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Aquino to build ‘bridge ofpeace’ inside rebel stronghold

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Seaweeds sustain Zamboanga IDPsor most of his life,Faizal Pasaki’s ex-istence has beenclosely tied to theF

seas. He begins his day atdawn, trailing his boatthrough the calm waterinto a field of empty plas-tic bottles bobbing on the

surface, holding up ropesto harvest seaweed.

Until recently, indig-enous groups of Muslimtribes like the Tausug andSama Dilaut have been liv-ing in stilt houses andfarming seaweed along theshores of idyllic island vil-lages like Leha-Leha andLayag-Layag inZamboanga City onMindanao Island in south-ern Philippines.

This tradition wasshattered when clashesbroke out between MoroNational Liberation Frontmembers and governmentforces in Zamboanga inSeptember 2013. Some120,000 people were dis-placed from 11 coastal vil-lages. Many ended up inevacuation centers andcamps, unsure if theywould be allowed to returnhome or to resume theirtraditional livelihoods.

After many months ofliving in squalid condi-tions in these camps, some370 displaced people,among them vulnerablewomen and children, havereturned to the island-vil-lages since last December.

“It’s good to be backhere,” said Pasaki, a sea-weed farmer trying to re-

build his life back inLeha-Leha. He is lookingforward to ending hisfamily’s dependency onfood provided by the localgovernment. “We haveour livelihood here. Life ishere. We cannot continueto survive on canned sar-dines and instantnoodles.”

Peter Deck, head ofMindanao operations ofthe United Nations HighCommissioner for Refu-gees, added: “Allthroughout their lives,seaweed farming hasbeen their source of in-come. This is their tradi-tional livelihood and it isthrough this that theycan provide for theirfamilies.”

Recognizing this,UNHCR is supporting alivelihoods project tobuild concrete platformson stilts that will allowfarmers to dry their sea-weed under the sun.Members of the commu-nity are helping with theconstruction. For ex-ample, Faizal is pouringcement into hollowwooden columns. Othersfasten bamboo panelstogether for the flooring.

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From fighter to preacher, ex-rebel now leadsnew battle to spread words of God throughJesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry

former NewPeople’s Armyamazon hasabandoned herA

struggle only to embracethe teachings of God fol-lowing her peaceful sur-render recently throughthe Jesus Miracle Cru-sade International Min-istry ( JMCIM) in Abraprovince in CordilleraAdministrative Region inLuzon.

Ka Eden, who alsogoes by her other alias KaPrima during her 15years as fighter in thecommunist rebel group,said she found the truemeaning of life and howprecious it is now after

joining the JMCIM.She said the miracu-

lous power of prayers andfaith to God has openedher eyes to the true mean-ing of happiness andfulfilment and the newmission to serve humanityand spread the teachingsof the Almighty throughJMCIM.

Brother DannyCuarteros, himself a war-rior – a prayer warrior ofthe JMCIM – said Ka Primahas shared her emotionaltestimony during a recentcrusade at the BaguioConvention Center.

“The spirit of God iswith her as she gave hertestimony. It was very in-

spiring and the teachingsand power of God were allover us. The strong faith toGod through JMCIM isguiding her,” he told theregional newspaperMindanao Examiner.

“Ka Eden operated inthe different areas in theCagayan Valley Region –from San Mariano toIlagan in Isabela – but thepresence of JMCIM in theregion has brought hermiracles and eventuallyled her to acknowledgedand embraced God, andnow is leading anotherbattle and this time all inthe name of the Lord,”Cuarteros said.

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Sulu Governor Totoh Tan and his entourage during the inauguration or various infrastructureprojects on Pandami Island. (Photos by Ahl-franzie Salinas)

overnor TotohTan led provin-cial and mu-nicipal officialsG

in the inauguration ofvarious infrastructureprojects on the island-town of Pandami where healso spoke to the localsand vowed support topeace and developmentefforts there.

The young politician,accompanied by ViceGovernor Sakur Tan, ini-tially inaugurated at least30 units of solar-poweredstreet lights in the villageof Hambilan.

He also inauguratedand handed-over to localgovernment and policeofficials led by MayorIntan Berto and Sulu po-

lice chief Abraham Orbitathe new Pandami munici-pal police station, also inthe same village which isthe main business districtof the island.

Policemen praised theprovincial leadership for itssupport to the local au-thorities.

