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==PAGASA expects rain showers over parts of PHL==
*Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/257919/news/nation/pagasa-expects-rain-showers-over-parts-of-phl
*Saturday, May 12, 2012
:by  LBG, GMA News
Rain showers may fall over parts of the country as a potential cyclone, a low-pressure area, heads for the West Philippine Sea Saturday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.
PAGASA forecaster Fernando Cada said their models show the LPA is not likely to intensify into a cyclone while still inside Philippine territory.
“Ito ay papalabas papunta sa West Philippine Sea.... Hindi na ito makakaapekto sa ating bansa," Cada said in an interview on dzBB radio.
But he also said the rain to be expected on Saturday does not yet mean the rainy season is already here.
He said the rainy season is due to set in during the second half of May, when the southwest monsoon begins to become dominant.
PAGASA’s 5 a.m. bulletin indicated the LPA was estimated at 270 km west of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, embedded along the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Palawan and Mindanao.
It also noted the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting the eastern section of Southern Luzon.
“The whole archipelago will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms,” PAGASA said.
Light to moderate winds blowing from the east to northeast will prevail over Luzon and coming from the west to southwest over the rest of the country, it said.
The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, it added.
==4 charged with tax evasion==
*Source: http://www.tempo.com.ph/2012/4-charged-with-tax-evasion/#.T6zkWOgzCsE
*Friday, May 11, 2012
:by  Jun Ramirez
Manila, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed yesterday two separate tax evasion cases against four individuals for “doctoring“ transaction papers to save on tax payments totaling more P53 million.
BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares submitted the complaints to the Department of Justice (DoJ) for preliminary investigation and the filing of the cases in courts if probable cause is established.
The first case concerned a Manila City Hall contractor identified as Oscar Badillo of Wack-Wack Twin Towers who was commissioned by the city government to construct the three-storey Balagtas Elementary School in Tondo in 2009.
Badillo was paid P49.2 million for the schoolbuilding project but the amount was not reported in his Income Tax Return (ITR) for the year.
The second case involved a land seller in Oriental Mindoro and buyers who allegedly conspired to undervalue the transaction to save on tax payments.
They were identified as Lerma Lasala and Flemming Remmer and Annbrit Remmer, president and corporate secretary, respectively, of First Flemming Properties.
==Philippine Consular Corps plants 30k mangroves in Baco, OrMin==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R04B&article=741336352411
*Tuesday, May 8, 2012
:by  Luis T. Cueto
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, May 8 (PIA) -- The Philippine Consular Corps recently planted 30,000 mangrove propagules in barangay Pulantubig (formerly known as Mayagao) in Baco, Oriental Mindoro.
This is part of the rehabilitation project of the national government against climate change in partnership with Conservation International (CI).
Like many coastal areas in the Philippines, Baco’s mangrove areas have suffered over the years, making the area more vulnerable to climate change impacts such as sea level rise and stronger, more frequent storms.
“We are happy to support this endeavor as a continuing partnership with Conservation International,” said Armenia Honorary Consul Jose Periquet, Jr., Dean of the Consular Corps.
Country executive director of Conservation International Romeo Trono said, “Rehabilitating and expanding mangrove greenbelts are among the most cost-effective ways of enhancing a community’s capacity to adapt to climate change impacts. Mangrove belts protect communities from storm damages and help stabilize coastlines.”
“In fact,” he added, “the mangrove rehabilitation project was launched simultaneously with SICAD (Strategic Intervention and Community-focused Action towards Development) in Pulantubig, Baco to pursue a holistic and integrated approach to alleviating poverty in the coastal communities with the end in view of capacitating them to become development partners in sustaining local environmental management efforts.
“We are bent on implementing an honest-to-goodness coastal resource management development program, dispensing with the idea that this is only for publicity,” said Gov. Alfonso V. Umali, Jr. who led the launching of a mangrove rehabilitation project, part of the provincial government’s climate change adaptation efforts.
The participants planted Rhizophora propagules, one of the mangrove varieties chosen as most appropriate to the area and most likely to thrive given the site’s conditions. The rehabilitation site is a sand bar and river delta formation, which serves as the community's barrier against strong waves.
It can be recalled that when a tsunami hit in 1994 which killed at least 41 people in the affected communities, the area helped shield the residents from devastation that caused flooding and beach erosion.
According to Conservation International, the combination of true mangrove and associated species that will be planted under this initiative will enhance the stability of coastal ecosystems in the area. It will provide the community with a more efficient means of protection from climatic factors and other natural events and likewise improve habitats that will serve as homes for fishes, crabs, clams and other provisioning functions of a healthy mangrove forest.
“Aside from enhanced coastal protection, this project is expected to provide additional benefits to fisherfolks engaged in aquasilvi projects or crab culture,” said Marilyn Alcañices, head of the Fishery and Coastal Resources Management Division of Oriental Mindoro’s Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO).
“Rehabilitating mangrove areas will increase aquasilvi project sites and increase the population of crablets and other marine finfish like milkfish, grouper that need mangrove areas as their nursery and feeding grounds,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the Consular Corps of the Philippines Environmental Concerns Committee, chaired by Sweden Honorary Consul General Carla Limcaoco, held a charity bike run in Makati City to raise funds to support mangrove reforestation efforts. She was assisted by her Co-Chair, El Salvador Honorary Consul Ma. Josefina Ortigas-Duarte, and project coordinators: Jordan Honorary Consul Michael Alexander Ang, Italy Consul Dr. Adriano Stefanutti, Guatemala Vice Consul/Corps Secretary Marc Thomas Ablaza, and other committee members. They plan to hold a second charity bike run for environmental protection sometime this year.
