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Cagayan de Oro City News December 2012

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Cagayan de Oro City within Misamis Oriental

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

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Cagayan de Oro City Public Market
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The river of cagayan de oro city
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St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
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Flood Waters in the streets of Cagayan de Oro City
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Cagayan de Oro City Buildings
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Bus Terminal, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro tops NMRAA for eighth straight year

By philstar.com

Tubod, Lanao del Norte, Philippines – Cagayan de Oro Athletic Association (COAA) dominated anew the Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) meet held Dec.10-14 at the world-class Mindanao Civic Center sports complex.

COAA grabbed the overall championship with 593.50 points, followed by Bukidnon (462 points), Misamis Oriental (446.91), Iligan City (260.91) and host Lanao del Norte (243.50).

COAA was also the champion in both the elementary and secondary divisions with 294 points and 299.50 points, respectively. This is the eighth consecutive year that COAA topped the regional meet, also known as the Palarong Pampook, which drew over 7,000 student-athletes, coaches and trainers.

“We are very happy with the high turnout of athletes. This year’s successful hosting of the NMRAA inspires us more to host bigger sporting events in the near future,” Gov. Khalid Dimaporo said.

Earlier in the week, Lanao del Norte also hosted another international motocross in the sprawling MCC dirt-track regarded by many motocross enthusiasts as the best in the country.

Among those who participated in this year’s NMRAA are elementary and high school athletes from Bukidnon, Malaybalay, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, El Salvador, Gingoog, Oroquieta, Ozamis, Tangub and Valencia and host province Lanao del Norte.




Yearender: Political flashback

By Terry D.C. Betonio


THE tragedy that hit Cagayan de Oro City due to Tropical Storm Sendong in December last year has clouded the political scene of the city. One party has accused another of favoring only those survivors who were allied with them or those who voted for them in the last election.

Over at Barangay Carmen, village chief Rolando Uy cried foul over the non-inclusion of those affected residents in the City Government’s list of survivors to be given priority in the relocation sites. Carmen is one of the areas in the city that was greatly devastated by flash floods while Uy is Mayor Vicente Emano’s arch rival in the last mayoralty elections.

Over at the Provincial Capitol, Emano has accused Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno of “brainwashing” survivors who preferred to stay in the De Lara Park at the Capitol grounds than at the evacuation sites identified by the City Government.

Socio-civic group Save CDO Now Movement later filed an administrative case of gross negligence and dereliction of duty against Emano in relation to the devastation brought by “Sendong.”

Lawyer James Judith said the case aims to give justice to the flood victims who were killed and injured during the flashfloods and to give Emano a lesson that he is not “untouchable.”

But Emano countered this by saying that the flood was an act of God. “What’s important is that the City Government made an immediate response on the aftereffects of the flood,” he said then.

But Emano accused Moreno of masterminding all the charges filed against him, to which Moreno just laughed off, saying the mayor is “hallucinating.”

With the string of cases filed against Emano, Moreno said he is seeing the mayor’s end.

The political brawl heightened even more when Moreno worked for the transfer of his residence in Cagayan de Oro and later on announced he would be running for mayor against Emano in the May 2013 midterm elections.

During the filing of his certificate of candidacy (COC) in October, Emano’s supporters came in droves, which some critics said was a form of early campaigning.

Msgr. Elmer Abacahin earlier said he hoped Emano has not violated the Omnibus Election Code when he saw more than 20,000 people inside and outside the St. Augustine Cathedral where a Mass was held prior to the filing of Emano’s COC.

Reports later came out that the supporters were “ordered” to join Emano and his team in the filing of COCs and that “attendance will be checked.” But Emano denied all these, saying that “black propaganda is a normal thing in politics.”

“It’s the people who will decide in the end,” Emano said.

Come May 2013, it is, indeed, the people who will decide who to vote. As what the Church has kept on advocating – vote those who have conscience.

Aside from Moreno and Emano, businessman-philanthropist Elmer Francisco is also eyeing for the mayoralty seat while running for the vice mayoralty post are incumbent city councilor Edgar Cabanlas and Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas.

For the city’s first district, incumbent Rep. Benjo Benaldo is seeking reelection against former mayor Constantino Jaraula and incumbent Councilor Alvin Calingin while for the second district, incumbent Rep. Rufus Rodriguez is also seeking reelection against incumbent Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya.