Governor Tan has as-sured islanders of more roadprojects and other infra-structures in an effort to up-lift the living standards andlivelihood and the eco-nomic competitiveness andstability of Pandami.

Former PandamiMayor Hatta Berto was allpraises to the governor andhis efforts and for visiting theisland with his entourageand among them was Hajja

Nurunisah Tan, head of theSulu Provincial

Women’s Council and Pro-vincial Health Officer Dr.Fahra Omar.

Some of Sulu’s mayorsand provincial board mem-bers were also there andgraced the occasion.

Vice Governor Tanspoke well of the accom-plishments of the local gov-ernment officials and told ahuge crowd that welcomedthem: “Yun mabilis naprogreso ng Pandami ayhindi dahil sa amin…at iyanay dahil sa inyongipinakitang suporta sa mgaopisyales ng Pandami.”

The crowd cheered thevisiting officials. (Ahl-franzie Salinas)

SSSSSee photos on page 3ee photos on page 3ee photos on page 3ee photos on page 3ee photos on page 3

Sulu governor brings joy,cheers to islanders

he Philippine gov-ernment is to builda P10-million steelfoot bridge inside aT

rebel enclave inMaguindanao province inthe restive Muslim autono-mous region where 44 policecommandos were brutallykilled in January during ananti-terror operation.

The bridge, according tomilitary officials, is part of thegovernment’s peace and de-velopment project inTukanalipao village inMamasapano town wheregovernment officials led thegroundbreaking ceremonyon March 31. It would becalled “bridge of peace.”

It was attended by Bud-get Secretary FlorencioAbad, Armed Forces of thePhilippines Chief of StaffGeneral Gregorio Catapang,6th Infantry Division com-mander Major GeneralEdmundo Pangilinan, andMoro Islamic LiberationFront spokesman Von Al

Haq.Abad said that the

project “will change the im-age of Mamasapano from aplace of tragedy into a pro-gressive town.”

He said aside from thebridge, the government willalso build mosques, schoolbuildings, road and liveli-hood projects that will ben-efit the communities in theprovince.

Catapang said that therewill still be continuous con-duct of a focused militaryoperation. “Various peaceinfrastructure projects willbe built in conflict areas ofMaguindanao wherein themilitary forces will lead itsimplementation. Before Ivow out of service in the mili-tary, I desire for peace andprosperity in Mindanao,” hesaid.

“The government is veryoptimistic that the saidproject will bring peace anddevelopment in the arealand will help bring back

normalcy in the lives of thepeople,” he added. Oncecompleted, rebels will alsobe able to use the bridge tomove equipment andweapons much faster.

The area is within theterritory of the Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front’s105th Base Commandwhose members weretagged, along with theBangsamoro Islamic Free-dom Fighters, as behind thekillings of the police com-mandos.

The commandos,members of the elite Spe-cial Action Force, were am-bushed as they were return-ing from the mission thatkilled Malaysian bomberZulkifli bin Hir inside theMILF stronghold.

Police and militaryhave accused MILF com-manders in the area of cod-dling Zulkifli and anotherFilipino bomber BasitUsman. (Mindanao Exam-iner)

Apr. 13-19, 20152 The Mindanao Examiner

Pro-government militia killscouple in Davao NorteTAGUM CITY- A pro-gov-ernment militia shot deada farming couple who re-jected his demand to puthim first in queue in thefamily-owned corn mill inDavao del Norte’sKapalong town, a humanrights group said Tuesday.

Karapatan said the mi-litia, who is under the 72ndInfantry Battalion, alsoopened fire on other farm-ers in the corn mill and at-tempted to shoot at the

couple’s eight-year olddaughter.

Both Reynaldo Martir,Sr and his wife Teresitawere killed in the rampagewhich occurred near amilitary post, but soldiersfailed to arrest the militiawho later escaped.

Hanimay Suazo,Karapatan’s Secretary-General, condemned thetwin murder which oc-curred just recently.

She called on the gov-

ernment to disband all mi-litia groups under the com-mand of the Philippinemilitary.

“Once again, we callfor the immediate dis-bandment of paramilitaryforces and call for the pull-out of state troops in thecountryside,” Suazo said,adding, “state forces haveonly wrought gross humanrights violations against ci-vilians.” (Mindanao Exam-iner)

For all applicants, please secure PEOS Online Certificate as part of POEA requirements.Visit www.peos.poea.gov.ph to register and take the online training modules.