The Bantay Dagat group of Baco will take on the task of monitoring and taking care of the planting site to ensure a high survival rate. As part of its climate change adaptation and coastal resources management efforts, the municipality is also in the process of establishing new marine protected areas. (LBR/PIO/LTC/PIACALAPAN)
==Driver bashes live-in partner to death over friend’s unpaid P200 debt==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/189199/driver-bases-live-in-partner-to-death-over-friend%E2%80%99s-unpaid-p200-debt
*Monday, May 7, 2012
:by  Jeannette I. Andrade
MANILA, Philippines–A truck driver spent his birthday behind bars after he allegedly turned his own party into a bloody scene when he beat to his live-in partner to death in Tondo, Manila Sunday over a friend’s unpaid P200 debt.
Suspect Erick Jun Paglinawan, in an interview with the INQUIRER, claimed he could not remember how he killed 54-year-old Mercedes Dela Rosa, of 5-C Venus Street, Herbosa Extension in Tondo, who had thrown him the party.
“I was drunk,” said 41-year-old Paglinawan, an employee of the Mazen Transport Service and a native of Oriental Mindoro.
Senior Police Office 1 Mario Asilo, of the Manila Police District (MPD) Homicide Section, said that based on witness accounts Paglinawan had broken a bottle of beer over Dela Rosa’s head before grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly bashing her face against a concrete wall. The woman died instantly from massive head wounds.
Asilo pointed out that after the attack, Paglinawan was accosted by his birthday guests at Dela Rosa’s house and turned over to police custody. He remains detained at the MPD Homicide Section holding cell pending the filing of a homicide charge against him before the city prosecutor’s office.
Asilo said the incident supposedly stemmed from a P200 debt that Paglinawan’s co-worker owed to Dela Rosa. The truck driver, apparently embarrassed by his live-in partner’s act of taking his helper’s mobile phone in payment for the debt, attacked her.
Judith Belves, 43, a guest during Sunday’s celebration at Dela Rosa’s house told the INQUIRER that the co-worker, whose name was not given, borrowed the P200 from the victim several years ago.
“She (Dela Rosa) took his cell phone as payment for that debt which angered Erick who said that it was shameful for her to do something like that on his birthday. He said that she had embarrassed his best friend,” Belves narrated.
She claimed that she was surprised when Paglinawan suddenly grabbed a bottle of beer, broke it over Dela Rosa’s head and ordered everyone to get out. He then allegedly grabbed his live-in partner’s hair with both hands and started slamming her face against the concrete wall near the door.
“We tried to tell him to stop and take pity on her. But he was so angry and he would not listen. I tried to return for Mercy (Dela Rosa) but he threatened to do the same to me and I had to get out,” Belves told the INQUIRER.
As Dela Rosa lay lifeless, the other guests grabbed hold of Paglinawan, beat him up before turning him over to the police.
Paglinawan simply maintained that he could not remember anything that happened the previous day and claimed he knew nothing of the P200 debt that apparently triggered the killing. With a report from Julliane De Jesus, Inquirer trainee
==Seares: Kingmakers Erap, PNoy==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2012/05/03/seares-kingmakers-erap-pnoy-219433
*Thursday, May 3, 2012
:by Atty. Pachico A. Seares
PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino must be a reluctant kingmaker. Until last weekend, when in Oriental Mindoro he fired his first campaign salvo, he hadn't been active in mending Liberal Party fences.
The 2013 election must hold scant interest to PNoy: he won't face reelection in 2016 and no coup, impeachment, or post-term lawsuit threatens him.
PNoy is no Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. From year one, GMA beat back threats of uprising by wooing police and armed forces and won local politicians to her side, which required year-round campaigning.
PNoy being on the campaign trail means he has realized he has a debt to pay his party, it would help LP if the next president is a Liberal, and he could return the favor Mar Roxas gave him in 2010.
The payback argument is pretty strong but more persuasive is that another LP president could continue PNoy's fight against corruption and poverty.
Redemption
Joseph Estrada very much wants to be a kingmaker.
If Vice President Jojo Binay would win in 2016, it would prove Erap's clout and offer some redemption after his ouster from office and conviction of plunder.
Erap would've preferred the vote of confidence in 2010, which would've wiped out the slate that a pardon couldn't. Binay's becoming president would be the next best thing.
A rematch for PNoy and Erap though not as principal fighters but as handlers. And the clash begins next year.
They are the kingmakers although a lot would depend on the would-be kings: who between Binay and Roxas could get the nation's mandate and fate's blessing?
==PNoy pledges support for electrification, tourism for OrMin==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=423001
*Tuesday, May 1, 2012
:by  Lanie B. Ronquillo
BONGABONG, Oriental, Mindoro, May 1 (PIA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III pledged to support the province's electrification and tourism promotion programs during his visit here where he led the ceremonial harvesting of “king crabs” and bangus at the farm at Barangay Anilao, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, April 29.
