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Troops hunt Abu Sayyaf inBasilan province

Sulu Pictures In The News Lindsay Lohan, the Koran andher apparent ‘conversion to

Islam’

Payo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong:Best Ways To Protect Your

KidneysPAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 6 PAGE 7

Investors alarmed over backlashof ‘diluted’ BBL

PAGE 4

Military links MILF toabductions in Mindanao

COTABATO CITY – The Phil-ippine military has linked theMoro Islamic LiberationFront – which signed a peacedeal with Manila last year –in the abduction of threepeople in the southern prov-ince of Lanao del Sur.

The trio – OmainahCuno, Jabbar Mimbala andMaisara Mangoranca – wereseized this month and freeda day later to internationalpeace observers in the villagecalled Bualan in Balindongtown.

The military taggedMILF Commander HajiMalik in the abductions. Itsaid the army’s 103rd Infan-try Brigade has filed a protest

with the Coordinating Com-mittee on the Cessation ofHostilities following the ab-ductions because the MILFviolated the cease-fire agree-ment it signed with the gov-ernment.

Capt. Ben June Cerbo, ofthe Western Mindanao Com-mand, said the MILF re-leased the victims due to thepressure exerted by the mili-tary.

“Pursuit operations andprior coordination with thepeace mechanism of theMILF-Ad Hoc Joint ActionGroup were conducted byJoint Task Force ZAMPELAN(Zamboanga Peninsula-Lanao), pressuring the MILF

to release and turn over thekidnap victims to the Inter-national Monitoring Teamand Crisis ManagementCommittee of DitsaanRamain in Lanao del Sur,”Cerbo said.

Cerbo did not say themotives of the abductionsand the MILF has not is-sued any statement aboutthis, but it occurred at theheight of widespread oppo-sition by lawmakers and ci-vilians over the proposedlaw on the creation of a newMuslim autonomous re-gion in the troubled, butmineral-rich region ofMindanao. (MindanaoExaminer)

uthorities inSabah continueto search for 2Malaysians ab-

A Christian farmer in full battle gear crossing in a tree trunk as bridge along the irrigation canalafter guarding his farmland against Moro armed group claiming their alleged "ancestral lands"because it is part of the Bangsamoro land. Lawmakers have voted on the controversial lawthat will govern the Muslims in the restive South. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)

A Moro Islamic Liberation Front sniper, camouflaged in a ghillie suit aiming with a replicaof Barrett M82A1 rifle during a military exercise in southern Philippines. (Mindanao ExaminerPhoto - Mark Navales)

Christian community in Sultan Kudarat province armed themselves protecting their ownershipof lands they had acquired legally from Muslim brethren, Moro armed group resurfacing toclaiming their alleged "ancestral lands" because it’s part of the new Bangsamoro government.(Mindanao Examiner Photo - Mark Navales)

Davao jail gets new solarwater-heating system

DAVAO CITY - A new solarwater-heating system,which was installed inDavao City Jail’s kitchenwith support from the In-ternational Committee ofthe Red Cross, was inaugu-rated recently - and it is ex-pected to significantly re-duce environmental andfinancial costs for the jail.

By using energy fromthe sun to heat the waterused to cook food for over2,000 inmates, the new sys-tem will reduce the boilingtime for each pot by up to30 minutes, thereby savingup to 60,000 kilos of woodper year. It will also savetime and money, andlessen the exposure ofkitchen staff to health risksassociated with cookingwith firewood.

“It’s a big help to every-one as the meals are nowserved on time, unlike inthe past, when they took somuch effort to cook. This

initiative has not onlyhelped the jail save oncosts; it has also instilledgood housekeeping prac-tices among the inmates. Ialways remind them tomaintain such importantprojects to ensure theirsustainability,” said Jail Su-perintendent SimeonDolojo, Jr., Davao City Jail’swarden.

Before the system wasinstalled, the jail manage-ment had built nine en-ergy-saving stoves forcooking pots and had be-gun heating water usingelectrical water heaters toreduce wood consumptionand the kitchen staff’s ex-posure to smoke. Althoughthey used less wood, theelectricity bill increased,prompting them to explorealternatives.

Other jails have like-wise benefited from inno-vative energy-savingprojects supported by the

ICRC and these wereDigos City District Jail(Davao del Sur), PanaboCity District Jail (Davaodel Norte) and ValenciaCity Jail (Bukidnon). In2009, a biogas system wasinstalled in Cagayan deOro City Jail (MisamisOriental).

“Aside from promot-ing renewable energy, weintroduce these projectsso that the money thatwill be saved could beused to improve the livingconditions of inmates,”said Marco Albertini, theICRC water and habitatcoordinator.

Since 2007, the ICRChas been working closelywith Philippine jail au-thorities, including theBureau of Jail Manage-ment and Penology, to re-duce overcrowding andimprove the general liv-ing conditions of detain-ees.

As Philippine police-men killed a suspectedAbu Sayyaf gunman whomay be involved in thespate of kidnappings inMalaysia’s oil-rich state.

The gunman, who wasinitially identified asMuktadil, was fatally shotduring a firefight last weekin Jolo town in Sulu prov-ince following a police raidon his hideout.

Muktadil was trying toescape from pursuing po-licemen when shot deadduring a running gunbattle. No policemen or ci-vilians were killed or in-

jured in the fighting.Filipino authorities

were still trying to verifywhether the slain rebel wasamong those that recentlykidnapped Thien Nyuk Fun,50, the manager of OceanKing Seafood Restaurant inSabah’s Sandakan town;and customer BernardGhen Ted Fen, 39.

Malaysian policemensaid four gunmen raided therestaurant on the evening ofMay 14 and seized the duo.

