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AgSur students learn the ill-effects of drug abuse Volume VI, No. 246
By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN Contributing Editor
BAY U G A N C it y - - T h e provincial government is now embarking a move to enlighten high school students on the ill-effects of drug abuse during a series of symposia held in three big public schools in the province. So far, the educational briefings have reached some 2,000 students of Bayugan Comprehensive High School (BCHS) in this city, Agusan del Sur National
Fallen Marine trooper honored
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao––The Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) here honored Wednesday afternoon a member of a Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT-2) who perished during an encounter between government forces and communist guerillas in the coastal town of Sultan Kudarat on Monday. Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr, Western Mindanao command chief, led the Joint Task Force Central headed by Brig. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, also 6th ID chief, See FALLEN, page 7
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High School(ASNHS) in San Francisco town and Trento National High School (TNHS) in Trento town. The symposia, organized by the Provincial Public Information Office (PPIO), Outreach Drop In CenterSubstance Use, Recovery and Enlightenment Program (ODIC-SURE) of the provincial government and the Department of Education (DepEd) reached-out some 600 Grades 9 and 11 students of TNHS on the first implementation day on March 13.
Some 500 Grade 9 students of ASNHS on the second day, and more than 1,000 students of BCHS on the third day, March 15, 2017 were also briefed. One touching scene was when a 15-year-old student tearfully approached Jay Francisco, the speaker, and told him that her father is suffering from cancer and asked about his chances of survival. In order not to hurt the student so much, Jay Francisco just told her that they should refer her father to a
Friday
March 24, 2017
specialist doctor so that his illness can be treated well. Witnessing the real drama, PPIO chief Armando Gomez said he can imagine how the students trusted the SURE program that they even refer a cancer case to ODIC- SURE’s personnel. In his opening message, Gomez said even before the war against illegal drugs was waged by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte against illegal drugs, the province has already SYMPOSIUM. Jay Francisco, international drug adformulated plans in order diction therapist, spoke to students of Bayugan Comprehensive High School on the dangerous effects of illegal to stop the use and trade See LEARN, page 7
drugs. Photo courtesy of Clemz Aroy, PPIO Agusan Sur.
NPA rebels burn heavy equipment at Del Monte’s Bukidnon plantation By CRIS DIAZ, Executive Editor
CAGAYAN de Oro City--Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels burned a heavy equipment used by Del Monte Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) in Bukidnon, a belated military report here said Wednesday. Capt. Norman Tagros, spokesperson of the Army 401st Brigade, said communist rebels raided the DMPI plantation in the outskirt of Malaybalay City on Monday night and disarmed and seized the firearms of private security guards before burning the heavy equipment. He said that a tractor, three boom harvesters and a Skinner were burned before the rebels withdrew under cover of darkness. Tagros said the police and the military sent a combined team of operatives to pursue the rebels, but they have not made contact as of Wednesday. He said that an investigation to determine whether the Sorting lobster. A raiser in Day-asan, Surigao City is assisted by family heavy equipment were owned by the DMPI or company members in sorting lobster on March 17, 2017. After which, they will put back same sizes together in one cage and grow them until reaching desired weight before harvest- contractors is still going on. “We want to find out whether DMPI or ing. A kilo of live lobster fetch a price ranging from P2,600 to P3,200. Photo by Jun Ayensa for Mindanao Daily
See HEAVY, page 7
MINDANAO DAILY SECOND FRONTPAGE mark francisco, Section Editor EDITOR: RUEL V. PELONE
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March 24, 2017
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ADB economist sees export prospects for PH amid protectionism fears Despite the dramatic decline in global trade coupled with protectionist forces in advanced global economies, exports will remain a major growth driver for most Asian economies such as the Philippines, according to an economist from the Asian Development bank (ADB).
