Basilan Jaycees Reactivated

New JCI officers in Lamitan town in Basilan island in the southern Philippines. (Hader Glang)

BASILAN ISLAND (Hader Glang) The Lamitan Jaycees Incorporated, now called Junior Chamber International (JCI), has been reactivated in Basilan island in the southern Philippines to actively participate in nation-building through its continued commitment in the development of the youth into good leaders. This, after 9 years of being dormant.

The JCI chapter in Lamitan elected its new set of officers and held an orientation and seminar for members Dec. 18 at the Nalamar Pavillion in the town. It was conducted by JCI Senator Alex Estabillo, JC Boy Puri, JC Lito Puri and JC Dan Alvaro.

The reactivation was made possible through the efforts of past Lamitan JCI presidents Mayor Roderick Furigay, Rino Pamaran, Efren New, Henry Furigay and Yeng Mateo, said new JCI-Lamitan President Hegem Furigay.

"As the new president of the reactivated JCI-Lamitan, I would like the community, and all, especially the youth, to be involved and help create a positive change in our society," he said.

JCI National Vice President for Western Mindanao Jaime Juanito Rivera said all activities they are undertaking for this year are geared toward training people to become responsible leaders in the community.

JCI is the world's largest leadership development organization representing millions of members in more than 100 countries.

Rivera said the JCI is noted for its annual search for young professionals in the country.

"We consistently hold the annual country-wide search for The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM), The Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP), and the Youth Leadership Excellence Award.

"The search is open to everybody who wants to become leaders, both in business and in public service, and other fields of profession."

"It offers immense benefits in terms of professionalism and camaraderie and JCI members acquire and continously refine their leadership skills and in the end would benefit the community. This is what Jaycess all about," he said. (Zamboanga reporter and photojournalist Hader Glang works for the Japanese television network NHK, and writes for several local and international newspapers.)

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A Filipino flag is zoomed. (ZamboangaJournal)

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Italian Philanthropist Is Angel To Many Filipinos

Italian Philanthropist Armando de Rossi inspects a government school in Jolo island in the southern Philippines.

De Rossi, who heads the 3P Foundation, is active in humanitarian mission around the Philippines and in many occassions, headed huge groups in Jolo's war-torn areas to deliver relief goods, from diesel generators to hospital equipment.

He has built dozens of mosques and clinics and brought smiles to thousands of people in the country. De Rossi collected donations and relief goods from his friends from around the world, but often times, spent his own money, to help the poor Filipinos.

De Rossi has been conferred the title of Sultan by the Royal Houses of the Sultanate of Lanao and holds many other titles from different ethnic tribes in the Philippines because of his great concern for the poor.

He uses no jewelries, neither signature clothes and expensive shoes, and goes around the Philippines to see the plight of the indigents.

And it takes one Italian man to open the eyes of many Filipinos to help their fellowmen.

2006 Is The Year Of The Dog!

In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology, this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics. However, this Sign has trouble trusting others. It's generally quite trustworthy itself -- except for the occasional "little white lies" the Dog tells in order to make things go more smoothly.

The Dog makes a wonderful, discreet and loyal friend (despite any white lies) and is an excellent listener. This Sign tends to root for the underdog and its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to the core. The Dog's mantra seems to be, Live right, look out for the little people and fight injustice whenever possible.

Dogs can also be rather dogmatic, too. They don't go in for light social banter; instead, they go straight for home, expostulating on the topics that are most important to them. At these times the Dog's narrow-minded or stubborn side can become apparent; this Sign has trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake.

This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs to run off to be alone in order to recuperate. Part of the problem is the result of this Sign's load of irrational fears that turn into niggling anxieties that turn into hurt feelings and occasional grouchiness. This sensitive Sign needs to warm up to others over time and gradually learn to trust them. Without that trust as a foundation, Dogs can be judgmental and coarse.

The Dog's discerning nature does make it an excellent business person, one who can turn that picky, guarded nature into a keen sense of the truth of another's motives. Where love is concerned, Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the max!

In any forum, this Sign is happiest when able to be quite physically active; at home or at work, the Dog will always be constructing something new or cleaning something up in order to make things better. Dogs need to work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

The most compatible match for a Dog is the Tiger or the Horse. (chinese.astrology.com)

Security Tight In Southern RP

A female soldier and her partner guard downtown Zamboanga in the southern Philippines January 02,2006.

(Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 02 Jan) -- Security remains tight in the southern Philippines against threats of attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and the regional Jemaah Islamiya terror network, officials said Monday.

"The threats of terrorism is always there. The Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya remain the biggest threats in our security," said Air Force Maj. Gamal Hayudini, a spokesman for the Southern Command.

Dozens of troops, including female soldiers, were spotted patrolling downtown Zamboanga. "We are just patrolling to make it sure that everything would be okay," one soldier told the ZamboangaJournal.

Hayudini said the government's anti-terror campaign in going on in the southern Philippines, where security forces are battling Abu Sayyaf militants in Jolo island, and tracking down Jemaah Islamiya terrorists in Mindanao.

"The Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya will continue to sow terror and chaos, and kill innocent civilians, and destroy government and civilian targets. We will not stop also in pursuing and destroying the terrorists. This is a continuing campaign and the war on terror will be sustained," Hayudini said.

The cities of Zamboanga, General Santos, Cotabato and Davao had been previously bombed by the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaaah Islamiya since 2000, despite a strict security blanket.

Authorities have repeatedly appealed to citizens to report any person acting suspiciously, or baggage suspected to contain explosives.

