April | 2007 | Northern Dispatch (nordis) Weekly

P125 wage hike May Day focus

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, general, workers

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 28) — This year’s May Day rites will focus mainly on the long-awaited workers’ demand for a P125 legislated wage increase nationwide; job security; as well as their political and democratic rights, a spokesperson of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) told Nordis.

“Saan pay a nalpas ti laban dagiti mangmangged para iti pannakailinteg ti P125 a nayon a suweldo gaputa aginggana itatta ket saan latta nga umanay dagiti agdama a suweldoda a panggatang kadagiti kangrunaan a gagatangen ken serbisyo. Numanpay adda dagiti ibagbagada a panangipangato kano ti suweldo iti napalabas, saan a makabiag dagitoy gapu ti kinababada” (The struggle of the workers for a legislated P125 wage increase is far from over as their present wages are not enough to cope with the prices of commodities and social services. While there had been wage increases in the past, these are still not enough as these are too low), said James Tulipa, KMU spokesperson. Read the rest of this entry →

Asia Pacific Indigenous youth forge unity

April 28, 2007 in general, indigenous, international, youth

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 26) — It is the first time for young natives of the Asia Pacific Region to be united for a common cause in strengthening and advancing their struggles.

INDIGENOUS YOUTH. Asia Pacific youth march through the streets of Baguio City with Cordillera Day delegates. Photo by Noel Godinez/NORDIS

Indigenous youth of the region are now united in calling for the right to land and self-determination with the founding conference of Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network (APIYN). Read the rest of this entry →

Cordi farmers forge La Trinidad Declaration

April 28, 2007 in agriculture, Cordillera, economy, general

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Apr. 25) — Farmers from six Cordillera provinces today forged a declaration against bilateral agreements on agriculture with other countries, particularly the impending ratification by Senate of the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) and the country’s membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO), here.

Some 1,000 poor farmers gathered for the Cordillera Peasant Summit at the San Jose Gym in Buyagan, here after a motorcade from the venue of the Cordillera Day in Baguio City, and vowed to campaign against the liberalization in agriculture and called for the abrogation of WTO, which they claimed has been the culprit behind many farm woes not only in the Cordillera and the Philippines but also in other third world countries. Read the rest of this entry →

Magsasaka ng Kordilyera hiniling ibasura GATT-WTO

April 28, 2007 in agriculture, Cordillera, general

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Abr. 25) — Bumagsak ang kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka sa rehiyong Cordillera dahil sa liberalisasyon sa agrikultura, ayon sa ilang dumalo ng Cordillera Peasant Summit sa La Trinidad, Benguet ngayong araw na ito.

Pagkaraan ng pagbabahaginan ng epekto ng General Agreement on Tariff and Trade-World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO) sa kanilang sektor sa kani-kanilang lalawigan, minarapat ng mga magsasaka ang pagbasura nito. Read the rest of this entry →

Arrested Protestant pastor tagged by gov't as Balweg's killer moved to Abra jail

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, general, human rights

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Apr. 23) — Protestant pastor Francisco Bonuan, tagged by authorities as a top-ranked communist leader linked to the slay of paramilitary leader Conrado Balweg in 1999, was brought to the Abra provincial jail on Monday morning.

This was after he was arrested on Saturday afternoon in Baguio City by intelligence operatives on the basis of an amended warrant of arrest. Read the rest of this entry →

Kabataan 4th nominee envisions youth participation in the politics of change

April 28, 2007 in elections, general, Ilocos, people, politics

For Mark Lovis Galanga or Kuya Mark as his fellow activists and friends call him, there is a need to participate in the forthcoming 2007 elections to further assert the youth’s right for brighter future and have an avenue where they could impart their potentials in nation building.

NOMINEES. (From left to right) Kabataan’s 4th nominee Mark Gallanga, Congressman Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano of Anakpawis, Congresswoman Liza Masa of Gabriela Women’s Party, Suara Bangsamoro’s 1st nominee Zaynab Ampatuan, and GWP’s 3rd nominee Flora Belinan. Photo by Brenda S. Dacpano/NORDIS

“Dahil sa matinding pasanin na dinulot ng rehimeng Arroyo sa mga kabataan at sa mamamayan, kinakailangan na makilahok ang kabataan sa eleksyon upang higit na maisulong nito ang interes ng bayan,” (Because of the burden the Arroyo government imposed on the youth and the citizens, the youth have to get involved in the elections to advance the people’s interests.) Mark said referring to the Arroyo government as unconcerned to the demands of the people particularly the youth. “It’s now time for us to be heard.” He added hoping to win a seat in the congress under the party-list system. Read the rest of this entry →

Suara inaasahang boses ng Bangsangmoro sa kongreso

April 28, 2007 in elections, general, national, politics

BAGUIO CITY (Abr. 23) – “Ang Suara Bangsamoro ay inaasahang magdadala ng boses ng mga Bangsamoro sa loob ng konggreso at magtatayugod ng kapakanan ng hindi lamang ng mga Bangsamoro kundi ng taumbayan,” ayon kay Zaynab Afdal Ampatuan, pambansang tagapangulo ng Suara Bangsamoro party-list at unang nominado nito.

