national | Northern Dispatch (nordis) Weekly

Cordi watchdog urges stronger UN action for rights violations

June 16, 2013 in Featured, human rights, national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The Cordillera human rights watchdog called for stronger intervention by the United Nations against countries that violate human rights during the second round presentation of the Amnesty International Philippines’ 2013 report here, June 14.

BEYOND BORDERS. Amnesty International 2013 report reiterated that all nations should respect and protect the human rights of all persons regardless of race, religion, political belief and nationality following situation reports of the continuing rights violations perpetrated by nation states against migrant workers and refugees. Nordis photo

BEYOND BORDERS. Amnesty International 2013 report reiterated that all nations should respect and protect the human rights of all persons regardless of race, religion, political belief and nationality following situation reports of the continuing rights violations perpetrated by nation states against migrant workers and refugees. Nordis photo

Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) Secretary General Jude Baggo urged UN intervention for human rights in reaction to the report of Amnesty International Philippines Human Rights Officer Romel deVera that nations all over the world continue to violate peoples’ rights.

Baggo called on the United Nations (UN) to be more active at calling to attention countries that do not adhere to conventions and treaties for the protection of human rights that they have signed. He added that the UN should exert more pressure on erring States to abide by existing human rights treaties and laws. Read the rest of this entry →

IP groups seek UN intervention as Human Rights violations escalate

May 26, 2013 in Cordillera, Featured, human rights, international, national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Indigenous peoples groups sought the intervention of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on the escalating human rights violations against indigenous peoples in the country in the ongoing meeting of the 12th Session of the UNPFII in New York, USA this May 20-31.

In the intervention, Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) Chair Windel Bolinget pointed out that despite the Philippine government’s adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and other human rights treaties, the escalating human rights violations perpetrated against indigenous peoples (IP) in the country are alarming. Read the rest of this entry →

OPPAP USec hopes for resumption of GPh-NDFP talks

May 26, 2013 in national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Undersecretary Maria Cleofe Gettie Sandoval expresses hope for the resumption of the stalled peace talks between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

“We hope that it (stalled peace talks) will continue,” she reiterated.

It can be recalled that the peace talks between the government and the NDFP was stalled sometime June 2011 when the talks on the comprehensive agreement on socio economic reforms bogged down. Read the rest of this entry →

Anakpawis remembers Ka Bel

May 19, 2013 in national, people

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Anakpawis Cordillera like their compatriots together with the various sectors all over the country remembers the late Anakpawis Partylist Representative and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Chairman Emeritus Crispin Beltran as they vow to continue his fight.

“The workers of the region like their colleagues in the various regions together with their allies in the various sectors of society will neither forget nor give up the struggle the late Representative Ka Crispin Beltran embraced and fought for all through his life,” Anakpawis Cordillera Regional Coordinator Michael Cabangon stressed. Read the rest of this entry →

KMU hits impending increase on SSS member contribution

May 12, 2013 in national, workers

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Anakpawis Regional Coordinator Michael Cabangon said that as it is poor workers cannot feed their families due to meager wages and here comes the impending hike on the member’s premium contribution to the Social Security System (SSS) that will surely add up to their burden.

Cabangon stressed that many employers in the region like in other parts of country are not even paying their worker’s SSS premiums. He cited the case of the workers of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company where the company did not pay their SSS contributions for years. Read the rest of this entry →

Statements: SC hearing on the constitutionality of the Mining Act of 1995

April 13, 2013 in Featured, mining, national, opinion, statements

By THE PHILIPPINE TASK FORCE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS

We, the Philippine Task Force for Indigenous Peoples Rights (TFIP), echo the need to hear indigenous peoplesEvoices in the course of the debate on the constitutionality of the Mining Act of 1995. The seemingly lucrative revenues to be collected from myriad mining corporations operating in the country have not reflected on the lives of indigenous communities affected by large-scale mining.

The contribution of the mining sector to the national economy and even to employment remains insignificant. Mining and quarrying is the 3rd lowest in terms of value added to the Philippine economy among the 14 major industries. On the other hand, the mining sector had the highest profit margin of 36.9% in 2006 and 38.9% in 2008. Read the rest of this entry →

Strong tuition regulation law urgently needed — Kabataan

April 7, 2013 in education, Featured, national

By KABATAAN (PR)

QUEZON CITY — With over 400 colleges and universities submitting tuition hike proposals to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for school year 2013-2014, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino reiterated the need for a “strong tuition regulation law” that would give government agencies such as CHED “muscle and teeth” to control tuition and other fees in over 2,000 higher education institutions nationwide.

