The Philippine Preview

Zambosur El Niño victims to receive rice aid

2010-06-04T10:16:00.001+08:00

Drought casued by El Niño continues to cause havoc in Mindanao and already, 15 municipalities are reportedly affected in Zamboanga del Sur and this would could still worsen if the weather pattern continues until July.

Such a difficult has nudged the National Government to distribute bags of fortified National Food Authority (NFA) rice to some 28,321 families in the affected towns.

Dubbed as the “Rice Assistance Program” (RAP), the distribution will enjoin the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-9), Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC)–Zambosur Chapter and the Commission on Audit for monitoring the distribution.

Fourty-eight provinces, including Zambosur, which has been ranked as one of the top ten rice-producing granaries of the country, are currently experiencing between 20 to 59 percent below-normal rainfalls since March.

The El Niño has caused water supply shortages and hurting rice planting in the province, said PNRC board of directors chairperson Victor Asuelo. He added that in Region 9, the province has the most number of families affected.

For the distribution scheme, the PNRC will take charge with the implementation of RAP, shouldering even the administrative costs and the arrangement with NFA for the hauling of the rice to be distributed to the different municipalities.

It was learned that most of the recipients—who are poor farmers and fisherfolks—were also listed beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The 15 towns are Bayog, Dinas, Dumalinao, Lakewood, Lapuyan, Dumingag, Kumalarang, Midsalip, San Miguel, Sominot, San Pablo, Tabina, Tambulig Tigbao and Vincenzo Sagun.

NFA officials in the province have assured the public that the grains agency has sufficient stocks of rice in its warehouse and its inventory stockpiled evry now and then with the arrival of more rice.

The PNRC added the RAP will be accomplished by June 30 before the assumption of the newly-elected officials.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

14 LGUs get computers, GPS devices from Spain

2010-06-04T10:15:00.002+08:00

Fourteen beneficiary local government units in Zamboanga Peninsula recently received a total of P1.5 million worth of Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and nine desktop computers from the Spanish government.

Of the said LGUs, three municipalities are from Zamboanga del Sur: Lapuyan, Midsalip and Tigbao.

These towns were part of the total 36 LGUs in 12 provinces located in five regions all over the country which will receive the package donations of MDGF 1919.

MDGF 1919 stands for Millenium Development Goal Funds, a three-year joint program of the National Economic Development Authority, DILG, National Water Resources Board, the UN Development Program and UNICEF.

DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero led the turnover ceremony of the computers and GPS devices and the signing of memorandum of acceptance at Hotel Alindahaw recently.

In his message, Panadero said that it is MDGF’s goal in helping pilot municipalities abd kicak water service providers develop, operate and manage effectively their local resource by improving efficiency and increasing their capability in water provision.

The equipment will be used by the DILG and the municipal water and sanitation teams tasked to survey other components of the program and come up with crucial information on water and sanitation (WATSAN) from households to municipal levels.

These informations include the development and utilization of WATSAN tool boxes, customer service codes, updated tarrif setting and regulation guidelines.

With Panadero are DILG Regional Director Paisal Abutazil, MDGF-JP manager Kathlene Manguene, DILG Planning Division Water Supply and Sanitation Program Management Chief Maria Fe Crismilla Banluta and the municipal mayors of the beneficiary LGUs.

Other recipient LGUs include Mutia, Jose Dalman, Kalawit, Katipunan, Siayan, SIocon and Sirawai—all of Zanorte—and Alicia, Payao and Titay, all in Sibugay.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

DA-9 reviews technology studies

2010-06-04T10:15:00.001+08:00

The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently reviewed various researches on agricultural techonology done within Zamboanga Peninsula and will select on a later date the Best Paper and Most Promising Technology award.

Each year, DA-9, under under Regional Executive Director Oscar Parawan, will assess and evaluate technology studies conducted by research personnel in its different research stations.

The Agency In-house Research, Development and Extension Review was conducted at the Western Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESMIARC) in Sanito, Ipil last May 25-26.

Fourteen technology researches were presented and five were completed as of this writing, evaluated by the panel evaluators composed of Engr. Rodolfo Fernandez of the Bureau of Agricultural Research; Jose Rizal Memorial University’s Ramon Luza and Resources Research and Development Consortium Regional Techno Gabay coordinator Soledad Perez.

Myra Aprille Gemeniano’s paper dealing with the study on Growth Performance of Growing Crossbred Goats Fed with paragrass and indigofera supplemented with varying levels of tongkat ali in urea molasses mineral block was adjudjed as the best paper.

For the Promising Technology Awards, the first and second places went to Marry Joy Flores of Western Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESMIARC) for her technology research on the Effects of Biocon and Bio-N Application in Rice under Zamboanga Sibugay Condition and Adaptability test of Sweet Sorghum in Western Mindanao, respectively.

Third place went to Danilo Rodriguez of DA-Betinan Research Station for his study on Field Testing of ICRISAT legume varieties (peanut and pigeon pea) and technologies in selected region in the Philippines.

WESMIARC center manager Francisco Geromo said that research is important to generate new technology whose focus is to help the farmers in terms of productivity and profitability as well as promote organic agriculture.

Regional Technical Director Constancio Alama, in his message, likewise said that DA will push for acceleration of technology transfer through technology promotion and commercialization.

He added that it is a challenge for the department to operationalize research development and extension network (RDEN) to harmonize with the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act or RA 8435.

WESMIARC, located in Ipil, is the main research center of DA complete with cluster research stations found in Molave, Mahayag, Dumalinao, all in Zamboanga del Sur; in Kalawit and Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte; RT Lim and Surabay in Sibugay La Paz and San Ramon in Zamboanga City and the last in Isabela City.

REPORT BY REMAI ALEJADO

53rd IB Matapat Troopers welcome new head

2010-06-04T10:13:00.000+08:00

The 53rd Infantry Battalion of the 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division has a new commander in the person of Lt. Col. Emmanuel Magpayo.

