Zamboanga City News February 2012

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Zamboanga City - Archived News

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.
Limpapa Beach.JPG
Limpapa Beach

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.

Spanish Ambassador to grace “Dia de Zamboanga”

by Jocelyn P. Alvarez (Jocelyn P. Alvarez - PIA –ZBST)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Feb. 10 (PIA 9) - - Spanish envoy Jorge Domecq is expected to arrive here to grace the city’s grand celebration of “Dia de Zamboanga,” the 75th anniversary of Zamboanga as Chartered City on February 26.

Ambassador Domecq will serve as the keynote speaker during the celebration.

“The Spanish envoy has accepted the invitation of the city government to grace the occasion,” said city information officer (IO) Sheila Covarrubias.

She said the emissary’s acceptance of the invitation is considered a significant milestone in the city’s political history.

Covarrubias said that the city has lined up several activities to celebrate “Dia de Zamboanga” such as “the conduct of the 2012 International Film Festival, an exhibit of selected Filipino and international films from Feb. 25-27 and the Mindpro Cinema 1-3.”

The city and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has also come up with the short film making competition.

Other activities include the awarding ceremonies for the Five Outstanding Zamboangueño Young Leaders.

“Numerous other activities have been lined up to celebrate the 75th Dia de Zamboanga,” the lady IO said.

Covarrubias said, “Mayor Lobregat believes the Spanish Ambassador’s coming to the city is intended to strengthen relationships with Spain considering that Zamboanga City and Zaragozza Spain are sister cities based on a pact that both cities forged in 2008.”

City government builds P45-million market complex

By Bong Garcia


THE construction of the P45-million complex at the main public market in Zamboanga City is ongoing.

City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. said the complex, with nine new public market buildings at what used to be the Ping’s Commercial, is part of the major makeover initiatives at the main public market this year.

Orendain said the new complex is one of the flagship projects of Mayor Celso Lobregat.

Orendain said the new market complex will house over 200 stall occupants engaged in various businesses that include grocery or sale of dry goods, eateries, barter trade goods and dried fish.

The over 200 stall occupants are the original occupants of the former Ping’s commercial and the surrounding buildings and are temporarily housed in various areas inside the five-hectare public market area, Orendain said.

He said the waterfront market is one of the economic enterprises of this city aside from the Sta. Cruz Commercial Complex, Bagsakan Center, Cold Storage and the City Abattoir.

He reported that in 2011, the economic enterprises had fared well with a sustained level of collection and income at P34.11 million.

DAR IX holds regional confab on Operational Directives

(Zamboanga Today Online)

The Department of Agrarian Reform Region IX conducted a Regional Conference on CY 2012 DAR Operational Directives at Casa Concepcion Pension House, Tetuan Highway, Zamboanga City on February 2, 2012.

The conference aimed to provide information to the regional and provincial middle managers and point persons on the operational directives on land tenure improvement, program beneficiaries’ development, agrarian justice delivery and other administrative concerns.

Participants to this conference were the Regional Director, Assistant Regional Directors, provincial officers, division chiefs, section chiefs and provincial information officers.

During the conference, the field implementers were informed on the directives and priorities of the Department which will serve as the road map for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform (CARPER). For the current year, DAR IX has prioritized the distribution of a total of 8,634 hectares of agricultural lands to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the region. For the program beneficiaries development, DAR top management prioritized the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS). ARCCESS is a program that aims to improve the income of the farmer beneficiaries through enhanced agri-productivity, better farming efficiency and increased value of crop. Through ARCCESS the farmers will be provided with business development services, farm implements, equipments and facilities. According to DAR IX Regional Director Julita A. Ragandang, a total of P86,029,929.00 was allotted to finance the different ARCCESS projects to be implemented in the different agrarian reform communities in the region and they are the following:

1. Expansion of Savings and Credit Program in Support to Livelihood and Agribusiness in Bulawan, Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur;

2. Enhancing the Capability of Rice Farmers in Organic Agriculture and Social Enterprise in Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur;

3. Sustainable Trainings on Rubber Enterprise for Technical Capability of ARB Households Towards Economic Development (STRETCHED) in Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay;

4. Project Enhancement to Assist Poor Coconut-Farming Enterprise (PEACE) in the 1st Congressional District of Zamboanga Sibugay;

5. Cacao Production and Processing Development Project in 2nd and 3rd Congressional District of Zamboanga del Norte;

6. Rice Mechanization Cum Palay Production in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte;

7. Abaca Production and Processing in Sindangan and Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte; and

8. Coconut Sugar Production in Pinan, Zamboanga del Norte.

An update on DAR’s transition plan for 2014 was also tackled. This is in preparation for the post land acquisition and distribution scenario of the department in 2014.

