February | 2008 | Northern Dispatch (nordis) Weekly

Lawyer groups support NBN whistle blower

February 18, 2008 in general, national

Urges graft case vs. major actors

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 14) — The distance of Manila from this summer city does not serve as a barrier for the growing support for Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the whistle blower in the multi-million dollar anomaly that has tainted the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.

Lawyers’ groups in this highland region supported Lozada for his exposé and claimed that pieces of evidence gathered are already enough to file graft and corruption charges against those involved in the $329-million NBN contract awarded to China’s ZTE Corp. Read the rest of this entry →

Re-examining Panagbenga: A historical trail (Last of two parts)

February 18, 2008 in Baguio City, general, tourism

By LYN V. RAMO

Click here for first part

Public View

Being an election year, the 2007 Panagbenga, still under the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFI), was heavily despised for allowing political parties and personalities in the float parade. Booing became the public response to politicians shaking hands with the dismayed crowd. Allegedly, it turned out it was Congressman Mauricio Domogan who invited some of the candidates to the parade.

As in the past celebrations, 2007 Panagbenga drew an unusually large crowd, that people started to line up Session Road as early as 5:00 A.M., just to get a better view of the street-dancing, and the float-marching bands parade, that would start 8:00 A.M. Read the rest of this entry →

Experts prod public to patronize native poultry

February 18, 2008 in Cordillera, food, general

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Feb. 14) — “If you want organic chicken, go native!” Dr. Miriam Tiongan of the Provincial Veterinary Office strongly espoused that the public to patronize native poultry for both their eggs and meat.

Tiongan and Dr. Jerry Sabado of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) appeared with Solraya Enterprises representatives during the Kapihan sa Benguet at the Benguet State University (BSU) on Valentine’s Day. Read the rest of this entry →

DA warns public vs. eating cull

February 18, 2008 in Cordillera, food, general

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Feb. 14) — Cull poultry, as the term implies, should be rejected and buried, a government agriculturist warned the public, adding this is not fit for human consumption.

Read the rest of this entry →

Ilocos militants greet PGMA on Valentines Day

February 18, 2008 in general, Ilocos

SAN FERNANDO CITY (Feb. 14) — Militant organizations in Ilocos greet President Arroyo with protests on Valentine’s Day on the peak of National Broadband Network (NBN) exposé.

With the calls Mrs. Arroyo broke the people’s heart, umbrella organization Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Ilocos issued a statement on the alleged abduction of NBN witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. and the $329M ZTE deal. Read the rest of this entry →

Chinese communities to help Cordi veggie farmers

February 18, 2008 in agriculture, Cordillera, general

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 6) —Will the Chinese year of the earth rat be good for the Cordillera farmers who are greatly affected by problems facing the vegetable industry?

A Chinese-Filipino in this city said the Chinese Filipinos may help in the revival of the vegetable industry by bringing Cordillera farmers to China to learn modern farming technologies in the said country. Read the rest of this entry →

Benguet governor seeks Greenpeace water test validation

February 18, 2008 in Cordillera, general

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (Feb. 8 ) — Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan called for the validation of a recent research of an environmental group, which allegedly found that Benguet drinking water is contaminated with high levels of nitrate concentration.

Fongwan reacted to a national daily report quoting a Greenpeace research saying that 30% of artesian wells in Benguet are contaminated with nitrate levels above World Health Organization (WHO) safety standards caused by nitrogen-based fertilizer runoff. The same report said the level of nitrate found poses danger to health especially to children. Read the rest of this entry →

Ifugao gov hits conflicting gov’t land use policies

February 18, 2008 in Cordillera, general, land rights

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 8 ) — Ifugao Governor Teodoro Baguilat Jr. questioned the conflicting policies on land utilization being implemented by several government agencies saying it stifles the development of land resources.

Baguilat said conflicting land use policies of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) causes confusion among the people. Read the rest of this entry →

Baguio dads repeal car plan law

February 18, 2008 in Baguio City, general

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 11) — The public criticism on the hasty passing of an ordinance that could have allowed the issuance of a car plan for each of the 14 councilors here has resulted in the revocation Monday of City Ordinance 057-2007.

The revoking ordinance was the result of two proposals, one penned by Vice-mayor Daniel T. Fariñas; and the other by Councilors Galo D. Weygan and Perlita L. Chan-Rondez, which similarly sought the repeal of the car plan ordinance. Both proposals sought the realignment of the car plan allotment for other purposes Read the rest of this entry →

UP sponsors red tide research lecture

February 18, 2008 in Baguio City, general

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 14) — UP Scientist and Professor Rhodora Azanza, one of the country’s leading researchers working on harmful algal blooms, associated with the phenomenon known as red tide, will grace the second lecture of UP Baguio’s Centennial Lecture Series at 2:30 P.M. on February 21 at the Multi-purpose Hall.

Azanza, who was Dean of UP Diliman’s College of Science, was recognized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in 2005 as among the Outstanding Women in Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for her exemplary performance in research projects on toxic Pyrodinium blooms. She also developed local capability for determining paralytic shellfish poisoning levels and developing models for predicting bloom dynamics. Read the rest of this entry →

Baguio prohibits smoking in public

February 18, 2008 in Baguio City, general

BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 7) — Smokers will now have a hard time looking for designated smoking areas as the city council approved on its third and final reading a comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance.

