Resolving Kalinga, Mt. Province tribes’ hostilities

EDITORIAL

The tribal dispute over border between the Betwagan and Bugnay tribes in Sadanga, Mountain Province and Tinglayan Kalinga respectively may take some time to be resolved, but somehow talks and the process are going on.
    The Police Regional Office Cordillera hosted a meeting with heads of regional government line agencies presided by  Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. R’win S Pagkalinawan  Feb. 3 at Camp Dangwa, regional police headquarters in La Trinidad, Benguet.
    The meeting was held for the fact-finding body to present result of their investigation regarding the dispute. In attendance were members of the police command group, provincial directors of Mountain Province and Kalinga, 503rd Brigade of 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, regional offices of Departments of Interior and Local Government, Public Works and Highways,         Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, National Economic and Development Authority and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
     Engineer Joseph Dilem of DENR’s surveys and mapping division presented map of the disputed area as per results of the inter-agency investigations and supported by testimonies of representatives of the neutral tribes.
    Sadanga mayor Gabino P. Ganggangan, who attended as  resource speaker, presented a comprehensive background of the boundary dispute based on his research. He gave a historical account of how the “Macli-ing boundary” came to be known as such.
    Problems encountered in the course of the fact-finding inquiry were identified, such as refusal of one party to recognize testimonies of neutral tribes’ representatives.
    Lawyer Wilson Kalangeg of Mountain Province NCIP, said it was the Saclit and Basao elders and officials who identified and sent their representatives during the Jan. 15 dialogue.
    To address this issue, it was agreed during the Feb. 3 meeting the two involved barangays should make resolution stating that representatives they send are authorized to speak in behalf of their respective tribes.
    Citing the recently reported shooting incident at the disputed site, Pagkalinawan said there was urgent need to establish the boundary to finally put an end to similar confrontations not only between the two tribes but others with similar problems.
    Considering both tribes agreed to a ceasefire, the border dispute sees a ray of hope of it being resolved in the near future.
    From an objective point of view, this is one laudable initiative of regional police headed by Brig. Gen. Pagkalinawan to bring peace between the two tribes.    

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Fear of the unknown

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

The on-going discussions on the availability of vaccines and how to inject them into people’s arms made me flash back to a time in early grade school when teachers informed their pupils about an inoculation activity for all.
    On the scheduled day, a teacher announced that we were all going to get flu shots which they said was a yearly activity to stop young children from getting hospitalized and reduce the risk of flu-related death in children.
    I remember that while the boys and girls of our class were lining up from the smallest to the tallest, I was already thinking of an excuse to make since my mom who I remember was working and attending college at the same time was unable to accompany me and my siblings on that day.
    Unexplained fear on the faces of my school mates was evident even while mothers were calming down their children, many of them crying upon seeing nurses and doctors arrive in their white gowns.
    To get rid of the fear, our school Principal and the teachers showed us their arms being pierced with needles. But that did not encourage the children. What I remember was that we submitted ourselves to flu vaccination upon seeing a boy, smaller and younger than us get the first shot. That’s it.
    The discussion on the efficacy of the vaccines is one topic that will not likely stop in the near future. At least, we are luckier now as science is able to identify the coronavirus that is infecting us.
    Compared to the 1918 influenza pandemic, the vaccines that health experts claimed to have discovered appeared to be ineffective in preventing the flu. In 1919, it was published in the American Journal of Public Health that the causes of flu were still unknown so that the vaccines being produced were all experimental.
    The Spanish flu was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza-A virus. From February 1918 to April 1920, it infected 500 million people in four successive waves. The death toll was estimated to be between 20 million and 50 million or higher, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history.
    Vaccines being developed for the Spanish Flu in 1918 were ineffective because the vaccine developers did not have the tools to identify, isolate and produce all the potential disease-causing strains of bacteria then.
    There was even a claim that the flu was caused by a vaccine which was completely false. It was only in the 1930s that studies established that influenza was caused by a virus, not bacteria.
    While scientists were trying to develop vaccines, the claim that the 1918 influenza pandemic was caused by a massive vaccine campaign was baseless because no vaccine to fight the flu was completely developed then.
    Since this was the situation, efforts to control the spread of the Spanish flu pandemic were limited to isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings, which we are doing now.
    Fast forward, we are again swamped in a similar situation of the past when health authorities have to create strategies so that people will have confidence to go to the vaccination centers when their schedules arrive.
    The problem is that there are lingering questions in the minds of the public that create more confusion when answered.         One question is can we now stop wearing masks after getting the vaccines, to which health authorities say “NO”.
    Another question is that if one gets vaccinated, will he not be infected anymore or will he still infect others. The answer of course is “NO” because no one knows until infection happens.
    After vaccination, the government or the Inter Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will probably open restaurants and business establishments but everybody will still have to maintain physical distancing and observe health protocols.
    Probably, theatres, stadiums and even concerts in very wide areas can be allowed but strictly monitored to stop people from gathering very close to each other. Since physical distancing is the “new normal” then children cannot attend face-to-face school. After vaccination, there will still be travel restrictions and community lockdowns.
People ask, what then are the benefits of a COVID-19 vaccination? If we listen to the World Health Organization and medical experts, they say that receiving the vaccine will help protect a person by “creating an immune system or antibody response without having to experience sickness”.
    While vaccines will not stop people from wearing masks and observing minimum health protocols that help reduce infection and spreading the virus, these measures work better in stopping the pandemic in combination with the vaccine.
    The final move that the IATF should plan in order to remove the fear of the vaccine is to assign models or influencers that people look up to. Previously, I said children in grade school were convinced to be vaccinated by a pupil younger and smaller than them.
    If President Duterte said he will be one of the first to be injected with whatever vaccine available but not in public, maybe the senators and other top government officials, or one who is applying to be next president can take the challenge.
Aside from medical frontliners, senior citizens and policemen, I suggest the LGU heads from the barangays, up to other LGU levels and personalities that communities look up to should volunteer to be vaccinated ahead in order to raise the spirit of the general public. 
    Keng Hei Fat Choy!

