Philippine tuna catch affected by El Nino

Fishermen unload Yellow fin tuna in General Santos City in the southern Philippines. Many fishermen complain of less tuna catch due to the warn weather brought about by the El Nino phenomenon. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 4, 2010) – Tuna catch is declining in the southern Philippines as the warm climate continues to affect the ocean’s temperature.

Fishermen said their catch declined the past months and they blamed the weather phenomenon known as El Nino.

Nathaniel Cruz, of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said the warm weather is due to the El Nino effect. He said the prevailing temperature in Metro Manila is between 34.5-35.5 °C. “We expect warmer weather due to the effect of the El Nino,” he said over the weekend.

El Nino is associated with floods, droughts and other weather disturbances in many regions of the world, which vary with each event. The Philippines like any other developing countries dependent upon agriculture and fishing, particularly those bordering the Pacific Ocean, are the most affected.

“Our catch is less because the weather is so hot. We have less tuna catch as compared to the previous month. This is because of the El Nino. If the weather is good, then the catch is also good – it is too hot now,” a local tuna fisherman Pedro Reyes told the Mindanao Examiner.

Reyes is one of dozens who regularly unload their tuna catch in General Santos City, which is home to the country’s second biggest fish port after Navotas City in Luzon Island.

And other fishermen also complained about the tuna catch and the warm ocean water that affected their once abundant catch. “I know this situation will not last long, but it is already killing us. Less catch means less money,” said Bernie Santiago, a trawler operator.

Yellow fin tuna – many “sashimi grade” and the size of an adult man - is what the fishermen were all talking about in General Santos City. It fetches far more money than any other fish. And at the fish port, traders bargain with fishermen for the prized catch which goes all the way as far as Japan and European markets.

The Philippines is rank 7th among the top tuna producing countries in the world, both in terms of fresh and frozen and canned tuna.

According to the local government website, the total daily catch of adult and juvenile tuna unloaded in General Santos City can surpass that of any other fish port or even the entire unloading of all other fish ports in the Philippines combined. The daily catch is easily disposed for foreign and local buyers.

General Santos City being the sanctuary of seven tuna canning factories has an average daily capacity of 750 tons.

It said about 45% of the tuna catch are skipjack, about 25% are yellow fin, and 23% are frigate and bullet tuna. Around 60% of the ring net landings supplied to the local canneries, 35% is brought out of General Santos City to local domestic fish markets and the remaining 5 % is consumed locally.

The average number of boats that come to the local fish port on a daily average is about 25 and mostly fishing from as far as borders of Indonesia and Palau Islands. The catch according to the fishermen usually consists of 95% yellow fin, 3% big-eye, and 2% billfish. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kite-flying in Kidapawan City

Filipino children enjoying the summer vacation fly kites in Kidapawan City in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Geo Solmerano)

A Catholic devotee in the Philippines

A Roman Catholic devotee carries a wooden cross as he walks past a wall covered in election propaganda on Holy Friday in Pampanga province outside the Philippine capital. (AKP Images - Buck Pago)

Tourists flock to Boracay Island

A Boracay Island sand artist finishes up on his sand sculpture in time for tourists to appreciate his art work. Hundreds of thousands of tourist crowd the shoreline of Boracay during the Holy Week celebrations to spent time away from the big city. While tourists check out the green algae on the shoreline of the famous tourist island and wonder where the P50 environmental fee the provincial government has been charging upon entry gone. (Pinoy Gonzales)

NPA, nadakip sa Agusan Sur

ILIGAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / April 3, 2010) – Nadakip ng militar ang isa sa tatlong rebeldeng New People’s Army na nakipagsagupaan sa mga sundalo sa lalawigan ng Agusan del Sur sa Mindanao.

Sinabi kahapon ng militar na naganap ang labanan kamakalawa sa Bayugan City matapos na matiyempuhan ng mga tropa ang 3 armado. Nabatid na sugatan ang nadakip na rebelde kung kaya’t inilikas pa ito sa isang pagamutan.

Walang inulat na sugatan o nasawi sa panig ng militar at kinilala naman ng Philippine Army ang sugatang NPA na si Jomar Mayordomo, 19. Nasa patrulya umano ang mga sundalo sa Barangay Calaitan ng masalubong ang mga rebelde at agad nagkaroon ng labanan.

Nakatakas naman ang kasamahan ni Mayordomo. Hindi naman mabatid kung ano ang ginagawa ng tatlo sa naturang barangay.

Ang NPA ay ang armed wing ng Communist Party of the Philippines na nakikibaka para sa sariling estado sa bansa. (Merlyn Manos)

Sulu cops bring home from US applicable ideas on community policing

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 3, 2010) - Nine police officers from the southern Philippines’ Mindanao region said their recent visit to the US showed them how “community policing” could be implemented more widely and systematically in a locality and how additional facilities and modern technology could enhance the partnership between the local police and the members of a community to maintain peace and order, the US Embassy website reported.

The police officers, all of whom were from Mindanao’s Sulu Province, visited the US on February 21-March 6 to observe the implementation of “community policing,” an approach to ensuring the safety of the community through active partnership between the local police and the residents and civic organizations in the community.

“We have been applying the concept of community policing in the Philippines for a long time now,” said Chief Inspector Amil Banaan, of the Sulu Provincial Police Office, in describing the approach to community policing that he and eight other officers observed in Virginia and New York. “But compared to the police in the US, we in Mindanao have less in terms of facilities and modern technology.”

Other members of the group noted that each police team in the U.S. community they visited has a vehicle available for their use, and U.S. patrol cars are provided laptop computers so that police officers could send or receive data even while on the road. Connection to the Internet as in the U.S., another member of the group noted, would be particularly useful in Sulu, where the province’s residents and police units are spread out in several islands. “With e-mail, it would be a lot easier for us to coordinate with other units in the island. We could even hold meetings through e-mails,” said Pakhar Mawan, chief of the Sulu Police Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Section.

Mawan and Banaan were the senior members of the group Sulu police officers who visited the US under the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The program seeks to build mutual understanding between the US and other nations through professional visits to the US for current and emerging foreign leaders. Each year over 4,500 IVLP participants from all over the world are selected by US embassies to travel to the US to meet and confer with their professional counterparts.

Baanan said the governor of Sulu province, Dr Sakur Tan, was supportive of the recent trip and pledged to continue further other programs that would largely help the police improve its services in the province. "The Governor is very supportive of this program and he pledged to continue other programs that would enhance more the police services in Sulu," he told the Mindanao Examiner in a separate interview.

