one mindanao - december 18, 2011

Western Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)

P. Urro Street, San Francisco DistrictPagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur 7016Telephone no. (062) 215-1480 / 925-0038Cellphone no. 0908-8843404E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: www.piazampen.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA WeMin Info Blitz

Northern Mindanao

Graces’ Building, Antonio Luna StreetCagayan de Oro City 9000Telefax No. (08822) 72-66-83Telephone no. (088) 856-8178 / 729-594Cellphone no. 0928-5204305 0917-3084969E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]: www.pia-10.blogspot.com

Southern Mindanao (Davao Region)

2/F Kanto Motors Bldg.,Quimpo Blvd., New MatinaDavao City 8000Telephone no. (082) 297-0991 / 301-8580Telefax no. (082) 297-0992 / 304-2044Cellphone no. 0917-7053606 / 0918-9202950E-mail: [email protected]

Central Mindanao (SOCCSKSARGEN)

Provincial Capitol Compound Bautista Bldg., Zulueta St.Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506Telephone no. (083) 520-0249Telefax no. (083) 228-9736 / 228-9739 / 520-0100Cellphone no. 0921-6873373 / 0928-5204307E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga)

Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines Bldg.,J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan CityTelephone no. (085) 341-5285 / 360-1239Telefax no. (085) 341-2370Cellphone no. 0917-7188834Email: [email protected] , [email protected],phBlogspot: www.piacaraga.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA Caraga Updates, PIA Agusan del Norte, Pia Agusan del Sur, Pia Surigao del Norte, Pia Surigao del Sur

PIA REGIONAL OFFICESIN MINDANAO

Cover Story

Mindanao Film Festival

2011: the growth of the regional film

industry

Executive Editor ……......... EFREN F. ELBANBUENA Cluster Head, Southern, Western and Central Mindanao Regional Director, PIA Region XI

Managing Editor ……......... ABNER M. CAGA Cluster Head, Northern and Northeastern Mindanao Regional Director, PIA Caraga Region Officer-in-charge,PIARegionX

Associate Editors ……....... NOEMI B. EDAGA Regional Director, PIA Region IX

OLIVIA T. SUDARIA Regional Director, PIA Region XII

Regional Desk Editors …... Jocelyn P. Alvarez, PIA Region IX Elaine O. Ratunil, PIA Region X Rudolph Ian G. Alama, PIA Region XI Danny E. Doguiles, PIA Region XII Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region

Copy Editors ……………….. Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region Nora C. Lanuza Molde, PIA Caraga Region

Layout Artists ……………... Gerie Mae G. Coco, PIA Caraga Region Richard D. Atillo, PIA Caraga Region

Editorial Advisers ……….... ATTY. JOSE A. FABIA Director-General Philippine Information Agency

SEC. HERMINIO “Sonny” B. COLOMA PresidentialCommunicationsOperationsOffice

An Electronic News Magazineof the Phliippine Information Agency

Mindanao Clusters

EDITORIAL BOARD

Southern Mindanao

Today’s issue...Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011 Vol. 1 No. 126

Bing Cordova, Southern Mindanao

DSWD naglaan ng P67.86 milyong pondo para sa mga biktima ni Sendong

Moner Dayaan, Central Mindanao

DENR-XI Surpasses 2011 National Greening Program Target

DEDoguiles, Central Mindanao

Sarangani activates Inter-Agency Council against Human Trafficking

Industriya ng bangus sa Soccsksargen may potensyal na lumakas

Robert E. Roperos, Caraga RegionPNP-Caraga launches “blow the whistle” campaign in support to anti-VAW

Military firms-up patrol of PHL waters vs foreign intruders Western Mindanao

Merry-makers warned to watch diet this Christmas season Michael Vincent D. Cajulao, Westerm Mindanao

Sendong’ destroys two main bridges in Bukidnon, isolates Baungon town Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy, Northern Mindanao

‘Sendong’ brings havoc to agri properties in Lanao del Sur Apipa P. Bagumbaran, Northern Mindanao

Across the Nation:

Regional News:

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Nora CL Molde, Caraga RegionBIR orders, reminds business establishments to issue official receipts 20

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4 Sunday, December 18, 2011ONE MINDANAO

Mindanao Film Festival 2011: the growth of the regional film industry

Cover Story

It was another fruitful year, 17 short films in a three-day cinematic event held last December 9-11 at Gaisano Mall Cinema 5.