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A kink in Baguio’s BIMP/ Ex-Ilocos vice mayor’s aide gets life for broadcaster’s slay

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – About time. Councilors in a resolution have urged the executive department to consider making the Baguio in My Pocket (BIMP) registration optional to those who intend to enter and transact business at the City Hall.
    Councilor Arthur Allad-iw, main author of the resolution, said  abrupt implementation of the mandatory BIMP registration at City Hall is disadvantageous to a number of people, a report of  city council staff Jordan Habbiling said.
    Yours truly experienced it too. I went to city hall recently and opted not to enter when employees manning the entrance told us we needed to register first with the BIMP before we could enter. Seeing the long line and people griping,.
    They said we had to reveal personal information using the App. There could be a violation of the privacy law in this, I thought so I left. 
    Allad-iw, methinks understood the situation when he said inconveniences such as non-familiarity to technology and long queues at the registration area prevented people from entering City Hall resulting in non-completion of or delayed transactions.
    Our thought, but how about people who did not use Smart phones but analog like most seniors?
    Anyway, while recognizing the “noble” intention of the program, Allad-iw said residents who intend to enter City Hall should not be compelled to go through the registration process so as not to cause disruption in their transactions.
    Philip Puzon, chief-of-staff of the Mayor’s Office, told the council during regular session last week barangay officials in the city were urged to “embrace” the BIMP following the “successful” pilot project in Irisan which registered one third of its population October 2020.
    According to city executive officials, the BIMP is aimed at delivering frontline services to people using mobile application developed and introduced by Information Technology Business Solutions (IBTS).
    A memorandum of agreement between the city government and IBTS was reportedly signed in July 2020. Shouldn’t the bright guys at the executive department thoroughly studied the matter first or held a public hearing before implementing the BIMP?   
                **
Justice served. A former bodyguard of an ex-vice mayor of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte has been found guilty of the murder of radio broadcaster Jovelito Agustin in Laoag City in 2011.
    La Union Regional Trial Court Branch 27 Judge Romeo Agacita Jr. sentenced Leonardo Banaag Jr. to life imprisonment in a 15-page decision promulgated Tuesday.
    The court ordered Banaag to pay the victim’s surviving heirs P300,000 in civil indemnity.
    Banaag was sentenced to another six years in prison for attempted murder of Joseph Agustin, the broadcaster’s companion, who was wounded in the gun attack.
    Police said the convict was a former bodyguard of Pacifico Velasco, a former Bacarra town mayor, who was vice mayor at the time.
    Agustin, a broadcaster at dzJC, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men on his way home in Barangay Barit.    
    He was known for criticizing local politicians for alleged corruption and ties to illegal gambling.
    According to Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Joel Egco, the verdict is the 50th conviction of a suspect in the killing of a journalist in the country.
                ***
The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) has allotted 10,187 square meters inside the Camp John Hay reservation for the transfer of several offices at the City Hall. City information officer Aileen Refuerzo said Tuesday a geotechnical investigation report on a portion of the 10,187-square meter property inside the Camp John Hay reservation, which is being managed by the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC), a subsidiary of the BCDA. is being awaited to assure safety and stability of the soil.
    The report is part of the document in finalizing the agreement between the BCDA and the city government.