The other members of Banaan and Mawan’s group were: Ednahar Hambali, chief of administration, Indanan Police Station; Russell Elenzano, chief of the Pata Police Station; Francisco Panisan, chief of the Patikul Police Station; Kris Conrad Gutierrez, chief of the Panglima Estino Police Station; Aida Banaan, assistant investigator of the Jolo Police Station; Ferusa Asiri, women and children desk officer of the Indanan Police Station; and Norhara Haiber, personnel officer of provincial police radio/communication logistics.

In an interview March 9 on the nationally broadcast “Pulis ng Bayan” program on Philippines’ radio station Veritas, all members of the group concluded that their visit to the US has been very useful.

Indanan town’s Hambali said that what the group learned from the visit is “relevant and applicable not just in Sulu but to the whole Mindanao.” Panglima Estino Police Station’s Gutierrez, meanwhile, noted that in the communities they visited, “there was no discrimination” and “Christians and Muslims work together” to maintain peace and order in their localities.

Pata Police Station chief Elenzano moreover observed that to establish closer ties between the law enforcers and the community, “it is the police that approaches the community.” (Leandro Llave. With a report from the Mindanao Examiner.)

LP Proclamatin Rally Sa Talitay, Maguindanao Dinagsa!

Si Mhon Sabal, na tumatakbo sa pagka-alkalde at ang katuwang na si Alan Sabal, na kandidato sa pagka-bise alkalde sa proclamation rally na isinagawa sa bayan ng Talitay sa lalawigan ng Maguindanao. Dinagsa ng napakaraming tao ang naturang rally na kung saan ay inilatag ni Mhon at Alan Sabal ang kanilang plataforma de gobyerno. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Mark Navales)

MAGUINDANAO (Mindanao Examiner / Abril 2, 2010) – Dinagsa ng libo-libong katao ang proclamation rally nina Mhon at Allan Sabal ng Liberal Party sa bayan ng Talitay sa lalawigan ng Maguindanao.

Isang malaking motorcade rin ang idinaos ng grupo ni Mhon Sabal na tumatakbo bilang alkalde at kasama nito ang katuwang na si Allan Sabal sa pagka-bise alkalde.

Naroon rin sa rally na ginanap nuong Marso 31 si ex-Sultan Kudarat Mayor Tocao Mastura, ang provincial chairman ng LP, at maging ang sikat na singer na si Datu Khomeini Bensuan ay tumatakbo rin sa ilalim ng AMANA (Aksyon ng Mamamayang Nagkakaisa) Party List.

Inilatag rin ni Mhon at Allan Sabal ang kanilang plataforma de gobyerno at isa-isang ipinaliwanag ang kanilang mga plano kung sakaling mahalal sa darating na eleksyon sa Mayo.

Hindi naman magkatalima ang mga supporters nina Sabal at halos malunod ang mga ito sa lakas ng palakpakan at hiyawan ng mga tao sa tuwing magsasalita o babanggitin ang kanilang mga pangalan.

Malakas ang line-up nina Mhon at Allan Sabal at sa dami ng mga taong sumalubong at dumalo sa kanilang rally ay tila mga artista ang dalawang pamosong pulitiko sa laki ng suportang tinatanggap mula sa publiko.

Sinigurado naman nina Mhon at Allan Sabal ang kapakanan ng mga maralita at publiko at siguridad sa bayan ng Talitay, gayun rin ang mga pagbabago at programang pangkalakal sa nasabing bayan kung papalarin na manalo sa eleksyon.

Kilalang mabait at matulingin sina Mhon at Allan Sabal sa nasabing lugar kung kaya't di kataka-taka ang laki ng suportang tinatanggap ng dalawa at ng kanilang grupo. (Mark Navales)

Filipino faithful flock to a mass by Bishop Romulo Dela Cruz on Thursday, April 1, 2010, at Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces Cathedral in Kidapawan City. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Geo Solmerano)

Travelers cross Kidapawan river

Two travelers cross a river enroute to a village in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao. It is the capital city of North Cotabato. It is a favorite tourist destination in the late October to December and in the summer, where thousands of tourists climb the majestic Mount Apo, the country's highest peak. Kidapawan, the city hailed as “A Spring in the Highland”, comes from the words “tida” which means spring and “pawan” meaning highland. The city is found at the bottom of the majestic Mount Apo. Kidapawan is situated at the southeastern section of Cotabato province and in the middle of three other major cities - Davao, Cotabato and General Santos. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Geo Solmerano)

SkyCable sets music trend via ZERO Band’s ‘Deja’

Director Charlie Villanueva (PMPDA) and members of the Zero Band - Marion Estrada (Vocals), LL Dart Castillano (Bass), Camilo Tan (Guitar) and Robert Villanueva (Drums).

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - “DEJA”, an original composition written by Roland Villanueva Jnr and performed by ZERO Band, is making waves in both radio and television via the first ever Musical Short Film rendition being shown over Sky Cable’s Community Channel 28's Sonata Presentation.

Directed by Charlie Villanueva, head of Ancillary and Production Operations Division of Sky Cable Zamboanga System, Deja’s Musical Short Film is gearing towards local media domination in music and stands ready to step into a new wave of MTV production called “Musical Short Film.”

Any eyes isn’t trained on this kind of music presentation might be in the process of being redirected to this sudden peculiarity of musical drama about two individuals who are on the verge of breaking up a relationship, hence, the title – Deja - a Chavano word which means “leave”.

The musical short film Deja is written by Cheng Ordonez, a mainstream journalist who also writes scripts for infomercial and documentary production for Sky Cable, and also currently involved in tourism events.

Zero Band consists of Marion Estrada (Vocals), LL Dart Castillano (Bass), Camilo Tan (Guitar) and Robert Villanueva (Drums).

Edwin Bernardo, operations manager of Sky Cable, who is also the production manager of Deja, said he is fully supporting Villanueva, also director of photography of the said musical short film, on his digital filmography ventures. “In fact, a short movie is on the drawing board and we intend to produce it this year,” Bernardo said.

Role performers of Deja are Maria Jid Morfe and Camilo Tan, both new-comers in the film industry and are without any experience and proper training in acting.

Deja is shot and filmed most at Lantaka Hotel and at Marba residence in Tumaga village in Zamboanga City.

Villanueva looks at establishing digital filmmaking, whether short of full-length, as a new industry in Zamboanga.