Magpayo replaced Lt. Col. Erwin Alea and received a welcome treat during a reception ceremony held at the 53rd IB headquarters in Guipos, this province.

Alea, for his part, thanked the battalion troopers for the teamwork that made the battalion successful and praised their honorable service.

He then urged the new commander to focus on education with rebel returnees and continue visiting villagers to let the people understand the government programs in dealing with insurgency.

Such an effort helped turn the villages into a generally peaceful environment having a close working partnership with the people.

Alea also reported that throughout his administration, he directed and supervised 25 battalion-size operations and 3,439 small unit patrols against communist terrorist movements, secessionist groups and lawless elements in the area of operations.

As for Magpayo, he praised the Matapat troopers and said he is accepting the new position as the new commander, assuring “excellent leadership in my command.”

Magpayo likewise said that he will guide the battalion through a set period and guide the soldiers for future missions.

Meanwhile, 102 Brigade Commander Col. Rolando Tenefrancia praised Alea. “I would like to pay tribute to his exemplary performance and distinguished achievements for which, perhaps, we can never thank him enough.”

To Magpayo, he guaranteed his full support in the days ahead; adding Magpayo stands out to be the most qualified of the current officers of the 1st Infantry Division.

However, Tenefrancia said Magapayo’s achievement “will depend in no small measure to the full cooperation and support of every officer and the battalion troopers themselves” as he urged the troops “the battalion to unite behind Magpayo as their new leader for the success of the battalion’s mission.”

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Three carnap suspects fall in Pagadian

2010-06-03T11:07:00.005+08:00

(FOR ZAMPENEWS)

THREE carnapping suspects were arrested a day after the alarm was raised by residents over the rampant stealing of motorcycles believed to be carried out by a minor-league carnap group based here.

Two suspects were detained, identified by P/Insp. Inspector Romel Sawatang, deputy chief of police of the Labangan Police Station, as brothers Jerome and Jeffrey Flores, both residents of Barangay Langapod, Labangan.

They were arrested dawn of Wednesday, when they passed by a checkpoint in Brgy. Tapodoc, Labangan riding a carnapped Honda XRM owned by a military man residing in Dao, this city.

A third companion identified as James Marinao, A.K.A. James Padilla Lamyon, a resident of Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, escaped but was arrested the same day by police operatives in Purok Villarin, Banale District, this city.

A follow-up operation by joint police forces also led to the recovery of a Yamaha DT with plate JE 7157 kept inside the house of a certain Otik Apyag in Brgy. Danlugan.

This Yamaha DT, it was learned, was owned by SPO1 Jacaria Hasim Amad, a policeman from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay who reported that his motor was carnapped last April.

After their arrest, the suspects admitted to the police that they were the ones responsible for stealing several Honda XRMs parked in separate places in Pagadian.

They further claimed that the stolen motors were already delivered to their “customers” in Maigo and Kolambugan in Lanao del Norte for P5,000 each.

It was also learned that the Honda XRM the suspects were riding when they were arrested, bearing plate JD 4430, is owned by one T/Sgt. Jose Mote Agatea.

For his part, City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo said Marinao and company form one of the two carnap groups operating in Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The police official added that the second group is based in the neighboring Misamis Occidental as he urged the public to be vigilant always and be responsible enough to guard their vehicles from thieves by parking this in secure areas.

In a conversation with PNP Provincial Director Sr/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena, he commended the joint efforts of the Labangan and Pagadian policemen for their accomplishment.

Ochotorena reiterated Palermo’s advice while adding his: Always park motor vehicles in secured places; check the area where you parked against suspicious looking people; install alarm and safety devices when possible or install hidden master switch and never leave your motor unattended while the engine is on.

To recall, since April 4 until May 31, there were already 25 carnapped motorcycles reported in the city police blotter, mostly involving the expensive Honda XRM.

Out of the 25 stolen, 8 were recovered by the police while 2 were recovered by the owners but not reported to their office. Another 10 motorcycles were repossessed early this week while the city police are still conducting follow-up operations to retrieve the remaining 5, Palermo said.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

Ochotorena says killings not the work of vigilantes

2010-06-03T08:40:00.008+08:00

The spate of killings happening in this city in broad daylight targeting dispatchers and even women is not the doings of a vigilante group, a high-ranking police official has corrected media’s impression on this matter.

In a conversation inside his office, Police Provincial Director Sr/Supt. Ramon Ochotorena said Zamboanga del Sur, specifically Pagadian, could not be called a “killing field” since the province is “relatively peaceful.”

Ochotorena justified that all the killings in Pagadian were investigated as it should be as he declared that all those who have been killed in separate attacks since January were either involved in land conflict, family feud, or personal disputes.

He likewise calmed residents and advised media not to directly pronounce that the perpetrators roaming in the streets are members of vigilante groups or are members of the police.

“Wala ta ana dinhi anang mga vigilantes ug dili kana tinuod nga pulis ang tigpatay. Let us not put the blame on the police because they are working hard for the solution of the murders,”Ochotorena said.

A report paper on police statistics on all crime incidents forwarded by City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo to Zamboanga Peninsula News stated that there are already 20 murders covering the period of January to May.

An overall figure for total crime volume is listed at 200 while total crime cleared is tallied at 78 and total crime solved is at 54 as Palermo urged residents to cooperate with the police if they have actually witnessed the crime by giving written statements.

He explained that if witnesses feared for their lives then the city police are willing to place them under the police’s witness protection program.

Palermo also pointed out that if public apathy in helping the police in its fight against the series of killings will continue to persist then everything will turn futile.

“Ang nangyayari ngayon dito sa Pagadian, takot ang mga tao magsalita kaya lumalaki ang ulo ng mga criminal,” the police chief said, adding the policemen are not remiss of their duty as law enforcers.

