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==R-12 police office launches e-blotter==
==Tax holiday for Pacquiao’s business==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/02/11/r-12-police-office-launches-e-blotter/
*Source: http://www.tempo.com.ph/2012/tax-holiday-for-pacquiaos-business/#.T65AgOgzCsE
*Saturday| February 11, 2012
*Saturday, May 12, 2012
:By. Allen V. Estabillo
:By Joseph Jubelag
 
 
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – The city government here has given a six-year tax holiday for the newly-opened hotel business of couple Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao and wife Jinkee.
 
City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who was among the guests during the inauguration of Roadhouse Hotel located along Barangay City Heights here, said Pacquiao’s new business venture will help boost the local tourism industry.
She said the tax holiday is given by the city government to any investor, like Pacquiao who is willing to put up business venture in the city.
“This is one way of encouraging more investors to invest in the city,” Custodio said.
Jinkee Pacquiao led the opening ceremony last Tuesday of the 42-bedroom county like hotel in the suburban Barangay City Heights which was attended by local officials including Sarangani Vice-Gov. Steve Solon and Vice-Mayor Shirlyn Nograles.
The hotel is equipped with modern facilities including a coffee shop, restaurant and function rooms.
“We assure that our guests will have a memorable stay in our place,” Jinkee said.
 
 
 




GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/10 February) – The Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 has launched this week the region-wide rollout of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) computerized crime incident reporting system or the e-blotter.
Chief Supt. Benjardi Mantele, Region 12 police director, said Friday they are currently deploying the e-blotter software in various police stations and offices as part of the full implementation of the new system in the region.
Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
“The installation and testing (of the e-blotter software) in our police stations are presently ongoing and we’re expecting the full use of this system by all of our police units before the end of the month,” the official said.
Mantele and other top police officials in the region initially launched the e-blotter system in a simple ceremony held at the the PRO 12 headquarters here last Wednesday.
The launching activity, which was highlighted by the testing of the software, was witnessed by Chief Supt. Alex Paul Monteagudo, deputy director of the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective
Management.
Mantele said the implementation of the e-blotter system will mainly improve the administrative and management operations of local police stations in the area.
He cited that the e-blotter system would help make reporting and response to crime incidents in the region faster and more efficient.
He said it would also assist local police units in drawing up more efficient security and public safety strategies, especially on the deployment of police personnel.
“This new management tool will simplify the gathering and organization of information handled by our police stations and also provide instant, accurate and tamper-free crime statistics,” Mantele said.
The e-blotter system, which was developed by the PNP’s DIDM and the Information Technology Management Service, was designed as a stand-alone system that would be installed in all police stations as a means of reporting and monitoring all crime incidents as well as the results and records of investigation.
“It does not only facilitate crime documentation and modernize data storage but also presents quick, fast and reliable transmission of crime information from police stations to the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame,” a project briefer said.
It said the main goal of the project, which was adopted as a priority by PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome, is to generate a daily update of events or happenings on the ground, particularly in every
police station in the country. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)








==Troops overrun 3 NPA camps in Sultan Kudarat==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=425309
*Friday, May 11, 2012
:By (PNA)
FFC/AVE




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 11 (PNA) – Government troops overran three major camps of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the mountains of Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat following a series of operations in the area.


Lt. Col. Alexis Noel Bravo, commander of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion (IB), said Friday they seized the camps after several intense encounters with suspected rebels under the NPA’s Front 72 and Southern Alip Regional Guerilla Unit (SARGU).


“After our encounters, we continued to search the general area and found the abandoned temporary camps,” he said.


But he said they found the three NPA camps already dismantled supposedly to prevent his troops from using them.


Bravo said they recovered from three camps several subversive documents and personal belongings believed to be owned by the rebels and their leaders.


==GenSan to launch crackdown vs ‘colorum’ PUVs==
The Army official described the fallen positions as “major or big camps with trenches and foxholes” and located near several caves that the rebels had used as shelter.
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=404587
*February 10, 2012, 7:28 pm
:By.  (PNA)
FFC/AVE


“There’s a cave system in the mountains of Columbio and the rebels have used them for many years as escape route or for their protection,” he said.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb. 10 (PNA) – The city government is set to launch a massive crackdown against unregistered or “colorum” public utility vehicles (PUVs) as it intensifies the implementation of public transportation and traffic regulations in the area.
Bravo said their troops have taken over the abandoned NPA camps, which they consider as strategic positions in connection with their continuing operations against the communist rebels.


Glenvil Gonzales, assistant city administrator, said Friday they will deploy enforcement teams starting Feb. 16 in various key points in the city to properly monitor the movements of private or “green-plated” vehicles that have been plying the regular PUV routes.
He said one of their units is presently securing the area to prevent the NPA rebels, who reportedly fled towards nearby Tulunan town in North Cotabato, from reclaiming them.


He said the crackdown will focus on the “colorum” tricycles, jeepneys, multicabs, passenger vans and even single motorcycles, which are locally known as “habal-habal.”
The 27th IB launched the offensives against the NPA rebels following an encounter late last month at the boundary of Columbio and Magsaysay town in Davao Del Sur that left a soldier and five rebels dead.


City officials earlier estimated that around 8,000 tricycles have been operating on a daily basis in various routes in the area.
Prior to the encounter, an estimated 40 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) stormed a military detachment in Barangay Bacungan in Columbio, which is near the mines development site of foreign-backed firm Sagittarius Mines Inc.


But such figure was two-folds more than the actual number of tricycle franchises that have been issued by the city’s Motorized Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Bravo said the rebels, posing as mining workers, attacked the detachment on board a hijacked forward truck.


“We already complaints of numerous complaints about the proliferation of these colorum PUVs, which were giving undue competition to the legitimate operators and drivers,” he said.
==PNP 12 starts early Brigada Eskwela in Gensan==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1681336548744
*Thursday, May 10, 2012
:By Nirvana Alpha Vita G. Fruylan


Gonzales said they decided to launch the crackdown to protect local commuters as well as the legitimate PUV operators and drivers.


He said the colorum PUVs are not covered by insurance and their passengers face the risk of not getting any compensation or financial help in case of accidents.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The Philippine National Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 started Friday its own Brigada Eskwela by conducting series of clean-up operations in public elementary and secondary schools in the city in preparation for the opening of classes in June.  


The official said they have tapped the city’s traffic control division personnel to spearhead the crackdown, which will be launched in coordination with the city district office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
According to a report from the Public Information Office (PIO) of PRO 12, the first activity was conducted in Dadiangas North Elementary School where personnel from the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO) also joined forces in tidying the campus premises.  


Aside from running after the colorum vehicles, he said the enforcement teams will also implement the “no helmet, no travel policy” and other traffic regulations.
PRO 12 Regional Director, PCSupt Benjardi Mantele personally visited the place and led the group in repainting tables and desks, and in removing unwanted debris in the area as a support to the program of the Department of Education (DepEd).  


He said they will check private motorcycles for possible violations such as the improper placement of license plates, expired registrations and use of ill-standard exhaust pipes.
“We also cut grasses on the ground as well as sweep away dried leaves from the roofs of classroom buildings,” said PO1 Woody Butch Villaflores of RPIO, who disclosed that they are currently in Banisil High School for another clean-up activity.  


Gonzales acknowledged that the upcoming campaign might affect the livelihood of some drivers and operators but he stressed that the local government was mandated by law to properly implement the government’s traffic and public transport regulations and policies.
Mantele also donated P10,000 each to two public schools in Gensan as assistance for the repair of damaged classroom buildings.  


“We can’t simply tolerate the operations of these colorum vehicles at the expense of the legitimate ones who have properly applied for franchises or permits and paid their due tax to the city government,” he added.
The early Brigada Eskwela of PRO 12 received positive feedbacks from parents by saying “this is a great help for parents as this will ease us with the burden of cleaning up our children’s school before the classes starts.” (DEDoguiles/PGFruylan-PIA12 Gensan)


==84 complete SHEEP-CLP’s AutoCAD Training in Gensan==
==Jinkee Pacquiao opens 40-room hotel in General Santos City==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681328770283
*Source: http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/51040/jinkee-pacquiao-opens-40-room-hotel-in-general-santos-city
*Thursday 9th of February 2012
*Wednesday, May 9, 2012
:By. Pops Gumana-Fruylan
:By  ABS-CBNNews.com.




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb. 9 (PIA) -- A total of 84 individuals from General Santos City who underwent Basic AutoCAD Software Training in January this year  received  from  Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio  their certificates of completion under the SHEEP (Shelter, Health, Education, Environment and Peace and Order) Computer Literacy Program (CLP) of the city government.
ABS-CBNNews.com reports that Jinkee Pacquiao, the wife of boxer-lawmaker Manny Pacquiao, has "opened her own hotel in General Santos City." The report noted: "The 40-room Road Haus Hotel, located right across the Pacquiaos’ commercial complex, boasts of a modern design with single, double and family rooms."
   
   
SHEEP-CLP head, Percival Pasuelo said the graduates included public secondary school teachers, information communication and technology (ICT) coordinators, job order (JO) government workers, and technical-vocational (tech-voc) and drafting teachers who were trained to document, draft, and design using the computer.
The report quoted Jinkee, who revealed that the hotel "took nearly a year to plan." ABS-CBNNews.com also pointed out that "boxing photos of Manny, as well as Jinkee's own glamour shots and portraits of the Pacquiao family, can be seen all over the hotel."
   
 
Pasuelo said the city government offered the training for free to empower public institutions especially students in public elementary and high school with the knowledge and skills in information technology without monetary counterpart.
==Winner in Maasim election protest takes seat==
   
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/05/08/winner-in-maasim-election-protest-takes-seat/
“For AutoCad training few sessions of this could actually cost each participant thousands of pesos, but under the SHEEP-CLP we trained teachers and ICT coordinators on how to use this software for free so they can also pass the same knowledge to their students,” he explained.
*Tuesday, May 8, 2012
:By Allen V. Estabillo
Pasuelo said the autoCAD training is part of Mayor Custodio’s “series of level-up trainings under the SHEEP-CLP in preparing the teachers and students to be competitive globally.”
 
 
Earlier, Media Affairs Officer, Avel Manansala disclosed that the SHEEP-CLP is one of the major development thrusts of the present administration to prepare the city for effective domestic and global engagements, as envisioned by former Mayor Adelbert Antonino.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/07 May) – With barely a year left before the next local elections, Arturo Lawa assumed his seat as mayor of Maasim, Sarangani after the newly convened board of canvassers finally announced him the rightful winner in the hotly contested May 10, 2010 elections.
Lawa “lost” to Jose Zamorro by one of the narrowest margins in local elections, 15 votes or so, said the PCOS machine which erroneously transmitted results of the canvassing of nine votes during a test run at Precinct 21 in Kablacan village prior to the sealing of the machine.
But in the certified election returns from the precinct canvassed on Monday, Lawa actually received 136 votes as against only 62 votes by Zamorro bringing the total votes he garnered to 5,440 as against 5,382 of his chief rival – a margin of 58 votes.
As a Commission on Elections ruling prohibits pre-proclamation protests, Lawa was obliged to file his protest before the commission en banc.
Lawa won his case but Zamorro filed an appeal which eventually reached the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court upheld Lawa’s victory.
Armed with the Supreme Court ruling, Lawa tried to claim his seat last year but by then the municipal election officer who admitted to the PCOS machine error had already retired.
In March this year, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered Zamorro to vacate his post and appointed Vice Mayor Uttoh Salem Cutan as acting mayor.
On May 7, Lawa, dressed in long sleeves finally held office for the first time as Cutan immediately relinquished his post as acting mayor.
 
Lawa was one of the two mayoralty candidates from the Sarangani Reconciliation and Reformation Organization (SARRO) party who survived the onslaught of winning candidates from the People’s Champ Movement of Rep. Manny Pacquiao who grabbed the lone congressional seat of Sarangani province. (Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews)
 
==SOUTHERN COMFORT: Long time coming==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2012/05/07/southern-comfort-long-time-coming/
*Monday, May 7, 2012
:By Edwin G. Espejo
 
 
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/06 May) — It is unfortunate that it took Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes (2nd District-South Cotabato) to amplify a bill separating General Santos City from the 1st  Congressional District of South Cotabato.
For more than 20 straight years, the South Cotabato first district congressional seat was controlled by the Antoninos.  First by Adelbert Antonino then his wife Lualhati before daughter Darlene served it out for three consecutive terms.
Their ally, Rep. Pedro ‘Jun’ Acharon Jr now occupies that position. It was Acharon who filed the bill reapportioning the first and second congressional districts of South Cotabato and separating General Santos City as a lone congressional district.
When the framers of the 1987 Constitutional apportioned the number of legislative districts, it set a minimum in the number of population (one congressional district for every 250,000 population).  Little did they anticipate that General Santos City, whose population at that time was just a little over 180,000, will rise to become one of the highly urbanized cities in the Philippines.
Today, there are over 536,000 residents in General Santos City, well over the minimum.  Based on the 2010 population census, it is now even entitled to two legislative districts.
I have been repeatedly putting forward this idea since relocating here in 1999.  (In 1997, I was commissioned by former Davao City councilor Aristeo Albay to make a study for possibly re-districting Davao City into four congressional districts.  That paper was submitted to then 2nd District Rep.  Manuel ‘Nonoy’ Garcia who said it cannot be done without amending the Constitution.)
The latest incident where I had the opportunity to discuss this matter was with then Rep. Darlene Antonino who, in 2010, was then running for mayor.
I understand that it will take an amendment of the Constitution to re-apportion the congressional districts as it is incorporated in the transitory provisions.  The law provides that no new district shall be created unless a new territory is created.  Re-districting the city and South Cotabato will not result into the creation of a new province or city.  But it has been done before without resulting into amending the Constitution.
Darlene Antonino-Custodio, now city mayor, however said it cannot be done without resorting to charter change which effect could lead to the opening of Pandora’s box.
Acharon was also not receptive to the idea when he was still a may
 
The two were also lukewarm, if not dismissive, of dividing the city into two political and legislative district (east and west) with Silway River as its natural boundary, similar to nearby Sarangani whose two political districts is separated east and west by General Santos City (Sarangani, too, has a lone congressional district).  This will enable the city to increase the number of seats in the city council which is long overdue.
Silway River serves as natural boundary between the east and west side of the city.
Having only 12 elected councilors for a city of over half a million is a political anomaly.  Residents here deserve at least 16 councilors – eight for each district – for wider representation.  It will also lessen the campaign cost for candidates for the city council as they will no longer campaign at large.  And it can be done without even having to disturb the congressional districts.  But if it can be done simultaneously,why not?
It may be too late to effect changes in the districting and representation at the city council but this could be a good platform for next year’s local elections. (MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Edwin Espejo writes for asian.correspondent.com)


Meanwhile, Pasuelo revealed that another autocad training will be conducted this summer to public high school students who are decided to take architecture course in college.
==BSP orients businesses in Gensan on counterfeit money==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681336203708
He encouraged concerned students to grab the opportunity to utilize and maximize the power of ICT to shape their future.
*Sunday, May 6, 2012
   
:By (DED/PGFruylan/PIA 12, GenSan)  
“We urged the students to stay away from useless hobby this summer and instead be productive by enrolling in the said training to equip them with the right knowledge before they go to college,” he added. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


==South Cotabato seeks P68.2-M tax settlement deal with power coop==
*Source: http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/inside-stories/8527-south-cotabato-seeks-p682-m-tax-settlement-deal-with-power-coop-.html
*Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:58
:By.  PNA/PIA9-ZBST


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 6 (PIA) -- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recently conducted an orientation among business establishments here against the proliferation of fake peso bills in the market.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The provincial government of South Cotabato is pushing for the signing of a settlement agreement worth P68.2 million for the unpaid real property taxes of local power distribution utility South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative (Socoteco I).  
Cecilia C. Hortal, BSP senior currency specialist said business establishments should be more vigilant in identifying the security features of the new generation currency (NGC) so that they will not be victimized by counterfeiters.  


South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said the local government has formally notified the power cooperative that it would collect within this year its unpaid taxes that accumulated since 1998.  
Hortal explained that the NGC is more colorful with features that are difficult to copy like embossed prints, serial number, security fibers, watermark, see-through mark, concealed value, and security thread.  


He said the unpaid tax dues covered the basic and special education fund payments amounting to P41.2 million and penalties reaching a total of P27 million.  
She disclosed that the P500 and P1,000 banknotes contain additional features such as optically variable device and another optically variable ink for the P1,000 banknote, which is hard for counterfeiters to fake.  


Socoteco I submitted a proposal to the provincial government late last year, seeking for the forging of a compromise deal that would save the cooperative from paying the accumulated penalties.  
Ordinary people, she said, can also apply the feel, look, and tilt (FLT) technique in determining whether or not the denomination is genuine.  


It signified to make a one-time payment of P41,271,295.48 to the provincial government as settlement for its tax dues.  
The new banknotes, which were launched in December 2010, are not smooth but a little rough to touch because they are made from cotton and the Philippine abaca.  


Pingoy immediately submitted the proposed compromise deal to the Provincial Legal Office and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for further studies and the issuance of appropriate endorsements.  
Serial numbers are composed of one or two prefix letters and six to seven digits in asymmetrical or increasing size.  


But board member Ervin Luntao, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s ways and means committee, said they deferred the issuance of an authority for the provincial governor to sign the compromise deal on behalf of the local government.  
When viewed against the light, the watermark on the blank space shows a shadow image of the portrait and the banknote's denomination; this can be seen on either side of the bill.  


Section 178 of the province’s Revenue Code of 2005 provides a legal basis for both Socoteco I and the provincial government to enter into a compromised deal but section 276 of the Local Government Code that sets the condonation or reduction of real property taxes and interests does not apply to the cooperative’s proposal.  
Security threads are readily observed on the banknotes when observed against a light source. In 20 and 50 denominations the security thread is continuous and 2 mm in width but in 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 denominations this is 4 mm wide, metallic and stitch-like.  


“The proposal will be beneficial to us since it will generate additional funds to the provincial government. But we can’t act on it because it has no legal basis,” Luntao said.  
Meanwhile, the BSP opined that it is advantageous for business establishments to have a counterfeit money detector especially that reproduction of fake bills has become easier because of technology.  


The official said they are banking on the payment of Socoteco’s tax dues to ease the impact of the reduction by P36 million this year of the provincial government’s internal revenue share from the national government.
BSP also urged people who have information about counterfeiting operations to report immediately to authorities or get in touch with the nearest BSP office.


==Maguindanao gears for Sagayan Festival; alert status up==
==DOLE-12 course commits to ISO 9001:2008 certification==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=403497
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=423892
*February 7, 2012, 7:36 pm
*Saturday, May 5, 2012
:By. (PNA)
:By Catherine T. Apelacio
LAP/LAM/AVE/RSS




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb. 7 (PNA) - A tourism spectacle conceptualized to help bring about peace and progress in this province notorious for its chaotic past will sizzle here starting Friday, with the area’s security raised to red alert beginning Tuesday.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office (DOLE) 12 select employees recently received an “Orientation and Refresher Course on Quality Management System Requirements and Auditing” recently to improve the agency’s commitment as an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 certification holder.  


Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, flanked by military and police officials, held on Monday a press launching of the Sagayan Festival in Buluan town, with the hope that “all bad things about the province would buried be into oblivion.”
Romeo Ramirez, training director of Certification International Philippines (CIP), served as the resource speaker.  


“We want to showcase the hidden tradition and joys in Maguindanao,” he said, lamenting that his province has been known more for violence than anything, apparently referring to the infamous massacre on November 23, 2009 and the Moro rebellion.
CIP functions to review, analyze, and reward businesses or organizations recipient of a host of standards to strengthen and help improve the system with the use of “technology, experience, and knowledge.”


By staging the Sagayan Festival, Mangudadatu said they hope this will foster unity among the people to further quest for lasting peace in the area, a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
DOLE-12 Regional Director Chona Mantilla hailed CIP’s enthusiasm in extending the necessary support to ISO-certified agencies in the country.  


He said they will be inviting representatives of the MILF to the Sagayan Festival so the front “would feel the importance of unity in the quest for peace.”
In her message, Mantilla conveyed her commitment saying “maintaining and sustaining the Quality Management System (QMS) is indeed a great challenge” but the greater challenge, she stressed, still lies in serving “our customers well and do so excellently and from the heart.”  


Also, the province government expects to attract domestic and foreign investments to Maguindanao through the festival, the governor said.
The cover topics included the “Q101:Understanding and Implementing ISO 9001:2008 – A Strategy for Global Competitiveness," which points on the development of QMS model; the overall aim of ISO 9001:2008 and its structure; the eight Quality Management Principles and understanding the requirements of ISO 9001:2008.  


Sagayan is a dance of nobility, gallantry and honor. The festival’s theme is “Blending of Rich Culture and Traditions among Maguindanaoans as a Road to Peace.”
Mantilla said the orientation has contributed not just on conceptual level of understanding but most of all on the actual learning experiences of DOLE-12 key officials, chiefs, and field office representatives attending the orientation.  


According to a project brief, it is shared by both the Maguindanaon and Maranao, and depicts fierce warriors carrying a shield called “klung” elaborately painted with curlicues, rounds, twirls and adorned with mirrors which are attached with shell noisemakers. In their other hand, they carry a double-bladed sword of metal or wood.
She urged all participants to apply their learning when they go back to their respective field offices as a way to ensure the sustainability and their commitment to the core values embodied in ISO 9001:2008 certification.  


Racquel Magalona, Sagayan Festival chairperson, said there are two kinds of Sagayan, the dalkat and delna.
DOLE XII gained its ISO certification 9001:2008 in October 3, 2011.  


The province is celebrating Sagayan Dalkat, which is a native exhibition performed in festive occasions through dances and sounds, she said, noting that delna, a ritual healing of a sick person, “is against Islam.”
ISO 9001 fuels best practice and helps organizations to become more efficient toward a definite commitment to quality, which is a powerful force to attract and retain customers or clients while at the same time improving the “efficiency and profitability” of the company or organization.  


She said that apart from native dance exhibitions, there will be a "kanduli" (grand thanksgiving), trade fairs, and a carabao race, among others.
Alongside its commitment to ISO standards, DOLE-12 also implements the present administration’s 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda, which is bent to carry out “Human Resource Competitiveness and Industrial Peace Based on Social Justice.” (CTA/PIA General Santos City)


For one week, expect stricter security arrangement in this town, police and military officials meanwhile said.
==Separate district for GenSan by May 2013 polls pushed==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=423892
*Friday, May 4, 2012
:By  (PNA)
scs/AVE


“We will place the entire province in red alert status starting Tuesday,” said Supt. Marcelo Pintac, the provincial police director, adding that a Task Group Sagayan has been created jointly with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).


Pintac added that they will start observing a 24-hour security check until the end of the festival, in which bomb experts will be on standby in case there are bomb threats.


==South Cotabato seeks P68.2-M tax settlement deal with power coop==
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 4 (PNA) – South Cotabato officials are pushing for the conversion of this city into a separate legislative district before the May 2013 mid-term national and local elections.
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=403293
*February 6, 2012, 5:59 pm
:By. (PNA)
DCT/FFC/AVE/HST


Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes (South Cotabato, 2nd District) said Friday they are currently working for the referral to the committee on local government of House Bill No. 6038 or “An Act reapportioning the composition of the first (1st) and second (2nd) legislative districts in the province of South Cotabato and thereby creating a new legislative district from such reapportionment” when Congress resumes its sessions next week.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb. 6 (PNA) -– The provincial government of South Cotabato is pushing for the signing of a settlement agreement worth P68.2 million for the unpaid real property taxes of local power distribution utility South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative (Socoteco I).
She said they expect the committee to immediately schedule the hearings for the proposed law, which was filed by Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. (South Cotabato, 1st District) last March 19.


South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said the local government has formally notified the power cooperative that it would collect within this year its unpaid taxes that accumulated since 1998.
“Right now, our target is to have this bill passed and hold the first elections for the reconfigured districts in (May) 2013,” she said.


He said the unpaid tax dues covered the basic and special education fund payments amounting to P41.2 million and penalties reaching a total of P27 million.
Fuentes, who is the bill’s co-author, said the measure mainly provides for the reapportioning of the present composition of South Cotabato’s first and second congressional or legislative districts.


Socoteco I submitted a proposal to the provincial government late last year, seeking for the forging of a compromise deal that would save the cooperative from paying the accumulated penalties.
She said the reconfiguration will pave the way for the creation of a separate or lone congressional district for this city.


It signified to make a one-time payment of P41,271,295.48 to the provincial government as settlement for its tax dues.
The first district presently comprises this city and the municipalities of Tupi, Tampakan and Polomolok in South Cotabato. The second district is composed of Koronadal City and the municipalities of Tantangan, Banga, T’boli, Surallah, Sto. Nino, Norala and Lake Sebu.


Pingoy immediately submitted the proposed compromise deal to the Provincial Legal Office and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for further studies and the issuance of appropriate endorsements.
Under HB 6038, Fuentes said South Cotabato’s first district will be reshaped into the towns of Polomolok, Tupi, Tampakan and T’boli.


But board member Ervin Luntao, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s ways and means committee, said they deferred the issuance of an authority for the provincial governor to sign the compromise deal on behalf of the local government.
Koronadal City and the six remaining towns will compose the province’s second district, she said.


Section 178 of the province’s Revenue Code of 2005 provides a legal basis for both Socoteco I and the provincial government to enter into a compromised deal but section 276 of the Local Government Code that sets the condonation or reduction of real property taxes and interests does not apply to the cooperative’s proposal.
“We decided on this reconfiguration with the consideration of pushing later on for the creation of another separate district for Koronadal City,” Fuentes said.


“The proposal will be beneficial to us since it will generate additional funds to the provincial government. But we can’t act on it because it has no legal basis,” Luntao said.
Koronadal City, which is a component city of South Cotabato, is the province’s capital and the regional seat and center of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.


The official said they are banking on the payment of Socoteco’s tax dues to ease the impact of the reduction by P36 million this year of the provincial government’s internal revenue share from the national government.
Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.


==RDRRMC-12 undertakes review of Crisis Manual for Disasters==
The city, which has a population of 538,086 based on the 2010 census, has long been classified as an independent and highly-urbanized locality but it has remained a part of South Cotabato’s first congressional district.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1671328413870
*Sunday 5th of February 2012
:By. Catherine T. Apelacio


It was originally a component of the undivided Cotabato empire province until Congress approved its charter in 1968.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, South Cotabato, Feb. 5 (PIA) -- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) here has met with its technical working group (TWG) over the weekend to review and discuss the Crisis Manual for Natural Disasters.
Based on the 2010 census, the municipalities of Tupi, Tampakan and Polomolok of South Cotabato posted a combined population of 236,370, which is short of the 250,000 population requirement for the creation of a new congressional district.
The RDRRMC chaired by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) 12 underscored the importance of reviewing the manual with the TWG in order to come up with a comprehensive regional version of the draft.
The council has sought the existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or protocols of the different member-agencies for submission to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Roy Dorado, OCD-12 assistant regional director for operations presented the draft manual emphasizing that SOPs already practiced by different member-agencies will form part of the regional version.
The SOPs are those undertaken by response agencies immediately within the 72 hours during disasters.
Among those who presented their SOPs were the Philippine Army 1002 Brigade, the Philippine Army 512ECB, 52nd Engineering Brigade, the Philippine Coast Guard, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Information Agency.
Dorado also said under Republic Act 10121 otherwise known as “An act strengthening the Philippine disaster risk reduction and management system, providing for the national disaster risk reduction and management framework and institutionalizing the national disaster risk reduction and management plan,” the local DRRM office can enforce the evacuation of residents living in hazard-prone areas in times of disaster upon the approval of the council.
Leo Chong, chief of Health Emergency Management Staff of DOH-12, in his presentation, cited the importance of defining to what extent and levels of coordination a member agency of the council can offer.
Meanwhile, Jerome Barranco, OCD-12 assistant regional director for administration, who took note of the issues and concerns such as “who takes command and control during disaster and who should be the agency authorized to give information during disasters,” said the Council would resolve these as soon as possible.
Earlier in the meeting, the DILG-12 representative said the agency has already issued a directive to all barangays in the region that in time of disasters “they can give an early warning sign” to all residents at risk.
The Crisis Manual was born out of the directives issued by President Benigno S. Aquino III to the NDRRMC in December last year in the wake of Typoon Sendong that caused the loss of many lives and huge damage to the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
The President’s directives are to issue warning advisories at least three days in advance, to move and transfer assets, including military response capabilities before the warning whenever a typhoon will affect communities at risk and to formulate a Crisis Manual for Natural Disasters.
Dorado also announced that OCD-12 would be spearheading this year a conference-seminar for local chief executives in the region on the utilization of five-percent calamity fund. (CTA/PIA General Santos City)


==News Feature: GenSan’s 2012 Kalilangan Festival takes off February 10==
The authors carved out T’boli town, which has a population of 79,175, from the second district to complete the population requirement.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1671328333074
*Saturday 4th of February 2012
:By. Chris Sulit & CT Apelacio


Early last year, the South Cotabato provincial board passed Resolution No. 5, which sought for the separation of General Santos City from the province’s legislative configuration and the re-apportionment of the area’s existing districts.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb 4 (PIA) - Let’s go! Mag-Kalilangan Tayo!
Vice Gov. Elmo Tolosa, co-author of the resolution, said the proposal would significantly benefit the province in terms of increased allocation from the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF and guaranteed representation at the House of Representatives for local constituents.
With this  welcome tagline, all is set for the 16th Kalilangan Festival and the 73rd Foundation Anniversary celebration, according to Festival Director Mimi Abiera.
She said this year’s celebration highlights the convergence of tri-people who have lived in co-existence with one another in this area.
With the theme, "Convergence in Divergence: Enriching Heritage, Bridging Cultures" this year’s celebration is all geared up to give more fun and entertainment out of the culture and heritage the city offers.  


At a press conference Thursday (Feb 2), Festival Director Mimi Abiera presented the activities and the highlights which focus mainly on the cultural diversity in this area as represented by tri-people---the Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Muslims and the Christians.  The organizers also  took pride of the event as it’s not only a showcase of heritage and culture but also a venue for fostering mutual respect for each diverse belief and value.
Tolosa said they believe that being a first class province, there’s a need for the province to have more representation in Congress to cope with its rapid growth in terms of economic and social development.