“Deja is our opening salvo to digital filming here. It kicks off to establish the digital filmmaking industry in Zamboanga City, where there are many talents but don’t have the opportunity to express their talents. So, they resort to going to other places and, in fact, excel in the field they have chosen. This happens because there is no avenue where to exhibit their talents and their works here in Zamboanga,” Villanueva said.

“Sky Cable offers the venue to exhibit their work, and so, we encourage local talents and filmmakers out there to do their own musical or indie films for exhibit over Sky Cable’s Channel 28,” he added.

Filipino Cable Corporation under the Lopez Group of Companies is not just into cable television. From cable television, it transformed into telephony, then data processing and the broadband Internet; and now Sky Voice, a new system of communication mostly used for calls abroad. The Zamboanga system ventures into digital filming.

“Truly, it's Sky’s world moving ahead, and we just ride, venerate, and play ‘digital’ tag in what we do now,” the young and promising film director who trained and became a member of the Philippine Motion Pictures Directors Association headed by Director William Mayo, and under the Film Academy of the Philippines.

"Catch Deja, an inspiring musical short video that will soon become locals’ own instant cottage industry; and with Villanueva and Sky Cable on the lead, Deja sets the trend for original music and the vision to feature local guys without experience in the industry; so long they are persistent and work hard under the tutelage of Director Charlie Villanueva’s twelve o'clock, or, at least, eleven o’clock shadow," a statement from the cable television firm said.

ARMM to receive fresh Aussie education support

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 31, 2010) – Canberra is planning to provide a long-term support to the improvement of the quality and access to education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim in Mindanao through another round of assistance that builds on the successes of the eight-year Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao Project, Filipino officials said Wednesday.

Officials said the new Australian government program would be a 5 to 10 year support to basic education exclusively implemented in the ARMM, which is composed of the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Taw-, Basilan, Lanao and Maguindanao, including Marawi City.

Efforts are now being undertaken to draw up the new project through a 12-month implementation support to BEAM-ARMM design with the involvement of several stakeholders. The new phase will include the implementation of a peace education framework specifically tailored to suit the needs of children in the region.

School and regional officials of the Department of Education in the ARMM have recently participated in a two-day workshop forum on peace education sponsored by the Australian Agency for International Development to help craft the said framework.

A handout given during the forum describes peace education as education that is geared toward a culture of peace, which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines as “a growing body of shared values, attitudes, behaviors and ways of life based on: nonviolence, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms; understanding, tolerance and solidarity; sharing and free flow of communication; and full participation and empowerment of women.”

ARMM Education Secretary Hamid Aminodin Barra said peace education framework in the Muslim autonomous region should have Islamic teachings as its foundation.

Barra, who provided an input on Islamic framework on peace and respect for human dignity in the forum, averred that the Islamic context must always be considered in any project that will be undertaken in the ARMM.

He also allayed apprehensions that this could contribute to extremism as “Islam is a religion of moderation.”

The AusAID-BEAM project, which officially ended in November last year, helped improved the learning of school children in the field of English, Science and Mathematics, and increased accessed of those living in remote and depressed communities to education with its wide-ranging and innovative schemes.

ARMM, however, continues to lag behind other regions in terms of literacy and needs more help to change this trend.

The new AusAID support will focus on the particular education needs of ARMM with its unique culture and diverse populace taken into consideration. (Becky de Asis contributed to this report)

Philippine Army denies NPA claims

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 30, 2010) – The Philippine Army denied Tuesday claims by communist rebels that six soldiers were killed in an attack in the country’s restive southern region.

The New People’s Army claimed to have killed the soldiers in the village of Mahan-on in the town of Baganga in Davao del Norte province over the weekend.

A rebel spokesman Dyomabuk Kadyawan, of the NPA’s Antonio Nerio Antao Command, said the attackers also seized an M16 rifle from the government soldiers and that 3 more infantrymen were wounded in the fighting.

He said the attack sparked a firefight that lasted more than an hour. “The guerrilla offensive lasted for at least an hour. Six enemy troops were killed in action while three were wounded. The NPA sustained no casualties. The Red Army recovered an M-16 Armalite rifle,” Kadyawan said.

The attack occurred on the eve of the NPA’s 41st anniversary.

“In an arrogantly joyful mood, the Local Terrorist Front-15 of the New People’s Army claims that they killed six soldiers in a clash early morning of March 28 in Baganga town in Davao Oriental. The claim is a show of unparalleled arrogance and disregard to human lives as they rejoice with every individual they murdered be it a soldier or an innocent civilian whom they have victimized,” Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said one soldier Private First Class Ulysses Dedumo was killed in the attack.

“The 10th Infantry Division condoles with the family of the slain soldier who was doing his job and laid down his life in service to our people in Baganga,” the army spokesman said, adding, another soldier was wounded in the fighting and is recuperating at a military hospital in Davao City.

“The erroneous, malicious and preposterous claim of LTF-15 mirrors their cunning and sly methods of deceiving our people in every avenue for their own selfish aims in projecting a position of strength but in truth is a weakness masked by their massive crimes and atrocities against the people.”

“While the communists rejoice in every death of our countrymen brought by their violent ways, the true soldiers of the people mourn in every life taken from this Earth whether it is a soldier, plain civilian or an NPA. We at the 10th Infantry Division and the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines do not celebrate the death of anyone even that of an NPA,” Garcia said, adding “we value life even that of the opponent as our own and we will do whatever it takes to preserve the life of any person even at the risk of laying down our own while the terrorists disregard it by leaving their comrades in the heat of battles repeatedly in the past.”

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines which has been fighting for decades to overthrow the democratic government and put up a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Army denies NPA claims

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 30, 2010) – The Philippine Army denied Tuesday claims by communist rebels that six soldiers were killed in an attack in the country’s restive southern region.

The New People’s Army claimed to have killed the soldiers in the village of Mahan-on in the town of Baganga in Davao del Norte province over the weekend.

A rebel spokesman Dyomabuk Kadyawan, of the NPA’s Antonio Nerio Antao Command, said the attackers also seized an M16 rifle from the government soldiers and that 3 more infantrymen were wounded in the fighting.

He said the attack sparked a firefight that lasted more than an hour. “The guerrilla offensive lasted for at least an hour. Six enemy troops were killed in action while three were wounded. The NPA sustained no casualties. The Red Army recovered an M-16 Armalite rifle,” Kadyawan said.

The attack occurred on the eve of the NPA’s 41st anniversary.