The Chief Executive pledged to provide necessary support for the development of Oriental Mindoro, particularly in harnessing renewable energy resource projects such as the hydro-power resources in Linaw Kawayan and research on possible utilization of wind panels, which will be managed by the cooperatives, increasing the power generated for the province from 2.1 Megawatts to 4.5 Megawatts.
He also added that it is important to promote the scenic spots that may be ordinary to the locals but extra-ordinary to tourists, as this will help the local economy and provide livelihood to the communities. He cites aqua-culture in Mindoro as one of its unique features which has the potential to attract tourists, having seen the king crabs that each weighs one kilo per piece.
He shared that the tourism department reported that in January alone, there were 411,000 tourists who came to the country, and is projected to reach 4.8 million by the end of the year. Also, it is expected that by July, more tourists will be coming here. The government targets to boost tourism by 10 million in 2016, which is more than thrice last year’s three million tourism data. He emphasized the need to be ready for the influx of tourists by fast-tracking the government’s infrastructure development efforts.
Incidentally, the affair coincided with the 57th birthday of Gov. Alfonso V. Umali. Some of the governor’s other guests who came to greet him were Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson, Sec. Neric Acosta of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), Rep. Sonny Angara, Sec. Joel Villanueva of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Calapan City Mayor Doy Leachon, and the other mayors in the different municipalities of Oriental Mindoro.
The event was witnessed by the Farmers Organization for the Urban Upliftment of Mindoro (FORUM), barangay officials from various municipalities in the province, and people in the community who warmly greeted the President when he arrived.(LBR/PIA4-B)
==Aquino maintains that the PHL wants to de-escalate tension with China on Scarborough Shoal territorial claims==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=423001
*Monday, April 30, 2012
:by    (PNA)
DCT/LAM/TPG/ssc
BARANGAY ANILAO, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, April 30 (PNA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Sunday that the Philippines will continue to support its stand to resolve territorial claims over contested Scarborough Shoal diplomatically and to de-escalate any tensions between the country and China.
This after a Chinese general recently called for decisive action against the Philippines.
The President expressed confidence China would not take any action against the Philippines as both countries believed no one would benefit if military force was used to end the dispute.
“We don’t think that at this point in time they will engage in any military activities. Purposely, our actions have been geared towards de-escalating the situation,” the President said.
“It's clear that it is to nobody’s benefit and there are a lot of repercussions if any military force happens to be employed here,” he added.
He said the continued presence of Chinese vessels and crew at the disputed island is being documented “so that when we make our case in the appropriate body, we have the necessary evidence.”
He also said the government will continue reviewing all relevant local and international laws to determine the rules that will operate in the area.
==PNoy believes China won’t take military action vs PH==
==PNoy believes China won’t take military action vs PH==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/04/29/12/pnoy-believes-china-won%E2%80%99t-take-military-action-vs-ph
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/04/29/12/pnoy-believes-china-won%E2%80%99t-take-military-action-vs-ph
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Asked if Philippine authorities would arrest Chinese poachers, Aquino said the priority is not to escalate the situation but said activities there are being documented so that there would be evidence if cases are filed.   
Asked if Philippine authorities would arrest Chinese poachers, Aquino said the priority is not to escalate the situation but said activities there are being documented so that there would be evidence if cases are filed.   
   
   
He said the government is also reviewing all relevant local and international laws to determine the rules that will operate in the area.  
He said the government is also reviewing all relevant local and international laws to determine the rules that will operate in the area.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


==30,000 mangrove propagules to be planted in Oriental Mindoro town==
==30,000 mangrove propagules to be planted in Oriental Mindoro town==
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Meanwhile, a total of 24,843 individuals were displaced in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, a total of 24,843 individuals were displaced in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.
==Favorites show way in Nat’l Juniors chessfest==
*Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/sports/27133-favorites-show-way-in-natl-juniors-chessfest
*Saturday, March 31, 2012
:by Kate Evangelista
Standings after  two rounds:
Boys
2 points  -- L. Salgados, M. Lagula, J. MIrano, D. Samantila, P. Evangelista, P. Omongos, J. Orlanda, J. Nabatlao, S. Coquilla, B. Rafales, K. Honculada, J. MIciano, M. Morsalim, T. Ibaoc, V. Salcedo
Girls
2 points -- J. Docena, N. Yngayo, C.Chua, J. Opema, B. Ecal, M. Obemio, L. Maboloc, A. Manilhig, M. Nalitan
MISAMIS Oriental -- The favorites lived up to their high billings after two rounds in the 2012 Gov. Oscar S. Moreno National Juniors Chess Championships being held at the Provincial Capitol grounds  here.
Daryl Unix Samantila  of Malabon defeated Arjun Niel Crisologo  and Harold Karl Taganas  of Misamis Oriental  to show the way  in the prestigious event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and hosted  by the Province of Misamis Oriental, led by Gov. Oscar S. Moreno.
Adamson University stalwart Samantila, who was  named as the  "Rookie of the Year" of the 74th  UAAP chess championship, posted two points to share the lead with top seed FEU maintstay and national age group (Mindanao Leg) under 20 champion Lennon Hart Salgados, second seed Mcdominique Lagula of Nueva Vizcaya, Jan Francis Mirano of Aklan and 11 others.
