ISTAMBAY SA MINDANAO

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Walter I. Balane's Notes on Peace Processes and Development in Mindanao, Southern Philippines

“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. Read the rest of this entry »

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

In Bukidnon, medicine supply woes traced to price

The lack of medicines in Bukidnon provincial hospitals and health stations has been blamed on failures in the bidding process, more specifically to the Capitol’s low approved budget for contract (ABC) or price index.

It was reportedly pegged at 2004 rates, a provincial legislative inquiry has discovered.

This seems a simple problem of public policy. But what could be the reaction of every Jose, Caring, and Juana when they are told about this in the front lines, say, in the out patient department of public hospitals?

The public, especially the indigents, are repeatedly being told of the “no available medicines” situation despite the province’s supposed “award-winning” flagship program on health. Read the rest of this entry »

Inihanay sa:Access to Information, Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Food/Health Related, Governance, Health, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines, Social Security

Transparency in peace negotiations

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 Islamic Liberation Front, each peace panel was entrusted with their stands on major talking points.

But major stands on the talking points may have to be brought open for consensus, if not compromise in the negotiating table — a market place of options. A major stand have to stand some modifications, which require consultations with their constituencies or what they call in the GRP-MILF peace panels as their “principals.”

All these come in the limelight now as both panels signal optimism for an upcoming return to formal talks early next year—well, after breaking from more than a year of impasse on ancestral domain issues. Read the rest of this entry »

Inihanay sa: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

Grade schooler’s suicide draws attention to urban poverty

A mixture of her difficulty in coping with poverty, emotional problems, and her youthful innocence killed the 12-year-old grade schooler, a social worker said.

Grade 6 pupil Marianeth Amper, who committed suicide in the afternoon of All Souls’ Day in a room of their house in the sloping hills in Maa, has caught the national limelight as she was reportedly pushed to kill herself because of her family’s hunger and poverty.

Dalmin Faith Igaña, of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who interviewed the family on Nov. 7, said Marianeth had reached a stage when she could no longer cope with the poverty around her. This was further exacerbated, the social worker noted, by the fact that the girl had nobody to whom she can express her feelings. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Education, Food/Health Related, Governance, Health, Jobs in Mindanao, Justice, Local Governance, Mindanao, Social Security

The Kalagans of Davao City

I took an aimless walk in downtown Davao City last Sunday. It was something born out of being a surrogate son of Dabaw.  I just wanted to explore what’s in store in the city’s streets. I know the Kadayawan Festival has rolled off so I was hoping I could see new things and sights this time.

I didn’t expect I could catch up with the daily cultural performances slated at the city’s Rizal Park. It was almost 4p.m. so I was surprised when I heard sounds of Moro indigenous percussion “kulintang” and “agong.” Read the rest of this entry »

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Davao, Environment, Feasts in Mindanao, Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines, Social Security

In the drawing board: Shanghai– Davao flights

After the launching of the four arches to the city’s Chinatown weeks ago, and the call of Councilor Pete Laviña for the opening of a consular office of the Chinese embassy, here’s more.
Talks are underway for the opening of hartered flights between this city and the bustling Chinese city of Shanghai, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano told MindaNews Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »

Inihanay sa:BIMP - EAGA, Business, Davao, Economy, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Mindanao, Philippines, Social Security, Tourism, Travel and Transportation

Grecil’s remains exhumed for cases vs military

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/9 Aug) – Child advocates and human rights groups commissioned the exhumation of the remains of Grecil Buya on August 8, four months after the nine-year-old girl from New Bataan in Compostela Valley was killed in an encounter between the New People’s Army and the military.

Dr. Raquel Del Rosario-Fortun, a forensics expert from the University of the Philippines, conducted the autopsy and is expected to release her report next month, the human rights group Karapatan Southern Mindanao told MindaNews Thursday.

Kelly Delgado, Karapatan secretary general, told this reporter in a telephone interview Grecil’s remains were exhumed around 2 p.m. Wednesday. 

Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Governance, Human Rights, Human Rights in Mindanao, Justice, Mindanao, Philippines, Social Security

Festivities can’t hide sorry state of Mindanao Lumads

DAVAO CITY (Mindanews/9 Aug) – The real face of Mindanao’s indigenous peoples is  not joyous as featured in festivals like the Kadayawan, an official of a group supporting indigenous peoples in Mindanao said.

The Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples (SAGIP), which is doing technical and organizational support to Lumad (indigenous peoples) communities in Southern Mindanao, said land has remained their biggest problem.

The group sounded off the concern announcing the holding of protest actions in time for the Kadayawan Festival 2007 to “strike a difference” in showing the Lumads’ real situation.

Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Crime, Davao, Feasts in Mindanao, Governance, Human Rights, Mindanao, Philippines, Safety, Social Security

Mayor Duterte, his anti-hoodlum unit and the child advocates

City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has stood pat on his plan to form a police unit that will deal with hoodlums including youth offenders and “those who bring shame to the city” amid criticisms coming from groups advocating children’s rights. Calling some of the NGOS as “groups that just make money and show up at the spotlight only when there are bloody incidents,” Duterte asked them instead to explain to youth offenders their crime.

Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Crime, Davao, Education, Governance, Human Rights, Justice, Mindanao, Peace Process, People Power, Politics, Safety, Security, Social Security

Comelec to convene nat’l meet to discuss what’s wrong with electoral system

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 July) — The Commission on Elections announced it will convene a two-day national gathering of elections stakeholders next month to look into the problems haunting the country’s electoral system, Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos said.

Abalos told reporters in a late afternoon press conference at the Marco Polo Thursday that they will invite all groups who have a stake in the elections to discuss the problems and propose solutions on what he said was an electoral system fraught with “perception of cheating.”

“The commission is calling a big conference of all stakeholders of the elections to address all the ills and problems that beset the elections throughout the years,” he said.

He described the gathering to be similar to the Supreme Court in its summit on the extra-judicial killings earlier this month. But Abalos denied the SC inspired the commission to do it, saying they have planned it long before the SC summit.

Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Elections 2007, Elections in Mindanao, Governance, Human Rights, Mindanao, People Power, Philippines, Politics, Social Security

In Davao City, footwear rule clarified for city council audience

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 July) — Those who cannot afford to buy shoes can still attend the sessions of Davao’s city council even if the new vice mayor launched a stricter dress code within her first 30 days in office.
In earlier pronouncements published in local newspapers, however, the city council’s security head was quoted to have said persons wearing slippers shall be barred entry during sessions.

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, who in her inaugural speech talked tough on transparency and accountability of the employees and the councilors, asked the public to cooperate on the matter of  dress code to “preserve the sanctity” of the council.

Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Davao, Education, Governance, Human Rights, Justice, Mindanao, Politics, Social Security

Wage board hearing pay hike in S. Mindanao

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/24 Jul) — The seven-member Regional Tri-partite Wage and Productivity Board in Southeastern Mindanao has conducted public hearings amid a petition for a P75 across-the-board increase, the RTWPB chair said.

Ponciano Ligutom, RTWPB 11 chair and regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), said they are now proceeding to sector consultations after holding marathon hearings in Digos, Tagum and Davao on July 17 to 19.

Ligutom said on Aug. 19, a month after the last public hearing was conducted, they will release a decision but could not reveal just yet if the 1.6 million workers in the region can expect an increase in the minimum pay.

Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Business, Davao, Economy, Governance, Human Rights, Jobs in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, People Power, Philippines, Social Security

Blog Events in RP

2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit

Looking Back: Mindanao Under Martial Law

"But there are many things that have not yet come to pass. As I walk the mountain trails, I am still confronted by sad images of massive poverty, landless peasants with limited tools, emaciated old people, malnourished children with bloated stomachs, houses ready to collapse and roads that are also the riverbeds," Bro. Karl Gaspar, CSsR, in "Up in the mountains, I still remember." Pages 116-117 of the book Turning Rage into Courage: Mindanao Under Martial Law Volume 1. The book was published in 2002 by Mindanao News and Information Cooperative Center, the publisher of MindaNews, not only to simply remember Martial rule after 30 years but also to "take a stand, about sacrificing personal dreams, and even lives, for causes larger than ones own" during the Martial Law years.

Eyeing ahead: On constitutionality of ban on aerial spraying

"After a very extensive review and careful evaluation of the voluminous records submitted, arguments and complicated positions from the parties, the court cannot sustain the theory and position of the petitioners in assailing the validity and constitutionality of the subject City Ordinance," Regional Trial Court Branch 17 Judge Renato Fuentes said as quoted by a press statement of a pro-ban group on his September 22 decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Davao City government to pass the law. Three months earlier, Fuentes issued a preliminary injunction stopping the city government from implementing the law passed in March 2007. The ban came following complaints against dangers of the chemicals in spraying using airplanes to the health of the people and the environment surrounding at least 5,000 hectares of export banana plantations in Davao City. But this legal battle could extend to the Court of Appeals and up to the Supreme Court --- something to watch for a long time.

Flickr Photos

Frozen Abiqua - 2

Vancouver under fog

Winter Solstice Sunrise

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Blogging from Bukidnon in Mindanao, Philippines