SUMMER’S ALMOST OVER. Kids enjoy an afternoon diving into the cool waters of Davao Gulf at the Santa Ana pier in Davao City days. In a few days, summer break will be over and it will be back to school again. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

SEOUL, Republic of Korea (MindaNews/31 May)– Moon is the Oldest Clock. This is the title of an art exhibit ongoing at the National Museum of Art in Deoksugung, Seoul, located at the very heart of this city. Introducing the exhibit, the curator, Namin Kim writes: “If art is oriented towards the wealth of exchange between [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/31 May) — Middle of this week, Dr. Orange Lozada and I were up in the muddy, misty mountains of Mawab in Compostela Valley Province working with newly commissioned lieutenants who will soon be joining the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. While we were up there, the 66th Infantry Battalion confirmed [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/31 May)—Security risks did not deter officials of a major Chinese mining firm from visiting the mines development site of the Tampakan copper and gold project in which they have shown interest, giving hints it could only be a matter of time before the firm actually obtains a sizeable equity of the [...]

May 25, 2010 An Open Letter to Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, President-Elect, Republic of the Philippines Dear Sen. Aquino, First and foremost, we extend our deepest and sincerest congratulations on your ascendancy to the highest-elected office of our beloved country through a democratic process that every Filipino can take pride in for many generations [...]

Picture Story by BJ Patino Kulaman Valley, now called Sen. Ninoy Aquino, is a hilly municipality in Sultan Kudarat made up of 20 barangays. On May 10, 2010, its voting residents braved acombination of rugged terrain and heavy rainsand trooped to various polling precincts for the country’s first ever automated elections. At times the voting process [...]

RAIN! Kids run past the goodies in an Isulan sari-sari store, too thrilled by a summer downpour. The rains have started to come, bringing respite from the El Niño heat. But last May 26 there was too much in a few parts of Sultan Kudarat, resulting in flash floods in barangays like Bulalo and Calsada. MindaNews [...]

COOL. It’s not just the appearance of this hut within a private farm that’s cool. The place itself, Sitio Bol-ogan in Barangay Sungko, Lantapan, Bukidnon is cool since it’s just near the Mt. Kitanglad Range. Locals say that if there’s no El Nino, it would rain here 300 days a year. MindaNews photo by H. [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/30 May) – Acknowledging that the pitfalls in the peace process between the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are “legion,” Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo has written a six-point “unsolicited advice” for the government peace panel under the Aquino administration, the first of which is to “be open to the positive [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 30 May) — Masses will be offered across the country to appeal to House Speaker Prospero Nograles’ and his colleagues’ “patriotism and commitment to the 1987 Constitution,’’ and ratify the Freedom of Information bill in Congress. Last Monday, supporters of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act staged a picket at the Freedom [...]

BANCA RIDE. A young man helps a girl board a banca at the Santa Ana pier in Davao City . MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 May) – When the Arroyo administration ends at noon of June 30, 2010, it will leave behind a “basic architecture” to ensure the “continuity of the talks under the administration of the newly elected President,” government peace panel chair Rafael Seguis said in a press statement dated 29 May. The government and [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 May) – Representatives of civil society in Mindanao welcome the return of Teresita “Ging” Deles to Malacanang, as the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, a post she held from 2003 to her resignation along with the “Hyatt 10” Cabinet members from the Arroyo administration on July 8, 2005, following the “Hello [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/29 May) — The chief of police of Cotabato City wants the joint ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to investigate how the slain suspected Afghan-trained bomber managed to set up a hideout in an area near the MILF’ main headquarters in Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/28May) — For practically a century, the Fortich family lorded over Bukidnon politics. They entrenched their grip on power by expanding their landholdings which they turned into ranches and plantations, venturing into logging operations and cozying up to whoever sat in Malacanang. At times, some homegrown leaders managed to occupy the Capitol and [...]

