Roxas, ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - Boosting more of their creative side, 20 members of the Youth Enhancement Support program and out-of-school youths joined the sewing craft training at Brgy. Dohinob, Lower Irasan and Upper Irasan in the municipality of Pres. Manuel A. Roxas.

The training dubbed, “Productivity Skill and Capability Building” kicked-off last September 4 at the PSCB Building of the Provincial Agricultural and Industrial Center at Brgy. Irasan that was facilitated by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

For his part, Provincial Governor Rolando Yebes directed the Community Development Assistance Unit to launch more livelihood trainings wherein members of the YES and out-of-school youths can benefit from the training.

The sewing craft training will run for at least 20 days with the PSCB trainers who will teach and train the participants.

YES members in other parts of the second district are also being trained in sewing and other profitable livelihood programs. (Transcribed by dtanzo, Mindanao Star, Vol.III No.33)

Credits: Mindanao Star is published once a week and is circulated to the 25 Municipalities and 2 Cities of the province of Zamboanga del Norte. Mindanao Star can be reached through the following contact info: #096 Donña Concepcion Macias Montaño Building, Gen. Luna Street, Dipolog City; Phone/Fax No. (065) 212-2676; Mobile No.: 0919 735 6967. Email: mindanaostar@yahoo.com

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has created a Procurement Transparency Board (PTB) under the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), and a Pro-Performance Infrastructure Monitoring Group (PIMG). President Arroyo said the PTB – which was approved by the Cabinet last Tuesday – shall “ensure transparency and good governance in our massive public investments.” The president revealed the creation of the board during the launching ceremony of the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) Forum for Peace held at Malacanang’s Rizal Hall last night.

The PTB will be chaired by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and have members from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG), “and the economic planning departments, plus representatives of civil society organizations for procurement reform, which trains and fields external observers in government and awards committee nationwide.”

Speaking before the BUC-AFP-PNP group, the President stressed that the transparency group shall “monitor procurement bidding and report anomalies to agency heads as well as governance bodies like the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit.” The President added that the Cabinet also approved the creation of a separate infra monitoring group “which shall also harness civil society and the private sector in ensuring that public works projects serve the needs and objectives for which they are undertaken, and contract terms and timetables are complied with.”

The President announced the creation of the two bodies as she revealed that her administration has created six million jobs in six years, which has “helped raise wages, lower the rate of poverty…” and that “even the World Bank and the ADB (Asian Development Bank) say that – invest in education and health care and invest heavily in roads, bridges and vital services.” “This is what the people of the nation deserve. And I would like to report to our good bishops-ulamas that to ensure transparency and good governance in our massive public investments, we are creating… a procurement transparency group…”  (PIA-ZN)

“We live by the rule of law. We abide by what the courts of the land decide.” Thus stressed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday night as she addressed the Bishop-Ulama Conference (BUC) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) –Philippine National Police (PNP) Peace Forum at the Rizal Hall of Malacanang. In her 15-minute speech before the peace-making group, President Arroyo said “we must be a government that honors contracts and agreements that go through the required processes despite media attacks.”

Saying she is “bound and determined to captain a steady ship,” the President pointed out, that the government must abide by what the courts of the land decide on matters of dispute. She hailed the BUC and dubbed it “the bastion of collective faith in our nation.” This, because “in Mindanao, we have been able to meld together confidence-building measures grounded on strong interfaith dialogue under the leadership of the Bishop-Ulama Conference.”

“You are 11 years old now and so you preceded these entire fashionable advocacy for interfaith dialogue, and I was much honored that during the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, when the Philippines presided over the interfaith dialogue, I (had) a story to tell the of the Bishops-Ulama Conference and you have been doing all these years.”  The President credited the BUC for the peace agreement that the government is about to have with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) saying she remains optimistic that the country can overcome the final barriers on ancestral domain that can give finality to the peace.