A soft opening will be held as early as February 10 at the Oval grounds with agri fair, mini zoo, plaza bazaar, good galore and carnival rides to serve as opening salvo.
With a population of 827,200 based on the 2010 census, the province’s total population was projected to reach around 851,000 this year based on its annual average growth rate of 1.46 percent.


Institutional events like the Grand Opening ceremony is slated on February 21, the Cultural Night ("Lambigitan") on the 23rd and the Closing or Salubungan on February 27.
==Comelec brings PWDs registration to GenSan barangays==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=423668
*Thursday, May 3, 2012
:By  (PNA)  
FFC/AVE/RSS




On the festival day's finale, contingents from all over GenSan will show their dancing prowess in Kadsagayan or Street Dancing challenge for the biggest prizes at stake.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 3 (PNA) – In a bid to encourage persons with disabilities (PWDs) to take part in the 2013 mid-term elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec)office here has brought the its ongoing registration down to the barangays, an official said.


The Kalilangan has also its annual favorites which are crowd drawers because of their uniqueness and sheer attraction to the public.
But even then, at least 11 PWDs have registered from the start of the year until last week, local Comelec data showed.


Clint Vincent Dumaguit, Comelec election assistant officer II here, said they actually began bringing the Comelec registration down to the barangay level in May last year not just to serve the PWDs but the general public as well.


The ethnic sports competition "Laro Ng Lahi" will again hook the audience in the traditional games, namely:  Kadang Marathon, Sack Race, Patintero, Palosebo, Tug of War, Sungka, Skipping Rope, Tabanug (kite-flying) and the board game Dama.
“Some PWDs have the tendency to be ashamed to go to our office so we come to the villages to make the registration easier for them,” he said.


On normal days in the Comelec office at the back of the old city hall building, he added that they give special priority to differently-abled persons through the “PWD lane” especially when the lines are long.


The Cosplay, short for Costume Playing is a new breed of excitement for the young and the techno-savvy, but this time, it is the Pinoy heroes who shall take the center stage, not the foreign ones.
The local Comelec office also accords special accommodation to pregnant women and older persons applying to become registered voters, Dumaguit said.


Special registration for PWDs in the city started on April 2 until April 30, with intermittent off days.


For 17 days, the people of GenSan will be a witness to song, dance and theatrical presentations, sports tournaments, visual art exhibits,
The venue should have been at the first floor of the old city hall building but the city Comelec, aside from bringing it to the barangay level, hold the special registration at its office in the second floor at the back of the city hall building.
agricultural exposures, free seminars, cookfest, animal shows, gadgets demo, fun run and parties. (CPIO/PIA General Santos City)


==CENRO-Gensan underscores importance of forest restoration in climate change issue==
The city has 26 barangays and so far the PWDs who registered came from the six villages of Buayan, Calumpang, City Heights, Fatima, Katangawan and Labangal, Dumaguit said.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681328250386
*Friday 3rd of February 2012
:By. Pops Gumana-Fruylan


He said they went to the villages with the support of the barangay governments, although there were some who did not lend help due to scarce resources.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb 3 (PIA) – City Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) Valiente Lastimoso recently underscored the importance of reforestation as a significant strategy to address climate change.
With the latter case, Dumaguit said they just forego that barangay unit.
Lastimoso disclosed the different strategies available to mitigate carbon emission through forestry activities and one of these is to increase the amount of forested land by planting more trees especially to depleted areas in the city.
“Forest restoration could reverse the impact of forest clearing over the past three centuries and the same time expand wildlife habitat, provide recreational opportunities, and uplift socio-economic conditions of the upland, lowland, urban, and coastal inhabitants of the city,” he explained.
To encourage community involvement, CENRO has implemented the Integrated Social Forestry Program (ISFP) which is designed to rehabilitate the denuded forestland in the city by adopting an “agro-forestry approach.”
Lastimoso said they have tapped the participation of organized ISF associations in the seven upland barangays of Gensan where qualified organizations received “stewardship contract” for the use of public lands to “augment the income of upland communities and as a source of sustainable livelihood.”
The seven upland barangays include Upper Labay, Conel, Olympog, Sinawal, Bawing, San Jose, and Mabuhay.
“The contract stated that 20 percent of the total area should be devoted for reforestation while 80 percent will be planted with cash crops like corn, palay, and other products,” he said.
Meanwhile, the city environment officer revealed a total of 805.76 hectares of forest land rehabilitated for 2011.
Since 1997, he said, critical upland areas are now reforested and rehabilitated by at least 61 percent or 2,861.76 hectares of the 4,699.03 hectares total ISF area.
“Forest restoration is only one piece of the puzzle in addressing climate change issue, but at CENRO we believe it is an important piece. With the help of our stakeholders, we can make a difference,” he said. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


==CENRO-Gensan intensifies rehabilitation of coastal communities==
But he hoped that PWDs who did not come out for the special registration would enlist themselves as the Comelec has a continuing registration until October 31, 2012.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681328076122
*Wednesday 1st of February 2012
:By. Pops Gumana-Fruylan


==Gov’t Aids Davao Sur Villagers==
*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/358587/gov-t-aids-davao-sur-villagers
*Wednesday, May 2, 2012
:By JOSEPH JUBELAG


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Feb. 1 (PIA)—The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) here has focused more efforts in the rehabilitation of the nine coastal barangays of the city to cope with climate change.
CENR Officer Valiente Lastimoso said they have tapped coastal community organizations to aid them in the implementation of various coastal resource management programs to increase community awareness of coastal ecosystem values and services.
One of the vital programs, Lastimoso explained is the massive and continuous planting of mangroves along the shorelines of Sarangani Bay particularly within the vicinity of the nine coastal barangays.
He revealed that since 1997 the city environment office has rehabilitated a total of 23.61 hectares of coastal wetlands and planted 236, 116 seedlings of mangroves.
“To date, we have already reached a 100 percent level of awareness on the importance of mangroves among the coastal communities,” he said.
Lastimoso also underscored the significant role of mangroves in the protection of shorelines against erosion and as valuable nursery areas for fish and invertebrates.
He said mangroves are important to minimize the effects of global warming as they possess the ability to absorb pollution by maintaining water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants, and trapping sediments originating from land.
Meanwhile, Lastimoso disclosed other interventions of the agency like the “Wildlife Survey and Assessment within the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape” where they recorded the presence of whales and dolphins; and the drafted Barangay Ordinance on the Protection and Conservation of Coral Reef in Barangay Bula.
He also mentioned other environmental activities conducted to raise awareness on the importance of conserving the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change such as the World Wetlands Day every month of March, Earth Day on April, Ocean Month on May, Environment Month on June, and the International Coastal Clean-up Day every month of September.
The nine coastal barangays of Gensan include Barangays Siguel, Tambler, Calumpang, Labangal, Dadiangas West, Dadiangs South, Bula, Buayan, and Baluan. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


==DSWD 12 to promote public-private partnership in its livelihood programs==
44 Agencies Provide Various Programs And Services To Remote Community
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=74337
*Tuesday, January 31, 2012
:By. Dennis G. Domingo II


GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Some 2,000 residents of Malita town in Davao del Sur have benefited from the convergence of programs and services conducted by the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA) in Region-11 and the Army’s 10th Infantry Division recently.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan 31 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development has called on its regional and provincial offices to strengthen network building strategies in view of implementing sustainable livelihood programs of the government.
Some 44 national government agencies provided services to the local residents, including job fairs, medical missions, and educational campaign during the activity, said ARENA-11 president Achilles Gerard Bravo.
Vergil Cabugayan, PDO III of the DSWD central office, emphasized during a recent program evaluation and planning that Public-Private Partnership must be enhanced through networking efforts of program planners and implementers of livelihood programs.
“A public-private partnership exists when public sector agencies join with private sector entities such as companies, foundations, academic institutions or citizens and enter into a business relationship to attain a commonly shared goal that also achieves objectives of the individual partners,” Cabugayan explained.
Cabugayan told participants of the regional planning that DSWD has engaged with some private groups to participate in the government’s livelihood programs for poor families and communities.
One example Cabugayan cited was the Bahay Kubo Project that committed to provide trainings and seminars to the clients of Jose Fabella Center for an innovative vegetable planting to be used for food consumption and livelihood income for pilot project and roll-out to CCT beneficiaries located in urban areas.
Another one, he said, was the Irraya Farm Project that is committed to provide trainings, technology and farm inputs to agri-projects of conditional cash transfer beneficiaries in Palawan and Eastern Samar.
Some international engagements, according to Cabugayan, include JICA through PinoyME Foundation that assisted in the development of the Community Driven Enterprise Development Operations Manual for the Sustainable Livelihood Program and JSDF that supports funding from JSDF for its project entitled "Community Enterprise Development as Pathway Out of Poverty".
Cabugayan also discussed Community Driven Enterprise Development, concentrating on four stages of business success: business sustainability and local economic development Stage; business development; resource mobilization and business operations; and business management.
“I enjoin you to conduct environmental scanning within your community and look for opportunities in order to get the support of local groups,” he said.
Among those who attended the livelihood program planning were project development officers, provincial and municipal social welfare and development officers, some monitoring and evaluation officers and convergence program staff. (DEDoguiles/PIA 12/DSWD12)


==Feature: Celebrating nature’s bountiful wealth in Maitum’s 5th Bangsi Festival==
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) offered an array of employment facilitation services for an easier and faster means of finding jobs.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=74328
*Monday, January 30, 2012
:By.  CT Apelacio


The Department of Health (DOH) assisted rural health units in its distribution of medicines, information, education, and communication materials.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 30 (PIA)---Maitum’s 5th Bangsi Festival offered more fun this year as it opened Thursday (Jan 26) to celebrate the bountiful wealth of the sea and the lush forest that Mother Nature endowed to the town.
While the Department of Education (DEPED) conducted information and dissemination drive to the parents about its newly implemented K+12 program and distributed school supplies, while the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also launched information and dissemination campaign and skills demonstration.
Maitum is one of the seven municipalities of Sarangani that has advanced itself as one of the promising tourist destinations of the province so far.
The event which carries the theme“Yamang Dagat Pahalagahan, Kalikasan Pangalagaan” kicked off with coastal clean up at Yabes beach a day before it started, said municipal accountant and information officer Beth Ramos.
“Kung di natin protektahan ang karagatan, there’ll be no festival to celebrate anymore kasi wala ng mahuhuling bangsi (flying fish)---and this of course includes first and foremost the protection and preservation of the upland environment,” she said.
Bangsi Festival is celebrated annually to honor the town's fisherfolk. Maitum’s coastal communities are engaged in fishing- mainly flying fish which is abundant in the area.
Ramos said bangsi is a leading product of the town. “In fact it is Maitum's One Town One Product (OTOP) for a long time now making the municipality a top producer of marinated flying fish, locally known as bulad, in SOCKSARGEN.”
As OTOP area, Maitum produces in large scale the so-called “marinated and half dried flying fish,” a value-added by-product that provides lucrative income to coastal residents as the brand turned “popular pasalubong and breakfast fare” for travelers and excursionists.
Ramos said almost all coastal households—thousands of them “depend on bangsi industry” for livelihood. She said it’s usually the women or the wives who are involved in fish drying and marinating while their men or husbands are into fishing.
On Friday (Jan 27), the culmination day, residents and festival guests basked at a ton of fresh flying fish distributed for the bangsi street grilling (Sugba-sugba sa Dalan) held at the town’s main road.
Sarangani photojournalist Cocoy Sexcion said the “guests and visitors were enjoined to grill and eat all they can for free.”
“Rain or shine the bangsi festival rocks. The warmth of the people, the delectable delicacies, the green surroundings and kaing (eating) full of bangsi wrap up in a colorful festival activities create a memorable experience. I will be more than glad to come back,” said CPA-Lawyer Lit Anyog.
Governor Migs Dominguez and Congressman Manny Pacquiao also joined town officials in the celebration.
The celebration was capped by a street dancing showdown which was won by the dancing troupe from Edenton Mission College, Incorporated-college department. The first runner-up title was awarded to the high school department of the same school.
Another noteworthy highlight of the festival was the Maitum Photo Safari, now on its 8-year of capturing the rich culture and heritage of Maitum.
Organizer Beth Ramos described her brainchild project photo safari contest as “stable.” “It’s already institutionalized and continuously growing with the assistance of friends from here and abroad,” she said proudly.
Other notable activities of the festival included the Sand Sculpture, Lumba Bugsay/Langoy; SME’s Showcase/Trade Fair; Drum and Lyre Competition; Ms. Teen Maitum 2012; Bangsi Amazing Race; Aquatic Dance Contest; Bangsi Cooking Contest; Slowest Drag Race; and Disco sa Kalye/Community Night. (CTA/PIA General Santos City)


“The purpose of the activity is to bring the government services directly to the people, which complemented the Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) of the 10th Infantry Division,” Bravo said.


For his part, Army spokesperson Captain William Rodriguez said, through the Peace and Development Teams (PDTs) from the 1002nd Army Brigade, that the government was able to identify the issues and concerns prevailing in the far-flung communities that need to be addressed by concerned government agencies.


As this developed, Malita Municipal Mayor Benjamin Bautista lauded the ARENA-11 for bringing the govern¬ment services to Malita.


He added that the presence of the military not only provided security but also facilitated the delivery of basic social services even in far-flung com¬munities.


Brigadier General Ariel Bernardo, 10th ID commander, said the govern¬ment has various programs for various social issues, which was exemplified through the spirit of “Bayanihan, Serbisyo Caravan” shown by the various stakeholders of peace and develop¬ment efforts in the area.


==Region 12 labor groups seek more ‘substantial’ wage hike==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=423207
*Tuesday May 1, 2012
:By (PNA)
LDV/AVE/RSS




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 1 (PNA) – Labor groups in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region called on the national government Tuesday to move for a more substantial wage increase and scrap the regional wage board in the region.


Hundreds of private workers belonging to organized labor unions in the region issued such call as they staged protest actions here and in other key cities in the area in commemoration of the 110th International Labor Day.


==Magnitude 4.5 quake rocks General Santos==
Adelaida Segumpan, Kilusang Mayong Uno (KMU) spokesperson in Region 12, noted the “heaven and earth” disparity between the daily minimum wage rate and the estimated cost of living level in the area.
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/01/29/magnitude-45-quake-rocks-general-santos-203152
*Sunday, January 29, 2012
:By. sunstar.com.ph


She said that while private sector workers get a minimum daily pay of up to P270, the daily cost of living for a family to live decently should not be less than P700.


DAVAO CITY -- General Santos City has been shaken by a magnitude-4.5 quake Sunday morning, state seismologists said.
“What the workers needed now is substantial wage increase in order for us to cope up with the skyrocketing prices of petroleum products, basic commodities and services,” Segumpan said.


The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake, tectonic in origin, was traced at 8:06 a.m. 57 kilometers south of General Santos City. The depth of the tremor was 384 kilometers.
She described the recently approved P10 to P14 daily wage increase in the region “as a meager amount meant to pacify workers’ wrath against the callousness of the Aquino administration.”


No aftershocks and casualties were reported.
Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said they are pushing for the abolition of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board as it supposedly serves more the concerns of the employers and not the workers.


The Philippines sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire where continental plates collide, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities. (Sunnex)
“The wage board [has] become the mouthpiece of big businesses,” he said.


==COMMENT: Pacquiao the Boxer in Congress (1)==
Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2012/01/28/comment-pacquiao-the-boxer-in-congress-1/
*Saturday| January 28, 2012
:By. Patricio P. Diaz


Meantime, thousands of jobseekers trooped to the three regional jobs fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 12.


(First of Four Parts)
Chona Mantilla, DOLE-12 regional director, said the three jobs fair opened smoothly and they expect that more local job seekers will be hired on-the-spot in today’s activities.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 27 January) – Manny Pacquiao, the multi-titled world boxing champion, and Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, the representative of the lone congressional district of Sarangani, are two persons in one man. As boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is super; as congressional representative, Emmanuel D. Pacquiao has still to prove his worth trying – granting that he does – to round the square peg that he is to fit into the round hole that is the Congress.
The boxer is more popular than the congressman; to the entire Philippines and the world, both are known as “Manny Pacquiao”. The rise of Manny to the top of the boxing world is spectacular and awesome; his transformation from rags to riches is legendary; and his entry into Congress is truly the “Filipino” in Philippine politics.
The Boxer
As told in various media accounts, as a poor boy, Pacquiao ventured to live life in Manila streets. At the age of 14, he earned his board and lodging as a member of the Philippine national amateur boxing team where he chalked a 60-4 win-loss record.
In 1995, at the age of 16 – weighing 98 pounds and standing at 4 feet, eleven inches – he started his professional boxing career with the Vintage Sports Blow by Blow. Three years after, on December 4, 1998, he knocked out Thai Chatchat Sasakul to win the WBC and Lineal World Flyweight Title. This was his first weight division world title.
On November 13, 2010, he beat Antonio Margarito to capture the vacant WBC Super Welterweight (also Light Middleweight) World Title – his eighth weight division world title. By this, he holds the distinction as the only boxer to reign in eight weight divisions – from the 112-lb. flyweight division to the 154-lb. super welterweight division in a span of twelve years. During this span, he lost twice while beating all title holders, contenders and challengers in the eight weight divisions since his second loss on March 19, 2005.
When did he win the six other weight division world titles? IBF Super Bantamweight (122 lbs.), June 23, 2001; The Ring Featherweight (126 lbs.), November 15, 2003; WBC Super Featherweight [also The Ring Junior Lightweight] (130 lbs), March 15, 2008; WBC Lightweight (135 lbs.), June 28, 2008; The Ring Junior Welterweight [also IBO Junior Welterweight] (140 lbs.), May 2, 2009; and WBO Welterweight (147 lbs.), November 14, 2009.
For this feat of par excellence, Manny Pacquiao was acclaimed by the Filipinos as their living national hero. It is said that time and work stopped nationwide during his fights as all crowded before television sets. He received three most prestigious awards from the President, two from the House of Representatives, one from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and honors from the governments of Manila and General Santos City. From American sports writers and organizations he received prestigious awards and citations.
He had the distinction of having been granted audience by U.S. President Barack Obama in the White House. It is unbelievable! He had humbled all great Mexican boxers – three of them the pride of Mexico – yet, according to the account of sports journalist Ronnie Nathanielz (Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 12, 2011), he received “fantastic welcome last week from Mexican fighting fans and members of parliament, who pushed and shoved each other to get close to the international boxing icon”.
More than the honors he has reaped – including recognition from living greats in the boxing world – he inspired several Filipino boxers to excel in international arena; and he erased in the last six years the prejudice against Oriental boxers in the American press. In 2006, I was in Portland, Oregon when Manny fought Eric Morales for the third time on November 18, 2006. No major television network or newspaper carried the event. I had to surf Philippine Daily Inquirer to know the result. That is no longer the case now.
Rags to Riches
Pacquiao’s transformation from rags to riches is legendary. When he first went to Manila in the early 1990s, it was said he lived in the streets striving for survival. Now, according to one of his publicists, on top of having several mansions in Metro Manila and a fleet of luxury cars, he has a home in Forbes Park, the exclusive preserve of the most elite of the elite in the country. He gives his wife and mother gifts in million-peso tags on their birthdays – on his wife’s latest birthday, a P25-million yacht.
In US dollars, he is multimillionaire; in Philippine pesos, a multi-billionaire. His fame has attracted multimillion peso commercial endorsements. These and the more fights in the next few years will keep his riches piling up.
Pacquiao doesn’t just spend his billions in lavish life. Gensan News On Line Mag of January 15, 2012 reveals his investments in General Santos City: two large parcels of land, one for his radio station and the other for a hotel; a block along Aparente St. corner Provido Village in Barangay City Heights where now stands one of his two commercial buildings and a hotel soon to open; and a variety of other (at least seven named) business establishments. Not mentioned is a farm in Malungon, Sarangani.
Manny Pacquiao should be emulated for rising out of rags onto riches. With guts, he has overcome poverty; literally, he earned his billions with his sweat and blood.
But Pacquiao’s story does not stop here. Riches breed ambition for power fanned by the fame riches naturally brings. Yielding to this ambition, Pacquiao emerges in a new person with a new story.


==SOCSKSARGEN government unions protest “oppressive” budget memo==
The job fairs were done simultaneously at the KCC Mall here, Southseas Mall in Cotabato City and the city gymnasium in Kidapawan City.
*Source: http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/42503-SOCSKSARGEN-government-unions-protest-147;oppressive148;-budget-memo.html
*Friday, January 27. 2012
:By. COCOY SEXCION


“We’re targeting at least 15 percent of our job seekers to be hired on-the-spot,” Mantilla said.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (January 27, 2012) - Government employees’ unions from all over SOCSKSARGEN launched a signature campaign among their members Wednesday (January 25) in a petition protesting Budget Circular No. 2011-05 they dubbed as “oppressive”.
She added that DOLE and its attached agencies are continually working to protect the rights and welfare of private workers in the region.
The Department of Budget and Management issued Budget Circular No. 2011-05 on December 26, 2011 providing for supplemental guidelines on the grant of Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) incentives.
The guidelines stipulate that “savings from only the following MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expense) items may be used as fund source of the CNA incentives such as Travelling Allowance, Communication Allowance, Repair and Maintenance, Transportation and Delivery expense, Supplies and Materials and Utility expense.”
The unions claimed the granting of CNA incentives has become impossible under the accounts mentioned which were usually used up at the end of each year, according to Anacleto Saya-ang.
Saya-ang, president of Sarangani Province Employees Union (SPEU), also said that savings would unlikely happen for the MOOE fund source which are reduced by 10% yearly. Not to mention the continuing hikes of oil prices and other supplies needed for operation.
The government union leaders highlighted the “oppressive” budget circular in the petition presented January 25 during their regular monthly meeting at Mindanao State University High School campus.
The union leaders represented the entire SOCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos City).
Also present during the meeting were Nur Juanday, president of General Santos City Employees Association; Tomas Robles, presiding officer and president of Public Sector Employees Alliance of SOCSKSARGEN; Felix Cabuguas of Philippine Independent Public Sector Employees Association; Edward Barrios, president of Surralah Municipal Employees Union Association; and Edna Guiñares, president of Tupi Municipal Employees Union and other municipal employees union leaders from provinces of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
The petition was addressed to President Benigno Aquino, the Secretary of Department of Budget and Management and the Public Sector Labor Management Council.
“The Order is a violation to the resolution of PSLMC (Public Sector Labor-Management Council) in which the DBM is just a member,” said Robles.
“By doing this petition, more or less, other members of PSLMC will be aware that their resolution is violated by the DBM circular.” Robles added.
The PSLMC, constituted under Executive Order No. 180, is composed primarily by the Secretaries of Justice, Budget and Management, Labor and Employment and the chairperson of Civil Service Commission with sectoral representations for the NGA’s GOCC, LGU and SUC.
The unionists target to finish the signature drive before the end of the month. The signed petition will be submitted to PSLMC in time for its meeting in Manila this February. Exact date is yet to be confirmed said Ramon Villa, SPEU director. For more news and updates, please visit to www.sarangani.gov.ph


==DSWD-12 delists 11,367 ‘unqualified’ 4Ps beneficiaries==
==14,000 jobs at stake in three Labor Day jobs fair in Region 12==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=400982
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=422981
*January 26, 2012, 4:22 pm
*Monday, April 30, 2012
:By. (PNA)  
:By. (PNA)  
LAP/AVE
FFC/AVE
 
 
 
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 30 (PNA) – About 14,000 local and overseas job placements will be opened to jobseekers in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region during the simultaneous Labor Day jobs fair here and in two other cities in the region on Tuesday.
 
Chona Mantilla, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 12 director, said Monday the three regional jobs fair are among the highlights of the agency’s celebration of the Labor Day in the area.
 
She said the jobs fair will be held at the KCC Mall here, South Seas Mall in Cotabato City and the city gymnasium of Kidapawan City.
 
On Monday, a pre-Labor Day jobs fair was also held at the Gaisano Grand Mall in Koronadal City.
 
“Our attached and allied agencies will also render free services, seminars and orientations to our job seekers and concerned residents,” Mantilla said.
 
Among the government agencies that signified to put up booths at the jobs fair venues were the Social Security System, National Bureau of Investigation, Pag-IBIG Fund and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
 
As of Monday, Mantilla said 114 companies and job placement agencies from the area as well as other key cities in the country have signified to join the activity.
 
She said they include 62 recruitment agencies that will offer 10,315 overseas placement opportunities, to both professional and skilled job seekers.
 
A total of 3,452 local jobs will also be opened during the three jobs fair, Mantilla said.
 
Dominia Milan, DOLE Sarangani-General Santos City labor officer, said the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will also hold orientations for beneficiaries of its convergence program.
 
She said they have initially identified 44 scholars or beneficiaries for the convergence DOLE’s Special Program for the Employment (SPES) and TESDA’s Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP).
 
She said 22 beneficiaries each were chosen from the municipalities of Malapatan and Alabel in Sarangani province.
 
Milan said they’re hoping that more job seekers from the area would be hired “on-the-spot” in Tuesday’s jobs fair.
 
“We’re aiming to surpass last year’s record of 200 job seekers who were hired on-the-spot by the participating companies and recruitment agencies,” she said.
 
Milan said they are currently assisting the initial job seekers who have registered at their office come up with some of the requirements to increase their chances of getting hired “on-the-spot” during the jobs fair.
 
==PNP-12 initiates SWAT competition==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1671335683867
*Sunday, April 29, 2012
:By.  Catherine T. Apelacio
 
 
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 29 (PIA) -- The Police Regional Office-12 here initiated the 1st SWAT (Special Weapon and Tactics) competition over the weekend to harness even more the skill of members in the elite unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
 
For the first time, PRO-12 brought together SWAT Units based in different city and the provincial police offices in the region for a unique contest.
 
PSSupt. Robert Kiunisala, deputy regional director for operations (DRDO), said that for the past few months, police job has become more challenging as crimes have been more complex and more sophisticated.
 
He said rebels have remained a major threat to peace in the region. Thus, the police, especially the SWAT forces must always be prepared all the time.
 
“Whenever rebels operate, we must find them where they dwell and stop them in their planning and one by one bring them to justice,” the Regional Public Information Office (RPIO) 12 quoted Kiunisala as saying.
 
Undertaken to suppress criminal activities, the SWAT competition, “is a programmed training aimed to enhance and refresh individual’s efficiency and unit teamwork to ensure greater survival rating during hard times.”
 
SWAT, as PNP’s special elite force, is touted to be the show window of the organization, being most of the time at the forefront of police operations.
 
Kiunisala reasoned that it is important that PRO 12 equip its personnel “with the right skills and knowledge” to make them professionals as they should be and for them to immediately respond during emergency situation or whenever necessary.
 
He said the mere fact that their (SWAT) knowledge and training have been honed to greater degree and given the chance to compete with the other only showed that they were “very competent and skilled” already.
 
Kiunisala also reminded the SWAT team that they only use firearms and weapons to protect people from harm and not to sow fear and insecurity among them.
 
An awarding ceremony led by Kiunisala himself capped the three-day activity with the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) 12 proclaimed as winning team followed by the Cotabato PPO, the General Santos City Police Office, fourth; Sarangani PPO, fifth; South Cotabato PPO, sixth; Sultan Kudarat PPO, seventh; and the Cotabato City Police Office, eighth. (CTA-PIA 12, General Santos City/With reports from RPIO-PRO-12)
 
==NDRRMC: 4 children die in GenSan diarrhea outbreak==
*Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/256454/news/regions/ndrrmc-4-children-die-in-gensan-diarrhea-outbreak
*Saturday, April 28, 2012
:By.  LBG, GMA News
 
 
At least four children died in a diarrhea outbreak that hit areas of General Santos City from March 30 to April 19, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said over the weekend.
 
In its report posted on its website Friday night, the NDRRMC said at least 243 people were affected, 134 of them were children aged 10 and below.
 
The NDRRMC identified the four fatalities as:
 
- Rain Jairo Cabilo Dacayo, 9 months, Brgy. Labangal, died April 10
- Angel Bernon, 2, died April 10
- Calzuma Mustapha, 8, died April 13
- Kinjie Masangkay, 3 months, died April 18
 
The NDRRMC also said 175 people were affected in Purok Saludin in Labangal village, 134 of them children.
 
At least 45 were affected in Purok Salafan in Apopong village, while another 23 were affected in Purok Mudia in Labangal village.
 
Samples had been taken from a pitcher pump that was the victims' source of water.
 
Drinking water is being treated and containers being disinfected to address the problem, the NDRRMC said.
 
==Suspension of banana venture eyed as land row heats up in South Cotabato village==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=422508
*Friday, April 27, 2012
:By. (PNA) LAP/AVE/AC
 
 
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 27 (PNA) – South Cotabato officials are seeking the suspension of the planned expansion of banana plantations in a farming village in Tupi town due to a worsening land conflict in the area.
 
South Cotabato Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr. said he is set to meet with representatives of a banana company to discuss the temporary deferment of its expansion in Barangay Koronadal Proper in Tupi until the ongoing land conflict in the area is resolved.
 
He initially declined to name the banana company, which is reportedly working on a contract-growing scheme for a 10-hectare plantation within the disputed area that spans around 45 hectares.
 
“We want the ownership of the area resolved first to avoid possible problems later on,” the governor said.
 
Tension gripped the village last February after a group of Moro residents intensified their claim over the lands, which they cited as part of their ancestral domain.
 
Alleged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Nadsid Akmad alias Kumander Faisal reportedly converged in the area supposedly to assist the claims of Moro residents over the lands from local Christian settlers.
 
The provincial government initiated a dialogue to ease the tension in the area but the situation has remained volatile due to the pending resolution of the land dispute.
 
Pingoy said he directed the Provincial Environment Management Office to defer the issuance of environmental clearances to companies that were eyeing to engage in any business venture in the area to avoid complicating the situation.
 
“These might push the claimants to resort to violent means to gain ownership of the lands and we don’t want that to happen,” he said.
 
In support of the local government’s move, the governor said officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provincial office have advised local landowners not to enter into any business contract with any entity without its endorsement.
 
The provincial government had asked DAR to conduct another survey of the area to resolve the ownership of the disputed lands, which were earlier distributed to 30 local farmers.
 
DAR had issued certificate of land titles to the farmers but Akmad’s group insisted that it was the real owner of the land.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 26 (PNA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen region has delisted some 11,367 households from the beneficiary database of the national government’s conditional cash transfer program due to inclusion errors, fraud and other eligibility problems.


