one mindanao - november 1, 2011

Western Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)

P. Urro Street, San Francisco DistrictPagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur 7016Telephone no. (062) 215-1480 / 925-0038Cellphone no. 0908-8843404E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: hnb_r9pia

Northern Mindanao

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

Southern Mindanao (Davao Region)

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

Central Mindanao (SOCSKARGEN)

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

Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga)

Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines Bldg.,J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan CityTelephone no. (085) 341-5285 / 360-1239Telefax no. (085) 341-2370Cellphone no. 0917-7188834Email: [email protected] [email protected],ph

PIA REGIONAL OFFICESIN MINDANAO

OUR COVER

Monastery of Transfiguration

in Malaybalay Bukidnon

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

Managing Editor ……......... ABNER M. CAGA Cluster Head, Northern and Northeastern Mindanao Regional Director, PIA Caraga Region

Associate Editors ……....... OLIVIA T. SUDARIA Regional Director, PIA Region XII NOEMI A. EDAGA Regional Director, PIA Region IX

RUTCHIE C. AGUHOB Officer-in-charge,PIARegionX

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

Copy Editor ……………….. Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region

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

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

SEC. HERMINIO “Sonny” B. COLOMA PresidentialCommunicationsOperationsOffice

An Electronic News Magazineof the Phliippine Information Agency

Mindanao Clusters

EDITORIAL BOARD

Photo Credits: Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy, Bernado Agulo

Vol. 1, No. 79 NOVEMBER 1, 2011

N A T I O N A L

contentsCover Story :

Monastery of Transfiguration -- A serene havenBy Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy contents

Malacañang says government determined to pursue lawless elements in Mindanao

Aquino visits tombs of his parents

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8

4

8

WESTERN Mindanao

19Aquino magtrabaho panahon sa holidays, modauaw sa lubong sa ginikanan karong Oktubre 31

Simbahang Katoliko, nagpasidaan batok sa mga pekeng pari

18 Seguridad sa mga sam-ang, gihigpitan

18

20

CARAGA RegionDA aims to become zero rice importer

We are conducting COPD Lianga not combat operations -military

AgNor chiefs of offices attend Financial Management work-shop

DOTC Caraga ensures safe observation of Undas

Youth group in Caraga Region supports “all out peace” in Mindanao

1214151617

12

NORTHERN Mindanao

23

Misamis Oriental has the highest Philhealth enrollees in the country – Gov. Moreno

Join the WFTO and go global, SHPII tells SME’s

NDA forges partnership with US-based group to assist local dairy farmers

LGUs brace for landuse, envi-ronmental impact of Laguindin-gan Airport

22

4P’s is also about changing attitudes

25

22

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4 Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Blessed with unusual serenity and cool breeze, the Benedictine Monastery of Transfiguration is one perfect place to go when the hassles of everyday life start to overwhelm.

Monastery of Transfiguration -- A serene haven

Cover Story

By Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy

5Tuesday, November 1, 2011

This mountaintop monas-tery offers warm and peaceful space for renewing your mind, body and spirit. The silence in the prayer house allows you to be alone. They offer you the opportunity for solitude in an ambiance of natural beauty, order, and tranquility. Run by the Benedictine Monks in barangay San Jose, about five (5) kilometers south of Malaybalay City, this land has been a legendary place of worship. Its facilities include a Retreat House that has accom-modated famous political fig-ures and dignitaries in search of greater solitude. Its monastic grounds and sacred spaces provide an atmo-sphere for prayer, quiet reflec-tion and relaxation year round. Guests frequent the wooded walking trails and labyrinth, adjacent to the chapel. Whether you are here for few hours, a night, a weekend, or a week, you are invited to join the monastic community for the Liturgy of the Hours, and Eucharist. In the monks’ prayer sched-ule posted outside the chapel--from matins to vespers--the 5:20 early morning daily mass is more solemn, and if lucky, one can actually see the monks

levitate while in deep prayer or meditation The community observes the traditional ‘horarium’ that consist prayers (seven times during the day), manual labor and spiritual reading. The Chapel

Its famous chapel is a magnificent work of art by the country’s national artist for architecture Leandro Locsin. It is made of heavy lime blocks that perfectly matched to the mountain range in the background. Inside the chapel, the white rock altar faces the wide gar-dens of the monastery. More-over, you can see a painting of the transfiguration of Christ, glowing and shining, as you face the altar. You can also sit in the gar-den of the monastery, or wan-


der around the chapel and watch the resident monks go about their daily chores while the aroma of ‘Monk’s Blend’ coffee wafts through the forest breeze. The first Filipino Abbot, Fr. Eduardo Africa and former Ma-laybalay bishop Gaudencio Ro-sales inaugurated the monas-tery on August 6, 1983.

