Good news, PAL Express will start a daily flights schedule from Zamboanga to Cebu and Davao starts on September...
:cheers::cheers:

PINAYS FOR EXPORT: The Asian Sex Trafficking Trail
07/30/2008 | 01:23 PM


Airing on August 5, 2008
Tuesday night after Saksi

Reporter's Notebook 4th Anniversary Special

Almost everywhere in the country, stories of women falling victim to sex trafficking is becoming more and more common. These Filipinas are usually promised decent employment but end up entangled in the flesh trade.

Be it within or outside the country, the problem seems to worsen, earning the Philippines the infamous reputation of being one of the primary sources of trafficked women in the world.

For its fourth anniversary special, Reporter's Notebook will trace the roots of what has become an industry of exporting and exploiting Filipinas around Asia. The report will follow the trail that these trafficked Filipinas take.

In Southern Philippines lies Zamboanga City, one of the most common exit points used to traffic Filipinas out of the country. From this province Maki Pulido follows the route that illegally recruited Filipinas take to go to Malaysia where she investigates the situation of Filipino women that have fallen victim to this crime. They will uncover the real condition of trafficked Filipinas in three areas where such cases are reportedly common: Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, and Labuan.

Meanwhile, from NAIA in Manila, Jiggy Manicad starts his journey to Hong Kong, one of the most popular destinations of Filipina OFWs. He listens to their bitter experiences and follows their story all the way to Macau, where Filipinas are said to escape when their visas in Hong Kong expire.

Don't miss "Pinays for Export: The Asian Sex Trafficking Trail" this Tuesday, August 5, after Saksi.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saan mang sulok ng bansa, tila hindi nawawalan ng mga kababaihang biktima ng sex trafficking. Mga kababaihang pinangakuan at pinaasang bibigyan ng maayos na trabaho pero pagbebenta ng laman ang binabagsakan. Mapaloob o labas man ng bansa, patuloy ang paglala ng problemang ito dahilan upang bansagan ang Pilipinas bilang isa sa mga nangungunang pinanggagalingan ng trafficked women sa mundo.

Sa ika-apat na anibersaryo ng Reporter's Notebook, tutuntunin ang ugat ng industriya ng pangangalakal sa mga Pinay sa Asya.

Sundan ang mga rutang tinatahak ng mga Pinay palabas ng bansa. Sa katimugang bahagi ng Pilipinas, matatagpuan ang Zamboanga City, isa mga sinasabing exit point. Mula dito, susundan ni Maki Pulido ang ruta patungong Malaysia at aalamin ang kuwento ng mga Pinay na biktima ng sex trafficking. Isa-isang pupuntahan ang tatlong lugar na kilalang binabagsakan ng mga Pinay: ang Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu at Labuan.

Mula NAIA airport naman sa Manila, bibiyahe si Jiggy Manicad patungong Hongkong, isa sa mga pangunahing pinagdadalhan ng Pinay OFWs. Mapapait na salaysay rin ang maririnig sa ilang biktima. Sundan ang kanilang mga kuwento hanggang Macau, lugar na takbuhan ng mga Pinay na napapaso ang visa sa Hongkong at alamin ang dahilan kung paano sila pinagsamantalahan at ginagamit.

Huwag palalagpasin ang "Pinays for Export: The Asian Sex Trafficking Trail" ngayong Martes, August 5, pagkatapos ng Saksi.


:ohno::ohno:

what's with the translation, heheh.:)

Belgium Prince feels rejected by mayor

By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY (July 27) – Members of the civil society in the southern Philippines have asked the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to look for ways to save the peace talks, after both parties failed to come up with a final draft on ancestral domain on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Filthy-rich businessman from Belgium feels rejected by Mayor Celso Lobregat following a visit at City Hall recently together with Filipino Muslim business partners from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

"I don't want to accuse him of anything; it's just that he doesn't make it easier by the way he's responding to our proposal," said Prince Adrien De Merode, chairman of Beauwal A.G. Switzerland Investor Coconut Abalone Seaweed & Corn Bio-Ethanol Processing.
On Friday, De Merode with independent ARMM gubernatorial candidate Jupakar "Joe" Arabani for August 11 regional elections and Sharif Albani, president of the Unity for Revival Foundation, paid a courtesy call on Mayor Lobregat at City Hall.
The Belgium investor had earlier endorsed the candidacy of Arabani. He also confirmed his firm's multi-million US dollars investment in agriculture and bio-ethanol for Mindanao, mostly in the Muslim-dominated autonomous region.
"The impression I got is that he (Mayor Lobregat) wants us to meet the entire individual farmer and have a contract with every farmer for three hectares. How can we do that?" De Merode asked.
"It's very impossible to make contracts with millions of farmers. It does not make sense," he said. "If he's a leader, the way in which he expressed himself is not very helpful for the people of the Philippines."
According to De Merode, he does not understand the mayor's approach because in other countries, political leaders there welcome foreign investors and would tell them the advantages they can offer if they come in to their countries to invest.
"Here we are just told that there are millions--million hectares of idle lands but then there is no way in which we can practically invest because we have to make contracts with a million farmers," he said.
De Merode furthered that this is just a sign that the land reform in this country has been a total failure and that if Filipinos want to improve their livelihood they have to change the system to have a most sensible approach.
The Belgium businessman was referring to a report by a German Technical Assistance which said that despite a total of 34 years of agrarian reform – it failed to increase agricultural productivity, reduce rural poverty, and landowners' investment in rural-based industries."
The Philippines is number 31 on the list of failed agrarian reform programs in the world. Actually, only three countries succeeded: Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, according to the report. (Hader Glang)


:bash::bash:

this would be a major project for the city, why'd the mayor reject it? there should be a reason behind that.

Good news, PAL Express will start a daily flights schedule from Zamboanga to Cebu and Davao starts on September...
:cheers::cheers:

^^if i am not mistaken they started their flight for these routes last july 1 pa ah.

Representative Beng Climaco of District I has called on the panels involved in the GRP-MILF peace talks to publicly disclose the provisions of the draft agreement to clear speculations of clandestine settlements.



“We need to see and ascertain the provisions of the peace draft”, the lady solon, who is working on a government-private initiative to push for the public disclosure of the draft agreement, said.

Climaco said as a Mindanaoan she truly supports initiatives for peace in Mindanao but then consultations should first be made before any agreement concerning the Mindanao people and regions is signed.

Congressmen from Mindanao or the so-called Mindanao-bloc are set to have a caucus with House Speaker Boy Nograles on Tuesday, July 29 where the matter on the proposed inclusion of numerous areas in Mindanao including Zamboanga City in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity will be tackled.

Expected to attend the caucus are former Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and now Press Secretary Jesus Dureza and his successor retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.

“We seek to be consulted and for the peace panel to be transparent because it is the people’s right to be informed especially when we will be adversely affected”, the lady solon emphasized.

Climaco is one with Mayor Celso Lobregat in opposing the inclusion of Zamboanga City or any of its villages in the proposed establishment of Bangsamoro Homeland and Bangsamoro Juridical Entity under the ancestral domain issue in the soon to be approved peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Like Lobregat, Climaco cited the results of the plebiscites held on the proposal to include Zamboanga City in the autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 1989 and the expanded ARMM in 2001.

The City Council and the Liga ng mga Barangay of Zamboanga have also individually passed resolutions opposing the proposal to include the city or any part of it to the proposed Bangsamoro entity.

Mayor Lobregat has emphasized that the city government fully supports peace efforts but Zamboanga City should remain to be an independent area under Region 9 considering that it is a highly urbanized city. — Ryan Sta. Teresa

^^they should be transparent in everything they do because the lives of the people of zamboanga and the affected areas will be in their hands if ever theyll will making wrong decisions, the voice of the people should be heard in this matter.... they should not make decisions on their own for the people sake let the people speak for themselves. :cheers:

^^if i am not mistaken they started their flight for these routes last july 1 pa ah.

yes, they are already started their flights from Zamboanga going to Cebu and Davao last july 1. pero 4 times a day land (M,W,F, and S) so effective on september one they willhave a daily flight or 7 times a day from zamboanga to cebu and davao...hope madagdagan ng route's

:banana::banana:

yes, they are already started their flights from Zamboanga going to Cebu and Davao last july 1. pero 4 times a day land (M,W,F, and S) so effective on september one they willhave a daily flight or 7 times a day from zamboanga to cebu and davao...hope madagdagan ng route's

:banana::banana:

yuh..makakamura tlaga if you will patronize PAL express..but do you think its scary to ride small planes..

ano meaning ng paz? jejeje...sorry i am not pure Zamboangeno....


Paz means peace..:)

Any info on malls in Zamboanga? Well, Gaisano Pagadian is nearing completion and will be slated to open by November or December 2008. Ask lang kung maaaring maging highly urbanized ba ang Pagadian dahil sa laki ng income at revenue despite its population is about 200,000? So will business in Zamboanga be much affected greatly by Pagadian's "ambitious" great developments?


i guess u misposted this darling..

this is intended for posts related to the educational institutions in the city of Zamboanga..

Your Welcome... i were started looking at this site since december 2007 then when i saw it's a nice place to learn more things as well new things too about our city and others....i rather to join here i forgot when is that but i think around april nor may...

:cheers::cheers:
aq rin, i've been reading this forum for quite a while now

^^for every action there is equal amount of positive or negative type of reaction jejejejeje:cheers:

haha. law of motion of my great grand father, isaac newton hihi

yuh..makakamura tlaga if you will patronize PAL express..but do you think its scary to ride small planes..

medyo nga. haha.

yes, they are already started their flights from Zamboanga going to Cebu and Davao last july 1. pero 4 times a day land (M,W,F, and S) so effective on september one they willhave a daily flight or 7 times a day from zamboanga to cebu and davao...hope madagdagan ng route's

:banana::banana:

7 times a day?

Paz means peace..:)

ah... gnun, i thought land un. ahhaha

yes, they are already started their flights from Zamboanga going to Cebu and Davao last july 1. pero 4 times a day land (M,W,F, and S) so effective on september one they willhave a daily flight or 7 times a day from zamboanga to cebu and davao...hope madagdagan ng route's

:banana::banana:

kaya nga, looking forward for their zamboanga-cdeo flights and zamboanga- puerto prinsesa plawan routes

So how's Zamboanga- the city being displaced by the Arroyo government and its beauty raped by rebels as a part of the inclusion of their so-called "homeland" and abused by former friend-turned-foe whose name actually means prayer or market? Is there any development there? I wanna know what happen? Is that because of the Bangsamoro issue and the evil tactics of Gloria (cheater) and Pagadian (recipient in obeying Gloria's "evil" ways) government regarding the regional center?

Ano ba talaga meron sa Zamboanga kung ang Davao, Cagayan de Oro at Gensan ay magkakaroon na ng commercial development? Bakit ang saya-saya ng mga taga-Iligan nang nagbukas ang Gaisano? Bakit ina-amo-amo ni Gloria ang Pagadian? Ang future ni Gloria kaya sirain ang reputation ng Zamboanga isa isa mula paglipat ng regional center sa Pagadian hanggang sa pag-include sa Bangsamoro? Masaya tayo di ba pag nasa huling-huli at maging kawawa ang Zamboanga? Kaya't ang tanong... Dapat ba tayong manatili sa Zamboanga na wala ni isang makuha ng magandang kinabukasan?

Ano ba talaga meron sa Zamboanga kung ang Davao, Cagayan de Oro at Gensan ay magkakaroon na ng commercial development? Bakit ang saya-saya ng mga taga-Iligan nang nagbukas ang Gaisano? Bakit ina-amo-amo ni Gloria ang Pagadian? Ang future ni Gloria kaya sirain ang reputation ng Zamboanga isa isa mula paglipat ng regional center sa Pagadian hanggang sa pag-include sa Bangsamoro? Masaya tayo di ba pag nasa huling-huli at maging kawawa ang Zamboanga? Kaya't ang tanong... Dapat ba tayong manatili sa Zamboanga na wala ni isang makuha ng magandang kinabukasan?

Zamboanga city, di kailangan ng support ni Gloria. If people want Zamboanga city to be unique, then be it. Mas okay pag unique than be same with other city. Mamatay ba ang mga tao sa Zamboanga kung walang Sm, Gaisano or etc? di naman di ba? bakit pa lilipat kung may mga libangan naman dito. Sus.:lol:

http://www.zamboanga.com/history/zamboanga_history_zamboanga_republic_flag.gif

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/tatsumaki12/warflag.jpg
Sangre o Paz

Fort Pilar, the City Hall, Cathedral, Sta Cruz island, Ateneo de zamboanga... etc...

are included in their memorandun of agreement...
so what are u going to do?
just sit down there and watch them sell us to anyone they want?

we must revolt~ spread the news..
next we3k~
to arms we go~
they dont even respect us..(they didnt even inform us about the places of inclusion.. also we already voted NO.. how many times do we need to vote? forsarul gatt)

viva la revolucion!

Zamboanga city, di kailangan ng support ni Gloria. If people want Zamboanga city to be unique, then be it. Mas okay pag unique than be same with other city. Mamatay ba ang mga tao sa Zamboanga kung walang Sm, Gaisano or etc? di naman di ba? bakit pa lilipat kung may mga libangan naman dito. Sus.:lol:

Does it mean pro-Bangsa ka, no? Puro talaga peke lahat ang mga malls sa Zambo, whether you see it or not. Don't tell me, kahit hindi regional ang ADZu me balak daw ilipat ang main campus sa Pagadian (therefore ang sa Zambo annex na lang)

The top10 most economically competitive Mindanao cities according to my opinion
1-Davao
2-CDO
3-General Santos
4-Iligan
5-Butuan
6-Dipolog
7-Pagadian
8-Koronadal
9-Tagum
10-Zamboanga

A possible revelations (opinion only)
Should the ARMM be reformatted, Marawi City shall be the regional center of ARMM and the Sulu Archipelago Sub-region will be included to the ARMM with either Jolo or Lamitan as regional center.
If Zamboanga is allegedly named as one of the possible cities to be included in the Bangsamoro, the reputations will be lost and the governance, which is of the Philippine system, will be converted to a governance according to the Islamic laws. Therefore, Zamboanga will revert its progress backwards. And the residents, who are against the plan of MILF, will be thrown out of the place or convert to Islam. But, the Lord will never allow Bangsamoro to include Zamboanga since the city is not orginally from the Muslems (mostly Tausugs). They are said to be the fiercest tribe ever from Sulu since Islam was introduced in the Philippines.

If we want peace, why the Arroyo government wants Zamboanga down and put Pagadian to the top? Do we need to become citizens of Bangsamoro?

The So-Many "Love Stories" of PGMA-
The "unholy trinity" that cause Zamboanga city to fall down-
PGMA-Cerilles-Co
Besides her hubby Mike, she has linked with some personalities. They are Garci, Ben (Burjer Boy), Ampatuan, and Neri ("pet dog" of Gloria). Among her former "links" lost support for and separated from her for gross attitude and "polaric" behavior is JDV. He is a "convert" from PGMA to the masses' needs during the ZTE Scandal.

The top10 most economically competitive Mindanao cities according to my opinion
1-Davao
2-CDO
3-General Santos
4-Iligan
5-Butuan
6-Dipolog
7-Pagadian
8-Koronadal
9-Tagum
10-Zamboanga

grabe naman yan, Zamboanga, even if it doesnt have nice malls, is still easily the 2nd/3rd most economically important city in Mindanao :)

;23476100']grabe naman yan, Zamboanga, even if it doesnt have nice malls, is still easily the 2nd/3rd most economically important city in Mindanao :)

correct ka way, economic status of a city should not be based on malls, if it's the center or whatever part of the philippines it is. dba?

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday directed the personnel of the City Engineer’s Office to continuously assist the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in its incessant efforts to make the national highway in the east coast, particularly the collapsed portion in Victoria, passable to traffic.

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This, as Mayor Lobregat vowed to fast track the reconstruction of the collapsed highway in Barangay Victoria with the initial amount of P10 million ordered released by Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane upon the mayor’ request.

Lobregat said the amount once released would ensure the early reconstruction of the road which at present is not passable yet to heavy vehicles plying the provincial routes.

Last Tuesday, some 100 meters of the Victoria highway, located 28 kilometers east of this city, collapsed by more than 20 feet due to liquefaction as a result of water seepage through the road’s foundation.

It was learned that a lake surrounds the Victoria road which was constructed by DPWH in mid-1990 and it does not have box culverts because the owners of the adjacent lots did not want to donate their properties to the government.

Meanwhile, barely 12 hours after the Victoria road collapsed, traffic on the national highway in the east coast was temporarily restored with the establishment of a diversion road.

Mayor Lobregat personally supervised the work until 1:30 a.m. Wednesday to ensure that mitigating measures were put in place the soonest possible time, with the immediate deployment of heavy equipment and personnel from the CEO to the site. (Vic Larato)

Does it mean pro-Bangsa ka, no? Puro talaga peke lahat ang mga malls sa Zambo, whether you see it or not. Don't tell me, kahit hindi regional ang ADZu me balak daw ilipat ang main campus sa Pagadian (therefore ang sa Zambo annex na lang)

hindi naman sa ganun. AdZU will remain in Zamboanga City. San mo naman nakuha ang ganyan impormasyon? lol. :lol:

hindi naman sa ganun. AdZU will remain in Zamboanga City. San mo naman nakuha ang ganyan impormasyon? lol. :lol:

of course it will remain , pero this remaining of adzu will not remove the possibility of creation of a new ateneo in pagadian which would probably be the center, at ililipat na ang Office Of the President doon. dba? hehe

GMA awards RP’s 10 outstanding cops for 2008 (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080801180&type=2)
By Marvin Sy
Saturday, August 2, 2008
President Arroyo led the awarding yesterday of the Country’s Outstanding Policemen in Service (COPS) for this year, recognizing their integrity, courage and professionalism in the performance of their duty.

The annual program is organized by the Metrobank Foundation, together with the Rotary Club New Manila East and PSBank.

Seven policemen and three policewomen were chosen from more than 100 nominations of commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

The President gave each of the awardees a trophy and P200,000 cash. She was joined in the ceremony by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepena, PSBank president Pascual Garcia III and Rotary Club of New Manila East president Gener Mendoza.

Garcia said that the 10 awardees “prove that there are countless members of the police force who continue to selflessly serve and protect the people in order to preserve peace and order and ultimately contribute to the task of nation-building.”

The commissioned officers who received the award this year were Superintendent Jonathan Calixto, commander of the 1st Special Action Battalion of the PNP Special Action Force; Superintendent Ronald Lee, division chief of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) at Camp Crame; Superintendent Raynold Rosero, deputy chief of the Philippine Bomb Data Center Directorate for Operations; and Superintendent Alex Sintin, chief of the District Intelligence and Operations Unit of the Quezon City Police District.

The non-commissioned officer awardees were Senior Police Officer 1 Annie Marie Anuary, chief of the Women and Children Concerns Desk of Zamboanga City Police Station 6; PO3 Anna Liza Reyes, human rights desk officer and finance and police community relations officer of the Antipolo City Police Station; SPO2 Josefa Lacandula of the Women and Children Concerns Desk of the Dumaguete City Police Station; SPO2 Oscar Bandoy, intelligence officer of the Intelligence Research Section of the Police Regional Office 8 in Camp Kangleon, Palo, Leyte; PO3 Dandy Ferriol, investigator of the Masbate Police Station in Masbate City; and SPO1 Eman Orivida, operations sergeant of the 416th Police Provincial Mobile Group based in Macalelon, Quezon.
The selection committee for this year’s COPS was headed by Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Diosdado Peralta.

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of course it will remain , pero this remaining of adzu will not remove the possibility of creation of a new ateneo in pagadian which would probably be the center, at ililipat na ang Office Of the President doon. dba? hehe

wala pong balak ang adzu magtayo ng campus sa pagadian. AdZU in Zamboanga is still be the center kahit gumawa pa ito ng bagong campus sa Pagadian. AdZU founded in the year 1912 and the second oldest Ateneo school in the Philippines.

wala pong balak ang adzu magtayo ng campus sa pagadian. AdZU in Zamboanga is still be the center kahit gumawa pa ito ng bagong campus sa Pagadian. AdZU founded in the year 1912 and the second oldest Ateneo school in the Philippines.

sa bagay... nothin' beats the teaching force of zamboanga. hehe

sa bagay... nothin' beats the teaching force of zamboanga. hehe

tska di basta basta ang paglilipat. One thing the history of ateneo de zamboanga is very important. Di ito basta basta sinasayang.

tska di basta basta ang paglilipat. One thing the history of ateneo de zamboanga is very important. Di ito basta basta sinasayang.

YES YES, I VERY MUCH AGREE...

Over 200 women coming from the different sectors of the city will benefit from the 3-day livelihood training organized by the Congressional Office of Representative Beng Climaco of District I.

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The trainings, supervised by trainors from the Technology Resource Center (TRC) in Manila are being held from July 31 and August 1 and 2.

The first activity was held yesterday at the People’s Micro Finance in Veterans Avenue where 80 women coming from indigent families underwent the day long training on fish processing and candy-making.

Today, August 1 will be the turn of some 50 mothers identified by the ABS-CBN. The training will involve candle making and preparation of native kakanin. It will be held at the ABS-CBN station in San Jose.

One hundred twenty (120) women inmates will compose the third batch of trainees, who will be taught on candy and candle making as well as fish processing on August 2 at the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center.

TRC Department Manager Renato Ocsina and TRC Supervising Officer Aurora Valencia are here to supervise the training. Haydee Panhilason and Liza Calupitan are the trainers.

Cong. Climaco said the activity forms part of her economic upliftment programs for the indigent and women sectors of district I. She said the program is aimed to empower the poor and the women.

She vowed to continue with the livelihood training covering other sectors of the society. (Ryan Sta. Teresa)

Mayor Celso Lobregat on Tuesday reiterated the city’s stand against Zamboanga’s inclusion in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity and Bangsamoro Homeland as he called on the government panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to publicly divulge the contents of the provisions on the ancestral domain issue.


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Lobregat expressed his sentiments on the apparent clandestine negotiations being done by the GRP and MILF panels during a special meeting organized by the Movement for Better Zamboanga at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Tuesday night with Rudy Rodil, GRP panel member was present.

Rodil during the meeting talked about “Major Political Conflicts in Mindanao-Sulu Archipelago-Palawan”.

Mayor Lobregat did most of the interpellation during the open forum citing numerous resolutions, documents and manifestos stating the opposition of the different groups to the inclusion of Zamboanga or any part thereof in the Bangsamoro Juridical entity as proposed by the MILF.

Lobregat got wind that initially 8 of the city’s 27 Muslim dominated barangays are included in the proposed juridical entity. The 8 barangays are located in the islands, according to reliable sources.

The residents of Zamboanga are opposed to the move and this was formalized in the plebiscites held in 1989 and 2001 where majority of the people voted to be out of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“We are for peace, long, just and lasting peace but we do not want to be part of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity or the Bangsamoro Homeland,” the mayor told Rodil.

Yesterday, Lobregat together with Congresspersons Beng Climaco and Erbie Fabian met with some key personalities from Mindanao in Manila to discuss about the GRP-MILF peace agreement which is set to be formally forged on August 5 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. (Sheila Covarrubias)

The issue on the illegal settlers within Camp Navarro had not been settled and there had not been any talks about the settlement of the issue until now.

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Yesterday, the Western Mindanao Command is scheduled to disassemble illegally-built structures that are found within the military reservation to pave way for the long overdue construction of another ten (10) door apartment for the command’s enlisted personnel. This developed as a notice of judgment had been issued by the Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro city in favor of the WestMinCom, and dismissing the petition for certiorari with application of Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and or Preliminary Injunction of the Hermosa Kabalikat at Pagkakaisa Association Phase II Incorporated on March 25, 2008.

It could be recalled that a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by both the WestMinCom and Hermosa Kabalikat at Pagkakaisa Association Phase II Incorporated on March 6, 2007 which temporarily suspended the demolition of illegally built structures within the military reservation while waiting for a judgment that would be issued by the court of appeals on the petition of the latter. Included in the terms and conditions of the MOA is the voluntary demolition of houses and structures of those found within the bounds of the military reservation after a relocation survey which will be done by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region IX. The illegal settlers shall be given a period of sixty (60) days effective March 16, 2007 the day the report of the relocation survey was submitted, to voluntarily vacate the subject lot or premises in favor of the WestMinCom. This MOA was however ignored by the illegal settlers even when the judgment on their petition to the Court of Appeals had been is
sued on March 25, 2008.

With this situation, the WestMinCom was pressed to impose what is right for the benefit of the active soldiers who also need to be given the privilege for a decent place to stay in this part of the country. The military housing program is just a small token of the sacrifices that our troops had offered to maintain security and stability not only in this part of the country but throughout the archipelago. The WestMinCom had been more than lenient to the members of Hermosa Kabalikat at Pagkakaisa Association Phase II Incorporated and still offers our limited capability to transport all things and belongings of the affected individuals where they will resettle.

WestMinCom commander Marine Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, had given instructions to assist all affected families in their relocation, in terms of transportation assistance and this had been relayed to all the affected members of Hermosa Kabalikat at Pagkakaisa Association Phase II Incorporated. Furthermore, the WestMinCom shall remain steadfast in its mandate to protect the people, maintain the peace for a psychologically secured environment conducive to development in the Western Mindanao region. (ESBJR)

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday expressed his thanks and gratitude to the League of Cities of the Philippines, the Cities Alliance and World Bank for inviting him to the three-day study tour to China slated for August 3-6, this year.

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Specifically, Mayor Lobregat conveyed his sincerest thanks to Mayor Mel Senen S. Sarmiento, LCP secretary general, who sent him a letter cum-invitation last July 28, and Bebet G. Gozun, national project director of the City Development Strategy (CDS) project.

Unfortunately, Mayor Lobregat begged off from joining the China trip, saying “I do not want a repeat of what happened last month.”

The mayor was referring to what happened during his trip to Spain last June 27-July 3, when Vice Mayor Mannix Dalipe, by operation of law, assumed as acting city mayor with much fuss and controversial directives on the city government’s fiscal status.

“Thanks but no thanks,” Lobregat said of Mayor Sarmiento’s invitation to a study trip to China, which is expected to provide the participants with the experience and exposure to the ongoing developments in other countries like China, a model in local resource mobilization.

The study tour will cover the cities of Fushan and Guangzhou, China and is aimed at looking at the experiences of the two cities on local resource mobilization, an area which the mayors have identified as priority under the CDS3 Project.

Sarmiento stressed that the study tour to China is “part of the continuing capacity building efforts” of the CDS, which serves as a valuable guide to present and future development efforts in Zamboanga City.

Zamboanga City has enrolled with the CDS where the Lobregat administration had identified 10 priority projects for implementation. These include the Zamboanga City Integrated Bus Terminal, development of the city’s resettlement projects, development of public cemeteries, establishment of sanitary landfill facility and transfer stations, construction of school buildings, construction of barangay water supply projects, construction of sewage, drainage and flood controls; construction of city road network; development of parks and garden and multi-level commercial parking deck and retail building.

It can be recalled that Mayor Lobregat has been focusing attention on the CDS project aimed at achieving the city’s vision and mission, thus, the invitation to join the China study tour. (Claudine Uniana)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Some 3,000 mostly Christian residents here held a rally Monday to protest the inclusion of at least eight Muslim villages in a proposed Islamic homeland in southern Philippines.

City Mayor Celso Lobregat also criticized the government for including the villages in the ancestral domain that the government supposedly would grant the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels under the peace pact.

Lobregat said the century-old Zamboanga City Hall and the Fort Pilar, an open-air Catholic shrine and the Cathedral are located in two of the eight villages, he said.

Many of those who joined the rally wore red shirts and were mostly local government employees and students who were ordered by their teachers to join the protest. Others were curious about the rally and the issue of the Muslim ancestral domain.

Local Catholic priests in their homily on Sunday also urged the residents to join a protest rally against the ancestral domain proposal.

"Our teacher told us to attend this rally. We do not know what they are talking about here," one high school student said. His teacher said the principal ordered them to bring the students at the rally. "We were just told to bring the students here at the rally and to put on a red arm band in support of the protest rally," she said.

Some of the protesters carried placards denouncing the inclusion of Zamboanga villages in the Muslim homeland. One placard reads: "Gloria tumigil ka na…Gloria magisip-isp ka."

Another reads: "I am a good Moro. I am against the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. Let us all unite to live in peace."

Cha-cha needed

Lobregat, also wearing a red shirt and Zamboanga City Archbishop Romulo Valles, clad in white robe and red skull cap, also spoke about the ancestral domain before the huge crowd. Some of their followers carried wooden crosses and different statues of the Virgin Mary.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr said there is need to amend the 1987 Constitution to allow the referendum in areas under the ancestral domain that would make up the Bangsa*moro Juridical Entity.

Peace negotiators are to formally sign the agreement on the ancestral domain on Tuesday in Malaysia, which is brokering the seven-year old talks. The peace agreement also supposedly would provide for a referendum on whether more than 700 other villages across Mindanao wanted to be part of the ancestral domain.

