MSU bares action plan for academic excellence

MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 19, 2011) – The government-run Mindanao State University in the southern Philippines has bared a five-point action plan to enhance further its quality of education and become a model for academic excellence.

Cadidia Pimping, Director of the MSU System Training Center, said the components of the action plan include the students, faculty members, physical facilities, instructional materials and administrative employees.

The official said all stakeholders must work together to achieve the mandate of the institution.

Pimping said the action plan is in line with the program of the current MSU leadership. MSU, Pimping said, is more vibrant not only in the academic field, but also in research and extension and community services.

Then Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo put education, especially for the poor, in her utmost priority, according to Pimping, who also cited the former president’s education program in Mindanao.

Pimping emphasized the importance of a harmonious relationship among faculty members and teachers in different levels and committed to quality education.

MSU President Dr. Macapado Muslim also lauded the programs of Arroyo, saying that academic competitiveness would result to excellence and quality education performance of our students. (Asa Madale)

Coal-fired power plant in Davao City opposed

In commemoration of Earth Day, environmental activists in Davao City in Mindanao stage a protest rally against the proposed Aboitiz’s 300 MW coal- fired power plant. Anti-coal power groups PANALIPDAN and 'NO TO COAL' also led a fluvial parade in and called on the public to reject the the proposal, saying, the coal plant will bring pollution to Davao City and threatened the environment. (Photo by Karlos Manlupig)

Peace workers turn to livelihood programs in Mindanao

Banana fiber.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 19, 2011) – Southern Philippine officials praised the military for its peace and development efforts in the region and vowed to continue supporting various program aimed at providing livelihood programs to civilians.

In New Bataan town, Mayor Lorenzo Balbin was quoted by the Army’s 10th Infantry Division as saying that the cooperation between the local government and the military resulted in good partnership among the villagers and soldiers.

Just recently, the so-called ‘peace and development volunteers’ in the town finished a livelihood seminar on banana fiber production and were able to sell over P60,000 worth of products to Japan through the Banana Fiber Production Industry.

The seminar was made possible through the 66th Infantry Battalion which coordinated with AZTROPEX, an international exporter of banana products.

“This is the result of cooperation and understanding between the local government unit of New Bataan and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We are thankful for the partnership that we have with the 66th Infantry Battalion and now we have nine villages that had been provided livelihood projects,” the mayor said.

Rebel attacks kill militia, 3 others injured in Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 19, 2011) – Communist insurgents attacked a group of pro-government militias on Tuesday in the southern Philippines and killing one of them, security officials said.

Officials said the militias were patrolling the village of Puyat in Surigao del Sur’s Carmen town when New People’s Army fighters detonated a landmine. The attack sparked a firefight, said Major Eugenio Osias, a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division.

“The insurgents have been using landmines. And the use of landmines is banned around the world and NPA mines have killed a lot of innocent civilians in the past,” he said.

The attack, he said, occurred near the wood processing plant of the Surigao Development Corporation, which had been previously stormed by rebels who are fighting for a separate state in the largely Catholic nation.

On Monday, rebels also ambushed the car of Mayor Cesar Diaz, of Surigao del Norte’s Tagana-an town and wounded three people, the military said, adding the politician was unhurt in the attack. (Mindanao Examiner)

ICRC donates sterilizer to Cotabato hospital

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 18, 2011) – The International Committee of the Red Cross handed over on Monday a state-of-the-art sterilizer to the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in the southern Philippines.

The equipment from Germany uses heat to sterilize dressings, essential materials and instruments for surgery and the equipment will further enhance the safety of patients and help the public hospital provide even better services.

“The hospital will now be able to perform surgery without any delays due to old equipment," said ICRC health delegate Elizabeth Avril Patterson. “The ICRC donated the sterilizer in response to a request from hospital management, who were keen to ensure that their facility was properly equipped.”

The Cotabato Regional Medical Center is the only government tertiary hospital in Central Mindanao and provides a vital service to the population in this violence-affected region. The hospital treats many patients from outside Cotabato City, most of them from Maguindanao, but some from as far away as Lanao del Sur and Basilan.

"All materials used for surgery – from gowns to water – undergo sterilization as part of infection control. With the new sterilizer, we can provide our patients with an even higher level of safety than before," said Dr Helen Yambao, who heads the hospital.

To improve access to health care, the ICRC supports 13 hospitals in Mindanao by regularly providing essential drugs and medical supplies, and financing individual treatment in particularly vulnerable cases. Four other hospitals also receive assistance.

The ICRC recently handed over a skin graft set to Davao City’s Southern Philippines Medical Center, which is the largest hospital in Mindanao. The set will help the hospital treat the victims of burns.