5 Sunday, December 18, 2011 ONE MINDANAO

Mindanao Film Festival 2011: the growth of the regional film industry

“Itcouldhavebeen30filmsbutsomeofthefilmmakerscouldnot finish on time.” saysKenthBajo,festivaldirectoroftheMin-danaoFilmFestival.“backthenwhen we started it used to befourorfivefilms.”headdsremi-niscingtheearlydaysofthefilmfestival. Thevolumeoffilmsshowninthefestivalmirrorsthegrowthof the Davao film industry. Italso shows an active regionalfilmmakinglandscapewithfilm-makers from Cagayan de Oro,TagumCity,ZamboangaandIli-ganpitchingintocontribute. The7thMindanaoFilmFes-tivalisthecountry’slongestcon-tinuously running independentregionalfilmfestivalwhichtracesitsrootsin2003withthehold-

ingof theGuerillaFilmFestivalwheretheshortfilmproductsoftheGuerillaFilmworkshoppar-ticipantswereexhibited. ItisorganizedbytheMind-anaoFilmandTelevisionDevelop-mentFoundationInc.(MFTDFI)with the hopes of jumpstartingaregionalfilmindustryparticu-larlyinthetimeofdigitaltech-nologywhichmadedigitalfilm-makingaccessible. In 2005 to make way forGuerilla workshop alumni andotherfilmmakerswhocouldnotjointheworkshopbutwouldwanttosubmittheirfilmsthefestivalwasopenedandhencebecametheMindanaoFilmFestival. In 2009 a partnership wassealedbytheNationalCommis-sionfortheCultureandtheArts


(NCCA) which provided grantsforthefestival.Itsbodyofshortfilms were also curated by thecinema committee which sawregional filmmakers being in-vitedtotheCinemarehiyonFilmFestivalheldinManila. In2011theCinemarehiyonwasheldinDavaoCity,thefirsttimeitwasheldoutsidethecon-fines of the Cultural Center ofthePhilippinesinManila. By 2011 MFF again show-cased some short films frombudding filmmakers led byhomegrownfilmmakerJohnPaulSeniel.TheGMA5TVnewsre-porter was one of the partici-pants during the first Guerillafilmworkshopsin2003andhasnearly every year submittedworksforexhibitionandcompe-tition.

In2010hegothisbiggestaccoladewhenhisshortfilm“La-tus”whichtacklesaboutdomes-tic violence won the New YorkIndependentFilmandVideoFes-tival and to make his achieve-mentsweeteritwasinCannes,FranceintimefortheprestigiousCannesFilmFestwhereJPwasawardedhistrophy. In the 2011 edition of thefestival,JPhassubmittedthreeshortfilmsnamelyAtongAmigo(OurFriend),AngDisipolo(TheDisciple) and Ang Sulat KangOndoy(LettersforOndoy). Thethreefilmsactuallyhadstand-aloneplaydatesandsincethedateswerecontiguousoftheMFF schedule JP’s three filmswereextendedforaweek. JPsaysthatitwashiseffortof jumpstarting a film industry


wherepeoplewouldmakefilmstherestoftheyearwithouthav-ingtowaitfortheFilmFestivalonDecember. OneofJP’sfilmsAtongAmi-gogottheawardsforBestCin-ematography and Best Produc-tionValueAwards. The biggest winner of thefestival was a Zamboanga Cityshort film titled Placebo whichrevolves around the life of alonelyconveniencestoreownerwhomeetsamysteriousvixen. Placebo’s production teamCineSur isamong thosebehindthe Cinemalaya 2010 Best Pic-ture film Halaw. The film alsocopped best actress honors forAthena Chia, Best Sound, BestDirector for Dexter dela PeñaandBestPicture. Comedy short “Tiny andTimoy”wonbestscreenplayand

itsleadactorJoshuaIsraelwonBestActoraward. The other winners in thefestival includedtheBestMusi-calScorehonorsgoingtoTagu-menyo filmmeker Arnel Barba-rona’s for his short film “TheProposal.” Tzaddi Esguerra from Ili-gan City was awarded as theBest student director for helm-ing “Flutterfield,” while “Lakad”from Ateneo de Davao got theaccoladeforBestTrailer(asde-terminedbyFacebookvotes) The jurors for the filmfestincludedacclaimedMorofilmdi-rector Teng Mangansakan, Ca-gayandeOrofilmmakerShaunUy, Sunstar columnist/bloggerRia Jose and film blogger andrepresentative of the CinegangfilmbloggersgroupMarkGlennCabrera.

TheFuture ThefuturelooksbrighterfortheMindanaoFilmFestivalandmoresofortheDavaofilmmak-ingmovement. Just thisyear theFilmDe-velopmentCouncilof thePhil-ippineshasstartedtofocusonregional films particularly onDavaoCity. With the support of theDavao City Chamber of Com-merce and Industry and theCity Government, a 150-seat-er Cinematheque will be con-structed early next year withfundingcomingfromtheFDCP


in usufruct agreementwith theCityGovernment.Thefacilitywillbe constructed in a city-ownedlotnearthePeople’sPark. TheCinemathequewillbeafilmarchiveandasmallcinemawherefilmswillbescreened tothepublicforfree. Bajo, who is also amem-

beroftheMFTDFIboardsaysthat he is very happy withthe recent developments.Thefoundationhesaidisful-lysupportiveoftheFDCPandhasbeeninconstantcontactwithFDCPDavaocoordinatorPhilipLat. The FDCP is planning toholdaDavaoCityFilmFesti-valwhichisexpectedtofea-ture international films andiscurrentlyholding free filmworkshopsforthepublic. FDCP head Briccio Santosisincidentallythesonoffor-

merDavaoCityMayor,thelateLuis T. Santos. This connec-tions could serve well for theDavaofilmindustryparticular-ly that the thrust of the FDCPisgoingtotheregionsparticu-larlyunderitsprogramSinengPambansa(NationalCinema).