Lobregat said residents already twice rejected plebiscites in the past to include the city in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Esperon denied Lobregat's claim on the coverage of the proposed plebiscite. He said only Sacol Island in Zamboanga City is included in the ancestral domain. "I assure the people of Zamboanga that only Sacol, which is a predominantly Muslim island, is included in the ancestral domain," he said.

Sacol is one of 25 island communities largely populated by poor Muslims, mostly fishermen and seaweed farmers. Many Muslim enclaves in Zamboanga have little or no development projects at all and villagers rely mostly on foreign aid for their water and electricity sources, despite the city government's more than P2-billion savings in banks.

US government agencies such as the USAID, AMORE and GEM and the US military have been active in providing Muslim villages in the city with infrastructure projects, medical missions and solar-power technology that provides electricity to homes.

Several department stores, mostly owned by influential Chinese businessmen, also closed shops before noontime in support of Lobregat's call to protest the inclusion of Zamboanga City villages to the Muslim homeland.

Lobregat said many Muslim village leaders are also opposed to the inclusion of their communities in the Bangsamoro homeland. Most of these leaders, however, are also the mayor's allies and supporters.

But many Muslims in Zamboanga City said they wanted to be part of the Bangsamoro homeland and are supporting the MILF peace talks. Many of them claimed that they are being discriminated against by Christians. Others also claimed that many department stores in the city do not hire Muslims, but only Christians.

Muslim groups and peace advocates in Zamboanga City are supporting the peace talks and favor the ancestral domain. Ancestral domain was arguably the thorniest issue that blocked a political settlement between the government and the rebels.

Aside from Zamboanga City, the ancestral domain includes the whole of ARMM and also some areas in Zamboanga Peninsula, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces in Mindanao where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. It also covers Palawan province in western Philippines. ARMM is composed of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces and Marawi City.

Lobregat said the Arroyo government is using the policy of "divide and conquer" and "divide and rule".

"We are for peace. We are for honorable and long lasting peace. Christians and Muslim live in harmony and peace in Zamboanga City. And we respect each other culture and religion."

"This issue of ancestral domain again cropped up. We are appealing to the government peace panel to listen to our calls. We are part of Mindanao. We are part of the Philippines. We are Filipinos and we should thread what binds us together and not our differences. We do not believe that a juridical entity should be created out of religion or base on segregation. Here we should live together and in harmony," Lobregat said.

More opponents to homeland pact

Residents of Iligan City, led by Mayor Lawrence Cruz, also held a protest rally, Lobregat said. Vice Gov. Emmanuel Pinol of North Cotabato said he will also oppose any attempt to include his province in the Muslim homeland and has petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the signing of the ancestral domain accord in Kuala Lumpur.

Zamboanga City Rep. Erico Fabian also filed a similar petition on Monday at the Supreme Court.

The independent, but influential group called Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ), headed by Claretian priest Angel Calvo said the signing of the ancestral domain is a big step in achieving peace in Mindanao. "It is one big step to achieving peace," said the Spanish priest, who is also the president of the Inter-Religious Solidarity Movement for Peace in Philippines.

PAZ is a Catholic organization whose objective is the promotion of peace by strengthening good relations among Muslims and Christians, and all other peoples.

The United Opposition also called on President Arroyo to postpone the signing of the peace pact until the Supreme Court determines the legality of the agreement.

The MILF, the country's largest Muslim rebel group, appealed to Christians and Muslims in Mindanao to promote trust, understanding and cooperation, not hatred and mistrust. Rebel leaders said they will not sign any peace deal with the Arroyo government unless the demand of Muslims for self-determination is granted.

Last year, peace talks were stalled after government negotiators reneged on the ancestral-domain deal.

President Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001 after deposing President Joseph Estrada. But despite the peace talks, sporadic fighting between rebels and soldiers still continue in Mindanao with both sides accusing each other of violating a fragile truce accord. - GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court will tackle two controversial issues in a special en banc session Monday afternoon, dzBB radio reported.
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The report quoted Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez as saying that Chief Justice Reynato Puno scheduled the session for 3 p.m. to tackle petitions by several groups to delay the signing of an agreement on ancestral domain between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Several Mindanao-based personalities and groups have asked the High Court to delay the signing of the pact in Malaysia on Tuesday.

The report said another subject to be tackled involves the alleged P10-million bribery attempt on Court of Appeals associate justice Jose Sabio Jr, over the row between the Government Service Insurance System and the Manila Electric Co. - GMANews.TV

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/images/news/newspics/downloads/osec0000018453.pdf

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/images/news/newspics/downloads/MOA%20On%20Ancestral%20Domain.pdf

Fabian asks Palace to listen to Zambo folks’ sentiment

District 2 Congresman Erbie A. Fabian yesterday appealed to Malacañang and the government peace negotiators to listen to the sentiment of Zamboangueños in their strong opposition against inclusion in the proposed expanded autonomous region.

Fabian, who is in Manila attending Congress sessions, asked President Arroyo to listen to and consider the plead of Zamboangueños that they don’t want to be part of an expanded autonomous region as being considered by the GRP-MILF peace negotiators.

He stressed that Zamboangueños had already spoken in two plebiscites that they oppose being included in ARMM, much more in an expanded autonomous region.

Fabian said it is ridiculous for the MILF to include Zones 3 and 4 as among the eight barangays in Zamboanga City they want to be within coverage of the proposed expanded autonomous region.

“Government negotiators must carefully look into this particular matter,” said Fabian.

Zones 3 and 4 are where City Hall, Metropolitan Cathedral, Ateneo de Zamboanga University and the city’s commercial district are located.

Fabian wished he could join Zamboangueños in a mass action today to dramatize their strong opposition to the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the ancestral domain or Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) where the city’s eight barangays are included.

The District 2 congressman nevertheless will voice out the Zamboangueños’ sentiment in a news forum called “Kapihan sa Manila” scheduled today where he will sit as guest together with former Senator Frank Drilon and United Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano to discuss the current GRP-MILF peace talks. It will be hosted by Inquirer columnist Isagani Cruz.

After the forum, Fabian will join Mayor Celso Lobregat and District 1 Congresswoman Beng Climaco at the Supreme Court where they will file an injunction case seeking to the stop the signing of the MOA on ancestral domain.

Meanwhile, the United Opposition is urging Malacañang to postpone the signing of an agreement between the government and the MILF to expand the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao until the Supreme Court rules on petitions questioning its legality.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, UNO president, asked President Arroyo yesterday to order her peace advisers not to push through with the MOA on ancestral domain between the government and the MILF so as not to reopen “old wounds.”

“Tension is brewing in Mindanao and old wounds are being reopened unnecessarily because of this controversial GRP-MILF ancestral domain accord,” he said in a statement.

Scheduled for Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the proposed agreement has been “aggravating political tensions on the island,” Binay said.

Among other terms, the agreement on ancestral domain provides for the inclusion of about 700 more barangay (villages) in the territory of the ARMM.

“To defuse the tension, we are asking Malacañang to defer the signing of the MoA in deference to the Supreme Court,” the mayor said in a statement.

Binay also asked Malacañang to reveal the terms of the agreement with the MILF.

“The government owes it to the people of Mindanao to explain what this agreement is all about,” he said, adding that he hoped the Arroyo administration was not “deliberately creating tension in the South.

“In the interest of peace and stability, we hope that they will divulge the terms of the accord to the people of Mindanao at the soonest possible time,” he added.

Zamboanga City, UNO join efforts in SC to stop GRP-MILF MoA
By Tetch Torres, Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:56:00 08/04/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Officials of Zamboanga City have joined efforts asking the Supreme Court to stop the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from signing a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on the creation of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) or homeland.

The United Opposition (UNO) will also file a petition against what it called the "patently unconstitutional and unpatriotic” MoA, Makati Mayor and party president Jejomar Binay said in a statement on Monday, after a meeting of the UNO executive committee.

“First, it [MoA] critically diminishes the territorial integrity of the Philippines; second, that power is not within the purview of the executive department,” Binay said, adding that the negotiations for the agreement lacked transparency.

“Secrecy, as we all know, is a governing policy of the GMA [President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s initials] administration,” he said.

The Zamboanga petitioners, among them city Mayor Celso Lobregat, and Representatives Isabelle Climaco (1st district) and Erico Basilio Fabian (2nd district), asked the high court to exclude their city from being part of the Bangsamoro homeland or declare the MoA null and void.

They also asked the tribunal to order government to disclose the contents of the agreement.

"The non-disclosure of the provisions of the MoA has deprived the people of its right to information and to participate in the decision-making process," petitioners said. "This is a blatant violation of the constitutional rights of the people."

The petition will be included in the deliberation by the Supreme Court justices Monday.

Earlier, officials of North Cotabato filed a petition against the MoA with the high court, which is deliberating the matter.

Both North Cotabato and Zamboanga City had rejected inclusion in the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which the BJE is envisioned to expand.

Binay said the MoA will only create a ‘nation-state’ in Mindanao, practically giving up a major part of the Philippine territory.

The UNO executive committee said the agreement would only spur unrest in the region, instead of creating peace and stability.

Former senator Ernesto Maceda, a member of the UNO committee, said the MoA would set a “very dangerous and disturbing precedent” since not all the tribes in Muslim Mindanao will be included.

This, he said, may spur other ethnic groups to demand the same agreement on their ancestral domains.

“How will we now respond to the claim of the Igorots, for example, that a major portion of the Mountain Province is their ancestral domain and should therefore be turned into the Igorot Juridical Entity?” Maceda asked in the statement.


:ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

MANILA, Philippines - A day before the scheduled signing of the final draft agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the halt in the signing of the pact.

In an en banc meeting, the High Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain in Malaysia, granting the petition of North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol and several other personalities who voiced opposition to the agreement.

"The court has decided to issue a TRO to refrain respondents from signing the MOA," Jose Midas Marquez, Supreme Court spokesman, said.

The Supreme Court set oral arguments on the matter for August 15, 9 a.m. and ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to submit a copy of the draft memorandum of agreement to the High Court "not later than August 8."

Last week, Piñol and other local government officials in Mindanao questioned the draft agreement before the High Court, saying there was a lack of consultation with residents of the areas to be covered by the "ancestral domain."

Piñol said he asked the High Court to compel the government to explain the contents of the agreement, and defer the signing of the agreement on Tuesday while the explanation is "pending."

In particular, Piñol and other local government officials in Mindanao opposed the reported inclusion of some of the barangays in their respective areas in the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Earlier in the day, Piñol said the Supreme Court has given government peace negotiators until Monday noon to submit their comments defending an agreement on ancestral domain with the MILF.

Also on Monday, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon Jr said consultations with local officials were conducted before the government committed to its position.

Esperon further said the plebiscite that will decide the inclusion of more barangays in the expanded ARMM will serve as "the highest form of consultation" for the inclusion of additional barangays in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

This, as he admitted that the government’s position on the proposed agreement with the MILF on the issue of ancestral domain was deliberately hidden from public eye. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines -The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Monday said the Supreme Court decision halting the signing of the draft agreement on ancestral domain will adversely affect the peace process with the secessionist group.

In a telephone interview, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu describe the High Court's issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain as a "setback" in the talks.

Kabalu said the MILF will allow the government panel to draw up measures on how to address this situation.

"It's a setback but we will let the panels to decide on whatever measures they wanted to take to address this recent development. Anyway they are scheduled to meet tomorrow, they are supposed to sign the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain... So we will let them decide on what other measures they will take up to be able to counter this development," Kabalu said.

Nonetheless, Kabalu indicated that the latest development is an embarrassment to the government, given that the TRO came only a day before the scheduled signing of the memorandum.

"Well, you could just imagine that they are supposed to sign the moa on ancestral domain, foreign dignataries are already in Malaysia, hundreds of civil society, NGOs and even international communities, organizations are already in Malaysia. Hindi ko ma-quantify ito, kung gaano kalalim, kung gaano kalawak but definitely this is a setback," Kabalu said. - GMANews.TV

Downtown stores closed down as part of protest

Practically all business establishments in downtown Zamboanga temporarily shut down operations at 11 o’clock yesterday morning to protest the inclusion of eight of the city’s barangays into the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (JBE) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as a peace deal with the government negotiating panel.

Business operations resumed at 1 p.m. and hundreds of employees and shoppers jammed the sidewalks.

Mayor Lobregat yesterday led a mammoth rally to protest the proposed Bangsamoro homeland.

Joining the rally were students, teachers, government and private employees, barangay officials and villagers, including a contingent from Isabela City, Basilan.

City Hall’s alarm horn sounded thrice as part of the protest rally.

The City Council in a special session Friday night passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to file a Supreme Court case to stop the MOA signing today in Malaysia.

The rally was the first since the mass protest in 2001 when residents, then led by Celso’s mother, the late Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat, also marched on the streets expressing their opposition to the proposal to include Zamboanga City in the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD), the transition government for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“We, Christians and Muslims alike, have spoken and resoundingly voted against this,” Lobregat said.

At least eight villages are included in the proposed BJE. These are Barangays Zone III, Zone IV, Landang Gua, Busay, Landang Laum, Manalipa, Pasilmanta and Tigtabon.

Covered by the BJE are Lobregat’s ancestral home, the Fort Pilar shrine, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, City Hall and the entire downtown area.

Teresita Sebastian, vice chair of the Mindanao Business Conference and regional governor of the Zamboanga Peninsula Philippine Chamber of Commerce, said the BJE would be “divisive and only sow confusion among the people.”

“When we were young, we did not highlight the differences in us. We looked at the commonalities and appreciated it. With this ongoing development, we are now seeing differently. The government should have done something to make people meet and see on common ground, not further divide them,” Sebastian said.

Sebastian said the business community did not deal with people based on differences. “We engage actively in business not because they are Muslims, Christians or Lumads [indigenous peoples]. In fact, our co-existence is not just mere toleration, but appreciation.”

Zambo residents rejoice over TRO (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080804165&type=2)
By Roel Pareño
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Local officials and residents here were relieved and euphoric after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We are relieved, a TRO has been issued,” a jubilant Mayor Celso Lobregat said, announcing the development.

Lobregat said the TRO will prevent the government and MILF panels from forging the accord.

“We are happy with this development as this will allow us to know what is really being agreed upon by the two panels because the agreement is not clear to us,” Lobregat said.

News of the issuance of the TRO spread like wildfire as telephone calls and text messages were made and sent from all corners of this southern port city and the nearby cities of Isabela and Iligan.

The city mayor immediately announced the latest development to the public through radio stations here to alleviate the anxieties caused by the inclusion of the city into the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the MILF.

Lobregat, however, said they will continue their fight to spare not only their city but also other places affected by the ancestral domain demand.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, who has been giving him bad news, “now said he is bringing good news that the TRO was granted,” Lobregat said.

Local officials here, however, appealed to the people to stay vigilant regarding the peace negotiations and possible reprisal from groups who oppose the TRO.

Back to top

Zambo residents rejoice over TRO (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080804165&type=2)
By Roel Pareño
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Local officials and residents here were relieved and euphoric after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We are relieved, a TRO has been issued,” a jubilant Mayor Celso Lobregat said, announcing the development.

Lobregat said the TRO will prevent the government and MILF panels from forging the accord.

“We are happy with this development as this will allow us to know what is really being agreed upon by the two panels because the agreement is not clear to us,” Lobregat said.

News of the issuance of the TRO spread like wildfire as telephone calls and text messages were made and sent from all corners of this southern port city and the nearby cities of Isabela and Iligan.

The city mayor immediately announced the latest development to the public through radio stations here to alleviate the anxieties caused by the inclusion of the city into the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the MILF.

Lobregat, however, said they will continue their fight to spare not only their city but also other places affected by the ancestral domain demand.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, who has been giving him bad news, “now said he is bringing good news that the TRO was granted,” Lobregat said.

Local officials here, however, appealed to the people to stay vigilant regarding the peace negotiations and possible reprisal from groups who oppose the TRO.

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http://images.inquirer.net/media/networkindex/images/pic-08060342480839.jpg

War is coming

MR. EXPOSE (http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20080806com4.html)
Amb. Ernesto Maceda

08/06/2008

Finally, the public read the terms of the MILF-GRP agreement on ancestral domain to be signed in Malaysia Monday morning when the Philippine Daily Inquirer published the agreement in full. Fortunately, the Supreme Court issued a TRO to stop the signing.

It became quite clear that GMA and her officials kept the negotiations secret and refused to give copies of the draft agreement to interested leaders and stakeholders of Mindanao because it was patently unconstitutional, extremely generous to the MILF and highly objectionable to any rational thinking Filipino.

As analyzed by many experts, it means the creation of a separate Bangsamoro state with the Philippine “central government” ceding territory and territorial waters, surrendering control of natural resources with the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) getting 75 percent of all proceeds from oil, mines, forest, fisheries and other rich natural resources, including air rights. That’s in stark contrast to her obstinate refusal to give up P70 billion in VAT revenues on oil to benefit the whole country.

It means gerrymandering six towns and 700 barangays including those in traditional Christian areas like Zamboanga City and Iligan, not to mention Cotabato City.

Fast track the situation to five years after the agreement comes into force. You will have a Bangsamoro state with a well equipped armed force of at least 30,000 funded by the 75 percent share of income from natural resources and from assistance from the United States and oil rich Middle East states that have given it recognition.

Will the Bangsamoro civilian and military leaders be satisfied with their present territory? Consider the fact that under the Tripoli agreement, they claim the whole of Mindanao as their ancestral lands. Definitely, they will move aggressively toward expanding their territory. To begin with, pity the Christians of Basilan, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and especially Cotabato City which they insist on keeping as their capital even if it is not part of ARMM. Simply put, they will run them out of town. Kidnapping of businessmen, teachers and priests will escalate.

And the 700 barangays now included in ARMM which certainly would have a Bangsamoro armed detachment, would it be improbable if they will start to encroach and control neighboring barangays? No, it will most likely happen. Even now when a peace agreement is agreed upon, MILF rebels are raiding and killing Christians in Midsayap, Aleosan and Libungan in North Cotabato, and in Basilan.

The MILF-GRP agreement will mean the 90 percent of the Christian population will go to war to protect their hard earned land, houses and businesses.

The MILF-GRP agreement will not result in peace. On the contrary, it will mean war all over Mindanao with the unhappy circumstance that you will have Prime Minister Gloria Arroyo backing the Bangsamoro forces against her friends and relatives in Iligan, Davao and Cotabato.

You will have the 90 percent of Christian population in Mindanao planning to declare themselves as a separate Republic too, under President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Vicente “Donkoy” Emano. You will have the people of the “Central government” suffering more food shortages and food prices going up because you have to import food from rich Mindanao. Local industries will close because everything will be smuggled into the Bangsamoro territory worse than Subic or Port Irene.

GMA has committed not only treason but certainly a gross violation of her oath to do justice to every man.

By doing justice to 5 million Muslims she is committing an injustice to 85 million Filipinos.

Sad, but that is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Let’s hope and pray that the Supreme Court will side with the people over that of its patron, GMA. And make the TRO permanent.

More implications. Former Senate President Franklin Drilon and Makati Mayor Jojo Binay argued with much logic that if the Bangsamoro independent state is allowed to come into being, other ethnic minorities in the country can agitate for the same. The Igorots of Benguet can claim that Baguio is their ancestral domain, the Kalingas, the Apayaonons, the Ibanags and Hilogots can claim the whole of Region II or the Cagayan Valley. The Itnegs of Abra can claim the Cordillera Region.

And how about the Aetas of Zambales and the Mangyans of Mindoro? They too, would have a right to claim several towns including mountains in their traditional areas.

And yes, the Cebuano can claim Republic of Cebu too!

Massive Protest in Zamboanga agains the signing of the MOA

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The highway that collapsed in La Victoria, 28 km from Zamboanga City

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Developments:
1st Valley Bank opens its branch in Zamboanga

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San Roque Church

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Tetuan Church

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Interior of San Roque Church

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/2719358028_d333b0b400.jpg?v=0

Developments:
1st Valley Bank opens its branch in Zamboanga

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/2709735385_bce73fcc1d.jpg?v=0

Hmmmmmm i think i was there when they started its interior ^^

:nuts:Massive Protest in Zamboanga agains the signing of the MOA

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2732285110_58bb692b03.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/2732284428_5a6316e5c5.jpg?v=0

wew i miss zamboanga hmmmmmmmmmmm

anyways d ko rin gusto un plan na maging part tau sa ARMM i think gloria is up to something for the prime minister of the new consti.^^ this comming 2010 like what hapen to nur misuari of the MNLF^^ so they will use the MILF wew galing ng Gobyerno natin they are willing to give part of the philippine archipelago para sa kanilang sariling benepisyo. i think mindanao city must be one in opposing itong kasunduan nila^^

Nur Misuari in Zamboanga.

Misuari's friendly visit in zamboanga city said that he has nothing to do with this new expansion of ARMM and also said that it is illegal to make such agreement like this with the government. Misuaris' purpose was to visit his supporters in Zamboanga city. He talks about separating Mindanao from the Philippines and turn Mindanao into a nation.

-------------------------------
I hope that they will understand and respect that Zamboanga doesn't want to be part of this bangsamoro homeland..
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update some infos about this topic.. gracias

If there would will be a war in Zamboanga, are you willing to fight for the Motherland,
just like how our greatgrand parents did during the revolution in obtaining Republic of Zamboanga?
How prepared are we?
are the facilities enough?

Zamboanguenos must be aware that we must be 100% prepared at all cost~
We must be united and stand firm~

Sangre o Paz Salam~

^^
this is my one cent worth answer to the Bangsamoro claims. And I guess every Mindanaoan would agree with me.

If the ARMM government could proved to me that during the last 15 years of its existence as an independent entity, it managed to uplift the life of its people, improved the economy of its controlled territory, and provided sufficient infrastructure project and development comparable to other regions in Mindanao, then I would declare openly that its worth joining their cause. After all, they received more money per capita than other regions in Mindanao, aside from the fact that they also received foreign grants from Middle East countries.

SHOW ME THIS AND I WILL JOIN YOUR CAUSE!

If you are from Mindanao as I am and have been living inside the ARMM territories, tell me that you are better off now than your neighboring provinces. If not, tell me where the money went? In Misuari's time the government gave him 40 Billion Pesos during his tenure, including foreign grants. COA reports liquidation of only 5% of the total amount. A report was made to the Saudi Government that a mosque was build out of its foreign grant and that highways were build from that money. When a representative of King Faad visited the region, he was awed on the four standing structure that is worth $30 million dollars. Its not even worthy to be called a monument much more a mosque. And Misuari's dream of 6 lane highway for Jolo was nowhere in sight. I would be happy to see a circumferential road instead. But that too is laid on thin air. Now tell me where are the rest of the money supposed to be for uplifting the life of the bangsamoro people. If all of them were given a share, they could have been all millionaires by now. So tell me?

Here is a statement from a true blooded Mindanaoan himself.

On Target
Christian Mindanao up in arms

By Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080807-153134/Christian-Mindanao-up-in-arms)
First Posted 00:54:00 08/07/2008


Is the government in Manila driving Mindanao to a civil war between Christians and Muslims?

This seems to be the drift after Presidential Peace Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. allegedly told North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Piñol that if the pact with the Moros to create a separate state does not push through, the military would not be able to protect Christian Mindanao from Moro attacks.

If he was quoted right, then he’s driving the Mindanao Christians to arm themselves!

That was the most irresponsible statement a top government official – and a peace adviser at that – could make!

As a former military officer who spent most of his years in the service in Mindanao, he should have known that without government intervention, there would have been carnage in the second biggest island a long time ago with the Christian majority having the upper hand.

What the Muslims are capable of doing, the Mindanao Christians can do eight times better or worse since Muslims comprise only 20 percent of the population in the island.

The silent Christian majority has been holding its peace and leaving it to the government to control the seemingly intractable Moro minority.

But if the government in Manila leaves the Christians to fend for themselves, all hell would break loose. It’s frightening to imagine the amount of blood that would be spilled in the island paradise.

Being from Mindanao, this writer knows the bad blood between the Christians and Muslims in the region, despite pronouncements by the government in Imperial Manila that the war in the south is political and not cultural in nature.

So please, Mr. Esperon, don’t add gasoline to the smoldering mutual hatred with irresponsible statements such as the one you allegedly made to Vice Governor Piñol!

Since you’re from Luzon, you don’t care about Mindanao. All you care about is finishing your job of negotiating with the Muslims for a lasting peace.

Mr. Esperon, you’re wrong to believe the Christian majority will swallow bitter medicine rammed down their throats by the government in Manila.

If you force the “medicine” on Christian Mindanao, you’re driving them to declare their own independence from the Republic of the Philippines.

Already, many local government officials have expressed their interest to join the Movement for Federal Republic of Mindanao of former Davao del Norte Congressman and Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez.

You’ll be surprised at the personalities who support the movement by Christian Mindanao to secede from the Republic.

I should know. I saw prominent Mindanaoans at a conference of the movement that I attended as a guest last year at the Eden Farm in Davao City.

The participants agreed in principle to quietly bring their independence aspiration before the United Nations.

A few wanted to discuss the possibility of forming a “Mindanao self defense force,” but the majority voted it down, fearing charges of sedition from the government.

But with Esperon’s thoughtless statement, things might change and the self-defense force could be formed.

* * *
I rest my case.

^^
this is my one cent worth answer to the Bangsamoro claims. And I guess every Mindanaoan would agree with me.

If the ARMM government could proved to me that during the last 15 years of its existence as an independent entity, it managed to uplift the life of its people, improved the economy of its controlled territory, and provided sufficient infrastructure project and development comparable to other regions in Mindanao, then I would declare openly that its worth joining their cause. After all, they received more money per capita than other regions in Mindanao, aside from the fact that they also received foreign grants from Middle East countries.

SHOW ME THIS AND I WILL JOIN YOUR CAUSE!

If you are from Mindanao as I am and have been living inside the ARMM territories, tell me that you are better off now than your neighboring provinces. If not, tell me where the money went? In Misuari's time the government gave him 40 Billion Pesos during his tenure, including foreign grants. COA reports liquidation of only 5% of the total amount. A report was made to the Saudi Government that a mosque was build out of its foreign grant and that highways were build from that money. When a representative of King Faad visited the region, he was awed on the four standing structure that is worth $30 million dollars. Its not even worthy to be called a monument much more a mosque. And Misuari's dream of 6 lane highway for Jolo was nowhere in sight. I would be happy to see a circumferential road instead. But that too is laid on thin air. Now tell me where are the rest of the money supposed to be for uplifting the life of the bangsamoro people. If all of them were given a share, they could have been all millionaires by now. So tell me?


^^i agree with your views. i for one will rally for my city to join them if they can prove that quality of life in these areas were uplifted. as a mindanaoan we should be aware and be one because what happens to one city may affect some if not all cities in mindanao, if this will push thru the MOA what reason in the future will they not push for the expansion of the so called ancestral domain kasi they know that the government will jas gve in to their demands because our government is weak. damn. LETS ALL UNITE AS ONE MINDANAO AND HELP CITIES IN IT WHO ARE AT RISK OF THIS KIND OF TRICKS OF OUR SAD TO SAY INUTIL GOVERNMENT.:ohno:

Making a separate entity for Bangsamoro people is a precedence of declaring its independence..the BJE itself is a violation of the constitution..it is explicitly said in the fundamental law of the land that the philippines is a unitary government and all authority emanates from one central government..however this BJE super cedes the constitution because it is suggesting for "a state within a state" idea which is adhering to federalism already..meaning to say, a charter change is required in order to implement such proposal..

That's why, the temporary restraining order is necessary to give time for the SC to interpret, wether such proposal is unconstitutional or not..

but for me..if the constitution allows, there is no problem creating a separate entity for the Bangsamoro..the issue is, which territory should be included?

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Misuari in Zamboanga City

WMSU students on protest against Gloria's SONA..

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SCC- Zamboanga would like to Congratulate the following institution for the glory they brought to the city after the Visayas - Mindanao Debate Championship in UP Visayas in Iloilo City and Miag-ao.

Ateneo de Zamboanga - Ateneo Debate Union A (Champion)
Henry Segovia
Myser Neil Sarigumba

Western Mindanao State University - Prima Opus Magnum A ( Semi-Finalist)
Meryl Grace Agudelo
Jeffrey Uy

Western Mindanao Sate University - Prima Opus Magnum B (Quarter Finalist)
Alvin Rex Lucero
Majid Imran

Western Mindanao State University - WMSU League of Debaters C (Quarter Finalist)
Jayson Chavez
Jernalyn Gayon

but for me..if the constitution allows, there is no problem creating a separate entity for the Bangsamoro..the issue is, which territory should be included?

I agree on that. its not about religion.. its about territories.. ^-^v

^^
this is my one cent worth answer to the Bangsamoro claims. And I guess every Mindanaoan would agree with me.

If the ARMM government could proved to me that during the last 15 years of its existence as an independent entity, it managed to uplift the life of its people, improved the economy of its controlled territory, and provided sufficient infrastructure project and development comparable to other regions in Mindanao, then I would declare openly that its worth joining their cause. After all, they received more money per capita than other regions in Mindanao, aside from the fact that they also received foreign grants from Middle East countries.