Bai Zorahayda Taha, DSWD Region 12 director, said the move is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to cleanse the anti-poverty program, which is also known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps, of unqualified beneficiaries to ensure that it would only benefit the “poorest of the poor” households in the area.


“This is a continuing process and we’re currently reviewing and verifying various complaints regarding questions on the status or qualification of some of our beneficiaries,” she said.
==13 colleges, universities in Region 12 raise tuition fees by 4-8%==
*Source: http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/46748-South-Cotabato,-Maguindanao-execs-set-meet-over-boundary-row.html
*Thursday, April 26, 2012
:By. (PNA) LAP/AVE


Taha, who acts as regional program manager of 4Ps, said the review and verification of the beneficiary list is a component of the grievance redress system or GRS that was adopted by the agency to address concerns and complaints regarding its overall implementation.


The DSWD central office ordered last year a nationwide review of the 4Ps’ beneficiary list due to the confirmed inclusion of unqualified beneficiaries into the program.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 26 (PNA) – Thirteen private colleges and universities in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region are set to raise their tuition and other related fees by four to 10 percent starting June, an official of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said.


In Region 12, program implementers noted that a number of unqualified beneficiaries such as teachers, barangay officials and other government workers, among others, had been “erroneously included” in the program.
Dr. Zohrahaydah Panawidan, CHED Region 12 assistant director, said the 13 institutions were among the 222 nationwide that applied and granted approval earlier this month by the CHED central office to increase their tuition fees in the upcoming school year 2012-2013.


Most of the inclusion errors reportedly happened during the encoding of the results of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or NHTS-PR survey, which was used in the selection of the beneficiaries.
“As cited in their applications, they were raising their tuition fees to cover for the salary increases of their teachers and the improvement of their facilities and equipment,” she said in a radio interview.


Taha said the delisted beneficiaries were all from the 32 municipalities and two cities in Region 12 that were covered by the program last year.
Panawidan said a total of 16 colleges and universities in the region has applied for tuition fee increases by the March 31 deadline.


Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.


DWSD-12 also serves beneficiaries in Marawi City, which is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, but no household-beneficiary from the area has been so far delisted.
But she said one institution later withdrew while the two others failed to complete their application requirements.
 
Panawidan said most of them applied for an eight percent increase but some also sought for 10 percent and four percent adjustments.
 
In this city, the colleges and universities that were raising their tuition fees were the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, Mindanao Polytechnic College, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College and the General Santos Doctors Medical School Foundation.
 
They were joined by Notre Dame University in Cotabato City; Notre Dame of Salaman College in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat; Southern Christian College in Midsayap, North Cotabato; Central Mindanao College and Notre Dame of Kidapawan in Kidapawan City; and, St. Alexius College, King’s College of Marbel, Green Valley College Foundation Inc. and Regency Polytechnic College in Koronadal City.
 
Based on data from CHED central office, the average tuition fee increase it approved for the 13 colleges and universities in the region was around eight percent, which is equivalent to P28.81 per unit.
 
The new tuition fee increase practically raises the average tuition fee in the region to P400.78 from the previous P371.97.
 
“The increases are actually minimal when added to the old rates,” Panawidan said.
 
The official assured that the 13 colleges and universities have complied with the requirements set by the agency with regards to the setting of tuition fee increases, among them the consultations with their stakeholders.
 
She said they reviewed the applications of the concerned institutions before submitting them to the CHED central office.
 
==South Cotabato, Maguindanao execs set meet over boundary row==
*Source: http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/46748-South-Cotabato,-Maguindanao-execs-set-meet-over-boundary-row.html
*Wednesday, April 25. 2012
:By. Allen Estabillo
 
 
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Officials of South Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces are set to meet next week to discuss ways to resolve a worsening conflict among residents within their disputed boundaries.
 
South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said Tuesday Maguindanao officials agreed to meet with them and work on a possible settlement regarding the delineation of the boundaries of Tantangan town in South Cotabato and Mangudadatu town in Maguindanao.
 
He said they will discuss during the meeting some interventions to help ease the tension among land claimants that already led to the killing of a resident of Tantangan town earlier this month.


Based on their 2011 annual report, Taha noted that Sultan Kudarat province posted the most number of delisted beneficiaries with 3,734 households followed by South Cotabato with 3,594, Sarangani with 2,543, North Cotabato with 975, General Santos City with 310 and Cotabato City with 211.
Pingoy said Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu has signified to attend the proposed meeting, which is being finalized by both local governments.


Aside from the inclusion errors, she said some of the beneficiaries were taken off from the list due to duplication or double entry, transfer to area that is not covered by the program, fraud, increase in household income and failure to submit to the GRS mandate.
“Gov. Mangudadatu and I had initial discussions on this matter and we both agreed that it’s time for us to settle this matter to avoid further bloodshed among the claimants,” the governor said.


The official said 1,433 household-beneficiaries in the region were also delisted last year for completing the program’s three-year cycle while 10,393 others were also purged due to their failure to fully comply with the 4Ps registration process.
Pingoy said the local government has requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to conduct a survey and set delineation marks on the boundaries of the two municipalities.


“These (10,393) were part of the program’s target coverage and have undergone the initial processes but eventually failed to complete their registration,” she said.
He said they also asked the Department of Agrarian Reform to provide copies of possible documents pertaining to the disputed lands.


Meantime, Taha said they resolved 5,379 complaints related to the program’s implementation in the region last year out of the 9,064 cases that they received.
“We’re currently compiling the registry and assessment records, survey maps and other related documents concerning these lands. Hopefully, we can come up with some settlement and bring peace to the affected areas in Tantangan,” Pingoy said.


She said 3,685 cases were still undergoing the resolution process through the GRS.
On April 9, a resident of Purok Maharlika in Barangay Poblacion of Tantangan was killed in an attack allegedly staged by a group of land claimants from nearby Mangudadatu town.


“Most of the complaints were on payment issues and we addressed them with the conduct of massive updating and retroactive payments. The complaints concerning payments were significantly reduced during the last quarter of 2011,” Taha said.
The victim, identified as Army T/Sgt. Fernando Patria, was on his way home from his farm when he was waylaid by about 20 armed men allegedly led by a certain Kumander Patotoy.


She added that they also received cases of alleged extortion by their municipal links on the beneficiaries and misuse of the cash grants.
The local police believe the incident was an offshoot of a long-drawn conflict over vast tracts of farmlands in the area, including Patria’s palay farm.


4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to “poorest of the poor” households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14 years.
Tension also escalated in the area in July last year, prompting the municipal government of Tantangan to elevate the matter to the Provincial Peace and Order Council.


The program provides beneficiaries cash grants of P500 a month for health and nutrition expenses and P300 a month per child for educational expenses. A household with three qualified children could get P1,400 monthly.
Tantangan Mayor Arnold Garingo said his town already lost some 143 hectares of titled private lands due to alleged illegal occupation by claimants from the neighboring Mangudatatu town and Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat.


He said most of the lands that were annexed by the claimants were located in the lower portion of Barangay Poblacion and Barangay Cuyapo in Tantangan, comprising irrigated rice lands that stretch to the banks of Lake Buluan.


The mayor said the alleged "land-grabbing" activities started in 1994 and has worsened during the last several years.


He said some farmers in the area were forced to leave their lands supposedly due to threats of violence from the claimants, some of whom reportedly come from this city. (PNA)


LAP/AVE


==South Cotabato cops note improved operations==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=421651
*April 24, 2012, 7:36 pm
:By. (PNA)
LAP/AVE/AC




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 24 (PNA) – Operations of police units in South Cotabato province significantly improved during the first three months of the year as they cleared over 73 percent of the crime incidents that occurred in the area.


Senior Supt. Randolph Delfin, South Cotabato police director, said they achieved a crime clearance efficiency rating of 73.33 during the first quarter, which increased by 20 percent from last year’s records.


Crime clearance efficiency refers to the percentage of cleared cases out of the total number of crime incidents handled by law enforcement agencies for a given period of time.


==4Ps cash grants in Region 12 reach P1.075-B in 2011==
In terms of crime solution efficiency, he said they slightly improved their rating from 25 percent last year to 27.33 percent this year.
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=400688
 
*January 25, 2012, 5:04 pm
“Out of the 793 crime incidents that we handled, 494 were so far cleared and 218 have been solved,” Delfin said.
:By.(PNA)
 
FFC/AVE
The police official said among their major accomplishment for the period was the recovery of 15 of the 23 motorcycles that were stolen within the province’s 10 towns and lone city.
 
He said they filed six cases on Monday against several identified carnapping or motorcycle theft suspects.
 
Delfin maintained that the province has remained generally peaceful and orderly as shown by the area’s crime statistics.


He said the average crime rate in the area during the first quarter of the year has gone down to 31.9 percent from the 35.7 percent in the same period last year.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 25 (PNA) – The national government has released a total of P1.075 billion in cash grants last year to beneficiaries of its continuing conditional cash transfer program in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen region and portions of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
In terms of illegal drugs, Delfin said they have so far arrested 33 suspects and launched 18 major operations in the area.


Bai Zorahayda Taha, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 12 director, said Wednesday the funds were released directly to 148,660 “poorest of the poor” households in the area that were covered by the government’s flagship anti-poverty initiative Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
He said these operations have led to the recovery of some P5M worth of illegal drugs, specifically mehtamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" and marijuana.


In Region 12, she said the program has so far served 145,421 households in 32 municipalities and two cities as part of the national government’s anti-poverty convergence strategy.
The police official said they were able to arrest 75 persons with pending arrests warrants, including 18 who were facing illegal gambling charges.


Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Cotabato, Kidapawan and Tacurong.
Delfin added that they apprehended 12 suspects and recovered 18 high-powered arms in separate operations in Tantangan and Banga towns.


It also covers 10,719 households in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, which is part of the ARMM, Taha noted.
==Gensan hosts Google Map Maker Summit Mindanao==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681335168407
*Monday 23rd of April 2012
:By. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


Taha said they will continue with the program’s expansion in the area this year based on an earlier commitment made by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.


“We’re currently targeting to enlist 96,695 more household-beneficiaries in 15 identified expansion areas,” she cited in their 2011 annual report.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 23 (PIA) --The Tuna Capital hosted Saturday another significant gathering of internet enthusiasts, the first ever Google Map Maker Summit Mindanao designed to “improve tourism and disaster preparedness in the country.”


Taha said the enlistment of new beneficiaries is presently ongoing in Tacurong City and and Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat; Koronadal City, Tupi, Tantangan, Tampakan, Surallah, Polomolok and Norala in South Cotabato; and, Kidapawan City, Kabacan, M’lang, Libungan, Makilala and Midsayap in North Cotabato.
City Media Affairs Officer, Avelmar Manansala disclosed that more or less 150 “mappers” composed of students, policemen, bloggers, representatives of the religious sector and the academe, local government unit’s (LGU) tourism and planning officers, and other stakeholders actively participated in the one day event.  


Additional beneficiaries were also being enrolled in Alabel town in Sarangani and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat, she said.
“Google Map Maker is a product that enables people to add to and update the map for locations around the world,” said Aileen Apollo-de Jesus, Google Southeast Asia’s head of outreach.  


From last year year’s target of 2.34 million households, the national government has set the expansion of 4Ps to 3.04 million households this year as part the fifth phase of its implementation.
Apollo-de Jesus explained that the summit is a joint project of Google and Department of Tourism (DOT) to “improve the accuracy of Google Maps in 80 provinces around the Philippines.”


The national government earlier increased the program’s budget from P21.19 billion this year to P39.5 billion next year to cope with its planned expansion.
Manansala said mapping Mindanao is very important since it will not only help in locating disaster-prone areas in the island to prepare for calamities, but will also “increase awareness in tourism-related spots.”


4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to “poorest of the poor” households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14 years.
He said this will help tourists and even local residents to locate all the establishments in a certain area at any point in time that they search for its location using their mobile phones and other search gadgets.  


The program provides beneficiaries cash grants of P500 a month for health and nutrition expenses and P300 a month per child for educational expenses. A household with three qualified children could get P1,400 monthly.
“The more information you have about a certain place, the more it is enticing to visit that place,” he pointed out.  


In his visit to the Philippines late last year, World Bank Group president Robert Zoellick backed proposals to expand the government’s food subsidy program for the lowest-income households, saying the country’s economic growth should also benefit the poor.
In General Santos City, Manansala revealed that there are over a hundred “active mappers” who are currently updating the latest Google Earth Map of the city by adding names of streets and photos of establishments to it.  


He described the 4Ps as a “prudent safety net” for poor families, especially in tough economic times.
He said Google chose Gensan to be the venue of the Mindanao Summit because it has “the most active community of mappers” in the area.  


The World Bank has supported the nationwide rollout of the 4Ps since its launching in 2008 as a primary poverty reduction initiative of the national government.
Manansala disclosed that the city government through Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio has recently intensified her administration’s computer literacy program through the conduct of trainings and seminars like Google Sketch-Up to aid in the said effort to map up the city and other areas in the region.  


==Rookie cop, civilian charged for possession of illegal drugs, firearms==
“We want to help map up the entire country so that nobody will be lost in the Philippines. This is also in support of the DOT’s campaign: It’s more fun in the Philippines,” he explained.  
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=400322
*January 24, 2012, 5:07 pm
:By. (PNA)
FFC/AVE


Meanwhile, Manansala said that Google is also encouraging interested LGUs and other local organizations to conduct their own local map ups or “mapping party.”


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 24 (PNA) – Police authorities in Sultan Kudarat province filed charges on Tuesday against a rookie policeman assigned in Cotabato City and a civilian who were arrested for alleged possession of illegal drugs, unlicensed firearm and explosives at a checkpoint in Isulan town last Friday.
He said Google Map Maker Team Asia pledged to provide interested local communities with technical support and other help necessary for a successful conduct of similar event.  


Senior Insp. Eugenio Malilin, Isulan police chief, identified the suspects as Police Officer 1 Morshed Manibpel, 27, who was listed as an active member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group-12’s special reaction unit, and Nasrula Pamanag, 28, a resident of Talitay town In Maguindanao.
The Google Map Maker Summit Mindanao is in partnership with Soccsksargen bloggers or “sox bloggers” with brothers, Avel and Orman Manansala as the lead conveners.


He said the two were charged before the Provincial Prosecution Office for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Law and Republic Acts 8294 and 9156 for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
==Mindanao leaders to formulate policy agenda==
*Source: http://positivenewsmedia.com/blog/2012/04/mindanao-leaders-to-formulate-policy-agenda/
*Apr 22, 2012
:By.  (PNA)
scs/BAC/mec


Malilin said the suspects were arrested after they allegedly yielded some 11 packs of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth around P500,000 during a search at a police checkpoint along the national highway in Barangay Kenram in Isulan town.


He said they also seized from the duo a government-issued lite M-16 Armalite rifle, an unlicensed .45 caliber handgun, a fragmentation grenade, assorted live bullets and some P40,000 in cash.
MANILA, April 22 (PNA) — Mindanao leaders are going to formulate policy agenda affecting the region’s competitiveness, develop solutions and ensure support from the national government.
This would be spearheaded by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which will gather inputs from the Mindanao regional business conferences of the PCCI.
MinDA and PCCI will consolidate the results of this year’s consultations and use these to formulate the initial draft of a policy agenda for Mindanao.
MinDA will provide the draft policy agenda by early June to concerned secretaries of the Aquino Cabinet, for them to review with their departments.
The draft will be refined further at high-level roundtable discussions that will serve as a prelude to the 21st Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon), which will be held on August 2-4 in Butuan City.
The event will allow Cabinet officials and the private sector to focus together on specific issues and bottlenecks affecting Mindanao’s competitiveness, and to develop appropriate commitments from government agencies, the business community and other stakeholders.
The final draft of the Mindanao Business Policy Agenda will be presented to President Benigno S. Aquino III at the 21st MinBizCon.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, is also supporting the holding of the consultation meetings.
USAID, through the GEM Program, provides assistance to business support organizations to help them implement development strategies that will improve the competitiveness of major industries in Mindanao.
The broad-based regional consultations started on April April 18, covering the areas of western Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); Cagayan de Oro City on April 24 for northern and eastern Mindanao; and General Santos City on May 8 for central and southern Mindanao.
“These consultations are part of our continuing efforts in policy modification and advocacy to ensure that Mindanao imperatives in key sectors are addressed by the national government,” said MinDA Secretary Luwalhati Antonino.
Issues pertaining to the power, agriculture, mining and transport sectors dominated last year’s discussions.
“PCCI local chambers nationwide, through our regional governors and area vice presidents, provide our national board with inputs with which to formulate national policy positions,” said PCCI Secretary-General Crisanto Frianeza.
“The Mindanao chambers are privileged to have an able partner in MinDA,” Frianeza said. “When the chambers come up with policy recommendations, MinDA assists not only in facilitating discussions but in providing inputs on how these recommendations can be refined.”
“More importantly, the chambers and the government, through MinDA, readily find common ground and are able to push together for these recommendations,” he added.
“We are working closely with PCCI in pushing for Mindanao-specific policies to create an environment conducive to business growth,” said Antonino.
“We recognize the critical role played by the private sector in addressing our peace and development imperatives in the region,” he added.


“He (PO1 Manibpel) was wearing his full PNP uniform that time and we found the illegal drugs hidden underneath his pants,” Malilin said in a radio interview.
==Militants end anti-VFA protest in plaza named after US general==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/04/21/militants-end-anti-vfa-protest-in-plaza-named-after-us-general/
*Saturday| April 21, 2012
:By.  Edwin G. Espejo


The police official said they intercepted the suspects based on a report they received Friday morning from the Police Regional Office’s 12’s intelligence unit that a “uniformed man” carrying stashed illegal drugs was then en route to Isulan town aboard a private vehicle.


He said they immediate set up checkpoints along the town’s entry and exit points and conducted a search on vehicles passing the area.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 April) – The symbolism was not lost on the Leftist militants who staged a week-long protest caravan that coincided with the holding of another round of joint military exercises between Philippine and US troops.
On the day they ended their island-wide caravan that brought them to several cities south of Mindanao, they chose to find themselves in the middle of the plaza named after an American general who led a
bloody war of attrition against inhabitants of the island at the turn of the 19th century.
General John ‘Black Jack’ Pershing was a major in the US Army when he was sent “to suppress the insurrection” in Mindanao and Jolo in 1899.
He saw action in Lanao during the Filipino-American War and was a hero in the American colonial war in Cuba before he was assigned to the Philippines.
Pershing was also the regimental quartermaster of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the US Army which was immortalized by the late reggae master Bob Marley in his signature song ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’
Marley described the regiment as a US army unit which took in Cuban slaves to fight for America.
Members of the Patriyotiko Mindanao kicked off their protest against the continued presence of American troops in the country on April 15 in General Santos City.
They were joined by their fellow militants from Davao City in Cotabato City where a brief scuffle ensued allegedly involving a still unnamed soldier who punched a woman protester in front of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division in nearby Awang, Maguindano.
The protest caravan brought them to the cities of Koronadal, Pagadian and Ipil before finally winding up in Zamboanga City.
The protesters who claimed their numbers have swelled to 4,000, arrived in Zamboanga City Wednesday evening.
Philippine and US troops will hold joint military exercises in Glan, Sarangani in June as part of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries.
Glan, along with Zamboanga City, is one of the earliest settlement areas of the American occupation forces in Mindanao.


Malilin said they later stopped PO1 Manibpel and Pamanag while they were on their way to the town proper of Isulan aboard a maroon multicab truck.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 April) – The symbolism was not lost on the Leftist militants who staged a week-long protest caravan that coincided with the holding of another round of joint military exercises between Philippine and US troops.
On the day they ended their island-wide caravan that brought them to several cities south of Mindanao, they chose to find themselves in the middle of the plaza named after an American general who led a
bloody war of attrition against inhabitants of the island at the turn of the 19th century.
General John ‘Black Jack’ Pershing was a major in the US Army when he was sent “to suppress the insurrection” in Mindanao and Jolo in 1899.
He saw action in Lanao during the Filipino-American War and was a hero in the American colonial war in Cuba before he was assigned to the Philippines.
Pershing was also the regimental quartermaster of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the US Army which was immortalized by the late reggae master Bob Marley in his signature song ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’
Marley described the regiment as a US army unit which took in Cuban slaves to fight for America.
Members of the Patriyotiko Mindanao kicked off their protest against the continued presence of American troops in the country on April 15 in General Santos City.
They were joined by their fellow militants from Davao City in Cotabato City where a brief scuffle ensued allegedly involving a still unnamed soldier who punched a woman protester in front of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division in nearby Awang, Maguindano.
The protest caravan brought them to the cities of Koronadal, Pagadian and Ipil before finally winding up in Zamboanga City.
The protesters who claimed their numbers have swelled to 4,000, arrived in Zamboanga City Wednesday evening.
Philippine and US troops will hold joint military exercises in Glan, Sarangani in June as part of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries.
Glan, along with Zamboanga City, is one of the earliest settlement areas of the American occupation forces in Mindanao.


“It turned out that the uniformed man identified in the report was a PNP member – PO1 Manibpel,” he said.
==Mindanao blackouts worsen with Pulangi hydro plant rehab==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/04/20/mindanao-blackouts-worsen-with-pulangi-hydro-plant-rehab/
*Friday| April 20, 2012
:By.  Allen V. Estabillo


Malilin added the intelligence report noted that PO1 Manibpel allegedly came from a drug-related transaction in Koronadal City before he was arrested.


==Gensan vice mayor Vice Mayor Nograles urges residents to unite against climate change==
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The daily blackouts here and nearby South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces have stretched to four hours on Thursday as Mindanao’s power deficit increased to 276 megawatts (MW) due to the ongoing rehabilitation of the National Power Corporation’s (Napocor) Pulangi IV hydroelectric plant in Bukidnon.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=73594
Engr. Joseph Yanga, South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) technical services supervisor, said they were forced to extend the rotating brownouts in the area to four hours from the previous three hours and 15 minutes due to the additional power supply cuts imposed by the Napocor and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
*Monday, January 23, 2012
From its average contracted supply of 72 MW, he said Napocor further reduced the area’s allocation earlier this month to 54 MW or 51 MW short from its 105 MW peak requirement.
:By. Pops Gumana-Fruylan
Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. augments the area’s requirement by 30 MW based on a supply contract earlier forged by Socoteco II.
“(But) for today, the Napocor is only giving us 45 MW. That leaves us short by 30 MW so we really have no other choice but extend the rotating brownouts,” Yanga told MindaNews.
Based on an advisory issued by Socoteco II’s institutional services department, it would implement the rotating brownouts in four phases from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. based on the distribution of its 44 feeder stations.
Socoteco II serves this city, the entire Sarangani province and the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok in South Cotabato.
NGCP imposed drastic load cuts since February due to the rising power supply shortage in Mindanao that reportedly stemmed from the dwindling capacity of the Napocor’s hydroelectric plants in Bukinon and Lanao del Norte.
As of 6 a.m. Thursday, the NGCP said Mindanao’s system capacity only stands at 955 MW or 276 MW short from its peak demand of 1,231 MW.
The electric cooperative, which has been implementing two-hour daily rotating brownouts since last month, initially issued an advisory increasing the power curtailments to three hours and 15 minutes last Tuesday until the end of the month due to the scheduled shutdown of the Pulangi plant to undergo a month-long repair and rehabilitation.
Yanga said they have scrapped the previous advisory and will instead issue daily notices to its consumers due to the uncertainty of the Napocor’s power generation capacity.
“The allocations from the Napocor and NGCP presently changes on a daily basis and there were also unanticipated supply fluctuations happening from time to time within the Mindanao grid,” he said.
He cited, as example, the cutoff from the Mindanao power grid of the 55-MW bunker fired power station of the Southern Philippines Power Corp. (SPPC) based in Alabel, Sarangani that covers for a portion of the Napocor’s power supplies to the area.
Yanga said they expect the area’s power situation to stabilize towards the end of May when the rehabilitation of Pulangi IV will be completed.
By then, he said the Napocor committed to restore the area’s allocation to 72 MW and increase it further to 74 MW by July.
In Davao City, Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC) said it may result into a 30-minute daily power interruption if Napocor increases the load curtailment assigned to the distribution company.


DLPC has a 50MW diesel-fired standby power plant and has also purchased 30MW from the Sibulan and Tamugan hydro plants. DLPC and both the 26MW Sibulan and the 4MW Tamugan hydroelectric plants are owned by the Aboitizes.
In a press statement Wednesday, DLPC said it will result into rotating brownouts once the deficiency in the Mindanao grid reaches 320MW. So far, Davao City has been spared by power interruptions.
In Cotabato province, where the 100MW Mt. Apo Geothermal Power Plant is located, the rotating brownouts are even longer – from six to eight hours.
The same situation is being experienced by Bukidnon residents.
Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative (Buseco) general manager Edgar Masongsong said their supply from Napocor has been reduced to 8MW. He said they are now negotiating for an additional 7MW from Therma Marine Inc. on top of the 5MW they have already contracted. Daily load demand in his franchise area, however, is from a low of 17MW to 23MW.
Masongsong said they now are forced to cut power supply from six to eight hours in the areas covered by their two sub-stations.
In Iligan city, the Iligan Light and Power, Inc. had earlier announced a two-hour rotating brownout once Pulangi IV is shut down. But power interruptions started only today (Wednesday).
In 2010, most of Mindanao also suffered from rotating brownouts of up to nine hours due to the prolonged dry season, when the water level in Lake Lanao dropped to below critical levels.
Fifty-three percent of Mindanao’s power supply comes from the Agus and Pulangi hydroelectric plants, which have a combined installed capacity of more than 900MW. But their actual capacities were reduced to less than 600MW due to poor maintenance and heavy silt (in the case of Pulangi River).
Business leaders and industry players have repeatedly warned that Mindanao will suffer massive power interruptions if no new capacities will be added to the existing available capacities by 2014. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews with reports from Edwin Espejo, contributor)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan 23 (PIA)— Vice Mayor Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles urged residents here on Tuesday “to agree on precautionary measures” to combat the ill-effects of climate change.
==301 ALS teachers, students in Gensan complete computer literacy trainings==
In a privilege speech delivered before members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Nograles noted that only few are taking climate change seriously despite the recent frequency of global catastrophes like earthquakes, typhoons, droughts and floods that claimed thousands of lives.
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681334819798
“The signal of climate change is still barely detectable and it is time for us to agree on precautionary measures sufficiently robust to ensure the worst fears are never realized,” she said.
*Thursday 19th of April 2012
The vice mayor pointed out that what happened in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan recently is a lesson must learned.
:By. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)  
“Many have died in flashfloods and mudslides unleashed by the storm, while thousands of survivors are crammed in evacuation centers,” she explained.
Nograles also recalled the fear that welcomed the city in the dawn of 2012 after the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) announced “of widespread rains over Eastern and Southern Mindanao that may cause flash floods and landslides due to low pressure area sighted east southeast of Gensan.”
There was a widespread “call for immediate solutions to ensure the safety of everyone especially in areas that will be affected by flashfloods,” the vice mayor narrated.
To mitigate the possibility of flashflood in the city, Nograles said it is high time to discuss the reestablishment of drainage systems in Gensan, which is one of the identified causes of floods in the area.
She explained that the reestablishment of the present drainage system in affected barangays in the city and the development of a better drainage system will curb flooding problems and will benefit the business industry and household as well.
Meanwhile, the vice mayor challenged everyone to take responsibility, alter lifestyle, and do something to address the problems on climate change before “the next generation will look back upon us and despise us.”
“We call on those who are in-charge not to hesitate, not to fall into dispute, not to blame each other but to seize opportunity from the greatest modern failure of politics. This should not be a fight between the rich world and the poor world, or between east and west. Climate change affects everyone, and must be solved by everyone,” she emphasized. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


==General Santos City journalists arm themselves==
*Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/15522-general-santos-city-journalists-arm-themselves
*Sunday, January 22, 2012 
:By. JERRY N. ADLAW


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 19 (PIA) -- Around 300 teachers and students from Department of Education's (DepEd) Alternative Learning System (ALS) formally completed Wednesday the series of trainings conducted by the office of the SHEEP-Computer Literacy Program (CLP) of the city government.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY: Fearing that more attacks would be launched against them, media practitioners here have started to arm themselves following the murder of local tabloid publisher Christopher Guarin earlier this month.
Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio distributed the certificate of completion to the graduates who actively participated in the six-month computer literacy trainings designed to give equal opportunity to the out-of-school youths (OSY) who are eager to learn and be competitive.  


At least 11 shooting incidents this month and the reported presence of an assassin tasked to kill 10 journalists have compelled members of the media to take up arms as they fear that the local police may not be able to protect them.  
ALS Education Program Supervisor, Gregorio Ruales said that there are more or less 5,000 ALS learners in the city, but only those living in the “downtown area” have availed of the additional free trainings.  


Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio of General Santos City has directed Chief Supt. Benjardi Mantele, director of Police Regional Office 12, to investigate reports that a gun-for-hire group—its members reportedly come from the cities of Cagayan de Oro in Misamis Oriental province and Tagum in Davao del Norte province—are in the city to kill more media practitioners.
“Most learners in the far-flung barangays had hard time attending the trainings since most of them don't have the money to defray the costs of daily food and fare. Nevertheless, this will not stop us from imparting the knowledge to others who were not able to make it,” he explained.  


Ronald Mascardo, publisher of the local weekly tabloid Balita, disclosed that he had been receiving death threats after Guarin was killed.
Ruales disclosed that Mayor Custodio also promised to support the ALS e-learning by providing them with computer units which they could use to educate other ALS learners in the remote areas of the city like Barangays Upper Labay, San Jose, Mabuhay, and Siguel.  


According to him, he has received text messages warning him that he would be next.
“The effort of the city government to train the out-of-school youths in information and technology (IT) is very timely so they will not be left out with the fast changing economy,” he added.  


Custodio has urged members of the media to be vigilant and coordinate with the police if they believe that the threats against them are serious, but some of them have opted to buy guns for their protection.
Meanwhile, SHEEP-CLP head, Percival Pasuelo said they have conducted a total of four trainings to ALS implementers since November last year which include: Audio-Visual Presentation using ProShow, Newsletter Designing and MagPress Training, Digital Image Manipulation and Tarpaulin Designing using PhotoShop, and Web and Video Blogging.