No individual or groupclaimed responsibility forthe abductions, but authori-ties in Sabah have linkedtwo siblings NilsonMuktadil, who is his 30s; andBadong, alias AdzmilMuktadil, in his 40s, to thelatest abductions.

The Muktadil brothersare natives of Southern Phil-ippines and were also

tagged as behind the kid-napping of Chinese touristGao Huayun, 29, and Fili-pino worker MarcyDayawan, 40, in Sabah inApril last year.

Just recently, troops alsoclashed with suspected AbuSayyaf rebels in the village ofPanducan in Sulu’sPangutaran town that left astill undetermined numberof gunmen dead andwounded, according to theWestern Mindanao Com-mand.

Sulu is being used by theAbu Sayyaf as their hideoutbecause of its thick, virginforests and rugged terrainthat makes the province asuitable hideout and basefor the notorious rebelgroup linked by the Philip-pine military to al-Qaeda,Jemaah Islamiya and nowISIS. (Mindanao Examiner)

Malaysia continues searchfor 2 abducted citizens

Aducted by suspected AbuSayyaf gunmen at apopular restaurant inSandakan in Sabah.

May 25-31, 20152 The Mindanao Examiner

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Troops hunt Abu Sayyafin Basilan province

GOVERNMENT troopscontinue their hunt for AbuSayyaf rebels and a smallgroup of Malaysianjihadists hiding in the res-tive province of Basilan.

Just last week, soldiershave seized more than adozen motorized boatsused by the Abu Sayyafs intheir terror operations inBasilan and nearby areasthat included ZamboangaPeninsula.

Officials said troopsalso recovered materialsused in the fabrication ofexplosives during an opera-tion in Hadji Mohammad

Ajul.“Law enforcement op-

erations launched by mili-tary troops resulted to thecapture of 13 watercraftsand several components ofimprovised explosive de-vices belonging to the AbuSayyaf Group in Basilan,”said Capt. Ben June Cerbo,of the Western MindanaoCommand.

He said members of theMarines Special OperationsGroup and Naval SpecialOperations Unit 6 recoveredthe boats while pursuing theAbu Sayyaf under UstadzAbbas Alam and Malaysian

jihadist, Mohammed NajibBin Husein.

“The watercrafts wereutilized (by the AbuSayyafs) in distributing im-provised explosive devicesin Basilan and ZamboangaPeninsula,” he said.

Army troops also re-covered components forimprovised explosives andmunitions and weapons inthe village of Tuburan alsoin the same town.

Basilan is one of fiveprovinces under the restiveMuslim autonomous re-gion. (Mindanao Exam-iner)

Kelot ginawang ‘punchingbag’ ang asawang MalaysianaZAMBOANGA CITY –Nahaharap sa kaso angisang residente ditomatapos na umano’yireklamo ng kanyangasawang Malaysiana ngpambubugbog.

Dinakip ng pulisya angsuspek na si Dakula nakilala rin sa pangalan Asibimatapos na iligtas ngawtoridad ang asawanitong si MuneraMohamed sa kanilangbahay sa Barangay

Baliwasan.Nabatid na

nagsumbong si Munera sakanyang pamilya sa Sabahat humingi naman ngtulong ang mga ito sa Ma-laysian government. At sapamamagitan ng aksyonng embahada nito saMaynila ay nailigtas angbabae mula sa mapag-ap-ing asawa nito.

Nagkakilala umanoang dalawa sa Sandakan atdoon rin ikinasal noon

2013, ngunit saZamboanga City namannanirahan ang mga ito.Hindi naman sinabi ngpulisya kung bakitsinasaktan ni Dakula angkanyang asawa dahiliniimbestigahan paumano ito.

Balak rin ni Munira nabumalik na lamang saSandakan at iwan ngtuluyan ang 23-anyosnitong asawa. (MindanaoExaminer)

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NOTICENavy officer arrested in Zamboanga SibugayPAGADIAN CITY – Mili-tary authorities are hold-ing a naval officer who wasa suspect in the 2014 mur-der of a marine official inManila, officials said.

Officials said Lieuten-ant Junior Grade BenjieChico was arrested inZamboanga Sibugay’sImelda town where mili-tary and police agentstracked him down. Chicowas implicated in the kill-ing of Marine LieutenantShelina Calumay, whosebody was found inside hercar in Fort AndresBonifacio in Taguig City.

Capt. Ben June Cerbo,of the Western MindanaoCommand, has confirmedthe capture of Chico, whohad gone on leave withoutpermission from his supe-rior, until his arrest.

“A Navy officer onAWOL (absent without of-ficial leave), tagged as oneof the suspects behind thekilling of Marine Lieuten-ant Shelina Calumay, wasarrested by joint elementsof the military and policein Zamboanga Sibugay.Lieutenant Junior GradeBenjie Chico was nabbedby joint operating troops of

the Naval Intelligence Se-curity Group; 44th Infan-try Battalion; 3rd Air Divi-sion, Philippine Air Force(3rd Air Division); andImelda Municipal PoliceStation in BarangayPoblacion, Imelda,Zamboanga Sibugay,”Cerbo said.