The ICRC is a neutral and impartial organization that assists and protects victims of armed conflict and situations of violence. In the Philippines, it works in conflict-affected areas to promote respect for civilians and improve their access to basic services. The ICRC also visits detainees to ensure their proper treatment.

Kidnapped Zamboanga student freed

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 17, 2011) – Philippine police said a student kidnapped in Zamboanga in Mindanao had been freed after his family paid ransom to his captors.

It said Joel Indino Jr was released in the neighboring province of Zamboanga Sibugay after his kidnapping in January. Indino’s kidnapping was not reported by his family fearing his captors would kill him.

Local authorities were not even aware of the kidnapping. Indino was allegedly freed in exchange for P1 million paid by his family.

No other details were made available by the police or Indino’s family. Authorities did not say who and how Indino was kidnapped and spirited out of Zamboanga.

But previous kidnappings in Zamboanga have been largely blamed to the Abu Sayyaf and Moro rebels. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding a Chinese-Filipino trader Larry Tam delos Santos who was kidnapped in December in Basilan’s Isabela City.

And the group is said to be behind two more kidnappings which occurred in Zamboanga City and in the town of Titay in Zamboanga Sibugay province and that the victims – Olivia Barredo, 36, and Randy Talania, 9, were allegedly taken to Basilan.

Last month, Abu Sayyaf militants barged into the house of a businessman in Basilan and abducted his caretaker, Rolando dela Cruz, after failing to kidnap thetrader, Charlie Cawley. The gang abandoned their hostage and was recovered safely by pursuing army soldiers. (Mindanao Examiner)

Palm Sunday!

Catholic devotees carrying palm march during a procession Sunday, April 17, 2011 in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines which signals the start of the season of Lent. (Geo Solmerano – Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Philippines releases detained HK ship

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 17, 2011) – The Philippine military said it released a Hong Kong boat earlier detained by security forces for poaching off Mindanao.

It said the boat was transporting Chinese businessmen to Tawi-Tawi who were interested in the local seaweed industry. “Latest report said the boat was only transporting Chinese businessmen to Tawi-Tawi because they are interested in the province’s huge seaweed industry,” said Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command.

The military reported on Friday that security forces held the ship’s 18 Chinese and Filipino crewmen after soldiers seized assorted weapons in the boat off Tawi-Tawi province.

It said authorities were questioning the skipper of the ship Mai Ya Si, a Hong Kong national, including 7 Chinese and 11 Filipino seamen, who were also accused of poaching near the islands of Sibutu and Sitangkai late Wednesday.

The boat was also suspected of transporting illegal shipment of weapons and drugs into the country, the military said.
“The vessel was poaching in the waters of Sibutu and Sitangkai islands in Tawi-Tawi province while illegally flying a Philippine flag. The ship was also suspected to be transporting assorted weapons, illegal drugs and chemicals used in the manufacture of illegal drugs,” the report said, adding the Filipino crewmen were composed of five policemen, a retired officer, an ex-air force soldier and five other ship workers.

“A search conducted on the boat led to the seizure of two M14 automatic rifles, four M16 automatic rifles, and an M16 with an M203 grenade launcher,” it said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Young Filipino actor AJ Perez dies from road accident

AJ Perez. (Photo from johnvan-johnvan.blogspot.com)

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 17, 2011) – A young Filipino actor was killed before dawn Sunday after his car crashed on a bus and a truck in Tarlac province as he headed home from a road show in Dagupan City, reports said.

It said Antonello Joseph Perez, popularly known as AJ Perez, died from multiple head injuries after the accident that occurred at around 12.2o a.m. in the town of Paniqui. Perez was with his father, a driver and a bodyguard during the mishap.

There were no immediate reports about the other occupants of the car.

“He just finished a show in Dagupan, Pangasinan, which celebrated its annual Bangus Festival. His last tweet—which was posted four hours ago, or around 11:00 p.m.—read, "On the way home already from Dagupan.Long drive ahead.. Thanks to everybody who watched...,"the Philippine Entertainment Portal reported.

Pangasinan is a neighboring province of Tarlac. (Mindanao Examiner)

Zamboanga braces for Lenten Week

The statue of the centuries-old Virgin Mary in Fort Pilar in Zamboanga in the southern Philippines is one of the most worshipped Christian icons in the city. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 17, 2011) – Thousands of Catholic faithful are expected to flock to Zamboanga’s so-called ‘holy hill’ to observe the weeklong season of Lent – a retreat from their daily chores and meditate in prayers in every stations of the cross erected in Pasonanca village.

