Church among peace spoilers, says MILF

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MILF peace panel to consult Iligan, CDO

Press Release:
June 10, 2011
For immediate Release

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The peace panel of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is set to dialogue with non-Moro and Moro leaders of civil society organizations (CSOs), business, church, local government, media and academic institutions in Northern Mindanao in response to calls for inclusiveness and participation in the government-MILF peace negotiations.

The MILF peace panel, led by Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, will first stopped in Iligan City on Saturday (June 11) to dialogue with non-Moro CSOs at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology MSU-IIT) from 9am to 3pm.

MSU-IIT chancellor Dr. Sukarno D. Tanggol, DPA, will be hosting the event in partnership with the Forum for Peace, led by Managing Director Jun Enriquez.

In the morning of June 12, the MILF panel will be at the International Center for Peace (IC Peace) in Barangay Bulua, this city to dialogue with leaders of Moro CSOs and Lumad groups.

On June 13, Iqbal’s team will consult with non-Moro leaders of CSOs, business, church, LGUs, media and academic institutions at the IC Peace from 9am to 3pm.

More than a hundred non-Moro participants are expected to attend Monday’s (June 13) consultation, which is being organized by the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro (ACDO), Balay Mindanao Foundation Inc, (BMFI) MPC and FREEJourn, Inc., an organization of Mindanao journalists working for empowerment, equality and welfare of media practitioners.

In all these consultations, the point of discussion will center on the MILF’s peace agenda contained in the Comprehensive Compact it submitted to the government peace panel, led by Dean Marvic Leonen.

“This forum seeks to promote better understanding of the attending issues in the negotiations,” said Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D.

“It will also serve as a unique opportunity for us to take part in shaping viable and sustainable options to resolve the root causes of the armed conflict in Mindanao,” added BMFI Executive Director Paul Richard A. Paraguya.

Iqbal said that the MILF does not want a repeat of what happened to the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), which is why early in the negotiation they wanted to conduct the dialogues with various sectors in the country in order to get their views, ideas, and questions on the MILF’s proposals in the negotiations.

The Northern Mindanao consultations is the fourth leg in the ongoing nationwide dialogue the MILF peace panel has been conducting.

Prior to the consultations, the FREEJourn, Inc., in partnership with MPC, has organized trainings on peace reporting, which stressed on the need to cover the MILF-GPH peace talks. More than 20 select media personalities in Cagayan de Oro City underwent the training on May 28.

Some 20 journalists in Iligan City also underwent a similar training yesterday in through the efforts of the Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace in partnership with FREEJourn Inc, and the MPC. (Bong D. Fabe, FREEJourn, Inc., Peace Collective)

GPH seeks support of religious for peace talks with NDFP

Manila, June 7 – As the government raises its stakes in the peace process, it constantly seeks the support of stakeholders in moving forward the negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).


In a recent dialogue with Catholic bishops, priests and lay leaders from the cities of Davao, Digos, Tagum and Mati, Government of the Philippines (GPH) panel member Ednar Dayanghirang urged the religious sector to back the decades-old peace talks and continuously engage the community by providing information on the substantive agenda of the talks. The religious sector can also offer spiritual and moral guidance particularly with regard to lowering levels of tension, violence and atrocities.


During the monthly Presbyterium Meeting of the Diocesan Clergy of Tagum at the Clergy Development Center in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, the panel member delivered updates on the peace process between the GPH and the CPP-NPA-NDFP. The meeting was attended by Bishop Wilfredo D. Manlapaz D.D. and more than 50 priests.


Fr. Ulysses Perandos said Dayanghirang's inputs were “very informative and comprehensive," and pledged, on behalf of his fellow clergy, “to do our share as we’ve always been doing and to encourage other people to participate in the government's peace initiatives.”


The Tagum diocese covers the provinces of Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, among the top NPA hotspots in the country. Abundant in mineral resources, these provinces are home to banana plantations which dominate agribusiness investments in the area. These provinces also share borders with other NPA hotspots in Mindanao--Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Agusan del Sur.


Dayanghirang graced a bigger gathering of Catholic religious and lay leaders at the Benedictine Sisters Monastery in Digos City, Davao Del Sur. The meeting was led by Archbishop Fernando Capalla, Bishop Manlapaz, Bishop Patricio H. Alo of Mati City and Bishop Jimmy Afable of Digos City.


Dayanghirang appealed for the support of the Catholic leaders in sharing the information with their respective parishioners. He also stressed that engaging the people in a meaningful peace dialogue will bring their voice to the negotiating table, crucial to the success of the peace talks.


Dayanghirang observed that the call for reduced levels of violence was a common sentiment. Best expressed by one bishop: “What is most important is the urgent need for violence to stop so that the people can continue living normal lives while negotiations are pursued.”

LET THE PEACE TALKS PROCEED

PEOPLE POWER VOLUNTEERS
for REFORM – CARAGA
LD Apartment, Santan St., Butuan city


We, members of the People Power Volunteers for Reform – Caraga (PPVR-Caraga), read the news on the proposition of the National Democratic Front (NDF) “to postpone the scheduled resumption of the peace talks this month until the imprisoned rebels have been freed” with fear that the fresh round of the peace negotiations may end up, like those in the past, a failure. We see in such tit-for-tat scheme a pattern of the ways that preceded withdrawals of the NDF’s peace panels from the negotiation table in past. And we dread the thoughts of having this another chance at forging peace go down the drain because of just one unmet demand that for us is far from the substantive issues that have to be resolved in the negotiations.
A multi-sectoral organization that takes peace building as one of its advocacies to help make the quality of life in the region better, PPVR-Caraga is among those active in promoting the current round of peace talks as a way to peace. We have initiated the conduct of peace forums in the past weeks and more activities are lined up to keep the people in the region at pace with the progress of the peace talks and in some ways have their voices and positions on the issues that surround the 42-year old insurgency be considered in resolving the conflict.
We are doing all these fully aware that we have gone so far in the ways of war. We live in a region where the armed conflict between the government forces and elements of the New People’s Army (NPA) has been more pronounced than the other regions in the country and been there for decades.
Of course we understand if the NDF would ask for the release of detained comrades and other requests in the course of the negotiation. We would also welcome if in the process the government side would give way to those requests. They could be all parts of the process. But we hate it if at this very early stage conditions that could be hollow for us and the public to appreciate are dangled as conditions for the talks to proceed. After all it is us, the public, who suffer most in this armed conflict.
We, therefore, appeal to the NDF panel not to postpone the scheduled resumption of the talks this month just because of the non-release of the arrested comrades. We are expressing this appeal in the same breath that we also ask the government to consider the merits of such request in the light of what is best to attain a lasting peace in the land.