Cerbo did not giveany details on Chico’s ar-rest or whether his allegedinvolvement in the killingof Calumay; or whetherweapons were seized fromthe officer at the time ofhis capture. (MindanaoExaminer)

May 25-31, 2015 3The Mindanao Examiner

SULU PICTURES IN THE NEWS

Sulu Governor Totoh Tan convenes the Provincial Census Coordinating Board for the 2015 Census Of Population (Photos from the Sulu Provincial Government)

The ongoing construction of the new Sangguniang Panlalawigan Building. A project of theSulu Provincial Government under the auspices of Governor Totoh Tan.(Photos from the SuluProvincial Government)

Sulu Governor Totoh Tan With Talipao Vice Mayor Tambrin Tulawie and other officials,taking a stroll along the main road towards Talipao Municipal Hall. (Photos from the SuluProvincial Government)

General Romeo Tanalgo, of the Philippine Marines, and members of the 8th Marine Battalion with Maimbung town Mayor Samier Tan. (Photos from Maimbung Municipal Government )

Distribution of PAMANA livelihood projects - animal dispersal, agri and aquatic production and machinery equipment - to beneficiaries in Sulu. (Photos from the Sulu Provincial Government)

May 25-31, 20154 The Mindanao Examiner

Negros farmers march topray for ‘divine assistance’

BACOLOD CITY – Thou-sands of poor and land-less Negros peasants tooka day off from their back-breaking work in hacien-das to seek divine assis-tance on during the feastof San Isidro Labrador,the patron saint of farm-ers.

“We pray for an end tolandlords’ greed that hascaused widespread pov-erty and misery amongpeasants. We also ask di-vine intervention in con-vincing our lawmakers toimmediately pass legisla-tions that will extend andoverhaul the implemen-tation of the Comprehen-sive Agrarian Reform Pro-gram. Buksan po sananinyo ang kanilang pusoat isipan upangmaisulong ang hustisyapara sa mga apingmangunguma,” saidAlberto Jayme, Negroschapter president of thenational peasant federa-tion Task Force Mapalad(TFM).

Carrying images ofthe patron saint of farm-ers and offerings of veg-etable and fruit harvests,some of which wereloaded in a cart pulled bya carabao, the farmersmarched from the TFMoffice in Bacolod to theSan Isidro Labrador Par-ish Church in the villageof Tangub to hear Massofficiated by BishopVicente Navarra. Thefarmers also attended an-other Mass in the city’sSan Sebastian Cathedral.

The activity, dubbed“Mass and March forLand and Justice,” also in-cluded a program held infront of the Fountain ofJustice at the old City Hallwhere farmers spoke oftheir sufferings due tolandlessness nearly threedecades after the CARPimplementation and

amid the non-passage ofHouse Bill 4296 andHouse Bill 4375.

HB 4296 seeks to re-new the DAR’s authorityto issue notices of cover-age and provide adequatefunding for support ser-vices to agricultural land-holdings that have not yetbeen placed under theCARP. And HB 4375 seeksto create an independentAgrarian Reform Com-mission to review the ac-tual accomplishment ofCARP and investigate cir-cumventions and viola-tions of the CARP Lawwith a view to cause thoselandholdings to be redis-tributed to qualified ben-eficiaries.

TFM farmers carriedout the activity a monthbefore the House of Rep-resentatives’ schedule topass on third and finalreading HB 4296 afterPresident BenignoAquino in March, gavemarching orders to his al-lies in Congress to com-plete the CARP.

“We are hoping forthe best. But we can’t justsit down and wait for HB4296’s passage even whenthere’s already an instruc-tion from the President,”said Jayme.

“The landlord-politi-cians’ strong resistance toCARP and how theprogram’s implementa-tion was stalled, blocked,or watered down in thepast by lawmakers andtheir allies, who want tocontrol vast tracks of ag-ricultural landholdings,give us reason to remainvigilant and continuepressing for CARP’scompletion and over-haul,” he added.

Just recently, foreignbusiness groups, underthe European Chamberof Commerce of the Phil-ippines, were reported to

have been planning tosubmit to PresidentAquino an updated list ofproposed measures thatthe groups think willhone the reform focus ofthe current administra-tion as it enters thehomestretch.

Among the foreignbusiness groups’ pro-posed so-called reformsis the non-extension ofthe CARP by counteringHB 4296’s passage.

“We are grateful forhaving Aquino as ourally. But many lawmakersand their allies are stillfinding ways to kill CARPand mire us in poverty,hunger, and slavery. Butwe remain optimistic be-cause we know that notonly the President but theAlmighty, who is a God ofjustice, is also on ourside. God will not allowoppression to persist inthe lands that that werepromised to its til lersthrough the agrarian re-form program,” saidJayme.

Based on April 15,2015 data from the DAR,some 15,391 landhold-ings nationwide with atotal area of 164,156 hect-ares have not yet been is-sued CARP notices ofcoverage (NOC), the firstof the many steps in ac-quiring and distributinglands to farmer-benefi-ciaries of the program.

Nearly 26,000 hect-ares or about 16 percentof the landholdings with-out NOC are found inNegros Occidental.

More than 700,000hectares of agriculturallandholdings nationwideare not yet awarded tofarmer-beneficiaries ofthe CARP. Nearly 130,000hectares or about 18 per-cent of the said CARP bal-ance are found in NegrosOccidental. (TFM)

Landless farmers march in Bacolod City in Negros province to seek ‘divine assistance’ for thegovernment to grant them land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. (Photosby Jimmy Domingo)

Investors alarmed overbacklash of ‘diluted’ BBL

COTABATO CITY – The Au-tonomous Region in Mus-lim Mindanao continues toattract more investors asprospects for the passage ofthe Bangsamoro Basic Lawbecomes promising.

The Regional Board ofInvestments (RBOI) re-ported the entry of aP686.74 million worth ofbiomass plant project inSultan Kudarat, a new addi-tion to the growing list ofinvestments in the regionthat so far registeredaround P1.5 billion in thesecond semester of 2015.

The biomass project ofLamsan Power Corp. is setto generate 5.5 MW addi-tional capacity forMindanao. The project wasapproved in May. Anothermultimillion power gen-eration project and nickelmining project will also beestablished in PanglimaSugala in Tawi-Tawi.

