2 men in bloody Zamboanga attack arrested

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 10, 2010) – Police said Tuesday it captured two men behind an attack on a group of fishermen off Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.

The two were among a group of armed men who killed six fishermen last week during an attack on a trawler near Eleven Islands in the eastern coast of Zamboanga, said Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo, the local police chief.

He said the two men had been identified by a lone witness who hid on one of the trawler’s rooms during Thursday attack. The witness said the gunmen intercepted their trawler and told the crew to jump off the boat and were later shot and hacked with machetes.

“We have filed criminal charges against the two suspects and there is an operation to track down the others involved in the attack,” he said.

The attack was only discovered on Friday after the witness - son of one the victims - who feared the gunmen were still around, managed to sail the trawler back to the fish port of Sangali in Zamboanga.

De Ocampo said attack was connected to a family feud.

Clan war or locally known as “rido”, is common in many parts of the southern Philippines. The U.S. Agency for International Development and think -tank Asia Foundation have said more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past seven decades in family feuds in the southern Philippines.

In Zamboanga City, more than two dozen vengeance killings occurred in recent months in three villages involving Christian and Muslim families. And this is also common in Basilan, Sulu, Maguindanao and other parts of the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao.

Rido can involve disputes among family members or among two or more rival families, pitting neighbors or different ethnic groups against each other. The disputes center on issues of land, money, marriage or political power and involve revenge killings.

The violence increases with each act of retaliation, broadening to include those not directly involved in the dispute, including women and children, according to the Asia Foundation, adding, some feuds lasted for decades. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sperm Whale Found Dead On Zamboanga Isle

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Jul) – Philippine fishery experts have on Tuesday identified the dead whale found on an island off Zamboanga City.

Experts said the carcass belonged to the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), the largest of all toothed whales, measuring up to 18 meters long. The whale was named after the milky-white substance, spermaceti, found in its head and originally mistaken for sperm.

Filipino fishermen discovered the 30-meter whale beached on an island called Bubu. Initially it was thought to be gray whale. They discovered the dead whale on Saturday and informed authorities about it two days later.

“It was really huge and this is the first time we saw such kind of whale. It’s a pity that the whale was dead when we found it while fishing near the island,” said Hashim Abubakar.

“Fishery workers took measurements of the whale and photographs too,” he said.

It was unknown what caused the animal to be stranded, but beaching is often fatal for whales, as they become dehydrated and die. Beached whales also die when their lungs are suffocated under their own weight or drown when high tides cover their blowholes.

Local authorities warned fishermen not to go near the dead whale, saying, it can become a source of disease. The island is uninhabited, but nearby islands are home to hundreds of fishermen. (Mindanao Examiner)

Whale Found Dead On Southern RP Isle

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Jul) – Filipino fishermen have found a dead whale beached on an island off the southern port city of Zamboanga.

The 30-meter animal was discovered on Bubu island, but fishery workers were not able to immediately identify the mammal, although it resembled a gray whale.

Fishermen said they discovered the dead whale on Saturday and informed authorities about it two days later.

“It was really huge and this is the first time we saw such kind of whale. It’s a pity that the whale was dead when we found it while fishing near the island,” said Hashim Abubakar.

“Fishery workers took measurements of the whale and photographs too,” he said.

It was unknown what caused the animal to be stranded, but beaching is often fatal for whales, as they become dehydrated and die. Beached whales also die when their lungs are suffocated under their own weight or drown when high tides cover their blowholes.

Local authorities warned fishermen not to go near the dead whale, saying, it can become a source of disease. The island is uninhabited, but nearby islands are home to hundreds of fishermen. (Mindanao Examiner)

The Eleven Islands, Just Pristine Beauty!

The Eleven Islands - pristine and white sand beaches - a future tourist destination in Zamboanga City. (Darwin Wee)

THE ELEVEN ISLANDS (Darwin Wee / 01 Oct) – Once described as a "no man's land"since the declaration by then President Ferdinand Marcos at the height of Moro insurgency in 1970's, the Eleven Islands, located off in the eastern cost of Zamboanga City, are now to undergo a major transformation in a bid to develop the area as an eco-tourism destination.

The local government of Zamboanga City in partnership withnon-government organizations and environmentalist groups are considering the potential of Eleven Islands as the new frontier of the tourism industry.

Viewed from the air, the Eleven Islands are covered with thick greens and dashing white powdery sand beaches, ringed by clear, blue sea. It is panoramic beauty.

It is composed of six big islands and six islets, namely, Bobo with a land area of50 hectares; Cabugan, with 71 hectares; Limbang, with 19 hectares; Sirumon, with 14 hectares; Lampinigan, with 11 hectares; and, Buguias with 10 hectares and the smaller Visa (2 hectares), Baong (3 hectares), Simoandang (5 hectares), Salangan (4 hectares), and Panganacan (5 hectares).

The islands are located some 30 kilometers away from Zamboanga and are scattered over a seven kilometer stretch, fronting the three coastal villages of Panubigan, Lubigan, and Dita.

In a concept paper prepared by the Zamboanga City Planning and Development Office, the project involves the development of the islands into a"primary cluster of tourist destination," jointly showcasing the"Christian and Muslim cultures.

The islands are inhabited by Muslim and Christian fishermen.

"The program aims to foster unity between the Christian and Muslim communities. The integrated tourism circuit planned by City Hall will enable the communities to interact and jointly worktowards making the area an attractive and diversified tourist attraction," assistant planning officer Ofelia E. Despalo told the Mindanao Examiner.

“We have a plan to develop the Eleven Islands into various tourist activity sites, transforming it as flower islands, utilizing the colorful Zamboanga's iconic sailboats called "vinta" as cruiseboats to hop from island to the other,” she said.

The water surrounding the islands is ideal for swimming and snorkeling and scuba diving. The islands are also densely vegetated, indicating the high fertility of the soil.

Ms. Despalo said the islets can be connected byhanging bridges.

“The integrated tourism circuit project will also include linking the cluster with the one big island, Sacol Island – located closer to Zamboanga City – with Bolong Beach, located between them, and turning it into a world-class beach resort,” she said.

The short term plan will cover the development of Sacol Island as thebase of the vinta boat cruise and the upgrading of the Bolong Beach. The medium term will involve the development of the 'Flower Islands' and the establishment of the vinta cruise routes from them to Sacol Island.

Ms. Despalo noted that the projects are expected to attract more tourists. She said the project is estimated to cost more than P200 million andwill jointly be implemented by the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Tourism Authority, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Zamboanga City Government and private sectors.

James Ali Abdul, area manager of the United Nations' ACT for PeaceProgram, has been helping the residents in the islands in recent years. He said that in order for the project to be successful, the plan must have the strong participation and cooperation of the locals.

"Concerned sectors must prioritize the needs of the people here, such as their health, education, shelter and livelihood," he said.

The ACT for Peace Program allocated P4.5 million for the constructionthere of about 200 houses for the families of former rebels.

"It is an initial assistance in our long-term plan to rebuild the communities that have been deserted off and on for over three decades due to intermittent armed conflict in the area. We have plans to build a health station worth P500,000 and another P500,000 for 'Bantay-Dagat' or ecological preservation efforts," Mr. Abdul added.

Former Moro rebel-turned-village leader Akbari S. Samson expressed gratitude for the new projects from the local government and the ACT for Peace Program.

“In the past, we were always left behind as far as development aid is concerned, now my people are happy that the government and the United Nations are helping us," the 49 year-old Mr. Samson said in a separate interview.