SHOW ME THIS AND I WILL JOIN YOUR CAUSE!

If you are from Mindanao as I am and have been living inside the ARMM territories, tell me that you are better off now than your neighboring provinces. If not, tell me where the money went? In Misuari's time the government gave him 40 Billion Pesos during his tenure, including foreign grants. COA reports liquidation of only 5% of the total amount. A report was made to the Saudi Government that a mosque was build out of its foreign grant and that highways were build from that money. When a representative of King Faad visited the region, he was awed on the four standing structure that is worth $30 million dollars. Its not even worthy to be called a monument much more a mosque. And Misuari's dream of 6 lane highway for Jolo was nowhere in sight. I would be happy to see a circumferential road instead. But that too is laid on thin air. Now tell me where are the rest of the money supposed to be for uplifting the life of the bangsamoro people. If all of them were given a share, they could have been all millionaires by now. So tell me?

korek but even meron progress na ma under tau sa ARMM, ayoko maging part tau sa armm

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Misuari in Zamboanga City

wonder why misuari support this^^:banana:

PAL expands domestic routes


Thursday, August 7, 2008
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will undergo a modest expansion of its domestic network on Aug. 15 when it commences regular jet service to Dumaguete and adds a third daily frequency to Zamboanga.

On the same day, the carrier’s low-fare brand PAL Express will start turbo-propeller service from Manila to three points in Northern Luzon — Tuguegarao (Cagayan), Cauayan (Isabela) and San Fernando (La Union) — as well as to Ormoc (Leyte) in Eastern Visayas.

Dumaguete, a pioneer PAL destination that the airline first served in February 1946, rejoins the network after a decade’s absence. PAL last flew to the Negros Oriental capital in June 1998, when operational difficulties forced a suspension of the service.

This time, PAL will field two flights daily, with convenient morning and afternoon departures. The first service, PR 291, departs Manila at 7 a.m. and arrives in Dumaguete at 8:20 a.m. The return flight, PR 292, leaves Dumaguete at 9 a.m. and lands in Manila at 10:20 a.m.

The afternoon service, PR 293, departs Manila at 3:20 p.m. and touches down in Dumaguete at 4:40 p.m. It returns as PR 294, leaving Dumaguete at 5:20 p.m. and arriving back in Manila at 6:40 p.m.

The Airbus A319 aircraft, which feature the only business-class service in the Manila-Dumaguete sector, will be deployed on the route. The state-of-the-art jet seats 126 passengers in Fiesta (Economy) Class and eight in Mabuhay (Business) Class.

Meanwhile, PAL said it will add a mid-morning flight to Zamboanga on Aug. 15, raising total frequency to three flights daily, in response to rising demand.

The new service, PR 127, departs Manila at 10 a.m. and arrives in Zamboanga at 11:45. The return flight, PR 128, leaves Zamboanga at 12:25 p.m. and lands in Manila at 2:10 p.m. Airbus A319 jets will operate the frequency.

On the other hand, PAL Express goes through its third major expansion in two months. The turbo-prop unit added five routes to its main Cebu hub last July 1, followed by four routes to its Manila hub on July 15 (plus an extra route to Manila on Aug. 1).

The launch of four more services on Aug. 15 boosts the PAL Express network to 22 routes nationwide — 11 apiece from Cebu and Manila. Overall, from Aug. 15, the PAL domestic network will count 18 jet and 22 turbo-prop routes. — Mary Ann Reyes

Back to top

PAL expands domestic routes


Thursday, August 7, 2008
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will undergo a modest expansion of its domestic network on Aug. 15 when it commences regular jet service to Dumaguete and adds a third daily frequency to Zamboanga.


Meanwhile, PAL said it will add a mid-morning flight to Zamboanga on Aug. 15, raising total frequency to three flights daily, in response to rising demand.:banana:


The launch of four more services on Aug. 15 boosts the PAL Express network to 22 routes nationwide — 11 apiece from Cebu and Manila. Overall, from Aug. 15, the PAL domestic network will count 18 jet and 22 turbo-prop routes. — Mary Ann Reyes

Back to top

wow! Good for PAL.

PAL

ZAMBOANGA TO MANILA

First flight - morning (7:30am)
Second flight - noon (12:55pm)
Third flight - afternoon (5:45pm)

wow! Good for PAL.

PAL

ZAMBOANGA TO MANILA

First flight - morning (7:30am)
Second flight - noon (12:55pm)
Third flight - afternoon (5:45pm)


hmmm d kaya makita ng ATO na bz na ang ZIA i think they will w8 for another tragedy para ma lipat tau sa new ZIA....:banana:

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flickr bobbykm. The bird's eye view of our Naval Wharf, situated at the Western Command, Upper Calarian, Zamboanga City

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bobbykm

hmmm saan to?

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asan to?^^

nice looking mall :okay:

who says left behind ang Zambo pagdating sa mall? this mall looks nice IMO, the interiors better than Gaisano SuperCity Mall (based on the pics)

so wag na kayong magreklamo if wala pa kayong SM, Robinsons or Gaisano, may maganda naman kayong mall eh :okay:

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asan to?^^

this is in Guiwan

;23702936']nice looking mall :okay:

who says left behind ang Zambo pagdating sa mall? this mall looks nice IMO, the interiors better than Gaisano SuperCity Mall (based on the pics)

so wag na kayong magreklamo if wala pa kayong SM, Robinsons or Gaisano, may maganda naman kayong mall eh :okay:

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muchas gracias waway for the compliment...

hmmm saan to?

this is in tetuan

wonder why misuari support this^^:banana:

Misuari is not supporting it..he's against of it..according to him the MILF has no right to based its argument on the premise of the Tripoli Agreement because the said agreement was between GRP and MNLF..MNLF and MILF are two separate entity

PAL expands domestic routes


Thursday, August 7, 2008
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will undergo a modest expansion of its domestic network on Aug. 15 when it commences regular jet service to Dumaguete and adds a third daily frequency to Zamboanga.

On the same day, the carrier’s low-fare brand PAL Express will start turbo-propeller service from Manila to three points in Northern Luzon — Tuguegarao (Cagayan), Cauayan (Isabela) and San Fernando (La Union) — as well as to Ormoc (Leyte) in Eastern Visayas.

Dumaguete, a pioneer PAL destination that the airline first served in February 1946, rejoins the network after a decade’s absence. PAL last flew to the Negros Oriental capital in June 1998, when operational difficulties forced a suspension of the service.

This time, PAL will field two flights daily, with convenient morning and afternoon departures. The first service, PR 291, departs Manila at 7 a.m. and arrives in Dumaguete at 8:20 a.m. The return flight, PR 292, leaves Dumaguete at 9 a.m. and lands in Manila at 10:20 a.m.

The afternoon service, PR 293, departs Manila at 3:20 p.m. and touches down in Dumaguete at 4:40 p.m. It returns as PR 294, leaving Dumaguete at 5:20 p.m. and arriving back in Manila at 6:40 p.m.

The Airbus A319 aircraft, which feature the only business-class service in the Manila-Dumaguete sector, will be deployed on the route. The state-of-the-art jet seats 126 passengers in Fiesta (Economy) Class and eight in Mabuhay (Business) Class.

Meanwhile, PAL said it will add a mid-morning flight to Zamboanga on Aug. 15, raising total frequency to three flights daily, in response to rising demand.

The new service, PR 127, departs Manila at 10 a.m. and arrives in Zamboanga at 11:45. The return flight, PR 128, leaves Zamboanga at 12:25 p.m. and lands in Manila at 2:10 p.m. Airbus A319 jets will operate the frequency.

On the other hand, PAL Express goes through its third major expansion in two months. The turbo-prop unit added five routes to its main Cebu hub last July 1, followed by four routes to its Manila hub on July 15 (plus an extra route to Manila on Aug. 1).

The launch of four more services on Aug. 15 boosts the PAL Express network to 22 routes nationwide — 11 apiece from Cebu and Manila. Overall, from Aug. 15, the PAL domestic network will count 18 jet and 22 turbo-prop routes. — Mary Ann Reyes

Back to top

wow..its a positive sign..3x a day..wow

Iran, RP ink first air agreement

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:25:00 08/06/2008


MANILA, Philippines--The Philippine air panel has sealed the country's first ever air services agreement with Iran in anticipation of an increase in demand for Mideast-bound flights.

Under the basic agreement signed Tuesday evening in Pasay City, Manila-based airports were allocated four flights a week to Iran.

The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark was allowed seven flights and 700 tons of cargo a week.

Airports outside Manila and Clark--particularly those in Iloilo, Subic, Zamboanga and Davao City--will share five flights a week.
The main beneficiaries of Mideast-bound flights are overseas workers, although air travel authorities acknowledge that the new route will only make a small impact initially since no Philippine carrier has plans to fly to Iran.

But Mahan Air of Iran has expressed interest to operate immediately through Manila and, eventually, via Clark.

"The market at this stage is small, but having the agreement is the first step in developing a growing market between the two countries," Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said.

According to the Center for Strategic Initiatives, a nongovernment organization, there are around 1.5 million overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East and 960,000 in Asia. But until recently, there were only 30 weekly flights between the Middle East and the Philippines, and 324 weekly flights between Asia and the Philippines.

Recent air services agreements between the Philippines and the rest of Asia are expected to address the service gap.

asan to?^^

That's the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Guiwan Parish)- the only church in Zamboanga with a dome.

;23702936']nice looking mall :okay:

who says left behind ang Zambo pagdating sa mall? this mall looks nice IMO, the interiors better than Gaisano SuperCity Mall (based on the pics)

so wag na kayong magreklamo if wala pa kayong SM, Robinsons or Gaisano, may maganda naman kayong mall eh :okay:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2453911103_8909fe68cd.jpg?v=0
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You may say so, pero di makapantay sa mga Gaisano, SM, Robinsons or other major malls at saka di aabot sa da best eh. I think that mall measures about 15,000-20,000 sq.m. at saka bitin pa sa mga choices ng mga Zambo shoppers. The best in that mall is yung Mang Inasal, tsaka yung mga Jollibee. I think that Pagadian (aka Gloria City) has the best choices other than Zamboanga, thanks to Gaisano.

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Any photos of Shoppers' Center, Plaza Fair Midtown or any other developments?

Massive Protest in Zamboanga agains the signing of the MOA

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Wow Dami Palang pumunta sa rally, i was wanted to go there pero my class pa kami but our classes were ended kasi nag noise barrage kami sa loob ng campus...so i hope nakatulong un...jej ej eje
:bash::bash:

any way i were in Lantaka Hotel last Tuesday for 1 night then i feel too shy because theres a lot of Foreigners and i think more of them are into businesses here in Zamboanga the point is Nur Misuari were arrived there and all i thought was my bomb sa kabilang building in Nuevo Zamboanga College Inc. so nakakahiya ang mga pinagagawa nila di2 sa zamboanga...

but before i go in Lantaka Hotel by the Sea Inc. pala naglibot libot muna kami sa Downtown and what i observe is kahit na maraming kaguluhan ang nangyari i impress parin sa pamamalakad ng governmeny natin specially mr. jerky valesco, he is looks like doing well his job i hope ung iba rin...i saw some new Under Construction Buildings at the downtown of the city 1 has a 5th or 6th story building infront of the Pen Bank the Blue Building i still don't know what is the name, i don't think if the lot of the mindpro Citimall at the right side is on going construction wala pa me time to ask about that and also the Shopper's Mall as well, in what i heard Mr. Ang the Owner of the All Branches of the Golden Bell's in Davao,CDO and Zamboanga is planning to have a new big one ang sabi nila it will be looks like a mall so in what i think the name will be "Golden Bell Shopping Mall"...Jejejeje, another one is the 3 or 4 story building near in the Southern City College's don't know the name. may isa pa sa harap ng LTO ewan ko kung commercial building bayun...

basta soon i am going to have new Webcam ang i will post here some good news about infrastructure either it is UC's, Pro, or Rumors palang...

^^^^

hmmm d kaya makita ng ATO na bz na ang ZIA i think they will w8 for another tragedy para ma lipat tau sa new ZIA....:banana:

oo nga V. M. is really Pushing this Project nga eh sa SP, all i know nag send na siya ang letter of proposal or approval i think to P.GMA with the some Co leagues in SP that we should need to transfer the Aeropuerto de Zamboanga somewhere in Brgy.Mersedes nor in Brgy. Talabaan..because it will be a good idea as well the areas around the airport will improve as to be the next business Center in Zamboanga...

nagdagdag ng flight ang PAl sa Zambo kasi Hindi na bumabiyahe ang Airphil di2.

Philippine Airlines flies from Zamboanga to Manila, 3 times a day - Effective on

PAL Express flies from Zamboanga to Davao, Daily - Effective on September 1, 2008

PAL Express flies from Zamboanga to Cebu , Daily - Effective on September 1, 2008

Cebu Pacific is Planning to Fly from Clark to Zamboanga to serve Ilocano people here in western mindanao as well some that came from Sabah, Malaysia on the First Quarter of 2009

SEAir is Planning to extend and Resume their Flights from Zamboanga to Kota Kinabalu and Singapore via Davao and Cebu using their new Leased Plane Airbus 320 from Tiger Airways at the last Quarter of 2008 or first Quarter of 2009

Asian Spirit is being ready to resume again their flights from and to Zamboanga this year by using new aircraft as what i saw in ZIA, i still don't know is Zamboanga will be still their Focus or Main hub in mindanao i hope tayo parin.

i already send a special letter of invitation to invite the investors such as AirAsia Group, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Samsung Electronics Corp., Lenovo Company, Nokia Camp., SM Prime Holdings of Mr. Henry Sy, Inc, National Bookstore, Cebu Pacific of Mr. John Gokongwei, Filinvest Corp. of Mr. Andrew Gotianun, Ayala Land of Ayala Family and the Fast Retailing Corp. and Itochu Company in Japan, even i am not a handling a big name or i don't have roll in the government i still wanted to show how peoples of zamboanga are open minded in advance economical consumption and still one of the leading city's in the philippines...

:cheers::cheers:

The Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Zone

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right now!!!...



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(＾∇＾)ノ　ズキチロさん。。　Zukichiro sa Zambo Ecozone ba to?

Zamboangueña, magtatangkang magbuhat sa Olympics (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080809201&type=2)

Sunday, August 10, 2008
BEIJING -- Isang 17 anyos na dalagita na dating nag-iigib ng tubig na pampaligo at panghugas ang magtatangkang magbuhat ng tunay na weights kontra sa mga pinakamalalakas na babae sa buong mundo sa Beijing Olympics bukas.

Si Hidilyn Diaz, na hindi na pumasok sa computer science studies sa Unibersidad de San Juan sa kanyang bayan sa Zamboanga upang makapagsanay sa Olympics, ay umaasang ang kanyang anim na buwan na pagsasanay sa China sa ilalim ng worldclass coach ay makakatulong sa kanyang magwagi sa pinupuntiryang mailap na medalya para sa Pilipinas.

“The training in China was terrible. One hour jogging in the morning, three hours of weightlifting in the afternoon and another one-hour jog in the evening,” anang 5’2 Zamboanguena, na nadiskubre ni Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez sa Philippine Olympic Festival nang magbuhat ito ng impresibong lakas para mapagwagian ang gold.

Sa China, napaganda ni Diaz ang kanyang personal best na 187 kilos na may buhat na 200-110 sa clean and jerk at 90 sa snatch.

Pero, malayo pa rin ito kumpara sa binuhat ng top favorite na si Chan Yanquing ng China na bumuhat ng 251 kilos para mapagwagian ang Doha Asian Games gold.

Ang kanyang official na record na 180 ay kanyang isinulat sa Asian qualifying sa Chiang Mai, Thailand noong Disyembre, si Diaz ay pang-45 sa bung mundo sa 58 kgs. class. Bagamat nabigo itong makuha ang tiket sa Olympic sa nasabing kompetisyon, nabiyayaan naman ito ng wild card ng International Weightlifting Federation noong Hunyo.

Siya ang pinakabata sa kanyang kategorya at kauna-unahang babaeng partisipante mula sa Pilipinas at unang Pinoy din na lalahok sa Olympics makaraan ang 20 taon ni Ramon Solis. (Gerry Carpio)

Back to top

Zambo lifter tries mettle versus world’s strongest (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=20080809185&type=2)
By Gerry Carpio
Sunday, August 10, 2008
BEIJING – A 17-year-old girl who used to carry buckets of water from the artesian well to take a bath and wash the dishes, will try to lift real weights as she matches up against the strongest women of the world in the Beijing Olympics tomorrow.

Hidilyn Diaz, who had to quit computer science studies at the Unibersidad de San Juan in her native Zamboanga to train for the Olympics, hopes the six-month training she had carrying weights in China under world-class coaches would help her win what could be the breakthrough medal of a hard-luck RP team which went without a medal during the last eight years.

“The training in China was terrible. – one hour jogging in the morning, three hours of weightlifting in the afternoon and another one-hour jog in the evening,” said the 5-2 Zamboangueña, who was discovered by Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez in the Philippine Olympic Festival where she made an impressive lift to win the gold.

“This girl is good material for the London Olympics,” said Ramirez. “ That’s why we immediately put her on the program and sent her to China for training.”

In China, Diaz improved on her personal best of 187 kilos with a total lift of 200 – 110 in the clean and jerk and 90 in the snatch.

That, however, pales in comparison to feat of top favorite Chan Yanquing of China, whose lift of 251 kilos in winning the gold in the Doha Asian Games of 2006 remains unbeaten to-date.

With her official record of 180 she established in Asian qualifying event in Chiang Mai, Thailand last December, Diaz is ranked No. 45 in the world in the 58 kg class. Although she failed to earn the Olympic slot in the competition, she was later granted a wild card by the International Weightlifting Federation last June.

She is the youngest in her class and becomes the first ever woman participant from the Philippines and the first Filipino to compete in the Olympcs in 20 years after Ramon Solis.

Solis, at one-time regarded as the strongest man of Southeast Asia and currently Diaz’ coach in the Philippines, also said the teenage daughter of a tricycle driver has what it takes to be a champion.

“She has the height – not so tall- and she’s improving considerably,” said Solis. “She’ll be ready for the Olympics.”

Ramirez said she would give Diaz a two-week break after the Olympics so she could be with her family and five brothers and sisters.

“After that, we’ll send her again to China to train,” said Ramirez.

Diaz comes from a humble family whose house doesn’t have tap water, prompting her to fetch two five-gallon jugs of water as the need arises from 50 meters away for the daily needs of the family.

One day in a gym, she watched her cousins lift weights.

Curiosity got the better of her and she lifted some weights. To her cousins’ amazement, she lifted the bar bell better than a boy her age. She was 11.

It was to be the start of sporting career that was to carry her to the Philippine Olympic Festival, the Palarong Pambansa, the Southeast Asian Championships, and now, the Olympic Games.

“This will be a great experience for her,” said Ramirez.

Back to top

oo nga V. M. is really Pushing this Project nga eh sa SP, all i know nag send na siya ang letter of proposal or approval i think to P.GMA with the some Co leagues in SP that we should need to transfer the Aeropuerto de Zamboanga somewhere in Brgy.Mersedes nor in Brgy. Talabaan..because it will be a good idea as well the areas around the airport will improve as to be the next business Center in Zamboanga...

nagdagdag ng flight ang PAl sa Zambo kasi Hindi na bumabiyahe ang Airphil di2.

Philippine Airlines flies from Zamboanga to Manila, 3 times a day - Effective on

PAL Express flies from Zamboanga to Davao, Daily - Effective on September 1, 2008

PAL Express flies from Zamboanga to Cebu , Daily - Effective on September 1, 2008

Cebu Pacific is Planning to Fly from Clark to Zamboanga to serve Ilocano people here in western mindanao as well some that came from Sabah, Malaysia on the First Quarter of 2009

SEAir is Planning to extend and Resume their Flights from Zamboanga to Kota Kinabalu and Singapore via Davao and Cebu using their new Leased Plane Airbus 320 from Tiger Airways at the last Quarter of 2008 or first Quarter of 2009

Asian Spirit is being ready to resume again their flights from and to Zamboanga this year by using new aircraft as what i saw in ZIA, i still don't know is Zamboanga will be still their Focus or Main hub in mindanao i hope tayo parin.

i already send a special letter of invitation to the investors such as AirAsia Group, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Samsung Electronics Corp., Lenovo Company, Nokia Camp., SM Prime Holdings of Mr. Henry Sy, Inc, National Bookstore, Cebu Pacific of Mr. John Gokongwei, Filinvest Corp. of Mr. Andrew Gotianun, Ayala Land of Ayala Family and the Fast Retailing Corp. and Itochu Company in Japan, even i am not a handling a big name or i don't have roll in the government i still wanted to show how peoples of zamboanga are open minded in advance economical consumption and still one of the leading city's in the philippines...

:cheers::cheers:



d ba may flight na un Airphil

d ba may flight na un Airphil

dati un. Wala na ngayon. Pinalitan na ito ng PAL express at nagdagdag pa ng 3rd flight plying Zamboanga - Manila.

d ba may flight na un Airphil

Wala ng Flight ang Airphil Ngaun going to Zamboanga as well some other Cities here in the philippines, as what i know some of their planes Boeing 737 is going to replace the airbus 320 of Philippine Airlines Leased by Mr. Lucio Tan...so we need to wait until the end of the last quarter of this year kung may maganda bang nangyari sa ZIA...hope next year my plano na sa new ZIA.....Ka~! Ka~! Ka~!

:ohno::ohno:

The Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Zone

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff273/zamboecozone/IMG_0869.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff273/zamboecozone/IMG_0865.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff273/zamboecozone/IMG_0866.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff273/zamboecozone/new-12.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff273/zamboecozone/IMG_0867.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff273/zamboecozone/new-1.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t93/bermudez_08/imgret3.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t93/bermudez_08/imgret4.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t93/bermudez_08/imgret2.jpg

this is great..sana na fasten na ang development ng area na yan..go go zambo

Punters have Tañamor at 9-to-1 odds to win boxing gold (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/08112008/sports05.html)

By Reuben Terrado
Correspondent

HARRY Tañamor not only is one of the favorites by observers to win the gold medal for the Philippines, but by oddsmakers in the sports betting industry, as well.
:okay:

A look at betting web sites suggested that Tañamor, the lone Filipino boxing bet in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is one of the top boxers punters feel could win the gold medal.

Tañamor is a 9-to-1 favorite by some United Kingdom-based sports betting web sites like 888sport and BlueSq, meaning for every one pound bet, the bettor will get nine pounds if the Filipino wins.

But if bettors were to follow, China’s Zou Shiming will win the light-flyweight gold medal as 888sport and BlueSq called it 1-to-3 on the world champion.

Another contender, David Aryapetyan of Russia, is also at 9-to-1 in 888sport and BlueSq and a 13-to-2 favorite in Centrebet.

Bettors have also lined up for the Olympics for feats that range from which country will win the most gold medals in Beijing to how many gold medals American swimmer Michael Phelps will win.

Teen second to last in Olympic lifting, but sets new RP mark (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/112912/Teen-finishes-11th-of-12-in-Olympic-lifting-but-betters-RP-mark)
08/11/2008 | 05:29 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Olympic weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines ranked second to the last in the 58kg women’s division held Monday at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium.

Diaz tallied an 85, the score counted by the judges in three of her attempts in the snatch category, and came up with a 107 in the clean and jerk phase to register a 192.

Only the 173 of the Solomon Islands’ Wendy Hale was lower in the event that pits 12 lifters.

Reigning champion Chen Yanging of China secured the gold by tacking a 244 score, the new Olympic record. A Russian lifter copped the silver and a Korean participant the bronze.

Diaz, only 16 and the youngest Filipino Olympian and 58kg woman lifter overall, did break the Philippine record though while she surpassed her qualifying total of 186 – GMANews.TV

Zambo lifter tries mettle versus world’s strongest (http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=200808117&type=2)
By Gerry Carpio
Monday, August 11, 2008
BEIJING – A 17-year-old girl who used to carry buckets of water from the artesian well to take a bath and wash the dishes, will try to lift real weights as she matches up against the strongest women of the world in the Beijing Olympics tomorrow.

Hidilyn Diaz, who had to quit computer science studies at the Unibersidad de San Juan in her native Zamboanga to train for the Olympics, hopes the six-month training she had carrying weights in China under world-class coaches would help her win what could be the breakthrough medal of a hard-luck RP team which went without a medal during the last eight years.

“The training in China was terrible. – one hour jogging in the morning, three hours of weightlifting in the afternoon and another one-hour jog in the evening,” said the 5-2 Zamboangueña, who was discovered by Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez in the Philippine Olympic Festival where she made an impressive lift to win the gold.

“This girl is good material for the London Olympics,” said Ramirez. “ That’s why we immediately put her on the program and sent her to China for training.”

In China, Diaz improved on her personal best of 187 kilos with a total lift of 200 – 110 in the clean and jerk and 90 in the snatch.

That, however, pales in comparison to feat of top favorite Chan Yanquing of China, whose lift of 251 kilos in winning the gold in the Doha Asian Games of 2006 remains unbeaten to-date.

With her official record of 180 she established in Asian qualifying event in Chiang Mai, Thailand last December, Diaz is ranked No. 45 in the world in the 58 kg class. Although she failed to earn the Olympic slot in the competition, she was later granted a wild card by the International Weightlifting Federation last June.

She is the youngest in her class and becomes the first ever woman participant from the Philippines and the first Filipino to compete in the Olympcs in 20 years after Ramon Solis.

Solis, at one-time regarded as the strongest man of Southeast Asia and currently Diaz’ coach in the Philippines, also said the teenage daughter of a tricycle driver has what it takes to be a champion.

“She has the height – not so tall- and she’s improving considerably,” said Solis. “She’ll be ready for the Olympics.”

Ramirez said she would give Diaz a two-week break after the Olympics so she could be with her family and five brothers and sisters.

“After that, we’ll send her again to China to train,” said Ramirez.

Diaz comes from a humble family whose house doesn’t have tap water, prompting her to fetch two five-gallon jugs of water as the need arises from 50 meters away for the daily needs of the family.

One day in a gym, she watched her cousins lift weights.

Curiosity got the better of her and she lifted some weights. To her cousins’ amazement, she lifted the bar bell better than a boy her age. She was 11.

It was to be the start of sporting career that was to carry her to the Philippine Olympic Festival, the Palarong Pambansa, the Southeast Asian Championships, and now, the Olympic Games.

“This will be a great experience for her,” said Ramirez.

Back to top

RP’s best hope for Olympic gold medal climbs ring
By Teddyvic S. Melendres
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:47:00 08/13/2008


BEIJING—World championships silver medalist Harry Tañamor finally climbs into the ring on Wednesday in what is perhaps the most anticipated outing by a Filipino in the Philippines’ busiest day so far at the 29th Olympiad here.

Shouldering his nation’s hope of ending its Olympic gold medal drought, the 29-year-old Tañamor takes on Ghana’s Manyo Plange in the sixth of 13 light flyweight bouts that start at 7 p.m. (same time in Manila) at the Beijing Workers Stadium.

Archer Mark Javier shoots 18 arrows against Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Cheng-wei in one of the 32 knockout matches in the men’s FITA 70-meter competition, while swimmers Miguel Molina and Christel Simms join the fray in the qualification stages of their events.

Tañamor, the country’s lone boxing entry, battles a stranger in the 21-year-old Ghanian who topped last year’s African championship after moving down a weight class from flyweight.

The Zamboangueño’s cornermen, Cuban Enrique Steyner Tissert and Pat Gaspi, were not a bit bothered that Tañamor was almost half a kilogram overweight on Tuesday morning, according to national amateur boxing chief Manny Lopez.

“Coach Enrique told Harry to eat fruits and everyone to relax as he has prepared Harry very well,” Lopez said. “They are doing light workouts with the mitts for timing and coordination, while simulating the time of competition for body rhythm and metabolic adjustments.”

Tañamor needs five victories to secure the gold, four to clinch the silver, and three to land the bronze in his 29-pug class.


:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Cheers and prayers to our fellow Zamboangueño and hope he will bring home the gold for our country!! ^^ ^^ ^^

guys post ko lang sana your city will join:


Surigao City invites cultural groups to join Bonok-Bonok Festival 2008

PIA.gov.ph | Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Bonok-Bonok Culture and Arts Association, Inc. through the Surigao City Tourism Office is inviting all cultural contingents in the country to participate in the 2008 Bonok-Bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival on September 9 this year.

The Bonok-bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival is an ethnic Mardi gras marked by street dancing and stationary festivities held in line with the annual fiesta celebration of San Nicolas de Tolentino on September 10.

The criteria for the Bonok-bonok Festival are storyline theme and concept—20%; choreography—20%; performance—25%; street dancing—25%; production design that includes costumes, music, props and sets—10%.

The dance entry shall take in the forms of street dancing (done during the parade in progressive steps) and the main dance drama or stationary dance will be performed in a place designated by the organizers.