In a forum organized by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Ganeshan Wignaraja, advisor at the ADB Office of Chief Economist, dispel speculation that exports slowdown will lead to an end of Asia’s era of export-led growth, say-
ing that this projection is “overdone”. According to Wignaraja, much of the weak import demands from the advanced economy markets is likely to be temporarily and partially reversed as their recovery gathers momentum. He emphasized that Asian
countries can, in fact, lead global trade in years to come. But this, he added, requires a deeper understanding among policymakers about the causes of the export slowdown and the policies that could foster new trading opportunities. Wignaraja attributed
the export slowdown in developing Asia to three major factors: (1) the weak import demand for Asian goods in advanced economy markets, (2) the structural transformation and reduced import demand from China, and (3) the possible impact of increasing nontariff mea-
sures (NTMs). He, however, argued that there are trading opportunities that developing Asian economies can profitably nurture. For example, he cited some new trading opportunities from China’s rebalancing
Megadams: unuseful, destructive, says WPN IN forums and activities held around international commemoration of people’s action for rivers and against large dams and in pursuit of the right to water, advocates including the Water for the People Network (WPN) called on the public to support the clamor “people’s control over water resources and services.” Government and private sector proponents, including international financial institutions, promote large dams allegedly as a means of providing cheap energy and water supply to poor countries like the Philippines. But many Filipinos still lack access to basic utilities, said WPN. Millions of people in Metro Manila – with or without water connections – have insufficient yet expensive water supply. Some areas in the country especially See useful, page 7
See fears, page 7
news feature
How (cyber) safe are you?
Sunday Trek. Trekkers climb up a ridge in Mibala, a hinterland village in Iligan City, on Sunday (March 19, 2017). MindaNews photo by Bobby Timonera
In this digital age when one does so many things online, how can a person ensure his/her safety in using the cyberspace? These days when people communicate, shop and do banking transactions online, how can they avoid falling victims of phishing and scams? How can they prevent their online accounts from getting hacked? Cyber Security Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Dato Seri Panglima Mohd Azumi noted that ensuring cyber safety was not just about the equipment, but was about setting the standards, policy strategy and ethical use of the internet. See safe, page 7
While poor remain homeless, private business gains from ‘socialized’ housing, says IBON As the National Housing Authority serves eviction notices to members of urban poor organization Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) who have occupied long-vacant and dilapidated relocation units in Pandi, Bulacan, research group IBON said that the so-called socialized housing largely benefits private developers through publicprivate partnerships (PPPs). These private realty and construction firms garner profits and incentives from public-funded housing while much-needed homes remain inaccessible for poor Filipinos. The group said that the Duterte administration should uphold Filipino people’s right to decent and affordable shelter and re-
verse housing privatization. IBON said that the socalled socialized housing has considerable profit potential for private realty and construction firms. The Class D market where informal settlers belong is largely untapped and expanding, providing numerous opportunities for big housing developers. The government estimated a housing backlog of 800,000 units per year or a total of 5.8 million units from 2010-2016. The World Bank also stated that the Philippines has one of the highest rates of urban population growth among poor countries. The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 indicates that the Duterte government intends to
continue the previous administration’s implementation of a housing program through PPPs, observed IBON. Private developers will continue to amass profits from “socialized” housing through guaranteed payments from the government. They will also continue to enjoy a number of incentives, including 30% off on taxable income from profit, which is granted when a real estate project is negotiated as part of socialized housing compliance to Republic Act (RA) 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA), said the group. RA 7279 likewise states that the private sector will be exempted from paying the following: capital gains
tax on raw lands used for the project; value-added tax for the project contractor concerned; transfer tax for both raw completed projects, and donor’s tax for lands certified by the local government units to have been donated for socialized housing purposes. IBON said that these incentives make it easier for private companies to do business and profit while monthly
housing amortization burdens millions of low-income homeless families. IBON noted that major players in the development of supposedly low-cost housing units include Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) which constructed 7,276 units in 2012 and another 14,070 units in 2013. Phinma Property Holdings Corp. is another major player, and was behind government relocation
projects such as Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista’s Bistekville, and Mayor Strike B. Revilla’s Grand Strikeville 4 in Bacoor, Cavite. Despite government and private sector claims, these “socialized” housing units remain unaffordable and unattainable for many informal settlers, said the group. A Bistekville unit, for example, does See poor, page 3
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In Focus
Friday, March 24, 2017
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GPH, MILF implementing peace panels sign new terms of reference By Antonio L. Colina IV of MindaNews