In airing his opinion on the killings, board member and lawyer Baldomero Fernandez said people at present times live in the extremes and ultimately is keen on exacting revenge through violence and vendetta but this should not be the case because the law is there.

“Usahay bisag unsa kangil-ad gani sa tawo, angay gyod unta nga ipasubay sa pamalaod tungod kay aduna man kitay judicial process,” Fernandez said.

“We cannot be the accuser, the prosecutor, a judge and at the same time the executioner kay kung atoa ning buhaton magkadugay kung mahurot na nato ang mga dautan, managinot na dayon ta og laing hut-ong sa mga tawong nakasala bisag ginagmay ra ang nahimo.”

“Kay naanad na man ta sa pagpamusil og tawo mao nga sayon na lang nato. This will not do well for the community, kinahanglan mahunong ni kay dili ni maayo, ang hinungaw ug ang epekto niini mobalik ra gyod ni kanato,” he added.

Another lawyer, Provincial Prosecutor Mary Ann Tugbang, sent this paper a text message commenting also to the idea which said that people resort to taking the law into their own hands because they have lost trust in the justice system.

Tugbang said she does not agree to the idea because people may just be afraid of something when they refuse to stand as witnesses to crime, or they may only want to appear afraid. News grabbed from www.micmedina.tk

“First, it could be the culture of apathy, or the culture of fear—ang pobre walay mahimo kontra sa dato, ang walay konseksiyon mapildi. Naa pod nang imagined threat: gauna ang kahadlok bisag walay angay kahadlokan,” she explained.

This fear may have something to do with the institutions also, Tugbang added, and these need improvement, like the witness protection program, which she clarified, needs to be reviewed because this might create dependency.

“Dili lang protection from physical harm and demands from the witnesses, mangayo na og protection sa tibuok niyang pamilya kay na-uproot man economically, mangayo og employment and financial assistance,” she said.

“Another reason why they are afraid is ignorance of the system, of their rights and of their responsibility as a member of the society,” she concluded.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & JONG CADION

Pagadian schools defer tuition fee hike

2010-06-03T08:40:00.005+08:00

VARIOUS schools based in this city have decided to postpone their tuition fee increases for the first semester in consideration to the hard times parents go through these days.

This was learned by this paper after calling several private schools to inquire if they are riding on the clamor of other exclusive schools nationwide in asking the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to grant increases ranging from 3.92 to 15.74 percent.

Some of the schools asked by this paper and which readily provided information are Southern Mindanao Colleges (SMC), Saint Columban College, Philippine Technical Maritime School, STI-Pagadian, Eastern Mindanao College of Technology and Yllana Bay View College.

It was also learned from an official of Pagadian Capitol College that their school planned to increase tuition fees for their elementary, from P4700 to P5,027.50; and high school, from P4,600 to P5,531; but their college fees will remain as is.

A source from the Zamboanga del Sur Maritime Institute of Technology likewise told this paper in a telephone conversation that the school management has submitted to CHED its request for tuition fee hike of about six percent but they are still awaiting for CHED’s approval.

Despite the cited facility upgrades and the planned salary increases for their teachers this school year, the officials of the said schools said they decided to stay put with their tuition fees, like for example, SMC, which continued to offer P309.91 per unit for their engineering courses and P289.67 per unit for other related courses.

Medina College-Pagadian, meanwhile, retained their P250 per unit for their all their medical courses.

REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA & REMAI ALEJADO

Magnitude 4 quake sends jitters to Pagadianons

2010-06-02T09:10:00.001+08:00

Residents from the coastal areas here are on the verge of fear and panic after a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Mindanao early Monday evening.

Lito Casinillo, training officer of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) explained the earthquake was tectonic in origin, which struck south-west of Cotabato, quoting a report from the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS has posted the earthquake's epicenter to be somewhere at 80 kilometers Southeast of Davao or 40 kilometers south east of Mati, Davao Oriental.

Phivolcs also said the quake occurred at 6:16 p.m. and was felt at Intensity 4 in Pagadian City, Cotabato City, Isulan and Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat and in Matutum, South Cotabato.

Pagadian City is part of the Cotabato trench along the Mindanao fault, which triggered an Intensity 7.2 quake and a tsunami on Aug. 16, 1976 that destroyed several areas in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Casinillo said that such an earthquake, described by Phivolcs as “moderately strong,” could become dangerous when this reaches magnitude 6 or more, since this possibly will produce big tidal waves or tsunami.

No report of damage or injury was however reported after the quake but it stunned residents after tremors were felt as far as San Jose District, which is about two kilometers away from this city’s coast.

“Such an earthquake normally occurs since we experience more or less 20 tremors daily but per experience nato, dili ra kaayo to lawom ug bug-at,” Casinillo said.

But the OCD official said residents should not overlook safety measures but still brace for the worse and stand by for aftershocks as he said city dwellers have only 25 minutes from the start of a strong earthquake to evacuate to a safe and higher ground.

He likewise urged people to avoid sending prank text messages that would do nothing to help ease the worries of other residents about their trauma of the 1976 earthquake.

BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Sammy retorts on nationality issue

2010-06-02T09:08:00.002+08:00

Reelected Mayor Samuel “Sammy” Co has dispelled reports passed around that he is facing disqualification proceedings for the reason that he is not a Filipino citizen.

In a conversation inside his office last Monday, Co said that he has complete records of his birth and residency which shows his status as a natural born Filipino and not Chinese as supposed.

He added that the citizenship issue first cropped up during the election campaign, further saying he believed this was raised by disgruntled people who may either have an axe to grind or just toying with the question of citizenship against him to discredit the efforts he has done for the city for the last nine years.