Ipinakita ng Suara Bangsamoro Party-list ang kanilang pakikiisa sa mamamayan ng Kordilyera sa pamamagitan ng pagdalo sa ika-23 na Aldaw Kordilyera sa Baguio. Larawan ni Noel Godinez/NORDIS

Sabi pa ni Ampatuan, ang hinaing ng mga Bangsamoro sa ating komunidad, sa kalsada sa panahon ng rally ay dadalhin ngayon ng partidong ito sa loob ng konggreso. Ang Suara na ang ibig sabihin ay boses ay naglalayong iparinig sa buong bansa o sa internasyonal man na marami pa rin sa mga Bangsamoro ang seryosong tumulong, makipagkaisa sa mamamayang Pilipino para labanan ang problema sa ekonomya at pulitika. Read the rest of this entry →

Campbell’s alleged murderer gives up to police

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, criminality, general

La Trinidad, Benguet (Apr. 27) — After almost a week of hugging the headlines and being the subject of a man-hunt, Juan Dontogan, tagged by police as the primary suspect in the killing of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell surrendered to authorities Friday afternoon.

Indeed her mother, Jane, who promised on Wednesday to authorities she would bring in his son to clear his name surrendered the suspect 3:20 that afternoon. Read the rest of this entry →

Nationalists brace for post-poll outrage

April 28, 2007 in elections, general, national, politics

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 24) — Progressive groups are urged to brace for a more resounding outrage after the elections, and against the impending implementation of the Philippine Security Act of 2007, the Bayan representative to the celebration of the 23rd Cordillera Day said.

“Kasalukuyang inihahanda ng Bayan ang makinarya nito para sa matitinding paglaban ng mamamayan pagkatapos ng eleksyon,” (Bayan is currently preparing its machinery for more intensive people outrage after the elections) Rita Baua of the Bayan National Secretariat disclosed in her solidarity statement at the Melvin Jones as she addressed more than 3,000 delegates from six Cordillera provinces and from other provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Read the rest of this entry →

Comelec foresees no problem except for Abra and Kalinga

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, elections, general, politics

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 27) — The Commission on Election-Cordillera Autonomous Region (Comelec- CAR) disclosed it would focus its attention on two Cordillera provinces it considers election hot spots.

An official bared all other provinces of the region are peaceful and orderly amid issues of heated politics due to the coming mid-term elections in some areas of CAR. Read the rest of this entry →

Poll-related violence continues in Abra

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, elections, general, politics

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Apr. 27) — Election-related violence continue in Abra as another victim of shooting is now fighting for his life at the hospital, a day after a barangay captain died after he was also peppered with bullets in Bangued, the province’s capital town.

Gil Borreta, reportedly a campaigner of Bangued town mayoralty bet, is now at the Christian Hospital in the town after he sustained three gunshot wounds on his right foot while another two on his left when an unidentified gunman sprung from nowhere and shot him at around 8:00 P.M. Thursday night. The weapon used is still being determined as of press time. Read the rest of this entry →

Abra mayoralty bet’s convoy ambushed

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, elections, general, politics

BAGUIO CITY (Apr. 24) — Langiden town mayoralty bet Boyet Castillo escaped danger after his two-vehicle convoy was peppered with bullets while en route to his town from Bangued, Abra’s capital town.

Newly designated Task Force Abra commander, Sr. Supt. Villamor Bumanglag, said Castillo is safe. Bumanglag faces this case as his “baptism of fire” after taking over the sensitive post from Chief Supt. Eugene Martin. Read the rest of this entry →

Splinter-group armed men nabbed in Benguet

April 28, 2007 in Cordillera, general, insurgency

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Apr. 23) — Two men suspected as belonging to the splinter Rebolusyunaryong Hukbong Bayan-Marxist Leninist Party of the Philippines (RHB-MLPP) were arrested by Benguet policemen in Sablan town early Monday morning.

Ronald Garcia Magtanong, 26, alias “Ka Vic” from Cabangan town, Zambales province, and Benjamin Blanco Cariaga, 55, alias “Ka Juanito” of barangay Villanueva, Bautista town in Pangasinan, claimed they were in Benguet to investigate and assess the situation of the vegetable farmers. Read the rest of this entry →

Editorial Cartoon: 29 April 2007

April 28, 2007 in editorials, general, opinion

Editorial: Ka Bel deserves to be free for Labor Day

April 28, 2007 in editorials, general, opinion

The workers’ movement and the wider public eagerly await the hopefully favorable decision of the courts to finally release Anakpawis Rep. Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran, who remains in detention at the Philippine Heart Center.

And what better time to release him than on or before May 1, so that he can celebrate his freedom on International Labor Day and rejoin the workers who will be marching again in the streets to reiterate their long-standing demands. Read the rest of this entry →

Advocate's Overview: Velarde endorsement

April 28, 2007 in columns, general, opinion

By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW

I had been expecting the different church denominations, as they are considered at least non-partisan, to be in the forefront of the voters’ education and election watch effort. At least their being non-partisan is compatible with the constitution’s provision on the separation of church and state.

To my dismay, however, Mike Velarde was on the news with his evangelical group’s latest move of endorsing the Domogan-Vergara tandem in Baguio City. (Reelectionist Rep. Mauricio Domogan is running together with a full slate for elective city officials led by former mayor Bernardo Vergara.) Read the rest of this entry →

Brutally Frank: Patronage politics

April 28, 2007 in columns, general, opinion

By MARY ANN “MANJA” BAYANG

A formal definition of patronage is “the power of appointing people to governmental or political positions” and “the positions so distributed” (Webster’s II New College Dictionary, 1995). The word patronage, as used in politics, has a negative implication that this simple definition fails to convey. Patronage suggests going beyond the real or perceived boundaries of legitimate political influence, and violating the principles of merit and competition in civil service recruitment and promotion.

Nonetheless, we must recognize that governments the world over accept that some political appointments are fully legitimate. A small number of these appointments are justified as a means for political leaders to fashion a circle of government policymakers and managers who share a common agenda. Patronage is clearly a problem, however, when a big number of such appointments pervade public administration, which severely undermine merit principles. Somewhere between these two extremes, the line between appropriate and inappropriate uses of patronage is crossed. Read the rest of this entry →