The main dance/ritual shall be given an allotted time of 6 minutes excluding entrance and exit.

The dance entry may present a storyline or dance scenarios taken from the place being represented or inspired from various literary forms.

Prizes at stake are P250,000 plus trophy for the grand prize; P200,000 plus trophy for the 1st runner-up; P150,000 plus trophy for the 2nd runner-up; and P100,000 plus trophy for the 3rd runner-up. Participation prizes at P10,000 each and certificate of participation for non-winners.

Special awards for Best in Street Dancing is P50,000 plus trophy; Best Choreographer is P10,000 plus trophy; Best in Costume is P10,000 plus trophy and Best in Musicality is P10,000 plus trophy.

Sr. Tourism Officer Ms. Roselin Armida B. Merlin disclosed that all contingents will be provided with modest accommodation, food subsidy of P10,000 each and 5 containers of mineral water.

Interested groups who want to participate in the said festival may inquire from the City Tourism Office at Luneta Park, Borromeo Street, Surigao City for more details call the Bonok-bonok Festival 2008 Secretariat at telephone numbers (086)826-8064 or 232-7228, telefax (086) 826-4131. (Fryan E. Abkilan, PIA-Surigao del Norte)

Basic Energy details cassava deal with Zambo firm


MANILA, Philippies - Listed Basic Energy Corp. has detailed its joint venture deal with a Zamboanga-based cassava farming company for its planned biofuel plants.

The energy exploration firm told the exchange on Tuesday it would acquire Ecomarketfarms, Inc.’s cassava project for P12.5 million, payable through shares and cash. Under the joint venture, Basic Energy will act as the capital provider, while Ecomarketfarms will provide the business and management plan for the project.

Basic Energy said the deal would, in the meantime, generate revenues for the company through the sale of cassava chips to animal feed manufacturers like San Miguel Corp. Ecomarketfarms is engaged in farming, development and production of cassava and has farm operations in Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga City.

Earlier, Basic Energy announced that aside from cassava, it was exploring the use of sugarcane, sweet sorghum and other feedstocks for two ethanol plants — including the plant from Eco-market farms — that it plans to set up in Zamboanga, as it capitalizes on the biofuel rush.

Demand for fuel from crops is expected to increase as oil companies are forced to increase the ethanol blend in gasoline starting next year.

Basic Energy is planning to develop two integrated multiple feedstock ethanol plants in Zamboanga with an annual capacity of some 80 million liters.

It has broadened its business initiatives to include alternative fuels and renewable energy. It used to focus on the oil and gas exploration business. — Ava Kashima K. Austria, BusinessWorld

Bad News

Australia travel advisory

MANILA, Philippines - Clashes between government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces and possible election-related violence arising from the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) have prompted the Australian government Tuesday to advice its nationals in the Philippines to stay away from Mindanao.

In its travel advisory, the Australian Embassy in Manila reminded its nationals to stay away from mainland Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu archipelago.

"We strongly advise you not to travel to mainland Mindanao, the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago regions of Mindanao, including Basilan, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi due to the very high threat of terrorist attack, including kidnapping and related counter-terrorism operations," it said in its advisory dated August 12.

The Australian government noted armed clashes between the Philippine military and MILF are continuing after fighting broke out last Sunday in North Cotabato.

"If you are in these areas you should consider leaving," it advised its nationals.

The embassy also said credible information indicates terrorists may be in the advanced stages of planning attacks. Such attacks may be imminent and could occur at any time, anywhere in
Mindanao, the Australian embassy said.

"Attacks could occur in the lead up to and following religious celebrations," it noted.

On the other hand, it said kidnap-for-ransom gangs are active in Mindanao, including mainland Mindanao, the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago.

It said these gangs have been known to target foreigners, citing the abduction of a television crew and a university professor in June 2008.

"They were released after 10 days after complex negotiations involving demands for a large ransom," the advisory said.

Also, the advisory noted a bomb exploded outside the military entrance to the Zamboanga City airfield in May, killing at least two people and wounding 19 others.

In October 2007, two simultaneous bombings occurred in Kidapawan City, the first on a minibus and the second at a nearby building in the city center. Two people were killed and 30 injured.

"Bansalan, Basilan, Cagayan de Oro City, Cotabato City, Davao City, Digos City, General Santos City, Isulan, Jolo Town, Kidapawan, Kauswagan, Koronadal City, Maganoy, Maliklala, Pagadian, Tacurong, South Cotabato and Zamboanga City have been targeted in the past. These attacks underline the ongoing terrorist threat in the region. Further attacks are likely," it said.

As for ARMM elections, Australia advised its nationals to "avoid any large gatherings, demonstrations, protests, rallies or other public events as they may turn violent."

It also advised them to monitor the media for information about any protests and follow the advice of authorities.

"Elections were held in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Jolo, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan) on 11 August 2008. Election periods in the Philippines have traditionally been associated with an increase in politically-motivated violence. You should exercise extreme caution and avoid any rallies or other public gatherings associated with these elections," it added.

The embassy advised nationals to consider the kind of places known to be terrorist targets and the level of security provided.

Possible targets include places frequented by foreigners such as shopping malls, including Mega Malls, markets, embassies, expatriate housing complexes, hostels, guest houses, clubs, hotels, restaurants, fast food outlets, bars, pubs, cinemas, places of worship, public transport including buses and bus terminals, ferries and trains, schools, tourist areas and outdoor recreation and major sporting events.

Infrastructure associated with the Philippines Government such as airports, sea ports, railways, roads, military facilities, oil depots, power facilities and public buildings are also potential terrorist targets. - GMANews.TV


:ohno::ohno::ohno:

Another Bad news

As what my Mate said (Class mate) that 1st District Cong. Beng Climaco is the one who is handling the New ZIA project pala,and when i ask my mate if kung bakit hindi nasimulan yung proyekto na yan she said ipinagamit or ginamit ng Government ang pera/pondo ng New Zamboanga International Airport sa Paglipat ng mga Regional Government Buildings from Zamboanga to Pagadian... she has a copy of that project that she saw in the Office of Cong. Beng Climaco...i am so impress about it kasi sabi nya Super ganda daw and it is almost ready only the approval nalang ng government...

Pondo at Proyekto ng Zamboanga napunta sa Kabila...how sad namn

:ohno::ohno:

Lapit na midterm...Good Luck to all Students of Zamboanga...Keep It UP!!!...

Ohh i forgot it i will be going to ZIA on Friday para ihatid yung visitor natin..jejeje i will look and ask some new news and information if i can...see yuhh!!!>...

Congratulations Zamboanga!!

2 Olympians are from the City of Zamboanga..Harry Tañamor (Boxing) and Hidilyn Diaz (WeightLifting)

Lapit na midterm...Good Luck to all Students of Zamboanga...Keep It UP!!!...

Ohh i forgot it i will be going to ZIA on Friday para ihatid yung visitor natin..jejeje i will look and ask some new news and information if i can...see yuhh!!!>...

Sa min..kakatapos lang ng Midterms..gud luck sa result..the most painful part

Red ribbons adorn Zamboanga City ahead of SC hearing on domain pact


MANILA, Philippines - Red ribbons adorned Zamboanga City Thursday, on the eve of the Supreme Court's hearing on the ancestral land agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Radio dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported that the ribbons were part of the city's protest against the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, whose formal signing was halted by the Supreme Court last August 4.

Officials said the ribbons, which symbolizes peace, went with banners proclaiming "Yes to Peace, no to Bangsamoro Juridical Entity."

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat was expected to lead a prayer vigil against the inclusion of the city in the proposed BJE Thursday night. The vigil includes a one-minute silence and a candle-lighting.

At the Senate, meanwhile, local officials opposing the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain scored the deal at a hearing on the issue.

Radio dzBB's Nimfa Ravelo reported that the officials included North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol, Lobregat, and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon Jr, who was invited as a resource person in the hearing, begged off, saying the case is still before the High Court.

by Bob Jaldon

City Administrator and three-time City Councilor Elias S. Enriquez passed away midnight yesterday at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital of liver cancer. He was 65 years old.


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A decorated police officer, Enriquez joined the police force as a patrolman in 1969 when the police department was under the operational and administrative control of the city.

He was promoted to police corporal in 1973 and became of seargent in 1975. From then on, there was no stopping his promotion – lieutenant (1977), captain (1986) and major (1988).

After his retirement from the police force, Enriquez joined politics. He ran and won as a councilor in 1998, the first of his three three-year term. He was re-elected twice, having served out his last three years as a distinguished councilor from 2004-2007.

He was then appointed city administrator on June 6, 2007 after former City Administrator Antonio Orendain,Jr. relinquished the post to run for councilor.

As a legislator, Enriquez authored the “Traffic Code of Zamboanga City.” He was co-author of several ordinances and sponsored countless of resolutions, particularly those relating to peace and order.

He earned his college degree (B.S. Commerce) at Southern City Colleges.

With the police force and the defunct Integrated National Police, Enriquez underwent several police training courses on counter-terrorism, civic-military operations, officers’ basic training course, practical pistol course, drug abuse prevention course, narcotics and security intelligence course, among others.

Enriquez is survived by his children Dennis Von, Ma. Gracia Concepcion, Elmer and Elzyd Vonn. (BJ)

by Monch L. Follosco

The 530th Air Base Wing (ABW) commander of the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) was installed yesterday during a solemn Change of Command ceremony at the Multi-purpose Hall of EAAB in Sta. Maria, this city.

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“Our focus is the satisfaction of our clientele that they will feel secure, safe and at the same time, the convenience of our services,” said the new Wing Commander Col. Danilo Ferrer.

Col. Ferrer took over the unit effective yesterday as out-going Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Delfin Pomposo relinquished his post and was elevated to a higher position as Vice Commander of the 3rd Air Division which is considered as the 2nd highest position in the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

Vice Commander of the Philippine Air Force (VC-PAF) Maj. Gen. Rene Badilla was the Presiding Officer during yesterday’s ceremony and presented the award to outgoing WC Brig. Gen. Pomposo.

Maj. Gen. Badilla inspired the two officers and said “these gentlemen have been here since the 70’s until now fighting the war here and they are heroes by themselves.”

He also challenged the men and women “to serve our country with noble profession,” and commended Brig. Gen. Pomposo “for a job well done”. “it is with pleasure to note that you’re efficiently implemented administrative policies which resulted to high level of morale and discipline among the men and women of EAAB,” Maj. Gen. Badilla said.

To the newly installed WC Col. Danilo Ferrer, Maj. Gen. Badilla said “the PAF entrusts upon you the 530th ABW, a Wing that has a colorful history and as being dispensable in preserving the solidarity of our nation.”

Accordingly, the 530th ABW is known as the staging point of air operations in Mindanao and a very significant unit and its security of the base is of prime importance not only in EAAB but it also impacts the whole nation.

Col. Danilo Ferrer said that his priority is “to upgrade the services of the Air Base because we’re targeting as the model Air Base next year. So, our focus is more on security issues and no changes have been made.” (Monch L. Follosco)

Thursday, August 14. 2008
The Free Dictionary

Highlight a phrase and click the icon to search on using Tfd.

by Nonong Santiago

Congressman Erbie Fabian yesterday expressed optimism that the Supreme Court will not postpone the oral argument it set on Friday, August 15, 2008 on the issue of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.


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This, after Fabian learned that the Solicitor General’s office is asking the high court to reset the oral argument to a later date purposely to study the intervenor’s new arguments.

Fabian hopes that the Supreme Court will push through with the scheduled oral arguments because all the officials of the affected cities and provinces are eager and ready to give their side.

“But whether the high court will postpone the oral argument, let us all continue our fight against the inclusion of eight barangays in the BJE,” Fabian emphasized.

The congressman said he fully supports the planned action, not only of Zamboanga City under Mayor Celso Lobregat but all the other officials who are spearheading the opposition like NOrth Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Isabela Mayor Cherry Akbar.

He calls on the Zamboagueños to also support the activities of the local government like the lighting of candles and other mass actions.

Fabian said that the Muslims and Christians in this city are very united and have been living here peacefully for the past several decades.

The BJE, he pointed out, will only divide the people not only in Mindanao but the whole nation. (Nonong Santiago)

by Ryan Sta. Teresa

District 1 Congresswoman Beng Climaco together with Congresswomen Darlene Antonino-Custodio and Emmylou Talino- Mendoza got the support of 130 solons for their resolution, “A Resolution Calling for the Evaluation, Review and Revision of the MoA AD Aspect of the GRP- MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001 and Urging the Commencement of Further Negotiations Based on Genuine Consultations Among Key Stakeholders.


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The three lady lawmakers from Mindanao initiated this move in the House of Representatives as a sign of their strong opposition to include their Cities or any part of it in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Members of Congress crossed party lines in supporting the resolution. Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora Rep. TG Guingona, Rep. Joel Villanueva, former Speaker Jose De Venecia, who are members of the opposition were some of those who signed it. Meanwhile, Administration lawmakers also signed the resolution like, Deputy Speaker Villarosa, Rep. Joey Zubiri and many others. (Ryan Sta. Teresa)

Guns and ammunitions in the city are running low. Reports revealed that several gun stores in the city experienced considerable increase in sales for the past weeks. Gun store owners attribute this to the extensive opposition of the city from joining the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).

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“The staunch opposition of our city residents and leaders from joining the BJE has surely caught the attention of extremist rebels. It is better for us to be prepared to defend ourselves and our families in times the authorities are not present than be caught by surprise,” said one resident purchasing a gun from a local gun store.

According to gun dealers, most of those who purchase guns and ammos are barangay officials and businessmen. “Our supply for ammunitions is already running low. We have to order additional supplies earlier than our usual schedule,” said one gun store owner.

Over the past weeks, reports of armed MILF members entering the city have circulated through text messaging causing several schools to close early. The police have already belied the report and said that although they are on heightened alert, the PNP is totally in control of the peace and order in the city.

Earlier, Police City Director Lurimer Detran advised the people not to easily be swayed by rumors. He said that anybody can call the police office to verify any report concerning the peace and order situation of the city. (Mar Macapili)

by Nonong Santiago

Congressman Erbie Fabian yesterday expressed optimism that the Supreme Court will not postpone the oral argument it set on Friday, August 15, 2008 on the issue of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.


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This, after Fabian learned that the Solicitor General’s office is asking the high court to reset the oral argument to a later date purposely to study the intervenor’s new arguments.

Fabian hopes that the Supreme Court will push through with the scheduled oral arguments because all the officials of the affected cities and provinces are eager and ready to give their side.

“But whether the high court will postpone the oral argument, let us all continue our fight against the inclusion of eight barangays in the BJE,” Fabian emphasized.

The congressman said he fully supports the planned action, not only of Zamboanga City under Mayor Celso Lobregat but all the other officials who are spearheading the opposition like NOrth Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Isabela Mayor Cherry Akbar.

He calls on the Zamboagueños to also support the activities of the local government like the lighting of candles and other mass actions.

Fabian said that the Muslims and Christians in this city are very united and have been living here peacefully for the past several decades.

The BJE, he pointed out, will only divide the people not only in Mindanao but the whole nation. (Nonong Santiago)

Guns and ammunitions in the city are running low. Reports revealed that several gun stores in the city experienced considerable increase in sales for the past weeks. Gun store owners attribute this to the extensive opposition of the city from joining the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).

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“The staunch opposition of our city residents and leaders from joining the BJE has surely caught the attention of extremist rebels. It is better for us to be prepared to defend ourselves and our families in times the authorities are not present than be caught by surprise,” said one resident purchasing a gun from a local gun store.

According to gun dealers, most of those who purchase guns and ammos are barangay officials and businessmen. “Our supply for ammunitions is already running low. We have to order additional supplies earlier than our usual schedule,” said one gun store owner.

Over the past weeks, reports of armed MILF members entering the city have circulated through text messaging causing several schools to close early. The police have already belied the report and said that although they are on heightened alert, the PNP is totally in control of the peace and order in the city.

Earlier, Police City Director Lurimer Detran advised the people not to easily be swayed by rumors. He said that anybody can call the police office to verify any report concerning the peace and order situation of the city. (Mar Macapili)

by Vic Larato

The Liga ng mga Barangay, an association of barangay chairmen from the city’s 98 villages, unanimously approved a resolution yesterday morning, reiterating its strong opposition to inclusion of Zamboanga City or part of its territory and territorial waters in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).


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Councilor Abdurahman Nuño, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, convened the city’s 98 barangay chairmen at the Grand Astoria Hotel yesterday morning and discussed important issues particularly the inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed BJE or Bangsamoro homeland as stipulated in the memorandum of agreement that the government was supposed to sign with the MILF had not the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order.

The Liga’s resolution, a reiteration of a similar measure in 2001 then against the city’s inclusion in the proposed expansion of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), came about after Mayor Celso Lobregat convincingly presented to the barangay chieftains the issues and concerns on what they considered a “deceitful and prejudicial” inclusion of the city’s eight barangays in the proposed BJE.

By all indications, the Liga members believed, the government negotiators and the separatist rebel group appeared ready to sign an agreement on ancestral domain prejudicial to the constituents of the affected barangays, “considering that no consultation was ever conducted especially on the contentious issue.”

The decision of the 98 barangays, the Liga in a resolution said, is anchored on a “clear conviction that the inclusion of Zamboanga City or any part of its territory in the BJE will be divisive and detrimental to the general welfare of its constituents.

While the village chieftains fully acknowledge the efforts of the government, the MILF and other parties involved in the peace process, but “we want peace that is everlasting, rooted in a fair, just and equitable solution to the Mindanao conflict.”

At the same time, the association of barangay chiefs passed another resolution expressing its commitment of support to Mayor Lobregat, Rep. Beng Climaco of District I, Rep. Erbie Fabian of District II and members of the City Council “on matters deemed necessary to address the deceitful and prejudicial inclusion of Zambnoanga City” and its territorial waters in the Bangsamoro homeland.

The barangay chairmen in a resolution said the initial initiative and efforts of the city government officials in coordination with other affected local government units resulted in the issuance of a TRO on the signing of the controversial MOA-AD.

“The TRO is a positive indication that our quest for exclusion (from BJE) is not futile. But much have to be done in the days to come,” the Liga resolution read. “It must be done concertedly,” it declared.

In Category A of the ancestral domain agreement, the barangys of Busay, Landang Gua, Landang Laum, Manalipa, Pasilmanta and Tictabon are included.

In Category B, the proposed BJE includes Barangays Ayala, Bluno, Buenavista, Bolong, Calabasa, Campo Islam, Cawit, Curuan, Dita, Upper Bunguiao, La Paz, Labuan, Lapakan, Licomo, Limaong, Limpapa, Maasin, Malagutay, Mangusu, Manicahan, Mariki, Muti, Pamucutan, Pangapuyan, Patalon, Quiniput, Recodo, Sibulao, Lamisahan, Taguiti, Tagasilay, Talisayan, Talon-Talon, Tigtabon, Tigbalabag, Tulungatung, Tumitus, Victoria and Vitali. (Vic Larato)

by Vic Larato

Zamboangueños from the different walks of life once again demonstrated their unity and solidarity with the city government in the fight against Zamboanga City’s possible inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) by holding a citywide prayer vigil and candle lighting activities early last night, on the eve of the Supreme Court’s hearing on ancestral land agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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On Wednesday, Mayor Celso Lobregat before flying to Manila urged the people of this city to wear the color of courage (red T-shirts and armbands) as part of the city’s protest to inclusion in the BJE under the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, whose formal signing between the government and the MILF was mothballed by a restraining order of the Supreme Court.

Red ribbons virtually adorned the entire city as they were tied to street posts, government and private offices, business establishments and outside the homes stretching from the city proper to the far-flung barangays. Red ribbons are also flown over the vehicles plying the city streets.

Armed with only candles, Zamboangueños most of them in red shirts and armbands started to queue along the streets at 6 o’clock last night and at 7 p.m. lit the candles simultaneously with tolling of City Hall siren, signaling the start of the prayer vigil.

Earlier at 6:55 p.m., local radio stations played Christian and Islam prayers followed by a moment of deafening silence throughout the city.

Similar activities were also held simultaneously in the cities of Isabela and Iligan, which are opposed to their inclusion in the BJE.

As this developed, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in a statement Thursday voiced “deepest concern” over the “lack of transparency” in the entire formulation of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain.

The IBP also said that while it recognizes the need to balance peaceful coexistence with Christians and full recognition of sovereign authority of the Philippines, it cannot accept the “lame excuses” given by the Arroyo administration for lack of transparency. (Vic Larato)

by Vic Larato

The Liga ng mga Barangay, an association of barangay chairmen from the city’s 98 villages, unanimously approved a resolution yesterday morning, reiterating its strong opposition to inclusion of Zamboanga City or part of its territory and territorial waters in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).


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Councilor Abdurahman Nuño, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, convened the city’s 98 barangay chairmen at the Grand Astoria Hotel yesterday morning and discussed important issues particularly the inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed BJE or Bangsamoro homeland as stipulated in the memorandum of agreement that the government was supposed to sign with the MILF had not the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order.

The Liga’s resolution, a reiteration of a similar measure in 2001 then against the city’s inclusion in the proposed expansion of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), came about after Mayor Celso Lobregat convincingly presented to the barangay chieftains the issues and concerns on what they considered a “deceitful and prejudicial” inclusion of the city’s eight barangays in the proposed BJE.

By all indications, the Liga members believed, the government negotiators and the separatist rebel group appeared ready to sign an agreement on ancestral domain prejudicial to the constituents of the affected barangays, “considering that no consultation was ever conducted especially on the contentious issue.”

The decision of the 98 barangays, the Liga in a resolution said, is anchored on a “clear conviction that the inclusion of Zamboanga City or any part of its territory in the BJE will be divisive and detrimental to the general welfare of its constituents.

While the village chieftains fully acknowledge the efforts of the government, the MILF and other parties involved in the peace process, but “we want peace that is everlasting, rooted in a fair, just and equitable solution to the Mindanao conflict.”

At the same time, the association of barangay chiefs passed another resolution expressing its commitment of support to Mayor Lobregat, Rep. Beng Climaco of District I, Rep. Erbie Fabian of District II and members of the City Council “on matters deemed necessary to address the deceitful and prejudicial inclusion of Zambnoanga City” and its territorial waters in the Bangsamoro homeland.

The barangay chairmen in a resolution said the initial initiative and efforts of the city government officials in coordination with other affected local government units resulted in the issuance of a TRO on the signing of the controversial MOA-AD.

“The TRO is a positive indication that our quest for exclusion (from BJE) is not futile. But much have to be done in the days to come,” the Liga resolution read. “It must be done concertedly,” it declared.

In Category A of the ancestral domain agreement, the barangys of Busay, Landang Gua, Landang Laum, Manalipa, Pasilmanta and Tictabon are included.

In Category B, the proposed BJE includes Barangays Ayala, Bluno, Buenavista, Bolong, Calabasa, Campo Islam, Cawit, Curuan, Dita, Upper Bunguiao, La Paz, Labuan, Lapakan, Licomo, Limaong, Limpapa, Maasin, Malagutay, Mangusu, Manicahan, Mariki, Muti, Pamucutan, Pangapuyan, Patalon, Quiniput, Recodo, Sibulao, Lamisahan, Taguiti, Tagasilay, Talisayan, Talon-Talon, Tigtabon, Tigbalabag, Tulungatung, Tumitus, Victoria and Vitali. (Vic Larato)

by Ryan Sta. Teresa

Congresswoman Beng Climaco of District I will initiate a medical outreach mission in barangay Rio Hondo today, August 14, in line with her continuous social services and health programs for the residents under her district.


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Expected to avail of the free medical and dental services are close to 700 residents of Rio Hondo and the nearby barangays. Of the total number, 500 will receive medical services; 50 dental services while 75 young boys will undergo circumcision.

Aside from the health services, school children will be given a pack of school supplies.

The outreach program will start at 8a.m. at the Rio Hondo Elementary School. It is undertaken in coordination with the City Health Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Joint Special Operations Task Force, JCI-Jambangan, Civil Military Operations Group Western Mindanao, Barangay Council of Mariki, Philippine National Police and Nature’s Spring.

Climaco said the conduct of outreach missions will be a continuous activity of her office in a bid to help alleviate the plight of the indigent residents amid the present economic crisis.

Last August 8, Climaco held the same mission in barangay Mariki, a coastal village in the west coast benefiting some 700 residents in the area and the nearby villages.

Also early this month, the lady solon distributed insurance health cards to some 800 barangay officials, barangay tanods, civilian volunteer organization members and bantay dagat members from the 23 barangays located in the city proper area, also in line with her social services and health programs.

Cong. Climaco said her office will do everything possible to help residents under her district. (Ryan Sta. Teresa)

Housewife killed, minor son suffers injuries, hubby in serious state

by Monch L. Follosco

A 28-year old housewife was killed while her husband was critically wounded and their 4-year old son suffered minor injuries, when a 10-wheeler delivery truck sideswiped their motorcycle in Guiwan, at around 12 noon yesterday.


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The fatality was identified as Zenith Ferrer y Laugo while her husband was identified as Cesar Ferrer, 42 years old and their son Christian of Lunzuran, this city, was sideswiped by a 10-wheeler delivery truck driven by a certain Edwin Quipit of Tubod, Lanao del Sur.

The victims were immediately brought by concerned citizens to the Western Mindanao Medical Center (WMMC) for emergency treatment.

Zenith was in critical condition who suffered cut in the thigh downwards and head injuries but attending doctors declared dead-on-arrival.

While Cesar suffered broken arms and multiple abrasions all over his body and their 4-year old son (Christian) has minor injury.

Quipit said prior to the accident, he was driving the said truck with plate number GKW-608 owned by JYP Trucking and heading towards east coast to Pagadian City to deliver Coca-Cola products, when suddenly a tricycle made a U-turn in front of him along the Guiwan highway beside a gas station.

Quipit added that he did not notice the motorcycle, which bore plate number 7448-JA, driven by Cesar Ferrer with his wife and son on board. Ferrer allegedly tried to overtake his vehicle at the right side of the lane which caused the accident.

Quipit is now detained at the Tetuan Police Station while the two vehicles are impounded.

Authorities are still investigating the incident while appropriate charges are being prepared for filing in court. (Monch L. Follosco)

by Monch L. Follosco

In the midst of the ongoing tension in Mindanao caused by the obstructed signing of the ancestral domain agreement between the Government panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), City Vice Mayor Mannix Dalipe expressed his support for federalism in Mindanao but voiced his concern on ‘who will lead who’.


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“Federalism is a very good idea but the problem will arise only in political boundaries and who will lead the people as it will boils down to territorial jurisdiction,” Vice Mayor Dalipe said during yesterday’s Special Session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council).

He stressed that “Zamboanga City should not think of ourselves, we should think of the entire Mindanao as a whole because whether we like it or not, what will happen in other provinces, ZC will be affected, so, if there’s a move to have a federal Mindanao, why not? Because we are blessed with so much natural resources.”

Advocates for federal form of government are really pushing for its transformation through charter change including Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who supports the idea for federalism in the country, which she said would finally bring peace to the conflict areas or region.

The vice mayor said that “federalism is good even the United States of America (USA) is a federal government and other countries in Europe – they are all federal states but the problem will always arise, who will lead who? What and where the scope of political jurisdiction.”

“Zamboanga is part of a bigger island which is Mindanao, and I think it’s about time that the idea of federalism should be put in place but there should also be moves to double-check because we want to protect and safeguard the interest of the Zamboangueños as a whole especially the city’s 98 barangays and we don’t want it to be dismembered,” Dalipe concluded. (Monch L. Follosco)

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday urged residents of this city—from all faiths and cultures—to join the prayer vigil and candle lighting activities tonight in a bid to dramatize opposition to the possible disintegration of Zamboanga City and Mindanao in general under the proposed memorandum of agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).


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“Let us all be united in this fight and show to the whole world that in Zamboanga City, we have unity,” Mayor Lobregat said in his appeal to all Zamboangueños. “We want peace but we do not want to be part of the BJE,” he added with reference to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Starting yesterday “everybody must wear red T-shirts or armbands and conspicuously display red ribbons outside the homes, stores, offices, street posts and vehicles. “Mando bola colorao na todo vhiculo,” he said in the vernacular.

Today, August 14, everybody must participate in the prayer vigil and candle lighting at 6:55 p.m. There will also be an ecumenical prayer over the local radio in Christian and Islam.

At 6:59 tonight, Lobregat said, “we will observe a one-minute moment of silence and exactly 7 p.m. let us all light candles on the streets and outside our homes.”

The activities will also be held simultaneously in the cities of Isabela and Iligan, which also opposed their inclusion in the BJE.

Meanwhile, Lobregat said the city government lawyers are ready for the oral argument in the Supreme Court on the petitions filed by North Cotabato and Zamboanga City against government’s peace deal with the MILF.

However, the solicitor general, representing the government panel, has asked the high court to postpone the oral argument on the MOA-AD issue. As of 4:30 p.m. yesterday, the high tribunal has not acted upon yet on the postponement.

