November | 2008 | Northern Dispatch (nordis) Weekly

HR Day awaits amparo resolution

November 30, 2008 in Cordillera, general, human rights

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The Regional Trial Court (RTC) here Thursday agreed to send the petition for the writ of amparo, filed after the abduction of James Moy Balao, for resolution in 10 days, in time for this year’s Human Rights Day.

Balao, a founding member of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and president of the Oclupan Clan, was abducted on September 17 here. His family and CPA strongly suspect James was a victim of an enforced disappearance perpetrated by state security forces, as a part of Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL), a state policy which targets legitimate people’s activist organizations as part of counter-insurgency operations. Read the rest of this entry →

Cheaper Medicines Act to change doctors’ prescribing behavior

November 30, 2008 in general, health, national

BAGUIO CITY — A top health official said the behavior of doctors and government health workers in prescribing medicines would be changed with the Generics Law amended by the Cheaper Medicines Act.

On top of this, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III appeared optimistic the price of medicines in the country would go down dramatically with the release lately of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Cheaper Medicines Act. Read the rest of this entry →

Sagada elder urges ecological conservation amid mining applications

November 30, 2008 in Cordillera, general, mining

BAGUIO CITY — Communal watershed forests in Mountain Province, which serve as the water sources of main rivers, are threatened by various mine applications allegedly due to the government’s active campaign to revitalize the mining industry.

A member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada, Mountain Province, Jaime Dugao revealed there are at least three exploration applications (EXPA), four applications for production sharing agreement (APSA), and five applications for financial and technical assistance agreement (AFTA). Read the rest of this entry →

No rush for regional autonomy

November 30, 2008 in general

BAGUIO CITY — Quoting sections from the 1987 Philippine Constitution that defines the mandate to pursue Cordillera regional autonomy, Regional Development Council’s Juan Ngalob Jr. sees no rush for another referendum after two failed ones in the past.

“There is nothing to rush,” Ngalob kept repeating during the press conference here Wednesday. Read the rest of this entry →

Kalinga people demand immediate AFP pullout

November 30, 2008 in Cordillera, general, human rights

BAGUIO CITY — Indigenous peoples of Tanglag, Lubuagan, Kalinga demand the immediate pullout of Alpha Company of the 21st Infantry Battalion under the 501st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from their community and a stop on the terrorist acts of soldiers.

In a dialog on November 20, residents asserted that the soldiers should leave their community at once stating that their presence endangers the lives of the people. Read the rest of this entry →

City council stops cadastral survey bid

November 30, 2008 in Baguio City, general, land rights

BAGUIO CITY — The city council Monday demanded the suspension of the bidding and implementation of the cadastral survey project that sought to straighten out conflicting land claims in the city and establish city boundary.

A project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera (DENR-CAR), the said land survey was opposed by the councilors due to some concerns raised. Read the rest of this entry →

Modern-day Marias tackle woes

November 30, 2008 in Cordillera, general, women

BAGUIO CITY — Women’s groups here organize with families of survivords of violence a gathering here on Friday to commemorate the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women (IDEVAW).

IDEVAW started Tuesday with a press briefing here that featured modern-day women’s issues. Read the rest of this entry →

La Treo: exploring the great outdoors

November 30, 2008 in Cordillera, general

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — A group of young men and women in La Trinidad have been exploring the great outdoors together since 2003.

ETHNIC WALL. La Treo members designed and painted this wall for the physically fit enthusiasts, hoping to raise awareness in physical fitness and the environment. Photo by Lyn V. Ramo/NORDIS

Composed of around 30 members, the La Trinidad Extreme Outdoor Club, which they simply refer to as La Treo, has been engaging in physically exhausting activities, keeping mind and body fit at the same time and veering away from vice. Read the rest of this entry →

Isabela town under state of calamity

November 30, 2008 in Cagayan Valley, general

ILAGAN, Isabela — As the tail of the cold front continue in the eastern part of Luzon which brought continuous rains for days already here, this town’s low lying areas were under flood waters especially those near the rivers.

The situation prompted Ilagan town officials to declare a state of calamity due to the continuous rains. Read the rest of this entry →

Katutubong minero pinalakas ang hanay

November 30, 2008 in Cordillera, general, mining

ITOGON, Benguet — Muling pinasigla ng mga mamamayan ng Ampucao dito ang kanilang pagkakaisa laban sa pananalasang mapanira ng mga higanteng operasyon ng mina sa pamamagitan ng isang asembliya.

Idinaos ang asembliya ng Lolita Ampucao Youth and Adults’ Organization (LAYAO) noong Nobyembre 22 sa barangay Ampucao, kung saan ipinagdiwang ang mahigit 13 taong pagkakaisa ng mga residente sa nasabing purok. Read the rest of this entry →

Baguio Roundup: 30 Nov. 2008

November 30, 2008 in Baguio City, general

Ordinance on alarm systems approved on third reading

BAGUIO CITY — With the approval of the alarm system ordinance during the regular council session Monday, business establishments are now required to install efficient, effective and working alarm systems for emergency situations as to the status report of the Alarm Systems Inspectorate.

