“Global disorder” at back draft of Bukidnon’s 2009 budget

(NEWS) “The future appears gloom and bleak,” Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri told the provincial board Thursday citing that the debacle of economic difficulties is real and could not be ignored.
 
Zubiri has proposed a P1.06 billion-2009 budget to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan but vowed to keep budgetary controls and prioritization of expenditures amidst the treat of a global recession.
 
He cited that the country is beset with “serious global disorder” foretelling a “downfall in the global capital market that “will not spare the Philippine economy”.
 
“There is an eroding confidence in the US financial market and growing discontent on the so-called American model of capitalistic economic enterprises,” Zubiri said in his introduction.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Financing in Mindanao, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Politics, Social Security

EMB to consider Bukidnon’s moratorium on ECC issuance

The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has agreed to consider Bukidnon’s request for consideration in the approval of environmental compliance certificate (ECC)  for projects based in the province. Read full report here.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Life in the Plateau, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, News, Philippines

Tubil tales

At 2a.m. the city was asleep. The road was deserted.  The early morning breeze engulfed the highway to freezing point.

 

Manong David, wrapped in his thick coat, was chilling and has stammered when I hailed his motorela cab for home. He agreed to a pakyaw rate of P35, a win-win between his P40 offer and my P30 bargain. 

 

Even if he would have offered P50, I would have taken it. That’s definitely better than be left frozen and alone in the middle of Fortich Street early morning.

 

On the way, he talked of that road accident somewhere, then about the MILF, and then about trying to make both ends meet.

 

The casual exchange paused over a topic that seemed a suggestive attempt to make me feel guilty for haggling five pesos less. 

 

He said the oil prices are slowly taking his sanity. He is beginning to lose hope about being able to bounce back and be able to even cross the “boundary”.

 

Crossing the boundary is a need of every driver. He has to cross it to be able to pay rent and earn extra money above it to be able to live.

 

I was able to put out courteous responses. At one point, we were trying to analyze the root cause together, something like “while we are at this, the oil firms are bloating” stuff.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Philippines, Travel and Transportation

A city awaits a new public market

Facade of the under construction new Malaybalay City Public Market, subject of debate of the city council as its contractor H.R. Lopez Co., Inc. has sought a nine-month extension following a delay over legal issues

The city council has scheduled to tackle in its session on September 2 the status of the delayed construction of Malaybalay City’s new public market.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Life in the Plateau, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Philippines

Water down: Bukidnon eyes tigher rules on water rights

Water is inarguably Bukidnon’s most important agricultural resource.

It is a cause of wonder, however, why the sloppy process of acquiring water permits have escaped the pruning attention of local governments.

There were doubts raised by many over the years on the questionable process of acquiring water rights permits.

But over the years, too, local governments and communities seemed powerless over the matter.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Investments in Mindanao, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines

Living in a Mindanao suburb

“Suburbs are commonly defined as residential areas on the outskirts of a city or large town. Most modern suburbs are commuter towns with many single-family homes. Many suburbs have some degree of political autonomy and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods.”

I enjoyed attending a village social gathering last Saturday. It was a fellowship party for a new organization, one that sought to gather the professionals in our suburban village called Kalasungay.

Ours, now a village of at least 1,000 households, is home to Bukidnon’s earliest recorded native settlements. Majority of the residents belong to either the Bukidnon or Higaonon tribes.

There is much pride in me to settle in this village, where I could trace history by recalling the family names of our neighbors.

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Art and Culture in Mindanao, Bukidnon, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Philippines, Technology

No rice shortage in Bukidnon?

Measuring my rice has been the tease at home — something that has caused me ‘hunger’. When you are carrying heavier load than you should, you know what I mean.

I did try to eat less of it every time I remember; most of the time I failed.

So when the rice shortage news was carried in broadsheets the tease hit me even more. There was a friend who said I was to be blamed. I was also blamed for the protests in Tibet.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Economy, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Health, Investments in Mindanao, Mindanao

In RP, Mindanawons least hopeful in greeting 2008

Is this survey valid and reflective of reality? 

From the MindaNews dispatch >>>> Hope for the New Year is high nationwide at 91%  but in Mindanao, residents were more hopeful for 2007 than they are for 2008, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.
The survey, conducted nationwide from November 30 to December 3 but released only on December 28, showed Metro Manila as the most hopeful,  at 95%; Visayas at 94%; the rest of Luzon at 91% and Mindanao at 87%.

The survey asked “Angdarating na taon ba ay inyong sasalubungin na may pag-asa o pangamba?” (Is it with hope or with fear that you enter the coming year?).

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Davao, Economy, Every Day Mindanao, Investments in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Reporting Mindanao

Mindanao Week of Peace starts today

For the ninth time this year, the Bishops-Ulama Conference has held on to the ground by leading the celebrations for the Mindanao Week of Peace (MWOP).

The BUC adopted Zamboanga City’s Peace Week and made it Mindanao-wide in 1999.

For almost a decade, the peace weeks have been opportunities for “peace weavers” to reflect on the need for peace in Mindanao, every stakeholder’s role and what has been done to attain lasting peace.

Inihanay sa:Business, Education, Environment, Governance, Human Rights, Investments in Mindanao, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines, Reflections, Religious

Echoing dissent on mining

Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio told Mindanao lawyers to help prevent foreigners from further exploiting the country’s mineral resources at the expense of the environment, the government and the Filipino people.

In his keynote speech before participants of the Mindanao regional convention of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines here from Nov. 21 to 23, Carpio said lawyers of the past have failed to protect the forests from logging companies, so the present crop of lawyers should not make the same mistake when it comes to mining.

Carpio voiced out the dissenting opinion in the 2005 Supreme Court decision on La Bugal-B’laan v. Ramos case that declared with finality the constitutionality of the 1995 Philippine Mining Act. Read the rest of the reporton MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Davao, Economy, Environment, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Jobs in Mindanao, Lumads and Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Mining in Mindanao, Philippines, Safety

US software expert in town for free workshop

A world renowned US programmer would be in town next week for a free workshop on Java Script, an important program on developing website and accessing objects embedded in other Internet applications.

Thom Parker, touted as one of the top three world experts on JavaScript, would offer a free workshop at Felis Seminar Resort on Friday November 16 at 3:00 pm.

His talk would cover many areas of JavaScript programming and he would show examples of results one can achieve using JavaScript, according to a press release. The Davao Acrobat and Adobe User Group and Felis Seminar Resort have sponsored the workshop “as part of a series to help boost the so-called Silicon Gulf Coast of Davao”. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Business, Davao, Education, Investments in Mindanao, Jobs in Mindanao, Local Governance, Mindanao, Technology, The World from Davao

Stricter rules set for foreign business in Davao

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/6 Nov) — The City Council here passed landmark legislations asserting the protection of public interests and of local businessmen against foreign nationals running businesses in the city. The two ordinances, approved on second reading at the City Council’s regular session Tuesday, require stricter procedures for foreign nationals to do business in the city.  

City legislators approved the proposed ordinance prescribing guidelines in the registration of business establishments with foreign nationals in the city and other purposes.  

The ordinance outlined a registration procedure, requiring foreigners to have a business or investor’s visa, that they should apply for a tax identification number with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, that they should also apply for business registration either with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for partnerships and corporations and with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for sole proprietorships.  Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Business, Davao, Economy, Investments in Mindanao, Mindanao, Philippines