The President also lauded the AFP and the PNP as “representing our fighting faith in the war between good and evil.” “Our men and women in uniform are good upstanding and loyal patriots, fighting to protect our country everyday. We must respect their command structure and disclosure rules, which are indispensable for our security,” she said. Thanking the BUC-AFP-PNP for the peace covenant that was handed to her by Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, President Arroyo promised to “transform (the covenant) into action, on the premise that peace and development are twinned – one cannot exist for long without the other.” “I call on our leaders in public and private positions of responsibility, in civilian and military life to join, to continue joining, to continue to chart a course of investment in our people and economic growth,” she said.

The President said her administration has “stayed focused on what the Filipinos yearn for most” as she noted that Filipinos are now “tired of political drama and social instability.” “We are entering a new era where the vast majority wants a predictable future, a steady job and a calm political climate. We are moving on as a nation. The people are concerned about maintaining peace, order and stability. We have been through many upheavals. The people deserve a stable government and economic progress. That is what they are getting now.”  (PIA-ZN)

Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap ordered the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to submit a report regarding the P3.1 billion budget for the rehabilitation and restoration of all irrigation systems nationwide. Yap said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has already asked NIA Administrator Marcelino Tugaoen to make a status report on the project, so that it will be immediately submitted to the congress. He likewise assured the public that the DA is focused on completing the irrigation repair of the 55,000 hectares rice fields in the country before December this year. Yap also reacted to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) allegation that the DA had diverted the irrigation funds to unrelated purposes. “The KMP has nothing to worry about regarding the irrigation repair because we’ll finish the 55,000 hectares before December,” Yap said.

He said that it was also pretty surprising that Rep. Satur Ocampo was quoted by KMP as one who revealed the suspected fund diversion, adding that in fact the gentlemen of Bayan Muna is fully backing the DA. “During our budget deliberation last week, Rep. Crispin Beltran, Rep. Ocampo and Rep. Teddy Casiño were happy to hear that there is a return of focus to food security and not rice importation,” Yap said. He added that even Congressman Salvador Escudero III, former DA secretary, supported the DA program specifically government investment in irrigation. “When he was made the DA chief during Ramos time, the first thing he had inventoried was the status of irrigated lands. He was emphatic as well that the national rice program be based of our irrigated lands,” Yap said.

Rep. Junie Cua even lamented that the amount of DA’s budget is still lacking, Yap said. The DA chief however appealed to KMP that it should not be too quick to assert any wrongdoing of the NIA without any measure or proof of irregularities. “It’s most unfair and discouraging to the thousands in NIA, including the irrigator association partners of the agency who are doing their best to complete the task at hand,” he said. Instead, Yap asked that farmers’ group join the DA in a pro-active and positive partnership of identifying and monitoring the extent of repairs or changes that need too made for the sector.

NIA Administrator Tugaoen meanwhile said that at end-August out of 55,000 hectares, NIA has already restored the irrigation to about 28,364 hectares of rice fields. “In fact, NIA is ahead of schedule because only 48 percent has yet to be completed as of August 31 from the original target of 57 percent,” Tugaoen said. He said that NIA is willing to under go any investigation before the Congress or anybody in the interest of transparency and accountability. (PIA-ZN)

1. The poorest barangay in the country;
2. No road, no Health Center, no Daycare center;
3. It is the commitment of the provincial government to build communities ravaged by past neglects;
4. The governor implied that the government should get out from the capitol to reach out to its constituents;
5. His birthday should become a moment of opportunity to serve and to inspire government to lend out dedication. (Mindanao Star, Vol.III No.33)

Good day Philippines and Hello ZaNorte!

BER months is here. By now, I can already feel the cool breeze reminding me that Christmas is in the four corners of my room. Padayon gihapon akong pag-monitor sa mga fresh Chika. Chuchak diri, chuchak didto!!! Meaning, here and everywhere, Miss Blayn Aytem’s eyes are wide open to tell the truth and reveal the latest ISSUES in town.

Here we go!!!