Police and military also stepped up security patrol in many areas in the strife-torn, but mineral-rich region, to deter terror attacks.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has vowed to crush terrorism and destroy the Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for the spate of attacks across the country. Manila is also a strong ally of the United States in its so-called global war on terrorism.

Zamboanga City Travel Information

The century-old shrine of the Virgin Mary in the former Spanish garrison called Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Journal)

Colorful sails the locals call vinta in Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Journal)

Children play on a public square named after U.S. General John J. Pershing in Zamboanga City.(Zamboanga Journal)

A girl walk by the beach lined up with vintas in Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Journal)

The City of Flowers

ZAMBOANGA

Quetal Ustedes? From the moment you hear those lifting words, you realize it’s true. Here indeed is a quaint pocket of history torn from mainland Spain. A place unlike any other in the Philippines.

While Spain’s three-century reign left its indelible imprint on the country, nowhere was its legacy perhaps so concentrated and embedded than in Zamboanga, which took for its native tongue, Chavacano, the delightful mix of 60% Español and 40% native dialects.

There is more to Zamboanga than this. As far back as the 13th and 14th centuries, it was already a trading center with a vibrant culture of its own, emblazoned against the horizon in the vivid colors of the native vinta sails that fluttered gaily off its shores.

And when the Castillan flag of Spain first appeared in the horizon off Caldera Bay (now Recodo) in 1593, Zamboanga opened another epoch in its colorful heritage, one that would leave a legacy so rooted that from it would spring much of the city’s romance and allure.

The best recuerdo of la presencia de España in Zamboanga was and remains to be the Fort Pilar, the coastal garrison built in 1635 around which the city first grew.

In time, it became a shrine to Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, especially after miracles that are now part of legends and Zamboanga folklore.

It was in Zamboanga that Christianity gained a foothold in Mindanao. The Archdiocese of Zamboanga covered all of Mindanao, except Sulu where Islam and the Tausug culture proved every bit as dynamic as Spain’s influence.

Zamboanga City is located on the tip of the Zamboanga peninsula on the bottom of Mindanao island in southern Philippines. It has about 142,000 hectares of sloping terrain from a surrounding shoreline of coral beaches to mineral-rich mountains in the center of the peninsula.

Zamboanga City has at least 25 island communities and 98 villages called barangays. The city has more than 600,000 people.

Chavacano is the dominant language in Zamboanga City. Other dialects like Bisaya and the Muslim vernaculars are also spoken in certain communities in the city. The locals are friendly and can speak English. Zamboanga is famous for its fresh seafoods, and crabs called Curachas.

The food is considered as one of the best in the country. And the exotic Muslim food is similarly popular because of its traditional hot spices and herbs use in cooking.

Zamboanga City enjoys a location that is free from the typhoon belt area. March to May is hot and dry, with temperature at 22 degrees Celsius. June to October is rainy. November to February is cool, with temperatures ranging from 22 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius. Average humidity year-round is 77%.

Zamboanga is one of the centers of Western Mindanao for commerce and trade, government and finance, transportation and communication.

It has an international airport, a huge sea port area, and the Zamboanga Freeport and Economic Zone Authority. It is known as the "Sardine" capital of the Philippines because most of the sardine and canning factories are situated in Zamboanga City.

It has been involved in the export of marine and aquaculture products, fruits, processed food, furniture and wood products, and many more.

There are dozens of god hotels and inns in Zamboanga City. Internet shops are many and telecommunication is not a problem. Transportation is easy around Zamboanga with motorcycle taxis and jeeps all over.

There are few tourist areas in Zamboanga City, but it is very rich in culture and heritage, and has lots of historical information to offer its visitors.

(Zamboanga Journal/Department of Tourism)

After Rooster, Is There Hope In Year Of Dog?

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 01 Jan) -- Christmas and New Year's Day revelries passed peacefully, but for many Pinoys the celebration were not as exciting and happy as it was, say, five years ago. They blamed poverty for the sad yuletide season.

"We have not much food on the table. Mother only cooked noodles, a little fried chicken and some fruits. And these were nothing compared to the previous years my family celebrated yuletide season. Now, life is difficullt as to what it was, say, five years ago," said Marites Fernandez, a 32-year old mother of four.

Her kids said they only watched the fireworks in the sky and had late supper together and slept.

"Everything is so expensvie, so we have to buy things we needed most, but the important here is the spirit that keeps us going through the tough times. And the traditional Filipino values are important to us," she said.

But despite the difficult times, many said they still managed to stay happy with their family and optimistic about the future.

"The prospect of a bright future is what many people hope for. Of course, we should be optimistic. That is what life is all about," a 56-year old villager, Benito Callos, said.

Callos and his family were together in the church on the eve of New Year's Day. "Look around you and you can see the smile on the faces of these people, isn't life wonderful? We pray because we believed in God, right? And the same thing goes for the rest of these people. Think about Africa and ask yourself, am I lucky in the Philippines?"

The New Year's Day revelry in Zamboanga lasted less than an hour. After 12 midnight, fireworks that lit up the dark sky ceased, although, sporadic explosions from small firecrackers can still be heard.

Colored lights that adored many houses were turned off, and before the cock crows the next day, many streets were empty.

The next day, many people face the same problems: how to pay their huge debts or where to get money to pay the electric and water bills.

"Debts here, debts there, oh it's piling up. Life is really tough," said a coffee trader Carme Santos.

Jose Elago, a Catholic preacher, said many people turn to prayers for their problems, while others blamed the government for the high cost of basic commodities.