In Misamis Oriental, Emano’s son, Rep. Yevgeny Vincente (2nd District) will run against incumbent Vice Governor Norris Babiera in the gubernatorial race.

With this slate, the political scene in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental will surely be a “tough game” to watch out for.




PNP Chief meets election task force commanders in MindanaoNorthern Mindanao’s labor force grow by 4.2%==

By Elaine O. Ratunil


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Dec. 29 -- Police Director General Alan LM Purisima, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and concurrent Vice Chairman of the National Committee SAFE (Secure and Fair Elections) 2013, today met with task group commanders of the provinces in Mindanao included in the list of 15 priority for the midterm elections next year.

PDG Purisima said he scheduled the conference at the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO-10) Headquarters in Cagayan de Oro to assess the implementation of the election security campaign plan in the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan.

He said the conference also served as an opportunity for the task force commanders to share notes as each of them were asked to report the progress of the election preparations in their assigned provinces, and at the same time, make an honest assessment as to which specific security measures were successful and which of them need further improvement.

"The PNP has long been mapping out the best election security campaign plan to ensure the peaceful and credible conduct of the midterm elections in 2013. It is necessary at this point to conduct an assessment on what is going on in the ground,” said Purisima.

The Task Force SAFE has been aggressively conducting operations to account for a nationwide total of 552,338 firearms with expired licenses and some 25,000 others which have not been registered at all.

For the accounting of unrenewed firearms, one of the measures implemented is for the police commanders to lead the house visitation of delinquent firearms owners to remind them of the consequences of keeping unlicensed firearms. Delinquent firearms owners were given options either to surrender the firearms or renew the licenses.

Some 60 active private armed groups are now the target of preemptive strikes by the police while 47 other potential PAGs are continuously monitored.

Other courses of actions for election security operations were police interventions like conduct of checkpoints, Oplan Sita/Oplan Bakal, reshuffle of PNP personnel, police community dialogues, recall of the security personnel for politicians, accounting of wanted persons and judicial audit of provincial jails.

The judicial audit of provincial jails, for instance, is aimed at preventing the repeat of incidents in the past wherein inmates are being tasked to do the “dirty jobs” for local politicians, like assassination of political rivals and fund-raising through robbery.

“I came here to personally check and assess what have already been accomplished by the task group commanders especially in accounting loose firearms and Private Armed Groups, determine what specific security plans need adjustments, and likewise identify successful security plans which other task group commanders could adopt in their respective provincial areas,” PDG Purisima said.

Present during the meeting were PRO-10 Regional Director Gil Hitosis, Police Director Felicisimo Khu of DIPO Eastern Mindanao and PCSupt. Francisco Cristobal of Task Force Ranao. Also present were Regional Special Task Force Group Commanders PSSupt. David Ombao of Misamis Occidental, PSSupt Sergio Dimandal of Lanao del Sur, PSSupt Alberto Supapo of Maguindanao and PCSupt Mario Yanga of Basilan.

PDG Purisima has already met with Regional Special Operations Task Group Commanders in Northern Luzon. (PRO10/PIA10)



Northern Mindanao’s labor force grow by 4.2%

By Apipa P. Bagumbaran

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Dec. 28 (PIA) -- Northern Mindanao’s labor force went up by 4.2 percent in July 2012, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The results of the July 2012 Labor Force Survey (LFS) showed that the region’s labor force grew from 2.018 million in July 2011 to 2.102 million in July 2012, said Engr. Cecilio Clarete, chief economic and development specialist of the NEDA in the region.

In terms of employment level, he said the region posted improvement breaching the two-million mark during the reference period.

The July 2012 round of the LFS estimated the number of employed persons in the region at 2.002 million, or at a rate of 95.3 percent, up by 0.4 percentage points from the 94.8 employment rate in the same period last year, he said.

This resulted to a 0.4 percentage point decline in the region’s unemployment rate, from 5.2 percent last year to 4.7 percent this year.

Underemployment rate also fell by 1.9 percentage points, from 22.3 percent to 20.3 percent.

In absolute terms, the number of workers who expressed their desire to earn more income either by additional work hours or jobs dropped by about 19,000 from 426 million in July 2011 to 407 million a year after, Clarete said.

According to him, the positive development may be due to a shift in employment growth from agriculture sector to the services sector.

He said the services sector, which offers higher labor productivity than agriculture, is now the region’s biggest employer engaging more than one million workers.