DAVAO C it y – – A n e w ter ms of reference on how the implementing panels of the government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would proceed with the implementation of the signed agreements has been signed by the two parties during their special meeting in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday. In a joint GPH-MILF statement, the two panels said the five-page TOR contains, among others, a set of guidelines for both implementing panels how they would conduct meetings, their mandates, and guiding principles. Under Section 1, Art II, it states that “implementing panels resolve to build on the gains of the peace process in the implementation of the signed agreements including all existing mechanisms of the peace process. The implementing stage shall be primarily an internal process to the Parties, with due consideration to the agreed international participation, and when necessary, with third party facilitation and/or special advice as provided for in this Terms of Reference.” Under Section 2, for the GPH-MILF panels to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and other signed agreements. It states the GPH implementing panel “shall work for the passage of
the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress while the MILF implementing panel shall monitor the progress of the legislative process.” It added that the implementing panels, if necessary, “will review the mechanisms of the peace process on the ground to align them in accordance with the implementation phase of the GPH-MILF peace process, provided that any amendment shall be agreed upon by the parties in the presence of the Third Party Facilitator.” The panels will also “carry out the phasing and sequencing of the programs for implementation under the normalization process, including decommissioning which shall be parallel and commensurate to the movement of the legislative track, specifi-
cally, the BBL as provided for in the Annex on Transitional Arrangement and Modalities.” New third party facilitator The parties welcomed Dato’ Kamarudin bin Mustafa, who has been named the new third party facilitator and special adviser for the GPH-MILF peace talks. He replaced the late Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed who passed away September 2 last year. A career diplomat, the new third party facilitator has over 37 years of experience in diplomacy, having served the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in various capacities in Pakistan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Brunei, United States, Ghana, Russia and Sweden.
He was also Malaysian ambassador to Russia from 2000 to 2005, and Sweden, Denmark, Nor way, and Iceland from 2007 to 2011. Also, the parties signed a “certification extending the respective mandates of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) for another year until March 2018 in recognition of the important roles that these mechanisms play in the GPH-MILF peace process.” The GPH-MILF also expressed appreciation to President Rodrigo R. Duter te for reop ening the peace table with the Bangsamoro and to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak for his support to the GPH-
Poor... from page 2
not require a down payment, but still has an amortization of Php2,273.84 per month over a period of 30 years. Many informal settlers are struggling to meet
MILF peace process. The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is composed of 11 members from the MILF and 10 members from the GPH. They were named only last February 10. T h e BTC i s an i n dependent body tasked to consolidate all peace agreements and legislation into one enabling law on the Bangsamoro, call for an inclusive Bangsamoro Consultative Assembly to discuss the new draft of the enabling law, and submit to Congress the new version of the enabling law not alter than July 27, 2017. Last November 7, 2016, President Duterte signed an executive order (EO) reconstituting members of the BTC who will create the draft of the enabling law to implement CAB. One Bangsamoro state During the Public Consultation on the Constitutional Reform at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) last March 4, Davao City 1st District Rep. and Appropriations Committee Chair Karlo Alexei Nograles said members of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments are considering to make the Bangsamoro as one federal state under a new federal form of government. “We are taking into consideration that the Bangsamoro territory will be one federal state. So they belong to a state,” said Nograles, who is a member of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments. He said that there are
no discussions yet on the possible number of federal states and what regions will compose it. Nograles added the expanded BTC must work on a draft of an enabling law without tackling provisions that have something to do with amending the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The enabling law, once passed, will pave the way for the creation of a new Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). “So, right now this administration does not want that mistake to happen, kaya nga very strict ang instructions na ang BTC will propose amendments to strengthen the ARMM but without necessarily tackling or hitting the provisions that have to do with amending the Constitution,” he said. Nograles, a representative for three terms, recounted how the BBL failed to pass in the previous Congress as there were a lot of contentions raised in some of its provisions. “The problem with BBL during the last Aquino administration, a lot of constitutionalists, a lot of legal luminaries, a lot of lawyers were already beginning to question how can we move forward with BBL when it runs counter to our Constitution. The fear was, if we had passed the BBL, it might have been struck down by Supreme Court for being unconstitutional,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
their families’ daily basic needs, and are also ineligible for housing loans from the Home Mutual Development Fund (HMDF) and Pag-IBIG. IBON said that shelter is a human right, which government has a responsi-
bility to ensure and uphold. The Duterte administration should prioritize the development of sustainable, decent, as well as free and affordable housing in consultation with urban poor communities. The group said that government should revert the housing program from a profit-making venture to a genuinely governmentcontrolled social service.
