. Diocera as per Doc. No. 318; Page No. 65; Book No. I; Series of 2014.

MC:

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the late Spouses RUFINO MANDOLADO and RELINDA BACAOCO ROALES, who died on January 29,1998 and September 25, 2021, respectively, both in North Manuangan, Pigcawayan, Cotabato, left a parcel of land Lot No. 3261-D-27, Csd-12-006033, situated in Manuangan, Pigcawayan, Cotabato with an area of 492 sq. mts., more or less, covered by OCT No. P-61133 is subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate with simultaneous waiver of rights before Notary Public Alberto T. Eramis as per Doc. No. 286; Page No. 58; Book No. CCCVI; Series of 2022.

MC: Oct. 15, 22 &

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement of OCRG Memorandum Circular 2003-1 No. 1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 IRR on RA 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Mohanie Lumawan Amil has filed with this office a petition for change of sex from Male to Female in the certificate of live birth of Mohanie Lumawan Amil who was born on March 12, 2000, at Midsayap, Cotabato and whose parents are Dilon A. Amil and Guiawara L. Lumawan.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with this office of Municipal Civil Registrar, Midsayap, Cotabato.

(Sgd.) NORAH B. CABUGWASON Municipal Civil Registrar

MC: Oct. 8 & 15, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the late QUIRIFONIA R. CALUMBA, who died intestate on December 28, 1993 in Cotabato City, left a parcel of land Lot 8178, Cad-107, situated at Midsayap, Cotabato (now Pob. Libungan, Cotabato), covered by TCT No. T-73879, containing an area of 30,017 sq, mts., more or less is subject of deed of extrajudicial settlement of estate with simultaneous sale before Notary Public Atty. Nisham Nazz Ala Biruar, CPA as per Doc. No 171; Page No. 35; Book No. XII; Series of 2021.

MC: Oct. 1, 8 & 15, 2022

Republic

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the late MARCOS D. LIDASAN who died on August 18, 2022 in Davao City, left bank deposits with Land Bank of the Philippines, Parang Branch under Account No. 2661-0446-78 is subject of extrajudicial with waiver of rights with deed of indemnity before Notary Public Renie Jay Abad Soriano as per Doc. No. 223; Page No. 45; Book No. XXIX; Series of 2022.

MC:

Republic of the Philippines Midsayap, North Cotabato LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICE

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement of OCRG Memorandum Circular 2003-1 No. 1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 IRR on RA 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Jocelyn Ocija Balikeg has filed with this Office petition for change of sex from Male to Female in the certificate of live birth of Rocelle Faith Balikeg Biongan who was born on August 25, 2020, at Midsayap, Cotabato and whose parents are Roy L. Biongan and Jocelyn O. Balikeg.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with this office of Municipal Civil Registrar, Midsayap, Cotabato.

(Sgd.) NORAH B. CABUGWASON Municipal Civil Registrar

MC: Oct. 8 & 15, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the late HADJI OMAR S. ABUBAKAR, who died on January 7, 2003 in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao, left a parcel of land Lot 1181-M-6, Psd-1201244, situated at Kitango, Datu Piang, Maguindanao, covered by TCT No. T-15151, containing an area of 7,071 sq, mts., more or less is subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate agreement among heirs before Notary Public Atty. Gapor G. Quitar as per Doc. No 228; Page No. 46; Book No. LXXI; Series of 2022.

MC: Oct. 1, 8 & 15, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the late LOPE QUIÑONES QUIAL, JR. and REMEDIOS TORRES