"Despite these difficult times, people continue to seek spiritual guidance. The churches last night were full, and they prayed hard for good life ahead in 2006. Others blamed President Gloria Arroyo for their woes."

"But why blame the government, the President, or anybody for your woes, while the rest are working hard. President Arroyo has done an excellent job in 2005, and the economy is doing good," the preacher said.

He said the government provided more jobs and gave opportunities to many people.

The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) said a total of 1.99 million jobs were generated from January to September last year.

And the government's goal of creating up to 10 million jobs by 2010 is on track with 2 million jobs created in just 9 months.

Most of these jobs were through government intervention in various ways in the different selected programs, such as agribusiness land development, and the funding of the micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as housing, and public construction.

Street Beggars In Zamboanga City

POOR BOY.A boy eats left-over food he found in a garbage bin near a fastfood restaurant while his family beg for money on the street in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. Zamboanga City has a dozen cockpit arenas for gamblers, more than the day-care and social centers for the street children.(Zamboanga Journal)

Our Very Own Calamansi Juice

Zamboanga City (Darwin Wee) We have squeezed our own juice at home, whether it be lemon or orange from the backyard or fruits bought from the market.

But there's a wide range of juices available in shops, said Fe Hau, as she squeezes profits from her ready-to-drink concentrated calamansi juice.

"Instead of taking some time and energy in preparing calamansi juice, the concentrate is a lot more convenient and satisfying," Ms. Hau said.

The agribusiness division of the regional Department of Agriculture said at least P400,000 is needed to start a calamansi concentrate processing business. This includes acquisition of land as processing area, purchase of equipment, and other production costs.

But for Ms. Hau, her Zamboanga Tropical Kalamansi Juice business started with only P10,000 as initial capital investment. in 2000. She subsequently recovered the sum just a couple of months after, and now she makes between P240,000 to P300,000 a month.

Her production activities started in a small space at the backyard that gradually expanded with a loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Ms. Hau's calamansi concentrated processors have been producing ready-to-drink juice in 350ml. and 500ml. bottles and 200ml. in tetra pack for five years now.

The demand is higher in schools, which are one of her top buyers, aside from supermarkets and malls.

In schools where packaging matters to students, soda is easily beatable, she said. "Kids love the calamansi taste and as I observed even their parents encourage their kids to buy the product for health reasons."

She said the challenge is realy in marketing the idea of an alternative drink, despite strong competitions, where millions of pesos are spent by other producers for advertising just to be able to sell their products competitively.

"We are introducing this product and trying to market this very well because it is a health drink and this is a better than other beverages," she said. "I would like to see calamansi concentrate being promoted as an alternative to soft drinks."

Scientifically known as citrus microcarpa bunge, calamansi contains a good amount of ascorbic acid or Vitamin C. It is essential for the body's resistance to infection and also in the absorption of iron from foods.

One hundred grams of fresh calamansi juice contain 45 milligrams of ascorbic acid, supplying more than 60% of the recommended dietary allowance for an adult.

"Studies show that calamansi juice is nutritious and traditionally made into a fruit drink that helps prevent respiratory diseases," Ms. Hau said.

The citrus fruit helps circulate blood evenly and facilitates normal digestion. It also helps strengthen the bones and stimulate growth especially among growing children.

With simple technology, calamansi can be processed into a packed concentrated drink mixed with sugar, which serves as a natural preservative.

Ms. Hau said the extract undergoes at least 9 processing stages before it becomes ready-to-drink concentrated juice. These include sorting the fruits, and washing and sanitizing calamansi, and then the process of extracting the juice, filtering it, pasteurizing and finally to packaging and storage.

Based on a method developed by the Department of Science and Technology, a high juice yield and a good balance of sweetness are essential in the product.

The color is especially important in orange concentrates and bases. A good balanced flavor and color maybe obtained by blending juices.

Since Vitamin C is a most important nutritive factor in citrus juice, high ascorbic acid content is very desirable. It is also important that there be no excessive bitterness.

Ms. Hau also makes sure sanitation is on the top of her priorities. "The processing house must be clean and orderly. The working spaces are cemented with white tiles. Processors wear white clothes. The processing is manual, carefully following the formula of the Hazards Analysis Critical Control Point," she said.

On the average, Ms. Hau can make around 700 bottles a day, which sometimes reaches to more than 25,000 bottles per month.

From the original 6 employees, her workers increased to 13 and are all directly involved in the production, she said.

Ms. Hau said she is upgrading her product to expand its shelf-life. The Department of Science and Technology and the Industrial Technology Development Institute are helping her develop methods to prolong the shelf-life of the products. This includes changing her plastic bottles to the "heat-set" type that is capable of preserving the juice when exposed to heat.

Now, Ms. Hau said she markets her calamansi juice throughout the Zamboanga peninsula, and Davao, Basilan, Jolo, and Tawi-Tawi provinces. And sells to as far as Cebu in the central Philippines.

Zamboanga's Pride, The Pasonanca Park

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Darwin Wee) For enthusiasts, a nature adventure is a mere 20-minute drive from the city proper.

The Pasonanca Natural Park shows the relationship between tourism development and biodiversity conservation.

Eduardo M. Bisquera, Jr., regional technical director of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resource's Protected Areas, Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management Service, said the park was designed to highlight tourism-related opportunities and threats to biodiversity conservation.

The park was opened in June 2004. It is in Sitio Canacutan, Barangay Pasonanca, at least 5 kilometers away from downtown Zamboanga.

