KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/19 July) — The Malaysian government has extended the mission of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao for another 12 months to help maintain peace on the ground until a final peace accord is signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/19 July 19) — The Office of the Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has already set up contingency plans to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) trapped in the ongoing battles in Beirut, Lebanon, according to its regional office here.
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/19 July) — The Australian government plans to raise its investments for various development programs in the country for this year by A$10 million as part of its commitment to double its development assistance for Mindanao over the next five years.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/19 July) — Whoever started this talk about teachers being second parents to their students surely meant that to apply only to the orphans who sit in their class. No fit parent needs a second. It would do teachers a world of good to concentrate on being teachers and being the best they could be at it rather than diffuse their efforts by holding down distracting multiple tasks, some of which are really uncalled for and totally unnecessary. I think it is presumptuous of teachers to assume the role of second parents. It is, at the very least, an insult to real parents.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/19 July) — They are going, too.
Some members of the city council here will attend the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on July 24, prompting the postponement of its last regular session this month from July 25 to Aug. 1, Vice Mayor Luis Bonguyan said.