“No indiscriminate firing on Christmas, New Year” – PNP chief

Philippine National Police chief Nicanor A. Bartolome warned the 140,000 members of the police force to avoid indiscriminate firing this holiday season or else, face the full force of law.

The PNP chief is-sued Letter of Instruc-tion (LOI) 41/2011 to warn personnel of heavy punishment for indis-criminate firing during

the Holidays.“We are doing this year-ly to send a strong mes-sage to policemen, sol-diers and gun owners and to help the govern-

ment bring down casu-alties and injuries during the revelry of the yule-tide,” Bartolome said. He added that the muzzle taping of service

10 Sunday, December 18, 2011

DSWD naglaan ng P67.86 milyong pondo para sa mga biktima ni SendongAbot sa P67.86 milyon

ang inilaang tulong ng Department of Social Welfare and

Development (DSWD) para sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong Sendong.

Ang P57.69 mily-on nito ay mga relief goods at ang P10.17 milyon naman ay ang standby funds. Sinabi ni DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman na ito ay handang ilabas

anumang oras kailan-gan ng mga apekta-dong lokal na pama-halaan. Ipinahayag rin ni Soliman na ang lahat ng DSWD re-gional offices sa mga apektadong lugar ay

naatasan nang mag-ing alerto at agarang makipag-ugnayan sa mga lokal na pama-halaan, tignan kung gaano ang pinsala ni Sendong at magbig-ay ng tulong sa mga pamilyang nasalanta.

firearms is done to show PNPs support to the gov-ernment’s campaign to prevent firearms injury. PNP regional, provin-cial and municipal heads should supervise the

muzzle taping. Meanwhile, Barto-lome said that all PNP personnel will continue to strengthen police op-erations to ensure the safety of the public dur-

ing the holidays. Likewise, the PNP chief stressed that alert status remains in areas with fragile peace and order situation especially in the Mindanao regions.

ni Lucia F. Broño


DENR-XI Surpasses 2011 National Greening Program Target

Thousands of NGP volunteers and partners in Region XI

take full pride as the Department of Environment and Natural Re-sources (DENR-XI) surpasses its 2011 National Greening Program (NGP) target by 4%, increasing the number of seedlings planted from 2,757,000 to 2,867,000 cov-ering a total area of 5,734 hect-ares. Asidefromthis,ithasalsosignifi-cantly partneredwith other agencies,localgovernmentunits(LGUs)andin-dustries resulting to an additional of489,871 seedlingsplanted coveringa

totalof1,547hectares.Theseseedlingswereeitherpurchasedbythepartnersthemselvesastheircontributiontotheenvironmentorwereprovidedby thenurseries of the Community Environ-ment and Natural Resources Offices(CENROs)intheregion. DENR-XI Regional Executive Di-rectorJimO.Sampulnaexplainedthattheexcess110,000seedlingsplantedwerepurchasedusingthesavingsgen-eratedfromtheNGPbudgetallocationfor2011.“Wedidnotaskforaddition-al funding to be able to surpass ourtargets,weutilizedourbudgetwiselyhencethisaccomplishment”,Sampulnasaid. “Weareaimingfora100percentsurvivalofall theseedlingsplanted,thatiswhywehavestrengthenedourmonitoringactivities.NGPisnotjustaboutplantingtrees,it isalsoaboutensuring that the planted trees willgrowsothatholisticallytheaimoftheproject will be achieved,” Sampulnaadded. NGPs success in region XI ishighly attributed to theCommunity-Based Forest Management (CBFM)PeoplesOrganizationswhoarethe


principalhostoftheprogramandtothe overwhelming participation aswell as support of the local govern-ment units (LGUs), students, indus-triesandotherpartneragencies. NGP is spelledout inExecutiveOrderNo.26signedbyPresidentBe-nignoS.Aquino,IIIonFebruary24,2011.Itisoneofthepriorityprogramsof the government geared to attainsustainabledevelopment forpoverty

reduction, food security, biodiversityconservationandclimatechangemit-igationandadaptationbyplanting1.5billiontreescoveringabout1.5millionhectares of idle, denuded and othersuitablelandsofthepublicdomaininthecountry. DENR-XI’sNGPtargetfor2012istoplantatotalof6,028,444cover-inganareaof12,087hectares(Bing Cordova, DENR-11 PR).

