One-time Big-time held in Banag-banag Elementary School

The 1st Davao de Oro Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st DDO PMFC) under its Force Commander PMaj Khristopher Sabsal of the Davao de Oro Provincial Police Office (DDOPPO) together with the members of the Provincial Advisory Council (PAC) chaired by Judge Cresenciana DC Cruz and Madam Sholai Lim as vice chair (representing the Council of Women) successfully holds a "One time, Big time" activity at Banagbanag Elementary School, Banagbanag, Montevista Davao de Oro on January 24, 2020.

 The one day event is an initiative of the Advisory Council to render services for free such us free legal counseling, free medical and dental services, Late registration for Birth Certificate, Free massage, nail care (manicure/pedicure) free haircut, feeding, symposium on Violence Against Women and Children and giving of tooth brush kit.

The beneficiary of the activity are the students of the said school and the students from the Child Development Center (CDC) of Banagbanag together with their parents and the people of Barangay Banagbanag.

The activity is in partnership with the Provincial Government of Davao de Oro, Local Government Unit (LGU) of Montevista, Barangay LGU, private partners and stakeholders and the Department of Education.

 (Rey Antibo, ID Davao de Oro) 

Davao De Oro unveils its new seal and hymn ...

... during the 2020 State of the Province Address

Davao De Oro Province--- Davao De Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy delivers his State of the Province Address (SOPA) on January 20, 2020, at the new session hall of the Legislative Building, Provincial Capitol Compound, Cabidianan, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro.

Making it accessible to the Davao De Oro constituents and even to the world, this year’s SOPA of Governor Uy is made accessible again as it was fed via livestream  on the province’s Facebook Page. Particularly, the 11 municipal Local Government Units (LGUs) prepared a hub where local officials, Non-Government Offices (NGOs) and employees converged as they watched the live streaming.

Governor Uy  delivers the achievements of the province's 4PS+ Program which stands for Planet (Environmental Management and Disaster Preparedness), People (Social Protection and Human Development), Prosperity (Economic Development), Peace (Peace, Justice, and Security), and Plus (Good Governance).

The event was attended by various public officials from the barangay up to the provincial level, brigade commanders and important guests.

 “I am very much impressed with the progress of our province for the past years, I have seen a lot of improvements and developments in different aspects like for example in the 4PS+ program and it is very worth note-taking that it is the product of the unity of our provincial leaders,” said Jorlan Bon Sacay the Sangguniang Kabataan Municipal Federation President of Davao De Oro.

One of the main highlights that day is the unveiling of the new seal of the province together with the new hymn. Davao De Oro as a province reborn has its new seal which is softly hued in gold and brown. Denoted as a province of golden opportunities; the seal symbolizes unity among its constituents and prosperity that the province gained for the past years. The hymn was sung by the Davao De Oro Minstrels, Garbo De Oro champions and teachers from the Department of Education Division of Davao De Oro.

The new seal of the province has a total of 9 elements furnished in colors of gold and brown. The elements are the; Ring which is the symbol of commitment and solidarity; Dove to symbolize both peace, and the Almighty to whom all blessings and endowments emanate; Eleven (11) Sunrays that stands for the dawn of a brand new beginning and the unfolding of a golden chapter for the province and also to its 11 municipalities; Mountain that represents the verdant mountains standing tall around the entire province of Davao de Oro; Waves which stands for the seas that signify tranquility and dynamism; Eleven (11) People Holding Hand symbolizes the culture of convergence, or bayanihan, of all 11 towns in the province; Grains (Wheat) represents the bountiful harvest and rich natural resources in the plains and valleys subsumed within the province; Industry (Factory) the symbol for the booming industries that spur the province’s economic growth and the 1998 which is the year that the Province of Davao De Oro was officially declared independent from Davao Del Norte

The color gold represents the province’s abundance of gold reserves, maintaining golden standards as well as wealth and augustness. On the other hand, the color brown represents timeliness and preservation of the province’s name and its people. (Jasteen Abella, ID DAVAO DE ORO)

Office of the German Honorary Consul Mindanao in Davao City

Feeling great and blessed @ my new Office of the German Honorary Consul for Mindanao in Davao City after being on service for almost three years already.

Ich fühle mich so wohl und gesegnet in meinem neuen Büro des Honorarkonsulats für Mindanao in Davao City nach mittlerweile fast drei Jahren im Öffentlichen Dienst.

Gov Tyron Uy delivers his State of the Province Addresss

Davao de Oro---Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy delivers his State of the Province Address (SOPA) 2020 on Monday, January 20, 2020 at the session hall, new Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) building, Cabidianan, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro during its 28th regular session of the 8th Sanggunian.
The SOPA is an annual report of Gov. Uy that highlights the accomplishments of the provincial government of the previous year as well as the major plans and programs for the ensuing year, based on 4Ps plus.