It encompasses at least 10 barangays -- Pasonanca, Lunzuran, Lumayang, Cacao, Lapacan, Lamisahan and Bunguiao in the east side, and La Paz, Baluno and Dulian in the west.

Mr. Bisquera said 90% of the 17,414-hectare park remains intact with secondary and old-growth dipterocarp forest that is high in biodiversity of flora and fauna.

The ecology serves as breeding ground for endemic birds species, forest animals such as wild boars, deer, wild cats, reptiles in the watershed areas and various insects.

To preserve the park, the Environment department implemented seminars to develop capacity building for its field staff and program managers.

This was meant to entertain the tourists and to design and implement eco-tourism programs that address conservation issues and create jobs and income opportunities.

Mr. Bisquera said eco-tourism development programs emphasize understanding community approaches toward tourism, as well as the underlying conservation, capacity, social, political, and economic issues.

He said eco-tourism has the potential to generate both positive and negative effects on an area and its inhabitants.

"Closely related is how tourism can affect a host community's use of natural resources. Those resources can include water, clean air, agricultural lands, and recreational areas, as well as important ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wet lands, and coastal areas.

"Moreover, tourism can be positive, thereby fostering local pride, revitalizing traditions, decreasing urban flight, improving human welfare, and strengthening institutional development and governance. Related to its very reliance on natural attractions as a resource, tourism can also help foster stewardship among local communities for conservation," Mr. Bisquera explained.

Although eco-tourism is a major contributor to the local economy, he said the rate at which tourism continues to grow presents both opportunities and threats for conservation.

"If not properly managed, major losses will virtually take place on every kind of natural habitat and the decline and extinction of species will occur. These include coastal and marine areas, coral reefs, mountains, and rainforests, which support a wide range of activities, including beach tourism, skiing, trekking, and wildlife viewing," he said.

"In the Pasonanca Natural Park, we make sure that the forest will not be disturbed."

The Protected Area Management Board and 10 barangay officials and different volunteer groups would oversee and control, if not prevent, biophysical impacts of eco-tourism.

The local environment office has set up warning signs within the park to prevent visitors from entering protected areas.

"This is a measure to prevent mass tourism inside the park, and in order to effect changes in the tourism industry toward more conservation-friendly," Mr. Bisquera said.

An eco-tourism business promotes biodiversity conservation while at the same time providing income to the locals, he said.

On the average, the Pasonanca eco-trail receives more than a hundred visitors per month.

Majority of the visitors are students who constitute roughly 60% to 70% of the total eco-tourism arrivals to the park, followed by families, professionals, and mountain climbers.

Interventions to improve the Pasonanca Natural Park include designing and building a viewing deck that will offer visitors a unique perspective and spectacular way of experiencing the rainforest.

A comprehensive visitor's center worth P2 million, which includes a major educational exhibition, shops, camp ground, and other public amenities, is expected to be constructed next year.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the facility, the Environment department helped in establishing "Friends of the Park," which is composed of private sector, academe, environmental groups and other civic groups.

"This will lead the different sectors and stakeholders here to feel a sense of ownership, by conserving the area," Mr. Bisquera said.

The 1.8-km eco-trail leads visitors through the summit which provides a view of the rainforest. It has a campsite with hanging bridge, which is before the Biodiversity Information Center.

Other facility include a clonal nursery and bamboo complex for forestry-related research. The park also has a rock called Pulong Bato for rock climbers. With a guide, visitors to the eco-trail can learn the secrets of the forest, including the uses of various medicinal plants.

An Interview With The Warrior

JOLO ISLAND (Darwin Wee) It was almost six in the afternoon and the sun was just reaching its twilight as our group arrived in Jolo via fastcraft from Zamboanga.

We were greeted by the melodious call to Islamic prayer, which bestirs the soul of devout Muslims everywhere in the province. Whether broadcast from loudspeakers over the teeming capital streets of Jolo town or lifted as the murmured song of bicycle drivers kneeling inside and outside the mosque near the port -- it begins with the same Arabic phrase Muslims have used for nearly 1,400 years, Islam's melodic paean to the Creator -- "Allah...u Akbar," the faithful sing out. "Allahhhhh...u Akbar! God is great!"

A half-million native Tausug, the tribe that inhabits the island, live in Jolo (locals call it Sulu province, an archipelago in the Celebes Sea in the southern Philippines) and answer to Islam. For these people, Islam is an intimate personal connection to the same God worshiped by Jews and Christians, a source of strength and hope in a troubled world.

"Peace is the essence of Islam," says the driver of the van, as we headed our way to De Mazenod Formation Center inside the Notre Dame College compound, where we were to stay for the next two days.

The local convenor held a special session for the group composed of 20 people, including a pair from South Korea and 3 from East Timor. The team leader, Atty. MaryAnn Arnado, of the Initiative for International Dialogue (IID), decided to break the mission into 3 groups, each of which would carry out a special mission.

Groups 1 and 2 will cover the situation and conditions of the war evacuees, or euphemistically also called the internally displaced persons (IDP), in the four major towns that were heavily affected by the recent fighting.

While Group 3 will conduct an interview with the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade chief Brig. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, and also representatives from the 3rd Marine Brigade, and the anti-terror Joint Task Force Comet.

FIRST DAY

It began with a breakfast inside the brigade headquarters in Asturias in Jolo town, courtesy of the island's Gov.Benjamin Loong. While eating, we were briefed by military commanders about their plans on how to safeguard us in our movement around Jolo.

