Monthly Archives: August 2011

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Teachers call for higher budget

August 28, 2011 in budget, Cordillera, Featured, national

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Public school teachers demand a higher budget allocation for education in a nationally coordinated action coinciding with the education budget deliberation by members of the Committee on Basic Education at the house of Congress.

Around 300 mentors from the different public schools over the Philippines who attended 2nd national leadership training seminar initiated by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) marched down Session Road and staged a program at the People’s Park. The teachers were joined by different sectors and individuals.

Teachers and students protested the approval of President Benigno Aquino III’s of a P228, 871 Billion for the Department of Education. This, according to ACT is only 12.6% of the total budget amounting to P1.816 Trillion.

Budget for the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) is also lowered by P21.8 billion for 2011 from the P22.03 billion last year. Aquino said this will give way to looking for other sources of funds for education instead of relying much on the government.

ACT National Vice-Chairperson Benjie Valbuena said that the amount is definitely not enough to realize the critical school input shortages. He explained that the country lacks 93, 000 teachers, 150 classrooms, 13,250,000 chairs and 151,000 water lines and sanitation facilities in the public schools.

ACT national council member and a Davao City public school teacher Ellenito Escalante said that in their place, around 80 pupils are jam packed in a classroom.

But he added that this is nothing to what he saw in the National capital Region where a classroom is being occupied by over 100 students. “Dito nga nanggaling ang kasabihang ‘Ma’am, dahan-dahan lang baka ka madaganan’ dahil sa napakakipot na ng silid-aralan” (this is where the saying “Ma’am, be careful so that you will not get trapped was derived), said Escalante.

Philippine Public School Teachers Association (PPSTA) and an ACT national council member Cristina Manalo criticized the Aquino administration for not prioritizing education. She said that while the president is not seriously looking at the sad state of the Philippine education, he is bent on implementing his program on universal kindergarten.

The universal kindergarten program is in preparation of a child to the DepEd’s K+ 12 program which will add two more years to basic education. The program proposed is K-6-4-2 which means kindergarten, elementary (six years), junior high school (four years), and senior high school (two years).

Manalo said that they are not against the universal kindergarten but they call the program of Aquino “KKK or Kilaweng Kirat na Kindergarten” because it is too raw and blurry.

Manalo challenged her fellow teachers saying they should break the culture of silence. “It is the time for us to be heard”, she said. She added that while the government is implementing programs concerning education where most of it are causing headaches for the people, and the teachers carry the burden despite their low salaries.

“Wala ng nararanasan ang mga guro sa araw-araw kundi hirap sa trabaho at kakulangan sa suweldo, na unti-unting bumababa ang dignidad, may mga masakit na katotohanang baon sila sa utang at napipilitang isanla ang kanilang ATM para lang makadagdag sa pangkain” ( The teachers are experiencing hardships from work and low salary, that their dignity are degrading little by little, there are painful realities that they are heavily indebted and they are forced to pawn their ATM cards) said Manalo.

Manalo said that the teachers should unite and fight for their rights and welfare. She said they should push the struggle for the salary upgrade of public mentors to cope with the rising cost of living.

ACT-Metro-Baguio chapter Chairperson Caster Palaganas said that the teachers, with the students and other sectors are marching on the streets annually on the same day where the education budget is being deliberated in the congress. She said that this will continue for years until the realization of the prioritization of education is done. # nordis.net

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Mine firm ordered to stop operation

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera, Featured, mining

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Copy furnished the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) office here was a letter from the regional director of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Amador Batay-an, ordering the Cresent Mining and Development Corporation (CDMC) to stop mining activities in the municipality of Mankayan.

The letter was addressed to Ronnie Siapno, president of CDMC with office address at Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

Batay-an’s order was based on the strong opposition of the Kankana-ey land claimants in the concession area of the said mine firm to the operation of the mining company even without compliance to the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) process required under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).

Earlier, the NCIP regional office received a letter signed by the members of the Kankana-ey tribe from different barangays of Mankayan covered by the mine firm’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) registered at the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as APSA 00041. In the letter, the signatories vehenmently registered their “strong objection to the future mining activities of CDMC”.

“Being the affected Land Claimants, we should have been informed and consulted by the CDMC before it started its mining operations,” the letter reads.

CDMC, they said, is insisting that they have already secured and have undergone the FPIC process. However, the FPIC they added was questionable because the persons that the firm consulted were a selected few, and the consultations the letter added were discreetly done outside the municipality particularly in a hotel at Bangao, Buguias.

“So that in effect, the FPIC being claimed by the CDMC does not bind and affect us as we were never cosulted in a general meeting,” the letter further reads.

The signatories consider the FPIC secured by the company as null, void and unenforceable. While it is true that the mine firm have secured an MPSA, the land claimants iterated that an “FPIC should have been issued with their active participation”.

Meanwhile, in the May 20, 2011 mining tenement statistics report (most recent) from the MGB-CAR, APSA 41 of the CDMC covering 324 hectares is listed as “for FPIC process”. # nordis.net

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Labor hits Lepanto for plan to terminate workers

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera, employment, Featured, mining

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) criticizes the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company’s (LCMC) plan to terminate 300 more workers amid the on going Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations.

Vicente Dilem of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) – Cordillera and former officer of the Lepanto Employees Union (LEU) said LCMC continues to trample on the rights of its mine workers. He disclosed this during the re convening of the Save the Abra River Movement (STARM) here on August 26.

He said the negotiations for their 25th Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is on going. Despite this, the mine company he said, plans to terminate more than 300 regular employees next month.“This is in bad faith, a discrimination against the workers and non-recognition of their rights as partners in production.

Dilem said the workers’ union will again face management August 27 in their bid to negotiate the schedule of wage increases under the CBA. He feels however that Lepanto shall take the hard stance of refusing the union’s bid for a P35–P40–P40 per year increase for three years. The union originally proposed a P55–P60– P60.

In the union’s computation of what they call the rate of exploitation, the company is seen by the union to be more than able to afford this amount for the worker’s wages. The company proposed a P0–P19–P19.

Dilem recalled that last year, the company terminated 256 regular employees while their CBA negotiations was ongoing. “Inbaga ti unyon nga nu adda plano da nga ag-terminate, ibaga da nga nasapa,” (The union told the company that if they are planning to terminate, they should inform them earlier) he said. But the mine firm he said told the union that they do not plan to terminate anybody. The union then trusted them however, the company turned its back and in September last year they retrenched regular employees who were mostly members of the union.

Moreover, May this year, right after the labor day commemoration, 452 employees were again retrenched. This has wiped out all the members of the Lepanto Security Force Union (LSFU) which is also a member of NAFLU – KMU.

LCMC, he said, is always justifying these by saying that they have low production output while the labor force is big. However, Dilem said they even checked their financial statement and found that the company is earning billions. “Haan nga agpayso nga maluglugi ti Lepanto,” he iterated. Their statement he added contradicts their actions besides they are continouosly hiring contractual employees. From a former total of 1,800 regular employees, the firm now has only 632 regular workers.

They have used this retrenchment action to dissipate the union and weaken the workers capacity to negotiate or bargain for fair wages and better working conditions. With these injustices committed by the mine firm and the continued insincerety in the negotiations, the workers and their immediate community are further pushed to the edge.

He fears an eminent deadlock in the negotiations. The refusal of the company to give support to the already impoverished workers lobby for just wages is without conscience and the workers, the employees will be pushed to the defensive.