Year-on-year, employment in the services sector went up by 94,000 while that in the agriculture and industry sectors declined by 5,000 workers and 4,000 workers, respectively. (APB/PIA-10)

Cocpo to have new chief by January

  • Source: Cocpo to have new chief by January
  • Thursday, December 27, 2012
By Annabelle L. Ricalde


THE Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) will have a new chief next year as acting City Police Director Antonio Montalba is set to retire by January 16.

Police Regional Director Gil J. Hitosis said Thursday they have already submitted the vacancy at Cocpo to Camp Crame.

“Ang Camp Crame na ang mag-decide kung sino ang itatalaga dahil may mga applicants na rin,” Hitosis said.

He said three officials of the Philippine National Police-Northern Mindanao (PNP-10) namely Jerry Linsagan, Raul Benitez, and Graciano Mejares are included in the list who qualified the post.

He said the applications of the three police officials are already forwarded to Camp Crame. Hitosis said a massive reshuffle is also expected in the field in preparation for the 2013 midterm elections.

He said police commanders identified with incumbent officials or have some relatives running for local posts will be prioritized in the revamp.

From the municipal to provincial levels, Hitosis said the revamp will be conducted before the appointment ban of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) takes effect next year.

Under Comelec Resolution No. 9581 dated last December 18, there will be prohibition on appointing or hiring of new employees, creating or filling of new positions, giving any salary increase or transferring or detailing any officer or employee in the civil service and suspending elective local officials in connection with the May 13 automated synchronized national, local and Armm regional elections.

During the election period, the ban will be in effect except upon prior written authority from Comelec.






Misamis Oriental bags Green Banner Award

By Abigail C. Malalis


THE province of Misamis Oriental received the Regional Green Banner Award (GBA) from the Regional Nutrition Council during the awarding ceremony on Friday.

The same award was also given to Valencia City in Bukidnon for the city level and Maramag also in Bukidnon for the municipal level.

The GBA is given to a municipality, city or province that has shown very satisfactory performance in implementing its nutrition program such as immunization and provision of supplemental feeding to malnourished children.

An area awarded with the Green Banner for three consecutive years is automatically awarded the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) accolade.

A National Nutrition Evaluation Team will then visit CROWN awardees for three consecutive years to check whether their efforts in maintaining a downward trend of malnutrition are sustained through a well-coordinated plan implementation.

The municipality of Opol in Misamis Oriental is also an awardee of the 1st Crown Maintenance while Ozamiz City bags the 2nd Crown Maintenance award.

Divinagracia C. Mendaje, Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) regional president and national board member, said that in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, the number of malnourished children rose up after the onslaught of Tropical Storm Sendong when many children who were victims has to contend in evacuation centers with their families.

Mendaje, however, said the increase of malnourished children was immediately given attention through the support of international aid donors.

“In fact, our role was only given much attention and importance by these people,” she told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.





Pag-IBIG Fund grants calamity loan to 'Pablo' victims

By (Irene Joy Dayo/RTPaculba/PIA 10)


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Dec. 22 (PIA) -- Pag-IBIG Fund Cagayan de Oro City Branch is now offering calamity loans to members who were affected by typhoon Pablo.

Juliano S. Banghal, Department Manager III, said members who are currently employed may already apply for the calamity loan once they have submit their duly accomplished Pag-IBIG Fund Calamity Loan application form and the documentary requirements to their company’s respective Fund Coordinators (FCs) or Human Resource Officers (HROs) or Authorized Representatives.

These documentary requirements include Declaration of Being Affected By Calamity, duly signed by the Head of Office or the Authorized Representative of the Company/Agency, photocopy of 2 valid Identification Cards, duly authenticated by the by the Head of Office or the Authorized Representative of the company/agency and Certificate of Net Take Home Pay, duly signed by the Head of Office or the Authorized Representative of the company/agency.

FCs and HROs are then advised to facilitate the submission of the aforementioned documents together with a corresponding transmittal listing of the complete names of the Calamity Loan applicants.

Further, FCs and HROs may pass these documents to either Mr. Abas or to Ms. Elizabeth Amarille, Chief of Division at the Pag-IBIG Fund Malaybalay Extension Office.






Dole urged not to grant working permit to Chinese nationals

By Abigail C. Malalis

A CAGAYAN de Oro City councilor is calling on the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) not to grant working permit applied by a mining company for two Chinese nationals identified as Zong Hengyuan, 43, and He Jiancheng, 42.