“In an arrogantly joyful mood, the Local Terrorist Front-15 of the New People’s Army claims that they killed six soldiers in a clash early morning of March 28 in Baganga town in Davao Oriental. The claim is a show of unparalleled arrogance and disregard to human lives as they rejoice with every individual they murdered be it a soldier or an innocent civilian whom they have victimized,” Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said one soldier Private First Class Ulysses Dedumo was killed in the attack.

“The 10th Infantry Division condoles with the family of the slain soldier who was doing his job and laid down his life in service to our people in Baganga,” the army spokesman said, adding, another soldier was wounded in the fighting and is recuperating at a military hospital in Davao City.

“The erroneous, malicious and preposterous claim of LTF-15 mirrors their cunning and sly methods of deceiving our people in every avenue for their own selfish aims in projecting a position of strength but in truth is a weakness masked by their massive crimes and atrocities against the people.”

“While the communists rejoice in every death of our countrymen brought by their violent ways, the true soldiers of the people mourn in every life taken from this Earth whether it is a soldier, plain civilian or an NPA. We at the 10th Infantry Division and the whole Armed Forces of the Philippines do not celebrate the death of anyone even that of an NPA,” Garcia said, adding “we value life even that of the opponent as our own and we will do whatever it takes to preserve the life of any person even at the risk of laying down our own while the terrorists disregard it by leaving their comrades in the heat of battles repeatedly in the past.”

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines which has been fighting for decades to overthrow the democratic government and put up a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kidapawan City Holds Peace March

Members of the police and military join a rally dubbed as March for Peace in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines, More than 500 people from various groups and civil workers, students and citizens join the peace march. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Geo Solmerano)

3 wounded in Zamboanga hotel shootout

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 30, 2010) – Three people were wounded in a shootout Tuesday between two groups of armed men inside a hotel in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.

Two men were also arrested by the police in connection to the shooting inside the History Karaoke and Hotel in downtown Zamboanga. Police said the shooting occurred inside Room 415.

But it was unknown how the gunmen were able to sneak into the hotel without being detected by security guards. Police investigators said they recovered many empty bullet shells in the room.

One of those arrested by the police said they were attacked by two gunmen. It was not immediately known why police arrested him or the motive of the shootings. Investigations are going on, police said. "We were attacked. I don't know why police arrested me," he told reporters.

Other reports said the firefight resulted from a police anti-drug operation.

The shooting incidents in Zamboanga City have alarmed many citizens and so far at least 54 people had been killed in gun attacks since early this year despite a strict implementation of the gun ban. Most of the cases remain unresolved.

Guns-for-hire freely operate in Zamboanga City and recent attack had killed a prominent restaurateur. (Mindanao Examiner)

NPA owns up attack in Mindanao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 30, 2010) – New People’s Army communist rebels took responsibility Tuesday the killing of six government soldiers in an attack in the southern Philippines.

A rebel spokesman Dyomabuk Kadyawan, of the NPA’s Antonio Nerio Antao Command, said the attackers also seized an M16 rifle from the soldiers. Three more soldiers were wounded in the weekend attack in the village of Mahan-ob in Davao Oriental’s Baganga town, Kadyawan said.

He said the attack sparked a firefight that lasted more than an hour. “The guerilla offensive lasted for at least an hour. Six enemy troops were killed in action while three were wounded. The NPA sustained no casualties. The Red Army recovered an M-16 Armalite rifle,” Kadyawan said.

He said the military bragged about its victory in setting up the so-called Barangay Defense System, which proved vulnerable to rebel attack.

“The guerilla action is a slap on the enemy's face who just recently declared that Baganga in Davao Oriental is said to be NPA-free,” Kadyawan said, adding “the NPA action exposed the fascist enemy's blindness on the NPA presence in the supposedly NPA-free municipality. Despite their BDS, they have no inkling that the NPA unit was just in the vicinity where they were resting on.”

The attack occurred on the eve of the NPA’s 41st anniversary and even after authorities heightened security in areas where rebels are actively operating.

Last week, rebels raided a fruit plantation in the village of Guinhalinan in Surigao del Sur’s Barobo town and destroyed four excavators and two bulldozers owned by a sub-contractor of DOLE Philippines, Inc.

NPA forces also attacked a military detachment in the village of Luz in North Cotabato’s Mlang town and killed a government militia and wounded two more before ransacking an army detachment and seized 35 assorted high powered weapons.

But the military downplayed the attacks and branded them as terrorism.

“For more than four decades now, the New People’s Army celebrates its anniversary founded on greed rationalized by the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist creed. No wonder why the lowly NPA rebels in the mountains are fighting a losing war to satisfy the whims and caprices of their leaders who have been enriching only themselves and their families; to the detriment of the NPA rank-and-file, all in the guise of fighting a legitimate cause,” said Colonel Daniel Lucero, Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations of the Philippine Army.

He said the NPA is synonymous to violence and an enemy of Philippine democratic ideals.

“The ordinary Juan dela Cruz now abhors violence as a means to achieving an end and has vowed to stop violence and coercion in pursuing a supposedly genuine aspiration,” Lucero said.

He said the Philippines is dubbed as one of the most democratic countries in Asia.

“It is ironic to see the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army- National Democratic Front still electing to adhere to a system long outdated by evolution and modernity. Other than being a money-making extortion business with an objective aimed at advancing the personal and political ambitions of its leaders, the agenda of the CPP-NPA-NDF are quite dubious,” Lucero said.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines which has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Widows see hope in RP’s 1st female Moro executive

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Thousands of Moro mothers and women widowed in the decades-old Mindanao war are hopeful of better government attention through the infant National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCFW), to which President Gloria Arroyo installed recently a female administration.

Sakina, a 55-year widow, said she and her 6 half-orphaned children are optimistic of "priority attention" from NCFW chairwoman Bai Omeira Dimakuta Dianalan-Lucman, who has been in the forefront of women empowerment advocacy.

“We see brighter prospects in the appointment of Lucman in the NCFW, she being a woman expected to understand better the plight of hapless mothers like me,” Sakina said.

Sakina said her “freedom fighting” husband died in gunfight with soldiers in Maguindanao six years ago, forcing her children to stop schooling and become virtual street mendicants if not susceptible to recruitment to Moro rebellion.

The Mindanao armed conflict, which started in early 1970s notably between state forces and Moro rebels, has already reportedly left more than 200,000 people slain and scores others maimed. Several thousands of housewives like Sakina have been widowed and three-folds more children orphaned in the process.

