Localizing the peace agenda: Tulunan town has its own ‘peace process adviser’

How do you manage a troubled peace zone?

For Mayor Lani Sarillo Candolada of Tulunan, North Cotabato, the key is getting a ‘peace process adviser’ who can focus on the town’s peace agenda so as to address conflicts in the locality.

Candolada said they thought of the measure since 2007 in view of boundary conflicts and armed hostilities along the town’s borders usually involving the military and New People’s Army.

The conflict has been there for years and the local government’s response has been “never ending dialogue, dialogue, and dialogue,” she said.

The mayor spoke about Tulunan’s experience in her talk about localizing the peace agenda, one of the modules discussed during the Operation Peace Course (OPKors!) Peace building and Conflict Management training attended by junior officers of the 6^th Infantry Division.

The training, the 14^th for officers of the Eastern Mindanao Command of the armed forces, was held on October 19 to 23, at the Mindanao Training Resource Center here. Read on at MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Updates , Balay Mindanao, Mindanao, Peace Process, Tulunan North Cotabato

‘Boodle fight’ to ‘boodle peace’: from warriors to peace builders

Counting how many battles fought, enemies killed, and firearms recovered has been among the usual indicators in an official’s military scoreboard.

But it’s got to change, military officials tell new generation officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Mindanao.

Col. Julieto Ando, of the Eastern Mindanao Command, has stressed this point to junior military officers who attended the Operation Peace Course (OPKORS), a conflict management and peace building training, now on its seventh in a series, organized by the AFP, Balay Mindanao Foundation Inc. and other partners.

“Instead, count how many enemies you have convinced back to the folds of law,” Ando said in his presentation on “The Challenge: Towards Fresher Perspectives”.

He said it involves changing perspectives from calling “boodle fights” to “boodle peace” at the least to building consensus and partnerships with other stakeholders to win peace.

The new mindset for military operations in Mindanao, he said, calls for more focus on building rather than destroying. Read on.

Inihanay sa:Economy, Food in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Safety, Security

An appeal

We know war is our worse problem in Mindanao. But a natural catastrophy helped by a man-made disaster such as what is unfolding in Luzon, appears to be an even harsher foe.

Apart from thinking of gathering aid for our evacuees in our conflict zones, I believe it is also a just cause to gather support for the victims of typhoon Ondoy.

We can all pour in any help. As of this writing, a small group of friends are gathering ideas and resources to help.

We hope, too, that our local defense and safety officials learn from this experience and help our people prepare just in case a situation like this confronts us in Mindanao.

I suspect we kept a distance from what is going on in Luzon. We have our own problems here, yes. But only seas separate us from the reality of human suffering. It could happen to us. It has already happened in some parts of our promised land.

We know how it is to suffer the tyranny of war, our losses, pains, and sufferings. We know that this, of all times, is a time to give and build.

Inihanay sa:Updates

Corn farmers ask Yap to resign

Corn farmers from around Northern Mindanao are gathering in Cagayan de Oro City Friday for a protest rally against the Department of Agriculture over the corn price crisis and to demand the resignation of Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap, organizers said. Lantapan town councilor Emmanuel B. Alsula, one of those organizing Bukidnon farmers for the rally, circulated a text message asking farmers to gather and join the rally.

“Tag along people, bring many ‘Yap resign’ placards, let’s join the rally,” Alsula, a corn farmer himself, said.

Alsula said Yap should resign since he was not able to do something to protect the farmers who found themselves neglected when corn prices in the market plunged.

“He was not able to do something, which is the sentiment of our farmers. They have no protection. Despite our being an agricultural country, the farmers were neglected,” he said.

Alsula said the government should no longer import feed wheat and allow no more zero tariffs.

“Congress should also pass a law that will protect our farmers,” he added.

The Philippine Maize Federation Inc., which  two weeks ago initiated a dialogue with the Department of Agriculture-National Food Authority and Bukidnon’s corn farmers, has confirmed participation and support for the rally.

Roger Navarro, PhilMaize chair, said they can’t stop farmers from protesting.
(Read the rest of the report at Mindanews.com)

Inihanay sa:Updates , Corn farmers, EO 765, PhilMaize, PhilMaize Inc., Roger Navarro, Wa, Walter I. Balane

Does corruption perpetuate conflict? Look at Mindanao!

Yes! The answer is in the survey conducted by Konsult Mindanao,  a group created early this year as a research arm of the Bishops-Ulama Conference.

