Way Kurat bares 2006 “change court” secret deal with Pros

Oct 13-19, 2011

Says he’ll give guv post to Bobong by 2016

At this early Compostela Valley politicians have been apprised already by one with faraway political plans and projections.

Former Comval District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora has bared to the media his secret “change court” agreement in late 2006 with the late legendary politician Prospero Amatong that would have him respect it by 2016 if he gets elected as vice governor  by 2013.

“Akong gitamod tong among sabot nga mag change court by 2016,” he said in a chance interview inside Daneco Tagum office recently.

The “change court” the former congressman meant is that by 2016 when  Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy would already graduate his last term, the governor would swap post with District 2 Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong and Zamora, if gets elected as vice governor by 2013, would bow out to or would not contest Amatong for governor by 2016.

To pay respect to the said agreement, Zamora said he might instead return to run for congressman in District 1, while her daughter Cong. Maricar Zamora-Apsay would run for vice governor in what appears to be another “change court” scheme.

He bared that the one-on-one agreement between him and the late political kingpin took place in October 2006 at the posh Shangrila Hotel in Manila hours after top political leaders met to agree on who should run for governor, vice governor and for the two congressmen in the province to battle against the group of entrenched Gov. Jose Caballero by 2007 polls.

It was on that meeting that the late kingpin Amatong nodded for the Uy-Gentugaya tandem and when the Uswag Comval group had its beginning, Zamora recalled.

He added that their agreement only mattered by 2016 and “beyond 2019” there is no more word to heed to.

He also said that he already bared his intention to run for vice governor by 2013 to the governor at the latter’s office in Capitol at Cabidianan, Nabunturan “four months ago.”

He said that it is a choice between him and others like Boardmember Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, whom one report said had been already the anointed one.

But Way Kurat said, “wala pa, di pa siya ang anointed” saying that in his recent talk with the governor he was informed that the Uswag Comval provincial political aggrupation would choose whoever is the most strong and winnable vice gubernatorial candidate.

Zamora said that choice would depend on the provincewide survey to be conducted by the governor close before the 2013 polls.

Zamora’s statement appears at this early to quash running speculations that Cong. Amatong would be politically poorer by 2016 as he would have no top post to run to after graduating his last term on the scenario that a Vice Governor Zamora might make a blockade to Amatong’s gubernatorial bid by 2016. Amatong now is still on his second term.

Asked if the governor can run for congressman considering the issue on his citizenship, Zamora said that there is already a precedent on that confirmed by the Supreme Court which “can have the governor run for Congress.”

Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya is currently serving his last term and Zamora said that the vice governor might run for a boardmember’s seat as there is a vacant slot owing to the winning of Boardmember Heracleo Codilla, a political stranger of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan which is packed with Uswag Comval members except Codilla and  Boardmember Kristine Mae Caballero.

The same Codilla was not included in the recent oathtaking of Uswag Comval leaders led by the governor as new members of the Liberal Party at Manila. Caballero joined the LP.

In the last election, the Uy-led Uswag Comval group bolted from the Arroyo administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party and turned independent in supporting instead the presidential bid of Manny Villar. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

 

Filed under: Former Comval District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, Former Comval District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora

Mawab LGU’s new firetruck “lacks accessories”

Oct 13-19, 2011

Prices of 3 equipment known
Grader- P9.95 M Firetruck-P3.20 M Water tanker-P4.45 M

The six-wheeler firetruck that was recently bought by Mawab Mayor Evalina Jampayas along with the grader and fire tanker is said to be lacking of needed accessories such as the noozle and others making it to be “unfit for firefighting”.

Sources of the Valley and City Chronicle have said that because of the lacking accessories of the firetruck, “it is useless as of now unless the needed accessories come.”

The same sources, who requested not to be named, charged, “what is the use of the fire tanker- is it a back up water supply container for the firetruck or an equipment for delivery of potable water?”
Mayor Jampayas was not around in her office when this paper sought her for comment.
However, municipal administrator-designate and municipal budget officer Nelma Flores was in her office.