regional gallery

Lonely Gulf

DavaoGulfwasdevoidofpassengercraftsandothesmallshippingparticularlythoseplyingtheSamalisland-DavaoCityrouteasPA-GASAdeclaredforthefirsttimestormsignalno.2intheCitylastfri-day(Dec.16)inthewakeoftyphoonSendong.thecoastguardim-mediatelywhichrestrictedthemovementofwatercraftparticularlyaroundtheDavaoGulfarea.(photosbyRudolphAlama)


TheRDC-12isthehigh-est policy-making bodyin South Cotabato-Co-tabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General San-tos or SOCCSKSARGENRegion.With thedesignation,

PCCIisnowtheregion’sofficial “gateway andconduit”ofallBIMP-EA-GAtradingandeconomicrelations concerns withtheEastASEAN tradingareasofBrunei,Indone-siaandMalaysia.PCCI Southwestern

Mindanao’s designationcameaboutwiththeen-dorsement of “RDC 12Economic Development

Committee” through aresolutionpassedduringits36thregularmeetingonDecember7inAlabeltown,Sarangani.Themovewasaimed

to “stimulate the activeparticipation of the pri-vatesectorsinBIMP-EA-GAactivities.”Newly-elected PCCI

RegionalGovernorfor

PCCI to oversee BIMP-EAGA Desk in Region 12by CT Apelacio

GENERAL SANTOS CITY– The Regional Development Council (RDC) 12 has designated the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Southwestern Mindanao Regional Office based here as SOCCSKSARGEN’s coordinating desk for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area or the BIMP-EAGA.


Southwestern Mind-anao Bronx Hebrona,describedPCCI’sdesig-nationasadvantage“tothe efforts of our localtraders and entrepre-neurs to participate intradingwiththerestoftheBIMP-EAGAareas.”Hebrona,Sarangani’s

privatesectorrepresen-tative to RDC-12, saidthe move was neces-sarytobeefupthepo-sitioningofRegion12as“promising investmentand touristdestination”in the BIMP-EAGA re-gion.HesaidaBIMP-EAGA

Deskshallbeactivatedandthiswillbesupport-ed by the Department

of Trade and Industry(DTI)RegionalOffice12asitssecretariat.Aside from the task

toreporttotheRDC-12through the EconomicDevelopment Commit-tee, the Desk will alsoformpartofthe“BIMP-EAGA reporting andcoordinating structureunder the MindanaoDevelopment Authority(MinDA).”According toRDC-12

chairDarleneAntonino-Custodio,thecitymayorhere,RDC-12beingthehighest policymakingbodyintheregion,hastheprerogative tomapout the region’s devel-opmentblueprinttofuel

andspurgrowth inthearea.RDC-12 exercises

“planning, investmentprogramming, budget-ing, monitoring andevaluation functions,among others” in or-der to orchestrate andimplement the regionalsocio-economic devel-opmentconcernsforthebenefitofthepeople.It is also backed by

the strong involvementandparticipationoftheprivateandthebusinesssectors as importantpartnersinprojectplan-ning and implementa-tionbeingthebackboneoflocaleconomy.


Sarangani activates Inter-Agency Council against Human TraffickingGENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Sarangani Provincial Gender and Develop-ment Council (PGADC) thru the Provincial Inter-Agency Council against Traf-ficking (PIACaT) is strengthening its campaign against human rights viola-tion and trafficking as the year gets to its end.

The activation ofPIACaT intheprovincehas been established“withcouncilresolutionthroughaProvincialOr-dinance No. 2008-06-09.”PIACaT is being

lodgedwiththePGADCbeingtheonethathasa mandatory fund of5 percent of the totalamount of the Gen-eral Fund of the prov-ince.Forthenextyear,PGADChasaprojectedallocation of more orlessP29million.Fiscal Vicente Fe-

lipe Velasco, provincialprosecutorandPIACaTchairperson said thecouncilisbentonimple-mentingRA9208other-wiseknownastheAnti-Trafficking in PersonsAct of 2003 togetherwithotherpartnergov-ernmentagencies.