In October, the two Chinese nationals were arrested by police during raid in a barge in Sitio Araw-Araw, Barangay Pagalungan in Cagayan de Oro City.

Councilor Edgar Cabanlas said Dole should not grant the working permit to these Chinese nationals, citing the company’s alleged involvement in illegal mining activities in the city.

Yellow Stone Minerals Development Corporation has filed an alien employment permits (AEP) for two Chinese nationals who will reportedly work as assistant millwright.

The company filed the application at the Dole regional office.

Yellow Stone Minerals Development Corp. is facing charges for violation of Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

The case was filed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for illegal exploration and theft of minerals.

Aside from Yellow Stone, the MGB has also filed charges against KF Net Corporation and Phil. Long Sangda Mining Corp. while their incorporators are also facing charges for disobedience to authority.

MGB regional director Rex Monsanto said based on their recent monitoring, the barge owned by Yellow Stone is no longer operational.

However, he said the company is still involved in copper mining in Barangay Dansolihon.

Aside from Cabanlas, environmental group Sulog has also expressed opposition to the company’s application, also citing its involvement in illegal mining in the hinterland barangays of the city.

But Dole regional director Johnson Cañete said until the license permit of the company is not cancelled, their applications for working permits can still be processed.

“But if there are oppositors to the application, then we will observe due process,” Cañete told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.





Guv trusts lawmakers’ decision on RH bill

By Annabelle L. Ricalde

WITH the approval of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill, Misamis Oriental Vice Governor Norris Babiera said the people should leave the decision to the wisdom of the lawmakers.

“Respecting the wisdom of our congressmen on whether or not to approve the RH bill, I know they would arrive in a decision that is good for the country,” Babiera told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

Babiera is a member of the Liberal Party and the standard bearer of the party for governor in the province along with Representative Peter Unabia (first district, Misamis Oriental).

During the voting of the RH bill last Thursday, Unabia voted “no” but Babiera declined to comment on the former’s vote.

Meanwhile, former Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) undersecretary Clarence Paul Oaminal, who opposed for the passage of the bill, said the RH bill is all about profits, sales and commissions and never about love for family.

According to Oaminal, the RH bill means profits for the manufacturers of condoms and pills, which are all from multinational corporations, sales for the distributors and agents, and commissions for the proponent government officials.

He said lawmakers should not decide on being against or for the RH bill without reading and analyzing the entire legislation.

He added it should be more than just political affiliation or religious belief.

“It is unfortunate that up to now, many Filipinos are unaware of the provisions of the law,” Oaminal said.

CDO, Iligan learn from ‘Sendong’

By JB R. Deveza

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—A year ago, just as residents of the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were getting ready for Christmas, Tropical Storm “Sendong” swept through the region, sending flash floods and leaving 1,200 people dead. Almost a year to the day after Sendong struck, Typhoon “Pablo” hit Mindanao, but thanks to better weather forecasting and preparations on the ground, the two cities experienced zero casualties. In explaining the turn of events, city engineer Armen Cuenca said Cagayan de Oro benefited from a shift in mind-set from focusing on disaster response and relief to disaster risk reduction, aside from better information from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the weather bureau. In July, President Aquino launched the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, or Project Noah, which sought to provide a six-hour lead time warning to vulnerable communities against impending floods. Government technicians installed a dozen automatic rain gauges in the Cagayan de Oro River basin and the nearby Iponan River. “Disaster in essence is risk multiplied by vulnerability over capacity,” Cuenca said. “After Sendong, we have been working on how to reduce vulnerability while increasing capacity.” The city drew up an enhanced set of disaster protocols, tested during Pablo, which maps out appropriate actions based on timely information from the DOST and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). Color-coded warnings The protocol consists of four color-coded stages with corresponding actions beginning with white for situation normal to green, to blue, then red. In the case of Pablo, Code Green, which entails informing and preparing communities, was activated upon receipt of advance warnings and advisories from the DOST at least three days before Pablo hit on Dec. 4. Twenty-four hours prior to Pablo, Code Blue was raised over the affected communities which advised residents to voluntarily evacuate to prepared evacuation sites or to safer grounds, especially for the most vulnerable sectors—women, children, the elderly and the sick. Code Red, raised just six hours before Pablo’s passing over Cagayan de Oro past 1 p.m. on Dec. 4, meant the forced evacuation to the 31 centers for about 40,000 individuals from 46 barangays (villages). But not all chose to leave even when flood began rising to almost Sendong levels as many households chose to leave behind able-bodied males to guard against looting. Evacuation ordinance Supt. Antonio Montalba, the city police chief, said lawmen could only persuade residents to leave and could not bodily remove those who refuse to abandon their homes. To address the avoidable risk to rescue personnel, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council endorsed two measures to the city government for adoption—a forced evacuation ordinance that would penalize residents who ignore official calls to evacuate and an ordinance mandating a 20-meter legal easement, or no-build zones, from riverbanks. But even if these two ordinances are enacted, the real challenge would be updating existing land use plans and policies and reorienting these to take cognizance of the recent flooding. Mayor Vicente Emano, criticized for looking the other way while communities proliferated in hazardous areas along the river before Sendong, is now perceived to have recouped lost points for his handling of Pablo. Additional aid On Monday, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman visited Balangay PNoy in Cagayan de Oro to deliver P21 million worth of additional livelihood and educational assistance for the 3,170 families relocated in the area. Soliman said her department would spend P140 million for the construction of 1,500 more houses for families displaced by Sendong. The Department of Social Welfare and Development has constructed 3,780 houses for people displaced by Sendong in the city. In Iligan last year, 20 villages along the Mandulog and Iligan rivers were wiped out and hundreds of people were killed in the communities. Two radio journalists—Leonisid Emmanuel Alsonado and Angelito Kundiman—were among the dead. On Sunday, journalists honored fallen colleagues during a floral offering and candle lighting ceremony on the banks of Mandulog River.

