BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (Philippine Human Rights Reporting project / Dec. 23, 2008) – Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have filed a resolution to investigate the arrest and continuing detention of human rights and labor lawyer Remigio Saladero Jr.
And in another related development, the Asian Network of Indigenous Lawyers (ANIL) is bringing the case to the UN Secretary-General’s special representative on human rights’ defenders while urging the Philippine government to order the release of the 49-year-old lawyer who was arrested in Oriental Mindoro over what his supporters claim are trumped-up charges.
Human Rights Watch has already claimed the arrest to be ‘politically motivated.’ Elaine Pearson, its Asia Division deputy director has said the arrest ‘smacks of harassment pure and simple.” The Commission on Human Rights has also reportedly recently started its own investigation into the case.
Interviewed this week by the Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project, Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo said that Philippine lawmakers have filed House Resolution No. 887 which directs the House Committee on Human Rights to conduct an inquiry into the arrest and detention of Saladero.
“It was already referred to the Committee on Human Rights but no hearing is yet set,” Ocampo added, when interviewed via phone on December 16 while attending the Congress Bicameral meeting for the 2009 budget.
Saladero Jr. was arrested on October 23 inside his office in Antipolo City by combined elements of the Antipolo police and military intelligence group 4A of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), stated Resolution No. 887 which was filed on November 27 with Representatives Teodoro Casino, Liza Maza, Luzviminda Ilagan, and Rafael Mariano.
Saladero who is reportedly being held in Calapan City jail in Oriental Mindoro in southern Luzon, counts many trade union and human rights activists among his clients as well as those charged with being suspected members of the New People’s Army.
“The trumped-up charges against Saladero appear to be an attempt to intimidate other lawyers of the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE) for handling around 700 labor, human rights, civil and administrative cases, including controversial labor cases of Hacienda Luisita and Nestle Philippines,” claims Ocampo.
Hacienda Luisita is the 5,000-hectare hacienda in Tarlac in central Luzon owned and controlled by the family of former president Corazon Aquino. Nestle Philippines meanwhile used to be co-owned by San Miguel Corporation, the country’s largest food and beverage company led by Aquino’s first cousin, businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.
Genesis of the charges
Multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges were filed against Saladero and 71 co-accused based on claims that Saladero and others were involved in an NPA ambush against military forces in 2006 in Oriental Mindoro.
Judge Tomas Leynes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 40 of Calapan issued a warrant of arrest for Saladero on October 8.
Saladero’s lawyer Noel Neri claimed they have already filed motions to quash the warrant and dismiss the case. A hearing was originally scheduled on December 11 but was reportedly postponed to allow more time to prepare the case against him and his co defendants.
According to the Free Attorney Saladero Coalition, there has not been any preliminary investigation. The coalition was formed on November 13 and composed of lawyers, trade unions and human rights groups.
According to court documents, a military agent pointed to Saladero and other activists as among those involved in the 2006 ambush in Oriental Mindoro.
ANIL maintains the Philippine government is contradicting its commitment to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) by harassing human rights defenders through “trumped-up” cases filed in court with the sole aim to “silence them from raising human rights issues”.
Composed of human rights lawyers across the region, ANIL has urged the government to “immediately release labor lawyer and newspaper columnist Saladero.”
At least twenty-five lawyers from various countries gathered here for a network conference sponsored by Tebteba Foundation, an indigenous peoples international center for policy research and education.
Babloo Loitongbam, a lawyer based in India, said the background, nature of the charges and the arrest of Saladero are all considered as an attack on human rights defenders as Saladero is working with the realization of human rights.
“We intend to bring the case (of Saladero) to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders for appropriate action,” said Loitongbam, also the executive director of Human Rights Alert, an NGO rendering legal services to the poor in India.
Worst attack against defender
In a separate interview with the Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project, lawyer Jose Mencio Molintas, an appointed member of the indigenous rights experts group to the United Nations Human Rights Council, condemned the charges against Saladero.
“That is the worst form of attack against human rights defenders, filing trump up cases to silence him on his human rights work and advocacy,” said Molintas who is also national vice-president for Luzon of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).
A member of the Ibaloi tribe and a veteran human rights lawyer, Molintas added that Saladero is dedicated to human rights advocacy rendering free legal services to the “poor and oppressed.”
GMA record compared with Marcos
Lawyer Cheryll Datec-Yangot meantime criticized the President for what she claimed was “poor leadership” in regard to the promotion and protection of rights in the Philippines.
“It is a manifestation of the gravity of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s disregard on basic rights,” added Daytec-Yangot, a human rights practicing lawyer in the Cordillera.
