President Aquino confers Order of the Golden Heart with the rank of Grand Cross on former Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Tsuneo Tanaka

President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred the Order of the Golden Heart with the rank of Grand Cross (Maringal na Krus) on former Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Tsuneo Tanaka for his role in establishing numerous health, education and livelihood projects for Filipinos during a simple ceremony in Malacanang on Monday.

The Chief Executive awarded the Order of the Golden Heart on Tanaka in a simple ceremony at the Music Room of Malacanang Palace.

The President cited the former Ambassador for "playing a vital role in establishing numerous health, education and livelihood projects throughout the country in service of the Filipino masses with the guiding principle that the underprivileged can learn to make a living with pride."

"Tanaka was also recognized for promoting and fostering a culture of service-oriented volunteer work for Japanese nationals in the Philippines through the Global Voluntary Service of which he serves as Senior Adviser," the President said.

Tanaka was likewise cited for actively encouraging activities to provide financial and monetary assistance for programs that have helped improve the living standards and economic conditions of Filipinos.

The Order of the Golden Heart was established in 1954 by the late President Ramon Magsaysay to recognize individuals who had rendered distinguished services or material aid to improve the condition of the masses.

Joining the President during the conferment ceremony are Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe, Director Kiyoshi Takiuchi of the Japan Information Center, Embassy of Japan, and Presidential sister Ballsy Aquino-Cruz among others.

Malacañang appeals to all to ‘take a look’ at the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement, says peace accord will benefit all Bangsamoro

Malacanang appealed to all Filipinos to closely review the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement (BFA), saying the peace accord will benefit the Bangsamoro whether they be members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Moro National Liberation Front or the Lumads.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the appeal in a press briefing in Malacanang on Monday amid reports that the MNLF would declare independence for Mindanao if the BFA would be implemented through the abrogation of the 1996 peace agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the MNLF.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles clarified that what the government sought was the termination of the tripartite review mechanism brokered by the Organization of Islamic Conference and maintained that “the government will continue to engage relevant parties of the MNLF, through the existing mechanism, to find a just and comprehensive political solution for the issue of the southern Philippines.”

Lacierda said the BFA, once completed, would foster peace and development in Mindanao whose benefits would redound to all, as this was a “major improvement over the organic Act of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.”

“The Bangsamoro Framework Agreement will benefit all Bangsamoro. It includes whether you are MILF, MNLF or Lumad, kasama kayo sa makikinabang sa Bangsamoro Framework Agreement,” Lacierda said.

“We ask all people, all Bangsamoro to take a look at the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement. This is a major improvement over the organic act of the ARMM and therefore, we will come up with the framework agreement as well as the annexes ultimately to peace and development in Mindanao,” he added.

“And therefore we ask the MNLF to seriously look into this agreement, not as MNLF but as Bangsamoro, and it includes everyone: MILF, MNLF and the Lumads,” he further said.

The BFA is a commitment by the government and the MILF to establish a new autonomous political entity in Muslim Mindanao. It will replace the ARMM with a more empowered and more equitable system called the Bangsamoro.

XU to confer honoris causa on Cardinal Tagle

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 30 -- Xavier University will bestow an honorary doctorate in the humanities on Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G Cardinal Tagle in a special academic convocation on August 1, 4 p.m. at the university’s Immaculate Conception Chapel.

“The honorary doctorate is being conferred upon [Cardinal Tagle] during the Year of Faith in recognition of [his] exemplary service to the Church in the Diocese of Imus, the Archdiocese of Manila, the Philippines and Asia-Pacific,” said Fr Roberto C Yap, XU president, in his letter to the Cardinal.

Fr Yap commended Cardinal Tagle for inspiring the Church with his “open, joyful pastoral attitude, solid theological expertise, compassionate concern for the poor and proficient use of the new media.”

“The University is especially edified by [his] humble and listening style of servant leadership,” Fr. Yap added.