The area will host the Baguio Central Fire Station (BCFS) and Multi-Purpose Building, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Building, and the Baguio Justice Hall.
    At present, the BCFS, EMS, and the Justice Hall occupy an area at the city hall compound, which the city government hopes to reclaim for the expansion of its services.
    At the second quarter of 2020, the city government started doing an inventory of the land it is utilizing and/or titled to the local government to maximize their utilization as plans for the construction of an annex building of the city hall was being discussed.
    Several offices under the local government are located in various parts of the city, making it difficult for clients to hop from one office to the other when processing a document. This will also decongest the main building, which is over a century old with areas at the current Justice Hall to be utilized for city offices.
    Mayor Benjamin Magalong earlier assured city officials that he will try to discuss with the BCDA the possibility of the agency apportioning an area for the possible transfer of the Justice Hall, fire office, EMS, and for the city’s multi-purpose building.
    It was learned that the BCDA is allowing the use of the area to the city government on usufructuary agreement.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) recommended an in-depth study of the property’s stability considering a report that the area moved during a typhoon that happened some years back.
    Earlier, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Cordillera said that they were also allotted an area within the reservation for their office.
    OCD-CAR currently rents an old house at first road Quezon Hill.  
                *** 
Candidates for the 2022 elections may have to find other means to reach and convince voters to vote for them.
This, considering the Commission on Elections says face-to-face campaigning could be prohibited for the 2022 elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they were proceeding with election preparations and how to prevent the spread of the virus, adding there would be “a change in the campaigning landscape.”
    “Activities like giving out materials or going out or talking to people face-to-face for campaign purposes, that’s gonna change. Door-to-door campaigns might be prohibited,” Jimenez told ABS-CBN news.    
    While it is not yet official if such prohibition will be declared, Jimenez said, the Comelec would be coordinating with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on the matter.
    Meanwhile, Jimenez said extending the deadline of the voter registration beyond Sept. 30 was unlikely especially with the expected start of the filing of certificates of candidacy in October for the May 2022 national and local polls.
                **
Meanwhile, some seven million voters were deactivated by Comelec ahead of the 2022 national elections due to non-participation in two consecutive elections or other reasons, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said Wednesday.
    “Under the Voter’s Registration Act, a registration may be deactivated if the voter fails to cast his ballot in two successive regular elections,” Guanzon said.
    She said those who had their accounts deleted or deactivated were those who did not vote for the last two consecutive elections, adding that “only 700,000 have returned to Comelec offices and registered again.”
    The Comelec said deactivation can also be done to those sentenced by a court to not less than one year in prison; persons who have committed crimes involving disloyalty to the government such as rebellion, sedition, violation of the anti-subversion and firearms laws, and those declared by a competent authority to be insane.
    The law states that a voter may be deactivated if his registration has been ordered excluded by the court and he has lost his Filipino citizenship.
    She said deactivated voters will only be allowed to participate in the next election after their application for reactivation is approved in the local Offices of Election Officers (OEO) during the voter registration.
    The Comelec said that at least 1,050,793 voters have registered for next year’s elections as of Jan. 7.