‘Sendong Run’ draws tremendous support

By Hannah Mae Salugsugan

WITH the 17th dawn of December still fresh in their minds, over 10,000 people from all walks of life came to participate Sunday’s tribute run for Sendong victims in Cagayan de Oro.

“We will never forget that’s why I’m here with some friends and relatives,” an elderly woman, who braved the race despite her physical disability, told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

For City Museum Curator Nanette Roa, who regularly writes her Past Speaks column for Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, the memories of Sendong will be etched forever in history of the City of Golden Friendship.

“For me, Dagan Kagay-an represents the past and the future. It symbolizes our moving to the future for a bright tomorrow,” Roa said.

Organized by the Xavier University-Regional Center of Expertise (XU-RCE) in partnership with the Office of Civil Defense in Region 10 (OCD-X), the Dagan Kagay-an, a Sendong Survivors’ Solidarity Run in time for the commemoration of the first year anniversary of Sendong, was geared towards helping people remember, rebuild and move on from the aftermath of the 2011 tragedy.

Net proceeds of the run, with the registration fee of P100 for students and P200 for professionals, will be used for the construction of house lofts for 568 families in Xavier Ecoville, a Xavier University-led resettlement community for Sendong survivors in Barangay Lumbia. Runners who hailed from different government agencies, private organizations and schools in Cagayan de Oro assembled at the Rodelsa Circle before the start of the race with categories 2.5K, 5.5K and 8.5K. It was also graced by Undersecretary Lesley Cordero of the Office of the President.

“We were so overwhelmed by the tremendous support of the Kagay-anons. The weeks of laborious preparation really paid off,” said Churchill G. Aguilar, Dagan Kagay-an project coordinator.

At the end of the race, top three placers from the male and female categories of the 8.5k were recognized and given cash and gift prizes. Medals were also given to the first 10 finishers for both men and women.

This time, CDO takes no chances

By Hannah Mae Salugsugan


CAGAYAN De Oro Gateway Corp, a joint venture between Ayala Land Inc. and the Antonio Floirendo Group of Companies (Anflo Group) along with the Avida Land Corp., one of the residential subsidiaries of Ayala Land Inc., recently developed Centrio Tower, a 23-storey residential condominium soon to rise in the heart of Cagayan De Oro.

"With Cagayan de Oro's booming and fast-growing economy, we believe it is the perfect time to complement such progress by building homes that will bring the lives of the people of this fast-growing city to exciting new heights," Rico Manuel, Ayala Land Inc. Vis-Min Management Committee Member in-charge of Mindanao Development and concurrently the Corporate Treasurer of CDO Gateway Corp, in a statement said.