“If they can concoct a case against a lawyer and violate his human rights, they can do that to anyone just to stifle dissent on a regime whose record is unprecedented,” Daytec-Yangot said, adding: “(Ferdinand) Marcos’ human rights record pales in comparison with that of Arroyo.”
Attack against press freedom
The lawyer’s arrest has also been roundly condemned by media activists given he also works as a columnist and writes Husgahan Natin (Let Us Judge) on the Pinoy Weekly, a web-based news outfit.
“Saladero was arrested not because he was being suspected as an NPA but because he criticized the government’s inability to address the issues of the labor sector,” claimed Desiree Caluza, secretary-general of the Baguio-Benguet chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
She added that the government should stop thinking that the arrest of Saladero will stop those who would write and express the issues of the marginalized sectors.
“The will to express and write about the marginalized sectors cannot be curtailed as long as exploitation and oppression continues,” added Caluza who also writes for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Just doing their job
For their part, the police in Oriental Mindoro claimed that they do not have any grudge against Saladero.
“We were just executing a warrant of arrest issued by a judge in one of the courts,” explained Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police chief.
He added that the police themselves would be in violation of the law if they did not implement a court order.
But Saladero was first reported missing by his next of kin before the police admitted they had arrested him. Saladero’s wife Maricel has repeatedly denied her husband is a member of the NPA and says she fears for her husband’s health behind bars. (Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project - Arthur L. Allad-iw. The author is a journalist based in Baguio City and a member of the Kankanaey tribe in the Mountain Province. He writes in a local paper and hosts a television program in a local cable station. He is also an active member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Philippine soldiers disarm IEDs planted inside commuter bus
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 23, 2008) – Philippine soldiers on Tuesday disarmed two improvised explosives planted inside a commuter bus in Pagadian City in the Mindanao province of Zamboanga del Sur, officials said.
Officials said the explosives were assembled from 60 millimeter mortar bombs attached to a timing device. The bombs, placed inside a cardboard box and left under a seat, was discovered by the bus conductor.
No group or individuals claimed ownership of the explosives, but its discovery came four days after two mortar bombs were detonated in two shopping stores in Iligan City by suspected Moro rebels that killed two people and wounded at least 48 others.
Lt. Steffani Cacho, a regional army spokeswoman, appealed to the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious persons or bags left unattended in places where there are many people.
“We should stay vigilant and report all suspicious-looking bags or persons to authorities,” she said, adding, they have reports that terrorists may be planning attacks in key cities in Mindanao.
Officials said the explosives were assembled from 60 millimeter mortar bombs attached to a timing device. The bombs, placed inside a cardboard box and left under a seat, was discovered by the bus conductor.
No group or individuals claimed ownership of the explosives, but its discovery came four days after two mortar bombs were detonated in two shopping stores in Iligan City by suspected Moro rebels that killed two people and wounded at least 48 others.
Lt. Steffani Cacho, a regional army spokeswoman, appealed to the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious persons or bags left unattended in places where there are many people.
“We should stay vigilant and report all suspicious-looking bags or persons to authorities,” she said, adding, they have reports that terrorists may be planning attacks in key cities in Mindanao.
An improvised explosive was also discovered on Friday and Sunday in Iligan City and both bombs were made from 81 millimeter mortar shells covered in papaya. (Mindanao Examiner)
Photo: Philippine Tribesmen Aim Their Weapons
Tiboli villagers aim their weapons during the traditional sports festival in Sitio Falel in Sarangani province in Mindanao on Sunday, December 21, 2008 organized by the municipal government in partnership with Smart Public Affairs Mindanao. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)
Photo: Tiboli Wine Drinking Contest In South RP
A villager drinks a native wine during the traditional contest Sunday, December 21, 2008 in celebration of 32nd foundation anniversary of Sitio Falel, a Tboli community in Sarangani province in Mindanao. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)
Photo: Tiboli Villagers Line Up For Games In Mindanao
Villagers line up as they wait for their turn during the traditional wine-drinking contest Sunday, December 21, 2008 in Sitio Falel, a Tboli community, in Sarangani province in Mindanao. Smart Public Affairs Mindanao provided the prizes. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)Photo: Slippers For Students In Sarangani Province
Pupils of Falel community school in Kiamba town in Sarangani province show off their new slippers donated by Smart Public affairs Mindanao. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)
Photo: Tiboli Game In The Philippines
Bebe Sadaya celebrates after winning the piglet-catching race Sunday, December 21, in celebration of 32nd foundation anniversary of Sitio Falel, a Tboli community. Atright is Juanito Sampam, one of the event organizers. This event was organized by the local government of Kiamba in Sarangani province in the southern Philippines in partnership with Smart Public Affairs Mindanao. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion)
Photo: Army launches bomb awareness campaign in Southern RP
Philippine soldiers from the 104th Infantry Brigade led by Captains Alonto Maamo and Julakmad Muhalli speak to civilians Monday, December 22, 2008 in Iligan City in Mindanao as part of a bomb awareness campaign. The Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace also participated in the endeavor with Violeta Gloria, among others, helped in explaining the necessity of vigilance for the safety of the civilians. These were done in malls, markets, streets, and passenger bus and jeep terminals. The soldiers also distributed leaflets explaining how to detect improvised explosives, says Briagdier Benito de Leon.