Dia de Roseller Lim activities in Zamboanga set

(PNA),LAP/Felino M. Santos/utb

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Everything is set for the commemoration of the 6th Dia de Roseller Lim, the first and only Zamboangueño senator on Thursday, February 9.

Senator Lim is most remembered for delivering a speech for 18 ½ hours that made him known as “The Great Filibuster”. He became Senator for two years (from 1955-1957) and was re-elected for another six-year term (from 1957-1963).

He was the first and only Zamboangueño to be elected to the Senate. As a senator, he proved to be more competent and efficient by being instrumental to the election of the Philippines to the governing body of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1957. He was cited as Outstanding Senator of the Philippines.

Lim spoke nonstop at the Senate to wait for the arrival of a senator from abroad to vote for the Senate presidency.

Incidentally, that senator voted in favor of then Senator Ferdinand Marcos who became the Senate President and eventually President of the Philippines.

A commemorative mass at 8 a.m. at the St. Joseph Church in Nuñez Street will kick off the observance Wednesday. It will be followed by the wreath laying ceremony at the R.T. Lim Monument along R.T. Lim Boulevard.

Mayor Celso Lobregat along with Councilor Rudy Lim, the senator’s nephew, Rosamy Lim, the senator’s daughter and other members of the Lim family will lead the commemoration rite.

Highlighting the event will be the awarding of the “Five Outstanding Zamboangueño Young Leaders” (FOZYL) and the commemorative program at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Orchid Ballroom of the Garden Orchid Hotel.

The search for FOZYL is a joint project of the city government of Zamboanga and the JCI Zamboanga chapter and is intended to recognize youth leaders who demonstrate academic and leadership excellence, community service and civic responsibility.

The observance of Dia de Roseller Lim marks the day when Lim was born and is based on Ordinance 283 authored by Councilor Rudy Lim. It forms part of this year’s 75th Dia de la Ciudad de Zamboanga.

Sen. Lim was revered as the great Filibuster and was the pride of Zamboanga and Mindanao in the Senate from 1955-1963.

His career in politics and leadership started in 1949, at age 34, when he was elected Congressman for the Province of Zamboanga. He was re-elected in 1953 and served for 6 consecutive years (from 1957-1963).

During his stint as a congressman, he filed a bill which later became a republic act, dividing the Province of Zamboanga into Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. He was one of the annual recipients of the Outstanding Congressman of the Philippines Award during his stay in the House of Representatives.

Records also show that Senator Roseller T. Lim was born on February 9, 1915 in Zamboanga City to Don Antonio Lim and Mercedes Tarroza. He was married to the former Amy Schuck of Jolo and had five children. He finished the degree Bachelor of Laws at Siliman University and passed the bar examination with a rating of 84.4.%. Lim became the dean of the College of Law of Zamboanga A.E. Colleges until he was appointed as the Fiscal of Zamboanga. He died on July 5, 1976.

Preparations on for '75th Dia de Zamboanga'

By R.G. A A. Go

Mayor Celso Lobregat has revealed that the city is now preparing for the celebration of the 75th Dia De La Ciudad De Zamboanga to be celebrated on February 26.

Lobregat said in an interview that the City Tourism Office already submitted some of the proposed activities for the said activity.

The mayor said, some of the activities will include the Zamboanga Film Festival with the help of the Film Development Council, Dia de Roseller Lim, and others.

According to Lobregat, the city invited the Spanish Ambassador, H.E. Jorge Domecq to be the City’s guest of honor during the celebration.

This year, the city is set to spend P500,000 to P800,000 for the celebration of the Dia de Zamboanga.

The Mayor assured that there will be lots of activities prepared for the visitors and especially for the Zamboangueños.

