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OUR Mindanao8 AUGUST 2013


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2 I OUR Mindanao 8 AUGUST

IN FOCUS

Last year, Mindanao earned atleast $3 billion from agriculturalexports, accounting for 60percent of the countrys totalagricultural exports, data fromthe Mindanao DevelopmentAuthority (MinDA) showed.

The total exports of the island,including non-agriculture basedcommodities grew by 16.7percent with a value of $4.187billion in 2012 from $3.588 billion

in 2011.The 16.7 export growth inMindanao is more than doublethe countrys 7.6 percent increasein exports last year.

Mindanaos top 10 exportmarkets are the United Statesof America, Japan, China,Netherlands, South Korea,Singapore, Switzerland, UnitedKingdom, Germany andMalaysia.

We should be proud to beMindanawons because wererich. The potentials of Mindanaoare far larger than any place

in the entire Philippines, saidbusinessman John Gaisano Jr.,referring to the vast fertile lands,bountiful seas and massivemineral wealth lying in theisland.

Gaisano says he rmly believesthat Mindanao can grow big timesooner with proper directions setinto motion by both the publicand the private sectors.

This year, Gaisano isoverseeing a major event to

Ready for the ASEANEconomic Community in 2015BONG SARMIENTO

in Davao City

Take away Mindanao from the

Philippine equation and the countrys

agricultural production will drastically

plummet.

address what has not been doneand what could be done forMindanao.

Charting

Mindanaos direction

Now on its 22nd year, theMindanao Business Conference(MinBizCon), the largest annualgathering of government andbusiness leaders and membersof chambers of commerce in

the island, takes centerstageon August 8 to 10 at the SMXConvention Center here with thetheme Moving Towards ASEANBusiness Integration.

The MinBizCon is an initiativeof the Philippine Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (PCCI).

As MinBizCon 2013 conferencedirector, Gaisano has beenpulling the strings to make thebest out of the conference thatwas rst held in this city in 1992.

MinBizCon 2013 was supposedto have been hosted by OzamizCity but it backed out and the

hosting was eventually acceptedby the Davao City Chamber ofCommerce and Industry, Inc.(DCCCII), on short notice.

This conference will pavethe way for a better Mindanao.It will be very different fromthe past conferences because wemade sure that its the output ofMindanawons, by Mindanawonsand for Mindanawons, Gaisano,also a DCCCII trustee, toldMindaNews on July 29.

With just a few monthspreparation, Gaisano said theywere able to build a powerhousecast of speakers never beforeassembled in the history of theMinBizCons.

Aside from President BenignoSimeon Aquino III, the majorspeaker for MinBizCon 2013, 14Cabinet secretaries and seniorgovernment ofcials, as of the

July 30 program, were slated toaddress the most pressing issuesaffecting the business sector inMindanao.

The issues they will addressare based on the ve regionalconsultations MinBizCon 2013organizers conducted a fewmonths ago, Gaisano said.

Mindanao, the second largestisland in the Philippines,comprises 26 provinces, 33 cities,422 towns and six regions: 9(Zamboanga Peninsula), 10(Northern Mindanao), 11(Davao), 12 (SouthwesternMindanao, also known as

Soccsksargen), Region 13(Caraga) and the AutonomousRegion in Muslim Mindanao.

Based on the regionalconsultations attended by atleast 250 local business andindustry leaders, organizers ofthe MinBizCon 2013 crafted aneight-point policy agenda forsubmission to the President.

These issues are Agriculture,Power, Tourism, Transport andlogistics, Skills development,Small and MediumEnterprises, Information and

Communications Technology,and Mining.

It is imperative for thenational government to addressthose concerns because ifprovided the support, it will notonly help the poor but propel theeconomy of Mindanao to greaterheights, Gaisano said.

Not a war zone

Surprisingly, the eight-pointpolicy agenda of the MinBizCon

2013 did not include theprocess between the goveand the Moro Islamic LibFront (MILF), which is gpositive strides such asigning of the FramAgreement on the Bangs(FAB), two of the four reannexes, and a ceasere tbeen holding in the last ve

Signed on October 15 lathe FAB serves as the framfor the comprehensive agreement between government and the

the largest Moro armed ghting for self-determinathe last few decades.

Under the FAB, both agreed to work for the cof a new autonomous pentity that would replaAutonomous Region in MMindanao (ARMM) by 32016.

Mindanao also hostbiggest concentration oNew Peoples Army (N


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the country, in the Caraga andDavao regions.

Gaisano explained that whilepeace continues to be a concernfor the business sector, it is notthe only problem of Mindanaoand the conict is just containedin certain pockets of the island---away from the big economicand industrial hubs such as thecities of Davao, Cagayan deOro, General Santos and otherbooming localities.

Mindanao is not a war zone.It is generally safe to live in mostparts of the island and park yourinvestments here, he stressed.

He appealed to the media

to be more circumspect whenreporting on conict and not tomake it appear that the wholeisland is on re.

Organizers are expectingat least 1,000 local and foreignparticipants to the conferencehere. Gaisano said that throughMinBizCon 2013, participantsand the larger public will begiven a good perspective ofwhats happening in Mindanao.

Ricardo Juliano, MinBizCon2013 conference chair, stressedthat the event is so importantthat instead of resolutionspassed on to the President andCabinet secretaries at the end ofthe conference, they will nowpresent an eight-point Mindanaobusiness policy agenda.

He said they will track down ifgovernment acts on them, throughthe Mindanao DevelopmentAuthority (MinDA), a stateagency created to integrate peaceand development initiatives inthe island.

Wider opportunities

Juliano, also PCCI vice

president for Mindanao, said theconference will help Mindanaoprepare for a bigger market andopportunities that will arise as aresult of the looming integrationof ASEAN economies.

According to the ASEANwebsite, the ASEAN EconomicCommunity (AEC) that willintegrate the economies ofthe 10-member states willtransform ASEAN into aregion with free movement of

goods, services, investment,skilled labor, and freer flow ofcapital.

The member-countries ofthe Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) areBrunei Darussalam, Cambodia,Indonesia, Lao PeoplesDemocratic Republic, Malaysia,Myanmar, Philippines,Singapore, Thailand and VietNam.

In anticipation of theASEAN economic integration,conference organizers adoptedthe theme Moving TowardsASEAN Business Integration.

In simple terms, the ASEAN

will become one big singlemarket and productionbase,Juliano explained.

The integration also seeksto make the ASEAN a highlycompetitive economic region,a region of equitable economicdevelopment and a regionfully integrated into the globaleconomy.

The AEC areas ofcooperation include humanresources developmentand capacity building;recognition of professionalqualifications; closerconsultation on macroeconomicand financial policies;trade financing measures;enhanced infrastructure andcommunications connectivity;development of electronictransactions through e-ASEAN;integrating industries acrossthe region to promote regionalsourcing; and enhancing privatesector involvement for thebuilding of the AEC.

The AEC will transformASEAN into a region with freemovement of goods, services,

investment, skilled labor, andfreer flow of capital, accordingto the groups website.

The ASEAN economicintegration is an opportunityto be a lot better and forMindanao particularly, it is anopportunity to shine, Julianotold MindaNews in GeneralSantos City on July 30.

He recalled that in oldentimes, Mindanao was the frontdoor of the country in terms of

But business leaders like JohnGaisano and Ricardo Julianoadmit theres a lot of hard workto do before Mindanao can takeadvantage of the opportunitiesthat the AEC is expected tobring.

Among these are better farmto-market roads, stabilizingthe islands power situation,easier access to nancing forMSMEs, skills improvement ofworkers, and improving otherinfrastructure necessary toattract investments to the island.

But what about the threatsthat accompany promises ofopportunities?

The other sectors. particularlylabor, sherfolk and farmers, areobviously still studying whatthe AECs impact will be.

Joel Virador, former BayanMuna Representative, nowBayan Muna Executive VicePresident, acknowledges the

need to study the implications ofthe integration which is barelytwo years away.

According to the ASEANwebsite, the ASEAN EconomicCommunity or AEC shall bethe goal of regional economicintegration by 2015 whichenvisions a single marketand production base, a highlycompetitive economic region,a region of equitable economicdevelopment, and a regionfully integrated into the global

Whos afraid of thASEAN EconomiCommunity?Mindanaos business sector is sayin

it is advantageous to Mindanao,

citing the 600 million population of

the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN) as a potential

market when the ASEAN Economic

Community begins in 2015.

economy.The AEC areas of coope

include human resdevelopment and cabuilding; recognition professional qualiccloser consultation macroeconomic nancial policies; nancing meaenhanced infrastructurecommunications connecdevelopment of electransactions through e-ASintegrating industries the region to promote resourcing; and enhaprivate sector involvemethe building of the AEshort, the AEC will tranASEAN into a region witmovement of goods, seinvestment, skilled laboufreer ow of capital.

The ASEAN Leaders adthe ASEAN Economic Blu

at the 13th ASEAN SummiNovember 2007 in Singapserve as a coherent masteguiding the establishmentASEAN Economic Commu

For a copy of thefulof the ASEAN EcoCommunity Blueprint,www.thailandaec.com/imstories/document/ASEAN/blueprint.pdfc Community(MindaNews)

trading because of the islandsproximity with neighboringMuslim-dominated countries,particularly citing the RoyalSultanates in mainlandMindanao back then as effectivepolitical and economic powerhouses.

