Saturday, March 29, 2025

Tag: MA

Don Carlos, Bukidnon declared insurgency-free

Posted on by cmn

DON CARLOS, Bukidnon – “The declaration of Don Carlos town as insurgency-free marks a significant leap toward peace, reinforcing the government’s commitment to security,” said Capt. Rogelio Recto, Civil-Military Operations Officer and spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 48th Infantry Battalion

In an interview aired on Radio Mindanao Network Malaybalay station, Recto confirmed that Don Carlos is now the sixth municipality in southern Bukidnon to achieve insurgency-free status.


It joins the towns of San Fernando, Kadingilan, Damulog, Kibawe, and Dangcagan, all of which have already been recognized for successfully eliminating insurgent threats.


The declaration signifies the absence of active armed rebels, ensuring community security and peace.


“Don Carlos is now insurgency-free, thanks to a strong collaboration. The local government units, the Philippine National Police, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, security forces, and peace partners remained vigilant, ensuring a year of stability, with no New People’s Army [NPA] activities reported, as confirmed through rigorous monitoring,” Recto said.


He explained that declaring a municipality insurgency-free requires thorough assessments by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.


Brig. Gen. Marion Angcao, commander of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, said this achievement will pave the way for economic growth, social development, and an improved quality of life for Don Carlos residents.


“Our goal is to uphold peace and order in Bukidnon, allowing people to live without fear and enabling communities to prosper. This milestone highlights the success of government-led initiatives in strengthening security, fostering stability, and driving long-term economic and social progress,” he said.


Themed “Kalig-on Pinaagi sa Panaghiusa: Usa ka Bag-ong Panahon sa Kalinaw ug Seguridad” (Unity in Strength: Embracing a New Era of Peace and Security), the declaration ceremony took place on February 25 at the JMZ Astrodome in Poblacion, Don Carlos. Local government officials, sectoral and tribal leaders, the PNP, and the AFP attended the event to honor the occasion.


With Don Carlos now insurgency-free, authorities expect nearby Maramag and Kitaotao towns to follow suit within months, further advancing lasting peace in Northern Mindanao and across the nation.


(BGE/PIA 10-Bukidnon)

DOST revives traditional IP weaving in Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (February 26, 2025, 9:11 p.m.) – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Region 10 has partnered with the local government of Talakag, Bukidnon province, to revive the traditional weaving practices of indigenous peoples (IPs)

In a statement Wednesday, DOST-10 Chief Science Research Specialist Virgilio Fuertes said the initiative is part of the program “Uplifting Grassroots Livelihood Opportunities through Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI).”


“We in the government share a vision of a future where their craft thrives, their community prospers, and their heritage continues to inspire generations to come,” Fuertes said.


The STI program builds on the 2024 “Grassroots Innovation for Inclusive Development” initiative, which supports unconventional innovations used by marginalized communities.


The Damugu Weavers Association (DWA), a group of Higaonon IP weavers in Talakag town, is one of the program’s key partners. Led by Bae Cornita Sagayan and Bae Nenita Hugnaan, the association has conducted hands-on training to reinforce traditional patterns and methods while introducing new techniques.


DWA President Irene Mae Sinhayan expressed optimism about reviving the craft for future generations.


“I prefer calling it a ‘sleeping culture,’ and my goal, along with this group, is to wake it up and make it vibrant again,” she said in the vernacular. (Nef Luczon/PNA)

Bukidnon hits 1.4M PhilSys registrants, drives civil records up

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY (PIA) – Civil registration in Bukidnon surged as the province reached 1.4 million Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registrants, underscoring the key role of civil registration and demographic data in planning for health, education, and social welfare, according to Ma. Evangeline Non, chief of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Bukidnon

She reported that of the total registrants, over 1.3 million were individuals aged five and above, while 43,868 were children aged zero to four.


“The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system protects individual rights, including birth registration, which is essential for citizenship and access to services,” Non said.


Valencia City led Bukidnon’s cities and municipalities in registrations, with 194,249 individuals enrolled.
Following Valencia City, Malaybalay City registered 171,627 individuals, Manolo Fortich 98,146, Quezon 93,526, and Maramag 91,731.


In contrast, Dangcagan had the fewest registrants, with 23,782, followed by Malitbog with 25,205 and Sumilao with 27,736.


In addition to PhilSys registration data, PSA-Bukidnon presented 2023 statistics on births, marriages, and deaths.


These data provide insights into population trends, aiding in the enhancement of public services.


The Philippine Identification System aims to establish a unified, secure, and efficient identification platform for Filipinos, enabling easier access to government and financial services.


