Northern Philippine Times

Isabela bocap, ma shot dead; bet, pal also killed

>> Wednesday, November 24, 2010

By Charlie Lagasca

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya - A newly elected barangay chairman in Isabela and his mother were gunned down by a motorcycle-riding assailant before noon Thursday.

Police said Alfredo Salvador, 56, proclaimed barangay chairman of Alicia town’s Barangay Sikat and his 70-year-old mother, Virginia, were on board a tricycle to visit a relative when they were shot in neighboring Barangay Bagnos.

Unknown to mother and son, the gunman reportedly followed them from their residence to the national highway where he overtook their tricycle and fired at them.

The gunman, police said, fled northward through the Alicia-San Mateo Road.

In another incident, a candidate for barangay chairman in one of Isabela’s coastal towns and a companion were gunned down morning of Nov. 17.

Reports identified the fatalities as Ave Salazar, who was running for chairman of Palanan town’s Marikit village, and a certain Junior Lanioza, who were shot dead by at least two men.

The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls in Palanan as well as in Divilacan and Maconacon towns have been tentatively set for Nov. 22 or 29 due to the devastation wreaked by the typhoon.

Councilor, 5 others charged for Ecija vice mayor's killing

CABANATUAN CITY– Police have filed murder charges against a municipal councilor and five others for last month’s killing of the vice mayor of Licab, Nueva Ecija.

Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, provincial police director, identified those charged as Licab councilor Alexander Ventura, Francisco Peralta alias “Supremo Ablak,” Arturo Bernardino Garcia alias “Kumander,” Nestor Soriano Jr., Jeremy Itan, and Virgilio Domingo alias “Beo Sarmiento.”

The six were tagged in the Oct. 9 killing of Vice Mayor Luisito Caraang, who was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding men as he and a couple of friends were jogging in Barangay San Casimiro.

Aliggayu tagged Ventura as the brains behind the killing.

He said the five others were members of the disbanded “Alakdan” and “Red Vigilante” groups, which recently formed the so-called “Bravo for Justice Group.”

Supt. Lilian Castillo, chief of the police community relations branch, said all suspects are still at large. – MG

Alvarado defeats Pagdanganan in Bulacan election

MALOLOS CITY – It’s now official. Marivic Alvarado was re-elected as congresswoman of the first district of Bulacan, beating former governor Roberto Pagdanganan and four others in the special polls last Nov. 12.

But Alvarado, wife of Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado, is a minority representative as only less than half of the total registered voters in the district turned out to vote.

Pagdanganan said he would no longer seek an elective post.

He alleged that the province’s calamity fund was used in the seven-day campaign, but Gov. Alvarado denied the accusation.

Lawyer Sabino Mejarito, provincial election supervisor, said the Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaimed congresswoman-elect Alvarado at around 5 a.m. Monday.

Based on the results of the special elections, Alvarado earned a total of 95,625 votes compared to Pagdanganan’s 41,658 votes.

The other candidates like former Malolos mayor Danilo Domingo got 1,032 votes; former first district Rep. Jun Aniag, 400; Tomas Valencia, 271; and Francisco Cruz, 63.

Of the six candidates, only Alvarado and Pagdanganan campaigned in the congressional race.

Domingo and Aniag, later withdrew their candidacies although their names still appeared on the ballots.

Valencia and Cruz did not mount any campaign.

Sabino said the voters’ turnout – 40.73 percent – was lower than they expected. He offered no excuses though.

Records showed only 139,049 out of the total 341,368 registered voters in the first district came out to cast their votes in Saturday’s special polls.

Meanwhile, Pagdanganan said he was no longer keen on seeking an elective post.

“I offered my services to my kababayan and they voted the other way, now I will focus on the private sector where I came from,” he said.

He expressed hopes that Alvarado would address concerns on flooding, health care, and irrigation.

A chemical engineer by profession, Pagdanganan used to be a top executive of Unilever before he was appointed Bulacan governor in 1986.

He ran twice for senator in 1998 and 2001 but lost. He again ran for governor in the 2007 elections, but was defeated by former barangay chairman Joselito Mendoza, who is now the congressman of the third district of Bulacan.

