PIA News Service - Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

Kidnappers release two DENR men in Butuan city 

BUTUAN CITY - Kidnappers have “conditionally” released two of the seven DENR employees they have abducted at a DENR checkpoint in the Taguibo Watershed, in Barangay Anticala, this City early morning on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. 

Forester I Emiliano Gatillano, Jr. and Efren Sabuero, Forest Ranger, arrived with a group of Manobo warriors headed by Datu Subang, Datu Kaligtasan and Tata Carlos, the barangay Chairman of the remote village of Padi-ay in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur where the remaining hostages are still being kept by the kidnappers. 

Gatilillano and Sabuero arrived past 7 pm last night with heavy police security escorts at the Regional Headquarters of PNP-Caraga, Camp Rafael Rodriguez in Barangay Libertad, Butuan City where they were met by Butuan City Congressman Jose Aquino II , Police regional director P/Supt Lino de Guzman Calingasan, DENR Caraga Regional Executive Director Edilberto S. Buiser, and his senior staff Regional Technical Director for Forest Management Ali M. Bari, PENRO Rosendo Asunto of Agusan del Norte and Butuan City CENR Officer Jaime Acebu. 

The two released -kidnapped victims where immediately brought to the conference room of the PNP regional command where they were served a packed meal brought from a commercial food outlet courtesy of Congressman Aquino. 

Gatillano and Sabuero appeared exhausted and haggard when they were presented to the media but declined to give further details of their 35-hour ordeal from the hands of the kidnap leader Andot Behing, a former CAFGU member and rebel returnee. 

They said that three of the abducted personnel needed immediate medical attention because of injuries sustained during their trip to the kidnapper’s hideout somewhere in Barangay Kolambogan in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. 

It was gathered that there was another DENR employee in the group who had been in the kidnapper’s hideout beforehand when the abducted personnel arrived in the area. RED Buiser identified the eighth kidnapped victim as Idelfonso Jayme, forest ranger of CENRO Butuan City.

Jaymen was held earlier by the kidnappers while conducting a verification of the reported timber poaching and illegal mineral extraction at the Taguibo Watershed and was brought to the hideout where the rest of the abducted victims were holed in.

The “conditionally” released DENR personnel brought with them the demands of the leader Andot Behing which are the following:

1. Cancellation of permit of Mejore Woodworks, Inc. who was allegedly the cause of massive deforestation in Quezon Province in Luzon that claimed 1,800 lives, more or less, during the Nov. 29, 2004 tragedy.
2. Cancellation of CBFM Agreements of (a.) Hampapalay Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative (Kulas’ request); (b.) Bagani Tribal Returnees Community Development Cooperative (BTRCDC ) at Bantolinao, Padi-ay, Suibagat, Agusan del Sur (Datu Subang’s request) and (c.) ITRIFADC/ ITFCDAI 
3. Demolish all check points from Senaka to Butuan City
4. Award the confiscated logs to Mr. Leonardo I. Behing (a.k.a. Andot Behing) which will be used to purchase a piece of land at Barangay Ampayon in Butuan City where they will construct a house for lumad students, and the rest of the proceeds will be used to pay the tuition fees of lumad students that are not scholars. These confiscated logs included the following: 1,500 cubic meters of lawaan, 500 cubic meters of narra logs and 1,000 cubic meters of gubas logs (all these species are prohibited/protected tree species).
4. They also want a share in the P200 million UDP funds for reforestation/planting  
5. For the kidnap victims to execute waivers for them not to file charges against the lumad “kidnappers”.
6. Clarify that they did not demand ransom of P 2 million.


These demands were noted by RED Buiser and assured the lumad emissaries that he will personally bring the matter to the attention of Secretary Lito Atienza Jr. since most of the demands of the kidnappers involve state policies.

Buiser said a multi-sectoral meeting is scheduled to be held separately at the the DENR Regional Conference Center at 8 am and at the Butuan City Mayor’s Office to be presided over by Mayor Democrito Plaza II. 

The topics to be discussed at the DENR conference room will be focused mainly on the demands of the kidnappers so that a win-win solution can be solved. Director Buiser said problems that can be solved at his own level and capacity will be given foremost concern while the issues that involve policies will be referred to Secretary Atienza for his action.

The two released kidnapped victims have requested that they be allowed to return back to the kidnapper’s lair since they gave a word to the leader of the kidnappers that they will be back soon after they got the medicines and clothes being requested by their fellow abducted employees and had delivered the demand.

But P/Supt Calingasan and Congressman Aquino however, asked that they stay for proper medical treatment to be administered to the two released abducted victims. 

Congressman Aquino has also reiterated that the local government officials particularly in Butuan City must be involved in this situation the fact that “this kidnapping incident” has already placed the City of Butuan into the limelight. (Eric Herzon F. Gallego, Chief, RPAO DENR Caraga/PIA-Caraga)

PIA News Service - Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

DENR suspends 3 CBFM in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur

Regional Executive Director Edilberto S. Buiser has suspended the operation of three CBFM areas in Barangay Padi-ay, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur today as a condition for the release of the remaining DENR personnel being held by the kidnappers somewhere in a remote village of Padi-ay in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. 

The compromise deal was arrived at after a meeting of the Crisis Management Committee presided over by RED Buiser with the multi-sectoral group to discuss the demands of the kidnapper. 

The suspended CBFM are the Iligan Tribal Forest Development (ITRIFADC), with an area of 2,639.00 hectares, the Hampapalay Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative ( HFMPC) in brangay Sta.Cruz with an area of 2,162 hectares and the Bagani Tribal Returness Development Cooperative ( BTRCDC) wih an area of 1,204.58 hectares in Barangay Bantolinao, all Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

The suspended CBFM were contained in the 6-point demands of the kidnappers of the DENR personnel who are being kept in an isolated place in Barangay Kolambogan, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. 

The Crisis Management Committee and the multi-sectoral group have arrived with this decision as part of the bargain to secure the release of the rest of the DENR personnel who are still being held at the kidnapper’s lair.

A group was sent to the area to bring the medicines and fresh clothes being requested by the hostages. 

The group will also bring the position of the DENR Crisis Management Committee that the kidnapers should consider as priority of the release of the other hostages who are injured and need immediate medical attention as possible. 
  
The Committee is at present holding another meeting with Mayor Democrito Plaza II and Congressman Jose Aquino II at the City Mayor’s Office in Butuan City as of press time. (DENR-13/PIA-Caraga)
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Standing for poverty or against it?

By Andre B. Atega, PARO-DAR13

A mere ritual, where everyone stands and declare to fight poverty in words, cannot eliminate poverty. Just as religious ceremonies cannot save any soul, or military parades cannot win any war or peace. But ceremonies, to fill some awkward gaps in human relations and practices, have become a natural part of man. Almost as natural as poverty that maybe if we can eliminate our ceremonies we can probably eliminate poverty.

Someone says that “the world has enough for everybody’s needs but it has not enough for anybody’s greed”. When freedom is understood to mean “GET WHAT YOU CAN!” rather than “SHARE WHAT YOU CAN!” the few who are strong will take the resources of the world and deprived the many who are weak with even the most basic need.

When we seek to destroy the beautiful because we are consumed by our own envy ; when we scheme to destroy the good because our hearts are filled with hate and malice ; when our ambition is bigger that our qualification that we undermined performance and production ; when we focus on defects or dwell in the past that we become un-productive critics obsessed with the negative and cannot see graces or positive asset ; when we want the world to turn according to our selfish wants and not accept humbly that events happen in some mysterious ways ; that is poverty in the heart.

For when we will succeed in destroying the good , the beautiful and the competent out of SSS ( suya , selos , sina ) nothing will be left but ugliness , mediocrity and evil men and women with pretensions for goodness and holiness but actually conspire and criticize secretly for self interests , personal ambition , favoritism , simple ill-will or malice and injustice.

That is where we are today. Injustice and poverty prevail because the world we live in, or the workplace we complain about, is nothing but the reflection and actualization of our own ill-feelings.

A man rich with ideas can become a millionaire with a mere P 10,000.00. That was how the borloloy or taring-taring business started. A man with no ideas even after winning millions from LOTTO can go back poor and miserable in a matter of time.

Perhaps, the greatest sin is ignorance. When we make more babies than we can afford; when we borrow money beyond our means; and when we buy what we don’t need, that is poverty in the mind.

When pride is bigger than the brain, mindless faith stronger than rational thinking, when we consumed the present and spend the future, when people are problem-makers than problem-solvers, that’s poverty in the mind.

When lands are idle and filled with worthless grasses than valuable crops and trees and government refuse to adopt a zero-idle-land policy because it is costly ; when a development agency pays workers below poverty salary level ; when we eat more than we earn ; when we talk more than we work , that is poverty in the mind. 

KURIPOT is not bad. Only those who have no strength to save or who wants a free ride hate it. ARTEHON is not bad. In business, it means “world class” or the beginning of quality service and good packaging. “NEGOSYANTE RA KAAYO” is an expression of a poor mind . “TAGAW” is good. It means the person is not afraid to learn or exposed his ignorance. “HAMBUGERO” is not bad. He is just the person who does not gamble and drink but busy in productive solitude. “To be great is to be misunderstood”, said Ralph Waldo Emerson. “To be honest is to be accused of crimes”, says Andre B. Atega.

There are two hi-ways that your brain can take you: Up or Down. What ideas and influences provide you with wings to fly? What ideas and bad influences bring you down? Performance, courtesy and respect will take you high. Counter – productiveness, sabotage and intrigues can bring you down. Water has no choice but to follow the flow of gravity. Man can pick from many ideas, choose company, or the road only the few will travel. Whatever we choose will make us rich or poor.

In our country , no matter what type of agrarian reform we adopt not all who needs land can have a piece because we are a multitude of 90 million people in a small archipelagic 30 million hectares of lands. There is simply not enough for everybody. So it is not bad policy to send people abroad and bring dollars home. Europeans, Chinese, Americans and Japanese are rich because they do business in poor countries, exploit their wealth and play with their markets to bring money to their own people. 

We are poor because our leaders steal money from our people and spend money abroad; we are poor because we steal money from our children and wives or husbands and spend money with friends; we are poor because we consumed our resources today and leave nothing for the future. The rich get money from outside and bring it home. The poor get money from home and spend it outside.