==GenSan earns P149M from business permits==
He disclosed that ALS learners were also taught Basic Computer Operations,and Invitation and Calling Card making using Microsoft Word which they can use for livelihood.  
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/01/21/gensan-earns-p149m-from-business-permits/
*Saturday| January 21, 2012
:By. Allen V. Estabillo


“We learned that after the trainings ALS learners are now working part time in internet cafe's and printing press,” Ruales said.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 January) – The city government has generated some P149
==Daily outage in GenSan, nearby areas extends to 3 hours as Pulangi IV shuts down for rehab==
million in revenues from the application and renewal of business permits during the last three weeks, an official said Friday.
*Source: http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/46454-Daily-outage-in-GenSan,-nearby-areas-extends-to-3-hours-as-Pulangi-IV-shuts-down-for-rehab.html
City Administrator Jose Mariano Gonzales said the figure was based on the total payments made as of Thursday by local business owners that availed of the city government’s one-stop shop for renewal and application of business registration that opened last Jan. 2 at the city hall lobby here.
*Wednesday, April 18. 2012
He said this year’s income so far is only P15 million short of the P164 million generated by the local government in the entire 2011.
:By. (PNA)
The city government has not yet released the figures regarding the number of businesses that have applied and renewed their registrations since the one-stop-shop would still be open until late Friday (Jan. 20) evening.
LAP/FFC/AVE
“We’re on track towards meeting or even exceeding that target since a number of investors have already signified to roll out their ventures and projects this year,” Gonzales said.
He said three more hotel projects will commence this year while the city’s biggest shopping mall, KCC Mall of GenSan, has signified to begin its expansion before the end of the year.
Gonzales said a hotel would reportedly be built within the SM City General Santos mall complex, which is slated to open within the first half of the year, while another investor is also building another one along the Jose Catolico Avenue here.
The third hotel would be built by Microtel hotel chain, he said.
An official of the city’s business chamber earlier said three call center companies are expected to expand this year at the newly-opened Mabuhay Information Technology Park here.
Meantime, City Permits and Licensing Division chief Geraldine Zamora said the one-stop-shop for the application and renewal of business registration is so far running smoothly due to new innovations earlier introduced by the local government.
She said they have cut down the renewal and application process by eliminating the notarial requirement for their clients’ documents.
Zamora said they also opened last month a pre-registration for their prospective clients through forms that were made available online. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)


==BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games slated Dec. 8-11==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/SportsArticle.aspx?articleId=769523&publicationSubCategoryId=69
*January 20, 2012 12:00 AM
:By. philstar.com


GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The daily rotating brownouts here and the neighboring areas rose to at least three hours Tuesday as the National Power Corporation (NPC) pushed through with the scheduled shutdown of the Pulangi IV hydroelectric plant in Bukidnon to facilitate its month-long rehabilitation.
Geronimo Desesto, South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) institutional services manager, said in an advisory that they were implementing three hour and 15-minute rotating brownouts daily starting Tuesday as a result of the new power load cuts brought about by the Pulangi plant’s closure.
He said they scheduled the power outages, which will run until April 30, in four phases based on the distribution of its 44 feeder stations.
Socoteco II serves this city, the entire Sarangani province and the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok in South Cotabato.
Prior to the implementation of the new power curtailment schedule, Socoteco II had implemented two-hour daily rotating brownouts in the area due to the power supply cuts imposed by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).
NGCP imposed the load cuts due to the rising power supply shortage in Mindanao that reportedly stemmed from the dwindling capacity of the NPC’s hydroelectric plants in Bukinon and Lanao del Norte.
Engr. Santiago Tudio, Socoteco I general manager, said the NPC shut down the Pulangi around 9 a.m. Tuesday based on an advisory issued by the NGCP’s substation in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.
He said the plant’s closure means an additional deficit of around 180 MW to Mindanao’s power supply mix during the peak hours.
In an advisory posted in its website, the NGCP said the island’s power deficit presently stands at 234 MW and is foreseen to increase to 243 MW on Wednesday and 248 MW on Thursday.
On Monday, the reported power supply deficit in Mindanao was at 74 MW or 160 MW less than the current shortage.
“The areas that would be hit hardest (by the new load cuts) are those that have high power requirements like Zamboanga City, General Santos City and the Agusan area,” said Tudio, citing the NGCP’s advisory.
In this city, which has a requirement of 105 MW, the NGCP further reduced its supplies by around 10 MW or a total deficit of 40 MW, he said.
Since January, the NPC has cut down the area’s power supplies by 30 MW or around 30 percent of its power requirement.
Socoteco II had forged a supply contract with the Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. (TMI) to augment the area’s power supplies by 23 MW, leaving its current deficit to around 17 MW.
Tudio said that for Socoteco I’s service area, the average daily power supply cuts would reach around 5 MW based on the NGCP’s new load distribution schedule.
Socoteco I, which has a peak requirement of 31 MW, covers Koronadal City, Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat and eight municipalities in South Cotabato.
“Our regular supply has been reduced to 25 MW but we have a contracted augmentation of 5 MW from TMI so the impact of Pulangi IV’s shutdown will be very minimal here. At worst, our rotating brownouts may only reach about 30 minutes,” Tudio said.




MANILA, Philippines - Saranggani and General Santos City will host the seventh Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asian Growth Areas (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games set on Dec. 8-11 for athletes aged 21 and below.


The event was finalized in a meeting hosted by Philippine Sports Commission and chaired by PSC commissioner Chito Loyzaga, representing BIMP-EAGA Council and PSC chairman Ritchie Garcia.


Events to be played are athletics, lawn tennis, badminton, sepak takraw, swimming and table tennis.


The Games, which will be jointly hosted by the province of Saranggani, headed by Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez, and General Santos City, with lady Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, is part of BIMP-EAGA’s program of promoting relations between the member countries of East Asia growth areas through sports. More than 500 athletes and officials are expected to come for the three-day competition. A 3K, 5K and 10K friendship run was also held last week to launch the event.


The Philippines will be fielding athletes from Mindanao and Palawan while Indonesia’s participating focus areas are in Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Papua, and Gorontalo. Malaysia will have athletes from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan while Brunei, which hosted the last edition of the games in 2008 also confirmed its attendance.


“We had a very productive meeting and right after this council meeting, we will already start working on the details of the event, including tournament format and rules and regulations. We will have a technical working group meeting in Manila by April and a final meeting by the ministers’ group in September prior to the staging of the games in December,“ said Loyzaga.


The meeting also named Ismail Hashim, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Brunei’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, as next BIMP-EAGA chairman.


To help promote the event and generate more participation from the focus areas, there are plans to hold roadshow presentations to be jointly handled by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the city of General Santos.
==Mayor distributes 145 computers to public high schools in Gensan==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1681334641061
*Tuesday 17th of April 2012
:By.  (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)  




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 17 (PIA) -- Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio distributed on Monday 145 new computer sets to nine public high schools here in a move to strengthen students’ competitive advantage in preparation for their domestic and global engagements.


The said activity was part of the SHEEP-Computer Literacy Program (CLP) of the local government, designed to improve the quality of education in public schools of the city to make them at par with other private teaching institutions.


According to SHEEP-CLP head Percival Pasuelo, the mayor handed over 20 units of computer each to Labangal National High School, New Society National High School, General Santos City National High School, Fatima National High School, Bula National School of Fisheries, and GSC National Secondary School of Arts and Trade.


Tinagacan National High School and AG Busano National High School each received 10 units of computer while Irineo National High School of Metro Dadiangas got an additional five units for its Computer-Speech Laboratory in addition to the 20 units that were turned over by the city mayor during Valentine’s Day, two months ago.


Earlier, Mayor Custodio disclosed that the goal of the program is to make sure that public school students in GenSan will not be left out in terms of information technology.


She said the purchase of the additional 500 units for the remaining schools is already on process and set to be delivered within the year.


Meanwhile, Pasuelo expressed optimism that with the new computer sets and the series of level-up trainings conducted by the SHEEP-CLP to public schools in the city, students and teachers will continue imparting the knowledge they have learned to move forward.


“The city government has provided them the necessary tools which they can use to bridge the gap from the traditional classroom teaching to computer-aided instructions for them to become globally competitive,” he said.


==Dubai market for processed pork products eyed==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=73232
*Thursday, January 19, 2012
:By.  Dani Doguiles






KORONADAL CITY, Jan, 19 (PIA) -- Processed pork products from Socssksargen Region or Region 12 could soon be exported to United Arab Emirates where the same products can also be sold to other countries, an official of the Department of Agriculture said.
Evelyn Jaruda, feeds and veterinary drugs control officer of DA-12, said that initial shipment destination of “pork-in-a-box” will be to Dubai City.
Dubai City, she said, offers a potential market for meat products because of the large population of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there . Residents of the city also include other nationalities such as Indians who also include pork meat in their diet.
She explained, as an open city, Dubai allows entry of pork products.
On January 3, DA-12 organized a meeting between local hog raisers and the country’s agriculture attaché to Dubai City, along with DA’s national director for agribusiness and marketing, to inform the local hog industry of “this major potential.”
Jaruda did not name both officials of DA.
“This month, we will start sending samples of processed meat to Dubai,” she said, to determine if local products pass the requirements of the market partner in Dubai.
This partner, she said, could also facilitate marketing of the products to other countries.
“This means that demand for our processed meat products is really large,” she said . She, however, confirmed that initial volume of pork-in-a-box to be exported has not been set.
Jaruda added that they have already accredited several hog farms in General Santos City, Koronadal City and other parts of South Cotabato, which may provide the initial products for export.
“We are also looking into linking this opportunity with our backyard hog raisers,” she said.
DA and the Bureau of Animal Industry will work together in assuring that the local livestock industry are able to cope with the market demands and market standards, she said.
Jaruda also said that the meat products that will be exported to Dubai will come from surplus production.
If the agreement pushes through, Soccsksargen Region will be the first to export processed pork meat to Dubai.
Local market of pork products from Soccsksargen Region include Davao City, Davao Oriental, Caraga, Cebu, Leyte, Samar, and Manila. (PIA 12)


==Task force sees arrest of brains behind broadcaster's slay==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2012/01/18/task-force-sees-arrest-brains-behind-broadcasters-slay-201180
*Wednesday, January 18, 2012
:By.  Edwin G. Espejo






GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- City Police Director Cedrick Train said they are closing in on the mastermind behind the slaying of a newspaper publisher and are ready to file murder case against the suspect once they have completed their investigation.


Train heads Task Force Guarin, which was created to conduct the probe on Christopher Guarin’s killing.


The city police director declined, however, to give details, saying they do not want to jeopardize ongoing manhunt and pursuit operations.
==Peace and development volunteers in SocSarGen initiate march for peace==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1671334476249
*Monday 16th of April 2012
:By. (CMO Bn/CTA/PIA General Santos City)


He hinted, though, that Guarin's murder may not be issue-related, as it might have something to do with the victim's publication and newspaper business.


Tatak Bigtime News, published by the slain mediaman, is one of at least five local dailies in General Santos.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 16 (PIA) -- Around 600 peace-loving citizens from South Cotabato, Sarangani Province and this city converged recently in GenSan’s Oval Plaza to stage a March for Peace.  


On the evening of January 5, a gunman riding on tandem ambushed Guarin, who was on his way home with his wife and daughter.
The peace and development volunteers (PDVs) which included members of civil organizations, the Philippine National Police, 1002nd Infantry Battalion and the Local Government Units of GenSan partnered and initiated the activity to express their commitment to peace and development.  


Wounded in the first volley, Guarin tried to drive away from his killers but stopped after the gunman chased and continued to fire at his car.
Tessie Sugabo of the Indigenous People’s Sector, said “peace is the key to success. Without peace, we would not attain progress and development in our region.”


He alighted from his car and tried to plea to the gunman who finished him off by firing more shots.
The march for peace was also important for Indigenous People (IP) to express their common sentiments of lasting peace in Mindanao especially in SocSarGen (South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos City).  


Guarin died on the spot from at least five gunshot wounds.
Other organizations that joined the march included SarifMucsin Muslim Group, Southern Triangle Management Group, Inc., Reservist from 1205th CDC, ARESCOM, CAFGU members from 72nd IB, 73rd IB, the staff of KALINAW Sarangani, Indigenous People’s Community, and the Youth for Peace Movement (YFPM) volunteers.  


The slain publisher was buried Sunday, January 15, amid continuing calls from the local media here to immediately arrest the killer, including the mastermind.
Col. Joselito Kakilala, commander of Joint Task Force (JTF) GenSan, said he was happy to note that people in SocSarGen supported the activity which promoted peace and development in the region.  


Police authorities said they have already subjected the slugs and empty shells recovered from the crime scene to laboratory tests and are now looking if these will match up with evidences recovered from other unsolved killings in the city.
“Peace and development is the result of cooperation and concerted efforts. “Attaining lasting peace is a shared responsibility and everyone must take part in any undertakings to achieve it,” he added.


This developed as the bounty, raised by journalists here for the arrest of the mastermind behind Guarin's killing, rose to more than P88,000 following an additional P20,000 donation from a concerned citizen who declined to be identified.
==COMMENT: No sign of signing: Iqbal’s Past Opening Statements==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/comment/2012/04/15/comment-no-sign-of-signing-iqbal%E2%80%99s-past-opening-statements/
*Sunday| April 15, 2012
:By. mnicc


Local media practitioners here have chipped in to raise reward money for the surrender of the gunman who they said should identify the mastermind.


A prominent personality here, who also requested anonymity, earlier pledged P50,000 for the arrest of Guarin's killer and mastermind.
Part 4 of a series
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews /14 April) – If Government has changed the focus or core of the negotiation and has consistently firmed up this change, MILF has tenaciously held on to the talking point agreed in 1997 that was defined in the June 22, 2001 Tripoli Agreement of Peace. It has reposed trust in President Aquino III; yet it sounds frustrated.
December 5 -7, 2011
With MILF not yielding to the “3 for 1 Proposal”, Iqbal reaffirms during the 23rd formal exploratory talks their unchanged position, the urgency and auspiciousness of “signing a comprehensive agreement”. The MILF’s “expectation is not hard to fulfill … because all the issues … are already put on the table” – obviously referring to their peace draft proposal.
No Secession: The MILF option is not to secede but to have a “real self-governance in the Bangsamoro state … within the larger Philippine state” as contained in their state-sub-state proposal. Emphasizing the primacy of this option, Iqbal urges Government to stop “attempting to integrate the Moros into the national body politic” – with reference to the “partnership” offered in the “GPH ‘3 for 1’ Solution” – a scheme tried in the past and proven a failure.
Nothing Moving Away: In its December 8-14 editorial entitled “Grand Offer”, Luwaran.com, the official website of MILF Central Committee on Information, clarifies the statement to mean: The talk is moving forward but on the part of MILF nothing is moving away from its original position of asymmetrical state-sub-state political settlement that will address the Moro right to self-determination.       
Stern Reminder: Two closing statements of the editorial must be noted: (1) “If the Aquino Administration wants to solve the Moro Question and the armed conflict in Mindanao, let it be done by genuinely empowering the Moros, not through the policy of interference into their internal affairs;” (2) for Government to offer to MILF “something …like the flawed formula the MNLF accepted … will only prolong the peace negotiation and the chance of signing one will never happen under the Aquino administration”.
January 9 – 11, 2012
The same concern Iqbal repeats at the opening of the 24th formal exploratory talks: The need “…to assure ourselves that we are indeed in the right tract and the right pace” as the peace talks intensify “if we want to conclude the current GPH-MILF peace negotiation to a successful end, without derogating prior agreements”. As to the pace, the March deadline will be missed unless “we are sincere, dedicated, and work hard and in double time”. [Emphasis supplied]


The amount is expected to rise as more pledges are being made.
==Girl killed, two others hurt as strong tornado pummels South Cotabato town==
*Source: http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/46281-Girl-killed,-two-others-hurt-as-strong-tornado-pummels-South-Cotabato-town.html
*Saturday, April 14. 2012
:By.  (PNA)
LAP/AVE


Train said they will also recommend the amount of reward money to the Department of Interior and Local Government for the capture of the mastermind.


Guarin was the 10th mediaman killed in General Santos City since 1986, a Philippine record.


He was also the 150th killed since 1986 when various media organizations began recording media killings in the country and the first journalist slain this year.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A strong tornado pummeled two villages in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato last Tuesday afternoon, killing a 12-year-old girl and injuring two other local residents.
In a belated report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Friday the twister ravaged residential and farming communities in Barangays Poblacion and Lamdalag of Lake Sebu at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
It identified the lone fatality as KC Dawang, who was reportedly inside their house in Sitio Lem-ehek in Poblacion when it was struck by strong winds brought by the tornado.
Two local residents - Imelda Swan of Sitio Lem-ehek, Poblacion and four-year-old Kayla Faith Tampungan of Sitio Tabudtod in Barangay Lamdalag - were injured after they were felled by house and tree debris.
The NDRRMC said 15 families with 49 dependents in Sitio Lem-ehek in Poblacion and Sitio Tabudtod in Lamdalag also lost their homes as a result of the incident.
Isidro Janita, South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, said Friday they immediately extended food and relief assistance worth P19,800 to the affected residents.
He said they have dispatched a team to the area to assess the extent of the calamity and address the other needs of the victims.
Janita said the municipal government of Lake Sebu, through its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, has also extended emergency assistance worth 5,000 to the victims.
The Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils of Poblacion and Lamdalag initially provided fuel supplies for the chainsaws that were used in the clearing of the felled trees, logs and other debris in the affected communities.


Various media organizations blamed the prevailing culture of impunity to the unsolved media killings in the country.
==Motorcycles accidents on the rise in South Cotabato, neighboring areas==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=419237
*April 13, 2012, 4:55 pm
:By. (PNA)
FFC/AVE/AC


==Region 12 public high schools lack 725 classrooms -- NSCB-12==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=398774
*January 17, 2012, 4:13 pm
:By. (PNA)
DCT/FFC/AVE/RSS




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 13 (PNA) – Health authorities have expressed alarm over the rising road or vehicular accidents involving motorcycles in South Cotabato province and the neighboring areas.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 17 (PNA) -- Classrooms for public high school students have been found wanting in Region 12, with a shortage of 725 to meet the standard classroom-to-student ratio (CSR) of one is to 45, statistics released recently showed.
Dr. Rogelio Aturdido, South Cotabato health officer, said their records showed that 256 road accidents had occurred in the province during the first three months of the year.


Herlita Caraan, National Statistical Coordination Board regional chief, said public secondary schools in the region are presently in dire need of more classrooms.
He said 211 cases involved single motorcycles, 22 tricycles while the rest concerned four-wheeled vehicles.


Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
He said the victims comprised 218 drivers, 109 passengers and 87 bystanders who were either killed or sustained serious injuries.


“Crowded classrooms have been a perennial problem in most public schools in the region most particularly in public secondary schools,” she said, citing data from the Department of Education (DepEd).
Of the injured victims, 153 sustained abrasions, 68 with lacerations and 17 with bone fractures.


The standard CSR in the Philippines is one classroom for every 45 students as prescribed by Republic Act 7880 entitled “An Act Providing For the Fair and Equitable Allocation of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports’ Budget for Capital Outlay.”
“The trend is currently going up and what is alarming here is that most of the drivers involved in these accidents were under the influence of liquor or alcohol,” Aturdido said.


In a fact sheet released by NSCB Region 12, the CSR in the area for the school years 2006-2010 remained way above the standard of 1:45.
The official said 103 cases or 64 percent of the recorded road accidents in the province in the last three months took place in Koronadal City, South Cotabato’s capital and regional seat of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.


The region’s CSR averaged 1:52 in SY 2006-2007 though it slightly improved to 1:49 in SY 2010-2011, it noted. Among the provinces and cities, worst off in terms of CSR are Sarangani at 66 students per classroom, Sultan Kudarat at 63, and Tacurong City at 62 in SY 2010-2011.
He said 52 road accidents were recorded in the city in January followed by 21 in February.


The biggest improvement in CSRs in the five previous school years was noted in Kidapawan City at 1:63 in SY 2006-2007 to 1:44 in SY 2010-2011.
In the first two weeks of March, Aturdido said the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital already recorded a total of 30 accidents in the area.


A decline in CSRs was posted by Sarangani (1:61 to 1:66), Sultan Kudarat (1:58 to 1:63) and Tacurong City (1:60 to 1:62) for the same comparative period.
He said reckless driving, over speeding, distraction from cellular phones and substance abuses were among the main causes of accidents that involved teenage drivers.


Conforming to the CSR standard as of SY 2010-2011 were General Santos City with CSR of 1:40, Cotabato City (1:43), Kidapawan City (1:44), and South Cotabato (1:44). Both Cotabato City and General Santos City, however, have adopted three shifts of classes per day, which indicate that there is in fact a real shortage of classrooms in the said cities.
Late last month, five people were killed while two others were injured when a multicab passenger van collided with a trailer truck along the national highway in Koronadal City.


If a single-shift was adopted to meet the 1:45 standard CSR, General Santos City needs 173 more classrooms and Cotabato City, 91 classrooms. Other areas with wide classroom gaps are Sarangani (185), Sultan Kudarat (182), North Cotabato (64), Tacurong City (31) and Koronadal City (21).
To help address the problem, Aturdido said they have sought assistance from the Department of Interior and Local Government to ensure the strict enforcement of road safety regulations in the area.


Overall, Region 12 is in need of 725 additional classrooms in order to meet the standard CSR on a single shift per day as of SY 2010-2011.
He said they have also linked up with the Regional Development Council’s social development committee for the conduct of orientation-seminars on proper driving behavior among teen drivers in the area.


==Slain GenSan newspaper publisher laid to rest amid calls for speedy justice==
==Police eye business rivalry in North Cotabato bus bombing==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=398539
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=418926
*January 16, 2012, 3:01 pm
*April 12, 2012, 5:27 pm
:By. (PNA)  
:By. (PNA)  
DCT/FFC/AVE
LAP/FFC/AVE/RSS




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 12 (PNA) - Authorities are looking at business rivalry as a possible motive in the latest bomb attack against a bus company that killed three persons and injured 16 others, a police official said on Thursday.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 16 (PNA) -– Slain community newspaper publisher Christopher Guarin was laid to rest in nearby Polomolok town in South Cotabato on Sunday afternoon amid calls from his family and colleagues for faster police investigation and the immediate arrest of the gunmen and masterminds behind the killing.
Chief Supt. Felicisimo Khu, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) for Western Mindanao, said the business rivalry theory cropped up after the management of Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. denied they received extortion demands.


In a requiem mass at the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church in Barangay Lagao here, Guarin’s wife Lyn reiterated her calls for the immediate arrest of the two suspected hired gunmen and the brains behind the murder.
“Curiously, only the buses of Rural Transit have been attacked when there are many other passenger [buses] plying the same route,” he said.


“I just want justice for my husband. I know God will make them pay for it,” she said in between sobs.
Khu said that since 2009, there have been 10 bomb attacks against the units of Rural Transit.


The funeral mass was joined by around 200 family members, friends, colleagues and city officials led by Vice Mayor Shirlyn Banas.
The latest occurred Wednesday morning in the town of Carmen, North Cotabato while a unit was moving toward the town’s terminal. A 10-year-old girl was among the fatalities.


Akbayan partylist Rep. Walden Bello and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) board trustee Mario Aguja made a brief stop at the parish church and later joined several Akbayan activists who showed up with placards seeking justice for Guarin and other victims of media killings in the country.
The bus was bound for Cagayan de Oro and came from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.


Around 50 vehicles carrying streamers calling for speedy justice for Guarin’s murder later joined the funeral motorcade from this city here to the Holy Garden Matutum Memorial Park in Polomolok town.
Khu said the improvised explosive device that was planted inside the bus was fashioned from a .60 mm mortar shell.


Guarin, 41, was gunned down last January 5 in front of his wife and daughter while they were on their way home in Barangay Lagao here at around 10:30 p.m.
The police official said they would not have theorized business rivalry if other buses plying the same route were also attacked.


Wounded, Guarin tried to drive away but stopped after the gunman continued to fire at his vehicle.
Khu said they hope to crack the case with the help of a witness who saw the man who allegedly planted the improvised bomb.


He then alighted and tried to run but the killers finished him off. Guarin sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot.
The worst attack against Rural Transit was in October 2010, which killed 10 persons and injured several others when a bomb also exploded inside a unit while passing by Matalam town in North Cotabato en route to Tacurong City from Cagayan de Oro City.


Guarin, who is publisher and editor of daily tabloid Tatak News, was a former reporter and station manager of radio stations Bombo Radyo and RGMA Super Radyo, respectively, and was a block timer of the Radio Mindanao Network station here before he was killed.
==Abalos co-accused may become state witness==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=795859&publicationSubCategoryId=63
* April 11, 2012 12:00 AM
:By. Perseus Echeminada


Senior Supt. Cedric Train, city police director, said they were already following up some leads into Guarin’s killing but admitted that they don’t have enough evidences yet to warrant the filing of cases against any suspect.


“We will solve this case, that’s an assurance. As of now, were investigating all possible angles related to this,” he said.
MANILA, Philippines - Lawyer Lilian Radam might be dropped as an accused in the electoral sabotage case to make her a state witness against former election chairman Benjamin Abalos.


Chief Supt. Banjardi Mantele, Region 12 police director, earlier declared that the killing was not work-related but motivated by a personal grudge against the victim, a statement immediately rebuffed by the local media.
Prosecutor Maria Juana Valesa told The STAR in a telephone interview that Radam has implicated Abalos in alleged cheating during the 2007 midterm elections in South Cotabato.


Speculations have also emerged pointing to alleged business rivalry as motive.
“At present Radam is the principal accused and we are evaluating yet if we will file a motion for her to become a state witness,” she said.


In November, Guarin was questioned but later cleared by police investigators over the killing of Brigada News circulation manager Alfredo Velarde Jr.
However, Valesa said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) must approve any move of the prosecution.


“We’re leaving all matters related to the investigation of this case to the police. But we’re calling on them to speed up their investigation and make the necessary arrests the soonest possible time,” said Edwin Espejo, chair of the local chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
The Comelec will hold a full session tomorrow, she added.


“The delay (in the police investigation) will only give time for the suspects to cover their tracks,” he added.
Valesa said the prosecution will try to present Radam during Abalos’ next bail hearing on April 18.


Meantime, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)-General Santos chapter president James Catalan said on Sunday that the reward money raised by the local media for the arrest of Guarin’s killers has already reached P70,000.
If Radam, who is under the protective custody of the Department of Justice, fails to appear, they will let the court decide on the motion of Abalos to fix bail, she added.


A local politician who requested anonymity initially pledged some P50,000 last week for the reward money.
Abalos has filed a string of criminal and administrative charges against officials of the Witness Protection Program for obstruction of justice and failure to bring Radam to court.


Catalan said several residents and local media entities made additional pledges for the fund, which City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio had also vowed to augment later on.
Last month, the prosecution was supposed to present Radam as their witness to prove alleged conspiracy in massive cheating in South Cotabato.


Abalos said Radam has admitted in her sworn statement that she had tampered election documents during the 2007 election.


It was during his term as Comelec chairman that the cases against Radam and Yogi Martirizar were initiated and filed before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 114, he added.


However, Radam went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against her.


She resurfaced September last year at the Department of Justice.


The Comelec had withdrawn the earlier case against Radam and refiled it to include Abalos.


Judge Eugene de la Cruz of Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 117 has warned prosecutors that they would be considered to have waived their right to present their witness if they fail to bring Radam to court again.


Radam was originally charged before RTC branch 114 of Judge Edwin Ramizo.


The complaint alleged that on May 24, 2007 during the national canvassing of votes for senators, Radam and Abalos tampered and increase the votes of the pro-administration Team Unity candidates.


==Thousands of Cotabato children benefit from “Handog Tsinelas”==
They are accused of tampering and falsifying the Provincial Certificate of Canvass of votes in General Santos City, the towns of Polomolok, Tampakan, Tupi, Banga, Koronadal, Norala, Sto. Nino, Surrallah and Tantangan in South Cotabato.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=72667
*Sunday, January 15, 2012
:By. Pops Gumana-Fruylan


The allegedly tampered election results were submitted to the National Board of Canvasser at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.


‘Too much already’


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 15 (PIA) -– Thousands of children from the different municipalities of Cotabato province received pairs of slippers from the “Handog Tsinelas” program of Governor Emmylou “Lala” J. Taliño-Mendoza.
Meanwhile, Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos bared yesterday an alleged Comelec plan to clear Radam and another poll supervisor, Martirizar, to pin down his father.
On Wednesday, more than two thousand elementary pupils in Poblacion, Carmen accepted their late Christmas presents through brand new pairs of colorful slippers.
“Handog Tsinelas” has given away a total of 2,191 pairs of slippers to 798 pupils from Northwest Elementary School (NES) and 1,393 pupils from Carmen Central Elementary School (CCES), according to a report from the provincial government of Cotabato.
The program is a late Christmas gift-giving from the provincial government with a purpose of not only handing out foot wears to children, but to cheer and give joy to the residents as well.
In the municipality of Antipas, 261 slippers were given away to children of Barangay Canaan while 258 senior citizens and other barangay residents were given goods such as rice and medicines.
Late last month, the governor personally handed presents to more than 500 children in Barangay Sibsib in Tulunan Municipality. Each child was able to bring home a gift pack and a pair of slippers as a Christmas gift.
In barangay New Panay, Pigcawayan, more than 300 kids also received wrapped gifts and slippers from the provincial government; while bags of rice, variety of medicines, caps and calendars were also given to adult residents including senior citizens.
Meanwhile, the governor also led the distribution of gifts and handed rice, medicines, slippers, calendars and hats to children and adults in Libo-o, Mlang
More than 300 children ages 3-12 years old, and an estimated 75% of residents who were in attendance were entertained by the exciting activities lined-up by the provincial government.
“This is just part of our commitment in pursuing a sound program for children where every child is treated equal,” the Local Government of Cotabato province quoted the governor as saying
Thousands more slippers, donated by the provincial government and partners from the private sector, are expected to be given away to children in the next visit of the governor to other barangays in the province. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan with reports from LGU Cotabato province)


==MinDA calls to strengthen Mindanao LGU’s risk management capacities==
Speaking to reporters, Abalos said he has reliable information that papers are being circulated
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=72550
*Saturday, January 14, 2012
:By. PIA Press Release


for the Comelec commissioners to sign.