As this developed, thePromotion of InvestmentSustainability Organization(PISO) is alarmed over in-vestment sustainability inthe region once the BBLturns out diluted or wa-tered-down. The group iscomposed of RBOI-regis-tered firms in ARMM.

In a statement, thegroup said Congress mustensure that it will pass aBBL that is faithful to the

promise of full autonomyfor the Bangsamoro as it isthe essence of the peaceagreement between thegovernment and the MoroIslamic Liberation Front(MILF).

Currently, investorshave the convenience of se-curing permits, licenses,approvals, administrativeconsents and regulatoryframework from the re-gional government withouthaving to go to Manila orregional administrative of-fices. They are concernedthat if the BBL is less thanwhat the Bangsamoro as-pired for, it would lessen theregional government’s au-tonomy and degrade the‘investment friendly envi-ronment’ set by the currentgovernment.

These business-friendly mechanisms set byARMM, according to thegroup, must be maintainedor improved.

The group also cau-tioned Congress not to losesight of the “ease of doingbusiness” in the region toencourage more privatesector development andnot to unduly burden inves-tors.

“The only way to havestability of investmentpolicy for private sector de-velopment in the region isto make sure that the level

of autonomy currently be-ing experienced in ARMMis not reduced by the pro-posed changes to the BBL,”said the group.

The United Kingdom, amember state of the Inter-national Contact Group forthe peace process, stressedthe importance of stabilityin investment policy, par-ticularly in mining at thesigning of a P5-milliongrant agreement betweenthe British Embassy in Ma-nila and a non-governmentorganization, Bantay Kita,in support of the Depart-ment of Finance-led Ex-tractive Industries Trans-parency Initiative.

“There are projects thatare frozen, where they sim-ply said ‘we are not going totouch them until the rulesare clear,” said British Am-bassador Asif Ahmad.“There are others wherethey have already made aninvestment, ready to extractand suddenly the ruleshave changed. If it is a veryexpensive, extractive in-vestment where there’sdownstream investment aswell, you can’t suddenlychange the rules becausethese are global indus-tries—they will simply de-cide that they have gotother places to invest in.”(Bureau of Public Informa-tion)

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May 25-31, 20156 The Mindanao Examiner - FOREIGN

Blues legend B.B. Kingdies at age 89 in Las Vegas

RILEY B. KING, the leg-endary guitarist knownas B.B. King, whose vel-vety voice and staccato-picking style broughtblues from the margins tothe mainstream, diedThursday night. He was89.

His daughter, PattyKing, said he died in LasVegas, where he an-nounced two weeks agothat he was in home hos-pice care after sufferingfrom dehydration.

The Mississippinative’s reign as “king ofthe blues” lasted morethan six decades andstraddled two centuries,influencing a generationof rock and blues musi-cians, from Eric Claptonand Stevie Ray Vaughan,to Sheryl Crow and JohnMayer.

His life was the sub-ject of the documentary“B.B. King: The Life ofRiley,” and the inspira-tion for the The B.B. KingMuseum and Delta Inter-pretive Center, whichopened in 2008.

King’s enduringlegacy came from his re-fusal to slow down evenafter cementing his sta-tus as an American musicicon.

Even with a long listof honors to his name —Grammy LifetimeAchievement Award,Rock and Roll Hall ofFame induction, Presi-dential Medal of Free-dom — he maintained arelentless touring sched-ule well into his 80s.

Throughout his ca-reer, King evolved withthe times to incorporatecontemporary trendsand influences without

straying from his Deltablues roots. Whether hewas sharing the stagewith U2 on “When LovesComes to Town” — ascene memorialized inthe 1988 concert film,“Rattle and Hum” — orplaying in the East Roomof the White House withBuddy Guy, Mick Jagger,Jeff Beck and others,King’s single-string gui-tar notes trilled with anunmistakable vibratofrom his hollow-bodiedGibson affectionatelyknown as Lucille.

SSSSSlololololowing dowing dowing dowing dowing downwnwnwnwnKing finally started

showing signs of his agelast year after decades ofliving with Type II diabe-tes.

A shaky show in St.Louis prompted his repsto issue an apology for “aperformance that did notmatch Mr. King’s usualstandard of excellence.”He fell ill in October aftera show at Chicago’sHouse of Blues due to de-hydration and exhaus-tion, prompting a rarecancellation of the re-mainder of his tour.

He was hospitalizedfor dehydration April inLas Vegas, a long wayfrom his modest roots asthe son of a sharecropper.

King was born onSeptember 16, 1925, on acotton plantation be-tween Indianola andwhat is now Itta Bena,Mississippi. He sang withchurch choirs as a childand learned basic guitarchords from his uncle, apreacher. In his youth, heplayed on street cornersfor dimes, saying heearned more in one nightsinging on the corner

than he did in one weekworking in the cottonfield.

BBBBBeale Seale Seale Seale Seale Strtrtrtrtreet Beet Beet Beet Beet Blues Blues Blues Blues Blues BoooooyyyyyHe enlisted in the

Army during World War IIbut was released becausehe drove a tractor, an es-sential homefront occu-pation.

In 1947, he hitchhikedto Memphis, Tennessee,home to a thriving musicscene that supported as-piring black performers.He stayed with his cousinBukka White, one of themost celebrated bluesperformers of his time,who schooled King fur-ther in the art of the blues.

King took the BealeStreet Blues Boy, or BB forshort, as a disc jockey forradio station WDIA/AMMemphis.

He got his first bigbreak in 1948 by perform-ing on Sonny BoyWilliamson’s radio pro-gram out of West Mem-phis, leading to steady en-gagements at the Six-teenth Avenue Grill inWest Memphis, and a 10-minute spot on WDIA.