General Santos City erectsmemorial shrine for lost fishermenGENERAL SANTOS CITY -The local government hasbuilt a memorial shrine toremember the more than 300fishermen from GeneralSantos City and nearby areaswho perished during the2012 Typhoon Pablo that hitMindanao.

The construction of theshrine, located at PlazaHeneral Santos, was thebrainchild of Mayor RonnelRivera as a tribute to thefishermen.Rivera, with

Sangguniang Panlungsodapproval, allotted more thanP130,000 for the construc-tion of the monument atPendatun Avenue.

“We are trying to finishthis shrine as soon as thisMarch so that we can hold aceremonial unveiling of thisone together with the fami-lies of those missing fisher-men,” Rivera said.

“We will make sure thatwe will improve our plazasince this is one of the recre-

ational sites of GeneralSantos. We want to makethem comfortable and safewhile they are here,” headded.

He said the monumentis also a part of the beautifi-cation efforts at PlazaHeneral Santos. He said anadditional P4 million wouldbe allotted to improve the fa-cilities of the park and repairexisting structures, includingadditional lights, amongother. (Ian John Lagare)

Mayor Ronnel Rivera and Councilor Shandee Pestano inspected recently the nearly-finishedmemorial shrine in Plaza Heneral Santos. The shrine is erected to remember the more than300 fishermen from General Santos and perished during the typhoon Pablo in 2012. (Photo byRussell Delvo)

Filipino tourists enjoy the swimming pools at Mahomamoy Beach Resort located at Lake Agcoin Kidapawan City in North Cotabato province. The pools' water - fresh and warm - comesfrom natural spring from the foot of Mount Apo and is a favorite destination during summertime. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Geonarri Solmerano)

Apr. 13-19, 2015 3The Mindanao Examiner

Sulu governor brings joy, cheers to islandersCCCCContinued frontinued frontinued frontinued frontinued from page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1

Sulu Governor Totoh Tan and his entourage during the inauguration or various infrastructure projects on Pandami Island. (Photos by Ahl-franzie Salinas)

Apr. 13-19, 20154 The Mindanao Examiner

The Mindanao Examiner 5Apr. 13-19, 2015

Kawalan ng kuryenteproblema pa rin sa Mindanao

ILIGAN CITY – Patuloy angmatinding kawalan ngkuryente sa malaking bahaging Mindanao dahil sakakulangan ng power plantssa rehiyon.

Alarmado na rin angmaraming industriya dahilsa pabalik-balik naproblema sa kuryente.

Kamakailan lamang ayhalos 8 oras ang blackout saMindanao.

Sinabi ni Energy Sec.Jericho Petilla na sa inisyal naulat na nakalap nito ay “tech-nical” umano sa linya ngkuryente ang sanhi ngmalawakang blackout. “Ithought this has somethingto do with security, but it’smore of a technical (glitch)and inaalam pa namin kungano ang sanhi nito,” aniPetilla.

Sa Zamboanga City aymaraming beses naputulanng kuryente at gayun saDavao, Koronadal, GeneralSantos, Iligan at iba panglugar.

Tikom naman ang bibigng mga opisyal ng NationalGrid Corporation of the Phil-ippines sa naganap na black-

out at patuloy pa rin ito araw-araw at gabi-gabi.

Binatikos naman nghusto ng Bagong AlyansangMakabayan sa SouthernMindanao (BAYAN-SMR)ang pamahalaang Aquinodahil sa pagpapabayaumano nito sa elektrisidad saMindanao, gayun sanaturang rehiyon kinukuhang gobyerno ang malakingbahagi ng yaman ng bansa.

“The only thing risingtoday are the people’s queriesas to why up till now, Davaoand many other parts ofMindanao suffer from powerproblems, when Mindanaois known as an island full ofenergy sources,” ani SheenaDuazo, ang tagapagsalita ngBAYAN-SMR.

Nangangamba rin siDuazo na ang walanghumpay na blackout saMindanao ay bahagi ng pro-paganda ng pamahalaanupang maisulong angpribatisasyon ng Agus atPulangi power station sarehiyon.

“This power interrup-tions may become the justi-fication to privatize the en-

ergy sector,” wika pa niDuazo.

“If Aquino were sincerefrom the start in his wishes toprovide enough power forthe people of Mindanao, hewould have undertaken therehabilitation and upgrad-ing of the current powerplants in order to efficientlyprovide electricity.”

