June | 2008 | Northern Dispatch (nordis) Weekly

Letters: A national tragedy is not an excuse to surrender sovereignty

June 30, 2008 in general, letters, opinion

By Dr. Giovanni Tapang
National Chairperson, AGHAM

It is a clear example of opportunism and intimidation by the US to send in the aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, and its warships to Philippine waters. Fearing the effects of typhoon Frank/Fangsheng in its dock in Hong Kong, the US has used the pretexts of helping typhoon-affected areas and relief efforts ongoing in the Western Visayas region to enter Philippine territorial waters.

Not only is an aircraft carrier group in our territory an overkill, it is also a mockery of the anti-nuclear weapons provisions of the Constitution, the presence of which the US neither confirms nor denies in its war ship. Furthermore, it is a subtle form of intimidation to President Arroyo while she visits the US: not to ask too much and continue to tow the Bush administration’s line or else face the reality that an aircraft carrier group’s main purpose is to wage war and not effect humanitarian aid. Read the rest of this entry →

Weekly Reflections: Natural calamities

June 30, 2008 in columns, general, opinion

By REV. LUNA L. DINGAYAN

“God said to Noah, ‘I have decided to put an end to all people. I will destroy them completely, because the world is full of their evil deeds.’ ” — Genesis 6:13

Typhoon Frank

Our country is currently experiencing the devastating effects of Typhoon Frank. It sank not only MV Princess of the Stars, a ship owned by Sulpicio Lines, killing hundreds of its passengers, but worst of all it had also sunk even more the sinking ship of our state. It is deeply frustrating to realize that as Typhoon Frank visited our country, President GMA together with her enormous entourage also insisted to visit the “land of the brave and the free”. Read the rest of this entry →

Sagawisiw: 29 June 2008

June 30, 2008 in general

By TITO SANQUI

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Porkchops: 29 June 2008

June 30, 2008 in general

By PORKY

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Burburtia Krokis: 29 June 2008 (Puzzle)

June 30, 2008 in general

By ART B. BELISARIO

ACROSS
1 talunin (Ilok)
6 hanging habagat (Ilok)
12 pagkakasala (Ilok)
14 balikat (Ilok, Ibanag)
15 pahiyain, insultuhin (Eng)
16 kaugnay ng butil na oat (Eng)
17 ekspresyon na patanong (Tag)
18 Japanese salmon, Plecoglossus altivelis. Read the rest of this entry →

Burburtia Krokis: 15 June 2008 (Solution)

June 30, 2008 in general

By ART B. BELISARIO

Pride and prejudice circa 2008

June 30, 2008 in general

By JULIE PALAGANAS

In the spate of the so called “canister scandal” (aka Surgery Scandal, YouTube Surgery Scandal, YouTube Doctors Scandal, Vicente Sotto Hospital Scandal, Cebu Hospital Scandal, YouTube Rectum or Rectal Scandal) the whole nation was shocked when a gay patient was sodomized by a call-boy sticking a 15-inch perfume canister inside his rectum.

Agonizing in pain and humiliation, he went to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu where he thought he would be safe and relieved from the excruciating incident. Unfortunately, the whole medical team from the head doctors down to the nurses, and medical aids “feasted” on his case, and even captured the whole scene on a cellphone video camera. Read the rest of this entry →

Towards improving school perfomance in MP

June 30, 2008 in education, general

By PATRICK MATTHEW B. POOTEN

The issues and concerns presented in the first part of this article are only a few of the numerous problems besetting our public schools. Arm-chair educators would deliver lectures during seminars, workshops and trainings of teachers, and solutions they present are very ideal, but for them to be workable is another picture. It has to be admitted that most problems encountered in the teaching-learning process could really be solved in the school level.
School-based programs and projects

Some schools still lack a well-defined and attainable vision, mission, goals (VMG) which might explain why there is no direction in the teaching-learning process. If VMGs are formulated and periodically reviewed, it would have a significant impact in directing or redirecting educational activities. This is so because the needs of the school are prioritized in the determination of projects and programs. Strategies are also identified with set objectives and standards. Read the rest of this entry →

Makan a la Pinoy: Chicken sesame

June 30, 2008 in food, general

Ni BRENDA S. DACPANO

Maysa kadagiti eksperimentok iti kusina daytoy a putahe. Kombinasyon ti adobo ken kalbi chim ti Korea.

Ti kalbi chim ket lauya a paragpag ti baka, kalbi a kayat na a sawen ket short ribs. Natimplaan ti soy sauce, bukel ken mantika ti lengnga (sesame). Adda met naramanak a Chinese beef stew ngem anis (star anise wenno ‘tay ordinaryo nga anis) ti pampabanglo ken napalpalet ti sarsa na ngem iti kalbi chim.