In 2003 when Dilem was still officer of the LEU, they staged a month long strike because of unfair labor practices. He cited that they were exposed to unsafe working conditions underground. Also, they complained of early time-in without pay and the issue of contractualization. The workers he said won the strike.

Moreover, in 2005, while their CBA negotiotion was on going, the firm retrenched members of LEU that prompted them to stage another strike that lasted for three months. However, the firm he said asked for the help of the Philippine Army to harrass the piket line. Worst he said, the military attacked the strike during midnight. Leaders of the strike were even jailed.

They (LEU officers) he recounted, agreed to accept termination so that 240 members will be reinstated. “Ngem awan met lang gayam serbi na nga nagsakripisyo kami ta tuluy-tuloy da met nga inikkat dagiti members ti unyon,” (But our sacrifice came to naught as they continued retrenching the union members) he further added.

He then appealed to the audience to support the workers union and their community. Aside from the destruction of the environment caused by the company wastes, he said, its laborers have long been victims of unfair labor practices because of LCMC’s greed for profit. # nordis.net

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Church urges probe on UCC heads

August 28, 2011 in education, Ilocos, social concerns

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — Church leaders, workers and laity of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) staged a prayer rally in front of the Union Christian College (UCC) calling for the resolution of the issues concerning the school.

INVESTIGATE. Church leaders, workers and leaders staged a protest action in front of the Union Christian College to call for the immediate resolution of the issues between the school management and faculty. Photo by Aldwin Quitasol

According to Rev. Leon Mateo of the United Church Workers Organization-North Luzon Jurisdiction (UCWO-NLJ) and Save the UCC Movement (SUM), the prayer rally and service was aimed to seek enlightenment on the problems marring the UCC. He said that there are demands of both the teachers and the students that are not acted upon: union busting, the near bankruptcy of the school and the decrease in the number of the students of UCC.

The SUM in a statement said that UCCP church leaders observed that UCC through its administration is no longer serving the interest of the church because it has already deviated from the very purpose of its existence as an educational arm of the UCCP.

SUM added that there are claims that there are no more direct support and services to any of the judicatories of the church for their missions.

SUM stated that they learned from some members of the UCC Board of Trustees that the chairman allegedly governs the BOT by using his influence to impose his will in the board.

According to SUM, there are allegations of graft and corruptions, nepotism, financial mismanagement, leadership incompetence among others against the UCC president. The statement said that the UCC leadership has already been in the state of spiritual decay.

Mateo said that other members of the BOT are seemingly veering from the school away from the importance of its vision and mission. He also said that the BOT like to change the constitution of the school. “Adun ti sabalin a mapaspasamak iti uneg ti UCC” (there are already fishy things that are happening inside the UCC), Mateo said.

An earlier statement of the jurisdictional area cabinet members of the UCCP-NLJ said that the BOT prefer to submit to the authority of their chairperson than to be loyal to the church. “It would just be alright for them to purge the minutes of their meetings just to make certain that there will be no hindrance to their maneuvering”, stated the UCCP.

The SUM statement further said that they support the call of the church leaders for the resignation of the BOT Chairman and concerned members of the BOT including the school president. SUM said because of the issues and scandals, they have no more moral ascendancy to govern UCC.

“The issues of UCC are more than legal. In Fact, they are moral issues. Their voluntary resignation would be considered as an honorable decision and an act of faith, delicadeza and churchmanship”, the statement read.

Mateo said they are calling for an immediate and impartial investigation to all allegations raised. The said investigation will be spearheaded by the leadership of the UCCP. He said that those who will be found liable should have the decency to resign from their position.

He also said that the rest of the BOT should subject those who are found faulty to legal processes. “ Saan met nga amin nga adda iti BOT ket adda basol na, adda dagidiay kayat da nga isalakan ti UCC manipud iti panakabagsak na” (Not all of the members of the BOT are guilty, there are those who want to save UCC from its downfall), Mateo said.

According to Mateo, they are also calling for the reinstatement of all illegally dismissed UCC employees and Faculty and Staff union members and they be given just compensation. He added that they are calling for all the members and leaders of the UCCP, alumni, students and individuals from other religious denominations who believe in the cause to be more watchful and vigilant to save the school. # nordis.net

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Kabataan launches signature drive vs budget cut

August 28, 2011 in budget, Cordillera

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — With the national coordinated action of teachers here calling for greater education budget led by the ACT Teachers partylist on August 25, the Kabataan Partylist (KPL) – Cordillera launches its signature campaign with the same cause.

Theresa Manglicmot-Panem, the regional coordinator of KPL said the signature campaign which aims to collect at least 100,000 signatures in the region until December is also a way to express the youth sector’s anger against the continuing budget cut for education. On October before the session of the present Congress ends, they are planning to submit the 50,000 votes.

Other activities like educational fora, mobilizations and others will be organized by the partylist to gather signatures.

Panem said, with the proposed budget for 2012 subject for congress hearing, they are dismayed that budget alloted for education is even lower than that of 2011 budget. “So wala na talagang aasahan ang sector ng edukasyon ni singkong duling man lang na pagtaas ng capital outlay,” (So, the education sector is not expecting for an increase in the capital outlay) she added.

Capital outlay, she said, is the budget alloted to erect new school buildings, maintain and develop facilities. This she added is contrary to what PNoy promised that he will construct world class schools and facilities that will produce world class and globally competitive scientists and engineers.

If PNoy, she said, is sincere in that plan to produce globally competitive students, then the government should adapt the United Nations (UN) standard which is allotting 6% of the national annual budget to education.

Panem explained that for every year, 50% of the national budget goes to debt servicing. If the budget for the military she said will be added, it will be 70%. The remaining 30% will be shared by numerous government line agencies, pork barrels of congressmen and pork barrel of the president which she said “amazingly increased by almost 50%”.

With these data, Panem said, it clearly shows that the government can only allot a meager budget for the basic services.

She even hit the conditional cash transfer (CCT) which is the government’s solution to alleviate the people from poverty. This program she added ate P34 billion for this year compared to last year’s P10 billion. “Wala naman itong malaking impact sa alleviation ng mga tao mula sa kahirapan,” (It has no impact in the alleviation of the people from poverty) she poited out adding that Dinky Soliman had already accepted that fact.

The government Panem said should reallign the budget for the CCT into other basic services specially for education. # nordis.net

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More millionaire government officials discovered

August 28, 2011 in Featured, national, social concerns

By VINCENT MICHAEL BORNEO *
www.nordis.net

The most famous auditor of the country has a new bombshell with the just released “2010 Report on Salaries and Allowances (ROSA) Received by Principal Officers and Members of Governing Boards of Government-Owned and-Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) and their Subsidiaries and Secretaries, Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries and Other Officials of Equivalent Rank of National Government Agencies (NGAs).”

Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Heidi Mendoza said in the introduction to the 900-page report that the objective is “to promote transparency in government by monitoring the annual salaries and allowances received by government officials holding high and/or multiple positions as well as determine the total amount of emoluments and benefits received by them from different state agencies/instrumentalities with which they are affiliated.”

The COA is mandated by law to submit to the President, the Senate and House of Representatives copies of the ROSA. The ROSA of 2009 aided legislators in the different inquiries on excessive allowances and other benefits received by members of governing boards of GOCCs, Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) and NGAs that resulted in the passage of Republic Act 10149 or the GOCC Governance Act of 2011 that aims to prevent the granting of excessive and unconscionable remuneration packages to directors, trustees, officers and employees of GOCCs, GFIs and their subsidiaries.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) compared the ROSA 2009 with the 2010 version and found out that COA covered much more and provided more details in the latest report.