“The government’s current tuition regulation policy – CHED Memorandum Order 3 – is a toothless paper tiger. While the said policy lays down guidelines for proper consultations regarding fee increases, CHED has no proper mechanism to monitor compliance,” Palatino said. Read the rest of this entry →

Casiño wants full funding for public hospitals instead of privatization of public health services

March 31, 2013 in general welfare, health, national, social concerns

By BAYAN MUNA (PR)

QUEZON CITY — With the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)’s recent release of P978.4M as part of the modernization program of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño called for government’s full funding of public hospitals instead of privatization of public health services.

“Through the so-called “modernization” and corpora-tization, price of health services will further increase at the expense of the poor patients, like what we are now experiencing with Government Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC) hospitals. The “modernized” POC under the private entity will charge patients at “market rates”, walang ipinag-iba sa private hospitals. Kahit pa sabihing “subsidized” under PhilHealth ang indigents, paano kakayanin ng kasalukuyang mahigit 500 indigent patients ng POC kung magmamahal ang serbisyo?” Casiño said.

“Instead of spending taxpayers money to push for privatization and to benefit private companies in the guise of modernization, government should directly fund and develop our hospitals to benefit poor patients. The almost P1 billion fund is more than double the P413.65M allotment for POC for 2013 and other government hospitals whose needs have long been ignored by the national government,” said Casiño. “Ang laki ng ibubuhos na pera sa facilities ng POC para maging kaakit-akit sa investors pero yung mga indigents hindi mabigyan ng 100% discount.”

Casiño proposed that funding for the government hospitals be doubled. For 2013, the Aquino administration only allotted P9.825 billion for the 66 Department of Health (DOH)-retained hospitals. This is only half of the P19.234 billion requested by the hospitals.

“Our public hospitals are in dire need of additional funds. Poor Filipino patients are already burdened by the increasing costs of health services in public hospitals. POC in particular hiked its rates for x-ray and laboratory procedures of up to 100-200% in 2011. The health workers could barely get the mandated benefits due them. That’s why, for the interest of the ordinary Filipinos, the government should instead double the fund for public hospitals rather than privatizing public health services,” said Casiño.

During the congressional hearing on the DOH budget, Casiño recommended that the P12.6B allotment for PhilHealth subsidy to the poorest 5.3 million households be transferred instead as additional allotment to the public hospitals.

The lawmaker deemed that direct funding in public hospitals will benefit all indigent patients including those identified as “poorest of the poor” by the government.

This realignment, Casiño pointed out, may not adversely affect Philhealth operations, which according to DOH, has P101.03B in reserve fund, and will get additional revenues through the 100% increase in premium by 2013. # nordis.net

Senate hearing on Philex case to help craft new policies

March 24, 2013 in Featured, mining, national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources convened a hearing on the Philex Mining Corporation’s tailings pond 3 failure to gather relevant information and lessons for the crafting of new policies on mining.

Inclement weather was said to have triggered the breach of the mine tailings pond that discharged 20 million metric tons of mine wastes into the Balog Creek and Agno River. It is now deemed as the worst mine disaster yet.

The senate committee member Senator Sergio Osmeña who presided over the hearing and disclosed this to the media after the adjourning.

He explained that the hearing will help lawmakers craft new mining policies that will “severely minimize or prevent” environmental destruction due to mine operations. “We want to make sure to craft new policies to benefit the environment, the affected communities and the mining industry,” he stressed.

Osmeña said the Philippine Mining Act should be repealed to include laws that will safeguard the environment, the affected sectors and communities and make it economically viable not just for the mining industry but to the government and host communities.

It can be recalled that in March of 2011, representatives of the progressive partylist block led by Representative Teddy Casiño filed House Bill 4315, An Act Re-orienting the Philippine Mining Industry, Ensuring the Highest Industry Development Standards and for Other Purposes, or more popularly known as the People’s Mining Bill at the lower house.

Casiño explained that the People’s Mining Bill seeks to re-orient the present mining policies that allowed foreign control over the mining industry. He added that the bill hopes to ensure a sustainable mining industry and to promote environment protection, respect of people’s rights and welfare and to boost national industrialization.

He said the bill is currently pending at the House Committee on Natural Resources. He however added that “with the looks of it, it will not make it this 15th congress” but he assures everyone that the bill will be refiled in the next congress.

Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) Secretary General Abigail Anongos questioned the efficiency of existing mining laws in regulating the mining industry and protecting the environment during the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources hearing on the Philex mine spill. She said mining disasters continue to devastate indigenous peoples communities and the destroy the environment despite the existence of these mining laws.