When asked of the prices of the three equipment, Flores refused to bare, saying: “wala na sa akoa ang mga papers, tua na sa treasurer ug accounting.”
She talked on the procurement processes of the municipal government that started with the bidding to payment, which she said is already under the responsibility of the municipal treasurer and municipal accountant.

She added that in the procurement of the three equipment, the first bidding failed as “there was no bidder.”

In the second bidding “there was only one bidder,”Flores said.

But in a purchase order (PO) obtained by the Valley & City Chronicle, it stated that the grader has the highest price as it is worth P9,957,620 while the water tanker is worth  P4,450,000 and the firetruck is worth P3,200,000.

In the said PO the specifications of the grader were not stated although Flores earlier said that it is a brand new one.

The firetruck has the following specifications: “remanufactured six-wheeler Isuzu forward firetruck, Isuzu FRR12DA, Chassis Series 6BG1”.

The water tanker has: “remanufactured, 8-wheeler multipurpose water tanker/firetruck, Isuzu CXG23M, Chassis Series, 6SD+.

The PO was served last May 24.

The transaction has purchase request (PR) No. 2011-03-005.

The same PO stated that the winning bidder and supplier of the three equipment is JVF Commercial & Project Development Support.

In one online search of this paper on JVF firm, a site, http://ph.88db.com/Building-Construction/Heavy-Equipment-and-Machines/ad-149355/, said that it was established on February 29, 1996 with main office in Quezon City in Metro Manila.

The site stated that JVF firm has a branch along MacArthur Highway Matina, Davao City.
The firm appears to be specializing in selling and servicing construction equipment although the site listed that it is engaged in diagnosis and repair of hydraulic system, mechatronics (machine computer and electronic components), powertrain and other specialized components, engine overhauling, complete rehabilitation and on-site repairs.

The same online site does not state JVF firm is selling firetrucks and water tankers. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

Filed under: Mawab Mayor Evalina Jampayas, Mawab Mayor Evalina Jampayas

No VM choice yet for Oyo

Oct 13-19, 2011

Tagum City Mayor Rey “Chiong Oy” Uy has reiterated that his son second-termer Councilor De Carlo “Oyo” Uy is on definite course to run for mayor in the city, but he has yet no choice at presstime who would be Oyo’s vice mayoral tandem for the 2013 polls.

In an interview, he said: “Go na si Oyo” debunking issues that circulate in the rounds that Oyo might be running for other post.
But the mayor acknowledged that there are issues hurled in the definite mayoralty bid of his son like that he would be dictating Oyo once he gets elected to run the City Hall.

In response, he said: “Unsa man diay akong mga gipanghimo sa syudad? Makadaut ba or makaayo?”
But he said that he is not a type who would dictate Oyo what he should do once he is victorious to sit as a mayor to follow him, adding that he would only guide as a father who knows and learns politics ahead of his son.
Asked on who is his early choice as the vice mayoralty tandem of Oyo, with slow head gesture the mayor softly said, “wala pa.”
Earlier reports have it that vice mayoralty choices from the Liberal Party where the mayor and almost all of the members of the city council ran and won last May 2010 elections included from Councilors Mylene Baura and Nicandro “Nickel” Suaybaguio.

Separate reports said that while the last-termer Vice Mayor Allan Rellon was entertaining to run for mayor to contest Oyo he was more bent to run instead for boardmember considering his lack of funding to wage a good and feasible mayoral run against Oyo.
Former Congressman Arrel Olano was also reported to be harboring a plan to make a comeback mayoralty bid by 2013 but pundits said that he better not tangle for mayoral bid as he lost already his political luster as shown in the dismal votes he got in the last elections. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

 

Filed under: councilor de carlo "oyo" uy, councilor de carlo "oyo" uy

Not Oyo-Mylene, but Oyo-Nickel tandem is likely

Sept 8-14, 2011

I’ts not more of an Oyo-Mylene but more of an Oyo-Nickel tandem in the the offing as pundits would want to speculate.

Pundits in the rounds of Tagum City are now abuzz with words that by 2013 polls Councilors De Carlo “Oyo” Uy and Nicandro “Nickel Suaybaguio Jr might possibly team up for mayoral and vice mayoral bids in the administration’s slate under the political kingpinship of last-termer Mayor Rey “Chiong Oy” Uy.