The report about the mayor’s citizenship being questioned was contained in email messages circulating in the internet, a copy of which was sent to this paper last week, which alleged that Co’s parents, namely Chun Tec Co and Suat Kim Sy, neither filed their petitions for naturalization because the Office of the Solicitor General does not bear such names in its records.

The unnamed sender even claimed that such information was researched based on the findings and certification from the Office of the Solicitor General under the Special Committee on Naturalization.

The document added that such a failure of Co’s parents in filing their petitions for naturalization resulted to them not having conferred Philippine citizenship by administrative naturalization by virtue of the country’s naturalization law.

“The petition partly alleges that the respondent, not being a Filipino citizen does not possess the qualifications to run and to be voted upon for the Office of the City Mayor; hence respondent is not eligible to have him self elected. He is a Chinese national,” the document asserted.

“As alleged, the birth certificate of Mayor Co, which is considered a prima facie evidence under the above issue, does not satisfy the provision of Article 172, entitled Proof of Filiation,” it added.

Written below the article are these words: “We tried to reach the Mayor to make his rejoinder, but the Mayor was out of town and his camp appears to be silent all about the issue at the moment.”

In retort, Co called the article as false, malicious and “a product of wicked minds” as he said that his both his parents and elder brother Alexander Co Sr. were naturalized in 1960.

Article IV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution defined Philippine citizens as “Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines; Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and Those who are naturalized in accordance of law.”

This, he added, made himself and all his other brothers and sisters Filipino, born and raised in this country.

Commonwealth Act No. 473, approved June 17, 1939, likewise provided that persons having certain specified qualifications may become a citizen of the Philippines by naturalization.

Another law, Republic Act 9139, provides that “aliens under the age of 18 who were born in the Philippines, who have resided in the Philippines and have resided therein since birth, and who possess other specified qualifications may be granted Filipino citizenship by administrative proceeding subject to certain requirements.”

Meanwhile, an international publication called The Dragon Asia Magazine, which highlight successful and influential Filipino-Chinese leaders, featured Co in 2009 and described his humble beginnings.

“[His] parents were originally from Lucena, and were on a tour to Mindanao when they saw the opportunity to build a rice mill in a tiny town that had none,” the magazine said.

“His grandparents, who owned a 99-room in China, had migrated to the Philippines to escape Communism. From his parents’ rice mill, business flourished and to avoid fighting, his father diversified. The rest is history,” the article continued.

Co was born on March 10, 1966 in Pagadian City. He spent his elementary days at the Pagadian City Chamber School and his secondary schooling at the Misamis Union High School in Ozamiz City.

He pursued college at the Cebu Institute of Technology taking Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He then went back to Pagadian and married a daughter of a famous politician family.

In 1998, at the age of 32, he ran and won as city councilor, assumed as vice mayor in 2003 by virtue of succession and became city mayor the following year.

The Co family in Pagadian, wrote The Dragon Asia Magazine, is “into practically every possible business there is in the city,” including industrial machines, ice plants, rice and corn mills, saw mills and coconut mills, soap, lumber, trucking, hotel and restaurants, constructions and auto supply.

BY MICHAEL MEDINA, WITH REPORTS FROM REMAI ALEJADO

Who made Noynoy win in Zambosur?

2010-06-02T09:07:00.003+08:00

No doubt, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III won a landslide victory in Zamboanga del Sur but is this because of the “Cory charm”? Luck perhaps? Or because of a powerful force to reckon with?

Former Congressman Isidoro Real Jr., Liberal Party’s (LP) regional chairman, has claimed the overwhelming votes Aquino garnered was due to the local LP bandwagon sweeping their charisma all over Zambosur as he expressed elation for the victory of the LP standard bearer in last May 10 polls.

“Bisan sa akong programa sa radio ug lakip na sa mga interviews, akoa nang nakita ang kadaugan ni Noynoy ilabina diri sa Zamboanga del Sur,” he said in a recent press conference.

Real added that the senator’s winning is something to consider like the legacy of the Aquino family—Ninoy as an icon of democracy and Noynoy’s mother, Cory.

However, the Lakas-Kampi-Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) alliance in the province dismissed Real’s contention saying the congressman is just talking glib and that it was through the alliance’s last minute change of mind and shift of support for Aquino’s presidential bid that made him a sure winner in the province.

NPC stalwarts Representatives Victor Yu and Antonio Cerilles, including Mayor Samuel Co, have each earlier explained their endorsement of Aquino for the presidency was through the instruction of business tycoon and NPC Chairman Emeritus Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco to support his nephew.

This instruction was followed to the letter by their group, which the trio asserted, essentially catapulted Aquino to the number one spot in the presidential race Zamboanga del Sur garnering a total of 158,866 votes.

As of May 5, the NPC has admitted that they had yet to rally behind a presidential candidate as the party’s only other official national candidate is Sen. Loren Legarda, who is seeking the vice-presidency.

The NPC lost a presidential candidate when Sen. Francis Escudero resigned from the party a week before the campaign period, saying he did not wish to be beholden to the coalition.

Meanwhile, the Lakas-Kampi, headed by Gov. Aurora Cerilles had affirmed her support for Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the administration’s standard bearer, but later “succumbed” into endorsing Aquino.

“Sa tan-aw ni Cojuangco, si Noynoy maoy makapausab sa atong katilingban mao nga mitambag siya sa amoa nga maoy suportahan dinhi,” the congressman said

But Cerilles clarified their support was for the Aquino-Binay tandem and not on Mar Roxas, LP’s vice presidential candidate.

Earlier, talks had it that the mayor too is torn between Villar and Teodoro but a source from Co’s office categorically told this paper that many things could happen as nothing is certain in politics.

“Nakuyawan mi sa Pagadian primero kay kusog kaayo si Villar pero misunod gyod mi sa mando nga si Aquino ug wala na mi ni Gibo. Kintahay kuno og tua mi ni Gibo unya napildi siya, unsay mahimo nga mehoras sa probinsiya? Looy kayo ang atong mga constituents!” the source said.