Centrio Tower is a part of the 3.7-hectare mixed use development called the Centrio project, which is set to offer a mall, hotel and various office spaces that include BPO centers in Cagayan de Oro. The Tower is part of Ayala Land’s rapid business expansion in Visayas and Mindanao with the goal of building developments that integrate retail, residential and business among others.

Conveniently located along C.M. Recto cor. Corrales Avenue, Centrio Tower will be surrounded by exciting new establishments brought by Centrio.

Aside from that, it will also be enclosed by the region's best educational institutions, medical care centers and offices as it is located in the heart of the city, thus giving residents the fantastical access to things and places that matter.

‘What a Christmas gift?’ Cagayan de Oro residents cry of floods

By Cai Panlilio


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — With toppled trees and debris scattered everywhere, residents of this city must have thought that the worst of Pablo had passed. But around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, hours after the rains that Pablo brought in stopped, the church bell from the San Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, which stood by the Cagayan River, started ringing. The scene was akin to one plucked out of a World War II movie, where people were fleeing as the church bells rang, warning them of the arriving Japanese soldiers. The reason for the ringing bell on Wednesday here, however, was that the water level at the Cagayan River started to swell, albeit slowly.






This time, CDO takes no chances

By Jigger Jerusalem


MANILA, Philippines - Residents of Cagayan de Oro City, hard-hit by typhoon “Sendong” last year, took no chances this time and fled their homes even before super typhoon “Pablo” could unleash its fury, leaving only a few men to watch over their belongings.

The Cagayan de Oro River, which claimed hundreds of lives during Sendong, this time appeared deserted.

The river swelled at 2 p.m. yesterday, flooding houses along the river banks. The water was rampaging as it did during Sendong, but not as high.

As of 8 a.m. yesterday, 70 percent of the city was without power after the Cagayan de Oro Light and Power Co. decided to cut supply when Pablo toppled electric posts.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

By (Nicole Managbanag/Abigail Malalis/Annabelle Ricalde/Terry Betonio)


CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Typhoon Pablo (international name: Bopha) inundated a major highway and flooded several barangays here Tuesday afternoon.

Radio reports said C.M. Recto Avenue was already impassable while Barangays Tablon, Cugman, Balulang and Agusan have been flooded as the storm made its way through the city Tuesday noon.

Several old trees near the Rotunda were also reportedly uprooted due to strong winds.

City Hall officials are also monitoring the rise of water level at the Cagayan and Iponan rivers as the Bubunawan River in Baungon, Bukidnon was reportedly starting to overflow.

In Barangay Cugman, the Bigaan Bridge has also overflowed and flooded some establishments in the area, radio reports said.

Mayor Vicente Emano said Ysalina (Carmen) Bridge has also been temporarily closed due to the rising waters of the Cagayan River.

Emano said the bridge is “too old” and might collapse if vehicles are still allowed to pass through once the water level continues to rise.

The power supply was also cut off after a tower of the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (Cepalco) was toppled down by strong winds.

Water supply in some areas in the city was also cut off.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) reported that at least 24,389 residents are now staying in 43 identified evacuation centers.

SM City has also opened its mall and provided food, water, and other basic needs to at least 1,000 evacuees.

Ivy Guantero, SM City press relations manager, said the mall is still open to those who want to leave their houses.

In Misamis Oriental, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported at least 4,678 families affected by the storm as of 2:45 p.m. who are now staying in evacuation centers.

In the nearby Bukidnon province, a 30-meter bridge connecting Talakag town and Cagayan de Oro collapsed, according to Andrew Bascon, chief of staff of Representative Benjo Benaldo (1st district, Misamis Oriental).

Bascon, who said to have witnessed the incident, said only the bridge’s approach was left.

In Valencia City, a six-year-old boy died Tuesday morning after he was hit by a fallen coconut tree when Typhoon Pablo battered Bukidnon province.

The boy’s name has not yet been released as of press time.






Cagayan de Oro applies lessons learned from Sendong

By Cong Corrales


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 3 Nov) – Calling their lapses in the aftermath of tropical storm Sendong last year as “birth pains,” this city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) aims to improve their performance as super typhoon “Pablo” (international codename: Bopha) entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility late last night.


Early this afternoon, the CDRRMC already sounded the voluntary evacuation siren in Consolacion, one of the worst-hit barangays last year, as the sky over this city turned gray. Senior citizens, women and children have evacuated. Isla Bugnaw in Consolacion now looks like a ghost community with only a few men securing belongings and important documents.