The ordinance is advocating the use of simple working, efficient and effective alarm with guidelines on their installation. An electrical source, a switch, the alarm and electrical circuit would be required which if needed, would activate a resounding bell or a silently blinking light. One or a combination of both should be able to effectively warn the general public of any natural or man-made emergency within a business establishment, the resolution stated. # Julie G. Fianza/PIO-Baguio City

Beneco offer for streetlight maintenance favored

BAGUIO CITY — Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda is egging colleagues to accept the offer of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) to manage the city’s streetlights.

Tabanda proposed the acceptance of the Beneco offer provided only un-metered streetlights shall be subject of this agreement; a joint inventory of the streetlights shall be undertaken; the city shall pay for the electric consumption of 10 burning hours for each streetlight included in the inventory based on the existing bulb rating.

Beneco shall provide for the repair and maintenance of all inventoried streetlights. # Aileen P. Refuerzo/PIO-Baguio City

NL At A Glance: 30 Nov. 2008

November 30, 2008 in Cagayan Valley, general, Ilocos

Agriculture office lacks rice seeds subsidy supply for farmers

ILAGAN, Isabela — Provincial Agriculturist Danilo Tumamao said Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) could not fully implement the rice seeds subsidy program due to lack of available supply from registered rice seed growers here.

The rice seeds subsidy program is a flagship project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to increase rice production in the country and to prevent shortage of rice supply.

However, Tumamao said that if supply of rice seeds is no longer available in Isabela, the agriculture office thought of procuring to other rice producing provinces so that all farmers would benefit from the program. # PIA- Isabela

Congress approves bill declaring Bessang Pass a memorial shrine and national protected area

CANDON CITY — A bill seeking for the declaration of the historic Bessang Pass as national heritage and protected place was already passed and approved after its final reading in a regular session at the Lower House, it was learned.

House Deputy Speaker Eric D. Singson, who was the principal author of the House Bill No. 4968, told the said bill was already elevated to Senate for further discussion and approval.

The historic Bessang Pass, which was located along the highest peak in the mountainous area of Barangay Malaya, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur with a total land area of 1,121 hectares, was recognized as national monument primarily to protect and conserve its scenic, cultural and historical features including the diverse terrestrial resources found therein.

In Philippine history, the Bessang Pass was the site of the last battle between the Filipino guerrillas and the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II, famously called the “Battle of Besang Pass,” in which Filipino soldiers defeated Japanese troops under Gen. Tumoyuki Yamashita.

Around 3,400 who fought gallantly for freedom and peace during the historic Battle of Bessang Pass that ended on June 14, 1945, were killed and wounded. # Freddie G. Lazaro/PIA-Ilocos Sur

Editorial Cartoon: 30 Nov. 2008

November 30, 2008 in editorials, general, opinion

Editorial: Another failed impeachment

November 30, 2008 in editorials, general, opinion

Hard-nosed political observers do not expect the latest impeachment bid against GMA to really prosper. It has been repeatedly said that as a political exercise, impeaching the President is a numbers game where the substance and merits of the alleged offenses are of secondary importance compared to the need for political survival of the GMA administration and those closely allied with her.

Failing to muster the required 80 votes to bring the impeachment proceedings from the Lower House to the Senate, those who filed the impeachment complaint are again bound to be disappointed. And with them, those who simply want to know the truth. Read the rest of this entry →

Smorgasbord: Of heroes and heroism

November 30, 2008 in columns, general, opinion

By ATTY. CHERYL L. DAYTEC-YANGOT

Under a regime anchored on falsehood, all it takes to be a hero is to tell the truth.

During the National Union of Peoples Lawyers first anniversary, Jun Lozada, the whistle-blower who linked the First Family to the multi-billion ZTE bribery scandal said, “They say I am a hero because I came forward to tell the truth. I did not know that just by telling the truth, one becomes a hero.” Read the rest of this entry →

Statements: End mining plunder

November 30, 2008 in general, opinion, statements

By CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE (CPA) and ITOGON INTER-BARANGAY ALLIANCE (IIBA)

November 27, 2008

The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) and the Itogon Inter-Barangay Alliance (IIBA) welcome the development that Australian mining company Anvil Mining will be suspending all its exploration activities in Itogon, Benguet, particularly in barangays Ampucao and Poblacion due primarily to the global financial crisis. This, however, is only temporary. As such, the people’s opposition to further mining plunder in Itogon municipality shall not rest.

Itogon has long been a haven for plunder of land and resources. Benguet Corporation (BC, which has been mining since 1903 employed bulk mining methods through its open pit mines in the latter part of the 20th century, largely putting at high risk and danger indigenous communities nearby. BC, along with other mines that operated and continue to operate in Itogon (Atok Big Wedge, Philex Mining Corporation and Itogon Suyoc Mines, now Itogon Suyoc Resources) are largely accountable for the displacement of the Ibaloi and Kankanaey indigenous peoples; the plunder of their ancestral land and resources leading to their displacement; and economic dislocation as a people from their ancestral domain. Read the rest of this entry →

Streetlight: Growing into the people’s movement

November 30, 2008 in columns, general, opinion

By MARIANNE LORENZO

I joined the contingent of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA’s) Regional Council to Bagtangan, Gambang, Bakun last October 15 to support the community’s opposition to the exploration of Royalco Mining Company. It was an inspiring day to learn about the people’s struggles against destructive mining.

There were the powerful speeches and cultural presentations, the unending tallak and takik, the sharing of wat-wat and original song compositions among others. Read the rest of this entry →