“The tandem of Oyo and Councilor Mylene Baura is not likely as from the family name alone of Nickel, Baby would be provented from running for city mayor against Oyo for the sake of Nickel,” said one political pundit.

Baby there is referred to second-termer Vice Gov. Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio Jr., who might run for city mayor for a mayoral comeback even while his name floats now to be a gubernatorial bet if second-termer Governor Rodolfo “RDR” del Rosario will not seek reelection in the midterm elections one and a half years from  now. In the latter case he would be opposing Mayor Uy, who had earlier declared his availability for a gubernatorial run if the governor would not seek reelection.

Oyo had long been endorsed by his father mayor for a mayoral bid by 2013 polls.

Nickel is Baby’s nephew being the son of Tagum’s known Nick Suaybaguio, a certified public accountant and former BIR revenue district officer. Mylene, on the other hand, is Baby’s niece by affinity with them belonging to the big Tagum closely-knit clans of Suaybaguio-Rina-Baura.

Oyo and Nickel are publicly known to be  so close friends and are seen to be always going together in public gatherings.

Baby’s possible running for mayor is reportedly egged out by his supporters due to Oyo’s  young age, though the latter is no longer political neophyte being a second-termer councilor, vis-a-vis Baby’s long experience in politics after becoming a councilor, vice mayor and mayor in the then municipality of Tagum in the 80s and 90s and becoming a vice governor for one separate term and being now a second-termer vice governor .

But in either scenario of Baby’s opposing Oyo or Mayor Uy for “no RDR” gubernatoral contest the current vice governor would be facing a logistics-rich rival.  (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

Filed under: Councilors De Carlo “Oyo” Uy and Nicandro “Nickel Suaybaguio Jr, Councilors De Carlo “Oyo” Uy and Nicandro “Nickel Suaybaguio Jr

“Our signatures are not forged, but different signatures” – Delola, Pono

May 26-June 1, 2011

Regarding nepotism issue at Davao Norte Capitol

The two provincial employees who were used as complainants to an Ombudsman complaint alleging nepotism charges involving two relatives of department heads in Davao del Norte Capitol have bared that their signatures were not forged but were different specimen to theirs.

The complaint letter, though evidently fictitious, has recently sparked a probe from the Office of the Ombudamsn for Mindanao.

In the joint letter notarized before City Prosecutor Noel Padilla Palma, legislative department employees Rhoderick C. Pono and Alex O. Delola “strongly denied ownership” of the complaint letter dated January 17, 2011 which had reached the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao.

“1. We did not  write the said letter; and 2. The signatures are not ours,” they stated.

“Honestly, we were shocked when Mr. Arizona Martin J. Boiser, of the Office of the Ombudsman, came to our office on the morning of May 6, 2011 to verify if said letter which we allegedly wrote was actually ours. We stated our denial before him due to the fact that we do not possess any information as contained in the letter. Further, our signatures are very far from that of the signatures on the lettter submitted (to Ombudsman’s) office.”

“It is very unfortunate that this matter came up this way. This is purely a desperate act of person/s who wants to advance their interests against somebody at the expense of other people,” Delola and Pono further stated.

The still unknown complaint letter writers raised a nepotism charge allegedly committed by members of the placement committee members when the reorganization in the Capitol took effect in 2009 and asked the Ombudsman to look into the circumstances of the appointments of  one Sonio Sanchez, brother of provincial general services officer (PGSO) Samson Sanchez, and of one Rowena Peligro, sister of late provincial administrator Rufo Peligro.

The still to be known letter writers stated “we” in their complaint letter was notarized on January 25,2011 by Atty. Marilou S. Timbol.

The Valley & City Chronicle has yet to reach Atty. Timbol for comment at presstime.

The letter writers said that Sonio Sanchez, who is now a division head of the PGS office, was “casual and new (employee) in the capitol prior to the reorganization” and Rowena Peligro, who is now the administrative officer of Carmen District Hospital, was surprising being the sister of the provincial administrator.