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The price of leadership

PERRYSCOPE

Perry Diaz

Barely a few days after being sworn in as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken spoke with counterparts in Asia, the Pacific, and Europe.  The calls included discussions of defense and security in the Indo-Pacific region.  The US has pledged to support her allies in maritime disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea. 
    Indeed, the US is eager to renew her alliances with old allies like Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia with whom the US has treaty obligations to defend against aggression.  The other treaty allies of the US are South Korea and Israel.  In a nutshell, if one of America’s treaty allies is attacked, the US will come to her aid.    
    President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga talked about the defense of the Senkaku Islands while Blinken pledged to support the Philippines in the event of armed attack in the South China Sea (SCS) of which about 80% of the waters is claimed by China.  The area claimed is delineated by the so-called Nine-Dash-Line, which includes most of the Spratly archipelago that the Philippines claimed as her territory.
    Blinken “reaffirmed that a strong US-Philippine alliance is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific region” in a call to Philippine foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin.  One might ask: Why didn’t Biden call Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte directly?  Well, the relationship between the US and the Philippines is shaky right now considering that Duterte had openly endorsed ex-president Donald Trump during the November 3rd election, the only national leader who did.  However, with Duterte administration coming to an end in 2022, there might be opportunities to re-engage in dialogues on how to reinvigorate the teetering alliance.
Defense of Taiwan
Blinken’s remarks to Southeast Asian allies indicate the hardline stance will continue for the new administration.  And to stress the seriousness of Biden’s commitment, the Pentagon deployed the aircraft carrier battle group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt to the South China Sea to conduct routine operations  “to ensure freedom of the seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security."  It was also at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised the temperature in the Taiwan Strait.   
    It’s important to note that China vowed to attack Taiwan in 2020.  Well, that was last year and nothing happened.  But the conventional wisdom is that China would invade Taiwan at some point in time.  She is just waiting for the opportune time to do so.  In the event of an attack, the US is obligated by US law to defend Taiwan, which means war will break out!
    U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the battle group entered the SCS on January 23rd, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defense identification zone in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands.
    The day before, January 22nd, China authorized her coast guard to fire on foreign vessels and to demolish other countries’ structures built on reefs and islands claimed by China, which by inference includes the Pag-asa Island that is occupied by civilian Filipinos and a marine contingent.  If China proceeds with the destruction of Pag-asa, that would be considered an invasion since Pag-asa is a municipal town of the province of Palawan.  The Philippines could then invoke the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). 
Defense of the Philippines
The question is:  Why is the SCS important to the US that she would defend the Philippines against Chinese aggression?
If China restricts American passage in the SCS, it could cause innumerable damage to U.S.’s trade and economy.  In 2011, $5.3 trillion in trade passed through the SCS, $1.2 trillion of which was tied to the U.S.  About 90% of East Asian energy imports pass through the SCS.  In 2014, the U.S. exported $79 billion in goods to countries around the SCS, and imported $127 billion from them that same year.  It is therefore in the U.S.’s best interest that the SCS should remain open to maritime navigation.
    But the importance of controlling the SCS is that it connects to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca.  In other words, the country that controls the Strait of Malacca controls the SCS and therefore controls trade that passes through the Strait of Malacca. 
     The US has a strong presence in the Indian Ocean where she has a large naval and air base in the tiny island of Diego Garcia strategically located in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  It is owned by the British Indian Ocean Territory.  In 1971, the UK leased Diego Garcia to the US, which then built a massive air and naval base.  It controls the Indian Ocean in the same way that Guam – a US territory where another air and naval base is strategically located  -- controls the Pacific.  It is amazing how two small islands located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean have significant roles in the defense of Pax Americana or world peace. 
    On the shoulders of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star general, rest the responsibility of keeping America’s strength in top shape, ready to respond to threats from America’s enemies who constantly attempt to pierce America’s defenses.  For as long as America remains strong under a strong president, America will remain the free world’s leader. 
Insurrection
The US has just survived an insurrection from within.  It was incited by then President Trump who encouraged his supporters to attack the Capitol on January 6th.  The rioters stopped a joint session of Congress, which was convened to count the Electoral College votes.  The National Guard arrived and cleared the Capitol of the rioters.  Six people died during the rioting.  Vice President Mike Pence reconvened the joint session and continued the tabulation of the Electoral College votes.  To Trump’s consternation, Pence declared Biden the winner of the presidential election!
But as Biden was about to take office on January 20th, Trump threatened to declare martial law, arrest Biden, and impose his power upon the American people.  However, the military didn’t support him and in the end he backed off and flew to Mar-a-Lago in exile, a broken man.
    But Trump will remain a thorn on Biden’s back.  With a nation divided, Biden has to grapple with right-wing politics, as Trump will wage guerilla warfare against the Biden administration.  On January 30th Trump called the disgraced congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a QAnon conspiracy theorist, to tell her that he’s supporting her amid calls for her expulsion from Congress.  Greene said that she’ll “never apologize” as she faces backlash over recent controversial comments.  Trump’s call to Greene sends the opening salvo in Trump’s war against the Biden administration.  Trump is back in the game!  Such is the price of leadership.    
    It is my fervent hope that President Biden’s presidency will usher America to new heights and greater glory.  I pray that God gives President Biden the wisdom to lead and protect the American people. Hail to the Chief!  May God bless the United States of America.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)  
 

