MINDANAO DAILY T H E P U RV E YO R O F T R U T H , J U S T I C E , A N D D E V E LO P M E N T
Volume VI, No. 240
Website: www.mindanaodailynews.com
Friday
March 17, 2017
P15.00
‘Coal is slowly but surely killing people’ Potential nationwide annual death toll from coal-related air pollution can soar to over twice its current estimated level unless the country already mainstreams renewable energy (RE) use instead of pollutive coal-fired power
plant (CFPP) operations. Greenpeace Southeast Asia climate and energy campaigner Reuben Muni warned about such possibility, noting studies estimated CFPPs’ current health impacts to be as high as 1,420 deaths already.
“Studies project such health impacts to reach a high 3,600 deaths,” he said Friday at a forum Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) spearheaded in Metro Manila. Data Muni presented during the forum that such
Army: Dozens of families flee homes as insurgents attack soldiers By GERRY LEE GORIT Correspondent
CAGAYAN de Oro City-Almost a hundred families fled their homes after a group of armed insurgents believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) stormed a far-flung community in Barangay Hinimbangan, Kitcharao town in Agusan del Norte, the military said Thursday. According to the report provided by the Philippine
Army’s 4th Infantry Division to the media, the alleged NPA fighters fired at the soldiers from the 29th Infantry Battalion conducting development support and security operations in the village on Wednesday. “After three consecutive harassments conducted by the NPA in the barangay, a total of 357 civilians were forced to evacuate because of the threat posed by the said terror group,” said 2nd Lieutenant Ashley Mae del
Rosario, the battalion’s civilmilitary operations officer in a statement. Based on the testimonies of the villagers, del Rosario said the insurgents forced the school faculty to cancel their classes as some of them fired upon the houses in the community. The attack on both government forces and civilians in the area, said 29th IB commander Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Joy Aynera, See soldiers, page 7
deaths can be due to various ailments arising from people’s exposure to ozone and PM 2.5, a pollutive fine particulate matter CFPPs emit when burning coal for power production. Ozone exposure can See people, page 7
Bello halts labor-only contracting AFTER nine months of numerous dialogues and consultations with employers and workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has finally approved Department Order (DO) No. 174 on contracting and subcontracting on Thursday. In a press conference, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed the new DO, which “prohibits laboronly contracting and specifies other illicit forms of employment arrangements.” “As one song goes, the wait is over. And yes, the long wait is indeed over. I have already See halts, page 7
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Unmasking the truth behind ‘clean coal’ COAL is a highly polluting energy source. It emits much more carbon per unit of energy than oil, and natural gas. CO2 represents the major portion of greenhouse gases. It is, therefore, one of the leading contributors to climate change. From mine to sky, from extraction to combustion--coal pollutes every step of the way. The huge environmental and social costs associated with coal usage make it an expensive option for developing countries. From acid drainage from coal mines, polluting rivers and streams, to the release of mercury and other toxins when it is burned, as well as climate-destroying gases See clean, page 6
Earth, Venus, sun form row this month By Catherine J. Teves of PNA
Earth, Venus and the sun will line up in a straight row this month, staging anew the celestial event called “conjunction.” An inferior conjunction will happen on Saturday (March 25) as Venus will be between Earth and the sun at 6 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time) that day, noted astronomy section chief Dario
dela Cruz from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). “Earth and Venus will be on the same side of the sun during that conjunction,” he said. Venus will be in superior conjunction if this planet and Earth are on opposite sides of the sun when these three bodies line up in a straight row. See month, page 6
CEB opens two new routes, connects Visayas to Normin
ORO-TAGBILARAN FLIGHT. From right, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Boboy Sabal, Cebgo president and CEO Alexander Lao, and Katherine S. De Castro, undersecretary for Office of Public Affairs of the Depart of Tourism (DOT), spearhead the launching of the Cebu Pacific flight from Cagayan de Oro City to Tagbilaran City in the province of Bohol last Wednesday (March 15) at Laguindingan airport in Laguidingan town, Misamis Oriental. Photo by Gerry Lee Gorit for Mindanao Daily
THE Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), expanded its interregional route network with the addition of two new routes that will connect the Visayas to Northern Mindanao. Starting March 15, 2017, CEB will be flying four times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) between Cagayan de Oro and
Tagbilaran; and three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) between the former and Bacolod. Both new routes to and from Cagayan de Oro will use the airline’s ATR aircraft. “We at CEB are very thrilled to begin flying to and from these destinations, said Alexander Lao, President and CEO of Cebgo, adding, “we believe that
these new routes will not only boost tourism, but also increase trade and productivity between the Visayas and Mindanao. Movement of goods between these islands will also be facilitated as CEB cargo services are also available in these new routes.” Lao said CEB is likewise optimistic that our See routes, page 6