She highlighted that mining disasters happen every few years. “The Marcopper tragedy in 1996, a year after the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 was signed into law; then Lafayette in Rapu-Rapu Island in 2005, shortly after the National Minerals Policy was made official; and now, the Philex mine spill a month after Executive Order 79,Eshe pointed out.

Anongos criticized the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for allowing a culture of impunity by not holding mining companies accountable for their environmental crimes and for not upholding social injustice. She cited as example how Philex was not held accountable for the environmental disasters it has been committing.

She reiterated that Philex should also be held liable for the historic pollution of the Agno River. She pointed out that the company started operating without a tailings pond in 1958 dumping its mine tailings directly into Agno until its TP1 operated in 1967, its TP2 collapsed in 1992 again dumping 80 million metric tons of mine tailings into the river and an additional 20 million metric tons in the recent spill.

Anongos also pointed out that the communities downstream including San Manuel and San Nicolas in Pangasinan should be included in the rehabilitation plan as they too were adversely affected by all the mine spills of Philex through its years of operation.

The rehabilitation plan Philex presented at the senate hearing covers only the over two-kilometer stretch of Balog Creek from which the company says it would be able to recover 1 million cubic meters of mine tailings back into TP3. The series of mine spills in August 2012 discharged 13 million cubic meters of mine tailings into the Agno River. # nordis.net

Katribu slams lifting of mining moratorium

March 24, 2013 in mining, national

By KATRIBU (PR)

QUEZON CITY — Katribu Indigenous peoples’ partylist condemned the lifting of the moratorium on new mining applications, announced by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) last Friday.

MGB Director Leo Jasareno declared the moratorium on new mining applications lifted on Monday, March 18. The MGB issued a ban on new mining applications on January 2011, after the industry garnered flak from environmental groups and human rights organizations.

The partylist group scoffed the MGB moratorium, saying that it was “pretentious and a populist maneuvering.”

“In one sense, this declaration of a moratorium lifting is a waste of energy for the MGB,” Kakay Tolentino, Katribu Partylist Secretary General claimed. “Yet this action remains deeply deplorable.”

“Indigenous peoples are embattled by the incursion of mining corporations in their ancestral territories as it is. The moratorium did not ease off the threat to dislocate communities, nor did it stop the violations of our rights. But this lifting will further embolden mining corporations to force their way in our communities,” Tolentino said.

She added that amid the killings and other violations to the rights of indigenous peoples, with the lifting of the moratorium MGB has issued a warrant for further violations of the people’s rights.

“Mining corporations have been reeling in the good favor of this administration. It has awarded SMI-Xstrata an ECC, and allowed the reopening of Philex Mining Corporation. These corporations are human rights abusers and environmental violators yet are favored by the administration. Aquino has finally dropped the act. No more pretending that he is protecting the environment, patrimony, and people,” declared Tolentino.

The partylist group also condemned the issuing of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) to Xstrata earlier this year. The mining giant and military personnel at their payroll is held responsible by human rights organizations for the massacre of an indigenous Blaan family.

Philex, on the other hand, was allowed to temporarily operate after it spilled 20 million metric tons of mine waste to tributaries in Benguet and Pangasinan.

The partylist group finds the timing of these ‘favors’ to mining corporations as suspicious.

“It’s no secret that mining corporations are backdoor financiers of candidates. The Aquino administration must be desperate to rake in cash with their recent dealings in the mining sector. Of course, their candidates might be piling up cash to pay up for those campaign TV ads,” Tolentino added.

Katribu reiterates the call for the scrapping of the Mining Act of 1995, and the revocation of EO 79 issued last year. # nordis.net

Casiño calls for tuition moratorium

March 24, 2013 in education, national, social concerns

By MAKABAYAN (PR)

MANILA — Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño today reiterated his call for a tuition moratorium on all public and private higher education institutions.

The three-term congressman revealed that the University of the Philippines’ 300% tuition increase in 2007, prompted him then to refile his bill (now HB 3135), first filed in 2005 during the 13th Congress, calling for a three-year tuition moratorium on tuition increases pending the review of tuition and fee rates in tertiary institutions.

“Our schools, both public and private, have been citing inflation and increasing cost of operations to justify tuition increases and charging of numerous miscellaneous fees, but government has been doing nothing to balance the situation, considering the fact that the people are also victims of price hikes,” he said.

“Increasing tuition, especially UP’s three-fold increase, only worsened the burdened of Filipino families,” he added.

Casiño, the senior vice chairman of the Congressional Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said in the proposed bill that government agencies responsible in protecting the public against unconscionable tuition hikes and redundant fees have miserably failed in their task.

