The Northern Dispatch Weekly

BAGUIO CITY (May 12) — Even the church is not safe from the recent military occupation at the tri-boundary of Abra, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur provinces.

In a press conference of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance at the Cordillera Peoples Alliance office, two churchmen professed they were allegedly tagged by the military as members of the New People’s Army (NPA). (more…)

BAGUIO CITY (May 16) — Still trembling telling her harrowing experience from a supposedly dangerous situation while covering a festival in Ifugao province, Malaya correspondent Ma. Elena Catajan vowed for justice as she claimed she and her photographer colleague Redjie Cawis were “snapped at” by Alfonso Lista town vice mayor Clarence Polig, even to the point that guns were reportedly drawn.

Catajan and Cawis went to Alfonso Lista together with Department of Tourism-Cordillera regional director Purificacion Molintas on May 10 to cover the town’s festival. (more…)

BAGUIO CITY (May 15) — Despite the heavy traffic that Baguio City is experiencing, Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr, said that the one-way traffic scheme along Upper Session Road and its side streets is effective.

“The summer vacation brought in a lot of tourists to the city, which caused heavy traffic,” said Bautista adding that this one-way traffic scheme was aimed to divert traffic to other areas, like Marcoville.

KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (May 12) — An environmental activist group lauded the congressional inquiry conducted yesterday by the Committee on National Cultural Communities into the reported encroachment of the Australia-owned mining firm Oxiana Philippines-RoyalCo and New Zealand-owned Oceana Gold into indigenous peoples’ territories here.

The Congressional Committee on National Cultural Communities decided to hold an on-site investigation in mining affected areas in Nueva Vizcaya in the next few weeks. (more…)

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (May 16) — The House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture chair Abraham Mitra during the committee’s regional consultation here said that the budget for the agriculture sector should be increased and that it should even be larger than the military’s.

“The agriculture sector should be second to education in terms of budget allocation and should have a higher budget than the military,” said Mitra adding that he will push for this in congress on the 2009 budget deliberations. (more…)

VIGAN CITY (May 14) — The University of Northern Philippines (UNP) administration filed a criminal complaint for theft before the City Prosecutor’s Office here against one of its student leaders.

Docketed as I.S. Number 08-049, UNP alleged that in January 11, 2008, their student stole the computer central processing unit (CPU) of Tandem, its official student paper from the locked and the barricaded publication office. (more…)

Bombings reminiscent of Beew massacre

BAGUIO CITY (May 13) – Elders of Tubo, Abra announced in an interview that they will file cases of human rights violation with the joint monitoring committee of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

The violations inflicted on their villages in the month long militarization under the 50th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army that reminded them of a nightmare in the 1980s when the nearby village of Beew was transformed into a no man’s land after government troops burned houses, killed a pregnant woman, and committed various human rights violations.

BIG SHELL. A Pananuman resident disclosed that mortar and cannon shells are big enough for a boy’s foot. Community folk estimated the craters to be as deep as 1.5 to 3 meters, created by bombs dropped in their domain. Photo by Lyn V. Ramo/NORDIS

BAGUIO CITY (May 16) — The city council has invited to its regular session tomorrow (Monday) personalities from key institutions involved in the alleged plan to construct a commercial structure at the remaining forested lot within the Baguio Convention Center reservation.

Invited to shed light on the issue were representatives from the Government Service Insurance System, the Shoemart Investments Corporation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Registry of Deeds. (more…)

BAGUIO CITY (May 16)– City veterinarian Brigit Piok Monday suggested three ways to tackle the waste problem at the city slaughterhouse which was reported as one of the causes of pollution of the Balili River.

Piok, who attended the city council session to shed light on the abattoir’s waste situation, admitted that the slaughterhouse may be contributing to the river’s pollution because its septic tank cannot hold all the liquid wastes coming from the animal corrals within the area. (more…)

BAGUIO CITY (May 15) — The local government considers the possibility that the Ad Congress 2009 could be a part of Baguio City’s Centennial Celebration. The city government and the City Tourism Office will be bidding against other cities during the Ad Board meeting in Makati City.

The Ad Congress is the number one showcase of the advertising industry in the country. (more…)

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (May 15) — Two lady drug traders who slipped into a checkpoint in Mountain Province are now being hunted by anti-narcotics agents.

Rosa and Unchangay Macabio, sisters from upland Betwagan barangay in Sadanga town, were enroute to Baguio City with at least 27 kilos of dried marijuana leaves in brick form on May 4. (more…)

“No to Bingo, STL, and Bingoteng; Casino yes, but…” – Mayor

BAGUIO CITY (May 16) — Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr. last week reiterated his stand against all forms of gambling highlighted by a recent closure order against a barangay “bingo fund-raiser.”

In tow with an earlier City Council decision sending jueteng’s legal derivative – the Small Town Lottery (STL) – to the gallows, Bautista said there is no chance STL can be hard-pressed in the limelight.

He likewise accented apparent skimming of the “Bingo sa Barangay” in the foreground and declared he “will not allow” test runs of the Association of Barangay Councils’ (ABC) innovative yet controversial fund-raiser.

Punning alleged establishment of casinos in the city sparked by the construction of two new hotels along Legarda and Kisad Roads he said, “I would consider casinos in the city provided they can employ 5,000-10,000 Baguio locals.” # Isagani S. Liporada/PIO

Balik Probinsya program sends 8 families home

BAGUIO CITY (May 15) — In line with the government’s program called “balik probinsya,” Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. has sent home eight families and 18 individuals to their hometowns.

Most of these families came from Irisan dumpsite. (more…)

PNRC Benguet assures safety of its blood bank

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (May 16) — The Philippine National Red Cross Benguet Chapter assured the public on the safety of its blood banking following the upgrading of its facilities.

PNRC Benguet Chapter Administrator Oscar Paris said the upgraded facility could already detect immediately infected blood from sexually transmitted diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, HIV 1 and 2 and other contagious diseases.

PNRC Benguet Chapter Medical Technologist Veron Tactay said if the blood extracted is found out to be positive, it is sent to Manila for confirmation.

Paris revealed that the chapter is working within the standards set by the Department of Health aside from it being regularly monitored.

To qualify as a blood donor one must be 18 years old and above, must weigh 50 kilograms and above and has a blood pressure within the normal range. The donor should not have a history in heart disease, diabetes, no tattoo within the year, no dental extraction, and must have a normal hemoglobin count. # S.C. Aro/PIA-Benguet

DTI – Kal warns of high-bromate flour

TABUK CITY, Kalinga (May 16) — The provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here alerted bakery operators of the possible entry to the province of unlabelled flour, found out to have high content of potassium-bromate.

Bromate is a substance mixed in flour as puffing agent on baked products like bread and is harmful to humans. (more…)

“Ang kapayapaan ay hindi lamang sa kawalan ng digmaan…”

Mahigit 300 na mga pwersa ng 50th IBPA ang nagsagawa ng operasyong miliatar sa Sitio Pananuman, Brgy. Tubtuba, Tubo, Abra mula pa noong Marso 12, 2008. Bahagi ito ng kontra-insurhensyang programang Oplan Bantay Laya II (OBL). Pinaghihinalaan ng mga elemento ng 50th IBPA na ang mga mamamayan ng nasabing sitio ay tagasuporta ng rebolusyunaryong CPP-NPA kung kaya nanatili sila roon ng humigit kumulang isang buwan. Nagtayo sila ng mga kampo sa mga eskwelahan, plaza at ilang bahay ng mga mamamayan, na itinuturing na sagradong lugar para sa mamamayang naninirahan doon. (more…)