With over 1.4 million Bukidnon residents registered, the province continues to move toward comprehensive national ID coverage.


(BGE/PIA 10-Bukidnon)

2 pilots found dead inside FA-50 fighter jet in Bukidnon mountain

Posted on by cmn

MANILA, Philippines (12:32 PM March 05, 2025) — The remains of two pilots aboard a missing FA-50 fighter jet were found on Wednesday inside the aircraft, which crashed in the Kalatungan mountain range in the Bukidnon province

In an interview, Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command, confirmed that the pilots were found around 11 a.m.

“Yes,” Bergante said when asked if the pilots were inside the aircraft.

“Just now, around 11 a.m.,” he added in Filipino, referring to the time the remains were discovered.

Bergante said they had already deployed search and rescue teams from the special forces to retrieve the pilots’ remains.

In a separate statement, Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo confirmed the deaths of the pilots.

“The Philippine Air Force FA-50 aircraft reported missing has been located by ground troops in the vicinity of the Mt. Kalatungan Complex, Bukidnon, today, March 5, 2025,” Castillo said.

“With deep regret and profound sadness, the PAF announces the loss of the two pilots aboard,” she also revealed.

“The PAF has grounded its FA-50 fleet and will ensure a thorough investigation into the accident,” she added.

According to Castillo, PAF has sent its condolences to the bereaved families and will provide necessary support “during this difficult time.”

“We also request the nation’s prayers for the eternal repose of our fallen pilots, whose service and heroism we deeply honor,” she concluded.

Earlier, the PAF official reported that the FA-50 fighter jet went missing during a tactical night operation shortly after midnight on March 4.

Castillo said the FA-50 carrying two pilots was supposed to land at Mactan Airbase in Cebu, but the jet lost communication with one of its fellow aircraft “minutes before reaching the target area.”

The PAF has 11 remaining FA-50s in its arsenal after retiring some of its fighters in 2005.

All the FA-50s were acquired from Korea Aerospace Industries for P18.9 billion during the administration of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr.

Over in Davao City, Lt. Col. Salvacion Evangelista, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Eastern Mindanao Command, held a separate press briefing on Wednesday morning about the tragedy.

For his part, Lt. Col. Francisco Garello Jr., spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said the jet crashed in the mountains of Barangay Miarayon in Talakag town.

“Also, [we confirm that] the bodies of two pilots were found near the wreckage of [the] FA-50,” Garello said in a Viber message.

Garello added that the troops of the 1st Special Forces Battalion under the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade reached the crash site on Wednesday morning.

The ill-fated jet was part of a mission called in on Monday night to provide air support to government troops battling communist rebels in Bukidnon.

The PAF said the jet, which flew out of the Benito Ebuen Airbase in Mactan, lost communication past midnight on Tuesday as it was nearing the target area.

Amid gloomy weather, soldiers brought in by a military chopper and civilian volunteers scoured the Kalatungan range on Tuesday to search for the missing aircraft and its pilots. (Faith Argosino, Joselle R. Badilla – @inquirerdotnetInquirer Mindanao, INQUIRER.net )

3 drug suspects nakorner sa buy-bust sa Malaybalay

Posted on by Diego M. Hidalgo

Tulo ka lalaking drug suspects ang nakorner sa kapolisan sa buy-bust operation sa Purok 6, Brgy. Magsaysay, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, gabii sa Pebrero 8, 2025

Si Police Lt. Col. Joepet B. Paglinawan, OIC sa Malaybalay City Police Station, niingon sa iyang report nga nasakmit gikan sa hingkod nga mga suspek ang gidudahang shabu nga nibalor og P136,503.


Ang tulo, uban sa mga ebidensya, gidala sa Malaybalay CPS ug pagkahuman gidala usab ngadto sa Provincial Forensic Unit alang sa qualitative ug quantitative examinations.


Ang mga kaso alang sa paglapas sa Seksyon 5 ug 11 sa RA 9165, o Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, ang giandam na batok kanila.


