Sen Jinggoy Estrada Storms Panglao Island

He came, he saw and  was "conquered" by the vaunted  hospitality of the Panglao people.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada did come to attend the town fiesta of Panglao Thursday upon the invitation of his good friend Mayor Benedicto "Dodong" Alcala.

Although, the young senator was here 12 days ago, he did not  frustrate the invitation of Mayor Alcala to be the guest of honor during the fiesta highlight dubbed "Hudyaka sa Panglao"

According to eyewitnesses accounts, Thursday's staging of the street dancing revelry overflowed with people which was exactly what Sen. Estrada was looking for. The senator is running for reelection.

With the local government putting in P25,000 for each contingent on top of the P20,000 barangay budget, the street dancing this year was regarded as the most colorful in terms of costumes and choreography. Ten performing groups representing as many barangays slugged it out for the three top prizes.   

And the people of Panglao were not disappointed by their fiesta guest.

Without much prodding, Sen. Estrada donated P30,000 for the prizes of the street dancing festival, in the process, breaking tradition because the winners' bonanza was practically altered altogether.

Instead of the Hudyaka prizes being pegged at P30,000 for the first prize; P20,000 for the second prize and P10,000, third prize and  with Jinggoy chipping in P30,000, the grand prize became P40,000.

Cong. Edgar Chatto led the list of other donors who also gave P30,000. Elsewhere in this issue is the list of donors and their corresponding donations.

Mayor Alcala thanked all those who chipped in for the prizes and other Hudyaka expenses.

The first three winners were: barangay Tangnan, first prize; barangay Looc, second prize and barangay Bolod, third prize.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy also assured Mayor Alcala of a P1 million budget for the town's school building program.

Earlier, the senator also pledged P20 million for Mayor Dan Neri Lim's school building projects.

During Thursday comeback visit of the opposition senator, he was met at the airport by City Mayor Lim.

The senator's visit 12 days ago was also coordinated by Mayor Lim.

Who Wins Pacquiao Dela Hoya Fight?

Boxing analysis by Recah Trinidad, Philippine Daily Inquirer Columnist

No contest and no need to dig into prizefight records, either.

Manny Pacquiao on Friday scored his biggest, quickest off-ring knockout when he formally agreed to fight the fight of the decade against a bigger, richer, glossier Oscar de la Hoya.

So what if it has the makings of a mismatch, in favor of the Golden Boy, right at the start?

Yes, the only edge Pacquiao could visibly bring inside the ring at MGM Grand is his age.

At 29, the smaller, shorter but reputedly quicker Pacquiao will not be carrying in his legs the burden of the years, rust and cobwebs that have been predicted to hobble down the 34-year-old De la Hoya come fight time on Dec. 6.

* * *

Experts will predictably be divided on how the fight would shape up and finish.

The biggest letdown, of course, is the risk of the bout not being scored based on superb athleticism.

There's the great danger of the fight being decided mainly on physical disparity.

It could be that our man is too small or the enemy is too old and tired.

Could it be that Pacquiao would prevail mainly because De la Hoya is already slower, softer than the famed Golden Boy the world has learned to adore?

Or it could also turn out that De la Hoya, despite the visible slide in his abilities in recent fights, has one precious, golden final blast that could erase and offset Pacquiao's perceived advantage.

Pacquiao - De La Hoya's Weight Problem Before Boxing Fight

By Marc Anthony Reyes
Philippine Daily Inquirer

There's still another weighty issue to deal with as far as the planned Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya megabout is concerned.

Pacquiao's camp is asking for a penalty of no less than $3 million per excess pound if the Golden Boy doesn't meet the catch weight of 147 lbs.

"We still don't have any deal yet with regard to that but we are asking $3 million," Pacquiao's chief counsel Franklin Gacal told the Inquirer.

De la Hoya has not fought in the welterweight division for the past seven years and will be coming down two weight classes to meet the current WBC lightweight titlist.

Pacquiao will leapfrog two divisions to meet him though he has not gone past the lightweight ranks (135 lbs) since starting his pro career at light flyweight (108 lbs).

Both camps have also yet to agree on the date of the weigh-in, something that could tilt the favor either way.

Pacquiao is pushing for the same-day weigh-in but Gacal admitted that it won't be acceptable to De la Hoya's camp.

"We want it to happen the day before fight," said Gacal.

Is Manny Pacquiao Like Barack Obama?

From the column of boxing thinker Recah Trinidad. He writes an advanced preview of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar Dela Hoya.

Anyway, going to the latest rare knockout Pacquiao has scored, the feat also helped our disgraced national sports leaders.

While we were waiting for a bigger event, not necessarily another tragedy, to overlap the dismal, discouraging showing of the Philippine contingent in the Beijing Games, Pacquiao handily provided a festive atmosphere that definitely soothed frustrated Filipino sports fans both here and abroad.

Pacquiao has momentarily provided excitement to a nation that had prayed and hoped for at least a medal from the Olympics but which was instead repaid with dismal setbacks in the Beijing battles.

Manny Pacquiao, just like Barack Obama, did make history by simply signing up for the fight against Oscar de la Hoya.

In the process, Pacquiao swept under the rug the anomaly of the failed Philippine mission to the Beijing Olympics.

Of course, the biggest beneficiaries are again the incompetent national sports leaders who have refused to learn from their mistakes.

These same sports officials, no better than village quacks, offered a new set of cures and promises but, with no hint of change we can believe in, have also assured themselves of another all-expenses paid excursion to the next Olympics in Britain.

Long live Manny Pacquiao, Philippine pride and savior of shamed sports leaders.

Dela Hoya Knocks Out Manny Pacquiao?

People have been talking about this fight between Oscar Dela Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. Who will be knocked out first? Recah Trinidad of the PDI wrote an interesting opinion on the sensational fight.

There will be endless debates.

But there's no assurance the fight will go to the younger but quicker or, God forbid, to the older but bigger, warrior.

It will be war and the winner will be the smarter and, definitely, the braver one who would risk everything to prevail.

There will be a clash of two schools, between combatants of contrasting build, prowess and lifestyles.

Based on available ability and achievement, the sensational Pacquiao would draw enough wagers to his camp.

But it goes without saying that De la Hoya could still swing it riding on the intangibles.

In fact, the strongest weapons De la Hoya could bring into the fight may not exactly be that worn-out, limited artillery Pacquiao and his trainer have gleefully observed and dismissed.

Manny Pacquiao Defeats Oscar Dela Hoya?

Here's a curious observation of PDI columnist Recah Trinidad of the Inquirer newspaper.

Experts will predictably be divided on how the fight would shape up and finish.

The biggest letdown, of course, is the risk of the bout not being scored based on superb athleticism.

There's the great danger of the fight being decided mainly on physical disparity.

It could be that our man is too small or the enemy is too old and tired.

Could it be that Pacquiao would prevail mainly because De la Hoya is already slower, softer than the famed Golden Boy the world has learned to adore?

Or it could also turn out that De la Hoya, despite the visible slide in his abilities in recent fights, has one precious, golden final blast that could erase and offset Pacquiao's perceived advantage.

Manny Pacquiao Fights Oscar De La Hoya Boxing Preview

Recah Trinidad of the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote an interesting preview on the upcoming fight between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya. Read on...

No contest and no need to dig into prizefight records, either.

Manny Pacquiao on Friday scored his biggest, quickest off-ring knockout when he formally agreed to fight the fight of the decade against a bigger, richer, glossier Oscar de la Hoya.

So what if it has the makings of a mismatch, in favor of the Golden Boy, right at the start?

Yes, the only edge Pacquiao could visibly bring inside the ring at MGM Grand is his age.

At 29, the smaller, shorter but reputedly quicker Pacquiao will not be carrying in his legs the burden of the years, rust and cobwebs that have been predicted to hobble down the 34-year-old De la Hoya come fight time on Dec. 6.

Job and Work Opening

We are pleased to inform you that the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) through the Philippines - Canada Cooperation Office is seeking applications for a LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MANAGER.  The Terms of Reference (TOR) detailing the background, scope of work, roles and responsibilities and qualifications are attached and is also posted in the PCCO Website.

The LGSP-LED Philippines is a collaborative 8-year program of the Governments of Canada and Philippines, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and implemented through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Its purpose is to reduce poverty by strengthening local governance and supporting sustainable local economic development (LED). The Canadian Executing Agency (CEA) of the program is a consortium of the Canadian Urban Institute and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.

This is a full-time position will be based in Manila and will require travel to various regions.  Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent and a comprehensive CV, not to exceed 4 pages) detailing the following:

    * Name and citizenship:
    * Education and pertinent dates and degrees received:
    * Language(s) spoken, read and written, and degree of proficiency in each category:
    * Length of service with current firm and status: (permanent, temporary, contract employee, associate, etc.)
    * Present employer and position in the firm (if applicable):
    * Pertinent experience: A summary of the skills and experience that would be valuable and applicable to this project:
    * A history of employment and assignments (in reverse chronological order):
    * Service in and knowledge of developing countries:
    * Supportive experience: A summary of other skills and experience that could serve as background and be beneficial to this project:
    * List of publications/presentations, if applicable:
    * Membership in Associations:

Please send your application via email to lgspledpm@pcco.org.ph not later than August 27, 2008, Wednesday, 5PM. Only short-listed applicants will be called for interview.