“The Sarangani PIA-CaT takes off its cam-paignonhumanrights

protection and abusesto avert the escalat-ingactivitiesonhumantrafficking,”hetoldme-dia at a press confer-enceMonday.Accordingtohim,hu-

mantraffickingmaybeinthe formofsexanddomestic slavery, childabuse, illegal recruit-

ment and proliferationofprohibiteddrugs.Velasco asked the

participationofallstake-holders to include themediatohelpthecoun-cildispenseitsmandateasheacknowledgedtheproblemoftraffickinginwomen and children tobe“alarming.”Meanwhile,PoliceSe-

niorInspectorDeliaCa-dorna,alsoWomenand


Children’s ConcernsDeskOfficerofSaran-gani Police ProvincialOffice said there areat least “105 recordedvictims of traffickingfromthesevenmunici-palities” of Saranganisince2005.“The victims cut

across all ages andgenderswhoserecruit-ers offer better livesand work abroad butonlytofindthemselvesvictims,”shesaid.She also lamented

thatpolicefind itdiffi-cult to even bring thecasetocourtroomsince“there is difficulty ingetting witnesses andvictims are afraid torisktheirlivestocomeout and expose theirperpetrators.”Sarangani Board

MemberEleanorSagu-iguit, committee chairon family,women andchildren and co-chairof PGADC, said theprovincial governmentis doing its best fromproviding funds forprogramstoexpandingopportunities for thepeopleinthehopetheydoawaywithillegalac-tivities.

Shesaidtheprovincehas also sought theparticipation and sup-port of various multi-sectoral stakeholderstotheanti-humantraf-ficking campaign to

forgeamore cohesiveandcollectiveefforts.PIACaT is composed

ofkeynationalgovern-mentagenciessuchastheProsecutor’sOffice,theDept.ofSocialWel-fareandDevelopment,Dept. of Foreign Af-fairs, Philippine Over-seas Employment Ad-ministration (POEA),Bureau of Immigra-tion (BI), PhilippineNational Police (PNP),National Commissionon the Role of FilipinoWomen (NCFRW), the

Philippine InformationAgency(PIA)andtheirprovincial and munici-pal counterparts; theprivate sectors,NGOs,andreligiousorganiza-tions.

Sister Susan Bolan-io, executive directoroftheOblatesofNotreDame Hesed Founda-tion and member ofPIACaT representingthereligiousgroupalsourgedthemediatobeactivelyinvolvedinthecampaign.Askedifbeingahu-

man trafficker or drugcourieraresultofsheerpoverty, Sister Susansimply cited that it isvalue that really dic-tates the action of acertainperson.


Industriya ng bangus sa Soccsksargen may potensyal na lumakasKORONADAL CITY -- Malamang na lalawak ang industriya ng bangus sa Soccsksargen Region o Rehiyon 12 kung mapagtutuunan ng pansin ang pagpapaunlad ang mas epektibong sistema para sa isang mas mataas na produksyon, ayon sa isang opisyal ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources- 12 (BFAR-12)

SaisangTVdocumen-taryprogramna“In-vestinR12TV”ngDTIatPIAsalungsodngGen-eral Santos kamakailan,sinabiniAmbutongPau-tong,assistantregionaldirectorngBFAR-12,naisa itongalternatibonamaaring puntirya-hin ng rehiyonupang tugunanang problemasa bumababangvolumengnaku-kuhangyamang-dagat.Mula 2007

hanggang 2009,nasa 349,000metriko toneladaang produksyonng bangus sabansa, 60,000metriko toneladaang galing saMindanao.Angproduksyon

ng Rehiyon 12

aynasa14,809metrikotoneladalamang.Kara-mihanditoaygalingsalalwiganngSaranganiatSultanKudarat.Dagdag ni Pautong,

nakatuon sila ngayonsa pagpapaunlad ngproduksyon ng bangus

sapamamagitanngmgabagongteknolohiya, im-proved processing ngiba’tibangproduktongbangus,on-farmresiduemonitoring at pagta-guyodngresponsablengaquaculture. (DEDogu-iles)


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DFA announces Foreign Service Exams for 2012 by Robert E. Roperos

The Consular Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Caraga Region recently announced the 2012 schedule of the Foreign Service Examinations.


According to Mary Val Adiong, OIC-Regional Director, the exam is com-posed of five parts and will be scheduled from Febru-ary to August. Adiong said the first part of the exam, the qualifying test for Foreign Service Officer (FSO), is set on February 19. After this, a prelimi-nary interview is set ten-tatively on March 31 and a written test on April 4 and 6. The psychological test, the fourth part, is tentatively set on June 25 to 29, while the final Oral Test is tentatively sched-uled on August 29 to 31, 2012. Adiong added that applicant should be less than 35 years old on Feb-ruary 19, 2012 and should

be holder of a four-year bachelor’s degree or high-er. “Here, the applicant is required to submit rel-evant evidence such as transcript of records, and either the diploma or cer-tificate of graduation,” she added. Moreover, the region-al director said applicants should be a Filipino citizen and a permanent resident of the Philippines. “If married to a for-eigner, the applicant must secure from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, through the Board of Foreign Ser-vice Examinations author-ity to take the FSO exami-nations.” Naturalized Filipino applicants, on the other hand, should submit copy of naturalization papers or

Philippine passports. Adiong said appli-cants with dual or multiple citizenships should submit a notarized affidavit stat-ing that upon passing the examination, they intend to renounce allegiance to their other countries of citizenship. A non-refundable admission fee of P500 is needed to be paid before taking the Qualifying Test upon acceptance of his/her application. All completed appli-cation forms must be sub-mitted to Consular Office not later than January 5, 2012. For further informa-tion, please contact Su-zette Aluag-Callo through telephone number (085) 3425700.