The ‘holy week’ also serves as a get-together to many Christian families in Zamboanga, now popularly branded as Asia’s Latin City because of its unique language called Chavacano - a mixture of Spanish and several Filipino dialects which is distinct in the Philippines. Shops, which sell souvenir shirts with images of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary to cell phone cards, also sprout like wild mushrooms - in every corner of the hill located above Abong-Abong Park - taking advantage of the long holiday.

Dozens of Catholic churches to small chapels across Zamboanga also offer masses and hold processions where locals parade their statues of Christ, or the Virgin Mary, all in colorful costumes and sing hymns as they walk for hours around villages.

The observance of the Lent also is the holiest time for those who believe or practice witchcraft or black magic, and even voodoo which they believe give them and their talisman more powers. Zamboanga is a place where many locals believe in the supernatural and black magic and a long list of superstitious beliefs handed down from past generations.

The Lenten season, many natives believe, is the most important time to repent and ask forgiveness for their sins. The observance of the holy week in Zamboanga is more simple and sacred unlike in other parts of the country where Filipino penitents and devotees who are following in the footsteps of Christ go to extreme and are nailed to a cross,

Catholics here also abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Holy Friday, while some go on fasting the whole week believing it would cleanse their spiritual body and bring them closer to god.

Locals sing passionately and perform plays depicting Christ’s death and resurrection in some villages which is a long-time Lenten tradition. And Easter Sunday brings many families together in the pristine beaches and resorts in Zamboanga to celebrate the end of the Lenten week. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Sayyaf killed in Basilan clash

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 16, 2011) – Government troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf militants on Saturday killing two gunmen in the restive southern Filipino province of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said three militants and three soldiers were also wounded in the firefight that erupted at around 6.15 a.m. in the town of Al-Barka, also a known stronghold of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels who are currently negotiating peace with Manila.

Security forces were patrolling the village when they ran into a group of Abu Sayyaf militants and a running gun battle erupted.

Troops also recovered five Abu Sayyaf automatic rifles and that helicopters were dispatched to provide cover to ground troops pursuing the militants.

“We are pursuing the Abu Sayyaf in the hinterlands,” said Colonel Alex Macario, commander of military forces in Basilan, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

He said soldiers clashed with about 15 Abu Sayyaf fighters under Nur Hassan Jamiri, but it was not immediately known whether the notorious leader was with the group or not.

Last week, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants detonated a powerful bomb at a lodging house in Basilan’s Lamitan City and planted two more improvised explosives in nearby Isabela City.

Military agents said a woman was taken into custody for questioning in connection to the attack. And another man who is believed to be her accomplish was also being hunted by soldiers.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding a local trader Larry Tam delos Santos who was kidnapped in December in Isabela City. Two other victims who were kidnapped in Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Sibugay province have been reported to be in the province, just several nautical miles south of here.

Authorities have blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the string of terrorism and kidnappings for ransom in the western part of Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine poverty alleviation project successful

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2011) - No more long hours of labor pains for mothers who need to travel for hours in the remote village of Buenaflores in Senator Ninoy Aquino town in Sultan Kudarat province in Mindanao.

“The men would take turns holding both ends of a bed sheet fashioned in a hammock and walk for six hours to reach a makeshift health clinic in the next town,” villager Luisa Patarata said.

In cases of accidents, as many as 10 men would carry a patient to the nearest doctor in Tacurong City, some 90 kilometers off Senator Ninoy Aquino town. “This is how hard life is in Senator Ninoy Aquino,” Patarata shared.

Home to 36,000 people that lie on subsistence farming, Senator Ninoy Aquino lies on muddy, rocky roads, almost impassable boondocks, 90 kilometers from Tacurong.

In this far-away landscape, villagers struggle to enjoy a better life, find potable water, and hope that sickness or medical emergency do not strike, forcing them to make a long journey down to the health clinic in the city.

Soon, their anguish will be over, thanks to the government’s anti-poverty program Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services or KALAHI-CIDSS.

In 2010, KALAHI-CIDSS provided P9 million-worth of basic services to demonstrate empowerment and immediate progress to residents, identifying 20 villages where programs were needed.

The resulting partnership between the local government unit of Senator Ninoy Aquino and the Department of Social Welfare and Development-led KALAHI-CIDSS project will begin building additional classrooms, bridges, construction of clinics, water systems, and post-harvest facilities.

Patarata said the construction of a health center in Buenaflores, home to nearly 400 families, is a very welcome development to the residents because soon their barangay will have health workers who will be ready to provide health services.

Patarata, a mother of six children, welcomed the thought of the clinic, to rise in the next three months, explaining, “Before I used to take my children to Tacurong for emergencies and vaccinations. The road is very bad and sometimes there is no transport. In the next few months, the difference will be huge. You can get treatment here. Before, we lived in a very difficult situation and now that problem is solved. We are conveying our gratitude and thanks to KALAHI-CIDSS.”