In the girls division,  top seed Olympian and WNM Jedara Docena of  Bohol  subdued Diane Kaye Elizondo  of Cagayan de Oro and Christine Joy Amper  of Misamis Oriental  in the first and second round  to take the headstart with two points.
Docena,  a member of the national team in the 2010 Chess Olympiad held in  Khanti-Mansky, Russia, is tied for the lead with second seed Nikki Yngayo of Davao, and Carol Anne Chua, Julie Anne Opema, Bhea Buen Ecal, Ma. Angellah Obemio, Leslie Maboloc, Anne Rose Manilhig and Mary Joy Nalitan, all of  Misamis Oriental.
Meanwhile, NCFP  executive-director GM Jayson Gonzales turned over to Misamis Oriental Development Foundation president Lorimer “Memen” Moreno  a total  of 30 chess sets as part of the grassroots program of the NCFP, which is among the top priorities of its chairman/president  Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Jr.
The top five  players  in the boys and girls division will join qualifiers from the Luzon and Visayas leg in the grand finals to be held in Tanauan City, Batangas on April 23-30.
The 2012 National Junior and Girls Champions will earn the right to represent the Philippines in the World Juniors Chess Championships in Athens, Greece.
==Floods damage P65.5-M worth of crops, roads in Oriental Mindoro==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/169681/floods-damage-p65-5-m-worth-of-crops-roads-in-oriental-mindoro
*6:40Pm|Friday March 30, 2012
:by Kate Evangelista
MANILA, Philippines – The damage to agriculture and infrastructure caused by flooding in Oriental Mindoro has reached P65.5 million, authorities said Friday.
In its latest report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that losses to agriculture were estimated at P28.347 million as 1,229.5 hectares of farm land went underwater in 45 villages in Naujan. The NDRRMC added that 628 farmers were affected in the province.
Damage to infrastructure in the same town was estimated at P37.3 million. Affected were the provincial and village roads in 67 villages, road shoulders in four villages, and three bridges.
Aside from Nauhan, also flooded were the towns of Mansalay, Pola, Baco and Calapan City, the NDRRMC said, adding flood waters have subsided in other affected towns.
In Capiz, rice fields were submerged in water in 100 villages in 12 municipalities and one city. The Mancasul River in Sigma town also overflowed, the NDRRMC said.
Likewise, the Buayahan Spillway and bamboo bridge in Balugo Banica River in Negros Oriental was declared impassable as of March 28, the NDRRMC added.
Flood waters in the 14 effected villages in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte, and in nine villages in Catubig, Northern Samar have subsided.
Aside from the damages, the NDRRMC reported that the body of a boy, Angelo Lobos Sergio, 8, of Barangay (village) Zone 3, San Roque, Northern Samar who was reported missing on March 25, was found on March 27.
A total of 4,003 families or 17,578 persons have been affected by the floods but of this number only 782 persons were evacuated, including residents in two villages in Sagay City and two villages in Cadiz City, both in Negros Occidental.
Continuous heavy rains were caused by the tail-end of a cold front affecting Luzon and Visayas, the NDRRMC said.
==PNP MIMAROPA conducts e-Blotter Training==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=741332833368
*Thursday 29th of March 2012
:by (GBO/Louie T. Cueto/PIA-4B)
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, March 29 (PIA) –- The Philippine National Police (PNP) - MIMAROPA conducted a three-day training on e-Blotter users on February 27-29 at Camp Efigenio C. Navarro in barangay Suqui, Calapan City.
Police Chief Inspector Melchor D. Agusin led the training, which was participated by 105 participants from the regional headquarters, provincial police offices, city/municipal police officers of Oriental Mindoro.
Police Senior Supt. Caesar Daniel T. Miranda emphasized in his welcome remarks that e-blotter is a new tool in processing the information of criminals and law offenders.
Police Chief Supt. Artemio G. Hicban, regional director, added the training is a vital part of investigation. According to him, it enhances the crime reporting system in the country, improves public safety and effective law administration of justice.
“The course will play an integral part in the performance of the participants’ duties as law enforcers, especially as investigators. It will be an effective management tool for decision makers and security strategists to have an easy and intelligent way of mapping out peace and order and anti-criminality strategy,” Police Senior Superintendent Dennis J. Peña, deputy regional director for operation said.
Peña also said that through this training, investigators of Police Regional Office MIMAROPA are now better equipped with the essential knowledge in the new PNP crime incident reporting system.
==Floods hit Oriental Mindoro, parts of Visayas==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/28/12/floods-hit-oriental-mindoro-parts-visayas
* 03/28/2012 1:15 PM | Updated as of 03/28/2012 4:18 PM
:by  Noel Alamar, dzMM; John Fernandez, Geron Ponferrada and Romeo Subaldo, ABS-CBN Regional Network Group
MANILA, Philippines – Intermittent rains triggered flooding in Oriental Mindoro and several areas in Visayas, forcing at least 395 individuals to flee their homes on Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday.
Southern Luzon and portions of the Visayas experienced rains over the past two days due to the presence of an active low pressure area (LPA) near Palawan, and another one east of southern Mindanao.
The LPA near Palawan left the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday, while the one in southern Mindanao dissipated.
The NDRRMC said 23 barangays (villages) in Naujan, Baco, Mansalay and Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro were submerged in floods.