“Corruption poses a serious threat to the attainment of lasting peace in Mindanao, respondents to a Mindanao-wide survey believe so.  They said that during a review of the initial results of a “Community Dialogue and Consultation on Peace” in mid-September, its researchers “noted a significant number of respondents saying that corruption posed a serious threat to the attainment of lasting peace in Mindanao.”

Konsult Mindanao has so far completed more than 300 focus group discussions involving nearly 5,000 respondents across the island.

MindaNews reported on September 22 that:

One of the initial findings of the focus group discussions says “Respondents across regions say that corruption among government leaders is the source of the (Mindanao) problem.”

“Respondents said that money lost to corruption could have been spent for basic education, primary health care, and alternative livelihood initiatives in grassroots communities,” Konsult Mindanaw said.

We deserve a more detailed presentation of this findings and we challenge Konsult Mindanao to provide us more light.

Read more of the MindaNews report here.

Inihanay sa:Updates , Corruption, Konsult Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao conflict, MindaNews, Walter

Matigsalugs to file case vs. ‘illegal occupants’

(First published at MindaNews.com) The Federation of Matigsalug-Manobo Tribal Councils, Inc. (Femmatrics) of the Matigsalug Manobo tribe has announced they are likely to go to court to force “illegal occupants” in their ancestral domain to a free and prior informed consent process (FPIC).

Femmatrics chair Datu Roelito Gawilan told this reporter they are preparing to file a case of illegal intrusion and illegal use of ancestral domain against some 20 individuals because of their refusal to go through an FPIC despite attempts of the group to formalize the request starting April this year.

He said they are filing the case against those who showed “no willingness” to go through the FPIC process, which is provided for in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997.

Inihanay sa:Updates , Ancestral Domain, Bukidnon, Datu Roelito Gawilan, Femmatrics, IPRA, Matigsalug, Mindanao, Peace Process, Sec. Jesus Dureza, Walter I.

Bukidnon, Mindanao major corn producer, and NFA’s lower buying price

(First published at MindaNews.com) The National Food Authority (NFA) Council’s decision to cut its buying price of yellow corn grains from P13 to P10 per kilo amid the already very low price in the market drew flak not only from farmers but also from members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan here.

Board member Glenn Peduche, an enterprising farmer, said the government’s move was uncalled for.  “It is unbelievable. It is not a question of who benefits from this. Clearly, corn farmers will be affected,” he told MindaNews after the provincial board’s regular session Wednesday.   The provincial board then passed a resolution urging the council to review its decision for the sake of the corn farmers.

Jessup Navarro, NFA administrator issued two orders on August 27 ordering that effective on the same day buying price should be adjusted along with the incentives.

He cited four reasons behind the decision, including the assumption that the cost of production decreased due to the reduction of farm inputs, particularly fertilizer.

The NFA placed production cost at P6 to P6.50 suggesting that the new price of P10 per kilo assures farmers of return on investments in the range of 35 to 40 percent.

Peduche hit the move saying instead of helping farmers at a time when market prices are low, the government weakened its mechanism to influence the market prices.

Inihanay sa:Updates , Bukidnon, Bukidnon Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Malaybalay City, PhilMaize Inc., Walter I. Balane

What’s the status of Mindanao ’super region’?

There was no mention of the super regions, including the “Mindanao agribusiness” super region, in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2009 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 but recent updates show that this year, Mindanao got the biggest chunk in infrastructure releases.

The updates were given during the 13th Agribusiness Mindanao Super Region Interagency meeting held here Wednesday. Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Bashir Rasuman, in his Powerpoint presentation, showed that the national government released the highest amount – P18.645 billion, for Mindanao’s nine of 23 SONA infrastructure projects under the DPWH.

The amount is higher than those released to Central Philippines (P18.322 B), and the combined total of P11 billion for North, Central, South Luzon and Metro Manila. The Mindanao super region is among the five super regions President Arroyo unveiled in her 2006 SONA to stimulate economic growth and development and “make the country in step with the rest of its Asian neighbors.” “It’s the first time Mindanao is highest (in infrastructure releases). GMA (President Arroyo) is good in infrastructure in Mindanao,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said, drawing applause.