Labor and pray In addition to their atten-dance at church, the monks spend several hours in reading the bible, private prayer, and meditation. For most of the day, how-ever, they work hard with their

hands, doing the necessary cooking for the monastery, raising the needed supplies of vegetables and grain, and per-forming all the other tasks re-quired to maintain a large insti-tution. “To labor is to pray” was the monks’ favorite motto. At present, around 10 Benedictine monks tirelessly tend the seven (7) hectares of fertile rice fields, 25 hectares corn, and coffee farm. By the careful cultivation of their lands, they set an exam-ple of good farming. This made the monastery world-famous for its finest “Monk’s Blend,” a coffee produced, grown and processed by the monks them-


selves. They likewise have a little souvenir shop near the chapel where they sell various prod-ucts from religious figurines, to rosaries, and even food. You can buy their Monk’s Blend cof-fee, Monk’s peanut brittle and butter, and roasted peanuts too. The monks occupied them-selves with a regular round of worship and manual labor. A

tight communal timeta-ble (horarium) is meant to ensure that the time given by God is not wasted but in whichev-er way necessary used in His service, wheth-er for prayer, labor, meals, spiritual read-ing, and sleep.The sacredness of place

The profound sense of qui-etness and splendor made this place the most traveled route in Malaybalay City. Foreigners liked to walk the grounds of its chapel, so laced with flow-ers, where the loudest sounds are of crows cawing in the tall pines.Visitors have come here for many years on holidays, to find repose and to float in tranquil-ity.



Pesident Benigno S. Aquino III joined his sisters and their immediate family in commemorating All Saint’s Day by visiting the tombs of their parents, former Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. and former

President Corazon C. Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Monday.



The President arrived at around 2:30 p.m dressed in a black polo and dark blue jeans. He was followed by his sisters Maria Elena (Ballsy) Aquino-Cruz, Aurora Corazon (Pin-ky) Aquino-Abellada, Victoria Elisa (Viel) Aquino-Dee, and Kristina Bernadette (Kris) Aquino. Upon their arriv-al, a mass officiated by Presidential Secu-rity Group chaplain Major Vicente Jose

Vera was held in front of the tomb site. After the solemn mass, Fr. Vera led the blessing of the tombs of the two icons of democracy by sprin-kling holy water fol-lowed by members of the Aquino family who likewise sprin-kled holy water on their parents’ tombs. The family then prayed the holy rosa-ry before departing. In an interview, the President’s young-est sister Kris said

they chose to com-memorate All Saint’s Day earlier this year to beat the crowds that are expected to flock to cemeteries tomorrow. She also thanked all those present, on behalf of her fam-ily, for joining them in paying homage to their parents. (RCK)


Malacañang on Tuesday reiterated that the Aquino administration would continue to run after all the lawless elements in Mindanao, and warned that those who are

coddling them would be held liable.




In a phone patch inter-view on Tuesday in Malacanang Presidential Dep-uty Spokesper-son Abigail Valte maintained that the government is determined to pursue lawless elements but not the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as “an en-tity.” “We have made it clear from the start na ‘yung pagtugis sa mga lawless el-ements hindi po ito laban sa MILF as an entity but against the law-less elements,” Valte said. “So dalawang

bagay po ‘yan: ei-ther the MILF co-operates or stand aside and allow the law enforcers do their jobs,” the Deputy Spokes-person said. Valte also noted that the MILF is prohibit-ed to coddle fugi-tives, particularly speaking of Dan “Laksaw” Asnawi, the second high-est rebel com-mander in Basi-lan province. “It is strict-ly prohibited un-der the cease-fire agreement to provide safe havens for fugi-tives,” Valte said.Asnawi is wanted for the beheading

of 14 Ma-rine soldiers in Basilan in 2007. “There is no other recourse but to defend himself [Asnawi] in court. Kung mayroon po silang depensa, then the proper venue to venti-late that would be the courts,” Valte added. President Be-nigno S. Aquino III ordered the pursuit opera-tions against the lawless elements following the Basilan encoun-ter on October 18 that left at least 19 government soldiers dead and many others wounded. (CO)


www.piacaraga.blogspot.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/PIA-Caraga-Updates/165374590187484

[email protected][email protected]

DA aims to become zero rice importerby Maria Rebecca C. Ayaton

To conclude the celebration of the Consumer Welfare Month, the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently conducted the 5th “ConsumerNET Meets the Public” Forum at ANECO

Multipurpose Hall, J.C. Aquino Ave., Butuan City.