We also encourage you to share this information with your colleagues and network partners who might be interested and qualified to apply for this position.

Thank you for your continued support.
 

Sincerely yours,
 

GARY NITORREDA
General Manager

Philippines - Canada Cooperation Office
The Program Support Unit of CIDA in the Philippines

9th Floor, Salcedo Towers, 169 H.V. dela Costa Street
Salcedo Village, Makati City, 1227 Philippines
T (+63) (2) 813 8255 F (+63) (2) 892 8913 M 0920-906-9108
www.pcco.org.ph

Soldiers Build Schools For Children

By Angeline Valencia

Confirming effective tandem of the local government unit and the military in bringing development to far-flung areas, the Tubigon-based Engineer Support Battalion (ESB) erected another two-classroom for only P600 thousand, this time, in a high school at the heart of a forest zone in Sierra-Bullones, Bohol.

Governor Erico Aumentado and Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Elpidio Jala led Friday morning's ribbon-cutting and turn-over ceremonies for the two-classroom school building in Dusita High School, with Brigadier General Arthur Tabaquero, commander of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, as the guest of honor.

In 40 days, the 53rd Engineer Brigade under Col. Arnaldo Fernandez Jr., through the Macaas, Tubigon-based troops of the ESB under Lt. Col. Ramon Ruiz, finished the building- -already fully-painted, with toilet, plumbing, electric wiring, insulator ceiling, blackboards.

Each classroom has an area of 8X7 meters.

On behalf of the Department of Education (DepEd), Jala vowed to provide the chairs.

It was the third two-classroom school building that the ESB troops constructed this year, in a counterparting partnership with the provincial government, DepEd, and the Office of the President.

The soldiers had earlier built a two-classroom building for a public school in Batuan in March and one for Buenavista in May.

In the ceremony, Col. Arnaldo Fernandez Jr., commander of the 53rd Engineer Brigade, turned over the school building to Col. Raoul Reyes, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, who then turned it over to Provincial Engineer Edwin Vallejos, who turned it over to Governor Aumentado.

Then, from the governor, the symbolic key was passed on to Jala, then to Sierra-Bullones Mayor Simplicio Maestrado Jr., then to Sierra-Bullones District Coordinating Principal Juana Ismael, then to Dusita Barangay Captain Basilio Café Sr., then to Dusita High School Principal Felix Galacio Jr.

In his inspirational message, Aumentado told the school staff and students in the crowd that the provincial government intends to build more school buildings in partnership with the 53rd Engineer Brigade under the 2nd Joint School Building Program (SBP) for DepEd's "red" and black" schools, Aumentado said.

On Galacio's additional request for more buildings and the needs of schools in other towns, Aumentado told school officials that the provincial government will continue to find additional funds for the project's second cycle.

This year's budget of P21 million for the program, the figure may double to P42 million in the second cycle next year, he said.

The governor also announced that the Provincial School Board, which he chairs, will meet this week to discuss more funding to continue the counterparting strategy in implementing the school building program as instructed by DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus.

The program's implementation will sweep through all "red and black schools", he said.

For parameters purposes, the program classify schools as to "red schools"- -those with severe classroom shortage, having a classroom-to-student ratio of 1:56 or more; and "black schools" as the most deprived- -those without existing classrooms or those that make do with temporary or makeshift classrooms.

Aumentado understands that the project's low floor price proved unattractive to contractors as it barely offers any profit, considering the continuously increasing prices of construction materials.

Already paid as soldiers, the government can save on labor cost.

Aumentado also lauded the efficient leadership of Sierra-Bullones Mayor Simplicio Maestrado that introduced major changes to the municipality that he said once lagged behind in development trailblazing before the mayor's administration.

On this, the governor takes pride on having made the right decision in personally picking out Maestrado to run under his ticket in 2001 elections.

Aumentado also attributed the smooth implementation of many development projects in the province under his watch to the strong support of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In his message, Tabaquero, who had served as battalion commander of the 302nd IB of Camp Sikatuna based in Carmen for a period of time, took the opportunity to thank Aumentado for his recommendation that helped facilitate his installation as division commander of the 8th ID dubbed as Storm Troopers.

Tabaquero told the crowd that, though he is not a professional educator, he knew, as he was once a high school student, "how important it is for students to have decent classrooms".

It is in the classrooms that teachers mold students into "responsible citizens and positive contributors to progress and development of our country", and so the provincial government and the municipal government of Sierra-Bullones and the stakeholders exerted efforts to build the school building, "to highlight once more the importance of education to the youth, communities and the country," he said.

He added that right education can be achieved with the combination of decent classrooms, passionate teachers as mentors and role models of students, and diligent students.

"The school building is actually our investment on the youths. We are investing on them, because, to borrow the words of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, 'the youth is the hope of our future'," Tabaquero said.

Managing Provincial Jail

Top officials already finalized talks on the take-over of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in the management of the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center (BDRC).

Top BJMP officials were here on August 17 to discuss with the provincial government, the details of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that shall be signed.

BJMP-7 Regional Director Rosendo Diel, Jail Chief Superintendent Doris Remedios-Dorigo, and BJMP-7 Assistant Regional Director for Operations Cesar Balderas were here to meet provincial officials.

Earlier, the Provincial Board (PB) passed Resolution 2008-200 dated June 3, 2008 authorizing Governor Erico Aumentado, to commence the negotiation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the transfer of management BDRC to BJMP which has the technical capability and expertise in jail management.

However, pending approval of House Bills 502, 3441 and 3666 placing for the purpose the provincial and sub-provincial jails under their jurisdiction, BJMP officials expressed willingness to enter into a MOA to fully manage the BDRC with terms and conditions addressing the concerns of the provincial government.

Provincial Jail Administrator Neil Avisado, con-current Tagbilaran City district jail warden, accompanied the visiting officials to the on-site inspection on the BDRC facilities.

Then they had a meeting with Provincial Legal Officer Handel Lagunay, on behalf of the governor, at Prawn Farms Restaurant in Island City Mall, where they finalized the details of the MOA to be signed by BJMP and the provincial government next month.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada Wants War With MILF

Like his father former President Erap Estrada, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is a staunch advocate in wiping out the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) thru an all-out war.

The senator was in town yesterday and met with a handful of reporters last night at the Miravilla Restaurant.

The young Estrada was reacting to a question about the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the MILF and the Philippine government.

Jinggoy said if only Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo follow the tack of former Pres. Erap there would have been no MILF creating trouble in Mindanao today.          

During Erap's presidency, the former chief executive unleased a mailed-fist policy against the MILF resulting in the capture of many rebel camps including its main headquarters Camp Abubakar.

It was different during GMA's time, Jinggoy retorted.

Instead of declaring an all-out war against the rebels, GMA coddled them and talked peace.

In the guise of seeking peace with the MILF, what the GMA administration got was the outbreak of violence in several Mindanao provinces resulting in the deaths of scores of civilians and the evacuation of thousands.

In his brief sortie in this city last night. Sen. Jinggoy also met with several first district mayors led by City Mayor Dan Neri Lim. Other first district mayors in attendance were Mayors Jose Ugdoracion, Jr. of Albur, Jasmin Balistoy of Cortes and Vito Rapal of Corella. City Kagawads Danilo Bantugan, Oscar Glovasa, Edi Borja and Faro Cabalit also attended the affair.

Useless Mindanao MILF Peace Talks

The peace talks had collapsed. Contending parties cannot agree on which areas will fall under the definition of ancestral domain. Since the qualifying word is ancestral, one would have to go to history books, who were there first and where. There were only two organized governments, the two Sultanates. The rest were just made up of clans and tribes led by tribal leaders, who were either religious leaders, men of wisdom or men of battle. They owe no allegiance to anyone except to themselves and to their kindred.

Since there were no organized governments in the areas away from the sultanates, property rights were nonexistent. There was no personal property only tribal property. Slash and burn farming was practiced, when the land is no longer as productive as it was first farmed, the farmers moved elsewhere. When the Philippine government opened Mindanao for settlers, the landless from Luzon and Visayas either homesteaded or bought land from the natives for a pittance.

Braving tropical diseases, the settlers developed the land and prospered.
Christians came to Moroland first as traders. Some eventually settled as farmers.

The settlers did not establish themselves in the midst of the Muslim communities but acquired land at the fringes. Cordial relations existed and the Muslims seeing the faster upwards mobility of the more sophisticated settlers, emulated them, sending their children to schools. Many prospered but prosperity sometimes generate envy.

There are those who refused to adopt. Since local governments are always under the more educated Christians, they who styled themselves as the Moro National Liberation Front wanted a government of their own with laws based on the Koran.