Jamila, another war-widowed Moro housewife from Lanao del Sur province, said the NCMF should serve as an avenue for the government to alleviate the plight of families that have suffered from the havoc of war in Mindanao.

“The government has not been attending to our miserable lives. We could only wish that the NCMF with its pioneer female leadership would turn our dream into reality,” said Jamila, who has been engaged in a sidewalk retailing business to feed her three kids after the loss of her husband in the 2000 all-out war in Mindanao.

Lucman’s recent appointment as pioneer chairperson of NCFW made her the country’s first woman to head a national agency tasked to serve the welfare of the nation’s estimated 11 million Muslim populace.

The defunct Ministry of Muslim Affairs and the succeeding Office on Muslim Affairs had been ruled by over a dozen of male executives until the dissolution of the latter agency under Republic Act 9997, which president Arroyo signed into law on February 18 to establish the NCMF.

Among the past heads of OMA was former Ambassador Dr. Alibasher Lucman, the husband of the NCMF’s first administrator, who assumed office last March 26.

Various groups from the academic, religious, traditional, youth, business and women sectors have welcomed Lucman’s pioneer leadership of the NCMF, describing it as a breakthrough in the increasing call for women empowerment in government affairs.

Even members of the media in Mindanao have painted rosy prospects for the NCMF under Lucman, who has earlier served government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Cooperative Development Authority, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in national capacities.

Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) lead convenor Amina Rasul also lauded President Arroyo for installing Lucman to the NCMF, which she hoped could “really do something” for the underserved Muslims communities in the country.

Last Sunday, Lucman acknowledged the “valuable supports” of religious groups like the Ulama League of the Philippines and the Bishops-Ulama Conference through ULP president Judge Aboali Cali and Dr. Hamid Barra for endorsing her strongly to the NCMF top position, which is a cabinet-rank slot.

In her first 100 days in office, Lucman said, she would push for the prompt fleshing out of the transformational structure of the NCMF from the defunct OMA in order to ensure a “solid foundation for improved services for Muslim Filipinos.”

The NCMF was created through Republic Act 9997 signed by President Arroyo on February 18, replacing effectively the 23-year-old OMA.

Under the law, NCMF also has eight slots for commissioners representing different Muslim sectors which the President filled up with maiden appointees.

Appointed as commissioners are Alladin I. Ampatuan (Maguindanao), Solaiman C. Mutia (Lanao del Norte), Hatimil E. Hassan (Basilan), and Raida B. Maglangit (women sector), former mayor of Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur.

The four others are Mufti Jaafar (Tawi-Tawi), Moner M. Bajunaid (Maguindanao), Atty. Edilwasif Baddiri (Sulu, youth sector), and Aleem Sharief Julasiri Abirin (Sulu, ulama sector). (Ali G. Macabalang)

Mammoth crowd attend Tonton Acharon rally in General Santos City

Strong supporters of noted lawyer Tonton Acharon and his party gather in General Santos City. Acharon is running for mayor in General Santos City where he is popular. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 30, 2010) - It was by far the largest and the biggest political gathering seen in General Santos City’s recent history as 20,000 people converged at the Oval Plaza to witness the kick-off rally of the Bagong Gensan Movement (BGM) under the leadership of noted lawyer Tonton Acharon who is seeking to become the next mayor here after the May 10 elections.

The thousands in attendance who came Saturday from General Santos’ 26 barangays cheered, clapped and mustered unity as Acharon, an Ateneo-trained lawyer, and his party, laid in details their platform of government and wish-list as part of a larger cause to bring about change and better management in the city’s governance.

It can be recalled that the critics recently hit the city’s present leadership for its snail-paced approach to the economic and environmental crisis hounding General Santos, in part brought by the lack of alternative ways to help struggling families hit hard by the said crisis.

With his 12 councilors in tow, Acharon could only thank the mammoth crowd who braved the searing heat if only to hear him and the rest of his party mates speak.

Earlier, before the rally Plaza could start, a 300-car motorcade crisscrossed General Santos major thoroughfare with BGM candidates hopping in their respective floats.

“Ang akong vision para sa Gensan mao nga himuon nato nga usa ka world-class, peaceful and prosperous kini atong syiudad sa 2022,” Acharon boldly declared before an enthusiastic crowd, “kay panahon na nga ang magdumala sa Gensan mao mismo ang mga lumad nga mamumuyo sa Gensan,” he added.

Acharon told the crowd that he was born and raised in General Santos and continues to make a living as a lawyer for the poor and the oppressed in the city.

“Dili pareho sa ubang politiko nga ginahimo lamang ang Gensan nga murag ilang extension office kay didto sila namuyo ug gatrabato sa Metro Manila,” Acharon stressed.

Interest in the form of good serviceFor his part, Ronnel Rivera, an Acharon-ally and a candidate for councilman in General Santos, said: “Wala nako huna-hunaa nga ingon niini man diay kadaghan ang mutambong karong hapona. Nagapasabot lang ni nga nagapangayo na ug pag bag-o ang katawhan sa General Santos.”

Members of the Rivera family are known philanthropist in General Santos and own the RD Group of Companies and RD Foundation, which is active in helping the poor.

“Bilang usa ka negosyante, akong utangon ang inyong mga boto,” Rivera said in his speech. “Ayaw kamog kabalaka kay bayaran ug interesan ko kamo ug maayo ug limpyong pangserbisyo,” Rivera professed.

“Ang gipakitang simpatiya sa mga taga suporta sa Bagong Gensan Movement usa ka tin-aw nga indikasyon nga ang mga taga-General Santos gusto nang bag-uhon ang padagan sa pamolitika sa atong syiudad,” Sannie Sombrio asserted.

Sombrio, a former ABS-CBN reporter, is running for a council seat in General Santos under Acharon’s movement, the BGM.

Festive atmosphere

The rally had a festive atmosphere as food and drinking water came in handy brought by the audience themselves.

The different sectors in the city came in full force, including businessmen, representatives from the academe, students and youth organizations, groups from the urban poor organizations, farmers and fisher folk, Muslim and Lumad groups, senior citizens, among others.

The candidates also released balloons and other symbols signaling the dawn of the “new General Santos City.”

Just to hear Tonton speak

“Ako gikan pa sa Fatima. Ako ug akong lima ka anak naa diri karon para lang makakita kang Tonton Acharon,” resident Bebing Flores said, adding, she had to borrow fare to pay for the jeep to bring her and relatives to listen to Acharon speak during the rally.