There is no certainty yet on whether or not the oral argument will push through as scheduled at 9 a.m. tomorrow by the Supreme Court.

A delegation from the city including the lawyers are set to travel to Manila today for the oral argument. (Vic Larato)

by Monch L. Follosco

In the midst of the ongoing tension in Mindanao caused by the obstructed signing of the ancestral domain agreement between the Government panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), City Vice Mayor Mannix Dalipe expressed his support for federalism in Mindanao but voiced his concern on ‘who will lead who’.


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“Federalism is a very good idea but the problem will arise only in political boundaries and who will lead the people as it will boils down to territorial jurisdiction,” Vice Mayor Dalipe said during yesterday’s Special Session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council).

He stressed that “Zamboanga City should not think of ourselves, we should think of the entire Mindanao as a whole because whether we like it or not, what will happen in other provinces, ZC will be affected, so, if there’s a move to have a federal Mindanao, why not? Because we are blessed with so much natural resources.”

Advocates for federal form of government are really pushing for its transformation through charter change including Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who supports the idea for federalism in the country, which she said would finally bring peace to the conflict areas or region.

The vice mayor said that “federalism is good even the United States of America (USA) is a federal government and other countries in Europe – they are all federal states but the problem will always arise, who will lead who? What and where the scope of political jurisdiction.”

“Zamboanga is part of a bigger island which is Mindanao, and I think it’s about time that the idea of federalism should be put in place but there should also be moves to double-check because we want to protect and safeguard the interest of the Zamboangueños as a whole especially the city’s 98 barangays and we don’t want it to be dismembered,” Dalipe concluded. (Monch L. Follosco)

HARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan on Monday called on the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to subject their proposed memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MoA-AD) to broad consultations to ensure its viability in solving the age-old Mindanao conflict.

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“The MILF and government peace panels should heed the growing clamor for transparency and popular consultations in their negotiations, especially in the crafting of an expanded ARMM area or the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE),“ Ampatuan told reporters, who covered his casting of vote at the Shariff Ampatuan Central Elementary School here Monday morning.

Ampatuan was referring to the snowballing legal protests initiated by the local government officials that led to the Supreme Court (SC) issuance on August 4 of a temporary restraining order, which stopped the Aug. 5 signing by the MILF-GRP panels on Aug. 5 of the Memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MoA-AD) in Malaysia.

The TRO was sought in separate petitions filed earlier by North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pinol and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat in protesting the inclusion of some barangays in their respective areas of jurisdiction in the BJE. Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz joined the band wagon.

Vice Governor Pinol’s chief legal counsel, lawyer Israelito Torion, said they lodged on Monday a supplemental petition before the SC questioning this time the constitutionality of the MoA-AD contents, which they branded “defective” and “contrary to the Constitution.”

Torion, quoting court personnel, said former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senator Mar Roxas, Davao trial court Judge Jose Lopez, representing lumad tribes, and government officials of Sultan Kudarat and Isabela City were set to lodge before the SC separate supplementary petitions against the MoA.

In Monday’s brief interview, Gov. Ampatuan stressed that it is only through popular consultations that the court-restrained memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MoA-AD) can be acceptable to the people in the areas that the BJE would cover.

After all, he said, the process of broad consultation is the essence of genuine democracy and is prescribed also in Islamic governance. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was credited for his adherence to musha’wara (consultations) in his well-acknowledged leadership.

Gov. Ampatuan’s call came as a reiteration of his consistent advocacy for the inclusion of ARMM officials in the government negotiating panel, they being a “major stakeholder” in the peace talks, especially in the proposed BJE.

Under the BJE, which seeks to absorb the ARMM and 735 barangays from other provinces, the MILF would be vested with powers not enjoyed by the existing regional autonomous government.

Ampatuan, who is very likely to get reelected in the current ARMM elections, cited the protests initiated by the North Cotabato officials as an “eye opener” for other stakeholders in the peace negotiations to assert their constitutional rights to consultations. (Ali G. Macabalang with a report from Edd Usman)

by Sheila Covarrubias

Simultaneous prayer vigil and candle lighting activities will be held in the cities of Zamboanga, Isabela and Iligan tomorrow (August 14) night to dramatize opposition to the possible disintegration of Mindanao under the proposed GRP-MILF memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD).


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Mayor Celso Lobregat said the holding of the prayer vigil in the affected cities and provinces in Mindanao would give the activity more significance. “It would be more relevant if we do it in our own areas.”

The lighting of candles will start at 7 p.m. in city streets and in every household on the eve of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court on the Temporary Restraining Order relative to the GRP-MILF MOA-AD on Friday, August 15.

“We call on every Zamboangueno to light candles and say a prayer,” the mayor appealed. The activity, he said, is purposely to seek divine intervention in the plea of the Mindanaoans to retain the integrity and sovereignty of Zamboanga, Isabela, Iligan, North Cotabato, the whole of Mindanao and the entire country.

Residents of North Cotabato will hold their prayer vigil tonight, August 13.

Much earlier, North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol, in a visit to Zamboanga City with Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Senator Mar Roxas, brought up the idea of a possible prayer vigil outside the Supreme Court on the eve of the oral arguments.

Mayor Lobregat said, in a conference with the Pinol, Cruz as well as Isabela City Mayor Cherry Akbar, it was decided that the prayer vigil be held in the respective areas to make it more relevant.

Meanwhile, Lobregat said the lawyers of Zamboanga City, North Cotabato and Iligan City are finalizing preparations for the oral arguments on the consolidated cases filed by the three local government units before the Supreme Court.

At City Hall, no less than Lobregat is supervising the preparation of the different documents that may be needed during the oral argument at the Supreme Court on Friday.

Members of the City Council and other officials are expected to witness the oral arguments on Friday and to demonstrate the Zamboanguenos’ opposition to the proposed MOA-AD. (Sheila Covarrubias)

Liga ng mga Barangay President Councilor Abdurahman Nuno will convene the 98 barangay chairmen today to discuss important issues particularly the proposed inclusion of some barangays in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) under the GRP-MILF memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD).

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“We will reaffirm our unity and previous resolution expressing objection to the BJE”, Nuno said.

At least 6 barangays, Landang Laum, Landang Gua, Busay, Manalipa, Tigtabon and Pasilmanta are proposed to be included in the BJE, though earlier the list also included Zone 3 and Zone 4, which are located in the central area o the city.

Nuno said the residents of the city “were deceived into believing that Zamboanga is not included in the BJE”. No consultations were also done by the government and MILF panels.

The Liga ng mga Barangay in 2001 passed a resolution expressing strong objections to the inclusion of Zamboanga in the BJE. Copies of the resolution were furnished to the GRP panel and other national government officials.

Aside from reiterating the resolution, the barangay chairmen are also expected to pass another resolution expressing full support to Mayor Celso Lobregat in his fight to retain the integrity and sovereignty of Zamboanga City, Mindanao and the entire country.

During the mass protest last Monday in front of City Hall, Nuno brought along 15 truckloads of barangay officials and residents from the island barangays.

The assembly is set at 9 a.m. today at the Astoria Hotel in downtown Zamboanga. (Sheila Covarrubias)

by Sheila Covarrubias

Simultaneous prayer vigil and candle lighting activities will be held in the cities of Zamboanga, Isabela and Iligan tomorrow (August 14) night to dramatize opposition to the possible disintegration of Mindanao under the proposed GRP-MILF memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD).


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Mayor Celso Lobregat said the holding of the prayer vigil in the affected cities and provinces in Mindanao would give the activity more significance. “It would be more relevant if we do it in our own areas.”

The lighting of candles will start at 7 p.m. in city streets and in every household on the eve of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court on the Temporary Restraining Order relative to the GRP-MILF MOA-AD on Friday, August 15.

“We call on every Zamboangueno to light candles and say a prayer,” the mayor appealed. The activity, he said, is purposely to seek divine intervention in the plea of the Mindanaoans to retain the integrity and sovereignty of Zamboanga, Isabela, Iligan, North Cotabato, the whole of Mindanao and the entire country.

Residents of North Cotabato will hold their prayer vigil tonight, August 13.

Much earlier, North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol, in a visit to Zamboanga City with Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Senator Mar Roxas, brought up the idea of a possible prayer vigil outside the Supreme Court on the eve of the oral arguments.

Mayor Lobregat said, in a conference with the Pinol, Cruz as well as Isabela City Mayor Cherry Akbar, it was decided that the prayer vigil be held in the respective areas to make it more relevant.

Meanwhile, Lobregat said the lawyers of Zamboanga City, North Cotabato and Iligan City are finalizing preparations for the oral arguments on the consolidated cases filed by the three local government units before the Supreme Court.

At City Hall, no less than Lobregat is supervising the preparation of the different documents that may be needed during the oral argument at the Supreme Court on Friday.

Members of the City Council and other officials are expected to witness the oral arguments on Friday and to demonstrate the Zamboanguenos’ opposition to the proposed MOA-AD. (Sheila Covarrubias)

by Armand Dean N. Nocum

MANILA—Giving Zamboanga City and other besieged Mindanao areas a big shot in the arm, Senator Mar Roxas yesterday asked the Supreme Court to nullify the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the government and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front for being unconstitutional, saying it will “create a state within a state.”

Roxas, president of the Liberal Party, prodded the 15-member tribunal to scrap the MoA not only for being unconstitutional, but because it was a product of “coercion” by the MILF, thus, a negotiation in bad faith.

In 22-page motion for intervention, Roxas echoed concerns of previous petitioners that the terms of the MOA are considered matters of public concern, thus, covered by Section 7 of the Bill of Rights which guarantees the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.

“Secret deals and agreements have no place in a democratic country such as ours. Only in the light of public scrutiny and serious criticism can any peace agreement with the MILF be said to uphold our fellow countrymen’s best interest and hope for peace and harmony for a region long neglected,” Roxas stressed.

Nonetheless, the senator clarified that his petition-in-intervention “is not intended to derail the peace process. Rather, it seeks to ensure that the peace agreement encapsulates the people’s intentions and provide the perfect legal and constitutional vehicle for achieving peace.”

He said that assuming that the powers granted under the GRP-MILF MOA to the Bangsa Moro Juridicical Entity are less than sovereign powers, in granting such additional powers to the BJE , it thereby grants it more powers from the other regions of the country in violation of the equal protection clause of the Constitution.

Roxas, along with former Senate President Franklin Drilon and United Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano, also sought for the composition of the new territory that will comprise and be treated as the ancestral homeland of the three million Muslims in Mindanao and will extend the coverage of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Under the MOA, the province of North Cotabato will be included in the ARMM.

Roxas pointed out that the controversial MOA is violative to the 1987 Constitution because the pact creates another “state” within the Philippines.

He warned that the country had so much to lose if the MoA as crafted would be implemented.

“We are for peace, but not for ‘peace at any price,’ not peace with a gun to our heads. If there is a peace agreement, it must go through the proper procedures and consultations not just between the government and the MILF but with the citizens of Mindanao,” he said.

Roxas joined the petitions of the people of North Cotabato represented by their Governor Jesus Sacdalan and Vice-Governor Emmanuel Piñol, and the people of Zamboanga City represented by Mayor Celso Lobregat and Congressmen Isabelle Climaco and Erico Fabian. The petitioners were granted a temporary restraining order on the MoA last August 4, a day before it was scheduled for signing.

In a 22-page petition, Lobregat, Climaco, Fabian sought a temporary restraining order against MoA They corroborated an earlier petition filed by North COtabato officials Sacdalan and Piñol similarly seeking disclosure of the pact and questioning the provinces inclusion in the ARMM.

Named respondents were the peace-negotiating panel as represented by Rodolfo Garcia, Leah Armamento, Sedfrey Candeleria, Mark Ryan Sullivan and Hermogenes Esperon in his capacity as the Secretary of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process.

“Such agreement will be entered into without benefit of consulting the people who will be affected by such pact. The non-disclosure of the provisions of the MoA-AD has deprived the people of its right to information and to participate in the decision-making process. This is a blatant violation of the constitutional rights of the people in view of the extreme urgency of the matter,” the petition said.

On August 1, 1989, Congress passed and approved RA 6734 putting up an organic act for the ARMM. Thirteen provinces and nine cities were included subject to a plebiscite.

However, during the November 19,1989 plebiscite, only four provinces were included in the ARMM namely Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-tawi.

The majority of residents of the City of Zamboanga voted against the city’s inclusion with 90,152 voting for its exclusion, while only 5,299 voted in favor. A temporary restraining order was issued by the SC on the MOA. (Armand Dean Nocum)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Police on friday recovered a fragmentation grenade inside a movie theater in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, officials said. Police said the grenade was discovered by a janitor inside the Mindpro mall in downtown Zamboanga at about 5:40 p.m.
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"Somebody must have thrown the grenade, but it did not explode. We also recovered the grenade's safety lever," said SPO2 Wilfred Paz, a member of the local police bomb squad. Paz said the janitor was sweeping inside Cinema 5 when he saw the grenade and informed the police about it.

"From where we recovered the grenade, we are sure it was tossed from afar, probably at the rear part of the cinema," Paz said. It was unknown how the grenade was smuggled inside the mall, but police said many would have been injured or killed had it exploded.

A grenade exploded in one of the mall's cinemas several years ago, wounding theater goers. - Al Jacinto, GMANews.TV

Malacañang has acknowledged that there are other ways of granting Muslims in Mindanao their demand for an ancestral homeland without changing the system of government from unitary to federal.

But Palace officials declined to discuss these alternatives while the Supreme Court is still deliberating on the initialed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Arroyo administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

According to abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak’s sources, the government’s peace negotiators will no longer sign the MOA-AD in the face of widespread opposition to it and questions about its constitutionality. Instead, the government will try to renegotiate it with the MILF.

The sources said the government’s peace panel first has to inform the MILF about its decision not to sign the MOA-AD, which was supposed to be done August 5 in Malaysia.

The government also has to inform the peace brokers such as the Malaysian government and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her meeting Friday night with the visiting Prime Minister of Kuwait, said her government would be playing a "supporting role" and would let civil society groups iron out the problems in the peace process.

"Yes, there are political dynamics. We are working to sort them out. The government will assume a supporting role and let non-government organizations support on the peace efforts spearhead the discussions for the problematic concerns. We want to end the conflict that clearly claimed more than 120,000 lives," she said.

Supreme Court hearing

The Supreme Court stopped the signing of the MOA-AD on August 4 in response to petitions from local government officials of North Cotabato, Zamboanga and Iligan City. They complained they were not consulted on the agreement and questioned the legality of some provisions of the MOA-AD.

The Supreme Court held oral arguments on the various petitions Friday afternoon after a closed-door, "in chamber session" with the Office of the Solicitor General and lawyers of the various petitioners. Another hearing on the oral arguments was set on August 22.

Senator Mar Roxas, who is also opposed to the MOA-AD, said the government already wants to back out of the MOA-AD. "They’re telling the justices, ‘Don’t rule on this anymore. We’re going to withdraw the MOA-AD so that there will be a renegotiation, so this will become moot and academic," he told reporters in the Supreme Court.

Business opposes MOA-AD

In a press statement, Roxas said the business sector has "added its voice" to the various groups opposed to the MOA-AD.

He said the Makati Business Club, a forum of influential business leaders, has issued a statement opposing the MOA-AD.

The MBC statement said: "We oppose the GRP-MILF Peace Panel Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain because it is flawed in the process just as it is flawed in its provisions. What was lost in the process was any appreciation for legitimacy in a democracy that stems from winning consensus, including the consent of the governed. Many, if not all, of its provisions violate the Constitution, which strangely enough the Memorandum never mentions by name."

The Management Association of the Philippines, another influential business association, likewise issued a statement of "grave concern on the proposed MOA with the MILF."

"We further strongly oppose provisions in the MOA-AD granting the MILF, through the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), exclusive ownership over the Bangsamoro homeland and removing this area from the public domain," the MAP said in its paid newspaper advertisement.

The MOA-AD will expand the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 700 additional villages, subject to a plebiscite. Wealth generated from exploitation of natural resources, including mineral resources in the south, will be shared 75:25 in favor of the Moro government.

‘Studying possibility’

When asked Friday if the Office of the President was open to revising the MOA-AD, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said in a press conference it was still too early to discuss possible changes since the matter is still pending before the Supreme Court.

But Dureza said Malacañang was "studying the possibility" of revising the MOA-AD.

He said Malacañang would have to study the inputs from its consultations with Catholic bishops and Ulamas.

"It [inputs] will be collated first. It is premature to make an initiative while there is an oral argument [in the Supreme Court]. We are studying the possibility but we are careful not to get into what the judiciary is doing," Dureza said.

Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said it would be best to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court.

"There might be something in the decision of the Supreme Court that will guide us on how to proceed with legal processes to give life to the intent of the MOA-AD," Claudio said.

He added the government would "never run out of avenues for peace." If one route to peace is shut, Claudio said there were other ways to consider.

"As long as there is openness on both sides and as long as there is goodwill and good faith on both sides," Claudio said "We should not be deterred by any result of the hearings or the decision of the Supreme Court."

Dureza said the "search for peace is constant" and that the government’s "resolve is always there" since the alternative to not getting a peace settlement is war.

He said that ever since President Arroyo assumed the presidency, she has sought to lay the "building blocks of peace in Mindanao not just for Muslims but for Lumads, Christians and Muslims."

Peace negotiator Ret. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia told dzMM last Saturday they may have to "revisit" the MOA-AD if it is struck down by the Supreme Court.

Other critics

Aside from local government officials and leaders of the Liberal Party, even allies of the president in the House of Representatives are against the MOA-AD

According to an informal survey of Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, 136 congressmen are against the MOA-AD, which is already a majority of the 238-member House of Representatives.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney also said Friday, that the US government would not want to see a separate and independent Mindanao. "We believe that lasting peace in Mindanao should be done within the territorial integrity of the Philippines," she said. --with reports from Newsbreak, and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

http://www.lazamboangatimes.com/AL_JACINTO_BJERALLY_4_460x.jpg


^^LET ME POST THIS... NO TO BJE:ohno::ohno:

http://www.lazamboangatimes.com/GETTY_DIAZ_460x.jpg


HIDILYN DIAZ

http://www.lazamboangatimes.com/AL_JACINTO_BJERALLY_4_460x.jpg


^^LET ME POST THIS... NO TO BJE:ohno::ohno:

yah.. di na matutuloy signing.; hehe

A home in the center where His Holiness dwells. . .

At Melrose Ville, you discover a picture perfect place to live. Settled in the gentle plains of Divisoria. . . It is two hectares of garden ad mango tree-lined streets, in a timeless elegance of classic but modern community. It’s far enough from the city to enjoy a haven of peace and relaxation, yet just less than half an hour from the business center of Zamboanga City
'
any news about this?

and ung villa teresa homes? any news?
villa san ignacio?
woodbridge garden village?

Geneva/Manila (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Philippine National Red Cross have jointly begun bringing aid to the more than 80,000 people displaced in the southern Philippines by recent hostilities between the armed forces and fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). According to the authorities, 130,000 people fled their homes in North Cotabato Province to seek shelter along the Mindanao highway in Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pikit and Tulunan.

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"Many displaced people have found shelter in evacuation centres near their homes. They mainly need food and basic shelter items such as tarpaulins, water containers and mosquito nets," said Felipe Donoso, the ICRC’s head of delegation in the Philippines. In response to those needs, the ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross have provided emergency equipment to boost the capacity of evacuation centres to provide adequate help for the displaced.

The ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross are loading trucks in Cotabato City to distribute food rations, beginning 15 August, for up to 80,000 displaced people.

Water and sanitation kits, which contain an assortment of water bladder tanks, pumps and pipes that can serve 15,000 people, are due to arrive in Cotabato City today. The ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross also stand ready to deploy a mobile water-treatment unit to provide safe and clean water for the displaced as well as the resident population.

The ICRC reminds the parties involved in the hostilities of their obligation to comply with international humanitarian law – in particular, they must take every measure possible to spare civilians the effects of hostilities and they must allow deliveries of emergency relief and medical supplies for people in need.

For further information, please contact: Roland Bigler, ICRC Manila, tel. 0918-9072125 or visit our website: www.icrc.org.

by Vic Larato and Sheila Covarrubias

Mayor Celso Lobregat on Thursday afternoon spoke before members Jambangan, an organization of Zamboangueños studying at the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus, about the city’s continuous fight against inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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“It is an emotional issue but we have to be logical as well,” Lobregat told the UP students of the proposed ancestral domain agreement that the government drafted for the rebel group in Southern Mindanao.

Lobregat as always maintained that the proposed territorial agreement between the government and the MILF is unconstitutional and was drafted without consultation with the affected areas.

“Yes, there were consultations but never about the territorial aspect of the agreement,” the mayor told the Zamboangueño students at UP. The dialogue was also attended by Rep. Teddy Locsin, UP College of Law Dean Merlyn Magallona, UP Jambangan president Angelie Natividad, herself a Zamboangueña.

Mayor Lobregat earlier in the Morning of Thursday joined other Mindanao leaders in the Senate hearing on the same issue. In the afternoon of same day he proceeded to UP Diliman to speak before a large audience of students and academicians including some members of the Zamboanga community in Manila.

Meanwhile, Lobregat joined the Zamboanga community in hearing mass at 6:30 a.m. yesterday after a church in Ermita, from where they walked peacefully to the Supreme Court for the oral argument on the petitions against the BJE. (Vic Larato with reports from Sheila Covarrubias in Manila)

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders held a peace dialogue with Catholic Bishops of Mindanao on Thursday to reiterate their commitment to pursue the realm of peace, justice, solidarity and development in Mindanao.


The peace dialogue was held at the Archbishop's Residence in Davao City. Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Dava, co-convenor of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, led the bishops while MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal led the MILF officials.

It was the first ever dialogue between the Catholic Bishops of Mindanao and the MILF which both sides described as epitomizing utmost sincerity, trust and cordiality, and a historic significant initiative as a way forward in advancing the common quest for genuine peace, unity and development in Mindanao.

Luwaran.com, the MILF's official website, reported that in the joint communiqué issued after the peace dialogue, the MILF and the bishops reiterated their unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path to peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao, and the peaceful resolution of the Mindanao conflict and Bangsamoro problem through the ongoing peace process between the government and MILF.

Quoted by Luwaran, Archbishop Capalla, said they are indeed very happy to host the historic occasion. "This is the very first time that high officials of the MILF were able to come to the Bishop's House and we are very glad to be with."

Adding that His Eminence Cardinal Rosales, Cardinal Vidal and the Papal Nuncio in Manila were informed of the peace dialogue.

For his part, MILF peace panel chief Iqbal said "We went our way to be here with you in the hallowed name of peace with our strong appeal for strong cooperation from all sectors in our stride to achieve peace in Mindanao."

"We all know that peace is so precious for all of us and so in the spirit of openness and frankness, we shall move forward with the process in searching for truth and justice as paramount foundation towards peace in Mindanao," Iqbal said.

Joining them for the dialogue were Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, Auxialiary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Cotabato, Bishop Honesto Pacana of Malaybalay, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan, Bishop Neri Ochimar of Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Bishop Edwin dela Pena of Marawi City, Bishop Anonieto Cabahug of Surigao City; MILF Senior Peace Panel Member Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, Ustaz Mohammad Montasir and Ustaz Mohammad Abdullah, both members of the MILF Central Committee, MILF AHJAG Chairman Atty. Abdul Dataya, MILF Peace Panel Head Secretariat Jun Mantawil, MILF Peace Panel Secretariat Member Mohajirin Ali, and MILF Ceasefire Committee Secretariat Head Rasid Ladiasan.

During the dialogue, the Bishops asked the MILF on its stand on the present status of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, concerns on the indigenous peoples' issues, and how can the Bishops be help to the GRP – MILF peace process.

Reverend Archbishops Quevedo, who in his recent write ups said the MOA-AD could bring lasting peace in Mindanao for all its people, said the "new information" shared by the MILF on the MOA-AD are very helpful in appreciating further the document.

However, Bishops Quevedo stressed the imperative of holding more dialogue and education campaign to avoid the negative repercussions that the MOA–AD could possibly unfold.

"The Bishops and representatives of the highest leadership of the MILF called on all sectors of the society for sobriety and calmness in confronting and resolving the issues besetting the forging of the GRP – MILF: MOA–AD," said the Joint Communique.

It also stated "Both Parties also manifested their strong appeal for an immediate declaration of ceasefire to the ongoing armed clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, and immediate delivery of relief assistance and rehabilitation programs for the affected communities by all concerned institutions, local and international."


Both parties resolved that dialogue and educational programs must be intensified, particularly by the religious leaders and academic institutions, relative to the ongoing peace process in Mindanao. (Hader Glang)

yah.. di na matutuloy signing.; hehe

^^GOOD ALWAYS WIN AGAINST EVIL JEJEJEJEJEJE TNX GOD :cheers:

A home in the center where His Holiness dwells. . .

At Melrose Ville, you discover a picture perfect place to live. Settled in the gentle plains of Divisoria. . . It is two hectares of garden ad mango tree-lined streets, in a timeless elegance of classic but modern community. It’s far enough from the city to enjoy a haven of peace and relaxation, yet just less than half an hour from the business center of Zamboanga City
'
any news about this?

and ung villa teresa homes? any news?
villa san ignacio?
woodbridge garden village?

^^Woodbridge, Villa Teresa and San Ignacio are underconstruction naman, with regards to Melrose Ville m not so sure if na umpisahan naba:cheers:

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders held a peace dialogue with Catholic Bishops of Mindanao on Thursday to reiterate their commitment to pursue the realm of peace, justice, solidarity and development in Mindanao.


The peace dialogue was held at the Archbishop's Residence in Davao City. Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Dava, co-convenor of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, led the bishops while MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal led the MILF officials.

It was the first ever dialogue between the Catholic Bishops of Mindanao and the MILF which both sides described as epitomizing utmost sincerity, trust and cordiality, and a historic significant initiative as a way forward in advancing the common quest for genuine peace, unity and development in Mindanao.

Luwaran.com, the MILF's official website, reported that in the joint communiqué issued after the peace dialogue, the MILF and the bishops reiterated their unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path to peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao, and the peaceful resolution of the Mindanao conflict and Bangsamoro problem through the ongoing peace process between the government and MILF.

Quoted by Luwaran, Archbishop Capalla, said they are indeed very happy to host the historic occasion. "This is the very first time that high officials of the MILF were able to come to the Bishop's House and we are very glad to be with."

Adding that His Eminence Cardinal Rosales, Cardinal Vidal and the Papal Nuncio in Manila were informed of the peace dialogue.

For his part, MILF peace panel chief Iqbal said "We went our way to be here with you in the hallowed name of peace with our strong appeal for strong cooperation from all sectors in our stride to achieve peace in Mindanao."

"We all know that peace is so precious for all of us and so in the spirit of openness and frankness, we shall move forward with the process in searching for truth and justice as paramount foundation towards peace in Mindanao," Iqbal said.

Joining them for the dialogue were Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, Auxialiary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Cotabato, Bishop Honesto Pacana of Malaybalay, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan, Bishop Neri Ochimar of Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Bishop Edwin dela Pena of Marawi City, Bishop Anonieto Cabahug of Surigao City; MILF Senior Peace Panel Member Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, Ustaz Mohammad Montasir and Ustaz Mohammad Abdullah, both members of the MILF Central Committee, MILF AHJAG Chairman Atty. Abdul Dataya, MILF Peace Panel Head Secretariat Jun Mantawil, MILF Peace Panel Secretariat Member Mohajirin Ali, and MILF Ceasefire Committee Secretariat Head Rasid Ladiasan.

During the dialogue, the Bishops asked the MILF on its stand on the present status of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, concerns on the indigenous peoples' issues, and how can the Bishops be help to the GRP – MILF peace process.

Reverend Archbishops Quevedo, who in his recent write ups said the MOA-AD could bring lasting peace in Mindanao for all its people, said the "new information" shared by the MILF on the MOA-AD are very helpful in appreciating further the document.

However, Bishops Quevedo stressed the imperative of holding more dialogue and education campaign to avoid the negative repercussions that the MOA–AD could possibly unfold.

"The Bishops and representatives of the highest leadership of the MILF called on all sectors of the society for sobriety and calmness in confronting and resolving the issues besetting the forging of the GRP – MILF: MOA–AD," said the Joint Communique.

It also stated "Both Parties also manifested their strong appeal for an immediate declaration of ceasefire to the ongoing armed clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, and immediate delivery of relief assistance and rehabilitation programs for the affected communities by all concerned institutions, local and international."