For his part, former governor Vicente Madarang Cerilles chipped in his thoughts saying Real and his group could not claim victory for Noynoy alone.

“Kung sila pang mga Liberal ang atong paminawon nga sila ang nakapadaog kang Noynoy dinhi, sayop kana kay ngano mang nabitay man si Mar Roxas ug ang ilang mga kandidato lokal man nangapildi, gawas sa duha ka mga mayor? Unsaon man niya pag-angkon nga siya ang nakapadaog dinhi sa partido?” he asked.

“Midaog ang partido dinhi kay atong gisabak, gidala nato,” he added.

BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Big carnap ring now in Pagadian?

2010-06-02T09:07:00.001+08:00

Residents from this city have sounded the alarm bells on authorities’ inaction on the intermittent theft of motorcycles happening almost everyday in downtown area.

As of May 31, there are already 19 carnapped motorcycles reported in the city police blotter, mostly involving the expensive Honda XRM.

Accordingly, most of the carnapped motors happened because of the absence of policemen detailed in conspicuous places around the city proper.

Last Sunday, May 30, a retired policeman lost his motorcycle while parked outside the Sto. Nino Cathedral along Ariosa Street. The next day, another motorcycle owned by an ex-army was taken by unidentified thieves while parked outside the Lumbia Day Care Center in Lumbia District.

In the past, most of the stolen motorcycles were brought to Lanao del Norte to be converted into small motorized bancas.

A source inside the Traffic Management Division of the Pagadian City Police Station told this paper that they are keeping an eye on reports which said that all carnapped motorcycles were brought to the Baganian Peninsula in the second district.

He added that during one follow-up operation they sighted stolen motorcycles either cannibalized or assembled with other parts of stolen motors.

In a huddle, City Police Chief Inspector Michael Palermo only aired his advice to owners to padlock their motors with big chains and or park this in public place where many onlookers deter thieves from doing their thing.

He likewise said that if parked for a long time, the owners should check on their vehicles every 30 minutes or install alarms and never leave inside the U-box their original registration papers.

Palermo then appealed to the public and to the carnap victims to report immediately to their office and provide their office with relevant information on the theft for speedy resolution of the case.

BY MICHAEL MEDINA

Take cudgels for Burmese democratization, activists ask Noynoy

2010-06-02T09:05:00.000+08:00

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Filipino activists have called on president-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to take the cudgels for Burmese democratization among leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in keeping with the legacy of his mother.

“We urge Noynoy to adopt his late mother’s critical position against the ruling military generals in Burma,” said Aguinaldo Bans, Philippine spokesperson of the Free Burma Coalition (FBC), a network of institutions and individuals opposing the Burmese military dictatorship.

In a statement, Bans said that as the next Philippine president, Aquino can “lead the ASEAN in applying stronger political pressures to the junta.”

“He has to prove that Filipinos abhor tyrannical regimes like the one in Rangoon,“ he stressed.

Bans noted that the late president Corazon Aquino was a known supporter of Burma’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi who is still under house arrest. Suu Kyi’s defiant stance against the military regime has earned her the Nobel Peace Prize.

FBC activists staged protest actions in Davao and Makati cities on Friday to denounce plans by Burmese military rulers to hold elections sometime this year.

The FBC said that preparations and recently issued election laws by the military government “clearly indicate that Burma's 2010 elections will not serve the interests” of the country’s peoples. It viewed the planned exercise as “one-sided” and only meant to “legitimize the (military) junta’s hold on power.”

“Burma needs genuine democratic solutions and not military elections. An election that is being pursued only to elect Burma’s next generation of military oppressors and human rights violators will not bring significant democratic changes in Burma,“ said Bans.

“The junta’s extreme hunger for legitimacy and international recognition forced the generals to violate all existing international laws and human rights standards. This upcoming election should determine the future of the peoples of Burma, but the junta, at this early, already ensured that dictatorship is the past, the present and the logical future for Burma,“ he added.

“(A semblance of) success of the regime’s sham elections will depend on the legitimacy lent by the international community. It is more important than ever that the Philippines send a strong signal to the regime, by denouncing the military elections, unless the regime meets minimum (human rights) benchmarks,” said Augusto Miclat, executive director of the non-government Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID).

These conditions include the release of all political prisoners, an end to attacks against ethnic groups, inclusive dialogue and review of the constitution with the participation of democratic sectors, said Miclat.

Miclat noted that the current Burmese Constitution was in a referendum amidst a calamity situation in 2008, which was an abnormal social circumstance.

On Thursday, FBC marked the 20th year when opposition groups, including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), won a landslide victory in the elections which the military regime refused to acknowledge, hence, those elected were not allowed to assume power.

The group pointed out that after two decades of seemingly standing in the sidelines, the ASEAN must now take bolder steps to compel the military regime to tread the path of democratization.

Bans explained that it is time for ASEAN to acknowledge that “the policy of constructive engagement with Burma is a miserable failure.”

On Sunday, activists throughout the world who are opposing military rule in Burma will mark a Global Day of Action in various countries to register their “strong stance against the regime’s undemocratic elections plans. “

Several months back, foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo had shrugged off the planned election in Burma as a farce, an unusually blunt personal criticism coming from a top official of a fellow member-state of the ASEAN.

The regional grouping has traditionally refused to ‘meddle’ in internal affairs of its member-states.

REPORT BY RYAN ROSAURO

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Balangasan tops as rabies-risk barangay

2010-05-31T13:11:00.001+08:00

By Michael Medina

PAGADIAN CITY—When it comes to villages with high incidence of dog
bites, Balangasan District is a first, a latest paper released by the
City Veterinary Office (CVO) said.