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Opinion
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Kakampi Mo Ang Batas The Mindanao Daily is pubished by MINDANAO DAILY NEWS PUBLISHING CORPORATION. It is Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with Reg. No. CS201531735. With Business Plate No. BP-28984, Under Business License Certificate No. 2015-15224, BIR-TIN No. 464682-324-000. Main Business address at Tanleh Building, Abellanosa St., Brgy. Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City. Tel. Nos: (088) 856-3344, 857-8447, 0917-7121424, 0947-8935776 E-mails: Advertising:mindanaodaily.ads@gmail.com, Editorial: mindanaodailynews@gmail.com DANTE M. SUDARIA Publisher and President TERESA ZAFRA PELONE Comptroller melanie rivera SAIRA E. GUMISING Advertising
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Fast food can kill you!
LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep…” (1 Corinthians 11:29-30, the Holy Bible). -oooFAST FOOD CAN KILL YOU! Are you still eating fast food---or food sold in fast food chains? Be warned. Or, better yet, stop eating fast food, stop eating in fast food chains. Why? Because, according to medical experts, these kinds of food could kill you by giving you hypertension, or a dangerous spike in your blood pressure. In a media report, doctors from the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and its Philippine affiliate, the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), claimed that fast food restaurants usually sell “high fat and high salt food” which cause essential hypertension, even among very young children. Dr. Ramon Castillo, a past president of PSH and
Member: ORO CHAMBER Philippine Press Institute
--one that is marked by physical inactivity at present, to one that is physically active. One leading advice is for people to lessen their use of gadgets and tablets, which often enable many to remain motionless for long periods of time. -oooASKING THAT OUR FOOD AND DRINKS BECOME THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS: Among members of the Philippine-born church which is known as the Anak ng Diyos Kadugo Ni Kristo (AND KNK, or Children of God Blood Kin of the Christ) Church, however, an effort must also be made to obey simple directions from the Bible on how to make sure that the food and drinks that we eat and partake of truly healthy. One such direction is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-30. In gist, these Bible verses are telling us that whenever we eat or drink, we should always remember the body and blood of Jesus, our God and Savior who is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by which we have been forgiven, the penal-
Atty. Batas Mauricio
ties due for our sins paid for, and our eternal life in Paradise guaranteed. Everyone must do as the AND KNK members are doing: they raise their hands over the food and drinks they are about to partake, thank Jesus for these blessings, and then ask, in the Name of Jesus, that the food and drinks become His body and blood, in recognition of the salvation He has given us. -ooo“A N G T A N G I N G DAAN”, “KAKAMPI MO ANG BATAS”, AT FB LIVE: Please listen to “Ang Tanging Daan”, a round-theclock Bible Exposition and prayer session at www. facebook.com/angtangingdaan, and to “Kakampi Mo Ang Batas”, a legal counseling and news commentary program at www.facebook. com/kakampimoangbatas. Reactions: 0917 984 24 68, 0918 574 0193, 0977 805 9058. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
The Striker
Top banner stories