“For instance, the Agus-Pulangi power plant nowonly generates 570 MW ofpower today, roughly half ofthe 1,000 MW it used to sup-ply back then. With this prob-lem Agus-Pulangi furthersinks with the steps leadingto privatization of the saidpower plant, approved byAquino,” pahayag pa niDuazo sa Mindanao Exam-iner. Nais ng BAYAN-SMR nabigyan tuon ngpamahalaang angnasyonalisasyon ng powerindustry at hindi ibigay samga ganid na kapitalista naang tanging hangad lamangumano ay kumita ng limpak-limpak na salapi sapaghihirap ng mga powerconsumers. (Mindanao Ex-aminer)

CCCCContinued forontinued forontinued forontinued forontinued form page 1m page 1m page 1m page 1m page 1Prima surrendered fol-

lowing a firefight with gov-ernment troops in 2012, ac-cording to Cuarteros, whonarrated the emotional tes-timony of the former rebelbefore a huge crowd inBaguio City.

“Nagkasagupaan anggrupo ni Ka Prima at Philip-pine Army noong 2012 andaccording to her testimonyat the Baguio ConventionCenter on April 3, 2015 dur-ing the JMCIM crusade aynakubkob sila at tumakasang kumander nila at siyabilang second in rank con-tinued the fight at nag-divedsiya at dumapa sa malalimna hukay sa lupa upanghindi tamaan ng mga bala

from the soldiers.”“She prayed to the Lord

Jesus and said kung totoongDios ka iligtas mo ako atmaglilingkod ako sa iyo. Atsa puntong iyon ay biglangtumigil ang putukan mulasa hanay ng militar atgumapang siya sa directionna hindi pinanggalingan ngmga putok ng baril.Nakauwi siya at kinumbinseng mga mahal sa buhay nasumuko na. Isang arawbiglang dumating ang mgamilitary men at tumalonsiya mula sa bahay atnagtago sa ilalim ng bahayng mga manok, perotinutukan ng mga sundaloang mga love ones niya atpinagbantaang papatayinsilang lahat kapag hindi siya

sumuko. At upang mailigtasang buhay ng kanyangpamilya ay lumabas siya sataguan at sumuko sa mgasundalo,” Cuarteros said.

He said it was BrotherTomas Payangdo, a memberof the JMCIM in Abra whohad convinced Prima to al-low God in her heart. “SiBrother Tomas Payangdo,isang member ng JMCIM saAbra ang humayo sa kanyaand she received water bap-tism in Jesus name,”Cuarteros said.

During her testimony,Prima also admitted that shewas a former NPA com-mander and a lesbian at thatand the JMCIM has broughtmiracles to her heart inGod’s name and acknowl-

From fighter to preacher, ex-rebel now leads new battle to spread wordsof God through Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry

edged that prayers and faithchanged her dramatically.

“Sa kanyang patotoo,inamin ni Ka Prima o KaEden na siya ay dating NPAcommander and tomboy atsinabi pa niya na hindi niyamabilang an dami ng taongkanyang hinusgahan ng

kamatayan sa kilusan saloob ng 15 years ng siya aynasa CPP-NPA-NDF,”Cuarteros said.

The JMCIM – led by aninternationally known pas-tor Evangelist Wilde Almedaand his wife, Assistant Pas-tor Lina Almeda – is one of

the largest and most suc-cessful apostolic churchesbased in the Philippineswith millions of followers inthe country alone. It has sta-tions also in the UnitedStates and other parts of theworld. (Mindanao Exam-iner)

CCCCContinued frontinued frontinued frontinued frontinued from page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1om page 1It is a worthy invest-

ment: A kilogram of freshseaweed can sell for 4 pe-sos while the same weightin dried seaweed can fetchnearly nine times more inincome.

In Leha-Leha, an air ofnormality is returning aspeople get back on theirfeet – children are goingback to school, the womenare at home tying bundlesof seaweed for plantingwhile the men are out atsea collecting seaweed.

But Pasaki is con-cerned over the temporarynature of their return. Forreasons of security and en-vironmental hazards, thelocal government has an-nounced a policy to desig-nate island villages as “noreturn” zones.

Seaweeds sustain Zamboanga IDPsWhether this policy will

be lifted is still unclear. Au-thorities said a geo-hazardmapping must be carriedout first to establish that theareas are really hazard-prone and not fit for habi-tation. The PhilippineCommission on HumanRights is monitoring theseissues that affect the rightsof the displaced families.

“We are people of thesea,” said Pasaki. “There’sno other place we wouldrather be. Put us in anotherplace and we would stillfind ourselves back here.”