Senator Ninoy Aquino Vice Mayor Emily delos Santos said: “The people have been waiting for this clinic for a long time. We used to take sick people to Tacurong. The people have suffered so much. Today we’re saying ‘Thanks to KALAHI-CIDSS and our government.’ We’re happy and grateful. Our kids can be treated in our village and our women can deliver here. It’s going to be huge impact. We will take good care of our clinic.”

The construction of the community health clinic, which costs P1 million, is only one of the projects that the residents themselves decided to put up as recipients of KALAHI-CIDSS. Of the 20 villages, nine will have to enjoy the benefits of the project.

“The barangay residents themselves decided to build a health center where midwives and nurses can immediately attend to the needs of the residents,” said Mayor Dante Manganaan.

“The KALAHI-CIDSS goals in Buenaflores village is to increase and improve access to and quality of health care, and increase the capacity of the residents. The government understood the difficulties the villagers’ faced.” said project manager Gemma Rivera.

KALAHI-CIDSS is the Philippine government’s flagship poverty-alleviation project implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the financial support of the World Bank. It stands for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services Kapangyarihan at Kaunlararan sa Barangay.

Children's rights groups hold seminar for kids in Davao City

A Filipino boy performs breakdance in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2011) – Two Filipino children’s rights institutions - the Children’s Rehabilitation Center and KABIBA ALLIANCE – marked this year’s commemoration of Earth Day with a workshop here on Children’s Environmental Rights, stressing the urgent necessity to take action against environmental destruction as one of the major threats to children’s health and safety.

The workshop, held at the Sunken Garden of the Peoples’ Park, was attended by dozens of children. The young participants created posters showing the kind of environment they want to grow up in. On a big cloth, their hand imprints sealed their calls for clean air, water, seas and rivers, organizers said.

Bearing the theme “Pagduso sa Katungod sa mga Bata Alang sa Himsog ug Makiangayon nga Kinaiyahan,” the workshop incorporated creative forms of educational inputs on the rights of the child, and their ecological rights. A story on the impact of climate change and coal-fired power plants was also presented.

“The direct correlation between environmental hazards and children’s health is clear. It is the children who suffer most from pollutions caused mainly by heavy industries, lack of access to water, and other environmental factors,” said Girley Dela Cerna, Executive Director of CRC in Southern Mindanao.

Citing the World Health Organization, CRC said it is alarming that “of the global total burden of disease, a substantial proportion (up to one third) is caused by environmental risk factors, and 40% of this falls on children under five (who constitute 10% of the world's population). Over five million children per year ages 0-14 years old die from illnesses and other conditions caused by the environments in which they live, learn and play.”

Dela Cerna said: “A known fact is that as much as 60 percent of acute respiratory infections worldwide are related to environmental conditions and cause the death of more than 1.6 M annually. This worsens year on year as extractive and highly polluting industries are relentlessly built such as the ten additional coal-fired power plants planned to be built in the country, one of which will be put up here in Davao City.”

Frisbee Boys

Two Filipino boys play Frisbee in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines. The largely Catholic country is observing the season of Lent next week. (Geo Solmerano - Mindanao Examiner Photo)

The Philippine Eagle

This majestic giant forest raptor is endemic to the Philippines and is considered one of the largest and most powerful Eagles in the world. A seven-year-old Philippine Eagle (Pithecopaga jefferyi) named ‘Scout Binay’ displaying its feathers at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City in the southern Philippines. It can grow a meter in height with a wing span of up to seven feet (two meters). It is however, one of the worlds rarest and most critically endangered, with only 500 pairs remaining in the wild. These birds are still hunted for food by locals, or for sport despite it being protected by law. The Center is trying to revive the numbers of these beautiful eagles and have been breeding them in captivity. (Mark Navales - Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Philippines detains Hong Kong boat

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2011) – Philippine authorities have detained more than a dozen Chinese and Filipino crew of a Hong Kong fishing boat where soldiers had seized assorted weapons off Tawi-Tawi province, officials said.

Officials said the authorities were questioning the skipper of the ship Mai Ya Si, a Hong Kong national, including 7 Chinese and 11 Filipino seamen, who were also accused of poaching near the islands of Sibutu and Sitangkai late Wednesday.

The boat was also suspected of transporting illegal shipment of weapons and drugs into the country, said Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command.

“The vessel was poaching in the waters of Sibutu and Sitangkai islands in Tawi-Tawi province while illegally flying a Philippine flag. The ship was also suspected to be transporting assorted weapons, illegal drugs and chemicals used in the manufacture of illegal drugs,” he said without further elaborating, but claimed that the Filipino crewmen were composed of five policemen, a retired officer, an ex-air force soldier and five other ship workers.