When leaders secure political funds from oil companies or from media taipans and business moguls, our people will be poor because our leaders will adopt laws and policies to protect the businesses of taipans and moguls. Are we not wondering why we are paying separately for power generation; paying separately for power transmission; paying separately for power distribution; and paying separately for power consumption? 

Are we not wondering why the oil prices are high even when global prices are low? Why development agencies pay below poverty-level salaries? Why GSIS is not transparent to its members? Why the countryside is poor by centralized taxation? Why sacrifice Mindanao budget for Metro Manila? Why when the population is getting bigger and territories and resources are getting smaller still our leaders refuse to adopt real population growth control policy? Why the interests of the country are sacrifice for political ambition?

All these are happening not because of economics but more of politics.

Absolute and mathematical equality is not natural. The strong will always be richer than the weak. The wise richer than the fools. Superpowers richer than Third World. We are not born equal. Some have defects, a few are beautiful, geniuses, or have inheritance; and many are ordinary. Only our rights are equal but the exercise of rights and the opportunities are limited and determined by capability and discipline, guts and talents, resources and luck.

Powerful nations need the wealth and market of poor countries to maintain their political and economic supremacy. The inequality has to be maintained to keep they are. But we cannot hate them for what they are. We cannot expect them to renounce their wealth and power so that we can rise to their level or bring themselves down so that we will meet as equal at some middle ground.

The rich are where they are because of attitude; because they are united as a people; because they produce goods and services that we like to buy; because they are capable and willing to pollute the world for business and destroy nations for control. 

So what is the meaning in all this standing as one against poverty when the powerful stands only for themselves and provides us only with loans, relief goods, and work while they own the technology, capital and the world?

Because we are a poor nation we stand against ourselves. We need to stand against ourselves for us to change. So that we will become KURIPOT in the management sense. So that we will become ARTEHON in a market sense. So that we will be TAGAW or not afraid to learn. So that we will not allow envy, hatred and malice to prevail our sense of fairness, our sense of justice, our sense to be productive. In this way, we will promote the competent, protect the good, crown the beautiful.

We will not fight for equality by war or insurrection or banditry. We will not solve our poverty by making the rich poor. We will fight poverty with creativity, inventiveness and productivity: having artists with real talents, workers who are technically skilled; managers who are competent. If we can make products that the world will buy, we will be able to compete.  

Then we will have pride as a people, we will become proud Filipinos.

TAAS NOO FILIPINO!
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Cebuano News: Kaso sa abli-kotse sa Butuan, misiaw

Ubay-ubay na ang naitalang pagsaka sa kaso sa abli-kotse diin gikawat ang mga importanteng butang sulod sa sakyanan human kini gipangpolpog sa mga wala mailhing kawatan sa miaging adlaw didto sa Dotties Place, J. C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City.

Sa impormasyon nga nakuha sa Periodico Caraga gikan sa Police Regional Office 13, nasayran nga pasado alas 11:00 ang takna sa buntag usa ka biktima nga naila sa pangalan nga Charlie V. Cayetano, 36 anyos, residente sa KM 3, Baan, Butuan City.

Gisaysay ni Cayetano ngadto sa Butuan City Police Station-1 nga ang iyang Mitsubishi Lancer service vehicle nagdala sa plate number LCV-139 kolor silver nakaparking sulod sa parking area sa Dotties ang gilungkab sa wala mailhing kawatan.

Gibuka ang rear window sa maong sakyanan ug gikuot ang usa ka laptop HP Pavillion brand nga nagkantidad sa P70,000.00, usa ka unit DLP Acer Projector nagkantidad sa P30,000.00.

Sa laing bahin usa ka biktima nga naila sa pangalan nga Joseph Celiacay, 45 anyos, residente sa Purok 21, Poblacion, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

Ang misumbong nga human nga gokawatan ang kotse ni cayetano mitabok sa atbang ug ang SUV Hyundai Starex Van nga nagdala sa plate number KFA-458, kolor green ang nadiskitahan ug gikawatan pod.

Gibuak ang front seat window sa maong sakyanan ug gitangag ang 9 ka traveling bag nga may unod nga assorted nga sanina.

Ang BCPO naalarma na sa sunod-sunod nga insidente sa abli- kotse diin ila na nga gihimoan sa dinaliang askyon alang sa pagpanubay sa maong hitabo. ( Mike Imbo/Periodico News Network)
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Cebuano News: Task Force Kidnap-Anticala gitukod

Gimugna ang pagtukod sa Task Force Anticala nga mauy mohimo sa luwas nga paagi nga mabuhian ang pito ka field personnel sa Department of Environment and Natural Resources DENR nga gipangdagit kagahapon sa buntag sa wala mailhing armado didto sa Barangay Anticala, Butuan City.

Si Chief Supt. Lino D. Calingasan, Regional Director sa Police Regional Office-13, mipakanaog sa kamandoan nga itukod ang Task Force Anticala alang sa peaceful nga negosasyon.

Gipaningkamotan ang peaceful ug kaluwasan sa pito ka mga personahe nga nadagit sa armadong grupo.

Naglusad sa monitoring alas 4:30 ang takna sa buntag sa dihang mibutho ang gituhuang lumad nga armado.

Gi-kidnap ang mga biktima nga giila sa pangalan ang team leader nga si Forester Gabrieal Arlan, Reto Espenido, Eufredo Pujadas, Emiliano Gatillo Jr. Efren Sabuero, Eduardo Abugatal ug Rudy Clar.

Ang pito gipasakay sa Toyota pick-up sa DENR ug gidala didto sa Barangay Padi-ay, Lungsod sa Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

Sa pikas nga bahin nga interview sa Periodico caraga ngadto kang Police Chief Inspector Martin Mercado Gamba, Task Force Anticala Media Bureau ang nagkanayon nga mipatawag sa meeting ang PRO-13 alang sa koordinasyon ug lakang nga himoon alang sa peaceful ug luwas nga operasyon. Ang Task Force Anticala ang pangunahan ni Police Superintendent Joseph Plaza, officer in charge sa BCPO.

Gibutyag nga si Jaime Asbu nakadawat sa tawag sa telepono gikan sa nagpailang usa sa mga responsabling midagit ang naila sa pangalan nga Andot Behing, minyo usa ka rebel returnee. 

Giingon sa suspek nga anaa sa “good condition” ang mga biktima.

Gipamatud-an nga luwas ang biktima pinaagi sa pakig-istorya kang Emiliano Gatillo Jr kinsa buhian unya aron magdala sa listahan sa mga demand sa armadong grupo.

Ang grupo nga mitangag sa mga biktima ang gituhuang mga miyembro sa gitawag nga “nagkahiusang lumad”.

Mipatawag pod sa emergency meeting si DENR Northeastern Mindanao Regional Executive Director Edilberto S. Buiser uban ang mga staff sa Agusan del Norte ug Butuan City Environement and Natural resources Officers-PENR Rosendo Asunto ug CENR Jaime Acebu sa kasulbaran sa maong hitabo.

Ang komite sa krisi nga gipangunahan ni surigao del Sur Governor Vicente BB Pimentel uban sa koordinasyon sa PRO-13 pinangunahan ni PCSupt. Calingasan, CEO IV acting Ground Commander.

Gipaningkamotan sa kapulisan nga ma-release ang pito ka personahe nga luwas ug sa madali nga panahon. (Mike Imbo/Periodico News Network)
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Relatives of 7 kidnapped- DENR employees appeal for compassion from their abductors

The relatives and loves ones of the seven kidnapped employees of the DENR have appealed to the leader of the abductors Andot Behing for compassion. 

Public school teacher Judith Arlan , the sister of one of the kidnapped victims Forester Gabriel Arlan, aired her appeal to the kidnappers to free their victims.  

Some of the kidnapped employees, reportedly, have health problems. She said the abducted DENR personnel, considering their poor health condition, may not be able to bear the rigorous climbing and hostile environment condition at Mount Hilong-Hilong in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. 

DENR 13 Regional Executive Director Edilberto S. Buiser said the kidnapped victims have requested for medicines and fresh clothes .

He said the Crisis Management Committee which he heads, is expecting a letter from the kidnappers which contain their demand anytime today. 

Contingencies and alternative options have been prepared by the DENR to secure the early release of the abducted DENR personnel and the safety of their lives.  

Meanwhile, the Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza has condemned the abduction of seven field personnel of the Department manning a checkpoint in Butuan City.

“In behalf of the officials and employees of the DENR, I condemn, in strongest terms possible, this dastardly act of abducting our personnel who are out in the field doing their job of protecting the environment,” Atienza said.

The kidnapped DENR employees were identified as Forester Gabriel Arlan, Rito A. Espenido, Teofredo E. Pujadas, Emiliano P. Gatillo, Jr., Efren N. Sabuero, Rudy A. Clar and Eduardo E. Abogata. All were assigned at the Task Force Watershed Multisectoral Checkpoint in Barangay Anticala, Butuan City.

They were abducted by a group of armed men on October 21,2009 at around 1 o’clock in the morning at the DENR Checkpoint in Pianing, Anticala, Butuan City. (Eric Herzon F. Gallego, DENR / RPAO Chief)
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1st Youth Leadership Summit launched in Surigao del Sur

Tandag, Surigao del Sur – The first Youth Leadership Summit in Surigao del Sur will launched today October 23 at White Beach in Cagwait this province participated by the Sangguning Kabataan (SK) provincewide. 

Lt. Roxanne revealed that the 3-day activity is facilitated by the Philippine Army in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), NEDA, PDEA, TESDA, PDCC, PPDO, PNRC and supported by the provincial government headed by Governor Vicente Pimentel Jr.

Col. Erwin Rommel Lamzom, 58IB Battalion Commander in a phone patch interview said, the primary objective of the summit is to refresh the youth on what is leadership. Updates on issues concerning Surigao del Sur, security and safety for disaster and others will also be tackled during the summit. 

With a theme, “Leadership training for peace and development”, the summit aims to develop good leadership among the youth of Surigao del Sur.

Col Lamzon revealed that 70 participants from all over the province are expected to participate in the activity. Participants will comprise of three SK officers from each municipality. Representatives from other youth organizations who are interested to join the summit is also expected to participate. (Nida Grace B. Tranquilan/PIA Surigao del Sur)
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ADN gears up preparedness in times of disaster

BUTUAN CITY – Following the tragic event in the wake of Bagyong Ondoy and Pepeng, the province of Agusan del Norte gears up preparedness in times of disaster through a two-day Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Action Planning Workshop on October 21-22 at Carmen, Agusan del Norte. 