QUIAL, died intestate on April 19, 2020 and October 6, 2018, respectively, both in Midsayap, Cotabato, left Real Properties (part of estate of Remedios): ¼ of Lot No. 28, Block No. 197, Psd-194841,TCT No. 39252 with an area of 249.2 sq. mts., more or less in Quezon City, Manila; Shares of Stocks: Five (5) shares in Quial Holdings, Inc. and 1/3 share in funds with LBP-Midsayap , Account No. 1001-0797-58; (part of estate of Lope): Lot 2, Cad No. 107, TCT No. 152-2020000789, area of 01556 ha and Lot 28-B, Psd12-033026, TCT No. T-100332, area of 6,385 sq. mts., more or less, both situated in Midsayap, Cotabato; parcels of land in Libungan Cotabato:1/8 of Lot 2440-A, Psd-11-001016, TCT No. 152-2020000794; 1/8 of Lot 2440-E-2, Psd-12-016266, TCT No. 152-2020000795; 1/8 of Lot 2440-B, Psd-11-001016, TCT No. 152-2020000801; Lot No. 2441-B-1-A, Psd-12-050730, TCT No. 152-2020000790; Lot No. 2441-B-1-B, Psd12-050730, TCT No. 1522020000791; Lot 2441-B-5, Psd-12-030339, TCT No. 152-2020000792; Lot 2441B-4, Psd-12-030339, TCT No. 152-2020000796; Lot 2440F, Psd-11-001016, TCT No. T-100331; Lot 2441-B-7-C, Psd-12-070358, TCT No. 152-2022001256; Lot No. 2441-B-7-B, Psd-12-070358, TCT No. 152-2022001255, with the total area of 138,488 sq. mts., more or less; 5 Shares of Stocks in Quial Holdings, Inc.; 1/3 share in funds with LBPMidsayap under Account No. 1001-0797-58 and ½ share of funds with LBP-Midsayap under Account No. 1001-1514-75 are subject of deed of extrajudicial settlement before Notary Public Reynald R. Suarez as per Doc. No. 22; Page No. 06; Book No. I; Series of 2022.

MC: Oct. 1, 8 & 15, 2022

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late WILMA JEAN DECENA ALIVIO who died on July 21,2021 in Cotabato City, parcels of land Lot 8 B, Psd-12-009743, located in Malagapas, Cotabato City; Lot B-3, Pad-12002487 in Blensong, Upi, Maguindanao; Lot 2488-A-2-A, Psd124709020654 and Lot 2488-A-1-K-2, Psd-12062676; both situated in Katingawan, Midsayap, Cotabato; covered by TCT Nos. T-24477, T-5744, T-88375 and T-1522012000352, respectively, containing the total area of 44,120 sq. mts., more or less are subject of extrajudicial settlement of estate before Notary Public Atty. Keen John T. Usman as per Doc. No. 411; Page No. 83; Book No. I; Series 2021.

MC: Oct. 15, 22 & 29, 2022

PETITION FOR JUDICIAL PARTITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF AMPONG MORO.

HEIRS OF SAKIAN AMPONG, namely: ROSITA AMPONGANDRES: HEIRS OF ISMAEL C. AMPONG, represented by JIMMY L. AMPONG; GEROLA C. AMPONG, HEIRS OF ISAAC C. AMPONG represented by AMINA T. AMPONG; CESAR C. AMPONG; HEIRS OF ANTONIO C. AMPONG represented by SUE HANNA O. AMPONG; ADING C. AMPONG RANAIN; SAMLEA AMPONG PONDING represented by JUNALEAH PONDING; HELEN C AMPONG-RASAY; and HEIRS OF ISMAIL C. AMPONG represented by GEMMA CASINTO-AMPONG, Petitioners,

JAHAR LUMAYON, ONISITA LETADA, SALLY BUNGAD, and CAMAR ALIMAN, Respondents.

ORDER

Filed with this Court is a petition for judicial Partition and Distribution of the intestate estate of Ampong Moro. The petitioners, heirs of Sakian Ampong, Rosita Ampong-Andres, et al. alleged among others: That the petitioners are residents of Manaklay, Pindasa, Mabini, Devao De Oro while respondents, Jahar Lumayon, Onisita Letada, Sally Bungad and Camar Aliman are residents of Manklay, Pindasan, Mabini, Davao De Oro; That the parties are the grandchildren of among Moro; That sometime in 1990, after the death of Tamasina Moro, Ampong Moro together with his second wife Padot Mansaka acquired a parcel of land at Manaklay, Pindasan, Pantukan, Davao containing an area of 14 hectares which was inherited by the heirs of Ampong Moro upon his death on December 25, 1925 and covered by OCT No. (P-3199) P-809; That sometime in 1947 prior to the issuance of said title, the respondents with some of their cousins as grandchildren of Ampong Moro caused the subdivision of said land at two (2) hectares for each child of Ampong Moro by his first wife to which Sakian Ampong objected since he believed that the share of his mother Padot Mansaka who was the conjugal owner of the land was not considered by the respondents in the distribution; That since the land was acquired at the time when Ampong Moro was married to the second wife Padot Mansaka, said land should have been inherited by the children of the second wife namely: Murad and Sakian Ampong; and that the petitioners wish to have the said land distributed to the legal heirs in accordance with Islamic Law on Inheritance.