Rice fields in Barangays Buhangin, Adria Luna and Andres Ilagan – all in Naujan - were inundated after creeks surrounding them overflowed. Farmers were supposed to harvest rice this month.
A total of 175 individuals fled their homes in Naujan; 110 in Calapan City; and 85 in Baco.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali said the situation in his province has improved.
“So far manageable na pero meron pa ring binabantayan na mga lugar,” Umali told radio dzMM.
Dead, missing
A man, identified as Roger Dalumpines, drowned while swimming in a river in Barangay Jayubo, Lambunao, Iloilo during a rainy morning on Tuesday.
Dalumpines’ wife and two children, who were with him when the incident occurred, are currently confined at the hospital after sustaining injuries.
Meanwhile, a certain Ronny Herrera, a councilman (kagawad) of Barangay Tagbakin, Pola town, went missing after setting sail at the height of the rains.
Visayas rains
Over the Visayas region, several rice fields in the Capiz towns of Maayon, Mambusao, Pontevedra, Panit-an, Sapitan and Sigma were also inundated.
Local disaster officials in Capiz said 26 barangays in the said towns were affected by flooding.
The Aklan river also overflowed.
Flooding also occurred in Palo, Leyte after the Guindapunan river overflowed. A total of 25 individuals sought temporary shelter at the Palo National High School and a barangay hall.
Several roads in Barangays 74, 91, 94, 109 and 109-A in Tacloban City were rendered impassable to vehicles due to flooding. Waist-deep flood also submerged Sitio Lourdes in Barangay Old Manunca, Sta. Rita, Western Samar.
In Sagay City, Negros Occidental, several houses in Barangay Paraiso were also submerged in flood waters after the Himogaan river overflowed. Residents stayed at the Holy Family Parish.
The NDRRMC said social workers have prepared relief goods for those displaced by the floods.
Latest weather information from PAGASA said the tail-end of the cold front is the prevailing weather system over the southern Luzon and Visayas today.
==15 barangays in Oriental Mindoro town submerged in floods==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/27/12/15-barangays-oriental-mindoro-town-submerged-floods5
*03/27/2012 2:21 PM | Updated as of 03/27/2012 6:49 PM
:by  Dennis Datu, dzMM
MANILA, Philippines – At least 15 barangays in Baco, Oriental Mindoro have been submerged in floods due to persistent rains, the town’s mayor said Tuesday.
Mayor Graciano dela Chica said rains have caused the Dulangan and Alag rivers and several creeks to overflow.
He said flood waters in some areas are now neck-deep. Some farmers also lost their crops to the floods.
The town of Naujan in Oriental Mindoro is also suffering from flooding, according to Mayor Maria Angeles Casubuan.
Evacuation of residents in low-lying areas in the affected areas is now ongoing.
In its latest weather bulletin, PAGASA said the active low pressure area that was last spotted west northwest of Palawan has exited the Philippine area of responsibility, while the LPA east of southern Mindanao has dissipated.
However, a new shallow LPA has formed 160 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar.
PAGASA weather forecaster Jori Loiz said this weather system is expected to bring rains over Samar, Leyte, Masbate, Sorsogon, Mindoro and Northern Palawan.
The tail-end of the cold front, meanwhile, is the main weather system over southern Luzon and eastern Visayas.
Residents in low-lying areas were warned of flash floods and landslides.
==Puerto Galera cashes in on booming tourism sector==
*Source: http://business.inquirer.net/50751/puerto-galera-cashes-in-on-booming-tourism-sector
*6:38 pm | Saturday, March 24th, 2012
:by  Amadís Ma. Guerrero, Contributor
Philippine Daily Inquirer
“There is more to Puerto Galera than White Beach,” claims Mayor Hubbert A. Dolor in a recent briefing with Manila media in his office.
“We are now promoting Puerto Galera as the heart of Asia, center of the center,” he adds.
The fabled coastal town—with its resorts, beach coves, waterfalls, abundant marine life, limestone cliffs, rock formations, coral gardens, dive sites and mountains—is at the northern tip of Oriental Mindoro.
It lays claim to having one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
As the international map puts it in French: “Les plus belle baies du monde.”
Dolor, who is also a physician and holder of a Master’s degree in Public Administration, says “the Philippines is part of the Coral Triangle and we are at the center of the center of marine biodiversity.”
Talking about biodiversity, shouldn’t Palawan lay claim to that? The mayor doesn’t think so.
“It (Palawan) is not in the center of the center,” he says.
Puerto Galera attracts two million tourists every year and its income is boosted by the Environment Usage Fee (EUF) of P50 per visitor.
By 2020, the town (now a first-class municipality) hopes to become a city, with its own airport.
The construction phase is starting, with an assist from the Department of Transportation and Communication.
Puerto Galera will likely have to wait a while to attain the status of a city, and in the meantime, it is bent on boosting its coffers through tourism.
“We have no other income except tourism,” the mayor says. “We have agricultural lands but our cooperative farmers have become tourist guides and boatmen.”
What about the dark side of tourism, as in sex tours and pedophilia?
“Gone are the days of human trafficking,” Dolor claims, “We have bars in Sabang but bars are part of tourism. There are regular checkups, and regular visits by doctors. So the bars are regulated and controlled.”