BUTUAN CITY – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Caraga ordered and reminded different business establishments in the region to issue official receipts to their customers.

BIR orders, reminds business establishments to issue official receiptsby Nora CL Molde


The order was made, according to BIR regional director Norberto Vitug, be-cause their offices have received complaints that there are some establishments in the region that continually disregard the order of

their agency to issue official receipts to their customers. A penalty amount-ing to P10,000 for the first offense will be col-lected from the busi-ness establishments who failed to follow the order, said Vitug.

Also, according to Vitug if the business establishments contin-ue to disregard the BIR order, their office will close the erring busi-ness establishments through the agency’s “Oplan Kandado” pro-gram.

PNP-Caraga launches “blow the whistle” campaign in support to anti-VAWBUTUAN CITY – In support of the advocacy of the United Nations’ advocacy on anti-violence against women (VAW), personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Caraga Region recently launched the “blow the whistle” campaign.


PNP-Caraga launches “blow the whistle” campaign in support to anti-VAW

During the regular flag-raising ceremony at the Camp Rafael Rodri-guez in Barangay Lib-ertad here, PSupt Mar-tin Gamba, Chief of the Information Office em-phasized the need for the police personnel to support anti-VAW cam-paign. In an interview with a local radio station here, Gamba said the PNP is one of the target audi-ences of the anti-VAWC campaign program of the national government and the United Nations because majority of the PNP personnel are dom-inated by men, and men are prone to abusing women and children.

Gamba further said that PNP-Caraga Re-gional Director PCSupt Reynaldo Rafal has called on the police officers to support and implement the anti-VAWC campaign of the national govern-ment. Meanwhile, Gamba said the women’s desk section in police stations in Caraga were able to entertain cases on VAWC. Such cases were jointly resolved by PNP and concerned agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). When asked if there are PNP personnel who were involved in cases

related to VAWC, he said not only cases involving physical abuses were committed by some of the PNP personnel. He added issues related on financial assistance, psychological and even abandonment of their families are among those that were given atten-tion by top PNP officials. “Cases on finan-cial assistance, psycho-logical, and abandon-ing of their families also happened but all these were given appropriate investigations because top management of the country’s police force will not tolerate such acts committed by police personnel,” Gamba said. The activity forms part of the 18-day cam-paign to end violence against women which is spearheaded by the Gen-der and Development Coordinating Committee (GADCC) composed of public and private stake-holders in the region. This also supports the Human Development Agenda of the Philippine Development Plan of the Aquino administration. (Robert E. Roperos)


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City, Water District, forge P48.7M brgy. water projects by Jocelyn P. Alvarez

F ar flung barangays of the city will soon enjoy potable water as the city government of Zamboanga and the Zamboanga City Water

District (ZCWD) forged recently a P48.7million barangay water projects.


“The city govern-ment and our waterdistrict recently forgedfive (5) agreementsfortheimplementationof five (5) barangaywater system projectsthatwill expandwaterservicetothousandsofhouseholds in almost20 barangays in thecity,” shared City In-formation Officer (IO)SheilaCovarrubias. “Thecityisspend-ing some P48.74 mil-lion for the 5 watersystemprojectsinlinewithitscommitmenttohelptheZCWDexpanditsservicestofarflungbarangays.Theamountwill cover the supply-ingandlayingofdistri-bution lines and othermaterials,”Covarrubiasdetailed. The lady IO said,“theZCWD,represent-edbyGeneralManagerLeonardoVasquezintheagreement,isspendingasimilaramountwhichwillcoverthelaborcostandothermaterials.” The signing cer-emony,heldattheCityHall conference roomyesterday afternoon,was witnessed by the

officials of the baran-gay-beneficiaries. Covarrubias saidtheagreementssignedinclude the construc-tion/ rehabilitation/improvement of wa-ter system at Patalonwithanestimatedcostof P1.59 million; con-struction/rehabilitationand installation of Ca-cao-Lapakan-Cabaluaywater system with anestimatedcostofP2.63million; construction/rehabilitation/improve-ment of Tictapul-Lico-mo-Vitali water sys-temwithanestimatedcost of P2.63 million;construction/ rehabili-tation/ improvementof Mangga Bolong-Bo-long-Bungiao-Sangaliwater system with anestimatedcostofP5.33million; construction/rehabilitation/ im-provementofDumalon-Zambales-Baluno-Cap-

isan-Malagutay-SanRoque-Calarian-Cawit-Sinunuc-Maasin watersystem with an esti-matedcostofP33.744million. Covarrubias saidLobregat and Vasquezgavetheirassurancetothe barangay officialsconcernedthattheywillhire laborers from thebarangay or commu-nitywheretheprojectswillbeimplemented “ Laborers to behiredduringtheimple-mentationof theproj-ectswillbetakenfromthe barangays wherethe projects are locat-ed,”Covarrubiassaid. “Mayor Lobregatsaidmoreprojectswillbe implemented nextyear to ensure watersupply in the differentbarangaysof thecity,”she said. (JPA/S.Co-varrubias/City Hall/PIA9)