We urge both panels to let the peace talks proceed. June 7, 2011

CONCEPCION C. ASIS
CHAIRPERSON
PEOPLE POWER VOLUNTERS
FOR REFORM - CARAGA

Mindanao peace educators push for more ‘classhomes’

Davao City, May 27 – “In peace education, a classroom is no longer a classroom but a classhome,” according to a Department of Education (DepEd) regional coordinator during a recent forum here where different Schools of Peace (SoP) gathered to share success stories and advocate continuous support for peace education in Mindanao.

During the 2011 Mindanao Peace Education Forum held at Hotel Elena in this city, DepEd Region XII Regional Peace Coordinator Agney Taruc shared how SoP in their region transformed teachers, students and their communities.

SoP, according to Taruc, are academic institutions transformed by integrating peace education to the school curriculum.

“We’re aiming that our product – our students, are peace-loving people who will become leaders someday in our community. We are putting special programs to strengthen their capacity and values, and then to establish leaders who are gearing towards the adaptation of peace values,” he said.

School heads becoming more encouraging, teachers revering peace values, students experiencing genuine care inside the classroom, conflicts being settled peacefully, communities being empowered, children smiling – these are some of the things that Taruc observed in the SoP in his region.

More of these testimonies were heard in the forum sponsored by Action for Conflict Transformation (ACT) for Peace Programme, which led the mainstreaming of peace education in Mindanao in 2006.

ACT for Peace, a project under the United Nations Development Programme, aims to strengthen peace and development efforts in southern Philippines. It anchors its peace education initiatives on the 2006 Executive Order No. 570 “Institutionalizing Peace Education in Basic Education and Teacher Education.”

Meanwhile, Taruc related that since seeing the effects of integrating peace concepts in the school curriculum, he has vowed to replicate this effort, not just in Region XII, but in all of Mindanao.

“This is no longer compliance to the mandate, this is my vocation. Para bang dito na ko tatanda, ito na ang landas na aking tatahakin (It seems that this is where I will grow old, this is what I am destined for). If possible all the schools in the entire Mindanao will be touched and become conscious and sensitive to peace,” he stated.

Testimonies of peace



In Region IX, Lucia Pamplona of Dinas Central Elementary School – SoP reported that peace education was instrumental in preventing rido (clan wars) in their community. Pamplona said that conflict between students in school will usually spark a rido, but in the emergence of peace education, the outlook of students and families have been geared towards peace and understanding.



“I hope that this (peace education) will continue because of the culture of love and understanding that we’ve inculcated in the communities,” Pamplona added.



Commissioner Norma Sharief of the Commission on Higher Education-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHED-ARMM) shared that their institution has started a scholarship program called “Rebels Turned Scholars” where children of former rebels or former rebels themselves are offered financial assistance to pursue college education.



On the other hand, Ronald Torres of Mindanao State University-Maguindanao recounted how peace education has extended from the classroom to the community. Torres said that they have been conducting livelihood programs for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and rebel returnees.



Torres likewise mentioned that they have been partnering with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 6th Infantry Division for conducting community projects for out-of-school youth.



Reyzalde Tan, Deputy Programme Manager of ACT for Peace, explained that the framework of school of peace is not confined in the classroom but it also includes the community.



“OSY (out-of-school youth) activities are part of the approach of extending the culture of peace to the community,” said Tan.



In Region X, Madrasah Focal Person Dr. Shambaeh Usman reported that the Muslims and Christians had a “better relationship” since they implemented peace education.



Usman said that there is an increase in participation among Muslim students in school activities and projects since they now feel a “strong sense of belongingness.”



“Peace education brought recognition of individual differences, better understanding, and respect for individual diversity,” he noted.



Continuing the vision



Day two of the forum focused on formulating plans to sustain the goals of peace education.



Participants agreed that peace education should continue to progress in Mindanao, and would need increased funding and policy support from stakeholders.



“It is in forums like this that we share the vision, we articulate the vision, then influencing the powers that be,” said Happy Raagas, the forum facilitator.



Raagas further encouraged the participants to be hopeful on the prospects of peace education in Mindanao.



“Let’s not feel hopeless, if we give up on these efforts, sino pa ba ang magpapatuloy nito (who else will continue these)? Definitely, to give up now, is to give up on that future. This is actually the foundation to continue what we’re doing,” he said.



The Mindanao Development Authority will now lead the promotion of peace education in Mindanao as the ACT for Peace Programme ends its mandate this May.



To date, there are 61 SOPs scattered all over Mindanao, two of which are in Palawan. #

Mandug farmers face displacement

PRESS RELEASE
May 20, 2011

Davao City – More than 50 peasant households occupying more than 14 hectares of lands in Sitio Fatima, Brgy. Mandug fear looming displacement in light of the titling of their farmlands by the Cabaguio family, an influential family here.

“The Cabaguio family has acquired a land title to around 14 hectares in Sito Fatima only in 2006, but the earliest settlers here have tilled these lands since 1957. When we came here, the place was a marshland,” lamented Pepito Cipriano in the vernacular, whose family was among the pioneering families in the area.

“We were the ones who cultivated these lands, now because of a piece of paper held by a rich family from Davao, we are doomed to be displaced,” he added.

Cipriano recalls that Brgy. Mandug, Buhangin District became the relocation site of Martial Law human rights violations victims in the late 50’s. But the larger part of the settlers came in at around the 80’s.

According to Davao City census, as of 2000, Brgy. Mandug has a population of 2400 households. A large portion of the lands is still primarily agricultural, although it is classified as a Planned Development Unit, or mixed land use zone.

To date however, majority of its population in the northern part are farmers, who depend solely on farming for a living.

The “patriarch” as he was referred to by the old families in Sitio Fatima, also said that the Cabaguio family has been demanding 25% of their harvests. They however found out that the Cabaguio family does not have any title yet.

On May 2006, after the Cabaguio family acquired a title, leaders of the local farmers’ organization in the area, Mandug Farmers Association (MAFA), sat down in a dialogue with the representatives of the Cabaguio family, and the Bureau of Lands, claiming official ownership of the 14-hectare land that more than 50 households have occupied for more than 30 years.

During the dialogue, the Cabaguios said they will not ask farmers to leave, only that they cannot be allowed to farm anymore.

“Maguuma mi tungod sa pagtikad namo sa yuta diin nagasalig ang amoang pamilya aron mabuhi. Unsaon mi mabuhi kung dilian mi nga magtikad og yuta?” said Ali Pojas, chair of the peasant group MAFA, and brother of the late farmer leader Celso Pojas, slain three years ago by alleged members of the military.