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Baguio Covid testing upped / Pruning of trees explained

 CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY  continued to ramp up its testing capacity as one of the city’s established strategies to keep CoVID-19 transmission in check.
    In the last two weeks of January, the city posted an average of 512 tests per day in keeping with the directive of Mayor Benjamin Magalong to sustain expanded testing as a way of determining where the COVID-19 infections are coming from to hasten interventions like quarantine and isolation to prevent further spread and treatment to avoid death.
    As of Feb. 3, he total number of Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests done in the city had reached 111,484, still one of the highest if not the highest in the country, according to the mayor.
    Last Feb. 1-3, another free expanded testing activity was conducted by the Bases Conversion and Development (BCDA) upon the request of the mayor under the agency's Aggressive Community Testing (ACT) project.
    City Health Services Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said a total of 3,255 tests were done during the three-day event.
    This was the first ACT activity in the city this year and the fourth since the pandemic broke out last year.
    Those tested belonged to target or at risk sectors like national government agency employees, uniformed personnel, private clinic and dialysis center staff, Burnham Park workers, eatery workers or food handlers, market vendors (fish, meat, vegetable, dry goods and groceries, porters, Barangay Health Emergency Response Team members, beauty parlor workers, security guards, bank employees, construction workers, contact tracers, drivers, health workers and city government employees.
    The activity was in cooperation with the CHSO sanitation division, the Public Order and Safety Division and Baguio City     Police Office for security and crowd control, General Service Office and the City Buildings and Architecture Office, City Engineering Office.
                ***
City Environment and Parks Management Officer Rhenan Diwas clarified that they employed only pruning and not cutting on the African tulip trees at Rizal Park and it was done for the safety of other tree species.
    “What we pruned were Spathodea campanulata popularly known as African tulip trees.  These trees are invasive weed trees and in fact, being eradicated in other countries because they threaten biodiversity,” Diwas said.
    “In recent years, it was discovered that the nectar and pollen of the S. Campanulata contain toxins that are poisonous for insects, including bees.  It is nominated as among 100 of the ‘World's Worst’ invaders,” he added.
    He said this tree species nevertheless is one of the fastest growing trees and with the subject trees at Rizal Park only pruned, they will sprout new leaves in a just a short time.
    Diwas said the CEPMO is concentrating its efforts on growing indigenous trees to dominate the city instead of these invasive exotic or imported trees.
    “Indigenous trees are far better as they support and enhance biodiversity,” he said.
    To persons who criticized CEPMO’s act, he has this to say:  “Relax. We too care for the environment as much as you do.”

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RDC to push Cordillera autonomy this 2021

Autonomy Update

Marlo T. Lubguban

BAGUIO CITY – The executive committee of the Cordillera Regional Development Council approved the Social Preparation of Cordillera Administrative Region into an Autonomous Region (SPCAR) project list for 2021 during its meeting on Jan. 29.
    With an increased focus on alternative modes of communication, the regional autonomy advoccy program remains focused on raising awareness and gaining support of the grassroots.
    The year 2020 obliged the program to adapt its activities to health guidelines and protocols. This has been a major influence in the evaluation of proposals and implementation planning of this year’s projects.
    The SPCAR program recommended 13[SMMC1] [MATL2] [MATL3]  out of 14 project proposals for adoption. These were evaluated during the January 18 SPCAR project review an inter-agency technical working group.
    Grassroots IECs following health protocols were approved to be conducted in Bangued, Lagangilang, and [SMMC4] Peñarrubia, in Abra, Pudtol and Luna in Apayao and in the seven municipalities of Kalinga. Further,
Grassroots IEC that started earlier shall continue in the municipalities of Tinglayan in Kalinga, in Lamut, Alfonso Lista, & Kiangan in Ifugao and in Sagada, Mountain Province.
    On the national stage, the program will continue to work with the CAR congressmen towards the passing of proposed laws all seeking to establish the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera. Having the President certify House Bills 5687, 7778 and Senate Bill 1232 as urgent remain the top legislative priority. Coordination with the House committee on local government and its chairperson, Tarlac 3rd district Rep. Noel Villanueva continues. Villanueva, earlier committed to help pass this proposed law and finally let the Cordillera region achieve its autonomy.
    Despite Covid-19 restrictions, autonomy advocates continue to partner with the RDC-CAR and NEDA-CAR towards the common goal of establishing the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera.
 