“A search conducted on the boat led to the seizure of two M14 automatic rifles, four M16 automatic rifles, and an M16 with an M203 grenade launcher,” the spokesman said.

No other details were made available by the military, but said the ship is being held by authorities in Tawi-Tawi province. (Mindanao Examiner)

Four soldiers wounded in Mindanao rebel attack, 3 others abducted

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2011) – Four government soldiers were wounded in a landmine explosion Friday in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley, officials said.

Officials said troops were securing a military humanitarian mission in the village of Parasanon in Maragusan town when the attack occurred at around 1.30 p.m.

The attack, staged by New People’s Army rebels, sparked a fierce firefight that lasted for 2 hours. There were no reports of rebel casualties.

“Troops were securing the peace and development teams conducting community outreach program in the area when the landmine exploded. This ensued to a successive fire fights that lasted for almost two hours against the NPA members,” said Lieutenant Colonel Lyndon Paniza, a regional army spokesman.

“NPA outlaws continuously opt to be blind and deaf in the call to stop using improvised landmines despite its prohibition slated under the 1997 Ottawa Convention. Despite the incident our continued effort and commitment towards a genuine peace and development in the area remain,” he said.

Paniza said troops also recovered some 300 meters of wire used in making landmines.

The attack came a day after communist rebels seized two soldiers and a former village official also engaged in peace and development efforts in the village of Datu Inda in North Cotabato’s President Roxas town.

“The duo was part of the 57th Infantry Battalion team coordinating with village officials for the conduct of peace and development outreach programs in the area,” said Major Marlowe Patria, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division.

He said troops were sent to the town to track down and rescue the hostages.

There was no immediate statement from the rebels who are fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. But the rebel group has previously accused the military of using peace and development efforts as a cover to launch attacks against the New People's Army in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Four soldiers wounded in Mindanao rebel attack, 3 others abducted

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 15, 2011) – Four government soldiers were wounded in a landmine explosion Friday in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley, officials said.

Officials said troops were securing a military humanitarian mission in the village of Parasanon in Maragusan town when the attack occurred at around 1.30 p.m.

The attack, staged by New People’s Army rebels, sparked a fierce firefight that lasted for 2 hours. There were no reports of rebel casualties.

“Troops were securing the peace and development teams conducting community outreach program in the area when the landmine exploded. This ensued to a successive fire fights that lasted for almost two hours against the NPA members,” said Lieutenant Colonel Lyndon Paniza, a regional army spokesman.

“NPA outlaws continuously opt to be blind and deaf in the call to stop using improvised landmines despite its prohibition slated under the 1997 Ottawa Convention. Despite the incident our continued effort and commitment towards a genuine peace and development in the area remain,” he said.

Paniza said troops also recovered some 300 meters of wire used in making landmines.

The attack came a day after communist rebels seized two soldiers and a former village official also engaged in peace and development efforts in the village of Datu Inda in North Cotabato’s President Roxas town.

“The duo was part of the 57th Infantry Battalion team coordinating with village officials for the conduct of peace and development outreach programs in the area,” said Major Marlowe Patria, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division.

He said troops were sent to the town to track down and rescue the hostages.

There was no immediate statement from the rebels who are fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. But the rebel group has previously accused the military of using peace and development efforts as a cover to launch attacks against the New People's Army in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

Gunmen kill Mindanao miners' leader

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 14, 2011) – Unidentified gunmen shot dead a militant leader who heads a group of small scale miners in the southern Philippines, local human rights groups said Thursday.

It said at least four gunmen were involved in Tuesday attack that killed Santos Manrique in the town of Pantukan in Compostela Valley province in Mindanao.

Manrique, 49, was having dinner when gunmen barged in his house and shot him repeatedly and then fled on motorcycles.

“The blame for Ricky Manrique’s death falls squarely on the shoulder of President Aquino, who has not taken concrete steps to punish those responsible for extrajudicial killings in the ranks of the workers and other marginalized sectors,” said Emma Ricaforte, executive director of the Mindanao-based Nonoy Librado Development Foundation.

Ricaforte’s group, which is backing workers’ rights and their welfare, condemned the killing and blamed Aquino’s inaction in resolving extrajudicial killings for the continuing atmosphere of impunity in the country.

Last year when Aquino was elected president, the former senator said he will put a stop to extrajudicial killings which is widespread in the Philippines. Human rights groups have blamed most of the killings to the military and its militias.

“Until we see proof that the number of deaths and other human rights violations are going down and that perpetrators are being punished, we will consider this administration’s proclamations cheap talk,” she said.