“If this will happen, it would be too much already,” he said.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan 14 (PIA) -- Local Government Units (LGUs) in Mindanao need to scale up its disaster risk management capacities in light of occurrence of series of natural calamities that struck the island's danger prone areas.
“They will move heaven and earth just so my father will be persecuted. I hope they reconsider because my father is already too old.”
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) recently convened recently concerned agencies to come up with programs to strengthen the capacities of Mindanao LGUs in disaster preparedness and response to avoid a repeat of loss of lives resulting from the recent spate of natural disasters that hit Mindanao.
MinDA chair Luwalhati R. Antonino initiated discussions on the current capability of Mindanao’s local government units to interpret information, anticipate needs, and prepare against natural disasters and manage risks.
“What I’d like to see is for us to map out a program of what needs t be done and coordinate to help the LGU’s in their efforts of prevention, mitigation, and adaptation,” Antonino said.
She stressed that some local officials may lack technical expertise in interpreting weather data and warnings. “There is a need to ‘wake up’ local chief executives, but we have to assist them. It’s not just preparedness, but also looking into the causes and what we can do now.”
Director Ronald Flores, executive officer of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) pointed out that more than response, rehabilitation, and recovery, the LGU risk management focus must now be more inclined to prevention, preparedness, and mitigation, such as in foreign countries like Japan.
Flores said that while LGU’s have their contingency plan, some of them are wanting in the aspect of implementation. Thus, there is a need to take stock of the level of preparedness of the LGU’s being the primary disaster managers.
Dr. Marquiesa Reyes, also of OCD central office, noted that geo-hazard mapping is just the first step, stressing the importance of identifying current areas of vulnerability and the adverse effects of tropical storms.
She further noted that more important in the planning is to focus on increasing resilience of settlements and the people against effects of natural calamities.
The inter-agency body agreed on building and sharing accurate and updated data, particularly 3-D maps using LIDAR technology, including a protocol of analysis of data, for circulation to all local government units.
Antonino emphasized the need for a more intensive information and education campaign among the LGU’s on interpretation of storm signals and information on what authorities need to do to prepare against such calamities.
She cited the existing program of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as a basis and called on the involvement of more agencies.
The coordination meeting was also held as part of the validation of activities under the “MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters” program of MinDA, a river-basin and watershed management program that also seeks to institutionalize the LGUs capacity building and strengthen their planning capabilities on environmental sustainability.
Among the agencies involved include OCD, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). (DED/PIA12/MinDA)


He refused to divulge who’s behind the Comelec resolution.– With Edu Punay


==South Cotabato gov open to tapping nuke to resolve Mindanao’s power woes==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=418328
*April 10, 2012, 5:31 pm
:By. (PNA)
FFC/AVE/HST




GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 10 (PNA) – South Cotabato Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr. is open to the possibility of tapping nuclear power to help resolve the worsening power supply shortage in Mindanao.


Pingoy said the local government received some proposals over the possibility of putting up a nuclear power plant in the area and they initially showed some promise in terms of effectively addressing the island’s dwindling power supply.


Last week, former Tarlac Rep. Mark Cojuangco made a presentation on the matter at the in a meeting at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall in Koronadal City.


Cojuangco has been visiting several parts of the country, especially in Mindanao, to promote advocacy on tapping nuclear power as a “cheaper alternative” to coal, hydro, power barge and solar as power sources.


Pingoy said the tapping of nuclear power could solve the area’s power supply problems but stressed that such matter needs further studies and clarifications.


==More cops eyed for GenSan, nearby areas==
“We need to hear first from both sides - the anti and pro-nuclear power plant groups,” the governor said.
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=398096
 
*January 13, 2012, 2:10 pm
Pingoy, who is a former congressman, admitted that he was among the 197 co-authors of a bill that had sought for the reopening of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
:By. (PNA)  
 
LAP/FFC/AVE
“But this issue should be undertaken objectively and should be based on facts. We can only decide upon hearing from the experts,” he said.
 
Citing Cojuangco’s presentation, Pingoy said the local government may not be able to cope with the financial requirement of about US$ 300 million to put up a 50-megawatt (MW) modular nuclear power plant in the area.
 
He said they could not also allow proposals to put up the project in Lake Sebu town being a protected area.


“There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered and clarified to us and our constituents,” Pingoy said.


He added that the local government will deal with the issue in another public forum being organized by proponents.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 13 (PNA) – Concerned with the rising unsolved cases of killings here and the neighboring areas, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson Secretary Luwalhati Antonino has pushed for the assignment of additional policemen in the area.
==Pay hike Region 12 workers seen before Labor Day==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=418091
*April 9, 2012, 6:47 pm
:By. (PNA)  
FFC/AVE/RSS/ssc


Antonino, who hails from this city, said in a radio interview that the recent killings perpetrated by motorcycle-riding gunmen were considered alarming and showed the need for more intensified law enforcement and security operations.


She specifically cited the killing of local community newspaper publisher Christopher Guarin last January 5 and of city traffic enforcer Oliver Dayap the following day.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 9 (PNA) -- An increase in the daily minimum wage rates for private sector workers in Central Mindanao is looming, officials said.


Guarin was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding gunmen while on his way home while Dayap was shot by another suspect while earlier on duty in front of a shopping mall here.
Chona Mantilla, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 12 director, said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, which she also chairs, recently decided to hike the floor pay from P10 to P14 a day.


“I already had discussions with (Interior and Local Government) Secretary Jesse Robredo for the possible assignment of additional policemen here and other parts of Region 12 because the area really needs them,” Antonino said.
She noted the latest salary increase, or Wage Order No. RBXII-17, may take effect before May 1 or the Labor Day, a regular holiday to honor the workers.


In the meantime, she appealed to local residents to help local policemen in preventing the occurrence of crimes by becoming more vigilant, especially in reporting the movements of suspicious personalities.
Before it will be effective, it needs to be published in a local newspaper.


The city and several other parts of Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao have been reeling from a series of shooting incidents in the last two years, most of which appeared to be the handiwork of suspected guns-for-hire.
Under the new wage order, which will be implemented in two tranches, the daily minimum wage rates will range from P246 to P270.


Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Cotabato, Kidapawan and Tacurong.
The first tranche was expected to take effect before May 1 and the next on December 1, 2012.


Last year, the city government enacted an ordinance banning the carrying of firearms in public places and commercial establishments as part of its efforts to resolve the gun-related violent incidents in the area.
In coming up with wage adjustment, the RTWPB decided to integrate the present P15 daily cost of living allowance (COLA) to the new basic wage.


==ARMM to undertake reforestation of 2,500 hectares forestland==
The existing daily floor pay ranges from P234 to P260.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=72189
*Thursday, January 12, 2012
:By.  CT Apelacio


“The last wage order was issued more than one year ago and there being no petition, the RTWPB has resolved to review, motu propio (on its own), the existing minimum wage rates in the region,” Mantilla said.


Studies on the socio-economic condition in the region warranted the need to grant an increase in the minimum wage rates of private sector workers in Region 12 regardless of their position, designation or status of their employment, and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid, Mantilla said.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan 12 (PIA) -- Massive reforestation activities in the five provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is in the offing after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) committed a financial assistance of P49.6 million.
Also called the Soccsksargen Region, it covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje himself signed an agreement with ARMM newly-installed acting governor Mujiv Hataman Monday.
The fund will be used to reforest some “2,500 hectares of denuded and open forestland” in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Basilan.
Aside from the fund allocation, DENR will also provide technical assistance to ARMM.
The joint collaboration is under DENR’s National Greening Program (NGP), which envisions the planting of 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares by 2016.
The program started in 2011 pursuant to Executive Order No. 26 signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III.
Paje believed that the program will impact on the region’s “social and economic challenges” toward an effective and improved ecological governance.
Paje also attributed the venture to President Aquino’s order to assist ARMM in the “management” of its lush forest reserve which is touted still as its premier natural source of wealth to this day.
Taking on the experiences of other regions recently ravaged by Tropical storm Sendong, Hataman said he considered the NGP as “major tool to address illegal logging in ARMM.”
He said he can use the program to deviate the interest of his upland constituents from illegal logging activities since it “offers alternative livelihood to forest-based communities.”
Hataman attributed, however, the “lack of livelihood opportunities in the uplands” as the main reason why many of his constituents there have been lured into joining the illegal practice.
The program, according to him will be implemented first in the upland as priority areas.
Hataman also vowed to comply with all the guidelines and policies involving the joint venture, saying he will do his best to implement what is expected of him as the newly local chief executive.
To ensure smooth and accurate implementation of NGP, DENR personnel, from time to time, shall undertake monitoring and evaluation of ARMM’s implementation of the program as well as its management and utilization of funds. (CTA/PIA General Santos City)


==Breastfeeding corners in buses in Region-12 eyed==
The Wage Board conducted public consultations early this year in parts of the region to determine if a salary adjustment is needed for the area.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=72092
*Wednesday, January 11, 2012
:By. CT Apelacio


Alfredo Hebrona Jr., Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry governor for Southwestern Mindanao, declined to give a comment on the looming wage hike, saying he was not privy to the deliberation.


Jessie dela Cruz, RTWPB secretary, said that exemptions maybe granted to certain types of establishments, such as those distressed and those whose assets are not more than P3 million.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan 11 (PIA) -- Buses all over the region will soon have their own designated “breastfeeding corner” in recognition of the law that upholds the right of a mother and her child to provide and be fed anytime even in transit.
Following the public consultations early this year, dela Cruz has said that the situation may not warrant an adjustment in the minimum wages of private sector workers, citing a report then by the National Economic and Development Authority that prices of basic consumer goods have remained stable.
This is in line with Republic Act 10028 otherwise known as the "Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009" which enjoins all private institutions, government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations to put up lactation stations.
The law also provides tax incentives to all private establishments and even government agencies that provide lactation corners for working mothers.
According to Department of Health (DOH), RA 10028 also mandates all health and non-health facilities, establishments or institutions to designate lactation stations along with appropriate facilities such as lavatory for hand washing, refrigeration for storing breast milk, electrical outlets for breast pumps, a small table; and comfortable seats for working mothers.
In support of the law, the Regional Development Council (RDC) 12 has passed a resolution last year “requesting the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 12 to issue a directive requiring all bus operators in Region 12 to designate a breastfeeding seat/corner inside buses.”
The RDC-12 Social Development Committee has recommended that bus operators reserve the “third seat by the window” of the bus as breastfeeding station.
Recently, the LTFRB XII, in response to the resolution, issued a directive to bus operators in the region enjoining their compliance.
The directive orders bus operators to put a “signage” on designated seats as provided by the management so that they will be exclusively “occupied by the lactating mothers.”
The RDC-12 believes the move will create a “mother-baby friendly ride,” that is favorable for both as it provides “privacy” for breastfeeding mothers to nurture their babies properly.
RA 10028 also apportions 40 minutes for every 8-hour working period for nursing employees to “express milk” in addition to the regular meal time-off. (CTA/PIA General Santos City)


==GenSan getting 32 mw less of electricity from NAPOCOR==
Militant labor groups in the area since the past few years have demanded a legislated P125 across-the-board daily wage increase.
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/01/10/gensan-getting-32-mw-less-of-electricity-from-napocor/
*January 10, 2012
:By. Allen V. Estabillo


==2 injured in road mishap involving Pacquiao’s dad==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/08/12/2-injured-road-mishap-involving-pacquiao%E2%80%99s-dad
*04/08/2012 4:07 PM | Updated as of 04/08/2012 4:08 PM
:By.Francis Canlas, ABS-CBN News


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/9 Jan) – The National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) has cut down its power allocation for this city and nearby areas in Sarangani and South Cotabato provinces by 32 megawatts (mw) as a result of the dwindling capacity of its hydropower plants in Mindanao, an official of distribution utility South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) said. Rodolfo Ocat, Socoteco II general manager, said the NAPOCOR reduced its contracted power supply to the cooperative’s service area starting this year due to the unstable condition of its maintained power plants, especially the hydropower plants in Bukidnon and in the Lanao provinces. Socoteco II’s service area covers this city, the entire Sarangani province and two municipalities in nearby South Cotabato. “NAPOCOR’s power supplies to the Mindanao grid was actually on the decline since last year, that’s why we started looking for other power sources to cover for the deficit,” Ocat said. In May last year, Socoteco II initially signed a supply deal for a standby power of 18 mw from the Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. (TMI) in anticipation of NAPOCOR’s power load cuts. Ocat said the additional power supplies from TMI have reduced the area’s deficit of 14 mw, which is currently felt during the peak hours. Last week, Socoteco II issued an advisory that it is implementing rotating brownouts of 45 minutes to one hour daily within its service area as a result of the deficit. To help ease the situation, Ocat said the cooperative is presently negotiating with TMI for an additional supply of 5 mw. “(TMI) initially signified to move one of its power barges in Visayas to Mindanao to accommodate our request for additional supplies,” he said. Ocat said the cooperative is also waiting for the anticipated operationalization later this of the Iligan Diesel Power Plants 1 and 2, which were put on sale since last year. The power plants, which were previously owned by NAPOCOR, were acquired by the local government of Iligan through levy due to the company’s failure to settle its real property tax dues. “If it resumes operation by the third or fourth quarter of the year, then I think we’re safe here,” he said. Ocat said the streaming of additional power from the diesel plants will not only erase the area’s deficit but would also cover for the requirements of the new establishments that are being put up in the city. He specifically cited the P2.5-billion SM City General Santos mall complex, which is slated to open during the first half of the year, and several new hotels and commercial buildings. Citing their projections, he said the opening of SM and other establishments this year will require another 7 mw to the city’s power requirements, which grows at an average of 4.2 percent annually. “We’ve foreseen that the growth of our power requirements will be abnormal or beyond the average this year and even until next year due to the opening of SM mall and other establishments,” he said. Ocat said they expect the situation to normalize in three years, in time for the projected commercial streaming of the initial 100 mw of the 200-mw coal-fired power plant of the Sarangani Energy Corporation (SEC) in Maasim town in Sarangani. The $450-million coal power plant is being built by Conal Holding Corporation, which is backed by the Alcantara Group and Thailand’s Electricity Generating Public Company Limited. Socoteco II signed a power sales agreement with SEC in June last year for the streaming of 70 mw of power from the coal plants by 2014. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)


==GenSan cops step up security operations after recovery of improvised bomb==
MANILA, Philippines -- Two were injured when the private vehicle of Rosalio Pacquiao, father of Sarangani Representative and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, collided with a mini-tricycle in General Santos City on Sunday.
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=397036
*January 9, 2012, 7:44 pm
:By. (PNA)
LAP/FFC/AVE


The elder Pacquiao’s pick-up vehicle, manned by driver Pedong Pacquiao, was making a turn along NLSA Road in Barangay San Isidro when it collided with a mini-tricycle driven by a certain Bacar Lihang.


Rosalio, his bodyguard Arfenio Lico, and Pedong were unharmed, while Lihang sustained a bump and a gash on his brow. His passenger Ronald Albarina also sustained minor injuries on his elbow and back.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 9 (PNA) – Local police and Army units have stepped up their security operations here and the neighboring areas following the recovery of an improvised explosive near the city’s commercial district on Sunday afternoon.
Albarina complained that Lico for allegedly punching him following the accident. But Pedong Pacquiao and Lico denied this.


Senior Supt. Cedric Train, city police director, said Monday they intensified their security patrols in key areas of the city to avert possible movements from suspected terror groups that were behind the foiled bomb attack in the area.
The collision left the Pacquiao-owned vehicle with a shattered mirror, a scratched door and a dented stepboard.


He said the explosive, which was made up of a live 81-mm mortar shell and attached to a triggering and timing device, was recovered at a grassy roadside in front of the Chua Bldg. along Narangita Street here at around 2 p.m. Sunday.
Meanwhile, the operator of the mini-tricycle said it is open for negotiations with Pacquiao’s camp.


The bomb, which was covered by wires, was initially found by a local resident who immediately notified a duty security guard nearby.


It was later detonated by responding elements from the city police’s explosives ordnance disposal or EOD unit through water disruption.


Chief Insp. Leo Sua, Pendatun police station chief, said they found some shredded papers printed with Bangsamoro Youth Movement and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) near the site.


The BIFF is the armed wing of breakaway Moro rebel faction Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, which is led by former Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader Ameril Umbra Kato.


Kato group had been blamed by police and military authorities as behind the recovered explosives in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces since last month.


Col. Jose Kakilala, head of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they have assigned additional personnel to secure various public areas in the city and intensified the inspections on vehicles and passengers that were entering the city.


The task force earlier established checkpoints on the city’s four main entry and exit routes.


Meantime, City Councilor Dante Vicente urged residents to remain vigilant and be cautious about possible suspicious movements of some individuals.


“We don’t know as to who or what group is behind all these and it will help a lot if all of us will remain vigilant,” said Vicente, who chairs the council’s peace and order committee.


He advised residents to immediately report to the local police should they notice suspicious movements from certain individuals or if they find unattended items like bags or boxes within their areas.
==Gen. Santos City: TUNA CAPITAL==
*Source: http://www.gensantos.com/general-santos-city-tuna-capital/
*7 April , 2012 SATURDAY
:By.  www.gensantos.com




A bustling urban center that stands out in terms of progress and development in Southern Philippines is General Santos City.


Located between 125°1′ and 125°17′ east longitude and between 5°58′ and 6°20′ north latitude at the island of Mindanao, it is less than 2,000 kms. away from Singapore and is the nearest point in the Philippines to Australia.


The port city is southeast of Manila, southeast of Cebu and southwest of Davao (150 kms. away). It is bounded in the south by the magnificent Sarangani Bay and Mt. Matutum, the highest peak in South Cotabato, towering at 2,293 meters above sea level, in the far north.


The city enjoys good weather all year round and is generally typhoon-free and with evenly distributed rainfall.


It is home to over a half a million people (529,542) according to the latest census of population by the National Statistics Office with an annual growth rate of 3.53, the 7th fastest-growing city in the country.


It serves as a financial hub of the SOCCSKSARGEN Growth Region (South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and Gen. Santos) in Mindanao with over 50 banks in operation.


Gensan, as it is fondly called maintains some of the best support infrastructure in the East ASEAN Growth Area.


* The General Santos International Airport keeps an instrument landing system and a runway capable of handling wide-bodied aircrafts;


==Task force to probe GenSan journalist's slay==
* The modern expansion of Makar Wharf presently facilitates more passenger and cargo traffic flow.
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/01/07/12/task-force-probe-gensan-journalists-slay
*01/07/2012 7:02 PM | Updated as of 01/07/2012 7:02 PM
:By. abs-cbnNEWS.com


The Gen. Santos Fishport which is the most modern in the country and is accredited with US FDA and EU FDA Standards has just undergone expansion.


* The 178-km all-weather world standard road network interconnecting it with the neighboring provinces provides efficient links for the products of South Central Mindanao to the ports of the world.
All these were made possible through grants from the USAID and the OECF of Japan totalling more than US$200 million.


MANILA, Philippines – Police have formed a task force to investigate the killing of print and broadcast journalist Christopher Guarin in General Santos City.
General Santos City is rightfully the Tuna Capital of the Philippines.


Initial investigations showed that a personal grudge may have been the motive behind the killing.
It has over 85 tuna value-added processors, 7 of the country’s 10 tuna canneries and hundreds of allied services all contributing 61,000 jobs for the city.


Freddie Solinap, a co-host of Guarin in his radio program, told the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) that the slain media worker received a text message carrying the threat on January 5.
==PH tuna fishers get boost==
*Source: http://www.rappler.com/nation/3489-ph-tuna-fishers-get-boost
* 04/06/2012 10:45 AM  | Updated 04/06/2012 11:15 AM
:By. EDWIN ESPEJO


Guarin read the threat on air, which went, "Wag kang lumabas [ng istasyon], papatayin kita (Do not get out of the station, I will kill you)."


Guarin was driving home with his family when he was ambushed by motorcycle riding gunmen Thursday night.


He was rushed to the General Santos City Hospital but doctors declared him dead on arrival.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines -  Philippine tuna producers can heave a sigh of relief, temporarily at least.


His wife was grazed in the arm by a bullet while his daughter was unharmed.
In the recently concluded 8th annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) held on March 26-29 in Guam, the Philippines was given the go-signal for a limited number of its fishing vessels to enter two pockets of Western Pacific high seas for at least one year. This, despite several island-nations in the area pushing for tighter controls.


Guarin was former manager of the defunct dxBB RGMA Super Radyo General Santos and a former commentator at dyWB Bombo Radyo General Santos.
These pockets of high seas were closed to tuna and purse seine fishing for two years beginning 2010.


He is the first media practitioner killed in 2012 and the 10th under the current administration, according to Rowena Paraan, executive coordinator of the NUJP-International Federation of Journalists Media Safety Office.
The area covers more than 306,000 square miles of open seas south of Micronesia and north of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, where over 38 Philippine-flag purse seine fishing ships used to operate.  


Guarin's death brought to 150 the number of journalists killed in the Philippines since 1986, Paraan added. -- With a report from ANC
It is unclear yet how many of these Philippine fishing vessels will be allowed back in the contested area but industry sources here said the lifting of the ban will benefit RD Fishing and Frabelle Fishing, 2 of the country’s largest tuna fishing fleets which have already established bases in Papua New Guinea and have concession areas in Palau.  


The 2 Pacific Island nations are near these pockets of seas in the Western Pacific.


Although the WCPFC lifted the ban, it is still imposing a three-month suspension of FAD fishing every year among its member countries. It also required all fishing vessels in the area to allow 100% observer coverage on board all purse seine operations.


Lifting of the ban


The next WCPFC meeting will be held in the Philippines in December.


The WCPFC is a sanctioning body with 18 members and 33 participating countries.


The Philippines is a signatory to the conference.


In 2011, total tuna landing at the General Santos City fishing port complex dropped by 21% from 143,139.17 metric tons in 2010 to 112,891.81 MT last year.  Volume of landings of mature yellowfin tuna has also been on a steady decline from 33,369 MT in 2007 to mere 9,061.13 MT last year.


General Santos City is acknowledged as the country’s tuna capital and is host to 6 of 7 tuna canneries in the country.


==GenSan newspaper publisher gunned down==
Industry sources said some 120,000 residents here are directly and indirectly dependent on the industry.
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=396533
*January 6, 2012, 5:43 pm
:By. (PNA)
scs/AVE


The Philippines has been lobbying for the lifting of the ban, citing the severe economic backlash on the country’s tuna industry.


It even cited the slaying of 15 fishermen off the coast of Basilan in southern Philippines in January caused by rivalry over narrowing fishing grounds as a result of the WCPFC ban. - Rappler.com


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 6 (PNA) – A publisher of a community newspaper here was shot dead while his wife was wounded in an ambush by suspected hired gunmen late Thursday night, the police reported.
==General Santos City To Host Google Mapmaker Summit 2012==
*Source: http://allabout.com.ph/gensancity/general-santos-city-to-host-google-mapmaker-summit-2012/
*Thu, Apr 5th, 2012
:By. allabout.com.ph


Senior Supt. Cedric Train, city police director, identified the fatality as Christopher Guarin, 42, publisher of local daily tabloid Tatak News and former station manager of defunct radio station RGMA Super Radyo in this city.


The police official said Guarin, his wife Lyn and nine-year-old daughter AC were on their way home aboard their white Kia Pride sedan at around 10:30 p.m. when they were waylaid by two motorcycle-riding gunmen at the junction of Purok Sunrise and Naval Subdivision in Barangay Lagao here.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY- General Santos City will be one of the cities in the Philippines to host the Google Mapmaker Dummit on April 21, 2012.


Guarin’s wife said they were approaching the junction area when the suspects, who were aboard a white Honda XRM motorcycle, suddenly closed in on their vehicle and shot her husband once.
Last March, a successful Google Mapmaker Workshop was held in Makati City.


The bullet partially hit her husband in the head and her right arm before it exited their vehicle, she said.
This coming event highlights the significance and influence of Google Mapmaker in business, planning, information, disaster assessment and reduction and planning of local government agencies, health, tourism and a lot more.


She said her husband immediately stopped the vehicle, told her and their daughter to duck and ran out, saying “I’m their only target.”
The Philippines has active moderators and community mappers, encouraging Google to push through their local summits, aiming to develop interactive map  through Google Mapmaker utilization.


“He ran away from our car but the suspects followed him and shot him several times. I heard him shouting 'enough,' 'enough' while pleading for his life, before the suspects pumped more bullets on him,” Lyn said in the vernacular.
Speakers from India will be gracing the said events.


Lyn said they immediately brought her husband to the nearby city district hospital but he was pronounced dead by hospital personnel upon arrival.
It is open for free to all mapUp organizers, mappers, government agency workers, tourism employees and business establishment owners and for everyone who are interested in mapping their local communities.


Police Officer 2 Gerald Mark Oliver Jubelag, investigator of the Lagao police station, said the victim sustained six gunshot wounds on his head and body from a .45 caliber handgun.
The first leg of the summit will be in Bacolod City on April 12 at University of La Salle, on April 14 will be at University of Baguio in Baguio City and the last one will be in General Santos City at  STI Campus.


He said the suspects, who did not wear any mask, immediately sped away towards the outskirts of the city.
==GenSan journalist files reply to libel suit==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/04/04/gensan-journalist-files-reply-to-libel-suit/
*Wednesday| April 4, 2012
:By.   (MindaNews)


Jubelag said that based on accounts from the victim’s wife, the motorcycle used by the suspects carried a license plate ending with number “41.”


“We’re currently drawing up the cartographic sketches of the suspects based on accounts from the victim’s wife and some witnesses,” he said.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/03 April) – General Santos City-based journalist Edwin Espejo on Monday (April 2) submitted his counter-affidavit to refute the P18-M libel suit filed against him by used car dealer Mohammad ‘Bong’ Aquia, a friend of Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao.
In his counter-affidavit, Espejo raised four points in assailing the libel raps of Aquia.
His lawyer Rommel Bagares, executive director of Center for International Law, said there is no statute governing libel in the internet.
“It is a basic principle of criminal law that there is no crime where there is no law,” the newsman’s legal counsel said.
His lawyer likewise argued that the “alleged libelous remarks attributed to respondent are not malicious in fact because in the very first place they fall under the exception of qualified privileged communication because the remarks merely restate or report the pronouncements of the Highway Patrol Group about complainant’s alleged involvement in a car syndicate.”
Aquia’s alleged links to a car theft syndicate generated publicity after he was reported to have “sought refuge” in the house of Pacquiao at the time when he was “placed under surveillance” by the police for allegedly selling a stolen Starex van to a village councilor in General Santos City.
Bagares said Aquia never denied that he was seen in Pacquaio’s house in his libel complaint.
Pacquiao however denied he harbored Aquia as a “fugitive from justice.”
The eight-division world boxing champion has admitted to being friends with Aquia and said he knew Aquia as a buy and sell dealer of second hand cars. But he also said it is Aquia’s lookout if the cars the latter sold are stolen.
Pacquiao was also reported to have filed a separate libel case against Espejo saying that the report tarnished his image as a boxing icon and commercial endorser.


Meantime, Freddie Solinap, manager of Guarin’s daily tabloid Tatak News, said the victim received a death threat through text messages several days ago.
Espejo’s lawyer however said his client has not received any summons related to Pacquiao’s libel complaint.
“Our information is that Rep. Pacquiao filed his complaint together with Mr. Aquia,” Bagares said. “In any case we reiterate our earlier call on Rep. Pacquaio to take this opportunity to work with journalists in pressing for the decriminalization of libel in the country.”
Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.


The victim, who also anchored with Solinap a blocktime radio program promoting a herbal medicine brand at Radio Mindanao Network’s dxMD station here, received a threat via text message while on air two nights ago that told him “not to go out of the radio station because they will kill him.”
==Journalist on Internet libel: 'There is no crime where there is no law'==
*Source: http://www.rappler.com/nation/3338-journalist-on-internet-libel-there-is-no-crime-where-there-is-no-law
*04/03/2012 7:19 AM
:By.  RAPPLER.COM


He said Guarin, who appeared very surprised with the threat, even read the message on air and explained that he had not been doing anything wrong since his program was only promoting a medicine brand.


“I really can’t think of anybody who would do this to him. He was a very quiet person and had no known enemies,” Solinap said.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines - Journalist Edwin Espejo, who is based here, has submitted his counter-affidavit to refute the P18-M libel suit filed against him by car dealer Mohammad "Bong" Aquia, a friend of Sarangani Rep Manny Pacquiao.


Lyn confirmed that her husband received a prior death threat but they just took it lightly “since we don’t have any enemies.”
In his counter-affidavit, Espejo raised 4 points in assailing the libel raps of Aquia.  


But she confirmed that Guarin was earlier summoned for questioning by police investigators in its probe on the killing last November 11 of Brigada News circulation manager Alfredo Velarde Jr.
Rommel Bagares, executive director of Center for International Law and Espejo's lawyer, said there is no statute governing libel in the Internet.


She said probers included Guarin in its investigation for being a “competitor” of Velarde’s newspaper.
“It is a basic principle of criminal law that there is no crime where there is no law,” the reporter's legal counsel said.


“But nothing came out of it and we considered it closed case since my husband had not even met the victim prior to the incident,” she added.
His lawyer argued that the “alleged libelous remarks attributed to respondent are not malicious in fact because in the very first place they fall under the exception of qualified privileged communication because the remarks merely restate or report the pronouncements of the Highway Patrol Group about complainant's alleged involvement in a car syndicate.”


Guarin, who originally hailed from Maco town in Compostela Valley, came to the city in the mid-90s after he was hired as reporter of radio station dxES Bombo Radyo.
Aquia’s alleged links to a carnap syndicate generated publicity after he was reported to have “sought refuge” in the house of Pacquiao at a time when he was “placed under surveillance” by the police for allegedly selling a stolen Starex van to a village councilor in General Santos City.


He worked for three years at Bombo Radyo, where he met his wife, before moving to dxBB Super Radyo as its chief reporter.
Bagares said Aquia never denied in his libel complaint that he was seen in Pacquaio’s house.


Guarin was promoted to program supervisor, assistant manager and was the station’s manager when it closed down about five years ago.
Pacquiao however has denied harboring Aquia as a “fugitive from justice.”


In the May 2010 elections, Guarin ran but lost his bid for a city council seat under an opposition slate here.
Where's Pacman's case?