Ø Questions are intensifying if SK and Barangay Elections will push through. Madayon ra jud cguro kay ang COMELEC nag-conduct man ug special registrations. Ang uban man gani wala pa na-register kay perting gubuta ang office sa comelec.  I guess, the national government is allocating enough budget for this..  NO TO VOTE BUYING! VOTE WISELY!!!!

Ø The Province of Zamboanga del Norte will participate in the 2007 WoW Philippines Zamboanga Peninsula Biyahe Na Regional Showcase in Pagadian City. The opening sets on September 17. The Provincial Tourism Office and the Provincial Tourism Council are again responsible for the participation of the province in various activities of the said event. PTO and PTC are ready for the war. ( I mean for the event.. hehe) Aksyon agad bya dayon pod ning mga FIA friends!!! Yeko Oyak!!!

Ø Good day to the CDAU Head, one of the hardworking men in the capitol. Nagpasalamat diay amo silingan sir sa imong good programs for the indigents. Keep up the good work! Na slim na naman ka oi! Ayaw pod palabi sa imo work sir oi! Pareha na ta ug body contour.

Ø I saw the white car with plate number SDN 919 used by somebody who feels very POWERFUL in the Office of the Governor. For delicadeza na lang unta ibalik na ang MAMAHALING CAR sa province, (how much is that vah?) kay tua naman siya nakabalik sa planetang Mars nga super duper HOT as in INIT. (Is she HOT?)

Ø Daghan na pod diay nag work sa capitol nga nahulog ug PAHINA? Kana bang pa trabahuon pero wala diay ma-renew. Ana diay? Gi-unsa diay ni sa Hiring Office? It means mahulog ug donate sa RED CROSS as in CHARITY work. Mabuang ko dai. JUICE KO FU. SANTOL JUICE!!! (Naa diay ana?) Hukos Pukos ba itey? MAKA LIBOG!!!! Kamaayo sa plano sa inyong Governor, dayon ang mga OCTUPOS nagpabuyag?  VIDA!! VIDA!!

Ø My only wish to the good Governor of Zanorte on his Birthday is good health, Naana man gud niya ang tanan. Aron pod mapadayon pa niya ang iyang mga damgo sa probinsya. Sa akong pagka 40 years old, karon pa ko kita ug kausaban sa akong yutang natawhan sukad nga siya nahimong gobernador. Gov. asa diay ang NOAKAN FESTIVAL kay moadto ko, bisan pansit pansit lang gud aron HUMABA pa ang LIFE ko, to enjoy beautiful things in this world. Opps!!!! IDOSH na react Sir...

Ø COP Macs is on his move!!! Daghang galagot kay agi lagi anang helmet policy in the city. In fairness, wearing helmet is LIFESAVING particularly kung long travel na. Pero ang naka TOAM ni SIR pataka ra man ug PANAKOP sa mga way ALAS. Bad ka!!!!   Negative performance man dayon iya gipa kita sa people of ZaNorte oi. Maayo pay magdula mo ni Madame ug DEAL OR NO MEAL? In other words (sugot ka? or wa kay lamoy?)

Ø My ONE and ONLY is calling me up for a date... (Sige lang gud aron naapa ko’y chance magka baby sa akong pagka-40) I’ll see you around. Sige BYE!!! (Mindanao Star, Vol.III No.33)

Usa ka talagsaon kaayo sa usa ka pinakataas nga opisyal sa probinsiya nga mobisita sa mga lagyong barangay ug adto magsaulog sa iyang adlaw nga natawhan, apan kini ang naandan na ni Governor Rolando Yebes nga makigsandurot sa mga tawo nga anaa sa pinaka-ubos nga

ang-ang sa katilingban. Karong Septembre 21, 2007 adlaw nga Biyernes dad-on sa kapitolyo ang mga programa alang sa mga katawhan sa Barangay Pange sakop sa lungsod sa Siayan dungan sa kasaulogan sa adlaw nga natawhan ni Governor Yebes.

Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada is down and out. He was sentenced with reclusion perpetua for plunder last September 12, 2007 by the Sandigan Bayan. His properties subject of the plunder case filed against him are now taken by the Arroyo’s government. Goodbye to his Mansion. Goodbye to high-priced wines. My guess is perfect. Estrada will be convicted under Arroyo’s government. I have always justified my guess that his conviction is very necessary to give good reason for his ouster from the presidency by People Power II believed to be orchestrated by a powerful group of rich businessmen called the Makita Business Club, some military generals and the Church itself.  His perceived arrogance was not being loved by them. No, not to his womanizing! No, not to his terrible drinking habit.

When Former President Fidel V. Ramos got insulted by Estrada who told the nation that “ang rebelyon ay hindi bini-baby, ito’y pinupuksa” during the delivery of his State of the Nation Address (obviously referring of his military success in destroying and over taking  of Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao), I then smelled that trouble will be at hand. And it did happen. Using Gov. Chavit Singson, a close political friend of Ramos, Estrada was figured out as a corrupt president. Then came Tobacco, his involvement in illegal jueting operation and the questioned multi-million peso worth of Mansion he built for his beautiful hobby. Impeachment proceeding then followed. What came next were People Power II and the formal filing of cases against him leading to his conviction of the crime of plunder.

Estrada’s conviction has always been expected. Arroyo’s government has to convict the man. It cannot afford to acquit him. They know that his acquittal means more trouble for the country they bragged to have gained good posture economically. By acquitting Estrada they know that the man would have the stamina to claim that he was being rubbed with his presidency by Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts, plain and simple. He would draw more sympathy from the Filipino people should he be acquitted.  And they know this.

Convicting the man is a necessity to justify his ouster from power. This way, no more trouble. Granting Estrada absolute pardon by Mrs. Arroyo after his said conviction is more politically favorable to the latter. She will be said to be true to her words of contriving a national reconciliation among political leaders with various political factions. She will be seen as a saint saving a devil. Her political approval rating will certainly rise up should she do this. And I guess she will do this because of her dwindling political popularity. What do you think? (Mindanao Star, Vol.III No.33)

If you ask me what I think of the verdict on Erap, my answer, I don’t think of it at all.  What I can say only is this – it’s all part of the power play that our country has already gone deep into.  The Power Play we have chosen to indulge in – POLITICS!  Be it local, or national, or world politics.  It’s just like the movements of the pieces of the chessboard.

Sacrifice a pawn here, another pawn there – moves towards getting the King or Queen.  It requires right moves and right timing.  This must be the reason why chess is called the Game of the Generals.  Now, in the Philippine political arena, we can see unfolding before us who is the more astute General:  of the the small . . .? Of course this depends on which side of the fence one is in.  So it’s better if we just sit on our usual side – in the middle.  And then, just like during a game on the tennis court.

We look left, then right, then back again to the left, the eyes following where the ball is.  Amusing, no?  And then when the right time comes, many of those waiting at the sides will step in and challenge the winner.  Then that’s the time when they can hold the RACQUET for smuggling, or gambling, or contract signing. . . Again?  Promising to be a BIG DEAL or no DEAL. (Press Freedom, Vol. XIX No. 49)

Do we consider God to be a living person or just a thing on a shelf? Do we have hunger and thirst in our heart that compels day by day to get by alone with Him, to study His word and take time to talk to Him in prayer? Are we honest with ourselves? Was it yesterday or was it a week ago, a month ago or a year ago that we last met with our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of us are convicted that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is genuine, but we want it to deepened and grow as our awareness of Him increases. Some of us are remembering that our faith used to be much more vibrant than it is now. All these years we’ve concerned about the pieces of information, but not about Jesus Christ Himself. Quite frankly, we may even be questioning whether such a thing as genuine faith or a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is possible.