Based on the annual General Appropriations Act and other laws, the COA is to incorporate 936 expected reports coming from 613 GOCCs (to include 467 water districts) and 323 NGAs.

For 2010, the COA was able to gather 804 reports – up from the 582 reports in 2009 – and incorporate the data into the ROSA. The 2010 ROSA covers 6,155 government officials from the 804 government agencies and instrumentalities that submitted reports to the COA – up from the 2009 ROSA that covered 3,964 officials. See Table 1

Non-submission of reports

PPTRP also discerned that the 2010 ROSA could not include data from 132 government agencies comprised of 98 NGAs, 14 GOCCs, and water districts and due to non-submission of reports to the COA.

The notable NGAs that did not submit reports to the COA are the House of Representatives, House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET), Office of the Press Secretary, National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), General Headquarters of the AFP, the Government Arsenal and the Philippine Navy. See Table 2

The PPTRP also noted that except for the Office of the Press Secretary, all agencies in Table 2 also failed to submit reports to the COA in 2009.

Among the bigger GOCCs which did not submit reports to the COA are the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), GSIS Family Bank, GSIS Mutual Fund Inc., and the Land Bank of the Philippines. The 20 water districts with non-submissions are among the smallest ones in the country. The COA report also revealed that different state universities and colleges (SUCs), government centers, commissions and institutes also failed to submit reports in 2010.

Highlight controversies

In the 2009 ROSA, a total of 552 millionaire government officials who each received salaries and allowances with totals ranging from PhP 1,000,502.60 or USD 24,402 (Federico Laxa, National Housing Authority) to P26,865,923.20 or USD 655,266 (Armand Arreza, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority) in that year.

In the same report, the agencies which received the most attention were the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Corporate and Regulatory Offices, Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Social Security System (SSS) due to the “humongous” amounts of bonuses, incentives, representation and transportation allowance (RATA) and extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses (EME) that its officials showered on themselves. Many officials of these GOCCs even had bonuses that were much bigger than their basic salaries.

The PPTRP noted that among the new government agency additions in the 2010 edition of the ROSA are the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC), Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) that did not submit reports to the COA in 2009.

In the 2010 ROSA, the PAGCOR topped the list that counts 774 government officials with at least P1 million (USD 24,390) earned. In the 2009 report, the SBMA topped the list.

In comparing the two reports, PPTRP discovered that former PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Efraim Genuino – who got a total of P3,714,816.20 (USD 90,605) in 2009 – was ranked number 66 in the 2009 ROSA list of government millionaires. His basic salary was P952,032.48 (USD 23,220), other bonuses and incentives reached to P1.44 million (USD 35,122) and his RATA was P1.32 million (USD 32,195).

He took an astronomical rise to number one in the 2010 ROSA.

Genuino, who has been slapped a plunder case in July 2011, raked in a whopping P287,457,717.27 (USD 7 million) comprising of salaries, bonuses and confidential funds in just six months of 2010. Of this amount, his basic salary, allowances and bonuses totalled P 2,636,807.58 (USD 64,312) while his EME was at P1,566,499.39 (USD 38,207). He also had a whopping P283,254,410.30 in confidential/intelligence funds to his name.

PPTRP sought the side of Genuino to no avail. But a former PAGCOR lawyer who served during his term said that “his salary and bonuses to me are definitely above-board. I admit though that the so-called confidential/intelligence funds are quite awkward for PAGCOR mandate since the GOCC does not perform national security functions nor does it have the any responsibility to the whole security sector of the country.”

Top 10 government millionaires in 2010

Following Genuino in the top 10 of the 2010 ROSA list are the following:
2. Current PAGCOR Chair Cristino Naguiat – P 69,185,374.72 (USD 1.68 million)
3. Former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales – P 15,918,198.98 (USD 388,248)
4. Angeles City Water District General Manager Romeo Calara – P 15,012,057 (USD 366,147)
5. Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President Benigno Ricafort – P 14,130,778.55 (USD 344,653)
6. Former Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) President Ma. Theresa Defensor – P 12,544,454.70 (USD 305,962)
7. Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) COO Edgardo Garcia – P 11,952,915.34 (USD 291,534)
8. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin – P 10,925,205.98 (USD 266,468)
9. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. – P 10,676,402.90 (USD 260,400)
10. DBP EVP Benedicto Bitonio Jr. – P 9,156,332.54 (USD 233,325)

Pursuing accountability

The former PNCC officials are in now under intense scrutiny as the COA has determined that the GOCC has at least 23 more millionaires aside from its president. They granted themselves hefty bonuses in the first six months of 2010 that was double the amount of all their bonuses from 2005 to 2009. The PNCC is also currently under fire for its failure to remit at least PhP 2.3 billion (USD 56 million) in toll revenues from the North Luzon and South Luzon Expressways. They merited mention in the latest State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III.

Another curious item among the Top 10 list is that of former Angeles City Water District General Manager Calara. He received PhP 8,727,857 (USD 212,874) in EME and discretionary funds and PhP 5 million (USD 121,951) in confidential/intelligence funds. This is the first time that a water district official landed in the Top 10 list of ROSA since the COA started this report in 1992.

Engineer Reynaldo Liwanag, current general manager of the Angeles City Water District, refused to take this writer’s call and instead pointed to the Internal Control Office of the agency that likewise refused to entertain PPTRP queries until they saw the COA report.

In fairness to two Angeles City Water District employees who spoke on condition of anonymity, they said that “former GM Calara did not inform us that there were allotments classified as confidential/intelligence funds and we have no idea where it was sourced from or how it was used. We never knew that he was that big a millionaire and we are in fact surprised.”

“We only know that we are a water district and not the police and military that have confidential/intelligence functions that would need funds,” they added.

If this government takes the cue from the leads provided by the COA in its latest ROSA, another slew of graft and plunder cases are in the offing. Those who are found to have taken millions illegally should be prosecuted immediately before they cover up or worse, fly the coop.

For now, the 2010 ROSA reveals to the Filipino people that this where our monies go: to enrich a list of government officials to the tune of millions. # Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project

* The author is a freelance writer and researcher on government policies and trends.

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Amihan-Cagayan holds congress

August 28, 2011 in Cagayan Valley

By MARY LOU MARIGZA
www.nordis.net

AMULUNG, Cagayan — Around two hundred women leaders of Cagayan attended the 3rd Congress of Amihan-Cagayan, a peasant women’s organization last August 13-14 here. The women represented organizations in 11 towns of the province.

The theme of the Congress was: Palakasin ang hanay! Paigtingin ang pakikibaka! Kamtin ang karapatan sa lupa, pagkain, kabuhayan at karapatan ng kababaihan at hustisya!

The women leaders discussed the national situation of peasant women with the deputy general secretary of AMIHAN national. They shared their experiences in organizing and campaigns especially to increase farm gate prices and lower agricultural inputs. They hailed their victories and vowed to persevere despite shortcomings from their ranks in the past three years.

The women acknowledged that they face big challenges and hot issues that confront not only the women but their families as well. The threat to food security is always looming with climate change and the destruction of the natural resources of Cagayan. Landgrabbing by multinational agricultural or mining corporations is a continuing threat. Government officials indifference, or worse, neglect is an experience that compels them to engage in dialogues to get necessary services especially in health and nutrition.

A focus group discussion on food security was conducted as part of the congress with emphasis on the right to food availability and accessibility. The discussion was initiated by staff of Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan (KADUAMI Inc). The Kaduami staff also conducted cultural workshops to introduce to the women some methods to empower women.