Gold also still exists in Puerto Galera and other parts of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro (the big island was known to the Spaniards as “mina de oro”).
Small-scale panning is tolerated but mining is a no-no.
“There is only one industry in Puerto Galera and that’s tourism,” the mayor declares.
==Bill on food transactions OK’d on second reading==
*Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Bill-on-food-transactions-OK%E2%80%99d-on-second-reading&id=48788
*March 21, 2012 10:19:33 PM
:by Noemi M. Gonzales
THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill seeking full public disclosure of all government transactions involving food and food supply.
Government transparency as mandated by House Bill (HB) 5868 "is a step towards reinforcing the right of the people to affordable food and food security. The people have the right to know the factors that influence food supply and prices," Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo V. Umali (2nd district), author of the bill, said in a statement.
Under the measure, government agencies in charge of food and basic commodities are required to publish in their Web sites the contracted and actual volume of import per shipment, specification of import, contracted price and value or cost of import per volume, among others.
In addition, all documents, papers, letters, minutes and transcripts of official meetings, maps, books, photographs, films, sound and video recordings, magnetic or other tapes and electronic data processing records are covered by the proposed law.
The government agencies are required to submit said documents to a Congressional Oversight Committee consisting of five members each from the Senate and House of Representatives.
Under the measure, any government official or employee who shall knowingly release false and misleading information will be penalized with a fine of not more than P40,000 and imprisonment of three years.
In case any official or employee who fails to respond to a request due to negligence or failure to meet the time limits for response, a fine of P20,000 is imposed and/or imprisonment of one year, including accessory penalties in both instances.
"In order to reinforce and guarantee the right of the people to affordable and adequate food supply, the government must be transparent in all its transactions involving food and basic commodities," Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado M. Arroyo (2nd district), one of the authors, said in the same statement.
==Illegal logs recovered in Mindoro==
*Source: http://208.184.76.175/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=789144
*March 20, 2012 02:13 PM
:by Juancho Mahusay
CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – A police operating team arrested a supposed “untouchable” illegal logger last Sunday after he attempted to transport a total of 1,900 board feet of high-valued woods in Bansud town in Oriental Mindoro.
Police identified the suspect as Melecio Dagli (54), a resident of Conrazon village in the same town.
Police provincial director Anthony Alcañeses said the suspect was intercepted while transporting undocumented lumbers using a six-by-six truck.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted that the logs have no proper documentations from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), adding that the logs are to be delivered to an alias "Everest", who operates a sawmill in Bansud.
Alcañeses commended the Police Special Operation group for a  “job well done.”
The confiscated logs were turned over by the PNP here to the DENR community office.
==Providing Electricity To Rural Filipinos==
*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/354717/providing-electricity-to-rural-filipinos
*March 19, 2012, 2:47am
:by  mb.com.ph
MANILA, Philippines — The electrification of the remaining 36,000 sitios or small communities in the country, will be completed by 2016. The project is on track to attain the goal of providing electricity to 100 percent of rural barangays and 90 percent of rural households nationwide by 2017. The average household electrification level stands at between 72 percent and 75 percent. By the last quarter of 2011, the government provided electricity services to 1,420 sitios.
The government continues to seek ways to improve electric service efficiency through private sector involvement. It doubled its budget this year to R5 billion, the highest so far for rural electrification, to attain more “inclusive” growth or economic development that starts from the bottom. The private sector, particularly the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), participate in the program through financial assistance or through the “Adopt-a-Barangay” scheme where IPPs fund the electrification of chosen barangays.
To strengthen efforts by both government and private sector to develop innovative and sustained strategies consistent with reforms embodied in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), the Expanded Rural Electrification Program was established in April 26, 2003. The EPIRA opened opportunities for private sector participation and investment in rural electrification. There are now 119 electric cooperatives (ECs), 16 privately owned utilities, and three municipal systems that distribute power to the rural areas.
ECs are government partners in bringing electricity to rural areas. The Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, for instance, constructed the country’s first renewable energy project, a 2.1-megawatt mini hydro power plant, which was recently switched on by President Benigno S. Aquino III, lighting up 45 sitios and benefiting 978 families. The R21.022-million project was funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines as part of the 5.1-megawatt Linao Cawayan mini hydro power plant project. The project’s second phase, the three-megawatt Linao Cawayan mini hydro project also in Oriental Mindoro, is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2013.
The government still seeks the support and commitment of stakeholders in its initiative to provide energy that will help improve the lives of marginalized Filipinos, especially in still un-electrified rural barangays and households.
==Indigent children get free dental services==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R04B&article=741331791762
*Thursday 15th of March 2012
:by  Luis T. Cueto
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, March 15 (PIA) -- The City Health and Sanitation Department (CHSD) has recently conducted a dental outreach program to 300 indigent children from Barangay Navotas.
The outreach program was dubbed as ‘Fit for School Program,’ with the theme “Ngiting Matamis, Ngiping Malilinis, Dala ay Pag-asa, Tunay na Ligaya,” and targets to promote oral health care among daycare children.
The program aims to educate and promote healthy behavior among daycare children and eventually encourage them to act as advocates in their own homes and influence their family to practice proper hygienic routines such as regular hand washing with soap and brushing of teeth.
City Mayor Doy Leachon commended the organizers of the dental outreach program and expressed hope that through the program, there will be a significant reduction in absenteeism among children in school and greatly improves their school performance.
