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Volume VIII, No. 248
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Wednesday, March 20, 2019
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Be transparent, research group urges government RESEARCH group IBON said the Duterte administration should immediately release to the public all nine foreign loan agreements it has already signed for infrastructure projects, especially for the upcoming Kaliwa Dam project with China. The group raised concerns of government’s transparency since it has denied IBON’s previous requests for copies of the loan agreements. The government has an obligation to disclose these contracts as a matter of public interest and protecting the country’s sovereignty, the group said. The nine foreign loan agreements signed by the government include the Chico River Pump Irrigation and New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam with China; Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement, Cavite Industrial Area Flood Management, Metro Manila Subway, Road Net-
No mobile games at work: CSC THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) has reminded government employees not to play mobile games or browse social media sites during work hours. “Whether an employee uses government or personal tablet or computer or mobile phone, playing games during office hours is not allowed,” CSC Commissioner Aileen Lizada said in a statement on Tuesday. Lizada said she would do spot checks in national government agencies and local government units nationwide to check on the quality of service provided by government employees. “Hindi ibig sabihin na nakapasok ka sa gobyerno ay wala na pong check. Paalala po sa lahat ng kawani ng gobyerno na gawin po natin ang nararapat lamang, magbigay ng mahusay at tapat na serbisyo sa kliyente natin (It doesn’t mean that See GAMES, page 5
work Development Project, and North-South Railway with Japan; Panguil Bay Bridge; and the new Cebu International Container Port with Korea. IBON research head Rosario B ella Guzman said that there is lack of transparency of government offices to disclose loan agreements signed by the government. IBON wrote a letter to the Department of Finance (DOF) in June 2018 requesting copies of the loan agreement for the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project. The DOF responded that the contract has a confidentiality clause and that the agency is not allowed to disclose details of the contract to any third party. Loan agreements should be disclosed since the projects are public infrastructure which are supposed to be serving public interest, said Guzman. The Chico River Matigsalug children in Barangay Baganihan, Davao City have not been registered with the local civil registrar. The Pump Irrigation Project, absence of such document has hindered many of them from pursuing higher education. Photo taken March 17, 2019. MindaNews
See URGES, page 11
photo by
Matigsalugs in Davao village remain undocumented By H. MARCOS C. MORDENO MindaNews
Government employees are reminded not to play mobile games and browse social media sites during work hours. (File photo)
Classes suspended in Socot, Sarangani due to ‘Chedeng’ GENERAL Santos City-Classes were suspended on Tuesday up to the senior high school level in South Cotabato, parts of Sarangani and in this city due to tropical depression Chedeng, which has already weakened into a low pressure area.
H. MARCOS C. MORDENO
Jerome Barranco, assistant regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 12, said the class suspensions were declared by city and municipal governments in the affected areas. “This is a precautionary
measure against possible flooding and landslides,” he said in a radio interview. Tropical cyclone signal number 1 was raised on Monday in parts of the region, especially in this city and the eastern portions of See CLASSES, page 3
BARANGAY BAGANIHAN, Davao--Many Matigsalug residents of this village along the Bukidnon-Davao Highway wish to pursue higher education but have been hindered by the absence of one thing each Filipino citizen should have – a birth certificate. Levilyn Pinaray, 29, said she had wanted to proceed to high school after finishing Grade 6. “Pero wala ko nakapadayon kay gipangitaan man kog birth certificate ayha ko maka-enroll (But I wasn’t able to continue my studies because I was asked to submit a birth certificate),” she said in an interview Sunday. Pinaray said she’s worried her 10-year old daughter, Ferlyjane, who is now in Grade 5 would face the same problem after finishing elementary. “Basin di na pod siya maka-enroll sa high school kay wala man pod siya ma-
rehistro (I’m afraid she can’t enroll in high school too because she has not been registered),” she said. Marilou Talisan, 35, a mother of five, also said she and all her children have not been registered with the local civil registrar. “My son, Remy Jr., had to stop upon reaching Grade 8 because he was required to produce a birth certificate before he may enroll. He cried because he could no longer pursue his studies,” Talisan said in Cebuano. Remy Jr. is now 15 years old, she said. Asked if they have gone to the local civil registrar, Talisan said the Matigsalugs here could hardly afford the cost of going to the city to have themselves and their children registered. She said they would rather spend whatever money they earn on food. Cristina Talisan said there are around 75 Matigsalug families in their purok (sub-village) and most of See REMAIN, page 11
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