In the said forum, re-gional technical direc-tor for Administration, Finance and Regulatory Teodora P. Fiel empha-sized to the consum-ers the value of being aware of the Consumer Welfare Act. “To get products in good quality stan-dard, to equate the money that he paid for the product. Naa ang Consumer Welfare Act para mabantayan kita nga mga consumer (The Consumer Wel-fare Act was formu-lated as our protection being consumer),” said Fiel. On the other hand, Fiel also discussed the goal of the DA that is

to become zero rice importer and to attain food security which is in line with this year’s Consumer Welfare Month theme, “Sapat, Ligtas at Abot-kayang Pagkain para sa La-hat.” “Sec. Proceso Al-cala aims Caraga to be zero rice importer, so for 2011 we have set a goal to import 50 percent and in turn, we have only imported about 37-40 percent of rice which is good. In 2012, we aim in mak-ing it 25 percent im-port of rice until we can come up to a zero percent rice importa-tion,” added Fiel. Fiel said that, “it is a battle-cry of Sec-

retary Alcala to en-sure food security. We have been importers in terms of livestock and rice as far as Cagayan de Oro City, and other parts in the Philippines, yet, we can say that Caraga is food suffi-cient.” She added that, “we are food sufficient but we are not perfect-ly food secured.” According to Fiel, the Department of Ag-riculture - Caraga Re-gion will be pushing the goal of Secretary Alcala by helping farm-ers with the Agri Pinoy program of the depart-ment. The Agri Pinoy program is an initia-tive of the DA that guides various ser-vices and programs of the department from 2011-16 and beyond. It is an overall strate-gic framework that has four guiding principles: food security and self-sufficiency, sustainable agriculture and fisher-ies, natural resources management, and lo-cal development.


BUTUAN CITY – All out peace, not all out war in Mindanao!

Youth group in Caraga Region supports “all out peace” in Mindanao by Robert E. Roperos

This was the sen-timent of the Caraga Youth Leaders’ Network (CYLN), who said that the Philippine Govern-ment and the Moro Is-lamic Liberation Front (MILF) must arrive at a politically negotiated settlement and resolve the Mindanao issue once and for all. In a one-page statement, the group condemned the killing of the 19 soldiers in Al Bar-ka, Basilan. They said the senseless deaths of thousands of people and destruction since the be-ginning of the Mindanao conflict almost 40 years ago must stop. “We mourn for all the victims

of this war in Mindanao – the families of the fall-en, the deaths of the in-nocent women, children and youth, and the loss of lives and livelihood,” the statement read. Also, the group reiterated that as the 2005 Human Develop-ment Report shows, the ARMM and the war-torn areas of Mindanao reg-istered the lowest hu-man development index scores in the country. They added that armed conflict prevents development approach-es from taking root in the fertile lands of Mind-anao. At the same time, historical injustices and underdevelopment feed

the armed struggles. Further, the group said countless youth and children have both been victims as well as per-petrators of the armed conflict. They said that the resolution of the age-old armed conflict in Mindanao must be a top national priority. Furthermore, the group pointed out that heeding the call for an all-out war will be a setback not just to the peace process in Mind-anao but also to the de-velopment initiatives and anti-poverty programs in the war-torn commu-nities. “De-escalate the violence now,” the youth group said.


by Robert E. Roperos

DOTC Caraga ensures safe observation of Undas

BUTUAN CITY – In line with the plan of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Mar Roxas’ ‘Ligtas na Undas,’ the DOTC Caraga regional office here also ensures that people’s observation of this year’s All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days will go well.