Military firms-up patrol of PHL waters vs foreign intrudersISABELA CITY – The military will further intensify its patrol operations to protect the Philippine territories from foreign intruders, the commander of the Western Command (WESCOM) assured after six Chinese poachers were arrested catching endangered marine animals off the coast of Bgy. Ramos, Balabac early this month.

WESCOM ChiefLTGenJuanchoM.Sab-ban said the militarywillstrengthensecuri-ty operations in areasmostoftenfrequentedbyforeignintruders. OnDecember1,a

compositeteamofna-valandmarinesoldiersapprehended the sixChinesefishermenanddiscovered eight seaturtles,threeofwhichwerealreadydead,onboardaspeedboatfol-

lowing a report theyreceived of the pres-enceoftheforeignna-tionals within the ter-ritorial waters of thecountry. The illegal fisher-meneventriedto

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escapebutwerecaughtbytheauthoritiesafterachasethatlasted19minutes. Theapprehendingteam initially caughtfiveofthesixChinesein the operation con-ducted.Theotheronewas under the waterchecking their netsduringthepursuitthatensued. According to ini-tial reports, the saidalien fisherman whohad been left behindswam to the nearestcommunity and triedto get help where hewasturnedovertotheproperauthorities. Intheclearingop-

erationsconductedthenext day, theauthori-ties found additionalfour dead sea turtlescaught in the fishingnetsleftbehindbytheChinesepoachers. The six alienpoacherswerebroughttoPuertoPrincesaCityonDecember3whereappropriatecaseswerefiledagainstthem. Therecoveredma-rineanimalswerealsotransportedtothecityand after being mea-suredandinventoried,theliveoneswerere-leasedbacktotheseawhile the others wereburiedafterbeingpre-sented at the fiscal’s

officeasevidence. The sea turtlesrecovered belong totheGreenTurtlespeciewhichissecondinthecategoryofthreatenedmarineanimalsbytheDepartment of Envi-ronment and NaturalResources(DENR). An adult greenturtle is estimated tohaveamarketvalueofP10,000while a juve-nileisworthP5,000. The apprehend-ed Chinese fisher-men will be chargedwith violations ofthe Philippine Wild-lifeActand illegalen-try. (JPA/6CRGAFP/RVC-PIA9 ZBST)

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Merry-makers warned to watch diet this Christmas season

ZMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Health Regional Office IX issued a warning to the public to watch their diet especially this Christmas season to avoid cardio-vascular diseases and other related complications.

by Michael Vincent D. Cajulao

DOH IX RegionalDirector Dr. AristidesTanenumeratedsomeof the frequent dis-easesduring this fes-tiveseason. “Card io-vascu-lar diseases, such asstroke and heart at-tacks, diabetes mel-litus, gouty arthritis,fatty liver, indigestionanddiarrhea,arejustsome of the possibleconsequences if oneneglects his or herdiet”,Tansaid. Dir.Tanremindedthe public to eat anddrink in moderation

especiallywithalotofparties held this timeoftheyear. Healsoexplainedaperson’slimitoncal-oriesintakeonaday-to-daybasis. “A person onlyneeds about 2,000 to3,000caloriesperday,dependingalsoonhisactivities”,Tansaid. Instead, he rec-ommendedalow-sodi-umorsaltandlow-fatdiettostayhealthy. “Avoid eatingfoods with preserva-tivestoomuch.Sweetsshould also be taken

moderately, especial-ly thosewhose familyhasahistoryofdiabe-tes”,hefurthered. Tan also empha-sized the importanceof water intake. Hesaid a person shouldtakeatleasttwolitersof water per day tohelpcleaninternalor-gans. He also recom-mended eating fruitsratherthansweetdel-icacies. Tan also remind-edthepublictoexer-cise regularly to stayfitandhealthy.(JPA/MVC/PIA9-ZBST)

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Sendong affects 22 barangays, leaves 65 dead, 1,107 stranded in Cagayan de Oroby Elaine O. Ratunil

R eport of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), as of 6:00 p.m., December

17, revealed flooding occurred in the city affected 22 barangays, with the onslaught of tropical storm “Sendong.”

