ALL CLEAR Farmers shave their heads to dramatize their call for the ouster of Department of Agrarian Reform Regional Director Yusoph Mama in Davao City. The farmers accuse Mama of abuse of authority for issuing an order exempting two haciendas in Davao Oriental from the coverage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Photo contributed by Task Force Mapalad

CASE DISMISSED Herbert Hugo Dumaguing (right) reads the decision of the court junking their case against Camiguin Gov. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo whom they accused of physically assaulting them during the 2010 elections. Dumaguing and their lawyers, Florencio Narido Jr., and Neil Pacana, plan to appeal the decision. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

Members of the House committee on constitutional amendments look at the visual presentation of their chair, Misamis Occidental Rep. Loreto  Leo Ocampos during the public consultation in Cagayan de Oro last Friday, May 27, 2011. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

PRO-RH Members of Gabriela, a militant women organization, stage a rally supporting the RH bill in Cagayan de Oro City. MindaNews photo  by Erwin Mascarinas

DAVAO CITY (30 May) — I was invited by MindaNews to speak before a motley group of media practitioners and workers in disaster management a few days ago. I gladly went and shared some of my insights. I had the memorable and agonizing privilege of “presiding over” some disasters since the time of President FVR and President [...]

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte (MindaNews/30 May) – Some 65,000 power consumers in Lanao del Norte have expressed strong opposition to the impending privatization of the Agus and Pulangui hydropower plants that supply most of Mindanao’s power needs. In a resolution passed during their 35th Annual General Membership Assembly and 39th founding anniversary held at the Mindanao Civic [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/30 May) – A House leader is pushing for the passage of an anti-trust law with the proposed merger of two major players in the telecommunications industry that would give them control of about 70 percent of the country’s airwaves. House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tanada III said the proposed merger of [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/30 May) – Schistosomiasis is endemic in 53 of Bukidnon’s 464 barangays with five of these villages having an infection rate of at least 10 percent, according to a report released by the Department of Health Bukidnon Schistosomiasis Control Office. This number is 15.2-percent more than the 46 barangays recorded in 2006, when [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/30 May)—Three mountain peaks in South Cotabato are joining an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most number of people converging at different mountain peaks on the same day, an official said on Monday. Cesar Sulit, Jr., provincial tourism office chief, said Mt. Matutum and Tampad Peak, both in [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/30 May) — The Department of Foreign Affairs consular office here apologized on Monday for the delayed releases of passports that has angered applicants, with its head blaming a technical glitch on passport production by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Jovencio Agus, DFA regional consular officer, said the delayed passport releases [...]

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/30 May) – Two soldiers who were released last Sunday by the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) in North Cotabato were still being monitored to see if they would not violate human rights and laws of war, the rebel group said.   In a statement, Isabel Santiago, spokesperson of the Herminio Alfonso Command (HAC) [...]

MANILA, Philippines—For many years you’ve been paying your Philhealth dues, and so has your company. But that money may have been misused to finance bankrupt hospitals and fatten doctors’ salaries. As early as four years ago, a scandal hit the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., which confirmed allegations that some private hospitals and doctors have been defrauding the state-run health insurer.

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/29 May) – In the Western Conference playoffs of the NBA I rooted for the Dallas Mavericks and was so overjoyed when they humbled defending champion LA Lakers (4-0) and went on to eject the Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) to land in the finals. As for the Eastern Conference playoffs I had hoped [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY  (MindaNews/29 May) —  The Freedom of Information bill (FOI)  may become a law soon, Deputy House Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada,  its principal author, said. The FOI bill is set for approval in the Committee level before Congress goes on recess on June 9, he said. Once it becomes law, the FOI [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/29 May) —  Two members of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) allegedly acted as dealers of the big bikes of alleged smuggler Lynard Allan Bigcas, reports reaching Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said. Rodriguez (2nd district), said he wants to dig deeper into this issue and will include in the [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/29 May) —  It’s planting season but these farmers are in the picketlines, not in the ricefields. Farmers belonging to the Buffalo Tamaraw Limus (BTL) Association staged a week-long rally against Central Mindanao University in Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon demanding that they be allowed to continue using the land previously leased to them under [...]

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/29 May) — Security, social acceptability and work safety  continue to hound the Tampakan copper-gold project of Sagittarius Mines, Inc.  last year, the company’s major foreign backer stressed. In its 50-page Tampakan Project Sustainability Report 2010 released early this month, Mark Williams, Xstrata Copper general manager for the Tampakan project, said these three [...]