Last year, the Philippine Navy, Flag Officer in Command Rear Admiral Alexander Pama was the guest speaker during the 74th Dia De La Ciudad De Zamboanga.

ZCDC launches 8th nat'l dental health month

By EUGENE A. LASPRILLA

The Zamboanga City Dental Chapter (ZCDC) in coordination with the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) simultaneously launched its 8th National Dental Health Month activity last Friday.

ZCDC President-Elect Dr. Sharon Santos said that the month-long activity started with a Holy Eucharist celebration at the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral and followed by a motorcade around the city proper.

The ZCDC’s goal corroborates with its theme: "Ngiting Matatamis, Ngiping Malilinis. Dala ay pag-asa, tunay na ligaya."

During the program, the 2012 new set of officers were presented. President: Mary Joy-Feliciano, DMD; President-Elect: Sharon Santos, DMD; Vice-President: Romulus Vir Uy, DMD; Secretary: Mary Joy Colanggo, DMD; Asst. Secretary: Micahel Angelo Castillo, DMD; Treasurer: Jane Calunod-Senarlo, DMD; Asst. Treasurer: Olivia Villaruel, DMD; Auditor: Nathanne Ralph Hayag, DMD; P.I.O.: Neil Mempin, DMD.

Santos told Zamboanga Today that the ZCDC under the leadership of Dra. Mary Joy Roxas Feliciano has been actively involved in dental outreach program with non-government organization (NGO) in the city.

She said that the association has laid out several future activities to include oral dental check-ups on selected local barangays wherein, they aim to promote correct dental care to local folks especially the children.

The local dental chapter is also interested to give seminars and lectures to their respective members on latest dentistry technology and products.

Death of alleged JI, Abu leaders ‘serious blow to transnational terrorism’

(Mindanews)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The death of alleged Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayyaf leaders has dealt a “serious blow against transnational terrorism,” a US envoy today said even if the bodies of the suspected terrorists were yet to be located.

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie Basset was reacting to reports that two foreigners suspected to be JI leaders and an alleged Abu Sayyaf leader were among the casualties in an air strike launched by the military in Sulu on Thursday.

Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Maj. Gen. Noel Coballes announced that the three were among the 15 JIs and Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in an air strike around 3 am Thursday in Barangay Duyan Kabau, Parang, Sulu.

Coballes identified them as Malaysian Zulkifli Bin Abdul Hir alias Marwan, Singaporean Muhamda Ali alias Muawiya and Abu Sayyaf leader Gumbahali Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula.

“It (the air strike) marked a very, very serious blow against transnational terrorism,” Basset said in a brief press conference.

The US official visited Mayor Celso Lobregat at City Hall Friday afternoon after arriving from nearby Basilan province where she inaugurated a US-funded school building project.

The American government, through its Reward for Justice Program, has offered a $5-million reward for the capture of Zulkifli, who was listed by the US as a most-wanted terrorist.

Muawiya, who was tagged as among those behind the 2002 Bali bombing, carries a $50,000 reward.

Basset however said “we have yet to confirm the identities first and then work from there” when asked if the US government was ready to release the reward.

Coballes said they were still validating the identities of the slain suspected JI and Abu Sayyaf leaders whose remains “are still to be located.”

On Thursday, the Army official said they learned about the identities of the three suspected terrorists from “our intelligence on the ground.”

Lobregat urges ICT delegates to be agents of good, positive and best of Mindanao

(PNA), LAP/Teofilo P. Garcia/utb

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Mayor Celso Lobregat on Friday challenged the delegates of the 3rd Philippine Society of Information Technology Students (PSITS) Regional ICT Convention to be agents of the good, the positive, the best and the beautiful about Mindanao even as he lamented that Zamboanga City like the rest of this southern part of the country has been a victim of negative perceptions.

“As information and communication technologists, it is your obligation, your responsibility to bring about the good, the positive and the best of you own places,” Lobregat told the 950 regional ICT convention delegates at the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) gymnasium.

“Western Mindanao is vibrant and a peaceful region. “Unfortunately, there are certain incidents that happened beyond anyone’s control,” he lamented.