STARTING LINE. Riders get ready during the Bancarera competition Saturday, May 29 at White Haven Resort. Sponsored by Bombo Radyo General Santos, the contest is one of the major events of the 5th Sarangani Bay Festival. (Cocoy Sexcion/Sarangani Information Office)

FREE RIDE. Hitchhikers enjoy a long free ride on a pickup’s flatbed from Kulaman Valley to Isulan. An equivalent bus ride costs P130. In many remote parts of Mindanao where the roads are rough and public transportation is scarce, people have developed the practice of flagging down passing private vehicles to get to their destinations. [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/27 May) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Southwestern Mindanao is bent on promoting mariculture as a major livelihood for coastal fisherfolk in Sultan Kudarat province, according to BFAR-12 regional director Sani Macabalang. Macabalang said the livelihood project will enhance and hasten socio-economic growth and food security not only in [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/27 May) – A suspected bomber was killed Thursday when he and his followers reportedly shot it out with policemen and soldiers who wanted to serve the warrant for his arrest in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao. Senior Supt. Wilfredo Dangane, chief of the Cotabato City police, identified the suspect as Edris Sabal [...]

LONG, LONELY WAIT. In a place like Sitio Bol-ogan, Barangay Sungko in Lantapan, Bukidnon, waiting for a ride takes a lot of patience as only a few vehicles ply this portion of the Aglayan (Malaybalay)-Iligan Road owing to its poor condition. The dirt road in the background leads to Mount Dulang-dulang (2,938 masl), the country’s [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/26 May) — Various groups are pushing for the appointment of a Mindanawon expert on organic agriculture as the next agriculture secretary. Being groomed for the top post of the Department of Agriculture by organic agriculture advocates is Jerry E. Pacturan, executive director of the non-government organization Philippine Development Assistance Programme [...]

BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews/26 May) — The regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources here has started pushing for the adoption of solid waste management program in the Caraga Region after outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s call to speed up the creation of barangay-based material recovery facilities in Mindanao. Edilberto S. Buiser, regional executive [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/26 May) – Reelected Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco has ordered the mobilization of the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) to respond to the onset of the rainy season, which may raise concerns about flooding and landslides. The city, though located at the foot of the country’s highest peak, has experienced flashfloods last year due [...]

VIEW FROM THE GARDEN.   The view from a garden in one of the exclusive subdivisions along Diversion Road in Davao City. Keith Bacongco/AKP Images

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/25 May) – With the United Nations’ report that accused the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and two other Philippine rebel groups as among the “most persistent violators for recruiting and using children” in combat, the MILF has now called on the UN “to ensure that the rights of children are safeguarded by [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/25 May) – When Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas III announced he was dropping his bid for the presidency in favor of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, observers thought he was assured of victory if he ran as vice president. Early surveys supported this view, as he enjoyed a wide margin against Sen. Loren [...]

THE LAST DAYS OF SUMMER.  Spend the last days of the summer vacation at the beach. Swim. Play frisbee. It’s back to school soon!  MindaNews photo by Bobby Timonera

AQUAMARINE PARK.  A group of fishermen rows past a thick mangrove forest in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental. This part of the town’s coastal area belongs to the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park. MindaNews photo by H. Marcos C. Mordeno

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/24 May) – The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)’s foreign ministers have called on the Secretary General to convene another round of the Tripartite Meeting among the Philippine government (GRP), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and OIC to review “the progress of the work of the joint legal committee and the resolution [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/24 May) – Outgoing Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Bernardo Pinol Jr. is set to file administrative charges against the regional director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Region 12 for allegedly creating “false stories” to “cover up” the killing of his supporter on May 10. In a press conference Pinol [...]

NOGIE’S LEGACY? Members of Right to Know Right Now! Mindanao stage a picket at Freedom Park in Davao City Monday  afternoon to urge Congress  to ratify the Freedom of Information bill.  Some placards, addressed to Speaker Prospero Nograles, said “Make FOI your legacy.” MindaNews photo by GG Bueno

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/24 May) — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has named Von Al Haq, former head of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and presently a senior member of the General Staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, as military spokesperson vice Eid Kabalu. Kabalu was suspended for six months [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/24 May) —  Journalists here marked the sixth month of the Ampatuan Massacre with songs, candle-lighting and calls for vigilance during a concert at the Press Freedom monument along Velez Street Sunday night. Organized by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC), [...]