For her part, Alvarado tried to succeed her husband as mayor of Hagonoy in 1998, but lost.

She ran and won as vice mayor of the same town in 2004.

In 2007, after her husband completed his three consecutive terms, she ran for Congress and won over former mayor Felix Ople who defeated her in the 1998 Hagonoy mayoral race.

Dengue on downward trend in Cordillera

By Lito Dar

BAGUIO CITY – Dengue cases in the Cordillera are gradually decreasing, but the Health Department is still monitoring areas in the region which are still in the “epidemic threshold.”

Cordillera DOH regional director Dr. Myrna Cabotaje bared this saying dengue cases in Cordillera now stand at 5,869 with 14 deaths as of last month.

This represents a 247 percent increase compared to the 1,689 cases recorded during the same period last year.

Per provincial statistics, Abra recorded 357 cases; 159 in Apayao, 1,236 in Baguio City, 1,048 in Benguet; 1, 048 also in Ifugao, 989 in Kalinga and 839 in Mountain Province.

There were 193 cases outside Cordillera but treated in various hospitals in the region.

Regional DOH dengue coordinator Dr. Alexei Marrero said dengue cases in Cordillera was down from a peak of 600 cases a week (recorded in August) to about 150 cases a week last month.

“Dengue cases, from all Cordillera provinces dropped by about 55 percent since August,’ Marrero said. “Majority of the reported cases belong to younger age brackets with 39 percent of the recorded dengue cases coming from 11-20 years age group while 27 percent were1-10 years old.”

Marrero said although there was no dengue outbreak reported, clustering of cases were still being done in some areas especially in the municipalities of Lamut, Kiangan, Mayoyao, Lagaw and Banaue in Ifugao, Tabuk in Kalinga and Sadanga in Mountain Province.

For Benguet clustering of cases were monitored in some areas in Itogon, La Trinidad and Mankayan.

In Baguio City, clustering of cases were also noted in barangays Irisan, Asin, Bakakeng Central and North, Fairview, Kias, Loacan Proper, Upper QM , San Luis, San Vicente and St. Joseph Village.

Cosalan: P680 M set for Benguet roads

LIGHT MOMENT -- Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan (center) banters with the media during in a press conference wherein he reported his programs and projects. The solon is the committee chairman on public works and Infrastructure in the Lower House. Also in photo are Gerry Evanglista (L) and March Fianza. -- Joseph Zambrano

By March Fianza

Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan, public works committee chair in congress said Benguet stands a share of at least P680 million in the General Appropriations Act which represents the amount needed for the regular maintenance of roads and other public infrastructure.

This is over and above the congressional district allocation in the amount of P50 million that is expected to fund projects identified by the district offices of the DPWH.

He was confident the fund was bigger by far in comparison to the share of other districts in the country that were unable to submit additional lists for the maintenance of public works in their provinces.

Apart from the budget allocation in the GAA, the amount is further augmented by the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) in the amount of PhP70 million that may subsidize financial requirements for health, education, rural electrification and various socio related projects.

Cosalan said Benguet’s priorities complement the recent statement of DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson that PNoy’s administration aims to have all national roads concreted by 2013.

He added the Department of Public Works and Highways in the province will prioritize maintenance and repair of farm-to-market roads and the construction of new school buildings.

“Our concern is to help raise the income of farmers and bring the market closer to them by improving farm-to-market roads,” he said.

At the same time, Cosalan said education also comes as a priority, citing the need to construct more classrooms and assign more teachers in the barrios.

In a press conference last week Cosalan said that along Kennon road, he often passes by schoolchildren who already have gotten used to hitchhiking just to be able to attend school.

“They hitchhike to school in the morning and hitchhike to go home in the afternoon,” he told newsmen.

He said, this means the province is in need of additional school buildings that will translate to more teachers.

The solon said he is looking at 30 additional teachers for Benguet as an initial increase in the province’s teaching force, considering reports that some teachers in the barrios teach two or three grade levels at the same time.