Pojas added: “Tungod sa among kahimtang ron, mas nasabtan namo nganong nakigbisog si Celso alang sa katungod sa yuta alang sa mag-uuma, dili mi mosugot nga walaon ang among katungod nga mag-uma. Ipadayon namo ang gisugdan nga pakigbisog ni Celso.”

Pojas also criticized the government for failing to distribute lands to farmers.

“Napamatud-an namo nga pakyas ang agrarian reform law sa gubyerno. Kung tinuod nga ginalantaw sa gubyerno ang amoang kaayuhan, nganong kami nga naa diri mismo sa Davao City hangtod karon wala’y kaseguruhan sa yuta, ug gitagaan pa gyud og titulo ang usa ka ma-impluwensya nga tao. Mas daghan man unta mi nga nagabenepisyo karon sa kini nga yuta, nganong, ipaangkon man ni sa usa lang ka-pamilya,” stated Pojas.
ALI POJAS
0928-6529509

Peace advocate defends closed meeting

Published Date: May 19, 2011

A PEACE advocate defended the decision of the government peace panel to bar journalists from attending a peace consultation with local executives in Mindanao.

Lawyer Mary Ann Arnado, secretary-general of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus, said the action of the panel must be understood in the context of “collecting inputs from political leaders and local government officials.”

On Monday, journalists were barred from attending a dialogue between the panel and local leaders in the province of Basilan. Yesterday, the peace panel also prevented the media from joining a “courtesy call” with Zamboanga City mayor Celso Lobregat.

“At this point when they are still hearing out the sentiments and views of the local leaders, it might not be productive at all to open the exchanges to the scrutiny of the media as that might prevent a frank discussion of vital issues,” said Arnado.

Bishop Martin Jumoad of Basilan earlier said it was “not proper” for the government to tell the media to leave during the meeting’s “open forum,” adding that the consultation aimed at promoting transparency.

“The media must be present to validate what they were discussing, and for the sake of the people. The people, through the media, deserve to know what is being discussed because it is the people who will live with that kind of life,” Bishop Jumoad was quoted as saying by a local news report.

The prelate said the government peace panel should make all information open to the public and bring the discussion down to the grassroots

Source: UCAN

Walking priest urges Aquino to junk RH bill

Published Date: May 11, 2011

A MINDANAO-based priest who is on a cross-country walk for peace and life urged President Benigno Aquino III to junk the reproductive health (RH) bill.

Father Amado Picardal who is on a 2,000-kilometer trek from Mindanao to Northern Luzon arrived in Malacañang on Tuesday to deliver a letter to President Benigno Aquino III.

“I dare to write this letter to you because I believe that you listen to the voices of the people whom you consider as your Boss and whom you pledged to serve. My voice is only one small voice among many. But it deserves serious consideration because I walk my talk,” Picardal said in his letter, excerpts of which were posted on his blog site Tuesday.

Picardal said he wrote the letter on March 31, saved it in a USB flash drive, and carried it in his backpack during his journey, which began on April 1 in Davao City.

Picardal raised four points in his letter:

1. The armed conflict in the countryside that has caused the loss of so many lives and the need to support the ongoing peace process between the government and the revolutionary groups such as the National Democratic Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front

2. The destruction of the environment and the threat to the way of life and cultures of the indigenous peoples – due to mining and logging.

3. The extra-judicial killings carried out by death squads, allegedly inspired or abetted by some local government officials and police personnel in many cities in the Philippines.

4. The RH bill being debated in Congress, “which promotes an aggressive population control program which is based on a questionable if not false assumptions that there is a crisis of overpopulation which perpetuates poverty and is a hindrance to sustainable economic development.”

Report from GMANews.TV

GPH holds another consultation before talks with MILF

GPH holds another consultation before talks with MILF


Manila, Apr. 26 - Before heading to Malaysia for the next round of talks, the Government of the Philippines' (GPH) panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) sat down with several political leaders, mainly from the Liberal Party, on Monday as part of the effort to achieve transparent and accountable peace negotiations.


The National Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) spearheaded the forum dubbed as “Peace in Mindanao” held at Dusit Thani Hotel in this city.


NIPS is a political institute that undertakes programs for the promotion of liberalism and democracy in the Philippines while FNF is an international foundation that promotes freedom and liberalism through civic education, political dialogues, and political counseling.


Some 30 participants composed of congressmen, cabinet members, political leaders and lawyers gathered in the forum where Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos-Deles and GPH panel chair Marvic Leonen presented the current status and context of the negotiations with the MILF.


“This is an endeavor to be transparent and accountable to the proposals that we are giving on the negotiating table,” Leonen previously said about the series of consultations that the panel is conducting with various sectors.


To date, the GPH panel has conducted consultations with different sectors including the academe, civil society organizations, local government officials, and the military.


Secretary Deles, on the other hand, hopes that the consultations with political leaders will continue to roll as it aids the progress of the peace process.


“We now have a formal start of what I hope will not be a one-time conversation but a continuing one because it is supposed to accompany the (peace) process,” Deles said.


Some of the officials present in the forum are Sec. Lualhati Antonino of the Mindanao Development Authority; Undersecretary Jose Luis Gascon of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs; Liberal Party President Manuel Roxas; Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon; Zamboanga City 1st District Rep. Maria Isabelle Climaco; Maguindanao 1st District Rep. Bai Sandra Sema; and North Cotabato 1st District Rep. Jesus Sacdalan.


Meanwhile, Deles, during the forum, stressed the “issue of ownership” in crafting a sustainable peace process.


“It is important for us to have this conversation because the issue of ownership of the peace process is very important. For the peace process to be sustainable, it has to be owned by the people,” she noted.


Likewise present in the forum are GPH panel members Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Senen Bacani, and Ramon Piang, Sr., and members of the panel secretariat.


The government and the MILF panels will hold their 21st formal exploratory talks tomorrow, April 27, until Thursday, April 28, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Among the issues that the government will raise are concerns regarding MILF commander Ustadz Amiril Umra Kato, who allegedly broke away from the Moro group, and the MILF’s Comprehensive Compact which contains its standing position on substantive issues.#

South-East Asia Japan Cable (SJC) System Consortium Contracts with SubCom and NEC as Suppliers

PRESS RELEASE


South-East Asia Japan Cable (SJC) System Consortium Contracts with SubCom and NEC as Suppliers


SINGAPORE – April 12, 2011 – The global consortium of telecommunications companies formed to build and operate the South-East Asia Japan Cable (SJC) system officially announces the start of the construction of the project that will link Brunei, China Mainland, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, and Singapore, with options to extend to Indonesia and Thailand. The SJC consortium has awarded the supply contract for the new international submarine cable system to two companies. First announced in December 2009, the cable was initially planned to be 8,300 km in length, linking 5 countries / territories. SJC’s length is now 8,900 km which could extend up to 10,700 km, linking up to 8 countries / territories while supporting an initial design capacity of over 15 terabits per second.