==Rotating power outage to hit SW Mindanao==
The eight-division world boxing champion has admitted to being friends with Aquia and said he knew Aquia as a buy and sell dealer of second-hand cars. But he also said it is Aquia’s lookout if the cars the latter sold are stolen.
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/01/05/rotating-power-outage-to-hit-sw-mindanao/
*Thursday| January 5, 201
:By. Bong S. Sarmiento


Pacquiao was also reported to have filed a separate libel case against Espejo because the story reportedly tarnished his image as a boxing icon and commercial endorser.


Espejo’s lawyer however said his client has not received any summons related to Pacquiao’s libel complaint.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/04 January)—With the power situation in Mindanao under “Red Alert” status, a rotating power interruption is expected to hit this city and neighboring provinces as the projected supply deficiency continues to worsen on Wednesday. Joy Celeste Alora, information officer of the South Cotabato Electric Cooperative II, said the Mindanao grid has insufficient supply due to the reduced generation capacity of the National Power Corp. NPC operates hydropower plants that provide over half of the island’s power supply. “SOCOTECO II will implement rotating brownouts lasting for 45 minutes to an hour in its franchise area,” Alora said in a radio interview. “Unless there will be new power producers, supply won’t become stable. Our power supply is now in a precarious situation because of ageing power plants,” she added. SOCOTECO II serves this city, the whole of Sarangani province (seven towns) and Polomolok and Tupi in South Cotabato, or SOCSARGEN. The power generation deficiency in Mindanao has prompted the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to resort to load curtailment in the last few days. Based on the NGCP outlook as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the island’s system capacity stood at 1192 megawatts (MW). The projected peak load was pegged at 1269 MW, hence a deficiency of 77 MW or a 92% increase from Tuesday’s shortfall of only 6 MW. In effect, the deficiency puts Mindanao’s power system condition under “Red Alert” status. “Red Alert” refers to the system condition where the contingency reserve is zero or a generation deficiency exists, NGCP explained in an earlier statement. Mindanao was placed last November under “Yellow Alert,” a system condition where the total of all reserves is less than 13.2% of the required capacity. When system reserves are more than sufficient to meet the reserve requirements of the grid, the system is considered to be under normal condition. The system alert, and the corresponding power curtailment, if any, is lifted once demand recedes or once there is enough available capacity coming into the grid from the power plants. In a phone interview, Milfrance Capulong, NGCP communications officer for Mindanao, said the generation deficiency experienced in the Southern Philippines started last January 1. However, she declined to give details when asked for the reasons of the generation deficiency reportedly from the NPC, saying she’s not privy to such matters. But Capulong noted that power demand in Mindanao is on a rising trend, thus helping strain the supply. She could not say until when the NGCP, the private operator of the country’s power transmission network, would implement the load curtailment on electric distributors across the island. Capulong also stressed the need to put in place additional power generation facilities to serve the growing needs of the island. To date at least, three companies—Aboitiz Power Corp., Sarangani Energy Corp., and San Miguel Corp.—have bared plans to put up coal power plants in different locations in Mindanao. These coal-fired power plant projects, however, have been facing resistance on concerns over human health and the environment. (Bong Sarmiento/MindaNews)
"Our information is that Rep Pacquiao filed his complaint together with Mr Aquia," Bagares said. "In any case we reiterate our earlier call on Rep Pacquiao to take this opportunity to work with journalists in pressing for the decriminalization of libel in the country."


Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com, www.mindanews.com and Rappler. - Rappler.com


==Gen San city gov't readies for Holy Week==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R12&article=1671333351733
*Monday 2nd of April 2012
:By.  Catherine T. Apelacio


ENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 2 (PIA)--The city government here is all set for the observance of the Holy Week.


In today’s City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting, Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio asked the members to submit to her by tomorrow morning their final reports relative to their respective plan for the Holy Week.


“It is important that everything is in place and coordinated well especially with all the chiefs of police and other key line agencies and offices for the Holy Week,” the mayor told the Council members.


Custodio, however, pointed out the important role of police in keeping the peace and order in the city especially in ensuring the safety of the public during the observance of the season.


She said all key offices shall be on call during the observance and will be convened when necessary.


As this develops, the police assured the mayor that there was enough numbers of police personnel in the different police stations and when necessary the regional police headquarters will deploy personnel for reinforcement.


==Gov prods use of internet to monitor weather situations==
The Joint Task Force (JTF) GenSan, an elite military force based in the city will also join the police to tightly secure the parameters of GenSan.  
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=71035
*Wednesday, January 04, 2012
:By. CT Apelacio


In addition to the stand by security forces, Mayor Custodio also asked the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station here and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to help ensure that all-out security is concretely in place especially in Sarangani Bay.


PCG and the MARINA both reassured the lady chief executive that they have been regularly conducting patrol in the Bay area and will do more during the season of Lent.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan 4 (PIA) -- The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in Sarangani has found the internet useful in monitoring weather situations in the country.
Citing the influx of people after Good Friday, Custodio urged then the police and other security forces to particularly double their efforts of securing the city during Black Saturday and Easter Sunday.  
PDRRM Officer Buenaventura Solarte said Gov. Migs Dominguez has told him often to use all available technology like the internet to monitor weather condition such as the low pressure area (LPA) monitored in neighboring General Santos City.
He said LPA has affected the province but was happy to note that it is weakening by citing PAGASA’s weather bulletin.
“It is all cloudy here (Sarangani) but no rain,” said Solarte.
According to him, the province has been touching base with all the Municipal DRRMCs to ensure that all information and updates are properly coordinated at the barangay levels.
“It’s the MDRRMCs that the province is closely coordinating with since they are our partners in the ground,” Solarte told PIA General Santos City.
He said PDRRMO has activated all information links with all sectors such as the media, the Philippine Information Agency based here, the municipal information officers, and the MDRRMCs at the seven municipalities.
“We also advised people with no let up to be ready and opt for safety instead as well as warned fishermen to be cautious and not go fishing for the meantime,” he said.
Solarte acknowledged that people are wary about hearing weather forecast because of what happened recently to Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities, which the provincial government assisted with some P500,000.00 worth of relief goods.
LPA, though not a typhoon, is basically threatening as it brings moderate to heavy rains and may trigger flashfloods and landslides in some vulnerable areas, he explained.
But “it’s a welcome development and we are thankful that there is no rain in Sarangani despite the existence of LPA.”
Solarte also hailed people in Sarangani for their continuous vigilance and high level of awareness on various situations around them. (CTA/PIA General Santos City)


==PRO 12 hails personnel as “modernong katipuneros”==
“Ito kasing mga araw na to talagang marami ang pumupunta sa simbahan kaya kailangan ang ibayong pagbabantay,” she rationalized.  
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=70715
*Tuesday, January 03, 2012
:By. Pops Gumana-Fruylan


She said more police presence will be deployed in barangays with many churchgoers such as Lagao, City Heights, Calumpang, Bula, Fatima to include the city proper.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 3 (PIA) --- PCSupt Lester Camba, Officer-in Charge of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 liken the works of police personnel in the region with that “katipuneros”. Camba branded dedicated policemen as “modern katipuneros” who combat criminalities and lawlessness instead of Spaniards. “We are tasked to serve our country for the public and be like pillar of indisputable humanitarian organization like Dr. Jose Rizal himself,” Regional Public Information Office quoted Camba, as saying. During the commemoration of Rizal Day over the weekend, Camba led other personnel in paying tribute to the sacrifices, courage and gallantry of the national hero. He said the martyrdom of Rizal may serve as an apparent paradigm especially in the profession as police officers. “May the battle of this great person be an inspiration to everyone and the commemoration of his death be remembered with honor and glory,” Camba said. Meanwhile, regional public information officer Supt. Resty Damaso, revealed that the commemoration of the death of Dr. Jose Rizal is anchored on the theme, “Rizal: Haligi ng Bayan.” Damaso expressed his admiration to the national hero who sacrificed his life in order for the Filipinos to attain freedom, by saying “he never waved his right to independence, so that his country men may walk again with dignity and pride.” He challenged police personnel to repay the sacrifices of Rizal by rekindling the fire of nationalism in their hearts, working harder, and continue to defend liberty and freedom against threatening forces. “The freedom that he once fought for is the freedom were enjoying now and the democracy that he even gave up his life for, is the same democracy that we are now proud of,” Damaso explained. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)
Custodio also ordered the police to coordinate with barangay chieftains for the mobilization of barangay tanods and other force multipliers who can help them to better secure the city-wide perimeter.  


==Dolefil Caravan of Hope visit northern Mindanao to give relief goods==
She also cited the readiness of the city government key offices led by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), City Health Office (CHO), the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), the City Engineering Office (CEO), the Delta 9 under the City Public Information Office (CPIO), including the City Quick Response Team (QRT) and the Interim Integrated Waste Collection Services Unit (IIWSU). (CTA/PIA General Santos City)
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r12&id=70671
*Monday, January 02, 2012
:By.Gwyn Ebol & CT Apelacio


==MSU launches Nutraceutical Laboratory==
*Source: http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/45746-MSU-launches-Nutraceutical-Laboratory.html
*Sunday, April 1. 2012
:By. MSU-GSC/Danielle Anne De los Santos


GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Mindanao State University- General Santos City launches the 3.7 million worth Nutraceutical Laboratory with the inauguration ceremony Thursday, March 30, at the campus ground.
The day was also the university’s 33rd Baccalaureate Services and Awards Ceremonies.
Assistant Director of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Resources (DA-BAR) and Guest Speaker Dr. Teodoro Solsoloy led the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Chancellor Abdurrahman Canacan and Vice- Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Mary Lynn S. Abiera.
Developing laboratories is one of the main thrust of DA-BAR. Solsoloy said there are good researchers but are nevertheless provided with insufficient laboratories.
“There are studies which are just stuck in shelves, journals or publications. It’s time to explore more and prove more,” Solsoloy said.
The Nutraceutical Laboratory, with its state-of-the-art equipment, aims to expose into a more comprehensive way various researches and studies on screen plant and animal resources for therapeutic properties.
Chancellor Canacan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to DA-BAR for its support and partnership with the university.
“This is not just a blessing but a big challenge for us,” Canacan said.
Canacan hopes for the laboratory to be properly utilized by the students, the faculty and other users.
Aside from aiding students on their studies, the laboratory was built also to benefit other researchers in the region to nurture their knowledge on environment for health and safety.
Solsoloy said MSU-GSC is the perfect location for the laboratory and the ideal place to set up the laboratory considering it as the center of all universities and scientific communities in Mindanao.
The laboratory can start its operation six months earlier than the targeted schedule speeded up by the faculty and university management joint efforts.
Alumni Regent Dr. William R. Adan expressed his admiration to the performance of the university under the present administration.
Research Director Dr. Edna Oconer said there will be no problem with the results of the tests in the laboratory as it is already complete with proper protocols.
The nutraceutical building was a location for an old classroom. It was in summer 2011 when the university proposed the project to DA-BAR.
The Nutraceutical Laboratory houses two rooms for different fields of specialization and is equipped with high-tech apparatuses.
The first room is the Phytochemistry Room. It will cater the phytochemical screening of locally-found plants and animals in the region. The room accommodates different equipment for experiments to be conducted.
The Bioassay Room will be used to check and house the specimens for the experiments and also equipped with modern apparatuses.


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) -- Almost 5,000 families were given a ray of hope this holiday season by “Dolefil Caravan of Hope,” which visited both the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Valencia in Bukidnon.
Dolefil's Caravan of Hope left Dolefil Gym for the second wave of relief operations Friday (Dec 30), carrying with them all the hopes aspired by Dolefil employees for the victims of Tropical storm Sendong in northern part of Mindanao.
During the first wave of relief operations, 45 volunteers consisted of members of the Dolefil Kaugnay, Dolefil Mountaineering Club, as well as the company's partner cooperatives, left aboard three commuter vans en route to a ten-hour trip to Cagayan de Oro City.
Soon after, three ten-wheeler trucks followed suit, carrying a P4.5 million worth of relief goods.
The trucks were loaded with Dole canned pineapple products, rice, noodles, other canned food items, plastic mats, blankets/quilts, and boxes of bottled water distributed to at least 3,120 family-beneficiaries.
The volunteers themselves distributed the relief goods to various evacuation centers in Cagayan de Oro City, bringing smiles to families left homeless by tropical storm Sendong.
In Valencia City, aids amounting to P1.2 million were also extended by the company to families identified hard-hit by the storm.
In a statement, Dolefil Human Resources division director Atty. Melquiades Hernandez III, said “it was heartwarming to note the outpouring of support from Dolefil employees, unions, cooperatives and other business partners who unselfishly shared their blessings for the benefit of the typhoon victims just in time for the Holidays.”
According to Hernandez, Dolefil employees have collectively raised over P1 million, which was used to purchase basic necessities such as rice and water to benefit thousands of homeless families in the area.
Hernandez said the act was not only part of Dolefil’s corporate social responsibility but as an individual act of kindness and in solidarity with the Filipino people “in this season of love and sharing.” (Dolefil/PIA General Santos City)


==[[General Santos City, Philippines Archived News]]==
==[[General Santos City, Philippines Archived News]]==
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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Tax holiday for Pacquiao’s business

By Joseph Jubelag


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – The city government here has given a six-year tax holiday for the newly-opened hotel business of couple Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao and wife Jinkee.

City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who was among the guests during the inauguration of Roadhouse Hotel located along Barangay City Heights here, said Pacquiao’s new business venture will help boost the local tourism industry. She said the tax holiday is given by the city government to any investor, like Pacquiao who is willing to put up business venture in the city. “This is one way of encouraging more investors to invest in the city,” Custodio said. Jinkee Pacquiao led the opening ceremony last Tuesday of the 42-bedroom county like hotel in the suburban Barangay City Heights which was attended by local officials including Sarangani Vice-Gov. Steve Solon and Vice-Mayor Shirlyn Nograles. The hotel is equipped with modern facilities including a coffee shop, restaurant and function rooms. “We assure that our guests will have a memorable stay in our place,” Jinkee said.





Troops overrun 3 NPA camps in Sultan Kudarat

By (PNA)

FFC/AVE


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 11 (PNA) – Government troops overran three major camps of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the mountains of Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat following a series of operations in the area.

Lt. Col. Alexis Noel Bravo, commander of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion (IB), said Friday they seized the camps after several intense encounters with suspected rebels under the NPA’s Front 72 and Southern Alip Regional Guerilla Unit (SARGU).

“After our encounters, we continued to search the general area and found the abandoned temporary camps,” he said.

But he said they found the three NPA camps already dismantled supposedly to prevent his troops from using them.

Bravo said they recovered from three camps several subversive documents and personal belongings believed to be owned by the rebels and their leaders.

The Army official described the fallen positions as “major or big camps with trenches and foxholes” and located near several caves that the rebels had used as shelter.

“There’s a cave system in the mountains of Columbio and the rebels have used them for many years as escape route or for their protection,” he said.

Bravo said their troops have taken over the abandoned NPA camps, which they consider as strategic positions in connection with their continuing operations against the communist rebels.

He said one of their units is presently securing the area to prevent the NPA rebels, who reportedly fled towards nearby Tulunan town in North Cotabato, from reclaiming them.

The 27th IB launched the offensives against the NPA rebels following an encounter late last month at the boundary of Columbio and Magsaysay town in Davao Del Sur that left a soldier and five rebels dead.

Prior to the encounter, an estimated 40 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) stormed a military detachment in Barangay Bacungan in Columbio, which is near the mines development site of foreign-backed firm Sagittarius Mines Inc.

Bravo said the rebels, posing as mining workers, attacked the detachment on board a hijacked forward truck.

PNP 12 starts early Brigada Eskwela in Gensan

By Nirvana Alpha Vita G. Fruylan


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The Philippine National Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 started Friday its own Brigada Eskwela by conducting series of clean-up operations in public elementary and secondary schools in the city in preparation for the opening of classes in June.

According to a report from the Public Information Office (PIO) of PRO 12, the first activity was conducted in Dadiangas North Elementary School where personnel from the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO) also joined forces in tidying the campus premises.

PRO 12 Regional Director, PCSupt Benjardi Mantele personally visited the place and led the group in repainting tables and desks, and in removing unwanted debris in the area as a support to the program of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“We also cut grasses on the ground as well as sweep away dried leaves from the roofs of classroom buildings,” said PO1 Woody Butch Villaflores of RPIO, who disclosed that they are currently in Banisil High School for another clean-up activity.

Mantele also donated P10,000 each to two public schools in Gensan as assistance for the repair of damaged classroom buildings.

The early Brigada Eskwela of PRO 12 received positive feedbacks from parents by saying “this is a great help for parents as this will ease us with the burden of cleaning up our children’s school before the classes starts.” (DEDoguiles/PGFruylan-PIA12 Gensan)

Jinkee Pacquiao opens 40-room hotel in General Santos City

By ABS-CBNNews.com.


ABS-CBNNews.com reports that Jinkee Pacquiao, the wife of boxer-lawmaker Manny Pacquiao, has "opened her own hotel in General Santos City." The report noted: "The 40-room Road Haus Hotel, located right across the Pacquiaos’ commercial complex, boasts of a modern design with single, double and family rooms."

The report quoted Jinkee, who revealed that the hotel "took nearly a year to plan." ABS-CBNNews.com also pointed out that "boxing photos of Manny, as well as Jinkee's own glamour shots and portraits of the Pacquiao family, can be seen all over the hotel."

Winner in Maasim election protest takes seat

By Allen V. Estabillo


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/07 May) – With barely a year left before the next local elections, Arturo Lawa assumed his seat as mayor of Maasim, Sarangani after the newly convened board of canvassers finally announced him the rightful winner in the hotly contested May 10, 2010 elections. Lawa “lost” to Jose Zamorro by one of the narrowest margins in local elections, 15 votes or so, said the PCOS machine which erroneously transmitted results of the canvassing of nine votes during a test run at Precinct 21 in Kablacan village prior to the sealing of the machine. But in the certified election returns from the precinct canvassed on Monday, Lawa actually received 136 votes as against only 62 votes by Zamorro bringing the total votes he garnered to 5,440 as against 5,382 of his chief rival – a margin of 58 votes. As a Commission on Elections ruling prohibits pre-proclamation protests, Lawa was obliged to file his protest before the commission en banc. Lawa won his case but Zamorro filed an appeal which eventually reached the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court upheld Lawa’s victory. Armed with the Supreme Court ruling, Lawa tried to claim his seat last year but by then the municipal election officer who admitted to the PCOS machine error had already retired. In March this year, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered Zamorro to vacate his post and appointed Vice Mayor Uttoh Salem Cutan as acting mayor. On May 7, Lawa, dressed in long sleeves finally held office for the first time as Cutan immediately relinquished his post as acting mayor.

Lawa was one of the two mayoralty candidates from the Sarangani Reconciliation and Reformation Organization (SARRO) party who survived the onslaught of winning candidates from the People’s Champ Movement of Rep. Manny Pacquiao who grabbed the lone congressional seat of Sarangani province. (Edwin G. Espejo/MindaNews)

SOUTHERN COMFORT: Long time coming

By Edwin G. Espejo


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/06 May) — It is unfortunate that it took Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes (2nd District-South Cotabato) to amplify a bill separating General Santos City from the 1st Congressional District of South Cotabato. For more than 20 straight years, the South Cotabato first district congressional seat was controlled by the Antoninos. First by Adelbert Antonino then his wife Lualhati before daughter Darlene served it out for three consecutive terms. Their ally, Rep. Pedro ‘Jun’ Acharon Jr now occupies that position. It was Acharon who filed the bill reapportioning the first and second congressional districts of South Cotabato and separating General Santos City as a lone congressional district. When the framers of the 1987 Constitutional apportioned the number of legislative districts, it set a minimum in the number of population (one congressional district for every 250,000 population). Little did they anticipate that General Santos City, whose population at that time was just a little over 180,000, will rise to become one of the highly urbanized cities in the Philippines. Today, there are over 536,000 residents in General Santos City, well over the minimum. Based on the 2010 population census, it is now even entitled to two legislative districts. I have been repeatedly putting forward this idea since relocating here in 1999. (In 1997, I was commissioned by former Davao City councilor Aristeo Albay to make a study for possibly re-districting Davao City into four congressional districts. That paper was submitted to then 2nd District Rep. Manuel ‘Nonoy’ Garcia who said it cannot be done without amending the Constitution.) The latest incident where I had the opportunity to discuss this matter was with then Rep. Darlene Antonino who, in 2010, was then running for mayor. I understand that it will take an amendment of the Constitution to re-apportion the congressional districts as it is incorporated in the transitory provisions. The law provides that no new district shall be created unless a new territory is created. Re-districting the city and South Cotabato will not result into the creation of a new province or city. But it has been done before without resulting into amending the Constitution. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, now city mayor, however said it cannot be done without resorting to charter change which effect could lead to the opening of Pandora’s box. Acharon was also not receptive to the idea when he was still a may

The two were also lukewarm, if not dismissive, of dividing the city into two political and legislative district (east and west) with Silway River as its natural boundary, similar to nearby Sarangani whose two political districts is separated east and west by General Santos City (Sarangani, too, has a lone congressional district). This will enable the city to increase the number of seats in the city council which is long overdue. Silway River serves as natural boundary between the east and west side of the city. Having only 12 elected councilors for a city of over half a million is a political anomaly. Residents here deserve at least 16 councilors – eight for each district – for wider representation. It will also lessen the campaign cost for candidates for the city council as they will no longer campaign at large. And it can be done without even having to disturb the congressional districts. But if it can be done simultaneously,why not? It may be too late to effect changes in the districting and representation at the city council but this could be a good platform for next year’s local elections. (MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Edwin Espejo writes for asian.correspondent.com)

BSP orients businesses in Gensan on counterfeit money

By (DED/PGFruylan/PIA 12, GenSan)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 6 (PIA) -- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recently conducted an orientation among business establishments here against the proliferation of fake peso bills in the market.

Cecilia C. Hortal, BSP senior currency specialist said business establishments should be more vigilant in identifying the security features of the new generation currency (NGC) so that they will not be victimized by counterfeiters.

Hortal explained that the NGC is more colorful with features that are difficult to copy like embossed prints, serial number, security fibers, watermark, see-through mark, concealed value, and security thread.

She disclosed that the P500 and P1,000 banknotes contain additional features such as optically variable device and another optically variable ink for the P1,000 banknote, which is hard for counterfeiters to fake.

Ordinary people, she said, can also apply the feel, look, and tilt (FLT) technique in determining whether or not the denomination is genuine.

The new banknotes, which were launched in December 2010, are not smooth but a little rough to touch because they are made from cotton and the Philippine abaca.

Serial numbers are composed of one or two prefix letters and six to seven digits in asymmetrical or increasing size.

When viewed against the light, the watermark on the blank space shows a shadow image of the portrait and the banknote's denomination; this can be seen on either side of the bill.

Security threads are readily observed on the banknotes when observed against a light source. In 20 and 50 denominations the security thread is continuous and 2 mm in width but in 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 denominations this is 4 mm wide, metallic and stitch-like.

Meanwhile, the BSP opined that it is advantageous for business establishments to have a counterfeit money detector especially that reproduction of fake bills has become easier because of technology.

BSP also urged people who have information about counterfeiting operations to report immediately to authorities or get in touch with the nearest BSP office.

DOLE-12 course commits to ISO 9001:2008 certification

By Catherine T. Apelacio


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office (DOLE) 12 select employees recently received an “Orientation and Refresher Course on Quality Management System Requirements and Auditing” recently to improve the agency’s commitment as an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 certification holder.

Romeo Ramirez, training director of Certification International Philippines (CIP), served as the resource speaker.

CIP functions to review, analyze, and reward businesses or organizations recipient of a host of standards to strengthen and help improve the system with the use of “technology, experience, and knowledge.”

DOLE-12 Regional Director Chona Mantilla hailed CIP’s enthusiasm in extending the necessary support to ISO-certified agencies in the country.

In her message, Mantilla conveyed her commitment saying “maintaining and sustaining the Quality Management System (QMS) is indeed a great challenge” but the greater challenge, she stressed, still lies in serving “our customers well and do so excellently and from the heart.”

The cover topics included the “Q101:Understanding and Implementing ISO 9001:2008 – A Strategy for Global Competitiveness," which points on the development of QMS model; the overall aim of ISO 9001:2008 and its structure; the eight Quality Management Principles and understanding the requirements of ISO 9001:2008.

Mantilla said the orientation has contributed not just on conceptual level of understanding but most of all on the actual learning experiences of DOLE-12 key officials, chiefs, and field office representatives attending the orientation.

She urged all participants to apply their learning when they go back to their respective field offices as a way to ensure the sustainability and their commitment to the core values embodied in ISO 9001:2008 certification.

DOLE XII gained its ISO certification 9001:2008 in October 3, 2011.

ISO 9001 fuels best practice and helps organizations to become more efficient toward a definite commitment to quality, which is a powerful force to attract and retain customers or clients while at the same time improving the “efficiency and profitability” of the company or organization.

Alongside its commitment to ISO standards, DOLE-12 also implements the present administration’s 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda, which is bent to carry out “Human Resource Competitiveness and Industrial Peace Based on Social Justice.” (CTA/PIA General Santos City)

Separate district for GenSan by May 2013 polls pushed

By (PNA)

scs/AVE


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 4 (PNA) – South Cotabato officials are pushing for the conversion of this city into a separate legislative district before the May 2013 mid-term national and local elections.

Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes (South Cotabato, 2nd District) said Friday they are currently working for the referral to the committee on local government of House Bill No. 6038 or “An Act reapportioning the composition of the first (1st) and second (2nd) legislative districts in the province of South Cotabato and thereby creating a new legislative district from such reapportionment” when Congress resumes its sessions next week.

She said they expect the committee to immediately schedule the hearings for the proposed law, which was filed by Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. (South Cotabato, 1st District) last March 19.

“Right now, our target is to have this bill passed and hold the first elections for the reconfigured districts in (May) 2013,” she said.

Fuentes, who is the bill’s co-author, said the measure mainly provides for the reapportioning of the present composition of South Cotabato’s first and second congressional or legislative districts.

She said the reconfiguration will pave the way for the creation of a separate or lone congressional district for this city.

The first district presently comprises this city and the municipalities of Tupi, Tampakan and Polomolok in South Cotabato. The second district is composed of Koronadal City and the municipalities of Tantangan, Banga, T’boli, Surallah, Sto. Nino, Norala and Lake Sebu.

Under HB 6038, Fuentes said South Cotabato’s first district will be reshaped into the towns of Polomolok, Tupi, Tampakan and T’boli.

Koronadal City and the six remaining towns will compose the province’s second district, she said.

“We decided on this reconfiguration with the consideration of pushing later on for the creation of another separate district for Koronadal City,” Fuentes said.

Koronadal City, which is a component city of South Cotabato, is the province’s capital and the regional seat and center of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.

Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

The city, which has a population of 538,086 based on the 2010 census, has long been classified as an independent and highly-urbanized locality but it has remained a part of South Cotabato’s first congressional district.

It was originally a component of the undivided Cotabato empire province until Congress approved its charter in 1968.

Based on the 2010 census, the municipalities of Tupi, Tampakan and Polomolok of South Cotabato posted a combined population of 236,370, which is short of the 250,000 population requirement for the creation of a new congressional district.

The authors carved out T’boli town, which has a population of 79,175, from the second district to complete the population requirement.

Early last year, the South Cotabato provincial board passed Resolution No. 5, which sought for the separation of General Santos City from the province’s legislative configuration and the re-apportionment of the area’s existing districts.

Vice Gov. Elmo Tolosa, co-author of the resolution, said the proposal would significantly benefit the province in terms of increased allocation from the congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF and guaranteed representation at the House of Representatives for local constituents.

Tolosa said they believe that being a first class province, there’s a need for the province to have more representation in Congress to cope with its rapid growth in terms of economic and social development.

With a population of 827,200 based on the 2010 census, the province’s total population was projected to reach around 851,000 this year based on its annual average growth rate of 1.46 percent.

Comelec brings PWDs registration to GenSan barangays

By (PNA)

FFC/AVE/RSS


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 3 (PNA) – In a bid to encourage persons with disabilities (PWDs) to take part in the 2013 mid-term elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec)office here has brought the its ongoing registration down to the barangays, an official said.

But even then, at least 11 PWDs have registered from the start of the year until last week, local Comelec data showed.

Clint Vincent Dumaguit, Comelec election assistant officer II here, said they actually began bringing the Comelec registration down to the barangay level in May last year not just to serve the PWDs but the general public as well.

“Some PWDs have the tendency to be ashamed to go to our office so we come to the villages to make the registration easier for them,” he said.

On normal days in the Comelec office at the back of the old city hall building, he added that they give special priority to differently-abled persons through the “PWD lane” especially when the lines are long.

The local Comelec office also accords special accommodation to pregnant women and older persons applying to become registered voters, Dumaguit said.

Special registration for PWDs in the city started on April 2 until April 30, with intermittent off days.

The venue should have been at the first floor of the old city hall building but the city Comelec, aside from bringing it to the barangay level, hold the special registration at its office in the second floor at the back of the city hall building.

The city has 26 barangays and so far the PWDs who registered came from the six villages of Buayan, Calumpang, City Heights, Fatima, Katangawan and Labangal, Dumaguit said.

He said they went to the villages with the support of the barangay governments, although there were some who did not lend help due to scarce resources.

With the latter case, Dumaguit said they just forego that barangay unit.

But he hoped that PWDs who did not come out for the special registration would enlist themselves as the Comelec has a continuing registration until October 31, 2012.

Gov’t Aids Davao Sur Villagers

By JOSEPH JUBELAG


44 Agencies Provide Various Programs And Services To Remote Community

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Some 2,000 residents of Malita town in Davao del Sur have benefited from the convergence of programs and services conducted by the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA) in Region-11 and the Army’s 10th Infantry Division recently.

Some 44 national government agencies provided services to the local residents, including job fairs, medical missions, and educational campaign during the activity, said ARENA-11 president Achilles Gerard Bravo.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) offered an array of employment facilitation services for an easier and faster means of finding jobs.

The Department of Health (DOH) assisted rural health units in its distribution of medicines, information, education, and communication materials.

While the Department of Education (DEPED) conducted information and dissemination drive to the parents about its newly implemented K+12 program and distributed school supplies, while the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also launched information and dissemination campaign and skills demonstration.