German firm donates P6M for storm victims: 'Juan,' flood losses, infra damage in Isabela hit P7 B

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – The onslaught of super typhoon “Juan” and recent floods have left at least P7 billion in crop losses and infrastructure damage in Isabela.

The province, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, incurred more than P3.5 billion in crop losses and infrastructure damage from the floods alone.

The super typhoon, the worst to hit Cagayan Valley in recent years, left Isabela, the country’s leading corn- and rice-producing province, with nearly P4 billion in losses in agricultural crops and infrastructure facilities.

“The succeeding floods ultimately finished off whatever standing crops survived from the typhoon,” said Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy III.

The recent calamities came as Isabela was still recovering from almost eight months of drought due to the El Niño phenomenon, which ruined more than P6 billion worth of crops.

“It’s very difficult to get back on our feet but I know we can recover after some time, as we were able to do in the past,” Dy said.

In its final flood damage report, the PDRRMC said Isabela’s rice, corn and vegetable crops as well as fishery products suffered the brunt of the floods, which inundated more than 70 percent of farmlands, leaving P2.6 billion in losses.

This, as one of the biggest welfare institution in Germany, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, donated 100,066 Euro (P6 million) to Citizens' Disaster Response Center for the families affected by Typhoon Juan (Megi) in Northern and Central Luzon.

The strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year left more than 400,000 families and damaged crops and infrastructures worth billions of pesos.
Some 30 people were also reported killed and 42 injured.

The CDRC and its regional centers are currently delivering emergency packs to the hardest-hit areas in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Tarlac, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Abra, Benguet and Ifugao.

These provinces suffered heavily from floods, landslides, destroyed houses and crop loss.

A total of 4,820 families will benefit from the relief packs, which contain 10 kilos of rice, and a kil0o each of monggo beans, dried fish, sugar, six cans sardines, 500 ml cooking oil, a bar of laundry soap, water container and bottled water.

“Northern and Central Luzon barely recovered from typhoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) last year, and here came another super typhoon,” said Carlos Padolina, CDRC deputy executive director.

CDRC is a non-government organization that pioneered and continues to promote community-based disaster management in the Philippines.

CDRC operates nationwide through a network of regional centers affiliated with the Citizens’ Disaster Response Network and through people’s organizations. – With a report from Charlie Lagasca

Benguet gives P6-M rehab aid to farmers

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-- The provincial government here approved the release of P6 million worth of agricultural rehabilitation assistance for thousands of calamity-stricken farmers in the 13 towns after the promised assistance from the Department of Agriculture still remains in the air.

Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan said agricultural assistance of the local government is aimed at preparing farmers on serious negative effects of the dry spell which is expected to affect the production of vegetables the coming months after their farms were heavily damaged by Typhoon Juan.

The P6-million assistance fund will be allotted for vegetable seeds, rolls of black hoses for irrigation purposes, farm tools, power sprayers, diesel-powered water pumps, black nets and mulching plastics.

Fongwan said the farm inclement was intended for thousands of vegetable and cutflower production to ensure steady supply of vegetables and cutflowers so unscrupulous smugglers will not take advantage of the supposed scarcity of the supply being produced in the locality. -- Dexter A. See

After six years: Justice continues to elude Luisita massacre victims

HACIENDA LUISITA, Tarlac -- After six years, justice continues to elude the victims of the Hacienda Luisita massacre, even as after decades of struggle, genuine land reform remains out of reach here for tillers of the vast Cojuangco-Aquino estate.

On Nov. 16, 2004, police and military forces fired upon hundreds of striking workers and their supporters in Hacienda Luisita, killing seven and injuring scores.

In the months following the massacre, prominent leaders and supporters of the strike, including the sugar central union president Ricardo Ramos, Tarlac City councilor Abel Ladera, and Aglipayan priest Fr. William Tadena, were assassinated, victims of extrajudicial killings by suspected military agents.

"Six years after the killings at Luisita, not a single perpetrator has been brought to justice," said CT Teachers Party-List Representative Antonio Tinio. "It is a sad and brutal reality that in our society, farmers can be massacred with impunity."