The Philippines is a memberof the nearly two-decade BIMP-EAGA (East ASEAN GrowthArea) comprising Brunei, EastIndonesia, East Malaysia andthe Philippines Mindanao andPalawan.

For the 2015 integration ofASEAN economies, Juliano saidthat Mindanao has competitive

edge with its still vast fertilelands, tourism spots andgeographically closer locationsto some countries in the ASEANregion like the predominantlyMuslim Indonesia, Malaysiaand Brunei.

600-M ASEAN

population as market

It is also a good opportunity forMindanaos food manufacturingsector to capture a biggermarket by focusing on halalproduction, Juliano noted.

With at least 600 millionASEAN population, half of thatMuslims, our manufacturersshould consider the halalindustry, which also includesnon-food products, as aconsiderable moneymakingmill, Juliano said.

Both Juliano and Gaisanoagree that theres a lot of hardwork to do for Mindanao tofully take advantage of the vastopportunities that the ASEANeconomic integration offers.

Among these are better farmto-market roads, stabilizing the

islands power situation (seepages 4 to 7), easier access tofinancing for MSMEs, skillsimprovement of workers, andimproving other infrastructuresnecessary to attract investmentsto the island.

Lets finally get our acttogether now to bring Mindanaoto further greater heights,Gaisano said.


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By 2020, Mindanaospower mix will be 56 % coalBONG SARMIENTO

in Davao City

The government is expecting stable power supply in Mindanao in 2015,

coming mostly from coal power plants although efforts are underway to also

fast-track renewable energy projects to balance the energy mix in the island

in the long-term, officials said.

IN FOCUS

POWER GENERATION MIX 2013-2020


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According to the MindanaoPower Situation and MPMC(Mindanao Power MonitoringCommittee) Updates June 2013of the Mindanao DevelopmentAuthority (MinDA), betweennow and 2020 or within sevenyears -- the power generationmix in Mindanao is expectedto change drastically from thepresent 52%.

Romeo Montenegro, MindanaoDevelopment Authority (MinDA)director for investment promotionand public affairs, said coal powerplants would be the immediatex to solve the recurring powerproblem in the island.

By 2015 to 2016, we expect

relief from brownouts as coalplants now under constructionwill address the base loadcapacity of Mindanao, he toldMindaNews.

Montenegro cited the coalpower projects of Therma SouthInc. in the boundary of DavaoCity and Sta. Cruz, Davao delSur and that of Sarangani EnergyCorp. in Maasim, Sarangani.

Therma South is constructing a300-megawatt (MW) coal powerplant, with the rst phase of 150MW targeted to go on stream inthe third quarter of 2014. On theother hand, Sarangani Energy isbuilding a 200 MW power plant,with the rst phase of 100 MWexpected to run in early 2015.

Coal plants are widely opposedby multisectoral groups due toconcerns over the environmentand human health.

Between late 2014 and 2016, 500MW are expected to come fromcoal-red plants, while another 80MW will be coming from dieseland geothermal power plants,MinDA data showed.

As of 2013, hydro powerplants run by the governmentsupply 52% of Mindanaos

power requirement, followed byoil-based at 31 %, coal at 10 %,geothermal at 5 % and biomass atone percent, it added.

By 2016, the power scenarioin Mindanao, including thecommitted projects, is expectedto be 40% hydro, 28 % coal, 25 %oil-based, six percent geothermaland one percent biomass, MinDAdata said.

But by 2019-2020, the energymix in Mindanao, includingcommitted and indicative power

projects, would be 56 % coal, 24% hydro, 14 % oil-based, fourpercent geothermal and onepercent each for biomass andsolar, according to the same data.

Montenegro said thegovernment is also pushing forthe development of renewableenergy projects to balance theenergy mix in Mindanao in thelong-term.

To encourage investments inrenewable energy projects, a one-stop shop will be established inthe island to facilitate and fast-track the application process,said Bryan Diosma of the MPMCtechnical staff.

The MPMC, where MinDAserves as the secretariat, wascreated by Executive Order81 signed on July 30, 2012, tospearhead and coordinate theefforts of the national, regionaland local governments and powerindustry stakeholders to improve

the power situation in Mindanao.Diosma said that it usually

takes 612 days to processrenewable energy applicationbut with the one-stop shop, weexpect to shorten the process byhalf, he told MindaNews.

Diosma said they are preparingthe draft EO for the establishmentof the one-stop shop that will besubjected for review by otherconcerned government agencies.

If everything goes smoothly,in three months time the one-

stop shop could start operation,he said.

Diosma said the Departmentof Energy (DOE) has approvedhydropower projects in Mindanaothat could produce 364 MW, butconstruction has yet to start.

Pending applications forhydropower projects have thepotential to generate another 363MW, he added.

Aside from MinDa and theDOE, the other governmentagencies that will be involved inthe proposed one-stop shop forrenewable energy projects are theDepartment of Environment andNatural Resources and its bureaus,Department of Agriculture,Department of Agrarian Reform,Department of Public Works and

Highways, National Commissionfor Indigenous People, NationalWater Resources Board, Housingand Land Use Regulatory Board,and local government units.

Supply shortage anew

Brownouts are expected to beback in parts of Mindanao thismonth until the end of the yearwith the scheduled preventivemaintenance of power plantsoperating in the island.

The 200-MW Steag State

Power Corp. shut down its Unit1 (100 MW) last July 27 untilAugust 14, Agus 4 from August15 to October 19 (250 MW), andSteags Unit 2 from September21 to October 27 (100 MW),according to MinDA data.

But Diosma said the deficitwill not be as worse as thesituation early this year, citingthe start of operation of theInterim Mindanao ElectricityMarket (IMEM) in September

and the Interruptible Program of the DOE.

The IMEM is a venuthe transparent and efutilization of all avcapacities in the Mindanato meet the supply deficwhile ILP provides incefor large companies withown power generation cato sell their excess power grid.

The rst solar photovoltaic power plant in Barangay Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City was inauguron September 26, 2004. Government support for solar energy projects remains lukewarm that by 2020, Mindanaos power generation mix will have only one per cent share for solar but 56% for cFROILAN GALLARDO / MindaNews

To encourage investmentsin renewable energyprojects, a one-stop shopwill be established in theisland to facilitate andfast-track the applicationprocess, said Bryan Diosmaof the MPMC technicalstaff.


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IN FOCUS

PNoy on renewable energy:

Blaming the Arroyo administration for Mindanaos energy proble

President Benigno Aquino III said the government is now exertin

efforts to stabilize the islands power situation.

more expensivecant provide baseload

President Benigno S. Aquino III delivering his 4th State of the Nation Address at Batasang Pambansa in QuezonCity on July 22.Photo b Re Baniqet / Malacanang Photo Brea


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In his nearly two-hour fourthState of the Nation Address on

July 22, the President stressedthat the recurring blackouts inMindanao made up the long listof problems that he inheritedfrom the past administration.

From the very beginning, wehave been working on a solutionfor this but we are also awarethat a problem that has beenignored for an entire decadecannot be solved overnight,Aquino said in the Englishtranslation of his SONA releasedby Malacaang.

Right now, we continue totake steps to address the shortagesas well as provide for immediate

needs. We have helped electriccooperatives bring in generatorsets (gensets) that will reducebrownouts; and this will continueuntil the plants that will supplythe region with more electricityare completed, he added.

Aquino, however, admittedthat the plan of the governmentto introduce gensets is facingresistance.

But the critics will never fullydisappear. Some are complainingthat the price of electricitywill increase with the usage ofdiesel-fueled generator sets.

Hydropower is abundant nowbecause of the rainy season, so wehear objections to the generatorsets. But come summer, manywill once again complain abouteight-hour brownouts, he said.

Government wants morepower plants built not just inMindanao but also in other partsof the country, the President said,because as the economy grows,so will our consumption ofelectricity, which means we mustlikewise increase supply.

Challenge to critics

Do we really want to wait untilour plants are at full capacitybefore more plants are built?Power plants do not sprout likemushrooms a power plant takestwo to three years to construct,Aquino said.

Aquino challenged his criticsto present solutions.

If anyone has a goodsuggestion, we are ready tolisten. But I also hope that thekibitzers put the situation inthe proper context. The plant in

Redondo, Zambales, is a goodexample. A TRO was issuedagainst the plant because of theargument that renewable energyis better. Did they happen tomention that renewable energyis also more expensivefromthe cost of building the plantsto the eventual price of energy?Did they mention that it cannotprovide the baseloadthecapacity required to make surebrownouts do not occur? thePresident asked.

If you put up a wind-poweredplant, what do you do when thereis no wind? If you put up a solarplant, what do you when thesky is cloudy? Let me be clear: I

believe in renewable energy andwe support its use, but thereshould also be baseload plantsthat can ensure a steady supplyof electricity for our homes andindustries. I wonder if those whoare critical of the plants we wantput up will be as noisy whenthey are busy fanning themselvesduring brownouts. All I am reallysaying is this: Let us help eachother nd a solution, he said.

Not funnyDr. Jean Lindo, convenor of Noto Coal (Network Opposed to

Coal) Davao, and a member ofthe nationwide broad coalition,antiCOALition, told MindaNewsit was disappointing to hear aPresident make fun of RenewableEnergy solution during hisSONA which betrays his lack ofknowledge on the science of cleanand green energy.