In the presence of God we can each ask ourselves whether we have genuine faith, faith that’s actually meaningful everyday. If we can answer yes with assurance, we ought to thank God again for His goodness and grace and ask Him to deepened and extend our faith in each experience of life. Those of us, who are not sure that our answer is yes, or who know that we must say no, can take a simple step. Come to Jesus and speak to Him directly. Tell Him that you want to know Him and to have faith in Him. And tell Him that you are prepared to put yourself completely into His loving and powerful capable hands.

BIBLE BITES!

God’s presence is conditional; He doesn’t come simply because we want Him to come. He comes when the conditions are right. Only as we learn to establish and maintain the conditions that he has ordained for His coming can we hope to know the joy of living in His presence on a daily moment-by-moment basis. God will bless you as you accomplish his work on earth, as you align your will to His will, as you reach out to others in love and compassion. In the bible, JAMES 5:16, says, “Confess your sins to each other pray for each other so that you maybe healed”. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. We must understand the power and purpose of prayer. (Press Freedom, Vol. XIX No. 49)

WHY ESTRADA WAS CONVICTED

As the dust settles in the days following the Sandiganbayan’s promulgation of its decision finding former president Joseph Estrada guilty of plunder, the people get on with their lives; the government gets back to business; the business sector claims closure and exhorts everyone to move on; but the opposition is still trying to mobilize mass action to protest the verdict against their fallen leader. The respected lawyer Mario Ongkiko wonders, “I just don’t know whether they can pull it off. During the promulgation there were more PNP than rallyists.” The Sandiganbayan has already spoken in the case of People of the Philippines versus Joseph Estrada. This was the court before which Estrada submitted himself in deference to our judicial processes, and yet now that the same court has handed down a guilty verdict, Estrada’s family, friends, and political allies refuse to accept the court’s decision. During a rally in Makati yesterday, Estrada’s supporters claimed that the former president was convicted with haste, and that the decision was not based upon law and convincing evidence.   

A perusal of the full text of the decision however shows otherwise. The court in fact had gone to painstaking lengths to make a thorough exposition of all the evidence presented in the case which ultimately led to its decision finding Estrada guilty as charged. Unfortunately, the public was not given a chance to evaluate the same, because, by motion of Estrada’s lawyers, only the dispositive portion (the part of the decision that contains the actual ruling of the court) was read during the televised promulgation. In the aftermath of the promulgation, veteran defense lawyer, Teddy Te muses,” The strange thing for me was that they fought so hard to have the proceedings televised and yet they asked for a reading of only the dispositive portion.”  Atty. Ongkiko offers opinion that it was obviously s strategy on the part of Estrada’s lawyers. He said,” They didn’t want the people to see what led the court to come up with a guilty verdict.”

A few parts of the lengthy decision that were not read during the promulgation are quoted below. These are facts that were proven during the course of the trial and that led the court to pronounce a guilty verdict against Estrada: “The total amount of money Gov. Singson collected from jueteng operations for FPresident Estrada starting November 1998 to August 2000 was Five Hundred Forty Million Pesos (P540,000,000.00) more or less, according to Gov. Singson. Gov. Singson personally delivered about Two Hundred Million Pesos (P2,000,000.00) to FPres. Estrada.” Bank officials, such as Salvador R. Serrano, Patrick Dee cheng, and Carolina S. Guerrero, testified to the existence of checks paid by Chavit Singson which landed in the accounts of persons associated with Pres. Estrada.

The paper trail of the P200,000,000.00 deposited for the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation, Inc., incontrovertibly established that the said sum of money came from jueteng collections through the cashier’s/manager’s checks purchased by Yolanda Ricaforte using the deposits in the accounts that she opened. “The Billions of pesos that could have otherwise been used to pay benefits to SSS and GSIS members were diverted to buying Belle Shares to comply with FPres. Estrada’s instructions in order that FPres. Estrada could receive his P187,900,000.00 commission.” The decision fully discusses many more proven facts in the case but it is simply too lengthy to include here. The full text of the decision comes to 262 pages, and is available for download at sandiganbayan.supremecourt.gov.ph.