Tinio added “demands for justice and for genuine land reform at the Hacienda continues to be the litmus test of President Noynoy Aquino's commitment to human rights and social justice.”

“As the most powerful and prominent member of the Cojuangco clan, he has a huge personal responsibility in ensuring that justice is served. Luisita will continue to hound his administration for as long as the issues remain unresolved."

Tinio cited the Cojuangcos' efforts to implement a reportedly unequal stock-sharing scheme that would effectively deny farmers their right to own the land as well as reported negotiations to lease the lands to foreign investors, including the Chinese Wahaha group.

"Unfortunately, Aquino's hands-off attitude has allowed his clan to push policies within the Hacienda that have grossly aggravated the repression and landlessness of the farmers."

Tinio also condemned plans to conduct the joint RP-US training exercise known as Balikatan inside the vast sugar estate. "By allowing US troops to operate within the President's estate, Malacanang is raising the level of militarization and repression on the local population. This is an ill-advised move that can only be interpreted as self- serving on the part of PNoy. The Balikatan should be pulled out of Luisita."

“On the anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre, progressive teachers and education workers are in solidarity with the farmers of Hacienda Luisita in their search for justice and genuine agrarian reform," Tinio said.

Word ‘war’ heats up over Hundred Islands fishpens

By Mar T. Supnad

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The word war between provincial and Alaminos City officials on environmental degradation due to proliferating of fishponds within the area of the famous Hundred Islands has heated up Provincial Administrator Rafael F. Baraan expressed dismay on the reaction of Alaminos City government officials saying: “Rather than facing the issue squarely, Mayor Hernani Braganza dared Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. and 1st District Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste to issue a public apology for allegedly giving ‘false statements’ on the Hundred Islands issue.”

The issue cropped up when the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng Pilipinas invited Task Force Kalikasan on the update of the massive coastal and river clean-up in Pangasinan.

TFK showed aerial photos that revealed fishponds sprawling within the islands with task force deputy commander Tom Cabigas saying the agency will dig deeper into the issue to protect the Hundred Islands from further environmental degradation.

Following that media forum, Braganza urged the governor and later Rep. Celeste to make a public apology during a hastily-called press conference arranged by him.

“The issue here is why there are fishponds in the area,” Baraan said, “Whether these structures are old or new, the fact remains that these still exist in the area. What’s worse, they used corals to construct the dikes in some areas. This is a mortal sin.”

The other issue that boggles the mind, according to Baraan, is the fact that the Bolo Development Corporation (Bolodeco) was granted a Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) on January 1993 despite the issuance by then President Corazon Aquino of an executive order on Feb. 18, 1992 that excluded national parks and other protected areas from land distribution.

In addition to that, then President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1173 in 1977 “abrogating all leases and cancelling land titles and patents covering portions of Hundred Islands National Park.”

The decree cited “a few private persons have been able to title portions of the park after the segregation thereof from the public domain under Proclamation No. 667 dated January 18, 1940.”

The expose of Celeste that there are other private individuals who have bigger fishponds at the Hundred Islands than Bolodeco have raised bigger questions why the area had become host of fish farming business.

Celeste cited a story that came out in one national daily in year 2000 that three of the big time operators of fishponds in the area were the Braganzas.

The provincial administrator said the general principle is, all the islands clustered around the area are part of the Hundred Islands.

He said that if the fishponds are within the islands, most likely they must be part of the National Park.

“The Hundred Islands is slowly and systematically being destroyed by unscrupulous and greedy persons who are only after their vested interest,” Baraan said.

He said those in authority should act and should not allow this issue to remain unchecked and stay unattended. “The City of Alaminos was granted the authority through EO 436 in 2005 to operate and manage the Islands for tourism purposes. This cannot violate the NIPAS law by virtue of which the DENR exercises regulatory control and supervision over the islands.”

Then Philippine National Police regional director Amado T. Espino, Jr., recommended to then President Ramos the cancellation of the CLOA, citing the negative environmental effects of the fishponds within the area.