While she does not expect thePresident to know everythingsince he is not a man of sciencebut a wise, conscientious leaderwould have consulted crediblescientists rather than toe the lineof corporate reductionism.

Lindo said the Presidentand his advisers do not knowthat even if there is no wind inMalacanang he can still enjoyelectricity because the Philippineshas a total wind capacity that canproduce 70,000 MW of potentialinstalled capacity, accordingto a 1999 US-NREL (NationalRenewable Energy Laboratory)study and this estimate isconservative.

Even on a cloudy day overMalacanang, the solar panels can

still capture the light and energycan be stored and they can enjoyenergy still, she said, addingthat if the President and hisadvisers do careful, independentresearch on Renewable Energy,they would surely bump intovery good models of long-term,people-friendly, sustainableenergy, she said.

It is not funny that they havevoluntarily turned themselvesinto political green jokes in favorof corporate reductionists,Lindo added.

Prospects dimBut prospects for renewableenergy in the Philippines,

particularly Mindanao, do notappear bright even as governmentsays renewable energy is beingencouraged. By 2020, the powergeneration mix in Mindanao,an island heavily dependent onrenewable energy, particularlyhydro, will have completelychanged from the 2013 mix of52% hydro and only 10% coal to56% coal and only 24% hydroin 2019 to 2020, according tothe Mindanao Power Situationand MPMC (Mindanao PowerMonitoring Committee) Updates

June 2013 of the Mindanao

Development Authority.(seerelated story on pages 4-5)

No movement in terms ofpercentage share (1%) is expectedbetween 2013 and 2020, forbiomass and solar energy, whichwill remain at 1% each by 2020.

But in seven years, coalsdominance in the powergeneration mix of Mindanao at56% by 2020 will have been twiceits percentage share of 28% by2016 and almost six times thepresent 10% share. Geothermalpower, another renewable source,is at 5% as of 2013 to 6% by 2016

and down to 4% by 2020.

Rotating brownoutsPrior to the May 2013 elections,parts of Mindanao sufferedrotating brownouts lastingup to eight hours daily duethe generation deciency ofgovernment-run hydroelectricpower plants, which was partlyblamed on low water levelsin Lake Lanao, aside from thedeterioration of the aging plants.

As of June 2013, the committed

power projects in Mindanaountil 2016 could produce 588megawatts, data from MindanaoDevelopment Authority (MinDA)showed.

Already under constructionare the 300-MW ThermaSouth,Inc. coal-red plant in theboundary of Davao City andSta. Cruz in Davao del Sur andthe 200-MW coal power plantof Sarangani Energy Corp. inMaasim, Sarangani.

Santiago Tudio, manager ofthe South Cotabato I ElectricCooperative, stressed that swiftgovernment action is badlyneeded on the immediate andlong-term solutions to the power

problems facing the island.

Dr. Jean Lindo, convenorof No to Coal (NetworkOpposed to Coal) Davao, anda member of the nationwidebroad coalition, antiCOALitiotold MindaNews it was

disappointing to heara President make fun ofRenewable Energy solutionduring his SONA whichbetrays his lack of knowledgon the science of clean andgreen energy.

To address the power shortageproblem, permits for gensetsand ERC (Energy RegulatoryCommission) approval should befast-tracked, he said.

EO 137Romeo Montenegro, MinDAdirector for investmentpromotion and public affairs, saidPresident Aquino has alreadyissued Executive Order 137.

The MinDA expects EO

137, which mandatesimplementation of the Minmodular gensets program tup and fast track the procassisting electric cooperin Mindanao throughAssociation of MinRural Electric Cooper(AMRECO), to generate needed capacities eitherental or acquisition opMontenegro said.

The Mindanao Monitoring Committee (Mco-chaired by MinDA anDepartment of Energy, earyear concurred with the prfor the tapping of mgenerator sets as an imm

measure for electric cooper

in bridging supply gap fnext two years, he added.

This latest directive mathe strong commitmenPresident Aquino to rthe Mindanao power situparticularly in addressincurrent supply shortfall unpower plants are on stre2015, Montenegro said.S. Sarmiento and CarolArguillas/ MindaNews)


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IN FOCUS

Cotabato City blastMayor says bombersand mastermind identifed

Abdulmaguid Andong, chief of the Cotabato City Traffic Enforcers, looked up to the

electric posts thinking that a transformer exploded until he saw people screaming andscampering away from the fire and thick black smoke, two motorcycle riders down on

the road, more bodies, some of them apparently lifeless, others still moving.

FERDINANDH B. CABRERA

in Cotabato City

It was nearly 5 p.m. on Monday,August 5, along Sinsuat Avenuewhen a bomb apparently riggedto a parked vehicle, exploded

just as the convoy of CityAdministrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, the mayors sister, passed,Senior Supt. RolenBalquin, citypolice chief.said

Heavy trafc sa other sideso nung sumabog na yun sonagtakbohan na yung mga tao ako nalang yung naiwan sa gitna humihingi

po ako ng tulong dahil marami akongnakikita na nakabulagta. May hindina gumagalaw, merong gumagalaw

pa, so kahit anong tawag kong mgasasakyan, wala mang mga sasakyanna tumatakbo dahil nga sa takotso ang unang una ko pong ginawasinigawan ko yung mga tao nitong

gilid ng grocery para pumasokkasi alam po natin sa bomba bakamerong secondary explosion(It was heavy trafc on theother side so when the bomb

exploded, people were runningaway, I was left in the middleof the road shouting for help forpeople who were slumped onthe ground, some lifeless, othersstill moving. I called out for helpfor these people but no vehiclewas moving so I shouted to thepeople on the side of the groceryto go inside because there mightbe a secondary explosion), saidAndong, who was stationedabout a hundred meters away.

There was no second blast as

SCENES FROM A TRAGEDY. Blast aftermath along Sinsuat Avenue in Cotabato City. Four persons died on the spot in lastMondays explosion. On page 9, top photo shows the bulletproof vehicle of City Administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, believed to the target.FERDINANDH B. CABRERA / MindaNews


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Andong feared. But residents ofCotabato City, including policeand military personnel agree itwas the most powerful bomb tohave exploded thus far.

As of Tuesday morning, atleast eight persons were reporteddead: four on the spot, the rest inthe hospitals they were rushed to,all of them Moro. Thirty otherswere injured but only 13 hadnot been discharged, also as ofTuesday morning .

The explosion also set on refour vehicles, ve motorcyles andseven business establishmentsnearby.

A day after the blast, MayorJapalGuiani, Jr. said the bombers

and even the mastermind havebeen identied.

What Im holding here aredocuments. Im going to givethese documents to the rightfulauthorities to solve this problem,he said, adding the perpetratorsare big people.

He dened big people aspoliticians but did not namethem.

Guiani has been mayor since2010. He claims there have beenno more kidnappings in the citysince. I think this is one of thereasons that this group hates me,he said.

The mayor said he has beenreceiving threats since, fromgroups involved in kidnappingand illegal drugs.

He said the attackers hadapparently already plotted theirusual route from City Hall andpositioned the bomb-laden car atthe right spot.

Sayadi, who served as Solicitor-General of the AutonomousRegion in Muslim Mindanao(ARMM) under the Ampatuanadministration, said it wasobvious she was the target.

Her bulletproof vehicle

apparently saved her. But twoof her motorcycle-riding escortsahead of her (referred to assweepers in a convoy), werekilled.

Chief Supt. Charles Calima,regional police director for Region12, noted that the attackers wereapparently aware of Sayadisbulletproof car so they used avery powerful bomb.

Why was the explosion sobig? Because the vehicle of theirtarget was bulletproof, he said.

Balquin said the bomb, placedin a car, exploded just as Sayadisconvoy from City Hall, passed.

He said Sayadi may have beensaved by a Strada vehicle thatovertook hers and was directly hitby the bomb. Sayadis ChevroletSuburban bulletproof Level 6vehicle suffered at tires.

Before becoming CityAdministrator Sayadi hadserved as Solicitor General of theAutonomous Region in MuslimMindanao (ARMM) under theAmpatuanadministration.

Police identied those killedas Jeddin Menak, 9; NasrudinGuialel, 14; Suyoph Jali; AhariSamsudin; Sungakala Satol; Haris

Unto, 35; Salahudin Sindatoand SPO4 Mama Manabuay, asecurity escort of Chief. Supt.Abubakar Mangelen, intelligencechief of the Maguindanao police,who was among those wounded.

The Cotabato City explosioncame ten days after an improvisedbomb exploded in RosarioArcade, Limketkai Center inCagayan de Oro, killing eight andinjuring around 40.

In a statement, ARMMGovernor MujivHatamandenounced the bomb attack asruthless and cowardly, addingthey are deeply saddened thatthis atrocious act happenedduring this month of Ramadan.

Muslims are about to celebrateEidlFitr, the end of the month-long fasting, late this week,

Hataman urged authorities toconduct a swift and thoroughinvestigation and bring to the barof justice the criminals behindthis.

Our thoughts and prayers arewith the families and victims ofthe bomb blast. The leadership ofthe ARMM stands with the goodpeople of Cotabato City, he said.

Cotabato City is not part of

the ARMM but has been itsprovisional seat since 1990.The ARMM compound is abouta kilometer away from the blast.