Philippines names new peace negotiators for the MILF
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 23, 2008) – The Philippines on Tuesday named three more to the government team that would negotiate peace with the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, who serves as the government peace adviser, said the new members are Adelbert Antonino, the mayor of General Santos City; Ronald Adamat, a former lawmaker; and Nasser Pangandaman, the current Agrarian Reform Secretary.
President Gloria Arroyo earlier appointed Rafael Seguis, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary, as head of the government peace panel. Seguis said he would do his best to advance the cause of peace in Mindanao.
Peace talks collapsed in August after the failed signing of the Muslim ancestral domain agreement. The Supreme Court said the deal was unconstitutional.
The aborted signing also triggered a series of deadly rebel attacks in the southern Philippines. Because of the attacks, President Arroyo disbanded the government peace panel negotiating with rebels and demanded the MILF to surrender those responsible in the attacks - Abdullah Macapaar, Sulayman Pangalian and Ameril Kato.
Arroyo previously said the government would only return to the peace talks if the MILF surrenders the trio, but the rebel group rejected the demand. Manila has put up a P10 million bounties each for the capture of Macapaar, Kato and Pangalian.
For its part, the MILF said it would resume peace talks only if President Arroyo honors the territorial land deal that negotiators had initially signed in July in Malaysia.
“We are firm with our stand, we will resume peace talks only if President Arroyo honors the Muslim ancestral domain agreement,” Mohagher Iqbal, the chief MILF peace negotiator, told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from his farm in Mindanao.
Iqbal said the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain was already initialed by the MILF and the government peace panel headed by then Rodolfo Garcia.
The territorial land deal also sparked a massive protest from Christian politicians and residents in areas covered by the agreement, which would have granted a separate homeland for more than four million Muslims across over 700 villages in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
Philippine authorities tighten security after attack on UN truck in Mindanao
ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 23, 2008) – Philippine authorities tightened security in Mindanao following an attack on one of two trucks contracted by the UN to deliver food aid to thousands of war refugees in the troubled region, officials said.
One worker was killed in the attack late Sunday after gunmen opened fire on the truck as it passed the town of Calanogas in Lanao del Sur province. Authorities have blamed bandits for the ambush.
“We have tightened security in the highway and deployed more troops to help the local police patrol the area. Bandits were behind the attack that killed one worker,” Col. Rey Ardo, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade, said Tuesday.
Ardo said the second truck did not proceed to the town after the attack. He said troops and policemen were searching for the gunmen.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, warned the bandits to stop their nefarious activities or face arrest. “They better stop or else we will give them a dose of their own medicine,” said Eid kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
Kabalu branded as “Mogadishu in Mindanao,” the 70-kilometer stretch of the highway in the province linking the towns of Calanogas and Ganassi, because of rampant attacks and robberies in the area.
One worker was killed in the attack late Sunday after gunmen opened fire on the truck as it passed the town of Calanogas in Lanao del Sur province. Authorities have blamed bandits for the ambush.
“We have tightened security in the highway and deployed more troops to help the local police patrol the area. Bandits were behind the attack that killed one worker,” Col. Rey Ardo, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade, said Tuesday.
Ardo said the second truck did not proceed to the town after the attack. He said troops and policemen were searching for the gunmen.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, warned the bandits to stop their nefarious activities or face arrest. “They better stop or else we will give them a dose of their own medicine,” said Eid kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
Kabalu branded as “Mogadishu in Mindanao,” the 70-kilometer stretch of the highway in the province linking the towns of Calanogas and Ganassi, because of rampant attacks and robberies in the area.
He was referring to the capital of Somalia notorious for its armed militias and street violence and high levels of crimes.
The UN World Food Programme has condemned the attack. Thousands of families of were displaced by sporadic fighting between MILF rebels and government troops after the peace talks collapsed in August.
The MILF is seeking to establish a separate homeland for more than four million Muslims in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Gunman Kills Jeep Driver In Zamboanga City
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 22, 2008) – A motorcycle gunman shot dead the driver of a passenger jeep in an attack Monday in the southern Filipino port city of Zamboanga, police said.