The Court, after reading the petition, finds it sufficient in form and substance.

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the petition is set for hearing on November 22, 2022 at 8:30 in the morning. The petitioners are directed to cause the publication of this Order in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks. Anybody who maybe prejudiced by this petition may submit his/her written opposition thereto or may appear on said hearing and show cause why this petition should not be granted.

SO ORDERED.

Cotabato City, Philippines, September 5, 2022 (Sgd.) HON, RASAD S. LAGUINDAB Acting Presiding Judge

MC: Oct. 1, 8 & 15, 2022

Republic of the Philippines Magpet, North Cotabato OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement of OCRG Memorandum Circular 2013-1 No. 1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 IRR on RA 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Elsie Veralde Mendoza has filed with this Office petition for correction of entry in sex from Male to Female in the certificate of live birth of Elsie Penuela Veralde who was born on September 24, 1963 at Magpet Cotabato and whose parents are Cosme A. Veralde and Florita Penuela.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office not later than October 26, 2022

Republic of the Philippines Magpet, North Cotabato OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL REGISTRAR NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement of OCRG Memorandum Circular 2013-1 No. 1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 IRR on RA 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Charlie Baylon Dequiña has filed with this Office petition for correction of entry in sex from Female to Male in the certificate of live birth of Charlie Baylon Dequiña who was born on April 03, 1978 at Magpet Cotabato and whose parents are Irenio Dequiña and Evelyn Baylon.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office not later than October 26, 2022

(Sgd.) CHONA M. PROVIDA, MPA Municipal Civil Registrar

MC: Oct. 8 & 15, 2022

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with the publication requirement of OCRG Memorandum Circular 2013-1 Guidelines in the implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172), notice is hereby served to the public that Rafoncel Aquino Gomez has filed with this office a petition for change of first name from Rafoncel Alfredo to Rafoncel and change of sex from Male to Female in the certificate of live birth of Rafoncel Alfredo Vicente Aquino who was born on August 18, 1981 at Magpet, Cotabato and whose parents are Alfredo M. Aquino and Violeta C. Vicente.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office not later than November 3, 2022.

(Sgd.)

CHONA M. PROVIDA, MPA Municipal Civil Registrar

MC: Oct.

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that Faisal Dagloc Sabpa has filed with this office a petition for change of first name from Arthur to Faisal in the birth certificate of Athur Dagloc Sabpa who was born on June 12, 1982 at Cotabato City and whose parents are Datuumbra Sabpa and Susan Dagloc.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office.

(Sgd.) EDRES A. SAMAMA

Asst. City Civil Registrar

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. No. 10172, a notice is hereby served to the public that Levie L. Acosta has filed with this office a petition for change of sex from Male to Female in the birth certificate of Levie A. Laguipo who was born on 10 January 1965 at Kidapawan, Cotabato and whose parents are Bartolome Laguipo and Gertrudes Abragan.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office.

(Sgd.) MERCEDES P. TOLENTINO

Acting City Civil Registrar

NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. No. 10172, a notice is hereby served to the public that Regie A. Agustin has filed with this office a petition for change of sex from Male to Female in the birth certificate of Regie C. Agio who was born on 27 August 1992 at Kidapawan, Cotabato and whose parents are Romeo E. Agio and Rosita M. Cariño.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this office.