THE Philippines is not enjoying so much of honor GILBERT Y. CHAO gerry lee gorit and integrity with lots of Motoring Editor Photo Journalist adverse reports from the mass media as well as ruPAT SAMONTE CHRIS PANGANIBAN mors circulating the general Regional Editor Caraga Regional Editor-Davao populace on the issues of Rene Michael BaÑos uRIEL C. QUILINGUING unemployment, corruption Regional Editor Northmin Contributing Editor in government service, esAL JACINTO JOE FELICILDA calation of prices of prime Regional Editor-WestMin Editorial Consultant commodities, extrajudicial killings and many more. RODRIGO B. SEVILLA JOE PALABAO Then there is criminality Regional Editor-Davao Feature Editor perpetuated not only by criminals but also by some ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI law enforcers. NOTARY PUBLIC- JUNI LAW OFFICE It appears that tourism CELL NO: 09352379999/ (088) 8573595 in our country which is a CRUZ TAAL ST., CAG. DE ORO CITY major source of income has Legal Counsel been affected by the bloody --------------------------------------------------------------campaign against the use of illegal drugs. Of course bureau and mktg staff even Filipinos now residing candy macabale - 09161326483
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a member of the ISH, explained that whose who have hypertension are like “walking time bombs--because, anytime, they could explode to develop complications like massive stroke, acute myocardial infraction, and even sudden cardiac death…” -ooo“WE EAT TOO MUCH SALT, FAT, CALORIES”: Dr. Neil Poulter, ISH president, on the other hand said: “We eat too much salt, we eat too much fat, we eat too many calories.” This is the reason why high blood pressure has become the single killing risk factor around the world, with 9.4 million dying annually because of it, Poulter explained. In the Philippines, for instance, medical records indicate that one in every Filipino has hypertension, or debilitating high blood pressure. This is the reason why, medical experts agree, there is a need for our countrymen to change their eating habits by avoiding too much salt, too much fat, too many calories. In addition, there must also be a change of lifestyle-
in foreign lands are afraid to take a vacation in their province more particularly Mindanao where most of the bloodsheds occurred. Certainly I blame President Rodrigo Duterte for assuring the police of his support and order to kill criminals. But criminals are entitled to live too just like anyone of us. Another thing is the country does not have the death penalty or if it eventually restore the capital punishment it is only the courts that can render decision to execute and never Duterte. Frankly I am tired of hearing about killings on the ground of “nanlaban or bumunot nang baril,” a
monotonous allegation of the police. TV news footage showed widows and orphans, in tears, denying such averments of the police saying their dead relatives were not armed much less indulging in drugs. In these days of extra judicial killings nobody is safe even if one is inside jail. Some bystanders are just joking that the safest place in our country is getting buried six feet below the ground. ••• Population worldwide has tremendously exploded and so many people from nowhere are now in the country seeking for opportunities with which to improve themselves too. It
Ben Emata Jr.
is survival of the fittest so to speak or the weakest swim in his own failure and defeat. Birth control will always fail because religion is stuck to the phrase “go to the world and multiply.” ••• Scarborough shoal may not be so big an island but since it is part of our territory we must defend it against any move by communist China to take over. What astonished me so See banner, page 7
Think A Minute
Get hold of happiness
THINK a minute. Have you heard of the new emotional sickness called Sudden Wealth Syndrome? It happens to people who suddenly become rich by winning a big lottery jackpot, inheriting a lot of money, or other quick ways. But then what these newly rich people often find out is that it doesn’t end up being the happy dream they expected. They soon discover what many other rich people already know: money can’t buy happiness that lasts.
