Mindanao Daily Northmin (September 27, 2013)

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Volume II, No. 095

Midsayap villagers: Farmers by day, ‘bakwits’ by night MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – Residents of barangays Bual Norte, Palongoguen, and portions of Malingao in this town were trying to restore some normalcy in their lives few days after skirmishes between government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) forced hundreds of families to flee.

The fighting displaced at least 2,000 families, turning Malingao and Palonguguen into “ghost villages.”

But on Tuesday, farmers in Bual Norte could be seen either applying fertilizer on rice plants or reinforcing the paddies as MindaNews drove along the narrow dirt road beside the irrigation canal lined by some coconut trees.

Classes have resumed in the elementary school in the same barangay and even in nearby schools that served as evacuation centers.

Bual Norte, a rice-producing area and home to the government-owned Philippine Rice Research Institute, is four kilometers away from the town proper.

That morning in Palongugen, some men were sitting outside an old small house that sits beside the road. An Armalite rifle lay on top of a table before them.

Renato de Arroz, a former two-term village chief of Palongugen, sipped a cup of coffee as he welcomed the MindaNews team and offered seats. The other men kept working in their farm.

Asked when the people return home, de Arroz replied: “They are here at daytime and go back to the evacuation center before dark.”

He said this has been a “normal” practice among villagers particularly after skirmishes.

“But I advised the farmers to work in their farm by group. While some are working, the others would keep an eye in case the rebels come back,” he said SEE villagers/p.11

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Jaraula questions DOJ’s ‘watch list’ web portal: www.businessweekmindanao.com

Friday

September 27, 2013

C

AGAYAN de Oro City––A former Cagayan de Oro Congressman on Monday questioned the propriety of including his name in the immigration’s watch list in connection with the pork barrel scam.

SEE FULL STORY/p.2

‘Not easy to track PDAF projects’

The Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Grandstand grounds had turned into a tent city as many of the evacuees fled from their homes due to the more than a week standoff between government forces and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Zamboanga City. (PIA9)

Zamboanga City standoff: more deaths, evacuees flew to Zamboanga City on Friday, September 13, vowed DAVAO CITY — President to talk peace with those who Benigno Simeon Aquino III want peace, said ending the

By Carolyn O. Arguillas

Members of the Civilian Volunteers Organization in Barangay Palongoguen, Midsayap town, North Cotabato Province patrol the area on Wednesday, September 25 after members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters attacked the village on Monday.

MindaNews photo by ruby thursday more

then five-day old standoff without additional loss of lives was “the priority” but assured the public that government would not hesitate to use force, “if necessary,” against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces under Nur Misuari.

The safety of the hostages was “paramount,” he said.

“Siguraduhin na walang unnecessary loss of lives” (make sure there is no unnecessary loss of lives), he promised.

It was the first time in the history of the Philippines that a President stayed in Mindanao, continuously for ten days, supervising a war that civil society leaders say could have been avoided.

SEE evacuees/p.11

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Most projects funded and implemented in Region 12 through the pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation of lawmakers are difficult to monitor due to the lack of available established tracking systems and available documents, an official of a regional project monitoring body said.

Arturo Valero, chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 12’s Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC), said they hardly monitor projects funded by the PDAF in the region as their documents are supposedly “not easily accessible.”

“Monitoring PDAFfunded projects is the most difficult thing to do because we’re not usually

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aware of them and they are also mostly made up of soft projects that are quite tough to track down,” Valero said in a briefing.

RPMC is a special committee of the RDC that is tasked to monitor development projects funded and implemented by the government and partner funding institutions.

The committee is composed of officials and representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Presidential Management Staff/Office of the President and three non-government organization/people’s organization representatives.

The regional directors of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the DepartSEE pdaf/p.11

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EDITOR: RUEL PELONE, ruel_pelone2002@yahoo.com

‘Bambi’ wants PDAF to stay MISAMIS Oriental--Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano on Monday said he favors the continuation of the Project Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the elected Solons in Congress.

A nationwide movement has snowballed to abolish the PDAF, also known as “pork barrel” following the expose of the P 10 billion alleged PDAF scam allegedly perpetrated by corrupt Senators and Congressmen by channeling the PDAF funds for non existing projects through non-government organizations.

Emano said that the abolition of PDAF would deprive hundreds of thousands poor people who seek financial assistance from the elected Congressmen in their districts on matters of health, education, and much needed infrastructure projects in their areas.

“What the incumbent administration should do is to adopt stringent and transparent rule in the disposal of PDAF funds instead abolishing it,” Emano said.

Prior to his election as governor of Misamis Oriental in the midterm elections last May, Emano served for two terms as Congressman of Misamis Oriental’s second district.

“I have spent my PDAF according to the needs of my constituents in the province second district, particularly the construction of farm to market roads, development livelihood programs, scholEXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION WITH SALE

METRO CDO

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY l MISAMIS ORIENTAL

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Jaraula questions DOJ’s ‘watch list’ C AGAYAN de Oro City––A former Cagayan de Oro Congressman on Monday questioned the propriety of including his name in the immigration’s watch list in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Emano

arship, health assistance, and many others,” Emano said.

He said he was not involved in any misuse of PDAF funds because he was always transparent in the disbursement of the funds.

“I have made it a point to subject the PDAF funds to public scrutiny so people would know where their taxes go. I am also in favor of the periodically upgrading the mechanics in the release and use of PDAF funds,” Emano added.

At present, only the Commissions on Audit (COA) has access and has the capability to scrutinize the PDAF funds, he said.

Edmundo Pacamalan, Jr., provincial administrator who once served as Emano’s chief of staff, said that Gov. Emano was always transparent in the disbursement of PDAF funds when he was still in Congress.

“Transparency of public funds was Emano’s cardinal rule in spending taxpayers’ money making sure that auditing and accountability were always followed,” Pacamalan added. CD with PNA report EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the intestate estate of CORAZON M. BANGUIS, who died intestate on July 30, 1996, at Pagawan, Manticao, Misamis Oriental; left a parcel of land situated Poblacion, Manticao, Misamis Oriental, which is particularly described as follows: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-55812, Lot: 468-B, Psd-10-029220, Portion of Lot: 468, Cad. 366, Manticao Cadastre, Location: Poblacion, Manticao, Misamis Oriental, containing an area of ONE THOUSAND SEVENTY (1,070) sq.m., more or less, is the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION WITH SALE, made and entered into by and between; HEIRS OF CORAZON M. BANGUIS, namely: CONCISO M. BANGUIS, ALBERTO M. BANGUIS, DAYLINDA M. BANGUIS, NILO M. BANGUIS, CANDELARIA M. BANGUIS, LIZA M. BANGUIS, and RICO BANGUIS (herein represented by CONCISO M. BANGUIS), all of legal age, Filipinos, and a residents of Tuod, Manticao, Misamis Oriental, are the sole and legitimate heirs. That for and in consideration of the sum of SIXTY THOUSAND (Php 60,000.00) Pesos, Philippine Currency, in hand paid to us

by KAREN ACAAC DAGOOC, of legal age, single, Filipino, and a resident of Poblacion, Manticao, Misamis Oriental, do hereby SELL, TRANSFER, and CONVEY, absolutely and irrevocably unto said KAREN ACAAC DAGOOC, her heirs, successors, and assigns, portion of the above-described real property, designated as Lot 468-B1, consisting of THREE HUNDRED (300) Square Meters, more or less.

As per Doc. No. 417; Page No. VIII; Book No. 42; Series of 2013; under Notary Public of ATTY. BERNA GIFT C. GONZAGA-DIMACALING.

Notice is hereby given that the intestate estate of PERPETUA DAGAPIOSO KHO, who died intestate on January 18, 1979; left a parcel of land situated Poblacion, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, which is particularly described as follows; TAX DECLARATION NO. 22-0001-00685 “A parcel of residential lot (Lot No. 70, Cad 529) located in Poblacion, Naawan, Misamis Oriental. Containing an area of FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY FOUR (574) Square Meters, more or less, is the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL PARTITION WITH SALE, made and entered into by and between HEIRS OF PERPETUA DAGAPIOSO KHO, namely; HEIRS OF CONSUELO KHO LAGROSAS, namely; ELSIE LAGROSAS DACOCO and BAMBI LAGROSAS ABELLA, both of legal age, Filipinos, and residents of Naawan, Misamis Oriental; and HEIRS OF PACITA KHO SARENAS, namely: NELDA S. LINTAG and ELSA S. CAÑETE, both of legal age, married, Filipinos, and residents of Naawan, Misamis Oriental, are the sole and legitimate heirs. That for and in consideration of the sum of FIFTY THOUSAND (Php 50,000.00) Pesos, Philippine Currency, in hand paid by MARY CHUCHIE SARENAS MAHINAY, of legal age, Filipino, and a resident of Poblacion, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, do hereby SELL, TRANSFER, and CONVEY, absolutely and irrevocably unto said MARY CHUCHIE SARENAS MAHINAY, the above-described real property.

As per Doc. No. 432; Page No. 44; Book No. VIII; Series of 2013; under Notary Public of ATTY. BERNA GIFT C. GONZAGA-DIMACALING.

MDN: SEPT. 27, OCT. 4 & 11, 2013

MDN: SEPT. 27, OCT. 4, & 11, 2013

Former Congressman Constantino Jaraula, of Cagayan de Oro City’s lone district, said the Department of Justice (DOJ) should first show cause why some names of 38 alleged respondents, including the names of three senators be placed under the immigration’s watch list.

Jaraula, a former Cagayan de Oro City Mayor and a Constitutionalist, said that the DOJ’s request to the Court of Appeals to “freeze” the assets of the those included in the alleged pork barrel scam also

violates the constitutional rights of an accused person.

