By: Apipa Bagumbaran
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, May 03 (PIA) --- Police authorities confirmed that the businessman abducted three days ago was released by his captors yesterday afternoon in Piagapo town, this province.
Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Asejo Llorca, Provincial Police Director said Rashid Mocado Ote was freed at about 4:30PM on May 2 through the negotiations initiated by the Council of Elders in Piagapo, as well, as the relatives of the victim identified as Mohaimen Mangotara, H. Khalid Macatanong, Ali Mocado, Sammy Gunting and Sam Macabinta.
Ote was abducted by five (5) unidentified armed men on April 29 along the national highway in Barangay Bubong, Saguiaran town, this province.
Initial police investigation disclosed that Ote was driving his black Mitsubishi Strada without plate number but with conduction sticker BO3293 and traversing the national highway from Iligan City going to Marawi City when flagged down by a group of armed men.
The 37-year old businessman was with his wife Faida Tumimbang, five (5) children and niece when the incident happened.
Furthermore, the gunmen was onboard a gray Tamaraw FX bearing the plate LDB-957 but at gunpoint they transferred and boarded to the victim’s vehicle leaving behind the Tamaraw FX.
Llorca said the vehicle of the victim was intercepted by Saguiaran Municipal Police Station upon reaching Barangay Pindulonan, this city, prompting the gunmen to forcibly take the victim alone and fled on foot to unknown direction leaving behind the rest of the passengers.
The Provincial Director, further, said that a cousin of the victim named Acmad has an outstanding debt amounting to more or less Php10,000,000 from the relatives of the suspects.
He said the failure of Acmad to pay his debt prompted the suspects to abduct the victim to let him pay them in behalf of his cousin. (PIA-10)
Peace education should be shared, not kept within one’s own culture – Toh Swee-Hin
By Florence A. Ramos
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Misamis Oriental, May 3 (PIA) – Peace or culture of peace should neither be thought of only as an absence of war, physical violence, and militarization, nor should it be fulfilled by mere talking.
This was the message of Professor Toh Swee-Hin from the University of Peace, Costa Rica, keynote speaker of the 1st Peace Education Colloquium held, May 2-4, 2011, at the Xavier University (XU) Nursing Amphitheater, this city.
He said peace should be practiced in our everyday life and in the policies and practices of all institutions and that peace education should not be discussed within people’s own cultures, but instead, must be shared to create mutual learning and wisdom.
“Peace education is diverse, like a river with many tributaries manifested by fields of transformative education, mixing and interconnecting of cultures and beliefs. We should avoid exclusive orientation and attitude, and seek mutual learning and sharing of wisdom,” added Toh Swee-Hin.
With the theme “Journeying toward a Peaceful Mindanao: A Colloquium on Signposts, Challenges, and Hopes in Education for a Culture of Peace,” the activity gears to optimize people and their society that peace is still viable despite the conflicts that the communities have endured.
A concurrent workshop on Education for Sustainable Futures and Peace concepts was also conducted to let the delegates digest more on the importance of peace and peace education. Other workshops on peace related issues will also be conducted throughout the entire colloquium.
Peace sectors and advocates from around the city were present at the Monday, May 2 opening of the 3-day conference which helps to understand and build peace in the country, especially in Mindanao.
Other resource speakers that day included Fr. Albert Alejo, S.J., from the Ateno de Zamboanga, Zamboanga City who talked about Peace Education and Communication and Charlito Manlupig from Bay Mindanao, this city who talked about Peacebuilding -Balay Mindanao Experience.
The Peace Education Colloquium is an effort of the Peace Education Center together with the Research and Social Outreach Office of XU- Ateneo de Cagayan in promoting peace in the country. (PIA-10)
BFAR-10 kicks off “Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month” with a market day
By: Eunice George Lañas
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, May 3, (PIA) - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) compound, this city, turned like a mini-market place, as they kicked off the “Farmers’ and fisherfolk’s” Month celebration with a market day, yesterday, May 2.
Variety of food and fish catch, such as, “tamban,” or sardines, tilapia and some shells were put on display for sale.
Visitors also enjoy free taste test on cooked products like the surprisingly unusual maja blaca made of “guso” or gelatin, some delicious “alamang” or minute shrimps and “bulinao,” “dilis,” or small fish coated with spices and sugar.