In Davao City, the Al QalamInstitute of the Ateneo de DavaoUniversity issued a statementcondemning the vicious andcowardly acts of terrorism againstinnocent civilians in CotabatoCity.


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Mayor Oscar Moreno offereda P2 million reward for anyinformation that would lead tothe arrest of the lone bomber whoplanted the improvised explosivedevice at Kylas Bistro at RosarioArcade, LimketkaiCenter.

Ledesma made his appealduring the Mass for Peaceattended by residents at theblast site on August 2, exactly aweek after the explosion rippedthrough the row of upscalerestaurants here.

Among those killed was

Misamis Oriental provincialboard member Roldan Lagbasand two doctors from Manila whoattended the national midyearconvention of the PhilippineCollege of Chest Physicians.

I caution everyone not torush judgment against any groupnow that our city is confrontedwith terrorism, Ledesma said,adding, we must instead forgeties of solidarity with the tri-people that live in Mindanao.

Moreno also reiterated theappeal of Ledesma, cautioningthe police not to resort to fall guysor wrongly accuse any ethnic

groups.This reward money is only

for the right suspect who plantedthe bomb. Please avoid wronglyaccusing anyone, he said.

Residents banded together andorganized the Walk for Peace,marching from Rosario Arcadeto the Divisoria Freedom Kiosk inCagayan de Oro also on August 2.

They were joined byMoreno and contingents fromthe Philippine Army and thePhilippine National Police.

Calls mount for police to solveCDO blast; P2-M reward upFROILAN GALLARDO

in Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma called for caution and sobriety onFriday, August 2 as calls intensified for the local police to solve the July 26 Lim ketkaibombing that killed eight persons and wounded 48 others.

Carrying placards that say Wewant justice, the residentscomposed mostly of doctors,medical representatives, teachersand students-- urged the police toarrest the lone suspect and bringhim to justice.

We want to know the motiveof the bombing so we can moveon, said Dr. Tricia Marie Obrero,president of the PhilippineCollege of Physicians in MisamisOriental (PCPM).

In a statement, the PCPM

said: Let us work with everyonein the city in the efforts ofrebuilding and moving forwardto a better Cagayan de Oro. Thisis the only way we can go beyondour anger, sadness, hurt andshame of what had happened last

July 26.But the healing for the survivors

will be longer because many ofthose who survived the blast aresuffering from post-traumaticstress disorder (PTSD), accordingto Stella Ferrariz, a psychologist

from the Cagayan de Oro SocialWelfare and Development Ofce.

Ferrariz said three survivorsall medical representativeshadsought help from the CapitolUniversity Medical Center on

July 28, despite surviving theblast without injuries.

They have difculty sleepingand (are feeling) nervous. Becausethey are medical representatives,they know they are sufferingfrom post stress disorder andsought medical help, she said.

Ferrariz said the thregiven medical attention unleft for Manila to attend theof one of their colleagues.

She said they are hopthree will come back to cotheir psychological treatm

Ferrariz said the PhiMental Health Assohas offered its expertievery survivor who they are suffering fromstress disorder because incident.

POLICE PRESENCE. Police ofcers watch as marchers participating in the Walk for Peace pass by in Cagayan de Oro Ci

on Friday, August 2. Hundreds participate in the march demanding for the speedy investigation to the July 26 Limketkai Arcad

bombing incident that killed 8 persons and wounded 48 others. FROILAN GALLARDO / MindaNews

IN FOCUS


11/28


Supt. Michael John Deloso of the

city police said the suspect, of

medium build, estimated to be

between 36 and 40 years old and

54 to 55 in height, did not stay

long.

Less than ve minutes after

the suspect left Kylas Bistro,

the bomb exploded killing three

persons on the spot and injuring

over 40 others. The ve other

fatalities died in the hospital.

Our witnesses described him

as very cool. The suspect never

spoke in a complete sentence.

Sige, San Mig Light were the

only words the suspect spoke,

the police ofcial said.

Three days after the blast,

police in Cagayan de Oro released

two computer-generated facial

composite of the suspect and in

Manila, the police released three

computer generated image of thesuspect based on the testimonies

of witnesses and the images of

the suspect caught in ve CCTV

cameras at the Rosario Arcade.

Police also did a reenactment

and a reconstruction of the crime

scene after Interior and Local

Government Secretary Mar Roxas

who proceeded to Cagayan de

Oro the day after the bombing,

scolded them for allowing the

restaurant owners to clean the

The bomber wascalm and cool,spoke few wordsThe man suspected to have acted

alone in the blast that claimed eight

lives appeared calm and cool when

he walked into Kylas Bistro at the

LimKetKaiRosario Arcade, picked

a table and ordered a bottle of San

Miguel Light from a waiter late

evening of July 26, police said.

blast site less than 24 hours after

the incident.

Deloso said that based on the

witnesses accounts and CCTV

images, the suspected lone

bomber who was wearing a grey

t-shirt and dark-coloredshort

pants, arrived at Kylas Bistro

before 11 p.m.

He said the suspect, who was

wearing a bull cap, picked a spot

at Kylas and ordered beer from a

waiter

At the time, the street party

along the row of upscale

restaurants at the LimKetKai

Rosario Arcade was in full

swing. Most of the partygoers

were doctors and medical

representatives who were in the

city to attend the national midyear

convention of the Philippine

College of Chest Physicians.

During the reenactment onJuly 28, witnesses told police

probers that the suspect placed

a black bag on the table when a

waiter came to ask for his order.

Deloso said that as soon as the

waiter left to get his order or beer,

the suspect stood up and went to

the comfort room inside Kylas.

When the suspect came back,

witnesses saw him transfer the

black bag from the table to a chair

and left, he said.

The suspect did not even wait

for his beer. He left abruptly. Less

than ve minutes later the bomb

exploded, Deloso said, adding

the suspects departure from

Kylas was recorded by a CCTV

camera in oneof the restaurants.

The police ofcial said a total of

ve CCTV cameras were working

at the time of incident.

The number of computer-

generated sketches of the suspects

presented by the police (three in

Manila and two in Cagayan de

Oro) created confusion as to the

number of suspects in the blast.

But Deloso said there is really

one suspect only. There are many

sketches because these a

general descriptions of wit

who were able to see the su

with or without the bu

and pair of eyeglasses. (F

Gallardo/MindaNews)


12/28


OPINION

The choir wore ethnic-inspired

costume that to my untrained eye

looked Teduray. Why it didntseem to be a portent of things

to be mentioned in the SONA, I

have no idea.

Throughout the applause-

interrupted 104-minute speech,

I waited for issues regarding

indigenous peoples to be

mentioned. Nothing. Oh sorry,

there was the choir. Then a wee

bit about katutubo getting

health insurance. And then

images of indigenous people

ready to give baskets to tourists.

Then nothing.

I must have expected toomuch. The SONA should have

been titled State of Metro Manila

Address. What would a P200

million prot from water services

mean to a Mindanawon, anyway?

Or a fantastic railway system that

would run the rat race faster?

Instead of decongesting a sinkingmetro by dispersing resources,

it seemed like an invitation for

people in the provinces to congest

it further. That then gives more

justication for passing the

Reproductive Health Law,

maybe.

Surely theres a connection

between oodwaters and illegal

logging; between rice and cartels;

between full coverage and the

spike in hospitalizations; between

cash transfers and NGOs;

between wealth-sharing and

environmental protection. Butin the speech the connections did

not cross over. Di tumawid.

I leave the Alleluias for

the accomplishments to each

government ofce with its own

investors even if they sorely ask

for schools? When they know

how to read and write and becompetitive, cant they then

decide for themselves what

business endeavor to undertake?

When given the chance to manage

their resources by themselves,

cant they not also show

stewardship and prudence like

their forefathers? Government is

only the facilitator, the guide and

not party to the business. Hindi

na dapat makipag-kumpetensya

ang gobyerno sa negosyong

pribadong pamayanan.

Despite its aws, the IPRA

provides legal bases of manyactions the IPs are doing in the

protection of their rights i.e. Right

to Ancestral Domain, Right to

Cultural Integrity, Right to Self-

Governance and Empowerment,

and Social Justice & Human

Rights. Imagine protecting your

ancestral lands with unseen

walls? Imagine decongesting

anglo-saxon inuenced courts

with cases that cannot be decided

speedily if led anyway? Imagine

deciding collectively so that

accountability is not shouldered

only by one person? Imagine not

having had to bow down and be

NothingTheres nothing really in the 4th SONA that we have not

heard about in the last twelve months. At least for those

of us who have access to conventional and social media.

AVEEN ACUNA-GULO

in Cotabato City

press relations budget.

The non-mention of

indigenous peoples issuesis actually a reection of the

outright neglect of the Aquino

administration to fulll its part as

duty holder. Issues like mining,

logging, foreign investors, human

rights. Moreover, it seems to

have forgotten, too, that when the

government passed Republic Act

8371 or the Indigenous Peoples

Rights Act (IPRA) in 1997, it

signed a Peace Agreement with

the indigenous peoples of this

country.

A Peace Agreement? Yes, it is.

And what makes IPRA unique asa Peace Agreement is that it was

largely fought in the legal arena,

not in the war zone. It was won

without a solid armed front. That

makes two Peace Agreements

that the government has become

wanting in fullling its side of the

pact. Do we know what is usually

done to a party that reneges?