The SJC consortium is composed of Brunei International Gateway Sendirian Berhad (BIG), China Mobile, China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom), China Telecom (Hong Kong) International Ltd. (CTHKI, an Affiliate of China Telecommunications Corporation), Donghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., Globe Telecom, Inc., Google SJC Bermuda Ltd. (a subsidiary of Google Inc.), KDDI Corporation, Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin), Telemedia Pacific Inc. (TPI), and TOT Public Co., Ltd. (TOT). With the strength of the investors to the project, the SJC will bring more available bandwidth to Asia to support future applications and next-generation technologies.

Mr Ooi Seng Keat, Chairman of the SJC executive committee, said, “The SJC is carefully designed to serve as many direct circuits between the landing points/POPs and is routed nearer the Northern part of the Philippines, thereby avoiding an area that is frequently stricken by earthquakes. The SJC will enable members of the consortium to meet the growing demands of the region, not just for increased Internet usage, but bandwidth intensive applications such as Internet TV, games and enterprise data exchange.”

The SJC consortium signed an agreement with TE SubCom (SubCom) and NEC Corporation (NEC) to supply and install the system based on their decades of combined experience, technology superiority and extensive record of on-time and on-budget project completions. The SJC system is expected to be ready for service in 2H-2013.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the deployment of the SJC system and anticipate that, once completed, SJC will have a significant and measurable impact on bandwidth, enhancing how the entire region interacts and communicates with the rest of the world,” said Mike Rieger, vice president of sales for SubCom. “We thank each member of the SJC consortium for their trust and support and look forward to the completion of this landmark project utilizing SubCom’s state of the art advanced 40G SLTE and OADM Branching Units.”

“We congratulate the purchasers on this occasion and look forward to building the Southeast-Asia Japan Cable System,” said Mr. Osamu Harada, General Manager of Submarine Network Division at NEC. “We are very proud that with this new cable, we will be able to contribute to the economies of Asia and its vicinity. NEC will continue to dedicate its strength to the development of telecommunication infrastructure in these and other countries across the globe.”







# # #


About BIG
BIG is a joint venture company established in August 2009 and incorporate under the laws of Brunei Darussalam as an investment holding and trading company concentrating mainly on the trading of international telecommunication infrastructure such as submarine cable and so forth. BIG is a licensed carrier in Brunei Darussalam, which owns equipment as well as AAG cable capacity and, in addition also maintains marketing, support, operations, and sales resources in Brunei Darussalam. For further details, please visit www.big.com.bn

About China Mobile
As the leading mobile services provider in China, China Mobile boasts the world's largest mobile network and the world's largest mobile customer base. Now China Mobile is ready to greatly expand the international network and services for the potential fixed broadband Internet users and 3G mobile Internet users in the near future. To learn more, please visit www.chinamobileltd.com.


About China Telecom and CTHKI
China Telecom is a full services integrated information service operator and the world's largest wireline telecommunications and broadband services provider, providing basic telecommunications services such as wireline telecommunications services and mobile telecommunications services, and value-added telecommunications services such as Internet access services and information services. As of the end of Dec. 2010, the Company has wireline access lines in service of about 175 million, wireline broadband subscribers of over 63.5 million and mobile subscribers of about 90.5 million. China Telecom has many overseas branches and has set up 27 overseas PoPs. To learn more, please visit www.chinatelecom.com.cn

As wholly-owned subsidiary of China Telecom, CTHKI is dedicated to provide customers with top-quality one-stop global business communication solutions and deliver service between Mainland China and Asia Pacific region. CTHKI is undergoing a tremendous business expansion in Hong Kong, Asia Pacific regions and global market. To learn more, please visit www.chinatelecom.com.hk

About Donghwa Telecom
Donghwa Telecom is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Chunghwa Telecom in Hong Kong. Chunghwa is the leading telecom operator in Taiwan providing fixed line, mobile, broadband internet, MOD (Multimedia on Demand) services and ICT services. Chunghwa has presences in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, U.S., Japan, and Singapore with 40 PoPs in many countries throughout Asia Pacific and United States. For more information, please visit http://www.cht.com.tw/ir.

About Globe
Globe is a leading full service telecommunications company in the Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed services. Globe has major investments in various submarine cable systems. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singapore Telecom who are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region. For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.

About Google
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

About KDDI
With more than 30 million subscribers, KDDI is Japan's second-largest mobile operator. Furthermore, together with its subsidiaries, now KDDI is the only Japanese ICT solution company that provides comprehensive services for consumers and corporate clients. With services from fixed to mobile communications and solutions, "TELEHOUSE" data centers and broadcasting, KDDI aims to be a company that creates new styles for customer's lives and corporate activities from local communities to overseas with communication as its base.
www.kddi.com/english/index.html

About NEC
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company’s experience and global resources, NEC’s advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC positions one of the World's top three suppliers in submarine cable systems and provides end-to-end solutions, including manufacturing cables. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.


About SingTel
SingTel is Asia's leading communications group providing a portfolio of services including voice and data solutions over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms as well as infocomm technology and pay TV. The Group has presence in Asia and Africa with more than 383 million mobile customers in 25 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. It also has a network of 36 offices in 19 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States.

About Telin (PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International)
Telin is a subsidiary of Telkom Group (the largest telecommunication and network services provider in Indonesia), which established to oversee and manage Telkom Indonesia’s overseas business and aims to deliver value to its stakeholders in a highly competitive industry environment. Under business portfolios consisting International Telecommunication Carrier & Services and Strategic Investments, we strive to bring the finest telecommunication services and solutions in today's and tomorrow's competitive business landscape. Telin is committed to bridge the world with Indonesia and beyond thru excellent global communication services. For further information please visit our website: http://www.telin.co.id

About Telemedia Pacific Inc. (TPI)
Telemedia Pacific Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telemedia Pacific Group, is a forward-looking infrastructure provider of communication solutions. The Group develops and manages communication infrastructure including undersea cables, terrestrial fibre networks, remote data and voice VSAT access sites and data centres. For more information, please visit www.telemediapacific.com

About TE SubCom
TE SubCom (SubCom), a TE Connectivity Limited company, is an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology and marine services and a leading global supplier for today's undersea communications requirements. Drawing on its heritage of technical innovation and industry recognized performance, the company delivers the most reliable, high-quality solutions to organizations with undersea communications needs vital to their core mission. In more than five decades of operation, TE SubCom has designed, manufactured, and installed more than 100 undersea fiber optic systems around the world. For more information, please visit www.SubCom.com.

