Saturday, December 14, 2024

Tag: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

DOT-10 showcases Mindanao’s 1st travel hub in Bukidnon to boost tourism, MSMEs

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MALAYBALAY CITY (July 15, 2024/PIA) — The Department of Tourism (DOT)-10 reported that the opening of the tourist rest area (TRA) in the scenic town of Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon marks the first TRA in Mindanao to enhance the travel experience for local and international visitors

Marie Elaine Unchuan, DOT regional director for northern Mindanao, said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas media forum on July 2 that the TRA sets a new benchmark for travelers’ comfort and convenience following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives to enhance the country’s tourism sector by improving facilities and resources that can significantly boost the economy.

“The tourist rest area opened in August last year and promises to redefine the journey for domestic and foreign tourists. Its clean, well-ventilated restrooms and inviting seating areas create a relaxing oasis for weary travelers,” she said.

With maps, guides, and expert tips, its information center is essential for tourists exploring northern Mindanao’s attractions.

Showcasing culture and local products

Unchuan said the TRA doubles as a vibrant shop, offering a selected range of local delicacies and handcrafted souvenirs.

“Visitors can indulge in Bukidnon’s famous coffee, savor delectable pastries, or purchase unique keepsakes crafted by local artisans. It delights travelers and supports micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) along with other local businesses,” she added.

Beyond its Pasalubong center, the TRA showcases local artwork, such as paintings and intricate leaf carvings, enhancing atmospheric energy and displaying the region’s artistic talent.

Inclusive amenities for all needs

Multiculturalism and inclusivity are TRA’s design principles. It caters to diverse travelers’ needs. The lounge and charging stations provide a comfortable space for tourists to relax and recharge their devices.

The coffee shop offers a selection of beverages and snacks, perfect for a quick refreshment break.

The TRA offers family-friendly amenities such as clean restrooms with showers and a lactation room to cater to the needs of even the youngest travelers.

Strategic location for maximum convenience

Travelers exploring Bukidnon and nearby provinces will find TRA an ideal pit stop due to its strategic location at the crossroads of major travel routes. Its proximity to Misamis Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Sur enhances accessibility for visitors discovering the region’s natural and cultural wonders.

Emalyn Cagolcol, a traveler from Valencia City, described the tourist rest area in Manolo Fortich as truly one of a kind.

“It was more than a mere rest stop. The facilities are not only clean and well-kept. It is also scenically situated amidst the serene landscapes of Bukidnon. It provided a much-needed break during our trip, allowing us to recharge and refresh ourselves before continuing our adventure,” she shared.

Manolo Fortich TRA is the second DOT-managed rest area in the country, following the successful model established in Medellin, Cebu.

“This TRA exemplifies DOT’s commitment to providing world-class facilities nationwide, ensuring travelers have access to modern and well-maintained facilities,” the DOT-10 regional director said. (Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy/PIA-10/Bukidnon)

4 Mindanao bishops to Marcos Jr.: void FTAA of Tampakan project

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GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Four Catholic bishops in Mindanao have asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to void the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted to Sagittarius Mines, Inc., developer of the controversial Tampakan project, the largest untapped copper-gold minefield in Southeast Asia

Set to expire on March 21, 2020, the 25-year FTAA awarded to the Tampakan project had been extended for 12 years—or until March 21, 2032—in an order issued June 8, 2016.

MindaNews reported about this development in January 2020.

FTAA No. 002-95-XI was originally granted to Australian Firm Western Mining Corp. (WMC) on March 22, 1995. SMI acquired the FTAA from WMC in 2001 with the approval of Environment Secretary Heherson Alvarez.

The FTAA is subject to renewal for another 25 years, but long before its expiry, SMI sought and was granted a 12-year extension of the original FTAA, citing “force majeure,” a copy of the order obtained by MindaNews then showed.

Leo Jasareno, then national director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), an agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), approved the extension on June 8, 2016, “by authority of the secretary.” The environment secretary at the time was Ramon Paje.