But, according to Lobregat, even the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America, was a victim of the infamous 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“When that happened, we in Mindanao did not say do not go to Washington because it is a dangerous place to be in,” he stressed.

When the hostage-taking incident happened in Luneta wherein many Hong Kong tourists were killed, Lobregat said “we in Mindanao did not say do not go to Manila because it is a dangerous place to be in.”

“Did we in Mindanao ever say do not go to Makati when a bus bombing happened?” he asked in a statement.

“But when something happens in Western Mindanao, they say wow! It is a dangerous place to go to,” he bewailed.

“Very unfair! So that is part of information and communication technology, a power in your hands to bring about the good, the positive, the best and the beautiful about your own area, be it Zamboanga City, be it Jolo, be it Dapitan or Sibugay or Basilan,” he further told the ICT students, deans, department heads and IT moderators from all over Western Mindanao.

Anchored on the theme, “IT Youth for Quality, Relevance and Excellence,” the three-day convention is being organized by the Philippine Society of Information Technology Students with WMSU and Ateneo de Zamboanga University as host institutions.

Present were Kevin Alan Leversee, managing director of STARTUP Dragons; Meric Mara, CEO/CTO of 8-Layer Technologies, Inc; Deng Silorio, chief operations officer of 8-Layer Technologies, Inc.; and Vedasto Rey Portugal, research and development head of 8-Layer Technologies, Inc.

The convention is hosted by the PSITS Zamboanga chapter headed by president Juhaina Marupu.

Beng authors 29 House measures, co-sponsors 146

by MARVIN SEGURA

MANILA -- House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao and District I Representative Beng Climaco has authored 29 house measures and co-authored 146 bills and resolutions in 2011, as she fulfills her commitment to come up with legislations and measures to help improve the plight of the constituents.

One measure authored is Republic Act (RA) 10154 enacted on July 14, 2011 which requires all concerned government agencies to ensure the early release of the retirement pay, pensions, gratuities and other benefits of retiring government employees.

“After years of Government Service we have something to look forward to”, the congresswoman stressed.

Another significant legislation that the lady soslon supported is RA 10153 on ARMM synchronized polls, of which Zamboanga City hosted one of the public hearings which was instrumental in the passage of this law.

A number of the bills Climaco authored await final deliberation in Senate and one of these is House Bill 4480 or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act of 2011.

If approved into law, the proposal would be the first of in the world, as attested by Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Undersecretary-General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

“This endeavor has been described by the UNICEF as very ambitious”, the congresswoman said.

Another very significant measure that the lady solon co-sponsored is the amendment to the 13-year old AIDS law that will include the putting up of P400 million fund to jumpstart a new National HIV-AIDS plan.

Cong. Climaco said this anti-HIV-AIDS law is an offshoot of her support for the City Health Office and the Multi-sectoral AIDS council.

Local Bills which the District I representative and her counterpart in District II worked for was the increase of the minimum bed capacity for ZCMC and the creation of four (4) additional branches of Regional Trial Courts which are now in the Senate. These bills of local and national significance are geared to impact the lives of Filipinos from children to adults, she said.

On the peace talks between the GPH and the MILF, Climaco maintains her strong stand against the inclusion of Zamboanga City or any part of it in any proposed form of government by the MILF.

In 2011, together with Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson, Sec. Lualhati Antonino, Cong. Climaco gathered all Mindanao legislators in a closed door conference with Peace Presidential Adviser Ging Deles and GPH Panel Chairperson Marvic Leonon, to seek updates on the on-going peace talks. “I reiterated our condition that the negotiations should be undertaken within the framework of the Constitution and that there should be genuine consultations with the various stakeholders and there should be transparency of the whole process”.

As Deputy Speaker supervising the Social Services Cluster of Congress with 12 House Committees under her, Climaco pursued the enactment of two house bills: RA 10151 which takes away the discrimination against women working at night and RA 10152 or the “Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011″

Also as an ex-officio member of the House Committee on Justice, the District I solon voted for the impeachment of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

“I found merit in the form and substance to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. My vote was YES in both counts. Thank God she resigned”, Cong. Climaco said as she likewise declared her support to the ongoing impeachment trial on Chief Supreme Court Justice. Likewise, the congresswoman responded to an important call last Dec. 12, 2011 being the 70th signatory of the original 188 members who signed the impeachment complaint with the 8 grounds against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“As your representative in Congress, I act swiftly in matters that affect our national integrity. We need to make important decisions because YOU, our boss, demand it from us”, she stressed.