The children who were present in the congress also participated with their mothers. The mayor of the town of Amulung, Mayor Nicanor de Leon welcomed the women leaders on the second day and he narrated his agricultural program for the town with priority on irrigation infrastructure and farm to market roads.

The constitution and bylaws of the AMIHAN chapter was amended and promulgated while their program of action for the next three years prioritized the increase of membership to cover most towns of Cagayan.

Elected officers of AMIHAN-Cagayan for the next three years were: President – Jacqueline Ratin; Vice-President  – Emnie Viscaro; Sec Gen – Felisa Terrado; Deputy Secretary  – Lina Dagohoy; Treasurer – Julie Marcos; Auditor  – 1 . Aida Agunoy; 2 . Kathy Valenciano; PRO  – 1. Loren Cabildo; 2.Weddy Palting. # nordis.net

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Cagayan folk oppose magnetite mining

August 28, 2011 in Cagayan Valley, Featured, mining

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG Mary Lou Marigza
www.nordis.net

APARRI, Cagayan — Community dialogues in magnetite mining affected communities expressed strong opposition to foreign companies mining the Rio Grande de Cagayan and the beaches of the Babuyan channel.

MINING. Magnetite mining in Punta Aparri. Photo courtesy of KADUAMI

A documentation mission organized by Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan Laban sa Dayuhang Kontrol na Pagmimina last August 15-19 in the towns of Camalaniugan and Aparri noted the opposition of the people to foreign mining in their barangays. The documentation mission was participated in by Amihan (women peasant organization in Cagayan), KADUAMI (Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan), Kagimongan (peasant organization) and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.

In Allacapan, manganese mining is being done. The people have expressed alarm over the eroding riverbanks that caused scores of houses to be destroyed as well as infrastructures that were washed down the river during strong typhoons. Mothers expressed concern over their children’s health as they breath in the dust blown into thhe atmosphere by the black sand mining operations.

People of Sapping and Dugo in Camalaniugan recounted that prior to the entry of magnetite mining by foreigners who were “kusipet ti matada” (chinky eyed), river bank erosion was a meter or so. But after the extraction activities, the communities even in higher grounds now experience flooding and the river is eating up the riverbanks several meters at a time inland. The Rio Grande de Cagayan is now a menace instead of an aid to agriculture and livelihood.

Mothers recounted that a radio is a must during the typhoon season and they always listen to weather bulletins to prepare for flooding. They said that even if no storm signal is raised over Cagayan if the rains are strong over Magat dam and Chico river, they have always evacuated as the dam releases water and Chico river overflows. They said the worst flooding they experienced was during the Typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and Juan where they were forced to live in their banca (Canoe) as water was slow to subside.

Fisherfolks whose livelihood depend on the river recount that the fish stock is now scarce. They attribute this to the murkiness of the water after the mining operations, so the fish migrate upstream where the waters are clearer. “Nalibeg ngaminen ti danum,” they lament, so the fishes have no more breeding and feeding areas.

They recount stories of catching plentiful delectable ipon that was once abundant in the river. Or the magical ludong that is a gift of the Cagayan river to the people of the valley. They hardly see a ludong anymore.

Merci, a former barangay official of Dugo, narrated how the people clapped when a barge filled with magnetite of the “kusipet ti matada” grounded in a shallow part of the river. “Gungguna yo a ta taktakawen yo ti darat mi!” (“Serves you right for you are stealing our sands”) the people shouted as the men on the barge were calling for aid. They celebrated the victory of the people of Jurisdiction, Lal-lo who evicted the boats and barges getting magnetite sand for illegally mining without permit.

When asked if the mining company or the local government unit informed them of the mining, they said no consultation happened. The officials had informed them that the river will be dredged but they were surprised when the boats and barges kept coming for more black sand. Many of them told the documentation team, “Basta lattan nga immay dagiti barko ken barge da. Agsubli-subli. No mapunno da, agsubli da manen.” (“The big boats and barges just appeared. They fill the barges with black sand, leave, then come back.”)

Many of the interviewees were once living in Felipe Tuzon across the river that evacuated to the centro and are now renting the lots where their houses stand from private individuals who were kind enough to provide them the space. At daytime, some of them go back to tend the fields that were not washed out in Felipe Tuzon to augment fishing that has now become scarce.

In Sapping, there is an ongoing riverbank rehabilitation project costing some P42 million for a 100 meter embankment. Lamented a mother, “If only that money were used to build schools and roads, we would be happier.”

The people of Punta and Bisagu in Aparri face the same problems on a magnified scale since the sea and the river flood them. The fisherfolks reported the same problem of riverbank erosion and reduced fish catch. Most of them have ready floaters in case of flood. Typhoon Juan soaked the marshy homeland of the people of Bisagu for more than a week.

Some of them evacuated to as far as Bukuig, Allacapan since the water rose so high and they could not cross Cagayan River. They said their evacuation plans involved the women and children going first and the men staying behind to care for the animals that could not be evacuated and stay on their roofs. If the roofs are breached, then the men follow with the animals in the boats. This happened during Typhoon Pepeng and Juan.

The older people narrated that the elementary school they went to was about a kilometer to the river that was eaten up by the rising waters and erosion. Now the school is built deeper inside the barrio but even then the floodwaters still reach it up to the windows. A sandbank now exists in the mouth of the Rio Grande de Cagayan where they gather firewood washed by the river during floods. They fear the coming of the next storm and the next flood since they said the waters keep rising each year.

Shellfish that used to abound in the banks are now gone. They recounted getting kaggo, unnuk and many more from the sand but now these can hardly be found. Like in Camalaniugan, sometimes they take a day off from fishing since they are just wasting their money for gasoline for a measly two kilos catch unlike five years ago when they used to fish everyday and their boats were loaded.

In Punta, the former barangay officials told the team that a meeting by local officials was called to inform the people that a canned goods factory was going to be built in Punta. Much to their surprise no factory was built instead a steady flow of barges getting black sand is what they witnessed. The area remains an informal settlers abode with the threat of demolition always hanging over them. The succession of elected officials promised to give them relocation areas but since it is a vote-rich place they have remained, with eviction any time looming.

The magnetite mining site in Punta does not bear any signage. But the compound houses four backhoes working 24/7, several dump trucks filled with black sand, mounds and mounds of black sand and “reject” as the people call them, separator machines and a drilling machine that shakes the houses of the people when operating. The people in the vicinity could not open their doors and windows since the wind will blow the dust inside their homes. They said the last ship left about two weeks before the documentation team arrived.

They described the ships as having suction hoses reaching the bottom of the river and spewing the “rejects” through another pipe (agsusop diay maysa, agpuswak ti reject diay maysa) while the barges that have earlier been filled continue to load the ships. As soon as the ships are full, they leave Aparri to ports unknown while the barges stay to fill up.

The magnetite mining from the ships or from the beach has been going on since 2008. The mining site is just moved from barrio to barrio. The people have expressed alarm at the damage the mining is causing but local officials seem deaf to their pleas.

A minor victory was achieved by the people of Gonzaga, Cagayan when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a suspension of operations order against Lian Xing Phils. Stone Carving Co. Corp. and Huaxia Mining and Trading Corporation last April 29, 2011 for violating their contracts on magnetite mining. This, even as some leaders were charged with libel for airing the magnetite mining occuring in their areas.

The people on the river and the sea in Cagayan affected by magnetite mining continue with their opposition as they seek all means possible to preserve their fragile marine environment. # nordis.net

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Convenors renew commitment to save Abra River

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera, environment, Ilocos

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — “Sana’y hindi maging kuwento na lamang, at kupas-kupas na mga larawan. Ang mamanahin ng susunod na salinlahi. Mundo nila’y ating buuing muli” (I hope the inheritance of the next generations will not only be tales and faded photos. Let us together build a better world for them).