Within the two-days the province formulated its five-year Disaster Risk Management Plan geared towards decreasing the province vulnerability and increasing its resiliency in times of disaster.

Among the measures taken by the province to reduce the impact of disasters is the identification of hazard or risk prone areas. The province also aims to strictly implement the land use plans, zoning, buildings and fire codes of the province. 

To mitigate the impact of disaster, the province also integrates or mainstream disaster risk management in the comprehensive land use plan of each municipality. The province also plans to put up additional early warning systems in strategic locations.

To prepare people to react appropriately during disasters, the province has formulated a contingency plan on flood and is now planning to conduct massive information drive to increase people’s awareness on disasters. 

Preparedness plans of the province also include training on search and rescue with special emphasis on swift water rescue. An inventory of available resource of the provinces will also be conducted to better prepare the province in times of disaster. 

During the planning, the province also aims to create an operation center for the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) Operations Center for a synchronized and faster response in times of disaster. 

Other response mechanisms the province plans to implement is the establishment of a hotline number for disaster and purchase of equipment such as rubber boats, handheld radios, life jackets and ambulances. 

The Disaster Risk Management Plan aims to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters. It includes all forms of activities, including structural and non-structural measures to avoid or to limit adverse effects of hazards. (Lovely Laudette Gamba, PIA-Caraga)
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18 Police awarded with Medalya ng Kagalingan for a job well done

BUTUAN CITY – The Police Regional Office 13 honoured 18 PNP personnel for showing a heroic performance in the performance of their duties.

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PNP-Caraga Regional Director PCSUPT Lino De Guzman Calingasan awards the “Medalya ng Papuri” to deserving PNP personnel of 14th RMG led by PINSP JOEL A BINAS for having demonstrated exemplary efficiency for being 2nd runner up among 10 competing team in the 1st Directorate for Integrated Police Operation Eastern Mindanao (DIPO-EM) SWAT Team competition held at Camp Catitipan, Davao City.
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Police Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan, Police Regional Director of PRO 13 and Office of the Civil Defense Regional Director Blanche Gubenchiong pinned the Medalya ng Kagalingan (PNP Medal of Merit) to 18 deserving PNP personnel in a simple ceremony held on October 19 at Camp Rafael Rodriguez in Libertad this city.
The awardees who received the Medalya ng Kagalingan are Police Supt. Arnold Pascual, Police Chief Inspector Zosimo Duarte Jr., Police Senior Inspector Dionesio Pingos, SPO1 Delfin Mission, PO3 Gary Salcedo, PO3 Virgilio Pabia, PO3 Dennis Lozada, PO3 Gary Gerbolingo and PO1 Von Harjie Abucayan for the successful rescue operation of kidnap victim Indian National Kuljit Singh and the arrest of the suspects Bikram Singh and his Filipino wife Crispina Flores Singh.

Police Chief Inspector Adolf Almendra and 8 others namely: SPO4 Ellakim Villahermosa, SPO3 Crispino Buno, SPO3 Joselito delos Santos, PO3 Guillermo Ebale, SPO1 Carlos Abasanto, PO3 Eunice Gonzaga, PO3 Melvin Mordeno and PO3 Rene Boy Benegian were likewise awarded with the PNP Medalya ng Kagalingan for the successful arrest of Crispin Lenaban, 39 years old of Barangay San Juan, Alegria, Surigao del Norte.

On July 28, 2009 at around 9:20 in the morning at the Municipal Health Center, Compostela Valley Province, Joint elements of Regional Intelligence Division (RID), PRO 13, Intel Operative of Agusan del Norte Police Provincial Office and elements of Compostela Municipal Police Station arrested Lebanan by virtue of Warrant of Arrest issued by RTC Branch 30 and Branch 32, Surigao City for Double Murder, Illegal Possession of Firearms, Highway Robbery and Murder.

Arrested person is listed number one Most Wanted Person in the province of Surigao del Norte and alleged responsible in the killing of Comelec Officer Wenifreda Taer, her son SB member Rodulfo Taer Jr. and SB member Dominador Dandan all of Alegria, Surigao del Norte. (Jocelyn E. Morano, dxBN-Radyo ng Bayan Butuan)
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Re-balance growth through decent work, ITUCP-AP urges the ADB

23 October 2009, ADB -- Philippine ITUC-AP affiliates, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and Federation of Free Workers (FFW) handed over the WDDW Call to Action for Decent Work, Decent Life and the ITUC- Statement “Re-balancing Growth through Decent Work” to the Asian Development Bank represented by Mr. Bart Édes, Director on Poverty Reduction, Gender, and Social Development Division, Regional and Sustainable Development Department.

The ITUC and ITUC-AP delegates were TUCP Vice President Alejandro C. Villaviza, and FFW President Allan Montaño, TUCP Women Director Florencia Cabatingan and Education and Youth Director Rafael Mapalo.

CALL TO ACTION

Atty. Villaviza explained the objectives of the WDDW Campaign and highlighted the Call to Action’s eight key demands --protection of fundamental labor rights; changing unfair trade rules and reforming the World Bank and the IMF; improving the situation of women and men working in the informal economy; providing social protection to the majority of the world’s population who live without it; increasing development assistance; and ratifying and implementing the UN and ILO conventions around the protection of migrant workers and their families.

He noted that the TUCP and unions all over the world have done many activities highlighting the Call to Action to rally support and encourage stakeholders, especially decision-makers to put into operation the eight key demands.

RE-BALANCING GROWTH THROUGH DECENT WORK

Atty. Montaño acknowledged that the Asian Development Bank has been an important institution which supports regional and national economic development. Quoting from the ITUC-AP Statement, he conveyed that the “ITUC-AP supports the governments' massive stimulus programmes and strong assistance by the ADB to developing countries. The ITUC-AP strongly hopes that the region will recover from the crisis soon, and such a process should be guided by a new development principle, "Rebalancing Growth through Decent Work."

The ADB and trade unions share broad areas of common concern -- economic development, poverty eradication, establishment of social infra-structures, education, gender equality, employment promotion, skill development, building a strong financial architecture in the region, among other things, where trade unions can work together with the ADB in the region and nationally.

He reiterated that “ITUC-AP is pleased to note that the ADB has been recently paying more attention to social dimension of its operation as clearly indicated by Handbook on Core Labour Standards, Primer on Interacting with Workers' Organisation, Social Protection Index and other policy documents.”

On the World Day for Decent Work, he conveyed ITUC-AP’s General Secretary Noriyuki Suzuki’s steadfast hope that the ADB will further include Decent Work concept in its operations in the region and country consultations.

Director Cabatingan pushed that gender equality be given more serious consideration. She said: “Gender equality is the core of decent work.”

ADB RESPONSE

Director Édes thanked the ITUC-AP for sharing the Statement on WDDW titled “Re-balancing Growth through Decent Work”. He noted: “Your call for rebalancing growth through decent work comes at a time when the region has been coping with the negative social impacts of the global economic slowdown, including the loss of millions of jobs.”

Furthermore, he reported that the regional outlook remains uncertain. In particular, a protracted global slowdown will delay the region’s full recovery. It is unlikely that the region can revert to its long-term growth potential without the support of a firm global rebound. In the longer term, the key challenge for developing Asia will be to enhance resilience to external shocks. It can do so through policies aimed at broadening the scope and structure of the region’s openness and strengthening national systems that support human development. Practical steps include fostering intra-regional trade, managing financial globalization, maximizing the benefits of labor mobility, health and social protection.

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He said: “We believe that creating the conditions for goods jobs and social protection programs for those unable to find decent work is an urgent priority for governments in Asia and the Pacific.”

“The ABD welcomes consultation and social dialogue with trade unions and the civil society in the banks programs on poverty reduction, gender, social development and sustainable development.”

He urged the delegates to read the proceedings of the recently-concluded “Conference on Global Financial Crisis: Impacts, Lessons and Growth Rebalancing” for information and knowledge sharing. (TUCP/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
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POLICE REPORTS
By Darlin Cabalinan-Migullas

Accomplishment report on loose firearms (deposited in the Drop Boxes) 

Three firearms were deposited in the drop box for unwanted firearms in Alegria Municipal Police Station, Alegria, Surigao del Norte on October 19, 2009 at around 2:00 in the afternoon by a concerned citizen. Said firearms are as follows: one unit caliber 45 homemade with defaced serial number; one unit homemade shotgun without serial number; and one unit caliber 22 air rifle. Said firearms are under the custody of Alegria Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

On October 20, 2009 at around 3:30 in the afternoon, two units of caliber 38 revolver were deposited in the drop box of Bacuag Municipal Police Station, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte, by a concerned citizen. Said firearms are now under the custody of Bacuag Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

Two firearms were deposited in the drop box of Mainit Municipal Police Station, Mainit, Surigao Del Norte on October 20, 2009 at around 4:00 in the afternoon by a concerned citizen. These are one unit homemade shotgun without make and serial number and one unit caliber 38 revolver. 

On the other hand, at about 8:00 O'clock in the morning on October 21, 2009, one unit homemade shotgun without make and serial number was deposited in the drop box of Claver Municipal Police Station, Claver, Surigao del Norte by a concerned citizen. Said firearms are now under the custody of the respective Municipal Police S for proper disposition. 

Meanwhile, one unit caliber 38 revolver was deposited in the drop box of unwanted firearm in Sison Municipal Police Station, Sison, Surigao del Norte on October 21, 2009 at around 9:00 O'clock in the morning by a concerned citizen. 

On the other hand, on the same time and date, personnel of Alegria Municipal Police Station, Alegria, Agusan del Norte retrieved one unit homemade shotgun from the drop box for unwanted firearm placed at the Public market of Alegria, Surigao del Norte. Said firearms are now under the custody of the respective Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

At around 3:00 in the afternoon of the same date, a concerned citizen deposited two units of caliber 22 of unknown brand in the drop box for unwanted firearms in Magallanes Municipal Police Station, Magallanes, Agusan del Norte. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

Accomplishment report on loose firearms (Voluntarily surrendered) 

On October 20, 2009 at around 2:30 in the afternoon, a certain Baldo Cabesas, of legal age and a resident of Kinabjangan, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte voluntarily surrendered his homemade rifle single shot caliber 5.56 mm to Nasipit Municipal Police Station. 

