Difference between revisions of "Masbate, Philippines"

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==[[Masbate News]]==
==[[Masbate News]]==
'''Masbate: Paradise in a pool of blood'''
'''Gov't forces kill 2 NPA rebels: military'''
*Source: http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2011/sep15/xpool.htmlin-the-philippines-19044.html
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=200&articleId=727857
*September 15, 2011
*September 16, 2011 03:54 PM
:by Jonas Cabiles Soltes
:by Philippines Star




MOBO, Masbate --- Rolling pasturelands and coconut plantations, white-sand beaches, picturesque towns, abundant fishing grounds and rich gold, copper, and nickel deposits virtually make the island province of Masbate a paradise.   
MANILA (Xinhua) -- Two New People's Army (NPA) rebels were killed on Friday following a clash with government forces in Masbate province, more than a month after the NPA attacked a police station there, the military said.
 
Masbate, 377 kilometers southeast of Manila, is also home to vibrant culture and rich heritage. Every April, the Rodeo Masbateño Festival, which pays tribute to the livestock industry in the province, is celebrated here. Spanish-era lighthouses and stone houses also dot the province.  
Col. Generoso Bolina, spokesman of the military's Southern Luzon Command, said the clash occurred around 6:20 a.m. in Quintana village, San Pascual town.
 
And with strategic location resulting from the province’s being at the crossroads of the Philippine Archipelago, it is hard to imagine why the first-class province (annual income: at least 450 million) with a population of 768, 939 remains among 20 poorest provinces of the country.   
The operation was prompted by the Aug. 14 rebel attack of the Mobo police station that resulted in the death of a soldier and wounding of 10 others, Bolina said.
 
   
So what holds back Masbate? This long-time question has stigmatized the province, and local leaders have only one answer to it: political violence.  
"After weeks of hot pursuit operations, Army soldiers encountered about 15 NPA rebels," Bolina said, adding the fighting lasted for 15 minutes, after which the rebels withdrew, leaving behind their two dead comrades.
 
“We need investments to spur economic development here. But who would come to a place known for violence?” says Mayor Enrico Capinig of Aroroy, a mining town located in the northernmost portion of mainland Masbate.   
Found at the encounter scene were a cal. 30 machine gun with ammunition, an M16 rifle, an M653 rifle, three cal. 38 revolvers, 21 improvised explosive devices, a bandolier, two backpacks and rebel documents, said Bolina.
 
   
Capinig says political violence has not only scared off investors. 
Meanwhile, four government soldiers were wounded in another clash Thursday afternoon in Labo town, Camarines Norte province, said Maj. Angelo Guzman, spokesman of the military's 10th Infantry Division.
 
“It also drives away residents of the province, who instead of working here have looked for greener pastures.”
Guzman said forces of the 92nd Division Reconnaissance Company were on their way to a coordinating conference for an upcoming civic action mission when they spotted about 30 rebels, ensuing a 30-minute firefight.
 
   
The combined effects of insufficient investment and localized brain drain spawned by political violence have resulted to the poverty of Masbate, he adds.
Quoting one of the soldiers who figured in the clash, Guzman said: "It's good we were able to spot them first. That's why despite their superiority in number and advantage in position, we were able to fight back and make them withdraw."
The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for more than four decades. The Philippine military estimates that there are over 4,000 NPA guerrilla fighters scattered in more than 60 provinces throughout the country.


==Photo Gallery of Masbate, Philippines==
==Photo Gallery of Masbate, Philippines==
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