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Mining threatens Ilocos forests

June 22, 2008 in general, Ilocos, mining

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Ilocos Norte’s last intact rain forests in Adams town are facing imminent danger with prospects of mining feldspar, copper, tektite and pyrite by the same company that left open pit sites in Benguet.

Benguet Corporation (BC) is reportedly eying at Adams, an upland town in the northernmost Cordillera, and some 21,000 hectares more in the famous Pagudpud, upland Dumalneg, Carasi and Vintar, where pristine rain forests are still found. Read the rest of this entry →

Debate continues on CHEd memo on nursing

June 22, 2008 in Cordillera, education, general

BAGUIO CITY — While educators’ groups opposed the implementation of an education order on Nursing, almost all colleges and universities in the Cordillera region adopted the said policy, according to Cordillera education officials.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 5 would mandate more hours for the related learning experiences and additional subjects for the Bachelor of Science In Nursing (BSN). Read the rest of this entry →

Another OFW detained for theft — Migrante

June 22, 2008 in Cordillera, general, international, migrant

BAGUIO CITY — Another migrant worker is languishing in an Arabian prison after being accused of theft when she ran away from her employer at the end of her three-year contract as domestic helper in Saudi Arabia.

Last April, Francisco Castrodes sought Migrante-Metro Baguio when Saudi police arrested his wife, Nama, who was employed as domestic helper in Saudi Arabia. She was later accused of stealing her employer’s passport. Read the rest of this entry →

Vizcaya dad outlaws open-pit mining

June 22, 2008 in Cagayan Valley, general, mining

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — A senior provincial board member proposed an ordinance to outlaw open-pit mining in the province in its June 18 regular session.

Lawyer Edu Balgos, a board member of the mineral-rich south district, titled his proposed legislation “The Anti-Open-Pit Mining Ordinance”. Read the rest of this entry →

Noise barrage greets another oil price hike

June 22, 2008 in Baguio City, general, prices

BAGUIO CITY — Militant group Anakbayan led a noise barrage at the KM 0 here Saturday to greet another round of oil price hike.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY. Students convey their grievances at yet another oil price hike in a noise barrage protest led by youth group Anakbayan at Kilometer 0 last Saturday. Photo by Myko Franco Chiong/NORDIS

In the face of the escalating economic crisis under the Arroyo government, the youth group called for the scrapping of the 12% Value Added Tax (VAT) on oil, electricity, and other basic commodities that most affect the people as well as the economy. Read the rest of this entry →

Gov’t pushes alternative energy dev’t

June 22, 2008 in Cordillera, energy, general

BAGUIO CITY — As the prices of fossil fuel and other petroleum products soar, the government is now aggressively pursuing efforts to develop non-conventional energy sources like bio-fuels.

According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Director Ben Ladilad in the weekly Kapihan, the need to look for alternative sources of energy is vital to reduce the country’s oil importation. Read the rest of this entry →

Ilocos fiscal dismisses theft charges vs. UNP campus newshen

June 22, 2008 in general, Ilocos

VIGAN CITY — A Vigan City prosecutor dismissed the theft charges filed against a student journalist of the University of Northern Philippines (UNP).

According to the Resolution signed by City Prosecutor Dedicacion Banua, the Criminal Complaint for Theft filed by . Nolito Ragunjan, coordinator for Student Publications of UNP-Vigan, was dismissed because the City Prosecutor’s Office finds no probable cause to hold Ma. Criselda Diocena for trial. Read the rest of this entry →

NPAs raid military detachment in Abra

June 22, 2008 in Cordillera, general, insurgency

BAGUIO CITY — Communist guerrillas raided a small detachment of government security forces in remote Sallapadan town in Abra dawn June 14 and captured an army official, but lost three red fighters in the process.

The still undetermined number of communist rebels seizing the cover of dawn crept towards a detachment of para-militiamen at around 5:30 AM June 14 but was repulsed, Major Rosendo Armas, spokesman of the military’s Northern Luzon Command said. Read the rest of this entry →

Cordillera mine safety council elects leaders

June 22, 2008 in Cordillera, general, mining

BAGUIO CITY — On June 16, 16 years after its formation, the Regional Mines Safety Council (RMSC) in the Cordillera finally elects its first set of officers.

Election chairman Engr. Augustine L. Baliang Sr. said, it was only recently that the safety engineers thought of formally electing their first set of officers, although the mines safety organization was created a couple of years after the 1990 killer earthquake. Read the rest of this entry →

MP lib hub receives 100 storybooks

June 22, 2008 in Cordillera, education, general

BONTOC, Mt. Province — One hundred copies of the book “Stories of Alapu” were turned over Tuesday to the Mountain Province Library Hub by members of the book project team headed by Dr. Ma. Luz D. Fang-asan.

The copies were sponsored by the family of the late Board Member Salvador Bantali. Read the rest of this entry →