Despite its aws, the IPRA

is also a poverty alleviation

program. Why subject IPs to the

indignity of dole-outs and plastic

cards when their indigenous

knowledge, skills, and practices

are still existing?Why give them

Editor in Chief CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS Associate Editors H. MARCOS C. MORDENO, ROBERT D. TIMONERA Business Editor BONG

SARMIENTO Lifestyle Editor AMALIA BANDIOLA Photo Editor FROILAN GALLARDO Art Director TATA LAO MindaNews Reporters KEIT

BACONGCO, WALTER I. BALANE, FERDINANDH B. CABRERA, LORIE ANN A. CASCARO, ROEL CATOTO, ALLEN V. ESTABILLO, VIOLETA

GLORIA, TOTO LOZANO , MALU MANAR, ERWIN MASCARINAS, RUBY THURSDAY MORE, BJ PATIO Contribut ing Photographers RENE

LUMAWAG, GEONARRI SOLMERANO Chief Executive Ofcer DANILO BALUCOS Finance ELLEN ALINEA Marketing VANESSA L. ALME

Circulation EDWARD EMUY Administrative Staff GG BUENO

Mindanao News and Information Center Service Cooperativealso runs the daily news service, MindaNews and the onlinepublication,www.mindanews.com.

The publication of this issue of OUR Mindanao is with tassistance of the Australian Agency for International DevelopmeThe editorial content, however, was left completely to us.

We invite fellow Mindanawons, wherever you may bebased, to contribute to our next issues. Together, let us tellthe world OUR Mindanao stories.

Published by theMINDANAO NEWS AND INFORMATION CENTER

SERVICE COOPERATIVEwith editorial and business ofces at

154 Mars St., GSIS Heights, Matina, Davao CityTelefax (+6382) 297-4360

perpetually subservient

forms of domination?

Oh, the Pork Barrel. Tit was not mentioned, it

like lard in the gowns an

It was also exciting to n

that behind those glam an

eyelashes are actually no

Ms Gulo is the author

Project Manager of IPDE

EU-funded project for

the ARMM, implemen

the consortium of the In

for Autonomy and Gove

Konrad Adenauer Stiftu

Development Consultant

article is a personal accouthe responsibility of the

and can in no way be ta

reect the view of the Eu

Union and IAG-KAS-DEV

It would have been n

hear the President men

least the new appointme

the National Commissi

Indigenous Peoples (N

she said. Especially i

have plans to strength

She is also the convenor of

Forum, a volunteer-driven

action towards environ

disaster risk reduction w

use of Vetiver Grass Techn

A Peace Agreement? Yes it is.And what makes IPRA uniqueas a Peace Agreement is that itwas largely fought in the legal

arena.


13/28


14/28


ENVIRONMENT

Worldwide, the place became known for the largest saltwater crocodile trapped and captured in

captivity, a place Lolong once called home: the Agusan Marsh.

Considered one of the most ecologically signicant wetlands in the Philippines, the 14,836

hectare Agusan Marsh is a protected area and wildlife sanctuary for hundreds of species of birds,

fresh water sh, bats, turtles, rare plants and trees, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.

From the town of Bunawan, you can hire a boat or commute with the locals as boats regularly

carry people and supplies deep into the marshland communities. Travelling deep into the complex

system of creeks, rivers, freshwater marshes connected to ponds and lakes brings you to a differentworld. A place where ooding has become a way of life and water a sustainable link into its fragile

ecosystem.

If youre out for a crocodile sight-seeing, unfortunately you wont see much of them unless you

stay for several weeks but the sight of both endemic and non-endemic bird species will surely be

worth the trip. You will also be mesmerized as you witness not only the amazing birds but the trees,

plants, as well as the large freshwater sh found in the waters of the marsh.

Agusan MarshERWIN MASCARINAS

in Agusandel Sur

For decades, I have been mesmerized by

the stories and photos of Agusan del Sursfamous wetland.

Exploring the placeLolong once called home:


15/28


You can also visit and experience the oating villages of the Manobo tribe who have been livin

here for decades. The biggest of these oating communities can be found in the town of Loreto

Here, houses, school and even church are leashed to trees, rising and falling depending on the wat

level of the marsh.

The tribe claims that the crocodiles have never been a threat and that they have learned to liv

with them from one generation to the other. The Manobos say that if men would learn to respe

nature, it will learn to co-exist and grow together, for each is part of the elements that form the ver

web of life.The most popular entry point to the Agusan Marsh is through the town of Bunawan, but it ca

also be accessed through the towns of San Luis, Talacogon and Loreto.


16/28



17/28



18/28


CELEBRATIONS

This year, however, is different.A friend of mine who worksas project manager for theMagbassa Kita Foundation, Inc.

(MKFI), asked me if I wantedto write for the organization.I thought, Sure! It could beanother adventure. MKFI is anon-government organizationdedicated to the promotion ofliteracy, poverty alleviation, andpeace, especially in Mindanao.Chaired by former SenatorSantanina Rasul and headedby Madam Amina Rasul-Bernardo, it also dedicates itsefforts to educating the publicabout Islamic beliefs, traditions,culture, and issues that affect thelarge Muslim population in thecountry, especially in Mindanao.It was quite timely that MKFIwas busy preparing for the EidlFitr Festival and they neededa writer to help with the pressreleases. I gladly welcomedthe opportunity to learn aboutEidso that at least next time Igreet my Muslim friends HappyHariraya Buka Puasa or Eid

Mubarak (Blessed Eid), I wouldsincerely mean it.

As soon as I agreed to come

Experiencing EidMIA AUREUS

on board, Madam Amina invitedme to their Iftarat the ofce on

July 29. Iftar literally meansbreaking of the fast. We all

know that during the Ramadan,Muslims fast from dawn tilldusk. I arrived a few minutesbefore 6 p.m. and I saw how theirfood had already been nicelyplaced in silver platters andarranged artfully on a mat on theoor. They were counting downthe minutes to when the moonrises, thus, nally allowing themto break their fast. I was invitedto taste native delicacies fromMindanao. Among those I tastedwere baolo, a sweet-tasting pastry;wadjit, a rice cake made of purplesticky rice neatly wrapped in abanana leaf; pitispatani , anotherrice cake made of purple riceour, with grated coconut llingthat was cooked in brown sugar;and puto, which is basicallycassava cake. There were plentymore that came as guests arrivedlater in the evening. There wasbeef soup, steamed sh, seaweedsalad, grilled chicken, etc. Itwas such a feast! I came homegrateful to Madam Amina andher family and friends who were

very welcoming and gracious.I also came home with a fulltummy. And when I say full, Ifelt like my pants were burstingat the seams.

For the succeeding daysthat I wrote press releases forthe upcoming events, namelythe EidlFitr International ArtExhibit from August 2-8 atthe 2nd Floor of The Podiumand the EidlFitr Festival fromAugust 9-11 at The Atrium, TheBlock, SM North Edsa, I came toknow of wonderful Philippineartists, both Muslim and non-Muslims, who have been rakingaccolades here and abroadand my heart just swelled with

pride. I met them in person lastAugust 2, during the MKFIspress conference and art exhibitopening at The Podium. Sufceit to say that I got starstruck.It was weird actually. You thinka person would only get excitedabout showbiz celebrities. But,having read their histories andthe passion they lived for andpursued all their lives, I stoodamong them in awe of the storiesbehind every creation they made:painting, sculptures, fashiondesigns. I met Dr.AbdulmariImao, a Philippine NationalArtist in sculpture, and his son,Toym, who is also a fast-risingsculptor and painter. I would not

be surprised if he earns thenational artist just like hissomeday. Both are Fuscholars, by the way. I alsotalk to Rameer Tawasil. Ihim what makes art so signin promoting peace andHe said there is an eleminescapable reason in aartist can mold the dethis or her life in the introf his or work and it is wor etched forever. No odeny that the event hapAnd I guess that is trueartworks have been inspia persons, more signiby a nations history, ancontinue to serve as remin

Ive never really known Eid. Ive

heard about it and, oftentimes, days

before the end of Ramadan, I see

banners exuberantly screaming

Happy HarirayaBukaPuasa hung

in footbridges, buildings, malls, and

street lamp posts. When I worked inSingapore, I even sent Eid greetings

to my Muslim friends and colleagues

because I thought it was polite and

rightbut I never truly understood its

meaning.


19/28


never forget the lessons learned.Kublai Millan was rather

interesting. He seemed very shy.He would pose with his artworksso people could take photos, but,after the camera ashes weregone, I noticed he would try torecede back into an invisibleveil. But for a small man whoseemed to care so little about thelimelight, he has created giantsculptures that are now iconiclandmarks in Mindanao suchas the Kampilan by SultanKudarat in the City of SultanKudarat, Maguindanao, and theRisen Christ in the church ofTagum City. He is also famousfor the durian monument in the

Davao International Airport.My being starstruck

probably also had to do withbeing in the presence of trueroyalty. BaiJamila Tamano isthe crown princess of Dayawan,Lanao del Sur and she wasquite happy to share her visualinterpretations of Maranaoculture. Her subjects are drawnfrom folklore like Lawanen (fromthe epic Bantogen) on the GoldenNiaga (sea serpent).