These are the ba-rangays of Agusan, Baikingon, Balubal, Ba-

lulang, Bugo, Canitoan, Carmen, Consolacion, Cugman, Gusa, Iponan,

Kauswagan, Macabalan, Macasandig, Puntod, Tablon, Barangays 6,


7, 10, and 13-15. The report also indicated that 65 were found dead, 25 of which were already identified and 40 others still to be identified while there are 1,107 passengers reported stranded. There were also 250 reported rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard, Northern Mind-anao District at baran-gay Macasandig and Isla de Oro and were transported to safer place. Further, 250 were rescued by CGD North-ern Mindanao at baran-

gay Macasandig and Isla de Oro and were transported to safer place. At the height of flooding, 10 evacua-tion centers were being utilized in Cagayan de Oro. The Philippine Air Force-Tactical Opera-tions Group (PAF-TOG) Northern Mindanao, meanwhile, mobilized three (3) choppers: two (2) from Davao and one (1) from Butuan for res-cue operation. Likewise, the city experienced water and power outages since

the evening of Decem-ber 16. On the other hand, the Department of So-cial Welfare and De-velopment (DSWD) pre-positioned P10.17 Million standby funds and P57.69 Million worth of relief sup-plies in all DSWD-Field Offices (FOs) along the typhoon path, amounting to P67.86 Million.

For region 10, an amount of P2,536,301 is for standby funds and P1,186, 382 for re-lief supplies with a total amount of P3,722,683. PAGASA in its “Severe Weather Bul-letin No. 10,” said, TS “Sendong” has slightly weakened as it contin-ues to move towards Palawan. The center of Sen-dong, as of 5:00 p.m., yesterday, was esti-mated based on satel-lite and surface data at 220 km. West of Dum-aguete City.


Initial reports from Baungon Disas-ter Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) showed six (6) per-sons dead, more than

40 missing, and 220 persons affected. “Nobody can get in and out of Baungon town because of the collapsed bridges,” Gov. Alex Calingasan

said this morning. The Cabula Bridge in west Baun-gon connects the town to Cagayan de Oro, while the Tumal-aong Bridge in Baun-

Sendong’ destroys two main bridges in Bukidnon, isolates Baungon town

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon -– The heavy rains and strong winds of tropical storm “Sendong” destroyed Bukidnon’s two main bridges leaving Baungon town, the province’s border with Cagayan de Oro City, totally isolated.

by Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy


gon’s eastern part connects it to the neighboring towns of the province. Gov. Calingasan added that it is im-possible to get across to the other roadside because the end-to-end distance of the two swelled up rivers span up to an aver-age of 80 meters. These two ma-jor rivers in Baun-gon empty down into the Cagayan de Oro seas. The Governor quickly ordered the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Coun-cil (PDRRMC) to con-duct rapid Damage Analysis and Needs Assessment (DANA) in Baungon, Bukid-non. Arsenio Alagen-io, PDRRMC Execu-tive Officer, said the DANA report showed Php15 million dam-

age in Tumalaong Bridge and approach-es. “The damage in the Cabula Bridge is yet to be established because its hard to reach the area as light rains continue to pour rendering some portions of Baungon roads impassable,” he added. He further ex-plained that the ini-tial damage cost estimate for crops and other agricul-tural properties is not available pend-ing their field assess-ment. Alagenio also reported that “Send-ong” ruined four (4) other bridges in the town’s interior vil-lages, including the Calag Bridge in north Bukidnon. Engr. Honorato Saldua of the Bukid-non 3rd Engineering District, Department

of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also said they are now closely coor-dinating with the Bukidnon provincial government in an ef-fort to install a Bailey Panel in one of the damaged spillways, which would serve as temporary access point to reach the ‘isolated’ Baungon town. “This is urgent because Baungon has no electric pow-er since early Friday evening until this Sunday morning,” Engr. Saldua said. With this, the provincial govern-ment’s PDRRMC, Philippine Red Cross, DPWH, PNP, Philip-pine Army, and other concerned branches of the government, including multi-later-al donors join hands in the relief opera-tions.


‘Sendong’ brings havoc to agri properties in Lanao del Surby Apipa P. Bagumbaran

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur -– The heavy rains coupled with strong winds caused by ‘Sendong’ last night has brought havoc to agricultural properties in the province. Provincial Infor-mation Officer Nasser Ganda said the damage of Sendong were mostly against properties such as houses, agricultural land and farm animals. “But we cannot es-timate the cost of dam-age as of this time yet,” he said. He further said that no other casualty was noted except the two

persons who were re-portedly missing in Ka-pai town this morning. Aside from Kapai, other towns severely af-fected by floods are Bu-bong, Ditsaan Ramain, Taraka, Poona Bayabao and Mulondo.However, he said that the impact of Sendong in the province is still manageable. Meanwhile, the

103rd Infantry Brigade headed by Col. Daniel Lucero are sending 100 soldiers to Iligan City as an augmentation volun-teers to help in the res-cue and recovery opera-tions in the city. The 103rd Infantry Brigade is based in Kam-po Ranao, this city. The troops will also be bringing the speed-boats of the Brigade.

one mindanao - december 18, 2011

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