A copy of the bishops’ petition to declare illegal SMI’s FTAA extension was filed with Malacañang on Wednesday. It was signed by Bishop Cerilo Casicas, Diocese of Marbel; Archbishop Angelito Lampon, Archdiocese of Cotabato; Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, Diocese of Kidapawan; and Bishop Guillermo Afable, Diocese of Digos.

The prelates represent the communities that will be affected by the Tampakan project, which the company earlier estimated to cost an investment of at least $5.9 billion.

Their petition was subsequently submitted to the DENR, headed by Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.

Together with their legal counsels from the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC), the church leaders argued that the extension of the FTAA by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in 2020 was unconstitutional.

“We respectfully reiterate our demand to cancel the illegal extension of FTAA – 002 in favor of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. We respectfully believe that the extension of the FTAA (is) beyond the powers of the MGB, and the same must be declared void, especially as the mining operations will impact critical environmental areas,” Casicas said in a statement.

Atty. Rolly Peoro, Direct Legal Services Coordinator of LRC, said the Tampakan FTAA “has definitively lapsed, and SMI should have thus undergone consultations, environmental impact assessment, and other regulatory compliances for renewal.”

 

“These safeguards are there to ensure that the utilization of our natural resources is held accountable to the highest office and therefore highest regulatory scrutiny,” Peoro said.

The petitioners elaborated that SMI’s claim of force majeure as the basis for requiring extension was unfounded.

The acts cited as constituting force majeure, such as legal and tenurial conflicts, the open pit mine ban, and civil disturbances, among others, are all forms of assertions of rights that can be duly exercised vis-a-vis the course of the project, the petition said.

Addressing Marcos, Casicas said, “This constitutional power was exclusively lodged to your office, as the President, being the father of the nation, is entrusted to represent the best interests of the Filipino people. May your guidance and leadership of our country be blessed upon by our shared faith to protect the environment.”

MindaNews sought an SMI official for comments but have yet to respond as of posting.

On its website, SMI reposted a BusinessWorld report that it targets to go full-swing operations in 2026. Several other national media outlets came out with a similar report.

In an SMI study, the mining company noted that the most viable method to extract the shallow mineral deposits is through open-pit mining, which has been banned by the South Cotabato provincial government since 2010.

SMI revealed that the Tampakan project has the potential to yield an average of 375,000 metric tons of copper and 360,000 ounces of gold per annum in the expected 17-year life of the mine.

Once developed, it has the potential to be a key driver of national and regional growth as well as socio-economic development for its host communities, the firm said on its website.

In a mining forum at the Notre Dame of Marbel University in Koronadal City in September 2019, Casicas urged the national government to refrain from renewing the FTAA of SMI for another 25 years.

In that forum, Casicas pledged to sustain the opposition spearheaded by his predecessor, the late Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, against SMI.

Casicas deplored the Tampakan project, a venture which, according to him, “even God will not approve,” considering its impact on the environment, Indigenous Peoples, and other residents who will be affected.

Vowing to sustain the local Catholic church’s resistance against open-pit mining, Casicas stressed: “God created humans to protect the environment.” (Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)

303 micro rice retailers in Bukidnon received cash subsidy

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A total of 303 micro rice retailers from the cities and municipalities of Bukidnon have received Php15,000.00 cash subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-10

In collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Economic Relief Subsidy (ERS) cash aid was successfully distributed to the eligible beneficiaries.

In accordance with Executive Order No. 39 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., this economic assistance aims to support retailers who abide by the government’s mandated rice price cap.

During the Consumer Welfare Month press briefing last October 2, DTI Bukidnon Provincial Director Famelah Raquel Villanueva stated that the DSWD has already released financial assistance in Bukidnon amounting to P4,546,00.

On October 4, 2023, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced that he lifted the price cap on rice, almost a month after its implementation.

In a report from CNN Philippines on the same day, according to a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) official, micro rice retailers who have not yet received the government’s 15,000 cash aid will continue to receive the subsidy even though the price cap on rice has been lifted.

On September 5, Marcos, who currently heads the nation’s agriculture department, issued Executive Order (EO) 39, which established price caps on regular and well-milled rice throughout the whole country.

In response to rising commodity prices, the president has set a price ceiling for regularly milled rice at P41 per kilogram, while the price ceiling for well-milled rice at P45 per kilogram.