Visa Tan-Dimerin, Director of BFAR- 10, said that this year they wanted to organize more projects to make the celebration more meaningful, especially to the farmers and fisher folks.
Centered on the this year’s theme of “Mangingisdang Director Para sa Mas Matatag na Balikatan,” BFAR-10, has prepared several activities like the conduct of briefing on their major programs and projects and seaborne patrol fisherfolk registration.
The activities also include the coastal clean-up, aqua farm visits, mangrove planting, fingerling dispersal, tilapia harvest, seaweed business forum and technology demonstration trainings on “pangasius” culture in ponds.
The Ozamiz Seaweed festival, “Araw ng Mangingisda” Festival in Quezon, Bukidnon, as well, as the fish summit in Gen. Santos City are among the highlights of the month-long celebration, Dimerin added. (PIA)
NFA-MisOr denies claims that they store rotten rice in PHIVIDEC Warehouse
by: Hannah Mae S. Salugsugan
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Misamis Oriental, May 3 (PIA) - The National Food Authority, Misamis Oriental (NFA-MisOr) denies allegations that the commodity of imported rice they store inside the PHIVIDEC Warehouse in Brgy. Katipunan, Villanueva, this province, have been spoiled.
Rumors that the NFA has been keeping rotten rice in the 2,394-square meter warehouse located in Villanueva reached Municipal Mayor Julliette T. Uy prompting the NFA to clarify the matter.
Engr. John Robert R. Hermano, Provincial Manager of NFA-MisOr, said that they are mandated to store a food security stock of rice equivalent to the province’s 30 days consumption.
“It is also here that the requirement of the region which is more or less 25,000 bags per day for 30 days are kept. So we have to maintain a buffer stock of at least 750,000 bags and right now, we have 940,000 bags in the warehouse,” Hermano said.
The PHIVIDEC Warehouse accommodates two varieties of imported rice: Vietnam and Thailand - the cheap NFA rice varieties sold for P25.00 per kilo to retailers and P27.00 per kilo to consumers.
Since February 16, this year, NFA has been storing rice commodities in the area which are intended for the food security requirement, not only of Misamis Oriental but also Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin and some areas in Bukidnon.
Moreover, Hermano firmly denies that they store rotten rice since they implement periodic maintenance in the area and follow quarterly assessment plans.
“Iyang sinasabi nilang merong rotten rice, baka sweepings ang nakita nila, pagkatapos akala nila yun talaga ang stock (What they must have seen are the sweepings which they thought are already the stocks),” Hermano said, referring to boat sweepings as rice spillages accumulated during the unloading of the commodity.
He said they cannot dispose of the sweepings immediately because they still need to run laboratory tests to determine if it can still be used as feeds or for industrial purposes.
However he assured that these are declared unfit for human consumption and are definitely not mixed with the good ones.
Hermano, further, guaranteed that the commodity in the PHIVIDEC Warehouse are definitely good stocks given that aside from physical observations, they also perform palatability tests to make sure that the rice is fit for human consumption.
The NFA also has a Technical Research and Services Development Unit that ensures good warehousing practices and conducts quarterly and monthly inspection of stocks which the province is required to submit a sample to the central office for evaluation.
“Ganon ka-stringent ang proseso dito in terms of quality. That’s why nagtataka nga lang kami bakit nagpepersist pa rin yung mga sabi-sabi na may rotten rice,” Hermano said.
Furthermore, Hermano said that the region need not worry about rice shortage because the 940,000 bags stored in the PHIVIDEC Warehouse is enough to supply the region’s consumption rate of 25,000 per day for more than 30 days.
“We are still in the required 30 days of buffer stock. So, if they say there’s rice shortage, definitely, there is none, Hermano added. (PIA-10)
Bukidnon PWDs to benefit from basic reflexology training
By Dylin Marie S. Omana
MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, May 3 (PIA) – To provide them skills which will be their jumpstart in self-employment, a specialized training on Basic Reflexology (BR) was conducted, last April 25-29, for persons with disabilities (PWD) by the provincial government of Bukidnon.
Also aimed at empowering the PWD’s, the free training was jointly conducted by Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The weeklong training at Loiza’s Pavilion in Malaybalay City was participated in by the PWDs from the towns of Libona, Manolo Fortich, Talakag, Maramag, Don Carlos, Kitaotao, Malitbog, San Fernando, Cabanglasan, Damulog and Pangantucan.