After a plebiscite the national government created the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Naturally the ARMM top brass is composed of educated Muslims, mostly Tausogs and Maranaos which had lived in harmony with the Christians. The Magindanaos and some Maranaos of the former Cotabato province and some parts of Lanao formed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, wanted a greater ARMM calling it the Bangsa Moro with them on the driver's seat.

Strangely, the Arroyo government treated the MILF not as rebels but like a foreign power, with areas of influence in the Philippine territory complete with a central government and armed forces. Despite atrocities committed like harboring Abu Sayyaf terrorists and ambushing Marines, which penetrated into their claimed areas in pursuit of kidnappers, the government still kept them on the bargaining table. When the talks collapsed, the MILF forces went wild.

The move took the MILF central command by surprise. Since there was no formal declaration of the start of hostilities, the Armed Forces of the Philippines considered the forces of Ameril Umbra Kato, which went on rampage in North Cotabato and Abdurahman Macapaar, which committed atrocities in Lanao del Norte as MILF lost commands. Days later, Eid Kabalu admitted that those attackers were regular MILF forces.

Analysts would see that the MILF high command has no control over their field commanders. The MILF brass is just there under the sufferance of the combatants. Eid Kabalu, Al Hadj Murad and other MILF brass would not say they unleashed Kato and Macapaar after the talks collapsed. They know the consequences. Ilaga resurrection would give them a taste of their own medicine.

In the MILF there is no definite chain of command like that of any regular army.

Orders from the top are blatantly disregarded. Field commanders operate on their own. The relationships of other field commanders are only tactical alliances. Even during the course of the so-called peace talks, sporadic encounters occurred.

Arson, murder, robbery and murder continued. It is no duplicity but weakness on the part of the MILF top brass that allows those atrocities to happen.

Cost of Peace in Mindanao

By Romy Teruel

More than 30 civilian lives were lost in the attack by elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in North Cotabato and Lanao provinces following the botched memorandum of agreement signing for the Muslim ancestral domain that would have expanded the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

How many more lives must be lost before government and the MILF realize that there can be no negotiation for a peaceful solution to the Mindanao problem without the consent of all stakeholders. It is alright to talk about what will finally bring peace to Mindanao but this must be within the ambit of the Constitution and the existing laws of the land and most of all with the consensus of the people living within the area to be affected. No single group, not even the negotiating panels, can determine what is best without getting the approval of the majority, if not all, of the people involved. Without that only bloodshed and more bloodshed will take place.

No matter what the MILF say about why they attacked and killed civilians, their actions have effectively sealed the fate of their cause to fail. They opened themselves to be tagged as terrorists like the NPAs by the international community. To the Filipinos, especially the families of their victims, they are plain treacherous terrorists and they must be pursued by government as terrorists.

They are now rejected even by their own fellow Muslims. I was in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato last week and I found the Muslims there together with their leaders expressing their decision not to be included in the Bangsa Moro Juridical Entity (BJE). Streamers to this effect line the highways in Isulan, capital of Sultan Kudarat and along the highway to North Cotabato.

They must have realized that peace cannot be had at the expense of peace itself. Relationships of the Muslims and the Christians in Sultan Kudarat have been very commendable according to Fr. Rudy Relator, a member of the diocesan clergy of Cotabato. They don't want the status quo to be disturbed by the creation of the BJE.

Friends in North Cotabato told me each family is now trying to prepare for any eventuality. They expect more atrocities as civilians, both Christians and Muslims, are now arming themselves. They said the Ilagas may surface again to defend the communities as AFP soldiers cannot be permanently there to protect them..

The Ilagas were dreaded by the Muslims in the early 70s for their audacity and courage to fight and defend their communities. Their fighting exploits were legends as they were known to cut and string the ears of their enemies and bring them home from battle like they would hold high a trophy.

People in Cotabato are now relieved by the announcement of Malacanang that there would no longer be any signing of the agreement with the MILF in present form even if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the MOA. So much blood has been spilt already to allow the agreement to be implemented. Peace must be renegotiated, this time with utmost transparency if government expects to pull it smoothly.

The question now remains. At what cost will we pursue peace in Mindanao? Will changing the form of government through constitutional amendments bring peace in Mindanao?

Philippine history tells us that the Muslims of Mindanao were never completely subdued by the Spaniards. The MILF are advocating the same line today. So are they saying that no mater what they will fight to win their independence?

At what cost will the MILF go to establish a Bangsa Moro State? Only the succeeding events will tell us.

Solution to Illegal Fishing

By Ric Obedencio, Bohol Chronicle: Addressing the widespread illegal fishing in coastal and marine areas in the province "needs political will and it's a matter of priority," said Bohol Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera.

Herrera also urged fishermen to avoid using destructive methods.

He said coastal areas, a vast source of food, need to be properly kept because fishermen do not necessarily cultivate it unlike farms on land.

The vice-governor, who chairs the agriculture committee of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, was reacting to documented reports of unlawful activities such as dynamite and cyanide fishing particularly at the Danajon Reef in northern part of Bohol and other ares of the island.

Herrera, who received awards for his advocacy and campaign for coastal resource management while he was then mayor of Calape town, stressed the need for education for all stakeholders to make any coastal and marine preservation programs successful.

Aside from this, he said, the provincial government led by Gov. Erico Aumentado is strengthening the Coastal Law Enforcement Councils (CLEC) being institutionalized in three congressional districts.

CLEC composed of government agencies and private sectors, he said, is helpful in curbing illegal fishing since it is a deterrent. But there's a lot more to do about this, he added.

Herrera said he lauded the bold move of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol chapter led by Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren to get rid of the illegal fishing in their respective turfs.

The mayors vowed to stamp out illegal fishing especially those big-time fishers who intrude the prohibited 15-kilometer municipal water from the shoreline.

He said the local officials should be true to their commitment to dispel public perception that they are insincere in enforcing the fishery law and rules and regulations.

Herrera expressed concern over the situation of the Danajon Reef as a result of the rampant destructive fishing. He appreciates the commitment of officials of regions VII and VIII to develop, protect, conserve and manage the 272-kilometer vast Danajon Double Barrier Reefs, the only documented double barrier reefs in Indo-Pacific region that is very rich in biodiversity and marine eco-systems.

He said Danajon Double Barrier reefs is the home the sea horse sanctuary that is recently awarded and the Banacon man-made mangrove forest, said to be the largest man-made mangrove forest in Southeast Asia. Both are awardees because of their significance in the environmental protection and conservation efforts.

Herrera said there is an urgency to save what is left of this Reef because of continuing destruction of the reefs and marine habitat there. Marine biologist Alan White study showed that only or about 25% of corals are left to support marine life in the area.

Waste Water and Solid Garbage Problem

Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado expressed elation over Tagbilaran City's proposals to provide long-term solutions to its road maintenance, wastewater and solid waste disposal problems.

Aumentado said being the capital and the entry point of majority of tourists and visitors, Tagbilaran is the province's show window.

"It is fitting and proper that Tagbilaran City always showcases its best form - not for tourists and visitors alone but more importantly, for the general welfare of its populace," said the governor who is also a city resident.

Aumentado's reaction came after Mayor Dan Lim submitted projects, supported with resolutions from the City Council and the City Development Council, to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) worth an aggregate of P839,005,000. The governor chairs the PDC.

The city projects, already endorsed by the PDC to the Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC), include a long-term road improvement project eyed to concrete pave a total length of 17.267 kilometers of city streets costing P259,005,000; a centralized waste water treatment facility worth P150,000 and an integrated solid waste management facility costing P430,000,000.

In its proposals, the city intends to finance the projects with the proceeds of a loan it is now negotiating for with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

Aumentado said the city is on the right track in deciding to push for concrete-paved streets. The governor who caused the concreting of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project Phases 1 and 2 and an upcoming Phase 3 on top of the Loay Interior and other roads admits he has a bias for concrete over asphalt roads.

Concrete roads cost only a little more than asphalt roads but are more cost-efficient in the long run because they require less maintenance, he explained.

He also lauded the city's think tanks for deciding to construct a centralized wastewater treatment facility in Barangay Taloto as this complies with the Clean Water Act.

Aumentado has always been concerned that without such facility, storm water andsewage seep into the existing drainage network that empties into seawaters, causing pollution and contamination that will adversely affect marine life and ultimately - human lives as well.

MILF Going to the Visayas Region?

Local authorities are prepared of possibilities that the current unrest in Mindanao would spill-over to the province.

This was the assurance of Gov. Erico Aumentado when asked to comment on security measures in place if the conflict between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Although the specific security measures were not revealed by the governor, he said during the weekly Governor Reports on Friday that the Provincial Peace and Order Council will meet this week to tackle the issue.

We have an operational Bohol Local Internal Security System (BLISS)", he said.

The government, internal security forces and the local government units conceived the BLISS to expand the security local capability. This is through engaging communities' help in repelling reporting re-entry of communist terrorists who left Bohol during the recent anti-insurgency operations, this was bared by Bohol Police Director SSupt.