Ricaforte expressed fear that Manrique would just be another unsolved death. She said that the mining leader was a great loss because he bravely opposed the operations of large-scale mining companies. “At the time of his death, he led the stand against the Nationwide Development Corporation and its partner, the United States-owned Russell Mining and Minerals, Inc.,” she said.

She said they also feared that the organized workers are being targeted because they are the most vocal about demanding their rights and also because of their meager number.

Ricaforte said a recent report by the Manila-based Center for Trade Union and Human Rights showed that only 237,000 or 12 percent of the country’s 19.5 million workforce are unionized.

A human rights group called Karapatan in Southern Mindanao said Manrique was the president of the federation of miners in Pantukan town and also a member of the Anakpawis party list.

It said Manrique was 44th victims of extrajudicial killings since Aquino took over from President Gloria Arroyo who had recorded at least 173 extrajudicial murders during her time from 2001 to 2010.

“We are adamant that the Aquino administration is taking a different course from that of the Arroyo administration. With a total number of 44 victims under the Aquino administration in just 10 months, this means four to five victims of political killings a month,” said Hanimay Suazo, acting deputy secretary-general of Karapatan party list.

She said the mining leader was the 6th victim of extrajudicial killings in southern Mindanao. “Five previous cases of political killings in the region are yet to be resolved, and now, another victim is added to the list. We can only conclude that the perpetrators of the political killings are on a killing spree,” Suazo said.

“We believe that the deceptive Oplan (Operation Plan) Bayanihan, which parades itself as a counter-insurgency campaign that respects human rights is responsible for the killings. The census that the military is doing during their civil-military operations or the peace and development teams in the community gathers intelligence information on the members and leaders of progressive organizations and the information are then forwarded to their operatives,” she said, referring to the government’s anti-insurgency campaign where most of those reported killed in random attacks were political activists.

“We demand the Aquino administration to abandon its counter-insurgency operation that is plainly similar to the previous Oplans which targets unarmed civilians,” she said.

But it was unknown whether the military or soldiers were involved in the latest killing or not. (Mindanao Examiner)

Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao holds seminar in Zamboanga Norte

DIPOLOG CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 14, 2011) – The Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao has conducted Thursday a seminar on fundamentals of minerals development in Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern Philippines.

Various groups, from local government units to religious organizations, including the business sectors attended the seminar which aims to bridge the information gap between the mining industry and its stakeholders in Mindanao and to engender better understanding and cooperation between and among the industry players and other sectors in the community.

The official Philippine Information Agency said the seminar was supported by the University of the Philippines-Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Western Mindanao and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Mindanao.

The seminar on fundamentals of minerals development, which is an abridged version of Mining 101 course, tackled many topics that included industrial development in first world countries, uses of minerals and metals in daily lives, the Philippines’ mineral endowment, relevant provisions of Mining Act of 1995, mining and metallurgy, benefits in mining and environmental management and protection, among others.

The organizers invited speakers from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Philippine Mine Safety and Environmental Association, TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc., Philex Gold Phils., Inc. and community leaders from mining sites in Zamboanga del Norte where TVI and Philex Gold Phils are operating.

The Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao is composed mostly of mining firms operating in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner, Philippine Information Agency)

3D advocates get Fabian's support in conduct of consultations in D2: Zamboanga Today

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The 3rd (Legislative) District Advocates yesterday sought Congressman Erbie Fabian's support and permission to conduct consultations and dialogue in the different barangays under District II in order to get the true sentiments of the people with regard to the creation of a third legislative district in Zamboanga City.

Councilors Rommel Agan, Mel Sadain, Cesar Jimenez Jr., former Vice Mayor Mannix Dalipe, former Councilors Al Jihan Edding and Atty. Kim Elago yesterday afternoon paid a courtesy call on Fabian to inform him on their forthcoming consultations with the people under District 2.

Fabian said he will deal with the issue with an open mind and will even join and observe the consultations if his schedule permits.

“I will have to weigh the pros and cons. It is a privilege to listen to what the people really wants. Whatever the outcome of the consultation will form part of my report. It will even serve as basis in the filing of a bill in the House of Representatives,” Fabian assured.

The congressman hopes that everybody will be very objective and exhaust all measures in discussing the third district issue.

Dalipe, for his part, said it is a positive step when Fabian disclosed that he will deal the issue with an open mind. “We see light at the end of the tunnel.”

The former vice mayor said Congresswoman Isabelle Climaco has already made her stand favoring the creation of the third district. “She already consulted with the people of District 1 and majority supported her stand. In fact she already filed a bill in Congress.”