Police said the victim, Hamja Hassan, was shot in the head inside his jeep while parked in the coastal Roseller T. Lim Boulevard at around 6.30 p.m. A witness said he saw one of two motorcycle gunmen slowed down near the jeep and without warning shot the driver.
‘I saw the man shot the driver once and then they escaped on their motorcycle,” the witness told a reporter of the Radio Mindanao Network, who was at the scene.
The motive of the attack was unknown, but summary killings were not uncommon in Zamboanga City, where many had been killed in the past. The police said it is still investigating the murder. (Mindanao Examiner)
Police said the victim, Hamja Hassan, was shot in the head inside his jeep while parked in the coastal Roseller T. Lim Boulevard at around 6.30 p.m. A witness said he saw one of two motorcycle gunmen slowed down near the jeep and without warning shot the driver.
‘I saw the man shot the driver once and then they escaped on their motorcycle,” the witness told a reporter of the Radio Mindanao Network, who was at the scene.
The motive of the attack was unknown, but summary killings were not uncommon in Zamboanga City, where many had been killed in the past. The police said it is still investigating the murder. (Mindanao Examiner)
Photo: Kanyon Kawayan Festival in Mindanao
Filipinos celebrate the Kanyon Kawayan Festival where they display indigenous cannon, mostly made from bamboo, in the southern Philippine city of Kidapawan in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Geonarri Solmerano)Photo: Truck Rams Into House In South RP
A chemical lorry owned by Dole-Stanfilco slammed Monday, December 22, 2008 into a house in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines after its driver lost control of the wheel. One truck worker was killed and the house owner injured in the accident, police said. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Geonarri Solmerano)
Photo: Homeless In Digos
A homeless child sleeps on the pavement in Digos City in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Geonarri Solmerano)
Zamboanga villages benefit from love drive
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 22, 2008) – At least eight villages in Zamboanaga City in the southern Philippines benefited from a love drive initiated by the Ateneo Campus Ministry and participated by the student volunteers of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
Packs of goodies, including old clothes and shoes, noodles, sugar, canned goods, rice, toiletries and school supplies were distributed in the villages of Lumbangan, Tugbungan, Tulungatung, Mampang, Sinunuc, Kanukutan, Dulian, Lapaz and also at the Malagutay Elementary School.
Jericho Panganiban, of the Ateneo Campus Ministry, said the love drive was an annual activity and part of the traditional practice of giving during Christmas season in the university.
Tugbungan village chieftain Jun Graciano praised the love drive, saying, many families benefited from the activity. (Sheri Gay P. Catague)
Philippines' Shariff Kabunsuan Festival Successful
Triumphant with flying colors – this boat wins during the Guinakit Fluvial Parade in the Rio Grande de Mindanao in Cotabato City during the 11th Shariff Kabunsuan Festival celebration to commemorate the arrival of the Arab missionary during the 15th century. (Mindanao Examiner Photos / Mark Navales)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 22, 2008) - Cotabato City was all abuzz as people from neighboring municipalities and visitors from cities near and far came out to the streets to witness this year's colorful and exciting celebration of the 11th Shariff Kabunsuan Festival.
The event, held recently, was highlighted with the Guinakit Fluvial Parade at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Mindanao. Guinakit which means “bancas” tied together adorned with colorful Muslim traditional decors, and on board are dancers who danced to the traditional musical renditions of native musicians.
The Guinakit is a reenactment of the arrival of Shariff Muhammad Kabunsuan in the Rio Grande de Mindanao. He is an Arab missionary from Johore who came here to introduce Islamic faith and is instrumental in the propagation of Islam in the region.
Shariff Kabunsuan is also acknowledged as the foundation of the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Muslims in the South and Central Mindanao because leaders such as Sultan Kudarat and other Sultans who were renowned not only in our country but also abroad were his descendants.
He is responsible for the establishment of the sultanate form of government, the introduction of the madrasa education, vigorous trade and commerce in the area and a lot of other things that directly affected the lives of the people.
Other events marking the grand celebration is the "Kanduli" or "Pagana Maguindanao" –a royal banquet in the Maguindanao tradition which was done at the People's Palace-- the new city government hall wherein guest were served in traditional Muslim hospitality with mouthwatering traditional native delicacies.
The event was made possible through the skillful and creative direction of the very active First Lady of Cotabato City Bai Sandra A. Sema, chairperson of the City Tourism Council. (With a report from Mark Navales)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
House set to pass English bill
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is set to pass the bill seeking to enliven the use of English in schools and build up global competitiveness of the country's labor force, the Philippine News Agency reported Sunday.
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas, an educator, said he is counting on the House to approve the bill shortly after Congress resumes session on Jan. 19.
