CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Balaod Mindanaw/09 January) — Bishop Broderick Pabillo, head of the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA), will arrive tomorrow (January 10) at around 6:30 AM at the Cagayan de Oro airport.
MARAWI CITY (Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society/09 January) — It was early as 6:00 a.m. and some 20,000 people from all walks of life started to troop from the different towns of Lanao del Sur to Tomas Cabili Plaza in Barangay Banggolo, here. A number of them were transported by vehicles of different sizes; some crossed the Lanao Lake onboard water vessels; the rest were on foot. At 8:00 a.m. the city turned red with red streamers, placards, t-shirts and flaglets. Written on them was “Allahu Akbar!”, Arabic term for “God is Great.”
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/09 January) — If they can't go to school, let the school go to them.
The sea-based indigenous tribes of Sama and Badjao here will finally receive free education after the state-run Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) and the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program of the Department of Education (DepEd) agreed to jointly run the “Floating School.”
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/09 January) — The bishop here condemned the “terroristic act” against Sagittarius Mines, Inc. on New Year’s dawn but says they are “not surprised” it happened, having warned earlier that the presence of large-scale mining “would affect our peace and order situation.”
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay (MindaNews/09 January) — “Consult us first.”
This was the reaction of Wilfredo Sanggayan, the indigenous peoples’ (IP) representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of this province, to a published report that mining firm Pacifica Inc. made a P50-million loan to Zam-Iron Mining Corp. for the latter’s exploration of metal deposits in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 January) – No, Davao City is not part of Davao del Sur.
The City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution requesting President Arroyo to issue an administrative order directing government agencies to separate government statistics of Davao City from Davao Del Sur to avoid confusion and, in the words of Councilor Peter Laviña, the resolution's proponent, “to correct a historical wrong."
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 January) – “Sorry.”
The regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DWPH) has apologized to Dabawenyos for the delay in the re-building of the damaged Bankerohan bridge.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 January) — The Davao City leg tryouts for the National Basketball Training Center will proceed as scheduled on January 12 at the Ateneo de Davao Sports Complex in Matina.
The tryouts will be for boys 14 to 17 years old and will be conducted by NBTC Program Director Eric Altamirano, assisted by former MBA and PBA standout Alex Compton.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 January) – Two Mindanawon members of the national baseball team are set to attend training camp abroad.
Davao City ’s Edmer Del Socorro and Jonas Fonce of Zamboanga City will be joining training camp’s in Japan and Taiwan respectively.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 January) — When I was Liane’s age – all of fourteen – my eldest sister came home with a 7-week-old baby. His name was Mark and he was the prettiest little thing I ever did see. My folks agreed because as soon as my sister was well enough, they convinced her to leave the baby with us and go back to Manila to start a career. Fresh out of college, my sister had married a soldier and the baby had come soon after. Her husband was still in the service and was getting provincial assignments. They had agreed that being a career military wife was not to be my sister’s destiny.
DAKBAYAN SA DABAW (MindaNews/Enero 09) – Salamat.
Madayegong pulong nga kasagaran natong madungog sa mga tawong malipayon sa imong nahatag nga pabor. Kini usab ang pulong nga atong ginatudlo sa atong mga kabataan. Kini ang pulong nga usahay usab makalipay sa mga mitabang kanato. Bulawanon, makadasig, makapataas sa moral, makahatag og kadasig, ug balaanon usab.
QUEZON CITY (Task Force Sumilao/09 January) — The Sumilao farmers, who have been holding a camp out at the DAR Regional Office in Cagayan de Oro since January 3, 2007, have grown wary of the lack of action from the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Office of the President. The Sumilao farmers have been asking the DAR and the Office of the President to proceed with the implementation of the Order executed by the Office of the President revoking the Conversion Order of the 144-hectare property in Sumilao, Bukidnon which is being developed by San Miguel Foods, Inc into a hog farm. The farmers have been asking the government to immediately issue a cease and desist order to stop further construction by SMFI and to serve SMFI with a Notice of Coverage to begin the process of putting the land under agrarian reform as promised by Pres. Arroyo.
MANILA (OPAPP) — The government has reiterated its firm commitment to the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao even with the current challenges facing the negotiations.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza said the national government’s stance in the peace negotiations with the MILF remains rooted in the upholding of the constitutional process.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) revived proposal of the National ID system would only intensify the number of human rights violations in the country.