The president approved the request and in turn directed then DAR Secretary Ernesto Garilao and Energy Secretary Francisco Viray to institute cancellation proceedings.

In 1999, six years after the issuance of the CLOA, a petition was filed with the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB) at Lingayen, Pangasinan, for the cancellation of CLOA No. 92927.

Baraan said that the case has been up for resolution since February 1, 2000, or more than ten years, from now. What is keeping the DARAB from resolving the case?

While the case is pending, some of the beneficiaries are enjoying their property as the DARAB did not issue order to enjoin them from utilizing and developing the same, Baraan said.

“Still, if these action and activities violate NIPAS, what is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources doing about it?,” Baraan queried.

Baraan also said that the provincial government, under the leadership of Gov. Espino, is consistent with its policy on protecting the environment. “So far, the Task Force Kalikasan, has cleared 80 kilometers of rivers from fishpens and other illegal structures,” he added.

Baguio to buy 2 composters

BAGUIO CITY-- After several weeks of heated debates on what system to adopt to abate a looming garbage crisis, the city council confirmed the memorandum of agreement between the city government and a Manila-based company for the purchase of two Japan-made composting machines worth P128 million to stop expensive hauling of garbage to Capas, Tarlac.

With a vote of 10 councilors in favor of the agreement, 2 against and 2 abstentions, Protect Machineries, Inc. will now deliver the two 24-ton Japanese composting machines in the city before the first week of December and before the end of this year.

With the machines, over 66 tons of biodegradable waste generated by residents and tourists can be converted into compost fertilizer for sale to interested users.

Search still on for 20 Chinese sailors

By Charlie Lagasca
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – A joint Filipino-Japanese team are stil l on with search and rescue operations for 20 missing Chinese crewmen of a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel, which sank near the Taiwan border last Nov. 9.

So far, the bodies of two of the 25 crewmen of the ill-fated MV Nasco Diamond were recovered, while another three were rescued in the South China Sea off Batanes on Nov. 12.

Baguio launches 16th Panagbenga flower fest

LET A THOUSAND FLOWERS BLOOM – BAGUIO City officials and members of the Panagbenga executive committee headed by Mayor Mauricio Domogan, co-chairmen Anthony de Leon and Freddie Alquiros pose for posterity after the unveiling ceremony marking the launching of the 16th edition of Panagbenga at City Hall grounds last Nov. 15.— Bong Cayabyab

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY-- Foreign and domestic tourists have all the reasons to plan their visit to this mountain resort city during the 16th staging of the Panagbenga, popularly known as the Baguio Flower Festival, next year as organizers promised new innovations.

The month-long festivities will be held on Feb. 1 to March 6, 2011 with the theme “The Environment and Community In Harmony” to instill awareness among people importance of the state of the city’s scenic environment.

Highlights of the flower festival will be a culture-laden opening program that will feature the elimination round for the participants in the elementary and secondary levels of the street dancing competition, the famous market encounter featuring various floral arrangements and landscaping displays, the attractive fluvial and floral parade at the Burnham lake among others.

The major events, the grand street dancing parade and competition and the float parade will be held on Feb. 26 and 27, respectively.

On Feb. 28 to March 6, the whole stretch of Session Road, the city’s main thoroughfare, will be closed to vehicular traffic to pave the way for sidewalk cafes and display of floral souvenir items as well as convert the same into a promenade area.

Organizers also returned the traditional Pony Boys Day which will be held on March 2 whereby the pony boys at Wright Park will display their talents and skills with their horses which is a major tourist attraction in the country’s Summer Capital.

Winning multiple termers to be proclaimed - Comelec

Barangay heads who won in last month’s polls but are in the list of multiple termers of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s can be proclaimed, the Commission on Elections ruled.

In Resolution 9100, Comelec officials led by Chairman Jose Melo said the DILG made the list “without giving the person named in the list the opportunity to explain.”

“The omission amounts to a denial of the right to due process of the persons named therein,” the Comelec said.

Before the Oct. 25 barangay elections, the DILG submitted to the Comelec the names of 4,433 barangay heads who it said were no longer eligible to run as they had already served for three terms.