Agan disclosed after meeting with Fabian that their next move is to also meet with Congresswoman Isabelle Climaco to extend the same courtesy.

Agan said they will meet again and thresh out details on the conduct of the consultations.

Meanwhile, Sadain reiterated that creating another district is very advantageous to the city because of additional voice in Congress and the Countryside Development Fund will also be increased which will benefit the people in terms of projects and services. (Nonong Santiago - Zamboanga Today)

Splash reported 500-percent growth in 2010 profit

MANILA, Philippines - Splash Corporation reported its profit up to 500 percent to P144 million in 2010 from P23.74 million in 2009. The leading personal care manufacturer reported to the Philippine Stock Exchange that its big financial figures last year can be attributed to its strong performance across all its business segments – domestic, international and direct selling.

Splash president Eric Domagas said: “We posted higher net income due to efficient use of plant assets, tighter control on expenses, (and) launch of our new products.” He added, “We are confident that the company will continue to post double digit growth this year. We believe in the continued growth of our direct selling and international business segments.”

Net sales for 2010 were recorded at P2.99 billion, up by 9.8 percent from 2009’s P2.72 billion.

The company’s capital expenditures in 2010 were registered at P69 million, from a previous P21.3 million in 2009. For 2011, the company’s board approved higher capex amounting to P426 million, most of which will be spent for plant capacity expansion, improvement of facilities and enhancement of information systems for international and direct selling operations.

Splash’s skin whitening captured the growth in product sales in 2010, reaching P1.3 billion, followed by skin exfoliants at P1.04 billion and hair products at P542.3 million. International operations recorded net sales of P407.98 million last year, up by 67.5 percent from P243.58 million in 2009.

The company has also set up subsidiaries and offices in the Middle East, Indonesia and Asean region, which helped it gain a foothold in international sales. Meanwhile, direct selling business recorded a big growth in net sales reaching P40.8 million last year from P3 million in 2009.

Splash direct selling head Glenda Pingol said: “Splash direct sales will be very aggressive in its effort to build its pioneer network for the year 2011.” (PinoyBusiness.Org)

Mindanao State University stops unauthorized collections

MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 14, 2011) – The government-run Mindanao State University has ordered a stop to all collections of unauthorized fees and regulate financial contributions of students.

The move is part of an ongoing measures ordered by MSU President Dr Macapado Muslim aimed at reducing financial burden of students. Unauthorized collections are those not approved by MSU’s Board of Regents.

Muslim also scrapped all unnecessary field trips unless they are related to the course requirements students.

The MSU recently held a consultation on the adjustment of P50 per unit on tuition fees and another P200 for library fee.

In 2003, the Board of Regents approved a staggered tuition fee increase of P25.00 per unit in the first year and an additional P25 per unit for every year thereafter until it reached P100.00 per unit.

“This tuition fee adjustment is a one-shot ‘catching up’ resource generation strategy of the university, and is not intended to be the beginning of a series of subsequent increase in tuition fees,” Muslim said, adding there will be no subsequent increase in tuition fees for the next three years.

He said the small increase in tuition is a far cry from other the P1,000 per unit other state universities charge. “The MSU did not have any increase in tuition fees for many years now and this also resulted in terrible inadequacies in academic resources, equipment and facilities. We need to be at par with other universities as far as education standards is concerned,” Muslim said.

Majority of the MSU’s student population favor the minimal tuition fee increase.

“The implementation of the tuition fee adjustment and library fees will capacitate the MSU's main campus to catch up with the other prestigious universities in Mindanao and the rest of the country and produce highly competitive college graduates, in other word, this tuition fee adjustment is in the best interest of the students,” Muslim said.

“I am proud to say that the MSU's main campus is widely known as a top caliber, higher educational institution, the premier university in Southern Philippines hence, it should strive for optimum competitiveness nationally and internationally,” he said.

The Mindanao State University was created under Republic Act 1387 and established in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province on September 1, 1961.

With only three colleges then - Community Development, Liberal Arts and Education – the MSU now has grown into a multi-campus university yystem with seventeen colleges and degree-granting units in the Marawi campus alone.

The Marawi campus enjoys a triple-center distinction as the Regional Science Training Center, the Regional Carabao Center and one of the country’s Centers of Excellence in Teacher Education. It also opened itself to the outside world through cooperative linkages with major universities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Now, the MSU has six other campuses in Mindanao. (Asa Madale)

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Local governments told to disclose all finances, transactions

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 13, 2011) – The Department of the Interior and Local Government said all local governments must comply with the so-called “Full Disclosure Policy”.

The Full Disclosure Policy requires local government units to fully disclose budgets, finances and public offering by publishing them in newspapers and posting in other conspicuous places in their localities or official website, or on the DILG website.