But that’s just our problem: we think that happiness is something out there that we have to find and get, like money, a position of respect and power, or physical pleasure and fun experiences. We think we’ll finally be happy after we get out of school or when we get married. But then even when we do finally get it, we find out it doesn’t last and make us happy for the rest of our lives like we expected. So how do we get hold of happiness that lasts for
a lifetime? Well, the first big step is we must admit that we’re not totally happy and we need help. But that’s hard for us strong, independent human beings to do! We’re like the man who came home drunk one night. As his wife helped him into bed she asked him if he wanted her to pray for him. He nodded yes. So she began: “Dear Lord, I pray for my husband who lies here drunk.” But her husband suddenly interrupted her and said: “Don’t tell Him I’m DRUNK! Just say that
Jhan Tiafau Hurst
I’m…SICK!” In our own heart and conscience we all know that we’ve done things wrong and failed to live the way we know we should. We’ve not always lived in a close, right relationship with our Maker, and many of us See hold, page 7
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Learn... from page 1
Marines, on board a 6-by6 truck, was ambushed by rebels belonging to Guerilla Front 73 under Tirzo Sakudal alias “Commander MacMac.” Marine intelligence officers, quoting statements from residents of Barangay Hinalaan and on condition of anonymity, told reporters that six rebels were killed and 11 others wounded when the Marines fired artillery toward the rebels’ position. Pursuit military operations continue against the guerillas as of press time. The military also awarded medals to nine other injured Marine troopers identified as SSgt Alexander C. Falcasantos, Corporals Joseph C. Accad, Castle S. Camu, Robert Paul C de Asis and Marlon C. Ampao and Private First Class Kenneth Dave A. Calaycay and Glenn C. Genova, and Private Jared R. Sugagil. Mayor Ronan Eugene Garcia of Kalamansig condemned the attacks by communist rebels, whom he accused of influencing the IPs in Barangay Hinalaan to rebel against the government. “My salute to Private Bahian,” he said. “The people of Kalamansig do not deserve harassment, extortion and atrocities by communist rebels,” he added. “There are no NPAs in Kalamansig,” Garcia said of his town of 50,000 people. “We do not need you here, we are peaceful here,” he told the rebels in a radio interview. Garcia said the rebels were from Sen. Ninoy Aquino town, also in Sultan Kudarat, who were trying to infiltrate the upland communities of Kalamansig. (PNA)
of illegal drugs. “Every Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting held here in the province, Gov. Plaza never failed to call the attention of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in order to gather information on the status of illegal drugs movements in the province including the efforts done by the law enforcement agencies. And one of the strategies that the provincial government implement is the conduct of symposia believing that students and young people like you are one of the best multipliers of information,” Gomez said. Francisco, an International Certified Addiction Counselor and Certified Recovery Coach of ODICSURE Program, told the students that addiction may come in various faces. It may be addiction to drugs, alcohol, food, cigarettes, other vices such as gambling and ohhh, even one of the most crazed use of cellular phones, the “Selfie”. According to Francisco, two or three times a person does the “selfie” in a day is normal, but doing “selfie” every after 10 minutes the whole day is abnormal. “Therefore, if it is already practiced in an abnormal way, we consider it an addiction. The good news is that even the most severe, chronic form of the disorder, addiction can be manageable. It is a treatable, chronic disease that can be managed successfully. That is the reason why Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza established the ODIC and the Residential Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in order to help those Agusanons who are willing to stop the use of illegal drugs and be treated and transformed,” from page 2 Francisco said. and moving up the global value chain (GVC). “China’s transition to from page 1 higher domestic value added a sub-contractor owns and innovation means the the heavy equipment be- development of more techcause there were reports nologically sophisticated that the DMPI owns the GVCs in East Asia. As some of China’s labor-intensive equipment,” Tagros said. Last week, NPA rebels GVC production stages also burned a fuel tanker migrate to lower-cost locaowned by a sub-contractor tions in the region, small and of DMPI in the company’s medium enterprises (SMEs) plantation in the outskirt will have a greater role as of Balingasag, one of the direct or indirect exporters,” rebel-infested towns, east Wignaraja explained. This will also result in the exof Misamis Oriental. pansion of services exports across the region includfrom page 1 ing digital trade, financial in honoring Marine Pri- services, and professional vate Albino B. Bahian III, services. To benefit from these 24, who died when Marine troopers engaged commu- new trading opportunities, nist New Peoples Army the Philippines and other (NPA) guerillas in Sitio Asian countries, must put Tinagdanan, Barangay Hi- in place reforms to reduce nalaan, Kalamansig, Sultan behind the border barriers by upgrading skills, enhancKudarat The Marines were on ing SME financing, investing security patrol in Hinalaan, on and upgrading seaports, a community of Indigenous logistics, and digital infraPeoples, as part of the mili- structure, among others. In the Philippines, Wigtary’s strategy in winning the hearts and minds of com- naraja particularly cited the munities being influenced need to improve roads and ports to encourage more by communist rebels. At around 10 a.m., the tourists to visit the country.