Because of this, the Comelec issued Resolution 9077 deferring the proclamation of those in the list if they ran and won for the same position despite having served for three or more consecutive terms.

The poll body also directed its law department to file cases of election offense against these barangay officials.

An election offense is punishable with six years’ imprisonment, and removal of the right to be elected in public office and to vote under the Omnibus Election Code.

But Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said the multiple termers “knew what they were doing and the burden of proof must be with them.”

He said the DILG submitted the list of “disqualified” barangay officials a day after the last day of filing of the certificates of candidacy last Sept. 30.

As much as the DILG would like to address the issue, Robredo said it had no power to do so since the matter should be handled by the Comelec.

Robredo cited Section 2 of Republic Act 9164, which provides for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, amending RA 7160 that states “that no barangay elective officials shall serve for more than three consecutive terms.”

He added that the same provision also states that “voluntary renunciation of office shall not be considered an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term for which the elective official was elected.”

Under Resolution 9100, the Comelec withdrew the authority of its law department “to institute petitions for disqualification… against any candidate” in the Oct. 25 barangay elections “who has allegedly served for three or more consecutive terms of office based on the list submitted by the DILG.”

The law department was also directed to “immediately withdraw all petitions for disqualification.”

The Comelec also asked the Barangay Board of Canvassers that suspended the proclamation to immediately reconvene and proclaim the winning candidates.

Miners cheat death inside Itogon tunnel

ITOGON, Benguet – Two miners were rescued alive Nov. 12 inside a small scale mine tunnel here at Sitio Garrison, Barangay Ucab here following a harrowing five-hour ordeal.

Rescued were Gerry Acloben, 20, native of Barangay Dalican in Bontoc, Mountain Province and John Bas-ang, 23, also from Bontoc who were trapped inside the tunnel.

Itogon policemen said daily rains weakened the soil and caused landslides inside the tunnel around 11 a.m. on Nov. 12.

Their miner-colleagues helped each other in digging out the soil.

After continuous digging, they found the duo alive at around 4 p.m. that same day, police said.
Both miners are now safe.

Supposedly abandoned mine tunnels of the Benguet Corp. here, have been branded “Benguet’s death chambers” for numerous accidents, one of which claimed another life on Nov. 2.

Jeffrey Forayan, 19, and 22 year old Roy Tanacio were taken out by rescuers at level 1000 after poisonous gas reportedly suffocated them.

Forayan died at the hospital while Tanacio recovered.

Both “camote miners” (small scale on-contract miners) who are natives of Sadanga town, also in Mountain Province, reportedly entered the mine tunnel Tuesday morning and met the harrowing suffocation.

Both reportedly passed out inside the tunnel alarming their co-workers who alerted emergency and rescue personnel.

The accidents continue to rise at abandoned mine tunnels here even as the regional Mining Geosciences Bureau banned small scale mining in the area.

Mid October, rescuers gave up on small scale miner Antonio Ambonjon, 29, who for almost two weeks remained inside another mine tunnel in the same area where at least 9 miners were killed in 2009 after they were also trapped.

Government engineer George Baywong of the MGB who ended the joint government and private rescue efforts in freezing 100-meter ground water at 114 shaft at the 700 meter level because of hazardous and beyond subhuman conditions even for experienced Phil. Navy frogmen said, accidents of the same nature continue to occur in these tunnels which are supposedly “closed after all”.

Operation below level 400 was earlier banned after authorities declared it as a danger zone after last year’s incident where more than two dozen miners were trapped for more than a week. Nine miners were killed and 8 were rescued from the tunnel mishap.

Sometimes, guards are overpowered with thousands of miners, he added. “You close them but when they go (inside the tunnel) when you are away.”

Engineer Baywong blamed the apparent “gold rush” in Itogon that even the government remains helpless.

The best way to solve the apparent problem is regulation, Baywong said, “although efforts are being ditched as actions even by the mining firm are too slow to mitigate the problem.”

Baywong admitted eve the moratorium on small scale mining after last year’s disaster has failed to even stop the “gold rush” in Itogon.

