MINDANAO DAILY TRUTH | JUSTICE | PROGRESS
Volume XI, No. 088
www.mindanaodailynews.com
Mon-Tue, December 6-7, 2021
P15.00
#BrigadangAyala: ‘Kaakay’ empowers single, retrenched moms amid pandemic MANILA – Aspiring pastry chef Mary Jane Balanon was only 15 years old when she gave birth to her firstborn. At a young age, she dropped out of school, gave up on her dreams, and took the first job available to help her husband provide for their family. Prior to the pandemic, Balanon was a contractual sales lady at a department store in Sampaloc, Manila.
But when the pandemic hit the Philippines, she and her husband became casualties of a massive retrenchment caused by an economic slump that shook the Philippines to its core. “Sobrang hirap po mawalan ng trabaho. Dalawa po ang anak namin, at mahirap makitang nagugutom sila. Wala naman po kaming ibang mahingan ng tulong dahil pati mga kamag-anak
namin ay hirap din dahil sa pandemya,” the 26-year-old Balanon said. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 4.25 million Filipinos were unemployed in September 2021, while 6.18 million were considered underemployed. For breadwinners like Balanon, giving up was not an option. Instead of drowning in debt, she up-
skilled herself via Virlanie Foundation’s pastry-making program, where she found her “calling.” “ Talagang nagtiyaga akong matutong gumawa ng pastries,” Balanon said. “Nai-inspire din po ako sa mga kasama ko. Mayroon pong biyuda, may PWD, may single moms.” Jeanneth Odon, a mother of three, had just lost her
P14.145 million ‘shabu,’ other drugs destroyed by PDEA-10 See BRIGADA, page 11
By GERRY LEE GORIT Correspondent
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Illegal drugs worth more than P14.145 million, and expired medicines, were destroyed by the Phil. Drug Enforcement Agency-10 (PDEA-10) on Friday, Dec. 3. At the drug destruction ceremony, PDEA-10 said more than two kilos of “shabu” or crystal meth and marijuana, along with various expired medicines, were incinerated at the crematorium. These drugs had already been presented as evidence in numerous drug cases in court, PDEA-10 said. Ji g g e r Mo nt a l l a n a , PDEA-10 regional director, said the destruction of the illegal substances was to show that these drugs will not be “recycled” or resold. This is to dispel the public notion that drugs will circulate back to the streets. This is to assure our public A PDEA-10 laboratory technician holds up vials of expired medicines before these were destroyed at the CosmoSee DRUGS, page 11
politan Funeral Homes in Cagayan de Oro Friday afternoon.
photo by gerry lee gorit
Palace urges LGUs to accept walk-ins in ‘Bakunahan 2’ By AZER PARROCHA
MANILA – The second round of the national vaccination against Covid-19 can accommodate more if walk-ins will be allowed in all local government units (LGUs). Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, acting Presidential spokesperson, said it is among the suggestions for the second “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” drive from December 15 to 17. “Siyempre iyong sinasabi namin na mga improvements like accommodating walk-ins. But the process, it’s really up to the LGUs and then kung paano iyong proseso. Ang paki-usap lang namin ay magkaroon ng See PALACE, page 11
works Suspects in doc’s slay nabbed by police BARMM double time By GERRY LEE GORIT Correspondent
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Police arrested the four suspects believed to be responsible in shooting to death Dr. Raul Winston Andutan in Barangay Nazareth on Thursday, Dec. 2. The four-man team was apprehended by police operatives in two separate operations Friday, Dec. 3. The alleged assailants were captured less than 24 hours after Andutan Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. (right), PNP-10 regional was waylaid on onboard director, talks to the three suspects in the killing of Dr. his vehicle on the way to Raul Andutan at the Nazareth Police Precinct 9 Friday the Maria Reyna-Xavier afternoon. photo by gerry lee gorit
University Hospital where he worked as the health facility’s medical director. Those arrested were identified by the police as Joel Nacua, 37, married, resident of Lilingayon, Valencia City, Bukidnon; Jomar Adlao, 30, married, resident of Dulugan, Maramag, Bukidnon; Marjun Cabug, 39, single, resident of San Antonio, Don Carlos, Bukidnon. The three were caught in Barangay San Alonzo, Balingoan town, Misamis Oriental. Taken from their possession were two .45 caliber
pistols and a hand grenade. Col. Aaron Mandia, city police director, said they were able to pinpoint the location of the suspects after a team of operatives tracked down their safehouse in Barangay Camaman-an, about a kilometer away from Nazareth. Lt. Teddy Macarayo, Balingoan municipal police station chief, said Nacua was the alleged triggerman, while Cabug acted as motorcycle driver, and Adlao as lookout. The fourth member of See SUSPECTS, page 11
to achieve population protection
By EDWIN FERNANDEZ
C O TA B AT O C I T Y – Healthcare providers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are now working double-time in their vaccination campaign in the region’s component areas to achieve their desired population protection. Dr. Bashar y Latiph, BARMM health minister, See PROTECTION, page 11