Comval Holds 8th Summer Sport Festival 2016 and Nabunturan Over-all Champ

Comval holds 8^th Summer Sports Festival 2016, Nabunturan over-all champ

Compostela Valley Province --- The provincial government holds once again this year’s 8^th Provincial Summer Sports festival with the theme “Have a Better Life, Yes to Sports” from May 25-27, 2016.

Participated by competent athletes of the eleven (11) municipalities of Compostela Valley, the various sports events are Basketball (Male), Volleyball Women, Football Boys, Futsal Girls, Badminton-Male and Female, and Billiard.

Nabunturan emerged as the over-all champion of the 3-day event which is the annual activity of the Provincial Physical Fitness and Sports Development Council (PPFSDC) of the province.  The awarding was held with Gov. Arturo Uy and Sports Coordinator Francis Secuya during the Employees regular convocation on May 30 at the provincial capitol.

Meanwhile, attending the opening program are Vice Governor Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, Sports Coordinator and Councilor-elect of Nabunturan Francis Secuya, Board Member-elect Nena “Ate Nenz” Atamoza representing Governor-elect Jayvee Tyron Uy, Municipal Coordinators and Coaches of the 11 municipalities.

According to Atamosa on her opening remarks, “This is not to compete each other but to have new friends.” She added that Gov.-elect Uy hopes that this year’s event will promote camaraderie and inculcate sportsmanship among different municipalities in the province.  “He also wants the youth to be involved and spend a healthy summer through sports and to stay away from drugs,” she said.

As an added excitement during the opening program, the different delegates also witnessed the extreme dance number of the pride of Comval, the DMX Dancers who recently emerged as the Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) Finalist of ABS-CBN talent competition.

The torch lighting and official declaration of the opening is headed by Vice Governor Zamora with the provincial officials, Sports Coordinator and Nabunturan SB Member-elect Francis Secuya, event and municipal Coordinators.  While the Oath of Sportsmanship is led by Azeneth F. Ducaze, the Palaro Futsal Player. (Rey M. Antibo, IDS Comval)

MANGROVE PLANTING, COASTAL CLEAN-UP

HIGHLIGHT 8^th COMVAL SUMMER BEACHFEST

MABINI, Compostela Valley – This year’s summer beach sports festival along the coasts of this province’s two coastal towns intends to break its past records on the number of mangrove seedlings planted during the annual celebration.

In last year’s festival, scores of students, soldiers from the 10^thInfantry Division of the province, beach resorts owners and workers, government employees, and coastal villagers among others planted about 300 seedlings at the Casilac site in Brgy. San Antonio, Mabini.

Seedlings planted the same site three years ago have already grown waist-high, enhancing the threatened but still abundant mangrove strands.

“In this festival, the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Maco is again joining the festival as part of their Ocean Month celebration. CENRO Martiniano Rotol and Protected Area Superintendent Julie Española have provided 500 mangrove seedlings for the activity,” provincial tourism officer Christine Dompor said.

Mabini, approximately 70 kilometers away from Davao City and located in the southeastern section of the province of Compostela Valley is part of the 3,433-hectare Mabini Protected Landscape and Seascape of Davao gulf.

Mangrove planting is a regular activity of the beach festival to augment the existing mangrove forests of the protected seascape.  An important part of the marine ecosystem, mangroves act as a buffer zone for sea storms and provide a spawning ground for fish and other marine lives.

All of the five marine turtle species in the Philippines found in Davao Gulf are the Hawksbill, Oliver Ridley, Green Sea, Loggerhead, and the Leatherback turtles. Two – the hawksbill and the leatherback turtles – lay their eggs on the coasts of Kopiat, an island about 800 metres from mainland Mabini..

The Philippine Environmental Governance Project 2 (EcoGov), a technical assistance project in the Philippines funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), identified Davao Gulf as a feeding ground to 11 species of cetaceans including sperm whales, killer whales, and bottle-nose dolphins.

A number of these species regularly swims the channels between the islands and mainland Mabini to feed on the seascape’s seagrasses, rich planktons and krill. But sightings of these endangered marine mammals have become rare in the last years.  (jra/tss/ids)

  

Comval holds Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month Celebration

By: Rey M. Antibo

Compostela Valley Province---The Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAGRO) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) recognizes Farmers and Fisherfolks for their invaluable contribution to the economic growth of Philippine Agriculture and food sustainability through the conduct of Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month Celebration on May 26, 2016 stage at the Municipal Gymnasium, Poblacion, Montevista, Comval.  This year’s theme: “Magsasaka’t mangingisda, Katuwang sa pag-uunlad ng bansa.”

Attending the program are Mayor Eutropio Jayectin of Montevista, Mayor Lema P. Bolo of Compostela, Assistant DA Regional Director for Operations Phoebe S. Orbe, Supervising Agriculturist Minda Agarano of PAGRO, Raymundo Pajarito representing Governor Arturo T. UY and Governor-elect Jayvee Tyron Uy, National Agencies, Municipal Agriculturist, Program Coordinators, MAGRO and PAGRO staff and Farmers of the entire province.