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanews/29 May) – A total of 122,458 farmers and fisher folks are expected to benefit from the government’s Cash-for-Work Program (CWP) in Zamboanga Peninsula. Elizabeth Dy, Social Welfare Officer IV of the  Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said each family will receive a total of P220 daily or 2,420 for 11 [...]

WINNING THE HEARTS AND MINDS. Army soldiers participate in the “Brigada Eskwela” cleaning and repairing the Bulua Central Elementary School in Barangay Bulua, Cagayan de Oro on Friday, May27. MindaNews photo by Erwin Mascarinas

BLOGGING. Students check on their blogs during the Camp Blog Mindanao 101 at Davao Norte State College in Panabo City on Friday, May 27, 2011. Camp Blog Mindanao is a project of the Commission on Information   and Communications Technology. MindaNews photo by Keith Bacongco

RECYCLING. Volunteers make posters out of discarded boxes and papers for the 11th Recyclable Collection at Victoria Plaza in Davao City. They are urging residents to bring their old computer monitors, ink cartridges, batteries, appliances and used papers for recycling on June 28 and 29. MindaNews photo by Ruby Thursday More

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/28 May) –  A five-year term of office for local officials and representatives to Congress?  Shift to federal system of government? Depoliticize the judiciary? Review IRA allocation? These were among the issues tackled during a consultation by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Constitutional Amendments at the Mindanao University of Science [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY  (MindaNews/28 May) — – Members of the Committee on Constitutional Amendment said a shift from a unitary to federal system of government, may provide the long-term solution to the Mindanao conflict. Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez, 2nd district of Cagayan de Oro told MindaNews that under a federal system, each of the [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/28 May) – The New People’s Army has ordered the release of two intelligence officers of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion who were arrested in President Roxas town in North Cotabato on April 14. Rigoberto Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command, said  Corporal Delfin Largo Sarocam and Private 1st [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/28 May) –  Bukidnon’s provincial board is set to pass an ordinance requiring certain establishments to install close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to deter crimes, board member Jay Albarece told MindaNews. “The installation of CCTV and other monitoring devices may possibly serve as effective deterrence to crimes and provide valuable assistance to law [...]

Twenty farmers shaved their heads on Friday, May 27 as their protests entered on its 4th day of the protest in front of the Regional Office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Davao City, as they also tore the mock Orders signed by Regional Director Yusoph Mama to dramatize their protest against  the deceitful [...]

140 YEARS AGO. A vendor selling ethnic-inspired jewelries and souvenir items whiles away time playing his drum beside the ruins of Gui-ob Church in Catarman, Camiguin that doubled as a fort during the Spanish era. Built in 1623 and called Cotta Bato, the structure was destroyed when Vulcan Daan (Old Volcano) erupted on May 13, [...]

GENERAL SANTOS  CITY (27 May) — Rep. Manny Pacquiao’s honeymoon with the press as a member of Philippine Congress may have already ended with his bold attempt to interpellate veteran lawmaker Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay. It is one thing to speak out his mind and defend his position on such critical and important issue [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/27 May)—A local militant group here has warned that the maritime accident involving a foreign cargo ship in Kiamba, Sarangani may be repeated once the Alcantara-led coal-fired power plant project pushes through. Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos City chapter, noted the accident [...]

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/27 May) – Some 8,000 residents of 10 barangays in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao have been affected by floods spawned by rains brought by the inter-tropical convergence zone, the municipal mayor today said. Mayor Tucao Mastura said they have prepared three evacuation sites and relief assistance in case the situation got worse. [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/27 May) — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced it seized on Thursday eight 40-footer container vans full of onions at the Davao port for lack of an import permit. Davao Customs Acting District Collector Edmundo Magdaraog said the onions, which came from China, weigh close to 130,000 kilograms with a retail value [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/28 May) — In comes Custard, golden and well-fed. With his signature rolling gait, he sidles up to his master and, as if balancing on his frame the ponderous weight of the world, he carefully drops on his haunches beside the familiar shoes. Evoking the unhurried dignity of royalty, he turns his head [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/27 May) – Instead of just waiting for palay to be delivered to its grains centers, the National Food Authority will go to the farmers and buy their produce as private traders usually do. Gil Tabor, NFA Bukidnon assistant provincial manager told reporters on Wednesday they are losing out to the traders who [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/27 May) – Two teams from Mindanao will see action in the 2011 LBC Ronda Pilipinas Cycling Tour in September, PhilCycling vice president for Mindanao Salvador Paholio Jr. said. Paholio said Team Davao and the other squad which is composed of riders from Butuan City , Cagayan de Oro City and Mlang, Cotabato [...]

ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/27 May) – A sexagenarian was wounded in a fire incident that razed to the ground 16 houses in Lamitan City in the nearby province of Basilan, a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) official said Friday. Fire Officer 2 Bernardo Matindo, BFP city investigator, said the fire broke out around 6:45 p.m. Thursday [...]

EAGER TO LEARN. A young girl practices her writing skills on a pad of paper as her parents fall in line during enrollment at the Kidapawan City Public Elementary School in Kidapawan City. MindaNews photo by Geonarri Solmerano

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER. Children dive, swim at the small pier in Balingasag town, Misamis Oriental, taking advantage of the last days of summer. It’s back to school for these children on June 6. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

COTABATO CITY (Mindanews/26 May) –  The filing of certificates of candidacy for the August 8 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) ended midnight May 25 with 14 candidates for governor and 16 for vice governor, but no official candidate from the ruling party. Ray Sumalipao, regional director of the Commission on Elections [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/26 May) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines is bent on downgrading the fight against the New People’s Army (NPA) into a crime-fighting operation and is calling on local government units and the Philippine National Police to take the lead. Maj. Gen. Victor Felix, chief of the 4th Infantry Division [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/26 May) — The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao has released from its custody a vegetable vendor from this city who was arrested last Friday after being tagged as among the suspects in the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan Massacre of 58 persons, 32 of them [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/26 May) — Heavy rains on Wednesday triggered  flash floods in four barangays in Cabanglasan town, and one each in Malaybalay and Valencia cities displacing a total of at least 67 families, according to separate reports from the provincial and city government disaster risk reduction and management councils. According to Arsenio Alagenio, provincial [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 May) –  How can journalists improve the coverage of disasters, corruption and the peace process? These topics will be the focus of the 4th Mindanao Summer Institute of Journalism this weekend. Reporting Corruption will be handled by Rowena Paraan of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the Philippine Public [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/26 May) – Two Mindanaowon journalists have been selected for the Journalism Fellowship 2011 of the Southeast Asia Press Alliance (SEAPA). MindaNews photo editor Froilan Gallardo of Cagayan de Oro and Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Aquiles Zonio of General Santos City  are among the nine SEAPA Fellows this year. The SEAPA Journalism Fellowship Programme [...]

Parents and students clean the surroundings of the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School. All over the country, schools are undergoing repairs and cleaning by parents, teachers and the students. Dubbed as Brigada Eskwela, the self-help program is aimed at fostering support for community schools. MindaNews photo by Geonarri Solmerano

Allan Pascual, father of a grade school student of Sta. Ana Elementary School in Davao City, applies new paint to the chairs and tables on Wednesday, May 25. A volunteer, Pascual is part of Brigada Eskwela, the self-help program aimed at fostering support for community schools. MindaNews photo by Ruby Thursday More

Farmers stage a die-in protest in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform regional office in Davao City on Wednesday, May 25. Now on their second day of protest, the farmers are demanding for the ouster of DAR Regional Director Yusoph Mama for exempting two large estates covering a total of 529 hectares in Davao [...]

LANTAD, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews/25 May) – The people in what used to be a “liberated” zone of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) has approved today the “Lantad Manifesto” asking both the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the umbrella organization of the armed communists, the National Democratic Front (NDF), to respect their right [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/25 May) – The provincial government of Sarangani has yet to fix the total amount of damage it would demand from the foreign cargo ship that rammed into a protected reef, although the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has already pegged the initial damage cost at P42 million, excluding the lost [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/25 May) – Police authorities are looking into the possible involvement in gunrunning activities of an alleged police intelligence agent who was arrested here last Saturday for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives. Col. Joselito Kakilala, commander of the Army-led Joint Task Force GenSan, said they received information that suspect Gualberto [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/25 May) – An Australian mining company having an interest in the Tampakan copper-gold project expressed frustration Wednesday on the failure of the national government to resolve the open-pit mining ban imposed by the provincial government of South Cotabato. Brian Phillips, Indophil Resources NL chairman, viewed the failure of the national government [...]