Both parties resolved that dialogue and educational programs must be intensified, particularly by the religious leaders and academic institutions, relative to the ongoing peace process in Mindanao. (Hader Glang)


^^if they really want peace they have to lay down their arms. if they will do that i for one will be supportive of the so called mindanao peace process.:ohno: all the peace negotiations will end up in trash if arms are still being held by this man in uniforms claiming they are fighting for the moro people but the truth is they are fighting for themselves to put them in power and give false hope to their fellow men. How sad is the truth.:ohno:

Well Sad To say Hangang Ngaun No Medal Parin an Team Philippines....ang result ngayon sa Medal Tally, ang Thailand,Indonasia,Malaysia,Singapore and Vietnam ay may Medal na aww..Almost behind na talaga tayo...but we still need to support our Team my tatlo pang natitira...in all we have 17 athletes na nagcompete sa Olympic and 3 of them are came from Zamboanga not 2 okey..Ka~! ka~! ka~!:eek2:

August 11 - Hidilyn Diaz|Weightlifting- Women's 58 kg - Lost:ohno:

August 13 - - Harry Tanamor|Boxing- Light Flyweight - Lost:ohno:

and

August 22 - Ryan Rexel Fabrega|Diving- Men's 10M Platform Preliminary - Pray for Him our last athlete compete for our last chance to have a medal..:angel1:

They are all came from Zamboanga...VIVa and Go Philippines..Adelante ASEAN||Nation...:runaway:

:lol::lol:

Well Sad To say Hangang Ngaun No Medal Parin an Team Philippines....ang result ngayon sa Medal Tally, ang Thailand,Indonasia,Malaysia,Singapore and Vietnam ay may Medal na aww..Almost behind na talaga tayo...but we still need to support our Team my tatlo pang natitira...in all we have 17 athletes na nagcompete sa Olympic and 3 of them are came from Zamboanga not 2 okey..Ka~! ka~! ka~!:eek2:

August 11 - Hidilyn Diaz|Weightlifting- Women's 58 kg - Lost:ohno:

August 13 - - Harry Tanamor|Boxing- Light Flyweight - Lost:ohno:

and

August 22 - Ryan Rexel Fabrega|Diving- Men's 10M Platform Preliminary - Pray for Him our last athlete compete for our last chance to have a medal..:angel1:

They are all came from Zamboanga...VIVa and Go Philippines..Adelante ASEAN||Nation...:runaway:

:lol::lol:

Kahit walang medal ang team philippines, its an honor parin na may nag represent na athlete for the Philippines.

dami pala tlagang Olympian ngaun na taga Zamboanga no? im proud of it..

Truly Zamboanga should be called.."Sports Capital of the Philippines"

^^ the youngest Weightlifter to compete in the Olympics..Zamboangueño blood runs thru her veins..

http://www.microsoft.com/philippines/olympinoy/images/img_Htanamor.jpg

Harry Tañamor: Light Flyweight Giant

Fierce is the last word that would come to mind when you meet the country’s lone boxer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although the 30-year old Zamboangueño, exudes humility and gentleness, Harry Tañamor becomes the master of the four-cornered boxing ring during matches.

Being the 5th of nine siblings, Harry’s interest in boxing was sparked when he was 19 through the influence of his older brothers who were also boxers in their town. His serious training only began in 1999 when he was 21 years old. He competed in the National Open and in the Philippine National Games in Zamboanga.

This year will be Harry’s 2nd time at the summer games, having represented the country in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He looks up to boxing greats such as Oscar dela Joya and fellow Filipino boxers, Olympic bronze medallist Roel Velasco and WBC super featherweight champion, Manny Pacquiao. “Harry enthused with pride in his voice, “Magaling at matapang talaga ang mga boxers natin. Lumalaban talaga ang mga Pinoy.” (Our Filipino boxers are really skillful and courageous. Filipinos always fight the best way they can.)

Harry has ironed out his game plan for his second stint at the Olympics. “Alam ko na yung strategy ko at pag-iigihan ko pa lalo yung training ko para mas magaling yung laban ko,” he quipped. (I’ve mapped out my strategy and I will exert more effort in my training so I could put up an excellent fight.)

Beyond his victories in the boxing ring, Harry’s main success is making his family happy and proud. The Olympic hopeful says that he is happy whenever his wife and two kids are happy. “Importante sa kin yung suporta ng pamilya ko dahil sila yung nagbibigay sa kin ng inspirasyon.” (The support of my family is important because they serve as my inspiration.) Harry shares that he doesn’t want his kids to get into boxing as much as possible, “Ayokong masaktan sila, pero kung gusto talaga nila susuportahan ko pa rin sila.” (I don’t want my kids to get hurt, but if that’s what they really want to do, then I would still support them.)

When he is not training or preparing for a big meet, Harry enjoys his time with his wife and kids, “Namamasyal kami sa mall kasama yung mga bata.” (We go to the mall with the kids.)

Aside from his twice-daily boxing training under his coach, Patricio Gaspi, Harry works on his strength and technique by jogging, going to the gym, practicing sparring, free sparring and technique sparring. “Ginagawa ko yung lahat ng makakaya ko sa training para maging matagumpay ako sa Olympics kasi di lang ‘to para sakin. Para ito sa pamilya ko at sa bansa.” (I am doing my best with in training so that I could be successful in the Olympics. All my efforts aren’t just for me. This is for my family and my country.)

Recognizing the efforts of our Filipino athletes and the honor they bring to the country is one of the reasons why Microsoft embarked on a campaign in partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) dubbed as Olympinoy. The main goal of the campaign is to empower our Filipino athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and provide the channel for all Filipinos to show their support for the Olympians.

Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines, Rafael Rollan shared, “Filipino athletes, like Harry, have shown the world their excellence in skill and character. Through Olympinoy, Filipinos can show their support and gratitude to our athletes.”

Harry is proud to be fighting for our country and he is looking forward to the continued support of the Filipino people through campaigns such as Olympinoy. “Importante yung dagdag na suporta, malaking bagay na yun para sa aming mga atleta.” (Additional support is important, it already means a lot to athletes like me.)

The future looks good for Harry and he is very optimistic. “Kung kaya ni Pacquiao, kaya ko din at hangga’t kaya ng katawan ko, sige lang.” (If Pacquiao can do it, I can too and as long as my body still allows it, I’ll keep on fighting.

After the Olympics, Harry will gear up for the Southeast Asian Games slated in 2009.

Despite his modesty and unassuming demeanor, this light flyweight boxer, son, husband and father is a true giant who deserves to be in the roster of Filipino boxing greats. He has so many things to be proud of - a happy family who loves him and gives him all out support, a nation rallying behind him and of course, a winning quick punch and jab.

http://www.microsoft.com/philippines/olympinoy/images/img_Rfabriga.jpg

Rexel Ryan Fabriga

http://www.mukamo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/poy-palma.jpg

Star dreamer of Zamboanga and wait-listed scholar Poy Palma was called to take the spot. As an Honorary Scholar, Poy will be studying along with the other scholars inside the academy, she will have to complete a task set only just for her. Her main task inside the Academy is to challenge the remaining scholars and she has to aim for the Star Scholar of the Week title in order to earn her instant 50,000 pesos, which will be deducted from the cash prizes in store for the Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 finalists. If she gets her hands on three Star Scholar of the Week awards, she will be given a choice to either take home 150,000 pesos or become an official scholar of the academy and the chance to aim for the Grand Star Dreamer title.

Celso speaks before UP students on BJE accord

Mayor Celso Lobregat on Thursday afternoon spoke before members Jambangan, an organization of Zamboanguños studying at the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus, about the city’s continuous fight against inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“It is an emotional issue but we have to be logical as well,” Lobregat told the UP students of the proposed ancestral domain agreement that the government drafted for the rebel group in Southern Mindanao.

Lobregat as always maintained that the proposed territorial agreement between the government and the MILF is unconstitutional and was drafted without consultation with the affected areas.

“Yes, there were consultations but never about the territorial aspect of the agreement,” the mayor told the Zamboangueño students at UP. The dialogue was also attended by Rep. Teddy Locsin, UP College of Law Dean Merlyn Magallona, UP Jambangan president Angelie Natividad, herself a Zamboangueña.

Mayor Lobregat earlier in the morning of Thursday joined other Mindanao leaders in the Senate hearing on the same issue. In the afternoon of same day he proceeded to UP Diliman to speak before a large audience of students and academicians including some members of the Zamboanga community in Manila.

Meanwhile, Lobregat joined the Zamboanga community in hearing mass at 6:30 a.m. yesterday after a church in Ermita, from where they walked peacefully to the Supreme Court for the oral argument on the petitions against the BJE. — Vic Larato with reports from Sheila Covarrubias in Manila

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Plaza Pershing..with Golden Bell and Southway Square Mall in the Background..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2770383179_b00baa5b36.jpg?v=0

Kahit walang medal ang team philippines, its an honor parin na may nag represent na athlete for the Philippines.

INDEED IT IS, AND IT'S SOMETHIN' THAT WE SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD OF! ONWARDS PHILIPPINES!

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/mbell_791983/BPIzambomain.jpg
BPI Zamboanga Main Branch-the first BPI bank in Mindanao

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/mbell_791983/Cityhall.jpg
The city hall of Zamboanga

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One of the most popular "class" hotels with old Rizal Cinema

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The first mall in Zamboanga

Plaza Fair Zamboanga, 2/f Midtown Plaza, Nunez Extension, Zamboanga City is the second PF Department Store branch in Mindanao:
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Shoppers' Center-not considered as a mall but as a mini-mall, as supermarket and department store dominates this building. McDonald's has another branch in Zamboanga (same size as La Purisima branch):
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http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/mbell_791983/Cityhall.jpg

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http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/mbell_791983/PFClothesArea.jpg

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[QUOTE=mbell_791983;24141172]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/mbell_791983/BPIzambomain.jpg

not only the first BPI in Mindanao but the first BPI established outside Metro Manila

SP recalls ‘persona non grata’ resolution: In consideration of Jacinto’s apology

Zamboanga City - - The Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday approved to recall the resolution it passed last Thursday declaring Mindanao Examiner Editor Al Jacinto “persona non grata” after the latter had apologized for having written what was considered inflammatory articles that tend to incite Muslim-Christian animosity on the Bangsamoro homeland issue.

Councilor Edmundo Rodriguez moved to withdraw the council’s “persona non grata” resolution against Jacinto in cognizance of the latter’s letter of apology to Mayor Celso Lobregat, copies of which were furnished to the members of the local legislature.

Majority of the councilors present in yesterday’s advanced session of the City Council voted in favor of the resolution presented by Rodriguez, who was also the principal author of the legislature’s “persona non grata” resolution last week.

In a letter dated Aug. 9, Jacinto, who is also a correspondent of various national and international wire agencies, apologized to the chief executive, the city councilors, religious sector and other people whom he may have caused pain and brought unnecessary concerns as a result of his inflammatory articles posted in the website www.gmanews.tv.

Mayor Lobregat earlier chided Jacinto for inaccurate reporting on the city’s huge protest rally against inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that further inflamed the already very tense situation arising from the BJE.

Like the City Council, Lobregat fully accepted Jacinto’s apology and hinted that the council’s withdrawal of its “persona non grata” resolution against the newsman was in order.

However, Lobregat brushed aside criticisms from certain quarters that the act against Jacinto was tantamount to curtailing press freedom, stressing that press freedom goes with it the sense of responsibility on the part of every journalist.

“Nobody in his right mind should incite a Christian-Muslim conflict because there is none,” Lobregat told members of the Fourth Estate in a meeting early Monday night in City Hall, adding that Christians, Muslims and other people from different faiths and cultures co-exist harmoniously in this part of the country.

During the meeting, the mayor even cited an open letter to media members by journalist Froilan Gallardo of the PECOJON expressing dismay over the practice of some of his fellow media men who pit Christians against Muslims in their coverage of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) issue.

Gallardo in his letter said: “The worse part is when editors “pit Christians and Muslims” in the controversy. A network the other day bannered “Filipino Christians rally against Muslim accord”. Another story reads “Philippine government will try to persuade Christian politicians to drop their opposition..”

“Shucks. Why did a religious theme suddenly come to the story? This is not a war between Christians and Muslims”, Gallardo’s letter, published on August 7, 2008 added. (Vic Larato)

Zanorte, Sibuco to file petitions vs GRP-MILF MOA ;Yebes, Edding commends Celso for leading fight

Asia’s Latin City - - Zamboanga del Norte Governor Rolando Yebes and Sibuco Municipal Mayor Norbi Edding are set to file today, Monday their individual petitions before the Supreme Court seeking the exclusion of their areas in the GRP-MILF memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain Category B.

The two local government officials Saturday sought from Mayor Celso Lobregat a copy of the MOA-AD category B and were alarmed to discover that 8 of the total 25 municipalities and 2 cities in Zamboanga del Norte are proposed to be part of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Sibuco is one of the municipalities included in the list and to be covered are all its 19 barangays:Anongan, Basak, Bongalao, Cabbunan, Cawit-cawit, Culaguan, Cusipan, Dinulan, Jatian, Kamarangan, Lakiki, Lambagoan, Limpapa, Lingayon, Lintanga, Litawan, Lunday, Malayal and Mantivo.

Mayor Lobregat has been officially furnished a copy of the MOA-AD including its annexes based on an order from the Supreme Court following the issuance of a temporary restraining order last August 4.

Forty (40) other barangays in Zamboanga are included in the category B document aside from the original 8 and then trimmed down to 6 barangays under category A. The Category B of the MOA are the so-called special intervention areas and refers to “conflict affected areas outside theBJE which shall be the subject of special socio-economic and cultural affirmative action implemented by the Central Government pending the conduct of a plebiscite not earlier than twenty-five (25) years from the signing of the Comprehensive Compact to determine the question of their accession to the BJE. The areas reflected are subject to further negotiations by the Parties”.

Gov. Yebes said he met with all the mayor and provincial board members the other day and that the group decided that an independent petition will be filed before the Supreme Court assailing the proposed MOA and asking that Zamboanga del Norte be excluded from the list.

He said the petition will be based on two grounds: constitutional infirmities as the province was not given a day in court and that the constituents were not consulted by the GRP-MILF peace panels. The petition will be signed by all the municipal and city mayors including religious leaders in the province.

On Wednesday, the province will also stage a mass protest to dramatize sentiments against the inclusion of the 8 municipalities in the BJE.

Like Zamboanga City, Yebes said, Zamboanga del Norte was initially promised by the GRP-MILF panels that the province will not be part of the agreement. During the plebiscites in 1989 and 2001, the residents in the province overwhelmingly voted to be out of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Numerous resolutions have also been approved by the provincial board and all the municipal governments expressing opposition to the province’s inclusion in the BJE.

“All the while we thought, our province is not included in the BJE”, the governor said lamenting that the 8 municipalities listed under Category B comprises 40 percent of the population of the province and are not Muslim dominated areas.

“I congratulate Mayor Lobregat for his stand (on the issue) and for his vigilance”, Gov. Yebes said. Aside from Sibuco, the other municipalities included in the list are Baliguian, Godod, Kalawit, Labason, Salug, Siocon and Sirawai.

For his part, Mayor Norbi Edding said he has been closely watching the movements spearheaded by Mayor Lobregat in Zamboanga City relative to the GRP-MILF MOA-AD and was surprised to find out that his municipality is included in the BJE category B.

“We will file an independent course of action through the provincial government”, Edding said. The petition would seek the declaration of the MOA as “ab initio”. “We have never been consulted on the matter and so the MOA should be declared null and void”.

The Category B list include the following barangays in Zamboanga City: Ayala, Baluno, Bolong, Buenavista, Calabasa, Campo Islam, Cawit, Curuan, Dita, Dulian (Upper Bunguiao), La Paz, Labuan, Latuan, Licomo, Limaong, Limpapa, Maasin, Malagutay, Mangusu, Manicahan, Mariki, Muti, Pamucutan, Panubigan, Patalon, Quiniput, Recodo, Sibulao (Curuan), Sinubung, Sinunuc, Tagasilay, Taguiti, Talisayan, Talon-talon, Tictapul, Tigbalabag, Tulungatung, Tumitus, Victoria, and Vitali. (Sheila Covarrubias)

Mistakes of GRP panel, unforgivable—Beng

Zamboanga City - - Congresswoman Beng Climaco of District I on Monday said the mistakes committed by the government panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the listing of Zamboanga barangays for inclusion in the proposed memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain is unforgivable and deplorable.

In a meeting with GRP panel members and other Mindanao lawmakers in Congress on Monday, Climaco said she holds the government panel accountable for the mistakes in the listing.

The congresswoman was referring to the inclusion of barangays Zone 3 and Zone 4 in the initial listing of barangays which was shown to her in open session by Presidential Assistant on Peace Process Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, two weeks ago. The matter caused oral discussions not only in Congress through Climaco but also in Zamboanga City by Mayor Celso Lobregat.

During the meeting in Congress Monday, Esperon and other members of the GRP panel admitted that they made a mistake in the listing and that the list of Zamboanga barangyas proposed to be included in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity has been trimmed down to 6—all, according to the panel, under Sacol Island.

But the lady solon said Sacol Island consists only of four barangays: Landang Laum, Landang Gua, Busay and Pasilmanta. Manalipa and Tigtabon which are also included in the list are not part of Sacol Island.

“This is something that I am holding you accountable for”, Climaco told Esperon pointblank. “You should have known the geographical implications of this”.

She stressed: “This is unforgivable because all the documents pass through you and then now you say you made a mistake?”.

According to Climaco, the GRP panel should have exercised more prudence in the conduct of the negotiations by giving the stakeholders in Mindanao the chance to be heard.

As is, the GRP-MILF memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain violates the people’s right to information as guaranteed under the Constitution, Climaco maintained. (Ryan Sta. Teresa)

Zambo Pen OWWA Director appointed Labor Attache to Malaysia

Zamboanga City - - Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque recently appointed Director Hassan Jumdain, current regional director of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the Zamboanga Peninsula, as Labor Attache to Malaysia.

A veteran in international operations on OFW affairs, field operations and crisis management, “Sany”, as he is called within the circle of the DOLE family, his friends and relatives, is also adept at community organization, networking, public relations, planning, intelligence and data gatherings, welfare assistance, counseling and conciliation of labor disputes.

He is also popular for his engaging personality aside from his skills as a knowledgeable guest speaker in different occasions, trainer and resource person in many skills and capability building seminars throughout his civil service career.

His skills served him well as he hurdled his stint in Saudi Arabia from August 6, 1990 to September 30, 1998 as Welfare Officer/Assistant Labor Attache’ and Head of the Embassy Satellite Office in Al-Khobar (Philippine Trade and Investment Center) Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. In the inner circles, he was known as the most trusted man of the Philippine Ambassador and served in concurrent capacity as the Ambassador’s alter ego to the Saudi Government, Filipino community gatherings and Assistant Director of the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar, eastern region from 1995 to 1998.

Sany proved his mettle in crisis management in Gulf War 1, when Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 3, 1990. He was a member of the Presidential Task Force sent to the Middle East to look into the welfare of the affected Filipinos and assisted in the emergency evacuation of 25, 000 OFW refugees in the borders between Alkhafji Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq. He stayed in the Iraqi Jordanian border for 59 grueling days in the company of International Red Cross and the Jordanian Red Crescent.

In February 17, 1991 after the liberation of Kuwait by the US and the Allied Forces, the King of Saudi awarded him, “The King Fahad Liberation of Kuwait Gold Medal” for exemplary service to the Filipinos during the 1990-1991 Gulf War along with a Letter of Recognition from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, a rare accolade and distinction from the Saudi government for assisting distressed Filipino nationals confined at the Social Welfare in Riyadh.

He was Regional Director of OWWA CARAGA Region from November 2005 to January 2008 prior to his assignment as OWWA director in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Hassan T. Jumdain is a true son of Tawi-Tawi, the fourth son of the late Hadji Mohammed Yunus Jumdain Abial, a businessman and Imam (Muslim Priest) and Hadja Nurhudaya Takaki Jumdain, a homemaker. Born on December 27, 1959, He completed his secondary education as class valedictorian at the Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College Bongao in 1973 and was President of the Supreme Student High School Council and C.A.T. Corps Commander of that institution. In 1980, he finished his Bachelor of Science in Criminology at the University of the Visayas, Cebu City, before proceeding to take up Law at the Far Eastern University where he also obtained his Masters degree in Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) in 2007 and Masters in Business Administration, (Cum Laude) in 2006 at the Agusan Institute of Technology in Butuan City.

Sany joined the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration on October 16, 1989 as Welfare Officer. A Career Officer and Diplomat Attaché in the Foreign Service in posts, such as Philippine Embassies in Riyadh and Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Amman Jordan, Doha State of Qatar and Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, championing the rights and welfare of the Overseas Filipino Workers for over 14 years.

In the span of his career, he was a three-time Vice President of the Philippines Awardee “Vice President of the Philippines and Ambassador’s Awards of Recognition” for distinguished service to OFWs 1990-1991 Gulf War, 1996 US-Iraq Operations Southern Watch and 1995-1998.

A three-time Ambassador’s awardee. In June 12, 1998, he received his first Ambassador’s award from Ambassador Romulo M. Espaldon, The Centennial Outstanding Embassy Officer Award, on the occasion of the 100th year of Philippine Independence. The second was an Ambassador’s Award Merit for Leadership presented during the Labor Day Celebration on May 1, 2002 at the Philippine Embassy in Manama, Bahrain from Ambassador Rodolfo I. Dumapias and the third Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary services from Ambassador Eduardo Pablo Maglaya presented during the 107th Philippine Independence Day Celebration on June 10, 2005 at Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

He was also a two-time awardee recognized as Model Philippine Government representative on January 5, 1995 and August 1996 by the Iglesia ni Kristo OFWs in Saudi Arabia.

He carved his public service career with the then Ministry of Agriculture, Philippine National Police, and the Office for Muslim Affairs.

His marriage to Hadja Seha Talib Jumdain is blessed with four children Abdel Aziz, Al-Rayyan, Rhaffi, and Farhan .

As he leaves the OWWA post for Malaysia, Director Jumdain hopes to serve as a guiding light to distressed OFWs and to settle some blind spots in the Sabah repatriation.

Zambo Pen OWWA Director appointed Labor Attache to Malaysia

Zamboanga City - - Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque recently appointed Director Hassan Jumdain, current regional director of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the Zamboanga Peninsula, as Labor Attache to Malaysia.

A veteran in international operations on OFW affairs, field operations and crisis management, “Sany”, as he is called within the circle of the DOLE family, his friends and relatives, is also adept at community organization, networking, public relations, planning, intelligence and data gatherings, welfare assistance, counseling and conciliation of labor disputes.

He is also popular for his engaging personality aside from his skills as a knowledgeable guest speaker in different occasions, trainer and resource person in many skills and capability building seminars throughout his civil service career.

His skills served him well as he hurdled his stint in Saudi Arabia from August 6, 1990 to September 30, 1998 as Welfare Officer/Assistant Labor Attache’ and Head of the Embassy Satellite Office in Al-Khobar (Philippine Trade and Investment Center) Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. In the inner circles, he was known as the most trusted man of the Philippine Ambassador and served in concurrent capacity as the Ambassador’s alter ego to the Saudi Government, Filipino community gatherings and Assistant Director of the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar, eastern region from 1995 to 1998.

Sany proved his mettle in crisis management in Gulf War 1, when Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 3, 1990. He was a member of the Presidential Task Force sent to the Middle East to look into the welfare of the affected Filipinos and assisted in the emergency evacuation of 25, 000 OFW refugees in the borders between Alkhafji Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq. He stayed in the Iraqi Jordanian border for 59 grueling days in the company of International Red Cross and the Jordanian Red Crescent.

In February 17, 1991 after the liberation of Kuwait by the US and the Allied Forces, the King of Saudi awarded him, “The King Fahad Liberation of Kuwait Gold Medal” for exemplary service to the Filipinos during the 1990-1991 Gulf War along with a Letter of Recognition from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, a rare accolade and distinction from the Saudi government for assisting distressed Filipino nationals confined at the Social Welfare in Riyadh.

He was Regional Director of OWWA CARAGA Region from November 2005 to January 2008 prior to his assignment as OWWA director in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Hassan T. Jumdain is a true son of Tawi-Tawi, the fourth son of the late Hadji Mohammed Yunus Jumdain Abial, a businessman and Imam (Muslim Priest) and Hadja Nurhudaya Takaki Jumdain, a homemaker. Born on December 27, 1959, He completed his secondary education as class valedictorian at the Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College Bongao in 1973 and was President of the Supreme Student High School Council and C.A.T. Corps Commander of that institution. In 1980, he finished his Bachelor of Science in Criminology at the University of the Visayas, Cebu City, before proceeding to take up Law at the Far Eastern University where he also obtained his Masters degree in Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) in 2007 and Masters in Business Administration, (Cum Laude) in 2006 at the Agusan Institute of Technology in Butuan City.

Sany joined the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration on October 16, 1989 as Welfare Officer. A Career Officer and Diplomat Attaché in the Foreign Service in posts, such as Philippine Embassies in Riyadh and Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Amman Jordan, Doha State of Qatar and Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, championing the rights and welfare of the Overseas Filipino Workers for over 14 years.

In the span of his career, he was a three-time Vice President of the Philippines Awardee “Vice President of the Philippines and Ambassador’s Awards of Recognition” for distinguished service to OFWs 1990-1991 Gulf War, 1996 US-Iraq Operations Southern Watch and 1995-1998.

A three-time Ambassador’s awardee. In June 12, 1998, he received his first Ambassador’s award from Ambassador Romulo M. Espaldon, The Centennial Outstanding Embassy Officer Award, on the occasion of the 100th year of Philippine Independence. The second was an Ambassador’s Award Merit for Leadership presented during the Labor Day Celebration on May 1, 2002 at the Philippine Embassy in Manama, Bahrain from Ambassador Rodolfo I. Dumapias and the third Ambassador’s Award for Exemplary services from Ambassador Eduardo Pablo Maglaya presented during the 107th Philippine Independence Day Celebration on June 10, 2005 at Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

He was also a two-time awardee recognized as Model Philippine Government representative on January 5, 1995 and August 1996 by the Iglesia ni Kristo OFWs in Saudi Arabia.

He carved his public service career with the then Ministry of Agriculture, Philippine National Police, and the Office for Muslim Affairs.

His marriage to Hadja Seha Talib Jumdain is blessed with four children Abdel Aziz, Al-Rayyan, Rhaffi, and Farhan .

As he leaves the OWWA post for Malaysia, Director Jumdain hopes to serve as a guiding light to distressed OFWs and to settle some blind spots in the Sabah repatriation.

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http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/mbell_791983/Cityhall.jpg

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ok na sana, ung mga wirings kasi, dpat ibaon na, have you heard about this bill sa congress? sana matuloy na hay..

Well Sad To say Hangang Ngaun No Medal Parin an Team Philippines....ang result ngayon sa Medal Tally, ang Thailand,Indonasia,Malaysia,Singapore and Vietnam ay may Medal na aww..Almost behind na talaga tayo...but we still need to support our Team my tatlo pang natitira...in all we have 17 athletes na nagcompete sa Olympic and 3 of them are came from Zamboanga not 2 okey..Ka~! ka~! ka~!:eek2:

August 11 - Hidilyn Diaz|Weightlifting- Women's 58 kg - Lost:ohno:

August 13 - - Harry Tanamor|Boxing- Light Flyweight - Lost:ohno:

and

August 22 - Ryan Rexel Fabrega|Diving- Men's 10M Platform Preliminary - Pray for Him our last athlete compete for our last chance to have a medal..:angel1:

They are all came from Zamboanga...VIVa and Go Philippines..Adelante ASEAN||Nation...:runaway:

:lol::lol:

kanina as i read Manila Bulletin..i found out that Shiela Mae Perez also came from Zamboanga..

4 Olympians from Zamboanga

truly Zamboanga is the Power House of Athletes in the Philippines..

Palace confirms homeland deal with MILF will no longer be signed

The Arroyo government will no longer sign the ancestral homeland agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Press Secretary Jesus Dureza announced Wednesday.

Dureza told dzMM and other reporters in Malacanang that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has informed the Supreme Court that the government will no longer sign the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain due to critical views of some of the high court justices and the attacks in several parts of Mindanao by the MILF.

Dureza said the government will instead seek to renegotiate the agreement with the MILF.

With this policy decision, he said the executive branch hopes that the Supreme Court will decide to dismiss the petitions on the MOA-AD filed by various politicians and other oppositors.

abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak reported as early as Friday that the Arroyo government will no longer sign the MOA-AD.

The MOA-AD would have expanded the autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao, subject to a law and voters' approval in a plebiscite. It would also have granted Muslims wider economic and political powers, including 75:25 sharing of wealth from exploitation of natural resources.

Critics said the deal was unconstitutional since it would have granted the MILF nearly all the elements of a separate state. They also complained about not being consulted on the agreement.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=128802

^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

Mabuti naman at hindi matutuloy!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Palace confirms homeland deal with MILF will no longer be signed

The Arroyo government will no longer sign the ancestral homeland agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Press Secretary Jesus Dureza announced Wednesday.

Dureza told dzMM and other reporters in Malacanang that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has informed the Supreme Court that the government will no longer sign the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain due to critical views of some of the high court justices and the attacks in several parts of Mindanao by the MILF.

Dureza said the government will instead seek to renegotiate the agreement with the MILF.

With this policy decision, he said the executive branch hopes that the Supreme Court will decide to dismiss the petitions on the MOA-AD filed by various politicians and other oppositors.

abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak reported as early as Friday that the Arroyo government will no longer sign the MOA-AD.