According DOTC regional director Atty. Alim D. Pangan-daman, their agency has established help desks in all major ter-minals and assistance centers in strategic areas of the region. Thus, according to Pangandaman, the help desk and assis-

tance centers will as-sist passengers and motorists in going to their destinations on time and safe. Also, their agen-cy has deployed law enforcers to national highways going to the cities of Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao during the Un-

das, Pangandaman added. Under the DOTC’s ‘Ligtas na Undas’ program, additional security personnel, traffic assistance, in-cluding medical aides will also be fielded in various transport ter-minals

The youth group in the region also said that an all out war approach takes its toll not just on the MILF combatants but also among the people of Mindanao—the innocent civilian communities of Indigenous Peoples, Muslims and Christians,

alike. Accordingly, a World Bank study in 2005 showed that the budget for war is approx-imately 10 million pesos a day. Military spending channels this valuable resource from human development programs

of the most vulnerable communities. CYLN is the sole and leading non-gov-ernment organization (NGO) of Caraga Region which aims to advance Caraganon youth devel-opment affairs.

by Nora CL Molde


We are conducting COPD Lianga not combat operations -military

SURIGAO DEL SUR – In line with the reported mass evacuation in the hinterlands of Lianga here, the military said they are just conducting a Community Organizing for Peace and Development (COPD) and not combat operations.

This, after more than a hundred families from the hinterlands of Lianga, Surigao del Sur reportedly evacuated due to the presence of Philippine Army at the foot of the “Andap Val-ley”, believed to be the Guerilla Base of CNN (CPP/NPA/NDF). “The conduct of the COPD in the area is to help the Local Gov-ernment Unit to bring the basic services to the people especially in far flung barangays,” a military official said. Meanwhile, Pro-vincial Social Worker and Development Of-ficer May Salinas con-firmed recently that

around 148 families are now temporarily housed at Barangay Diatagon Gym, Lianga after they fled from their homes on Octo-ber 29. As a result, the presence of the gov-ernment troops was misunderstood by the people in the commu-nity that led them to evacuate for they be-lieved it was a massive operation against the CPP/NPA/NDF (CNN) in the area. However, Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel spearheaded a dialogue a day after the mass evacuation with the presence of

the LGU officials, Phil Army, DILG and the leaders of the evacu-ees. As of press time, negotiations are still on-going where part of the people’s demand is the military pull-out in the community. Accordingly, the people in the said com-munity are not against to military operation but this should be con-ducted outside their community. They ad-mitted that they are afraid of encounters between the military and the lawless groups because this can cause trauma especially to their children.

by Nida Grace B. Tranquilan


AgNor chiefs of offices attend Financial Management workshop

BUTUAN CITY – For the purpose of intensifying the Public Financial Management, chiefs of offices of the Agusan del Norte provincial government attended the recently concluded three-day workshop spearheaded by the Agencia Espanola De Cooperacion International Para El Desarrollo (AECID).

by Roselyn G. Exaure and Jennifer P. Gaitano

According to Agu-san del Norte Provincial Administrator Percianita G. Racho, the said work-shop was held in Hotel Conchita, Cagayan de Oro City. Thru the workshop, chief of offices were able to enhance their knowl-edge and skills on the Public Financial Manage-ment for a more trans-parent and better ser-vice to the public.

Attendees during the strengthening work-shop were Provincial Ad-ministrator Percianita G. Racho; Dr. Elizabeth N. Campado, Provincial Health Officer; Ms. Ruby R. Furia, Provincial Bud-get Officer; Ms. Trofina P. Besada, Planning Officer lV; Mr. Daniel A. Valido, Provincial Accountant; Mr. Senecio V. Sinco, Su-pervising Administrative Officer; Mr. Rofel C. Ca-

baltera, Provincial Plan-ning Development Offi-cer; Mr. Pepito N. Conde, OIC Provincial Assessor; Ms. Isabelita N. Lucino, OIC Provincial Treasur-er; Mr. Jacob G. Racho, Administrative Officer lV; Ms. Nemia D. Ale-garbes, Provincial Gen-eral Services Officer; ug Mr. Wilelmo C. Furia, Lo-cal Treasury Operations Officer lV.