On the same date, at around 2:45 in the afternoon, one unit unit of caliber 38 revolver (Paltik) was voluntarily surrendered to Nasipit Municipal Police Station by one Alfredo Maraya, of legal age and a resident of Barangay 7, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. 

Another caliber 38 revolver was voluntarily surrendered to Nasipit Municipal Police Station on October 20, 2009, around 3:30 in the afternoon by one Benjamin Casil of legal age and a resident of Barangay 5, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. 

Meanwhile, on October 21, 2009 at around 1:15 in the afternoon, a certain person requested for anonymity voluntarily surrendered his .38 caliber revolver to PSI Irene D. Pareja, Investigation Officer, Agusan del Norte Police Provincial Office. Said surrendered firearms are now under the custody of the respective police stations for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

Report on robbery 

Unidentified suspect/s allegedly robbed the Cabadbaran District Hospital located at Barangay Tolosa, Cabadbaran Agusan del Norte on October 21, 2009 at around 4:00 in the morning.

Initial investigation disclosed that the suspects forcibly break the door knob of the main entrance o the said hospital and carted away one portable CD player with speaker Toshiba brand with estimated value of PhP 25, 000.00 and one unit cellular phone with estimated value of PhP1,500.00. Anecita Tantoy Suganob, Assistant Clerk of said hospital, owned said items. Suspects fled towards unknown direction after the incident. 

Cabadbaran Municipal Police Station still conducting further investigation to possibly identify and arrest the suspect/s. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

Report on robbery Incident (Bukas Kotse) 

On October 21, 2009 at around 11:00 O'clock in the morning, one Charlie V. Cayetano, 36 years old and a resident of Km. 3, Baan, Butuan City reported to Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) that his Mitsubishi Lancer service vehicle bearing plate number LCV-139, color silver parked in side the parking area of Dotties place was robbed by unidentified suspect.

Said suspect break the right side rear window of the said vehicle and carted away one unit laptop HP Pavillion brand worth PhP70,000.00 and one unit DLP Acer projector worth PhP 30,000.00.

Another victim, one Joseph Celiacay, 45 years old and a resident of Purok-21, Poblacion, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur reported that his SUV Hyundai Starex Van with plate number KFA-458, color green parked infront of the said vehicle owned by Charlie Cayetano was also robbed by unidentified suspect. Suspect break the right front-seat window of the SUV and carted away nine units of travelling bags and assorted clothing. 

Elements of BCPO still conducting follow-up investigation regarding the incident. Progress report follows. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

PIA News Service - Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Siargao Island enjoys increase of tourist arrivals, says Gov. Barbers


Gov. Robert Ace Barbers is shown here acknowledging the effort made by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who was the event’s guest of honor, for bringing in a considerable number of local and foreign visitors not just in Siargao Island but throughout the country as well. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)

Gen. Luna, Siargao Island (21 October) – The 15th Siargao International Surfing Cup dubbed as the Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational 2009 successfully opened today, October 21, 2009 with 48 confirmed international cast of surfers and 12 local wildcards participated.

Speaking before a crowd of local and foreign tourists, Gov. Robert Ace Barbers proudly bared the increase of tourist arrivals in the island. “In this side of the town, of this island of Siargao, in the small town in the island of Mindanao called Gen. Luna we have been enjoying an increase of tourist arrivals, in fact, we have a lot of tourist coming from not just Europe, America, and Australia but likewise coming from Asia as well.”

Gov. Barbers acknowledged the efforts made by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who was the event’s guest of honor, for bringing in a considerable number of local and foreign visitors not just in the country but also in the island paradise of Siargao.

“With the Secretary of Department of Tourism around who has been every time marketing asking tourists to come, in fact, during his tenure as the Secretary of Tourism it was only during his time that we broke the record of more than 2 Million tourist arrivals in the country and with that it is because of all the efforts exerted by no less than our good secretary.”

“Our efforts to market this place would not have been possible as well if it were not with the full support of Dir. Letty Tan, your hardworking Regional Director for Tourism is the same as hardworking as the secretary,” Gov. Barbers added.

Meanwhile, Gov. Barbers acknowledged the support of Billabong, DOT and the local government unit of Gen. Luna who are behind the success of the event. “I would like take this opportunity to thanked and give credit where it is due. This competition would not have been possible if it were not for the 101% support of these people.”

He then urged everyone to take good care of these people for according to him, “kini sila are the ones responsible in making sure that everything turns out right, everything in the competition turns out successful and in addition to that, these are the same guys that brings tourist in this island in this town.”

Gov. Barbers is optimistic that with this competition, “it will not just give national prominence to this town, to this island of Siargao but likewise give international prominence to this country of the Philippines.” (Fryan E. Abkilan, PIA-Surigao del Norte)

DOT chief cites benefits of RA 9593

Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano delivers his keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the 15th Siargao International Surfing Competition dubbed as “Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational 2009” held Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at Gen. Luna, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte. (PIA-Caraga)

GEN. LUNA, SIARGAO ISLAND, SURIGAO DEL NORTE (21 October) – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano cited benefits of Republic Act 9593, otherwise known as the “National Tourism Policy Act of 2009.”

During the press conference held today, Wednesday (October 21) at Cabuntog Resort here, Sec. Durano emphasized the importance of the newly-created law where he said, is “a big help in promoting the tourism industry of the country”.

According to Sec. Durano, the law addresses DOT’s various strategies in its campaign to make the country a genuine tourists’ destination.

The National Tourism Policy Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on May 12, 2009 during the culmination of the two-day One Visayas Summit on Climate Change inside the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort Hotel and Spa in Cebu.

The law declares a national policy for tourism as an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development. The law also gives a boost to the country’s tourism industry, strengthening DOT and its attached agencies to effectively and efficiently implement tourism policies.

It is also expected that the tourism act will gear the DOT with the necessary tools needed to turn the Philippines into a world-class tourist’s destination.

“RA 9593 gears the DOT with powerful “jet engines” that would allow it to ‘fly’ closer to its goals,” Sec. Durano said.

Sec. Durano is the guest of honor and keynote speaker during the Opening Ceremonies of the 15th Siargao International Surfing Competition dubbed as “Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational” held this morning at Brgy. Catangnan, Gen. Luna, Siargao Island, this province.

Highlighting the ceremonies is the ceremonial breaking of surfboard by Sec. Durano, assisted by provincial and municipal officials led by Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Ace S. Barbers and Gen. Luna Mayor Felipe Espejon.

The 15th Siargao International Surfing Competition will culminate on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 with a fashion show featuring this year’s Miss Earth candidates highlighting the awarding ceremony. A cash prize of US $20,000 is at stake for this year’s champion.

It can be recalled that a local surfer from Gen. Luna, Siargao island won the championship plum last year, followed closely by a surfer/tube rider from Australia, who also won the championship prize in 2007. (Robert E. Roperos, PIA-13)

Sec. Durano to set aside political plans; focus on RP’s tourism development

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano (center) reveals his stand to prioritize the tourism development in the country over his political plans in the May 2010 national elections during the press conference held Wednesday (October 21) at Cabuntog Resort in Gen. Luna, Siargao Island. Sec. Durano graced the Opening of the 15th Siargao International Surfing Competition which will culminate on Tuesday, October 27. (PIA-Caraga)

GEN. LUNA, SIARGAO ISLAND, SURIGAO DEL NORTE (21 October) – Following the issue of whether of not he will run for a higher position come May 2010 national elections, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said that developing the country’s tourism industry is his priority and that, he is setting aside any political plans.

This was revealed by Sec. Durano during the press conference held today, Wednesday (October 21) at Cabuntog Resort here.

According to Durano, with the need of the country to strengthen the tourism industry, it is but necessary for him and the country’s tourism department to fast-track the implementation of its plans and programs.

“There is a need for me and the Department of Tourism to fast-track the implementation of the plans and programs to boost the tourism industry of the country. That’swhy, as of this time, I am setting aside any political plans for next year’s election… I am focusing on how to strengthen the tourism industry of the Philippines for which, I am tasked to do so,” he said.

Durano also said, the tourism department is working closely in order for the newly-created “National Tourism Policy Act of 2009” be implemented next month.

The tourism chief was here in the municipality dubbed as the country’s surfing capital to grace the opening ceremonies of the 15th Siargao International Surfing Competition dubbed as “Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational” held this morning at Brgy. Catangnan, Gen. Luna, Siargao Island.

This year’s competition draw more number of surfers/tube riders from around the globe as the event organizers, headed by Billabong Australia is giving away US $20,000 to the champion. It was learned that 48 local and foreign tube riders are vying for the prize.

The 15th Siargao International Surfing Competition is made possible through the Province of Surigao del Norte, DOT, Municipality of Gen. Luna, SM Mall of Asia – Manila, STOKED Inc., San Miguel Corporation, Green Zinc, Vonzipper, Kustom, and Nixon, among others.

The competition will run until Tuesday, October 27, 2009 where a new champion will be declared during the awarding ceremony. (Robert E. Roperos, PIA-13)


36IB discovers cave encampment

The rebels’ world is getting smaller and smaller as more civilians turn them over to government troops.

This is what exactly happened with the Long Range Patrol Unit of 36IB under the leadership of LtCol Dennis Godfrey F Gammad. The team is led by 2Lt Emeterio Armada where a civilian informant led them into the discovery of a cave encampment believed to be used by NPAs in hiding from the Army troops.

This cave is located at Sitio Pag-awitan Barangay Malixi Tagbina Surigao del Sur. It has a radius of approximately 10ft and around 150m in length. There are evidences that humans have been entering and staying in the cave since there were food wrappers and empty cans of sardines scattered in the area. It can shelter around 60-100 individuals. The cave also acts as passage-way since its exit leads into a forested area of the same barangay.

The entrance and exit cannot be easily identified since there is thick vegetation around it that’s why it was only discovered with a guide from the local populace. This encampment only adds up to the three camps discovered last August where civilian informants were also the guide.

This unit continuously calls out for the peaceful surrender of the rebels in order to take advantage of the government’s programs in return. These are the Social Integration Program and “Balik-Baril” program. 36IB’s hotline number is always open so you can contact us 24/7. Our number is 09086992175. (36IB, Gabatin/PIA Surigao del Sur)
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More biotech crops needed to fight climate change

By Jennifer A. Ng

The development of more biotech crops resistant to diseases and the adverse impact of drastic changes in weather conditions have now become more crucial in view of climate change, which is expected to disrupt traditional cropping patterns and threaten the country’s food security.