“HB 3135 was filed to give the public economic relief while government remedied the defects of a deregulated education sector and provide proper guidelines on school fee increases, with actual consultation with students and parents. Last year during a Congressional hearing, tinanong ko ng direkta ang CHED kung may na-deny na ba silang school from increasing their tuition. Wala daw. Ang malungkot kasi ay walang ipin ang CHED upang protektahan ang ating mga estudyante. Kaya lang nabawasan yung inapprove nila ay dahil umatras ang iba na hindi nakapag-sumite ng requirements, said the progressive solon Wala pa silang safeguards para sukatin kung profiteering na ang ginagawa ng private schools. Ngayon iniisip ko na rin na kailangan sigurong higpitan natin ang mga SUCs pagdating sa guidelines on tuition increases and payment schemes. But at the same time, make the national government accountable. We should be the ones caring for our students. We should be ensuring that our schools are getting adequate funding so they can aid poor but deserving students. Iyon naman ang purpose ng SUCs natin,” the progressive solon said.

Since becoming a party-list representative, Casiño had been calling for a budget allocation for higher education.

According to the Congressional Planning and Budget Research Department, the SUC share in the GDP of the country has declined from 0.41% in 1991 to 0.29% in 2013 amid an increase from 81 to 110 SUCs.

“Our spending per student has also been halfed in real terms from P32,620 in 1997 to P16,416 in 2009,” Casiño cited the study. # nordis.net

House inquiry bares criminal act vs IP defense of land rights

March 17, 2013 in Featured, indigenous, land rights, national

By RHODA DALANG and BRENDA S. DACPANO

BAGUIO CITY — “Let us differentiate a criminal act from an act in the conduct of defending rights.” This was the message put forth by Representative Teddy Baguilat in reference to the “pangayaw” being waged by Blaans led by Daguil Capion against the Xstrata-Saguitarius Mining, Inc.

Erita Capion during the Congressional Hearing on the B'laan killings last February 21, 2013 in Koronadal City. Erita, sister-in-law of Juvy, is witness to the massacre of Juvy Capion and her children Jordan (13) and John Mark (7). Juvy and her sons were killed by 27th IBPA soldiers led by Lt. Col. Alexis Bravo even if they knew that Daguil Capion (Juvy's husband) was not in the family’s hut in Barangay Kimlawis in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur on October 18, 2012. The soldiers were in pursuit of Daguil, an anti-mining rebel. Photo by Brenda S. Dacpano

Baguilat further elaborated similar practice in the Cordillera, i.e. Fetad in Kalinga, …. where an entire community arm themselves and get mobilized in defense againts those encroaching in their ancestral territory. In substance, acts of this kind are not synonymous to murder. The act is self-defense. This is what many Blaans believe. For the Blaans, Daguil is a hero. For the AFP and Xstrata-SMI, Daguil is a bandit.

Baguilat, representative of Ifugao and chair of the National Cultural Committee of the Lower House of Congress, conducted a legislative inquiry in Koronadal, South Cotabato on February 21 on the massacre of the family of Daguil Capion in October 18, 2012 in Tampakan, South Cotabato. Together with Baguilat in the inquiry were Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Luz Ilagan joined by Mindanao Representatives Manny Pacquiao and Nancy Catamco. The inquiry was hosted by the provincial government of South Cotabato.

The daughter of Daguil Capion who was wounded but survived the massacre recounted how upon hearing the first voulme of gunfire, she immediately sought cover beside her mother who was still lying in bed. “Tumabi ako kay Juvy (Juvy was the mother), nasugatan ang paa niya, sumisigaw siya ng ‘tama na’, … puro dugo…”

The gunfire ended with her two-month pregnant mother and her two brothers, all dead.

Daguil Capion was leading armed Blaans engaged in what they call “pangayaw” against Xstrata-SMI. Daguil was once a forest ranger under Western Mining, the mining firm that first mined in the area. It later sold its mining rights to Xstrata-SMI. Under Xstrata-SMI, Daguil was employed as a forest ranger. He led the “pangayaw” after Xstrata-SMI failed to comply with earlier agreements, the least of which was that SMI shall employ Blaans.

The Blaans are among the 18 indigenous peoples collectively referred to as Lumads in Mindanao. They are facing the mining operation of the Xstrata-SMI that was granted a Financial Technical Agreement (FTAA) to extract through open-pit mining, copper and gold in their ancestral territories. At the heart of the mine site sits the Bulol Lumol, the last remaining watershed area in the SoCSarGen region and is considered a sacred mountain by the Blaans.