The said barangay is the most populous among the 54 villages in this
city and was mentioned by the City Health Office last year as the
leading village which is also a dengue-prone district.

Following Balangasan in the rabies menace list is Sta. Lucia and San
Pedro—both coastal barangays—Sto. Niño, Tiguma, Napolan, Tuburan, San
Jose, Sta. Maria and Kawit.

The CVO is currently implementing a city ordinance banning stray dogs
in streets as well as offering free vaccination to pet dogs to prevent
the spread of rabies.

A Human Rabies Report paper obtained by this paper from the Zamboanga
del Sur Medical Center (ZSMC) noted an increase of dog bite cases from
288 for the last quarter of last year to 315 for the first three
months of 2010.

Some 648 dogs were immunized by the CVO last year while 246 are
recorded for the first quarter of 2010.

There are 183 persons who completed treatment doses, the ZSMC report
paper added, while about 132 defaulted or did not return for the
second treatment.

Also, more males were bitten by dogs in the city than females and most
were below 15 years old.

Mayor Samuel Co has said in his weekly report aired over the radio
that the campaign against stray dogs will continue after stopping it
during the election period.

A makeshift dog pound is constructed at the Rotunda in Dao for locking
away caught stray dogs.

Rabies is a virus that is usually transmitted by a bite from an
infected animal such as a dog, ca, monkey, pig or horse.

If a bite from a rabid animal goes untreated and an infection
develops, it is almost always fatal while problems can be prevented if
the exposed person receives treatment before symptoms of the infection
develop.

ZSMC admissions near 800 a month

2010-05-31T13:10:00.001+08:00

By Michael Medina

PAGADIAN CITY—Admissions in the Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center
(ZSMC) is listed at an average of 775 patients monthly, latest
information from the said hospital stated.

Chief Nurse Helen Arao disclosed that for the first quarter this year,
hospital figures regarding regular in-patients and natural deliveries
remain the same while there's a variation in both major and minor
operations, including caesarean deliveries and the number of
mortalities.

She cited, for example, that there are 65 major operations for January
and February while this increased to 72 in March. Seven minor
operations were listed for the first two months and this hiked to
eight in March.

There's a lone patient transferred to another hospital in January and
this became three in March as caesarean deliveries for January is
listed at 67 then this reduced by February to 37 and two notches down
by March.

Fifty-two dialysis patients were recorded in January and for February,
this increased to 64 by March while there are 38 recorded mortalities
in January and 28 by February and March.

To recall, ZSMC announced last April it has limited visitation time to
maximize therapeutic periods for their admitted patients.

Arao explained the new policy does not totally restrict quick visits
or appointments between family relatives and their patients but only
regulate the length of daily schedule of visits from 10:00 in the
morning to 12:00 noon and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

"The reason for this is to give time for hospital sanitation and
housecleaning during mornings and for nurses and doctors to make their
rounds to give medications and treatment," she said.

For this, Arao said ZSMC need to decongest its wards in order not to
disturb the medical staff in their work.

"In the afternoons until 8:00 p.m. we want our patients to get early
rest to restore their health. Kinahanglan kaayo nila makapahulay og
sayo without the noise," she said.

The new policy likewise prohibit entry of children below 10 years to
come and visit patients in the medical facility "because they are
prone to contagious diseases and children have less resistance to
diseases they might contract while loitering in hospital premises,"
the chief nurse explained.

As for watchers, ZSMC only allow 3-4 persons at most for every patient
while strictly limiting this to two when there's numerous admissions.

"We do not allow them also to roam around the hospital and we have a
watcher's class to educate them on this policy," Arao stressed.

When asked why there are patients sleeping along the lobby of the
hospital, Arao clarified that ZSMC is only equipped with 100 beds but
they opted "to accommodate everybody who comes for medical attention,
especially the poor."

And since the ward spaces are constricted, they temporarily allow some
of the patients with negligible case admissions to sleep in the lobby
but transfer them once there are discharges from the ones sleeping
inside.

BFP-Pagadian collections near P1M in Q1

2010-05-31T13:09:00.003+08:00

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY—A total of P724,377.10 was collected by the city office
of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for the first quarter after its
implemented RA 9514, the Comprehensive Fire Code of the Philippines.

Fire Marshal Inspector Christopher Morales said RA 9514 empowers local
fire stations to collect all fire code fees from the local government.

Morales disclosed that their collections cover the period of January
to April and out of this, P20,766.12 came from the neighboring town of
Dumalinao, which is presently under the jurisdiction of the City Fire
Station.

Morales' report paper forwarded to The Daily Corridor showed
P441.535.98 collections for January, double the income for the same
period last year which is only P290,573.24.

Morales said that the collection was taken from four common coverage
charges of the fire code fees: safety inspection fees, fire code
construction tax, fire realty tax and storage clearance fees taken
from gasoline stations.

The collected fees will then be remitted to the National Treasury
after which 20 percent will be retained by the local government to be
used for maintenance operations and implementation of fire safety.

Of the remaining 80 percent, about 18 percent will be coursed through
the Department of Budget and Management for the acquisition of fire
trucks, fire fighting equipment and accessories, and construction of
more buildings

This substantial collection performance is an indication of the
support from taxpayers and their understanding of the new policies and
process of securing fire safety permit and conducting, Morales told
this paper.

DTI-9 to deliver 231 PCs to selected schools in Zambosur

2010-05-31T13:09:00.001+08:00

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY—The provincial office of the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) is set to distribute a total of 231 personal computers
(PCs) worth P170-million to 21 National High Schools (NHS) around
Zamboanga del Sur with the aim of reducing computer backlogs in public
high schools.

DTI Provincial Director Marichu Malate-Atay said in an interview each
public school will receive 11-sets desktop computers complete with
flat screen monitor, wireless LAN capability, another 11-unit of UPS,
printer, wireless router and accessories.