By percentage, however, the Central Luzon-Metro Manila-Calabarzon area received 100 percent of its P3.898 billion budget allocation for the SONA projects while Mindanao received only 94.3% (P18.6 billion). The total cost of the 23 projects is P55.7 billion, of which the Mindanao projects account for 35.5%. Read more. This story was first published at MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Updates , Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Super Region, MindaNews, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Super Region. Development in Mindanao, USEC Virgilio Leyretana

EO 765: Good for bakers, bad for corn farmers

First published in MindaNews.com. President Arroyo signed Executive Order 765 in December 2008  claiming that  ”reduction on tariff on food wheat would help stabilize the price of bread and other baked food products.” Unfortunately, former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor said in a report that the order did not only include the lifting of tariff on importation of food wheat or milling wheat, the ingredient used to produce bread, but also on feed wheat, which like corn, is used as animal feed.

Excess feed wheat supply brought by the zero tariff has competed with local corn supply, Roderico Bioco founding chair of the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. told MindaNews.

The implementation of EO 765 has led to an estimated P6-billion losses in income for corn farmers and at least P1-billion loss in revenues for government, Montemayor, now a member of the House representing of the ABA-AKO party list, said.

The lowest price for yellow corn was P6.50 per kilo or P6, 500 per MT, lower than the production cost of P10.

The  Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported  last week that the price of corn had dropped from P 9 per kilo to P7.50 during a five-week period.

The executive order was effective until June 2009 but favoring sectors, including the livestock feed millers lobbied for the extension. The corn industry stakeholders such as the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. and ABA AKO party list lobbied against the extension.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Economy, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines

SONA Postscript: Re-reading the numbers in the President’s report

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo boasted of her administration’s achievements and slammed her critics in a display of fighting stance because of it.

The former economics professor at the University of the Philippines sprinkled her speech with numbers or statistics to prove her 5-point summary, which she used to claim that:

“1. We have a strong economy and a strong fiscal position to withstand global shocks.
2. We built new modern infrastructure and completed unfinished ones.
3. The economy is more fair to the poor than ever before.
4. We are building a sound base for the next generation.
5. International authorities have taken notice that we are safer from environmental degradation and man-made disasters.”

But Filipinos have grown critical of mother hood statements and expect no less than clear and meaningful quantification from a governance report.

In her so-called valedictory address, the 2009 SONA, she used numbers in about 26 paragraphs or 1, 034 out of her full-length speech’s 4, 424 words.

But just as numbers fill the speech, does it also create clarity and assure accuracy?

The figures came generously but largely are reeking with ambiguity and unclear meanings.

Here is a quick run through of each paragraph in the SONA decorated with numbers, and some points to ponder:

Inihanay sa:Updates , Economy, Philippines, Politics, SONA

The parade of SOs and peace in Mindanao

A series of more recent development unfolded in Mindanao.

First came the announcement of the resumption “Soon” of the formal talks (and the peace process) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as a cessation of hostilities is at hand.

Then the continuing calls by civil society and peoples organizations in conflict-affected areas. Among the most prominent call is that Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo to “end the war, enough is enough.” and those from evacuees demanding they want to go home.

Then on July 23, around 4p.m. Malacanang’s announcement at 4 p.m. of a suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) “effective immediately” was met with applause and tears, and even, disbelief.

Then 48 hours later, the MILF, also declared a suspension of military actions (SOMA).

Talk is rife that this will just be a charm offensive in time for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s supposedly last State of the Nation Address at 4p.m. this afternoon.

Incidentally, both the SOMO and SOMA were issued at 4.p.m. which is also the time we expect Arroyo to account for her achievements this afternoon.

For all its worth, this must go beyond politicking and proceed to the resumption of the negotiations for peace in Mindanao.

Inihanay sa:Updates , GRP-MILF Peace Process, Peace in Mindanao

Touching base: Istambay goes to school

It must have been months ago since I last posted an entry here. In fact I came to a point of really being unmindful of my blogs.

But once a blogger, always a blogger. And so here I am again not promising to return to active blogosphere  citizenship but showing desire to return so.

Apart from the summer schedule of workshops given and trainings attended, I was actually eaten by the monster that is preparing back to school.

I have enrolled into an MA Journalism program of the Asian Center for Journalism in Ateneo de Manila University. I thought I was lucky enough because its an online course, but now that the classes have started I consider my self having second thoughts. 

Why did I make life more complicated. Of course, I”m kidding. he experience is refreshing enough for my work and for life in general. 

This might appear as a caveat on my failure to update (as if somebody took notice). But for me this is just a submission of intent to renew one of these days my passport to our blogging experience.

Best regards to everyone.

Inihanay sa:Updates