Presently there are over30,000 internally displacedpeople in Zamboanga Cityawaiting return or reloca-tion to permanent shelters.The authorities target com-pleting construction ofthese permanent shelters

by June this year.Alongside other UN

agencies and the rest of thehumanitarian community,UNHCR said it welcomessolutions planned by the lo-cal authorities.

“Any durable solutionimplemented must recog-nize the IDPs’ right to free-dom of movement and re-spect the right to return totheir places of origin” saidDeck. “Where return is notfeasible, voluntary reloca-tion must be consideredand cultural sensitivitymust be observed for thisvulnerable group of indig-enous people.”

Whether they opt forreturn or relocation, it willlikely be a long road to re-covery for Zamboanga’sdisplaced. (By KeneathJohn Bolisay)

Mayor Beng Climaco addresses 1,400 college students composing the first batch of SummerProgram for the Employment of Students (SPES) during the orientation Wednesday afternoonat the City Coliseum which was also attended by barangay officials and students' parents.(Photo by Joey Bautista)

Apr. 13-19, 20156 The Mindanao Examiner

The Mindanao Examiner 7Apr. 13-19, 2015

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NAHILO: Mga Posibleng DahilanPayo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong

1. Problema sa mata –Kung malabo na ang iyongmata, puwede kangmahilo sa pagbabasa.Kung madalas mag-com-puter, nakahihilo rin.Dapat ay ipahinga angmata at tumingin samalayo para ma-relaks ito.Magpagawa ng salamin odili kaya’y baguhin na anggrado ng salamin.

2. Problema sa tainga– Nasa tainga kasi natinang vestibular systemkung saan nagmumulaang pakiramdam natin sabalanse at pag-galaw.Kung may dumi oimpeksiyon sa tainga,puwede ito magdulot ngmatinding pagkahilo (ver-tigo).

3. High blood o lowblood – Kung ika’y mayhigh blood, puwede kangmahilo at manakit angiyong batok. Kung ikawnaman ay low blood, ane-

Dr. Willie T. Ong

mic at maputla, puwede karin mahilo. Dapat ang bloodpressure natin ay nasapagitan ng 140/90 angpinakamataas at 90/60 angpinakamababa.

4. Nerbiyos at stress –Ang mga nerbiyosong tao aymadalas din mahilo. Kapagkinakabahan, natatakot onakasaksi ng nakahihindikna bagay, puwede silangmahilo. Ang tawag dito aypanic attack o nerbiyos.

Kailangan lang nila namagpahinga at uminomng pampa-relax.

5. Kulang sa oxygen –Minsan naman ay maynahihilo o nahihimatay saisang mataong lugar tuladng simbahan o rally. Dalaito ng matinding init atdami ng tao. Kailanganlang magpahinga,magpahangin atmawawala rin ang hilo.

6. Kulang sa pagkain oanemic. Baka bumaba angblood sugar dahil hindikumain.

7. Stroke – Ang istrokay may matindingpagkahilo at maykasamang panghihina ngisang parte ng katawan.Seryoso itong sakit atkailangan makita agad ngdoktor.

Para sa inyongkaragdagang katanungan,komunsulta sa inyongdoktor.

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Who is holding kidnapped Zambo town mayor?AUTHORITIES said eitherthe Abu Sayyaf or membersof the Moro Islamic Libera-tion Front “lost command”is believed holding Nagatown Mayor Gemma

Adana. The politician was kid-napped by six masked gun-men last week and that se-curity forces were dis-patched to search for

Adana.Capt. Frank Suelto, a

spokesman for the 1st In-fantry Division, said Adanawas taken from her home inthe village of TaytayManubo.

He said the armed mendragged her out of thehouse to a waiting speed-boat by the river and spedoff under cover of darkness.“We have dispatchedtroops to help police forcessearch for the mayor,” hetold the regional newspa-per Mindanao Examiner.

It was not immediatelyknown why the policefailed to detect the daringassault or if the mayor hadno bodyguards at the timeof the raid.

Quoting military re-ports, Suelto said the gangarrived in the town in threeboats, but it was unclearwhether the gunmen weremembers of the Abu Sayyafor other rebel group.

Police said the gun-men, clad in camouflageuniform, were all wearingski mask and escaped to theopen sea.

Inspector DahlanSamuddin, a regional po-lice spokesman, said themayor was with dining to-gether with her family whenthe gunmen barged in thehouse and seized her.