According to Agarano who gives the rationale of the activity, “the conduct of this celebration is pursuant to Proclamation No. 33 signed by the late President Corazon C. Aquino in 1989, declaring the month of May as “Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month” where the men and women of the agri-fishery sector are given due recognition and tribute for their major role in economic recovery.”

She added that this year’s celebration coincides with the continuous campaign of DA to help farmers and fishermen amidst the damage wrought by prolonged dry spell or the El Niño phenomenon.

During the program, a mass turn-over of the of DA projects was also held such us four (4) wheel drive tractors, Sprayers, Hybrid Corn and Rice Seeds, Fertilizers, Vegetable Seeds, and other Agricultural Equipment to the farmers, cooperatives, PLGU and MLGU as the recipients of the said projects.

Mayor Jayectin said he is very happy that his municipality is one of the recipients of the 4 wheel drive tractor saying “rest assured that this equipment will be used by the farmers especially in the land preparation.”

Meanwhile, the PLGU also recognizes the Gawad Saka winners for this year by giving Cash Prizes and Certificates as well as an oath taking of the newly elected Comval Cacao Industry Council (CCIC) officials headed by their Chairman Juanito Aquino. (Rey Antibo, PGO-IDS Comval)

  

KOPIAT SWIMMING CHALLLENGE. This is not your ordinary swimming competition as participants to this Kopiat Swimming Challenge show off their skill and stamina traversing the 800-metre Kopiat-Mainland channel from the shores of Beach View Resort, Mabini on May 22. The event is part of the Summer Beach Fest scheduled on weekends of May spearheaded by Comval Tourism Office. (a. dayao/ids comval)

FIREDANCE COMPETITION. Another fiery night in Mabini with the firedance and reggae band competition on May 21 spearheaded by the Provincial Tourism Office of Comval. The event is part of the Summer Beach Fest scheduled on weekends of May spearheaded by Comval Tourism Office. (a. dayao/ids comval)

Slow Internet Connections? More Power Interruptions?

Duterte warns power companies to shape up

FRI, MAY 27, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews) – Amid the Mindanao power crisis, incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte warned the major power players in the country that they must shape up or else he will open the industry to foreign investors to deliver a sufficient power supply to the island that has long been plagued by power outages.

Duterte issued the same warning earlier to telephone companies to work on the country’s slow internet speed.

In a late night press conference on Wednesday at the Royal Mandaya Hotel here, the incoming president said that he will be forced to open the country to investors to bring down the electricity costs.

He said consumers take the burden of paying high electricity costs due to the power industry’s penchant to tap expensive energy sources like coal and diesel but failing to deliver sufficient and reliable power supply.

Davao City, for instance, suffered rotational brownouts of up to five hours last month due to the shutdown of the first 150-MW unit of Therma South Inc. (TSI) from April 6 to April 17 and the reduced water levels at the Pulangui River and Lake Lanao because of the El Niño phenomenon.

“Kaya sabi ko you shape up. I told you before, shape up because if you don’t and hindi na kaya ng tao, kakainin sa energy (electricity bills) – importations (of fuel) – papasukin ko ang lahat, pati ang Nigeria, meron kayong oil? You want to put up (power plant)? Come here. We will amend the law to allow you.Babaan nyo. Tapos sino pa, Mexico? Sige bagsak (price) ng husto para kayo wala ng kita,” he said.

On privatizing the government’s power assets, Duterte said “not at this time.”

The state-run power assets in Mindanao are the six hydroelectric plants along the Agus River in the Lanao provinces and the one along the Pulangui River in Bukidnon, with a combined installed capacity of 982 MW.

During the Aboitiz Power’s Therma South Energy Project inauguration last January 8, President Benigno  Aquino  said that Mindanao’s power woes started when no investors came in to Mindanao to build more capacities after Mindanao legislators sought for a 10-year exemption from the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) for the Agus-Pulangui hydro-power plants.

The government claimed private power companies are reluctant to pour in investments in Mindanao as they could not compete with the cheaper rates offered by the hydropower plants.

“The result: As the demand for electricity grew, the supply didn’t. In fact, the hydroelectric plants that were once abundant sources of energy suffered from a number of factors, including the lack of regular maintenance, the vanishing watersheds, and the worsening effects of climate change,” he said.

Aquino said that they anticipated the Mindanao power crisis just before he assumed post six years ago.

“In recent years, Mindanao has had very little energy surplus. In 2010, this resulted in rotating brownouts that understandably frustrated our countrymen, and that stifled local economies. This was a problem we had anticipated even before we took office, which is why, from day one, we made a stern commitment to foster an environment that would encourage the private sector to make massive investments in energy in Mindanao,” he said.

More coal plants are set to be online this year – a 100 MW unit of the Sarangani Energy Corporation in Maasim, Sarangani Province, and two units of San Miguel Power Corporation with combined capacity of 300 MW.

Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) vice president for Reputation Enhancement Rossano Luga, speaking in “Wednesdays’ at Habi at Kape” in Abreeza of the Ayala Malls, said that they are negotiating with San Miguel for additional 80 MW to jack up its portfolio.

