DAVAO CITY—Citing studies of the damage a coal-fired power plant could bring, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio junked the ordinance seeking for land reclassification for the establishment of the 300-megawatt plant in Barangay Binugao in Toril District in this city.

Duterte-Carpio said the project is prejudicial to the general welfare of the public, adding that she was “disturbed with the environmental and health implications resulting from the operation of the project.”

On November 15 the city council passed Ordinance 0200-11 Series of 2011 reclassifying the area for the proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant project. The move was made upon the request of the Aboitiz Power Corp.

In her three-page message obtained by this writer, the mayor said: “The subject measure is hereby vetoed pursuant to Section 55 [a] of Republic Act 7160 on the ground that the same is prejudicial to public welfare.” Continue reading »

MARAMAG, Bukidnon (MindaNews/04 December) – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of South Bukidnon believes it can meet its target to distribute the lands covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) before the year ends.

But Task Force Mapalad (TFM), a national federation of farmers, farm workers and individuals working for agrarian reform, doubts the agency can meet its target given the current pace of the implementation of the program.

Norberto Paquingan, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) of South Bukidnon, claimed that they can meet the 2,126-hectare target before December 31. Continue reading »

MARAMAG, Bukidnon (MindaNews/03 December) – Gonzalo Pinuti held his hammer tight as he detached the barbed wire from a fence of a former cattle ranch amid the blistering heat of the sun. With help from a fellow farmer, it took him about five minutes to detach the barbed wires and put down three wooden posts and let his colleagues enter the ranch with carpentry tools, round timber and tents for their temporary shelter.

These farmers were not intruding into a private property but reoccupying a portion of the ranch where they used to dwell.

About 30 minutes later, 57-year old Pinuti, his frame silhouetted below the blue skies, scaled one of the posts to nail one of the frames for a makeshift tent. “For now, we will sleep under this tent while we are building our permanent houses,” the farmer who had worked in the sugarcane plantation in the same area in the 1970s said. Continue reading »

It took this truck 15 minutes to negotiate the 350-meter dirt road in Maramag, Bukidnon yesterday. Wondering what’s in the mind of the drivers and passengers of the bus tailing this truck When it reached the other end of the dirt road, everyone asked the driver what’s in that box. He said: Generator!

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A daytrip at Apo Island in Negros Oriental with Ruby. The sea was pretty rough but it was fun. Haven’t had a banca ride on a rough seas for a while. The last time was in Davao Oriental. Local folks say summer is the best time to visit Apo Island. But this is also the time when hundreds of tourists would flock in the island everyday.

They said summer  is the busiest time of the year. Although tourists come and go into the island almost everyday.

From Dumaguete City, we took an aircon bus to Malatapay for P50 each. Then a short walk to the boat station.  For the daytrip, smaller boats costs P2,000 and can carry four persons while medium boats that can carry  eight persons cost P3,000.

When we get to the boat station,  four other excursionists were also bound for Apo Island. So we agreed to divide the boat rental of the medium boat.

At the island, there is an entrance fee of P100 plus P50 for the snorkeling fee. If you don’t have the gears, you may rent the life vest for P100 and another P100 for the snorkeling gears.

Food is available on some resorts and local restaurants. Local folks also offer to cook for your lunch for P150 each person.

Apo Island is considered to be part of the jurisdiction of the town of Dauin in Negros Oriental. Its pride is its fantastic rock formations scattered over the terrain, a protected marine reserve, magnificent white sands and a relatively untouched endowment of natural marine resources – 650 documented fish species and 400 kinds of corals. Read On

Mindanao from A to Z: A Photo Exhibit

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. Continue reading »

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Our two-day adventure in this lonely island was real fun.

Ruby and I stayed at John Lea Resort, owned by a British national married to a Filipina. It’s a  quite resort — no videoke and not too far away from San Juan town proper, which is about 30 minutes by tricycle from Siquijor port.

Manong Roland, the tricycle driver, also served as our tour guide.  He knows if who owns some big houses you could see along the national highway. According to him, if the house is not owned by those who are working abroad, the Pinay from the island is married to a foreign national. While some are owned by retired government employees.

Normally, he charges P800 for an island tour which usually takes about half day –  including taking pictures in different tourists spots along the road and a quick swim at Salagdoong beach resort in Maria town. The entrance fee is P15 and you may also rent cottages for P100.

About a kilometer canopy of tugas trees leads to Salagdoong beach resort.

We also asked him about the faith healers and the infamous mangkukulam (sorcerer), in the island. He said  they are living in the mountains. We just don’t have enough time to visit them. Manong Roland suggests that the best time to visit them is during Holy Week.

As we hit the road, many foreigners are riding in tandem on motorcycles, which are available for hire at P200 to P300 per day.

At the resort…there’s no music, just one TV channel and slow internet inside the room. So quiet. Perfect for vacation mode.

By 7pm, most of the sari-sari stores in San Juan town are already closed. You would also rarely hear motorcycles or tricycles buzzing in the highway. It’s the same at 4am, only the sound of crickets and some insects.

Maybe the towns of Siqujor and Larena are more lively compared to towns of Enrique Villanueva, Lazi and San Juan.

At the resort, the only sound that you could hear in the middle of the night: sound of waves.

Deafening silence.

Clips taken during our trip to Apo Island.

Our two-day adventure in the island province of Siquijor.

Music: Island Life by Divine Comedy

Some vendors in Agdao Market, Davao City brought TV sets to watch the Pacquiao-Marquez fight. At around 9am, some vendors are already glued on the TV watching the undercard fights.  One of the meat vendors noted that the market goers flock in Agdao as early as 5am until 8am.

In the meat section, I also noticed that only few stocks of meat were left. The vendor said they only butchered one pig because they are afraid that they wont be able to sell all the pork by lunchtime.

Normally, from 5am to 9am is the busiest time every Sunday in Agdao market.  But this morning, it was not an unsual Sunday in Agdao.