 

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Getting on track: Keeping New Year’s resolutions

By Amy Morin

It's never too late to reevaluate your goals and start fresh if your New Year's resolutions are already slipping.
    Here are seven ways to get back on track. If you're struggling to keep up with your New Year's goals, reassess your choices and be more realistic with what you want to achieve. Evaluate your commitment and readiness to change, and develop a clear strategy that allows for obstacles and potential setbacks.
    It's no secret that most resolutions don't last. All those intentions to get healthier, wealthier, and happy tend to go out the window by the end of January.
    But going off course a little doesn't mean you have to abandon your resolutions altogether. Instead, when your motivation slips and you make a few mistakes, take steps to get back on track. No matter how much you've messed up so far, you can    still crush your goals this year.
1.Reassess your goal
    Some resolutions set people up for failure. Goals that aren't measurable or actionable, for instance, will be impossible to reach.
    Rather than declare you are going to "be healthier," decide that you'll go to the gym three nights a week. You can measure your progress by how often you actually work out.
    Shift or adjust your resolution if you need to. Ultimately, you should end up with a clear goal that defines what you'll be doing on a regular basis to create change. 2. Be honest about your choices
    It's easy to blame the stress of the new year (especially this year) on your shortcomings. But, life is always going to be stressful and there will always be things that try to derail you.Don't make excuses. Instead, get honest about your choices.    2.  Admit to yourself that you are struggling with loneliness and that's why you keep giving in to temptation.
Or acknowledge that you've been convincing yourself that binge watching your favorite shows is self-care, rather than self-sabotage.  
3. Evaluate your commitment and readiness to change
    Take a few minutes to really look at your desire to create change. Are you actually ready to give up that bad habit? You might discover you established a resolution because you felt pressured to do so and you are still a bit ambivalent about whether you actually want to take action.
    Of course, you don't need to wait until you're 100% convinced you're going to be successful. That might never happen.
    But you do need to ensure that you're open to seeing how the benefits outweigh the costs. For example, if you're still convinced that working out doesn't really help, you aren't likely to commit to doing it on a regular basis.
    A good way to address your readiness to change is to create two different pros and cons lists. Make the first one about the pros and cons of making the change you're considering.
    Create the other list about the pros and cons of not changing your behavior. Seeing these two lists on paper can help you decide how committed you really are to taking action. 
4. Consider what you're giving up
No matter how motivated you feel, you won't succeed unless you consider what you need to give up to reach your goal.  
    Eating a healthy diet might mean you give up happy hour with your friends, and paying down your debt might mean you can't shop online for new clothes whenever you're bored. You have to be ready to give those things up if you really want to change your life. If you're prepared for those challenges ahead of time, you'll increase the likelihood that you'll be able to stick to your goals.
5. Develop a clear strategy
Working on a lofty resolution can feel overwhelming. When you have short-term objectives, however, you'll be more likely to start taking action now.
    Break down a big resolution into short-term objectives. If your goal is to pay off your car this year, establish a weekly savings goal. Then, focus on what steps you can take to reach that short-term savings goal.  
6. Practice self-compassion
You might be tempted to resort to harsh self-criticism when you mess up. But talking to yourself like an angry drill sergeant won't motivate you to do better next time.
    Research clearly shows self-compassion is the key to increasing motivation and recovering from failure. So when you mess up — and you will mess up sometimes — be kind to yourself.
    Rather than convince yourself you're a bad person for making a mistake, tell yourself you made a bad choice. Talk to yourself the same way you'd talk to a trusted friend.
7. Plan ahead for obstacles
No matter how much time you spend planning ahead, there will always be obstacles in your path. Whether your friends' invitation to rent a vacation home threatens your resolve to stick to your budget or your family's insistence on ordering pizza every Friday night makes it hard to stick to your meal plan, plan ahead for those moments where you might be tempted to ditch your goals.Having a solid plan in place can help you overcome obstacles while also giving you the mental strength you need to face those challenges you might not anticipate.
    Change rarely happens in a straight line. And while you might feel like you're taking two steps forward and one step back, remember that one step back doesn't mean you're all the way back at the beginning. Each time you try to move forward you make a little more progress toward your resolutions.
(Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, licensed clinical social worker, mental strength coach, and international bestselling author).

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DepEd Isabela, solon ink MOA for radio learning

By Merlito G. Edale, Jr.

CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela - The Dept. of Education Schools Division of Isabela and 6th District Rep. Faustino “Inno” Dy V have signed an agreement to ensure implementation of radio-based instruction as one form of the education department’s blended learning systems. 

Dr. Madelyn Macalling, DepEd Isabela head said with the signing of a memorandum of agreement, Dy has turned over  P100,000 that will  be used in the payment of airtime lesson episodes through  DWDY AM in Cauayan City.
        She said the Radio Based-Instruction dubbed "Division’s Radyo Eskwela" which started October last year is an effective mode of learning as  learners are taught using the radio in delivering lessons this time of Covid-19 pandemic  to avoid transmission of the disease among the learners.

“SDO Isabela has always been fortunate for all education stakeholders who are pouring their resources to ensure that no learners are left behind amid the global health crisis,” Macalling said. -- PIA 2-Isabela

 

 

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Arts events mark Ilocos Norte 203rd founding day

By Blessing Angel V. Agliam

LAOAG CITY -- Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc urged the Ilokano community to "rebuild and revitalize" the province amidst difficulties brought by the Covid-19 pandemic to commemorate Ilocos Norte's 203rd founding anniversary,
    Usually celebrated in grandeur, the provincial government for this year held flag-raising ceremony and a short program in front of the provincial capitol to commemorate the event.
    In his speech, Gov. Manotoc said, "I would like to challenge everyone to try and make this year not be defined by Covid-19. Let us try to take ownership of this year and leave Covid-19 in the past, in 2020. Let us make our own mark this year, one that is not defined by Covid-19 but one that is defined by our efforts to rebuild and revitalize our province."
    He described this year's founding anniversary as "a celebration of arts," referring to activities that showcase local artistry and creativity.
    The highlight of the celebration is the first Tan-ok ni Ilokano Film Festival, which features the fabled strength and pride of the people of Ilocos Norte through 15-minute documentaries.
    Others include inauguration of La Tabacalera Ilocano Lifestyle Center and Food Park in Laoag City and opening of Filipino-Chinese Friendship Park in Paoay.
    Other activities Feb. 2 were Ilocano creative fest and Ilocano culinary heritage competition and exhibit.
    A thanksgiving mass, fluvial parade and  Tan-ok Film Festival Awarding were held Feb. 3 at  La Virgen Milagrosa Chapel in Badoc and Provincial Capitol, respectively.
    “We are 203 years old as a province, and to me, this is just a reminder that we are temporary, but our province will go on for many years,” Manotoc said.

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Free parking set for Baguio senior citizens

BAGUIO CITY -- Senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the city can now enjoy free parking in all business establishments following the passage of an ordinance.
    The city council, on Dec. 7, approved on third and final reading an ordinance granting exemptions to senior citizens and PWDs from the payment of parking fees in all business establishments, whether they are operated by the government, barangay, or private entities.
    The ordinance will take effect after it is signed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong and after its publication in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the city and its posting in conspicuous places.
    Recently approved ordinance No. 149, Series of 2020) is an amendment to the older ordinance (Ordinance 08, Series of 2013) which required the grant to senior citizens of at least 20% discount in parking fees.
    Under the recent ordinance, not only the senior citizens but also the PWDs are exempted from paying parking fees.
    Citing Republic Act No. 9257 and Republic Act No. 7277, the ordinance said the city government of Baguio recognizes the important roles of senior citizens in the society and their various contributions to the local and national development; and that the city government further recognizes the rights of PWDs for support and assistance in consonance with the equal protection clause provided by the constitution.
    To avail of the free parking privilege, the senior citizen/PWD must present their senior citizen identification card or PWD card, must be a resident of Baguio City, and must be the one driving the motor vehicle.
 
 

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Tuguegarao mayor stops relief; Covid cases up

By Oliver T. Baccay

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan --City Mayor Jefferson Soriano here has issued an executive order suspending relief operations in the city due to the continuous rise of Covid-19 cases.
    As of Tuesday, the city recorded 137 active cases.
    A total of 639 cases was recorded here since March of which 494 have recovered while eight died.
    "We have been observing that health protocols are not strictly followed during relief distributions, thereby contributing to the rise of Covid-19 cases in the city," Soriano said.
    To stop rise of Covid-19 cases in the city, the mayor decided to temporarily suspend distribution of relief goods up to Dec. 21 or conditions will improve. 
    He said humanitarian aid brought to the city shall be stored in the meantime at the Relief Operation Center at the city's gymnasium.
    "Those bringing in relief goods and want to personally distribute such should postpone their scheduled distribution until the suspension is lifted," Soriano added. -- PIA-Cagayan
 