The MOA-AD would have expanded the autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao, subject to a law and voters' approval in a plebiscite. It would also have granted Muslims wider economic and political powers, including 75:25 sharing of wealth from exploitation of natural resources.

Critics said the deal was unconstitutional since it would have granted the MILF nearly all the elements of a separate state. They also complained about not being consulted on the agreement.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=128802

^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

Mabuti naman at hindi matutuloy!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

^^GOOD ALWAY PREVAILS OVER EVIL. THE QUESTION NOW IS WHAT'S THE NEXT MOVE OF GLORIA? WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS. FOR NOW SWEET VICTORY.:cheers:

by: Sheila Covarrubias

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday declared that he will not back out from his firm stand against the inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) under the GRP - MILF Memorandum of Agreement of Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) despite the numerous threats from various groups.

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"We are not going to bog down, we are not going to show fear, we are not going to back out from our position", the mayor told City Hall reporters as few hours after suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attacked town in Lanao including Iligan City to pressure the government to pursue the signing of the MOA-AD.

Mayor Lobregat a long with North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz have openly protested the inclusion of their individual areas under the BJE. Backed by their respective constituents, the three local government officials have led protest actions and filed petitions that caused the Supreme Court to the issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) cancelling the August 5 signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Lobregat, Pinol and Cruz have been receiving threats to their lives and the attacks in various towns in Lanao and in Iligan City Sunday and Monday as well as the taking over of numerous barangays in North Cotabato by MILF rebels two weeks ago are linked to the anti-BJE stance of the local government officials.

"We will not back out from our position saying, well because it happened, let them take Zamboanga City. We are not going to give up Zamboanga City", Mayor Lobregat pronounced.

The mayor stressed that he and his constituents in Zamboanga are not advocating for war. "We are for peace, we don't accept what they want then there will be war".

He continued: "Who is declaring that (war)? We are not declaring that, we are saying we want peace and so they should respect our position."

Lobregat agreed with Iligan City Mayor Cruz, who said on national television "if that is the price that Iligan had to pay for taking the (opposing stand on BJE), that is the price that is worth paying for".

He maintained that by opposing the inclusion of Zamboanga in the BJE does not mean that the Zamboanguenos do not support peace efforts. Besides, he said, the BJE issue has gone beyond the inclusion of some barangays in Zamboanga City,Iligan City and North Cotabato or Isabela City in the BJE. "It is now an issue that affects the entire Mindanao and the entire country". (Sheila Covarrubias)

by Nonong Santiago

Cabaluay residents have appealed to the City Council to immediately act on their petition strongly opposing a company’s application to operate a waste treatment plant in their barangay.

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At least 134 residents from the east coast barangay have jointly and severally signed the petition interposing strong objection to the proposal of Veterans Builders Enterprises to construct and operate the waste treatment plant in their community, adding that it will bring health hazards to the people in the future.

The petition was first submitted to the Cabaluay barangay council and after evaluating the complaints of the petitioners, barangay councilmen Lester Siason and RBE Mako Apolinario VII endorsed the petition to the Sanguniang Panlungsod for further investigation.

However, the petition which was forwarded to the City Council on February 7, 2008, has not been acted upon by the aldermen.

The endorsement letter of Apolinario and Siason to the City Council stated that majority of the Cabaluay residents strongly object the application of Mr. Arthur Cabanes and Dr. Vincent Solis, owner of the said company to construct and operate the waste treatment plant in the said community for reasons that it will ultimately affect the underground water supply and cause harm to the environment and the people.

“The proposed waste treatment plant will be located at the property of Solis which is an uphill and would surely affect several artesian wells in the lower areas of the barangay that could lead to the outbreak of diseases among the populace,” stated the petition.

The petitioners claimed that the operation of the waste treatment plant involves the dumping of human feces, chemicals and other waste materials coming from a military installation.

In fact, the petitioners have earlier filed their complaint written in Tagalog to Gen. Reynaldo Ramirez, PAF but has also not been acted upon by the military official.

Copies of the petition have also been furnished to the City Health Office, Department of Health, and the City Administrator’s Office, but remained unresolved until today. (Nonong Santiago)

by Vic Larato

Mayor Celso Lobregat Monday welcomed to this city His Excellency Joseph Eduard Adams, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, including the religious and lay delegates from the Diocese of Ilagan City, Isabela, who paid him a courtesy visit in City Hall.


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Mayor Lobregat said the Papal Nuncio’s visit to Zamboanga City comes at a time when the city and its people are experiencing “very trying times” apparently referring to the city’s fight against any attempt to include Zamboanga City or any of its part in the government’s territorial deal with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We ask him always include our city in his prayers. We need his guidance,” Lobregat said of His Eminence (Joseph Eduard Adams), who was accompanied to City Hall by local priests and other lay people led by Zamboanga City Archbishop Romulo Valles and delegates, from the Order of Franciscan Missionary based in Ilagan City.

Also with the Papal Nuncio were his secretary, Fr. Felipe, Fr. Marino Gatan, who is administrator of Ilagan, Isabela Diocese and Ipil Archbishop Julius Tonel and other religious leaders.

The chief executive also took the opportunity to brief the Ambassador of Pope Benedict XVI and other visitors on the city’s demography and the chronicle of events that led to the proposed inclusion of Zamboanga City in the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF.

Lobregat told the Papal Nuncio that the MOA-AD was crafted in secrecy and without proper consultation with the people in the affected areas in Mindanao and that Zamboanga City had twice rejected in two plebiscites, earlier proposals to be part of the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Lobregat further told the pope’s ambassador to the country that Zamboanga City and its people stood up against inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) to be formed under the agreement, whose formal signing between the government peace negotiators and the MILF was aborted by the Supreme Court.

After the briefing, the mayor presented tokens to the papal nuncio that included miniatures of a colorful vinta sails and a bronze gong, both reflective of the city’s identity and cultures. He also gave out Chabacano-Spanish-English dictionaries to the visitors.

The papal nuncio then visited the historic shrine of the miraculous Lady of the Pillar before heading for Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay to preside over (as official representative of Pope Benedict XVI) the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Joseph A. Nacua, who will be assigned to the diocese of Ilagan, Isabela. (Vic Larato)

by Vic Larato

Amid the tension that grip the neighboring provinces of Lanao including Iligan City, Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday advised the residents of Zamboanga City to be “sober but prepared for any eventuality” even as he assured that the police and military authorities here have been placed under heightened alert.

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“Don’t panic. Let us be very vigilant and prepared for any eventuality,” Mayor Lobregat told Zamboangueños in a statement to the local press yesterday morning, adding that he has been monitoring the situation in Lanao del Sur since Sunday when the fighting broke out between government troops and armed rebels belonging to the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The chief executive said he is constantly in contact with Mayor Lawrence Cruz of Iligan City in Lanao del Sur and Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol of North Cotabato, where some villages had just been liberated by government operations from MILF occupation last week.

Immediately after the fighting broke out in Lanao (del Sur), the mayor said, he called up city police director Sr. Supt. Lurimer Detran and told him to tighten security measures all over the 98 barangays of this city.

Lobregat added he also made similar calls to Task Force Zamboanga Commander Col. Santiago Baluyut and Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) chief Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga. “They told me Zamboanga City was already placed on heightened alert,” the mayor said.

The chief executive linked the present crisis in Lanao del Sur to the strong objection of some local government units specifically North Cotabato, Iligan City and Zamboanga City, to inclusion in the proposed memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain between the government and the separatist MILF.

To recall, Iligan City came after North Cotabato and Zamboanga City residents and leaders strongly protested their inclusion in the government’s territorial deal with the MILF by filing petitions with the Supreme Court.

Last week, barely days before the high court would hear arguments on the proposed territorial deal, the MILF forces occupied some villages in North Cotabato and engaged government troops in fierce firefight, sending thousands to civilians to flee their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

Just when government forces were conducting clearing operations in North Cotabato, the MILF rebels again struck Sunday in Iligan City amid the raging controversy over the proposed peace deal seeking to end a separatist war in Mindanao.

Reports reaching this city yesterday disclosed that Moro rebels ambushed an Army convoy in Lanao del Sur, killing seven people and wounding 12 others in what the military denounced as a “treacherous attack.”

Reports also indicate that MILF rebels have sowed terror in Sarangani, Linamon, Kolambugan and other areas in Central Mindanao. (Vic Larato)

MY GOD! ANG GULO NA NAMAN NG ZAMBOANGA!
MAY BOMBA SUMABOG NEAR ORO, NATIONAL BAKERY, MARCIAN HOTEL(DOWNTOWN) ANG BIG V'S DEPARTMENT STORE.

taena talga.

Grenade explosion injures four in Zambo City

Four people were injured when a grenade was thrown and exploded in front of a business hotel Wednesday night in Zamboanga City.

Radio dzMM reported Wednesday the grenade exploded on Mayor Cesar Climaco St. in the town center as Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat was preparing to tape a broadcast interview seeking to calm fears of residents on possible attacks by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.

Lobregat said the interview would ask residents not to spread rumors through text messages on possible MILF attacks in the city.

Nonetheless, he appealed for calm, adding that police would try to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the explosion.

Lobregat said the grenade explosion could be related to the opposition he filed against the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF, which seeks to expand the territory and powers of an autonomous region for Muslims in the south.

The injured were brought to the nearby Zamboanga Medical Center.

Bomb experts of the Philippine National Police were still on the crime scene as of posting time.

Under the MOA-AD, some villages of Zamboanga City are proposed to be included in the expanded Muslim homeland, but Lobregat and other local officials are opposed to the plan. -- JEWEL REYES, ABS-CBN Zamboanga

by: Sheila Covarrubias

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday declared that he will not back out from his firm stand against the inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) under the GRP - MILF Memorandum of Agreement of Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) despite the numerous threats from various groups.

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"We are not going to bog down, we are not going to show fear, we are not going to back out from our position", the mayor told City Hall reporters as few hours after suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attacked town in Lanao including Iligan City to pressure the government to pursue the signing of the MOA-AD.

Mayor Lobregat a long with North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz have openly protested the inclusion of their individual areas under the BJE. Backed by their respective constituents, the three local government officials have led protest actions and filed petitions that caused the Supreme Court to the issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) cancelling the August 5 signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Lobregat, Pinol and Cruz have been receiving threats to their lives and the attacks in various towns in Lanao and in Iligan City Sunday and Monday as well as the taking over of numerous barangays in North Cotabato by MILF rebels two weeks ago are linked to the anti-BJE stance of the local government officials.

"We will not back out from our position saying, well because it happened, let them take Zamboanga City. We are not going to give up Zamboanga City", Mayor Lobregat pronounced.

The mayor stressed that he and his constituents in Zamboanga are not advocating for war. "We are for peace, we don't accept what they want then there will be war".

He continued: "Who is declaring that (war)? We are not declaring that, we are saying we want peace and so they should respect our position."

Lobregat agreed with Iligan City Mayor Cruz, who said on national television "if that is the price that Iligan had to pay for taking the (opposing stand on BJE), that is the price that is worth paying for".

He maintained that by opposing the inclusion of Zamboanga in the BJE does not mean that the Zamboanguenos do not support peace efforts. Besides, he said, the BJE issue has gone beyond the inclusion of some barangays in Zamboanga City,Iligan City and North Cotabato or Isabela City in the BJE. "It is now an issue that affects the entire Mindanao and the entire country". (Sheila Covarrubias)

^^WAY TO GO MAYOR, ANCINA LANG ERA TO PRIMI PARA MAS PROGRESO EL DI ATUN CUIDAD :cheers:

Somewhere in Zamboanga in the 1900

http://www.morolandhistory.com/Photo%20Galleries/Chapter%204/4-17.%20LC%2006-21-2006%20181.jpg

Somewhere in Zamboanga in the 1900

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I think that is where the WMSU campus and Trade School stands right now........

:cheers::cheers:

Zambo accords special welcome to Papal Nuncio

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Mayor Lobregat said the Papal Nuncio’s visit to Zamboanga City comes at a time when the city and its people are experiencing “very trying times” apparently referring to the city’s fight against any attempt to include Zamboanga City or any of its part in the government’s territorial deal with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We ask him always include our city in his prayers. We need his guidance,” Lobregat said of His Eminence (Joseph Eduard Adams), who was accompanied to City Hall by local priests and other lay people led by Zamboanga City Archbishop Romulo Valles and delegates, from the Order of Franciscan Missionary based in Ilagan City.

Also with the Papal Nuncio were his secretary, Fr. Felipe, Fr. Marino Gatan, who is administrator of Ilagan, Isabela Diocese and Ipil Archbishop Julius Tonel and other religious leaders.

The chief executive also took the opportunity to brief the Ambassador of Pope Benedict XVI and other visitors on the city’s demography and the chronicle of events that led to the proposed inclusion of Zamboanga City in the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF.

Lobregat told the Papal Nuncio that the MOA-AD was crafted in secrecy and without proper consultation with the people in the affected areas in Mindanao and that Zamboanga City had twice rejected in two plebiscites, earlier proposals to be part of the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Lobregat further told the pope’s ambassador to the country that Zamboanga City and its people stood up against inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) to be formed under the agreement, whose formal signing between the government peace negotiators and the MILF was aborted by the Supreme Court.

After the briefing, the mayor presented tokens to the papal nuncio that included miniatures of a colorful vinta sails and a bronze gong, both reflective of the city's identity and cultures. He also gave out Chabacano-Spanish-English dictionaries to the visitors.

The papal nuncio then visited the historic shrine of the miraculous Lady of the Pillar before heading for Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay to preside over (as official representative of Pope Benedict XVI) the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Joseph A. Nacua, who will be assigned to the diocese of Ilagan, Isabela.

2008 MOA-AD, semblance of 2001 Tripoli Pact? Lobregat reminds Senate of his 2001 warning in Congress

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Apparently what Lobregat, then a congressman, warned seven years ago through his privilege speech entitled “In defense of the President, the Constitution, and the Republic” at the House on July 25, 2001, is actually happening as a result of the GRP-MILF memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD), the forging of which was stalled by a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court.

In his message during a hearing on the GRP-MILF MOA-AD initiated jointly by the Senate Committees on Peace, Unification and Resolution and National Defense at the Senate last Thursday, Lobregat cited portions of his 2001 speech which, he said, is a semblance of the current situation.

The speech opened with the statement: “At the onset, let me state very clearly and explicitly that I, like any other Mindanaoan, am for the attainment of an honorable, just and lasting peace in Mindanao. We are all for that every elusive peace in Mindanao and we are all for the end of any and all armed hostilities”.

“For this reason, when I received an invitation from Secretary Dureza to attend a meeting regarding the GRP-MILF peace talks, on short notice, I cancelled all previous appointments and flew back to Zamboanga City”.

The said, meeting, held on July 6, 2001 at a local hotel, according to Lobregat, was attended by Secretary Jesus Dureza, then chairman of the GRP peace panel, the mayor of Zamboanga City, a representative from the Southern Command (now Western Mindanao Command), other local government officials from the region, regional directors and invitees from civic organizations, religious groups, academe, business and government sectors, media and other sectors.

He said the meeting was purposely to inform the participants on the “already signed agreement of peace between the GRP and MILF which was signed on June 22, 2001”. “If it was meant to be a consultative meeting, it was a consultation after the fact that the agreement was already signed”.

Lobregat said right at the beginning of the meeting, Dureza stated the so called “marching orders” of President Arroyo to the GRP panel. The orders included that “the peace talks would be conducted within the framework of the Philippine Constitution specifically protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity provisions of the Constitution and that there will be no return of armed MILF Camps”.

The mayor said he distributed copies of the June 22, 2001 agreement of peace which is known as the Implementing Guidelines on Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Developmetn Aspects of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement of Peace, to the members of the House.

Lobregat continued reading his 2001 speech to the Senators: “I now rise to signal an alarm that certain provisions of this agreement have not followed the presidential directives and to my view these provisions are even in conflict with presidential directives and the negotiations have gone beyond the authority given by the President, herself”

In that same speech, Lobregat enumerated the numerous violations committed in the 2001 peace agreement such as the non-reference to the Philippine constitution or constitutional processes which meant the “virtual giveaway of the GRP that the MILF need not recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines”, the recognition of MILF camps and the non-inclusion of provisions that “precludes, prevents or prohibits the bearing of arms in the evacuees place of origin—the MILF camps and its parameters”, and the so-called “catch all” provision that meant that the “government is allowing the MILF to solicit funding, even foreign funding for the rehabilitation and development projects which are not subject to government procedures and rules.”

Lobregat further quoted the closing statement of his 2001 privilege speech in Congress, thus: “I recall that on that day, July 23, 2001, the same day we took our oath of office, the President delivered her State of the Nation Address and in that SONA, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared and reiterated the principle and government policy that “no one is above the law” and in that same speech she stated that the ongoing peace talks should be within the framework of the Philippine Constitution with due respect to our national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“Some may say that this Agreement of Peace has brought about the temporary cessation of armed hostilities. A sort of a putting out sporadic bush fires in Central Mindanao amidst the many problems our government is facing. But this same Agreement of Peace may be the very instrument that will bring about the conflagration of the entire Mindanao, a blazing inferno with international repercussions affecting the Republic. Yes, we are all for a just and lasting peace in Mindanao but certainly I am not for appeasement at the expense of the Republic,” Lobregat said quoting the same 2001 speech.

The mayor told the two Senate committees, chaired by Senators Jamby Madrigal and Rodolfo Biazon, respectively that the very same thing is happening under the GRP-MILF MOA-AD.

The aborted signing of the MOA-AD has brought about tension and divisiveness, as it was done in secrecy and without proper consultation with the people in the affected areas, Mayor Lobregat added.

Also invited to the Senate hearing were North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol, Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz, Isabela City Mayor Cherilyn Akbar and other stakeholders from Mindanao.

Senators Mar Roxas, Juan Ponce Enrile and Loren Legarda also attended the hearing and posed questions on Lobregat and other speakers.

Mayor Lobregat was accompanied by the members of the City Council led by Vice Mayor Manuel Dalipe in the said hearing.

Grenade explosion injures four in Zambo City

Four people were injured when a grenade was thrown and exploded in front of a business hotel Wednesday night in Zamboanga City.

Radio dzMM reported Wednesday the grenade exploded on Mayor Cesar Climaco St. in the town center as Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat was preparing to tape a broadcast interview seeking to calm fears of residents on possible attacks by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.

Lobregat said the interview would ask residents not to spread rumors through text messages on possible MILF attacks in the city.

Nonetheless, he appealed for calm, adding that police would try to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the explosion.

Lobregat said the grenade explosion could be related to the opposition he filed against the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF, which seeks to expand the territory and powers of an autonomous region for Muslims in the south.

The injured were brought to the nearby Zamboanga Medical Center.

Bomb experts of the Philippine National Police were still on the crime scene as of posting time.

Under the MOA-AD, some villages of Zamboanga City are proposed to be included in the expanded Muslim homeland, but Lobregat and other local officials are opposed to the plan. -- JEWEL REYES, ABS-CBN Zamboanga

waaaa. let's all pray na lang... :(

As of tonight 2110H intelligence report August 21,2008 I recieved a text message from my source. That MILF Declared an all out war " Intellegence reports establish Pull out IMT 20 August and submitted reports to Malaysia of mpndng MILF all out MINSUPALA WAR. Malaysia pull out August 22 3:00Pm Magdeclare all out war ang MILF Base Command 105,104,106,112,108 107. MAG INGAT SA MGA NAGBYABYAHE MAG CHECK POINT MILF SUOT SUNDALO SILA." Please pass to all friends. A Precautionary measure to all who are travelling to Lanao Sur & Norte. Pls Pass to all ur Love ones & Friends. Thanks.

Somewhere in Zamboanga in the 1900

http://www.morolandhistory.com/Photo%20Galleries/Chapter%204/4-17.%20LC%2006-21-2006%20181.jpg

i think this is in Pettit Baracks..the present name of this street is rizal street..

Zambo accords special welcome to Papal Nuncio

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Mayor Lobregat said the Papal Nuncio’s visit to Zamboanga City comes at a time when the city and its people are experiencing “very trying times” apparently referring to the city’s fight against any attempt to include Zamboanga City or any of its part in the government’s territorial deal with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We ask him always include our city in his prayers. We need his guidance,” Lobregat said of His Eminence (Joseph Eduard Adams), who was accompanied to City Hall by local priests and other lay people led by Zamboanga City Archbishop Romulo Valles and delegates, from the Order of Franciscan Missionary based in Ilagan City.

Also with the Papal Nuncio were his secretary, Fr. Felipe, Fr. Marino Gatan, who is administrator of Ilagan, Isabela Diocese and Ipil Archbishop Julius Tonel and other religious leaders.

The chief executive also took the opportunity to brief the Ambassador of Pope Benedict XVI and other visitors on the city’s demography and the chronicle of events that led to the proposed inclusion of Zamboanga City in the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF.

Lobregat told the Papal Nuncio that the MOA-AD was crafted in secrecy and without proper consultation with the people in the affected areas in Mindanao and that Zamboanga City had twice rejected in two plebiscites, earlier proposals to be part of the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Lobregat further told the pope’s ambassador to the country that Zamboanga City and its people stood up against inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) to be formed under the agreement, whose formal signing between the government peace negotiators and the MILF was aborted by the Supreme Court.

After the briefing, the mayor presented tokens to the papal nuncio that included miniatures of a colorful vinta sails and a bronze gong, both reflective of the city's identity and cultures. He also gave out Chabacano-Spanish-English dictionaries to the visitors.

The papal nuncio then visited the historic shrine of the miraculous Lady of the Pillar before heading for Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay to preside over (as official representative of Pope Benedict XVI) the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Joseph A. Nacua, who will be assigned to the diocese of Ilagan, Isabela.

the visit of the Papal Nuncio in Zamboanga is a manifestation that Zamboanga s still a safe place for international figures..

i think this is a mispost...i juz hope its not intentional..

National Day of Mourning for Media in Zamboanga
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R.T. Lim Boulevard..

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R.T. Lim Boulevard (ZNHS-West/ BFAR/ City Library Section)

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R.Tl Lim Boulevard (Carmelite Monastery Section)

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Zamboanga Boulevard by Ronald Rivera

Ang ganda ng Zambo..

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mIndpro and Southway and Shopper's Center

Zamboanga Cathedral

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Securing Downtown

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Pettit Barracks

Ang ganda ng Zambo..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/2776723009_84ccebab33.jpg?v=0

mIndpro and Southway and Shopper's Center

wow...
ganda ah... :D

ibang level tlaga ang picture na yan..two thumbs up..

that was taken by ronald rivera

by Eugene A. Lasprilla

The local police authorities are still gathering witnesses to establish the identity of the perpetrators who hurled a hand grenade at the local business center Wednesday night injuring 8 people.

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City police director Sr. Supt. Lurimer Detran said that the local police office have conducted a thorough investigation at the crime scene to gather information on the suspects’ identity.

Detran said, there were raw reports received that the grenade lobbing incident was the retaliation of the armed rebels for the failed singing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).

“Hindi pa naman confirmed ang mga bali-balita na connected sa BJE ang nangyaring pagsabog malapit sa Zamboanga City Fire Station pero isa ito sa mga tinitingnan naming anggulo sa insidente,” he added.

He disclosed that police have already set up a network to the different government operatives including the barangays security level to immediately pinpoint the whereabouts of the assailants.

Meanwhile, police report identifies the victims as Bernardo Bago y Orong, 34, of Barangay Tetuan; Halima Jumaani y Makarna, 20, of Barangay Lower Calarian; Omni Ancheta, 26, of Barangay Pasonanca; Christian Imperial y Guardiamano, 20, of Barangay Lunzuran; Roy Bornales y Sabacan, 27, of Barangay Tugbuangan; and Jonelyn Partas, 20, of Governor Alvarez Street. All were rushed to Zamboanga City Medical Center for medical treatment and were declared out of danger.

Another victim identified as Winalyn Jumdain, 23, married, and a resident of De Leon Street, Barangay Sta. Maria was brought to Ciudad Medical Zamboanga hospital for medical attention and already in safe condition.

Witnesses averred that the suspects were on board a black motorcycle that sped off towards Mayor Jaldon Street after the incident. (Eugene A. Lasprilla)

Zamboanga City has once again experienced another traumatic incident due to the grenade explosion that took place near Zamboanga City Bureau of Fire Protection at about 6:30 early evening along Climaco Avenue wounding 9 innocent civilians.

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As a consequence, speculations are high that MILF has infiltrated Zamboanga City since this lawless group has attacked the different areas of Lanao Provinces to include Iligan City and now, they are already in the city, but AFP assures public safety and supports the call of the city Mayor for sobriety and calm.

It was an open reality that the victims of these violence were not only the military but the civilians who were adversely affected by such inhumane and barbaric acts perpetrated by these lawless people.

Western Mindanao Command Commander Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga has strongly condemned the violent incident as well as the acts of the MILF forces within his area of responsibility against the public especially those living in the affected areas.

The official assured the public should not be alarmed by the circulating “rumor-texting” since the military and the police are visible and prepared to defend the city and its people from varoius threats of lawless groups.

The AFP and the PNP will be always on alert to keep the public safe but the cooperation of each and every civilian is vital since they also play important roles in keeping the city a safe and secured place to reside. We would like to re-echo the commitment of the Commander-in-Chief thru a similar statement that “WESMINCOM is with you, we are all in this together.” – (Press Release by 4th CRG,CRSAFP)

by Vic Larato

Mayor Celso Lobregat convened yesterday morning the multi-sectoral members of the City Peace and Order Council to an emergency meeting aimed at mapping out security measures amid the grenade attack Wednesday night, injuring nine innocent civilians.


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Lobregat also invited to the CPOC meeting the owners and managers of the different security agencies whose so-called “blue guards” are considered multipliers to the city’s existing police forces, including those from the gun clubs, military/police retirees, reserved military cadets and barangays tanods.

While he called on legally armed civilians to help secure Zamboanga City from either internal or external threats, Lobregat brushed aside akin to calling Zamboanga City residents to arm themselves.

“Yes, civilians may arm themselves provided they adhere to the legal procedures like having their guns licensed by the government,” the chief executive said. “We certainly not allow nor tolerate loose firearms in the city,” he added.

It was also suggested and concurred by CPOC members that only law enforcers on duty are allowed to carry long firearms but not within the city proper, where only short firearms are allowed.

The council was also informed by Task Force Zamboanga commander Col. Santiago Baluyut and a representative from the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) that as a matter of policy the police and military personnel are not allowed to carry handheld grenades anymore.

This came about after Congresswoman Beng Climaco of District I suggested to the august body the possibility of banning law enforcers from carrying hand grenades within the city proper limits, short of referring to the grenade explosion the other night.

Mayor Lobregat pointed out that notwithstanding the grenade attack he remains satisfied with the performance of the police and military personnel including the local intelligence community, stressing that they (authorities) are on top of the situation.

Zamboanga City, according to the mayor, is vulnerable to retaliatory attacks by rebels belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) just like what happened to North Cotabato, Iligan City and recently Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.

Meanwhile, city police director Sr. Supt. Luremir Detran reported that the grenade explosion last Wednesday was the third incident this year since the April 13 twin explosions at the Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral on La Purisima Street and at an internet café along Veterans Avenue. No casualty was reported.

This was followed by an improvised explosive blast fronting the entrance gate to the Edwin Andrews Air Base last May 29, killing two people and wounding 21 others.

Last August 15 at 10:15 p.m., another hand grenade was lobbed and exploded at the city police compound. No one was injured. (Vic Larato)

ibang level tlaga ang picture na yan..two thumbs up..

may new stores nman ba dyan sa zc?

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday condemned in strongest terms possible the grenade explosion Wednesday night, wounding nine innocent civilians in front of a business center along Mayor Jaldon Street, this city.

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“I condemn this barbaric act done by people who want to create confusion, instill fear and sow terror,” Mayor Lobregat said in his statement on a local television station shortly after the grenade exploded, ripping through the glass door of Marcian Business Center.

The explosion, according to Lobregat, has caused physical injuries to nine innocent civilians, but said they (victims) are now out of danger. The city government will shoulder medical expenses of the victims.

Notwithstanding, the city chief executive reiterated his appeal for the residents of Zamboanga City to “stay united and brave but calm and alert during these trying times.”

“Let us live our lives as normal as we can,” Lobregat said in his broadcast appeal to the public, adding that “we in the City of Zamboanga cannot be cowed by such terroristic act.”

“We do not want to send the wrong signal to our enemy neither do we give the terrorists a moral victory by saying we panicked and were confused,” Lobregat said.

“We cannot be terrorized,” the mayor declared as he urged Zamboangueños “not to participate in text mongering” of landings and sightings of armed men that spread to cellphone users practically throughout the city and Mindanao.

Sightings of bad elements and presence of suspicious-looking persons or baggage in the community, Lobregat said, must be reported immediately to the nearest police stations or military outposts manned by Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ) operatives.

However, Lobregat did not categorically link the grenade attack to the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) whose ancestral domain agreement with the national government was aborted following the city’s strong rejection to its inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) to be created under the said contentious accord.