To be distributed simultaneously on the last week of June, this year,
Atay disclosed the selected 21 NHS in the province del Sur is in
Tabina, Guipos, Labangan, Vincenzo Sagun, Aurora, Pagadian City;
Tukuran, Midsalip Tigbao, Mahayag, Ramon Magsaysay, Lakewood, Sominot,
Tambulig and Margosatubig.

The PCs form part of a grant of the Japan Development Assistant
Program of which DTI is a lead agency with the cooperation of the
Department of Science and Technology, Dep-Ed and Gearing-Up Internet
Literacy and Access for Student (Gilas).

Previously, the DTI has implemented the distribution of some 47,100
PCs to a total of 3,714 recipient public schools nationwide in three
phases from 2002 to 2007. In Zamboanga del Sur, a total of 46 NHS and
six LGUs in the province were able to benefit.

Also, free training on the Information Technology (IT) for teachers of
the recipient school is included in the package like the ICC
integration programming, the trouble shooting and PC operations.

The beneficiary schools will counterpart with the construction of an
air-conditioned computer laboratory room, complete with electrical
connections and supply and computer table for the units.

HAPIT NA GYOD

2010-05-28T08:35:00.002+08:00

The almost finished City Commercial Complex (C3) in Pagadian City, a multi-million shopping mall with a total budget of P500 million, is now 70 percent nearing completion. This building, which will be managed by one of the graduating senior councilors in the city, will be utilized as the site of some regional offices. (PHOTO BY JONG CADION)

A CHANCE TO SPEAK

2010-05-17T11:15:00.004+08:00

President Gloria Arroyo, new Pampanga 2nd District Representative, chats with colleague, newly elected Zambosur 2nd District Representative and outgoing Gov. Aurora Cerilles—during the former’s visit to Pagadian last week, as third-termed Mayor Samuel Co patiently sits next to them. Talks are circulating that the president’s recent trips to the provinces, including her visit to the regional center, is part of her aggressive campaign to win the House Speakership this July when Congress opens. (PHOTO BY REMAI ALEJADO)

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

2010-05-11T10:02:00.002+08:00

These PCOS machines form part of the 924 allocated for Zamboanga del Sur, which arrived last Thursday, May 6, four days late than the intended schedule. (PHOTO BY CHARNYL ALBARRACIN)

UP, UP AND AWAY!

2010-05-03T10:21:00.003+08:00

Cebu Pacific Air finally opened its 33rd domestic route from Cebu to Pagadian and vice versa last April 27 using the ATR 72-500. The first airline to fly to the regional center of Western Mindanao since the city airport was renovated in 2008, Cebu Pacific services four times a week every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. (MICHAEL MEDINA)

BUSOG-SARAP

2010-04-28T10:04:00.004+08:00

BARANGAY officials, parents and some 150 children of Tapodok, Labangan gets to savor tasty arroz caldo when Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office (ZSPPO) personnel conducted its supplemental feeding, through the Labangan Municipal Police Station headed by COP S/Insp. Severino Laluan, Jr. (PHOTO BY JONG CADION)

WHEN PRESIDENTS VOTE

2010-04-23T12:04:00.003+08:00

ZPPI's Charnyl Albarracin (LEFT) and Jong Cadion of NUJP Pagadian-Zamboanga del Sur cast their votes during a a recently held media forum sponsored by the Philippine Information Agency and in collaboration with the Provincial Comelec Office. In the said forum, tri-media practitioners of Pagadian City get a taste of the fancy technology being used for this May 10 elections. The Commission on Elections is employing the new automated process to make voting less confusing and for quick, easy, and transparent counting that should minimize fraud. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL MEDINA)

Catholics for Choice are anything but Catholics

2010-04-11T09:54:00.001+08:00

By Abraham V. Llera

From the word “GO,” the Church was already buffeted by all kinds of assaults, almost all of them from inside.

There was, of course, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ even while Christ was still alive.

Coming on Judas’ heels came the various heresies. The Judaizers, whom St. Paul fought vigorously, was the first one. These are Jewish Christians who insisted Gentile Christians must be circumcised for them to be valid Christians.

As the Church took root in the first century, so did a host of heresies, one after the other. One of the early ones and one of the most enduring is Gnosticism which denies the Incarnation, and who claimed that matter is evil, only the spirit is good. This group also believed in many divine beings who mediated between man and the ultimate, aloof God. Jesus Christ, this group claimed, is just one of these divine beings.

The late second century found Montanism taking root, followed by Sabellianism in the early 3rd century, Arianism in the 4th century, and Pellagianism in the 5th century. Sabellianism taught that God the Father and God the Son are two offices of the same Person, while Arianism taught that God the Son was created by God the Father. Pellagians believed that man, on his own and without God’s help can attain justification.

Many more heresies followed: Nestorianism, Monophysitism, Iconoclasm, Catharism, Protestantism, and Jansenism.

To the extent that Catholics for Choice members are baptized Catholics, and to the extent that they deny a truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, the members of Catholics for Choice are heretics. Of course, this is simply my opinion, and I might be wrong.

In other words, heretics exist today as much as they did in the initial centuries of the Church’s founding. I have described one such heresy—Modernism—in the previous article “Non-Catholics in the Church.”

Again, here’s how they can be spotted:

“A spirit of complete emancipation, tending to weaken ecclesiastical authority; the emancipation of science, which must traverse every field of investigation without fear of conflict with the Church; the emancipation of the State, which should never be hampered by religious authority; the emancipation of the private conscience whose inspirations must not be overridden by papal definitions or anathemas; the emancipation of the universal conscience, with which the Church should be ever in agreement;

“A spirit of movement and change, with an inclination to a sweeping form of evolution such as abhors anything fixed and stationary;

“A spirit of reconciliation among all men through the feelings of the heart. Many and varied also are the modernist dreams of an understanding between the different Christian religions, nay, even between religion and a species of atheism, and all on a basis of agreement that must be superior to mere doctrinal differences. “

From the above, by insisting on rejecting what the Church teaches on contraception, and by following only what they think should be the Church’s position, Catholics for Choice do not qualify as Catholics. It would be wrong to look at them, and conclude that the Church stands divided.