Christian artists also joinedthe art exhibit. Aljo Pingol,Dominic Rubio, and Jovan Benitodisplayed their paintings thatwere inspired by the Muslimculture.

During the press conferencethat preceded the art exhibitopening, Madam Amina notedthat the Eid Festival is morethan just about a Muslimcelebration. It also highlights thecamaraderie between Muslimsand Christians, as well as withother races and ethnicities thatmake the Philippines so diverse.Former Senator SantaninaRasulrecalled that the nationwidecelebration of the Eid started in1993 at Nayong Pilipino. But thecampaign against terrorism thatstamped Muslim faces in everyier drove a wedge betweenMuslims and non-Muslims.The Moros or the indigenous

Muslims of the country wereunfortunately associated withcriminal acts; and the progressmade in sowing peace andharmony was overwritten byfear and discrimination. So, theformer senator worked to revivethe Eid celebrations and put theIslamic faith and culture back ina positive light.

Ramadan ends upon thesighting of the new moon on theeve of August 7. Eidl Fitr, whichmeans the Feast of Breaking theFast, then begins on August 8.The government has declaredAugust 9 as a holiday to celebratethis joyous occasion with ourMuslim brothers and sisters.

We can further experienspirit of the Eid and learappreciate the Muslim cby joining the EidlFitr Fat The Block, SM Northfrom August 9-11. More class Filipino artists wpresent to showcase their that have given the Philiso much pride and joy. Islamic nations will partas well such as BanglMalaysia, Iran, PakistanNigeria. Together with thethe people I have come tothrough MKFI, I wish eveEid Mubarak! And this ttruly and deeply mean it.

FROM LEFT: Food preparedfor Iftar; National ArtistAbdulmari Imao. He is knownfor his sarimanok images;

Painting by the RameerTawasil.


20/28


PEACE PROCESS

Murad told civil society leaders

in Mindanao during a two-hour

dialogue in the MILFs Camp

Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat,

Maguindanao on July 25 that as far

as the MILF Central Committee is

concerned, we are always ready

for whatever is necessary in thepeace process because we are

all fully supportive..we are fully

sold out (to) this peace process

and everybody is supportive. So

we can always do the same and

even more than that if necessary,

as the situation dictates.

Murad said that during the

last two days of the extended

talks on July 12 and 13, while the

panels were negotiating in Kuala

Lumpur, we were here gathered

in this room (conference room

of the MILF Peace Panels ofce

within Camp Darapanan). Whilethey were discussing there, we

were also discussing here.

He said it was the rst time

we did this, that while the panel

is there, we also had the Central

Committee assembled here to

discuss whatever problems are

being met at the negotiating

table.

Murad notedthat some think

the wealth-sharing annex can

serve as guide to the next annexes

Murad: MILFs Central Committeewill help fast-track signing of annexesCAROLYN O. ARGUILLASin Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao

The Moro Islamic Liberation Fronts (MILF) CentralCommittee is willing to repeat in the August negotiationson the remaining two annexes on power-sharing andnormalization, what it did in the last round of talks that

helped lead to the signing of the wealth-sharing annex onJuly 13: gather the Central Committee here so there will befast and effective consultation process with its peace panelin Kuala Lumpur, MILF chair Al Haj MuradEbrahim said.

but there are some views that

the next annexes can be more

bloody.

But he is condent that with

the motivation to move forward

and the sincerity and the interest

to move forward, then I think we

can move forward in these twoother annexes.

The Central Committee, he

added, is at this point trying

to discuss all possible difcult

issues in relation to the power-

sharing annex. We are exploring

all other possible means in order

to hasten the process because we

know that further delaying the

process will have a very negative

impact on the timeframe we have

set for the transition mechanism

and once we cannot catch up

with the time frame, then it will

affect the entire mechanism thatwould install the Bangsamoro

government by 2016.

The Central Committee will

be very cooperative in order that

this process will be hastened, he

said.

In constant touch

with principals

MIlF peace panel chair

MohagerIqbal earlier told

MindaNews that they were in

constant touch with the Central

Committee and that on the second

day of the extension, at 3:15 p.m.

of July 13, when both parties were

still in a deadlock, he received a

text message from Murad that the

Central Committee had decided

that if there is no progress in thetalks, the panel should return

home and not agree to another

extension. Iqbal said that when

the parties returned for the

plenary, he read the text message

in Maguindanaon and translated

it into English.

President Aquino and the

Cabinet secretaries involved in

the issues on wealth-sharing,

were also in constant touch with

the GPH peace panel. On July 11,

Presidential Adviser on the Peace

Process TeresitaQuintos-Deles

and Presidential spokespersonEdwin Lacierda went to Kuala

Lumpur, with Deles staying on

until the signing.

The government (GPH) and

MILF peace panels are resuming

talks in Kuala Lumpur next

month after the Ramadhan, to

continue negotiations on the

remaining two annexes to the

Framework Agreement on the

Bangsamoro (FAB) that would

complete the comprehensive

peace pact: power-sharing

and normalization. The Annex

on Transitional Arrangements

and Modalities was signed on

February 27 while the Annex on

Revenue Generation and Wealth

Sharing was signed on July 13.

Under the FAB, the partiesactually committed to nish the

annexes before yearend 2012.

Through their technical

working groups, the panels

started negotiations on wealth-

sharing and power-sharing in

August 2012 and normalization

in November 2012.

More than 90% settled

in power-sharing annex

While acknowledging that he is

not at liberty to divulge the sticky

points in the power-sharing

annex, Muradsaid the GPH andMILF peace panels had actually

settled more than 90% of the

issues.

He likened the status of the

Power-sharing annex to the

Wealth-sharing annex before the

deadlock on contentious issues

was broken on July 13.

Generally the other issues

were all settled already but there

are still some two or three issues

which are very ticklish and that is

where we are focusing on two or

three, maybe four issues that are

very ticklish and sensitive, hesaid of the power-sharing annex.

Even the panels have been

saying that more than 90% have

been settled already as far as

power-sharing (is concerned but

the) remaining less than 10 per

cent is the heart of the issue which

is very, very difcult to resolve so

that is why we have to focus on

these particular issues, Murad

said in his two-hour meeting with

civil society leaders.

Present were som

representativesof Min

based coalitions such

Consortium of Bangamor

Society (CBCS) repre

by Abdulbasit Benito

Bangsamoro Center fo

Peace, Mindanao Coof Development Ne

(Mincode) under

AbansePinay Represe

Pat Sarenas, Min

Peaceweavers(MPW) repre

by Gus Miclat of the Ini

for International Dialogu

Mindanao Peoples Caucus

led by Mary Ann Arnad

present were ofcials of

led by CherianMathews, t

Regional DirectorofOx

AsiaRegion.

Inspirationfor generations

Oxfam, which has been pro

humanitarian assistance

conict-affected areas

Bangsamoro for decades

provided assistance to the s

of Mindanaos civil society

Bangsamoro peace proce

in Davao City early this

and the gathering in Cotab

Thursdays dialogue with M

When we walk

communities who are dis

we can only do so much t

their immediate needs. there is a peace proces

will lead to enduring pea

whole situation will not ch

Mathews said.

To Murad, he said, You

inspiration for the generat

come You will be reme

for the courage you have

in the peace process.

Sarenas and the other

asked Murad how they ca

hasten the process. Mur


21/28


he hopes they would be more

pro-active in the next steps on

the roadmap to the Bangsamoro,such as letting the public

understand the agreements,

submitting to the Bangsamoro

Transition Commission results of

civil societys consultations and

discussing the peace process with

members of Congress.

Murad said he believes the

reason why the Annex on Wealth-

Sharing was nally signed on July

13, was because of the interest

of both parties to nish off the

wealth-sharing agreement.

He said they were aware that

if the wealth-sharing annex had

not been settled, there can be

some negative impact not only in

the peace process but even on the

ground.

He explained that both parties

were not able to get exactly what

they want but then that is part of

the process. There has to be some

compromise. We are happy on

our side, the Central Committee

of the MILF and our people are

happy that we have this wealth

sharing annex nalized.

The GPH and MILF peace

panels signed the FAB on October

15 last year to pave the way forthe creation of the Bangsamoro,

a new autonomous political

entity that would replace the 23-

year old Autonomous Region in

Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by

June 30, 2016.

The FAB also provides that

the ARMM would be deemed

abolished once the Bangsamoro

Basic Law is ratied, and will

be replaced by the Bangsamoro

Transition Authority that

would govern the area until

the rst set of ofcials of the

Bangsamorothatwill be electedon May 9, 2016 takes over on June

30 that year.

In his State of the Nation

Address on July 22, President

Benigno Simeon Aquino III

called on Congress to pass before

the end of 2014 the law creating

the Bangsamoro, as he assured

that whatever agreement the

government will sign with the

MILF will be implemented.

Echoing the calls of two political

prisoners on a hunger strike, a

former government negotiator

in peace talks with the National

Democratic Front of the

Philippines (NDFP) urged the

Aquino government to honor the

10 previously signed agreements

in order for the talks to resume.

Bello III, former Justice

Secretary and later member of

the government panel in the

negotiations with the NDF from

1992 to 1998 and chair of the

panel from 2001 to 2005 under the

Arroyo administration, said both

parties should move the talks

forward to its logical conclusion,

which is lasting peace for our

people.