The letter writers said said that other provincial employees who are working for a long time in the Capitol like those working ten years already and had already masters or doctorate degrees “were not given ample opportunity to apply for higher positions during the reorganization.

They charged that Sonio Sanchez was a member of the placement committee which was also composed of PGSO Sanchez, late Peligro, human resource chief Monica Salido and others.

The unknown letter writers belabored to cite various provisions of law and circulars of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) prohibiting nepotism in government service and asked deputy Ombudsman for Mindano Humprey Monteroso to investigate motu propio adding that an investigation by the provincial government could lead to a “whitewash” and by the provincial CSC office, which “receives massive assistance from the local government”, “we cannot assume its partiality.”

Making initial probe, Atty. Arizona Martin Boiser, graft investigator 3 of the Davao City-based Ombudsman for Mindanao, earlier has asked the Capitol’s management in pursuant to Republic Act No. 6770 to furnish him copies of 201 files of Sonio Sanchez and Rowena Peligro, and copies of Merit Promotion Plan and the composition of the placement board at the time when the two were hired.

Delola’s name was earlier used by also unknown letter writer who complained to the Ombudsman about the alleged P4.2 worth of lechon procured by the late provincial administrator, a charge which the Commission on Audit team for the Capitol said to be non-existent as far as the official records since 2010 were concerned.

For that, Delola also executed a denial letter sworn and subscribed before provincial prosecurot Ruben Pasamonte.

Asked on why he had been used as a “usual complainant”, Delola said he did not know as he has “no any misgiving” to the Capitol management.

He said though that he suspects one working in the executive department who was so aggrieved then and wanted to deflect attention when the malicious text messages against Peligro and Sanchez over two years ago seemed to be pointing to “that one” as the source.

Delola is the current information technology chief of the Capitol’s legislative deparmment.

Nepotism rules are spelled down in Section 9, Rule XIII of CSC Memorandum Circular No. 40 of 1998 which provides the “Revised Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Personnel Actions.”

The Rule states “No appointment in the national, provincial, city or municipal governments or any branch or instrumentality thereof, including government owned or controlled corporations with original charters shall be made in favor of relative or the appointing or recommending authority, or of the chief of the bureau or office or of the person exercising immediate supervision over the appointee.”

“Unless otherwise provided by law, the word “relative” and the members of the family referred to are those related within the third degree either of consanguinity or of affinity,” CSC MC No. 40 clarifies.

The rule further stresses that “In the local government career service, the prohibition extends to the relatives of the appointing or recommending authority, within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity.” (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

Filed under: Arizona Martin J. Boiser, Atty. Marilou S. Timbol, Rhoderick C. Pono Alex O. Delola, Atty. Marilou S. Timbol

“What about Baby S for governor?”

Sept 8-14, 2011

“What about Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio Jr running for governor also?”

This has been asked by several quarters after the Valley & City Chronicle bannered last week that Tagum City Mayor Rey “Chiong Oy” Uy is running for governor by 2013 polls if “there’s vacancy”, that is, if second-termer Governor Rodolfo del Rosario will not seek reelection.

Edgardo Pojas, a church worker in Sto. Tomas, for one, asked:  “Si Baby diay mag-unsa siya? Dapat modagan pod siya kay vice gov na gud siya”  after seeing the last week’s headline, “CEE O TO RUN FOR GOV IF…”

But while not a few in Davao del Norte Capitol are seeing that Gov. Del Rosario is still running for governor by 2013 polls but on the prospect that if President Benigno Aquino III picks the governor for a Cabinet function and should the latter accede, Vice Gov. Suaybaguio Jr is given a higher notch that would have him running for governor.

This is contemplated by pundits as a Cabinet reorganization is reported by the national media to be in the offing.

It would be recalled that when the President visited Sto. Tomas town to launch a Kalahi welfare program last September 2010 he was quoted that he would be later be tapping Gov. Del Rosario for an important function in his administration.

Provincial social welfare officer Arlene Semblante however personally  opined that she is rather seeing that the governor, who has still a last term, is bound to seek reelection in the way he actively pushes his programs for the welfare of the people in the province.

Other Capitol employees including Vice Gov. Suaybaguio, in separate interviews, are seeing the same.