Although the group was glad to hear how the military planned to give us escorts, we declined the offer and assured them that we will be just fine without escorts.

But Gen. Pajarito insisted, and so instead of arguing with the military, lawyer Arnado pretended to merge Groups 1 and 2 for easier movement in going to Indanan and in Maimbong towns, while Group 3 was to stay in Jolo town to interview the military officials.

But what they did not know was that we had a second plan, and that was to get away from our military escorts.

"It is more risky when the military is with us when conducting interviews with the affected people, who will shy away from us if soldiers are around," said Lyndee Prieto, leader of Group 1.

Group 1, which is composed mostly of foreign nationals, decided to go back at the De Mazenod, and there set into motion our plans. While there, the women, especially the foreigners, donned the traditional veils not only to observe and respect local cultures, but as well to cover their faces from the military.

After 3 hours, we were able to slipped away from our military escorts and soon we were on our way to Indanan and Maimbong. We passed two military checkpoints on our way, but when we reached the town of Maimbong, we were stopped by soldiers. We couldn't go any farther and so conducted the interviews in that place.

In one of the communities, I had the chance to espy a grandfather, I think the patriarch of his clan, sitting in a beautiful garden with his granddaughter on his lap. He was reciting verses from the Koran while bathed in early morning sunlight playing around the plants. It was a very peaceful and beautiful moment. I had a rare glimpse of one of the calmer moments in these peoples' lives.

While trekking around the villages and talking to people, we came across a young woman, who offered us a drink of native brewed coffee. When we declined the offer, she persisted with growing insistence. "No, you're guests in our place. You must come for coffee," she said. Then she began screaming to her husband: "These guests are here, and we have to invite them in for coffee."

This was the first time we had encountered a rural Tausug woman who was too aggressively polite.

As we went on, we met Vilma Sadjani, one of about a hundred villagers in Maimbong, who was displaced by the armed conflict. She told us that she and her fellow evacuees have not received any relief goods or assistance from the government.

"Wala pa kame tinatangap na kahit ano sa pamahalaan at gusto na naming bumalik sa aming lugar, pero nandoon pa mga sundalo" (We have not received anything from the government and all we wanted now is to return to our village, but the soldiers are still there),she lamented.

It just surprised us that the villagers were more afraid of the soldiers than of the rebels.

As our notebooks were filled with data and audio-tapes were used up, we decided to go back and gave our goodbyes.

Fr. Jose de Araujo Goncalves, an East Timorese and a member of the group, described his feeling as a "superb one". "I will never forget this mission. I've toured around Asia and its only here I feel the essence of life", he said.

The Muslims we met and spoke showed us great hospitality. Even though they are poor, they took us in their homes and gave us fresh coconuts to drink, and little food to eat. There was something wonderful about staying in farmhouses in the midst of forbidding and spectacular mountains and finding people with such open hearts.

SECOND DAY

This was not just a special mission, we were going to interview Ustadz Habier Malik, the head of the so-called MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) Misuari Breakaway Group.

It was Malik, according to the military, who planned and carried out the attacks against government targets that killed 30 soldiers on the island.

Our local host, Octavio Dinampo of the Concerned Citizens of Sulu, assured us of our safety.

"There is no reason for you guys to worry", he said, as he shouted a command to the driver as we headed out of Jolo. We passed through thw towns of Indanan, Talipao, Panglima Estino and finally arrived in Panamao, the lair of Malik.

Throughout our three hours ride, we passed only one military checkpoint. According to Dinampo, he chose a route that had less military visibility and presence. As we went deeper into MNLF country, we could see the devastation brought by the war -- burned houses, classrooms filled with bullet holes and ghost communities whose only inhabitants were cows and goats wandering about the streets.

As we reached our destination, Dinampo and his men led us to Malik's camp. According to Dinampo, this was the exact place were the military said they overran the Misuari Break Away camp last February and raised the Philippine flag as a sign of victory, even naming it after the late Army Col. Dennis Villanueva, who was killed by mortar fire at the height of the clashes.

But it surprised us that afterwards the military did not maintain presence in the camp. Instead, Malik and his ragtag army were back. With a 45-caliber pistol slung from his shoulder, Ustadz Habier Malik and his deputy, Ustadz Yacub Mohammad, emerged from his half–burned house.

MNLF forces were in the vicinity, I noted, and many of them were relaxed, but ready to spring into action in case troops suddenly attack.

As we finally settled down and started our interview, Ustadz Malik paused for a prayer. It was strange, I said to myself, that until now I only knew this guy from what I read in the newspapers, and now here he is in flesh and blood.

Ustadz Malik was relaxed and listened keenly as Atty. Soliman Santos, of the Manila-based Gaston Ortigas Peace Institute, introduced each of the group members.

Ustadz Malik thanked us for visiting him. "Kayo pa lang ang pumunta dito. Salamat at hindi kayo natakot (You are the only ones who came here. I thank you for not being afraid)," he said.

Asked about their grievances, he said the fighting was triggered by the military's human rights violation. Soldiers had massacred an innocent Muslim family in Indanan town on February 1.

"This hostility shouuld served as a warning to the military", he said. "We do not want war, but they are insisting it on us."

"Ang problema sa MNLF ay hindi pa hinahanapan ng gamot. Ang stand naming ngayon ay defensive kaya medyo mailap", he said.

Malik said his group is ready to face death as they have already surrendered their souls to Allah, yet they are also ready to talk peace. "Willing kami makipag-usap, hindi kami mahirap kausapin (We are willing to talk. We are not difficult to negotiate with)," he said.