‘Schools of living traditions’ confab held

BAGUIO CITY -- A national symposium for strengthening Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) was held here Nov.14 which focused on importance of indigenous knowledge and how it can be merged in curriculum of regular schools.

Kidlat Tahimik of the Heritage and Arts Academies of the Philippines, Inc. said the symposium aimed to bring together indigenous knowledge with university curriculum to make it more holistic.

According to him, SLT could play a major role in maintaining indigenous knowledge alive.

Such knowledge is increasingly being appreciated globally as it could provide solutions to problems regarding global warming and forest conservation.

The symposium brought together 15 delegates from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao including artists, scholars and Indigenous People’s leaders.

Most activities were held at the Victor Oteyza Community Art Space at La Azotea Building in Session Road.

Public lectures by IP leaders and academics on indigenous knowledge systems and practices were held during the last day.

The symposium was sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Japan Foundation. -- Dianne Estino

Disaster training conducted in Ifugao

LAGAWE, Ifugao---A five-day first aid, search and rescue skills training was recently conducted here by the regional Office of the Civil Defense attended by around 50 participants from government offices.

The training was led by OCD’s Rex Manuel, also the chairman of the Heart Rescue Team of Benguet and Baguio City.

In his message, Gov. Eugene M Balitang said trainings such as this one was a need in times of emergencies or calamities and should be supported by the government.

Trainings included those on cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), techniques of carrying victims, bandaging, knot and rope techniques, rappelling, water and road rescue techniques. -- Ophel P. Dornagon

PDEA’s Opena cited for drug law enforcement

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union–Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1 Director Roberto S. Opena was presented a distinguished plaque of recognition here Friday by the Dangerous Drugs Board headed by Antonio “Bebot” A. Villar Jr. for extraordinary commitment to drug law enforcement.

The solemn ceremony was attended by distinguished guests of various civil society groups.

Opena’s noted accomplishments were the raiding of several ”shabu tiange” in La Union and Pangasinan provinces, arrest of a number of drug groups responsible for proliferation of shabu at Region 1, an estimated 2.5 billion worth of illegal hemp destroyed at the tri-boundaries of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Benguet, discovery of the Pampanga shabu warehouse on Feb. 28, 2009 and the recovery of 623 million worth of shabu on the shores of Dingalan, Aurora.

As a result, the PDEA RO1 was awarded the “Best PDEA Regional Office of the year 2008-2009”.

Due to his effective stint in curbing the illegal drug trade, he was chosen Area Task Group Alpha commander for Northern Luzon covering Regions 1, 2 including the Cordillera. – Bismarck L. Bengwayan

Chilean ambassador graces 2010 Mining Week festivities

Chile Ambassador Roberto Mayorga receives a plaque from Philippine Society of Mining Engineers national president and Philippine Mines safety and Environment association president Louie Sarmiento during the 57th Annual National Mines Safety and Environment Conference at Camp John Hay last week. Mayorga stressed need for stronger ties between Chile and the Philippines particularly on mining and energy industries. Redjie Melvic Cawis

BAGUIO CITY-- Chilean Ambassador to the Philippines Roberto Mayorga was premier guest during the 57th annual national Philippine Mine Safety and Environment conference which was held in this mountain resort city Nov. 17 to 20.

Mayorga was guest speaker during the mining symposium spearheaded by the country’s mineral industry.

He discussed Chile’s successful rescue mission of 33 miners trapped inside a mine tunnel for over two months.

The theme of this year’s celebration was “Ang Minerong Pinoy: Makakalikasan, Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran (Filipino Miners: Pro-Environment, Partners in Progress).”

The Chilean government has been lauded by numerous world leaders for the successful rescue of the trapped miners who were trapped at least 600 meters under a collapsed copper-gold site in Copiapo, Chile for exactly 69 days. -- Dexter A. See

‘1 activist killed every week’

EDITORIAL

At least one activist has been killed every week since President Aquino assumed office on June 30, according to the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

Citing data provided by human rights group Karapatan, Bayan noted there have been at least 22 cases of unexplained killings recorded since Aquino became president. This had been the trend particularly during the Arroyo administration wherein a lot of innocent people, out of their political beliefs, were killed from Northern Luzon to Mindanao allegedly by bloodthirsty agents of the State.

Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said there had been “one unexplained killing a week and the trend is alarming.” There has been no letup in the cases of extrajudicial killings even under the Aquino administration. Despite government claims that killings are being solved, there are fresh cases every month. Reyes said the fact that the killings continue indicates that the Aquino administration is not doing enough.

This month alone, two alleged politically related killings have been reported. Last Nov. 12, two men on a motorcycle gunned down Caloy Rodriguez, president of the Calamba Water District. On Nov. 7, peasant leader Ireneo Rodriguez was shot dead by unidentified men in Batangas.

Many human rights groups have called on the Aquino government to abandon the counter insurgency program called Oplan Bantay Laya which targets unarmed activists on the basis that they are suspected communist rebels. According to Bayan, there had been no headway in this regard as the old policies and practices remain as far as the Armed Forces of the Philippines is concerned.

Human rights lawyer Al Parreno in his report on unexplained killings from 2001 to 2010 has called for the creation of a “truth commission” that would seek to determine if it was a policy of the previous Arroyo administration to kill political activists.

Parreno also recommended the formation of a dedicated team of prosecutors to handle cases of such killings, citing the low conviction rate of 1.05 percent for over 300 cases filed between 2001 and 2010.

Will P-Noy take heed of this issue? So far the President has not yet made specific pronouncements on this issue like the “wang-wang” which produced instant results.

If P-Noy wants to lessen or stop these senseless and illegal deaths purportedly carried out by State death squads, he can make the pronouncement and start measures to stop these now.

Fake medicines

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

Beware of that drug you are about to buy. A coalition of doctors, pharmacists, drug regulators and distributors is sounding the alarm on the proliferation of fake medicines.

Describing counterfeiting of medicines as a “perfect crime,” the Samahan Laban sa Pekeng Gamot (Samahan) warned that based on Health department figures, 10 percent or one of every 10 medicines in the Philippines is fake.

“Consumers unwittingly buy from drugstores with counterfeit medicines. If that patient dies, no one will be going to report anymore because the patient is already dead,” said Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag, Samahan spokesman and chair of the Cosmetics Committee of the Philippine Medical Association.

Calimag said fake medicines should be flushed out immediately from market. She said the true extent of the counterfeiting problem is “hidden” and that the 10-percent estimate is based only on reported cases to the Food and Drugs Administration.

“From the point of view of the PMA, we strongly recommend that we buy only from Food and Drugs Administration- listed pharmacies. Source is important. As doctors we do our diagnosis, and then we depend on medicines to work,” she added.

Samahan raised the warning against fake drugs as the nation celebrates this month the “National Consciousness Week against Fake Medicines” as mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 2082.

The Food and Drugs Administration, the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Pharmacists Association and the Drug Stores Association of the Philippines, among others, comprise Samahan.

In its website, Samahan said the international sources of fake medicines are China, India and Pakistan. The local sources are in Manila, Cebu, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon.
The country’s pharmaceutical industry is a P112 billion business.

PPA president Leonila Ocampo said “the business from counterfeit medicines will go to as high as $75 billion” worldwide.

“The proliferation of fake medicines in Asia is quite high. We really take this seriously as our advocacy in as much as pharmacists we all know are the very people who can get their medicines very easily,” Ocampo said.

To detect counterfeits, Calimag has advised consumers to “first carefully check the label on the medicine and in the packaging to avoid purchasing the fake ones.”

“Check the color, the texture, and if possible, the taste of the medicine. Beware also if the packaging is different and if the price is significantly or unusually low,” she said. “It is equally critical to buy only from FDA-licensed pharmacy,” she added.

Calimag said fake medicines are hazardous to health because they “are neither tested nor approved, may contain toxic, unlisted and substandard ingredients.”

Counterfeit products pertain to those sold under established product name without proper authorization, or those with insufficient, excess, or wrong active ingredients.

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