The vice governor said he as the “man next after him (governor) is of course ready” to run the Capitol affairs  and implement the governor’s administration thrusts in case he serves in higher position.

But, he added, as of now he is seeing the governor to be completing all his gains and accomplishments in his third term.

Vice Gov. Suaybaguio has been noted to be a good ally of the governor visibly starting 2001 when they both won for the province’s top posts.

In that year Suaybaguio won his first vice gubernatorial term while Del Rosario wangled his first gubernatorial term under the divided, smaller Davao del Norte after serving three terms as District 3 congressman under the old undivided province.

In 2007 when Gov. Del Rosario came back to run for governor after serving as secretary of New Government Centers. He handily won in tandem again with Suaybaguio as his vice governor for their new first term. At present  the two are serving their second terms after winning handily in the last May 2010 polls under the Liberal Party of President PNoy.

As Del Rosario had been winning electoral bouts either unopposed or over no-match rivals except perhaps ex-Gov. Gelacio Gementiza who sought reelection for governor in 2007 polls, Suaybaguio on the other hand defeated his vice gubernatorial rivals each leaving them a deafening margin of over a hundred thousand votes.

In 2001 polls Suaybaguio defeated ex-Boardmember Virgilio Boiser with a margin of over 124,000 votes. He defeated rivals Boardmember Shirley Belen Aala in 2007 and ex-Boardmember Roger Israel in 2010 leaving them wide margins of over 101,000 votes and over 150,000 votes, respectively.

Truly a son of Tagum he won his first elective post as municipal councilor in 1980 and after a term he ran and won as the vice mayor before he completed his three straight terms as the municipal mayor from 1988 to 1998. Suaybaguio was the architect of the cityhood of Tagum as it was on his last term that he successfully labored to make Tagum a city worthy to be called as such for the 9 years of massive developments that the city had undergone under his leadership as shown in the market –terminal-slaughterhouse-road complex that he built  and which bustles now in the inner northern frontier of the citywhich was once an wide agricultural, forested area.

For three terms he was the president of the mayors’ league of still undivided Davao del Norte.

In 1995 polls when Suaybaguio sought for his last term his complete slate- from mayoral and vice mayoral down to councilors’candidates-  was so unopposed with zero rival not even a nuisance independent candidate in sight, a record that is still unbroken until this date. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

Filed under: vice gov baby suaybaguio, Vice Governor Victorio "Baby" Suaybaguio Jr

COMMENTARY: That one AIDS case in Tagum

May 12-18, 2011

That  there is one person with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) reported to be in Tagum was a scarce revelation of Davao Regional Hospital honcho and now Dept. of Health assistant secretary (asec) Dr. Romulo Busuego. The good doctor did not fully bare about that case, and from where we sit – he seemingly has not fully gone pursuing that case being an asec now.

We know that when Dr. Busuego was appointed as DOH asec by President PNoy late last year he has gone visiting places nay hospitals in Visayas and Mindanao, the reason that he bared that of all places in the country Cebu has the highest AIDS cases reported to the DOH. Now as an asec who hails from the premier city of Tagum and as the DRH chief of hospital still we feel that he must pursue that “one AIDS case in Tagum” and know despite the absence of mass screening of blood of Tagum citizens where did that person with AIDS hang out and frequent when he/she was/is in the city? Did he or she make sexual contact when he/she was/is here? Is he/she still alive and kicking? Did he/she infect someone here? Where is he/she now?

Obviously, when Dr. Busuego met for the first time the Tagum press after he had become the DOH asec he was not prepared to answer about that “one AIDS case in Tagum.” But he did confirm already about the case whose record is now in the regional office of DOH. He warded off further questions from the local media about that “one AIDS case in Tagum”saying that the matter is supposed to be “confidential”.