Edgardo Ingking, during a PPOC presentation months ago.

The pull-out and the re-assignment of the 302nd Brigade to Negros which left only a few internal security units operating here heightened the implementation of the BLISS.

Now, after MILF-induced conflict, the country's military leadership pulled out Bohol 's 43rd Infantry Battalion to help secure Lanao.

NYC Commissioner Benjie Oliva Fights Back Against Falsification Allegations

Now on his third year as Commissioner representing the Visayas in the National Youth Commission, Boholano youth leader Asec. Benjie S. Oliva, NYC Commissioner for the Visayas, said he is proud to have served the youth and his performance will speak for itself.

Oliva, in an interview with the STANDARD, said he is not minding a group waging a demolition campaign against him, an obvious preparation for the coming appointment of a new NYC Chairman that would replace the outgoing Richard Alvin Nalupta, who hails from Luzon whose term ends on Feb. 2009.

Reports say Pres. Arroyo is mostly likely to appoint a new NYC Chairman coming from the Visayas for an equal chance of regions represented in the youth commission.

The soft-spoken Oliva said his performance would speak for himself and not by publicity.

A writer has been posting articles in newspapers and websites narrating unfounded allegations against Oliva.

The person has been asking favors from Oliva, like being included in trips abroad but was denied due to qualifications.

"I cannot compromise the various programs for the youth, like study-tours to other countries, just because I want favorable publicity by any writer," Oliva said.

On record, Oliva has drafted 85 policy recommendations that had three major bills;

NYC Version of the Magna Carta for Student Rights, Amended Local Youth Development Council (LYDC) Bill and the NYC Version of the Anti-Child Pornography Bill.

He also contributed recommendations in the crafting of the NYC and SK Provisions of the IRR of RA 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

INTERNATIONAL FETE

Oliva was the elected Chairman of the ASIAN YOUTH CONGRESS in Seoul, Korea. He headed the Philippine Delegation to the China ASEAN Young Civil Servants Youth Exchange held in Beijing, Nanning and Guangzhou, China.

Oliva was also the Philippine Representative, Ship for the Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSYEAYP) Conference, Tokyo, Japan and to several youth conference in Singapore, Jakarta and Vietnam.

For further international exposures, Oliva had sent a number of youth leaders from Bohol and Visayas region to China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Singapore.

He is Chairman, Organizing Committee, Philippine-Korea Youth Exchange and co-chaired Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students.

Oliva is a consistent awardee as OUTSTANDING STUDENT in Region 7 (2002), and Outstanding Boholano in Metro-Manila (2007)

 

Anti-Rabies Law

Governor Erico Aumentado vowed Thursday to send a memorandum to all local executives in an attempt to unify all municipal ordinances to the newly passed Bohol Anti-Rabies Ordinance.

Aumentado's action came as the Bohol Rabies Prevention and Eradication Council (BRPEC) met at the Mansion to resolve issues that hinder the province-wide implementation of anti-rabies prevention and eradication program.

BRPEC has initially sought the governor's help to resolve the issue non-uniformity of applicable laws in the dog registration and vaccination in the towns.

The program calls for massive dog registration and vaccination, dog-population control, elimination after impounding, bite management, public education as well as putting up local mechanisms to bring the campaign to the communities with barangay workers as front-liners.

With different enforceable local laws legislated in the towns, the council members has asked the governor for help to guide local program implementers as to which law would assure sustainability to the program which aims to make the province rabies free by 2010.

Sustainability can be assured if barangays are allowed to get shares in the implementation as well as in the collection of dog registration and vaccination fees.

The fees would assure a revolving fund for vaccine and dog-tag acquisition as proof of vaccination.

The provincial ordinance mandates that dog registration would be P50 for a female and P100 for a male dog. It also states that 50% of the money collected goes to the provincial government as anti-rabies program revolving fund while 30% goes to the frontline barangay government while the remaining 20% goes to the municipal government.

The registration also goes with a subsequent vaccination and dog-tagging.

Some towns however collect minimal amounts for dog-registration and do not require dog-tagging, further complicating possible rabies infection and dog population control.

The governor's action seeks to declare ultra vires all local ordinances that would run counter to the provisions of the provincial ordinance.

 

Impact of World Oil Prices

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered an audit of oil and power companies to ensure that the downtrend in world oil prices will immediately benefit the public in the form of lower prices of the socially-sensitive commodity.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza told a press briefing that the President directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to undertake the audit.

He said the President wants to ensure that oil and power companies are fully compliant with the Oil Deregulation Law, and that the lowering of oil prices in the international market are correspondingly reflected in the local market.

For his part, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Secretary Cerge Remonde said that the President directed Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes to conduct a "more strict audit of oil firms" during the joint National Price Coordinating Council and National Food and Energy Council (NPCC-NFEC) meeting.

3 Filipino Senators Lead Survey

By Bingo P. Dejaresco

 

If a senatorial elections were held last month, the Pulse Asia nationwide survey said, that reelectionists senators Pia "Companera" Cayetano, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Mar "Mr Palengke" Roxas would top the elections.

Cayetano, an independent,obtained (48.2%) of votes followed by fellow incumbents Jinggoy Estrada ( 47.3%) and Mar Roxas (46.0%). Estrada has been mentioned as potential vice presidential material; Roxas as president.

Cayetano, sister of senate Blue Ribbon chairperson Peter Cayetano, currently chairs the senate committees on health and environment and is the principal author of the Anti-Hospital Detention Act of 2007 (RA 9439), Oil Spill Liability Act of 2007 (RA 9483), Anti Rabies Act of 2007 (RA 9482) and co-author of the Cheaper and Quality Medicine Acts of 2008 (RA 9502) which was enacted recently.

Pia who is a health buff and a breastfeeding advocate also placed second in the March senatorial surveys of Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations. Pia and her brother Peter are slowly moving out of the shadow of their illustrious patriarch the late senator Rene Cayetano and are individually proving their worth in the senate chamber.

The July elections survey would show an 8-4 Opposition winning slate based on 12 slots.

The winning Opposition probables (aside from the above three) Cayetano, Estrada and Roxas are: former senate president Franklin Drilon (44.1%), opposition losing senatorial candidate Koko Pimentel Jr. (39.0%), the comebacking former senator Serge Osmena (35.6%),senator Jamby Madrigal (34.5%) and former senator Jun Magsaysay (30.6%)

The winnable administration candidates would include: senator Miriam Santiago (37.2%), NEDA Director Ralph Recto (35.6%), senator Bong Revilla (34.6%) and anti-drug czar Tito Sotto (26.5%).

With a margin of error of 3%, statistically tied for 12th place with Sotto would be administration senator Juan Ponce Enrile (26.3%) and oppositionist Makati Mayor Jojo Binay (25.2%).

Lost in the senate radar are administration senators Dick Gordon ( 21.5%) and Lito Lapid (18.2%).

Big political names that did not make it to the July Top 12 senate probables survey include: Michael Defensor, former speaker Joe De Venecia, former senator Ernesto Maceda, former congressman Butch Pichay and MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando.All GMA Cabinet secretaries registered poor results in the nationwide survey.

Two named actors Ed Manzano (15.2%) and Willie Revillame (12,9%) poored farelu in the survey confirming the trend that the wave of actor-politicians for the nationsal scene had ended with the death of Fernando Poe Jr. Only Erap Estrada is a viable showbiz name , primarily because he is former president ,vice president , senator and mayor.

Filipino Youth at Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSYEAP)

The Junior Chamber International - Bohol Chocolate Hills (JCI-BCH) sends its member to the 35th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSYEAP), a two-month international youth exchange program sponsored by the Japanese Government aimed at promoting friendship and mutual understanding among youth from ASEAN and Japan.

Ivy O. Pacaldo, an active member of the JCI-BCH, an organization that promotes leadership and entrepreneur-ship skills, is among the chosen Filipino youth to represent the Philippines to board the famous Nippon Maru from October to December this year to visit Japan and ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam.

The SSYEAP is an annual event participated in by more than 300 youth who involves in discussions on relevant social and youth issues, cultural introductions, sports, and recreation and club activities. Activities at each country port-of-call include courtesy calls on dignitaries, institutional visits, community services and home-stay experiences Pacaldo, a teacher from the Holy Spirit School (HSS) and an SK Volunteer, represents Bohol and Region VII along with David Maulas, a student leader from the Holy Name University (HNU). Both will depart in September for Manila for pre-departure trainings.

Rotary Club of Tagbilaran City

The Rotary Club of Upper Tagbilaran had their 3rd induction and turn-over ceremonies last Aug. 1, 2008 at the Mellow Apartelle in Dampas District, this city with Cong. Edgar Chatto as guest speaker and the Rotary District Governor Billy Parilla as the inducting officer.