“The victim was takingmeals together with the en-tire family inside theirdwelling, when suddenlythree unidentified suspects,wearing camouflage uni-form, armed with highpower firearms appearedtherein and at gun pointforcibly dragged the victimtowards the back portion oftheir house into a waitingmotorized pump boat colorblue and immediately spedoff heading towards thehigh seas,” he said in a re-port.

Samuddin said localpolicemen and soldiers pur-sued the raiders, but failed tocatch up with them.

No individual or groupclaimed responsibility forthe kidnapping, but theprovince is a lair rebelgroups and criminal syndi-cates. (Christina Diabordo)

Soldier killed by BIFF honored,body sent back to familyMAGUINDANAO – ThePhilippine Army’s 6th Infan-try Division has sent thebody of a soldier to his fam-ily following a solemn cer-emony last week that hon-ored the slain infantrymankilled in a clash with rebelsin Maguindanao provincein the restive Muslim au-tonomous region.

Capt. Maria Rowena

Muyuela, a spokeswomanfor the Western MindanaoCommand, said the casketcontaining the body of Pfc.Marlon Reyes was trans-ported to Manila by a Philip-pine Air Force C130 cargoplane. It will be brought to hishometown in Batangas City.

Col. Arnel dela Vega, ofthe 6th Infantry Division,also handed over to Reyes’

parents a Posthumous Mili-tary Merit Medal in recogni-tion for the soldier’s bravery.

Reyes was a member ofthe 14th Mechanized Infan-try Company under the 1stMechanized Infantry Battal-ion who engagedBangsamoro Islamic Free-dom Fighters in Datu SaudiAmpatuan town this month.(Mindanao Examiner)

Letters to the Editor – Spare theLife of OFW Mary Jane VelosoDear Editor,

THE National Council ofChurches in the Philippines(NCCP) joins the Filipinopeople in the call to save thelife of OFW Mary Jane Velosowho has been sentenced todeath by the IndonesianGovernment allegedly fordrug trafficking. Accordingto accounts, she was a victimof a drug syndicate and wasin Indonesia only becauseshe was told a job as a do-mestic helper awaited herthere.

Mary Jane is a singlemother of two who flew toDubai in 2009 to work. Shereturned a year later after heremployer attempted to rapeher. In April 2010, she was il-legally recruited by a friendto work in Malaysia. Butupon setting foot in Malay-sia, she was told the job wasnot available anymore. Thesame friend persuaded her togo to Indonesia insteadwhere she was arrested. Shewas duped into carrying asizable amount of heroin inthe luggage her friend en-trusted to her. She was jailedthen later sentenced to deathby the Indonesian SupremeCourt that same year. Hercase was submitted for judi-cial review but rejected later.Indonesia is now preparing

to transfer Mary Jane into themaximum security cell inNusakambangan Island un-til her execution through fir-ing squad.

Our hearts are painedwhenever we hear stories likethis. To think that we com-memorated the 20th year ofFlor Contemplacion’s execu-tion a couple of weeks ago.Mary Jane’s case and the sto-ries of the other OFWs ondeath row is one of the con-sequences of the exodus ofpeople to other countries. Onone hand, this is forced mi-gration instigated by thedream of a better life for theirfamilies at home. On theother hand, migration is partof the development agendaof the state not for the work-ers’ welfare but for their re-mittances as workers over-seas.

According to accounts,Mary Jane was not providedwith a lawyer for her defense.She was only provided witha translator. It is the samething that happened to FlorContemplacion. It is thesame circumstance thatmany Filipinos who are nowon death row overseas findthemselves in, especially inthe Middle East. Twentyyears and nothing haschanged, the same govern-ment neglect that caused the

death of Flor Contemplacionin 1995 is still the main rea-son why many OFWs are ondeath row.

We thus appeal to thegovernment to immediatelytake action to save the life ofMary Jane. We echo the callof our migrant sisters andbrothers: “we do not wantanother FlorContemplacion!” While it isparamount that everythingbe done to save her life in theimmediate, in the long run,the best way to prevent an-other case like this is to pro-vide adequate jobs here inthe country. Jobs that canprovide decent lives for all.