The passage of the bill is now just a formality, according to Gullas, a champion of English as a teaching language.
"Mounting global unemployment due to the worsening economic slump has merely underscored the need for our human resources to be proficient in English — the world's lingua franca — in order to stay highly competitive in the job markets here and abroad," Gullas said.
The House committees on basic education and culture and on higher and technical education filed a joint report on Dec. 14, strongly endorsing the bill for immediate plenary consideration and approval.
Of the 238 members of the House, at least 202 sponsored the report on House Bill 5619 –the proposed Act Strengthening and Enhancing the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction.
Besides Speaker Prospero Nograles (Davao City) and Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr.
(Iloilo), the bill's key endorsers include Del De Guzman (Marikina City) and Cynthia Villar (Las Piñas City), chairpersons of the basic and higher education committees, respectively.
Likewise, backing the bill are Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan); Joseph Santiago (Catanduanes), chairman of the information and communications technology committee, which looks after the English-driven business process outsourcing and other IT-enabled industries; and Junie Cua (Quirino), chairman of the appropriations committee.
The bill's prominent proponents also include former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (Pangasinan); Luis Villafuerte (Camarines Sur); Edcel Lagman (Albay); Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Makati City); and Roilo Golez (Parañaque City).
In the previous Congress, the House, voting 132-7, approved the English bill on third and final reading. This was in September 2006, or just eight months before the May 2007 mid-term polls.
The Senate, however, failed to act on the bill because the smaller chamber did not have a functional education committee then.
At the time, the Senate committee was chaired by Juan Flavier, who had said he lacked time to consider any bills. As then concurrent Senate President Pro-Tempore, Flavier also had to preside over the daily Senate sessions, as other leaders of the chamber became preoccupied with their reelection bids.
This time, Gullas said the House and the Senate would have ample opportunity to pass the bill.
As proposed by HB 5619: English, Filipino or the regional/native language may be used as the teaching language in all subjects from preschool to Grade 3; English shall be the teaching language in all academic subjects from Grades 4 to 6, and in all levels of high school.
English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels of elementary and high school; The current language policy prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education shall be maintained in college; and English shall be promoted as the language of interaction in schools.
The bill also requires English as the language of assessment in all government examinations, and in all entrance tests in public schools as well as state universities and colleges.
Once enacted, the bill would supersede Department of Education (Deped) Order No. 25, which proclaimed a "bilingual" teaching policy.
Meant to develop "a nation competent in the use of English and Filipino," the bilingual policy was adopted in 1974.
Accordingly, the subjects of social studies, character education, values education, industrial arts, home economics, physical education were all taught using Filipino while other subjects were done in English.
Upon implementation of the bilingual policy, however, Gullas said the subjects that were supposed to be taught in English were actually done in "Taglish," or a blend of English and the local dialect. This weakened English in a big way, he said.
"As a language is best learned through constant exposure and use, we have to prescribe again by law, and not simply by administrative fiat, the reinstatement of English as medium of instruction, except of course in Filipino taught as a subject," Gullas said.
A previous survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicated that while most Filipinos are convinced that English mastery leads to greater employment opportunities, many still lack proficiency in the language.
In the March 2008 survey by the SWS, only 76 percent of voting-age Filipinos said they could understand spoken English.
Of those polled, only 75 percent said they could read English; only 61 percent said they could write English; only 46 percent said they could speak English; and only 38 percent said they could think in English.
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas, an educator, said he is counting on the House to approve the bill shortly after Congress resumes session on Jan. 19.
The passage of the bill is now just a formality, according to Gullas, a champion of English as a teaching language.
"Mounting global unemployment due to the worsening economic slump has merely underscored the need for our human resources to be proficient in English — the world's lingua franca — in order to stay highly competitive in the job markets here and abroad," Gullas said.
The House committees on basic education and culture and on higher and technical education filed a joint report on Dec. 14, strongly endorsing the bill for immediate plenary consideration and approval.
Of the 238 members of the House, at least 202 sponsored the report on House Bill 5619 –the proposed Act Strengthening and Enhancing the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction.
Besides Speaker Prospero Nograles (Davao City) and Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr.
(Iloilo), the bill's key endorsers include Del De Guzman (Marikina City) and Cynthia Villar (Las Piñas City), chairpersons of the basic and higher education committees, respectively.
Likewise, backing the bill are Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan); Joseph Santiago (Catanduanes), chairman of the information and communications technology committee, which looks after the English-driven business process outsourcing and other IT-enabled industries; and Junie Cua (Quirino), chairman of the appropriations committee.
The bill's prominent proponents also include former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (Pangasinan); Luis Villafuerte (Camarines Sur); Edcel Lagman (Albay); Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Makati City); and Roilo Golez (Parañaque City).