Dr. Randy Hautea, global coordinator and Southeast Asia Center director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, said that as part of the country’s preparations for climate change, the Philippine government can consider stepping up its investments in the biotech sector, particularly in research and development (R&D).

“[The Philippine government] can prepare this early and anticipate the [ill-effects] of climate change on agriculture. The development of crops that can adapt to [changing weather patterns] can be a good first step”, said Hautea in a telephone interview.

Of the genetically engineered crops being commercialized and propagated in the Philippines, he said Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn is one crop that can adapt to drought.

Also, the Los Baños-based International Rice Research Institute has released flood-tolerant and drought-tolerant rice varieties.

Hautea, however, said more genetically engineered crops resilient to drastic changes in weather patterns could still be developed.

He said the Philippines could have laid down the groundwork for the development of more drought- or flood-resistant genetically engineered crops had the national government stuck to the provisions of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (AFMA), or Republic Act 8435.

In a paper written by Reynaldo de la Cruz of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, the AFMA was supposed to provide a budget of 4 percent of the total R&D budget of the agriculture sector for a period of seven years after the law was enacted. He noted that by law, the annual budget of biotechnology should have been at most around P1 billion.

Hautea noted that in terms of the development of the biotech sector, the Philippines is now lagging behind its counterparts in Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Vietnam. He said Thailand spends more than $20 million annually for its biotech sector.

Also, the resistance of the general public to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered crops has worked to the disadvantage of the government in moving forward its biotech program.

“Konti na nga pera mo para sa R&D tapos gagamitin mo pa [You already have little funding for R&D and you still use it] to explain [the advantages of biotech crops] to the general public, lalong liliit and napupunta [less money will go] to the biotech sector”, said Hautea.

The resistance to GMOs and genetically engineered crops, he said, has also made the biotech sector less attractive to potential private investors since there is now a perception that there is no market for biotech products in the Philippines.

Earlier, Dr. William Dar, director general of the International Crops Research for the Semi-Arid Topics, urged the Philippine government to start preparing for climate change and to develop short-term, medium-term and long-term plans to enable the country to cope with the adverse impact of global warming.

Dar noted that paddy-rice production will be adversely affected by global warming.
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Avoiding a possible food shortage

by Sen. Edgardo J. Angara

The great floods wrought by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng left many farms ravaged, and just a mere month before harvest. As of last week, the crop losses caused by the two tropical storms amounted to P10 billion.

This would have yielded 478,000 metric tons of palay, 18,000 metric tons of corn, and 14,546 metric tons of vegetables, mango, banana, and papaya. The fisheries, livestock and poultry sectors were not saved from the flood. Ondoy has damaged 5,905 hectares of fishponds, mostly in Region 3, resulting in losses worth P127.5 million. Damage to livestock and poultry has been pegged at P41 million.

As the floods subsided, it left the country with two pressing issues to address: first, a looming food shortage for the first and second quarters of 2010, and second, a big blow to the livelihood of many farmers.

Because available food stocks are projected to last until 2009, the impact of crop losses on our food supply will be most likely felt early next year. But while urban dwellers have until December to brace themselves for possible food price increases, farmers are now reeling from the loss of a season’s worth of work, haunted with problems of credit payments, and how to tide their families through the next harvest, among other things. In Nueva Ecija alone, some 15,000 farmers have lost their harvest. How much more from Isabela, Ilocos, Pangasinan and other provinces pounded by Pepeng for almost a week?

The immediate response, of course, should be to ensure food supply through all means possible.

First, we’ve got to make the most of the remaining harvest for this year. Distributing post-harvest facilities, such as flatbed dryers, can help save as much as 15 percent of our production losses, of which 5 percent is due to poor drying alone. Post-harvest facilities in the country are so backward that it takes 30 working days to harvest, thresh, and haul palay, a process which takes five days in Thailand.

Second, food importation should be increased if necessary. But this should just be a stopgap measure, while we wait for the next harvest.

Third, we’ve got to help our farmers plant again, and provide them with high-yield seeds and fertilizers. Irrigation systems that have been damaged by the floods should be immediately repaired.

The long-term response, one which has been difficult to sustain through the changes in leadership, is to provide a comprehensive program on modernizing agriculture, and incorporate climate-change mitigation in it. The damage brought by the recent typhoons showed not only the wrath of global warming, but how unprepared we are to face it.

For instance, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has recently developed a flood-tolerant variety of high-yielding rice, which can last two weeks completely submerged in water. Flood-prone India and Bangladesh have already lined up to use this variety. Like them, we can introduce this variety in flood-prone areas during the rainy season, and it will definitely save us from another crop devastation wrought by the recent typhoons.

We live on fertile grounds. Our farmlands have one of the highest potentials in Asia—IRRI calculates that if given enough support and irrigation, our farms could even double their productivity to 6.3 metric tons/hectare. It is now up to us to help them reach this potential.
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DA eyes grant for climate program
by Melody M. Aguiba

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pursuing a $120 million grant for the acquisition of remote sensing and agricultural crop testing facilities under a climate change program of United States Pres. Barack Obama.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice), a DA-attached agency, has been preparing the proposal for this financing program which DA wants to obtain in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The proposal may be presented by DA to the US government as US-DA Sec. Tom Vilsack is tentatively set to visit the Philippines on Oct. 26.

“Our plan is to purchase high-throughout facilities. (DA) Sec. (Arthur) Yap is pursuing this under President Obama’s climate change program. I think the US is providing funds that can be availed of by countries affected by climate change. It could be a grant,” said Lawyer Ronilo A. Beronio, Philrice executive director, in an interview.

These facilities are powerful tools for planning agricultural production. It can be better than a phytotron, a greenhouse used for studying plant growth under certain environmental conditions, according to Beronio. It can give information important to cropping such as drought and flooding.

“It has the capacity to engage in high-throughput research (involving) DNA fingerprinting. It can test thousands of varieties,” he said.

Government is confident that the country can benefit from financing programs for climate change adaptation by international agencies with the country’s vulnerability to climate change’s effects due to its archipelagic nature. One concern in peninsular areas like those in the Philippines is the increasing salinity in rice fields caused by rising salty sea water inundating farms.

The development of saline water suitable rice varieties has been one of the programs of Philrice. Three saline suitable varieties have earlier been approved for release by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC). These are the Rc 184, Rc 186, and Rc 188 which have yields of between 2.9 to 3.2 metric tons per hectare, a yield that may be acceptable enough considering the saline soil characteristic.

Philrice has initiated the use of remote sensing facilities for agricultural planning as it tied up with a private firm, Develtech, on the development of software that can read satellite images and enable researchers to translate these into useful data. Accuracy of the data is complemented by “ground truthing” or the determination of the actual representation of the data on the ground, whether blue-colored images, for instance, translate to actual irrigation and planting of rice.

With this study, a more accurate rice planting area has been determined for Nueva Ecija as of the wet season of 2008. While the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) estimated that farmers planted on 200,000 hectares that season, the remote sensing study indicated actual planting was only on 180,000 hectares.

Such discrepancy may be the reason why rice Philippine production data can be bloated at times which may also be causing inaccurate estimation of needed rice import volume.

With the US-funded facilities, Beronio said usefulness of this remote sensing technology can be applied nationwide. Besides, the government has a plan to revive the Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zone (SAFDZ) which will maximize land use based on suitability of certain crops. The same technology will be useful in optimizing this program’s benefit.
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‘Snorkel’ rice cultivation best response to flooding
by Marvyn N. Benaning

A rice variety that grows best when submerged has emerged as the best option for Luzon farmers whose fields are regularly flooded due to typhoons or heavy rains.

With global heating instigating unpredictably long periods of dry and wet months, the rice strain, dubbed as “snorkel” rice, offers the best defense for flooding, like what tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng brought to the entire Luzon area.

Developed by scientists working at the Nagoya University of Japan, the variety grows “snorkels” when submerged and grows up to an incredible 25 cm a day.

Thus, the rice plant does not only tolerate submergence but even grows better when swamped with water.

A recent paper in the journal Nature written by Laurentius Voesenek stressed that scientists were pleasantly surprised to find out that the “snorkels” grown provide the entire plant with the nutrients and minerals that would otherwise be lost.

Voesenek said “snorkel” genes in flood-tolerant rice were discovered by Japanese scientists who then introduced the genes to sensitive high-yielding varieties.

“Snorkels” grow as hollow tubes from parts of the plant known as internodes, which protect them from getting swamped with water. In a sense, internodes provide the armor for the rice strain.

With the country expected to lose more than 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice due to Ondoy and a fraction more due to Pepeng, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will have little alternative but to experiment on “snorkel” rice.

DA officials confide that research on the same type of rice has been going on at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), which is also doing work on saline-tolerant, drought-tolerant and submergence-tolerant rice varieties, including several traditional strains.

Filipino scientists may actually use biotechnology processes to introduce the same gene in traditional indigenous rice varieties to achieve the same effect and Nagoya University may provide generous assistance for the same purpose.
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OFW-turned-farmer now biotech hero
by Rudy Fernandez

MANILA, Philippines - Rosalie Ellasus has dabbled in many different fields. From working in medical technology, to becoming an OFW, then a farmer, and finally a leader and speaker giving testimonials on her success, Ellasus has truly crossed many boundaries and hurdled many obstacles to become what she is today.

It was 1987 when Ellasus worked as a nanny to two children of an American widow in Singapore, leaving behind her family and medical technology profession. Two years later, she moved to Canada where she again served as a nursemaid to a Canadian couple’s twins. While in Canada, she immersed herself in other fields that could improve her intellectual capabilities.

In 1992, she returned to Singapore where she landed a better-paying job as a market executive. Unfortunately, her husband died so she decided to return to the Philippines to take care of her sons.

Yet another transformation came when she turned to farming, particularly production of biotechnology corn, a genetically modified crop that has a built-in defense mechanism against destructive corn pests.

From her savings as an OFW, Ellasus bought a 1.3-hectare farm and tried producing corn. But aflatoxin contamination, as well as pests and weeds that reduced her yield, made it impossible to sell her produce.

Unfazed, Ellasus attended a 16-week Integrated Pest Management-Farmers Field School on corn conducted in 2001 by the Department of Agriculture. From the seminar, she changed her farm practices and, after seeing a demonstration farm on biotech corn, she decided to adopt the technology. She sold her bountiful biotech corn produce to feedmills and the corn husks to local craft producers because these were flawless and sturdy.