“When the President issued EO (Executive Order) 318 in June last year, many, especially among the barangay chairs, were confounded because the disaster risk reduction concept was new. Many of our barangay chairs did not know how to implement it in their barangays,” City Councilor President Elipe told local reporters during an emergency press briefing here Saturday.


“When Sendong struck the city last year, our CDRRMC was already organized but it was still relatively new. You can call it birth pains but we have learned a lot after Sendong,” he added.


Elipe, along with three city councilors – Adrian Barba, Alexander Dacer and Ramon Tabor – have been tasked as district action officers. Each councilor is assigned to focus on 20 barangays. This city has 40 urban and 40 upland barangays.


As of 4 a.m. today, The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) spotted the eye of Typhoon Pablo at 700 km southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur with maximum winds of 175 kph and gusts of 210 kph. It has an estimated rate of rainfall of 20 to 30 mm/hr within a diameter of 600 km.


“It is forecast to move west-northwest at 24 kph and expected to be at 175 km east of Hinatuan by Tuesday morning. By Wednesday morning, Pablo is expected to be at 80 km south of Ilo-ilo City and at 280 km northwest of Puerto Princesa on Thursday morning,” Pagasa said in its latest bulletin based on data from its monitoring station based in neighboring El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental.


This city, as well as the rest of Misamis Oriental, are among areas where Public Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted. The other provinces in Mindanao under Signal No. 1 are Surigao del Norte (including the islands of Siargao and Dinagat), Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, the rest of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte (including Samal Island), Compostela Valley, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. Meanwhile, Pagasa issued Signal No. 2 in Surigao del Sur and the northern part of Davao Oriental.


Engr. Armen Cuenca, assistant CDRRMC officer, said that as early as Friday, City Hall has prepared some 800 sacks of rice in preparation for the evacuation that is expected here Monday night.


“Unlike what our detractors have been claiming, the CDRRMC conducts regular meetings,” said Cuenca.


By Sunday afternoon, volunteers and City Hall employees were busy packing relief goods at the City Tourism Hall, the designated CDRRMC command center.


Cuenca said that should Pablo flood the City Tourism Hall, the alternative command center sites are Camp Nicholas Capistrano, headquarters of the Police Regional Public Safety Battalion in Barangay Gusa, and the office of the Oro Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Pueblo de Oro, Upper Carmen, which will serve the eastern and western side, respectively, of the city.


He said that they have also prepared evacuation sites. The covered courts of Barangays 24, 40, Camaman-an, Indahag, Lapasan and Agusan will serve as evacuation sites for people in the eastern side of the city. For the western side of the city, the evacuation sites are Zones 6 and 10 of Barangay Carmen, Patag, Kauswagan, Bulua, Iponan and Xavier Estates Subdivision in Upper Carmen.


A firetruck and city-owned vehicle, rigged with a public announcement system, went around the city announcing the latest bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).


In Consolacion, residents have packed their belongings, stowed away their appliances and important documents. Others have opted to send their children to their relatives who live in higher areas of the city.


“I simply refuse to be a calamity victim again,” Clifford Huerbana said Sunday night while packing enough clothes and essentials for three days.


Like Huerbana, most of the residents of Consolacion, a barangay along Cagayan River, said they will voluntarily evacuate their homes once CDRRMC raises the alert code to red.


In another hardly-hit community last year, residents of Villa Angela in Barangay Balulang are also amenable to the voluntary evacuation plan of the CDRRMC.


Sendong survivor Dino Roble said in an interview Sunday evening that their neighborhood started preparing for the super typhoon since Saturday morning when the CDRRMC declared a code blue on the city, especially the flood-prone barangays. (Cong B. Corrales / MindaNews)