Cardinal Tagle was the commencement speaker during last March’s academic convocation, with about 1,800 students receiving their degrees. The Cardinal sent his message from Rome where he was attending the installation of Pope Francis. He was the only Filipino Cardinal-elector at the conclave.

In his 30 years as a priest, Cardinal Tagle has distinguished himself as a servant of God. He lives a life of humility exemplified by his loving care for the poor. He hosts the Sunday TV program “Kape’t Pan Dasal” and teaches at the San Carlos Seminary, Loyola School of Theology, Divine Word Seminary and Maryhill School of Theology.

He had already served in the Diocese of Imus in various capacities from 1982 to 2011 when he was installed as Archbishop of Manila. He is the chairperson of the Episcopal Commission on the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, is a member of the Office of Theological Concerns of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and is an elected member of the Council of the Synod of Bishops. He became a cardinal in October 2012.

The conferment of an honoris causa on Cardinal Tagle is one of the hallmark activities of Xavier University’s Ruby Jubilee celebration this year. The special academic convocation will be streamed online via www.xu.edu.ph for everyone’s viewing. (Vanessa M. Gorra/XU/PIA10)

‘Greeneration’ Summit set on August 2

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 30 (PIA) – The Climate Change Commission has set the ‘Greeneration’ Summit on August 2 at the Capitol University here.

Secretary Lucille L. Sering said this summit focuses on information dissemination on climate change and its effects. "Part of the effort is to avoid seeing loss of lives especially with what happened in typhoon Sendong."

According to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on climate change for the first quarter of this year here in the country, 63 percent said they did not do anything to reduce climate change in the past three years. Sering said, "This is a substantial percentage, it’s either they don’t know what to do or they don’t care."

Further, 50 percent of the surveyed said that climate change increased incidence of illnesses. Sering said, "Our concept of climate change has focused mainly on typhoons and flooding where there is occurrence of elephantiasis (contamination of water) and so on."

"There are two things we can do," Sering revealed. "One is adaptation where we adapt to the changes of the climate and second is mitigation where we reduce green house gas."

Mitigation is an economic discussion. First, she stressed, "We can identify the activities that emit gas although she said we can’t emit all of them. The highest emitter is energy."

She asked, "How can we contribute to this mitigation?" Cut emission on certain industry, she said. In the International arena, small countries such as the Maldives and Solomon are in great danger of sinking because of this climate change, she added.

"In our own country, we have one of the most expensive electricity in the world," the secretary declared. Coal on the other hand, will be expensive five years from now, she said.

Thus, the Secretary proposed the use of renewable energy such as solar, wind and ocean. "Although they are expensive, they can help mitigate climate change," she stressed.

Finally she said, "We need to convince a huge chunk of the population to understand and help raise awareness of the climate change because this will affect everyone without discretion of the rich or poor." If this happens, food security will be a threat. "We need to spread the word," she stressed. (JMOR/PIA)

Coal power plant bares preventive maintenance sked for 2013

VILLANUEVA, Misamis Oriental, July 29 – Mindanao Coal Fired Power Plant will be implementing its preventive maintenance schedule (PMS) for the 210 megawatts (net) for the remaining months of Calendar Year 2013.

Unit 1 105 MW (net) will be from July 27 to August 14 while Unit 2 105 MW (net) on September 21 to October 27.

STEAG State Power Inc (SPI) plant manager Dr. Carsten Evers said that the preventive maintenance works need to be carried out to ensure efficiency and reliability of the two power generating units.

The planned PMS has been coordinated closely with the National Power Corporation (NPC) and the grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

In determining the timing of the PMS, SPI always takes into consideration the power plant’s operations and maintenance guidelines including the anticipated electricity demand-supply condition of Mindanao during the period. The goal is to minimize the impact of any possible power supply shortfall in the island.

Dr. Evers said that since start of the power plant operations beginning November of 2006, SPI has sustained a remarkably high availability rate of 93% and an unplanned outage rate of less than 1%. “SPI has consistently delivered on its promise to secure an efficient and reliable supply of power to Mindanao,” he added.

