Barely two weeks ago, while were waiting for the family of slain Italian missionary Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio at the Our Mother of Perpetual Help parish in Arakan valley town of North Cotabato, we saw young kids playing football in parched pitch at the back of an elementary school.

The pitch is overlooking from the parish grounds, which is just across the school. So we opted to shoot the game since we were anticipating that the chopper carrying the family would land in the school grounds.

Anyways, the recent success of the Philippine Azklas did not only encourage more kids to play football as well as they also inspired homegrown footballers in the provinces. Like in the remote town of in Arakan, 56 kilometers away from Kidapawan City, young kids play the game with or without proper gears such as the spikes and shin guards. Continue reading »

On October 31, Ruby and I visited the Davao Catholic Cemetery, particularly near the UCCP Haran convention center. I was aware that it was set to be rehabilitated and I was expecting that all of the graves have been exhumed already. But when we get there, we saw many of the tombs have yet to be exhumed while some are already left opened.

What really caught my attention are some parts of the coffin, which were not properly disposed — scattered in the cemetery. The management should have disposed these stuff ahead of the Undas. It’s pretty disturbing these things to see  in the cemetery.

Every week, garbage pile up at a vacant lot in front of our house especially a day before or two days before the scheduled pick up day, which is every Thursdays.

Last week, garbage collectors left a pile of unsegregated garbage. I have no choice but to douse it with diesel and burn it to prevent flies from feasting on the biodegradable materials.

Since the implementation of the Waste Segregation Ordinance in the city, garbage collectors are leaving the biodegradable wastes in the vacant lot. Then we noticed  the increase of flies in our surroundings.

In our case in Emily Homes, there should be a pick up point so that the residents would only dump their garbage in the designated area instead of leaving them anywhere.

The barangay officials should conduct  a symposium among its constituents regarding this policy. It is not enough to simply announce it on radio or TV.

Since Cabantian is a home to many subdivisions,   the barangay should visit these subdivisions and inform the residents.  I’m sure this is not just a problem in Emily Homes, this is also a problem in other subdivisions.

Who is telling these people when and where to dump their garbages? It’s the garbage collectors! Is this already part of their job to inform the people?

Just this morning, a garbage collector lectured some residents that they should not leave their garbage anywhere. Instead, they should wait for the garbage truck to arrive since it is blowing its horn as a signal that the garbage truck is in the vicinity.

It’s not just the residents  living near this vacant lot turned into a mini-dumpsite suffer this foul smell and pestering flies, it’s also the people passing by the street.

The barangay must deploy monitoring teams in subdivisions in coordination with the housing association presidents. I learned that the barangay has coordinated with the local purok leaders in the subdivisions to report violators. But it seems no one is monitoring the implementation of the policy.

Ang usa pud ka problema ani kay ang mga tag-balay, dili man nila ingnon pud ila katabang na hulaton ang truck. Karon, kinsa man pud masakpan kung naa na manakop, di ba ang katabang dili ang amo?

To Kapitan Joji Lumanog, our future city councilor, isn’t it hard to exert extra efforts to educate your constituents?

The last time I was here was in 2005 when I joined the staff of Philippine Eagle Foundation who monitored the Eagle’s nest in Barangay Sinai. But last week, (and its’s six years later) Ruby and I revisited Arakan just to take photos for my personal project, a website. And we looked for a good vantage point of the valley and we found this spot.

For more North Cotabato photos, click here.

200 Pages / Full Color @ P1500

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Introduction
by Bobby Timonera / Editor

The habalhabal is a motorcycle with wooden extension behind its body to serve as extra seats, with or without a roof to protect the passengers from sun and rain. Along with its big brother the “Skylab,” which has extensions protruding sideways that make it appear like its namesake, the habalbal is ubiquitous here in Mindanao and can navigate through narrow streets and even overtake four-wheel drive vehicles along rough roads.

It is very much like Mindanao, which has navigated through extremely difficult pathways and terrains in its journey across a troubled century and against all odds, and which has moved forward into the new millennium determined to correct historical injustices and find solutions to end the conflict. Continue reading »

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On June 28 evening,  flood hit Barangays Matina Pangi, Talomo, Matina Crossing,   Matina Aplaya and Maa. The water subsided around 4am the next day.