President Gloria Arroyo rejected any cease-fire, but Malik said his group is still optimistic that the fighting will stop so civilians can live peacefully.

Around 4 in the afternoon, we decided to go back, but before we departed, Ustadz Malik offered us coconut juice and we thanked him and left.

Back in Jolo town proper, for our last night on the island, the Mindanao Peaceweavers and Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc. chair Guimel Alim summed up our experience and said: "If the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, I believe what we have done is not only the first step but the right step as well." (Darween Wee interviewed Ustadz Habier Malik in April. Wee also writes for PeaceWorks, the monthly publication of the group called the Peace Advocates Zamboanga. The fighting eventually stopped several weeks later, but sporadic clashes still continue between security and MNLF forces, ed.)

Kids In Jail Suffer Most

Zamboanga City (Darwin Wee) The more fortunate in life often vividly talk about their childhood moments. But for children in reformatory centers, it's a very different world, one they chose rather not talk about and forget.

One mistake, one crime, and these children forever lost their chances in life and their freedom. Many of them lost or left their families and have been denied their right to attend school and to ultimately savor the joys of simply being a child. These young detainees have found themselves in conflict with law and so ended up in prison.

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology regional office in Zamboanga City said 145 children, including five girls, are languishing in jails throughout Western Mindanao. Of these, 10 children come from Zamboanga Sibugay province, 27 from Zamboanga del Sur, 36 from Zamboanga del Norte and the biggest, nearly half of the total or 72 children, are from Zamboanga City.

About 64% or more than six in every 10 children in the reformatory centers are first-time offenders. Only 46 are recidivists -- kids who had been accused once or twice before getting caught for another crime. The official statistics indicate that poverty drove many of them to commit crime. At least 76 children are facing trial for crimes against property, and 33 are accused of theft and 53, for robbery.

Only below 15%, or 25 children, were involved in major crimes, including 11 for homicide, 10 for rape, and 4 for murder. Another 38 are being detained for using or pushing illegal drugs, the second highest crime committed by the children. The 10 other children in the reformatory were charged for violation of a city ordinance against the carrying of deadly weapons and other petty crimes such as streets gang wars.

Jail Officer Ninie Paso said the bulk of theft and robbery cases reflects the difficult family situations of the children. "The problem starts in the family," he said. He added there were only three reformatories in the region that segregate minors from the adults, while the rest simply mix them together, he said.

In Zamboanga City Reformatory Center, all of the 69 male children are all jampacked in one cell and the other three females are mixed with adult women since the center does not have a separate cell for young girls, he said.

"The congestion is acute," he bared. "For months on end, no relatives or family members have visited more than half of the inmates. Majority of them were stowaways, abandoned, orphaned, or street children."

By age group, there are a handful of inmates who are 11 and 12 years old and the majority are 15 to 17 years old.

"Some of these children have been here for almost five years. There is one inmate who was accused of robbery, he's just 13 years old when he was detained here and he is now 18 years old. It is very unfortunate that these children suffer due to the slow process of justice," one jail custodian lamented.

"We are so overcrowded. We lack cells. We lack beds. And we have no choice but to wait for the decision of the judges who are hearing their cases," he added.

Jail is boredom at its worst. Spending time in the reformatory centers means endless hours standing by the iron grills, neck and ears straining to catch sounds and image from the world outside. Most of these children spend time just sitting or lying idly by their beds, watching time tick off ever so slowly.

"We desire so much that these children don't grow old here. As a father myself, I feel the pain whenever I see these children doing nothing in their prime years. I really feel they are just wasting their precious time here," Mr. Paso said.

The children also imitate adult ways while in prison, he said. "The children also have a 'mayor' (a gang leader inside the jail) here. They also serve punishment whenever one of the inmates break rules, which they themselves had made."

On weekdays, the children attend class session three times a week, mostly in the morning. On some afternoons, the children are allowed to play indoor board games. he said.

He said housekeeping chores like cleaning complete their typically long, slow day in prison. The National Government through the jail agency allots only P30 per day as meal allowance per inmate. The amount means the children have to subsist on short rations and nutrition.

For reasons like these, the Consuelo Foundation, a nongovernment organization that oversees the welfare of juvenile delinquents, in collaboration with the city government and private sectors, sponsored this year the premiere in Mindanao of the film "Bunso," which literally means the youngest in the family, in one of the local cinemas. The fund-raising affair was graced by First Daughter Evangeline "Luli" Arroyo.

Bunso is a disturbing documentary about three boys namely, Tony, Itsoy and Diosel, aged 11 to 13, who were detained in a jail with adult criminals. The story tells about the immersion of the three children into the world of the prisoners with many poignant moments, about which the boys narrated with innocence and street-smart pain and humor.

"The jail for juvenile delinquents in the country has become the most cruel penalty for children in conflict with law," said Raydean Salvosa, executive director of the Consuelo Foundation. "It is worst especially for first-time offenders, who only committed petty crimes such as robbery, pushed to it by extreme poverty," he noted.

"Through this film, we are advocating the support of the people in the passage of the Comprehensive Juvenile Justice System Law. This law seeks to ensure humane treatment of children in conflict with law," he explained. According to him this House Bill 3279 has been in the Congress for quite a while.

"The children who are detained must be safe and must be treated in a more humane manner. The children become worse if they are mixed up with adults in the prison. That primarily affects their behavior and character, and worst of all when they get out from the jail they become certified criminals," he warned.