We also bring MaryJane’s case to the public’s at-tention and the churchesaround the world. Let us jointogether in praying and call-ing on the Indonesian gov-ernment to heed the appealby the United Nations andvarious governments forclemency. We maintain thatMary Jane is a victim of an or-ganized criminal drug syndi-cate and should not be ex-ecuted. As we observe thisseason of Lent and Christ’svictory over death, we arehopeful that Mary Jane, withus on her side, will triumphover this darkness in her life.Rev. Fr. REX R. B. REYES, Jr.General Secretary – NCCP

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ng Departmentof Educationnipahibalo ngaang school yearA

2015-2016 sa mgap a m p u b l i k o n gtunghaan sa elemen-tary ug high schoolmagsugod sa Hunyo 1ug matapos sa Abril 1,2016.

Base sa DepartmentOrder No. 9 ngagipagawas na DepEddiin gibutang ang mgadetalye sa bag-ong aca-demic calendar, adunay201 school days ningtuig, apil na ang lima kaadlaw nga In-ServiceTraining break.

Matud pa ni DepEdSec. Armin Luistro,samtang adunay mgapribadong tunghaan

nga mosimang sa schoolcalendar, kinahanglangmagsugod ang ilangklase gikan Hunyo 1hangtud Agosto 31.

G i i n g o n gkinahanglang ipahibalodaan sa mga pribadongtunghaan sa mgahingtungdang opisyal saDepEd ang petsa sapagbukas sa ilang mgaklase kun dili silamosugod pagbukas sailang klase sama sa mgapampublikong tunghaansa Hunyo 1.

Matud pa usab niLuistro nga ang mgatunghaan mahimongmopahigayon og mganasudnon ug lokal ngaselebrasyon, holidays ugmga advocacy activitiesgawas sa nakabutang sa

school calendar, bastakinahanglang masunodlang gihapon ang totalnumber of school days.

“Make-up classes cantherefore be conductedto compensate for theschool days spent for ac-tivities deemed benefi-cial to the learning-teaching process. Like-wise, make-up classes arerecommended in lieu ofno-school days due tooccurrence of a naturaland man-made calami-ties,” matud pa ni Luistro.

Dugang pa saKalihim, ang mekanismosa pagpahigayon ogmake-up classkinahanglang uyonan samga school administra-tors ug mga ginikanan samga estudyante. (ECB)

Plight of the whale sharkshilippine authori-ties have ex-pressed alarmover the contin-P

ued interaction by hu-mans, mostly divers andtourists, with whale sharksin the sea off the town ofOslob in Cebu province.

Tourists were reportedfeeding and in many caseshad been photographedtouching whale sharkswhich are not allowed.

The Bureau of Bureauof Fisheries and AquaticResource has dispatched ateam to investigate the re-ports after several groupsand nongovernmental or-ganizations also expressedconcern over the humaninteraction with whalesharks also known locallyas “butanding.”

The presence of whalesharks in the sea off Cebuhas attracted thousands oflocal and foreign tourists

the past years.One website -

Oslobwhalesharks.com - isalso promoting whaleshark watching in Oslob.

In its website, it said:“We are here to organizeday tour trips on whaleshark encounters with sidetrip to Tumalog waterfalls.We have concentrated onanswering your most im-portant questions ontransport, activities, attrac-tions, and accommoda-tion.”

“Watching of whalesharks in Oslob Cebu is 99%guaranteed. Whale sharkscan be seen in a smallbarangay Tan-awan, whichis 10 km away from the cen-ter town of Oslob. Whaleshark watching in Cebustarted last September 2011and it became popular allover the world when thenews hit in the internet lastNovember 2011. By Decem-

ber 2011, local fishermen’sinteract with the whalesharks by feeding themthat result to flocking oftourist to the beach of Tan-awan. Large numbers oftourists began arriving inOslob not just to see thewhale sharks being fed butalso to snorkel or dive withthem.”

It added: “Get fasci-nated to watch friendlycreatures of the sea as youenjoy watching and swim-ming with the friendlywhale sharks in OslobCebu! Come and enjoy theadventure of lifetime ex-perience.”

Its operator, IslandTrek Tours – a travelagency – said: “We are notthe whale shark watchingoperator or resorts; we aretravel agency who orga-nized accommodationsand whale shark tours.”(Cebu Examiner)

Good news sa indigent senior citizensiubsan na sa De-partment of So-cial Welfare andDevelopmentG

ang kwalipikasyon sa edadsa indigent senior citizensnga makadawat og P500matag buwan nga socialpension base sa RepublicAct 9994 o ang ExpandedSenior Citizens Act of 2010.