The 4Ps+ the PLANET for Environmental Management and Disaster Preparedness; PEOPLE for Social Protection and Human Development; PROSPERITY for Economic Development; PEACE for Peace Justice and Security and PLUS for Good Governance.

In the morning, Gov. Uy gives time for the press before he delivers his SOPA at the SP multi-purpose hall attended by the members of the press for print, radio and mainstream media from Tagum City, Davao City as well as from the province of Davao de Oro.

The members of the school paper campus writers from Nabunturan National Comprehensive High School (NNCHS) and Manat National High School (MNHS) together with their class advisers were also present during the press conference.

Vice Governor Maricar Zamora was also present during the press conference were the Governor expressed his gratitude for the full support of the Vice Governor as well as the members of the legislative body for their strong support and commitment as partners in implementing the plans and programs for the province.

Kim Kayel Calabio, a student from NNCHS asked the Governor about what to expect on education and environment program were the governor happily answered it by informing everyone about the several programs that were successfully implemented during the past years and the plans for the incoming years.

On the other hand, this will be the 1st SOPA delivered after the renaming of the province to Davao de Oro and the second time that the governor made it more accessible to the people of the province by organizing different venues in the 11 municipalities and streaming it live on social media (Facebook).

Under the new vision, “By 2030, Davao de Oro is a top investment and tourism destination in Mindanao with healthy, peaceful, resilient and safe communities.”

“We will see more greens and blues, more homegrown talents and countless opportunities in this golden era. This is the promise of Davao de Oro. This is us. This is who we are becoming. And with our becoming comes our golden identity,” the governor said. (Rey Antibo, ID DDO)

Photocaption Press  Con 1- On January 20, 2020 a press conference  was held at the Legislative Building, Provincial Capitol Ground,Nabunturan, Davao De Oro. The opportunity was attended by various media partners coming from the neighboring provinces of Davao De Oro together with journalism students from National High Schools.  The event was held to give room for queries regarding the 2020 State of the Province Address of Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy.(photo by A. Dayao, ID DAVAO DE ORO)

Photocaption SOPA-   Davao De Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy  delivers his State of the Province Address on January 20, 2020, 1 PM at the new session hall of the Legislative Building at the Provincial Capitol Compound, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro. Governor Uy  delivers the achievements of the province's 4PS+ Program which stands for Planet (Environmental Management and Disaster Preparedness), People (Social Protection and Human Development), Prosperity (Economic Development), Peace (Peace, Justice, and Security), and Plus (Good Governance). (photo by A. Dayao, ID DAVAO DE ORO)

UNLIMITED TIME OFF

Critics say giving workers unlimited time off can actually deter them from taking holidays - so are minimum leave policies the answer? An interesting question by BBC-author Maya Yang... .

It reminds me on my own. For example, I decided to stop teaching. I found out, that from month to month, I really got only very limited time for myself and my family.

In 2014, the leadership at social media management company Buffer noticed something odd. Despite an unlimited leave policy implemented in 2012, employees were barely taking any holidays.

To encourage people to take more time off, Buffer – which employs remote workers globally, primarily in the US and Europe – introduced an incentive: a $1,000 annual holiday bonus to each employee (and an additional $500 per partner or family member). It was a roaring success. In fact, it was too successful, costing the company too much money. Buffer pulled the plug on the policy in June 2016.

Later that year, Buffer changed tack: instead of offering unlimited leave, it decided to strongly encourage employees to take a minimum of 15 work days off per year. Using an online planner, employees input leave requests and HR personnel track the number of days people take off via a collective calendar.

Buffer’s minimum leave policy is unusual, even for a tech company. Unlimited time off is a much more common perk among start-ups and other tech firms – but despite the name, unlimited leave can feel like anything but. Often, workers are at the mercy of their workloads, managers and company culture, a situation which can discourage people to take a fair amount of leave.

Could insisting that people take a minimum number of days off be a better way to ward off burnout? Well, maybe. Talking again myself: I am in the great situation deciding about my days off and and a maybe unlimited time off. Just to avoid a burnout... . How about millions of Filipino workers?

It's interesting to know, that  every country in the European Union is required by law to offer at least four weeks of paid holiday, with varying accrual policies per country (Austria takes the lead with 35 days of annual paid holiday). Similarly, in New Zealand, employers must provide employees with at least four weeks of paid holiday, not including public holidays or sick leave. Philippines is much more different. Yes, I know... .

While still staying in Germany, I had the pressure of needing to prove myself and the mentality that I shouldn’t take many days off. Most often, it’s up to management to create a culture where workers feel comfortable taking leave, says Sir Cary Cooper, an organisational psychology professor at the University of Manchester. Many bosses lack the social and perceptive skills to detect employee burnout and remind ambitious employees of the importance of taking breaks.