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Beneco powers 10MV Buguias sub-station

BUGUIAS, Benguet – Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) commissioned on Friday its 10 MVA (megavolt ampere) sub-station at Amgaleyguey, Buguias town to assure reliable power for its consumers.
    "This is timely as we prepare for the eventual upgrading of lines in northern Benguet," said engineer Melchor Licoben, acting general manager of Beneco, during the program.
    Beneco is the sole distributor of electricity for Baguio and Benguet. It is currently upgrading its 13.2kV (kiloVolt) power in northern Benguet to allow it to loop with 23kV in southern Benguet and Baguio City and conform the system with the other.
    He said they are targeting that in the next three years, Beneco will be able to complete connecting and looping the sub-stations in the towns of Atok, Mankayan, and in Baguio City.
    "This will allow one sub-station to cover for the other in case a problem occurs, assuring continued supply of power to the consumers," Licoben said.
    This is aside from providing reliable power -- available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with appropriate voltage, he added.
Licoben also said that with the Sinipsip sub-station already commissioned, Northern Benguet's current electricity demand of about 6MV can be increased.
    "In case someone puts up a business that will demand a big load of electricity, we can already provide the electricity requirement," he said.
    The three Beneco sub-stations bring to 18.75MV capacity in northern Benguet alone.
    He also said the commissioning of the sub-station is also part of the preparation for the commissioning of the 3MW (megawatt) mini-hydropower plant of Beneco in Barangay Man-asok, Buguias town targetted in June 2021.
    Meanwhile, Ramel Rifani, network services department manager of Beneco, said the Mankayan and Atok sub-station will augment the electric needs of the towns of Tublay, Atok, Bakun, Buguias, and Mankayan.
    "We can see the development that uses electricity, businesses opening demand also increases," he said.
    He assured that reliable power will be available.
    Rifani also said that an annual increase in electricity demand of 2 to 3 percent is constant in the area.
    "We have a leeway for big progress in the area," he said. – Liza Agoot/PNA 
 
 
 

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Scrap holiday clan meets, Benguet residents urged

By Liza Agoot 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – With just four days to go before Christmas, the provincial government has appealed to residents to cancel family reunions and other gatherings to curb the spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
    “We would like to appeal to all residents of the province to abide by the prohibition in the conduct of traditional Christmas carols, parties, clan reunions, and all other crowd-drawing Christmas events,” Gov. Melchor Diclas said in an advisory Sunday.
    Diclas' appeal came after the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (PIATF) on Covid-19 meeting where all 13 municipal mayors in the province and different departments of the provincial government agreed to restrict the movement of people to control the spread of Covid-19.
    Families and clans in Benguet hold their traditional reunions in December when all or most of the members are on break or in town for a vacation.
    These reunions are held with drinking of “tapuey” (rice wine) and butchering of several animals that they all partake.
It usually has the beating of the gongs and dancing of the traditional dances in thanksgiving for the year that was, which is attended by scores of people from the youngest to the oldest member of the family or clan.
    Diclas also ordered the police in the province to arrest persons who are drunk, as a deterrent to non-observance of the health protocols.
    Benguet has been tagged by the University of the Philippines OCTA Research as among the provinces nationwide with a high prevalence of Covid-19 cases, classifying it as among the high risk areas due to the number of cases recorded.
    As of Sunday, there are 582 active Covid-19 cases in the province out of a total of 2,618 Covid-19 cases recorded since March.
    Most of the active cases were recorded in the highly populated and more urbanized towns of Mankayan, 332; La Trinidad, 151; Tuba, 46 and Itogon, 31.
    The other towns, however, remain to have less than five active cases.
    During the PIATF meeting, Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan asked that each town come up with its own border control and restrictions to be able to manage the further spread of the disease.
    His request came based on the town’s experience where the spike in cases at the different mining areas were immediately contained after a hard lockdown that compelled residents to stay home.
    The town of Tuba, another mining town, also had its share of surge in cases.
    Currently, the town of Mankayan, also a mining town, is experiencing a spike in cases involving miners and their families while the Capital town La Trinidad continues to record several cases on a daily basis.
    Benguet officials also appealed to residents to limit their travels to work and accessing goods and essential services.
    They also urged residents to strictly observe health protocosl such as wearing face masks and physical distancing in markets, groceries, and other public places. -- PNA

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