On October 4, the Manila Bulletin reported that despite the lifting of Executive Order No. 39, the DTI promised that the one-time cash aid distribution would continue until each beneficiary of the Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP-ERS) listed by the DTI received P15,000.

With this year’s theme “Gen S: Generation on Sustainable,” Junar Merla, Chief of the DTI Bukidnon Consumer Protection Division, highlighted the significance of celebrating Consumer Welfare Month in accordance with Presidential Proclamation (PD) 1089 series of 1997, which aims to increase consumer awareness by disseminating pertinent information to both the public and private sectors. (MG Mayumi B. Madera)

Cadaver of slain top NPA leader in Northern Mindanao now with family

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Military and police officials handed over the remains of the slain top communist rebel leader, Dionisio Micabalo, to his family last July 29, 2023, in a small courtyard outside a funeral parlor in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental

Brigadier General Adonis Ariel Orio, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade, said the cadaver of Micabalo, alias “Muling,” was turned over to his siblings, Ronelo and Fely, who came to Gingoog City, along with officials from Dangcagan municipality in Bukidnon, to fetch his corpse.

Orio said the 61-year-old New People’s Army (NPA) leader hailed from Dangcagan town, and his family wanted him to be buried there.

“There was no hassle. As soon as the PNP (Philippine National Police) and my soldiers ascertained their identities, his remains were turned over to the family,” Orio said.

Micabalo, who was secretary general of the NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, was killed during a brief firefight with soldiers from the Philippine Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Libertad, Gingoog City, last July 27.

Colonel Christian Uy, 58th Infantry Battalion commander, said they have been tracking the movements of Micabalo after he transferred to Gingoog City from Mt. Pantaron range in Bukidnon, where the latter was previously based.

Orio said that with Micabalo gone, a young rebel leader named “Kumander Rida,” a former student from Cagayan de Oro City is expected to become the next secretary general of the NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.

During his second State of the Nation Address on July 24, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will issue a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees. He asked Congress for support on this matter.

But Marco Valbuena, Communist Party of the Philippines information officer, rejected the offer of Marcos, calling it “a treacherous offer of amnesty and surrender.” (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)

Largest House party Lakas-CMD welcomes 71st member from Bukidnon

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MANILA, Philippines — Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (LAKAS-CMD) now has 71 members in the House of Representatives, following Bukidnon’s latest addition of a lawmaker into the political party

House Speaker and Lakas-CMD president Ferdinand Martin Romualdez gave the latest figure.

In a statement on May 23, Romualdez announced that Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores joined Lakas-CMD in a simple ceremony at the Batasan Complex.

The Speaker thanked Flores for joining them, noting that the party remains committed to working for a better country.

“I thank Cong. Flores for joining the right political party whose commitment is to work towards a better future for our nation. We are honored to welcome you today as the 71st House member of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, a dedicated advocate for positive change,” Romualdez said.

“As promised, we continue to grow in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Agenda for Prosperity and socio-economic development roadmap. Let us join together in our drive for meaningful progress in addressing our country’s critical issues,” he added.

Romualdez administered the oath to Flores.

The Speaker was joined by party members, former President and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Majority Floor Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose Aquino II.

He also administered the oath to new Lakas-CMD members – South Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Peter Miguel and Laguna 2nd District Rep. Ruth Mariano-Hernandez. (Inquirer.net)

Biz chamber’s Bioco is now Acting NFA Chief

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MALAYBALAY CITY – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed a Bukidnon-based business leader as the new acting administrator and member of the National Food Authority (NFA) Council as of Jan. 18, 2023.

Roderico R. Bioco, president of the Bukidnon Giant Bamboo (BGB) Resources Corporation, is a former chair of the Bukidnon Kaamulan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. He has replaced Judy Dansal, who Duterte appointed in 2019.

The former governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Northern Mindanao took his oath for the NFA top post on Jan. 18 before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

As NFA Acting Administrator, Bioco also sits in the NFA Council as vice chairperson. The council is chaired by the agriculture secretary, which is con-currently held by President Marcos. (BukidnonNews.Net)