First, the DOJ must establish incontrovertible proof that the Senators and Congressmen were involved “beyond reasonable” doubt in the alleged P 10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), Jaraula said.

He said the Senators and Congressmen who were reportedly part in the anomalous PDAF transactions were not yet charged or given an opportunity to defend themselves prior to the “hold-order” request to

the Bureau of Immigration.

“It appears the Secretary Laila de Lima of the DOJ has already prejudged the case thereby rendering guilty verdict on the Senators and Congressmen,” Jaraula added.

He also said that, unless the respondents Senators and Congressman have pending cases to the Court of Appeals, it is only the Ombudsman who could ask the Court of Appeals in the issuance of “freeze order” against the assets of the respondents.

The DOJ has requested

Jaraula

35 out of the 38 respondents charged in connection with the PDAF scandal had been placed in the immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) last week. CD with PNA report

4 NPA killed in military’s anti-com drive in Normin CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City--The military has killed four rebels and recovered 15 assorted firearms, including one improvised explosive device, in six separate encounters with the communist rebels in Northern Mindanao in September alone.

Capt. Christian Uy, of the army’s Public Affairs Office, said that the intensified anti-insurgency operations also resulted in the surrender of eight New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who also turned over a total of 11 assorted fire-

arms comprising Armalite rifles, carbines, and AK-47 assault rifles.

Uy said that the various separate encounters with the NPA rebels took place in Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and the province of Bukidnon from Sept. 10, 2013 until Sept. 22, 2013.

He said that the military has issued details of the various encounters with the communist rebels in Northern Mindanao to inform the public of the rebel’s employment of atrocities and terror in the region.

The military engaged the NPA rebels during routine patrols and in response to various reports of alleged NPA harassments among innocent civilians in areas where the armed skirmishes took place, Uy added.

Uy cited the NPA’s attacked on an army patrol base in the farming village of Lantad, Kibanban in Misamis Oriental last Sunday morning where an army Sergeant was killed together with four other militiamen.

The four militiamen who were killed in the Lantad firefight will each receive P

90,000 financial assistance from the military, he said.

The communist rebels were employing harassments and indiscriminate attacks on civilian populated areas in their desperate attempt to regain lost ground in Northern Mindanao, Uy added.

He said that the NPA rebels would not succeed anymore since the civilians who were before deceived into believing a utopian ideology has lost faith in the communist doctrine of terror. CRIS DIAZ, Exec Editor, Mindanao Daily News

EMERGENCY EVACUATION. First responders simulate an emergency evacuation of a bomb victim during a drill exercise organized by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) at the port of Cagayan de Oro in Barangay Macabalan on Sept. 26, 2013. MindaNews photo by Froilan GallardoSep 26, 2013

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Caraga News

friday | september 27, 2013 Editor: JOE DEL PUERTO FELICILDA Asst editor: ARJAY S. FELICILDA mindanaodailycaraga@gmail.com

Agusan del Norte • Agusan del Sur • Surigao del Norte • Surigao del Sur • Dinagat Islands

As NGCP skeds shutdown of transmission facilities

BROWNOUTS

By PAT SAMONTE, Regional Editor-Caraga

BUTUAN City--The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has served notice of the scheduled shutdown of transmission facilities in parts of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental on September 29, 2013 from 6 in the morning until 6 in the afternoon.

In a pre s s re l e a s e , NGCP Communications and Public Affairs Officers Milfrance Capulong and Elizabeth Ladaga said the affected areas will include parts of the municipalities of Trento, Sta. Josefa, Veruela, Bunawan and Loreto, in Agusan del Sur; parts of Lingig, Hinatuan, Tagbina, Cortes, San Miguel, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, Marihatag, San Agustin and Lianga in Surigao del Sur; and parts of Boston, Cateel, Baganga and Caraga towns in Davao Oriental.

Affected distribution utilities include parts of Agusan del Sur (ASELCO) and parts of Surigao del Sur (SURSECO I and SURSECO II) .

Capulong and Ladaga said reasons for the power

interruption are: 1) The Annual Preventive Maintenance Schedule (APMS) of: -Power Circuit Breakers (PCBs) and the associated HVE, -7.5mvar Shunt Reactor for Nos. 1, 2 and 3 and the associated HVE; and -7.5MVAR Capacitor Bank Nos. 1 and the associated HVE. 2) Ride-on line repair works along San FranciscoBislig 138KV transmission line.

The NGCP assured that normal operations will immediately resume after the completion of work.

They also advised NGCP customers and the general public to take the necessary preparations and precautions for the scheduled power interruption.

Caraga remains in list with illegal logging hot spots BUTUAN City––The illegal logging hot spots in the country has been reduced to more than 50 percent after the implementation of E.O. 23, with a significant number of the existing hot spots are in Caraga region, a top regional DENR official said in a recent forum.

DENR-13 Regional Executive Director Nonito Tamayo said that the illegal logging hot spots in the country has gone down from as high as more than 90 before the implementation of E.O.23 to 31 at present.

However, of the 31 remaining hot spots, 17 of these are here in Caraga, mostly in the municipalities of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. Tamayo also said that at present, about 4 million board feet of confiscated illegal logs in the region were now available for disposition where most of these are in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. Most of the confiscated log, Tamayo said, had been disposed of to the Department of Education for chairs and school repairs, to some local government units who had requested for such for their projects, to the police and the military for the repair of their offices, stations or barracks.

Tamayo assured however that he, his staff and personnel are serious in the implementation of the marching orders given to them by the DENR secretary to remove the perception that Caraga region is “the haven of illegal-loggers.” philippine news agency

FREE BREAD. Surfers and guests get a free taste of local bread called “pan de surf” at Cloud Nine in General

Luna, Siargao Islands on Monday, September 23, 2013 during the opening of two International surfing competitions.

MindaNews photo by Roel N. Catoto

THRC P500m bulk water supply project proposal gets BCWD nod

By PAT SAMONTE Regional Editor-Caraga

BUTUAN City--The Butuan City Water District (BCWD) has approved the Unsolicited Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project proposal of TwinPeak Hydro Resources Corporation (THRC) for the supply of treated bulk water.

The P500-million project is aimed at solving the long term the water supply problem that has nagged the water firm especially during rainy days. BCWD serves most of this city’s population’s water needs.

Based on a Project Feature article titled “The Facts on the Unsolicited Public-Private Partnership Proposal between BCWD and a Private Company Proponent for the Supply of Treated Bulk Water” written

by BCWD Director Atty.

Roldan Torralba, THRC submitted the unsolicited PPP project proposal in December 2011 which underwent evaluation.

Being capital-intensive, projects under the PPP scheme are governed by the 2008 Joint Venture (JV) Guidelines collaboratively promulgated by the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management and Office of the Government Corporate Counsel under mandate by the Office of the President through an Executive Order No. 423 dated April 30, 2005.

The evaluation of the project proponent’s legal, technical and financial requisites came under the direct supervision of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. After months of detailed and rigorous

scrutiny, TwinPeak Hydro Resources Corporation was found to have met with all the eligibility requirements in compliance with 2008 JV Guidelines and, accorded with the status of “Original Proponent.”

The THRC’s proposal includes a consistent Raw Bulk Water Supply for BCWD which Atty.

Torralba describes “as a potent solution to the inconsistent water supply pattern.” BCWD will not spend money, as its contribution to the joint venture will consist of transmission pipeline connecting the proposed supply of bulk water down to the intake point at the BCWD’s Pressure Regulating Valve in Barangay Taguibo.

The THRC’s proposal contained the concepts and technical design of the project in its feasibility study, to include a Sabo Dam, as “first line of defense to protect from the rolling debris and boulders.” The dam will not hold water but allows it to flow to the catchment area called the Impounding Weir which will hold an estimated onemonth water supply. As noted by Torralba, water levels may recede during summer “but this will not affect the supply since the water is already impounded to last for one month in contemplation for a worsecase scenario.”

In the Impounding Weir, coarse particles in the water settle down with fine sands and is directed to pass through a Desander that takes off the fine sand particles. From the Desander, the water flows into the Gravity Gravel Filter that takes off the

remaining particles the Desander cannot catch up. The concept also employs the Conveyance Channel that directs water flow toward the Sedimentation Plant that can be bypassed when the turbidity level is minimal or manageable. It becomes indispensable when water turbidity is high. THRC’s calculation ensures that, with the sedimentation pond, the water flows at 300 liters per minute in a descending fashion, effectively controlling the turbidity level before water reaches the BCWD Water Treatment Facility.

The project also includes a state-of-the-art Water Treatment Plant that is both cost-effective and efficient.

It can filter up to 1,000 NTU. It is a high-end advanced technology because it has two reactors, the coagulation and flocculation reactors.

With this Microfiber technology, the sedimentation plant can be done away with.

The project proposal underwent three-stage procedures in accordance with Annex C of the 2008 Joint Venture Guidelines. After the first and second stages, which involved the determination of eligibility of THRC and successful negotiation, respectively, in which initial terms of the JV activity is agreed between THRC and BCWD. BCWD prepared the Tender Documents in two volumes – the Eligibility requirements in Volume 1, and Financial and Technical requirements in Volume 2.

The preparation and sale of Tender documents will pave the way for the conduct of stage 3 – which is the Competitive Challenge procedure.

The Invitation to Apply for Eligibility and to Submit

Proposal (IAESP) was advertised and published in The Philippine Star.

Torralba said a few potential Private Sector Participants (PSPs), like Maynilad and Manila Water, were called to participate and challenge THRC’s offer. The Pre-Selection Committee finally ended up without a legitimate challenger and decided in accordance with the 2008 JV Guidelines which provides that “If no comparative proposal is received by the Government Entity, the JV activity shall be immediately awarded to the Original Private Sector Proponent,” subject to the final review and re-negotiation of the terms to be mutually agreed by both parties.