In the previous Congress, the House, voting 132-7, approved the English bill on third and final reading. This was in September 2006, or just eight months before the May 2007 mid-term polls.
The Senate, however, failed to act on the bill because the smaller chamber did not have a functional education committee then.
At the time, the Senate committee was chaired by Juan Flavier, who had said he lacked time to consider any bills. As then concurrent Senate President Pro-Tempore, Flavier also had to preside over the daily Senate sessions, as other leaders of the chamber became preoccupied with their reelection bids.
This time, Gullas said the House and the Senate would have ample opportunity to pass the bill.
As proposed by HB 5619: English, Filipino or the regional/native language may be used as the teaching language in all subjects from preschool to Grade 3; English shall be the teaching language in all academic subjects from Grades 4 to 6, and in all levels of high school.
English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels of elementary and high school; The current language policy prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education shall be maintained in college; and English shall be promoted as the language of interaction in schools.
The bill also requires English as the language of assessment in all government examinations, and in all entrance tests in public schools as well as state universities and colleges.
Once enacted, the bill would supersede Department of Education (Deped) Order No. 25, which proclaimed a "bilingual" teaching policy.
Meant to develop "a nation competent in the use of English and Filipino," the bilingual policy was adopted in 1974.
Accordingly, the subjects of social studies, character education, values education, industrial arts, home economics, physical education were all taught using Filipino while other subjects were done in English.
Upon implementation of the bilingual policy, however, Gullas said the subjects that were supposed to be taught in English were actually done in "Taglish," or a blend of English and the local dialect. This weakened English in a big way, he said.
"As a language is best learned through constant exposure and use, we have to prescribe again by law, and not simply by administrative fiat, the reinstatement of English as medium of instruction, except of course in Filipino taught as a subject," Gullas said.
A previous survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicated that while most Filipinos are convinced that English mastery leads to greater employment opportunities, many still lack proficiency in the language.
In the March 2008 survey by the SWS, only 76 percent of voting-age Filipinos said they could understand spoken English.
Of those polled, only 75 percent said they could read English; only 61 percent said they could write English; only 46 percent said they could speak English; and only 38 percent said they could think in English.
House set to pass English bill
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is set to pass the bill seeking to enliven the use of English in schools and build up global competitiveness of the country's labor force, the Philippine News Agency reported Sunday.
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas, an educator, said he is counting on the House to approve the bill shortly after Congress resumes session on Jan. 19.
The passage of the bill is now just a formality, according to Gullas, a champion of English as a teaching language.
"Mounting global unemployment due to the worsening economic slump has merely underscored the need for our human resources to be proficient in English — the world's lingua franca — in order to stay highly competitive in the job markets here and abroad," Gullas said.
The House committees on basic education and culture and on higher and technical education filed a joint report on Dec. 14, strongly endorsing the bill for immediate plenary consideration and approval.
Of the 238 members of the House, at least 202 sponsored the report on House Bill 5619 –the proposed Act Strengthening and Enhancing the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction.
Besides Speaker Prospero Nograles (Davao City) and Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr.
(Iloilo), the bill's key endorsers include Del De Guzman (Marikina City) and Cynthia Villar (Las Piñas City), chairpersons of the basic and higher education committees, respectively.
Likewise, backing the bill are Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan); Joseph Santiago (Catanduanes), chairman of the information and communications technology committee, which looks after the English-driven business process outsourcing and other IT-enabled industries; and Junie Cua (Quirino), chairman of the appropriations committee.
The bill's prominent proponents also include former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (Pangasinan); Luis Villafuerte (Camarines Sur); Edcel Lagman (Albay); Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Makati City); and Roilo Golez (Parañaque City).
In the previous Congress, the House, voting 132-7, approved the English bill on third and final reading. This was in September 2006, or just eight months before the May 2007 mid-term polls.
The Senate, however, failed to act on the bill because the smaller chamber did not have a functional education committee then.
At the time, the Senate committee was chaired by Juan Flavier, who had said he lacked time to consider any bills. As then concurrent Senate President Pro-Tempore, Flavier also had to preside over the daily Senate sessions, as other leaders of the chamber became preoccupied with their reelection bids.
This time, Gullas said the House and the Senate would have ample opportunity to pass the bill.
As proposed by HB 5619: English, Filipino or the regional/native language may be used as the teaching language in all subjects from preschool to Grade 3; English shall be the teaching language in all academic subjects from Grades 4 to 6, and in all levels of high school.
English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels of elementary and high school; The current language policy prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education shall be maintained in college; and English shall be promoted as the language of interaction in schools.
The bill also requires English as the language of assessment in all government examinations, and in all entrance tests in public schools as well as state universities and colleges.