He urged both the government

and the rebel group to resume

the stalled peace negotiations

without any preconditions andto respect previously signed

agreements including the 1992

Hague Joint Declaration and the

Comprehensive Agreement on

Human Rights and International

Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL).

Bello, now a partylist

representative in Congress,

was among the ICHRPPs

guest in its opening ceremonies

on July 19.

Even President Ramos

followed agreements (made)

during Cory Aquinos

period, Erap (President Estrada)followed the agreements and

processdespite disagreements,

and even GMA (President Gloria

Arroyo) because if we dont do

that, who would ever sign a

contract or agreement with us?

Bello emphasized.

In his keynote address to the

international conference, NDFP

chief political consultant Jose

Maria Sison said the NDFP has

been ready to resume the talks

Bello urges resumptionof GPH-NDF talksbut that as early as the rst formal

meeting of the negotiating panels

in February 2011, the Aquino

government attacked the 1992

Hague Joint Declaration, which

sets the framework for the talks,

as a document of perpetual

division.

He added that the

government misrepresented

as a precondition the NDFPs

demand to release detained

consultants in compliance with

the Joint Agreement on Safety and

Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

Bello said he doesnt think

Aquino wants to junk all previous

agreements and begin the peace

process again from scratch.

The Aquino government is

aware that it is not correct to

junk the Hague Joint Declaration

which serves as the framework for

the peace talks. Any person whoknows his business should know

that in order to be credible, you

have to honor your agreements,

he stressed.

Bello added that the

Presidential Adviser on the peace

process may have played a role in

the governments awed position

on thetalks. He saidPresident

Aquino should consider getting

the advice of other members of

his cabinet and people who have

a deeper background on peace

negotiations.

Asked if he would be willingto become a member of the GPH

peace panel again if requested,

Bello replied: Only if I dont lose

my congressional seat because I

have a mandate. I could probably

join as an adviser, not as panelist.

Hunger strike for peace

Bellos call for the resumption of

the peace talks with the NDFP

echoes similar calls of detained

NDFP peace consultants Ramon

Patriarca who is detained at

Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City

and Pedro Codaste, who is

detained at the Malaybalay City

Jail. Patriarca began a hunger

strike last July 11 that would

end on July 22 when President

Aquino delivers his State of the

Nation Address (SONA).

The detained NDFP peace

consultants accused President

Aquino of not respecting the

Joint Agreement on Safety and

Immunity Guarantees (JASIG),

and has instead con

abducting, torturing and det

NDFP personnel involved

the peace negotiations.

The search for a just and

peace is one of the importan

discussions in the Intern

Conference on Human

and Peace participated in

least 250 human rights and

advocates from the US, C

Asia-Pacic, Europe an

Middle East. (MindaNews)


22/28



23/28


PROUD TO BE

A Princess of Hope working

for peace in the Philippines and

a staunch womens rights activist

from Afghanistan are among the

brave women who will receive

the 2013 N-Peace Awards,

a prestigious prize which

recognizes the leadership role of

women and peace advocates from

six conict-affected countries

in Asia, the N-Peace Network

announced on July 31.

The Princess of Hope

and youth champion of

peace from the Philippines is

RohanizaUsman, chair of the

Young Moro Professionals, who

won as one of the Emerging

Peace Champions while Irene

Santiago, chair emeritus of

the Mindanao Commission on

Women, won as one of the Role

2 Mindanawons winN-Peace Awards

Models for Peace.

Usman and Santiago are among

eight awardees announced by

N-Peace Network partners, the

United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) and Search

for Common Ground.

The winners include six

women who have made dramatic

changes towards peace and

reconciliation in Afghanistan,

Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka,

Timor-Leste and the Philippines.

In addition, this years awards

honour a youth champion of

peace from the Philippines

and one male recipient who

works to advance peace and

equality in post-conict regions

in Indonesia, the N-Peace

Networks website said.

The winners were chosen for

their leadership and contribution

towards building peace in

their respective countries.

Over 90 nominations were

received across the N-Peace

Awards categories - Role Models

for Peace, the lead category, and

two special categories, Emerging

Peace Champions and Men who

advocate for Equality. A wave ofonline supporters helped to select

the leading women peace activists

with a record breaking 70,000

votes received for the nominated

candidates, N-Peace said.

The N-Peace Networks

website said of Usman:

Witnessing the terrors of the

Gulf war transformed Rohanizas

Philippines

understanding of war into a

determination to see peace

come to Mindanao and the

Philippines. She was born a

Maranao Muslim princess and

currently is the Philippine Country

Director and Coordinator for Asia

America Initiative that aims to

promote peace and development

in Mindanao. At Outreach ofYoung Moro Professionals

Network, which she chairs,

young Muslim professionals

advocate peaceful means to

improve the socio-economic well-

being of the Bangsamoro people.

In 2007, she was recognized as

an Ambassador for Peace by

the Universal Peace Federation

and is also a Princeton

Network Awardee on W

Most Accomplished Indiv

(2009-10).

Santiago was describ

N-Peace Network as thefo

of a non-prot organizat

Davao City which works

women from poor commu

In January 2001, she found

Mindanao Commission on W

(MCW) comprising Ch

Muslim and indigenous w

leaders who waged a cam

to pressure the gover

and Moro Islamic Libe

Front (MILF) to return

negotiating table. In Fe

2001, she joined the goverpanel that negotiated peac

MILF, and was a signatory

ceasere agreement. San

unwavering commitmen

social justice has been reco

in many ways, including:

nominated as part of the

Women for the Nobel

Prize. (MindaNews)


24/28


BUSINESS

At least a dozen Cabinet

secretaries and business

tycoons will be the key speakers

during the 22nd MindanaoBusiness Conference

(MinBizCon) that will have

President Benigno Aquino III as

the major guest.

This years theme is Moving

Towards ASEAN Business

Integration. It is slated

on August 8 to 10 at the SMX

Convention Center in Lanang.

Hosted this year by the Davao

City Chamber of Commerce

and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII),

Powerhouse cast for the22nd MinBizCon in Davao City

MinBizCon is the largest annual

gathering of top government and

business leaders and members

of chambers of commerce in theisland.

President Aquino is set to

deliver his message on August

10. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte

will deliver a welcome address

during the event organized

by the Philippine Chamber of

Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

Organizers said the senior

government ofcials invited

were Trade Secretary Gregory

Domingo, Finance Secretary

Cesar Purisima, Science and

Technology Secretary Mario

Montejo, Energy Secretary Carlos

Jericho Petilla, Transportationand Communications Secretary

Joseph Emilio Abaya and Public

Works and Highways Secretary

Rogelio Singson.

Presidential Adviser on

the Peace Process Secretary

TeresitaQuintos-Deles, Climate

Change Commission Secretary

Lucille Sering, Secretary

LuwalhatiAntonino, chair of

the Mindanao Development

Authority, Secretary

Emmanuel Joel Villanueva of

the Technical Education and

Skills Development Authority,

and Customs CommissionerRunoBiazon will also serve as

resource speakers.

Prominent businessmen

will also be speaking during

the event. They include Lance

Gokongwei Jr., JG Summit

Holdings Incorporated president

and chief operating ofcer;

Manny V. Pangilinan, Philippine

Long Distance Telephone

Company chair; Henry Sy Jr.,

SM Investments chief executive

ofcer; Vicente Q

Novellino Wines preside

Manuel Orig, Aboitiz

Corporation rst vice prfor Mindanao affairs.

The event, accordi

the organizers, is a p

for fostering competit

and accelerating grow

Mindanao. It would all

participants to networ

exchange ideas on imp

business climate

competitiveness.

(Florienne Melendrez / Mind

Zambo Peninsula is countrys besteconomic performer in 2012

Mewchun Pamaran, NationalStatistical Coordination Board(NSCB) regional chief, attributedthe impressive economicperformance of ZamboangaPeninsula or Region 9 to theaccelerated growths of theindustry and services sectors.

The services sector accountedfor the largest share of the regionstotal economy at 42.7 percent in2012, followed by the industrysector with 34.8 percentage shareand agriculture, hunting, forestryand shing (AHFF) with 22.5percent, according to Pamaran.

The industry sector climbedto 31.6 percent in 2012 from1.5 percent in 2011 due to theaccelerated growths in all its

subse c tors - -manufac tur ing ,construction, mining and

quarrying, and electricity, gas andwater supply (EGWS), Pamaransaid.

The industry sector was thelargest contributor to the regionsoverall economic growth in2012 with 9.4 percentage pointsfollowed by the services sectorwith 3.7 percentage points, shesaid.

Pamaran said manufacturing,which accounted for 27.4 percentof the regions total economy,grew remarkably by 35.2 percentin 2012 from 5.9 percent in 2011.

She said the double-digitgrowth was attributed to the highincrease in production of cannedsardines.

Zamboanga City, which hosts

at least 10 canneries, is dubbedas the Sardines Capital of the

country.Pamaran said that construction

rebounded from negative 12.3percent in 2011 to 28.5 percent in2012 due to the increase in bothpublic and private constructionworks.

She said that mining andEGWS, likewise, turned aroundfrom negative 14.4 percent in2011 to 0.6 percent in 2012 andnegative 0.3 percent in 2011 to 4.0percent in 2012, respectively.