Subsequently, she expanded her farm to six hectares. “I was truly convinced that a marginal farmer can improve his life only if he will adopt biotechnology,” Ellasus asserts. She has since become one of the country’s successful GM corn producers.

In 2006, she was elected president of the prestigious Philippine Maize Federation (PhilMaize), a national association of corn farmers’ cooperatives. She was also elected municipal councilor of San Jacinto, Pangasinan in the 2007 elections.

Ellasus shot to global prominence when she was chosen in 2007 as the first recipient of the Kleckner Trade and Technology Advancement Award, named for Truth & Technology (TATT) chairman Dean Kleckner, an internationally known farmer-leader.

The award is given for “exemplary leadership, vision and resolve in advancing the rights of farmers to choose the technology and tools that will improve the quality, quantity and availability of agricultural products around the world.”

Ellasus was commended for using biotechnology to solve the production challenges on her farm.

Over the past two years, she has also been invited to speak at the Des Moines Roundtable Discussion on Agricultural Biotechnology in Iowa, USA; Minneapolis Conference of the Western Canada Wheat Association; a conference sponsored by Mexico’s Department of Agriculture; and a farmer’s forum in Medan, Indonesia.

When Peruvian and Vietnamese government officials and scientists visited the Philippines recently, she was tapped to share her experiences in biotechnology farming. She is also often invited as resource person in Philippine forums on biotechnology.

Now 49, she is featured in a book together with 64 other trail-blazers in biotechnology crop production in 14 countries in Asia and Africa.

The book, entitled “Communicating Crop Bio-technology: Stories from Stakeholders,” documents how farmers, media practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, scientists, academicians, religious leaders, and students have benefited from science communication efforts and how in turn they are now part of the process of realizing a collective voice on crop biotechnology.

The 175-page volume was published by the New York, USA-based International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

Edited by Dr. Mariechel Jamias-Navarro, ISAAA Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology manager, the book contains 49 articles from stakeholders (farmers, media practitioners, policymakers, scientists, academics, religious leaders, industry representatives and students) in 14 countries in Asia and Africa.

Aside from Ellasus, the other Filipinos featured in the book are former UP president Dr. Emil Javier, now president of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST); multi-awarded journalist Melody Aguiba of Manila Bulletin; Dr. Edita Burgos, wife of the late press freedom fighter and icon Jose Burgos Jr.; Dr. Cynthia Hendreyda, a professor and scientist at UP Diliman; Edwin Paraluman, a successful corn farmer from General Santos City, South Cotabato; and Fr. Emmanuel Alparce, former executive director of the Social Action Center in Sorsogon and now vice rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Guam.

Each of those featured in the book is an important figure in his or her field – a field that Ellasus has tended to, both literally and figuratively.

She says, “Here in the Philippines, many farmers are not proud of their job. I want to see them shine. I’m just a small candle, but even the weakest flame can spread fire.”

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7 abducted DENR personnel safe 

The seven DENR personnel who were abducted by a group of armed men at the Task Force Watershed Multi-Sectoral Checkpoint at Sitio Pianing in Barangay Anticala, Butuan City recently are reportedly safe.

The abducted DENR personnel have also requested through the phone that they need medicines and clothes for which the DENR are preparing to be delivered to an undisclosed area.

The DENR was able to establish a communication line with the leader of the kidnapper who was identified as a certain Andot Behing who apparently called up through a senior DENR officer to inform him of the present condition of the abducted victims. 

The leader of the kidnappers has also informed the DENR that a letter containing their demands is expected to be sent soon. He assured the DENR officials that the hostages are safe and will be treated in humane manner as possible. 

The DENR was able to talk with one of the victims through the cell phone that they needed medicines and fresh clothes and jackets to wear to protect them from cold weather in the area.

At this moment, the leader of the kidnapper took the phone and told the DENR officials that he will be sending one of the hostages at an undisclosed meeting area anytime to get the supply of medicines and fresh clothes being requested by the victims. 

The leader of the kidnapper, ANDOT Behing is a rebel returnee and noted as operator of illegal logs in the area. 

At the moment , the DENR is expecting to receive the demands of the kidnappers but we maintained that there will be no ransom amount to be paid by the government in exchange for their freedom. 

The DENR Crisis Committee headed by RED Edilberto Buiser is doing all efforts to secure the release of the abducted DENR personnel. (DENR-13/PIA-Caraga)
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POLICE REPORTS
By PO3 Arturo Suganob Campania

Report on loose firearm

On October 19, 2009 at 7:00 in the morning at Nasipit Municipal Police Station, Agusan del Norte, one Demetrio Suico, Barangay Captain of Barangay Talisay, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, voluntarily surrendered one unit cal .38 revolver with SN 14838 smith and Wesson.

At about 8:30 of same date, a certain Jerome Marave, a resident of Barangay 4, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte voluntarily surrendered one unit cal .38 revolver with SN 570937. Said firearms are now under the custody of Nasipit Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.

At 1:00 in the afternoon, PNP members of RTR Municipal Police Station retrieved one unit cal .38 revolver smith and Wesson without serial number from the Drop Box for unwanted firearms at Barangay Tagbongabong, RTR, Agusan del Norte. Said firearm is now under the custody of RTR Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.

Also, on October 20, 2009 at 9:00 in the morning, one Retired General Lapu-lapu Buyser, 75 years old, resident of Navarro Corner Espina St., Surigao City had deposited into the Drop Box for unwanted firearms at Surigao del Norte PPO as follows:

Ø Two unit pistol shotgun homemade without serial number

Ø One unit m16 revolver homemade without serial number

Ø One unit cal .22 without serial number

Ø two units cal .38 revolver without serial number

Ø One unit cal .38 revolver with serial number 910537

Ø Five magazines assembly for carbine

Ø One unit hand grenade

Ø 18 cartridge assembly for M203

Said firearms and ammunitions are now under the custody of Surigao del Norte PPO for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

PNP arrests wanted persons

On October 19, 2009 at 11:40 in the morning at Barangay Cabongbongan, Surigao City, a certain Ronil R Alciso, 21 years old, married, jobless and resident of said place was arrested by PNP elements of Surigao City Police Station by virtue of WOA issued by Hon Judge Dennis B Castilla, MTCC, Branch 1, Butuan City for violation of SP Ordinance Number 894-92, section 31-07 (traffic violation), docketed under CC number 40207 with recommended bailbond amounting to Php 2,000.00. Subject person is now under the custody of Surigao City Police Station for proper disposition.

At 3:00 in the afternoon of the same date, a certain Isacar F Otaza, 42 years old, married and resident of Purok Bayabas, San Isidro, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur was arrested by PNP personnel of Talacogon Municipal Police Station by virtue of WOA issued by Hon Judge Hector B Salise of RTC Branch 7, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur for two counts of rape docketed under CC numbers 3054 and 3055 with no bailbond recommended. Subject person is now under the custody of Talacogon Municipal Police Station for proper documentation. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

Report on shooting incident

On October 20, 2009 at 5:00 in the morning at Purok 1, Barangay Baliguan, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, one Rodrigo C Madrozo, 53 years old, married, retired Phil Army and resident of said place was shot to death using cal .45 and .9mm pistol by five unidentified suspects.

PNP elements of Jabonga Municipal Police Station led by SPO4 Danilo Salcedo Cabug-os together with Dr Roberto Blacano, Municipal Health Officer of Jabonga immediately proceeded to the place of incident and conducted crime scene investigation.

Initial investigation disclosed that the victim and his younger brother were riding a tricycle going towards his farm located at National Highway of Barangay Baliguan and while traveling at about 100 meters away from his house, the suspects shot the victim resulting to death.

Suspects immediately withdrew towards mountainous area of said place while victim's brother ran away unharmed. Recovered at the crime scene were spent shells of cal .45 and .9mm pistol. Progress report to follow. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

PIA News Service - Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009

6,679 join Stand Up, Fight Poverty Campaign in Caraga 

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By Leah T. Quintana 

BUTUAN CITY – A total of 6,679 individuals, mostly beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps joined the Stand Up and Fight Poverty (SUFP) campaign conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in coordination with the local government units and partner agencies on October 16 in all 4Ps areas in the region. The campaign is one of the activities slated in observance of the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (NWOEP) on October 17-23, 2009. 

As one of the government agencies at the forefront in the fight against poverty, the DSWD supported the Stand Up, Fight Poverty campaign on October 16-18 led by the United Nations. 

DSWD Caraga Dir. Mercedita P. Jabagat said the SUFP is a three-day global mobilization that aims to send a loud and clear message from the citizens to the world leaders and decision makers to take urgent action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and end extreme poverty by 2015. 

She also said, it hopes to break the Guinness World Record for attaining the largest number of people participating in a single event. 

The anti-poverty campaign focused on four major Millennium Development Goals: MDG 1 - eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; MDG 2 – achieve universal primary education; MDG 5 – improve maternal health; MDG 6 – combat HIV/AIDS. 

According to the UN, the achievement of the MDGs remains a priority on the global political and public agenda. The campaign aims to convey the urgency of attaining the MDGs and end extreme poverty by 2015.
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POLICE REPORTS
By PO3 Philip AMer Posas Mazo

Report on robbery 

On October 18, 2009 around 7:30 in the evening, a couple was robbed by unknown perpetrators at Purok-1 Taboan area Poblacion, Barobo, Surigao del Sur. Crispin Apolinario Bautista, 43 years old and Jean Flores Bautista were held by four unidentified persons armed with undetermined short firearms.

The robbers carted one unit cellphone Samsung, two ID, and Cash money amounting to Php 1OO,OOO.OO. Initial investigation conducted by Barobo Municipal Police Station revealed that the victims while walking towards their sari-sari store were held by the perpetrators at a dark portion of the road and declared hold-up then fled towards unknown direction after the incident.