(Sgd.) MERCEDES P. TOLENTINO

City Civil Registrar

& 22, 2022

Republic

Republic of the Philippines Midsayap, North Cotabato LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICE

Republic of the Philippines Province of Cotabato City of Kidapawan

Republic of the Philippines Province of Cotabato City of Kidapawan

Republic of the Philippines Province of Cotabato City of Kidapawan

Republic of the Philippines Region XII City Government of Cotabato OFFICE OF THE CITY CIVIL REGISTRAR

Pregnant T’boli mothers in Sarangani ditch ‘palteras,’ thanks to gay midwife

(First part) MAITUM, Sarangani Province – John Mark Odani, who is openly gay, is making natal care services in far-flung tribal communities here easily available to pregnant mothers and newborn babies.

Traditionally, T’boli mothers in this rustic town sought the assistance of a “paltera” (informally trained woman in delivering babies) in giving birth.

In the case of Mary Grace Manuel, her first child born 10 years ago came out of her womb even without the assistance of a paltera, also called a hilot, or “fesut nga” in T’boli language.

Her first child Louie was born in the dead of the night at their nipa hut in Barangay Bati-an, a geographically isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA) in this laidback town of about 50,000 residents.

“Nasorpresa mi, wa mi kalibutan na nanganak na sya (We were surprised and shocked to know that the baby already came out,” said Simeon Cabulat, Louie’s grandfather.

The cry of the newborn baby and the call for help of Mary Grace, who has a speech problem, awakened the household.

Seeing that the newborn’s umbilical cord was still connected to her mother’s placenta, Cabulat –who was born with the help of a hilot along with his nine other siblings – looked for his sharp knife and cut it off without any hesitation.

Mary Grace did not avail of prenatal care services due to poverty, otherwise she would have an idea when her baby would come out. Also, there was no midwife then who went around their far-flung community regularly. To get to the población area, they have to cross

a river without a bridge, and pay at least P100 for a habal-habal (motorcycle) ride per person back and forth.

The next morning, family members brought Mary Grace and the baby to the rural health unit (RHU) in the población to avail proper maternal and child care services from the local government unit (LGU).

There, she was made aware about the importance of pre-natal care.

Hell of an assignment

Barangay Bati-an, which is populated by the T’boli tribe and one of the poorest and farthest villages of Maitum, was assigned to Odani sometime after Mary Grace had given birth to her firstborn child.

With her awareness on prenatal care and the deployment of Odani to their village, Mary Grace delivered her two succeeding babies in one of the three birthing facilities run by the LGU, which are replete with duly registered nurses and midwives.

Odani, an Ilokano from a poor family, was a fresh graduate then of a two-year nursing aide course when he volunteered to Bati-an, a village where no one then wanted to be assigned because of its distant location and the terrible roads of going there, not to mention the handful of times needed to cross the river. Bati-an straddles six sitios (hamlets) spread far in between mountains.

“Sa sobrang layo, napaiyak ako

noon (I shed tears then because it’s very far),” he recalled.

Odani regularly visited Sitio Angko, Barangay Bati-an’s farthest hamlet. After some time, he applied for a scholarship with the Sarangani provincial government. He took up midwifery and passed it in 2015.

Odani returned to Maitum and asked to be assigned back to Barangay Batian, a place he was determined to help that he even learned the T’boli language to be able to effectively communicate with the natives. His job order status was turned into a regular position in September 2020.

He could no longer count how many mothers he assisted in the delivery of their children.

He also conducts immunization, check-ups for ordinary illnesses such as cough and fever, advocates for zero open defecation and even promotes environment awareness.

Fondly called Marky, Odani has a way with the Tboli tribe members, especially the mothers who listen to his maternity health advice and feel comfortable with him delivering their babies.

For his work with the T’boli tribe, he was conferred the 14th Gawad Geny Lopez Bayaning Kabataang Pilipino Award in 2017.

Odani said he "did not expect the award” but expressed his gratitude just the same for the recognition.

“When you love your job, you will enjoy it – and that is what matters the most,” the 31-year-old midwife stressed. (To be continued) Bong Sarmiento

TEN more members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, six of them involved in extorting money from traders in different towns, pledged allegiance to the government last October 6.

The 10 BIFF members turned in assorted firearms before they renounced their membership with the group in the presence of Army and police officials at the headquarters of the 601st Infantry Brigade in Barangay Kamasi in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Six of them had separately told reporters they belonged to a team that extorted money from merchants and owners of public transportations, threatening to bomb their units and business establishments if they refuse.

