Hello Kalibotan!

Thanks for dropping by.

I am proud that after seven years, ISTAMBAY SA MINDANAO is still around. This has become a portal of sorts for me on the web.

This is my home online. Since 2001, I have worked in the news media as reporter, editor, marketing in charge, business manager, trainer, coach, researcher, photographer, documenter, and consultant.

Today, here is a list of what I’m up to:

I report on Bukidnon at MindaNews. I edit Bukidnon’s longest-running community paper, Central Mindanao Newswatch. We are pushing to organize the first ever Bukidnon Media Summit in Valencia City next month with the Bukidnon Press Club.

I am working on my graduate thesis/Master’s Project for my Master of Arts in Journalism degree at the Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University.

My batchmates at the Malaybalay City Central School are preparing for our 21st anniversary reunion in December 2011.

Contact me through my email ad: walter@mindanews.com.

Thanks.

 

Reading the 11-point summaries of the GPH-MILF Peace Talks in Kuala Lumpur

When I used to cover Davao City, I have become more familiar with the GPH-MILF peace negotiations. Even if it is only the committees on the cessation of hostilities who meet, they issue a joint statement to some how shed light on the coverage of meeting.

I expected this from the talks in KL but the reports said there was none.This is not a good sign, if we look at it that way.  I think having no joint statement is more sincere an act, than forcing one when there is none.Is it right to have one just to play with symbolism?

Many people expected a lot from the talks. After that “historic” meeting in Japan between President Benigno Aquino III and the MILF’ chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, the stakes are high on “expediting the peace process”.

As a journalist who covered this from afar, my reading is, are we supposed to mistake “expediting the process” with taking short cuts? Unless we expected the negotiators to be rubbing on a bottle for a genie to make wishes easily his command.