The roster of officers for RY 2008-2009 includes Walter M. Lim, president; Nemesio M. Carbonilla, president-elect; Primo Yu, vice president (internal); Marjun R. Lumayag, vice president (external); Generoso G. Esmero Jr., secretary; Silvestre I. Biloy, treasurer; Francisco Pamaran Jr., auditor; Jes B. Tirol, Sgt. at Arms; and the directors: Gibyrlu Lumayag, membership; Glenn Blasquez, club public relations; Rodney A. Lumuthang, Club Administration; Rommel Luis Caderao, service projects, and Arnold E. Corsiga, The Rotary Foundation.

The group also inducted two new members, namely: Mario Morala and Luis Rommel Caderao. - the Bohol Chronicle

Join Cebu Franchise Expo

The Cebu Franchise Expo started in year 2000 has positioned itself as the premier franchising event for the Visayas and Mindanao. Franchising has evolved through the years to be the most successful way to expand a business or to go into a business by yourself and it would be to your advantage visiting this event. The biggest Franchise Event outside Metro Manila is held again in Cebu for the 9th consecutive year, at the SM City Cebu Tradehall from Sept. 12 to 14, 2008. More than 200 Franchise Opportunities will be available, originating from all over the Philippines and even coming from as far as South Africa.

The three day event is free to the public and the ideal place to find your investment of choice, organized by RK Franchise Consultancy together with FIFA Filipino International Franchise Association and as event manager CEO Events and Expo Organizer.

Franchise opportunities offered cover the following business segments: Food, Restaurants, Water, Salon & Spa, Gasoline Stations, Pharmacy, Laundry, Ink Business, Pawnshops, Cellphone shops, RTW, Education and supporting companies. The event is sponsored by Pagcor E-games, E-copy Corporation, Foxchit, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Megag8way Enterprise, Kaila Bags and Accessories, V.Y. Domingo Pawnshops, Clara International and Living Water. Media Partners are FranchiseToday, Sun*Star Cebu, Freeman, Cebu Daily News, Goldstar, Panay News and Rabbit Advertising.

A seminar "All about Franchising" conducted by Rodolf Kotik will be on Sept. 13 at 1:30 p.m. at Conference Hall D at 4th Floor of SM City Cebu. The following topics are discussed: What is Franchising, History of Franchising, Defining Franchising, Franchising 101, What does a Franchise provide, Benefits of buying a Franchise, How to select a Franchise, Advantages and Demands of Franchising, Mistakes by Franchise Buyers, Buying a Franchise, Franchising your business, Legal Franchise Requirements, Franchise Operations Manual, The Future of Franchising and Introduction to available Franchise Opportunities. For exhibitor or seminar details please contact Manila (02) 995.0734, 439.1579, Cebu (032) 273.3827, 238.3933, email info@cebuexpo.com or visit the website www.cebuexpo.com.

Bohol Panglao Island Airport Waste of Money?

Delays in the bidding and pre-construction activities of the Panglao Bohol International Airport Project has raised doubts on the availability of funds coming from its lead implementing agencies.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assistant general manager Tirso Serrano however allayed suspicions on the existence of funds that would jumpstart the P4.2 billion airport.

The MIAA and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) are the lead implementing agencies of the Panglao airport.

Serrano told the Chronicle yesterday that "government procurement procedures" has to be met that also affected timeline of the project.

"Funding for the project is not the cause of the delay," he stressed.

In its original timeframe, the bidding process for the consultancy services for the detailed engineering design and construction management supervision of the airport project should have been completed last June 22.

The notice to proceed for the detailed engineering design should have been already issued to the consultant and start rendering its services last July.

Serrano said, "we are already going through the procedures considering the rules and pertinent procedures to be followed for such a big project."

"As of this time, we have been conferring with the Government Procurement Board, but rest assured, this will not substantially delay the airport's completion target in 2010," Serrano explained.

However, in a letter to MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi last July 3, DOTC undersecretary and project implementation officer Anneli Lontoc asked for an explanation on the "problems encountered, causes of delay and actions being taken to resolve the issues" on the pre-construction activities.

Lontoc noted that the project implementation so far is still in the short-listing stage of interested contractors.

According to Serrano, however, they are already in the process of awarding the contract for the detailed engineering and design to the three short-listed bidders.

"We have confidence in the qualifications of the 3 bidders short-listed and the contract could be awarded after the project managers will meet next week," Serrano added.

The DOTC, through assistant secretary Elmer Soneja likewise asked for the provincial government to submit reports and supporting documents in connection with the fund utilization for the airport project.

Not less than 75% of the amount already transferred to the provincial government is required to be reported as the program of work for the Panglao airport was revised to include the P170 million for the land acquisition.

The revised program of work was already approved by the DOTC. - The Bohol Chronicle

UN and Philippine Climate Change

The United Nations and the Government of the Philippines (GoP) signed a 3-year Joint Programme on "Strengthening the Philippines' Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change" with a USD 8-million funding from the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDGF).

UN Resident Coordinator Nileema Noble signed the Joint Programme Document (JPD) for the UN and NEDA Director General Ralph Recto.

The six participating UN agencies in the joint programme include: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Habitat, International Labour Organization (ILO) and World Health Organization (WHO), as implementing partners NEDA, DENR, DA, DOLE, DTI, DOST, and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

The program is timely given the worldwide effects now being felt from global warming and climate change. The program will focus on Climate risk reduction; enhanced national and local capacity to develop, manage and administer plans, programs and projects addressing climate change risks; and coping mechanisms.

Specifically, the program will also determine the vulnerability of critical sectors of the Philippines to climate change and strengthen the country's adaptive capacity by enhancing the policy making, planning, programming and implementation capacities of key stakeholders, particularly the responsible national government agencies. - PIA

Questionable Tagbilaran Agora Market Building Contract?

The generated few weeks ago about the controversial Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer (ROT) contract to finish the Agora market building had died down but the mystery remains as the city council appears not touching the issue with a 10-foot pole.

Is it grossly disadvantageous to the city government, the multi-million question remained.

City Councilor Edgar Kapirig, who had carved a personality as another city hall critic said he is not interested on the issue and considers the contract above board and regular since he was among those city council members of the 9th Sangguniang Panlungsod who approved the contract in 2007.

"I was silent on the Agora ROT contract but I will not also oppose a plan to review the said contract if the city council decides to do so," Kapirig said.

Earlier, fellow councilor Zenaido "Jingo" Rama asked his colleagues in the council to "revisit" the contract entered into by the city government with private contractor JL Apostol Enterprises.

According to him, being a neophyte member of the city council, he cannot answer

questions regarding the contract raised by many constituents.

On March 7, 2007 the 9th SP adopted Resolution No. 07-39, S. 07 –Granting Authority to City Mayor Dan Lim to enter into a contract with JL Apostol Enterprises, Inc. winning bidder of the ROT Scheme.

The same city council reviewed the Summary of the Comments on the Proposed Contract on March 19, 2007. The ROT Contract was officially confirmed by the City Council through Resolution No. 07-44, Series of 2007 on March 21, 2007.

The contract was signed on the same day by the City Mayor and contractor JL Apostol, curiously 52 days before the May 14, 2007 synchronized national and local elections.

The agreed rental in the ROT contract of P5 million per year that will translate to only about P41 per square meter per month is considered too low noting that there are even vacant lots far from CPG Avenue (the main city commercial hub) which are currently renting P100 per square meter per month.

Such observations were joined by former governor Atty. Victor dela Serna who noted that the Agora lot is probably the most expensive piece of real estate in Bohol.

"At current valuation, it could be easily be worth P50,000 per square meter or P500 million because the lot is almost one hectare (8,000+ sq.m.). A rent of P41/month is too low in relation to the value of the property," he said.

Also pointed out is that there was already an existing structure (unfinished work funded by city and national sources) on the site which itself is worth P24 million. The present rehabilitation utilizes the existing edifice making the investment of the developer minimal compared to the huge expected earnings from renters.

Some estimates say the ROT investment of only P80-million to complete the building will be recovered in just 3 years and all throughout the next 22 years will become whooping profit to the investors.

Another alleged flaw is that there is no escalation clause in the supposed share of P5-million to the city government which has a lifetime of 25 years.

City mayor Dan Lim said he is willing to answer issues in any forum, including in radio programs hosted by his staunch critics.

Bol-anon Soldier Dies in MILF War

 A soldier of Boholano descent was one of the fatalities during an encounter between Muslim rebels and government troops last week in Tipo-tipo, Basilan.

 The clash took place two days before the ARMM elections.

 Reports reaching the Post yesterday said that Sgt. Carl Tavares, 34, of the Philippine Army was a native of Tubigon town. He was killed during an encounter with rebels belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

 The wife of the late army sergeant is a native of Laya, Baclayon identified as Zyda Tavares. She flown to Basilan immediately after she learned that her husband was wounded in battle. Her husband died later from bullet wounds. The widow is a teacher of the Laya Elem. School.

 The fallen soldier was flown from Basilan to Cotabato City. The wife is now in Cotabato awaiting a C-130 plane that will bring her husband's remains to Bohol.