Torralba summed up the benefits of the THRC PPP project: -The proposal is basically a “buy and sell” arrangement with THRC to design, construct and maintain the Treated Bulk Water Supply System without capital cost from BCWD and will not cause the present water rate to rise.

-The concessionaires will enjoy a consistent water supply all year round.

-THRC will employ state-of-the-art water treatment plant, as part of the package, to ensure the best quality of water. Accordingly, with the consistent water supply, concessionaires will enjoy an all year round supply and enable BCWD to expand to unserved areas.

-The JV proceedings were administered in accordance with the 2008 JV Guidelines – from the onset to the three-stage proceedings.

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Corporate projects in ancestral domains causing conflicts with Lumads, says NCIP-10

M

By WALTER I. BALANE

ALAYBALAY CITY – Conflicts between corporations and Lumads or indigenous peoples were among the cases filed before the Regional Hearing Office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Region 10, an official said Wednesday.

Lawyer Trinidad Cardona, NCIP-10 hearing officer said the conflicts involve companies that are using portions of ancestral domains for business projects.

She said one recent case was between a group of IP leaders in Bukidnon and a foundation formed by a fruit company that wanted to implement a watershed project in areas within their ancestral domain.

The IP leaders said they were not consulted about the plan and so filed the case before the hearing office, forcing the proponent to schedule a dialogue with them.

Cardona also cited that some members of the tribes that are Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) holders had sold portions of their ancestral domains to non-IPs, including a

“8IB’s Focused Military Operation Gains Results” Malaybalay City, Bukidnon – Another fierce encounter between troops of 8th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army and NPA transpired in an outskirt of Sitio Nabuang, Brgy Busdi, Malaybalay City over the weekend Charlie Company of the 8th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, led by First Lieutenant Artemio B Fulgosino, while conducting combat clearing operations in the vicinity of Pulangui River, Sitio Nabauang, Brgy. Busdi, Malaybalay City, encountered more or less five (5) armed NPA members who are believed to be elements of Pulang Bagani Yunit (PBY), Section Committee 89 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee under Junie Tilukan, also known as Watiwit/ Sidlak/Kidlat. Fire fight ensued for about thirty (30)

minutes which resulted to the death of two (2) NPA members, a male and a female, whose identities are yet to be determined and the recovery of two (2) AK-47 rifles, several ammunitions and magazines, personal belongings and subversive documents.

After the fire fight, other members of the NPA immediately fled from the scene and withdrew towards unknown direction, leaving behind their fallen comrades.

The 8th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army intensified its focused military operations in the area after receiving repeated reports and complaints from the local populace on the existence of a group of NPA who is carrying out extortion, coercion and Propaganda Activities which inflict fear among the nearby communities.

foreign national who is locked in a legal battle against a tribe in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.

She added that some cases stemmed from intra-clan rivalry involving third parties which talked only to one group leaving the other group dissatisfied.

But she clarified there are really cases in Misamis Oriental that pit whole tribes against corporations.

As of August this year NCIP10 was handling 22 cases, 18 of them from Bukidnon, Cardona said.

NCIP operates regional hearing offices as part of its functions as a quasi-judicial body.

Cardona said most of the cases were filed by the Lumads themselves asserting their rights to their ancestral domains.

thanked the personnel of the offices concerned for responding to the invitation of the city coun-

job with another hearing officer in Regions 9, 10, and 13.

She s ai d a l ot of issu e s emerged after some tribes in Bukidnon received their CADTs. Since 1997, a total of 12 CADTs and three Certificate of Ancestral Land Titles (CALTs) have been issued in the province.

Carl Binayao, NCIP Bukidnon community relations officer, told MindaNews Wednesday they received 200 ancestral domain claims this year.

After Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. pledged P10-million support from the provincial government Binayao said they have discussed the idea of unifying some of the claims to reduce the number to around 60 or fewer.

(Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)

Salvador barangays undergo disaster preparedness workshop Tubod, Lanao del Norte – The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) conducted a Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) workshop on September 17 and 18, 2013 in Barangays Sudlon, Padianon, Pangantapan, and Saomay all of Salvador, this province.

Participating barangays were given lectures and actual demonstration on how to prepare and respond to natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, typhoons, fires and landslides.

E ach b arangay was evaluated by PDRRMO staff led by Marilyn Trozo during the actual simulation exercise.

Barangay officials and selected residents participated in the workshop while

Iligan has adequate rice supply The city has adequate supply of rice at this time.

This was explained by S amb ator y D i map oro, manager of the National Food Authority (NFA) in his appearance before the Sangguniang Panlungsod in its regular session yesterday.

According to Dimaporo, there is an increase in the price of rice per kilo as NFA purchased rice stocks from suppliers at a higher price.

Present in the city council session were George J. Daanoy of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, authorities from the Department of Trade and Industry and Grain Retailers Confederation.

According to authorities of the invited offices, there is no rice hoarding in Iligan. The city council

She attributed this to the high level of awareness among the Lumads in Bukidnon about their rights.

The NCIP-Bukidnon office, she added, is being run by “community-active” and practicing Lumads.

She said the high number of cases in Bukidnon was one of the reasons why she asked the hearing office to be transferred to Malaybalay City in July. The office is temporarily housed in the NCIP-Bukidnon building.

The transfer would benefit the parties, especially the indigenous peoples, because it would mean lesser travel expenses during hearings, she added.

Cardona ser ved as NCIP hearing officer for Regions 11 and 12, aside from sharing the

cil through a resolution passed by Councilor Roy Openiano. (With reports from Ree J. Altres/CIO)

Barangay officials carry a ‘wounded’ victim during the Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) workshop at Salvador town.

some municipal officials were on hand to observe the two-day training.

The four barangays received satisfactory ratings from PDRRMO in catego-

ries of life saving techniques and disaster preparedness.

(LAR-PIO/LDN)

Provincial employees conduct coastal clean-up Tubod, Lanao del Norte – More than 20 employees of the Lanao del Norte LGU conducted a coastal cleanup on September 25, 2013 at Brgy. Pigcarangan, in the capital town of Tubod.

The activity is in support of the annual International Coastal Clean Day. More than 500 meters stretch of coastline situated at Purok 6, Brgy. Pigcarangan was cleaned up by the provincial employees from the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO).

“We are here to show the people especially those living near the coastlines that it is important for us

to take care of our seas and to join in the battle against marine trash”, ENRO Head Ramon Serapio said.

Among the items collected by the group were food wrappers, glass and plastic bottles, plastic bags, disposable diapers and coconut husks.

The clean-up drive

was also participated by a number of DILG and barangay officials.

This environmental campaign is done simultaneously by other LGUs, concerned government agencies, and peoples’ organizations in various coastal areas of the country. (WDA/PIO-LDN)

6 Mindanao Daily NEWS northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

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Opinion

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The Mindanao Daily nORTHMIN, Mindanao Daily CARAGA , mindanao daily westmin and , Mindanao Daily DAVAO newspapers are published daily by MINDANAO DAILY NEWS at Door 2, Tanleh Building, Abellanosa St., Brgy. Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City. It is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Region 10 with Certififcate No. 01791042, and with Business Permit No. 201313231, TIN No. 209-980-927, Tel. Nos: (088) 856-3344, (08822)72-33-44, 0917-7121424, 0947-8935776 E-mail: mindanaodaily.ads@gmail.com, mindanaodailynews@gmail.com Website: www.businessweekmindanao.com MINDANAO DAILY NEWS Publisher ALLAN M. MEDIANTE Editor-in-Chief Nelson v. constantino Executive Editor- Business ruel pelone Managing Editor CRIS DIAZ Joe del Puerto Felicilda bong fabe Executive Editors Shaun Alejandrae Yap Uy Associate Editor Arjay Felicilda Assistant Editor felix santillan RONALD MASTAIL CLIFFORD SANTILLAN Layout Artists BUTCH D. ENERIO Rene Michael BaÑos Regional Editors-Northmin PAT SAMONTE CHRIS PANGANIBAN Regional Editors-Caraga AL JACINTO Regional Editor-WestMin irene dayo Reporter-NorthMin gerry lee gorit Photo Journalist ATTY. MARIO T. JUNI NOTARY PUBLIC- JUNI LAW OFFICE CELL NO: 09352379999/ (088) 8573595 CRUZ TAAL ST., CAG. DE ORO CITY Legal Counsel ---------------------------------------------------------------

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Additional P5,000 for public school teachers A P5,000 monthly “Anti- teachers only receive a Poverty Allowance” to each minimum salary of P18,594. teacher of the country’s Undeniably, our teachpublic schools is a com- ers can barely cope with passionate measure. This the daily standard of living amount would enable them with such meager sum. to cope with the rising costs Reliable surveys reveal the of basic commodities and typical family of a public family expenses. This will school teacher lives below also help the government the Philippine poverty line. attract more high-quality This is the reality despite educators in the a constitutionally Guest Editorial public schools. mandated princi The proposal through ple of the State to assign the House Bill 2356 ultimately highest budgetary priority aims to combat pover t y to endure and ensure that among public school teach- teaching will attract and ers and uplift their dignity retain its rightful share of and the importance of the the best available talents public teaching profession. through adequate remunera With the sk yrocketing tion and other means of job costs of gasoline, electricity satisfaction and fulfillment. and other basic commodi- Republic Act 4670 otherties, there is an imperative wise known as the Magna need to improve the eco- Car ta for Public School nomic plight of our public Teachers provides also that school teachers. it is State’s duty to promote It is unfortunate that under and improve the social and the present pay scale of economic status of public civil servants, public school school teachers.