No,far from that. The Church remains the same Church that Christ founded 2,000 years ago. That some of her members prove to be odd balls and loose cannons on deck simply shows that oddballs and loose cannons on deck can still exist because God desires each man to follow him because he loves God, not because God forced him.

Condoms: A point-by-point reply to Solita Monsod

2010-04-11T09:52:00.000+08:00

By Abraham V. Llera

In her “Why the big fuss about condoms?” on her “Analysis by Winnie Monsod” on” News on Q” on March 22, 2010, Solita Monsod made a number of points in favor of condoms as the solution to the rise in HIV new infections in the country.

Monsod: New HIV infections in the Philippines have increased, whereas globally , new HIV infections have , in fact, decreased by 17 percent, a fact, which is probably the basis for Sec Cabral’s worry, and which should be the worry for the rest of us too.

Llera: In the above , Monsod SUGGESTS that, since new HIV/AIDS infections elsewhere have gone down while ours in the Philippines have gone up, there must be something we are not doing right. Inasmuch as condom use is not as widespread in the Philippines as it is elsewhere in the world, our not using condoms is what’s causing the rise in our HIV/AIDS new infections.

This is sloppy work for a journalist especially one who has a national audience. All it’ll take is a little imagination to see that Monsod’s conclusion not only misses the point entirely, but offers as the cure something which is the cause of the problem.

Of the 2.7 M new infections in 2008 as recorded by UNAIDS, 1.9 M or 70 percent is accounted for by Sub-African Sahara, meaning that, if there has been a decrease in new HIV infections, half of the decrease is accounted for by Sub-African Sahara ALONE.

Now let me ask. Of all the countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa which has shown the most decrease in new HIV infections? Isn’t it Uganda? And how did Uganda did it? Isn’t it by abstinence?

Monsod: There are no studies more recent than the WHO study in 2000 or the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 1999.

Llera: In 2008 The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS published the findings of four studies showing that couples may have “unprotected sex” so long as the HIV infected partner take ARV therapy as that will block the passing on of the virus. This was met by an immediate howl of protest from HIV/AIDS groups who questioned the fact that the study limited itself to heterosexual couples. Anal sex, these groups claim, pose special problems which vaginal sex don’t have. Condom failure is that much higher in anuses than in vaginas, forcing UNAIDS and WHO to issue statements to the effect that condoms were still the safest protection against HIV.

Monsod: There are no studies more recent than 2000 because the issue of condom effectiveness has been resolved a long time ago.

Llera: From the above, and from the experience of Thailand which is reeling from a resurgence of AIDS, condom effectiveness is far from a resolved issue. In fact, and I’d like to ask Solita Monsod to ask Ms Monsod: isn’t it precisely condom use which is causing the increase in new HUV infections? Condoms, by promising “safe sex” has transformed Thailand’s youth into sexually-crazed creatures, ready to do sex at the drop of a hat and at an early age.

Monsod: The WHO Fact Sheet No 243 states: “ Laboratory studies have found that viruses (including HIV) do not pass through intact latex condoms even when the devices are stretched or stressed. “

Llera: In a 1998 article, C.M. Roland of the Naval Research Laboratory Chemistry Division and M.J. Schroeder of the U.S. Naval Academy Department of Chemistry said: “The defining feature of viruses is their diminutive size. For example the AIDS virus is only 0.15 microns, and the Hepatitis B virus is even smaller. Given the presence in rubber of intrinsic defects two magnitudes of order larger in size , the ability of a condom or a surgical glove to percent transmissi0n of viral particles is problematic.”

Moreover, we should remember that stretching applies only one type of stress: uniform lateral stress, the other four types of stress applied to a condom in use are not included. These are “the pressure stress (perpendicular to the axis of the later stress) ; shear stress (high twisting or angular stresses at critical points); friction stress (abrasion stress during lateral movement between two surfaces in contact); and corrosion stress caused by a mixture of body fluids and lubricants , whose effect is greatly enhanced by the repeated and simultaneous application of mechanical stresses.” (Credit: Brian Clowes)

And look at what the U.S. National Institutes of Health says: scientific evidence does not support condom use as a means to prevent infections of genital herpes (HSV) [page 20]; human papillomavirus (HPV) [page 26]; Chlamydia [page 17]; syphilis [page 23]; canchroid [page 21]; trichomonas [page 18].

Monsod: In Thailand, the promotion by the government of 100 percent condom use by commercial sex workers led to a dramatic decline in STD cases from 410,406 in 1987 to 27,362 in 1994.

Llera: Monsod is not being very honest here: she’s using old figures. The truth is, Thailand is now reeling under a resurgence of HIV infections. Go check it out on the Internet.

Monsod: Johns Hopkins: “Consistent condom use protected against HIV.”

Llera: In the above, Monsod is suggesting that condoms guarantee safety against STDs. But here’s what the National Institutes Of Health says in its Workshop Summary: Scientific Evidence for Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention page 14: ”consistent condom use decreased the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission by approximately 85%.“

Monsod’s in effect saying: “Let the 15 percent die, 85 percent will live anyway.”

THE POWER OF MELAI

2010-03-13T11:11:00.004+08:00

ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother winner Melissa “Melai” Cantiveros recently flew in to General Santos City where she hails and met with Mayor Jun Acharon and wife, Rose, during her homecoming visit. The MSU Education student was welcomed by residents with heroes’ honors. (PHOTO BY AVEL MANANSALA)