Luga refused to disclose as to when their negotiation would come to fruition.

DLPC’s franchise area covers Davao City, Brgy. Bincungan in Tagum City, and Carmen, Sto. Tomas and Braulio Dujali towns in Davao del Norte.

The DLPC current portfolio is 183 MW from the National Power Corporation (NPC), 49.5 MW from Hedcor Sibulan, 4 MW from HEDCOR-Talomo, 30 MW from Therma Marine Inc., 100 MW from TSI, and 50 MW from Southern Philippines Power Corp.

Luga hopes that their franchise area will not experience rotational brownouts when TSI implements a scheduled maintenance shutdown for its 150 MW unit 2 starting June 18 until July 18.

DLPC serves a total of 305,947 residential customers, 43,296 commercial, 3,750 small industrial, 181 primary retail, and 2 69-kV customers (Holcim and Steel Asia).

“Our positive growth are on the residential and commercial but because of brownouts we did not have the positive growth for big industrial and 69-KV,” he said.  Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews

Duterte Vows to Investigate De Lima on 'Shabu' Inside Bilibid

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Inquirer Mindanao

By: Karlos Manlupig, Philippine Daily Inquirer

DAVAO CITY—The war is not yet over.
“I will investigate you.”

This was presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte stern response to Senator-elect Leila De Lima.
De Lima earlier vowed that she will be keeping an eye on Duterte most especially for his shoot-to-kill order against suspected criminals.

READ: Biggest shabu haul seized in Bilibid

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“Shabu (inside the Bilibid Prisons) started in her time. Siya magbantay sa akin,” Duterte said.

Shabu is layman’s term for methamphetamine hydrochloride.
Duterte shared that he already approached De Lima to remind her that there is a bigger problem that must be immediately addressed.
“I called her attention when she criticized me after the senate hearing. Instead of zeroing in the real culprit ako na binantayan niya,” Duterte said.
Duterte had a word war with De Lima after the tough talking mayor threatened to kill alleged rice smuggler Davidson Bangayan during a Senate hearing in 2014.
“I will dig deep. In response to that, ‘hoy iha wag mo akong masyado pakialaman sa bunganga ko you better look at your own backyard. Shabu is being cooked inside your premises in Bilibid,” Duterte said.
Duterte said that it even took seven months for De Lima to start going inside the Bilibid Jail after he tipped her to do something about it.
“It took you seven months to go inside Bilibid. I will investigate you,” Duterte said. TVJ

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/787546/duterte-vows-to-investigate-de-lima-on-shabu-inside-bilibid#ixzz49j4ERvyO
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Cayetano Wants to Build Strong Majority for Duterte's Legislative Agenda

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

24 May 2016

Cayetano wants to build a strong majority for Duterte's legislative agenda

Barely a month after the 2016 national elections, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano reiterated his assurance to help President-elect Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte in formulating his legislative agenda.

“Bilang kasama niya araw-araw sa kampanya, ako po ang nakarinig ng mga pangako at mga nais na pagbabago ni President Duterte sa ating bansa,” Cayetano said.

"Build a strong majority"

When asked whether he was interested in the Senate presidency, Cayetano said he wants to focus more on building a strong majority that will help Duterte realize his plans of creating real changes in the country.

“Everyone is interested in the Senate leadership. Wala pa akong nakitang senador na hindi interested maging Senate President. However, it's not really a matter of kung sinong magiging Senate President. It’s a matter of forming a strong majority that can deliver the culture the effectiveness and efficiency. Sa bigat ng legislative agenda ni President Duterte, kailangan ng majority na 15-18," he added.

"Go beyond committees, unite under Duterte's legislative agenda"

Cayetano, however, said that he is not inclined to help in building a majority if the discussions will be limited to who will head the chamber's respective committees. "We should go beyond the committees and positions and discuss the important measures that should be passed by the Senate under President-elect Duterte. Sa aking palagay, kahit sabihin nilang ako ang Senate President, pero hindi sila magko-commit sa legislative agenda (ni President Duterte), hindi ko rin kukunin ang pwesto,” he added.

Among the key measures that Cayetano intends to push in the next Congress are the implementation of a nationwide curfew for minors and liquor ban, increasing the salaries of police officers, improved internet connectivity, and phasing out labor contractualization. They also plan to conduct consultations with regard to their federalism proposal by the middle of Duterte's term.

Meanwhile, in reaction to the plan by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to run for Senate president, Cayetano said he would rather speak for himself and not for his colleague. “I will let Sen. Koko speak for himself. Malinaw ang kanyang announcement. We talked once. Nagkakaintindihan naman kami at malinaw ang direksyon namin as a group,” he stressed.

Duterte respects Senate independence

Cayetano explained that while Duterte has not publicly announced whom he would endorse for the Senate leadership, the President-elect has made it clear in private discussions whom he wants for the post. “The President will not have an official candidate. Pero meron siyang napupusuan. President Duterte is not declaring public support because he respects the independence of the Senate,” he said.#