For five (5) days, the participants were taught on the BR techniques in implementing and managing the treatment, occupational health and safety awareness, and establishing interpersonal relationship with patients/clients through effective communication.
“It is important that the skills acquired during this training should be sustained by constant practice,” TESDA Provincial Director Catherine Milagros R. Galapon said in her keynote speech.
She also inspired the value of quality service as crucial to enticing more clients to have more earnings and income.
For his part, Arsenio L. Alagenio, PSWD Officer, emphasized that the training is a tool for gainful employment, supportive of the thrusts of the provincial government in uplifting the economic status of the people of Bukidnon, particularly the differently-abled persons.
He further challenged the participants/trainees to maximize the government’s investment by optimizing their potentials and skills acquired.
Alagenio also committed to support the skills upgrading training next year to equip them with all the competencies of a massage therapist and finally prepare them for assessment to acquire National Certification of TESDA. (PIA-10)
Iligan City inmates avail of dental help
By: Janeth Molo
ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, 02 May (PIA) - This time, there will be no more aching tooth among the detainees.
This, as 30 out of the 343 total inmates of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Iligan City Jail in Barangay Tipanoy, who complained of toothache were serviced recently of free dental check up, tooth extraction, and cleaning, under the Dy Cares Program of Vice Mayor Henry C. Dy.
“This is the first dental mission for 2011 to be done in the jail facility and we are glad that medicines were also given for free to the beneficiaries,” said Jail Senior Insp. Omar Amper Jalagat, the Jail Warden.
The dental team was composed of dentists, nurses, and health volunteers who devoted more than three (3) hours of their time in the area.
“This is also the 23rd dental mission that we’ve done since this program started, and we are giving free anesthesia, and antibiotics during the conduct of the mission,” explained Jonathan Maeslim, Chairperson of the dental program.
“It is a great help to detainees like us who have no chance to go outside and see a dentist,” said Susan Reyes, 34, one of the detainees.
The detainees clad in newly purchased yellow shirts also expressed their thanks to the said dental help.
Maria Estella M. Bramida, the City Mayor’s representative on jail matters, said that BJMP continues to partner with the local government unit (LGU) to alleviate the living conditions of the inmates.
Various stakeholders have also extended their services and assistance to this project. (PIA 10)
Search for 2011 “Most Outstanding Masons” on
By Jorie C. Valcorza
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, May 3 (PIA) – The search for the “Most Outstanding Mason for 2011” is on.
Initiated by Holcim, a cement manufacturer, together with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the search aims to honor Filipino masons who show great skill and pride in their work and are also model citizens in their community.
“We aim to reach out to a broad audience, an audience that might not always been listened to or been heard of, an audience that very often has skills that not many of us possess. These are the kinds of skills that we would like to bring up, regardless of where they come from or achieved so far in life,” Roland Van Wijnen, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Holcim Philippines said during a road show announcing the search, in the city.
Wijnen said nominations will be open until June 30. Groups may nominate masons who are at least 25 year old and resided in their area for not less than a year and a holder of valid TESDA masonry certificate.
Entries will be accepted in all TESDA offices and nominees will go through three (3) levels of selection process from the provincial, regional to the national level.
Only the top two (2) nominees in the regional level can compete in the national completion who are chosen based on productivity, technical competence and professionalism.
The Most Outstanding Mason will get P150,000 cash, while the group who nominated him also receives P50,000 which will be spent for social project of their choice, while regional winners likewise takes home P25,000.
The search is just one of the components of the “Galing Mason Program,” the other two components are the ‘Galling Mason Training”, which is conducted yearly and the “Galing Mason Olympics” a skills competition conducted every three (3) years.
Wijnen encouraged everyone to take the little step together and help bring the country to a step forward.
“Our project is just a very small stepping stone. Nevertheless it fills me with pride. Educating every level of the society is what brings the society forward,” he said. (PIA 10)
PLEASES, Inc. elects Lanao del Norte SP Secretary to top post
By Vincent N. Labial
TUBOD, Lanao del Norte, May 3 (PIA) – Lanao del Norte Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Secretary Joselito Quibranza is the new Regional Head of the Philippine League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian, Inc. (PLEASES, Inc.)
The unanimous choice of his peers for the regional presidency, Quibranza was elected to the post, during their annual meeting last April 28, at the Haus Malibu, Malaybalay City.