Lyrics from the song entitled Pamana (Inheritance) sung by Micheal Cabangon, spokesperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Cordillera during the re-launching of the Save the Abra River Movement (STARM) here on August 26. The song served as an opening number for the renewal of convenors’ commitment to save the Abra river basin from the worsening threats to its biodiversity and the worsening effects of pollution to the communities from Benguet down to Ilocos.

Convenors from the church, academe, non-government organizations (NGOs), peoples organizations (Pos), and members of the communities along the Abra River basin met and renewed their commitment to the said cause and invited more to support the movement.

Santos Mero, deputy secretary-general of the Cordillera Peoples (CPA) (one of the convernors) updated the groups on the mining situation of the region specially on various mining applications that will affect Abra river once they start operating. These he said are Royalco Philippines Inc. in Bakun, Bezant Resources in Mankayan, Queensberry mining and development corp.

Also in Mankayan, Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC) and its continuing expansion of its Far South East project through the help of Goldfields, and numerous exploration project applications (EXPA) in Mountain province by the Cordillera Exploration (CEXI), Horizon Resources Corporation which is also owned by LCMC among others.

Also along the river basin in Patiakan, Quirino are the applications of Phelps Dodge, Canex and Apanacex. In Abra, Grand Total which he said is owned by the Singson in Ilocos has applications in Lacub. Moreover Mina Fortuna, Canex and Titan have also applications.

The movement he said is faced by greater challenges unlike before where it was only the mine wastes of LCMC’s operation that threatened the river’s biodiversity.

Abra River pollution and off-shore mining in Santa, Ilocos Sur

Mayor Jeremy Jesus Bueno of Santa, Ilocos Sur during the meeting expressed his full support to the movement and shared with the groups their municipality’s experiences in Abra river’s pollution and their ongoing fight against off shore mining.

“Anya man nga basura nga ibelleng yu idiay ngato, dakami ti mangsagsagrap idiay baba,”(Any garbage that you throw there in the uplands, we catch and suffer from it) he said adding that their place is the Abra river’s outlet to the South China Sea.

The pollution of the Abra river due to the mining operations of LCMC he said resulted to coral bleaching. “Inut-inot nga natay dagiti corals,” he added. Also, fish kills had been frequent because of the poisoning.

Aside from the poison from the said river, the municipality, Bueno said, is fighting against the off-shore mining of the Global Titan Mining Company that is causing the shrinking of their land area. He recounted that in 2008, the company went to his office seeking for a mayor’s permit for them to operate and telling him that off-shore mining will not affect them negatively.

The company, he said, even bribed him P10 million. “They told me that if I will sign their permit, I will have a share amounting to P10 million,” he said.

It could have been an easy money, he added. However, he recalled that during the martial law, there was an operation of magnetite mining company in their town and had caused the fast depletion of their land area. He then denied their permit. He said he did not want to be remembered by his constituents as the one who sold their town for P10 million.

“Inmayak garud ditoy nga makikadwa kadakayo tapno mapapigsa met ti pakinakem mi ken matulungan dakami tapnu haan nga mapukaw iti mapa ti Santa,” (I came here in solidarity to uplift our morale and ask for your help in saving our town from being erased from the map) he iterated.

Others who shared testimonies were Councilor Denver Tongacan of Mankayan, Benguet. He shared how mining companies specifically Goldfields used the power of money to twist the position of the community.

Also, from Abra is Rev. Moises Marlo who shared that almost all the municipalities in their province are applied for by mining companies. Unfortunately he said, their local officials are not like Bueno of Santa. Instead, they are even fighting because of their share from the companies’ bribe.

Further, militarization he said is intensified specially where the mining applications are located. Two military batallions he said are deployed in the province. Sadly, he added that organizations, individuals and even churches that are opposed to mining are being tagged by the military as supporters of the New Peoples Army (NPA). His church (United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UUCP)) is a victim of the said tagging.

As part of strenghtening and widening the movement, Marlo invited the convenors to attend a provincial wide forum in Abra on STARM on September 19. # nordis.net

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Media urged to help end vilification

August 28, 2011 in national

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CTIY — Activists and progressive organizations urged media practitioners to join them in their campaign to put an end to vilification on the grounds of political beliefs through fair and responsible reporting.

In a roundtable discussion on vilification or red labeling with media practitioners initiated by Dinteg (Cordillera Indigenous Peoples’ Legal Center) and Hustisya-Northern Luzon (an organization of families of victims of human rights violations) in partnership with the European Union , activists called on media practitioners to be careful in the usage of terminologies especially those crafted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in decribing activists and legitimate organizations and to present their side of the story.

The groups pointed out that the media may be unwittingly contributing to the vilification of activists and progressive organizations by using certain terminologies.

Satur Ocampo, president of Makabayan and a seasoned journalist, pointed out that the use of terms like communist-terrorists helps propagate the military’s propaganda of equating legitimate organizations to terrorist groups.

He added that by parroting the baseless military description of activist groups that labels them as fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-New People’s Army (NPA) the media helps in the wrong conditioning of public perception that these organizations are terrorist groups.

Ocampo reiterated the need to talk to editors and managers to correct these terminologies.

Editha Burgos, mother of Jonas Burgos, a victim of enforced disappearance appealed to the media to always practice objective reporting. “While it is true that you have to put out the position of government, you should also get the other side,” she stressed.

Burgos also recognized that the media played a big role in the continuing campaign for the case of her son. She further said the media should give the same assistance to other human rights victims, to give them space in their papers and programs.

Dinteg Executive Director Rhoda Dalang stressed that even media practitioners are made victims of vilification. She said that journalists reporting on sensitive issues are also being vilified and even killed.

Dalang reiterated that vilification is actually part of the counter insurgency program of government patterned after the United State’s “war on terror” plan. She explained that it is part of an attempt to redefine international human rights standards to justify the acts of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings.

She added that this practice was seen in the implementation of Oplan Bantay Laya I and II of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration where systematic vilification of activists preceded the abductions, killings and illegal arrests.

She further said that the new administrations’ counter insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan says nothing about putting an end to vilification.

It can be recalled that United Nations Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings Professor Philip Alston in March 2007 identified two causes of extrajudicial killings in the country, one is vilification and the other is the extent of counter insurgency operations. # nordis.net

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No comprehensive study to justify CCT — Ibon

August 28, 2011 in national

www.nordis.net

The Aquino administration still does not have any major studies on the impact of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program even as it is seeks a Php18.3-billion or 86% increase in the budget for CCTs to Php39.5 billion in 2012. 

According to research group IBON, the huge budget increase is unjustifiable in the absence of conclusive studies about program implementation and impact. 

On the eve of the DSWD budget hearings in Congress, the World Bank released a statement reiterating its recent projections, which noted that these were based on “simulations” and that an “in-depth evaluation” was still ongoing.

The World Bank came out with a policy note in July 2011 that speculated about the impact on poverty of the country’s World Bank-supported CCT program. Using an approach that it admitted had “important shortcomings” and “[without] data on compliance at the household level”, it hypothesized that the program “could increase annual incomes of beneficiaries by 12.6 percent, resulting in the reduction of poverty incidence among them by 6.2 percentage points”.

According to IBON, this only underscores the lack of comprehensive studies of the program after four years and after some Php44.4-billion worth of implementation (by IBON estimates) by the end of 2011.