In the said congressional inquiry, the Mayor of Kiblawan, Marivic Diamante, testified that Xstrata-SMI is providing a monthly subsidy to military and CAFGUs securing the Kiblawan-Tampakan-Colombio area (KITACO). A Task Force KITAKO was organized under the AFP as security force covering the entire area where Xstrata-SMI operates. According to Diamante, Xstrata-SMI is providing monthly subsidy to cover operational and gasoline expenses for each CAFGU in the anount of P2,500/month for each CAFGU over and above the P2,700 provided by the AFP. For the 60 CAFGUs being subsidized, total sybsidy amounts to P150,000/month. Another P7,500 monthly is being provided to 12 CAFGUs.

On the one hand, Col. Marcos Flores of the 1002 brigade testified another figure of a monthly allocation from Xstra-SMI in the amount of P9,000 for operations, P11,000 for gasoline and P5,000 for allowance being provided for CAFGU.

Meanwhile, Mayor Diamante, unfazed by the the testimony of the Daguil survivor and without remorse testified that she offered a P300,000 bounty for the capture of Daguil. The amount froms part of a P600,000 allocated budget by the LGU for intelligence.

The testimonies from the Mayor of Kiblawan and the AFP, came as a shock to delegates of DINTEG-Cordillera Indigenous Peoples Legal Center. It was distressing to hear how a mining firm is funding the LGU and AFP to secure its interest in the midst of an apparent armed opposition from affected Blaans.

DINTEG and KALUHHAMIN, the organization of Blaans in SOCSARGEN region, supported by KATRIBU partylist, recommended to the Baguilat Committee to conduct another legislative inquiry to look into Xstrata-SMI’ compliance to human rights statutes in relating with the Blaans.

Representative Manny Pacquiao, thoughtful of the impact on the Daguil family, asked the AFP “nandiyan na yan, may buntis at mga batang namatay, ano ang gagawin niyo?” Nothing substantial was heard of from the AFP.

DINTEG participated in the legislative inquiry as a manifestation of solidarity to the Blaans. Blaan is among the pilot areas of DINTEG in its project on capacity building among indigenous peoples on human rights-based approach to development. The project is being funded by the European Union. # nordis.net

Editorial: Never again to Martial Law!

March 17, 2013 in editorials, Featured, human rights, national, opinion

www.nordis.net

In 1992, the victims of Martial Law won a class action suit against the ousted and exiled president Ferdinand E. Marcos estate in Hawaii. It was filed by many of whom were organized under the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA).

Several other cases were filed against identified perpetrators of the many atrocities and human rights abuses during martial law but according to SELDA there has been no convictions of these perpetrators. Nor did any president or regimes after the dictatorship seriously go after Marcos and his henchmen for the atrocities committed under their martial rule.

Only this class suit filed by the courageous and organized political prisoners who fought hard against all kinds of attempts to quell the suit or the spirit behind it – blackpropaganda, rumour mongering and intrigues, misrepresentation, splitting their ranks and even trying to take on the case against legitimate or deserving victims. When in 1992, the victims won a class action suit against the Marcos estate in Hawaii there were also all kinds of attempts to take credit away from them. So the struggle for this claims still goes on today as a sector of psuedos expressed their fear that all that compensation from the case filed might go to the “left”.

Every one in his right mind, if they still do not know, will eventually realize the truth and condemn not only the lie but the liars too. Between the “leftists” and the “rightists”, only the “leftist” will ever conceive and be courageous enough to purse a plan like filing this class suit against the strongman, who has proven even after he has been ousted and exiled and dead that his maintained ‘stronghold’ still matters to enemies of the people.

So that it even took Pnoy three years into his presidency to get the Human Rights Violation Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 promulgated and finally bear his presidential approval this February 25, the 27th anniversary of the People Power revolution puportedly led by his late mother and some 30 years after his father’s assasination.

This law finally puts official recognition that there was a great number of the population that suffered through all those years under martial law and the responsibility of human rights abuses committed then squarely on the Marcos regime, and that the victims of Martial law deserve justice and reparations, for this victory was mainly due to their persistence – the martial law victims themselves.

Considering that a number of sectors in Philippine society continue to suffer similar atrocities or human rights abuses today as evident in the many cases of enforced disappearances, massacre, extra judicial killings, illegal detentions, political vilifications and the characteristic display of impunity by state authorities; the victory of the plaintiffs in that class suit is but a beginning.

May this bill emblazzon a notice that should make all Filipinos realize “that never again should we allow the atrocities of the Marcos regime happen in this country.” # nordis.net

UP Baguio mourns

March 16, 2013 in national

BY ANNALYN REBECCA EISMA
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — University of the Philippines Baguio students hold their tears over the death of UP Manila freshman student in a prayer vigil for fellow Iskolar ng Bayan, March 15, university main lobby.