“Let the police or military authorities say that the MILF was behind (the grenade explosion),” Lobregat said even as he stressed that the MILF was responsible for the twin bombings that created havoc in Iligan City early this week and the skirmishes with government troops in Lanao provinces.

To recall, North Cotabao and Iligan City including two Lanao provinces had come under attack by the separatist MILF rebel group barely days after its territorial accord with the government was stopped by the Supreme Court. (Vic Larato)

After their successful attacks in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato in Central Mindanao, the disgruntled members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would target other vital cities in Mindanao region including Zamboanga City who strongly opposed the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.


The plot was uncovered during the clearing operation conducted by the combined operatives of the PNP and Philippine Army under the Joint Task Force Tabak of the AFP Monday afternoon in the occupied towns of the MILF in Kulambugan, Kauswagan,Maigo, Bacolod, and Linamon towns in Lanao del Norte wherein the government operatives recovered some improvised explosive device, meals and some subversive documents with high intelligence value from one of the slain MILF rebels in the area of encounter which is the henchman of Commander Bravo under the 1023nd BIAF-MILF Base Command.

One of these documents was a map of Mindanao plotted with “red dots” with diagrams and sketches which the military described as possible target areas.

Reports disclosed that the intelligence officer of the AFP who got the documents immediately turned-over such to his superior military official for further evaluation and disposition.It is now being evaluated by military superiors.

But the officer who requested anonymity revealed that the “red dots” are truly identified targets which might be the next areas of invasion of the MILF in Mindanao region considering its scattered commands are located all over Mindanao.

The “plotted” target areas based on the recovered MILF documents were Marawi, Iligan, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte,Saranggani, Zamboanga City, Pagadian City, Ipil in Sibugay Province, Lamitan City, and “Triple SB” in Zamboanga del Norte.

The military official said that based on their analysis on the map, the diagrams written by a red ballpoint are plotted with maneuver positions and position of troops, vehicles and boats for attacks, ambushcade and occupancy of vital government installations in their identified target areas.

The document simply means they (MILF) truly have intentions of conducting a widespread attacks all over Mindanao using combined troops deployment and tactical maneuvers to victimize whoever would block their way, regardless of cultural identities to show their disgust and sentiments over the Philippine government, the source said.

As this developed, military troops under Task Force Zamboanga led by Col. Santiago Baluyot and Western Mindanao Command under Lt.Gen. Nelson Allaga beefed-up troops deployment and the conduct of visibility patrols in the coastal towns of the city and its adjacent provinces which are vulnerable attack points of the rebels if they want to realize their planned atrocities.

Police units from the 9th Regional Mobile Group and Special Action Forces(SAF) augmented the stand-by force of the Police Regional Office 9 in monitoring the security situation in the region.

Earlier, AFP Chief of Staff General Alexander Yano revealed that the atrocities displayed by the MILF rebels is a “virtual declaration of war”.

He said the separatist rebels’ rampage, starting with the ambush of government troops in Lanao del Sur, is a “virtual declaration of war against the duly constituted authority, which was confirmed by Commander Bravo’s declaration of jihad or Holy War.”

Yano said there are enough troops in Mindanao to deal with the MILF and that more soldiers are prepared for deployment to affected areas if the need arises.

The AFP chief also said that units in other areas have been ordered to take an “active defense stance” to prevent the fighting from spilling over to other nearby towns and provinces.

Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, chief of the anti-terrorist Task Force Tabak, said that their forces here in Western Mindanao is in control of the situation and are conducting defensive positions along the possible target areas of the renegade MILF rebels.

The MILF leadership said their commanders involved vented their frustration over the derailed signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on ancestral domain in Malaysia last Aug. 5 and the issuance of Temporary Restraining Order of the Supreme Court which temporarily put to halt the peace negotiations of both affected parties.

Some 500 fully-armed members of the MILF’s 102nd Base Command led by Commander Bravo killed at least 28 civilians and three soldiers in the day-long harassment in the predominantly Christian coastal community in Lanao del Norte.

Bravo’s group burned houses, vehicles, took over lands, hacked and shot civilians from Monday morning up to the afternoon.

On Monday, MILF rebels withdrew to the hinterlands of Lanao del Norte after leaving 31 people dead. (MPS/RMN NEWS)

by Sheila Covarrubias

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday declared that he will not back out from his firm stand against the inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) under the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) despite the numerous threats from various groups.

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“We are not going to bog down, we are not going to show fear, we are not going to back out from our position”, the mayor told City Hall reporters a few hours after suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attacked towns in Lanao including Iligan City to pressure the government to pursue the signing of the MOA-AD.

Mayor Lobregat along with North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz have openly protested the inclusion of their individual areas under the BJE. Backed by their respective constituents, the three local government officials have led protest actions and filed petitions that caused the Supreme Court to the issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) cancelling the August 5 signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Lobregat, Pinol and Cruz have been receiving threats to their lives and the attacks in various towns in Lanao and in Iligan City Sunday and Monday as well as the taking over of numerous barangays in North Cotabato by MILF rebels two weeks ago are linked to the anti-BJE stance of the local government officials.

“We will not back out from our position saying, well because it happened, let them take Zamboanga City. We are not going to give up Zamboanga City”, Mayor Lobregat pronounced.

The mayor stressed that he and his constituents in Zamboanga are not advocating for war. “WE are for peace, we don’t want war, we should not be threatened that if we don’t accept what they want then there will be war”.

He continued: “Who is declaring that (war)? We are not declaring that, we are saying we want peace and so they should respect our position”.

Lobregat agreed with Iligan City Mayor Cruz, who said on national television “if that is the price that Iligan had to pay for taking the (opposing stand on BJE), that is the price that is worth paying for”.

He maintained that by opposing the inclusion of Zamboanga in the BJE does not mean that the Zamboanguenos do not support peace efforts. Besides, he said, the BJE issue has gone beyond the inclusion of some barangays in Zamboanga City, Iligan City and North Cotabato or Isabela City in the BJE. “It is now an issue that affects the entire Mindanao and the entire country”. (Sheila Covarrubias)

After their successful attacks in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato in Central Mindanao, the disgruntled members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would target other vital cities in Mindanao region including Zamboanga City who strongly opposed the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.


The plot was uncovered during the clearing operation conducted by the combined operatives of the PNP and Philippine Army under the Joint Task Force Tabak of the AFP Monday afternoon in the occupied towns of the MILF in Kulambugan, Kauswagan,Maigo, Bacolod, and Linamon towns in Lanao del Norte wherein the government operatives recovered some improvised explosive device, meals and some subversive documents with high intelligence value from one of the slain MILF rebels in the area of encounter which is the henchman of Commander Bravo under the 1023nd BIAF-MILF Base Command.

One of these documents was a map of Mindanao plotted with “red dots” with diagrams and sketches which the military described as possible target areas.

Reports disclosed that the intelligence officer of the AFP who got the documents immediately turned-over such to his superior military official for further evaluation and disposition.It is now being evaluated by military superiors.

But the officer who requested anonymity revealed that the “red dots” are truly identified targets which might be the next areas of invasion of the MILF in Mindanao region considering its scattered commands are located all over Mindanao.

The “plotted” target areas based on the recovered MILF documents were Marawi, Iligan, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte,Saranggani, Zamboanga City, Pagadian City, Ipil in Sibugay Province, Lamitan City, and “Triple SB” in Zamboanga del Norte.

The military official said that based on their analysis on the map, the diagrams written by a red ballpoint are plotted with maneuver positions and position of troops, vehicles and boats for attacks, ambushcade and occupancy of vital government installations in their identified target areas.

The document simply means they (MILF) truly have intentions of conducting a widespread attacks all over Mindanao using combined troops deployment and tactical maneuvers to victimize whoever would block their way, regardless of cultural identities to show their disgust and sentiments over the Philippine government, the source said.

As this developed, military troops under Task Force Zamboanga led by Col. Santiago Baluyot and Western Mindanao Command under Lt.Gen. Nelson Allaga beefed-up troops deployment and the conduct of visibility patrols in the coastal towns of the city and its adjacent provinces which are vulnerable attack points of the rebels if they want to realize their planned atrocities.

Police units from the 9th Regional Mobile Group and Special Action Forces(SAF) augmented the stand-by force of the Police Regional Office 9 in monitoring the security situation in the region.

Earlier, AFP Chief of Staff General Alexander Yano revealed that the atrocities displayed by the MILF rebels is a “virtual declaration of war”.

He said the separatist rebels’ rampage, starting with the ambush of government troops in Lanao del Sur, is a “virtual declaration of war against the duly constituted authority, which was confirmed by Commander Bravo’s declaration of jihad or Holy War.”

Yano said there are enough troops in Mindanao to deal with the MILF and that more soldiers are prepared for deployment to affected areas if the need arises.

The AFP chief also said that units in other areas have been ordered to take an “active defense stance” to prevent the fighting from spilling over to other nearby towns and provinces.

Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, chief of the anti-terrorist Task Force Tabak, said that their forces here in Western Mindanao is in control of the situation and are conducting defensive positions along the possible target areas of the renegade MILF rebels.

The MILF leadership said their commanders involved vented their frustration over the derailed signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on ancestral domain in Malaysia last Aug. 5 and the issuance of Temporary Restraining Order of the Supreme Court which temporarily put to halt the peace negotiations of both affected parties.

Some 500 fully-armed members of the MILF’s 102nd Base Command led by Commander Bravo killed at least 28 civilians and three soldiers in the day-long harassment in the predominantly Christian coastal community in Lanao del Norte.

Bravo’s group burned houses, vehicles, took over lands, hacked and shot civilians from Monday morning up to the afternoon.

On Monday, MILF rebels withdrew to the hinterlands of Lanao del Norte after leaving 31 people dead. (MPS/RMN NEWS)

Mayor Celso Lobregat said yesterday he was open to calls by certain quarters for the national government to renegotiate another peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) amid the mounting protests to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that will be created under the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) of both panels.


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“No problem with me if the government will negotiate another peace agreement with the MILF,” Mayor Lobregat said. “As long as it will not dismember the county and (that it will be) within the realm of the (Philippine) Constitution,” he added.

Lobregat suggested that the peace negotiators on either side listen to and consider the voice of the affected people in coming up with any agreement aimed at achieving a “long, lasting, just and honorable peace” in this southern part of the county.

This, as he minced no word in accusing the government negotiators of crafting a territorial deal with the MILF in “secrecy” and bereft of consultations with people in areas proposed to compose the Bangsamoro homeland.

Lobregat cited the case of Zamboanga City wherein eight barangays—Busay, Pasilmanta, Landang Gua, Landang Laum, Manalipa, Tictabon, Zone 3 and Zone 4—were included in BJE without consultation.

He said the same was true with other areas in Iligan City, Isabela City and North Cotabato. Zamboanga del Norte through Governor Rolando Yebes, Cong. Cesar Jalosjos and Sibuco Mayor Norbi Edding had lately joined the protest to BJE in the Supreme Court on grounds that no consultation was ever conducted in his municipality prior to their inclusion in the Bangsamoro territory.

According to Mayor Lobregat, practically all areas covered by the BJE as listed in the aborted ancestral domain agreement between the government and the MILF have demonstrated in unison their opposition “in strongest term possible” to the BJE.

While the chief executive has admitted that the government peace negotiators had come to this city and consulted him on the peace process, Lobregat denied categorically that “it was done on the basis of the proposed BJE.” “There was no mention anything about BJE and the areas it would cover,” he stressed.

Just like anybody anywhere else, Lobregat said, the people of Zamboanga City want peace all throughout Mindanao and the country as well but “peace must be acceptable to everybody.”

Judging from the recent outbreak of hostilities perpetrated by the MILF rebels in Lanao provinces, Lobregat lamented that the contentious MOA-AD has become an instrument of divisiveness nay war rather than an instrument of peace in Mindanao.

As this developed, Mayor Lobregat said he and the city legal team are prepared for the Supreme Court’s second round of oral argument on various petitions against the MOA-AD on Friday, August 22.

Lobregat was optimistic that the High Court would eventually rule against the GRP-MILF territorial accord, stressing that as of last count there were already about 30 anti-BJE petitions filed by different local government units whose areas were covered by the Bangsamoro homeland. (Vic Larato)

by Monch Follosco

The Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF-Manila) unanimously named Councilor Roel Natividad as Regional Director of Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9).

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Natividad was appointed by PVF President Pedro Mendoza, Jr., at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

The effectivity of the appointment started on August 16, 2008, PVF gave their trust and confidence to Natividad as they knew he has the capacity in developing and propagating sports in the region.

“I ask you to uphold the olympic ideals and the volleyball motto, “Let’s keep the ball flying!” PVF President Pedro Mendoza, Jr. said.

Natividad thanked the PVF family and said that “I welcome this great opportunity wherein the people behind this federation gave their trust and confidence to be in this position.”

This is another milestone for Councilor Natividad as he is also the present Regional Director of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) for Region 9.

“Of course I’m very happy with this appointment and whatever may arise for both the BAP and PVF, I will pursue the quest of developing sports in the region,” Natividad concluded. (Monch L. Follosco)

District 2 Congressman Erbie A. Fabian met with concerned members of the Barangay Intelligence Networks (BIN) in his jurisdiction recently to beef-up intelligence gathering and unify their security efforts in assisting the local law enforcement authorities in monitoring presence of suspected aggressors in the city.

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This came amidst present tension that gripped the adjacent provinces of Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and North Cotabato, which was randomly harassed and occupied by the MILF rebels due to disgust over the Philippine government for its sluggish efforts in pursuing the peace accord with the said rebel group.

Congressman Fabian said that the BIN members is very important in giving necessary information assistance to the barangay officials, military and police authorities for possible invasion of the rebel groups in the city.

“If it had happened in some regions here in Mindanao, then we must be prepared for the worst to anticipate either possible act of violence of the MILF too,” Fabian said.

The official stressed utmost concerns to coastal and island barangays within his jurisdiction which are truly vulnerable to possible attacks and control of the rebel groups in case they would pursue their threats of attack in Zamboanga City.

With the present threats Zamboanga City has and the conduct of various harassments of the MILF rebels in various parts of Mindanao region, the solon also urged the public to be vigilant and stay alert always and closely coordinate with their respective barangay officials the present security conditions of their villages.

“Everyone must take their part in collaborating our effort in securing Zamboanga City, not necessarily in arms but in unity of watching over our respective communities from presence of these people who might disturb our enjoyed peace in the city,” Fabian said.

The official said that the desperate acts the rebels have shown against the government and the people of Mindanao shows their unserious intentions of bringing long lasting peace in this region.

All military and police units operating in the city has been placed under heightened alert status, especially in the possible entry points of the enemies of the state who might target Zamboanga City next.

Fabian favors the strengthening of the Barangay Security Force which will be composed of Barangay Volunteers,CVO’s,BIN’s and village officials who will also initiate security efforts in their respective communities in coordination with the local law enforcement agencies deployed in the city.(MPS/RMN NEWS)

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday declared that he will not back out from his firm stand against the inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) under the GRP - MILF Memorandum of Agreement of Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) despite the numerous threats from various groups.

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"We are not going to bog down, we are not going to show fear, we are not going to back out from our position", the mayor told City Hall reporters as few hours after suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attacked town in Lanao including Iligan City to pressure the government to pursue the signing of the MOA-AD.

Mayor Lobregat a long with North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz have openly protested the inclusion of their individual areas under the BJE. Backed by their respective constituents, the three local government officials have led protest actions and filed petitions that caused the Supreme Court to the issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) cancelling the August 5 signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Lobregat, Pinol and Cruz have been receiving threats to their lives and the attacks in various towns in Lanao and in Iligan City Sunday and Monday as well as the taking over of numerous barangays in North Cotabato by MILF rebels two weeks ago are linked to the anti-BJE stance of the local government officials.

"We will not back out from our position saying, well because it happened, let them take Zamboanga City. We are not going to give up Zamboanga City", Mayor Lobregat pronounced.

The mayor stressed that he and his constituents in Zamboanga are not advocating for war. "We are for peace, we don't accept what they want then there will be war".

He continued: "Who is declaring that (war)? We are not declaring that, we are saying we want peace and so they should respect our position."

Lobregat agreed with Iligan City Mayor Cruz, who said on national television "if that is the price that Iligan had to pay for taking the (opposing stand on BJE), that is the price that is worth paying for".

He maintained that by opposing the inclusion of Zamboanga in the BJE does not mean that the Zamboanguenos do not support peace efforts. Besides, he said, the BJE issue has gone beyond the inclusion of some barangays in Zamboanga City,Iligan City and North Cotabato or Isabela City in the BJE. "It is now an issue that affects the entire Mindanao and the entire country". (Sheila Covarrubias)

R.T. Lim Boulevard..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/2778995635_87b99a07d0.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2779850200_c7f7dfc5b9.jpg?v=0

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cool. great shot....:cheers::cheers:

Comic Relief Album

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/cbk-zam/b/b8/Comic_Relief.jpg

El Comic Relief es un banda Zamboangueño. Mas de ellos maga original composicion y cancion en idioma Chavacano. El banda ya forma del año 2001 entre cuatro maga Filipino jovenes de Ciudad de Zamboanga. Ahora famoso na ciudad por ellos maga cancion de pop rock na tema de amor y joventud, el nombre del banda Comic Relief estava con el primera nombre del mas famoso banda Filipino, el Parokya ni Edgar.

El maga miembro del banda amo el maga siguiente: el vocalista Jeloh Bangcal, el gitarista Zach Quijano, el bajista Randy Ramos, Shilart Anoos na tambor y el percusionista, un tal Jeff.

Del año 2001, ya man encuentro el dos amigos Jeloh y Zach na un internet cafe na Campaner, Ciudad de Zamboanga donde ellos ta juga maga juego de internet. Junto con Mark de Leon y Ronald Bucoy ya desidi el maga amigo forma un banda de rock y entre el maga año 2001 hasta 2004, ta tuca el grupo maga cancion del banda Tagalog, el Parokya ni Edgar.

Del año 2004, durante del ellos una concierto, ya man encuentro el banda con Randy Ramos y Shilart Anoos. Junto, ya tuca maga cancion el grupo y con el tiempo prinsipiando quel suceso, ya queda mas formidable el gropo como un banda.

Ya entra audicion el grupo aquel año na RX Band Breakout, un programa del estacion de Radio na pueblo. Ya pasa na audicion el banda con ellos cancion Set Me Free en idioma Ingles. El cancion ya queda famoso na aire del estacion de radio junto con el otro maga cancion del maga otro banda que ya participa na programa.

Del año 2007 el group ya pone el de ellos maga video aficionado na youtube donde mucho maga gente ya oi con el maga original composicion de musica del banda.

Entre maga competicion local na ciudad, ya sale victorioso el banda na maga cuantos competicion de barrio y escuela incluido el programa Rhythms of Peace del Silsilah, un organizacion social que te promove paz na Mindanao.

El banda tiene ya ellos primer placa con el titulo "Sick!!! calor con calor se paga" bajo de 15K Records. El banda ta esperanza y ta hace esfuerzo para con el musica Chavacano hay entra na poblacion en general sociedad del Las Filipinas.

Comic Relief Album

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/cbk-zam/b/b8/Comic_Relief.jpg

El Comic Relief es un banda Zamboangueño. Mas de ellos maga original composicion y cancion en idioma Chavacano. El banda ya forma del año 2001 entre cuatro maga Filipino jovenes de Ciudad de Zamboanga. Ahora famoso na ciudad por ellos maga cancion de pop rock na tema de amor y joventud, el nombre del banda Comic Relief estava con el primera nombre del mas famoso banda Filipino, el Parokya ni Edgar.

El maga miembro del banda amo el maga siguiente: el vocalista Jeloh Bangcal, el gitarista Zach Quijano, el bajista Randy Ramos, Shilart Anoos na tambor y el percusionista, un tal Jeff.

Del año 2001, ya man encuentro el dos amigos Jeloh y Zach na un internet cafe na Campaner, Ciudad de Zamboanga donde ellos ta juga maga juego de internet. Junto con Mark de Leon y Ronald Bucoy ya desidi el maga amigo forma un banda de rock y entre el maga año 2001 hasta 2004, ta tuca el grupo maga cancion del banda Tagalog, el Parokya ni Edgar.

Del año 2004, durante del ellos una concierto, ya man encuentro el banda con Randy Ramos y Shilart Anoos. Junto, ya tuca maga cancion el grupo y con el tiempo prinsipiando quel suceso, ya queda mas formidable el gropo como un banda.

Ya entra audicion el grupo aquel año na RX Band Breakout, un programa del estacion de Radio na pueblo. Ya pasa na audicion el banda con ellos cancion Set Me Free en idioma Ingles. El cancion ya queda famoso na aire del estacion de radio junto con el otro maga cancion del maga otro banda que ya participa na programa.

Del año 2007 el group ya pone el de ellos maga video aficionado na youtube donde mucho maga gente ya oi con el maga original composicion de musica del banda.

Entre maga competicion local na ciudad, ya sale victorioso el banda na maga cuantos competicion de barrio y escuela incluido el programa Rhythms of Peace del Silsilah, un organizacion social que te promove paz na Mindanao.

El banda tiene ya ellos primer placa con el titulo "Sick!!! calor con calor se paga" bajo de 15K Records. El banda ta esperanza y ta hace esfuerzo para con el musica Chavacano hay entra na poblacion en general sociedad del Las Filipinas.

RP hauls silver, 48 bronzes in China math olympiad
By Rainier Allan Ronda
Friday, August 15, 2008

HUBEI, China – While a medal remains elusive for the Philippines in the Olympic Games in Beijing, a team of 49 Filipino math wizards all bagged honors here, winning one silver and 48 bronze medals in the China Primary Math Olympiad.

Michael Brodeth, a student of Colegio de San Agustin in Makati City, won second honor in the tournament held last Monday and Tuesday at the Yichang No. 20 Middle School in Yichang City, 300 kilometers from Wuhan, both in Hubei province.

The 48 other members of the team, composed of elementary students from private and public elementary schools in the Philippines, each managed to earn third-honor recognition from what is dubbed by the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) as the second hardest math tournament in the world.

This year’s Team Philippines was not comprised of students from Chinese schools, as had been the case in previous math Olympiads.

Dr. Eduardo dela Cruz, MTG vice president who accompanied the 49-student Philippine delegation, said that the performance of the young team was “unexpected” but was a great achievement considering that all the members each won an honor.

“The team was very, very impressive,” Dela Cruz said.

“This tournament is known to be a very tough one and we have only managed to win one gold medal here since we started to send participants in 2003. Usually, we only win a few silver or a few bronze each year in previous years. But now we have 49 honors and all our representatives each won an honor for the country,” Dela Cruz told The STAR.

Among the winners of third honor equivalent to a bronze finish were Jiles Ramos of Rosa L. Susano Elementary School, Dennis Andrew de Chavez of Parañaque Science High School, Georemie Arrienne Concepcion of Philippine Science High School, and Romelie Chelsea Escobia of Negros Occidental Science High School.

The other bronze winners were Dennis Betito Jr., and Lara Andrea Montales of Colegio de San Agustin; Beatriz Michelle Go of Immaculate Concepcion Academy; Jegine Joy Perania of Iloilo Central Commercial High School; James Daniel Cordon and Juancho Miguel Morales of PAREF Southridge School; Nigel Zildjan Limsiy of Chiang Kai Shek College, Francis Concepcion of Philippine Cultural College, John Alexander Co of Xavier School, Mark John Dy of Mother Goose School, and Dominic Ursicimus Ong and Seline Irabel Cua of St. Jude Catholic School.

The other bronze winners were Deanne Rochelle Abdao and Janine Caryl Bisnar, both of the Integrated Montessori Center; Paradau Laarnie Valerio of Star Montessori School; Katrina Isabel Elicano of De La Salle-Zobel School; Casey Oliver Turingan and Danielle Alexandrine Madriaga of San Beda College-Alabang; Ma. Christina Guillermo of OB Montessori Center-Greenhills; Bea Gian Carla Lapitan of Morning Star Montessori School; Jasmine Marie Gamboa of St. John’s Institute; Fae Nicole Serrano and Gerard Domingo of Young Shepherd’s School; Jerome Vincent Tagaro of St. Jerome Integrated School of Cabuyao; Arvin Paul Castillo and Marven Xaviery Manzano of St. Francis of Assisi College; Paul Ryan Ong of Uno High School; Anna Loraine Ansong of St. Scholastica’s College-Westgrove; Daniel Ratilla of Philippine Institute of Quezon City; Roberto Mari Bontia of Manresa School; Leandre Noel Kiu of Pace Academy; Prince Michael Balanay of Colegio de San Agustin-Biñan, Kimberly Alyza Tee of Oro Christian Grace School; Carlo Patrick Tan, Kinnichi Tan, Laureen Eden Saavedra, and Matt Levin Tan of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School; Jose Agerico Bacal of Rosevale School-Cagayan de Oro; Tatyana Marie Gonzaga of Universidad de Santa Isabel; Royce Dy of Kong Hua School; Ray Cesar Malundo of Don Bosco Technical Institute; Yvonne Gaile Molina of Blessed Light International Christian Academy; Timothy James Tan of Trinity Christian School; and Akkiara Symon May Sawali.

Dr. Simon Chua, MTG Philippines president, said the consistent impressive performance highlighted the fact that Filipinos can excel in mathematics.

“We should promote this interest, this love for mathematics not just to win trophies and medals in international tournaments but to pave the way for students to go into engineering and science and technology courses. Our country needs engineers and scientists,” Chua said.

Mindanao youths start peace summit in Zamboanga


ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Amid the raging armed conflict involving some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, youths in Mindanao start this Friday a regional peace summit stressing a "Culture of Dialogue as Path to Peace."

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said participants from in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga City will join the first regional peace summit of the youth.

In a statement on its website, the CBCP said the upcoming gathering, organized by Silsilah Dialogue Movement, will be held from August 22 – 24 at the Oasis Dialogue Center in Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City.

Fr. Sebastiano D'Ambra, PIME, founder of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, said the summit comes at a judicious moment "when our community is challenged by decisions made and being made by our leaders."

"(It is a challenge for everyone to) respond in a way that reflects our commitment to peace ... It would be judicious for our government leaders to listen to what the youth have to say," he said.

The movement has always considered the youth as special collaborators in its pursuit of peace, D’Ambra said.

He said the movement has a special program for the youth with activities designed to orient them about “a life-in-dialogue."

"Among these activities have been training of madaris/gurus who teach values formation to the youth. There have been youth camps that provide Muslim and Christian youth, as well as youth from different religious traditions, to come together and forge bonds of friendship.
Youth with talents for news writing have been trained to hone these skills so that they might use the press to promote the ideals of dialogue, peace and harmony that are at the core of Silsilah's vision and mission," said D'Ambra.

The movement promotes a spirituality that is open to dialogue to all faiths, based on trust and respect for other cultures. - GMANews.TV

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gOODBYE POY..

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t93/bermudez_08/800px-ZAMdfvvdv.jpg

hey every one...may nagsabi sakin ngaun lang na may bomba na sumabog sa Food Paradise is that true?

Comic Relief Album

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/cbk-zam/b/b8/Comic_Relief.jpg

where can i buy this?

http://images.abscbnonline.multiply.com/image/9:pdreamacademy/photos/17/400x400/12/DSC00071.jpg?et=MRH52ma50tfs616rf8JT9A&nmid=111916952

gOODBYE POY..

^^Hey Zoro what do you mean goodbye Poy? kakalas naba si popoy sa band?:ohno:

Comic Relief Album

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/cbk-zam/b/b8/Comic_Relief.jpg

^^Alas may album na tlaga sila, their songs have been circulating Youtube months ago, i really like their song Cuando is one of my favorite:cheers:
^^Where can we get one Zoro:)

hey every one...may nagsabi sakin ngaun lang na may bomba na sumabog sa Food Paradise is that true?

nope..juz a false alarm..

where can i buy this?

maybe sa music box meron na..pero may nakita ako sa counter ng bloomingdales

^^Hey Zoro what do you mean goodbye Poy? kakalas naba si popoy sa band?:ohno:

Wala na kasi si Poy sa PDA..umalis sya last saturday..her contract was over..

The Historic Rizal Monument..probably the oldest in Mindanao..

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Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Abong-Abong

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An old building in Valderossa Street..

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A restaurant inside La Vista del Mar Resort

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Mount Pulung Bato, a dormant volcano within the city's vicinity..

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Fort Pilar..

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Mc Donald's - Zamboanga

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Park 88 @ Pasonanca..

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Mister Donut - ADZU..one of the 15 Mister Donuts in Zamboanga

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A Building fronting Western Mindanao Medical Center..

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Pettit Baracks, the Headquarters of the American Forces in Zamboanga way back 1900..

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Alavar's Seafood House in Tetuan..

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Mercury Drug - San Jose Gusu

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City Hall and Rizal mOnument circa 1900

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Plaza Pershing, circa 1915

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Guardia Nacional Street, circa 1920's

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Plaza Pershing Again..

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