The rapid expansion has taken place without benefit of any major studies on implementation or impact, said the group. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) only had two studies at hand last year when it requested its large budget increase in 2011 – a report by the Ateneo de Manila Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC) and another by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The IPC was a qualitative study conducted in January-May 2010 covering just 297 respondents selected from a mere 18 barangays in three provinces (Nueva Ecija, Northern Samar and Agusan del Sur).

The SWS in turn conducted pilot spot checks in January 2010 of just 760 households, 57 schools and 16 health facilities selected from 33 barangays in only one province (Northern Samar).

The two studies have rich qualitative data but are very small compared to the ambition of the multi-billion peso CCT program which aims to reach as much as 4.6 million households in 79 provinces nationwide. They also already pointed out various implementation problems that continue to arise today.

Initial IBON estimates show that the program (as currently designed) will cost some Php250 billion over a decade. According to the group, the more money the government spends on the program’s uncontrollable expansion, the harder it will be to look at the program objectively.

A four-fold budget increase in the program from Php10 billion in 2010 to Php39.5 billion in 2012 is reckless in the absence of a meaningful assessment on how well this money is being spent or indeed better spent elsewhere. The country for instance has considerable backlogs in classrooms, teachers, desks, public hospitals and health workers, and rural infrastructure. # nordis.net

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COA finds fault in RDC-Cordi payments

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera, social concerns

By ACE ALEGRE
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The Commission on Audit found the Regional Development Council-Cordillera to have illegally paid P1.08M as incentives to staff members of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and RDC executives.

The COA is now asking them to refund the “illegal” payments made to them. The COA said in its 2010 audit findings that the RDCs P1.08 government expenditure was irregular.

RDC is the institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the Cordillera. It is composed of all 6 provincial governors, Baguio’s mayor, all capital town center mayors, president of the Leage of Mayors and all regional directors of line agencies.

Art Aro, speaking in behalf of NEDA-Cordillera, which is acting as the secretariat of the RDC said, RDC’s answer to the observations of COA was already incorporated in the NEDA answer to the government audit agency.

COA cited the RDC’s comment on the grant to the NEDA personnel and RDC executives of the P1.08 million incentives was ”for additional workload”. 

However, COA insists, section 8, Article IX (b) of the 1987 Constitution stating that:  “No elective or appointive public officer or employee shall receive additional, double or indirect compensation unless specifically authorized by law.”  

It further cites that RDC provided no basis for additional compensation allowed under Section 59, Book VI, 1987 Administrative Code stating that, “officials and employees who are duly appointed by competent authority to any position in another government office or agency in a concurrent capacity, may, in the discretion of the President, be allowed to receive additional compensation in the form of allowances or honoraria at such rates he shall fix and subject to such conditions as he may prescribe.”

The COA added that although the P1.08 million incentive was charged to the RDC, it was paid out of the appropriation for Other Maintenance and Operating Expenses (MOOE).  “The incentive or honoraria and other allowances are proper charges to the appropriations for Personal Services,” the COA stated.

RDC however insists that the RDC’s function does not include the social preparation for autonomy, justifying the additional pay to staff members and other RDC executives.

But COA insists the autonomy drive became the RDC’s regular function citing Executive Order 30 issued July 30, 2001 mandating RDC-Cordillera to assume functions and powers of the defunct Cordillera bodies to prepare the region for autonomy. The audit agency reiterates that the autonomy fund is released by the budget department under the regular MOOE of the RDC.

COA, however, insists that the RDC to cause the refund of the incentives given to NEDA officials and employees as well as members of the RDC executive committee.

Government funds wasted

COA also found fault that RDC contracted a public relations and communications officer. It is “unnecessary” and is against COA circular 85-55A “resulting to the wastage of government funds”.

Although the RDC argued it needed the “PR officer” for the agency’s plans, programs and projects to get published in national and local newspapers,  

COA found “no basis” for it and tagged the contract as “unnecessary”, citing COA circular 85-55A “on rules and regulations in the prevention of irregular, unnecessary, excessive or extravagant expenditures”.

COA reviewed the RDC-PR officer contract and found out, “there is no parameter as to when an article is public relations (PR) material.”  It added, “the terms of reference are vague; thus, it appears acceptable to simply mention the agency even if the action being talked about was done by another agency.”

Hence, COA has recommended the RDC to stop the practice of hiring PR officers as “this is unnecessary.”

According to the NEDA, the PR officer was hired since September 2007.

COA also cited the RDC for other unmet recommendations in its 2009 audit report. # nordis.net

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PhilCarbon to build 15MW wind facility in Mountain Province

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera, energy

www.nordis.net

By ROBERT PANGOD

SAGADA, Mountain Province — Renewable energy firm PhilCarbon, Inc. is set to put up a wind energy project in Mt. Province.

The project is a 15-MW wind facility that will tap wind stream at Pilao ridge in the boundary of Sagada and Besao.

Ruth Yu-Owen, president of PhilCarbon, said that the estimated project cost for building the wind facility is $25-30 million.

Under the proposed wind project, a series of 25 units of 70-meter high wind turbines, each capable of producing electricity up to a maximum of 600 KW, shall be built along the Pilao ridge.

The output will then be conveyed to the existing 69-kilovolt transmission network in Pegeo, Sagada.

At present, the company said that it is in the process of re-appraising the feasibility studies conducted by teams of experts earlier. “Additional technical studies of the project are ongoing”, Yu-Owen said.

Eng’r. Rufino Bomas-ang, chairman of the Board of Directors of PhilCarbon, said that Sagada, Besao and Tadian towns, all in Mountain Province were identified as potential areas for wind energy based on a feasibility study they prepared during his term as energy undersecretary in 1993-1995.

Their findings were later confirmed by a team of Japanese investors who visited the country, particularly Mountain Province, to look at potential wind energy technology.

“There is a constant flow of wind in these areas throughout the year which is the key factor in the generation of wind energy,” Bomas-ang said.

Jude Domoguen, general manager of the Mountain Province Electric Cooperative (MOPRECO) said that the total electricity consumption of Mountain Province is only 4 MW. Once the project pushes through, the excess power could then be sold to the national government.

Sagada Mayor Eduardo Latawan Jr. said that the entry of PhilCarbon will revitalize the development of renewable energy sources in the province.

“Any kind of alternative energy, such as solar or wind power, should be supported because they are more sustainable, economical and environment friendly as exemplified by the Bangui Wind Plant in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, which generates 33 MW of clean electricity,” Latawan said.

“The local tourism industry will also greatly benefit because the wind farm will add a graceful landmark to the panorama of the Pilao mountain ridge which is frequented by tourists,” he added.

As a local host to the wind energy source, Latawan said that the LGU is willing to enter into a partnership with PhilCarbon in the establishment of the wind energy facility and use it as a channel to expand development opportunities in Sagada and Besao.

PhilCarbon is a local company engaged primarily in the development of renewable energy sources for power generation as well as carbon credit trading and documentation for eligible projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. Under the CDM, projects that displace carbon emissions, such as renewable energy projects, may earn credits that can be traded to countries that are heavy polluters. # nordis.net

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Catholics hope, pray for justice in priest’s murder

August 28, 2011 in criminality, Ilocos

www.nordis.net

By LEILANIE ADRIANO

LAOAG CITY — Catholics in northern Philippines hold on to their beaded rosaries as they let go white balloons in the air to commemorate the death anniversary of murdered priest Florante Rigonan.