Seguridad sa mga sam-ang, gihigpitan

Gihigpitan karon sa kapulisan ang seguridad sa sulod ug palibot sa mga sam-ang dinhi sa dakbayan, samtang inanay nang midagsa ang katawhan sa sementeryo nga

miduaw sa lubong sa ilang mahal sa kinabuhi ning panahon sa Kalag-Kalag.

by Alfonso T. Ruda

Sumala pa ni Supt. Kenneth Mission, hepe sa kapulisan dinhi sa dakbayan sa Dipolog, nagpakatap siya karon ug mga pulis sa sulod ug palibot sa sam-ang dinhi sa dakbayan aron mabantayan ang kalu-wasan sa mga moduaw sa lubong sa ilang mga mahal sa kinabuhi. Ang paghatag ug

seguridad sa sement-eryo nga gihimo sa Di-polog City Police Office, giabagan usab sa mga elemento gikan sa Zam-boanga del Norte Pro-vincial Police Office ug 101ST Infantry Brigade nga nakabase sa del Pi-lar, Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte. Gawas niini, nag-pakatap usab si Mission ug mga di-uniporma-dong mga pulis sulod sa sementeryo aron ma-monitor kon duna man ugaliy magbinuang o magdala ug mga butang nga unang gidili sa Di-polog City Police Office. Subli usab nga gipahinumdom ni Mis-

sion ang mga butang nga dili nila tugtang dad-on sulod sa sementeryo, sama sa mga mahait nga hinagiban, ilimnong makahubog, ug uban pang butang nga maka-disturbo sa pag-ampo sa kadaghanan ingon man ang dili pagdala ug mga alahas ug uban pang mahalon nga butang su-lod sa sementeryo. Mahinumdoman, nga una nang nagpaka-naog ug kamanduan ang hepe sa PNP nga si Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome nga nagpailalom sa full alert status sa tibuok puwersa sa PNP pana-hon sa All Saint’s Day. Mas labi pa usab


nga gihigpitan sa mga otoridad ang seguridad human ang nahitabong pagbanhig-patay sa 19 ka mga sundalo didto sa Al-Barka, Basilan; ang pagbanhig-patay usab sa

mga sundalo ug pulis didto sa Zamboanga Sibugay; pagboto sa bomba didto sa dakbayan sa Zamboan-ga ug ang labing ulahi, ang pagdagit sa batan-ng magpapatigayon dinhi sa

dakbayan sa Dipolog nga si Frank Oliver Lim niad-tong miaging semana, diin hangtud karon, wala pa gihapoy lead ang mga otoridad. (JPA/ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte).

Simbahang Katoliko, nagpasidaan batok sa mga pekeng pari

by Alfonso T. RudaNagpasidaan karon ang mga Obispo sa simbahang Katoliko ngadto sa publiko batok sa pipila ka mga tawong magpaka-aron-ingnong pari nga

nagsuroy-suroy sa mga sam-ang panahon sa kalag-kalag.

In her recent interaction with the local media during her visit in Dipolog City, Melissa Calingo of the OPAPP Media and Public Affairs Services have identified the municipalities of Sibuco and Siocon as the beneficiaries of the PAMANA program in Zamboanga del Norte for 2012. PAMANA is the national government’s peace and development framework for the conflict-affected areas in the country. It operates in seven different geographical areas of the country.

Each PAMANA area will receive development programs according to the needs of the people living in the region. These are the Cordillera Administrative Region; Quezon, Mindoro Bicol area; Negros Island; Samar; Central Mindanao and ARMM; Compostela Valley; and ZamBasulta area. With these areas, PAMANA emphasizes its efforts to address what a specific community needs to be developing and working on. OPAPP as the Convenor, has the backing with the convergence of

the various government agencies for the implementation of the community-identified projects in the conflict-affected areas. The include the (1)Social Cluster composed of the Local Government Units, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Dept. of Education, and Dept of Health; (2) Economic Cluster (NEDA, DTI, DOLE, MINDA, DA, DPWH, LGUs); (3) Security Cluster(DILG, DoJ, AFP); (4) Tenure Agencies (DAR, DENR, NCIP, DA); (5) Community-Level


Implementation(DSWD, ARMM, LGUs, AFP); Other Development Matod pa ni Bishop Pedro Arigo, kining maong mga bogus nga pari, magsuroy-suroy sa mga sementeryo, magpahigayon konohay ug blessing rituals sa mga lubong, dayong pangayo ug bayad gikan sa kabanay kon tangtungod sa lubong. “ K i n a h a n g l a n nga mag-amping ang publiko ug dili basta-basta mosalig sa mga moduol sa lubong ug magpaka-aron-ingnong

pari ug mamendita bugti sa bayad nga kwarta,” matod pa ni Arigo. Hinuon, sumala pa sa Obispo, sayon lang ang pag-ila sa peke gikan sa matuod nga pari. Kini, pinaagi sa pagpangayo sa iyang celebret – ang identification card nga giisyo sa simbahan ngadto sa usa ka pari. Aron malikayan ang maong panghitabo, nanawagan karon ang simbahan sa mga otoridad nga magbutang ug mga pulis sa sementeryo aron ma-inspeksyon ang tanang

mosulod sa sementeryo ug duna usab dayoy kasumbungan ang publiko kon dunay di-maayong mahitabo sulod sa sementeryo.