University of the East Law school Dean Amado Valdez is of the opinion that Estrada was found guilty because of a fatal flaw in the strategy of the defense. He said they appealed more to the public than to the court’s reasoning. “They focused on propaganda,” Valdez said. “They thought the court would eventually follow what they wanted the people to believe— that everything was just part of a big political conspiracy and Estrada was the hero being trampled on by those out to get him. But in the end, the lawyers’ strategy backfired.”  Now that it’s all over but the appeal, Atty. Te says, “ If Estrada really wants to go down as a hero of the masses, don’t appeal. Serve out your 40 years. But it’s his life, no one can tell him what to do. All of these people around h8im are just meddling up the situation.”

As to the claim of the opposition and various Estrada Supporters that the Sandiganbayan special division that decided the caws created solely to convict the former president, Atty. Ongkiko said,” It was the supreme Court that created the Sandiganbayan special division.” Atty. Te for his part said, “It’s like beating a dead horse… the opposition can’t get their acts together anyway.” He adds, “These are a bunch of people who at one time or another should have also been charged… so its very difficult to ascribe credibility to the opposition. Politics is perception. If these people perceive that Estrada is still useful to them, then they will keep using his name. It’s just a matter of trying to create a groundswell.” (PIA-ZN)

CALL CENTER JOBS FOR SENIORS AND HANDICAPPED OPENED
SEPT 18 2007 SAMA-KABUHAYAN PRESS RELEASE
A project of the Inter-Charity Network (ICN) 09196466323

 Inter-Charity Network (ICN) Chairman Ike Seneres announced today that a business process outsourcing (BPO) company has contacted him to request for prospective employees that they could hire as call center agents. In turn, Seneres requested the company to include senior citizens and people with disabilities (PWD) for consideration, to which the company readily agreed, citing a condition that they should meet trade test standards.

Following this development, Seneres is calling on all non-government organizations (NGOs) that are supporting senior citizens and PWDs to refer prospective candidates to ICN as soon as possible. As an added benefit, Seneres said that the company is even willing to spend for the training or re-training of these candidates.

Seneres cited this development as a major boost towards promoting equal opportunity employment (EOE) in this country, saying that age limits have been a hindrance for those who are looking for jobs. ICN may be contacted at 324 Guadalupe Commercial Center, Guadalupe Nuevo, EDSA, Makati City. Inquiries may be sent to iseneres@yahoo.com or 09196466323.

THANK YOU FROM INTER-CHARITY NETWORK

Dear Media Colleagues:

I would like to thank all my colleagues in the media who announced our offer to introduce senior citizens and handicapped persons to a call center that is now hiring new employees.

In answer to the many questions that I have received, I would like to clarify the following matters:

1. The jobs are open to all those who will pass the interviews and trade tests. The jobs are not exclusively for senior citizens and handicapped persons. I was the one who requested the employer to accommodate these two special groups, and they gladly agreed to my request.

2. The jobs require a good command of the English language. For as long as the grammar and diction of the applicant is generally good, he or she will be considered. The employer offers an “accent correction” training for free, but they will not teach grammar and diction.

3. There is no age limit. The only limitation is the knowledge of English and familiarity with computer skills. Applicants need not be computer experts, for as long as they could type into a keyboard.

4. There is no placement fee to be paid. All applicants who pass the initial interview of Inter-Charity will be introduced to the employer with a corresponding letter.

5. Applicants are requested to bring along their bio-data when they apply at Inter-Charity. Ordinary bio-data forms are acceptable.

6. Everyone is invited to join the Inter-Charity Network on a voluntary basis. Joining us is not a condition to be given assistance. All applicants who pass the interview are given introductory letters to the employer, whether or not they accept our invitation to join.

Aside from senior citizens and handicapped persons, we would like to invite students, undergraduates and graduates to apply. A scholarship program awaits those who would qualify, as follows:

1.