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Friday, March 24, 2017 He also pointed out the need to further improve the ease of doing business to attract more investors, and bring down the high cost of electricity, which is an important input in manufacturing. Enhancement of the services industry is also an area that the Philippines can explore. The Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, according to Wignaraja, must go beyond jobs that can be easily displaced by artificial intelligence or robotic technology. Instead of focusing on low-skill, labor-intensive jobs, the local BPO industry, he suggested, must upgrade its offering to high-skill services such as IT engineering and software programming. Lastly, Wignaraja advised Asian countries to resist protectionist measures. Instead, they should continue to liberalize goods and services trade by reducing import tariffs and conducting better surveillance of NTMs, especially in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. “The Philippines as chair of the ASEAN Summit this year is in a strategic position to push for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),” Wignaraja stated. He added that the realization of RCEP, a proposed free trade agreement among the 10 ASEAN countries, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, would greatly help in promoting free flow of trade and investments in the region.
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Mindanao continue to experience intermittent power services while increasing power rates constantly loom, noted the group. WPN obser ved that many large hydropower dams such as Ambuklao, Binga and Magat are in fact underused largely due to heavy siltation brought about by the dams’ enormity. For the same reason, the Pantabangan power plant and the San Roque Multipurpose Dam also produce only 6% and 27% of their rated capacities, respectively. These dams range from over 200-1,000 meters in length and are 100 to over 200 meters high, occupying sizeable areas of land. Aside from failing to provide cheap and accessible utilities, WPN said, large dams have been destructive to communities, particularly those of farmers and indigenous peoples. For instance, due to heavy rains from Typhoons Lando and Nona in 2015, water was released from the San Roque, Binga, Ambuklao, Ipo, Angat and Magat dams. This led to wide-scale flooding and wrought approximately Php13.8 billion in damages to livelihoods and properties.
Megad ams displ ace human settlements and drive communities away from livelihood and income sources, WPN said. The construction of Pantabangan Dam, for example, displaced an entire town with 13,000 people, seven villages, and 8,100 hectares of land of which 4,000 were residential. The 500-hectare Ambuklao Dam that was constructed from 1952-1956 in Itogon, Benguet dislocated some 200 families. Binga Dam engulfed 150 hectares of ancestral lands of the Bugkalot and Ibaloi. The San Roque Dam submerged 4,000 hectares also of Ibaloi and Bugkalot ancestral domains and physically displaced 600-741 families. The Pulangi IV HEP meanwhile submerged 1,400 hectares of agricultural lands and displaced four barangays in the municipality of Maramag, Bukidnon. Meanwhile, ten thousand families in nine barangays inhabited by the Dumagat and Remontado indigenous peoples stand to be affected by the impending revival of the New Centennial Water Source Project (NCWS) in Laiban, Rizal, which pertains to the Laiban Dam (that includes Kaliwa Dam), according to the Bigkis at Lakas ng mga Katutubo ng Timog Katagalugan (BALATIK). On the other hand, the 500-megawatt Wawa Pumped-Storage Hydro Power Project by Olympia Violago Water and Power Inc. threatens to displace six communities of indigenous peoples and settlers in Rodriguez and Antipolo, Rizal. According to WPN, megadams have only served and profited international financial institutions (IFIs) like the World Bank, big foreign and local construction and power companies, and their government cohorts. It is high time for government to heed the call of the indigenous peoples, farmers and people’s rights advocates to suspend the construction of large dams, and to take hold of the energy and water sectors primarily for public rather than commercial benefit, the group said.
