If we strengthen business, we allow room for peace!

ComValeños initiate Business and Investment Security Summit

“If we strengthen business, we allow room for peace!” thus spoke Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy to 303 participants who witnessed the Compostela Valley Business and Investment Security Summit (CVBISS) held on August 10, 2018 at Big 8 Corporate Hotel, Tagum City.

The summit, initiated by Governor Uy being the Regional Peace and Order Council XI (RPOC) Chairman, was directly related to government’s aim to obtain an insurgency free and peaceful province while strengthening business growth. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Compostela Valley Provincial Director Atty. Lucky Siegfred M. Balleque presented the objective of the activity which is primarily to foster business enabling environment in CompostelaValley (ComVal) thru a simplified, standardand harmonized Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development effort including the provision of security for business sector. 

Security consultant Augustus Caesar B. Esmeralda who was tapped to help formulate the Provincial Business Security Plan,  said that the undertaking was in fact the first business and investment security summit ever held in Mindanao if not in the Philippines.  Esmeraldaenlightened the multitude regarding the asset protection,hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management, and risk response strategy. He also reiterated  salient points occurred during the Consultative Forum on Business and Investment Security held last July 30, 2018 and highlighted the importance of conducting drills and document control. He then briefly shared his experience in Thailand to which he quoted, “Terrorism kills Tourism”. To that, he identified the most common assets in the business industry around ComVal with high risk and were susceptible to extortion; real estate as the most common, followed by Human Resource, Commodities, Machineries and Equipments, Transportation and Supply Chain.

Among the highlights of the event was the ceremonial turnover of the ComVal Business and Investment Security Plan which was received by Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy, PD Atty. Lucky Siegfred M. Balleque of DTI, the previous Governor, Arturo Uy, Mayor Roberto M. Yugo of Pantukan and Business Chamber of Representative.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) represented by Col. Richie Bucol, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) represented by Col. Gilbert Sarte and the Bureau of Fire and Protection represented by Chief Inspector RandolfArbutantealso showed their support and commitment for the attainment of peace and security in the province.

Later in the afternoon,Director Olly Dagala of Mindanao Development Authority showed the Investment Security Strategies in the Mindanao Corridor together with the Philippine Development Plan for Mindanao 2020 which mainly focus on ensuring the security of not just one region but all regions in Mindanao. Furthermore, Engr. Reynaldo Quijada of Apex Mining Co., Inc. and Marcelo M. Go of Lubi Plantation under Torre Lorenzo Development Corp. also shared their experiences related to security issues in their respective offices and how they handled and coped up to these events. Quijada built trust and confidence with the community by giving scholarship grant while Go extended his call for help by asking the PNP and AFP visibility around his premise.

The event ended with a brief reminder to everyone in which “Safety is everybody’s responsibility.”(Donna Bengson, DTI Comval)

We have one common goal

Monkayo Mayor Gentugaya on saving Naboc: "We have one common goal" 

"We have one common goal - to clean the Naboc River. Win-win solution ang gusto nato."

Monkayo Mayor Ramil Gentugaya emphasized his conviction to clean the Naboc River during the Diwalwal Mining Reservation Area (DMRA) Information Summit on August 9, 2018 at Monkayo Dome, Poblacion, Monkayo, Compostela Valley Province.

“Duha na ka SONA niya (President Duterte) gihisgutan ang Monkayo, di nata musugot nga mahisgotan pa ta’g katulo,”  Mayor Gentugaya added.

The summit with the theme, "Save the Naboc River" is attended by 1,000 participants from five barangays in Monkayo, namely; Brgy. Mt. Diwata, Brgy. Upper Ulip, Brgy. Tubo-tubo, Brgy. Salvacion and Brgy. Naboc. Residents from Brgy. Manggayon in Compostela were also present.

Years of irresponsible waste disposal, particularly of cyanide and mercury, resulted to the contamination of the Naboc River which affects the health of the residents and the agricultural production in the said barangays.

With the regionalized Task Force Naboc River, the task force aims to rehabilitate the  Naboc River, just like the island of Boracay.

Comval Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy assures his support to the program saying, “Ang atong tumong niini nga ma refresh ta sa plano sa gobyerno last 2012 ni na approve sa NEDA o sa National Economic Division Authority.  Kay aron mahatagan og saktong panginabuhi ang atoang mga constituents dinhi at the same time ma protektahan ang atoang environment.”