Once enacted, the bill would supersede Department of Education (Deped) Order No. 25, which proclaimed a "bilingual" teaching policy.
Meant to develop "a nation competent in the use of English and Filipino," the bilingual policy was adopted in 1974.
Accordingly, the subjects of social studies, character education, values education, industrial arts, home economics, physical education were all taught using Filipino while other subjects were done in English.
Upon implementation of the bilingual policy, however, Gullas said the subjects that were supposed to be taught in English were actually done in "Taglish," or a blend of English and the local dialect. This weakened English in a big way, he said.
"As a language is best learned through constant exposure and use, we have to prescribe again by law, and not simply by administrative fiat, the reinstatement of English as medium of instruction, except of course in Filipino taught as a subject," Gullas said.
A previous survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicated that while most Filipinos are convinced that English mastery leads to greater employment opportunities, many still lack proficiency in the language.
In the March 2008 survey by the SWS, only 76 percent of voting-age Filipinos said they could understand spoken English.
Of those polled, only 75 percent said they could read English; only 61 percent said they could write English; only 46 percent said they could speak English; and only 38 percent said they could think in English.
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas, an educator, said he is counting on the House to approve the bill shortly after Congress resumes session on Jan. 19.
The passage of the bill is now just a formality, according to Gullas, a champion of English as a teaching language.
"Mounting global unemployment due to the worsening economic slump has merely underscored the need for our human resources to be proficient in English — the world's lingua franca — in order to stay highly competitive in the job markets here and abroad," Gullas said.
The House committees on basic education and culture and on higher and technical education filed a joint report on Dec. 14, strongly endorsing the bill for immediate plenary consideration and approval.
Of the 238 members of the House, at least 202 sponsored the report on House Bill 5619 –the proposed Act Strengthening and Enhancing the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction.
Besides Speaker Prospero Nograles (Davao City) and Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr.
(Iloilo), the bill's key endorsers include Del De Guzman (Marikina City) and Cynthia Villar (Las Piñas City), chairpersons of the basic and higher education committees, respectively.
Likewise, backing the bill are Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan); Joseph Santiago (Catanduanes), chairman of the information and communications technology committee, which looks after the English-driven business process outsourcing and other IT-enabled industries; and Junie Cua (Quirino), chairman of the appropriations committee.
The bill's prominent proponents also include former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (Pangasinan); Luis Villafuerte (Camarines Sur); Edcel Lagman (Albay); Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Makati City); and Roilo Golez (Parañaque City).
In the previous Congress, the House, voting 132-7, approved the English bill on third and final reading. This was in September 2006, or just eight months before the May 2007 mid-term polls.
The Senate, however, failed to act on the bill because the smaller chamber did not have a functional education committee then.
At the time, the Senate committee was chaired by Juan Flavier, who had said he lacked time to consider any bills. As then concurrent Senate President Pro-Tempore, Flavier also had to preside over the daily Senate sessions, as other leaders of the chamber became preoccupied with their reelection bids.
This time, Gullas said the House and the Senate would have ample opportunity to pass the bill.
As proposed by HB 5619: English, Filipino or the regional/native language may be used as the teaching language in all subjects from preschool to Grade 3; English shall be the teaching language in all academic subjects from Grades 4 to 6, and in all levels of high school.
English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels of elementary and high school; The current language policy prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education shall be maintained in college; and English shall be promoted as the language of interaction in schools.
The bill also requires English as the language of assessment in all government examinations, and in all entrance tests in public schools as well as state universities and colleges.
Once enacted, the bill would supersede Department of Education (Deped) Order No. 25, which proclaimed a "bilingual" teaching policy.
Meant to develop "a nation competent in the use of English and Filipino," the bilingual policy was adopted in 1974.
Accordingly, the subjects of social studies, character education, values education, industrial arts, home economics, physical education were all taught using Filipino while other subjects were done in English.
Upon implementation of the bilingual policy, however, Gullas said the subjects that were supposed to be taught in English were actually done in "Taglish," or a blend of English and the local dialect. This weakened English in a big way, he said.
"As a language is best learned through constant exposure and use, we have to prescribe again by law, and not simply by administrative fiat, the reinstatement of English as medium of instruction, except of course in Filipino taught as a subject," Gullas said.
A previous survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicated that while most Filipinos are convinced that English mastery leads to greater employment opportunities, many still lack proficiency in the language.
In the March 2008 survey by the SWS, only 76 percent of voting-age Filipinos said they could understand spoken English.
Of those polled, only 75 percent said they could read English; only 61 percent said they could write English; only 46 percent said they could speak English; and only 38 percent said they could think in English.