Dinhi sa dakbayan sa Dipolog, gipatuman karon sa kapulisan uban ang augmentation force gikan sa Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Police Office ug mga membro sa 101st Infantry Brigade ang higpit nga seguridad sa sulod ug sa palibot sa sementeryo sa dakbayan.(JPA/ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)

Aquino magtrabaho panahon sa holidays, modauaw sa lubong sa ginikanan karong Oktubre 31Si Presidente Benigno S. Aquino III ang maghimo sa

iyang kaugalingon nga okupado uban sa iyang mga trabahoon nga mga papel samtang ang pagsaulog

sa ‘Undas’ kon adlaw sa mga Santos’ ipahigayon ning semanaha, matud pa ni Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte ning Sabado.

Ang Presidente wa-lay official schedule su-god niadtong Oktubre 29 (Sabado) hangtud sa Nobyembre 1 (Martes) apan siya ang gilauman

nga moduaw sa lubong sa iyang mga ginikanan sa Manila Memorial Park dakbayan sa Parañaque karong Lunes, Oktubre 31.

Matud pa ni Valte nga si Presidente Aqui-no ug ang iyang pami-lya mipili pag-schedule sa ilang pagbisita sa 31 aron nga dili makahatag


ug kabalda sa mga tawo kinsa adunay plano nga motanyag ug mga pag-ampo ug mga bulak sa mitaliwan nga si kanhi Senador Benigno Aqui-no, Jr. ug Presidente Corazon C. Aquino. Gidugtong pa niya nga ang Presidente kauban ang iyang mga Gabinete ug mga ahe-nysa sa kagamhanan nga gitahasan paghatag kagseguurhan sa ka-husay ug kalinaw ug kaseguruhan sa publiko ang dili mopahulay pa-nahon sa holidays apan kini ang maghimutad sa kahimtang sa atong na-sud. Si Presidente

Aquino naglaum nga makadawat ug mga taho gikan sa Depart-ment of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), ug Philippine National Police (PNP) sa road safety ug ang ka-himtang sa trapiko alang sa kaayuhan sa pubiko nga molakaw ug mo-pauli sa mga lalawigan, ang opisyal sa Palasyo nagkanayon. Dugang pa ni Valte nga ang Department of Health inabagan sa pip-ila ka mga non-govern-ment organizations ang motanyag ug medical teams aron motabang

sa mga tawo sa mga nagpunsisok sa mga tawo nga pampublikong sementeryo. Dugtong gipahibalo ni Valte ang katawhan nga ang DOTC mahi-mo nga matawagan sa hotline: 7890 panahon nga sila ang nanginhan-lgan ug tabang samtang anaa sa dalan tun-god ka yang national emergency number 117 ang giandam aron nga makatawag sa bisan unsa man nga seguridad ug emerenhensya nga mahitabo sa bisan unsa nga panahon (JPA/GCC/PIA9-Pagadian)


Misamis Oriental has the highest Philhealth enrollees in the country – Gov. Morenoby Genesis V. MonterdeMisamis Oriental has the highest num-

ber of beneficiaries enrolled with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

(Philhealth) among the regions in the Philippines.

This was revealed by Gov. Oscar S. Moreno, during the inauguration, blessing and turn-over ceremony of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital in Gingoog city. He said the province actually enrolled 193,000 beneficiaries in the province with Philhealth and hopes the number will increase next year. However, he said a Philhealth card alone is useless without a hospital. Thus, the Gingoog Provincial Hospital has been rehabilitated from a single building before, and now, expanded to better serve the people not only in Gingoog but also the neighboring places, such as Medina and Magsaysay. Likewise, there are new equipment and hospital apparatus necessary for better operation of the said medical house, Moreno added. Meanwhile, Moreno said the

province has been given the “Galing Pook Award,” because of its strategic innovations in the provincial hospital system and vowed to stay focused, determined, and committed for the improvement of the hospital system, he said. He also mentioned the joint project of Overseas Workers Welfare Authority (OWWA) and the provincial government in Alubijid for the development of a Php100 million worth of hospital building in order to serve the entire communities within Misamis Oriental. Next to Gingoog, Moreno will look on to the rehabilitation and improvement of the hospitals in Magsaysay, Talisayan, Manticao, Balingasag, and Claveria, which are part of his 8-point agenda of rehabilitation to the hospital system.