“The purpose of the activity is to bring the government services directly to the people, which complemented the Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) of the 10th Infantry Division,” Bravo said.

For his part, Army spokesperson Captain William Rodriguez said, through the Peace and Development Teams (PDTs) from the 1002nd Army Brigade, that the government was able to identify the issues and concerns prevailing in the far-flung communities that need to be addressed by concerned government agencies.

As this developed, Malita Municipal Mayor Benjamin Bautista lauded the ARENA-11 for bringing the govern¬ment services to Malita.

He added that the presence of the military not only provided security but also facilitated the delivery of basic social services even in far-flung com¬munities.

Brigadier General Ariel Bernardo, 10th ID commander, said the govern¬ment has various programs for various social issues, which was exemplified through the spirit of “Bayanihan, Serbisyo Caravan” shown by the various stakeholders of peace and develop¬ment efforts in the area.

Region 12 labor groups seek more ‘substantial’ wage hike

By (PNA)

LDV/AVE/RSS


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 1 (PNA) – Labor groups in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region called on the national government Tuesday to move for a more substantial wage increase and scrap the regional wage board in the region.

Hundreds of private workers belonging to organized labor unions in the region issued such call as they staged protest actions here and in other key cities in the area in commemoration of the 110th International Labor Day.

Adelaida Segumpan, Kilusang Mayong Uno (KMU) spokesperson in Region 12, noted the “heaven and earth” disparity between the daily minimum wage rate and the estimated cost of living level in the area.

She said that while private sector workers get a minimum daily pay of up to P270, the daily cost of living for a family to live decently should not be less than P700.

“What the workers needed now is substantial wage increase in order for us to cope up with the skyrocketing prices of petroleum products, basic commodities and services,” Segumpan said.

She described the recently approved P10 to P14 daily wage increase in the region “as a meager amount meant to pacify workers’ wrath against the callousness of the Aquino administration.”

Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said they are pushing for the abolition of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board as it supposedly serves more the concerns of the employers and not the workers.

“The wage board [has] become the mouthpiece of big businesses,” he said.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

Meantime, thousands of jobseekers trooped to the three regional jobs fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 12.

Chona Mantilla, DOLE-12 regional director, said the three jobs fair opened smoothly and they expect that more local job seekers will be hired on-the-spot in today’s activities.

The job fairs were done simultaneously at the KCC Mall here, Southseas Mall in Cotabato City and the city gymnasium in Kidapawan City.

“We’re targeting at least 15 percent of our job seekers to be hired on-the-spot,” Mantilla said.

She added that DOLE and its attached agencies are continually working to protect the rights and welfare of private workers in the region.

14,000 jobs at stake in three Labor Day jobs fair in Region 12

By. (PNA)

FFC/AVE


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 30 (PNA) – About 14,000 local and overseas job placements will be opened to jobseekers in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region during the simultaneous Labor Day jobs fair here and in two other cities in the region on Tuesday.

Chona Mantilla, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 12 director, said Monday the three regional jobs fair are among the highlights of the agency’s celebration of the Labor Day in the area.

She said the jobs fair will be held at the KCC Mall here, South Seas Mall in Cotabato City and the city gymnasium of Kidapawan City.

On Monday, a pre-Labor Day jobs fair was also held at the Gaisano Grand Mall in Koronadal City.

“Our attached and allied agencies will also render free services, seminars and orientations to our job seekers and concerned residents,” Mantilla said.

Among the government agencies that signified to put up booths at the jobs fair venues were the Social Security System, National Bureau of Investigation, Pag-IBIG Fund and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

As of Monday, Mantilla said 114 companies and job placement agencies from the area as well as other key cities in the country have signified to join the activity.

She said they include 62 recruitment agencies that will offer 10,315 overseas placement opportunities, to both professional and skilled job seekers.

A total of 3,452 local jobs will also be opened during the three jobs fair, Mantilla said.

Dominia Milan, DOLE Sarangani-General Santos City labor officer, said the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will also hold orientations for beneficiaries of its convergence program.

She said they have initially identified 44 scholars or beneficiaries for the convergence DOLE’s Special Program for the Employment (SPES) and TESDA’s Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP).

She said 22 beneficiaries each were chosen from the municipalities of Malapatan and Alabel in Sarangani province.

Milan said they’re hoping that more job seekers from the area would be hired “on-the-spot” in Tuesday’s jobs fair.

“We’re aiming to surpass last year’s record of 200 job seekers who were hired on-the-spot by the participating companies and recruitment agencies,” she said.

Milan said they are currently assisting the initial job seekers who have registered at their office come up with some of the requirements to increase their chances of getting hired “on-the-spot” during the jobs fair.

PNP-12 initiates SWAT competition

By. Catherine T. Apelacio


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 29 (PIA) -- The Police Regional Office-12 here initiated the 1st SWAT (Special Weapon and Tactics) competition over the weekend to harness even more the skill of members in the elite unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

For the first time, PRO-12 brought together SWAT Units based in different city and the provincial police offices in the region for a unique contest.

PSSupt. Robert Kiunisala, deputy regional director for operations (DRDO), said that for the past few months, police job has become more challenging as crimes have been more complex and more sophisticated.

He said rebels have remained a major threat to peace in the region. Thus, the police, especially the SWAT forces must always be prepared all the time.

“Whenever rebels operate, we must find them where they dwell and stop them in their planning and one by one bring them to justice,” the Regional Public Information Office (RPIO) 12 quoted Kiunisala as saying.

Undertaken to suppress criminal activities, the SWAT competition, “is a programmed training aimed to enhance and refresh individual’s efficiency and unit teamwork to ensure greater survival rating during hard times.”

SWAT, as PNP’s special elite force, is touted to be the show window of the organization, being most of the time at the forefront of police operations.

Kiunisala reasoned that it is important that PRO 12 equip its personnel “with the right skills and knowledge” to make them professionals as they should be and for them to immediately respond during emergency situation or whenever necessary.

He said the mere fact that their (SWAT) knowledge and training have been honed to greater degree and given the chance to compete with the other only showed that they were “very competent and skilled” already.

Kiunisala also reminded the SWAT team that they only use firearms and weapons to protect people from harm and not to sow fear and insecurity among them.

An awarding ceremony led by Kiunisala himself capped the three-day activity with the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) 12 proclaimed as winning team followed by the Cotabato PPO, the General Santos City Police Office, fourth; Sarangani PPO, fifth; South Cotabato PPO, sixth; Sultan Kudarat PPO, seventh; and the Cotabato City Police Office, eighth. (CTA-PIA 12, General Santos City/With reports from RPIO-PRO-12)

NDRRMC: 4 children die in GenSan diarrhea outbreak

By. LBG, GMA News


At least four children died in a diarrhea outbreak that hit areas of General Santos City from March 30 to April 19, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said over the weekend.

In its report posted on its website Friday night, the NDRRMC said at least 243 people were affected, 134 of them were children aged 10 and below.

The NDRRMC identified the four fatalities as:

- Rain Jairo Cabilo Dacayo, 9 months, Brgy. Labangal, died April 10 - Angel Bernon, 2, died April 10 - Calzuma Mustapha, 8, died April 13 - Kinjie Masangkay, 3 months, died April 18

The NDRRMC also said 175 people were affected in Purok Saludin in Labangal village, 134 of them children.

At least 45 were affected in Purok Salafan in Apopong village, while another 23 were affected in Purok Mudia in Labangal village.

Samples had been taken from a pitcher pump that was the victims' source of water.

Drinking water is being treated and containers being disinfected to address the problem, the NDRRMC said.

Suspension of banana venture eyed as land row heats up in South Cotabato village

By. (PNA) LAP/AVE/AC


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 27 (PNA) – South Cotabato officials are seeking the suspension of the planned expansion of banana plantations in a farming village in Tupi town due to a worsening land conflict in the area.

South Cotabato Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr. said he is set to meet with representatives of a banana company to discuss the temporary deferment of its expansion in Barangay Koronadal Proper in Tupi until the ongoing land conflict in the area is resolved.

He initially declined to name the banana company, which is reportedly working on a contract-growing scheme for a 10-hectare plantation within the disputed area that spans around 45 hectares.

“We want the ownership of the area resolved first to avoid possible problems later on,” the governor said.

Tension gripped the village last February after a group of Moro residents intensified their claim over the lands, which they cited as part of their ancestral domain.

Alleged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Nadsid Akmad alias Kumander Faisal reportedly converged in the area supposedly to assist the claims of Moro residents over the lands from local Christian settlers.

The provincial government initiated a dialogue to ease the tension in the area but the situation has remained volatile due to the pending resolution of the land dispute.

Pingoy said he directed the Provincial Environment Management Office to defer the issuance of environmental clearances to companies that were eyeing to engage in any business venture in the area to avoid complicating the situation.

“These might push the claimants to resort to violent means to gain ownership of the lands and we don’t want that to happen,” he said.

In support of the local government’s move, the governor said officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provincial office have advised local landowners not to enter into any business contract with any entity without its endorsement.

The provincial government had asked DAR to conduct another survey of the area to resolve the ownership of the disputed lands, which were earlier distributed to 30 local farmers.

DAR had issued certificate of land titles to the farmers but Akmad’s group insisted that it was the real owner of the land.






13 colleges, universities in Region 12 raise tuition fees by 4-8%

By. (PNA) LAP/AVE


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 26 (PNA) – Thirteen private colleges and universities in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region are set to raise their tuition and other related fees by four to 10 percent starting June, an official of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said.

Dr. Zohrahaydah Panawidan, CHED Region 12 assistant director, said the 13 institutions were among the 222 nationwide that applied and granted approval earlier this month by the CHED central office to increase their tuition fees in the upcoming school year 2012-2013.

“As cited in their applications, they were raising their tuition fees to cover for the salary increases of their teachers and the improvement of their facilities and equipment,” she said in a radio interview.

Panawidan said a total of 16 colleges and universities in the region has applied for tuition fee increases by the March 31 deadline.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

But she said one institution later withdrew while the two others failed to complete their application requirements.

Panawidan said most of them applied for an eight percent increase but some also sought for 10 percent and four percent adjustments.

In this city, the colleges and universities that were raising their tuition fees were the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, Mindanao Polytechnic College, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College and the General Santos Doctors Medical School Foundation.

They were joined by Notre Dame University in Cotabato City; Notre Dame of Salaman College in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat; Southern Christian College in Midsayap, North Cotabato; Central Mindanao College and Notre Dame of Kidapawan in Kidapawan City; and, St. Alexius College, King’s College of Marbel, Green Valley College Foundation Inc. and Regency Polytechnic College in Koronadal City.

Based on data from CHED central office, the average tuition fee increase it approved for the 13 colleges and universities in the region was around eight percent, which is equivalent to P28.81 per unit.

The new tuition fee increase practically raises the average tuition fee in the region to P400.78 from the previous P371.97.

“The increases are actually minimal when added to the old rates,” Panawidan said.

The official assured that the 13 colleges and universities have complied with the requirements set by the agency with regards to the setting of tuition fee increases, among them the consultations with their stakeholders.

She said they reviewed the applications of the concerned institutions before submitting them to the CHED central office.

South Cotabato, Maguindanao execs set meet over boundary row

By. Allen Estabillo


GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Officials of South Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces are set to meet next week to discuss ways to resolve a worsening conflict among residents within their disputed boundaries.

South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said Tuesday Maguindanao officials agreed to meet with them and work on a possible settlement regarding the delineation of the boundaries of Tantangan town in South Cotabato and Mangudadatu town in Maguindanao.

He said they will discuss during the meeting some interventions to help ease the tension among land claimants that already led to the killing of a resident of Tantangan town earlier this month.

Pingoy said Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu has signified to attend the proposed meeting, which is being finalized by both local governments.

“Gov. Mangudadatu and I had initial discussions on this matter and we both agreed that it’s time for us to settle this matter to avoid further bloodshed among the claimants,” the governor said.

Pingoy said the local government has requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to conduct a survey and set delineation marks on the boundaries of the two municipalities.

He said they also asked the Department of Agrarian Reform to provide copies of possible documents pertaining to the disputed lands.

“We’re currently compiling the registry and assessment records, survey maps and other related documents concerning these lands. Hopefully, we can come up with some settlement and bring peace to the affected areas in Tantangan,” Pingoy said.

On April 9, a resident of Purok Maharlika in Barangay Poblacion of Tantangan was killed in an attack allegedly staged by a group of land claimants from nearby Mangudadatu town.

The victim, identified as Army T/Sgt. Fernando Patria, was on his way home from his farm when he was waylaid by about 20 armed men allegedly led by a certain Kumander Patotoy.

The local police believe the incident was an offshoot of a long-drawn conflict over vast tracts of farmlands in the area, including Patria’s palay farm.

Tension also escalated in the area in July last year, prompting the municipal government of Tantangan to elevate the matter to the Provincial Peace and Order Council.

Tantangan Mayor Arnold Garingo said his town already lost some 143 hectares of titled private lands due to alleged illegal occupation by claimants from the neighboring Mangudatatu town and Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat.

He said most of the lands that were annexed by the claimants were located in the lower portion of Barangay Poblacion and Barangay Cuyapo in Tantangan, comprising irrigated rice lands that stretch to the banks of Lake Buluan.

The mayor said the alleged "land-grabbing" activities started in 1994 and has worsened during the last several years.

He said some farmers in the area were forced to leave their lands supposedly due to threats of violence from the claimants, some of whom reportedly come from this city. (PNA)

LAP/AVE

South Cotabato cops note improved operations

By. (PNA)

LAP/AVE/AC


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 24 (PNA) – Operations of police units in South Cotabato province significantly improved during the first three months of the year as they cleared over 73 percent of the crime incidents that occurred in the area.

Senior Supt. Randolph Delfin, South Cotabato police director, said they achieved a crime clearance efficiency rating of 73.33 during the first quarter, which increased by 20 percent from last year’s records.

Crime clearance efficiency refers to the percentage of cleared cases out of the total number of crime incidents handled by law enforcement agencies for a given period of time.

In terms of crime solution efficiency, he said they slightly improved their rating from 25 percent last year to 27.33 percent this year.

“Out of the 793 crime incidents that we handled, 494 were so far cleared and 218 have been solved,” Delfin said.

The police official said among their major accomplishment for the period was the recovery of 15 of the 23 motorcycles that were stolen within the province’s 10 towns and lone city.

He said they filed six cases on Monday against several identified carnapping or motorcycle theft suspects.

Delfin maintained that the province has remained generally peaceful and orderly as shown by the area’s crime statistics.

He said the average crime rate in the area during the first quarter of the year has gone down to 31.9 percent from the 35.7 percent in the same period last year.

In terms of illegal drugs, Delfin said they have so far arrested 33 suspects and launched 18 major operations in the area.

He said these operations have led to the recovery of some P5M worth of illegal drugs, specifically mehtamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" and marijuana.

The police official said they were able to arrest 75 persons with pending arrests warrants, including 18 who were facing illegal gambling charges.

Delfin added that they apprehended 12 suspects and recovered 18 high-powered arms in separate operations in Tantangan and Banga towns.

Gensan hosts Google Map Maker Summit Mindanao

By. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 23 (PIA) --The Tuna Capital hosted Saturday another significant gathering of internet enthusiasts, the first ever Google Map Maker Summit Mindanao designed to “improve tourism and disaster preparedness in the country.”

City Media Affairs Officer, Avelmar Manansala disclosed that more or less 150 “mappers” composed of students, policemen, bloggers, representatives of the religious sector and the academe, local government unit’s (LGU) tourism and planning officers, and other stakeholders actively participated in the one day event.

“Google Map Maker is a product that enables people to add to and update the map for locations around the world,” said Aileen Apollo-de Jesus, Google Southeast Asia’s head of outreach.

Apollo-de Jesus explained that the summit is a joint project of Google and Department of Tourism (DOT) to “improve the accuracy of Google Maps in 80 provinces around the Philippines.”

Manansala said mapping Mindanao is very important since it will not only help in locating disaster-prone areas in the island to prepare for calamities, but will also “increase awareness in tourism-related spots.”

He said this will help tourists and even local residents to locate all the establishments in a certain area at any point in time that they search for its location using their mobile phones and other search gadgets.

“The more information you have about a certain place, the more it is enticing to visit that place,” he pointed out.

In General Santos City, Manansala revealed that there are over a hundred “active mappers” who are currently updating the latest Google Earth Map of the city by adding names of streets and photos of establishments to it.

He said Google chose Gensan to be the venue of the Mindanao Summit because it has “the most active community of mappers” in the area.

Manansala disclosed that the city government through Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio has recently intensified her administration’s computer literacy program through the conduct of trainings and seminars like Google Sketch-Up to aid in the said effort to map up the city and other areas in the region.

“We want to help map up the entire country so that nobody will be lost in the Philippines. This is also in support of the DOT’s campaign: It’s more fun in the Philippines,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Manansala said that Google is also encouraging interested LGUs and other local organizations to conduct their own local map ups or “mapping party.”

He said Google Map Maker Team Asia pledged to provide interested local communities with technical support and other help necessary for a successful conduct of similar event.

The Google Map Maker Summit Mindanao is in partnership with Soccsksargen bloggers or “sox bloggers” with brothers, Avel and Orman Manansala as the lead conveners.

Mindanao leaders to formulate policy agenda

By. (PNA)

scs/BAC/mec


MANILA, April 22 (PNA) — Mindanao leaders are going to formulate policy agenda affecting the region’s competitiveness, develop solutions and ensure support from the national government. This would be spearheaded by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which will gather inputs from the Mindanao regional business conferences of the PCCI. MinDA and PCCI will consolidate the results of this year’s consultations and use these to formulate the initial draft of a policy agenda for Mindanao. MinDA will provide the draft policy agenda by early June to concerned secretaries of the Aquino Cabinet, for them to review with their departments. The draft will be refined further at high-level roundtable discussions that will serve as a prelude to the 21st Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon), which will be held on August 2-4 in Butuan City. The event will allow Cabinet officials and the private sector to focus together on specific issues and bottlenecks affecting Mindanao’s competitiveness, and to develop appropriate commitments from government agencies, the business community and other stakeholders. The final draft of the Mindanao Business Policy Agenda will be presented to President Benigno S. Aquino III at the 21st MinBizCon. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, is also supporting the holding of the consultation meetings. USAID, through the GEM Program, provides assistance to business support organizations to help them implement development strategies that will improve the competitiveness of major industries in Mindanao. The broad-based regional consultations started on April April 18, covering the areas of western Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); Cagayan de Oro City on April 24 for northern and eastern Mindanao; and General Santos City on May 8 for central and southern Mindanao. “These consultations are part of our continuing efforts in policy modification and advocacy to ensure that Mindanao imperatives in key sectors are addressed by the national government,” said MinDA Secretary Luwalhati Antonino. Issues pertaining to the power, agriculture, mining and transport sectors dominated last year’s discussions. “PCCI local chambers nationwide, through our regional governors and area vice presidents, provide our national board with inputs with which to formulate national policy positions,” said PCCI Secretary-General Crisanto Frianeza. “The Mindanao chambers are privileged to have an able partner in MinDA,” Frianeza said. “When the chambers come up with policy recommendations, MinDA assists not only in facilitating discussions but in providing inputs on how these recommendations can be refined.” “More importantly, the chambers and the government, through MinDA, readily find common ground and are able to push together for these recommendations,” he added. “We are working closely with PCCI in pushing for Mindanao-specific policies to create an environment conducive to business growth,” said Antonino. “We recognize the critical role played by the private sector in addressing our peace and development imperatives in the region,” he added.

Militants end anti-VFA protest in plaza named after US general

By. Edwin G. Espejo


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 April) – The symbolism was not lost on the Leftist militants who staged a week-long protest caravan that coincided with the holding of another round of joint military exercises between Philippine and US troops. On the day they ended their island-wide caravan that brought them to several cities south of Mindanao, they chose to find themselves in the middle of the plaza named after an American general who led a bloody war of attrition against inhabitants of the island at the turn of the 19th century. General John ‘Black Jack’ Pershing was a major in the US Army when he was sent “to suppress the insurrection” in Mindanao and Jolo in 1899. He saw action in Lanao during the Filipino-American War and was a hero in the American colonial war in Cuba before he was assigned to the Philippines. Pershing was also the regimental quartermaster of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the US Army which was immortalized by the late reggae master Bob Marley in his signature song ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’ Marley described the regiment as a US army unit which took in Cuban slaves to fight for America. Members of the Patriyotiko Mindanao kicked off their protest against the continued presence of American troops in the country on April 15 in General Santos City. They were joined by their fellow militants from Davao City in Cotabato City where a brief scuffle ensued allegedly involving a still unnamed soldier who punched a woman protester in front of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division in nearby Awang, Maguindano. The protest caravan brought them to the cities of Koronadal, Pagadian and Ipil before finally winding up in Zamboanga City. The protesters who claimed their numbers have swelled to 4,000, arrived in Zamboanga City Wednesday evening. Philippine and US troops will hold joint military exercises in Glan, Sarangani in June as part of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries. Glan, along with Zamboanga City, is one of the earliest settlement areas of the American occupation forces in Mindanao.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 April) – The symbolism was not lost on the Leftist militants who staged a week-long protest caravan that coincided with the holding of another round of joint military exercises between Philippine and US troops. On the day they ended their island-wide caravan that brought them to several cities south of Mindanao, they chose to find themselves in the middle of the plaza named after an American general who led a bloody war of attrition against inhabitants of the island at the turn of the 19th century. General John ‘Black Jack’ Pershing was a major in the US Army when he was sent “to suppress the insurrection” in Mindanao and Jolo in 1899. He saw action in Lanao during the Filipino-American War and was a hero in the American colonial war in Cuba before he was assigned to the Philippines. Pershing was also the regimental quartermaster of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the US Army which was immortalized by the late reggae master Bob Marley in his signature song ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’ Marley described the regiment as a US army unit which took in Cuban slaves to fight for America. Members of the Patriyotiko Mindanao kicked off their protest against the continued presence of American troops in the country on April 15 in General Santos City. They were joined by their fellow militants from Davao City in Cotabato City where a brief scuffle ensued allegedly involving a still unnamed soldier who punched a woman protester in front of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division in nearby Awang, Maguindano. The protest caravan brought them to the cities of Koronadal, Pagadian and Ipil before finally winding up in Zamboanga City. The protesters who claimed their numbers have swelled to 4,000, arrived in Zamboanga City Wednesday evening. Philippine and US troops will hold joint military exercises in Glan, Sarangani in June as part of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries. Glan, along with Zamboanga City, is one of the earliest settlement areas of the American occupation forces in Mindanao.

Mindanao blackouts worsen with Pulangi hydro plant rehab

By. Allen V. Estabillo


GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The daily blackouts here and nearby South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces have stretched to four hours on Thursday as Mindanao’s power deficit increased to 276 megawatts (MW) due to the ongoing rehabilitation of the National Power Corporation’s (Napocor) Pulangi IV hydroelectric plant in Bukidnon. Engr. Joseph Yanga, South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) technical services supervisor, said they were forced to extend the rotating brownouts in the area to four hours from the previous three hours and 15 minutes due to the additional power supply cuts imposed by the Napocor and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). From its average contracted supply of 72 MW, he said Napocor further reduced the area’s allocation earlier this month to 54 MW or 51 MW short from its 105 MW peak requirement. Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. augments the area’s requirement by 30 MW based on a supply contract earlier forged by Socoteco II. “(But) for today, the Napocor is only giving us 45 MW. That leaves us short by 30 MW so we really have no other choice but extend the rotating brownouts,” Yanga told MindaNews. Based on an advisory issued by Socoteco II’s institutional services department, it would implement the rotating brownouts in four phases from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. based on the distribution of its 44 feeder stations. Socoteco II serves this city, the entire Sarangani province and the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok in South Cotabato. NGCP imposed drastic load cuts since February due to the rising power supply shortage in Mindanao that reportedly stemmed from the dwindling capacity of the Napocor’s hydroelectric plants in Bukinon and Lanao del Norte. As of 6 a.m. Thursday, the NGCP said Mindanao’s system capacity only stands at 955 MW or 276 MW short from its peak demand of 1,231 MW. The electric cooperative, which has been implementing two-hour daily rotating brownouts since last month, initially issued an advisory increasing the power curtailments to three hours and 15 minutes last Tuesday until the end of the month due to the scheduled shutdown of the Pulangi plant to undergo a month-long repair and rehabilitation. Yanga said they have scrapped the previous advisory and will instead issue daily notices to its consumers due to the uncertainty of the Napocor’s power generation capacity. “The allocations from the Napocor and NGCP presently changes on a daily basis and there were also unanticipated supply fluctuations happening from time to time within the Mindanao grid,” he said. He cited, as example, the cutoff from the Mindanao power grid of the 55-MW bunker fired power station of the Southern Philippines Power Corp. (SPPC) based in Alabel, Sarangani that covers for a portion of the Napocor’s power supplies to the area. Yanga said they expect the area’s power situation to stabilize towards the end of May when the rehabilitation of Pulangi IV will be completed. By then, he said the Napocor committed to restore the area’s allocation to 72 MW and increase it further to 74 MW by July. In Davao City, Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC) said it may result into a 30-minute daily power interruption if Napocor increases the load curtailment assigned to the distribution company.

DLPC has a 50MW diesel-fired standby power plant and has also purchased 30MW from the Sibulan and Tamugan hydro plants. DLPC and both the 26MW Sibulan and the 4MW Tamugan hydroelectric plants are owned by the Aboitizes. In a press statement Wednesday, DLPC said it will result into rotating brownouts once the deficiency in the Mindanao grid reaches 320MW. So far, Davao City has been spared by power interruptions. In Cotabato province, where the 100MW Mt. Apo Geothermal Power Plant is located, the rotating brownouts are even longer – from six to eight hours. The same situation is being experienced by Bukidnon residents. Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative (Buseco) general manager Edgar Masongsong said their supply from Napocor has been reduced to 8MW. He said they are now negotiating for an additional 7MW from Therma Marine Inc. on top of the 5MW they have already contracted. Daily load demand in his franchise area, however, is from a low of 17MW to 23MW. Masongsong said they now are forced to cut power supply from six to eight hours in the areas covered by their two sub-stations. In Iligan city, the Iligan Light and Power, Inc. had earlier announced a two-hour rotating brownout once Pulangi IV is shut down. But power interruptions started only today (Wednesday). In 2010, most of Mindanao also suffered from rotating brownouts of up to nine hours due to the prolonged dry season, when the water level in Lake Lanao dropped to below critical levels. Fifty-three percent of Mindanao’s power supply comes from the Agus and Pulangi hydroelectric plants, which have a combined installed capacity of more than 900MW. But their actual capacities were reduced to less than 600MW due to poor maintenance and heavy silt (in the case of Pulangi River). Business leaders and industry players have repeatedly warned that Mindanao will suffer massive power interruptions if no new capacities will be added to the existing available capacities by 2014. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews with reports from Edwin Espejo, contributor)

301 ALS teachers, students in Gensan complete computer literacy trainings

By. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 19 (PIA) -- Around 300 teachers and students from Department of Education's (DepEd) Alternative Learning System (ALS) formally completed Wednesday the series of trainings conducted by the office of the SHEEP-Computer Literacy Program (CLP) of the city government.

Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio distributed the certificate of completion to the graduates who actively participated in the six-month computer literacy trainings designed to give equal opportunity to the out-of-school youths (OSY) who are eager to learn and be competitive.

ALS Education Program Supervisor, Gregorio Ruales said that there are more or less 5,000 ALS learners in the city, but only those living in the “downtown area” have availed of the additional free trainings.

“Most learners in the far-flung barangays had hard time attending the trainings since most of them don't have the money to defray the costs of daily food and fare. Nevertheless, this will not stop us from imparting the knowledge to others who were not able to make it,” he explained.

Ruales disclosed that Mayor Custodio also promised to support the ALS e-learning by providing them with computer units which they could use to educate other ALS learners in the remote areas of the city like Barangays Upper Labay, San Jose, Mabuhay, and Siguel.

“The effort of the city government to train the out-of-school youths in information and technology (IT) is very timely so they will not be left out with the fast changing economy,” he added.

Meanwhile, SHEEP-CLP head, Percival Pasuelo said they have conducted a total of four trainings to ALS implementers since November last year which include: Audio-Visual Presentation using ProShow, Newsletter Designing and MagPress Training, Digital Image Manipulation and Tarpaulin Designing using PhotoShop, and Web and Video Blogging.

He disclosed that ALS learners were also taught Basic Computer Operations,and Invitation and Calling Card making using Microsoft Word which they can use for livelihood.

“We learned that after the trainings ALS learners are now working part time in internet cafe's and printing press,” Ruales said.

Daily outage in GenSan, nearby areas extends to 3 hours as Pulangi IV shuts down for rehab

By. (PNA)

LAP/FFC/AVE


GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The daily rotating brownouts here and the neighboring areas rose to at least three hours Tuesday as the National Power Corporation (NPC) pushed through with the scheduled shutdown of the Pulangi IV hydroelectric plant in Bukidnon to facilitate its month-long rehabilitation. Geronimo Desesto, South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) institutional services manager, said in an advisory that they were implementing three hour and 15-minute rotating brownouts daily starting Tuesday as a result of the new power load cuts brought about by the Pulangi plant’s closure. He said they scheduled the power outages, which will run until April 30, in four phases based on the distribution of its 44 feeder stations. Socoteco II serves this city, the entire Sarangani province and the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok in South Cotabato. Prior to the implementation of the new power curtailment schedule, Socoteco II had implemented two-hour daily rotating brownouts in the area due to the power supply cuts imposed by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP). NGCP imposed the load cuts due to the rising power supply shortage in Mindanao that reportedly stemmed from the dwindling capacity of the NPC’s hydroelectric plants in Bukinon and Lanao del Norte. Engr. Santiago Tudio, Socoteco I general manager, said the NPC shut down the Pulangi around 9 a.m. Tuesday based on an advisory issued by the NGCP’s substation in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat. He said the plant’s closure means an additional deficit of around 180 MW to Mindanao’s power supply mix during the peak hours. In an advisory posted in its website, the NGCP said the island’s power deficit presently stands at 234 MW and is foreseen to increase to 243 MW on Wednesday and 248 MW on Thursday. On Monday, the reported power supply deficit in Mindanao was at 74 MW or 160 MW less than the current shortage. “The areas that would be hit hardest (by the new load cuts) are those that have high power requirements like Zamboanga City, General Santos City and the Agusan area,” said Tudio, citing the NGCP’s advisory. In this city, which has a requirement of 105 MW, the NGCP further reduced its supplies by around 10 MW or a total deficit of 40 MW, he said. Since January, the NPC has cut down the area’s power supplies by 30 MW or around 30 percent of its power requirement. Socoteco II had forged a supply contract with the Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. (TMI) to augment the area’s power supplies by 23 MW, leaving its current deficit to around 17 MW. Tudio said that for Socoteco I’s service area, the average daily power supply cuts would reach around 5 MW based on the NGCP’s new load distribution schedule. Socoteco I, which has a peak requirement of 31 MW, covers Koronadal City, Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat and eight municipalities in South Cotabato. “Our regular supply has been reduced to 25 MW but we have a contracted augmentation of 5 MW from TMI so the impact of Pulangi IV’s shutdown will be very minimal here. At worst, our rotating brownouts may only reach about 30 minutes,” Tudio said.