About TOT
TOT Public Company Limited or “TOT” is a leading telecommunications company in Thailand. For over 50 years, TOT has been truly dedicated to provide its services in order to satisfy diverse customer requests with state-of-the-art innovation. As a customer-focused business with its own high-speed internet network and nationwide fiber-optic network, TOT is fully committed to support a broad range of quality services and different applications including voice, data communication, multi-media, content and internet both domestically and internationally. For more information, please visit www.tot.co.th.





For Reference:

BIG
Wan Mohd Faisal Habib
Tel: +673-2-323232
Email: faisal.habib@aiti.gov.bn

China Mobile
Ma Xiaolong
Department of Planning
Tel: +86 10 52686688-2249
Email: maxiaolong@chinamobile.com


China Telecom/China Telecom Hong Kong

China Telecommunications Corporation
Mr. Hong Lixiong
Global Business Dept.,
Tel: +86-58501240
Email: honglx@chinatelecom.com.cn

China Telecom (Hong Kong) International Limited:
Wu Jinghong
Marketing Department
Tel: +852 25825892
Email: wujinghong@chinatelecom.com.hk

Donghwa Telecom Co., Ltd
Mr. Edwin Wu
General Manager
Tel: 852-3793-3459
Email: edwin@cht.com.tw

Globe
Yoly C. Crisanto
Corporate Communications Division
Tel: +632 7302627
Email: yccrisanto@globetel.com.ph

Google
Jake Hubert
Global Communications & Public Affairs
Tel: +1 650-214-5273
Email: jakehubert@google.com

KDDI
Shin-ichiro Itoyama
Public Relations Department
Tel: +81-3-6678-0690
Email: prdpt@kddi.com


NEC
Chris Shimizu
NEC Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3798-6511
Email: yc-shimizu@cb.jp.nec.com

SingTel
Dylan Tan
Corporate Communications Manager
Tel: +65 6838 8772
Email: dylantan@singtel.com

Telin (PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International)
G.E. Dhany Widjajanta
Head of Corporate Affairs
Tel: +62-21-2995 2300
Email: dhany@telin.co.id

Telemedia Pacific Inc.
June Yong
Investor Relations Consultant, Boardroom Communications
Tel: +65 6230 9799
Email: june.yong@boardroomlimited.com

TE SubCom
Courtney McDaniel
TE SubCom
Tel: +1 973 656 8000
Email: info@SubCom.com

TOT
Morakot Thianmontree
Senior Executive Vice President
Martketing and Product Development
Tel: +66 2 575 5457
Email: morakott@tot.co.th

LIVE THE SUMMER LIFE WITH THE BEST TATTOO DEALS

Press Release

LIVE THE SUMMER LIFE WITH THE BEST TATTOO DEALS

As the mercury rises and the heat attempts to wilt our spirits, broadband brand Tattoo brings on the energy with the unbeatable summer deals you will only get from Globe. Only Tattoo can get you up and surfing and texting for hours on end, no matter the weather.

If you’re not much for phone calls but texting is your personal drug and web surfing your guilty pleasure, then SurfTxt60 from Tattoo is just what you’ve always wanted. Powered by Globe and unmatched by any other broadband brand, the SurfTxt60 promo will net you nonstop texting and all-you-can web browsing for a full 24 hours, all for the bargain price of only 60 pesos. For a whole day, you can text, browse, blog, view pics and post all the status updates your heart desires, without worrying about running out of load.

All you need to do is your Tattoo USB stick or SIM and at least P65 worth of load, so you can surftxt the summer away. If you’re grabbing a brand-new Tattoo, it already comes with 125 surfing hours and 2000 text messages to tide you over for the first 30 days. When the month is up, load up again to get SURFTXT60. It’s only available till April 30 so sign up now by texting SURFTXT60 to 8888.

Now if your summer plans include lots of quality time with your best pals, you will love the new barkada-friendly Buy 3, Get 1 Free promo that gets you a free Tattoo stick for every three sticks that you purchase. The package costs only P3,735, which means you save up to 25% and you’ll get each Tattoo stick for only P933.75 versus the regular price of P1,245 per stick. Just drop by any Globe Store before April 30 to get you and your buddies online in a flash. Then get on the net and post your summer escapades for all your friends to see. Make your mark in cyberspace and all your adventures will transform you into the most popular kid on the block. With your new Tattoo sticks, you’ll be the fiercest foursome on the beach, at the mall, and just about anywhere this summer.

Globe Head of the Nomadic Broadband Business and Tattoo Brand Director Dong Ronquillo said, “With Tattoo, we want you to be free to do the things you love, to show everyone what’s cool and unique about yourself. Not only do we have a whole array of gadgets like our Tattoo Superstick, which lets you browse the web at speeds up to 3Mbps, and the Tattoo MyFi which goes as high as 2Mbps, but this summer, you can also take your pick from our offers and find the one that lets you feed your passion and your desire to show the world what you are all about.”

Find out more by visiting http://tattoo.globe.com.ph.

###
For more information, please contact:

Yoly C. Crisanto
Head, Corporate Communications
Globe Telecom, Inc.
(02) 730-2627
globe.corpcomm@gmail.com

Globe launches Super Facebook

PRESS RELEASE 7 April 2011


Globe launches Super Facebook

Globe Telecom introduced another innovative offer that allows Facebook fanatics to enjoy their favorite social networking site on their mobile phones at a very affordable rate.

Exclusive to Globe Prepaid subscribers, Globe Super Facebook is a mobile surfing plan that allows subscribers to surf on Facebook on their mobile phones for 5 straight hours for only P10. This means that Globe Super Facebook users can enjoy Facebook for only P2 per hour of use. To access Facebook on their mobile phones, subscribers can open their mobile browsers and key in m.facebook.com.

“This offer is for all subscribers who just can’t live without Facebook. As one of the most popular social networking sites in the world today, Facebook continues to evolve to provide its users with a slew of interesting features. From posting or liking a status, sending comments, uploading photos and videos, playing games, and downloading different Facebook applications, every Facebook fanatic will surely enjoy our offer because it’s very affordable and so easy to use,” said Joanna Africa, Head for Portfolio Management of Globe Telecom. “Through this offer, we have brought the popularity of Facebook to our subscribers’ mobile phones, making it more convenient for them to truly enjoy Facebook, their way.”

To register to the service, Globe Prepaid subscribers can text SUPERFB10 to 8888. Upon successful registration, users will receive a confirmation via text message that the offer can already be availed. Users must maintain P1.00 worth of prepaid load to continue enjoying the service.