Two days after being advised to file a Leave of Absence, a UP Manila student was declared dead on arrival after committing suicide at their residence, 3:30 in the morning, same day.

“Will we wait for more Iskolar ng Bayan killing themselves because they could no longer afford the quality education they deserve?” said Levi Glen Ingente, UPB Outcrop.

According to UPM Professor Andrea Martinez, the said student was assigned to Bracket D of the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP). She was further forced to file for a LOA, because she could not afford her tuition and her request for a tuition loan has been denied by the UPM loan board.

“This is not just a simple suicide case of a UP student, but a murder brought by the system, the UP administration did this to her,” cried Fiona Mae Lopez, Gender Desk Committee Head, Student Council.

Lopez explained that this was an undeniable effect of the 300% tuition fee increase and the rebracketing of the STFAP. She demanded the UP administration for a tuition roll back to provide an accessible education. # nordis.net

DOH implements ‘No birthing at home’ policy

March 10, 2013 in Featured, health, national, social concerns

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — In efforts to reduce to zero the number of maternal and neonatal deaths, the Department of Health (DOH) implements the ‘no birthing at home’ policy which the Community Health Education Services and Trainings in the Cordillera Region (Chestcore) opposes.

In the Cordillera, the regional office of the DOH partnered with the Japan International cooperation Agency (JICA) and embarked on a project called Cordillera-wide Strengthening of the Local Health System for Efficient Delivery of Maternal and Child Health Services. The said project that is piloted in Banguet and now covers Abra and Apayao.

The JICA funded project will implement DOH’s ‘no birthing at home’ as it will provide equipment such as delivery beds, examination tables, electric generators and air conditioning for health facilities; and trainings to health workers. DOH will monitor the project implementation and the local government units will implement the project.

Dr. Makoto Tobe, JICA chief advisor and Science and system Consultant said the project aims to increase the number of mothers giving birth in health facilities and in turn decrease those giving birth at home. He added that the projects main goal is to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in the country.

Fude Takayoshi, JICA deputy chief advisor shared that based on their research the reasons why mother choose to give birth at home can be summarized into three points; 1.) inadequate facility, 2.) geography and 3.) cultural point of view. She added that untrained health personnel is part of inadequate facility.

Mia Rasalan, executive director of Chestcore pointed out that implementing a no birthing at home policy will not address the condition of mothers and children. She pointed out that giving birth at home is not the reason for the increase in maternal and neonatal deaths.

Rasalan said the root cause of lack of facilities and equipment is the minimal government budget allotment for health. She reiterated that government should allot higher health budget to address the problem on lack of health facilities, equipment and personnel.

“Health facilities should be brought nearer to the mothers and children not the other way around. This will only happen if government will construct enough health facilities,” she reiterated. She pointed out that in the Cordillera being a mountainous region poses a greater challenge for government given the geography of the area. She added that traveling long hours along the steep mountain slopes to reach the nearest health facility pose greater danger to pregnant women.

She added that World Health Organizations (WHO) standards provides that health care budget should be 5% of the country’s gross domestic product. “It is the responsibility of the government to ensure proper health care services for the people. It should not depend on foreign funding at should not be bound by foreign impositions,” she said.

“While training health workers is but right, the real problem is the lack of doctors, midwives and nurses all over the country. They should be trained according to the needs of the areas they are serving and not for export policy,” she stressed. She further pointed out that health workers remain overworked and underpaid.

Rasalan also stressed that traditional and indigenous birthing practices should be respected as these have been tried and tested through many generations.

Emily Quines of the City Health Department-Cordillera Administrative Region (CHD-CAR) disclosed that at the moment the region still needs at least 1,000 health workers that includes doctors, nurses and midwives. She explained that the building of health facility is dependent on the availability of health workers.

Quines said DOH can not construct health facilities without personnel available to man them. She added that the hiring of health workers is the responsibility of the local government units.

She said DOH CAR allotted budgets for the construction of health facilities but the construction can not push through because there are not enough health workers. # nordis.net

Casiño slams Malaysia’s no ceasfire stance

March 10, 2013 in national

By MAKABAYAN (PR)

MANILA — “Malaysia is supposed to be our partner is promoting peace in Mindanao but now they are slaughtering our people,” said Makabayan senatorial bet Teddy Casiño today after Prime Minister Najib Razak refused to call for a ceasefire.

Casiño said Malaysia’s insistence of an unconditional surrender and their all-out war in Sabah shows their government’s unreasonable and inhumane stand on the Sabah dispute.

“The Sultanate of Sulu had already heeded the call of the United Nations and has declared a ceasefire. This shows their sincerity in negotiating the claim on Sabah. They want resolution on the issue, not a war,” he said.