With the warm welcome and high participation of people in the community, Leachon, vowed to organize more medical and dental missions this year, especially in far-flung barangays.
The event was also attended by city health officer Dr. Basilisa M. Llanto and city dentist Dr. Simonette Dalisay, who said that the program is considered one of the most important activities of the dental section of CHSD, since it highlighted oral hygiene and dental health as significant in promoting the general well-being of every individual, especially children. (LBR/LTC-PIA4B Calapan)
==Alleged NPA member surrenders==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=786411
* March 12, 2012 11:34 AM
:by  Juancho Mahusay
CALAPAN CITY – An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) has voluntarily surrendered last Friday morning in Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro province, the Philippine Army here reported on Sunday.
In his report, Captain Maximino P. Maduli, civil military officer of the Philippine Army’s 203rd Infantry Brigade based in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, identified the rebel returnee as Richard Galgo Salcedo alias “Ka Brazil” and “Ka Jho,” a member of Platoon 1 of Kilusang Larangang Gerilya 2 of the NPA and Communist Party of the Philippines’ Mindoro Island Committee (ISLACOM).
According to the report, the alleged NPA member is a 29-year old resident of Sitio Mamara, Brgy. Mapaya in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Salcedo surrendered to Lt. Col. Ted Dumosmog, commanding officer of PA’s 80th Infantry Battalion in Sablayan at about 9 AM of March 9. The surrender was arranged  by Corporal Ismael G. Cornejo, Private First Class Stephen L. Larruped and Ronald G Salcedo or “Ka Mark", a former rebel and brother of the rebel returnee.
Salcedo said he decided to surrender to end the hardships he suffered in the mountains and to live a "normal life." He also said he decided to surrender because of the plans and programs of the government and the good treatment of the army in the province to his former companions who surrendered earlier through the Balik Lipunan Program (Hawak Kamay Program) of the 203rd Infantry Brigade. The former rebel is now under the custody of 80th Infantry Battalion for interrogation and custodial debriefing.
Occidental Mindoro Governor Josephine Ramirez-Sato she is willing to extend financial assistance to former rebels to help them find a source of income.
Col. Johnny L. Macanas, acting commander of the Army’s 203rd Infantry Brigade, said the surrender "Ka Brazil” as well as the surrender of other rebels in the past is a “proof” of the “loosening grip” of the CPP-NPA-NDF over their followers. He also stated the need to continue the “Bayanihan” effort of all sectors to resolve insurgency in Mindoro and “help improve security, win the peace, and develop the island of Mindoro.”
==2-DAY Forestry Seminar For Cops==
*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/353810/bello-speaks-at-apo-meet
*March 10, 2012, 1:56am
:by  Ferdinand F. Castro
CAMP NAVARRO, Oriental Mindoro — The Police Regional Office 4-B’s (PRO4-B’s) Police Community Relations Division (RPCRD) conducted a two-day seminar-workshop on Nursery and Forest Plantation Establishment, Maintenance and Protection in cooperation with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Calapan City.
The seminar was participated in by 43 members of the Office of Command Group, Directorial Staff, Regional Support Units and the Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office (PPO).
==No ban on gay performers, says Puerto Galera official==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/158645/no-ban-on-gay-performers-says-puerto-galera-official
*4:09 pm | Friday, March 9th, 2012
:by  Madonna T. Virola
Inquirer Southern Luzon
CITY OF CALAPAN, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines—There is no ban on gay or transexual performers in Puerto Galera, a spokesman for the town’s mayor said Friday.
“All we ask is [for them] to tone down the kind of acts they do,  and definitely no to lewd performances,” said Raffy Cataquis, the municipality’s administrative assistant for information, who spoke on behalf of Mayor Hubbert Christopher Dolor.
Cataquis issued the clarification after the Ladlad Partylist, in a statement on Thursday, claimed that bar owners have been complaining that Puerto Galera officials were disallowing gay talents to perform in  shows supposedly because of their “lewdness.”
“It would be a violation of the right to work,” said the partylist that champions the rights of Filipinos who are lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT).
“The owners reportedly were alarmed because their coffers will surely get affected because their patrons are always looking for the gay performers,” Ladlad said.
Bemz Benedito, the group’s nominee for a congressional seat, said in the statement that instead of banning gay talents, the municipal government should enact an ordinance that would prohibit children  from entering comedy bars to watch such shows or setting age limits for watching gay acts.
“In a comedy bar, children should not be allowed because of the sensitivity of the language being used in this kind of entertainment. Besides you cannot control the performers on what to say and do on stage,” Benedito said. “In television, you have an agency that reviews and classifies programs that suits the right age of its viewers.”
But Cataquis said that if Ladlad was referring to bars along White Beach in Barangay San Isidro, no such restrictions would work because these establishments are open-air bars on the beach.
Cataquis said he would talk with the bar owners to hear their complaints and find a way to resolve the local government’s concern over  “lewd” performances.
He said Dolor was open to dialogue with Ladlad representatives led by Benedito who planned to visit  Puerto Galera to discuss the matter with the mayor and other officials.
Cataquis defended Dolor, saying the mayor “is not sexist, as others would claim.”
“Otherwise, he would not trust a gay like me to a position in government,” added Cataquis.