This time around, CDO residents ready to move out at the first sign of downpour

By Bobby Lagsa

Inquirer Mindanao


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Roberto Labitad and his neighbors on Acacia Street in Barangay (village) Carmen here finalized on Saturday night their evacuation before the arrival of typhoon Pablo on Tuesday (Dec. 4). Labitad and his neighbors learned a hard lesson almost a year ago when tropical storm Sendong struck the city killing over a thousand people and destroying properties. But unlike 2011, they are now more prepared for typhoon Pablo. “When the rain is strong and if we feel that it is time to move out, we will move out,” Labitad said. Like him, his neighbors have already packed their essential belongings. Acacia Street is just across Sitio Cala-Cala in Barangay Macasandig, the ground zero of last year’s flood where an entire community was wiped off the map. Labitad said they were not taking chances this time. Their plan: evacuate the children before the government could issue Code Blue. Code Blue is issued by the government for voluntary evacuation. Barangays 13 and 15, which sit on a sandbar that government has declared a no-build zone after Sendong, are now ghost villages. The once lively community, popularly known as Isla de Oro, of more than 10,000 people is now covered with grass. Neighbors Rey Jan Abrio and Jevy Jill Asuniel were resting in the shade of a mango tree when the Philippine Daily Inquirer visited Isla de Oro on Sunday. “Hundreds who were washed away by the flood were saved here,” Abrio said, referring to people climbing the mango tree when rampaging floodwater struck on Dec. 16, 2011. “It (mango tree) was literally flowering with people when the flood came,” Suniel said. Abrio said his family would move out upon the pouring of the rain. Their house is just outside the 50-meter no-build zone. “We are moving to our relatives so we can avoid the flood when it comes,” Abrio said. Suniel said he would rather be safe than go through the experience of another destructive typhoon. Suniel recalled how their barangay councilors sounded the alarm when water was rising, but residents ignored the warning. On Burgos Street, the closest street along the riverbank of Cagayan de Oro, residents have been seen preparing for storm Pablo, predicted to be stronger than Sendong. A family onboard a pedicab even yelled at their neighbors: “Bakwit na ta (Let’s evacuate),” as they moved out days ahead of Pablo’s expected landfall. Labitad said people have become alert to the dangers of a typhoon. “We must not take chances,” he insisted.

This time, Cagayan de Oro is ready for floods

By Bobby Lagsa, Richel Umel


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—This time, the city will not be caught by surprise. Unlike in December 2011, the city is prepared should tropical storm “Bopha” (to be called “Pablo” when it enters the country) intensify and dump even more rain than storm “Sendong” did, disaster officials said on Friday. When Sendong hit eastern and northern Mindanao last year, it triggered floods that killed thousands of people here and in Iligan City. The new weather disturbance, packing winds of 90 kph, is expected to hit Northern Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Sunday evening, the weather bureau said Friday. Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) warned that while Bopha is still over 1,000 kilometers away from Mindanao, its size—400 to 500 km in diameter—was worrisome. “A picture tells a thousand words,” Ramos told Manila reporters on Tuesday while holding a satellite imagery of Bopha. “It is possible that the storm could (intensify) and bring even more rain than Sendong did,” Ramos was quoted as saying. Ramos said Cagayan de Oro and Iligan would be in the path of the expected storm. Anna Cañeda, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Northern Mindanao, said they have already sent alerts to all local government offices in the region. Vice Mayor Ian Acenas said that the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) was prepared for Pablo. He said systems on monitoring, mitigation, response, rescue and other preparations, had been put in place. Armen Cuenca, chief of the Cagayan de Oro Assistance for Life Emergency and Response Team (Oro Alert), said the Sendong tragedy served lessons to the government which has since installed early warning devices in various areas of the city and in nearby Bukidnon. Cuenca said the early warning devices would measure rainfall volume and water levels in barangays Macasandig, Pigsag-an, San Simon here, and in the towns of Libona, Talakag and Baungon in Bukidnon. The devices will send real-time data every 15 minutes to the NDRRMC operation center in the city. “It will monitor the level of the rain and will emit warnings when (dangerous) conditions are reached,” he said. Last year, most people here and in Iligan were unaware that the river systems had taken in water more than their capacity. Many victims were asleep when water rose as deep as 30 meters, sweeping away everything in its path. Cuenca said this time, residents would be provided bulletins based on the results of the monitoring. “There is white, green, blue and red (levels),” he said, adding that a red alert meant forced evacuation would be implemented. But he said people were advised not to wait for the highest alert level. When the water level reaches 30 millimeters every hour for two hours, a blue-level warning will be issued, which means that “people should evacuate voluntarily,” he said. Cuenca said the disaster response unit identified those living along the Cagayan de Oro River and the heavily silted Iponan river as priorities should evacuation becomes necessary. The Army, the police and the barangay tanods are tasked to implement the forced evacuation of residents, he said. In Iligan City, Allan Padilla, administrator of the Iligan City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (ICDRRMC), said at least two additional rubber boats were on standby in case of floods. “We have two brand new rubber boats aside from the existing rescue equipment and facilities,” Padilla said.

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