As “King’s Spot” grewin popularity on WDIA,King shortened “BealeStreet Blues Boy” to“Blues Boy King,” andeventually B.B. King.

His ascent continuedin 1949 with his first re-cordings, “Miss MarthaKing/Take a Swing withMe” and “How Do YouFeel When Your BabyPacks Up and Goes/I’veGot the Blues.” His first hitrecord “Three O’clockBlues” was released in1951 and stayed on thetop of the charts for fourmonths. (By ToddLeopold, CNN)

The actor was spotted carrying a copy of the Muslim holy text.

Lindsay Lohan, the Koran and herapparent ‘conversion to Islam’LINDSAY LOHAN wasseen carrying a leather-bound copy of the Koranon her first day of commu-nity service – promptingspeculation that she’dconverted to Islam.

However, this mightnot be the case.

Despite reading theMuslim text, she is appar-ently not “fully convert-ing” to Islam.

A spokesperson forLohan told The Indepen-dent: “To my knowledgeshe is not considering fullyconverting to Islam, but Iknow she has been takinga keen interest in the Ara-bic culture of late.”

They added thatLohan had upcomingprojects in the Middle Eastand was keen to learn thelanguage.

“She also spent sometime in Dubai earlier thisyear and became inter-

ested in their way of life,”the spokesperson said.

Lohan was recentlymocked for posting a pic-ture to Instagram mistak-ing the Arabic words“you’re a donkey” for “I’mbeautiful”.

She later explainedthat the slip-up was an“inside joke” with a friendwhile she was learning thelanguage, and posts pic-tures of her efforts to im-prove her Arabic.

Lohan was raised aCatholic but is reported tohave previously dabbledin Scientology andKabbalah.

She has described her-self as a “very spiritual per-son” to Oprah Winfrey, andadded that she had “be-come more spiritual astime has gone on.”

“I’m really in touch,whether it’s prayer ormeditation,” she said.

“There are so many pow-ers greater than me in theworld. I’ve been blessedand lucky enough to havebeen given a gift to sharewith other people.’

She was seen wearingthe red string bracelet ofKabbalah, andVanity Faironce named her as a pro-spective Scientologistbride for Tom Cruise in2012.

However, Lohan de-nied any links to the story.

High-profile convertsto Islam include CatStevens, Jemima Gold-smith and Mike Tyson.

Loahn has had a diffi-cult few years involvingspells in jail and rehab anda well-documentedstruggle with alcohol.

Islam preaches absti-nence from drinking, andthe Koran calls alcohol “anabomination”. (HelenNianias)

The Mindanao Examiner - OPINION 7May 25-31, 2015

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Best Ways To Protect Your KidneysPayo ni Dr. Willie T. Ong

1. Limit your salt intake --Too much salt is not onlybad for your blood pres-sure, it's also bad for yourkidneys. Many die of kid-ney disease, which can bepartly attributed to a highsalt intake and fondnessfor fish sauce, soy sauce,plain salt and salted fish.Even instant noodles,chips and nuts are teem-ing with salt. The problemwith salt is that it encour-ages the body to retainwater, and can increaseyour blood pressure(which damages the kid-neys).2. Don't load up on highprotein foods such asmeat and steaks --A highprotein diet makes thekidneys work twice ashard. Pretty soon, yourkidneys could get tiredand some of the weakerkidney cells can die. Afriendly reminder topeople on a high-proteinAtkin's Diet or SouthBeach Diet. The time-tested doctor's advice ofmoderation in everythingwill serve you well. Eat abalanced diet of rice, veg-etables, fish and fruits andyou can't go wrong.3. Keep your blood pres-sure at 130/80 or lower --If your blood pressure isabove 140 over 90, this cancause kidney damagewithin five years. The kid-neys are said to be "hap-piest" with a blood pres-sure of 130/80 or lower. Tohelp control your bloodpressure, you should limityour salt intake, reduceweight and take medi-cines for high blood pres-sure, if needed.

Dr. Willie T. Ong

4. Keep your blood sugarbelow 120 mg/dl -- Diabe-tes and high blood pressureare the two leading causesof kidney failure. A personwith uncontrolled diabetesfor 5-10 years may developsignificant kidney damage.Consult your doctor andkeep your blood sugar un-der control with diet, exer-cise and maintenancemedicines.5. Drink 8 glasses of water aday -- Doctors usually ad-vise people to take in 8glasses of water a day, butthis really depends on yourage and condition. If you'resweating a lot and workoutdoors, you may need todrink more than 8 glasses aday. However, if you areabove 65 years of age, youmay do well with just 6glasses a day. Drinkingenough water also preventsthe formation of kidneystones.6. Watch your intake of painrelievers and other drugs --Taking pain relievers likemefenamic acid, ibuprofenand the coxibs (likecelecoxib) for a prolongedperiod of time may causekidney damage. Because ofthis, we should limit taking

these medicines to only aweek, or just take them asneeded. For those withchronic arthritis, try tolook for other ways to re-lieve the pain such as us-ing a hot water bag, painreliever ointments, or thesafer paracetamol tablet.7. Be careful with tests andprocedures using contrastdyes -- Some tests, like CTScans and MRIs, andangiograms, use a con-trast dye which helps doc-tors delineate the organsbetter. The problem withsuch dyes is that they cancause kidney damage. Tobe safe, I would stronglyadvise you to consult akidney specialist beforeundergoing such proce-dures.8. Don't drink too muchVitamin C -- Excess vita-min C (ascorbic acid) canlead to the formation ofkidney stones in predis-posed individuals. If youneed to take vitamin C, adose of 500 mg or less issafer.9. Don't rely on foodsupplements to protectyour kidneys -- The abovetips are so far the best tipsto care for the kidneys.10. Get a kidney check-up--Simple tests, such as acomplete blood count,BUN and creatinine, anda urinalysis are the firstscreening tests for the kid-neys. Finding a trace ofprotein in the urine canalert the doctor of pos-sible kidney disease.Bottomline is: Kidney dis-eases are expensive anddifficult to treat. Let's takethe necessary steps toprotect our kidneys today.