Creating choices? Why not. While minimum leave policies don’t operate solely on ‘trust’ placed in employees, it’s not a model that is feasible for all companies – for those with tens of thousands of employees, tracking individual and collective leave, let alone scheduling individual holiday check-ins and reminders, would be very difficult to scale.

Intolerance

No matter how hard we convince ourselves that we are truly sorry, a word or deed done in anger can never be undone.

It’s difficult not to be affected by a “war” waged thousands of miles away while we are into ours, though silently, where seemingly unknown to many, unarmed citizens are being thrown into a “war” not of their own making. One cannot close one’s eyes, ears, and mind when one has become a “victim” of sorts.

As I struggle each day to reclaim my lost equilibrium, I sometimes come to a point when I would feel weary at the effort. Each step seems so heavy, as though carrying a truckload of muck on my shoulders. The invisible load really is heavier.

But each time I think of the thousands who have become “collateral damage” of the military madness and power trip of the oligarchy and those at the helm of government, so-called national leaders who have become tyrants to the people they are mandated to serve, I would chide myself for being weak.

They say a traumatic experience just don’t go away like that after we sleep and wake up again in the morning. It doesn’t work like that. That’s why I empathize with the families of victims’ among the passengers of the Ukrainian jet and every innocent civilian who have been “mistakenly” targeted by warring groups who only have killing in their minds.

Nowadays, the misnomer “mistaken identity” has become an easy excuse especially by those who feign innocence of their dastardly acts. Consciously, these people know deep in their hearts that what they are doing or about to do are/is wrong, and yet knowingly, they go ahead and commit the crime. For what? There’s no doubt, for and in consideration of the “thirty pieces of silver” that they stand to gain.

In short, they sell their souls to the devil just to gain worldly, material satisfaction, as if it can last them even a few days or years perhaps.

I often wonder why it becomes hard for leaders to listen to their people’s cries and protestations when they have become intoxicated with so much power. Nothing seems to bother their sleep in the night even when they know that their actions are hurting so many of their people.

I may be wrong, of course, but with potent drugs that keeps the body functioning, a person’s decision-making and integrity would certainly be affected or compromised. But then again, the Filipinos have seen the worst of the current administration’s inhumane policies that brought the people more harm than good.

Or maybe the worst is yet to come, God forbid.

Still, I am someone who believes that there is good in every person, and that God hears prayers and acts on them. I should know, having been `miraculously’ scooped out of “the belly of the beast” some time ago. Ironically, while I was being held against my will, I was given a glimmer of a chance to really see how “those” people work.

It seemed like they just follow orders without even giving thought to these orders. They grab people almost unthinkingly, just so that they could have a “warm” body to present to their superiors, so that they can collect whatever reward there may be. But then, what does one expect from the innards of beasts? Nothing but parasites, with all the gunk that accumulate in them as they suck in victims.

I know some friends would probably raise their eyebrows on this thought, but then, everything that happens for a purpose. I am not here and now because I only will it. My existence is predestined, and I have a purpose why I am here.

It may be debatable, but my lived experiences have given me enough reason to believe this is so. I must add, though, that God’s work in people comes when we are connected, such that, it makes us move whenever one of us is in danger. It’s people’s unity galvanized by a common aspiration for freedom, peace and justice that would really determine our destiny in this world. (davaotoday.com)

Davao City Council approves establishment of City College

By: KATH M. CORTEZ

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The local city council approved on Tuesday the establishment of the City College of Davao (CCD) to cater to the less privileged which is targeted to open in August.

The council approved the resolution under suspended rules which was certified as urgent by City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and as compliance with the requirements set by the Department of Education.

The City College’s location will be at the Alternative Learning Center building at the back of Teodoro Palma Gil Elementary School along Quirino Avenue.

It offers five courses: Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNEd), Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd), Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd), Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BS Entrep), and Bachelor of Arts in English or Filipino.

The college targeted 1,000 working students in four senior high schools such as the Davao City National High School, Sta. Ana National High School, Crossing Bayabas National High School, and Bangoy National High School.

But the CCD still needs to source its budget outlay of P100 million.

Councilor Pilar Braga, the proponent of the resolution, said the approval of the resolution did not make it on time for the Council’s deliberation of its supplemental budget last year.

“The supplemental budget is crafted September to October therefore, the consideration for the CCD’s budget was not included,” said Councilor Braga.

Mayor Duterte-Carpio certified the resolution as urgent in December.

The mayor said that of the P100 million budget, P50 million will be allocated to the construction of the college building, while P35 million will go to the hiring and staffing of the college faculty.

Braga said the mayor will take on the facilitation of the budget.

The councilor added that they can still include the budget in the next Supplemental Budget this year. 