“Niundang ko ug pamasada pagkakita nako nga nagdasok ang mga tawo sa Oval Plaza. Akong gipaminawan si Tonton Acharon ug akong naangayan ang iyang gipabutyag nga mga plano para sa syiudad nga usa ka pang-gobyerno nga walay ginapili nga klase sa tawong serbisyohan,” a tricycle driver, Arnold Sanchez, said.

Sanchez vowed to vote and campaign as a volunteer for Acharon and his party mates.

Members of Acharon’s Bagong Gensan Movement slate are Engineers Butch Acharon and Rommel Catolico, lawyers Art Cloma, Rafael Montilla, Abraham Nilong, Juliet Cunanan, Domdom Lagare III, Ed Sunga and Alfredo Toroctocon. (Mark Navales contributed to this report)

Triumphant Hero's Welcome For Gibo In Tarlac

PANIQUI, Tarlac — Tens of thousands of locals here momentarily dropped what they were doing, and spilled out into the streets, crowding marketplaces, school stadiums, and other major thoroughfares to welcome their hometown hero, Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gibo Teodoro.

Through a blizzard of green confetti, ear-splitting cheers and music, the Tarlaceños united to show their support for the former defense secretary in his epic journey to the May 10 presidential elections. The fresh-faced Gibo visited Thursday a slew of Tarlac municipalities, including Tarlac City, Sta. Ignacio, Camiling, and Paniqui, among others.

In Metro Manila the next day, the metropolis also turned green as thousands of Gibo supporters lined its major thoroughfares for the launching of Green Day, which was highlighted by the signing by Gibo, his running mate Edu Manzano and the six administration senatorial bets of a “Green Covenant”.

The Covenant commits them to pursue pro-poor policies; ensure clean government that is always “on the go” to respond promptly to the nation’s needs, consistent economic growth, a sustainable environment, hope for a bright future and love of country and people.

After a “Green Day” motorcade around Metro Manila, Gibo proceeded to repeat his triumphant return to Tarlac and capped the opening salvo of campaigning for local candidates by attending a grand proclamation rally in Cebu organized by Gov. Gwen Garcia.

“Ang Tarlac ay 100% sumusuporta kay Gibo, kaya hindi ako naniniwala sa mga sinasabi sa surveys, [Tarlac is 100% in support of Gibo, that’s why I don’t believe in those surveys],” Gov. Bogs Aganon said of the former House Representative for the First District of Tarlac province.

“Mahal na mahal siya ng Tarlaceño kasi maganda ang pinakita niyang panunungkulan, makatao, malinis ang track record, at siya ang tunay na maka-masa, [The Tarlaceños love him because of his style of leadership, he is for the people, he has a clean track record, and he is truly for the masses],” added the Governor.

The 1989 bar topnotcher and Harvard-trained lawyer was in the Tarlac last Thursday to touch base with his original constituency of around 650,000 voters.. He was broadsided by an overwhelming welcome from his “kababayans” in return. As the locals flocked to Gibo to get a glimpse of their chosen candidate, many were teary-eyed as they rushed to shake his hand, while some just wanted to get a glimpse of his youthful visage. Mostly, the Tarlaceños wanted to hear what he had to say.

“This visit to Tarlac is very emotional for me,” Gibo told the people of Tarlac in his local dialect. “This is the last time that I will be able to serve you officially in whatever capacity.”

The presidentiable added that although he will be in other provinces during the campaign period, he is confident that the Tarlaceños will support, and even campaign for him and for his vice president Edu Manzano, the senatoriables, mayors, and other local government officials running under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD ticket.

Gibo reminded the people that it is time for the Tarlaceños to show the rest of the country that they are for clean elections, and that they are independent thinkers.

“Kailangan natin ng independent thinking, sipag, talino, at galing ng sarili. ‘Wag nating i-asa sa makalumang politika,” said Gibo. “Ako’y malayang-malaya mag-isip ng tama, ‘yung nasa tingin kong tama, at ganyan din dapat ang mga Tarlaceño (We need independent thinking, hard work and belief in oneself. Let us not depend on old politics. I myself am a free thinker. What I feel is right, I fight for, and that is what Tarlacenos should be all about).”

Former press secretary Mike Toledo, Gibo’s spokesman and director of the G1BO 2010 Media Bureau, said that the party’s dominance in the local polls will help deliver a decisive number of votes for the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer, on top of his apparent lock on the votes of young voters, who account for a majority of this year’s electorate.

At least 51 provincial governors have given their full backing to Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gibo Teodoro during a week that saw the former defense secretary topping or moving up fast in the latest public opinion surveys or mock polls in universities and colleges.

Gibo came in 1st or 2nd in the latest mock polls in universities or universities, proving anew, according to Toledo, the apparent lock of the 1989 bar topnotcher on the votes of students and other young voters, who comprise a majority of this year’s voters.

Also, Gibo stamped his mark in a series of presidential preference surveys conducted nationwide by broadcast media giant Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) through the month of March, snagging first place in one city and numbers two or three in other parts of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

In a manifesto of support adopted last week, the governors, said their decision to back Gibo was reached after careful consideration of the track record, qualifications and platform of government of each of the presidential bets in this year’s national balloting.

“Having completed our review, our candidate for President has to be ‘Gibo’ Teodoro and no other, and for whom we hereby commit ourselves to campaigning nationwide, among our local constituencies—our vice-governors, our board members, mayors, vice-mayors, councilors, barangay captains and other local leaders— with the view to delivering to him the highest possible number of votes in our local areas,” the governors said in their joint manifesto.

The pro-Gibo manifesto was signed by, among others, Governors Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Amado Espino of Pangasinan, Isidro Zayco of Negros Occidental, Teresita Lazaro of Laguna and Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija, Michael Keon of Ilocos Norte; Deogracias Victor Savellano of Ilocos Sur; Casimiro Ynares III of Rizal; Joey Salceda of Albay; Jesus Typoco Jr. of Camarines Norte; Sally Ante Lee of Sorsogon; Erico Aumentado of Bohol; Salvacion Zaldivar Perez of Antique, Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar and Miguel Dominguez of Sarangani.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD show force in Sulu

Some 15,000 people paraded Monday, March 29, 2010 in Jolo town in Sulu province during the proclamation rally of the ruling political coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD headed by Governor Sakur Tan, who is seeking reelection in the forthcoming May general elections. Tan is campaigning for former defense chief Gilberto Teodoro who is running for the presidency, and his vice presidential candidate Edu Manzano. The proclamation rally is the biggest so far in Sulu’s political history. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 29, 2010) – Some 15,000 people paraded Monday in the southern Philippine province of Sulu in a show of force in the proclamation rally of the President Gloria arroyo’s political coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, the local coalition chairman, led the rally and vowed support to the government’s candidates headed by former defense chief Gilberto Teodoro who is running for president in the May national and local polls.