Office Space For RentZamboanga CityFor more inquiriesCall: 0929-2189937

What To Do With ChinaBy Jess Dureza

I TALKED on the phone lastSaturday with Zambales Gov.Hermogenes ” Jun” Ebdanewho was a colleague in the Ar-royo Cabinet. He has set up ahigh-tech coastal watchmonitoring system in hisprovince, in cooperation witha Canadian firm, to spot for-eign vessels intruding into hisprovincial territorial limits.

This is clearly aimed atChina which has startedshooing away Zambales fish-ermen from the Panatag orScarborough shoals, aroundonly 230 kilometers fromMasinloc town. What the Phil-ippine government intends todo if China indeed intrudesinto our claimed territorialwaters, I have no idea as yet.Over the weekend, a team offoreign journalists visitedMasinloc as part of their studytour on the West PhilippineSea (South China Sea) issues.They belong to various inter-national news organizationsas Jefferson Fellows under theauspices of the East West Cen-ter based in Honolulu, Hawaiiand skippered in their Philip-pine trip by EWC’s Ms. AnnHartman.

WATER CANNONED - Imissed joining the team ofjournalists on their Zambalesvisit as they came right smackinto the annual media forumof the Philippine Press Insti-tute that I had to host, PPI alsobeing the local partner of theFellows’ visit. Fortunately, mylong-time “girl Friday”Charmaine Olea joined in mybehalf and she reported howMasinloc fishermen airedtheir anger at losing their live-lihood. This was the group offishermen who were drivenaway from their usual fishinggrounds by the Chinese using

water cannons. They were ter-ribly missing the protectivepresence of the US bases, ac-cording to “Cha”, and they (in-cluding the local LGUs)seemed not in the loop onwhat Malacanang is doing. Isuspect Gov. Jun being notwith the Liberal Party is thereason why.

CHINA - The way thingsare shaping up and if thingsare not properly handled, ourcountry is on a collisioncourse with China in our ter-ritorial dispute. I rememberhaving a chat sometime agowith the previous Chineselady Ambassador Ma. She wasstressing a more effective wayof settling issues amongneighbors, the Asian way. Al-though we need to go to an in-ternational body like theUnited Nations to seek redresson a multilateral basis, weought to have opened up alsoa parallel, backchannel routeon a bilateral basis. PresidentRamos again called for “back-channel” direct contacts. Whythis was not done up to now, Istill cannot understand. Factis we cannot go to war withother countries, much morewith China. Lest we all forget:we all have Chinese blood inour veins. And yes, sorry tosay, we are no match to Chinamilitarily.

PAPAL MAGIC - I read areport earlier this week thatCuban President Raul Castro,a communist and brother offamous Fidel Castro, aftermeeting with Pope Francis,said that that he was “return-ing” to the Catholic Church.Cuba although a next doorneighbor of the US has beenan “enemy” of the US for halfa century. It was through therecent facilitation and assis-

tance of the Pope that bothcountries resumed diplo-matic relations. As a result the50-year economic blockadeof Cuba that practically iso-lated it to the world was liftedby the US. Papal magic atwork.

“HAVING STOMACH” -Elections is just 12 monthsaway. The rigor and the heavyburden that a candidate andan elected official for publicoffice must experience to win— and then serve if elected —are principally the reasonswhy only a few good men,who “have the stomach” ven-ture into politics. Yes, there areblessings in many forms but,take it from me, there’s “life af-ter politics“. When public of-ficials refuse to dismount orthey consider politics as a life-time career or claim it as theirown birthright or considerthemselves (or their kin) asGod’s gifts to mankind, that’swhere the problem lies. I’vebeen there before, folks. So Iknow!

BANGSAMORO - Thecrucial vote on the BBL inCongress, both in the Houseand in the Senate and its fi-nal fate will be known in duetime. Congress is bent on re-moving some provisions thatwere subject; I am sure, to in-tense negotiations over theyears. Mind you, during mytime as peace negotiator,even a word or a comma,could be a serious bone ofcontention. I now worry thatthe milestones that both gov-ernment and MILF achievedwill be put to naught in onesingle sweep when the finalversion is passed. This is a re-peat of Congress “writing itsown peace agreement” aswhat Misuari’s faction com-plained about before. In fact,up to now, MNLF still com-plains about the alleged non-implementation of the origi-nal Tripoli Agreement signedin 1976 during Marcos time.

NO MORE WAR? – Fastforward today. While Con-gress now talks of major revi-sions, MILF keeps saying thatthey will not accept a “wa-tered-down” BBL. But at thesame time, MILF hurriedlysays they will not go back towar again. To me, this soundsmore like an early warningthat while MILF may not ac-cept Congress’ own version,they will still continue theirstruggle through peace nego-tiations to get their “non-ne-gotiable” concessions at an-other time, perhaps beyondthe Aquino administration.Of course, the so-called“rogue elements”, the BIFFand other armed groups thatMILF disclaims links with,will do their own thing. Any-way, things will come to ahead soon. Whatever is thefinal outcome of all this, thefact remains that the work forpeace is a never-ending jour-ney.