Presently, the provincial government of Comval in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and University of the Philippines (UP), is having an ongoing parallel testing using the Community Led Integrated Non-Cyanide Non-Mercury Gold Extraction Method (CLINN – GEM) at the Integrated Gold Copper Mineral Processing Plant in Brgy. Katipunan, Nabunturan. (Sheldane Mahinay // ID Comval)

The Program Monitoring and Coordination Center conducted Diwalwal Mining Reservation Area (DMRA) Information Summit on August 9, 2018 at Monkayo Dome, Poblacion, Monkayo, Compostela Valley Province. Discussions include the DMRA Development Plan, Status of Naboc River, Ill Effects of the Chemicals Used by Mining Operators, and Naboc River Action Plan.  (Maryel Lasaca // ID Comval)

Three storms outside Philippines ...

... enhancing monsoon rains

ABS-CBN News

Posted at Aug 13 2018 08:00 PM

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MANILA - Several weather systems outside the Philippine area of responsibility will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon (habagat) and bring occasional rains in Luzon, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In its 4 p.m. weather advisory, PAGASA said a low pressure area (LPA) has developed inside PAR. It was last located 920 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes.

PAGASA weather specialist Ariel Rojas said the LPA is expected to dissipate within the next 12 hours.

Outside PAR, severe tropical storm Leepi, tropical depression Yagi (formerly Karding) and tropical storm Bebinca are all enhancing the southwest monsoon affecting the country.

Mahar Lagmay@nababaha

Weather satellite feed as of Aug 13, 2018 06:02 PM.

6:02 PM - Aug 13, 2018

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As of 6 p.m., yellow rainfall warning was raised over Metro Manila, Bataan, Zambales and Bulacan. Heavy rains may cause flooding in flood-prone areas.

Light to moderate with occasional heavy rains are also expected in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga and Quezon, which may persist within two to three hours, while light to moderate with occasional heavy rains are expected over Cavite, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas within the next three hours.

Monsoon rains will persist over Ilocos region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, Babuyan Group of Islands, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro due to the effects of habagat.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of Central Luzon and CALABARZOn will experience occasional rains, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms are expected over the rest of Luzon.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers are also expected over Visayas and Mindanao.

PAGASA, likewise, warned residents in flood and landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant.

Rough to very rough coastal waters are also expected in the western and northern sections of Luzon, while oderate to rough coastal waters due to moderate to strong winds are also expected in the rest of the country.

Different parts of the country experience heavy rains and flooding over the weekend, leaving behind two people dead with another person missing.

• This has also prompted several local government officials to suspend classes.

• Rojas said rains will persist until Wednesday, with the weather expected to improve by Thursday.

Thanks with a bunch of flowers

My column in MINDANAO DAILY

THANKS WITH A BUNCH OF FLOWERS

Well, this won't happened every day and needs a special reason indeed.

Just this morning, one of my good friends voiced out, "I didn't get a lot of thanks for doing it". ... Honestly, nowadays it's really difficult to get even a simple Thank you ... .

"Somebody comes to my place and drinks a lot. I just keep on roaring and flowing and remain happy during my whole life, because I can give and give and share ... even without gratitude!" (Historical fountain saying in Regensburg/Bavaria/South Germany).

"Be in the making means be thankful forever!" What a meaningful quotation in German poet's Goethe's drama "Faustus" from 1831 - but, how very far away from today's reality.

When did you, my dear reader, say THANK YOU recently? I don't mean it as in a disgracing phrase, no, but such as an honest attitude, to which we are all susceptible. A few days ago another very good friend told me, that we all should be very thankful to all leaders in society, clergy and politics - for their mistakes and mismanagement including arrogance and incompetence. Strong tobacco - but true!

"The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed: ... God, I thank you that I am not like that (corrupt?) tax collector over there!" (Luke 18, 11). "What's more transient then gratitude?" asked already the German poet Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) in his drama "Don Carlos".

Gratitude or thankfulness in our daily surroundings: many times it's just forgotten, because we treat sacrifices, services and even the smallest relief without saying as only natural and take it as a matter of course.

Many of our leaders on earth forgot that they only got their position because of our trust and voting. Thankfulness? For goodness sake, just let's be patient and wait for it. I even couldn't care less if the grumpy taxi driver isn't able to say a simple "thanks" after I paid my fare including a small tip. 

Benjamino Gigli (1890-1957), a member of a church choir, who studied singing/chanting in Rome and who performed on most all known stages and in concert halls in Italy and later in North America and the whole world and became a legitimated successor of the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso expressed this:

"After 41 years, when I said Good Bye to my stage performances, I found this: Me, the son of a poor Italian shoemaker, could enjoy all sweet fruits of success and popularity. Kings and presidents became my friends. Millions of people gave me their appreciation and applause. But, I know very well that everything is a gift of God: MY VOICE. I have never forgotten to thank Him for this". 

Having a claim on something, jealousy and envy are a real siblings trio, which plans to settle down in the place of the forgotten gratitude to say THANK YOU. Only those who know how to thank are able to praise the Lord.