Casiño also raised humanitarian concerns over the armed conflict in Sabah.

“Their [Malaysia] media reports say 60 have been killed in Sabah, more than 50 killed by their forces. The continuous air strikes and attacks show Malaysia’s low regard for life and the people of Sabah. Do you think the public will believe that all those who were killed were supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu? With the massive military operation of Malaysia, it is highly improbable that there are no, or little ‘collateral damage.’ I’ve seen some photographs from the media and many look like civilians,” said the three-term congressman.

Casiño reiterated his appeal to Pres. Benigno Aquino to dialogue with Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to find an acceptable resolution on the issues and to come to a consensus on how to deal with Malaysia on the Sabah claim including the raising of the controversy to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

This week, Casiño filed House Resolution 3042 which seeks to investigate Aquino’s mishandling and undermining of the Philippine claim on Sabah and House Resolution 3043 which calls for the raising of the Sabah claim to the International Court of Justice. # nordis.net

IPs outraged by PNoy’s mining policy

March 10, 2013 in mining, national

By KATRIBU (PR)
www.nordis.net

MENDIOLA, Manila — In the 18th anniversary of the Mining Act of 1995, indigenous peoples impaled an effigy of President Aquino with pikes, “a symbol of the people’s uprising against large-scale mines.Mining espoused by the Mining Act of 1995 and the Aquino government is an ongoing war against the people. These attacks are being met with our determined resistance against mining plunder and environmental destruction,” Kakay Tolentino, KATRIBU Partylist Secretary General said.

This is an expression of the people’s outrage, Tolentino shared. “Aquino is unmoved by the barricades, the moratoriums, the protests, even of a tribal war against mining—he continues to sell-off our national patrimony and our ancestral lands to mining corporations. The people have exhausted all forms to express their rejection of mining promoted by the national government and the Mining Act of 1995. We are compelled to declare an uprising,” she added.

According to KATRIBU Partylist, roughly 60% of all approved mining applications in the country, which covers up to more than 1 million hectares, are all in the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples. “This is an upfront to our existence as peoples. With all our lands being holed up and our environment destroyed, we have no other option but to defend our lands and lives,” Tolentino declared.

The group denounced the mining policy of the administration. President Aquino signed EO 79 in July 2012, whipped up as a more environmentally-friendly and economically viable mining policy. “Halfway into his term as President, Aquino is fully stripped off his charade on mining. Destructive and plunderous mines get the upper hand in the EO 79. Philex and Xstrata are the shining examples,” Tolentino said. “The Filipino people are left with nothing but a degraded environment and a pillaged patrimony.”

Philex was allowed to resume operations recently, after it has been shut down due to a massive tailings spill. Philex’s tailings dam collapsed and released 20 million metric tons of mine waste into the Balog River in August 2012. Xstrata, on the other hand, was given an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) after the Office of the President rebuked the environment bureau for withholding its ECC.

“After eighteen years, we are reaping the bad fruits of the Mining Act of 1995,” Tolentino said. “Its transgressions to the rights of indigenous peoples will not be forgotten. Eighteen years of plunder, environmental destruction, and human rights violations are the aftermath of the Mining Act. This could not continue.”

KATRIBU said that there have been 33 extrajudicial killings of indigenous peoples since Aquino took power. The killings, the group says, are of indigenous leaders in the frontlines of resistance against development projects, especially mining. # nordis.net

BIR targets P1.26 trillion in income taxes for 2013

March 3, 2013 in national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — In a bid to collect P1.26 trillion in income taxes this 2013, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) kicked off its national tax collection campaign here in the City of Pines, February 27.

In her message, BIR Deputy Commissioner for Information Systems Group Lilia C. Guillermo stressed that the three main reasons for the conduct of the IEC is to 1.) to meet tax payers and thank them for helping them increase their collections; 2.) to remind tax payers about the income tax season and 3.) to inform tax payers about the activities of the agency.

Guillermo explained that the bureau was able to collect 98% or P1 trillion of the P1.06 trillion target income tax collection for 2012. She disclosed that this year, BIR hopes to collect P1.26 trillion from income tax payments.

The deputy commissioner also summarized the 26 point program of BIR Secretary Cesar V. Purisima in three points; enforcement of laws, re-engineering of services and improved compliance. She stressed that the priority program of the present administration is to run after tax evaders.

“BIR is a law enforcer not a service provider as compared to other government agencies,” she reiterated. She, however, pointed out that the bureau tries its very best to strike a balance between law enforcement and public service.