In this proposed measure all public elementary and high school teachers shall be granted P5,000 additional allowance per month, to be known as the “Anti-Poverty Allowance.”

Such allowance shall be considered an additional compensation to their existing salary and benefits, and would include public elementary and secondary school teachers whether Nationally-Funded or Locally-Funded. However, locally-funded teachers shall be included in the proposed Act only if the local government unit (LGU) or local entity concerned has available funds.

Whether this will be realized sooner or later, the proposal itself is a gift to the lowly school teacher who has the noblest job to shape minds, and a salute to the modern-day heroes of our country today.

Love over dogma The conservatives among the 1.2 billion Roman Catholic Church were taken aback by the pronouncements Pope Francis made in an interview with an Italian magazine published and edited by the Jesuits where he criticized the behavior of the Church to put more premium on church dogma’s than love.

Specifically, the Pope mentioned the penchant of church leaders - bishops and other clerics - of giving more emphasis on dogmas about homosexuality, abortion, gay marriage, among others, over what he said is the Church’s reason for being which is to share God’s love to everyone.

It is the conservatives that reacted strongly to the Pope’s pronouncements expectedly because they are the ones who are so pre-occupied with church dogmas to the point of equating these to Christ’s teachings itself when they are not.

Church dogmas can be likened to the numerous laws the scribes in the biblical times enacted to expand the Ten Commandments. At the time of Jesus, the scribes had already enacted more than 700 laws to expand and supposedly expound the basic laws enshrined in the tablet that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai while the Jews were in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land from Egypt.

The Pharisees were Temple leaders who have committed to following every letter of the law all their life. The

A deeper view Jesse E.L. Bacon II conservatives among the 1.2 billion Roman Catholics could be likened to the Pharisees. They are very committed to adhering to the letter every dogma that the church may lay down.

Some of the church’s conservatives even went to the extent of taking up arms if only to ensure that the Church remains conservative in its stance on various social issues. In the political spectrum, this type of church conservatives are the leading personalities of the religious right.

But the problem with dogmas is that they are church teachings based on the institution’s interpretation of the teachings of Jesus himself. Since these are mere interpretations of the teachings of Jesus as read in the bible, bacon| page 7

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Opinion

Don’t Be Crabby Think a minute…Crabs are very interesting creatures. If you put several of them in a bucket, the moment one of them starts crawling out of the bucket, the other crabs will pull him back down. So not one of the crabs ever succeeds in getting out. They just keep stopping each other from climbing higher than the rest of them. We humans are perhaps more like crabs than we think. We see a good thing the minute someone else sees it first!

“We try to get even with our enemies, and ahead of our friends.” But we need to realize that “when we’re green with envy, we’re ripe for problems.”

Whether we admit it or not, most of us want

other people to be just a little less successful than we are. Friends are always happy about your success, just as long as you’re not more successful than they are! But one of the first secrets to success is not to compare your life with other’s. It’s strange that many of us seem to know how to live everybody else’s lives but our own. Yet what happens in someone else’s life has nothing to do with ours. “Criticizing someone else’s garden won’t keep the weeds out of your own.”

Successful people look at life through a telescope and see how great it can be, but small, petty people look at life through a microscope and only see the faults and mistakes of

DR. DJUWARI STIE Perbanas (College of Economics and Business) Surabaya, Indonesia ies were from Indonesian, English, and even regional language. Some media have discussed this hot topic.

The discussion tends to categorize the language spoken by such an elite politician is a bad language.

It shows that the person who spoke that kind of language is not being nationalist. It is really a hot topic even it has been discussed in some social media.

This phenomenon is actually to create a dilemma for those who want to widen their knowledge and horizon to be globally recognized.

We believe that it is not always like that image.

For some scientists or intellectuals who try to

RD PAWNSHOP, INC. NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION

On Oct. 22, 2013 at 10:00 am, this establishment will sell at Public auction all unredeemed pledges up to the month of April 1-30, 2013 Customers are enjoined to verify their receipt.

Prosperidad Branch- Public Mkt., Poblacion, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur Iligan 1 Branch-Badeffes St., Iligan City Managoy 01 Branch- Espiritu St., Mangagoy, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur Iligan 2 Branch- Cabili Avenue, Iligan City Mangagoy 02 Branch- Corner P. Catillo St., and Picasales St, Iligan 3 Branch-Gen. Aguinaldo St., Palao, Iligan City Mangagoy, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur Iligan 4 Branch- Aguinaldo cor. Laya St., Palao, Iligan City Butuan 1 Branch-Ester Luna St., Butuan City Iligan 5 Branch-Agtsinaldo St., lligay City Butuan 2 Branch-Langihan Road, Butuan City CM RECTO Branch- CM Recto Ave., CDOC Butuan 3 Branch-Marcos Calo st., Butuan City Velez Branch-Velez St., CDOC, Butuan 5 Branch- J.C. Aquino Avenue Cor. Narra Road, New Rizai Branch-Cor. Rizal St., CDOC Society Vill. Butuan City Carmen 1 Branch- Max Zurtiel St., CDOC Libertad Branch- Purok 3, Libertad, Butuan City Carmen 2 Branch-Vamenta Blvd. Carmen CDOC Gingoog 01 Branch- Sebulino Bldg., Doma Granciana St., Gingoog City Borja Branch -J.R. Borja St., CDOC Gingoog 02 Branch- Brgy 17, National Highway, Gingoog Gity Tiano-Borja Branch- Tiano-J.R. Borja St., Jordan Redoblado Bldg Masipit Branch- Buenavista, Prosperidad, Agusan del Norte Osmeña Branch-Pres. Osmeha St., CDOC Surigao 1 Branch- Cor. San Nicolas & Burgos St., Surigao Gity Lapasan Branch- CM Recto Avenue, Lapasan, CDOC Surigao 2 Branch- Borromeo St., Surigao City Corrales Branch- Corrales Hayes St., Cagavan de Oro City Surigao 3 Branch- Tamaca Bldg., Sarvida, Surigao City Puerto Branch- Jubo Arcade, Puerto, CDOC Surigao 4 Branch- Cor. Vasquez and Rizal St., Surigao City Tagoloan Branch-Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental Cabadbaran 1 Branch- Atega St., Cabadbaran, Agusan del Sur Villanueva Branch- Viiianueva, Misamis Oriental Cabatsbaran 2 Branch - A.D. Curato St., Cabadbaran City Balingasag Branch- Balingasag, Misamis Oriental Bayugan 1 Branch-P1 Narra Avenue, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur Medina Branch - Alaba St., Medina, Mis. Or. Bayugan 2 Branch- Libres St., P3 Brgy. Taglatawan, Bayugan, Mambajao Branch- P. Reyes St., Mabajao, Camiguin Province Agusan del Sur San Francisco 01 Branch-Center Island, Roxas St., San Francisco, Magpayang Branch - Magpayang Mainit, Surigao del Sur Agusan del Sur Barobo Branch- Sanchez Bldg ., Poblacion, Barobo, Surigao del Sur

PAHIBALO

Karong Oktubre. 22, 2013 sa alas 10:00 sa buntag ang among ahensya magbaligya pinaagi sa Subasta sa tanang Prenda nga wala malukat hangtud sa Bulan sa Abril 1-30, 2013 gihangyo ang tanang mga suki sa Pagsusi sa ilang resibo.

Editor: ALLAN M. MEDIANTE, Email: amediante@yahoo.com

Conscience

Jhan Tiafau Hurst

widen their horizon, foreign language is a must, especially English.

For example, as a scientist and a researcher we must read many references. All these references are mostly written in English.

To get in touch with other nation, English is a good language. English is a good lingua franca which can unite all the nations around the world.

When all these people have got in touch with many references and different people around the world, English and its vocabularies must be in their head.

They may also speak unintentionally with the people even using Indonesian with some technical terms in English.

There are some technical terms which are internationally known but they might be difficult to be translated into Indonesian.

So, the polemic of the language mixed up with the national and regional language can be both good and bad.

It is being good when the vocabularies spoken are really the technical terms which cannot be found in the national or regional

Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

Bro. Edcel L. Closas

develop your own style.

Make the most of your assets and you’ ll make the most of your life. But only your Maker has the key to unlock your full potential inside. So why not ask Him to take charge of your life every day? It’s with His power you can start enjoying the success He’s planned for you to have.

Just Think a Minute

Bilingualism and Nationalism For the Philippines, being bilingualism is lucky but for Indonesian, it is not.

Bilingualism in this case is to communicate both in English and other language of the national language.

For the people in Philippines, it is no problem because English is also considered the formal language.

Yet, in Indonesia, there has been problem when speaking both English and Indonesian.

English in Indonesia is not considered the formal language. It is a foreign language. The existence of English is not the same as Indonesian as the national and formal language.

When, people speak English and Indonesian altogether they are not considered nationalist.

Speaking by shifting from Indonesian into English is really of bad character. This is especially when speaking in public.

Recently, there has been a polemic around the language spoken by a politician or a towering figure in Indonesia.

He spoke in a mixed up language, Indonesian, English, and regional language altogether. Some vocabular-

northmin . westmin . caraga . davao

Biblical reflection

Think A Minute

others. Being envious and jealous of others is just a slow method of suicide that kills both your health and happiness.

You have a special ability and personality that no one else has. So use yours the best way possible. Stop comparing yourself with others. Birds don’t swim.

Fish don’t climb trees. And cows don’t fly. Enjoy your own natural abilities and

Mindanao Daily 7 NEWS

language.

The topic and the setting of communication must be in global scale and topic.

It is being bad when speaking in public but the topic and setting is not related to global scale.