 Meanwhile, a Comelec official who was deputized during the ARMM elections last Monday  recounted how he heard bursts of gunfire near  the house he was living.

 Lawyer Eleseo Lavaria, provincial Comelec supervisor was assigned in Basilan during the ARMM polls.

 He suspected that the volley of gunfire could be the result of sporadic skirmishes between soldiers and MILF rebels. - Sunday Post, Bohol

NBI Mining Site Raid Angers Philippine Governor

By Bohol Sunday Post

The  two top elective officials of Bohol were reported to have been angered by a raid carried out recently by agents of the local National Bureau of Investigation on a mining site in barangay Katipunan,  Anda town.

 The mining site was contested by two claimants and according to a report submitted by Police Senior Supt. Edgardo Ingking, provincial director of the Bohol Police Command and co-chair of Task Force Kabukiran, a certain Sofronio Simaco possessed a legitimate permit of the area.

 Reports reaching the Post revealed that it was upon the behest of Domingo Chua that the raid was conducted.

 Chua was said to have owned  the mining claim of Simaco. He is the same Chua who was in the news last year after he was discovered to have possessed almost all of the mining claims in Bohol. In the Anda claim, Chua uses the name Hench Mining Service Development Corp. and this is just one of the mining companies he owns under different dummies.

 Subsequent investigation showed that Simaco was said to have fronted for Anda Mayor Paul Amper.  The mayor's live-in partner is known as Angelina Simaco and her relation with the mining claimant was not determined in the police report.

 As the news of the  raid  filtered in,  it was reported that Gov. Erico Aumentado and V-Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera balked at the idea of NBI agents carrying out the raid without coordination with Task Force Kabukiran whose chairman is the governor himself.

 The two officials were irked after they learned that the local NBI was trying to put one  over them.

 Losing no time, Aumentado and Herrera separately called up the office of  NBI Regional Director Medardo de Lemos telling him to discipline his men or else they would work for the abolition of the NBI office in Bohol.

 It was also learned that following the NBI operations, Supt.Ingking called a technical conference among members of the task force. The meeting was called to look into circumstances that led to the NBI raid. Among those who attended the meeting were lawyer Ramilo Guinto and Teodoro Saavedra of the NBI, Renato Villaber of the Bohol Environment and Management Office and Rosalina Gaterin of the department of environment and natural resources.

 It was in that meeting also that Ingking learned of Simaco's legitimate claim of the Anda mine site.

 When asked to explain the raid, the NBI admitted that it was upon the instance of Chua that it was conducted. The NBI also reported during the same meeting that it noticed a discrepancy in the actual site as compared to the permitted extraction site to the permitee based on their ocular inspection. To resolve the issue, the NBI recommended that the extraction site for the permitee (Simacio) be clearly determined.

 With the legitimate claim of the permittee ascertained, Ingking recommended that the mining operation of Simacio be allowed to continue unhampered. The mining site is known to have vast deposit of manganese ore.

 When sought for his reaction regarding the raid, lawyer Alexander Lim, legal counsel of Chua,  said that his client is yet to issue a statement regarding the NBI operations on Chua's claim that he also owns the mining right of the Katipunan  mining area..

 HERRERA STATEMENT

 Meanwhile, in a statement, V-Gov. Herrera said that his reaction to the NBI raid  was dedicated to the proposition that he was for the protection of the interest of the province and that of the quarry permit-holder.

 The NBI raid resulted in the seizure of  extracted manganese ore in Anda without coordination with Task Force Kabukiran.  TFK was created to curb indiscriminate illegal logging and quarrying in the province so the environment may be preserved or protected.

 The vice-governor in a radio interview last week said that the  NBI's action was deplorable against a legitimate permit-holder, adding that the NBI should have coordinated with TFK prior to the raid considering that it is a member of the TFK.

 He lamented that NBIs inappropriate action has contributed to the growing public outcry and distrust to the government because of government abuses. In attaining a certain degree of success in whatever government project or activity being undertaken for the people, government agencies should put their acts together, he said.

 CROSSFIRE

 The provincial government appeared to have been caught in a business feud between two manganese businessmen.

 A reliable source said the quarrel began when  a Manila-based manganese buyer shifted its attention to buying the mineral deposit in Anda town from Hench Mining Service Development Corp. (HMSDC), which has quarry operations in Candijay.

 It was not known what made the buyer change his mind. But the source quoted unconfirmed reports that the shift was triggered after HMSDC was found to have "illegally" mined the manganese site in barangay Panas, Candijay town.

 In his letter to Gov.  Aumentado, Kagawad Elmer Hinautan of barangay Panas, Candijay town asked the governor to revoke the small scale mining permit issued to HMSDC for illegal extraction of manganese. Similarly, Liga ng mga Barangay federated president Arlene A. Caadlawon, an ex-officio member of the Candijay Sangguniang Bayan, also urged the governor to cancel and stop the  mining activity in the town because "no municipal resolution has ever been granted" to the alleged permitee.

 Bohol Environment Management Office head Engr.  Villaber said in a separate interview said that Aumentado has already halted HMSDC from extracting manganese in Candijay.

 It could not be ascertained whether HMSDC had "deputized" the NBI to raid the Anda manganese operations seemingly because of business competition. Herrere said that the NBI should not have been allowed  to be used by some vested interest if indeed it was allegedly being "tapped" to raid the mining operations owned by a certain Sofronio Simacio of Anda.

 Villaber said that the governor upheld Simacio's extraction because it has legitimate documents to support mine operations. He also said that following the NBI's raid, TFK has released the confiscated cargo trucks and restore  Simacio's mine operations.

 BLAME GAME

 "Blame" is the name of the game between the provincial government and the Cebu-based Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regarding the proliferation of the quarry operations in the province.

 It appeared that both were accusing each other regarding the way the issuance of the permit to quarry that led to the unabated illegal extraction activities in the province.

 The province and the DENR based here noted that a lot of pre-requisite documents have been processed and issued by the MGB without the knowledge of the former. One of these pre-requisites, DENR Tagbilaran said, is the needed consultation with and favorable endorsement of the locality just like what happened in Candijay.

 In its letter to the governor, the MGB asked the provincial government to stop issuing special permits because "it has somehow contributed to the difficulty in the management of mining or quarry activities in the province" unless standard procedures are being followed.

 The Sangguniang Panlalawigan did not take the issue sitting down and passed on June 2008 a Resolution urging the MGB to stop processing applications for mining operations prior to issuance to permit exclusively by the governor, said board member Alfonso Damalerio II, environment protection committee chairman.

 He said that the demand for the MGB to freeze the applications processing was prompted until such time that the Bohol Small-scale Mining Ordinance he proposed is approved by the SP.

 The demand is also an answer to the clamor of the local government units where there are quarry operations, Damalerio said.

 Meanwhile, the Bohol Small-Scale Mining Ordinance amending the Provincial Ordinance No. 61 of 1993, regulating quarry operations in the province is being deliberated last week during the second reading. (With reports from Ric Obedencio) 

Tyranny of Number at Sangguniang Panglungsud

 A last ditch heroic of a Sangguniang Panglungsud opposition  member was no match to the tyranny of numbers as the city law making body Friday  tackled the request of City Mayor Dan Neri Lim  for an authority to apply for a  loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines.

 Voting 8-4, the majority block used its superior force to shot down the proposal of opposition lawmaker Bibiano Inting to defer the request for any further deliberation considering the tricky complications surrounding the loan application. Inting rallied his colleagues to refer the proposal to the committee on appropriations but to no avail.

 A majority member Lucio Balbin crossed party lines to join the minority but his vote was compensated with that of Kagawad Edgar Kapirig who was earlier believed to keel over to the opposition.

 The three other opposition votes were that of Kagawads Zenaido Rama, Mariquit Anne Oppus and Inting.

 After a tumultuous debate of the issue, Councilor Oscar Glovasa, appropriations committee chair,  moved to divide the house. With the outcome becoming predictable, the minority already knew that the inevitable was going to happen-- defeat of monstrous proportion. It also  sounded the death knell of the opposition's chances of buying time to deliberate the loan application before the dreaded  division of the house was resorted to as  the aces up the sleeves of the SP majority.

 When the voting pattern was determined showing the lopsided results, the resolution authorizing the city mayor to negotiate a loan with DBP  was carried out.

 As the smoke of partisan skirmish subsided, Kagawad Edgar Bompat, majority floor leader, stood up to rationalize why the SP authority was needed to authorize Mayor Lim to apply for the DBP loan. He said with the authority, the mayor is now free to implement major infrastructure projects which had been languishing in the drawing board for quite a time.

 Among the flagship projects  lined up by the mayor are the Water Treatment Facility, Solid Waste Management all located in Taloto and the concreting of city roads.

