Lumad, Moro leaders reaffirm kinship, sign covenant

Iligan City-based Datu Diamla Rolando So-ong (right), over-all head claimant of an ancestral domain in Lanao del Norte embraces Hajji Datu Ismael Gonzales after they exchanged tokens during the IP-Moro reaffirmation of kinship in Songco, Lantapan, Bukidnon on March 8. 
Bukidnon News photo 

SONGCO, Lantapan, Bukidnon  – Representatives of eight Moro tribes and most of the Lumad or non-Islamized tribes in Mindanao yesterday signed a five-point kinship covenant in a gathering here filled with festive remembrance of historical relationships and aspirations for peace and unity in the island.

Sugar, corn industries top employers of Bukidnon’s child laborers

MALAYBALAY CITY (Bukidnon News/30 November) –  The agriculture sector,
specifically sugar and corn, has the most number of child laborers in
the province according to baseline survey commissioned for the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC), a program funded by the
International Labor Organization.

Sumilao farmers: marching protesters of the past; today’s agri-entrepreneurs

SAN VICENTE, Sumilao, Bukidnon (Bukidnon News Dispatch/10 October) Every day, Sumilao farmer Wenefrido San-ajan, 39, wakes up at 4a.m. and goes straight to his farm. Jun-jun as he is called by neighbors, tills almost a hectare of corn farm. But he said since he started learning about vegetable gardening in 2008, he has changed his attitude towards farming.

Malaybalay’s Social Action Center pilots 2 villages in leadership drive

MALAYBALAY CITY – (Bukidnon News Dispatch/07 October) To address poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities at the village level, the church has to do its role in social action. In Bukidnon, the Diocese of Malaybalay has changed tack. Before organizing livelihood projects, they are now engaging the communities in a community leadership drive using ‘model villages’.

Kalilangan lumber trader charged for transporting ‘excess’ forest products

MALAYBALAY CITY – (Bukidnon News Dispatch/27 September) The Community and Environment and Natural Resources Office of Malaybalay filed charges against the owner of a truck from Kalilangan town that transported naturally grown forest products beyond allowable excess.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Leon C. Equipelag, special forestry prosecutor, before the Office of the City Prosecutor on Sept. 19, a copy was obtained by Bukidnon News on Sept. 27, Julieta Edma and Eric Chester Edma are accused of violating the Revised Forestry Code as amended by EO 277 in relation to Art. 309 and 310 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines.

Buseco apologizes; city council: apology not enough on brown outs

MALAYBALAY CITY – (Bukidnon News Dispatch/Sept 30-Oct.1) The Bukidnon
Second Electric Cooperative (Buseco) apologized to the members of the
Malaybalay City Council amid City Councilor Melchor Maramara’s inquiry
on the frequent brownouts in Brgy, Kalasungay, where he lives.

The city council invited Buseco officials including Malaybalay branch
manager Juancho T. Chiong with public relations officer Leonard Lleros
to shed light on the matter during their 35th Regular Session on
Sept.27, 2011.

Fr. Nery memorial race draws 500 runners

MALAYBALAY CITY –  (Bukidnon News Dispatch/01-02 October) The first
ever Fr. Nery Satur memorial run, organized in time for the
commemoration of the 20th anniversary of his death, drew more than 500
participants on October 1.

The five-kilometer run started around 6:45a.m. at the Freedom Park
Covered Court. The Diocese of Malaybalay and the Archdiocese of Manila
sponsored the event to mark Satur’s death anniversary this year.

NCIP revokes compliance certificate issued to Bukidnon ranch occupant

MALAYBALAY CITY (Bukidnon News / 30 Sept) – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, sitting en banc, decided to annul the compliance certificate it issued to a ranch operator in Maramag, Bukidnon, reversing a verdict it made more than three years ago, according to a copy of its decision furnished by petitioner Panalsalan Dagumbaan Tribal Association (Padata).

In its September 20, 2011 decision, released only on September 28 and was emailed to Bukidnon News a day after, the commission en banc granted Padata’s petition to annul or recall Compliance Certificate No. CCRX-08-7-150 issued to respondent Engr. Ernesto Villalon.

The decision came more than a month after the killing of 28-year old farmer Welcie Gica, who was reported shot by security guards hired by the Villalons in Panalsalan village to secure the ranch. Gica, father of two, joined fellow Padata members who staged a protest  in the ranch on August 24, 2011 when they were confronted by the guards.