Maybe because there is still no alarum health notice about loitering persons with  AIDS from any of the rural health units in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley that R & R- bound males can still safely hang and sing around in modern-day cabarets and feel safe when the going gets all happy and heavenly to buy in the flesh trade of the blue-card bearers which has since flourished when the night videokehans emerged to be popular and noisy in our palengkes. But the question is, has the health department most represented now in Visayas and Mindanao by Dr. Busuego been conducting a regular, at least a weekly check up of the girls and ladies working in the vidokehans and in other flesh trade houses? Is the blue card system fully enforced? It’s asked like the way the dukirok males would ask the bar girls and ladies, “Do you have a blue card before I bring you out and give the bar fine?” Good for that, but the usually cash-rich drunks  never second think for their wives and families and contamination when they’re fired up below by satanic sexual urge during their merry-making at the videokehans. 

Certainly, we need not be the one reminding Dr. Busuego that the AIDS problem in the country has been silently creeping in to the provinces and that AIDS cases have been rising up in alarming rate in our country.  As a DOH asec now, we feel, that he must pursue that “one AIDS case in Tagum”, make deeper probe to tell the local public on the real score of the AIDS problem in our vicinity. It is not a matter of confidentiality as just revealing it could send healthy advisory that after all the best safe sex is still carried within the wedlock bound by fidelity. Foremost, it challenges and reminds local health authorities to better check the videokehans and flesh trade establishments now before the problem gets too itchy and out of proportion.(Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

 

Filed under: dr. romulo busuego, dr. romulo busuego

Gaisano acquires 2-ha. land in Nabunturan Mercury Drugstore to establish branch in town

May 12-18, 2011

A Gaisano company has recently acquired a two-hectare land right at the poblacion in Nabunturan, a source from the Registry of Deeds Tagum City office said.

He said that the Dynasty Management and Development Corporation is at presstime processing the transfer of the land owned by the Tirols in Nabunturan.

The report has generated good business speculations that the company which owns and operates the Gaisano Grand Tagum would be constructing a mall in Nabunturan that in the recent years has been experiencing faster urbanization and high population build-up being the capital town of the Compostela Valley.

The reported site is adjacent to Alvania Subdivision, where there is a telecommunications tower and along the road going to former Mainit National Park (now the Mainit Protected Landscape).

The Registry of Deeds soruce said that the two-hectare land was purchased at P21 million.

Meanwhile, the known Mercury Drugstore would also be establishing a branch in a leased space below the Travellers Inn of the Bagaipos along the national highway.

“The Mercury Drugstore would lease a space from us and construct a new concrete building corner below the Travellers Inn,” said Aida Bagaipo in an earlier interview. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

Filed under: gaisano nabunturan, mercury drugstore nabunturan, gaisano nabunturan, mercury drugstore nabunturan

“What you see in the highway are logs of planted species”- CENRO

May 12-18, 2011

Not hot logs

NABUNTURAN- The Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) for Nabunturan, Mawab and Laak areas has clarified that what the public has been seeing to the logs carried by trucks passing the highway “are logs not from naturally grown trees but of planted species.”

He clarified that President Aquino’s Executive Order No. 23 is not actually a total log ban as trees of planted species can still be felled down and logs from such species such as ipil-ipil and the like are harvested and transported easily to wood processing plants in Tagum or Davao cities with least government restriction.

What the government axe goes after are those logs from naturally grown trees such as lawaan, narra and the like, he added.

He said that the environment department has been actively implementing the President’s directive and the National Greening Program and is in constant watch of illegal cutting of naturally grown trees.

In Compostela Valley, the DENR has two other CENRO offices, one is based in Monkayo covering Monkayo, Montevista, Compostela and New Bataan areas, and the other is based in Maco covering Maco, Mabini, Pantukan and Maragusan areas.

On the other hand, OIC CENRO Victor Billones in earlier interview said that he observed only a “normal and continuing harvesting” than a “harvest boom” of logs from planted trees.

He said that logs from planted species being transported to the direction of Davao City came from as far as Agusan del Sur areas.

Billones bared at least 450 hectares of scalded timberlands in Casoon in Monkayo, Ngan in Compostela and Bantacan in New Bataan have been identified to be subjected to government’s  greening program in partnership with Community Based Forestry Management Associations, people’s organizations and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

Earlier, Willie Yordan, the CENRO whom Billones replaced last January, said last November that there was a harvest boom for trees planted species.