 Earlier, Mayor Lim sought an SP approval of a DBP loan from P500,000.00 to P 1 billion, but when his request was deliberated Friday the final amount was P450,000.00. (With reports from Sen Guingguing) - Sunday Post

Barangay Justice System

By Jun Espiritu
Jagna, Bohol, Philippines

    Even after so many years of practice, barangay governance is still hazy. There are4 so many gray areas and it needs legal minds to wade through procedural mine fields. One of the areas barangay must blunder about is the Barangay Justice System. Without any legal background, officials concerned cannot distinguish between procedural and substantive law. They have to play it by the ear. Everything oido as the saying goes.

     Of course most of those officials know that capital crimes like arson, sedition, homicide, murder, rape, drug pushing and kidnapping among others are beyond barangay jurisdiction. If the barangay official knows, the constituent doers not know. He will insist that the barangay must first hear his charge of kidnapping, which, even the Municipal Circuit Trial Court may not be able to handle. If the barangay official refuses, he is accused of bias. Heck, man, where do we go from here?

     In case of theft, very few barangay justice officials know the distinction between qualified theft and simple theft. How much must be stolen when the case will no longer in the hands of the barangay? How can we classify physical injuries? What level of injury must the victim experience to make it slight, less serious and serious and how serious is an injury that it can be no longer in the barangay jurisdiction? Can a doctor's certificate be accepted as circumstantial evidence? Those are but a few instances in substantive law, which barangay justice officials have to know.

     In the procedural side, there are no hard and fast rules to follow. A complaint is filed. The barangay treasurer just accepts the fee even if he does not know if the barangay is competent to handle the case. At any rate since the official receipt is issued, the barangay is forced to handle the case.

     Of course, there is the confrontation. The basic rule is; the accuser must be the first to speak. He has to state his case. What follows is unpredictable. If the accused sees his error, he asks for pardon and if the accuser requires amends, a negotiation follows. Usually it is successful. They agree and shake hands.

     On the other hand if the accuser is unscrupulous and he knows that his statement is not under oath or since the minutes of the confrontation cannot be used in court, he may lie and cheat. Then the accused may not wait for his turn and rebut the accuser. An argument erupts and if the barangay official is intimidated, everything is thrown not only including the fabled kitchen sink but also the toilet bowl.

     Ok, war is declared. Litigants if we may call them that agree to raise to case higher authorities, in this case PNP first. A Lupon permit to file action is issued. Sometimes the PNP refuses to accept the case. The case has to be remanded to the barangay Pangkat Tagapagkasundo. But it is already moot and academic, both parties agreed to go to war. But the law is the law so to the Pangkat they all go. The litigants reaffirm the war declaration and this time the Pangkat issues the permit to file the case, which the police now accept.

     Some barangay official just go through the motions but some want to follow the dotted line. But there are no dotted lines drawn up for them. Perhaps it is about time to give seminars to all concerned, the barangay Lupon and Pangkat members. The PNP should be included so they can agree on the proper steps to be followed.
    

The Story of Diosdado C. Salvador Jr

When he retired from Johnson & Johnson four years ago, Diosdado C. Salvador Jr. was just  57 and he was more than ready to for another stint in business. So attractive was he, that Salvador immediately received offers right and left.  A guru of salesmanship cannot just simply have his talents go to waste because of retirement.

 Salvador had the luxury of choices. Being former president of Johnson & Johnson Asean, a position wherein it was his responsibility for the development, control, profitability, growth and efficient management of 10 markets.

 At one point, Salvador accepted an offer from a huge local beauty products company but then when he told Cecilio Pedro, the founder of Lamoiyan Corp., manufacturers of Hapee toothpaste, that he was scheduled to join  the beauty products firm. Pedro persuaded Salvador to join Lamoiyan.

 At that time, Salvador and Pedro had an informal arrangement where the former executive of a multi national company (MNC) would work as sales and marketing consultant for Lamoiyan three days a week.

 Although the offers of other firms were more tempting, Salvador's family decided for him.

 "My wife said that Pedro is a walking statement of my want to serve the country," Salvador said. "Since I worked for 35 years in a foreign company, it is only proper to help a Filipino company fight it out with foreign multinational companies."

 Lamoiyan ranks third in toothpaste market in the Philippines. The two other familiar brands are  Colgate-Palmolive, makers of Colgate, and Unilever, manufacturers of Close-up. These are the two popular brands in the country for toothpaste.

 Hapee toothpaste was not taken a serious competitor by these multinationals when it started out in 1988.

 The management handling Hapee toothpaste only managed to inch a dint in the toothpaste industry when they spent  for the Philippine teaming the 1988 Olympics.

 The multinationals srowded the market for many years, and it was a decided fact that it would take a lot of capital and efforts to compete with the market Colgate is like Kodak or Exerox as it is synonymous to toothpaste; and Close-up was decidedly second place.

  Salvador faced this challenge  when he joined Pedro to share a bigger share of the toothpaste market for Hapee.

 Initially, Pedro discovered that Hapee was not improving its share in the market and innovated to improve the market share. By improving marketing techniques and product development.

 To buttress product development, the company hired a retiring Colgate Palmolive executive Zeny Soriano who readily agreed to join Lamoiyan.

  Salvador then proceeded to form a new marketing team with a rather ambitious aims. Sales then improved four times when compared to the past five years.  New products, more advertising and improvements in the plant helped the firm's success.

 Among the major steps taken was advertising. In late 2004, Campaigns and Grey was tapped to handle Hapee.

 Salvador says Lamoiyan came up with new toothpaste variants, like Extreme Clean which targets the young.

 Also, the Night and Day variant, which claims to provide the user with fresher breath in the morning. Then there is Complete, Lamoiyan's answer to Colgate's Total.

 To make it more attractive, Salvador changed the packaging of the toothpaste.

 Salvador also pursued the lower-end market. Lamoiyan has gained tremendous strength in the toothpaste sachet market. He explains that the toothpaste market is divided between users of tubes and sachets. In the past, only 25 percent of the market used sachets. In 2006, this has grown to 35 percent and is expected to further grow as people downsize their purchases in view of rising commodity prices.

 The sachet market was initially dominated by the two MNCs. This, Salvador says, despite the fact that Lamoiyan was selling its 10 ml. sachets for only P2.50, while the two were selling their 10 ml. for P7.

 He realized that the Lamoiyan packaging was smaller than the others. But the truth was, the Hapee sachets contained more toothpaste than what Lamoiyan's competitors had in their respective packets.

 To address the issue, Salvador says they made twin packs which they then sold for P5. From 200 cases a month in 2004, he says sales increased to 60,000 cases a month last year and is expected to hit 100,000 this year.

 Salvador emphasized the sachet market is very crucial. "This is the way to reach the poor."

 He also cites a Department of Education study that showed  how half the time, children from kindergarten to Grade 3 tend to miss class due to dental caries or cavities.

 Studies showed that if the children were to brush their teeth once a day the incidence of cavities would drop to 27 percent but it could be still reduced by half if they were to brush their teeth twice a day. And obviously more sales for Hapee.  Salvador says the margins in sachets are very minimal, but "it is Cecilio Pedro's social marketing."

 "He told me, you make more money in tubes. For as long as we do not lose, we will continue with this."

 The struggle to slug it out with MNCs is not just difficult in terms of the brand power the bigger firms enjoy, nor the capital backing them up. There is also the efficiency in operations to consider. With an efficiently run operation, costs may be brought down. The MNCs set up production facilities where it is cheapest and most efficient for them.

 "We can easily bring manufacturing to Vietnam or China, as we did with J&J and save a lot, but Cecilio does not want this," Salvador points out. "We have to help provide employment."

 Lamoiyan is one of the few firms that employs disabled individuals. Lamoiyan mostly employs deaf and mute workers. Salvador, who is used to the rigid systems of MNCs, is the first to admit that lack of communication can be a major stumbling block.

 But he says Pedro's policy cannot be changed.

 Today, Salvador is proud that people are now talking of three toothpaste brands, unlike in the past where they used to only consider two.

 The goal is to achieve a 25-percent market share by 2010. But Salvador is confident that the firm will exceed its goal.

 One of the factors that helped the firm achieve growth so fast is that it is a small company, and decision making is quicker.

 "It takes 18 to 24 months for MNCs to move."

Election in ARMM Mindanao

     Election in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao is over. For the first time in the Philippines, computers had been used in the exercise. The Commission on Elections pronounced the process a qualified success. There were claims of cheating but that could not be helped. The ARMM election could only be considered a site test. Kinks are still to be ironed out.

     As long as the automated part in the process is concerned, it is perfect. Once information, this means all the data items in the record, which is the vote in this case, us entered, it is stored in a file ready for tabulation and summarization, with proper safeguards it can no longer be tampered. There is no error in the entered data since there is automatic conversion into code of the entered data. The flaw lies in the control of the data entry.

     Two types of machines had been used. One is the Direct Recording Electronic, DRE, and the other is the OMR, Optical Mark Reader. The former uses the touch screen process while the latter uses the optical scanner. Both processes have been perfected in common practice. The DRE employs a simplified version of the mouse operation in the use of the Windows operating system. Instead of using the cursor to point at the desired icon and pressing the entry button, a finger is used to press the icons, which include the names and pictures of the candidates in the screen before the entry button is pressed. The program can reject the record entry if the voter presses more than the required number of candidates. The voter may cancel the entry if a mistake is made and start again until the record entry, which is his vote in this case, is perfected.