Kauban sa operasyon ang Malaybalay CPS ug mga myembro sa PIU Bukidnon PPO. (Diego M. Hidalgo)

P23 minimum wage hike in Northern Mindanao takes effect

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The daily minimum wage in Northern Mindanao increased by P23 for private non-agricultural workers starting January 12, 2025. Agricultural workers also received a P23 increase on the same date, with an additional P12 effective July 1, 2025, bringing the total increase to P35

This means that by July this year, the minimum wage for both non-agricultural and agricultural workers will be the same: P461 for Wage Category 1 and P446 for Category 2.
Wage Category 1 includes the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Malaybalay, Valencia, Gingoog, El Salvador, Ozamiz, and the municipalities of Tagoloan, Villanueva, Jasaan, Opol, Maramag, Quezon, Manolo Fortich, and Lugait.
Meanwhile, Wage Category 2 covers all areas outside Wage Category 1, as well as retail and service establishments that employ no more than 10 workers.
In a press conference of the Regional Tripartite Wage Board (RTWPB) Region 10, chaired by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10, this minimum wage rate adjustment for the private sector in Northern Mindanao, under Wage Order No. RX-23, underwent a series of wage consultations and public hearings attended by representatives from both the workers’ and employers’ sectors.
“We took into consideration the poverty threshold in Region 10. When we say poverty threshold, that’s the minimum income required to meet the basic needs of our people,” said Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño, vice chairperson and regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-10.
Limuel R. Oliverio, a labor representative of the Mindanao Alliance of Land Transport Unions (MALTU), shared that they have come up with this increase to ensure a compromise between employers and workers.
“We have to balance because small establishments should at least be able to cope and maintain jobs. If we want, we can go beyond P461, but it should not go below P461,” Oliverio said.
Meanwhile, Engr. Milbert M. Macarambon, a labor representative from the All Workers Alliance Trade Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (AWATU-TUCP), explained that they went through a consultation process involving both the labor and management sectors.
“The inflation rate was also discussed and is one of the criteria used for issuing the wage order,” he said.
Similarly, domestic workers, or Kasambahay, in Region 10 will receive a P1,000 increase, raising the minimum monthly wage from P5,000 to P6,000, as mandated by Wage Order RBX-DW-05.
Atty. Joffrey M. Suyao, chairperson and regional director of DOLE 10, announced that starting January 12 this year, the new monthly minimum wage for domestic workers cannot be less than P6,000.
Domestic workers, or Kasambahay, cover general house helpers, cooks, nannies, gardeners, laundry persons, or anyone who regularly performs domestic work in one household on an occupational basis. Those not covered include service providers, family drivers, and children under foster family arrangements. (Jasper Marie O. Rucat/PIA-10)

Ordinansa sa pag-regulate sa kawayan nga himoong poste sa kural, dekorasyon ug uban pa aron malikayan ang dengue outbreak sa siyudad sa Malaybalay, aprobado na

Posted on by cmn

Giaprubahan na sa Sangguniang Panlungsod ang Ordinance No. 1050 S. 2025, nga nag-regulate sa paggamit sa kawayan isip poste sa kural, dekorasyon, ug uban pa aron malikayan ang dengue outbreak sa siyudad

Ang maong ordinansa unang giduso ni Konsehal Melchor P. Maramara kaniadtong Hulyo 16, 2024, atol sa ika-100 regular session, ug gi-refer kini kang Konsehal Kathleen Cecille C. Pagaling, Chairman sa Committee on Health and Social Servicess.


Human sa masusing pagtuon, kini napaboran sa ika-125 regular session niadtong Pebrero 4, 2025, ug gi-aprubahan ni City Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran niadtong Pebrero 11, 2025.


Gibutyag sa konseho nga ang kawayan nga ginagamit isip poste sa kural o dekorasyon mahimong tapukan sa tubig-ulan, nga mahimong puy-anan ug itloganan sa mga lamok nga nagdala sa dengue.
Ang dengue usa ka major public health concern, nga posibleng makamatay ug makaylap dali sa komunidad.


Kini nga regulasyon usa sa mga lakang sa siyudad alang sa anti-dengue campaign, nga naglakip sa limpyo-palibot nga inisyatibo ug klarong mga patakaran sa paggamit sa kawayan.


Ang ordinansa naglatid sa mga regulasyon, giya, ug uban pang mga prohibisyon sa paggamit sa kawayan aron malikayan ang pagdaghan sa lamok ug pagpakatap sa sakit.


Pinaagi sa maong ordinansa, mas lig-on ang kampanya sa Malaybalay City batok sa dengue, nga magpahugot sa hygiene, sanitasyon, ug kahimsog sa katawhan. (pr)

PRISAA 2025 Regional Games hugyaw nga gisugdan sa Valencia

Posted on by Melchor Madera

Kaniadtong Pebrero 5, 2025, hugyaw nga gisugdan sa Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) ang pag-abli sa 2025 Regional Games diin napili ang Dakbayan sa Valencia isip sentro sa panagtigom sa mga manunula nga nagagikan sa nagkalain-laing tulunghaan sa Rehiyon 10.