Awaiting the approval of Mayor Reinaldo A. Bautista, the said ordinance will prohibit smoking in public utility vehicles including taxis, public or government buildings, and in establishments like restaurants and hotels, and other public places like malls, terminals and town squares within the city limits. Read the rest of this entry →

Alyansa ng magsasaka sa Cabugao, IS binuo

February 18, 2008 in general, Ilocos, peasants

CABUGAO, Ilocos Sur (Feb. 10) — Mahigit tatlumpung lider at organisador magsasaka ang nagtipun-tipon upang isulong ang pagkakaisa ng mga magsasaka sa unang asembliya ng Alyansa iti kumpang ti Cabugao (ALKUMPAC) noong Pebrero 10 sa Brgy. Bato, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.

Ang nasabing asembliya ay pinangunahan ng Solidarity of Peasants Against Exploitation (STOP Exploitation), ang panrehiyong alyansa ng mga magsasaka. Ayon kay Zaldy Alfiler, pangkalahatang kalihim ng STOP Exploitation, layon ng nasabing asembliya na pagkaisahin ang mga magsasaka sa bayan ng Cabugao upang higit pang maitaguyod ang isyung kinahaharap ng mga magsasaka sa nasabing bayan. Read the rest of this entry →

UNP gears for SC elections

February 18, 2008 in education, general, Ilocos, youth

VIGAN CITY (Feb. 14) — Student leaders kick off their campaign on Valentine’s Day as it marks the first day of campaign for the Student Council Elections (SCE) at the University of Northern Philippines (UNP).

Alliance of Concerned Students-Partido ng Demokratikong Mag-aaral (ACS-PDM) Standard Bearer and presently Vice President for Operations of UNP Student Council Jeric Pelayo said that this student council election is very timely as the students are fazed with various issues such as tuition and other fees increase, repressive policies and the closure of Tandem. Read the rest of this entry →

Baguio bulk water project, kanselado

February 18, 2008 in Baguio City, general

BAGUIO CITY (Peb. 13) — Pinal nang kinansela ng Baguio Water District Board ang bulk water project na nai-award sa Benguet Corporation pagkaraan ng dalawang taong contract review dahil umano ay hindi nagkasundo sa “terms of reference” and magkabilang panig.

Nanalo ang BC sa bidding sa presyo nitong P39.99 kada metriko kwadrado ng tubig. Read the rest of this entry →

Turista, midya nakitunod idiay Ifugao

February 18, 2008 in Cordillera, general, tourism

HUNGDUAN, Ifugao (Feb. 10) — Naisayangkat ti Tunod Ad Hungduan idi Pebrero 9-10, sadiay barangay Hapao, iti daytoy a munisipyo tapno awisen ti imatang dagiti turista ken umili iti kinapateg dagiti paypayew iti inaldaw a kabibiag ti tattao sadiay.

Planting rice is fun especially at the famous Ifugao Rice Terraces! Photo courtesy of Ace Alegre
Read the rest of this entry →

Editorial Cartoon: 17 Feb. 2008

February 18, 2008 in editorials, general, opinion

Editorial: An assault on press freedom in Baguio

February 18, 2008 in editorials, general, opinion

“The Philippine press has always been under siege. There is not a single day in the Philippines when there would not be an irate police or military officer, politician, government official, crime boss, or big businessman making a threat to a particular journalist or newspaper for writing an article they deem to be “unfair” to them. Filipino journalists have accepted these dangers as hazards to the trade.” – Val Abelgas.

Some members of the Baguio media may beg to differ from their national correspondent colleagues. Maybe they have grown complacent or dare not challenge the establishment or they are too much part of the fiber of Baguio and will not take things lying down. Read the rest of this entry →

Advocate's Overview: Extending the period of CARP

February 18, 2008 in columns, general, opinion

By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW

After the massacre of the farmers in Mendiola, the administration of then President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino adopted in 1988 an agrarian program through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law or Republic Act 6657. The law aims to distribute land to the landless as the farmers has been crying-out for a long time. Twenty years after, farmers claim that seven out of every 10 farmers are still landless. In Congress, particularly in the House of Representatives, various bills that aim to extend the implementation of RA 6657 (which is due to end in June this year) are still pending.

Since the adoption of RA 6657, I can point out several reasons why the said law failed to realize its objective for agrarian reform. Read the rest of this entry →

Brutally Frank: JDV ousted, Lozada blows whistle, what now?

February 18, 2008 in columns, general, opinion

By MARY ANN MANJA BAYANG

JDV’s speech, before the House of Representatives voted him out as speaker, was pathetic. It was a statement of a subservient person who performed everything that his masters would tell him in exchange for the power that he held. He professed an unconditional loyalty to those he served, in the same degree that he commanded unrestricted loyalty from those who were favored by being subservient to him. But as his flock shamelessly declared their rejection of him, he must have shrunk into oblivion.

While nursing his wounds blatantly inflicted by those he lavished with gifts, allowances, projects and so many other favors, he must have finally realized that in Philippine politics, it is not just about blind obedience to the masters – it is also about keeping quiet and making all those related to you close their mouths as well. Read the rest of this entry →

Economics & Society 101: Force GMA’s resignation

February 18, 2008 in columns, general, opinion

By ARTURO BOQUIREN

Force the resignation of GMA. This is our fighting task, among the highest patriotic duties today as Filipinos.

The task is legal yet it does not surrender initiative to power brokers and the elite. It is non-seditious yet non-passive. It is a call with a potential to mobilize people by the millions. Read the rest of this entry →