Moreover, Guillermo congratulated Revenue District Region No. 2, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) for being able to collect 98% of its target and for a 16% increase in income tax collection fro 2012.

BIR CAR Regional Director Eduardo T. Bajador disclosed that the region’s 2012 collection was P500 million higher than the 2011 collection. He also admitted the region’s collection was P38 million short of the P3.4 billion target for 2012.

Bajador further disclosed that this year’s target is hiked to 4.3 billion. “The 4.3 billion target is a huge task for the bureau but we will do our best to meet the target,” he said as he thanked CAR tax payers for the overwhelming support in 2012. He the encouraged all tax payers to pay their income taxes and for them to file early.

Atty. Agnes Santos of BIR CAR in her presentation of winners of a video ad contest for universities underscored that there is a difference between a compliant tax payer and a righteous tax payer. “True enough many pay their taxes but many still conceal the true amount they must pay. Being compliant does not always mean being righteous. But the righteous will always be compliant. We hope the righteous tax payer,” she reiterated.

Winners to the said contest are Lyceum of the Philippines at third place; Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, second; and Mapua Institute of Technology as champion. # nordis.net

Casino bats for additional P2,000 election duty pay for teachers

February 24, 2013 in elections, national

By MAKABAYAN (PR)

QUEZON CITY — Makabayan senatorial bet Teddy Casiño today appealed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to have a heart for teachers and increase their election duty pay by P2,000.

“Teachers should be rewarded for their great service to the country by giving them an additional P2,000 honorarium. With their current honorarium pegged at rates almost a decade ago, I believe it is unjust that the government give them a mere P3,000 for guarding our votes and ensuring smooth operations on election day,” said the three-term congressman during the 66th anniversary celebration of the Manila Public School Teachers Association (MPSTA) this afternoon, February 19.

Casino gave away his Teddy Care bears to teachers to show his appreciation for the work teachers are doing during schooldays and during election day. He is the author of House Bill 2141 which seeks to upgrade the minimum salary grade of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to 15.

Casiño pointed out that the P3,000 honorarium, as well as the various allowances of P300 for transportation, P500 for sealing the book of voters and P500 for the testing of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, is not enough for their work.

“Hindi naman isang araw lang ang trabaho nila. Dagdag mo pa yung bigat ng trabaho nila. Automated na nga at hindi na sila maglalamay ng pag-tala ng boto pero ang threat ay andun pa rin. Magulo pa rin sa mga presinto lalo’t clustered na. At syempre hinaharass pa rin sila. Sa totoo lang, almost 10 years ago kulang na kulang yung honorarium nila sa hirap ng trabaho, ngayon pa kayang wala pa ring increase?” he explained.

The progressive solon said the government should do everything in its power to aid teachers. “Biruin mo, napaka-laki ng kontribusyon ng mga guro sa lipunan. Sila na nga ang nagtuturo sa ating mga kabataan at tumatayong pangalawang magulang nila, sila pa ang nagbabantay ng ating boto.” # nordis.net

Red Cross to tap a million volunteers for run

January 27, 2013 in national

By ANNALYN REBECCA M. EISMA
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — As the national headquarters of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) gears up for the upcoming Million Volunteer Run (MVR) with 95% of its chapters participating, one of its technical consultants, Joar Salvador joined a press conference headed by Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, Baguio Red Cross chapter Chairman last January 17 here.

All six provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be participating in the national coordinated activity MVR 2013 themed: I choose to run to save lives of the PRC on February 10.

Targeting 17,716 volunteer runners, the six provinces and Baguio City have an ambitious target of doubling last 2011 MVR participants in the region. Generally, registration fee is pegged at P150, and an additional P100 will be collected for the MVR campaign shirt.

According to Oscar Paris, PRC Benguet Chapter Administrator, “With the participative and warm culture of the Cordillerans, we are confident that the whole CAR will deliver and indeed we are very much prepared for the MVR 2013 this February.”

“The said activity is not only a fun run but a cause-oriented, national coordinated activity that is why PRC has targeted around 1% of the total resident population, especially in the key municipalities and in Baguio City,” Paris explained.

Proceeds of the MVR will be alloted for the respective PRC chapters for humanitarian actions implementation such as volunteers training and purchasing of basic equipment.

In line with this, PRC also has a nationwide campaign to have at least one trained team leader and 43 volunteers for every barangay for cases of emergency. Every team will be provided a first aid kit and other necessary apparatus.

Moreover, Manuel James Laygo of Red Cross- Abra shared that they will be holding disaster preparedness seminars in far-flung communities in their province. “We are actually doing the fun run for those in the grass root communities, that’s why we are asking for more sponsors and volunteers to take part,” he ended. # nordis.net