Concurrently, the Acting-Provincial Administrator of Lanao del Norte, he is scheduled to start his 2-year term on January 2012.
“I would like to thank all those who supported my bid for the position. What made me decide to run is my desire to help promote Lanao del Norte, not only among our neighbors in Northern Mindanao, but hopefully throughout the country,” Quibranza expressed.
A nationwide organization of local legislative secretaries, PLEASES, Inc. seeks to strengthen the policy-making processes and update its members of newly enacted state laws and national policies.
Meanwhile, Quibranza plans to identify the best practices of each local government unit (LGU) and promote them for replication in the other cities and provinces of region 10.
“In partnership also with SP Member Baldomero Zamora, we hope to make a significant impact in Northern Mindanao to demonstrate to everyone that Lanao del Norte is earnestly doing its part in promoting the region,” Quibranza added.
Zamora is also the Regional Chairperson of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) for Northern Mindanao, which held its regional conference here at the Mindanao Civic Center (MCC) Hotel, last March 31.
Quibranza said PLEASES Region 10 also plans to hold its regional convention at the sprawling MCC complex, in the early part of year 2012. (PIO-LDN/PIA-10)
City execs vow to study the Workers’ Displacement Fund
By Janeth Molo
ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, May 03 (PIA)- City Mayor Laurence Ll. Cruz has vowed to look into the proposal of putting up a Workers’ Displacement Fund (WDF) which gives benefits to those who are laid-off from work.
Cruz said a thorough study should be made on the proposal before he gives it his approval, during the commemoration of the 125th International Labor Day, in the city, last May 1.
One reason the City Mayor cited is the fear that it might not pass through the Commission on Audit (COA) since all wage increases go through the commission’s scrutiny.
However, he appreciated the said request from the labor unions and vowed to carefully look into it.
On the other hand, Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) Kagawad Providencio Abragan, Jr., Chairperson of the Committee on Labor, said that he is bound to pass a resolution requesting for a thorough WDF analysis.
The said commemoration of the International Labor Day took place at the Iligan City Freedom Park participated in by the different labor unions, city officials, Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE) employees, and some media personnel. (PIA 10)
Feature: CDO Barangay Carmen residents thank gov’t for CMP
by Hannah Mae S. Salugsugan
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, May 3 (PIA) -- Just when most Filipinos have retreated into a dark world of cynicism when it comes to government programs, a community in Cagayan de Oro praises the government for helping them acquire lands of their own, thereby improving their lives.
This, as 49 families of the Dabatian Neighborhood Homeowners Association, Inc. (DNHAI) in Barangay Carmen, the city’s the biggest barangay in terms of population, were among the fortunate beneficiaries of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) implemented by the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC).
The CMP is an innovative system of mortgage financing whereby beneficiaries, through the concept of community ownership, may acquire a privately-owned undivided tract of land.
Depending on its present capacity and needs, the borrowing community association may avail itself of the CMP loan either on three (3) stages: land purchase, site development and house construction/improvement or on a one-time basis.
The maximum loanable amount per family-beneficiary is P100,000 or up to P120,000 for those located in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized areas, payable up to 25 years at 6% interest per annum.
President Benigno S. Aquino III graced the awarding of titles to the project beneficiaries of the CMP in Cagayan de Oro last March 23.
“Sa una, gaplete lang mi ug balay. Kung naay sunog, mahadlok gyud mi kay gamay kaayo ang dalan. Mao nga nanghangyo mi sa kapunongan nga malakip mi sa CMP,” (We only rented our house before. Our roads were so constricted that fire incidents really scared us. That is why we really asked the officials to make us part of the CMP) said Lourdes Vicabel, a grateful beneficiary of the program from Carmen.
Lourdes is just one among the many families from the informal sector who were given access to formal housing finance systems through the CMP.
Her family would not have been able to build a house of their own if not because of the CMP since her husband’s meager salary as a carpenter is their only source of income.
The program has provided the urban poor with security of land tenure and has also encouraged them to improve the quality of their homes and to develop their neighborhood at their own initiative and costs.
“Hayahay na gyud mi karon. Di nami mahadlok nga naay sunog kay naa nama’y karsada.
Pasalamat gyud mi sa Ginoo nga naay gobyerno nagtabang namo (Our lives are really better now. We are no longer afraid of the occurrence of fire because we now have wide roads. We thank God that we have a government that is helping us),” Lourdes added. (PIA-10)
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