Puerto Galera, the northwesternmost town of Oriental Mindoro, is a popular tourist destination known for its beaches and diving spots.
==Group: Ban children, not gays from Puerto Galera's bars==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/03/08/group-ban-children-not-gays-puerto-galeras-bars-210148
*Thursday, March 8, 2012
:by  Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex
MANILA -- Banning minors from comedy bars will protect them from the racy language used onstage, a partylist for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Filipinos said Thursday as it opposed a ban on gay performers that may soon be imposed in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.
In a press statement, Ladlad party-list said the proposed ban is a "clear violation of their right to work." According to a report in a national daily, gay performers have been banned from the resort town's clubs and bars since 2011 over complaints that they use "obscene and vulgar language" in their stand-up comedy performances.
Ladlad said it would be better for the local government to instead impose a minimum age for patrons allowed in bars and clubs. "In a comedy bar, children should not be allowed because of the sensitivity of the language being used in this kind of entertainment. Besides you cannot control the performers on what to say and do on stage," Bemz Benedito, the group's nominee for a congressional seat, said.
Benedito, also chairperson of the group, said she will seek a dialogue with local officials on the proposed ban.
Genaro Bonquin, village chairman of one of Puerto Galera's barangays, has denied that there is a proposal to ban gays from performing but that they had only been asked to tone down their language while onstage.
==OPAPP develops conflict-affected areas to promote peace==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R04B&article=741331024951
*Wednesday 7th of March 2012
:by  Luis T. Cueto
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, March 7 (PIA) -- The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has been implementing a peace-building program which focuses on developing conflict-affected areas to address the root cause of armed conflict.
Paul Escober, OPPAP area manager for Bicol, said these efforts are being done under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program, the national government’s peace and development framework that aims to build peaceful and resilient communities in conflict affected areas by improving their lives through bringing back government to communities and ensuring that the people benefit from the better delivery of basic services.
Pamana implements a converged peace building program focusing on the development of conflict affected areas to address the root cause of armed conflict.
Oriental Mindoro was recently identified by OPAPP as one of the areas under the seven zones where the level of conflict vulnerability is high.
The province belongs to the Bicol-Quezon-Mindoro Zone where recovery efforts of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army continue.
The peace-building programs include poverty reduction in conflict affected areas through community infrastructure and focused delivery of social services, improvement of governance through partnership with national and local institutions, building capacities for governance, enhancement of transparency and accountability mechanism and empowerment of communities and strengthening of their capacity to address issues of vulnerability and peace. (LBR/MCM/LTC-PIA4B)
==Robinsons Mall – Calapan City==
*Source: http://www.wowmindoro.com/news-and-features/robinsons-mall-calapan-city/
*MARCH 5, 2012
:by  L MINDORENEAN
It becomes Oriental Mindoro’s first and largest commercial establishment to rise within the project Xevera Neo Calapan, in Calapan City.
It brings to Oriental Mindoro the Robinsons brand of shopping, with its seal of quality, efficiency and convenience. Though there are other places of shopping and recreation around the province, Neo Calapan Mall is a notch higher as it will house Robinsons’ signature stores, namely Robinsons Supermarket, Department Store, Appliance Center and Handyman Do-it Best Home Center.
Aside from these, spa and wellness centers, games and amusement arcade, and two 150-seater cinemas, among others, will also operate inside the mall, offering entertainment and recreation. These establishments are expected to turn shopping and relaxation into a first-class experience in the province, providing Mindoreños a taste of the urban lifestyle.
==PNoy to inaugurate 2.1 megawatt Linao Cawayan Mini Hydro power plant==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R04B&article=741330510002desistance. In a statement, Gabriela said it is apparent that the 21-year-old victim
*Friday 2nd of March 2012
:by  Luis T. Cueto and Bradley de Leon
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, March 2 (PIA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III will inaugurate the 2.1 megawatt Linao Cawayan Mini Hydro power plant today at around 10:00 a.m.
Although the powerplant is located within the Linao Cawayan River in the municipality of San Teodoro, the inauguration will be held in the compound of Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) in Sta. Isabel, Calapan city. The president will lead the Ceremonial Switch-On of the 45 Sitios under the Sitio Electrification Program.
According to Romeo Cuasay, ORMECO general manager, the project is a run-of-the-river hydro incorporating a gross head of 81.57 meters and a rated flow of 4.10 cubic meters per second at 35 percent at a time. The power capacity is 2,100 kilowatts.
The plant is now fully operational, serving directly the consumers from the site through the town of Baco leading to substation transformer in Calapan City to synchronize the electricity available to the system.
Meanwhile, the president will also be presented a copy of the book “ The ORMECO Odyssey,” by ORMECO’s first president Atty. Zosimo Mendoza. It describes the journey of the electric cooperative from its organization 39 years ago. It also shows the efforts to tap the renewable energy to meet the growing demand of power.
Also expected to attend the ceremony are Energy Secretary Rene Almendras, Governor Alfonso Umali, Jr. and other local officials. (LTC/BSD/PIA4B/CALAPAN)




==[[Mindoro Oriental Archived News]]==
==[[Mindoro Oriental Archived News]]==
The older news reports are kept [[Mindoro Oriental Archived News|here]]
The older news reports are kept [[Mindoro Oriental Archived News|here]]
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