Mayor distributes 145 computers to public high schools in Gensan

By. (PGFruylan/PIA-Gensan)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 17 (PIA) -- Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio distributed on Monday 145 new computer sets to nine public high schools here in a move to strengthen students’ competitive advantage in preparation for their domestic and global engagements.

The said activity was part of the SHEEP-Computer Literacy Program (CLP) of the local government, designed to improve the quality of education in public schools of the city to make them at par with other private teaching institutions.

According to SHEEP-CLP head Percival Pasuelo, the mayor handed over 20 units of computer each to Labangal National High School, New Society National High School, General Santos City National High School, Fatima National High School, Bula National School of Fisheries, and GSC National Secondary School of Arts and Trade.

Tinagacan National High School and AG Busano National High School each received 10 units of computer while Irineo National High School of Metro Dadiangas got an additional five units for its Computer-Speech Laboratory in addition to the 20 units that were turned over by the city mayor during Valentine’s Day, two months ago.

Earlier, Mayor Custodio disclosed that the goal of the program is to make sure that public school students in GenSan will not be left out in terms of information technology.

She said the purchase of the additional 500 units for the remaining schools is already on process and set to be delivered within the year.

Meanwhile, Pasuelo expressed optimism that with the new computer sets and the series of level-up trainings conducted by the SHEEP-CLP to public schools in the city, students and teachers will continue imparting the knowledge they have learned to move forward.

“The city government has provided them the necessary tools which they can use to bridge the gap from the traditional classroom teaching to computer-aided instructions for them to become globally competitive,” he said.






Peace and development volunteers in SocSarGen initiate march for peace

By. (CMO Bn/CTA/PIA General Santos City)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 16 (PIA) -- Around 600 peace-loving citizens from South Cotabato, Sarangani Province and this city converged recently in GenSan’s Oval Plaza to stage a March for Peace.

The peace and development volunteers (PDVs) which included members of civil organizations, the Philippine National Police, 1002nd Infantry Battalion and the Local Government Units of GenSan partnered and initiated the activity to express their commitment to peace and development.

Tessie Sugabo of the Indigenous People’s Sector, said “peace is the key to success. Without peace, we would not attain progress and development in our region.”

The march for peace was also important for Indigenous People (IP) to express their common sentiments of lasting peace in Mindanao especially in SocSarGen (South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos City).

Other organizations that joined the march included SarifMucsin Muslim Group, Southern Triangle Management Group, Inc., Reservist from 1205th CDC, ARESCOM, CAFGU members from 72nd IB, 73rd IB, the staff of KALINAW Sarangani, Indigenous People’s Community, and the Youth for Peace Movement (YFPM) volunteers.

Col. Joselito Kakilala, commander of Joint Task Force (JTF) GenSan, said he was happy to note that people in SocSarGen supported the activity which promoted peace and development in the region.

“Peace and development is the result of cooperation and concerted efforts. “Attaining lasting peace is a shared responsibility and everyone must take part in any undertakings to achieve it,” he added.

COMMENT: No sign of signing: Iqbal’s Past Opening Statements

By. mnicc


Part 4 of a series GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews /14 April) – If Government has changed the focus or core of the negotiation and has consistently firmed up this change, MILF has tenaciously held on to the talking point agreed in 1997 that was defined in the June 22, 2001 Tripoli Agreement of Peace. It has reposed trust in President Aquino III; yet it sounds frustrated.

December 5 -7, 2011

With MILF not yielding to the “3 for 1 Proposal”, Iqbal reaffirms during the 23rd formal exploratory talks their unchanged position, the urgency and auspiciousness of “signing a comprehensive agreement”. The MILF’s “expectation is not hard to fulfill … because all the issues … are already put on the table” – obviously referring to their peace draft proposal.

No Secession: The MILF option is not to secede but to have a “real self-governance in the Bangsamoro state … within the larger Philippine state” as contained in their state-sub-state proposal. Emphasizing the primacy of this option, Iqbal urges Government to stop “attempting to integrate the Moros into the national body politic” – with reference to the “partnership” offered in the “GPH ‘3 for 1’ Solution” – a scheme tried in the past and proven a failure.

Nothing Moving Away: In its December 8-14 editorial entitled “Grand Offer”, Luwaran.com, the official website of MILF Central Committee on Information, clarifies the statement to mean: The talk is moving forward but on the part of MILF nothing is moving away from its original position of asymmetrical state-sub-state political settlement that will address the Moro right to self-determination.

Stern Reminder: Two closing statements of the editorial must be noted: (1) “If the Aquino Administration wants to solve the Moro Question and the armed conflict in Mindanao, let it be done by genuinely empowering the Moros, not through the policy of interference into their internal affairs;” (2) for Government to offer to MILF “something …like the flawed formula the MNLF accepted … will only prolong the peace negotiation and the chance of signing one will never happen under the Aquino administration”.


January 9 – 11, 2012

The same concern Iqbal repeats at the opening of the 24th formal exploratory talks: The need “…to assure ourselves that we are indeed in the right tract and the right pace” as the peace talks intensify “if we want to conclude the current GPH-MILF peace negotiation to a successful end, without derogating prior agreements”. As to the pace, the March deadline will be missed unless “we are sincere, dedicated, and work hard and in double time”. [Emphasis supplied]

Girl killed, two others hurt as strong tornado pummels South Cotabato town

By. (PNA)

LAP/AVE


GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A strong tornado pummeled two villages in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato last Tuesday afternoon, killing a 12-year-old girl and injuring two other local residents. In a belated report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Friday the twister ravaged residential and farming communities in Barangays Poblacion and Lamdalag of Lake Sebu at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. It identified the lone fatality as KC Dawang, who was reportedly inside their house in Sitio Lem-ehek in Poblacion when it was struck by strong winds brought by the tornado. Two local residents - Imelda Swan of Sitio Lem-ehek, Poblacion and four-year-old Kayla Faith Tampungan of Sitio Tabudtod in Barangay Lamdalag - were injured after they were felled by house and tree debris. The NDRRMC said 15 families with 49 dependents in Sitio Lem-ehek in Poblacion and Sitio Tabudtod in Lamdalag also lost their homes as a result of the incident. Isidro Janita, South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, said Friday they immediately extended food and relief assistance worth P19,800 to the affected residents. He said they have dispatched a team to the area to assess the extent of the calamity and address the other needs of the victims. Janita said the municipal government of Lake Sebu, through its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, has also extended emergency assistance worth 5,000 to the victims. The Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils of Poblacion and Lamdalag initially provided fuel supplies for the chainsaws that were used in the clearing of the felled trees, logs and other debris in the affected communities.

Motorcycles accidents on the rise in South Cotabato, neighboring areas

By. (PNA)

FFC/AVE/AC


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 13 (PNA) – Health authorities have expressed alarm over the rising road or vehicular accidents involving motorcycles in South Cotabato province and the neighboring areas.

Dr. Rogelio Aturdido, South Cotabato health officer, said their records showed that 256 road accidents had occurred in the province during the first three months of the year.

He said 211 cases involved single motorcycles, 22 tricycles while the rest concerned four-wheeled vehicles.

He said the victims comprised 218 drivers, 109 passengers and 87 bystanders who were either killed or sustained serious injuries.

Of the injured victims, 153 sustained abrasions, 68 with lacerations and 17 with bone fractures.

“The trend is currently going up and what is alarming here is that most of the drivers involved in these accidents were under the influence of liquor or alcohol,” Aturdido said.

The official said 103 cases or 64 percent of the recorded road accidents in the province in the last three months took place in Koronadal City, South Cotabato’s capital and regional seat of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.

He said 52 road accidents were recorded in the city in January followed by 21 in February.

In the first two weeks of March, Aturdido said the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital already recorded a total of 30 accidents in the area.

He said reckless driving, over speeding, distraction from cellular phones and substance abuses were among the main causes of accidents that involved teenage drivers.

Late last month, five people were killed while two others were injured when a multicab passenger van collided with a trailer truck along the national highway in Koronadal City.

To help address the problem, Aturdido said they have sought assistance from the Department of Interior and Local Government to ensure the strict enforcement of road safety regulations in the area.

He said they have also linked up with the Regional Development Council’s social development committee for the conduct of orientation-seminars on proper driving behavior among teen drivers in the area.

Police eye business rivalry in North Cotabato bus bombing

By. (PNA)

LAP/FFC/AVE/RSS


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 12 (PNA) - Authorities are looking at business rivalry as a possible motive in the latest bomb attack against a bus company that killed three persons and injured 16 others, a police official said on Thursday.

Chief Supt. Felicisimo Khu, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) for Western Mindanao, said the business rivalry theory cropped up after the management of Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. denied they received extortion demands.

“Curiously, only the buses of Rural Transit have been attacked when there are many other passenger [buses] plying the same route,” he said.

Khu said that since 2009, there have been 10 bomb attacks against the units of Rural Transit.

The latest occurred Wednesday morning in the town of Carmen, North Cotabato while a unit was moving toward the town’s terminal. A 10-year-old girl was among the fatalities.

The bus was bound for Cagayan de Oro and came from Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.

Khu said the improvised explosive device that was planted inside the bus was fashioned from a .60 mm mortar shell.

The police official said they would not have theorized business rivalry if other buses plying the same route were also attacked.

Khu said they hope to crack the case with the help of a witness who saw the man who allegedly planted the improvised bomb.

The worst attack against Rural Transit was in October 2010, which killed 10 persons and injured several others when a bomb also exploded inside a unit while passing by Matalam town in North Cotabato en route to Tacurong City from Cagayan de Oro City.

Abalos co-accused may become state witness

By. Perseus Echeminada


MANILA, Philippines - Lawyer Lilian Radam might be dropped as an accused in the electoral sabotage case to make her a state witness against former election chairman Benjamin Abalos.

Prosecutor Maria Juana Valesa told The STAR in a telephone interview that Radam has implicated Abalos in alleged cheating during the 2007 midterm elections in South Cotabato.

“At present Radam is the principal accused and we are evaluating yet if we will file a motion for her to become a state witness,” she said.

However, Valesa said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) must approve any move of the prosecution.

The Comelec will hold a full session tomorrow, she added.

Valesa said the prosecution will try to present Radam during Abalos’ next bail hearing on April 18.

If Radam, who is under the protective custody of the Department of Justice, fails to appear, they will let the court decide on the motion of Abalos to fix bail, she added.

Abalos has filed a string of criminal and administrative charges against officials of the Witness Protection Program for obstruction of justice and failure to bring Radam to court.

Last month, the prosecution was supposed to present Radam as their witness to prove alleged conspiracy in massive cheating in South Cotabato.

Abalos said Radam has admitted in her sworn statement that she had tampered election documents during the 2007 election.

It was during his term as Comelec chairman that the cases against Radam and Yogi Martirizar were initiated and filed before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 114, he added.

However, Radam went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against her.

She resurfaced September last year at the Department of Justice.

The Comelec had withdrawn the earlier case against Radam and refiled it to include Abalos.

Judge Eugene de la Cruz of Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 117 has warned prosecutors that they would be considered to have waived their right to present their witness if they fail to bring Radam to court again.

Radam was originally charged before RTC branch 114 of Judge Edwin Ramizo.

The complaint alleged that on May 24, 2007 during the national canvassing of votes for senators, Radam and Abalos tampered and increase the votes of the pro-administration Team Unity candidates.

They are accused of tampering and falsifying the Provincial Certificate of Canvass of votes in General Santos City, the towns of Polomolok, Tampakan, Tupi, Banga, Koronadal, Norala, Sto. Nino, Surrallah and Tantangan in South Cotabato.

The allegedly tampered election results were submitted to the National Board of Canvasser at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

‘Too much already’

Meanwhile, Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos bared yesterday an alleged Comelec plan to clear Radam and another poll supervisor, Martirizar, to pin down his father.

Speaking to reporters, Abalos said he has reliable information that papers are being circulated

for the Comelec commissioners to sign.

“If this will happen, it would be too much already,” he said.

“They will move heaven and earth just so my father will be persecuted. I hope they reconsider because my father is already too old.”

He refused to divulge who’s behind the Comelec resolution.– With Edu Punay

South Cotabato gov open to tapping nuke to resolve Mindanao’s power woes

By. (PNA)

FFC/AVE/HST


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 10 (PNA) – South Cotabato Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr. is open to the possibility of tapping nuclear power to help resolve the worsening power supply shortage in Mindanao.

Pingoy said the local government received some proposals over the possibility of putting up a nuclear power plant in the area and they initially showed some promise in terms of effectively addressing the island’s dwindling power supply.

Last week, former Tarlac Rep. Mark Cojuangco made a presentation on the matter at the in a meeting at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall in Koronadal City.

Cojuangco has been visiting several parts of the country, especially in Mindanao, to promote advocacy on tapping nuclear power as a “cheaper alternative” to coal, hydro, power barge and solar as power sources.

Pingoy said the tapping of nuclear power could solve the area’s power supply problems but stressed that such matter needs further studies and clarifications.

“We need to hear first from both sides - the anti and pro-nuclear power plant groups,” the governor said.

Pingoy, who is a former congressman, admitted that he was among the 197 co-authors of a bill that had sought for the reopening of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

“But this issue should be undertaken objectively and should be based on facts. We can only decide upon hearing from the experts,” he said.

Citing Cojuangco’s presentation, Pingoy said the local government may not be able to cope with the financial requirement of about US$ 300 million to put up a 50-megawatt (MW) modular nuclear power plant in the area.

He said they could not also allow proposals to put up the project in Lake Sebu town being a protected area.

“There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered and clarified to us and our constituents,” Pingoy said.

He added that the local government will deal with the issue in another public forum being organized by proponents.

Pay hike Region 12 workers seen before Labor Day

By. (PNA)

FFC/AVE/RSS/ssc


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 9 (PNA) -- An increase in the daily minimum wage rates for private sector workers in Central Mindanao is looming, officials said.

Chona Mantilla, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 12 director, said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, which she also chairs, recently decided to hike the floor pay from P10 to P14 a day.

She noted the latest salary increase, or Wage Order No. RBXII-17, may take effect before May 1 or the Labor Day, a regular holiday to honor the workers.

Before it will be effective, it needs to be published in a local newspaper.

Under the new wage order, which will be implemented in two tranches, the daily minimum wage rates will range from P246 to P270.

The first tranche was expected to take effect before May 1 and the next on December 1, 2012.

In coming up with wage adjustment, the RTWPB decided to integrate the present P15 daily cost of living allowance (COLA) to the new basic wage.

The existing daily floor pay ranges from P234 to P260.

“The last wage order was issued more than one year ago and there being no petition, the RTWPB has resolved to review, motu propio (on its own), the existing minimum wage rates in the region,” Mantilla said.

Studies on the socio-economic condition in the region warranted the need to grant an increase in the minimum wage rates of private sector workers in Region 12 regardless of their position, designation or status of their employment, and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid, Mantilla said.

Also called the Soccsksargen Region, it covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

The Wage Board conducted public consultations early this year in parts of the region to determine if a salary adjustment is needed for the area.

Alfredo Hebrona Jr., Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry governor for Southwestern Mindanao, declined to give a comment on the looming wage hike, saying he was not privy to the deliberation.

Jessie dela Cruz, RTWPB secretary, said that exemptions maybe granted to certain types of establishments, such as those distressed and those whose assets are not more than P3 million.

Following the public consultations early this year, dela Cruz has said that the situation may not warrant an adjustment in the minimum wages of private sector workers, citing a report then by the National Economic and Development Authority that prices of basic consumer goods have remained stable.

Militant labor groups in the area since the past few years have demanded a legislated P125 across-the-board daily wage increase.

2 injured in road mishap involving Pacquiao’s dad

By.Francis Canlas, ABS-CBN News


MANILA, Philippines -- Two were injured when the private vehicle of Rosalio Pacquiao, father of Sarangani Representative and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, collided with a mini-tricycle in General Santos City on Sunday.

The elder Pacquiao’s pick-up vehicle, manned by driver Pedong Pacquiao, was making a turn along NLSA Road in Barangay San Isidro when it collided with a mini-tricycle driven by a certain Bacar Lihang.

Rosalio, his bodyguard Arfenio Lico, and Pedong were unharmed, while Lihang sustained a bump and a gash on his brow. His passenger Ronald Albarina also sustained minor injuries on his elbow and back.

Albarina complained that Lico for allegedly punching him following the accident. But Pedong Pacquiao and Lico denied this.

The collision left the Pacquiao-owned vehicle with a shattered mirror, a scratched door and a dented stepboard.

Meanwhile, the operator of the mini-tricycle said it is open for negotiations with Pacquiao’s camp.






Gen. Santos City: TUNA CAPITAL

By. www.gensantos.com


A bustling urban center that stands out in terms of progress and development in Southern Philippines is General Santos City.

Located between 125°1′ and 125°17′ east longitude and between 5°58′ and 6°20′ north latitude at the island of Mindanao, it is less than 2,000 kms. away from Singapore and is the nearest point in the Philippines to Australia.

The port city is southeast of Manila, southeast of Cebu and southwest of Davao (150 kms. away). It is bounded in the south by the magnificent Sarangani Bay and Mt. Matutum, the highest peak in South Cotabato, towering at 2,293 meters above sea level, in the far north.

The city enjoys good weather all year round and is generally typhoon-free and with evenly distributed rainfall.

It is home to over a half a million people (529,542) according to the latest census of population by the National Statistics Office with an annual growth rate of 3.53, the 7th fastest-growing city in the country.

It serves as a financial hub of the SOCCSKSARGEN Growth Region (South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and Gen. Santos) in Mindanao with over 50 banks in operation.

Gensan, as it is fondly called maintains some of the best support infrastructure in the East ASEAN Growth Area.

  • The General Santos International Airport keeps an instrument landing system and a runway capable of handling wide-bodied aircrafts;
  • The modern expansion of Makar Wharf presently facilitates more passenger and cargo traffic flow.

The Gen. Santos Fishport which is the most modern in the country and is accredited with US FDA and EU FDA Standards has just undergone expansion.

  • The 178-km all-weather world standard road network interconnecting it with the neighboring provinces provides efficient links for the products of South Central Mindanao to the ports of the world.

All these were made possible through grants from the USAID and the OECF of Japan totalling more than US$200 million.

General Santos City is rightfully the Tuna Capital of the Philippines.

It has over 85 tuna value-added processors, 7 of the country’s 10 tuna canneries and hundreds of allied services all contributing 61,000 jobs for the city.

PH tuna fishers get boost

By. EDWIN ESPEJO



GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines - Philippine tuna producers can heave a sigh of relief, temporarily at least.

In the recently concluded 8th annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) held on March 26-29 in Guam, the Philippines was given the go-signal for a limited number of its fishing vessels to enter two pockets of Western Pacific high seas for at least one year. This, despite several island-nations in the area pushing for tighter controls.

These pockets of high seas were closed to tuna and purse seine fishing for two years beginning 2010.

The area covers more than 306,000 square miles of open seas south of Micronesia and north of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, where over 38 Philippine-flag purse seine fishing ships used to operate.

It is unclear yet how many of these Philippine fishing vessels will be allowed back in the contested area but industry sources here said the lifting of the ban will benefit RD Fishing and Frabelle Fishing, 2 of the country’s largest tuna fishing fleets which have already established bases in Papua New Guinea and have concession areas in Palau.

The 2 Pacific Island nations are near these pockets of seas in the Western Pacific.

Although the WCPFC lifted the ban, it is still imposing a three-month suspension of FAD fishing every year among its member countries. It also required all fishing vessels in the area to allow 100% observer coverage on board all purse seine operations.

Lifting of the ban

The next WCPFC meeting will be held in the Philippines in December.

The WCPFC is a sanctioning body with 18 members and 33 participating countries.

The Philippines is a signatory to the conference.

In 2011, total tuna landing at the General Santos City fishing port complex dropped by 21% from 143,139.17 metric tons in 2010 to 112,891.81 MT last year. Volume of landings of mature yellowfin tuna has also been on a steady decline from 33,369 MT in 2007 to mere 9,061.13 MT last year.

General Santos City is acknowledged as the country’s tuna capital and is host to 6 of 7 tuna canneries in the country.

Industry sources said some 120,000 residents here are directly and indirectly dependent on the industry.

The Philippines has been lobbying for the lifting of the ban, citing the severe economic backlash on the country’s tuna industry.

It even cited the slaying of 15 fishermen off the coast of Basilan in southern Philippines in January caused by rivalry over narrowing fishing grounds as a result of the WCPFC ban. - Rappler.com

General Santos City To Host Google Mapmaker Summit 2012

By. allabout.com.ph


GENERAL SANTOS CITY- General Santos City will be one of the cities in the Philippines to host the Google Mapmaker Dummit on April 21, 2012.

Last March, a successful Google Mapmaker Workshop was held in Makati City.

This coming event highlights the significance and influence of Google Mapmaker in business, planning, information, disaster assessment and reduction and planning of local government agencies, health, tourism and a lot more.

The Philippines has active moderators and community mappers, encouraging Google to push through their local summits, aiming to develop interactive map through Google Mapmaker utilization.

Speakers from India will be gracing the said events.

It is open for free to all mapUp organizers, mappers, government agency workers, tourism employees and business establishment owners and for everyone who are interested in mapping their local communities.

The first leg of the summit will be in Bacolod City on April 12 at University of La Salle, on April 14 will be at University of Baguio in Baguio City and the last one will be in General Santos City at STI Campus.

GenSan journalist files reply to libel suit

By. (MindaNews)


GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/03 April) – General Santos City-based journalist Edwin Espejo on Monday (April 2) submitted his counter-affidavit to refute the P18-M libel suit filed against him by used car dealer Mohammad ‘Bong’ Aquia, a friend of Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao. In his counter-affidavit, Espejo raised four points in assailing the libel raps of Aquia. His lawyer Rommel Bagares, executive director of Center for International Law, said there is no statute governing libel in the internet. “It is a basic principle of criminal law that there is no crime where there is no law,” the newsman’s legal counsel said. His lawyer likewise argued that the “alleged libelous remarks attributed to respondent are not malicious in fact because in the very first place they fall under the exception of qualified privileged communication because the remarks merely restate or report the pronouncements of the Highway Patrol Group about complainant’s alleged involvement in a car syndicate.” Aquia’s alleged links to a car theft syndicate generated publicity after he was reported to have “sought refuge” in the house of Pacquiao at the time when he was “placed under surveillance” by the police for allegedly selling a stolen Starex van to a village councilor in General Santos City. Bagares said Aquia never denied that he was seen in Pacquaio’s house in his libel complaint. Pacquiao however denied he harbored Aquia as a “fugitive from justice.” The eight-division world boxing champion has admitted to being friends with Aquia and said he knew Aquia as a buy and sell dealer of second hand cars. But he also said it is Aquia’s lookout if the cars the latter sold are stolen. Pacquiao was also reported to have filed a separate libel case against Espejo saying that the report tarnished his image as a boxing icon and commercial endorser.

Espejo’s lawyer however said his client has not received any summons related to Pacquiao’s libel complaint. “Our information is that Rep. Pacquiao filed his complaint together with Mr. Aquia,” Bagares said. “In any case we reiterate our earlier call on Rep. Pacquaio to take this opportunity to work with journalists in pressing for the decriminalization of libel in the country.” Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.

Journalist on Internet libel: 'There is no crime where there is no law'

By. RAPPLER.COM


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines - Journalist Edwin Espejo, who is based here, has submitted his counter-affidavit to refute the P18-M libel suit filed against him by car dealer Mohammad "Bong" Aquia, a friend of Sarangani Rep Manny Pacquiao.

In his counter-affidavit, Espejo raised 4 points in assailing the libel raps of Aquia.

Rommel Bagares, executive director of Center for International Law and Espejo's lawyer, said there is no statute governing libel in the Internet.

“It is a basic principle of criminal law that there is no crime where there is no law,” the reporter's legal counsel said.

His lawyer argued that the “alleged libelous remarks attributed to respondent are not malicious in fact because in the very first place they fall under the exception of qualified privileged communication because the remarks merely restate or report the pronouncements of the Highway Patrol Group about complainant's alleged involvement in a car syndicate.”

Aquia’s alleged links to a carnap syndicate generated publicity after he was reported to have “sought refuge” in the house of Pacquiao at a time when he was “placed under surveillance” by the police for allegedly selling a stolen Starex van to a village councilor in General Santos City.

Bagares said Aquia never denied in his libel complaint that he was seen in Pacquaio’s house.

Pacquiao however has denied harboring Aquia as a “fugitive from justice.”

Where's Pacman's case?

The eight-division world boxing champion has admitted to being friends with Aquia and said he knew Aquia as a buy and sell dealer of second-hand cars. But he also said it is Aquia’s lookout if the cars the latter sold are stolen.

Pacquiao was also reported to have filed a separate libel case against Espejo because the story reportedly tarnished his image as a boxing icon and commercial endorser.

Espejo’s lawyer however said his client has not received any summons related to Pacquiao’s libel complaint.

"Our information is that Rep Pacquiao filed his complaint together with Mr Aquia," Bagares said. "In any case we reiterate our earlier call on Rep Pacquiao to take this opportunity to work with journalists in pressing for the decriminalization of libel in the country."

Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com, www.mindanews.com and Rappler. - Rappler.com

Gen San city gov't readies for Holy Week

By. Catherine T. Apelacio


ENERAL SANTOS CITY, April 2 (PIA)--The city government here is all set for the observance of the Holy Week.

In today’s City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting, Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio asked the members to submit to her by tomorrow morning their final reports relative to their respective plan for the Holy Week.

“It is important that everything is in place and coordinated well especially with all the chiefs of police and other key line agencies and offices for the Holy Week,” the mayor told the Council members.

Custodio, however, pointed out the important role of police in keeping the peace and order in the city especially in ensuring the safety of the public during the observance of the season.

She said all key offices shall be on call during the observance and will be convened when necessary.

As this develops, the police assured the mayor that there was enough numbers of police personnel in the different police stations and when necessary the regional police headquarters will deploy personnel for reinforcement.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) GenSan, an elite military force based in the city will also join the police to tightly secure the parameters of GenSan.

In addition to the stand by security forces, Mayor Custodio also asked the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station here and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to help ensure that all-out security is concretely in place especially in Sarangani Bay.

PCG and the MARINA both reassured the lady chief executive that they have been regularly conducting patrol in the Bay area and will do more during the season of Lent.

Citing the influx of people after Good Friday, Custodio urged then the police and other security forces to particularly double their efforts of securing the city during Black Saturday and Easter Sunday.

“Ito kasing mga araw na to talagang marami ang pumupunta sa simbahan kaya kailangan ang ibayong pagbabantay,” she rationalized.

She said more police presence will be deployed in barangays with many churchgoers such as Lagao, City Heights, Calumpang, Bula, Fatima to include the city proper.

Custodio also ordered the police to coordinate with barangay chieftains for the mobilization of barangay tanods and other force multipliers who can help them to better secure the city-wide perimeter.

She also cited the readiness of the city government key offices led by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), City Health Office (CHO), the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), the City Engineering Office (CEO), the Delta 9 under the City Public Information Office (CPIO), including the City Quick Response Team (QRT) and the Interim Integrated Waste Collection Services Unit (IIWSU). (CTA/PIA General Santos City)

MSU launches Nutraceutical Laboratory

By. MSU-GSC/Danielle Anne De los Santos


GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Mindanao State University- General Santos City launches the 3.7 million worth Nutraceutical Laboratory with the inauguration ceremony Thursday, March 30, at the campus ground. The day was also the university’s 33rd Baccalaureate Services and Awards Ceremonies. Assistant Director of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Resources (DA-BAR) and Guest Speaker Dr. Teodoro Solsoloy led the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Chancellor Abdurrahman Canacan and Vice- Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Mary Lynn S. Abiera. Developing laboratories is one of the main thrust of DA-BAR. Solsoloy said there are good researchers but are nevertheless provided with insufficient laboratories. “There are studies which are just stuck in shelves, journals or publications. It’s time to explore more and prove more,” Solsoloy said. The Nutraceutical Laboratory, with its state-of-the-art equipment, aims to expose into a more comprehensive way various researches and studies on screen plant and animal resources for therapeutic properties. Chancellor Canacan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to DA-BAR for its support and partnership with the university. “This is not just a blessing but a big challenge for us,” Canacan said. Canacan hopes for the laboratory to be properly utilized by the students, the faculty and other users. Aside from aiding students on their studies, the laboratory was built also to benefit other researchers in the region to nurture their knowledge on environment for health and safety. Solsoloy said MSU-GSC is the perfect location for the laboratory and the ideal place to set up the laboratory considering it as the center of all universities and scientific communities in Mindanao. The laboratory can start its operation six months earlier than the targeted schedule speeded up by the faculty and university management joint efforts. Alumni Regent Dr. William R. Adan expressed his admiration to the performance of the university under the present administration. Research Director Dr. Edna Oconer said there will be no problem with the results of the tests in the laboratory as it is already complete with proper protocols. The nutraceutical building was a location for an old classroom. It was in summer 2011 when the university proposed the project to DA-BAR. The Nutraceutical Laboratory houses two rooms for different fields of specialization and is equipped with high-tech apparatuses. The first room is the Phytochemistry Room. It will cater the phytochemical screening of locally-found plants and animals in the region. The room accommodates different equipment for experiments to be conducted. The Bioassay Room will be used to check and house the specimens for the experiments and also equipped with modern apparatuses.


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