Mindanao becoming dumpsite of RP’s “bad cops”

It was a routine surf for news from places where I used to live. The order is always from the latest city, then backwards. So it was from Davao, then Quezon City-Antipolo, Iloilo, and then Cagayan de Oro.

But I was stuck in cyber Iloilo, particularly at Sun Star Iloilo’s website.

The headline reads like this as of 9:55p.m. of September 17: Police prepare transfer of ‘bad’ cops to Mindanao.

Bad cops to Mindanao? Our Mindanao is the country’s dump site?

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Crime, Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Jobs in Mindanao, Justice, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines, Politics, Reporting Mindanao, Safety, Security

Released Philippine eagle killed in Mt. Kitanglad

Three-year-old Philippine Eagle “Kagsabua” was killed by a local airgun shooter near the village where
he was released just four months ago inside the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, an environment official said.

Felix Mirasol, community environment and natural resource officer, confirmed to MindaNews Wednesday that witnesses have identified the culprit described as a young man who failed to attend information
drive on the Philippine Eagle (pithecophaga jefferyi).

Mirasol is the Mt. Kitanglad Protected Area superintendent.

Kagsabua was last sighted on July 7 and was known to be missing between July 8 and 10, Mirasol said. He said a search operation was immediately launched.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Crime, Environment, Every Day Mindanao, Governance, Indifgenous Peoples, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines, Reporting Mindanao, Safety, Tourism

Surviving in the Mindanao “island village”

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 had been plagued with a mysterious strain of “blog silence”. Mute, but not muted.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Jobs in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines, Reflections, Reporting 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

Back in Kamuyot country

From now on, Istambay sa Mindanao will be blogging from Malaybalay City, Bukidnon still in Mindanao, Southern Philippines.

I’m back to my home province Bukidnon and on my day one as editor of Malaybalay’s Central Mindanao Newswatch.

Actually I’m just a consultant to the 19-year old weekly paper. From 2000 to 2004, I worked as a full time staff here, from being a marketing officer, reporter and editor before resigning in April 2004 and joining the Davao staff of MindaNews in June 2004.

After a meeting with the manager in the morning, I was scheduled to meet the communication development interns from Bukidnon State University.

Tomorrow, I hope I really make it to Bendum, Busdi, Malaybalay City for an assignment with MindaNews. I will stay connected to our cooperative of journalists based in Davao City.

These and a correspondent work with the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) should keep me busy as a freelance reporter in this province.

For a while I would miss Davao City, but this should be a welcome respite –back to base.

I hope I could still give substantial updates on Mindanao from Bukidnon. Best wishes to all.

Inihanay sa:Blogging and Bukidnon, Blogging and Mindanao, Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Philippines, Reporting Mindanao

Bye Mac, Hi Aero

Today I opened my ‘kaban’ to reclaim an old friend.

I am trying to prepare myself to surrender the Macintosh laptop the office has allowed me to use.

D’ Mac has been a useful tool even if I complained a lot about its configurations in detecting wi-fi internet in most of the city.

As I move to my next assignment, I have to bid Mac good bye. Now, I’m forced to rejoin a thing of the past.

Inihanay sa:Mindanao Media, Reporting Mindanao, Technology