Posted in Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Every Day Mindanao, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Security on June 25, 2008 | No Comments »
That Bukidnon is a peaceful province is now a myth.
One cannot play blind to the kind of stories we hear from both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New Peoples Army about gaining strength against each other.
Both camps, even with disproportionate advantages, have brought the battlefield from the mountains to the media.
The news [...]
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Posted in Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Investments in Mindanao, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines on June 15, 2008 | No Comments »
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 [...]
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MindaNews checked the records of the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (Joint CCCH) and found that the number of skirmishes between the governent and MILF forces has steadily gone down from 698 in 2002 to 569 in 2003, a year of war; to 16 in 2004, the year the IMT came to [...]
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He willingly accepted our “invitation” for a courtesy call posed as a quick stop over. D.A., a known and even vocal advocate and leader of Lumads in Mindanao received us warmly in his humble shed-reception hall-meeting place made of bamboo. It was despite our short notice.
My colleague J.J. and DA knew each other for quite [...]
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Technology has whipped the way we work, allowing us many conveniences and sometimes inconvenience, too.
I’m wrapping up a training workshop for kids on Basic Reporting here in Davao City. The two weeks engagement gave me a chance to relive my four years here in Mindanao’s most populated city.
Oh its not vain, not really.
Because it also [...]
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Malaysia’s decision to cease sending a peace monitoring team to Mindanao when the current team’s mandate ends in September, is due to non-progress in peace talks between the Philippines Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said this as quoted by Bernama.com.
He said in order for a [...]
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I can’t delay this. Perhaps there is no other time.
I have due respect for the competent people at Reuters, but I have to raise this one.
Reading the news below have disturbed me as a resident in Mindanao and as a citizen relating to many decent Muslims everyday.
There is clearly bias here and stereotype —working to [...]
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Posted in Agriculture, Bukidnon, Jobs in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines, Reflections, Reporting Mindanao on March 27, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I couldn’t help but be depressed listening to stories of conflict that continue to afflict our people. The images and sounds are chilling.
Sometimes I shut my senses out in order to avoid the hassle. But, normally that isn’t possible.
Maybe its the same surge of terror that pushed me to post this piece even if I [...]
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Posted in Bukidnon, Davao, Economy, Every Day Mindanao, Investments in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Reporting Mindanao on December 29, 2007 | 3 Comments »
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 [...]
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Posted in Business, Education, Environment, Governance, Human Rights, Investments in Mindanao, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines, Reflections, Religious on November 29, 2007 | No Comments »
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 [...]
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Posted in ARMM, Access to Information, Business, Davao, Economy, Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Security, Social Security on November 28, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Those who are familiar with peace negotiations could understand the nature of talks being held there. Important but confidential, these are only two of the important considerations.
Any point being brought up or agreed upon bears impact to people —the respective constituencies of each negotiating party.
In the case of the government negotiating peace with the Moro [...]
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According to this report by MindaNews’ Carolyn O. Arguillas, detained Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Nur Misuari, was not able to leave for Jeddah to attend the Tripartite Meeting of the MNLF, the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
“Misuari was supposed to have left with his [...]
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