The case as done by the elite politician as an example that he cannot distinguish the topic and setting.

If that is the case, using a mixed up language is not good. Moreover, when speaking using a foreign language is only used to show that he is being intellectual, it is not appropriate.

Again, it is luckier for the Philippines people with English and the other formal language.

As my experience when I went around the cities in Mindanao and Tagatay city. I always found people speaking both Tagalog and English. Bilingualism is good for Philippines. In some cases, they don’t have any problem in communication both nationally and globally.

English and Tagalog are complementary.

Bilingualism in Indonesia is only the national language and regional language.

English is not the formal language. Thus, speaking English in front of public can be considered to be arrogant.

When speaking using a mixed up between Indonesian and English, we can be considered not to be nationalist.

So, it is not the schools’ fault, when English teaching program is not successful until now. We cannot speak freely and we are never exposed to English communication.

•• DR. DjUWARI is Chair of International Accreditation of Academic Journal (IAAJ) for ASEAN region, director of language Laboratory at STIE Perbanas Surabaya, Indonesia.

Fresh Gospel of the day: Luke9:79(September26, 2013-Thursday)Luke 9:7-9-Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him: This gospel emphasizes the acceptance of Herod to his criminal act against John the Baptist. In Matthew 14:10-And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. Therefore, Herod was a mortal sinner for killing the innocent John the Baptist but unfortunately, there was no justice prevailed since Herod was in the highest position on earth. This is the same to our present society that criminals who are rich and powerful are not sentence to death. They are not convicted because they can bribe the Judge in a certain crime committed. In Proverbs 17:23-A wicked [man] taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment. But look, Herod was disturbed upon hearing the name of Jesus since of the wrong belief that John was resurrected for revenge. This is normal for a guilty person because his conscience is disturbing him deep inside. Take note, our “conscience” is the little voice of God speaking within us. In Romans 9:1-I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. Are you guilty? Meaning you have un repented sins: SPONSORED:Neneth - Bobong Balino- Dr. Edith, PhD- Tony Jordan - CDO. St. Peter Calungsod, pray for us! Listen: Radio Ultra AM-1188-3:30 PM - Sunday: #09284149490-09266607505: Question – Prayer request

Bacon...

from page 6 they are not permanent.

As what I have written here in previous columns, the dogma or church teaching that the world is flat was eventually proven wrong scientifically. But in insisting that such dogma was the right teaching, the church even quoted passages of the bible only to swallow later that its interpretation of the bible is erroneous in relation to that dogma.

It took a Galileo Galilii to prove the church wrong about this dogma. But the church had to exile Galileo that eventually brought his death before the church accepted that such teaching was indeed erroneous.

Recently, the church was forced to abandon its teaching about limbo, a place where the souls of infants who died without the benefit of baptism supposedly go. Only recently this dogma was abandoned because nothing could be found in the bible to support such teaching.

The abandonment by the church of the two above mentioned dogmas only proved that dogmas can be abandoned for being wrong. There is no doubt about this. But those who have committed themselves to the promotion and protection of church dogmas will not be happy to be made to realize in the end that what they were fighting for, what they were promoting and protecting were actually wrong.

The conservatives are so sure about what they are committing themselves to follow such as church dogmas like what the Pharisees had committed to follow and obey during their time that they were even willing to die for such commitment.

I could still vividly recall how the local church conservatives fought with their life, figuratively speaking, the non-passage of the Reproductive Health bill for more than a decade. When the bill was finally passed by Congress and approved by Aquino into law, how they put up a fight to have it declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Short of waging an armed struggle against the Aquino administration because of this, the local church conservatives are relentless in their war against the Reproductive Health law even up to now.

But the pronouncement of Pope Francis about the penchant of the church leadership to put dogma over love stripped these local church conservatives with any moral mooring to go on with their fight. The question, however, is will they listen to the Pope? Reports have it that they will defy the Pope and continue waging their battle against the Reproductive Health law.

Will this stance not only fan the fire of alienation of the institutional church from its members not angered by the passage of the Reproductive Health law? Atong tan-awon.

(Reactions at jelbacon@yahoo.com or at jelbaconii@gmail. com. Read me also at www.raconteurme.blogspot.com)

8 Mindanao Daily NEWS

WestMin News

northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

friday | september 27, 2013

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Zamboanga del Norte | Zamboanga del Sur | Zamboanga Sibugay | Dipolog City | Dapitan City | Pagadian City | Isabela City | Zamboanga City

Misuari nephew, 35 rebs surrender the mindanaoexaminer.com

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY MARINA R.O. X and XIII 2/F SEJOLIM Bldg., Gemilina St., Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City Tel. No. (08822) 726522/Telefax No. (088) 856-9105 / Email: cdomro@yahoo.com

ZAMBOANGA City––At least 3 dozen separatist rebels, who stormed Zamboanga City in southern Philippines, have surrendered to authorities Wednesday as troops, backed by helicopters and aircrafts, continue to attack gunmen still fighting their grounds in four areas here.

RE: Application for the issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) to operate a vessel in a tramping service pursuant to Republic Act No. 9295 and its Revised - Implementing Rules and Regulations.

PANPHIL MARINE SERVICES CORP,

Applicant.

x-----------------x

CASE NO. CDOR 13- 027 (RA 9295)

Officials said rebels, who are loyal followers of Moro National Liberation Front chieftain, Nur Misuari, also surrendered 23 assorted high-powered weapons.

One of those who surrendered was Misuari’s alleged nephew, Enir.

The fighting, now on its third week, has already killed and wounded nearly 400 people.

The military said rebel leader Ustadz Khabir Malik is trapped in Santa Catalina.

Malik, a lieutenant of Misuari, was earlier reported to have escaped on a speedboat to the Sulu archipelago after sneaking through a military dragnet in Zamboanga.

Misuari, who signed a peace pact with Manila in

ORDER

This refers to the Application for the Issuance of Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) pursuant to RA 9295 and its R-IRR to operate the vessel/s LCTs “CTH 181”, “CTH 182”, “ONG 188” and “ONG 189” to any port within the Philippine waters or on a tramping service.

The applicant shall cause the publication of this Order once in any of the five (5) major newspapers of national circulation in the Philippines or in a newspaper of local circulation, as applicable.

The applicant shall likewise simultaneously cause the posting of this Order in a conspicuous place in the affected ports, ships, Applicant’s premises, passenger terminal/s and ticketing offices, as applicable.

Applicant shall present the jurisdictional, qualification and documentary requirements in a summary proceeding to be conducted on 27 September 2013 at 10:30 o’ clock in the morning at the MARINA R.O. X Office, SE JO LIM Bldg., Gemilina St., Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City which is within seven (7) days from the date of publication/posting.

The Applicant shall be required to make a written Formal Offer of Evidence (FOE), afterwhich, the application is deemed submitted for resolution/decision.

WITNESS, the Honorable Administrator, MAXIMO Q MEJIA, Ph D, this 20th day of September 2013, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

(SGD)ENGR. EMMANUEL B. CARPIO, MMSA Regional Director MDN: Sept. 27, 2013

1996, accused the Aquino government of failing to honor the deal and for abrogating a tripartite review of the accord.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar said clearing operations still continue in at least four villages - Santa Catalina, Santa Barbara, Rio Hondo and Mariki.

“Ipinapaabot sa mga mamamayan ng Zamboanga na hindi pa pinapayagang bumalik ang mga pamilyang naninirahan sa Sta. Barbara, Sta. Catalina, Rio Hondo at Mariki. Ang mga lugar na ito ay delikado pa dahil sa mga bomba na ikinalat ng MNLF at kasalukuyan pang nililinis ng ating mga kasundaluhan,” she said.

Rebel forces stormed

FiRsT BUKidnon eleCTRiC CooPeRaTiVe, inC. anahawon, Marmag, Bukidnon Tel. No. (088) 356 1026, Fax. No. (088) 356 1025 Email: fibeco_pbac@yahoo.com invitation to apply for eligibility and to Bid The First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FIBECO), through its Procurement, Bids and awards Committee (PBaC) invites all interested bidders to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder project: Project name

The delivery and supply of house wiring materials intended for Sixty One (61) sitio/purok under 2013 batch One (1), twenty six (26) sitio/purok under 2013 batch two (2) and thirty (30) sitio/purok under 2013 batch three (3) Sitio/Purok Electrification Program (SEP) subsidy projects funded by the government through the National Electrification Administration (NEA) seven Million Four Hundred sixty Five Thousand one Hundred Pesos (Php 7,465,100.00) note: inclusive of all applicable taxes and other charges Seven (7) Calendar Days from receipt of Notice of Award

approved Budget for the Contract (aBC) delivery schedule delivery site

FIBECO Main Office Warehouse

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships and partnership with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stocks belonging to citizens of the Philippines. All bids in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedure based on FIBECO Procurement policy.

Bidders should have completed, within two (2) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the above project.

The schedule of activities is listed as follows: issuance of Bid docs eligibility Check Pre-Bid Conference submission opening of Bids Late Bids accepted

shall

not

and be

delivery Period

October 2, 2013 to October 7, 2013, during office hours (8am5pm) October 2, 2013, 8:00 am at FIBECO Function Hall, Main Office, Sayre Hi-way, Anahawon, Maramag, Bukidnon October 2, 2013, 1:00 pm at FIBECO Function Hall, Main Office, Sayre Hi-way, Anahawon, Maramag, Bukidnon October 9, 2013. 1:00 pm at FIBECO Function Hall, Main Office, Sayre Hi-way, Anahawon, Maramag, Bukidnon Within seven (7) days from receipt of purchase order at FIBECO Warehouse,Anahawon, Maramag,Bukidnon

A complete set of bidding documents may be purchased by the interested Bidders/Suppliers starting 02 October 2013 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Php 10,000.00.