Major Gen. Roy Galido, 6th Infantry Division

commander, said the group agreed to surrender through the intercession of 601st Infantry Brigade commander Colonel Oriel Pangcog and officials of its component-battalions.

Galido said the 10 BIFF members whose identities were withheld for their safety shall be reintroduced to mainstream society by the 6th ID with the help of different government agencies.

The BIFF has a reputation for attacking members who have surrendered to the government and their relatives.

More than 300 members of the BIFF and its ally, the Dawlah Islamiya, have surrendered to brigades and battalions under 6th ID in the past three years. John Felix Unson

BARMM cops foil P1.8-M cigarette smuggling

UNITS of the Bangsamoro police in Basilan intercepted Sunday night about three miles off Basilan a watercraft loaded with P1.8 million worth of cigarettes bound for Zamboanga City.

Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon, director of the Police Regional OfficeBangsamoro Autonomous Region, said here Monday the contraband was seized by a seaborne police team from the Hadji Muhtamad Municipal Police Station and the Basilan Provincial Police Office.

Hadji Muhtamad is a seaside town in Basilan,

one of the five provinces in the Bangsamoro region.

Guyguyon said the boat carrying 140 large boxes of cigarettes with Indonesian brands, worth P1.8 million, was also impounded.

Three boat crewmen, Christopher Manood, Edgar Salomia, and Kiram Lawamama, were detained for failing to present a customs clearance for their merchandise.

Guyguyon said the confiscated cigarettes shall be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for its disposition. John Felix Unson

A former member of the Abu Sayyaf shot dead two villagers and a soldier in a shooting rampage Tuesday in Sumisip town in Basilan.

Brig. Gen. John Guguyon, Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) regional director, told reporters here that the suspect, Nuri Jaari Ismael, was also shot dead by responding policemen and soldiers.

The full name of the soldier was, meantime, withheld, pending notification of his family.

After he felled the Army corporal in Barangay Pamatsaken, Ismael ran away and killed using the same rifle villagers Alsaidi Abbilul and and Kannami Burung Jannatul in Barangay Central Sumisip in the same town.

Village chair slain in gun attack

Sultan sa Barongis town in Maguindanao at past 3 p.m. when two men arrived on a motorbike.

Major Michael Ameril, police chief of Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao, identified the victim as Norson Utto, village chairperson of Barangay Panadtaban, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao.

Ameril said the victim was washing his motorbike at a roadside in nearby Barangay Barurao,

“One of them shot Utto without provocation,”

Maj. Ameril said in a radio interview. The village official died on the spot.

Major Ameril said he spoke with the victim’s wife who revealed the slain official was locked in a family feud with another family in his village.

“The victim is involved

in a rido or family feud with another Moro families in Rajah Buayan and in Sultan sa Barongis,” the police official said.

Responding police found empty shells for cal. 45 pistol in the crime scene.

In Datu Odin Sinsuat, unidentified gunman shot and killed a motorcycle driver along the national highway in Barangay Margues on Sunday afternoon.

Lt. Colonel Nelson Madiwo, town police

chief, said the victim, Pilot Panambulan, 29, was driving a motorcycle with his father, Kilos Panambulan, 65, when the suspects on board separate motorbike shot them.

“Miraculously, the father was unharmed,” Lt. Colonel Madiwo said in radio interview.

Motive of the attack, police said, could be personal grudge or “rido” (family feud). Edwin O. Fernandez

Guyguyon said Ismael first grabbed the M16 rifle of a member of the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion, a corporal, and repeatedly shot him in the chest, causing his instant death.

Responding companions of the slain 64th IB corporal, volunteer community watchmen and personnel of the municipal police force eventually shot Ismael dead for refusing to yield as they cornered him in Barangay Central Sumisip. John Felix UnsonA village chair was shot dead by still unidentified gunman in Maguindanao Sunday, police said today.

MIDWIFE TO THE BARRIO. Pregnant T’boli mothers in Sarangani listens as John Mark Odani, an openly gay midwife, educates IP women on proper natal care.

Photo by Bong Sarmiento

Amuck kills soldier, 2 others in Basilan

10 more BIFF men yield to Army