Local governments are strictly required to post these documents: Current Annual Budget; Quarterly Statement of Cash Flows; Statement of Receipts and Expenditure; Priority Development Assistance Fund Utilization; Special Education Fund Utilization; 20% Component of the Internal Revenue Allotment Utilization; Gender and Development Fund Utilization;
Statement of Debt Service; Annual Procurement Plan or Procurement List; Items to Bid; Bid Results on Civil Works, Goods and Services; and the Abstract of Bids as Calculated.

The DILG said local governments which do not comply with the disclosure policy may face administrative sanction for gross negligence or dereliction of duty under Section 60 of the Local Government Code of 1991. (Mindanao Examiner, Philippine Information Agency)

Philippines recovers missing US tourist

PAGADIAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 13, 2011) – An American tourist who was reported missing and feared kidnapped in the southern Philippines has been freed Wednesday in Mindanao, officials said.

Officials said the 64-year old Milton Taylor was first reported missing in January 11 after he failed to return to his hotel room in Cagayan de Oro City. The Ohio-native, who arrived in Cagayan de Oro in December, was allegedly hunting for treasure when he went missing.

“Milton Taylor was safely released near the boundary of Piagapo town and Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province through the efforts of the provincial police efforts in coordination with the local government, the military and nongovernmental organizations,” Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a regional army spokesman, said without further details.

But local authorities initially suspected that Taylor went into hiding or had staged his own kidnapping after failing to pay his huge hotel bills. In his room, Taylor left his passport and other personal things, officials said.

“Initial military reports suggested it was a case of ‘kidnap me’ after Taylor acquired huge hotel debts and other debts from people he was working on this treasure hunting activities,” said an army official, who cannot be identified because he was not authorized to speak to media about the case.

Federal agents were also working closely with the local police to track down Taylor until news of his release broke out late Wednesday afternoon. There was no immediate statement from the US embassy in Manila about Taylor nor his mysterious disappearance.

Little was known about the American national.(Mindanao Examiner)

Sayyaf terror man captured off Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 13, 2011) – Philippine military officials said an Abu Sayyaf militant wanted for a string of criminalities was captured on Wednesday off Zamboanga City.

Officials said Mohammad Gaddung, who escaped from jail in nearby Basilan province in 2009, was arrested at around 2 p.m. while on a small boat near Santa Cruz Island. “Gaddung is being interrogated by authorities,” Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He did not give details of the operations that led to the arrest of the militant, but said Gaddung has a P500,000 bounty for his capture.

Gaddung was among three dozen prisoners, mostly Abu Sayyaf fighters, who escaped from jail after more than 100 gunmen stormed the facility. The daring raid on the jail in the capital city of Isabela left two people dead.

On July 2007, at least 16 hardened criminals, including four Abu Sayyaf militants, escaped from the same prison after destroying the windows in their cell. And in April 2004, at least 53 of the more than 130 prisoners at the provincial jail, including 19 militant, also escaped using a smuggled .45-caliber pistol which they used in overpowering the guards. (Mindanao Examiner)

Moro rebels attack Zamboanga road project

A backhoe scoops earth in Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern Philippines. Security officials say a similar equipment was torched by suspected Moro rebels in the town of Sibuco in the province on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. No one was reported hurt or killed in the raid. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 13, 2011) – Suspected Moro rebels torched construction equipment in an attack Wednesday in Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said there were no reports of casualties in the raid that occurred at around 2.30 p.m. in the village of Panganuran in Sibuco town. The attackers were believed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front extorting money from private contractors working on road projects in the area.

One backhoe was reported burned by rebels who fled to the hinterlands after the attack. And soldiers were sent to track down the raiders, but security forces have been doubled near the border of Zamboanga City to prevent rebels from straying here.

“We have forces in the border just to ensure that no lawless elements may be able to sneak into Zamboanga City as troops hunt down those responsible in the attack,” Army Colonel Buenaventura Pascual, commander of a military anti-terror task force, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Authorities have blamed rebels for the spate of attacks and extortion activities in Zamboanga peninsula which is composed of the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga City.

Rebels were also tagged as behind the series of kidnappings in the area. Just early this year, rebels freed a kidnapped ten-year old boy Ceekim Gomonit after three months in captivity. But his grandmother was killed after her family failed to pay ransom. The duo was kidnapped in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur.

Moro rebels also kidnapped an Italian missionary Father Michael Sinnot inside his house in Pagadian City and freed him a month later in Zamboanga City after private negotiators paid huge ransom.

Kidnappings-for-ransom has become a lucrative business for rebels in Mindanao with most of the collected monies used to purchase weapons in the troubled region in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)