Further investigation is on-going by Barobo Municipal Police Station. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga) 

Accomplishment report on loose firearms 

On October 17, 2009 around 3:00 in the afternoon at Barangay Talisay, San Benito, Surigao del Norte, PNP personnel of San Benito Municipal Police Station led by PI Florence D Murao conducted Information Drive on Firearms Amnesty Program which resulted to the recovery of a caliber .22 Smith and Wesson with serial number 31888 inside the Drop Box for Unwanted Firearms dropped by unknown person. Said firearm is now in the custody of San Benito Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

On October 18, 2009 around 2:00 in the afternoon, Las Nieves Municipal Police Station Chief of Police PSI Wilson M Dela Fuerta recovered a caliber .38 Smith and Wesson Revolver with serial number 85043 with three live ammos at Triangulo, Barangay Malicato, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

Said firearm was abandoned by an unidentified person at the waiting shed near the checkpoint conducted by Las Nieves Municipal Police Station personnel. Recovered firearm is now in the custody of said station for proper disposition. 

At around 5:00 in the afternoon of the same date at Barangay San Isidro, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, PNP personnel of Kitcharao Municipal Police Station after conducting Information Drive at the said place a caliber .38 revolver without serial number was voluntarily surrendered by a person who requested anonymity and said firearm is now in the custody of Kitcharao Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

Also, on October 19, 2009 around 2:30 in the afternoon at Butuan City Police Station 5 of Barangay San Mateo, Butuan City, two units of caliber .22 revolver without serial numbers were voluntarily surrendered by a resident of Sitio Masagana, Barangay Florida, Butuan City. 

Said firearm is now in the custody of Butuan City Police Station 5 for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga) 

Report on traffic accident 

On October 18, 2009 around 4:50 in the afternoon, a Yamaha Crypton single motorcycle with plate number MS 5510 driven by Florante Escaoso, 30 years old, married and a resident of Alegria, Surigao del Norte accidentally crashed into the cemented road along the National Highway of Barangay Sta Ana, Tubay, Agusan del Norte.

The accident caused the injury of the driver and death of his wife (backrider) Naneth Escaoso, 29 years old. Initial investigation disclosed that while the couple was traveling along the national highway in a moderate speed heading Surigao City, the driver lost control of the motorcycle then crashed into the road. 

Both victims were rushed to Cabadbaran Emergency Hospital for medical treatment but Naneth Escaoso died after few minutes of medical attendance. Case is under investigation by Tubay Municipal Police Station. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)  

Apprehension of illegal logs 

On October 18, 2009 around 8:30 in the morning at Barangay Amparo, Butuan City, 14th RMG personnel augmented to Bit-os Patrol Base, Butuan City and personnel from DENR recovered abandoned 84 pieces of Lawaan species with a approximate volume of 38.26 cubic meter estimated at Php 191,3OO.OO and 50 pieces miscellaneous logs with an approximate volume of 12.25 cubic meter and estimated market value of Php 18,357.OO.

Recovered logs were deposited at DENR Bit-os Checkpoint, Butuan City for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

PIA News Service - Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

Children’s governance: A challenge beyond four conrners of school campus
By: Fritz V. Evangelio

Agusan del Sur officialdom voluntarily surrendered their posts for a day to youth leaders during a short program right after the Monday flag raising ceremony at the provincial capitol ground, as mandated in Provincial Ordinance No. 16, series of 2002, otherwise known as the Children’s Code of Agusan del Sur. 

Section 46 of the children’s code states that under close supervision by those in government position, the children in the province of Agusan del Sur shall reign the governance/administration of the entire bureaucracy, including elective positions, except in hospitals, from the barangay up to provincial level, and whose official actions shall be binding and enforceable within the law. The local councils for the welfare of children in each LGU shall recommend to the Local Sanggunian the names of children who shall be occupying all the position in the bureaucracy. On this day, governing/administering children shall be compensated according to the position/s they are holding comensurate to one (1) day equivalent to be taken from the regular salary of the holder of such position being taken over. 

Side by side after the turn over, young governor Jelcid Fernando Ebarle from Bayugan City walked with Gov. Maria Valentina “Tina” Plaza to the second floor where the office of the governor is located, each wearing smiles in their faces as a sign of sweet surrender of her post on the side of Gov. Tina, and a sign of willingness on the side of young Gov. Ebarle. 

Two days before the taking over, youth leaders convene on a youth congress at the Provincial Training Center and discuss issues and problems that confront children and women all over the province based on the four major rights of a child as defined in the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination and Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). A rigid workshop was done whose output will support the existing laws that protect the children and women and will be jointly financed by the provincial and municipal federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan and the provincial and municipal governments. 

To prepare the youth legislatures before they take over the legislative chambers, Vice Governor Santiago “Santi” Cane himself briefed the children on the rules and procedures in the conduct of meetings and sessions in order that they can pass local laws which will become part of the laws of Agusan del Sur, parallel to the law of the Republic. 

Among those elected yesterday that took over the governance of Agusan del Sur today, October 19 were, Governor: Jelcid Fernando Ebarle of Bayugan; Vice Governor: Phybglyzl Chavez of San Luis; District I Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Melch Marion Demegillo; Yvonne Kaye Perocillo, Leean Espino, Fatima Alaan and Jovelyn Luna. For Sangguniang Panlalawigan members District II: Sheila Mae Magadan; Hannah Jane Daday; Arnold Improso; Kris Angeli Sanchez and Carmela Bahalla. The Youth Provincial PCL President was Sweet Dawn Chavez while Kenny Jean Balagon took over the post of Hon. Edwin Elorde as Liga ng mga Barangay President. All the chiefs of offices were also unseated in favor of the young chiefs of offices for a day, including the prosecutor’s office and the office of the Philippine Information Agency as requested by Vice Governor Santi Cane. 

“Every October since I became governor of Agusan del Sur, I sweetly surrender my office to the young governor as mandated in Ordinance No. 16, not only as compliance, but to share the responsibility that a governor carries on her shoulder for the welfare and well being of her constituents, because I believe these young leaders are not just future leaders of the province, but they will become forces that will carry Agusan del Sur to prosperity”, Gov. Tina Plaza said. (With Dave M. Suyao, PIA, Agusan del Sur)
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DENR-XIII seized ‘hot logs’ anew

BUTUAN CITY (October 19) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) scores anew as personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) apprehended another illegal logs yesterday, Sunday, October 18, 2009 at Brgy. Amparo, this city.

Based on the apprehension receipt report, 84 pieces of lauan species with a total volume of 38.26 cubic feet, estimated at around P191,300.00, and 50 pieces of miscellaneous species, total volume of 12.25 cubic feet, with an estimated amount of P18,375.00 were apprehended at around 6:00 in the morning Sunday.

The apprehension was conducted due to violation of Presidential Decree 705, revising Presidential Decree No. 389, otherwise known as the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines.

Apprehending officers are composed of Scaler Jaime Arandil; and Forest Rangers Exequiel Anno, Erwin Llanes, Dario Tanio, and Leonardo Ranara – Team Leader.

With these developments, DENR is closely monitoring the region in its effort to stop illegal logging activities in support to the programs of the national government in eradicating illegal loggers to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Over the last 14 years of its creation as a Regional Office, DENR - Caraga has actively implemented programs and projects that have impact in the promotion of clean, green and healthy environment, as well as to uplift the socio-economic condition in the upland communities in the region.

The DENR is actively campaigning for effective measures that will mitigate the ill-effects of climate change. These include reforestation in geo-hazard areas, environmental research and the implementation of ecological solid waste management. (PIA-Caraga)
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DTI and DOH to hold 3rd Consumernet meets the public

BUTUAN CITY – Recognizing the importance of education towards a protected consumer, the Consumernet Caraga through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) will hold the 3rd Consumernet Meets the Public on October 28, 8:30 in the morning at Luciana Convention Center. 

The forum is one of the major activities for the Consumer Welfare Month celebration. It is an annual Consumernet Caraga activity to commemorate the month-long celebration. 

This year’s theme is “Generic Drugs: Gawang Pinoy! Galing Pinoy! Tangkilikin Natin!”. Thus, the forum will highlight information on the Cheaper Medicines Act and Generics Medicines. 

Target participants for the forum are representatives of consumer organizations in the region, senior citizens, government employees, transport groups and academe, among others.

The forum will also serve as the venue for the Target participants for the forum are representatives of consumer organizations in the region, senior citizens, government employees, transport groups and academe, among others. (Lovely Laudette Gamba, PIA-Caraga)
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TESDA Caraga gears up for 
“Stand Up, Fight Poverty Campaign”
By: Gervacio C. Dauz, Jr.

BUENAVISTA, AGUSAN DEL NORTE– Joining in the nationwide chorus and campaign to stand up and fight poverty, the TESDA Caraga blasted with an opening salvo of its own this 16th day of October 2009 at the Northern Mindanao School of Fisheries, which was attended by 323 technical-vocational students and graduates, and in concert with TESDA executives and personnel.

The concerted activity is in line with the Presidential Proclamation No. 717, Series of 2004, which declared October 17-23 of every year as the “National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty” and coincides with the “Stand Up, Fight Poverty” (SUFP) Global Campaign this October 16-18, 2009 being led by the United Nations and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

Pioneering act of TESDA for this year, as revealed by Director General Augusto Boboy Syjuco, is the attempt of registering the “Jobs Bridging and Internship Program” with the UNDP/UNFPA Stand United Secretariat “as part of our support to the SUFP Campaign on the Medium-term Development Goal No. 1 (Poverty and Hunger) as our commitment.”

OIC-Provincial Director Leo V. Velez of TESDA Agusan del Norte, who represented OIC-Regional Director Florencio F. Sunico, Jr. and other TESDA Caraga executives, provided the rationale and overview of the day-long activity here saying: “Poverty is a heavy, recurring issue. And for us in the TVET sector, education is a tool to fight poverty. And we are here as a consolidated show of force, believing that poverty can be addressed through education and employment.”

Sharing about the objectives, he pointed out that the campaign would help encourage people’s participation in the fight against poverty by presenting the different programs and resources available to people belonging to different sectors; build networks with government line agencies, government organizations, and people’s organizations . . . towards the welfare of specific basic sectors; and to celebrate the milestones and achievements of each sector in the fight against poverty.

He likewise pointed out that TESDA’s role in the campaign is in holding of the “Jobs Bridging and Internship Program” as part of the SUFP Campaign. Specifically, for TESDA Caraga, he shared that today’s activity would zero in on conducting the Youth Profiling for Starring Careers, which will help the individual learn about what specific technical-vocational careers would be fitting for him. Part of the activity is the skills demonstration of Body Massage and Beauty Care, such as pedicure, manicure and haircut.

Provincial Director Rey M. Cueva of Dinagat Island Province did the honor of launching of the SUFP Campaign.