Sumala sa kasayuran sa city government sa Valencia, gisalmotan kini sa 24 ka tulunghaan gikan sa Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Gingoog City, Ozamiz City, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte ug del Sur, ug Probinsya sa Bukidnon.
Mainiton usab nga gi-welcome ang mga delegado sa lokal nga pangagamhanan pinaagi ni Marven Selecios, executive assistant IV, atol sa opening program nga gipahigayon sa San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT).
Gipaabot usab ni Selecios ang dakong pagsuporta ni Mayor Azucena “Sunny” Huervas sa maong kalihokan. (melbmadera)

Bukidnon teacher Junmerth Jorta among the top 50 finalists of 2025 Global Teacher Prize

Posted on by cmn

MANILA, Philippines (Feb 09, 2025, 08:08 AM PHT) — Junmerth Jorta, a public school teacher in Bukidnon, has earned a spot among the Top 50 finalists for the 2025 GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize

Jorta, who also received the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Teacher Award in 2022, was celebrated for his dedication that began in a remote indigenous community in Sitio Balugo, Kalagangan, San Fernando, Bukidnon, viewing his role as a calling rather than just a job.
“I want to continue doing my best for the countless IP (indigenous people) children, helping them prepare at an early age to have the highest possible chances of becoming successful in the near future,” said Junmerth.
More than half of Indigenous Peoples see themselves as ‘poor,’ according to the World Bank.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Junmerth shared the challenges he faced when he began teaching in 2015.
Faced with a lack of electricity, water supply, sanitation facilities, and access to television or radio-based instruction, he was determined to bring change and serve the community.
He collaborated with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local government units (LGUs), and private organizations, convinced it was his duty to connect with the right stakeholders to provide essential resources and support for the learners.
Balugo Pagkaon Sakto Program

This program emerged from the harsh reality that numerous students of Junmerth come to school feeling hungry. He launched this daily hunger-free lunch initiative to address malnutrition, improve attendance, and enhance learning outcomes.
Supported by partnerships with NGOs such as the Hapag-Asa Foundation, the municipal mayor’s office, and the Department of Agriculture, the program has been operating successfully for seven years.
An NGO obtains surplus food from restaurants and hotels to feed the poor.
This effort has not only curbed absenteeism and dropouts but has also encouraged students to engage actively in class.
“A well-nourished child is more attentive and ready to learn, proving that you cannot truly teach a hungry child,” said Jorta.

Basa Balugo Program

To address literacy challenges, Jorta developed a special reading program for non-readers. By teaching in the students’ first language, he established a strong foundation for comprehension and confidence.
Through this collaborative approach, he created contextualized and indigenized reading materials embedded with effective strategies that students could bring home for practice.
Regular home visits further supported struggling students, encouraging older siblings and parents to participate in their development. This approach ensured that students received continuous learning support beyond the classroom.

Special Class Program

To address literacy challenges, Jorta developed a special reading program for non-readers. By teaching in the students’ first language, he established a strong foundation for comprehension and confidence.
Through this collaborative approach, he created contextualized and indigenized reading materials embedded with effective strategies that students could bring home for practice.
Regular home visits further supported struggling students, encouraging older siblings and parents to participate in their development. This approach ensured that students received continuous learning support beyond the classroom.

Okay sa Balugo Program

Jorta also organized a program to strengthen the school’s resources through partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
“Together, we secured funding for additional classrooms, chairs, a stage, and restrooms,” he said.
Private donors contributed school supplies, health kits, and even internet connectivity, ensuring access to online learning resources. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they implemented radio-based teaching to ensure continuity of education.
Beyond education, Jorta also advocated for improvements in infrastructure, which included a farm-to-market road project, securing initial funding to address transportation issues within the community.
“Though only part of the road is completed, I remain hopeful for additional support under the new administration,” he said.
Over nearly eight years, Jorta has witnessed the struggles of the community. Through resilience and collaboration with the community, he has strived to uplift the lives of students and families in Sitio Balugo, demonstrating that education is a powerful catalyst for change.
These innovations, achieved through collaborative efforts, reflect his commitment to addressing issues via community-driven solutions, fostering an inclusive and thriving learning environment.
“To all educators worldwide, especially those teaching in remote and underserved communities, our work is more than just a profession; it is a lifeline of hope and opportunity,” Junmerth added.
The Global Teacher Prize is an annual award of US$1 million presented by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to a teacher who has made a significant impact in the field. (Ronnie Crispo Jr./ABS-CBN News Intern)