NDA forges partnership with US-based group to assist local dairy farmersby Hannah Mae S. Salugsugan

Thus, it has developed industry partnerships from foreign countries in bringing dairy development into the Philippines, NDA Field Operations Manager Jesus B. So, said.

One such partner is the Land O’Lakes, a member-owned agricultural cooperative based in Arden Hills, Minnesota, USA, that has the same components as the NDA, along animal dispersal, milk processing, milk establishment and milk feeding program.

Land O’Lakes has been supporting, since 2005, NDA’s Herd Build-up Program, which is a government strategy of importing cattle from other countries to counter the low milk-producing cattle breeds in the country.

For 25 years now, NDA has been procuring imported cattle from New Zealand which are cross breeds of high milk-producing cows called Friesian cattle and heat-tolerant breed of cows called Sahiwal from Pakistan.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), Land O’Lakes has provided financial assistance to NDA in procuring and helping bring

in, this year, 585 pregnant cows and five (5) bulls from New Zealand.

Unloaded in the Port of Cagayan de Oro, on May 18, the said cows, under the NDA Cow Dispersal Program are dispersed to identified recipients after a 30-day quarantine period in Libona, Bukidnon, in accordance with the NDA’s standard operating procedure.

So said the identification of recipients involves a long process of training and technology preparation that goes over a period of one year.

Once the cattle are declared free of disease and have already adapted to the climate and grass in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will then authorize the dispersal to the identified recipients.

“The program has been helping farmers acquire additional income and has been helping the country’s economy all the same, because, aside from the milk, new-born cattle are also another source of income,” So said.

Likewise, it is also helping the government solve problems in malnutrition especially among

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental – The National Dairy Authority (NDA) will continue to provide assistance to dairy farmers or organizations interested in dairy farming.Misamis Oriental has the highest Philhealth

enrollees in the country – Gov. Moreno


children, through their milk feeding program.

“If we improve our local milk production, we will be able to fast track the development of our local dairy industry and also minimize importation,” So added.

However, Land O’Lakes’ cattle dispersal program in the Philippines will end in 2012 after the termination of its last 3-year project-based scheme that started in 2009.

“But when it comes to dairy development, we will still be partners with the NDA,” Land O’Lakes Foundation Philippines Inc. Operations Manager Marilyn Mabale said.

Moreover, NDA’s cattle dispersal program follows a multi-year procurement plan which will end the importation in 2013.

By then, island-born cattle from the same bloodline of Friesian-Sahiwal breed will be utilized for the sustainability of the program, she said.

“There are a lot of good land here that could be developed to create more dairy farms and you have a big population. The government should see this industry growing,” said Livestock Export General Manager Steve Carson.

Join the WFTO and go global, SHPII tells SME’sby Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, MISAMIS ORIENTAL -- Small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in Northern Mindanao have been urged to join the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and hit the global market. This was the advocacy of Loreta Capistrano Rafisura, President of the Salay Handmade Paper Industries, Inc. (SHPII) based in Salay, this province, during a forum, at SM Cagayan de Oro, as part of the activities to celebrate the World Fair Trade Day. Rafisura said joining the WFTO had been SHPII’s most significant blessing as it helped them improve their livelihood in the community through sustainable trading, world-wide, by delivering market access through policy, advocacy, campaigning, marketing and monitoring.