On the other hand, users who surf Facebook from time to time can subscribe to Globe PowerSurf, the consumable mobile surfing plan from Globe. Globe PowerSurf allows users to surf and stop as they wish and have full control on how they use their mobile internet minutes. It is available in three affordable variants; Globe PowerSurf15 for 1 hour consumable mobile internet access available for P15 and valid for 1 day, Globe PowerSurf30 for 3 hours of mobile internet access available for P30 and valid for 1 day, and Globe PowerSurf50 for 5 hours for mobile internet access available for P50 valid for 3 days. Text POWERSURF15, POWERSURF30 or POWERSURF50 to 8888 to avail of any of the mobile data plans.

###


FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Yoly Crisanto
Head, Corporate Communications
Globe Telecom
Tel. No. 730 2627
Fax no. 739 3075
E-mail: globe.corpcomm@gmail.com

Mindanao tribal leaders press end of large-scale mining and other projects destroying lumad culture and life

KALUMARAN

Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao



April 26, 2011

News Release



Mindanao tribal leaders press end of large-scale mining and other projects destroying lumad culture and life



(DIGOS CITY) -- Some 100 lumad leaders from Mindanao gathered for a Datu-Bai Conference calling for the stop of large-scale mining and other development projects that are destroying the ecology and Lumad ancestral domain.



The gathering continues at the San Isidro Labrador Parish, Digos City with a cultural gathering today and press conference tomorrow.



The traditional leaders include tribes from the Bagobo, Ata-Manobo, Matigsalug, Obo and Manobo in the Davao Region, B'laan and T'boli in Socsksargen, Higaonon, Kaolo, Banwaon and Talaandig in Northern Mindanao, Subanen in Zamboanga Region and Manobos in Caraga.



The Conference held April 25 pointed out that "development" projects have encroached in their ancestral lands such as large-scale mining, agri-business, and coal-power plants.



The recent deaths in a landslide in a mining area in Pantukan, Compostela Valley shows a possibility of what will happen if large-scale mining comes full blown. Datu Duluman Dausay, an Ata-Manobo from Talaingod, Davao del Norte said that while they firmly oppose mining in Davao Region, local officials fail to show the same resolve.



"It is no longer the destruction of environment, but the destruction of life as well" the leaders in the Conference said.



The traditional leaders point out that such projects do not contribute to the needs of the people especially to Lumads.



"Do the extraction of minerals go back to us? Do the plantations alleviate hunger?" asks Jomorito Guaynon, a Higaonon leader from Bukidnon.



The Datus and Bais said that these projects ultimately earn profit for foreign-owned companies at the expense of destroying the environment, and ultimately the life and culture of Lumads.



"What future do we leave for our generations if our land is gone?" the leaders asked



In a phone message, Datu Guibang Apoga, Ata-Manobo leader of Talaingod, Davao del Norte, called on fellow lumad leaders to never waiver in defending against “development” projects that destroy the environment.



Guibang also called on them to defend the ancestral land and culture of lumads.



There are 18 ethnolinguistic groups in Mindanao with a three million population. All share the common problem of environment plunder, and the military harassments accompanying these projects.



Large-scale mining companies encroaching the Lumad areas are Xstrata-Sagittarius Mines in South Cotabato and Davao del Sur, Toronto Ventures in Zamboanga del Norte, and four mining companies in Caraga.



Other projects affecting the lumad communities are coal-fired power plants in Davao del Sur and the Aboitiz in Davao City, the Hedcor hydro-power plant in Davao del Sur, plantations such as palm oil in Caraga and jathropa in Bukidnon.

##

GPH-MILF 21st exploratory talks all set

GPH-MILF 21st exploratory talks all set


Manila, Apr. 26 – The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) panels are ready to resume their 21st formal exploratory talks on April 27 to 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Among the issues that the government will raise are concerns regarding MILF commander Ustadz Amiril Umra Kato who allegedly broke away from the Moro group and formed his own armed forces.


The GPH panel also intends to clarify some points from the MILF’s draft Comprehensive Compact, which contains its standing position on substantive issues.


GPH panel chair Marvic Leonen earlier said that the government views the issue of Kato as a “serious concern.” He related that the MILF considers Kato as an internal problem, and that they are exerting efforts to resolve this problem.


On the draft Comprehensive Compact submitted by the MILF to the GPH panel during the February 9-10 talks, he stressed that they accepted the document not as a working draft for the negotiations but a paper subject to clarifications.


Meanwhile, the GPH panel has been consulting various sectors “in an endeavor to be transparent and accountable to the proposals that we are giving on the negotiating table,” according to Leonen.


The panel recently engaged the local chief executives of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat last April 14 and 15, respectively.


To date, they have conducted a total of 21 consultations across Mindanao. #

“Aquino’s response to growing clamor vs price hikes is disgusting” Bayan-SMR

April 18, 2011
PRESS RELEASE

“Aquino’s response to growing clamor vs price hikes is disgusting” Bayan-SMR

DAVAO CITY – “Disgusting,” was how Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Mindanao Region (Bayan-SMR) expressed in reaction to President Benigno Aquino III’s responses to the people’s growing clamor against continuing price hikes and calls for substantial wages.

Bayan-SMR notes how President Aquino ignored people’s calls when he said he would wait for inflation to breach the 5% level before he would act on demands for wage hikes.

“Cruel, is even how you call a President who warns of punishing drivers if they conduct protests in the wake of another round of oil price increase,” Bayan-SMR secretary general Franchie Buhayan said.

Buhayan pointed out that last Wednesday’s P1.50 hike in the oil pump prices, the 12th since the beginning of the year, stripped down further the purchasing power of the country’s poor families because of its inflationary effects on basic commodities.

According to Buhayan, a recent check in the prices would show that a minimum of P286 daily wage of workers in the region can hardly provide for a family’s daily food needs.

Rice sold in the Davao public market nowadays costs P30-35 a kilo while galunggong, said to be the poor man’s fish now costs P100 a kilo. Cooking oil is sold at P105 a kilo while sugar, at P60 a kilo.

“The current minimum wage with allowance could even no longer provide for other household needs such as fuel, water, electricity and house rent. What about the other needs like transportation, school fees and daily needs the most basic of which is food?”Buhayan asked.

“As wages shrink, exploitation at the workplace gets more rampant. More are rising up against continuing violations of their rights to fair wages, security of tenure and safety. We see more professionals even joining the ranks of the poor,” she added.

Buhayan said progressive partylists have proposed measures that would have provided immediate relief as well as long term solutions on the crisis felt by the people, but all these fell on deaf ears.

She was referring to moves such as suspension of the E-VAT law which adds 12% more to pump prices of petroleum products and other commodities; the passage of the P125 across-the-board wage increase bill; and the scrapping of the oil deregulation law to restore government control of the oil industry.