For further information, please contact: FIBECO BAC Secretariat c/o Engr. Jeff Garret A. Olivares or Maria Beatrix S. Fajardo Sayre Hi-way, Anahawon, Maramag, Bukidnon Tel. No. (088) 356-1026, Fax: No. (088) 356-1025 Email: fibeco_pbac@yahoo.com FIBECO reserves the right to reject any or all bids without offering any reason, to waive any minor defects or informalities therein, and to accept any or all offers or proposals as may be considered most responsive and advantageous to the cooperative. It assumes no obligation whatsoever for any expenses or loss that may be incurred by the bidder in the preparation of bids, nor does it guarantee that an award will be made.

(SGD.)Ms. Hydee s. BUnGCas BAC Chairman

(SGD.)enGR. RenaTo s. CoRTeZano General Manager

Misuari

Zamboanga on September 9 and took about 200 hostages and used them as shield against security forces. But 178 of the captives had been freed or escaped from rebels.

(Mindanao Examiner)

Shelter box tents, a big help to evacuees in Zamboanga City

By Leilani S. Junio of PNA

Badjao families who were one those initially provided with shelter box tents said Thursday that living now in tents is a comfortable experience and a big help for them.

According to Social Marketing Service (SMS) information officers of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the said families are evacuees from the village of Rio Hondo and Mariki.

“These families were the ones who established temporary shelters along the coastline of Cawa Cawa Boulevard through their small houseboats called “vintas” a few days after the conflict sparked,” said Myla Monsod, information officer V of DSWD deployed in Zamboanga City.

“We had a good sleep all throughout the night.

It is much better than our makeshift home before,” said Rex Tabao, 35, a Badjao evacuee and a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) beneficiary after he woke up inside

the shelter box tent.

According to DSWD, Indaya, wife of Rex who is pregnant with their 8th child was among the priority recipients of 380 tents and 300 laminated tents through the partnership of DSWD with International Organization of Migration (IOM) and Shelter Box International.

Rex’s family was among the priority recipients of tents because he has small children and his wife is pregnant.

Families with senior citizens, persons with disabilities, lactating mothers, and sick family members were also prioritized in receiving the tents.

Under the partnership of DSWD, IOM and Shelter Box International, the priority recipients include women, children, elderly and persons with disability (PWDs) in different evacuation centers in Zamboanga City as a means of protection in anticipation of the rainy days. tents, page 10

TVIRD, CODE-S help Siocon villages in crafting development framework the mindanaoexaminer.com

CANATUAN, Zamboanga del Norte––TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) and the Coalitiion for Development in Sibugay (CODE-S) presented the chairpersons of 26 barangays of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte with development frameworks for each of their communities after a series of consultations with residents and thorough grassroots assessment.

Each representative received a Barangay Development Plan (BDP) that is individually suited to their respective community’s available resources, skills and capacity of residents, and agro-climatic suitability of possible crops. The formal turn-over ceremony was held in Siocon’s sports complex.

TVIRD operates a copper-zinc mine in Sitio Canatuan, Barangay Tabayo in Siocon. Acknowledging significant development potential in the local villages, the company collaborated with CODE-S in crafting the development framework for each barangay community.

The Good Book “The municipal development council will look into your BDPs before it approves a project,” said town administrator Engr.

Felizardo Canama on behalf of Mayor Julius Lobrigas, encouraging each barangay chairperson to establish the necessary foundation for increased economic output, and ultimately, improve living standards in their communities based on their BDPs. Canama, who was invited as a special guest, also explained that BDPs will be elevated into the overall Municipal Development Plan following the Bottom-up

Budgeting (BuB) approach to development planning adopted by the Aquino Administration since 2011.

CODE-S Executive Director Eugenio Sinoy explained that the BDPs are the collective output of consultations with the village council, traditional leaders and people’s organizations in the barangays.

As each BDP is deeply-ingrained on the needs of each community, each also provides a progressive response on how to address these needs through livelihood. They now call these their ‘Bible’ or guidebook for development for each of their villages.

“The barangay folks themselves provided the data where you can now easily find their concerns and potentials for development in the plans,” Sinoy said.

TVIRD and CODE-S spent significant time gathering respondents and references in order to harvest comprehensive data for each village.

Spreading the Word “Like us in the mill operations, we have a guidebook that we call our ‘Bible’ that we always refer to in our operations. Without it, we cannot perfect our ore processing,” said TVIRD Mill Operations Manager Engr. Rey Carubio.

Village leaders also expressed gratitude to the company, which according to them, was instrumental in creating the BDPs as well as the social development projects implemented in their villages.

“They (TVIRD) built three mosques, a public toilet, and helped in the HELP, page 10

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Soccsksargen

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North Cotabato town remains peaceful, says police official

K

ORONADAL CITY, S o u t h C o t a b ato --Kabacan town in North Cotabato remains peaceful the recent clash between the government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in a nearby town of Midsayap, explained Kabacan PNP chief PCInsp.

Jordine Maribojo.

Maribojo made the clarification after information regarding sighings of armed groups in Kabacan particularly in Barangay Kilagasan circulated.

The police official noted that according to barangay officials in the villages of the town, armed groups have not entered areas in Kabacan.

On the other hand, amidst the

orderliness of the place, Maribojo emphasized that his group as well as the military are still on heightened alert to secure the safety of the residents. The official also added that they are in close coordination with the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams to ensure immediate action in times of emergency incidents.

Further, Maribojo encouraged the residents to remain calm but report to authorities any suspicious persons being sighted in their Meanwhile, peacekeeping forces have already been depoloyed to the premises of the state-run University of Southern Mindanao (USM), the prime educational institution in the town, to safeguard peace and security now that the university’s weeklong founding anniversary is fast approaching. (SJDuerme-PIA12/ RBeñez-DXVL)

Farmers apply pesticides on the ricefield within the Philippine Rice Research Institute compound in Barangay Bual Norte, Midsayap town, North Cotabato on Wednesday, September 25. Bual Norte is an adjacent village of Palongoguen, the site of sporadic clashes between government troops and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

(MindaNews Photo by Ruby)

HEADING HOME, Young boys stand on the ‘bumper’ of a speeding tricycle, unmindful of the danger on Tuesday, September 24 in Barangay Tumbras, Midsayap town, North Cotabato Province. These boys are heading home after spending a night at the evacuation center when the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters attacked several barangays in Midsayap on Monday.

(Mindanews Photo by RubY)

Cotabato City LGU pursues P15m halal slaughter house

COTABATO CITY - A new facility will soon rise in Cotabato City as construction of a multi-million modern project starts seen to boost socio-economic growth in the area at its adjacent localities.

A ground breaking ceremony and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was held Sept 25 between the city government and the National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) witnessed by Halal Industry focal person Dr. Norodin Kuit, Dr. Danda Juanday of the business community and other local officials signaling the start of the project implementation.

According to Mayor Guiani, the P15 million project, the first modern

halal slaughter house in the country, will be constructed in a one-hectare lot located in barangay Mother Tamontaka, this city.

Guiani said, funds received from the Seal of Good Housekeeping is allocated to finance the implementation of the halal slaughter house project with equity from the city government.

“Well I think it’s more than ten million. Ten million iyung worth ng building and 5 million ang sa procurement ng one hectare land na pagtatayuan, doon natin kinuha sa Seal of Good Housekeeping so all in all about P15 million,” Guiani said.

Seen as center for the halal industry in the region, Guiani is optimistic the benefits the community and

nearby areas could derive from the modern facility particularly attracting investments to come in and generate job opportunities that would further enhance the city’s economic growth.

Me anw h i l e, Gu i an i has likewise disclosed the plan for the construction of another slaughter house with facilities at barangay Kalanganan, this city, to cater to the growing need for a permanent structure and area purposely for hogs and swine dealers.

“Magtatayo rin ang city government ng isang hog slaughter house sa barangay Kalanganan na magagamit sa pagkatay ng baboy ng ating mga kababayan na Kristiyano,” Guiani said. (pbchangco/PIA Cotabato City)

Gov’t pours in over P500-M for tourism road projects in Soccsksargen Region KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- Access to tourism sites in Soccsksargen is seen to improve soon as the national government implements over P500 million worth of tourism road concreting projects in the area.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 12 in a press statement told Philippine Information – 12 that they are currently implementing six road projects in South Cotabato, Sarangani, North Cotabato , and Sultan Kudarat that would enhance access to destinations being developed as tourist attractions.

Targeted in these projects are potential tourism sites in the region, namely: Lake Sebu in South Cotabato; Tawsuvan Falls in Magpet and New Israel zipline in Makilala in North Cotabato; white beaches in Glan and water tubing in Maitum, Sarangani Province; and, Baras Bird Sanctuary in Tacurong City.

OIC Regional Director Reynaldo Tamayo of DPWH 12 said these projects were planned in cooperation with Department of Tourism (DOT) 12 to provide local and foreign visitors convenient travel to isolated spots as well as improve the lives of residents in the areas who would also be given economic opportunities as tourism activity peaks up.

Besides, he added, the projects would prove that the national government is working to reach Filipinos in remote areas.

These projects, involving local, unclassified, or national secondary roads, were endorsed by DOT 12 in 2012.

In Lake Sebu, DPWH-12 will build a 9-km concrete road that would provide easy access to the three lakes in the area, namely: Lake Sebu, Lake Lahit, and Lake Seloton as well as the famous Seven Falls and its 1.16 –km, over 600-ft high zipline.