Rehab of Rio Grande de Mindanao, “a high priority, high impact” project

MALAYBALAY CITY (Bukidnon News Dispatch/ 29 Sept)– The Rehabilitation of the Rio Grande de Mindanao is one of the 10 high priority and high impact proposed projects as presented in the Mindanao River Basin Integrated Management and Development Plan, a copy of which was obtained by Bukidnon News.

In the last chapter of the 16-chapter master plan released in July 2011, the Presidential Task Force on the Mindanao River Basin Rehabilitation and Development outline the selected priority projects based on a list of programs and interventions “extensively and exhaustively” reviewed by the task force’s technical working group.

SPECIAL REPORT: Tribal leaders to withhold support for Pulangui V

By Carrell C. Magno and Laurie Ailynne M. Benito
Bangsamoro Center for Just Peace
(via Bukidnon News with permission from VERA Files)

Leaders of indigenous communities in Bukidnon have refused to engage
in any discussion over the planned construction of the Pulangui V
Hydroelectric Project (HEP), until dam proponents submit a cultural
impact assessment that will detail the damage the dam will cause the
tribes.

The dam, which is expected to generate 300 megawatts into the Mindanao
grid, and 1,256 gigawatt hours of cheap renewable energy nationwide,
is touted to provide more than half the projected power shortage in
Mindanao by 2014. Since it is renewable energy, Pulangui V HEP will
generate very cheap power.

Last July, the project got the go signal from the Regional Development
Council of Region 10, which includes Bukidnon. Dam proponents,
however, were told to update their feasibility studies and secure
clearances from concerned government agencies such as the National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Department of Natural
Resources.

Bukidnon, NorthMin organic rice country by 2013, says expert

SINAYAWAN, Valencia City (Bukidnon News Dispatch/28 Sept)— An organic
rice expert from the National Irrigation Administration predicted that
Bukidnon and the rest of Northern Mindanao’s rice lands will be organic
by 2013 with a program boosting the demonstration of organic rice
farming throughout the region.

Ildefonso Natingga Jr, NIA-10 organic rice demonstration officer, told
Bukidnon News recently that the feat is possible with the domino effect
starting from farmers who are taking part of the agency’s organic rice
demonstration project among irrigators’ associations in Northern
Mindanao.

He said they have developed half a hectare of rice farms in 95 sites
around the region as organic rice demonstration farms, which is
programmed up to 2013.

PH to use more renewable energy – DOE USec

MAKATI CITY (Bukidnon News Dispatch/ 28 Sept) — “The Philippines is indeed
abundant with renewable energy resources.”

This was stressed by Energy Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr to regional
reporters during the Media Training Program on Energy held at Asian
Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center in Makati City, Sept.
26.

Layug added that expanding the use of renewable energy resources (RE)
is a key thrust of the Energy Reform Agenda (ERA) of the Department of
Energy (DOE).

Fr. Nery Satur Memorial Run set on October 1

MALAYBALAY CITY – (Bukidnon News Dispatch/27 Sept) The Diocese of
Malaybalay and its media and environment apostolates along with a
sports gear partner will be holding a five-kilometer fun run in memory
of slain priest Fr. Nery Satur in this city on October 1, Saturday.

Run Briefer

Dubbed as the Fr. Nery Satur Memorial Run, the event aims to honor
Satur who lost his life in fighting for the environment two decades
ago.
On Oct. 14, 1991, three men, allegedly hired by the illegal loggers he
angered, killed the 29-year-old Satur. His head was smashed by a
rifle’s butt. Later, he was shot pointblank with a shotgun.

Fr. Nery’s martyrdom came during an era of logging concessionaires in Bukidnon.

Localization is key in anti-poverty strategy – NAPC

MAKATI CITY (Bukidnon News Dispatch/ 26 Sept) – The government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program and the subsidized universal health insurance under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) cannot be the end goal of its poverty strategy, the chair of the National Anti-Poverty Commission told a conference here dubbed “Pathways to High and Inclusive Growth.”

NAPC chair Joel Rocamora cited that in the CCT program dubbed as Pantawid Pampamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), they have already enlisted 2.3 million households out of the targeted 4.7 million by 2016. They also intend to enlist 5.2 million for the subsidized health insurance project.

“This is quite revolutionary,” Rocamora said, adding that such magnitude has never been seen in Philippine history.

But he said the two programs cannot be sustainable.