SPI’s power plant is considered the most modern and the biggest in Mindanao on a per unit capacity. It accounts for about 20% of the island’s electric generation mix. As of June 2013, SPI has delivered more than 9.6 billion kWh of electricity to the Mindanao grid.

Further, SPI is a special purpose company established to build, operate and maintain Mindanao’s first, and so far the only coal-fired power plant. The company is principally owned by a German company, Steag GmbH. (Jerome R. Soldevilla/SPI/PIA10)

Five CdeO elementary schools receive IBM KidSmart Facility

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 29 (PIA) -- Five elementary schools here in Puerto, Gusa, Camaman-an, Lumbia and South City Central received on Saturday, July 20, IBM KidSmart facility through the Ayala Foundation and IBM Philippines.

Archimedes Velasco, operations manager of the Ayala Foundation said the provision of this facility is aimed to engage students to make use of Information Technology (IT) in their learning experience.

Meanwhile, Reynaldo Manuel Jr. of Department of Education (DepEd) Cagayan de Oro emphasized that he will personally monitor these computers in these recipient schools.

He added that this is the future of education.

"We need to be a step ahead to compete with other countries of the world. With this facility, students feel and experience computers in school,” Manuel said.

He added that teachers must adapt to new teaching styles where visual/audio is most effective learning for the new generation of students.

Mel Parbo of IBM said that this one way their organization helps the community.

However, she reiterated that tools without commitment and dedication are useless to bridge the digital divide.

Part of the provision of these early education learning tools is the training of teachers and school heads for them to be oriented on the optimum usage and maintenance of the facility.

The training covered new theoretical approaches to early learning, the theory of multiple intelligence, center-based learning, and technology integration in classroom instruction, lesson planning and the use of productivity tools like word processing, spreadsheets and presentation support applications.

The training was held on July 18-20 by IBM and the APC Center/Asia Pacific College. The training also included teachers and principals from Impasug-ong and Libona in Bukidnon and Del Carmen in Surigao del Norte as they are also recipients of the IBM KidSmart facility.

IBM’s KidSmart facility is a computer unit with a Young Explorer program. It is a computer housed in brightly colored, kid-friendly Little Tikes furniture (with seating capacity of two) and equipped with educational software to help children learn and explore concepts in Math, Science and Language. (JMOR/PIA)

CdeO not anymore ‘typhoon-free’ – Pagasa

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 29 (PIA) – The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) region 10 during the recent Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) Summit here announced that this city can no longer be called ‘typhoon-free.’

Senior Weather Specialist Anianita Fortich explained that a new path has been traced of these typhoons and it is here in Mindanao. Since typhoon Sendong and Pablo, Mindanao has become a new path for typhoons and it comes especially in the fourth quarter of the year from October to December, she stressed.

Based on Pagasa’s tropical cyclone guidance system statistical investigation, there were 17 tropical cyclones tracked in 2012 including typhoon ‘Pablo’ that badly hit Compostella Valley in Davao del Norte, in Mindanao.

Anianita said that it is not impossible that another typhoon will hit Mindanao in the 4th quarter of this year following typhoon ‘Pablo’ on December 2, 2012 and typhoon ‘Sendong’ on December 16, 2011.

She said that compared to the years prior to these two typhoons in Mindanao, Pagasa’s tropical cyclone climatological tracks show that the direction of typhoons from its starting point usually in the pacific ocean is upward in Luzon, Visayas and just some parts in Mindanao specifically in Surigao. Now, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental and its neighboring towns have become a new path, she stressed.

However, Anianita clarified that this occurrence is because of the geographical location of our country and the presence of climate change.

She said, “We cannot avoid certain hazards from occurring such as tropical cyclones, floods, storm surge and heavy rainfall.”

She enumerated Thunderstorms, Monsoons, Cold Fronts, Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and Tropical Cyclones as Hydro-Meteorological Hazards that usually land here in the country. (JMOR/PIA)