Buhayan pointed out that the crisis situation now clearly tells that President Aquino failed to address the basic problems of the people, and is even guilty of adding more to their burden by acting callous to their just demands.

FOR REFERENCE:

FRANCHIE BUHAYAN
Secretary General
BAYAN-SMR
Mobile Number: 09106671009

Globe, Digitel, Bayantel now 100% interconnected nationwide

PRESS RELEASE



Globe, Digitel, Bayantel now 100% interconnected nationwide



The networks of Globe Telecom, Bayan Telecommunications (BayanTel) and Digitel Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) are now 100% interconnected in all areas of common presence and operations nationwide, following the commercial activation of the local linkage between the networks of Globe and Digitel in Lucena City and the rest of Quezon province.



The achievement of full interconnection between Globe, Digitel and Bayantel in all areas of common operations is a mandate from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), in compliance with Republic Act 7925, or The Public Telecommunications Policy Act of 1995. The law aims to create a universally accessible and fully integrated nationwide telecommunications network to encourage more infrastructure investments from the private sector that benefit consumers.



Interconnected telecommunication network means that in areas where Globe, Digitel or Bayantel are present, customers of the competing telcos within a province or city can call each other locally via 7-digit local dialing without having to pay long distance rates. In the past, subscribers of rival telcos, regardless of whether or not they live in the same town, had to pay long-distance rates to call each other via landline.



“This is another milestone not only for Globe, Bayantel and Digitel, but more importantly for the public who will benefit from the interconnection,” said Melvin Santos, Head for National Carrier Relations of Globe Telecom, “Competition should not get in the way of serving the public interest and we have proven that even rival telcos can work together for the greater good.”



Globe and Digitel have established interconnection in common operation areas in the National Capital Region and in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Bataan, Lucena, Sorsogon, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, and Zambales. On the other hand, Globe and Bayantel are both present in the National Capital Region and the provinces of Iloilo, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Norte, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon.



Meanwhile, PLDT has yet to fulfill full interconnection with its competitors. To date, both PLDT and Globe are locally interconnected only in Davao City, Batangas, Cavite, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Cotabato City. The two companies’ networks are not yet interconnected in at least 20 more provinces where both have commercial operations, including the provinces of Pampanga, La Union and Benguet.



Earlier, the NTC and the provincial board of Pampanga announced that PLDT and Globe will implement the interconnection of its networks in the province on April 15, 2011.



“We’ve always been ready and waiting to interconnect our network with all our competitors,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo, Head of the Corporate and Legal Services Group of Globe, “We at Globe are fully supportive of the thrust towards developing the country’s Information and Communication Technology infrastructure, which will spur more growth, especially for the Business Process Outsourcing industry, and interconnection of landline facilities is a must if we want economic development to spread beyond urban areas.”



After completing its nationwide interconnection with Digitel and BayanTel, Globe is hopeful that interconnection agreements with PLDT will be hastened for the benefit of the consumers as part of efforts to develop the country’s telecommunications infrastructure and provide consumers with a more cost-efficient way of communications.



###



FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:



Yoly Crisanto

Head, Corporate Communications

Globe Telecom

Tel. No. 730 2627

Fax no. 739 3075

E-mail: globe.corpcomm@gmail.com

caravan for peace

DATE;

TIME:

April 26, 2011 (Tuesday)

ROUTE:

6; 00 - 7; 00 AM – Assembly time at
Marhaban, Salimbao, Sul. Kud. Mag.

7:00 am – Start of Caravan

Traversing

from Marhaban, Salimbao Sultan
Kudarat, Maguindanao, towards Cotabato City,
Datu Odin Sinsuat, Talayan, Shariff Aguak,
Esperanza, Isulan, Tacurong, Pres. Quirino,
Buluan, Datu Paglas, Bagontapay, Makilala,
Kidapawan, Matalam, Kabacan, Datu Montawal,
Pagalungan, Pikit, Aleosan, Midsayap, Libungan,
Pigcawayan and return to place of origin.

ORGANIZERS/CONVENERS:

Mindanao Alliance of Peace (MAP)

Reference:

RABY ANGKAL
MAP Spokesperson
0926-984-3636 or 0926-330-6247

DR. ABDULMANNAN L. GAYAK
MAP Chairperson
0912-913-5362

KALUMARAN (Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao)

KALUMARAN (Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao)
&
PANALIPDAN! MINDANAO

MEDIA ADVISORY
April 24, 2011

A THREE DAY GATHERING
of MINDANAO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RECLAIMING CULTURE, LAND and LIFE
and SOLIDARITY of advocates for Land, Ecology, and Patrimony
APRIL 25-27, DIGOS CITY

Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao (KALUMARAN) and PANALIPDAN Mindanao (Advocates and Defenders of Patrimony, Environment and Creation), two organizations coming together in an activity in celebration of Earth Day in Digos City, Davao del Sur.

A gathering of 100 tribal leaders from Davao, Caraga, Sarangani, Bukidnon, and Zamboanga, in defense of their ancestral lands, and to reclaim the glorious past of resistance exemplified by the Great Datu Mangulayon who fought American agression in the early 1900s in the Davao Region.

Supported by advocates of environment and indigenous peoples’ rights (churchpeople, academe, youth and scientists) calling for the end of environment plunder such as large-scale mining, coal-powered power plants, and agri-business.

April 25 The DATU BAI Conference alang sa Yuta, Kultura, ug Kinabuhi at Gabriela Silang Training Center at Gabriela Silang Training Center, Digos City
Tribal leaders will gather to unite to share their views on Lumad identity, the phenomenon of ethnocide and defense of ancestral land.
(coverage is optional)

April 26 KULTURANHONG PASUNDAYAG ALANG SA PADAYAONG PAKIGBISOG ug PANAGHIUSA. The gathering continues with a cultural solidarity – A day of songs, dances and prayers signifying the continuing struggle of indigenous peoples to protect their life and culture.
(please cover)
8 am to 12 nn at San Isidro Labrador Parish, corner Aurora-Rizal Streets, Digos City

April 27 Panalipdan MINDANAO Earth Day Conference. A gathering of Environment advocates (churchpeople, environmentalists, academicians) on this Earth Day Conference in solidarity with the indigenous peoples, and for the protection of ecology and life.
(please cover)
PRESS CONFERENCE at 11 am at San Isidro Labrador Parish, Digos City
INTERFAITH LITURGICAL SERVICE at 1:30 pm
CARAVAN at 2pm to communities targetted by large-scale mining and coal-fired power plants (Malalag, Sulop and Padada, Davao del Sur)


Transportation will be arranged for coverage.
Contact Dulphing Ogan, Kalumaran Secretary General. 0909.554.8217

LUMADS PICKET QUIBOLOY KINGDOM AGAINST LANDGRABBING

PRESS RELEASE

April 25, 2011

Davao City --- Angered by latest attempts of landgrabbing, Bagobo Klata lumads from farflung Sitio Kahusayan, Brgy. Manuel Guianga trooped to the city and staged a picket rally infront of the Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s ‘kingdom’ consisting of a gigantic school, office and mansion near the International airport here.