A farmer in Barangay Palongoguen, Midsayap town, North Cotabato shows what could be shrapnel of a 105mm shell which he found in his farm on Wednesday, September 25. Skirmishes between government troops and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters happened on Monday after the rebel group attacked several villages in Midsayap.

(MindaNews Photo by Ruby)

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NDF-Mindanao scores Misuari’s ‘ambition,’ Aquino’s ‘brutality’

D

THE DAVAO TODAY

AVAO City––National Democratic Front Mindanao spokesperson Ka Oris released a statement criticizing both Nur Misuari, chair of the Moro National Liberation Front, and President Benigno Aquino III for the armed standoff in Zamboanga City that has cost properties and lives.

Ka Oris said the MNLF leader’s “own ambitions have gamely trifled with the lives of heroic Moro freedom fighters, and have disingenuously planted false hopes on the minds of the Moro people over what he declared last August 12 as ‘Bangsamoro Republic.’”

The NDF spokesperson describe’s Misuari’s show of force in Zamboanga as a “reckless and futile attempt…using the MNLF freedom fighters to dramatize his long lost cause and get concessions from the GPH and the Arab world to grant them their share of crumbs in the on-going “peace process” between the GPH and the MILF.” Misuari according to MNLF spokesperson Atty.

Emmanuel Fontanilla felt the talks on review of the Final Peace Agreement between his group and the government is being terminated, as talks with the government and the MILF is carving a different autonomous region for the Bangsamoro.

Likewise, Ka Oris condemned Aquino’s handling of the Zamboanga crisis by deploying thousands of PNP and AFP troops as “overkill reaction… (that) cost not only billions of pesos in damage to properties and the economy in general, but, more appallingly, the lives of nearly a hundred innocent civilians and MNLF freedom fighters, including GPH mercenary troops, displacing over a hundred

thousand people.”

He also said the aerial bombing and strafing of MNLF fighters who held civilians “(demonstrated) the Aquino government’s disregard for the safety of the civilians and violating the Protocols of War.” Casualties in the gunbattle now on its second week reached 140 including 12 civilians, 18 soldiers/ police and 110 MNLF fighters. Some 23,794 families or 118,819 persons were displaced, according to the National Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Council.

Damages from fires affecting houses and closures of business cost as much as Php 10 billion.

Ka Oris believed that “outnumbered, ill-equipped and ill-supplied freedom fighters of the MNLF” are easily subdued by the “combined, far-superior reactionary armed forces.”

But he slammed the intervention of the US military with the use of spy planes or drones reportedly seen during the gunfight.

The NDF spokesperson also said the Moro struggle would not end with

the recent armed conflict, pointing out that the “(t) he reactionary regime’s divide-and-rule tactic would merely delay the fruition of the true aspirations of the Moro people.”

“We are most certain that, should the GPH succeed to encumber one group, others would rise in its place to continue the struggle to resolve the fundamental problems of the Moro people,” Ka Oris aid.

Ka Oris further said the struggle of the Moro for self-determination would be carried on with various struggles of the 13 Moro tribes in Mindanao.

“Under the reactionary rule of the current regime, no other solution for the Moro problem is more feasible other than for the Moro people to launch a combination of both revolutionary armed struggle and open militant mass movement in order to reap the widespread support of the Bangsamoro as well as the entire Filipino people,” he said.

The NDF’s own peace negotiations with the Aquino government bogged down since February 2011. (davaotoday.com)

Help...

its programs for responsibly managing and protecting from page 8 Canatuan’s natural envielectrification of one ronment. of our sub-villages in my barangay,” said Barangay from page 8 Captain Tuayong Laudin Rex’s family recalled that from S. Arabi, one of the town’s coastal villages popu- they were forced to evacuate lated by Muslim Tausugs. and set-up their small make“Without their help, we shift tent along the shoreline won’t be enjoying these to escape being caught in the crossfire between the facilities now,” he added.

Jesus Magdua of Ba- government troops and rangay Latabon likewise Moro National Liberation shared the benefits of the Front (MNLF)-Misuari faccompany-supported health tion in Rio Hondo “These tents will serve center and a farm-to-market road that helped mobilize a as a family-friendly space lot of his constituents and where Badjao families can spend family bonding,” their goods.

Even the far-flung Mus- DSWD Secretary Corazon lim barangay of Malambu- J. Soliman said.

The tents measures 8 hangin benefitted from the construction of a multi- feet in diameter and can accommodate one fampurpose building.

“I am really grateful for ily according to Secretary the company’s help. We’ve Soliman.

The DSWD chief cited been waiting for this facility for many years,” said that the shelter box tents will Malambuhangin Chairman bring significant improvements on the conditions of Ibrahim Abdulmari.

TVIRD Community Re- the Badjaos evacuees.

“With these tents, we lations Manager Joel Alasco said that all these projects are assured that we now are conducted under the have a roof over our heads, company’s Social Develop- especially when it rains,” ment Management Program Indaya happily said.

The couple said they (SDMP).

This year, the company will keep it clean and take allotted P36.5 million for care of it.

They expressed hope SDMP projects benefiting Christian and Muslim that the fighting will soon communities as well as its be over so that they can Subanon indigenous hosts. go back to their normal Likewise, TVIRD sustains life again.

Tents...

Mindanao Daily 11 NEWS

friday | september 27, 2013 Editor: CRIS DIAZ Email: crisguardian@yahoo.com

Villagers... from page 1

in Ilongo.

He added they are not letting their guard down even if the rebels have already retreated following the clearing operations on Tuesday.

CVOs on alert About 15 minutes later, a band of armed men passed by on board motorcycles. Some were wearing camouflage uniforms while others were in short pants but with bandoliers of ammunition strapped around their bodies.

“They are the CVOs (Civilian Volunteer Organization) here. We are still on alert because we are just two kilometers away from the marsh,” de Arroz said, referring to the Ligawasan Marsh.

He said the rebels retreated to the marsh after the clashes bringing with them the 14 hostages who were released on Tuesday.

The marshy area is this town’s boundary with Libungan (also part of North Cotabato) and Northern Kabuntalan town of Maguindanao.

De Arroz said the CVOs were going around to check the damaged houses as well as to patrol the area to secure the working farmers.

Malingao meanwhile has been cleared of BIFF rebels as of Tuesday afternoon, and no more gunfights were reported on Wednesday morning.

From the road, a tent could be seen beside a hut underneath a camachile tree. It wasn’t one of those tents that are usually used to shelter ducks because, like the hut, it was fortified with sandbags with a hole that served as a gun port for the CVOs. Less than 100 meters away from the outpost, some men were loading some belongings into a farm trailer.

“We are transporting our belongings,” said a farmer in his mid-40s with an orange shirt tied around his head.

About 400 meters away from the outpost, the band of CVOs stopped and inspected an irrigation dam.

They pointed to some bloodstains believed to be left behind by the rebels. “They were positioned here during the firefight,” one of them said while picking up some empty shells of 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds.

The CVO member, who saw action on Monday, explained that the BIFF rebels hid behind the concrete walls during the firefight. Others hid in the houses and in the ditches.

The CVOs requested not to show their faces while MindaNews was taking pictures for security reasons.

A house reportedly burned by the retreating rebels came into view as the CVOs and MindaNews drove further along the irrigation canal.

De Arroz had earlier told us about the razed house. He said it had been abandoned for three months already because its owner, an elderly woman, moved to Eperanza town in Sultan Kudarat.

About 200 hundred meters further, the CVOs stopped and one of them alerted the group that a group of men had disembarked from a banca at the fishport which lies over half a kilometer away. They told us to drive back to the outpost because they would check who those men were.

“This was their entry and exit point whenever they came here to

northmin . westmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper

harass the farmers,” a CVO said referring to the dirt road from the marshy area leading to the outpost.

By then, the farm trailer loaded with belongings had already left the house near the outpost. Its owner said the rebels ransacked his house and destroyed some furniture.

He said the rebels positioned in his house when they harassed the outpost on Monday. “I recovered a lot of empty shells of an M60 machine gun and M14 rifle on the floor.”

“We have not stayed here since May because I’m afraid we would get caught in the crossfire when they would attack the outpost,” the farmer who refused to be named said.

He said his family is now staying with their relatives near the barangay hall.

As the MindaNews team was about to leave, he took out his Carbine and placed it on the table.

“I’ll stay here to keep an eye on my house,” he told the CVOs who had arrived by then.

Not the first time It’s not the first time that the village and neighboring areas were attacked by Moro rebels. Clashes had occurred in these areas for years.

Following the clashes on Monday, de Arroz said many of his fellow villagers have not yet returned home.

He said they could not be sure how long they would remain on alert.

“I’m not sure when my fellow villagers can return home. It depends on the situation here.”

Jeanette Umatong, a widow from Palongugen, recalled that she was working with three other farmers in her farm when the rebels arrived.

Umatong said they rushed to the barangay hall before the firefight erupted.

“Mud was still all over our bodies when we evacuated. And it was lunch time already when we were able to wash up,” she said in an interview.

For now, she is staying with her relatives in Bual Norte and not yet sure when she could return home.

She said the burned house belonged to her aunt, who is in her 70s. “She was almost killed during the harassment last May, she was lucky to have fallen on the ditch.”

On Wednesay morning, Capt.

Antonio Bulao, spokesperson of the 602nd Brigade, said in a text message that there were no fresh firefights in the area.

De Arroz said Monday’s attack was not the first this year.

“Early this year, they also attacked us. I think this is already the third time for this year,” he said.

He recalled that the worst attack was in 2002, saying many houses were destroyed and many of their farm animals were taken by the rebels.

“They attacked us twice that year.

I don’t know what they want from us.

