June | 2007 | Northern Dispatch (nordis) Weekly

Labor Watch: Why the workers go on strikes

June 24, 2007 in columns, general, opinion

By ALDWIN QUITASOL

“A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.” –William Faulkner 1897-1962, American novelist

A worker loves his work very much as it is his source to feed his family. He also loves it because he knows he is contributing in his own small way to the national economy.

As he loves his work, he has to guard it so that his source of livelihood will not be taken away from him. He joins the union to manifest his sharing a common aspiration with his co-workers. Read the rest of this entry →

Weekly Reflections: The need for a vision

June 24, 2007 in columns, general, opinion

By REV. LUNA L. DINGAYAN

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” — Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

Deep crisis

Our country is in deep crisis. Government officials say that our economy is growing, yet according to surveys millions go to bed hungry each day.

They say that the last local and national elections were generally peaceful, yet according to media reports hundreds were killed in election-related violence. We claim to be a free and democratic country, yet political killings, forced disappearances, abductions and torture continue to happen with impunity. We are proud to be considered the only Christian nation in Asia, yet we are perceived to be the most corrupt country in this part of the world. Read the rest of this entry →

Burburtia Krokis: 24 June 2007 (Puzzle)

June 24, 2007 in general

By ART B. BELISARIO

ACROSS:
1 inilagay sa tamang katayuan (Tag);
7 mga bahay-tuluyan o maliit na otel (Eng);
11 lagyan ng bakod (Ilok);
13 bansang Gabon (ISO abbrev);
15 Vitamin B1 (Eng); Read the rest of this entry →

Burburtia Krokis: 10 June 2007 (Solution)

June 24, 2007 in general

By ART B. BELISARIO

Remembering Isabelo delos Reyes (1864-1938): the great Ilokano

June 24, 2007 in general, Ilocos, national, people

By LYN V. RAMO

Redeem the interest in the works and life of a revolutionary, a great Ilocano, a patriot and a homegrown intellectual who started envisioning the Filipino nation was how the lecturer seemed to tell students and faculty of the University of the Philippines here who remembered the great Ilocano and patriot Isabelo delos Reyes during the inaugural lecture that launched the centennial lecture series as part of the university’s 99th Anniversary Week that gloomy Wednesday afternoon last week.

Invited to lead the recollection on the patriot’s life and works was Prof. Resil Mojares, himself a distinguished writer and recorder of Philippine culture and study. Read the rest of this entry →

Balancing Wheel: Ice Candy anyone?

June 24, 2007 in Baguio City, general, people

By JOHN MARASIGAN

Hard, cold, and definitely chilling to the throat….. Ice candy and ice drop, anyone?

TULAK! Wes, Gi, Reycar, Derek, Billy, Toto, Romy, Arnold (Top to Bottom) pushing their way up to the top of ICE CANDY. Photo by Igan/NORDIS

Somewhere in the hills of Pines Park Trinidad going to the top of Lubas is a trail called Ice Candy. The Sayote Sunday Club ( as I prefer to call it since we do the ride every Sunday) definitely had the ride of the week when we climbed that steep hill. The grade was approximately forty degrees and the stretch had a length of 355 meters, with no recovery zone (not a meter of flat road). And it was just the start. Read the rest of this entry →

Makan a la Pinoy: Waldorf Salad

June 24, 2007 in food, general

By BRENDA S. DACPANO

Ramen:
juice ti maysa a lemon wenno kalamansi
4 mansanas, naiwa (bite size)
1 tasa a celery, naiwa iti ½ inch
½ tasa a mani, kinirog (wenno uray ania a klase ti nuts)
¼ tasa mayonnaise wenno plain yogurt
letsugas Read the rest of this entry →

BSU execs, alumni want Jonas freed

June 17, 2007 in general, human rights, national

LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET (June 13) — Officials and alumni of the Benguet State University (BSU) here join the campaign call to free Jonas Joseph Burgos, who is an alumnus of this institution. Jonas Joseph Burgos who is believed to have been abducted by military agents.

“I join the various sectors to urge the abductors of Jonas to free him immediately,” declared Dr. Macario Cadatal in an interview with Nordis. Cadatal is the dean of the College of Agriculture in BSU where Jonas graduated in March 1996. Read the rest of this entry →

Power supply aggreement set on Monday & Tuesday

June 17, 2007 in Baguio City, energy, general

BAGUIO CITY (June 15) — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will conduct a two-day public hearing Monday and Tuesday on the application of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) for ERC approval of its electric power supply agreement with Hydro Electric Development Corp. (Hedcor), an energy generator in Benguet at the Beneco office at the DPS Compound here.

According to Brenda Carling, Beneco corporate services manager, the public hearing starts at 3:00 P.M. Monday with jurisdictional hearing and expository hour. It resumes at 9:30 A.M. Tuesday with pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing. Read the rest of this entry →

Public urged to recirculate coins

June 17, 2007 in economy, general

SAN FERNANDO CITY (June 14) — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) appealed to the public Thursday to return the lowly barya (coins) in circulation as the felt shortage for loose change affects the economy.