Last week, the Kahugpungan sa Lumad sa Kahusayan (KSL) reported that three backhoes escorted by members of the 84th IB of the Philippine Army arrived in Kahusayan, around 50 km from downtown Davao, to bulldoze the ancestral lands of slain Kahusayan Datu Dominador Diarog and pave the way for a gherkins (small cucumber) plantation on the said land that is being claimed by Quiboloy.

“This intensified attack on our ancestral lands is a palpable act of greed by a landlord to acquire vast tracts of lands for his profit. We have already lost thousands of hectares of our ancestral lands when Quiboloy’s prayer mountain was constructed in 1999. Now we stand to be completely driven away from the small piece of land where we were pushed to stay, as Quiboloy’s pine trees and fences take over our traditional farms, place of worship and hunting grounds,” said Diolito Diarog, council member of KSL and Deputy Secretary General of PASAKA, regional confederation of lumads.

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the patriarch of the religious sect Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, has occupied 5,000 hectares within a supposed protected area of Mt. Apo. Quiboloy’s Kingdom covers portions of Brgy. Tamayong, Brgy. Manuel Guianga, Brgy.Sirib, Brgy. Carmen in Davao City. Another forty hectares are occupied by Quiboloy’s pine tree plantation.

Widow of Datu Diarog, Emily Diarog lamented, “This April 29, we are about to commemorate the 3rd death anniversary of our tribal leader but instead of the justice that we seek, we are again faced with even greater threats of losing the land that he died for. This we cannot allow, even if I, my children or our tribe lose our lives to defend our land.”

Datu Diarog’s family and relatives believe that it was at the behest of the influential pastor that the Datu was killed. An attempted massacre on the evening of April 29 had ended the life of Datu Diarog leading also to the injury of his wife, and two children.

Kahusayan lumads have long been seeking the help of the local government and the Commission on Human Rights to dismantle the fences that Quiboloy has put up around “his” so-called kingdom as annointed Son of God, pushing the Bagobo Klata tribe of Sitio Kahusayan to occupy a mere 5-hectare lot in the foothills of Mt. Apo.

“Apo Sandawa passed on to us the stewardship to cultivate and protect these lands. Our forefathers have died faithful to this inheritance of stewardship. Datu Diarog’s death will not be in vain. We shall continue the struggle he committed his life to,” stated Diolito Diarog.

The Diarog family challenged the Davao City local government to strongly implement the resolutions, one of which is the status quo, after the Kahusayan residents urged Pastor Quiboloy to dismantle the fences that has deprived the Kahusayan lumads of their lands. #

FOR REFERENCE:

Diolito Diarog
Deputy Secretary General
PASAKA

Contact Number: 09303035126

Small scale miners urge rescue missions in Pantukan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2011

Small scale miners urge rescue missions in Pantukan
Fear possible ban of SSM operations in light of the tragedy




Pantukan, Compostela Valley Province --- Small scale miners’ cooperatives here called on the local government to intensify rescue and aid missions in light of the recent landslide in Purok Mabaros, Panganason, Brgy. Kingking. They also pointed to the bulldozing operations of Hexatt Mining, a medium-scale mining company, as the landslide’s culprit.

At the wake of the tragedy, more than 20 miners are feared to have been buried in the rubbles and mud, their fate still uncertain.

The miners feared that the landslide will lead to the prohibition of SSM operations in Brgy. Kingking which would lead to the full takeover of large-scale mining operations.

“In the 30 – year existence of the SSM industry in Pantukan, the SSM reached a population of 8,000 families or 48,000 individuals at the minimum. Where are we to go if we are expelled from our areas? Does the government have any alternative livelihood to provide us?” said Omar Aquino of the Panganason SSM Association in the vernacular.

This fear is shared by the Save Pantukan Alliance, group of SSM associations, religious environmentalists and professionals advocating nationalized mining industry vis-à-vis largescale and foreign mining.

“The P-noy government has already taken an anti-SSM stance categorically saying that SSM operations are harder to regulate compared to those of large-scale mining operations. It did not even consider that we have long been waiting for the government to do its role in developing and rehabilitating the SSM industry so that we could better contribute for national development and change the practices which affect the environment,” said Rolando Dela Cerna, member of the
Save Pantukan Alliance.

Dela Cerna also recounted the killing of Santos Manrique on April 12 which occurred in the midst of the Pantukan SSM’s campaign against largescale operations of Napnapan Mineral Resources Inc. and the open-pit mining operations of US- based Russell Mining and Minerals Inc. in Brgy. Kingking.

“Ricky has been at the core of the SSM community’s fight for us to be given ‘minahang bayan’ permits hoping that by engaging with the government, there would be more efficiency in our practices and we could access to government assistance in ensuring safe mining standards and better working conditions for the workers . But he was instead killed, without realizing his dream,” said Dela Cerna.

Manrique as president of the Federation of Miners’ Aggrupation in Pantukan (FEDMAP) was also part of the successful campaign of the people of Pantukan against Toronto Ventures Inc., a Canadian mining company back in the 90’s, notorious for its open pit mining operations in Mt. Canatuan, Zamboanga Del Sur.

Regional environmental group PANALIPDAN – Southern Mindanao also echoed similar contentions, lambasting the “open-arms treatment of mining multinational companies (MNCs) and foreign investments.”

“The government has completely neglected the SSM industry while it has assured through laws and policies high support for large-scale and foreign mining investments -- assurance of government support, lower duties and tariffs, tax breaks and holidays and low payments for environmental damage,” said Francis Morales, PANALIPDAN Secretary General.


Morales added, “The deregulated mining industry makes the government a mere toothless tiger in making large-scale and foreign mining TNCs accountable just like the case in the Masara tragedy, the mine spill and fish kills in Rapu-Rapu in Bicol. We should not forget the Marcopper Mining tragedy which spilled millions of tons of toxic waste destroying the rivers, seas and livelihood of Marinduquenos.”

PANALIPDAN research said mining applications in the country covers almost half of land area of the Philippines or a total of 14,498,526 hectares. #

FOR REFERENCE:
OMAR AQUINO
ROLANDO DELA CERNA
c/o 0939-4818848