STILL SEEKING FOR JUSTICE. Close friends and relatives offer prayers and fly balloons at the tombsite of Fr. Florante Rigonan on August 25 to commemorate his death anniversary on August 28, 2007. Photo courtesy of Leilani Adriano

On August 25, Father Engelbert Elarmo led a prayer at the Catholic priest cemetery in here.

Newly elected Diocesan administrator, Msgr. Ian Rabago said on the same day that all parishes in Ilocos Norte are adviced to include their prayers for Fr. Rigonan on Sunday mass.

“We pray and cooperate with authorities. There should be no culture of impunity and let the rule of law prevail,” Rabago said. Though the Rigonan case is dragging, he said the Catholic Church still hopes that justice will be served soon.

“We are not stopping until justice is served. If we stop now, the perpetuators will continue. If they had done it to a priest, how much more to our small brothers and sisters who have no say in our community,” he added.

Four years ago, unidentified gunmen shot Rigonan in Puritac village on August 28, after he left the house of some former overseas workers couple who raised millions of pesos to build a local parish church.

Investigators at that time had recommended charging two donorsf relatives, after witnesses claimed they resented the generosity and affection shown by their family members toward the priest.

Then provincial prosecutor Melecio Felipe at the Ilocos Norte Marcos Hall of Justice in Laoag City created a panel of prosecutors to evaluate the evidence and determine whether there is enough ground to conduct preliminary investigation. The body however returned the case to the Rigonan Task Force saying, the evidence gathered based on testimonies of several witnesses could hardly pin down the suspects.  

Then last year, the police claimed to have gained a breakthrough in Rigonan’s killing.

Provincial director Marlou Chan of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO) based in Camp Valentin S. Juan Laoag City reported earlier ballistics report linked the killing of Rigonan to at least five other fatal shootings in the province. Investigators have also traced the gunfs serial number used in the killing.

On Thursday, Col. Dominador Halog of the INPPO said the provincial director has ordered to expedite solving pending cases including that of Fr. Rigonan.

As of press time, Halog said investigators continue to gather evidence and possible eyewitnesses.  

Earlier, the provincial task force on anti-private armed groups reported a total of 79 loose firearms confiscated, surrendered and recovered from January to August this month.

The chairman of the task force, Atty. Windell Chua said, the campaign against loose firearms has increased by 8 percent when compared of the same period last year.

The Ilocos Norte government led by Gov. Imee R. Marcos said, “if there are no guns, no one gets killed.” # nordis.net

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La Trinidad open for LGU merger with Tublay

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — La Trinidad Mayor Gregorio Abalos in an interview, August 23 said, the municipality is open for a local government unit (LGU) merge with the municipality of Tublay.

“I am most concerned of the economic situation of Tublay,” he said adding that the said municipality has been a 5th class municipality since it became a town and until now, it remained on the said rank.

Merging, he said, will boost the economic status of said town.

One concern that the constituents of Tublay will surely raise he added is that their identity will be lost. However, he is hoping that they will see the advantages that Tublay will get with the merger and support the idea.

“Let us consider possibilities that would be beneficial for our people,” he added.

He revealed that there had been several informal talks between the two LGUs and he is looking forward to the continued meetings on the matter. “This is really something that we should look forward to,” he added. Further, he said they have already scheduled series of formal meetings to look into the said possibility.

Earlier Nordis report stated that mayor Ruben Paoad of Tublay mulled on an LGU merger to solve its boundary dispute with La Trinidad. His objective was mainly to strengthen the LGU in order to served his constituents better. # nordis.net

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Benguet dads to impose additional requirements for projects

August 28, 2011 in Cordillera

By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Under 2nd reading at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) is an ordinance requiring persons engaged or is intending to engage in projects that require free prior and informed consent (FPIC) process to seek indorsement from the August body before commencing or implementing their projects.

Projects were identified as Hydro-electric power plants, mining operations, quarrying, sand and gravel operations, engineered sanitary landfill, among others.

The body according to the draft ordinance observed that and received a number of resolutions, petitions, and complaints from several communities/groups of indigenous peoples raising the same concern which is the violation on the FPIC process.

The violation it added is either committed by the proponent company or “the designated protector and promoter of the rights and welfare of IPs – the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples)”.

Earlier, the body was complaining because in the FPIC process, they are just invited by the NCIP to be observers and projects needs only two LGU indorsements before implementing their projects. The SP they said are just copy furnished with information from the proponent’s project.

However, when there is a violation in the FPIC process, affected IP communities always seek the help of the body. This prompted them to enact such ordinance.

Moreover, the proposed ordinance is a way of the SP to invoke their power stipulated in Section 468 of the Republic Act No 7160 or the Local Government Code which is to protect the environment and to adopt measures and safeguards against pollution and for the preservation of natural ecosystem of the province.

“The local government code of 1991 empowers the local legislative bodies to enact ordinances for the promotion and protection of the general welfare of the inhabitants,” the draft ordinance reads.

Considering that the integrity and impartiality of the NCIP is being questioned, the body finds it necessary to enact ordinance requiring all persons engaged with afore mentioned projects to seek indorsement from the SP before commencing with their projects.

On the other hand, government projects are not covered by the ordinance. In the draft, any person violating the ordinance shall be penalized with one year imprisonment and for the case of corporation or partnership, same penalty shall be applied to its officers or directors. # nordis.net

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Baguio Roundup: Aug. 21 to 27, 2011

August 28, 2011 in Baguio City

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DOE Sec assures transparency in fuel pricing
By Lito Dar/JDP/LD- PIA CAR

BAGUIO CITY — Department of Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras assured that the government is practicing transparency as far as fuel pricing is concerned, contrary to claims of some groups.

In a media interview during the DOE Information Education and Communication (IEC) Road Show here last week, Almendras said every Monday they are meeting with the different transport sector representatives so that together they can review and monitor the changes in the price of fuels in the international market and to determine how it can affect the fuel prices in the country.

“As much as we want to control the prices of fuel, we cannot compete with a deregulated international market and at present there is also no country or economy in the world that can control or regulate the world oil market. Our country presently lacks the resources to interfere or subsidize the price of fuels as what some countries have been doing,” Almendras stressed. #

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City to close down Session pedestrians lanes
By Redjie Cawis/JDP/RC-PIA CAR

BAGUIO CITY — The city council passed a resolution that will close down several pedestrian crossings along Session Road starting September 5 to facilitate smoother flow in the Central Business District.

Traffic and Transportation Management Committee (TTMC) technical consultant, Engr. Teodorico Tan said to be closed are the pedestrian lanes near the Post Office fronting the PLDT, Mercury Drug at the foot of Session Road and Cid Bookstore fronting the Prime Hotel. Tan said that the pedestrian closure will remain effective for 30 days on an experimental basis only

The TTMC also rerouted several jeepneys plying the route of Harrison Road heading to Upper Session Road by letting all vehicles pass through the UP Drive going up the Baguio Convention Center, Session Road and to areas along Loakan Road. #

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Smoking in city streets soon to be banned
By Paul Rillorta/PIO

BAGUIO CITY — Committee on Health & Sanitation Chair and Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia passed the amendments to the smoking ordinance to ban smoking along city streets is considered.

The Comprehensive Anti-Smoking ordinance of the city specifically bans smoking in public utility vehicles, government owned vehicles and any other means of public transport, accommodation and entertainment establishments, public building and public place or any enclosed area outside one’s private residence or private place of work.

Balajadia said, ‘there is a need to include in the ordinance banning smoking along barangay roads and public alleys, national roads within the City of Baguio, Central Business District areas and barangays’.