“It was actually WFTO which helped us find global market of our hand-made products in 15 countries, mostly from Europe, the United States of America and Canada, to name a few,” she said. Rafisura also said that during the global financial crisis, it was also the WFTO that made representations with their world market and advised them to make adjustments in their designs for their markets to pay them at lower prices. Producers of handcrafted sheets of paper which are created one by one by artisans from natural fibers of abaca


textiles), and salago bark (Wikstroemia lancelota), SHAPII started with only 10 people as a civic organization in 1987. Having no background in hand paper-making, it then networked with government and non-government organizations for the technical skills development towards achieving its missions through the “Yes, the Filipino Can,” battlecry. From a production of one (1) bond-paper size hand-made sheet per worker per day, their workers, after the skills trainings, have increased their production, little by little. And after 23 years in the business, they now produce as much as 200 sheets per worker per day. With a starting capital of Php9,000, of which P6,000 was won from a community raffle, SHAPII has ventured into the multi-million peso business that it is now and has given mployment and livelihood to about 400 rural folks, 60% of whom

are women. Aimed at helping in the growth and development of its people through rural entrepreneurship in the art of handmade papermaking, pressed flower designs and crafting, SHPII has also made accolades in the education of their young. In fact, it has already produced two (2) doctors of medicine (M.D) and currently sends to school almost 50 young, poor but deserving students. Rafisura said their products are derived mostly from leaves and barks of trees, which are waste products. Such that most of their visitors from other countries, who came to see their production sites have looked into their water waste treatment facilities. “After their visit, they would send us some equipment through the WFTO on grant, which we are using now,” she added.

LGUs brace for landuse, environmental impact of Laguindingan AirportCAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental --- As the completion of the Laguindingan Airport development project (LADP) nears the three contiguous municipalities of Gitagum, Laguindingan, and Alubijid have turned their attention on their land use and environmental impacts and related developments of the project.

Thus, the Regional Development Council (RDC), Northern Mindanao, has created a special committee on LADP, chaired by Governor Oscar S. Moreno of Misamis Oriental, Engr. Leon M. Dacanay, Jr., director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), region 10, said.

The special committee specifically aims to ensure the smooth operation of the Laguindingan international standard airport once it is completed in early 2012. Dacanay said other subcommittees are also looking into the infrastructure, both internal and external, and investment and

Join the WFTO and go global, SHPII tells SME’s


promotion requirements of the project. Meanwhile, in a subcommittee meeting of the special RDC-10 committee on LADP, chaired by Laguindingan mayor Oliver Ubaub, officials and staff of the three municipalities, discussed the need for a sanitary landfill for their common use among other projects for priority implementation. However, it was learned that the Environment and Management Bureau (EMB), in the region, had already identified a site in Talao, Gitagum to be most appropriate for a sanitary landfill for this cluster of municipalities and that negotiations

with the landowners are ongoing. Other programs to be given priority attention are the watershed management to sustain adequate water supply, and integrated coastal resource management to prevent destruction of marine resources. Also included are the riverbank protection to preserve salt beds and fishponds downstream, food security, quarantine services, and urban greening. The body also recognized the need for complementation and harmonization of sector and comprehensive land use (CLU) plans of the three municipalities. (NEDA)

4P’s is also about changing attitudesby Charmaine P. Tadlas

LOPEZ JAENA, Misamis Occidental -– The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) is not just about the money but it is about changing attitudes and perceptions of the Filipinos.


This was emphasized by Rosendo Requina, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer of Misamis Occidental, during a recent campaign forum facilitated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Lopez Jaena town, this province.

“The objective of the Program goes beyond providing subsidies to the poorest Filipino families and that it is not just merely to provide cash grants but to change the attitude and perceptions of the beneficiaries toward education and health care, two vital channels to better their lives,” he said.

One of the biggest anti-poverty programs of the Philippine Government implemented through the DSWD, 4P’s provides a cash subsidy of P1,400 on a monthly basis to each qualified household beneficiary.

The cash subsidy is to be used for the educational and health needs of a qualified poor family specifically those having children aged 14 and below and

those families with pregnant women.

However, in exchange for the subsidy, the beneficiaries are to comply to certain conditions set by the Program such as ensuring that their children are sent to school, with an attendance of at least 85% during the school year, regular visit to health centers, and faithful attendance to Family Development Sessions facilitated by DSWD.

“What is P1,400? It is not enough to let our children finish school and have three meals a day, but it is just an augmentation for the family’s educational and health needs,” he said.

The amount’s main purpose is to open the eyes of our families that education and health is essentially important.

Thus, Requina challenged the beneficiaries of the 4P’s to faithfully fulfill their co-responsibilities of the Program, so that in the end change will truly happen in their families. (DSWD)

one mindanao - november 1, 2011

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