MINDANAO DAILY TRUTH | JUSTICE | PROGRESS
Volume XI, No. 132
www.mindanaodailynews.com
Thursday, March 24, 2022
P15.00
South Cotabato gov endorses retention of open-pit mining ban
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By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews
ORONADAL CITY – South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. has endorsed a resolution for the retention of the 12-year-old ban on open-pit mining in the province. Green groups lauded Tamayo for endorsing the resolution favoring the retention of the ban on openpit method approved by the Provincial Development Council (PDC) of South Cotabato to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, which is hearing petitions to lift the controversial prohibition on open-pit mining method. In a virtual meeting on March 9, the PDC approved the resolutions passed by the body’s Social Development Committee, the Institutional Development Committee, and the Disaster Risk Reduction / Climate Change Adaptation Committee upholding the controversial ban on open-pit mining in
the area. “May this request warrant the preferential attention of this honorable body,” Tamayo said in his letter to the provincial board. Tamayo chairs the PDC, which is composed of mayors, members of the House of Representatives and nongovernment organizations in the province. Rene Pamplona, a resident of South Cotabato and chair of Alyansa Tigil Mina, welcomed Tamayo’s endorsement of the PDC resolution to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. “This is a welcome move as it represents the sentiments of the stakeholders in Protesters outside the venue of a hearing on the proposal to lift the open-pit mining ban in Koronadal City on 24
C A G AYA N D E O R O CITY—One hundred fifty Out-of-School Youths (OSYs) from Cagayan de Oro City became the pioneer learners of the Alternative
Learning System–Education and Skills Training (ALS-EST) program as the Department of Education (DepEd) Cagayan de Oro City Division opens its first
See RETENTION, page 11
February 2022.
mindanews photo by bong s . sarmiento
First ALS-EST learning hub opens in Normin
ALS-EST learning hub in Northern Mindanao. In partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), the program aims to prepare learners for various exits, such as higher education, middle-level skills development, and entrepreneurship, among other skills provided See LEARNING, page 9 DepEd Cagayan de Oro City Division and Development Academy of the Philippines, together with the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, launch the first ALS-EST learning hub with Cagayan de Oro City’s 150 out-of-school youth as pioneer learners. (JAKA/PIA-10)
DOH-10 aims for higher vax numbers in Normin by GABRIEL D. ANDRES
C A G AYA N D E O R O CITY—The Department of Health (DOH)-10 is aiming for more people to be vaccinated in the region, especially children and the elderly, through its fourth round of the National Vaccination Day (NVD), a health officer here said. Dr. Emma Imperio of the DOH-10 Family Health Cluster said in this fourth iteration of the campaign, they will conduct houseto-house vaccinations in See HIGHER, page 11