Liabilities of persons or individuals caught violating this ordinance will be subjected to a fine of 500 to 2000 pesos or imprisonment of 1 to six months or both. #

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Editorial: In search of leaders

August 28, 2011 in editorials, Featured, opinion

www.nordis.net

Migz Zubiri announced on the Senate floor his resignation as Senator because he and his family could no longer take the “baseless accusations”, that his Senate post was the result of electoral fraud in Mindanao. In the succeeding evening TV interview he also declared that the recent pronouncements of Gov Zaldy Ampatuan and electoral officer Lintang Bedol were proof of fraud specifically in Maguindanao province – that which precisely gave him a supposed winning edge, albeit narrow, in the 2007 elections. On the same day from the same articulate lips, first “baseless accusation indeed ”, then ‘ there was fraud ‘, therefore resignation. The vehement complaint against “ baseless accusations” and the recognition that there was fraud are inconsistent. But these may just be the visible perorations in the tormented trapo (traditional politicians) mind trying to cope with very real issues of political survival. And given the reality of fraud publicly perceived in this particular instance, the “baseless accusations” scenario demeaned the august Senate Chamber.

Observing from the lofty Cordillera mountains, that unusual speech and the unusual act of resignation – where others are “kapit tuko”, are all part of the same landscape of our mediocre politics. It was political survival considering an upcoming Senate Electoral Tribunal ruling that would declare Koko Pimentel the legitimately elected Senator in the 2007 elections. It is a judgement on Zubiri the politician, that he held on as Senator for 4 years. He resigned only in time to repackage his reputation, and to prepare for an election campaign in 2013 hoping that he would not be hounded too much by the fraud in the 2007 elections.

How different it would have been if, when Zubiri mounted the Senate podium last August 3; he declared that he was resigning because there was fraud and he could not be a Senator on the basis of fraud , that he condemned such fraud, and then called for speedy prosecution of the master minds and implementers of that fraud. He would have risen above usual mediocre politics and self serving traditional politicians. We would have seen the rise of a new type political leader that the Philippines so direly needs in these times. Zubiri missed a rare chance of being a statesman, in the mold of Recto, Tanada or Diokno and others earlier that we sorely miss.

Thus we continue to prod for new types of leaders and politicians to emerge and lead in raising us from this morass of mediocrity and impunity in many aspects of our social – economic and political life. Yes we are a nation in search of leaders and leadership. # nordis.net

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Advocate’s Overview: Landslide prone Cordillera worsened by less forest cover

August 28, 2011 in columns, Featured, opinion

By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
www.nordis.net

It was raining hard, the height of the typhoon that recently hit Northern Luzon. We were at home, focused and in the heat of a discussion on the vulnerability of the Cordillera region to landslides under this kind of heavy rain.

In the discussion, we reviewed the natural characteristics of the Cordillera region and why landslide is a natural occurrence. The region’s land area of 1,821,691.58 hectares, almost 90 percent of it is characterized by steep to very steep slopes. It is from this mountainous nature, according to government’s environment watchdog, that the steeper the slope the more that it is vulnerable to unstable and therefore prone to earthmass movements. This reality also explains why the Cordillera provinces and the city of Baguio are among the top 10 landslide prone areas in the country.

The steep and slope character of the region is compounded by natural weather occurrences and man made “improvements”. As the region also seats on various faultlines and earth movements – like landslides – also occur during earthquakes. This was proven in 1990 when an earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Northern Luzon.

The large and massive landslides made the region unreachable for months which delayed the entry of supply and services to the disaster victims at that time.

Earth movement happen too during typhoons under heavy rains. The longer rains will hit the region, the more landslides occur as the soil gets soaked heavy and is loosened during the rain days. Environmentalists point out that these landslides can be minimized by maintaining a balanced environment – with at least 40 percent forest cover of the total land area of the region.

A check however on the region’s forest cover showed that the forested area is only 36 percent of the total land area. It shows that we need to be on red alert then as the reduction of forest cover is traceable to man made contributions. Forest reduction is traced from man made activities which are actually done with the government’s go signal. Logging concessions – particularly through the government’s Timber License Agreement – has greatly reduced the forest cover of the region. As more areas have less forest cover and less trees too, landslides are a normal occurrence as there are less trees to hold the soil, particularly during typhoon and heavy rains.

Another man-initiated reduction to the region’s forest area is large scale mining. From this kind of mining, the mountains were stripped of forest cover and trees were cut for use by these big mining corporations. When underground mining was still the prevalent mode, trees were cut for the mining portals. But when mining became more mechanized, the mountains are stripped to gave way to more profit. Large scale mining has proven to be disastrous in the region, particularly when it comes to the maintenance of an ideal forest cover to balance the environment.

It is interesting to note that the Cordillera is the watershed cradle of Northern Luzon. It serves as the source of water for irrigation systems to the neighboring regions of Northern Luzon. It is also the source of water for five large hydro electric power plants and smaller hydro power plants.

The irony however is that almost 70 percent of the Cordillera region’s land area is applied for mining. With the nature of the region and its present ecological situation, the government must not allow any large scale man-initiated activities particularly like large mining operations to reduce the effects of natural disasters like landslides. By this, there would be a minimized effect of natural disaster to lives and properties. # nordis.net

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From Under This Hat: Apologies, countless times

August 28, 2011 in columns, Featured, opinion

By KATHLEEN T. OKUBO
www.nordis.net

The Filipinos have apologized, countless times.

Why can’t the leader of a nation apologize in behalf of his constituents to the people of another country who were victims of a heinous crime committed in his country (against these victims) who just happen to be visitors?

Especially, that his constituents generally feel sorry and even ashamed that their collective hospitality extended to visitors like these victims has been brutally breached by their own kababayan. Generally, his constituents can and do sympathize with the victims especially because a great number of them are visitors or have relatives who are visitors in other countries earning a livelihood, especially in HongKong and China.

Among indigenous peoples villages in the Cordilleras, it is generally observed that if one is accepted a visitor of the village, it is a collective responsibility for members of the village to extend the village hospitality and even protection or safety for the visitor until the visitor has left for home. This is still generally true in far flung Philippine countryside communities, and for the Philippine nation it is a national character that has endeared many visitors we now classify as tourists who choose to visit the country and along the way generate income for the country.

But then what can one expect from a leadership that can only protect the country’s sovereignty with empty words, secure its peoples’ livelihood and welfare in forgotten promises, stand up for the rights of its overseas migrant workers only when angry protesters march the streets.

The leader refuses to apologize because he believes the fault of one miguided individual can not be the responsibility of all his constituents. I guess lashing out one’s temper instead of a calm and objective study or view of their request can really make one miss the point entirely.

The Filipino people has already long condoled, expressed their sympathy and through many ways apologized to the families of the victims directly or indirectly that the crime against them had to be committed in their home country by one of their countrymen. These were done through Church services, letters and cards, public condemnation of the crime and by way of Filipino peoples campaigns, petitions, prayer rallies for justice, for the immediate investigation of the crime and hold those at fault responsible, and push the resolution of the case, and serve justice for the victims urgently.

Leaders are expected to uphold the dignity, the humanity and sense of fairness of their community. Out in public, to brandish personal arrogance and temper in the name of a nation’s people is not representative but a terrible fault against the people of a nation. Unless this leader is one who only represents a group of feudal warlords, bureaucrat capitalists or facist dictators, it then can be characteristic of the class origin.

The Filipinos have apologized, a countless times and for good and noble reasons that now they support the call for Justice not only for the victims in this terrible crime but also for the victims of this kind social scourge in their nation. # nordis.net

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