The can send us a message and tell us what they want and maybe we can talk about it.” (MindaNews)

Evacuees... from page 1

By the time the President left on Sunday, September 22, he was not able to announce “mission accomplished” or “it’s over” because the standoff continued (the standoff entered its 17th day on Wednesday, Sept. 25), at least 20 of the estimated 170 hostages still remained in cap-

tivity, and the death toll as well as evacuee count continued to rise by the day.

When the President left, Zamboanga City was down on its knees with a humanitarian crisis of a scale never before experienced (see MindaNews tables on figures from Sept.

13 to 22 when the President was in Zamboanga City): 110,000 of its 807,000 population displaced from their homes; the death toll at 104 from 18 on Sept. 13; the wounded at 192 from 52; the houses burned at 10,160 from 500 on Sept. 14; nearly a billion pesos in unrealized incomes for the business sector from Sept. 9 to 18 alone.

Thousands of workers have been rendered jobless due to the closure of establishments and offices from September 9, Day One of the standoff; thousands of residents are queuing at money remittance centers for financial help from relatives outside the city. Cost of relief assistance had reached P76.56 million as of Sept.

22, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and at the very least, an estimated P3.89 billion has been pegged for rehabilitation, as of Sept. 19.

There is no estimate as yet on how much has been spent in the military operations against the MNLF and how much the MNLF has spent as well in its operations against the government.

Cases are being prepared against Misuari and his men. Curiously, the usually media-savvy Misuari has granted no interview to any media entity since Sept. 9.

“Worse than burning of Jolo” “This is worse than the burning of Jolo,” said Claretian priest Angel Calvo of the Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) who recalls visiting Jolo a few days after the February 1974 burning.

Calvo and other civil society leaders in Zambaonga City had repeatedly called on both government and the MNLF to “immediately effect a humanitarian ceasefire” and on Saturday, September 14, continued to push for it “to allow the release of civilian hostages, especially the children, the elderly, the persons with disabilities, the curing of the sick, and the burying of the dead.”

But “talking peace” and the cries for a “humanitarian ceasefire” were drowned out by the calls for an all-out offensive against the MNLF. The possibilities for a ceasefire, one on Day 5, September 13 and Vice President Jejomar Binay’s brokered ceasefire on Day 6, September 14 (see other story) were thumbed down and civil society’s urgent call for a ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ in the afternoon of September 14, a reiteration of an earlier call, ignored.

The Aquino administration turned down suggestions to use the “Cabatangan formula” or “Cabatangan template” in November 2001 when MNLF forces also under Misuari, were being flushed out of the Cabatangan complex also in the same city and were given a safe conduct pass. The Arroyo administration paid too high a price for all the flak it got for “escorting” the rebels out of Zamboanga City.

But the formula saved the lives of some 60 hostages, did not displace thousands of residents and did not paralyze the city’s economy as the 2013 standoff has.

The Aquino administration, however, did not want a repeat of Cabatangan even as the number of hostages now – an estimated 170 as of September 13 – was far more than that in 2001.

“We have already spoken. We have sent people to talk to Nur Misuari.

Obviously, Nur Misuari was thinking of something else. He wanted a safe conduct pass. Is that something acceptable? If you look—you take the statements of Secretary Voltz Gazmin when he said, ‘If I know the President, he will not agree to a safe conduct pass,’” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told the Malacanang Press Corps on Sept. 17.

“A crime has already happened.

We were… If they intended to do a Cabatangan template in 2001, that’s something that they underestimated this administration,” he said.

The Aquino administration, however, did not offer a new formula that would secure the release of the hostages through peaceful means and at the same time satisfy the demands to hold the rebels accountable to avoid a repeat of Cabatangan 2001.

Instead, the Aquino administration used the military option, a “solution” that has, in Mindanao’s long history of armed conflicts, repeatedly been disastrous.

The “Cabatangan template,” said Jesus Dureza, who was Presidential Adviser for Mindanao when the Cabatangan crisis happened, “saved lives and spared Zamboanga City from becoming a battleground.”

“Win-win” “First, let us save more lives, minimize destruction,” retired professor Ali Yacub, President of the Golden Crescent Consortium of Peace Builders and Affiliates, said.

“Military solution will not help,” Yacub said, as he lamented that their calls for ceasefire were “rejected outright by the President and the Crisis Management Committee.”

He said those calling on the MNLF to surrender, particularly the Tausugs, should be aware that “there is no word ‘surrender’ in the Tausug vocabulary.”

Yacub wants Congress to investigate what he said were “bunglings” in handling the crisis. “There is more than meets the eye here,” he said, adding there have been criticisms that this is a “fake war, game of the generals, a political cover-up so people will forget the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scam.”

“Cabatangan was a win-win formula,” a senior military official who was involved in resolving that crisis in 2001, told MindaNews.

Initially, he said, Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat who was head of the Crisis Management Committee then was against the idea but acceded when the options were presented to her.

“The primary consideration was saving lives and property and removing immediately the physical threat to Zamboanga City. It was explained to her that the hardline stand would transform the city into a battleground, would cause so much loss of lives and property. What we feared would happen in Cabatangan in 2001 we are seeing that now in Zamboanga.

And since they have chosen the military option, there is no turning back now,” he said.

Force was also used in Cabatangan as air strikes pounded on rebel positions to pressure them into negotiating but “it was a combination of force and diplomacy.”

“Between the most benign and the most violent, we had to find another way of resolving the crisis.

In the end, it was ‘win-win.’ We lost some, we gained some,” he said, adding, “you can always fight them (MNLF) in another arena elsewhere.

But you spare the city from becoming a battleground.”

More deaths, more displaced On the day the President arrived in Zamboanga City, the Crisis Management Center recorded only 6,024 families with 23,584 dependents in 26 evacuation centers. It was a big leap from the estimated 10,000 a day earlier. The rise in number is attributed to the Crisis Management Commmittee’s Resolution 1 on Thursday night, September 12, recommending a forced evacuation in the then six conflict-affected barangays and neighboring areas.

PrintPrintPrintFrom 23,000 on Sept. 13, the number of evacuees rose to P62,000 on Sept. 14, the supposed start of the ceasefire Binay brokered, and 110,000 by the time the President left for Manila on Sept.

22.

The death toll rose nearly six times between Sept.13 and 22: from18 on September 13 to 51 as of noon on September 14 and 104 as of September 22: three police personnel, 11 soldiers, 10 civilians and 80 MNLF, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The number of wounded increased nearly four times from Sept. 13 to 22 — from 52 on September 13 (six police, 28 soldiers, 18 civilians) to 78 on September 14 (12 police, 38 soldiers, 28 civilians), according to the military spokesperson during the press conferences on September 13 and 22, and 192 as of September 22 (13 police personnel, 131 soldiers and 48 civilians), according to records of the NDRRMC. Neither the military nor the NDRRMC has a record of the number of wounded MNLF. Visible, invisible costs But more than the visible costs of war – the number of dead, wounded, houses burned, economic losses, etc. — the invisible costs of war are the most difficult to quantify and address.

“We are back to the dark ages,” said Grace Rebollos, former Western Mindanao State University president.

Rebollos, a member of the Interreligious Solidarity for peace and regional convenor of Bantay Bayanihan, said the community has once again been polarized and teachers are worried over reports that children are sending hate messages by text.

Zamboanga City’s “Week of Peace,” celebrated every year since 1996, inspired the Bishops-Ulama Conference to do a similar celebration, the Mindanao Week of Peace that is celebrated every last Thursday of November to the first Wednesday of December.

As announced in August, this year’s theme for the Mindanao-wide celebration is “Dialogue and Hope: Our Key to Peace.” In Zamboanga, the theme is “Heal our land.”

Dureza said it will take a long time to “clean up the mess left by

the Zamboanga incident.”

“After the smoke clears, it is important to pinpoint responsibility and accountability on those who have ‘blood in their hands.’ But the difficult part is how to help Zamboanga and its people rise from the ashes.

Rebuilding destroyed structures and homes can be done but at considerable cost and effort. Grieving for the dead and nurturing the wounded will also take some time.

Then rebuilding social cohesion and healing amongst us Mindanawons will necessarily follow — although this one is difficult to do. And hard to measure. I refer to the anger, hatred, animosity that break the social bond that tie us with and amongst the other diverse peoples of our island region.

We have to heal the social wounds between and amongst Muslims and non-Muslims, Christians and indigenous peoples,” he said. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

PDAF... from page 1

ment of Budget and Management (DBM) act as the RPMC’s chair and co-chair, respectively.

In the last three years, Valero said the RPMC was able to monitor some PDAF-funded projects in the area but were limited to infrastructure like road improvements and construction of various community facilities.

While PDAF projects are implemented by government agencies attached to the RDC, he said they don’t have any access to even a list of the PDAF initiatives.

He said the DBM has not been providing the council or the RPMC of copies of documents pertaining to the PDAF projects.

Valero, who is also the NEDA12 regional director, acknowledged that they could not also compel any lawmaker or member of the House of Representatives from the area to provide them such documents.

“These are really major challenges for the monitoring committee,” he said.

Meantime, as to the PDAF projects covered by the RPMC-12’s monitoring activities, private sector representative Nestor Lumawig said they have not so far uncovered any irregularity or problem with them.

Lumawig said the RPMC-12 earlier created two monitoring teams to regularly check on the implementation of government-funded infrastructure projects within the region, including those under the PDAF. His team was assigned to monitor projects in this city and in the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani.

These include a public market expansion project funded by the PDAF of former South Cotabato second district representative and now governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes, he said.

Lumawig said they also inspected projects like rural health facilities, road improvements and other community infrastructure funded by the PDAF allocations of Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao and South Cotabato first district Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. “We did not find any problem with them so far in terms of overall accomplishment and compliance with government standards and regulations,” Lumawig said.

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