Pamaran said the servicessector has expanded to 8.3percent in 2012 from 6.0 percentin 2011. The growth was due tothe increase in all its subsectorsexcept the other services, whichdecelerated from 11.0 percent in

2011 to 7.0 percent in 2012.Public Administration and

Defense (PAD) rebounded fromnegative 0.1 percent in 2011 to 5.6percent in 2012 while FinancialIntermediation grew from 4.4percent in 2011 to 11.7 percent in2012, Trade from 3.4 percent to10.5 percent, Real Estate, Rentingand Business Activities (RERBA)from 6.1 percent to 7.0 percent,and Transport Storage andCommunication (TSC) from 8.0percent to 8.2 percent.

Pamaran said the growth inthe AHFF sector improved fromnegative 9.7 percent in 2011 tonegative 2.6 percent in 2012.

Fishing, which accountedfor 7.8 percent of the regions

domestic output, improvenegative 23.5 percent in negative 7.3 in 2012.

Aside from canneriecity is also a home to 15 rms that supply the nethe canning companies, thmarket and other parts country.

Agriculture and Foresthe other hand, deceleratepercent in 2012 from 0.6 in 2011.

The AHFF sector, hopulled down the rgrowth by 0.7 percentage

(MindaNews)

Zamboanga Peninsula registered the fastest growth in

2012 among the countrys 17 regions as the peninsulas

economy grew to 12.4 percent last year from 0.1 percent

in 2011.


25/28


Greetings from:

From 3.7 percent in 2011, the

Gross Regional Domestic

Product (GRDP) of the Davao

Region increased to 7.4 percent

in 2012, Rosendo Aya-ay, acting

head of the National Statistical

Coordination Board (NSCB) in

Region XI, announced during

the release of the 2012 Report on

the Regional Economy of Davao

Region on July 25.

Maria Lourdes Lim, director

of the National Economic andDevelopment Authority (NEDA)

in Region XI, said the regions

performance last year surpassed

the target GRDP of 6.8 percent.

We are happy that the Davao

region posed a strong and better

than expected economy in 2012,

she added.

The services sector contributed

4.80 percent of the total growth

rate while the Industry and

Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry

and Fishing (AHFF) sectors

pitched in 2.56 percent and 0.08

Davao region posts 7.4% growthFLORIENNE MELENDREZin Davao City

percent, respectively.

The services sectors share

increased from 52.2 percent in

2011 to 53.0 percent in 2012. The

other sectors contributions last

year were: Industry with 29% and

AHFF with 17.9%

Lim said that government

services, transportation, real

estate,business subsectors and the

establishment of more shopping

malls and tourist destinations in

the region were among the factorsthat added to the growth of the

services sector.

The AHFF sectors low

contribution, on the other

hand, was due to the typhoons,

including super typhoon

Pablo, which damaged many

plantations in the region last year.

It decreased the production of

crops such as coconut, cacao and

banana, which were supposed to

be the main agricultural products

of the region.

Records of the NSCB also

Roderico Bioco, KaamulanChamber president, toldthe 4th general membershipmeeting on July 19 thatwith the reactivation of theBukidnon Investment and

Export Promotion Board,they are pushing as priorityproject the construction of anairport because LaguindinganAirport in Misamis Orientaland the Davao InternationalAirport or Francisco BangoyInternational Airport in DavaoCity are both far.

The meeting gathered some200 participants.

Bioco lamented thatBukidnon has no airport whenit has more vibrant economicactivities than the cities ofOzamiz and Pagadian which

have airports.He said the Civil AviationAuthority of the Philippines(CAAP) has conferred withthe chamber regarding thefeasibility study as directed byMalacanang.

He stressed that themost important factor indeveloping a new airportis land acquisition that canaccommodate standardrunway and other necessaryairstrip facilities.

Last April, Raul Glorioso,CAAPs manager foraerodrome engineering

unit, told MindaNews theproposed project was still atthe feasibility study stage butthe study was expected to benished this month.

Thereafter, the agencywill come up withrecommendations, includingpossible sources of funding,he added.

Glorioso identiedBarangay Cabangahan in

Bukidnon chamberpushes for airport,ecozoneWALTER I. BALANE

in Valencia City

Malaybalay City, BarangayDabongdabong in ValenciaCity and Don Carlos townas the potential sites for theairport.

He said they inspected the

three sites during the April3-4 visit of the team. The teamincluded a representativefrom Philjac, Inc. and ScienceVision for Technology.

Science Vision was taskedto conduct the feasibility studyon the Bukidnon AirportDevelopment Project.

The study seeks todetermine the air traveldemand for Bukidnon,identify the most suitablesite for a new airport, andcheck the most effective andefcient way to serve the air

travel requirements not onlyof Bukidnon but neighboringareas as well.

Bioco said the KaamulanChamber is also pushingfor the creation of a specialeconomic zone duly accreditedby the Philippine Export ZoneAuthority (PEZA).

This will lay the ground forthe development of PEZA-accredited BPO (businessprocess outsourcing)investments in the province,he said.

He said the BPO industryplays a critical role in

absorbing new graduates,citing as example BacolodCity, where the BPO industryreportedly absorbs about vepercent of the fresh graduates.

But Bioco acknowledgedthat the province still needsreliable power supply andgood telecommunicationfacilities, among others, tocompete with other provincesin attracting BPO locators.

showed that Davao R

ranked 7th in the eco

performance per region

country.

In Mindanao, the region

fourth in economic perfor

last year. Zamboanga Pen

emerged at the top at 12.4 p

followed by Caraga regio

10.6 percent and Soccsk

region with 8.1 percent.

The Davao region r

second in the Mindanao rwith signicant change in g

rate with 3.7 percent, n

Zamboanga Peninsula w

staggering 12.3 percent incr

Jose Ramon Albert,

secretary general, said the

region remains the b

economy in Mindanao, h

a percentageshare of 26.6 p

The contribution of

region to the countrys GD

increased from 0.1 percent

to 0.3 percent the following


26/28


BATANG MINDANAW

Three PoemsALLEN SAMSUYA

Makeshifters (on Gravity)

Gravity is what ruins your ponytail when you make tea

in the early morning. In ancient China, it is said that a

single tealeaf was lifted by the wind. Through the palace

window, the leaf fell and into the emperors rst teacup.

This too was gravity. Now, we know that warmth is

the measurement of water, and that it takes the Earth

all morning to pull our bodies closer into its heart. We

pull back, always in a heartbeat. Elsewhere, a million

tealeaves are ripe for the picking. And you, my dearest,

are far enough from the sun.

Cassette

At twenty-ve I have yet to forgethow to rewind Cutterpillow

with a pencil when the boomboxruins the cassette. After all

these years I have yet to stoplistening to DXOL the soul of the city,

to the angelus of my high school,even to the phone call that rang

hollow of my grandmothers death.Perhaps dissonance rewinds in me

what others accept in silence.Perhaps memory is a succession

of whistles and the winds blowto rattle the trees.

Magnets

Perhaps I was a littletoo buzzedthe night you told meyou were bipolarthat I could onlythink of penguinsand whether or notthey share the sameice with Santa Claus.Perhaps if I had lessbeer and moresense in my body

I would have told youto take it easyand insteadthink of magnets.I bet you toomake a good casefor unbreakablewholeness.

Allen Samsuya, 25, hails from Cotabato City. He was a fellow for poetry at the Silliman University National Writers Workhsop and the Iligan National Writers Worksho


27/28



28/28


CULTURE

The second printing of Dr.Macario D. Tius

Davao: Reconstructing History from Text

and Memory, National Book Awards

winner for 2005, was launched at the

Museo Dabawenyo along Pichon (formerly

Magallanes) in Davao City at 10 a.m. at

August 2 while Alampat: An Introduction

to Art Appreciation, was launched at 4

p.m. August 5, at the same venue.

The demand for copies of Tius book,

published in 2005 by the Ateneo De

Davao University (ADDU) Research

and Publication Ofce for the Mindanao

Coalition of Development NGOs (Mincode)

has continued but the copies printed in

2005 had all been sold, prompting this

second printing in 2013 by the ADDUs

University Publication Ofce, with theconcurrence of Mincode.

In his Preface in 2005, Prof.Patricio N.

Abinales, PhD, wrote: Mindanawons

have something to be proud of in this work

by Davaos leading scholar and multi-

awarded poet and short-story writer. For it

is a major contribution to a Mindanao-wide

effort of recovering our story as a people of

an island that has, since its incorporation

to the Philippine body politic, consistently

shaped the directions and shifts of its

national narrative.

In his Notes on the Second Printing,

Tiu said the catch phrase in the Mindanao

studies circle is to theorize.I have been trying to do that for some

time. To be sure, I continue to evaluate the

theories I have advanced. Perhaps in the

future I can write about the theories that

appear sensible as well as the theories that

I have throwin into the Davao River. For

that is how we advance in knowledge and

in understanding ourselves as a people

and as a nation.

Chapter 1 of Tius book, titled Davao

only appear in history in the 1500s

when the Spaniards began to colonize

the Philippines. From oral tradition we

learn that around this period the DavaoGulf region was under the rule of the

Magindanaws. It is also from oral tradition

that we learn bits and pieces about pre-

contact Davao. Meanwhile, our knowledge

of Davao prehistory comes from some

exploratory archaeological excavations in

Talikud Island and

our mindanao 5

Documents