SEOUL, Korea (MindaNews/23 May) — If one views the flag of the Republic of Korea which is called the taegeukgi, one is immediately drawn to the yin and yang design in two colors at the very center of the flag. The red half is supposed to represent “the proactive cosmic forces of the yang” while the blue one [...]

BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews/23 May) — Offices of  the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in provinces and cities including key towns in Caraga region have mobilized its personnel to closely monitor  the prices of school supplies including “fake” and “mislabeled” products to protect consumers’ rights as classes resume in June. Earlier, the DTI’s regional office here [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY  (MindaNews/23 May) – Reporters and cameramen of UNTV in North Cotabato  led the commemoration on Sunday of the sixth month since the November 23 massacre of 58 persons in Ampatuan, Maguindanao,  32 of them from the media, four of  whom were UNTV workers. John Orbe, UNTV reporter here said justice has become elusive [...]

SIX MONTHS LATER. Journalists light candles during a mini-concert at the Press Freedom Monument in Cagayan de Oro City Sunday night to mark the sixth month of the  Ampatuan Massacre of November 23, 2009.  The concert was organized by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Cagayan de Oro Press Club. [...]

BUTUAN  CITY (MindaNews/22 May) — A former  police chair in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur who won the vice mayoralty race was shot by still unidentified armed men on a motorcycle Thursday  afternoon. Talacogon Vice Mayor-elect  Rodolfo Bosque, 57 (Lakas-Kampi) was riding his motorcycle on the way home from Barangay Kauswagan when tailed by  two motorcycle-riding gunned [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY  (MindaNews/22 May) — The lawyer and political advisers of Congresswoman-elect Nancy Catamco in North Cotabato’s second district claimed the investigation report of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) based in General Santos City on the  killing of a supporter of her political rival in the congressional race has “vindicated” her. Jun Obello, [...]

By Cary Amiel G. Villanueva DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/22 May) – Some 200 student and teacher participants from predominantly Moro areas in  Mindanao gathered here for a four-day Science Camp from May 17 to 21. The Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC) in Brgy. Sto. Niño, Tugbok District hosted the Camp for the second [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/22 August) –  Yolanda, a simple woman in her late 40s,  travels to Cagayan de Oro from Tagum City every three years. She saves money from her salary as a baby sitter for such trip. Juvil, a government worker in his late 20s, drives his motorcycle a hundred kilometers to Malaybalay [...]

FOOTBRIDGE. This 45-meter footbridge benefits some 5,500 residents in Barangay Balimbing, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi. Photo courtesy of USAID’s Growth with Equity In Mindanao which constructed the bridge.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews\ May 21) – The daily rotational brownout here and the neighboring provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat is now down  to just two to three hours from the previous average of at least 12 hours. Engr. Rodolfo Ocat, general manager of South Cotabato Electric Cooperative II (Socoteco II), said [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews \ May 21) – The Region 12 Maritime Group and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) here filed anti-piracy charges Friday against four suspected pirates of a hijacked Malaysian-flagged tugboat and barge that were recovered at a private port here last Wednesday. Senior Supt. Jessie Taduran, PNP Maritime Group-Region 12 director, said [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / May 21) – An administration mayoralty aspirant in Maasim town in Sarangani province has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately nullify the earlier proclamation of his rival due to alleged erroneous transmission of election returns from one of the polling precincts. Defeated Maasim mayoralty candidate Arturo Lawa said [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / May 21) –- Two persons were wounded on Thursday night when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off while the victims were inside a rest house of a retired police officer in the town center of Pikit, North Cotabato. Wounded were Angelo Angot, 17, and Roy Rojas, 34, both residents of [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/20 May) – The personal secretary of a defeated mayoral candidate in Montawal town in Maguindanao has vehemently denied their involvement in the burning of several houses in a barangay which took place on Sunday. Abdul Karim said his employer, Datu Arkhan Matalam, son of a powerful clan in Maguindanao has no private [...]