The skills demonstration for Beauty Care was courtesy of the Agusan del Sur School of Arts and Trade, while the Body Massage was courtesy of the students of the Butuan City Manpower Training Center and the practitioners of the Modern Tech Massage Association (MTMA) based here.  

It was learned that MTMA is a case in point in terms of anti-poverty intervention. TESDA Agusan del Norte, in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Metro Butuan, was able to source out funds from the Department of Labor and Employment, resulting in providing its members with a legal personality and the acquisition of massage tools, supplies and equipment, plus other massage accessories and furniture. With that intervention, the MTMA members were able to launch a self-employed livelihood enterprise – a massage clinic – just this August 2009 at the heart of this municipality.

As announced by Director Velez, the week-long activity will culminate with a bigger Jobs Bridging event to be hosted by the AMA Computer Learning Center in Butuan City with the support and partnership of the different industry players and technical vocational institutions around Caraga Region. 
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Army justifies presence in Andap 

The military hierarchy in the region justified their presence in Andap Complex, in Surigao del Sur, even as they belie reports that they were there to protect some business interests – primarily mining investments – at the expense of residents, especially the indigenous tribes that live in the areas affected by these investments.

A press conference was held recently at the Advance Command Post of the 401st Brigade, Philippine Army, Camp Bancasi, this city; attended by Colonel Ephraim Oropel, Post Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Lamzon, Commanding Officer, 58th Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Pedralvez, Commanding Officer 23rd Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Gammad, Commanding Officer 36th Infantry Battalion, Major Michelle Anayron, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division and Mr. Abner Caga, Regional Director of the Philippine Information Agency-Caraga, to shed light on the issue.

In a press statement read by Lt. Col. Lamzon during the forum attended by the local media practitioners, it mentioned that on the recent months, the national and local media as well as the internet have been flooded with news, stories and political statements regarding the so called militarization in the Andap Complex. The stories, according to their press statement, charged that the presence of the military forced local communities of indigenous people to evacuate to safer grounds owing to the human rights violations and other atrocities perpetrated accordingly by soldiers coming from the 36th and the 58th IBs of the 4ID Philippine Army.

Accordingly, the articles seem to point out that the presence and operations of the army at the said complex were intended to harass people towards forcing them to support and allow mining in their communities. Some of the articles, according to their press statement, even alleged that the recruitment of local residents to become “Bagani Warriors” is still attributed to the purpose of enforcing the operation of mining projects in the Andap.

The Army’s statement pointed out that the accusation hurled against them were all baseless, as their continued presence in the vicinity, as “within the complex are guerilla bases of the CPP-NPA.” They said that with or without mining applications and explorations the Army’s presence in Andap as CPP-NPA has been proven to be operating within and from the different strategic locations within the complex. NPAs they said, used the area as base of operation as well as staging ground for tactical offensives.

Accordingly, the four guerilla fronts of the CPP-NPA, are operating in the province of Suigao del Sur; Fronts 19A, 19B, 14 and 30. Two guerilla fronts; Front 19A and 19B made use of Andap Complex for their different activities, including military actions meant to harass civilians and government troopers.

The army claimed that as early as the 80’s several encounters between the government troops and NPAs occurred at Andap Valley Complex, including that raid which led to the death of Fr. Frank Navarro, alias a.k.a. Ka Migo.

Lamzon added that there were no mining operations yet in the area. Records from the GMB, he said will show that all are still applications for explorations, so there are no mining operations which needed the army’s protections.

Lt. Col. Gammad pointed out that for the area like Andap Complex which is being made a guerilla base by the CPP-NPA, the army has the mandate to ensure the security of the state and promote social order that is conducive to development and progress. The army is now employing the so called “constructive and developmentalist approach.” Now, he said, they are pushing forward their “Kalayaan sa Barangay Project” (KBP) which will pave farm-to-market roads, install electricity, put up water system project, build two classroom school buildings or health center to a place (whether a Sitio or a Barangay) depending on their identified and prioritized need. The program allocates P5 Million peso budget for each place.

For his part, Lt. Col. Pedralvez said that the tactics employed by the CPP-NPA is not new. The last 40 years he said will show that the communists are capable of fabricating issues to dramatize their agenda.

Like the recent “Taktikang Bakwit” which they employed to dramatize the so-called impact of the military presence, when they mobilize the indigenous people from Andap complex in the form of evacuation “even if there was no raging firefight in the area and not even a single shot was heard,” he said.

According to him, that they now had exploited the issue of mining to mobilize supports from various groups and organizations, including environmentalists, towards campaigning against the entry of the Philippine Army into the Andap complex. (Noel B. Najarro/PNN)
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POLICE REPORTS
By PO2 Darlin Cabalinan-Migullas; PO3 Philip AMer Posas Mazo;
and PO3 Arturo Suganob Campania

Accomplishment report on loose firearms 

Personnel from Las Nieves Municipal Police Station led by PSI Dela Fuerta, COP conducted massive information drive on loose firearms/Kontra Boga on October 14, 2009 at around 8:30 in the morning at Barangays Poblacion, Malicato, Katipunan, Tinukoran, and San Isidro, all of Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

The team brought the Drop Box of Unwanted firearms and placed it in the strategic places. As a result, one homemade shotgun without serial number was dropped by unknown person inside the said drop box. Recovered firearm is now under the custody of Las Nieves Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.  

On the other hand, personnel from Nasipit Municipal Police Station conducted visitation/information drive on loose firearms at the different residence of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, which resulted to the assorted caliber of firearms being dropped at the Drop Box of Nasipit Municipal Police Station to wit: 8 pieces .38 caliber revolver; 11 pieces .22 caliber revolver; 1 piece .32 caliber revolver; 1 improvised .38 caliber revolver and 1 piece flare gun. Said firearms are now under the custody of Nasipit Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga) 

PNP arrests wanted person 

On October 15, 2009 at Barangay 1, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, a certain Spartus Ramirez Caspe, 22 years old, single and a resident of Barangay 2, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur was apprehended by elements of San Francisco Municipal Police Station led by PInsp. Elmer Reyea Azurez Jr. Deputy, Chief of Police by virtue of Warrant of Arrest (WOA) issued by Hon. Dante Luz Viacrusis, Executive Judge, RTC Branch 6, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur for a crime of Frustrated Homicide docketed under criminal case number 6682 with recommended bail bond of PhP24,000.00. Arrested person is now detained at the said Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.

At around 6:00 in the morning of the same date, Personnel of Butuan City Police Station 2 headed by PSI Michael Bastes arrested Erwin Cuadra, 23 years old suspect, married and a resident of Purok-7, Barangay Limaha, Butuan City by virtue of WOA under Criminal Case number 13616 issued by Judge Eduardo S Casals of RTC branch 1, Libertad, Butuan City dated 16 September 2009 with NO BAIL BOND recommended.

The suspect was arrested at Pier 4 Mabolo, Cebu City who was charged for rape. Cuadra is now temporarily detained at Butuan City Police Station 2 Detention Cell for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

Report on violation of RA 7610  

A case of Acts of Lasciviousness and Physical Injury in relation to RA 7610 (Anti-Child Abuse Law) was filed to the City Prosecutor's Office against Emeliano "Bebot" Tan, of legal age, married and a resident of Purok Alugbati, Barangay Golden Ribbon, Butuan City.

Mr Felix Vergildo, a resident of Barangay Maguinda, Butuan City complained the suspect for victimizing his 17 year old daughter Mary (not her real name) on October 16, 2009. The case was filed around 10:30 in the morning of the same day docketed under IS number XIII-01-INV-095-02108. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)

Report on accomplishments on campaign against loose firearms 

On October 14, 2009 around 9:30 in the evening, elements from Mainit Municipal Police Station and Barangay San Francisco Tanods apprehended Dante Tandugon Labi, 33 years old, a resident of Purok-2, Barangay San Francisco, Mainit, Surigao del Norte for possessing a caliber .38 revolver with serial number 2157321.

Apprehended person and the confiscated firearm were brought to Mainit Municipal Police Station for proper disposition and filing of appropriate case in court. 

On October 15, 2009 around 8:00 in the morning, two pieces home made caliber .22 locally known as "Sumpak" without serial numbers were dropped at the Firearms Drop Box at Kitcharao Municipal Police Station and now in the custody of the police station for proper disposition.  

Also, on October 16, 2009 around 7:00 in the morning, two units home made caliber .38 without serial numbers were dropped at the Firearms Drop Box placed at the Municipal Hall of Tubay, Agusan del Norte. Said firearms were brought to Tubay Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

At around 8:00 in the morning, Santiago Municipal Police Station conducted retrieval of the Drop Box placed inside the Barangay Poblacion 1 Gymnasium, Santiago, Agusan del Norte and recovered one unit caliber .357 revolver Smith and Wesson brand with serial number 947082 and one unit home made shotgun. Recovered firearms were brought to Santiago Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.  

At 9:00 in the morning at the Municipal Hall of Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, PSI Gaudioso Cajutol Jr together with Municipal Mayor Carlito Cumba recovered two units of caliber .22 paltik with defaced serial numbers. Recovered firearms were brought to Magallanes Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.

Meanwhile, at around 11:00 in the morning, one unit caliber .38 revolver home made without serial number was voluntarily surrendered to Buenavista Municipal Police Station by a certain person who requested anonymity. Said firearm is now in the custody of Buenavista Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. 

At 4:30 in the afternoon, PSINSP Dionesio Pingos, OIC of Carmen Municipal Police Station together with Hon Raul Aparecio, SB member of said municipality retrieved one unit cal .22 smith and Wesson magnum revolver without serial number and one unit caliber .22 revolver Crosman Arms Co. also without serial number from the drop box of Unwanted Firearms which was placed at the Entrance of Rama Gymnasium of Carman, Agusan del Norte. Said Firearms are now in the custody of Carmen Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga) 

Report on illegal drugs 

Joint team from Buenavista Municipal Police Station led by PSINSP Artemio Suarez and PDEA headed by Joel B Plaza conducted buy-bust operation at Purok-1, Barangay 8, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte on October 16, 2009 at 7:15 in the evening, which resulted to the arrest of one Dani Diwat, of legal age and resident of said place.

Confiscated from his possession were one transparent heat sealed plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu; Php 500.00 marked money and Php 100.00 bill believed to be proceeds from his illegal activities. 

Arrested person is now under the custody of PDEA 13 for proper disposition. (PNP-13/ PIA-Caraga)