Yordan had a spat with Monkayo Mayor Manuel “Jun-Jun Brillantes who charged him to be allegedly inutile in stopping illegal logging in Monkayo which caused for the destruction of farm -to-market roads built and maintained at high cost by the municipal government.

Yordan is reportedly now assigned in the DENR regional office with the reassignment of CENROs regionwide last January.

When he was asked to be sacked from his Monkayo post, Yordan sought understanding from the town officials saying that he has been campaigning against illegal logging in the municipality but since there was a harvest boom of planted and miscellaneous tree species he had no control over the destruction of farm-to-market road in barangays especially Barangay Casoon where he said roads were wrought by the passing of many hauling trucks.

He bared that the DENR is not imposing transport permits paper when it comes to lumbers and logs of planted species such as falcattas and gmelinas adding that what is being required for these are only certifications from tree farming association.

He said then that logging ban cannot possibly be declared in Comval because it is part of the timber corridor where the country gets its source of timber supplies. He said that the anti-illegal logging campaign is a “cat and mouse” affair with the illegal loggers operating when the authorities relax their campaign.

Compostela Valley and the provinces of Agusan, Surigao and Davao Oriental comprise the so-called Timber Corridor.

In Davao del Norte that is seen to the controlling hub to the transport of logs, newly transferred Davao del Norte provincial environment officer Marcia Garcia said that DENR checkpoints in the province are positioned in Km. 48, Km 60 (Magdum), Asuncion, Igangon, near USP in Tagum City, Pag-asa, Panabo, Florida (boundary of Kapalong and Agusan del Sur), and Talaingod in boundary of San Fernando, Bukidnon.

CENRO Tagum Antonio Inguillo said that at the recent over 900 cubic meter of hot logs were seized by authorities in the province.

“Serbisyo lang, wala tayong sinasanto sa kampanyang ito,” he said referring to those caught having no required papers to the logs they transported.  (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

Filed under: CENRO Tagum Antonio Inguillo, OIC CENRO Victor Billones, CENRO Tagum Antonio Inguillo, OIC CENRO Victor Billones

Local obstetricians intensify awareness-raising campaign on cervical cancer

May 12-18, 2011

It is curable if detected early- Dr. Juarez 

A group of socially committed obstetricians in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley is presently launching various activities aimed to make the public aware that cervical cancer that hits women is curable and there is a need that it should be detected.

The current awareness-raising activities and outreach services of the local chapter of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, Inc.  (POGS) are timed during this Cervical Cancer Awareness Month of May.

Activities include a forum on women’s cancer and free clinic on May 28 at  the Gaisano Grand Mall, free cervical cancer screening every Friday at the Davao Regional Hospital, raffle draw for a cause, community advocacy programs including one aimed to decrease teenage pregnancy, consultations and outreach clinics.

POGS forum on women’s cancer in coordination with the City Health Office and private partners would have renowned physician- obstetricians and POGS fellows as resource speakers on topics on cervical, breast and colorectal cancers that afflict women.

The forum would also have a testimony of a cancer survivor,  awarding of certificates and announcement of POGS raffle winners.

In the press conference Thursday hosted by POGS-Southern Mindanao Chapter, Dr. Mariebeth Juarez bared that while statistics on the mortality of cervical cancer is low in the provinces there might be more cases not reported as these did not reach to clinics or hospitals.

She said that as of 2010 there were only three women who died out of the 24 admitted cases.

But mortality of the female genital cancer in the region has been consistently rising through the years as in 2005 there were 56 deaths and in 2008 and 2009 there were 104 and 119 deaths, respectively, Dr. Juarez bared.

To combat this, POGS has been intensifying its advocacy for women to undergo cervival cancer screening as the disease is curable if detected early.

Also giving orientation about the disease to the local media during the press conference were DOH assistant secretary and DRH chief of hospital Dr. Romulo Busuego, and POGS fellows Dr. Amelia Avelina-Vega and Dr. Edilyn Badilla. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

 

Filed under: Dr. Amelia Avelina-Vega, Dr. Edilyn Badilla, Dr. Mariebeth Juarez, Dr. Edilyn Badilla, Dr. Mariebeth Juarez, POGS fellows Dr. Amelia Avelina-Vega