(davaotoday.com)

Being deep in thought

My column in Mindanao Daily, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Cagayan de Oro Times

OPINION

 January 16, 2020

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VERY often - sometimes too often! - the thought is back! If we wake up in the morning (or even many times in the middle of the night), the thought is back. Sometimes, the thought will not let us sleep. The "act of thinking". the "reflection", the "opinion" or the "serious consideration", no matter, how we describe it - our memory and conscience is always with us as a permanent companion.

We brood over unsettled problem. Sometimes we bear unfair treatments, arrogance, ignorance, incompetent know-it-all-betters, and unbearable oddballs, who inexorable love to make our life a hell while living themselves a disorderly life.

We would not like to be distracted, but we're toying with some good ideas how we could throw overboard all that "human garbage". What will come next is a matter of conjecture.

Of course, I've got my ideas, but I'm not a mind reader. Too many trains of thought make us thoughtless and absent-minded especially in difficult and important daily life situations.

Does waiting and/or sleeping solve our problems? Or is it just again in time? Our life's central idea should not be, that while waiting, time solves all our problems. Thoughts should intensify, condense and deepen plans follow by actions.

It's good and helpful to carry thoughts in us all the time. Incomprehensible, or better unfinished and unmatured thoughts, no matter whether positive or negative, should be slept on, before tiredness outstrips us with supersonic speed.

Sometimes, we feel that our thoughts and ideas can't be fulfilled with life. Where the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways; but where the heart is weak, it will find a thousands excuses. If doubts begin to take roots, we should rouse from pink-tinted idealism or wear down and annihilate nightmares and erase and wipe out such thoughts and ideas.

If our thoughts are good and have the chance to be fulfilled in action, especially if "the other side" is prepared and willing to step on to such a bridge of life, we might get a support and words of encouragement.

And, if not? No action? Maybe it is God's will to keep and protect us from a careless, rash, disadvantageous and uneasy action. Every new day gives us new inexhaustible possibilities to survive, to bear trials and to start a new beginning. We overlook and fail to notice many chances in lie through our sluggishness and laziness while thinking and dreaming of unequaled and unfulfilled ideas.

Modern-Day Heroes of Taal

By JESSICA PAG-IWAYAN and JULES VIVAS, Manila Bulletin

After over four decades of dormancy, Taal Volcano started to erupt on Sunday, Jan. 12, forcing thousands of people in the Batangas province to evacuate. In response to the ongoing disaster, more and more people are coming together to help those displaced and affected by this natural catastrophe.

Three such good Samaritans are Rio John Abel, Maximino Alcantara III, both 22, and Darwin “Dudong” Lajara, 26, young men, who in what proved to be an instinct to help, braved the calamity and headed straight to an evacuation center in San Jose, Batangas to deliver some relief goods.

On their way home in the wee hours of the night, however, an accident took their lives. According to a police report, the young men’s car crashed into a trailer truck as they were driving along the national highway in Banaybanay I, San Jose, Batangas, at around 1:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 14. The report tells that the Mitsubishi Lancer driven by Maximo, collided with the parked trailer truck, which was on its way through the gates of a feed mill.

YOUNG HEROES OF TAAL Rio, Darwin, and Maximo finished delivering relief goods to the victims of Taal volcano eruption, and were on their way home when they got into this tragic car accident

Rio and Maximo were proclaimed dead on the spot, while Darwin, suffering physical injuries, was rushed to the nearest hospital, but was pronounced dead the following day, Wednesday, Jan. 15. Merril Patrick Morie Cobarrubias, a close friend of these three heroes, confirmed in a phone interview.

“Napakabuting tao ng tatlong ‘to. Basta alam nilang kaya nila at may posibilidad silang tumulong kahit sa maliit na paraan hindi sila naghe-hesitate (They were really good people. They wouldn’t hesitate to help anyone if they could),” Merril tells The Manila Bulletin.

Meanwhile, Rio’s teacher, Noel Datingaling Arasula, posted a statement on social media, saying, “Mas pinili nya ang magbigay tulong sa mga nangangailangan sa oras ng gabi, sa mga taong naapektuhan dulot ng pagputok ng bulkan kesa manatili sa kanilang bahay. Kahanga-hanga ang iyong ipinakitang kabayanihan anak. (Instead of staying at home, he chose to be of aid to the people in need, in the wee hours of the night. Your courage is truly admirable)”

Their loved ones, friends, and the people they had helped are in mourning. Rio, Maximo, and Darwin and their good deeds will never be forgotten.

Grau in grau

Alles grau in grau! Nur die Kleidung der Frau und die Statue des Jesuskindes, die sie in Sicherheit trägt, bringen etwas Farbe in die Aschewelt der Provinz Batangas (Philippinen). Der seit Tagen tobende Vulkan Taal hat die ganze Gegend mit einer Decke aus Asche und Geröll überzogen, über 45000 Menschen mussten bereits ihre Häuser verlassen und flüchten.