Sugod karong tuig, angmga kabos nga senior citi-zens nga nag-edad og 65anyos pataas, makadawatna sa maong social pen-sion. Kaniadto, kadtolamang mga senior citizensnga nag edad og 77 anyospataas ang makadawat samaong pension.

Base sa balaod, ang in-digent senior citizens okadtong 60 anyos pataasang makadawat sabinuwan nga pensiyonapan tungod sa limitadongpondo sa gobyerno, kadtolamang nagpangedaron og

77 anyos pataas angnasulod sa maong balaodtaman niadtong tuig 2014.

Alang ning tuig, angsugyot sa DSWD nga ubsanang age of qualificationngadto sa 65 anyos gi-aprobahan sa Kongreso ugSenado ug naapil na kini saGeneral Appropriations Actof 2015.

Matud pa ni DSWDSec. Dinky Soliman, angpag-ubos sa age require-ment makatabang gayudog daku sa mga kabos ngasenior citizens sa pagpalitsa ilang mga nag-unangpanginahanglan sama samedisina ug mgasustansiyadong pagkaonalang sa maayo nilangpanglawas.

Alang sa 2015, anggobyerno naggahin ogP5.962 bilyon nga maka-benepisyo sa 939,609 ka in-digent senior citizens nganag-edad og 65 anyos

pataas, apil na ang Au-tonomous Region in Mus-lim Mindanao.

Ang mgak w a l i p i k a d o n gmakadawat sa maongP500 nga pensiyonkadtong mga senior citi-zens nga mahuyang,masakiton, o kadtongadunay disabilities; walanagdawat og pensiongikan sa Social SecuritySystem, Government Ser-vice Insurance System, oveterans pension; ugkadtong walaypermanenteng source ofincome o regular supportgikan sa pamilya o mgaparyente.

Ang maong pensiongipangapud-apud matagkuwarter pinaagi sa cashpayment sa DSWD fieldoffices o city og municipalsocial welfare and devel-opment offices. (ECB)

UniFAST to help Filipino studentspursue college education

hree out of everyfive Filipino highschool graduateswill be unable toT

proceed to college, mainlybecause of financial hard-ship, according to HouseAssistant Majority Leaderand Cebu Rep. Gerald An-thony Gullas Jr.

To ease the problem,Gullas said he favors theappropriation of up to P11billion to jump-start morepublic-funded collegescholarships, grants-in-aid, study-now-pay-laterplans and low-cost studentloans under the proposedUnified Financial Assis-tance System for Higherand Technical Education(UniFAST).

“We support the pro-posal of the Senate to ear-mark fresh funding for allforms of government-sponsored financial aidprograms for college stu-dents from marginalhouseholds. We are duty-bound to give more mean-ing to the hopes anddreams of disadvantagedfamilies to send their sonsand daughters to college,”Gullas, vice chairman of

the House committee onhigher and technical educa-tion, said in a statement sentto the regional newspaperMindanao Examiner.

He said the Senate is setto approve on second read-ing the UniFAST bill, whichthe House previously passedon third and final reading.The Senate version of the billthat will be sent to the floorseeks to allocate an addi-tional P11 billion for post-high school scholarships, headded.

“We have to producemore college graduates inthe years ahead, if we are topromote full employmentand assure more families arising standard of living, asmandated by the 1987 Con-stitution,” Gullas said.

A previous surveyshowed that a majority ofFilipinos still consider highereducation as key for them toprosper and UniFAST seeksto boost the distribution ofscholarships and otherforms of financial assistanceto needy college students.

Under the bill, the deliv-ery of the aid will be rein-forced via the improved tar-geting of recipients and uni-

fied standards for selectionand retention. The nationalgovernment is spendingsome P7.7 billion for post-secondary scholarships thisyear.

The country’s 112 stateuniversities and collegeshave a combined P3.5 billionavailable for scholarships.The Commission on HigherEducation has another P2.2-billion for student financialaid.

Meanwhile, the Techni-cal Education and Skills De-velopment Authority has P2billion for its Training forWork Scholarship Program.Government also supportssmaller college scholarshipprograms through the Indig-enous Peoples Rights Act,National Agriculture andFisheries Education System,and the Agriculture Com-petitiveness EnhancementFund.

Gullas is author of sev-eral education bills, includ-ing a measure that seeks toreinforce the English profi-ciency of Filipinos by rein-stating the language as themedium of instruction in allschool levels. (Mindanao Ex-aminer)

From the website http://www.oslobwhalesharks.com