JOURNALISM AWARDS -The Philippine Press Institutethis week honored the win-ners of the annual 2014 CivicCommunity JournalismPress Awards during appro-priate ceremonies at the Dia-mond Hotel in Manila. Theyare: Bohol Chronicle, BaguioMidland Courier, BaguioChronicle, Cebu Daily News,Sun Star Davao, Edge Davao,Sun Star Cebu, MindanaoCross and Business WeekMindanao. Congratulations!(info@advocacymindanow.org)

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Mystifying Bohol’s Lamanoc IslandBOHOL - From the crevicesof this uninhabited isle offBadiang Anda, rise suppli-cations to the gods offer-ings to appease the badspirits and thanksgiving fora bountiful harvest, fishcatch and productivehunting.

This is Lamanoc Is-land a place avoided bymost locals who fear thegraveyards and the spiritshoming in this karst cliffsand its numerous mysticalcrevices.

Here too are countlessbones, shards of broken jar,wooden dug-out coffins,and remnants of offerings:empty wine bottles, hu-man bones, wild boar jawsand a pile of white chickenfeathers lie somewhere,waiting for the breeze toblow them off.

Lamanoc Island hasbeen pinned in the region'shealers and quack doctorsmap as a sacred place, itsnumerous caves a testa-ment of the countless ritu-als these medicine menhave to perform to tap thepowers of nature to con-tinue with their healing.

An annual visit to thisisland promontory inBohol then is for them, animperative one can't sim-ply forego.

For everyone also,Lamanoc allows everyBoholano that rare chanceto be reconnected to thepast, one that could be faradvanced compared toother settlements in thosetimes.

The GThe GThe GThe GThe Grrrrravavavavaveyareyareyareyareyard Rd Rd Rd Rd RockockockockockSSSSShelterhelterhelterhelterhelter

The Lamanoc grave-yard is technically not ayard. It is a rock ledge fac-ing the seas of the island'ssouth east side. Elevated atabout 20 meters from thesea level, the ledge can beaccessed by following atrail carved in the cliff'srocky face, leading to acleared rock shelter.

At the rock shelter, theair is humid; perhaps it hadsomething to do with theclimb.

The graveyard featuresclay jar shards with tracesof pre-Hispanic designs,bones now encased in aglass topped cement boxafter they lay scattered fordecades and wooden dug-out coffins placed in thenooks of the ledge.

These wooden coffins,points out Lamanoc care-taker and tour guideFortunato Simbajon are ei-ther primary (the deadwere placed inside), sec-ondary (after the flesh haseroded, the bones are col-

lected and replaced inside)or multiple tertiary, (bonescollected from relativesgraves are placed inside).

Boholano natives in thetradition of the people in thewestern pacific islands burytheir dead in the same man-ner: in huge clay jars orwooden coffins and placedfacing the east, where thespirits rise, Simbajon said.

Archaeologists said ahuman bone can last forabout a 100 years after whichthey decompose, Simbajonadded, hinting that the old-est bone in the ledge couldbe less than a 100 years.

Spanish period Boholhowever started buryingtheir dead in cemeteriesmaking the assumption thatsome of the bones here couldbe over a 100 years already.The wooden dug-out coffinsof Molave are possibly aboutover a century too.

With the musty place lit-tered with bone fragments,pausing and whispering aprayer or too could be prim.

KKKKKa Ia Ia Ia Ia Iska Cska Cska Cska Cska CavavavavaveeeeeOn the trek to another

part of the small island onepasses by a rock shelter thatshows traces of vandalism. Afairly level cave floor is nowclearly dug the stalactitesand stalagmites show thesetell-tale signs.

Here, fishermen forcedto the island by storms waitit out here, says the hunchedtour guide as he weaves hisway to rock columns in theshelter to Ka Iska Cave. It wassaid that a healer from thenearby barangay wasmobbed by residents whobelieved she was a witch.

Curing her patients suf-fering from mystifying ill-nesses through herbal medi-cines and rituals, Franciscabecame popular until the vil-lage turned on her and droveher off to Lamanoc, certainthat no one would follow her.

Settling on a cave,Francisca lived a peaceful lifeuntil the people in the villagemustered the courage to pur-sue her in the cave moss-lined multi-chamber cavefeaturing arches and pas-sageways too narrow for agroup to venture into.

Many believe Iska hasdied. Some people professedthey still see her in the cave,Simbajon said.TTTTTitanic Ritanic Ritanic Ritanic Ritanic Rock and Bock and Bock and Bock and Bock and Bil-atonil-atonil-atonil-atonil-atonPPPPPassassassassass

Another moderate trekdown the trail and it leads toa few meters above sea levelon the eastern side ofLamanoc. From the water-line, an islet floats a couple ofhundred meters fromLamanoc - Titanic Island,because when you view it

from the south, it looks like aship.

Largely limestone withsharp rocky foundation, likeany of the numerous karstbases, the island has yourtropical green trees andstudy shrubs as crown, thelimestone whites of the cliffsides forming stark contrastwith the white and grey boul-ders upon which exude theaura worthy of awe.

A small rock lays an-chored on its left side and thespace in between these twois just narrow enough for apaddleboat to slip through.This isle is also called Bil-aton, according to the over60 years old guide.

At night fall, if it's noman's land at Lamanoc thatunwritten code is reveredeven more in Bil-aton.Simbajon, who has had overten year of sallying back andforth the island, hints some-thing even more mystifyingthere.

SSSSShaman's Chaman's Chaman's Chaman's Chaman's Cavavavavave ande ande ande ande andDDDDDiwatasiwatasiwatasiwatasiwatas

On the north-easternside of the island just a littleabove the seas edge is theritual cave of the shamanswho frequent the place.