Tan, who is seeking reelection, also introduced his official slate with Abdel Anni as his running mate. Most of Tan’s candidates are veteran politicians and incumbent officials whose track records have been proven in the past.

“Let us continue what we have started – peace and order and economy and development and progress of this beautiful province – remain our top priority. Let’s all unite for peace and progress and future of Sulu,” Tan, a known philanthropist, told cheering supporters.

He also campaigned for Teodoro and Manzano and the coalition candidates for the Senate and Congress. The proclamation rally, attended by various civil society groups and various peoples’ organizations, was so far the largest in Sulu’s political history.

Supporters of Tan estimated the crowd to be 15,000-20,000 who paraded around the capital town of Jolo. Hundreds of residents also lined up the streets to welcome the rally.

“If elections are to be held today, the whole slate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD will win hands down – from the presidential candidate down to the municipal council. Governor Tan, in his three years as our leader, brought us progress and development,” said Amir Sakandal, a trader.

Filipinos are to choose their new leaders in the first ever automated elections in May 10. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sayyaf camp falls in Sulu, sub-leader killed in firefight with troops

Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron in this undated photo from the US Rewards for Justice Program. (Mindanao Examiner)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 28, 2010) – Government troops captured an encampment of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, the military said Sunday.

It said an undetermined number of militants were also killed and two soldiers wounded in the fighting Friday that led to the fall of the encampment in the hinterland village of Panglayahan in Patikul town.

“The camp, which was strategically located at the foot hill of the mountainous Sinumaan complex, was heavily defended by about fifty Abu Sayyaf fighters. They, however, retreated after a fierce firefight resulting to numerous casualties on the terrorist while two Marines were wounded,” said Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero, commander of military forces in Sulu province.

The fighting was part of the military operation to capture senior militant leader Radullan Sahiron, a former commander of the Moro National Liberation Front which signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996.

It was unclear whether Sahiron was in the camp during the fighting or if he had escaped the offensive. But one of Sahiron’s aide was killed in the fighting and that his body was recovered at the weekend.

Troops also recovered 57 rockets and assorted weapons from the camp, Guerrero said.

Sahiron is one of top Abu Sayyaf leaders wanted by the United States for terrorism.

Washington also offered as much as $1 million reward for the capture of Sahiron, who was one of those behind the kidnappings of 21 mostly Western holidaymakers in Malaysia’s resort island of Sipadan in 2001 and three US citizens, including 17 Filipinos kidnapped from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan province in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)

Comprehensive planning on plight of refugees needed — UN mission

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Comprehensively planned efforts are needed to address the nagging plight in refuge centers of conflict-affected villagers and end the cyclical evacuation in this oft-embattled province, according to a United Nations mission.

“We have yet to develop a good plan for the internally displaced persons in the region,” said Australian Counselor Neil McFarlane of a United Nations team, who visited evacuation centers here and in nearby Maguindanao towns on March 25.

McFarlane, head of a 12-member UN-Office of the Commission on Humanitarian Aid visiting mission, said that “so much has yet to be done” to restore to normal the life of thousands of evacuees housed in evacuation centers in this province and other troubled spots of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.”

It was learned that the UN-OCHA delegation was tasked to conduct actual inspections of refuge centers and recommend interventions that would hasten the return of evacuees to their places of origin under better economic status.

McFarlane was accompanied by Geert Vansistjan of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Michael Curtis – head of Sector DG ECHO 01; French Permanent Mission Jean Paul Seytre; Suzanne Loughlin – New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Oystein Lyngroth – Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Emma Leonard – Ireland Irish Aid; Nance Kyloh – USAID; Gi Domingo – AusAID; and Nick Horne, Carmen Van Heese and Akiko Yoshida, all of OCHA.

The group visited three evacuation centers here where its partner agency, the World Food Program, distributed its last batch of rice loaded in 11 delivery trucks for distribution to some 11,752 evacuees who have recently returned home after their respective areas were cleared by government forces of Muslim rebels.

Each evacuee-family of five received five kilos of rice and a kilo of mongo seeds during the visit, WFP National Program Officer Michael Argonza said.

Over 33,000 individuals were displaced in at least 11 towns of Maguindanao, including this town, following the outbreak of conflict between military and Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces in August 2008.

The conflict stemmed from a Supreme Court decision junking an ancestral domain deal drafted by government and MILF peace negotiators to pave the way for the inclusion of some 700 villages in an expanded ARMM area to be called Bangsamoro Judicial Entity.

Records provided by the ARMM’s Department of Social Welfare and Development said that as of March 23, at least 16,131 individuals are still staying in various evacuation shelters in Maguindanao. (Ali Macabalang)

NPA rebels raid DOLE campsite in Philippines

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 28, 2010) – Philippine Maoist rebels raided a pineapple plantation in the southern island of Mindanao and destroyed equipment after a failed extortion, security officials said Sunday.

Officials said New People’s Army rebels stormed the village of Guinhalinan in Surigao del Sur’s Barobo town late Saturday and destroyed four excavators and two bulldozers owned by a sub-contractor of DOLE Philippines, Inc.

“Armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army’s Guerilla Front 14 swooped down on DOLE’s camp site and burned four backhoes and two bulldozers. The burning was related to DOLE’s refusal to give in to the extortion demands of the New People’s Army,” said Army Major Michelle Anayron, a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division.

Dole Philippines is a leading multi-national company that operates fully integrated agricultural and industrial facilities, with a 24,000-acre base plantation, two cannery complexes, with a can and packaging and fresh fruit plants; shipping and wharf operation with a box and labels plant. It has an additional 18,000 acres of grower farms within the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani in Mindanao and employs almost 6,000 regular employees.

It was the second attack by the rebels in two days. Some 50 communist rebels on Friday also raided the village of Luz in North Cotabato’s Mlang town and killed a government militia and wounded two more before ransacking an army detachment and seized 35 assorted high powered weapons.