In Matina Crossing,  the  worst hit area was Arroyo Compound, where in 17 of 31 casualties were from this community that sits beside the riverbank of Talomo River, which overflowed on June 28. Dozens of houses were also washed away in this community and affected 3,000 families according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Barely a week after the flood, which was the worst in the city terms of lives lost, victims have yet to rebuild their lives amid the destruction around them.  The residents are recycling lumbers and other materials from the pile of debris swept by the flood water.

But during heavy rains, the people are no longer taking chances, some are voluntarily evacuating to safer grounds.

Just this afternoon, as much as we wanted to stay longer amid the heavy rain, the residents told us to leave area because another flood may hit the village again.

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/01 July) – Apparently incensed by the refusal of her request to delay the demolition of houses owned by informal settlers in a barangay here, Mayor Sara Duterte hit a court sheriff with a couple of punches in full view of residents and reporters.

Prior to it, a police officer and three others persons had been injured after the demolition this morning at Purok Soliman in Barangay Tomas Monteverde Sr. resulted in a scuffle when some residents offered resistance.

The violence prompted Duterte to punch court sheriff Abe Andres who was trying to enforce the demolition order on informal settlers in a 2,000-square meter land.

TV cameras were able to get footage of Duterte hitting Andres who just turned his back and tried to cover his face as the mayor’s aides tried to stop her.

Duterte admitted that she was unable to control her temper because the sheriff turned down her request to give her two hours before enforcing the demolition because she was still in Barangay Matina attending to the concerns of the flood victims.

“I have earlier requested the court that we will enforce the demolition order together because the residents will not follow any orders from the court except from the mayor,” she told reporters.

For humanitarian reasons, Duterte said she requested for the two-hour extension, or until 11a.m., so that she could still hold a dialogue with the residents before enforcing the demolition order. She added no violence could have ensued had the sheriff listened to her.

She, however, clarified that she did not order a stop to the demolition that would affect 220 families, but only wanted to have it enforced Continue reading »

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On June 28 evening until early morning , flashflood hit five barangays in Davao City. Late Tuesday evening, some friends posted updates on social networks that a flashflood has indeed washed away vehicles and damaged several houses. No one has reported yet that some people died in the flood. But the following day, it was initially reported that four persons died.

When we rushed to the site, the death toll already climbed to 25.

Water level rose too quickly, say Davao flood victims

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/30 June) – Most of the flashflood victims on Tuesday evening have a common story to tell: the water level rose too fast.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Civil Defense reported that as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday (June 30), two more bodies were recovered. They were identified as Kent Angelo Taño, 9; and Cherry Saturos, 4.

The floods left 29 dead and 2 still missing – Mark Louie Falomar, 3 months old; and Zaly Supa, 34.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC) reported that a total of 12,714 families have been affected by the floods, which damaged 264 houses, 50 of which totally destroyed. [read full story]

On December 2009, while Ruby and I was on the road to Cagayan de Oro City with Kenny Nodalo and Jun of then Medco (now MinDA), Jun stopped at Calinan and offered a free ride to two teachers who had been waiting to hitch on passing vehicles — either private or government-owned.

We learned that many of them were actually waiting for any vehicle to offer them a free ride to Marilog district, where they teach in elementary and high schools.

On Monday, the first day of the school year, the teachers were on the road again and waiting for free ride.

The hitchhiking teachers of Marilog District

MARILOG DISTRICT, Davao City (MindaNews/6 June) – Who says backpackers are the only good hitchhikers? Count the teachers assigned in this district who may have mastered the art of hitchhiking after all these years.

Public school teacher Marilyn Camarillo wakes up at 4 a.m. everyday to prepare her packed lunch, which she would bring to school.

Camarillo, who lives in barangay Maa, has to take a jeepney going to Ulas junction as early as 6 a.m. because she needs to catch the 7:30 a.m. flag ceremony at the Sto. Niño Elementary School at Barangay Datu Salumay in this district.

Although it would only take about an hour of jeepney or bus ride to reach her school in Marilog District, the 47-year-old teacher should be at the junction in Ulas before 6 a.m. to hitch a ride to get there. Marilog, located along the Davao-Bukidnon highway, is around 60 kilometers from the junction.

“As much as possible, we would opt for a free ride because we don’t have travel allowance and we are getting our fares from our own pockets,” Camarillo, who teaches grades three and four, told MindaNews.

Sometimes they get a free ride, but sometimes not. [read full story]