Meanwhile, Ms. Arroyo declared, after watching the film, that she would make some interventions to assist lobbyists for the immediate approval of the Comprehensive Juvenile Justice System Law. "It's very difficult to see children in such situations. It's really a matter of getting Congress to act on this House bill," she said.

"This problem is not only the prime concern of the government, nor of social workers and other agencies. It is everyone's responsibility, our responsibility to value children's rights," Mr. Salvosa said.

Many In Zamboanga Live In Poverty, Study Says

Zamboanga City (Darwin Wee) Nearly half of the city's 600,000 residents live below the poverty threshold, a research study by a coalition of nongovernmental organizations showed on Wednesday during the launch of the project, Poverty scanning and mapping in Zamboanga City.

The Zamboanga City Partnership and Access Center, composed of Manila-based Peace and Equity Foundation, the Western Mindanao State University, and the Zamboanga Coalition of Development Nongovernmental Organizations, said 50.6% of the city population suffers from lack of basic needs, unemployment and inadequate income.

Carmen T. Ramos, Western Mindanao State University's director for the comprehensive outreach programs for barangays and research team leader, said the high poverty rate was attributed to the absence or lack of employment opportunities, inequality in the distribution of wealth and access to resources, peace and order situation, failure to gain access to credit, technological and market information and other services.

She said the poverty map will generate quantitative and qualitative data to "identify priority areas for poverty reduction interventions, sector-based programs and projects, and develop local-level multi-stakeholders partnership scheme to support delivery of sustainable program on poverty reduction in this city."

"Formulating a strategy to fight poverty requires understanding the problem, identifying its major causes and manifestations, and choosing the instruments and the targets of public interventions.

"Through this mapping we can easily identify what intervention we can assist and spot the priority areas in this city."

The poverty map indicated that in the past eight to 10 years, poorer families had less access to basic education, preventive health care, family planning services, and safe drinking water.

Among the city's 98 barangays, at least 33 were considered priority areas with inadequate sanitary toilet facilities, high malnutrition and infant death rate, and no access to safe drinking water and electricity.

Those without access to safe water get their supply from nearby rivers and streams, rain collectors and peddlers. Conditions in urban areas are better in this regard where households can be connected to a piped water system at less costn than it would to dispersed households in small rural communities.

With respect to dwellings, at least 14% of the total barangays lived in a housing unit made of light materials. In education, the participation rate of student in attending schools is 88% in the elementary level and 87% for the secondary level, indicating good performance.

However, the survival rate for elementary students is only 58% in the secondary level.

Arsenio Gonzalez, Regional Development Council board member, who served as reactor to the study, said the low survival rate of the students and most common reason for dropping out of school, was loss of interest and the high cost of education.

"Majority of girls in poor families who dropped out of school had to stay home for housekeeping. A large proportion of boys in both income groups were employed or looking for work. I wonder what kind of leaders we will have when their time comes, with this figures alone."

Mr. Gonzalez said policy makers may need to look at how new public investments can be channelled to interventions that will more effectively raise the participation rates of the poor, especially at the high school level.

"Formulating a strategy to fight poverty requires understanding the problem, identifying its major causes and manifestations, and choosing the instruments and the targets of public interventions.

"Through this mapping we can easily identify what intervention we can assist and spot the priority areas in this city."

Conditions in urban areas are better in this regard where households can be connected to a piped water system at less cost than it would to dispersed households in small rural communities.

With respect to dwellings, at least 14% of the total barangays lived in a housing unit made of light materials.

In education, the participation rate of student in attending schools is 88% in the elementary level and 87% for the secondary level, indicating good performance. However, the survival rate for elementary students is only 58% in the secondary level.

Since the most common reasons for dropping out of school are poverty-related, getting the children to stay in school involves much more than what the school system can provide.

The support of the community may be necessary to focus resources on families and areas where the probability of dropping out is highest. He also called for social development and good governance.

Mayor Celso Lobregat urged the different sectors, especially business, to be transparent in paying their taxes to augment revenues. "If we don't have enough revenues and funds, it will very difficult for us to finance and sustain poverty reduction projects."

Aside from data on health status and education, the poverty maps provided detailed information on the economicn indicators of family, awareness and use of family planning methods, housing, water and sanitation conditions of the families, availability of credit to finance the family business or enterprise, and other demographic and economic characteristics.

This was in recognition of the fact that the different dimensions of poverty may not be adequately captured by family income and expenditures data.

"In effect, policy makers and program implementers have better information to evaluate, sharpen the focus, and enhance the impact of antipoverty programs," Ms. Ramos said.

"Best of all, the new indicators of poverty and welfare can be used to mobilize action at different levels of governance, especially at the community level where appropriate and timely response can make the most impact on the living conditions of the poor," she added.

Ms. Ramos said while the primary responsibility for reducing poverty with the local government, civil society can be a strong ally in\n efforts to alleviate poverty.

"The present poverty assessment, therefore, comes at a very opportune time. The government is in the process of formulating its medium-term development plan with poverty reduction and improved income distribution as the main thrust.

"The strategy for poverty reduction in Zamboanga is consistent with the development objectives and priorities of the Philippine government as spelled out in its medium-term plan," she said.

Angel Calvo, president of the Zamboanga Coalition of Development Nongovernmental Organizations, said the poverty map was fully financed by the Peace and Equity Foundation.

This year, the foundation has allocated P10 million to provide funds for grants to fill basic needs in health, water and food as well as loans for livelihood projects. It will also fund capability-building activities for the institutional-strengthening of local civil society groups.