Outside the cave at itsmouth empty bottles ofcheap gin and occasionalpile of chicken feathers rem-nants of ritual offerings per-formed in the cave or at itsmouth, when the cave is oc-cupied by offering healers,Nong Forting said.

Accessible through atricky navigation over sharprocks carved by the thunder-ous waves below, Shaman'scave features a hall whichhides a ritual altar behind arock wall which can bescaled. The hidden platformnow contains personal ef-fects of healers who diedwithout somebody pickingup the healing tradition.

The right niche of thecave shows a National Mu-seum inventory tag, and waybelow it is a low rock curtainthat hides another opening:this one accordingly goes tothe ten altars for the healerswho come to the island.

Nobody in the nearbyarea has ventured deep intothe caves where healersspeak to the spirits and begfor the healing of patientswho may have angeredthem.

FFFFFossilizossilizossilizossilizossilized Clamed Clamed Clamed Clamed ClamAnother wonder in the

island is a fossilized giantclam, stuck in a rock wall ameter above sea level.

This fossil provesLamanoc Island is butamong the older islands inthe archipelago, maybe inthe country. The giant clam

can well be over a foot in di-ameter. Perhaps a propercarbon dating can help usdetermine the age of the fos-sil giant clam.

The island ritual sitesalso show numerous giantclam shells, one of the big-gest is at the graveyard. Butmost of these giant clams’shells are separated fromwhere they may have stuckwhile still alive.

This proof or the giantclam provenance in the areawas enough reason for thelocal leaders to seed new gi-ant clams in the nearby ma-rine sanctuary, to help re-propagate one of the mostpotent agents forbiodiversity.

TTTTTangob Cangob Cangob Cangob Cangob CavavavavaveeeeeResident tour guide

Fortunato "Forting"Simbajon would get you toTangob Cave, a huge rockshelter covered by man-groves on the island facingthe south east.

Tangob, according toNong Forting is a placewhere the Muslim traders hidtheir stash of goods whichthey would sell to the coastaltrading communities in theVisayas and Luzon.

There was never an ani-mosity between Boholanosand the Muslims, until thecoming of the Spaniards, hesaid.

When the Spaniardscame, they convinced theBoholanos that the Muslimswere the enemy, the guidesaid.

Well, with the historicPangayaw as tradition of thesouthern islands , Muslimraids were regular occur-rences during the pre-Span-ish period and the details ofa local lore of the exploits ofa legendary fighter nameKabel, comfortably re-sembles the Christian ex-ploits of the Moro-Morowhen Muslims are defeatedby the locals who fight besidea man who could fly.

The story of Kabel, as

Nong Forting narrates, fitwith the stories of SanMiguel, the Ark Angel, in de-fending the shores of Jagnaas told in their SinuogEstokada) and the ChristainCommunity of KaraangDungguan, where the men ofPunta Cruz, fight intruderswith the help of San VicenteFerrer.HHHHHematite hand prematite hand prematite hand prematite hand prematite hand prints andints andints andints andints and

oak croak croak croak croak crossossossossossOn the southern side of

the island that facesMindanao is another rockshelter which feature blots ofred pigment. A close scrutinywould reveal that these arehand prints, probably theoldest traces of printed markin the island, marks using he-matite.

Hematite is a ferric oxidedark red pigment that is usedin the hand prints.

As to where the printerssourced out the ferrous ox-ide, the guide didn't tell butit should be one good story ifthe provenance could be es-tablished as local.

Another anomaly in therock shelter is the presencean oak log which, accordingto Simbajon was soon fash-ioned into a cross erectedoverlooking the sea.

The oak, an alien in thetropics, could have beenbrought by Spanish authori-ties to Lamanoc where it wasabandoned at the Shaman'scave, according to Simbajon.

The oak provenancecould possibly date the he-matite, which, if found to beabsent in the island, couldonly be brought by somestrangers visiting the island.

The trThe trThe trThe trThe treks in betweks in betweks in betweks in betweks in betweeneeneeneeneen If visiting the site in

Lamanoc Island is interest-ing so does the treks.Lamanok is basically yourrocky island of porous crev-ices where trees and shrubsreach out their roots to gatherthe nutrient it needs to sur-vive. This also makes trek-king across the island trick-ily delicate one false step and

you could get hurt.The trek up and down

can be burdensome tothose who are indisposed,but would pose a challengeto those who come unpre-pared.

Depending on thetides, the treks may takeyou wading in the shallowsto the fossilized clam orTangob Cave, but that toocan be a nice test of bal-ance and footwork.Lamanoc MLamanoc MLamanoc MLamanoc MLamanoc Mystical Iystical Iystical Iystical Iystical IslandslandslandslandslandTTTTTourourourourour

Upon arrival at theTourist Center overlookingthe mangrove forests andthe towering cliffs ofLamanoc, one needs tomaneuver down thecarved steps to a boardwalk which leads to ajump-off point where onecan get a paddle boat to theisland.

The board walk, madefrom bamboo stakes andmangroves are lined withbamboo slats. The walk-way cuts across a man-grove forest which couldalso be perfect for educat-ing tourists on the diverseworld of mangroves andtide flats: the spawninggrounds for countless fishand crustaceans.

Over 20 species ofmangroves can be seen ina short walk way span butthe most common speciesare Bakauan, Bungalonand Pagatpat, all bearingmangrove propagules thistime of summer.

The boatman's quar-ter is a decent native shedwith a spacious hall whereguests can linger and takebreathers, breeze here, ow-ing to the mangrove forestsis delightfully cool.

Next off is a paddlingfeat: one must step into apaddle boat and make sureone doesn't fall off. A pad-dler would guide you to the20 minutes of cruise to theisland. (Rey Anthony H.Chiu)

Photo © Jeroen Hellingman, www.bohol.ph