She added: “part of my duty as Deputy Speaker, I served as presiding officer at the plenary for more than 24 session days. I joined the Speaker and other House officials in various congressional meetings with foreign dignitaries while establishing linkages and introducing Zamboanga City to the international community.”

Celso enjoins support to Interfaith Harmony week

by Sheila Covarrubias

Displaying harmony and unity, people representing different faiths, culture and beliefs yesterday afternoon converged at a local hotel to launch the World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration in Zamboanga spearheaded by the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) Zambasulta chapter.

As this developed, Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday reiterated his call on all offices and agencies in the city to actively participate in the activities of the celebration, a directive he issued through Executive Order 434 and signed January 4.

Mayor Lobregat along with Archbishop Romulo Valles, Basilan Ulama Supreme Council President Dr. Bongcael Tabasan, DILG Regional Director Paizal Abutazil (representing Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo), Silsillah Dialogue Movement founder Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra and ARMM OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman (represented by NUCP-Zambasulta head of secretariat Ali Aiyub) were among those invited to share their thoughts on interfaith harmony during the launching program at the Astoria Hotel that was highlighted by the unveiling of the logo, a creation of artist Rameer Tawasil and the signing of the pledge of commitment by the different stakeholders.

The world Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2010 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and less than a month later, on October 20, 2010, t was unanimously adopted by the UN and declaring the first week of February as World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Mayor Lobregat in his message said the World Interfaith Harmony Week is based on the pioneering work of the common word initiative, an initiative that started in 2007, calling on Muslim and Christian leaders to engage in a dialogue based on two common fundamental religious commandments: love of God and love of neighbour, without nevertheless compromising any of their religious tenets.

“Today’s launching of the week-long celebration demonstrates our strong resolve for the attainment of long and genuine peace through dialogue amongst all stakeholders—Muslim, Christians and all other faiths in the community, a policy to which our administration is committed for years now”, the mayor stressed.

The activity likewise, he said, also typifies the strong and harmonious relationship between Muslims and Christians in Zamboanga City towards the promotion of dialogue and peace. He commended the Ulamas, and all other organizations dedicated to Muslim-Christian dialogue for peace, like the Silsilah Dialogue Movement of Rev. Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME, and the Peace Advocates of Zamboanga headed by Rev. Fr. Angel Calvo.

Like the NUCP and other stakeholders, the city government under his administration, the mayor stressed, has been a strong advocate of dialogue and peace as all initiatives are directed towards harmony and peace. These initiatives include the implementation of projects that promote Muslim Christian relationship such as the sponsorship of sunset meal called Pagbukah during Ramadan, the implementation of a literacy program for Muslim women and the acceleration of basic social services and implementation of various infrastructure projects in Muslim-dominated barangays.

For his part, Arbishop Valles said religious leaders in Mindanao were ahead of the UN in advocating for interfaith harmony by 17 years through the organization of the Bishops Ulama Conference, which has the same objectives and purpose as the UN’s declaration.

In their individual messages, Sec. Robredo (read by Dir. Abutazil) and ARMM OIC Gov. Hataman (read by Prof. Aiyub) called on all people to “rise above their differences” and to “drop all biases” to attain peace and harmony in this part of the country and the world.

The World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration in Zamboanga, themed “Celebrating Harmony Among all people of God”, is organized by the NUCP-Zambasulta with the support of Silsillah Dialogue Movement, Archdiocese of Zamboanga, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, office of the city mayor and other stakeholders.

Other activities during the week include a workshop on interfaith harmony in the barangay at the Harmony Village in Sinunuc Feb. 2 at 8am; dinner and cultural presentation and launching of arts month among others.

Also present during the kick off program yesterday afternoon were Councilor Luis Biel III, Rev. Fr. Nev Vigano, Fr. Max Rodriguez, Fr. Giulio Mariani, Dr. Abdurahim Kenoh, Prof. Ali Yacub, and other religious leaders and peace advocates.

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