Major General Mario Chan, the regional army commander, branded the attack as terrorism and ordered troops to track down the rebels.

“It has been a pattern for the New People’s Army to extort money from legitimate companies. Those who refused to give money are punished by the New People’s Army – they target top management officers for liquidation or burn their equipment like what the New People’s Army did to DOLE Philippines,” he said. “This is clearly an act of terrorism; indeed kidnap-for-ransom is what separates the New People’s Army from the Abu Sayyaf.”

The Abu Sayyaf has been linked by Philippine authorities to the spate of terrorism and kidnappings of wealthy traders in exchange for ransom. It is also tied by authorities to the al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya terror groups.

The NPA is fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. Government peace talks with rebels collapsed in 2004 after communist negotiators accused President Gloria Arroyo of reneging on several humanitarian agreements, among them the release of all political detainees in the country and to put a stop on extrajudicial killings of activists opposed to Arroyo’s rule. (Mindanao Examiner)

Mindanao joins Earth Hour 2010

A torch is lighted to give light as darkness sweeps over Davao City in Mindanao as hundreds, including members of the Boy Scout of the Philippines, join the Earth Hour. The youth led by KABATAAN Party-list in Davao City also staged a “snake” rally denouncing the Arroyo administration for the alleged outright sell-out of the environment and natural resources to foreign multi-national corporations. (Photos by Karlos Manlupig)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 28, 2010) – Hundreds of people lit torches and switched off their lights in Davao City in Mindanao as they joined the world in Earth Hour 2010 to save energy and make a stand against climate change.

Members of the Boy Scout of the Philippines and the Kabataan Party List also joined the Earth Hour 2010 in Davao City. The party list group also took the occasion to air its grievances against President Gloria Arroyo’s policies on the environment and energy and other social issues.

In Kidapawan and Zamboanga and other key cities in Mindanao, lights were also turned off to conserve energy. People from all walks of life also joined Earth Hour 2010.

But many areas in the southern Filipino region were also in total darkness because of power outage due to the continued dry spell. In Zamboanga City, many villages were without lights and black out can be as long as three hours every night.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating, according to the website earthhour.org.

It said global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 took place on March 27 at 8.30 p.m. and was a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It was a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future.

Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas stood in darkness and people across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and joined together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – the planet. (Geo Solmerano and Karlos Manlupig contributed to this report.)

Gibo Rules In Campus Mock Polls

MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gibo Teodoro continues to dominate the mock elections for presidential candidates in school campuses nationwide as shown in the latest poll results in two top universities, which reflect his significant improvement in recent independent surveys, particularly among the youth.

At the University of Asia & the Pacific, Gibo was the runaway winner in the mock polls with 44% of the total number of 1,076 students who had voted choosing him as the country’s next president.

His rating is a 17% lead over the second top choice, Sen. Benigno Aquino III, with 27%. Sen. Richard Gordon was in third place with 17%, while Sen. Manuel Villar followed with 7%, and former Joseph Estrada and Councilor JC de los Reyes with 2% each. TV evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva got 1%.

At the St. Louis University in Baguio, Gibo, a former defense secretary, Harvard-educated lawyer and 1989 bar topnotcher, also emerged as the top choice of students with 241 out of the total of 760 votes cast.

Aquino was again in second place with 231 votes, followed by Villar with 161 votes. Gordon got 76 votes, while Estrada got 12, Villanueva 21, Nicanor Perlas 8, disqualified candidate Vetaliano Acosta, 5, Sen. Jamby Madrigal 4, and De los Reyes, 1.

At the Ateneo de Davao University, Gibo was second to Aquino who got the top spot in the mock polls. Gordon was third, followed by Villar, Estrada, Villanueva, De Los Reyes, Perlas and Madrigal.

Besides these mock elections, Gibo also topped an informal poll of presidential candidates conducted recently among leading alumni and officers of the University of the East (UE) at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

Leading representatives from the UE colleges of business administration, engineering, arts and sciences, computer science, and dentistry, took part in the small, but influential straw vote, which resulted in Gibo beating the other presidentiables.

“The secret balloting, which was done on a spur of the moment after our regular monthly meeting, clearly shows that within a group of thinking voters such as business professionals, academics and even undergraduate students, Gibo always wins due to his obvious intelligence and no-nonsense platform of government,” said Jesus Tanchanco, former National Food Administration administrator and UE adviser for alumni affairs.

Tanchanco said the participants in the voting were all leading figures in their respective professions. “They felt that Gibo’s substance is his best quality in the sense that while others give motherhood statements, Gibo touches on specifics on what he actually intends to do when he becomes president.”

Lawyer Mike Toledo, the former press secretary who is now Gibo’s spokesman and director of the G1BO 2010 Media Bureau, said the outcome of the UE balloting dovetails with the significant improvement in Gibo’s ratings in recent independent surveys, particularly as he starts converting young Filipinos, along with other voters to his side every time they hear him speak, and get to know about him and his impressive credentials and concrete platform of government.

The results of the latest campus mock polls were released after an independent survey done by the research firm Campaigns and Image Group in the period ending March 7 showed Gibo already No. 2 among the voters’ preferences for President with a 24% rating.

The survey of Campaigns and Image, which was done by sector and by age brackets, was able to trace where Gibo’s strengths lie—which is among voters aged 18-28 and 29-39 years old.

Toledo said Gibo’s “secret weapons”—the youth which comprises the biggest voting bloc in this year’s national balloting, and the formidable campaign machinery of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD CMD—will carry Gibo to victory in the May 10 elections.

Gibo has also topped the mock elections held earlier at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he beat Aquino, an alumnus, for the top spot; the De La Salle University, where he clobbered other presidentiables with a commanding 67% share of the votes; and Holy Angels University in Pampanga.

At the University of Sto. Tomas, Gibo was statistically tied with Aquino, garnering 34.7 percent and 33.5 percent of the votes, respectively.

Over the past months, Gibo has impressed not only students, but even government critics, veteran journalists, business leaders and other professionals, during presidential debates and forums.

Toledo said that being the administration bet, Gibo has the backing of the country’s largest political party. “The surge in his ratings will be complemented by a minimum 15% of the votes that would be delivered by the formidable political machinery of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD CMD down to the grassroots,” he added.

The ruling party has candidates for 170 or 73.9 percent of all House seats up for grabs, 64 or 80 percent of the 86 gubernatorial posts, 86 or 71.7 percent of the 126 mayoralty seats and 1,043 or 69 percent of all seats for municipal mayors.