The foundation has been assisting over 30 priorities barangays in the city. Mr. Calvo said barangays can avail loans or grants for as much as P500,000, depending on the project proposal.

Anti-Human Trafficking Drive Gaining Ground In Mindanao

Zamboanga City (Darwin Wee) The government's anti-human trafficking drive is gaining momentum in Western Mindanao.

In an interview, Zamboanga City prosecutor Ricardo C. Cabaron said the recent conviction of three persons involved in trafficking a Filipino woman in Sabah, Malaysia was the first in recent years.

"To maintain the law's effectivity in addressing the complex and multifaceted issue of trafficking, the solutions should adopt a holistic and integrated approach by promoting action at different levels and in four key areas - prevention, prosecution, coordination, assistance and rehabilitation of the victims," he said.

Mr. Cabaron said the human trafficking problem is as serious as terrorism.

"The problem in human trafficking is as heavy as in terrorism. This is a big problem, especially in Zamboanga City, which is known as the transit point for illegal traffickers," he pointed out.

The success behind the speedy conviction of the traffickers, which only lasted for four months, was the result of cooperation among the different sectors in the city.

Mr. Cabaron said coordination between law enforcers and the public, the victims particularly, would go a long way in curbing the trafficking menace.

"Human trafficking is more than just a serious violation of the law. It is an affront to human dignity. Losing one's dignity is equivalent to losing one's life," he said.

Mr. Cabaron said an increasingly common method of recruitment in the country is the use of a network involving immediate or extended family members, not via newspaper or internet ads promising opportunities abroad.

The young are more at risk because of their desire to seek greener pastures.

The law defines human trafficking as the recruitment and transport of persons with or without their consent or knowledge within or across national borders by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, including abduction, fraud, deception, and abuse of power.

Human trafficking also involves giving or receiving payments and benefits in the exploitation of people, usually through prostitution, forced labor and slavery.

In a research study done by the End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes Philippines, illegal recruitment is a very profitable activity.

While some recruiters may feel guilty about what have become of their recruits, others feel they have helped these to earn and survive.

Since trafficking for recruiters is considered a well-paying venture, most stay in the business for more than 10 years.

Some learn the trade from their kins, others have been in the sex trade in their younger years, and still others befriend club owners and managers. Traffickers in Bicol and Dumaguete were found to be husband and wife teams.

A recruiter in Cebu may earn from P500 to P4,000 for every recruited girl. This means that if he can recruit 40 in three years, he would have earned P20,000 to P160,000.

One recruiter interviewed by the research team claimed to have recruited 35 girls in five months, which could have earned him up to P30,000 a month.

"The problems happen, especially when the victim is poor and it will be very difficult for the victim to fight her case penniless, compared with the illegal recruiter or human trafficker, who has the money," Mr. Cabaron said.

A number of cases end up in settlement, a source of frustration for lawyers and prosecutors, he pointed out.

He said lawyers and prosecutors' work is limited to suing the trafficker and making sure the case is won.

To encourage the victim not to be intimidated into dropping the charges, Mr. Cabaron said the victims may be placed under the government's witness protection program.

He said another method they used to win the case, is by using a lady prosecutor who can easily relate with women and children, who are most often the victims of trafficking.

Mr. Cabaron said his office now has 10 prosecutors, four of whom are women handling human trafficking cases.

Following the successful conviction of the traffickers in Zamboanga, American officials said this was a sign that the government was doing more to combat trafficking of humans, giving it more chances of being removed from a blacklist of countries that are perceived to be not doing enough to fight modern day slavery.

Last June, the Philippines received a Tier 2 placement - a ranking based on countries' efforts to combat trafficking - after it failed to comply with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking. A Tier 3 ranking will mean financial sanctions for the blacklisted nation.

Mr. Cabaron noted that with the latest development here, the Philippines would likely be removed from next year's watch list.

Justice department records showed that 65 human trafficking-related complaints had been filed from June 2003 to January 2005. Of these, 24 had been filed in court while 31 were still undergoing preliminary investigation. The complaints involved 98 alleged traffickers.

Mr. Cabaron noted that in Zamboanga City, there are still nine cases of human trafficking pending in the trial court but these are expected to be resolved by early next year.

Majority of human trafficking cases handled by the prosecutor's office involve illegal recruitment of minors.

"Good laws, hand in hand with efficient law enforcement, are very important to protect women and children from human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

"We are all partners in ensuring the success of the mission we have set ourselves: to end the human trafficking of women and children especially in the context of commercial sexual exploitation," Mr. Cabaron said.

"As partners, we can all take some pride in what has been achieved and, at the same time, resolve to make next year an even better one for the children. The battle has just begun." (Zamboanga reporter Darween Wee writes for the BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation)

We Need Your Support

Scavengers dig for scrap in Lumbangan village in Zamboanga City. (Zamboanga Journal)

We are accepting donations for the poor children of Zamboanga City, especially those in Lumbangan village (see story No Feast For The Yuletide) where the government garbage dump is located.

Lumbangan people basically need medicines for fever and cough, anti-tuberculosis, multi-vitamins, dust masks and boots and gloves.

We welcome other donations, such as old books and other reading materials, including Bible and Quoran, used clothes and condoms for the city's slum.

We will send you photographs of the distributions of all donations and the names of the beneficiaries.

You can send your donations to Zamboanga Journal / Al Jacinto 53-B, Alfaro St., Tetuan, Zamboanga City, Philippines 7000

Thank you very much for your support.