     The OMR uses the process that had been used in checking examinations. A spot before the name and picture of the candidate is fully shaded. Voters are warned not to shade more than the required number as excess shades may invalidate the record. While there may be no invalid votes in the DRE, there could be many in the OMR since only one ballot is given to a voter and the voting is confidential.

     The flaw lies in the voting process; this must be strictly controlled by precinct officials. Since identity check of voters are left to election personnel, flying voters may be made to vote with the connivance of manipulators and crooked precinct officials. Only a rigid finger print check can prevent this. A systems designer would recommend inclusion of a file of right thumb marks of voters of that particular precinct in the DRE or OMR program and installing a fingerprint reader used in timekeeping machines to check voters identities.

     Reporting in the ARMM elections is not yet fully real time, which is understandable. DREs and OMRs are hauled from each precinct to municipal counting centers to be tabulated and summarized. From there, results are beamed to provincial capitals and to Comelec. Manila. At least, this is a great improvement over the old system. With DREs ballot box snatching are things of the past. Records and files in the missing DREs and OMRs can be rejected.

     With instant communications, election results may be sent to municipal centers from remote precincts using dedicated communications lines in wireless communications. If all processes like totalisation, tabulation, summarization and transmission become strictly automated at a required deadline, no vote manipulation would be possible. Installation and perfection of an automated voting system may be costly but these are only first time costs and benefits are high and long lasting. Any administration would have full trust of the people and should they lose that trust, they can be easily replaced if the Constitution allows.

Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Seminar for All Lawyers

This coming September 8 to 11, 2008, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Bohol chapter, in close coordination with the University of the Philippines (UP), Institute on Judicial Administration, will be holding a 36- units Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminar for all lawyers, prosecutors and judges at the Bohol Tropics Resort Hotel, this city. 

      Attendance in the full course legal education of 36- units is in compliance with the en-banc Supreme Court mandate addressed to all members of the IBP. While there are those who are exempted from attendance such as governors, congressmen and mayors while in office, the high court makes it compulsory for all other lawyers to attend the seminar under pain of being prohibited from the practice of law.

      The IBP has already dispatched letters of invitation to all those required to attend, and we do hope that as the incumbent president of the organization, our Boholano lawyers will be able to participate in this mandated course.

      Lawyers are known to be vanguards of justice and freedom. And true freedom is found in obedience to the mandates of the Supreme Court in the matter of the practice of law and attendance in the dynamic and continuing legal education program mandated by the highest court of the land.

Karma for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?

By Boy Guingguing

Gabaan lagi na?  This is one sigh of surrender when somebody calls it quits because he is overwhelmed by frustration for not getting his way.

Yes gaba, is there such a thing? If so, then what calls to mind was the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers to our fellow Filipinos during the last war.

Gaba or karma if there was such a thing during World War II, then how many Japanese men would have suffered in pain if they were inflicted with it. No historian has ever come forward to document the same although the victims may have suffered in silence.

Whatever, let us dissect karma under the modern setting. Lest you call me a hypocrite. But before you do it, let me put it on record that this Bglante is a believer of karma. To recall,  many times in past columns, did I admit without any equivocation or mental reservation that I was a victim of karma.

How else explain the fact when I was afflicted with a debilitating disease (renal failure) without considering the mortal sins I have committed. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, how do you size up a person who treat women like pieces of merchandise.

Now that I am a "good boy", I can say without fear of running afoul with my wife rigid warning that any  attempt the second time around will be dealt with more severely. 

Before we get lost with the real intent of this essay, let me make it clear that our main beef here is how karma threatens President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if she is bent on holding on to power after 2010.

Will she remain unscatch even if she is now suspected of tinkering the Constitution through the revolting Cha-cha? This is where the karma factor comes in.

As things stand now, and granting that GMA has the sinister motive to perpetuate in power, why is she not afraid of courting karma, in the first place?

Wasn't it fresh in her mind what happened to Marcos when he overstayed his welcome after losing the presidency in 1986? That the dictator was being chased out of Malacanang when a mob was closing in on him was lesson  enough for an overstaying President to ponder upon.

But not GMA? Because God put her there as she used to boast while wielding the power of the presidency.

Well, there's a limit to everything. Indeed, luck still holds on GMA and this explain why she is still lording it over even if she is the most unpopular president. And even if her government is saddled with monstrous corruption.

The present political environment given GMA's  reign is dedicated to the proposition that she still enjoys the best of both worlds. For now.

Take the case of the heated debate on the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. Whether one likes it or not, the GRP-MILF deal on ancestral domain works in favor of GMA.  It's a win-win solution if one tries to analyze its implication given GMA's position.            

Alright, it was against the Constitution to recognize a state within a state as contemplated in the agreement. That's exactly what  the deal is all about, and if ever it is unconstitutional, why not amend the charter to make it legal? 

What a neat cover to expose the real intent of Cha-cha? Lifting term limits of present government officials is one of them and that's what GMA is longing for.

The operative word in the agreement is peace. By the way, who doesn't want peace in Mindanao. For one, GMA's best disguise is peace because she can fabricate war if she wants to,  just to suit her diabolical agenda. Meantime, with peace the hallmark of the agreement, contending parties is in a wait and see posture, although the present situation has all the lethal components of war breaking out if the incendiary situation goes out of hand. 

War or peace in Mindanao, both scenarios play into the hands of GMA, if  term limit is the name of the game. War? The more she likes it happening because who can stop her from declaring martial law under the pretext of quelling unrest in a volatile region. Karma? Tell it to GMA so that she will stop dreaming of becoming president for life.  - BGLante Colum, Sunday Post

Karma for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?

By Boy Guingguing

Gabaan lagi na?  This is one sigh of surrender when somebody calls it quits because he is overwhelmed by frustration for not getting his way.

Yes gaba, is there such a thing? If so, then what calls to mind was the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers to our fellow Filipinos during the last war.

Gaba or karma if there was such a thing during World War II, then how many Japanese men would have suffered in pain if they were inflicted with it. No historian has ever come forward to document the same although the victims may have suffered in silence.

Whatever, let us dissect karma under the modern setting. Lest you call me a hypocrite. But before you do it, let me put it on record that this Bglante is a believer of karma. To recall,  many times in past columns, did I admit without any equivocation or mental reservation that I was a victim of karma.

How else explain the fact when I was afflicted with a debilitating disease (renal failure) without considering the mortal sins I have committed. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, how do you size up a person who treat women like pieces of merchandise.

Now that I am a "good boy", I can say without fear of running afoul with my wife rigid warning that any  attempt the second time around will be dealt with more severely. 

Before we get lost with the real intent of this essay, let me make it clear that our main beef here is how karma threatens President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if she is bent on holding on to power after 2010.

Will she remain unscatch even if she is now suspected of tinkering the Constitution through the revolting Cha-cha? This is where the karma factor comes in.

As things stand now, and granting that GMA has the sinister motive to perpetuate in power, why is she not afraid of courting karma, in the first place?

Wasn't it fresh in her mind what happened to Marcos when he overstayed his welcome after losing the presidency in 1986? That the dictator was being chased out of Malacanang when a mob was closing in on him was lesson  enough for an overstaying President to ponder upon.

But not GMA? Because God put her there as she used to boast while wielding the power of the presidency.

Well, there's a limit to everything. Indeed, luck still holds on GMA and this explain why she is still lording it over even if she is the most unpopular president. And even if her government is saddled with monstrous corruption.

The present political environment given GMA's  reign is dedicated to the proposition that she still enjoys the best of both worlds. For now.

Take the case of the heated debate on the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. Whether one likes it or not, the GRP-MILF deal on ancestral domain works in favor of GMA.  It's a win-win solution if one tries to analyze its implication given GMA's position.            

Alright, it was against the Constitution to recognize a state within a state as contemplated in the agreement. That's exactly what  the deal is all about, and if ever it is unconstitutional, why not amend the charter to make it legal? 

What a neat cover to expose the real intent of Cha-cha? Lifting term limits of present government officials is one of them and that's what GMA is longing for.

The operative word in the agreement is peace. By the way, who doesn't want peace in Mindanao. For one, GMA's best disguise is peace because she can fabricate war if she wants to,  just to suit her diabolical agenda. Meantime, with peace the hallmark of the agreement, contending parties is in a wait and see posture, although the present situation has all the lethal components of war breaking out if the incendiary situation goes out of hand. 

War or peace in Mindanao, both scenarios play into the hands of GMA, if  term limit is the name of the game. War? The more she likes it happening because who can stop her from declaring martial law under the pretext of quelling unrest in a volatile region. Karma? Tell it to GMA so that she will stop dreaming of becoming president for life.  - BGLante Colum, Sunday Post