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“Safety and security are intertwined, especially in the cyber world,” he said in a press conference held Tuesday in Manila. Azumi cited that nations would continue to deal with cyber threats in the future. Among the current challenges, he said, was what’s deemed as cybercrime in a country might not be deemed as such in other nations. Thus, there was a need to have a universal definition of what’s cybercrime and what was not, he said. The latest scam, according to him, is ransomware. Basically, it is a computer malware that hacks the system. The hacker may disseminate the data, and ask
the victim to pay if he/she wants the data back. “In Malaysia, we’re teaching companies that cybersecurity is actually a shared responsibility. Addressing cyber threats must be from the top to bottom. The CEOs must be involved,” he said. The chairman shared that in 2012, Malaysia lost MYR 1.6 billion due to cyber scam. Resilience, education In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Azumi noted the importance of cyber resilience and education to combat cyber threats. “How do you educate people on the ethical use of the internet?” he remarked, adding that more and more people are engaging in social media. Also, he noticed that cyber professionals in the Philippines are only few. “It’s just a small group, compared to the cyber professionals in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said. Fighting cyber threats involves multilateral cooperation. He said Cyber Security Malaysia was coordinating with the Philippine Department of Information and Technology. “There is a exchange of information. If (for instance) there’s hacking that happens in the Philippines, the information can be passed on to Cyber Security Malaysia,” Azumi added. Azumi emphasized that it would be good if a country can level up its cyber services. He shared that Malaysia has a cyber security hotline, the Cyber999, which is open 24 hours. The country also provides a technical training program, and also teaches about digital forensics. Some tips As education is vital in the ethical use of the internet, Azumi shared with PNA three tips on how we can prevent hacking and identity theft. * Do not keep your data in your phone. Do not store your pins, birthdays, passwords, etc. in your phone, because when somebody gets it, the person can already use your information. * Do not respond to scams. Do not respond to scams posted in social media. If you receive a text message saying, ‘Congratulations! You won this amount,’ do not respond. When in doubt, you can report to the police. * Use your pins and keep it a secret. It’s also good to have a verification process, like in email accounts. (PNA)
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won’t admit that we’re wrong and have failed. Neither will we admit that we can’t fix our life and make it right by ourselves. But until we finally face the facts that we’re not completely happy and at peace, our life won’t change.
Yet today, if you’ll sincerely ask Jesus to forgive you for all your wrongs and living your way; then ask Him to take full control of your life every day, you’ll finally have peace with your Maker and the satisfying life you should be enjoying. So why not finally get hold of happiness that lasts? You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Just Think a Minute.
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much is it seems some of our leaders are not concerned and it took time to even file protest for such violations of our rights. Another fear is if the United Nation again grant us a favorable decision, China may not honor it and go on with its construction of structures for military purposes. So whatever side of the coin we may take, always we are the loser. If we noticed, the world is sitting on top of a time bomb. Tension among nations and fighting are everywhere. Bloody military encounters are raging in Syria; Japan and China cannot look at each direct to their eyes; North Korea, with its alleged new nuclear weapon is daring anyone to come out and fight; shooting and deaths are ordinary matters in many parts of our planet; Sad to state, killings right in our country is not news anymore and notwithstanding the ugly scenario some of our politicians are not concerned about it for as long as they get their fat allowances and salaries. Most Filipinos adhere to way of life. Since the time Abel killed his brother Cain, we think such thing is normal. We don’t mind things that are happening in our environment for as long as it does not concerns ourselves. To me this is plain crazy or stupidity. Anyway, I always hope for the best of our country and people. I wish all Filipinos develop the power of prayers. Make it a habit.
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