Improvised Bomb Recovered In Iligan City
Police released cartographic drawings of suspects in twin bombings in Iligan City on December 18 that killed two people and wounded at least four dozens more.
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 21, 2008) – An improvised explosive was discovered Sunday in the southern Filipino city of Iligan, where two people were killed in recent twin bombings blamed by the authorities on Moro rebels fighting for independence in the troubled region of Mindanao.
The bomb, assembled from 81mm mortar, was covered in papaya, when it was found by scavengers at around 10 a.m. Police and military bomb experts quickly disarmed the explosive.
No groups or individual claimed ownership of the bomb, but security officials said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels were behind the foiled attack and the twin bombings Thursday on two shopping areas that killed two persons and wounded at least four dozens more.
On Friday, security forces also recovered an improvised explosive hours after President Gloria Arroyo visited the bombing victims in Iligan City. The bomb was also assembled from 81mm mortar and concealed in a hollowed papaya and put inside a net bag and left at the Delecta Coffee and Bakeshop near the bombed area.
The bomb was discovered at around 4 p.m. by an employee and reported the matter to the police. The bag was left by two men who had a snack at the coffee shop.
Police released the sketches of three men, believed to be the bombers.
The discovery of the bombs coincided with fierce fighting between army troops and rebels in the town of El Salvador in Lanao del Norte province. Three soldiers were injured in the fighting, said Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade.
De Leon said a still undetermined number of rebels were either killed or wounded in the clash in the hinterland village of Calimudan. The fighting lasted an hour. “Three of my soldiers were wounded in the fighting,” he said.
He said the clash erupted after patrolling soldiers were fired upon by about four dozen rebels. Sporadic clashes continue after peace talks between Manila and the MILF collapsed in August when the two sides failed to sign the Muslim ancestral domain agreement.
The deal would have granted more than four million Muslims their own homeland in the southern Philippines. The accord was unconstitutional, according to the Supreme Court. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)
No groups or individual claimed ownership of the bomb, but security officials said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels were behind the foiled attack and the twin bombings Thursday on two shopping areas that killed two persons and wounded at least four dozens more.
On Friday, security forces also recovered an improvised explosive hours after President Gloria Arroyo visited the bombing victims in Iligan City. The bomb was also assembled from 81mm mortar and concealed in a hollowed papaya and put inside a net bag and left at the Delecta Coffee and Bakeshop near the bombed area.
The bomb was discovered at around 4 p.m. by an employee and reported the matter to the police. The bag was left by two men who had a snack at the coffee shop.
Police released the sketches of three men, believed to be the bombers.
The discovery of the bombs coincided with fierce fighting between army troops and rebels in the town of El Salvador in Lanao del Norte province. Three soldiers were injured in the fighting, said Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade.
De Leon said a still undetermined number of rebels were either killed or wounded in the clash in the hinterland village of Calimudan. The fighting lasted an hour. “Three of my soldiers were wounded in the fighting,” he said.
He said the clash erupted after patrolling soldiers were fired upon by about four dozen rebels. Sporadic clashes continue after peace talks between Manila and the MILF collapsed in August when the two sides failed to sign the Muslim ancestral domain agreement.
The deal would have granted more than four million Muslims their own homeland in the southern Philippines. The accord was unconstitutional, according to the Supreme Court. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Philippine Coast Guard rescues Spanish divers, Filipino guides off Palawan Island
MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 20, 2008) – The Philippine Coast Guard rescued three Spanish divers, including their four Filipino guides off Palawan island after their boat developed engine trouble and drifted more than 31 hours, according to the official Philippine News Agency.
It said the seven were rescued at around 1 p.m. on Friday. “We were able to keep track of their location because we were able to communicate and receive text messages from one of the divers, Carlos Blanche,” said Coast Guard Commander Vanni Bergantin.
The Spanish divers were identified as Jaime Blanche, Carlos Blanche, and Tito Solan and the Filipinos - Bernardo Sedantes, Butch Sedantes, Boy Sedantes, and Ricaldo Galgo.
The Coast Guard said the seven men were reported missing since Thursday.
Their boat’s engine failed and the vessel drifted into open sea. “When we learned that they were one or two nautical miles away from Matanabis Island in Palawan, we alerted Agutaya Mayor Sim Zabalo who immediately dispatched fishing boats,” Bergantin said.
The Coast Guard said it first sighted the boat near Boracay island on Thursday, but the search and rescue operations were hampered by rough sea. The boat, named Maruja, drifted more than 45 nautical miles until it was again sighted off Palawan.
Bergantin said they were unable to get near the boat due to strong winds and huge waves. “With the help of the responding fishing boats, the troubled vessel was finally rescued and brought to Matanabis Island,” he said.
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