A BSP official also confirmed it has stopped printing the P5 and P10 banknotes, and that these are currently being replaced by their equivalent in coins clarifying that the existing banknotes remain legal tender in the country. Read the rest of this entry →

Banking electronic hi-way opens for north Luzon

June 17, 2007 in economy, general

SAN FERNANDO CITY La Union (June 14) — Bankers and their client farmers, fisher folk and small and medium industries from the country’s northernmost regions may now enjoy electronic rediscounting (eRediscounting) facilities of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) launched here Thursday.

In electronic teleconferences during the launching, bankers from both the private and public sectors in the rural and urban centers of Regions, 1, 2, 3 and the Cordillera Administrative Region made transactions in front of other bankers who signed the Memorandum of Agreement with BSP Gov. Amando M. Tetangco Jr. Read the rest of this entry →

Warning still up vs. fake peso bills

June 17, 2007 in criminality, economy, general

SAN FERNANDO CITY (June 14) — The warning is still up against the circulation of fake Philippine peso bills as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) intensifies its campaign to apprehend those involved in the manufacture of counterfeit bills.

BSP Corporate Affairs Director Fe dela Cruz told the media during the launching of the electronic rediscounting system (see related story) here Thursday, to help inform the public of the government’s concern over fake bills. Read the rest of this entry →

Kilos-protesta sumalubong sa pagbubukas ng klase

June 17, 2007 in Baguio City, education, general

BAGUIO CITY (June 11) — Naglunsad ng isang kilos-protesta ang grupo ng mga kabataan at estudyante, sa pangunguna ng Kabataan Party-list, noong Lunes, ika-11 ng Hunyo 2007 sa Skyworld, Session Road. Ito ay pambungad na aktibidad para sa muling pagbubukas ng akademikong taong ito.

KILOS-PROTESTA. Isang dramang-iglap ang nagpaliwanag ng kalagayan ng edukasyon sa bansa. Photo courtesy of Cordillera Youth Center Read the rest of this entry →

Baguio City dads question Irisan contract

June 17, 2007 in Baguio City, general

BAGUIO CITY (June 12) — The city council on its third to the last session questioned the validity of the contract for the closure of the Irisan dump site here, invoking an age-old council policy that all contracts must be confirmed by the city council, which the city’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chair refuted.

In an inquiry made by the council, the representative of Asia Envirocons, a Manila-based contractor which recently won the P14 million contract for a 120-day closure work at the Irisan dump site, told the council the deal was closed on May 4 with then acting Mayor Reinaldo A. Bautista signing it. Read the rest of this entry →

In a bid to help the elderly pickers, Baguio Council to inquire on Irisan security policy

June 17, 2007 in Baguio City, general

BAGUIO CITY (June 12) — As the city council approves a measure on solid waste, city councilors questioned a provision of the 14-Point Security Policy being implemented by the contractor at the Irisan dump site in their desperate bid to intervene in behalf of the trash pickers.

Item 8 of the said security plan prohibits minors and elderly trash pickers from entering the dump site, depriving most of them of their livelihood sources. Only 18 to59 years old waste pickers shall be allowed at the dumpsite. Read the rest of this entry →

5 rapped for killing Abra town councilor

June 17, 2007 in Cordillera, criminality, general, politics

BAGUIO CITY (June 15) — An alleged gunman identified as Pepito Bawayan alias Bayyed and four other suspects in the killing of an Abra town councilor are now facing murder raps.

Abra police director Sr. Supt. Alexander Pumecha said Bawayan who was arrested a day after he and his cohorts allegedly waylaid Oswald E. Villamor, the number one councilor-elect of Lagangilang, is now detained at the Provincial Jail in Bangued, Abra’s capital town. Read the rest of this entry →

Benguet official pushes seri-culture

June 17, 2007 in Cordillera, general, politics

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (June 14) — Out-going Kapangan mayor and number one Benguet board member-elect plans to push for the development of the seri-culture industry as an alternative to the vegetable industry at the provincial board soon after oath taking.

A STEP FORWARD. Board member-elect Rogelio Leon shares to local media his priority legislation in the provincial board. Photo by Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

Board member-elect for district 2 Rogelio Leon during the regular Kapihan sa Benguet said with the challenges the vegetable industry is facing at present, local farmers should be given other livelihood options. He said the seri-culture industry has very good potential for the province. Read the rest of this entry →

Editorial Cartoon: 17 June 2007

June 17, 2007 in editorials, general, opinion

Editorial: To close or not to close Loakan airport

June 17, 2007 in Baguio City, editorials, general, opinion

One journalist said that the statement of the President to close Loakan Airport to give way to the expansion of the Philippine Economic Zone (PEZA) was not official but a passing comment or a thought said aloud by the President in an informal conversation about the Loakan area.

The alleged closing of the Baguio airport may be another misdirected over-zealous concern from the same group that fed the meningococcemia rumor not so long ago that grew into mass panic and wasted energies. Read the rest of this entry →

Advocate's Overview: Remembering the peasants and Mendiola massacre

June 17, 2007 in columns, general, opinion

By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW

Twenty years ago just when the people powered installed administration of Corazon Aquino was to exercise its power , thousands of farmers had a demonstration where they crossed the Mendiola bridge towards Malacanang. They were met instead by bullets from the high powered firearms of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. After the smoke had cleared, more than 20 farmers laid dead on the street. Read the rest of this entry →