Indigenous Peoples Declare GMA SONA a Sham
Manong Catalino Rutaquio, a Dumagat from Quezon summed it up. “There is a big difference between her claims and what we actually experience in our communities. The smiling faces of the IPs she showed are an isolated case, but on the whole, what we see something else. For us simple folk, there was no truth in anything she said.”
Arroyo claimed her administration had put much work into the 3 E’s- Economy, Environment and Education. But participants of the SIPA, noted that the E for Environment was conspicuously absent throughout the rest of her speech.
“She did not even mention her policy on large scale mining because she knew she would upset many people if she did,” said Manong Peter Duyapat, from Barangay Didipio in Nueva Vizcaya, an area which has lived with the ramifications of large scale mining since 1995. “I expected her to at least acknowledge her mistakes but she did not even apologize.”
And while the president got thunderous applause with her mention of the administration’s Programang Pantawid Pamilya, which facilitates cash dole outs to poor families, indigenous peoples claim it is being used in some areas to soften up resistance to mining and other projects. “The agenda of the Programang Pantawid is unclear to us. Not all the poor families in Apayao are given their share,” Manang Letty Sibuma from the Save the Apayao Peoples Organizations said. “The only areas given dole outs are those touted for large scale mining projects, because mining is a priority project in Apayao.”
“For us indigenous peoples, particularly the participants of the State of the Indigenous Peoples Address being held simultaneously in Cagayan de Oro City and Quezon City, she leaves behind continued discrimination, rising human rights violations and legitimized land grabbing in the name of an illusory development. This is her real legacy. These are what she has “accomplished” in the eight years that she sat in Malacañang,” the SIPA conference statement read.
The SIPA, organized by the LRC, is being held in Quezon City and Cagayan de Oro for the IPs in Mindanao, simultaneously.
Ronald A. Gregorio
Grade 5 pupil represents RP in international Math olympiad
By Freddie G. Lazaro
Adrein Nalupta, a pupil of Immaculate Concepcion Academy in Batac, Ilocos Norte, was the only student from Region 1 that attended a month-long training in preparation for the math Olympiad.
Nalupta will join the other 23 students from the different parts of the country to represent the nation in the said competition.The child math wizard is a son of Batac town Vice Mayor Ronald Allan Nalupta and is a nephew of National Youth Commission Chairman Richard Alvin Nalupta. (PIA Ilocos Sur)
Rebel Returnee Group Seeks Gov’t Help to Fast-track Claims, Village Road Network Projects
Cabarroguis, Quirino (28 July) — A rebel returnee group in the province of Nueva Vizcaya has sought the intervention of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) to help all rebel returnees in the region to fast track all their claims when they turn to the folds of law.
Rebel returnee leader Calvin Magno of Nueva Vizcaya sought the help of RPOC Chairman Dakila Carlo Cua during the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting (RPOC) held here last Thursday (July 23) to make the necessary move to fast track all the necessary claims so that his active rebel comrades will follow his footstep to surrender to the government and live a normal life.
However, Mr. Magno lamented on issues relating to the procedures in extending of financial assistance being offered to the rebel surrenderees which he said would discourage other rebels to go down.
He also voiced out the concern of his fellow rebel returnees regarding the construction of roads in far flung barangays in Nueva Vizcaya that are often the route of NPA rebels between the boundaries of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija.
Magno said he is asking the council’s action for the construction of road networks linking the remote barangays in Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija whom the residents in the said areas are claiming that the national government can take to deliver its services and prevent insurgency uprising in said areas.
On the part of the 5ID Philippine Army, newly promoted Brigadier General Fajardo of the 502nd IB, who represented Maj. General Nestor Ochoa said that the 5ID is doing its part in the implementation of the “Balik Baril Program” and the Social Integration Program (SIP) of the present administration.
On road construction, Gen. Fajardo said he will refer to the 5ID engineering battalion the concern of Mr. Calvin Magno and will coordinate with the local government units before the engineering brigade would enter the area.
RPOC Chairman Dakila Carlo Cua assured action on Mr. Magno’s concern for his fellow returnees and will support their aspiration to trust to the government once again. (PIA Isabela)
DepEd, NCCT and MTRCB to launch child-friendly TV campaign
“Excessive violence, sex, and foul language on television are threats to our children’s well-being,” said Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.
To address the growing problem of “TV Overdose”, the DepEd, NCCT, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) will launch “Bantay TV Campaign” during the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on July 29 at 9:30 a.m. at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office in Pasig City.
According to Lapus, the MOA between the education department, NCCT, MTRCB and SMART will mark the start of closer monitoring of television programs especially those that are shown between 6:00 to 10:00 a.m., the time period when majority of Filipino children watch TV shows.
He added that the MOA is part of the ongoing “Bantay TV” campaign which aims to “reduce 20 percent incidence of vulgarity, discrimination, sex, and violence on television.”
Lapus said that DepEd through the NCCT will intensify its campaign to use television as an alternative tool for educating children. Protecting the rights of our children includes shielding them from negative effects of excessive TV watching,” Lapus said.
DepEd Assistant Secretary and NCCT officer-in-charge Jonathan Malaya said that the Bantay TV campaign will involve monitoring of complaints from parents and other citizens who have concerns about TV shows watched by children.
“With Bantay TV, we hope to promote more child-friendly television programming in the Philippines. Our goal is to use television as a tool for shaping positive culture, values, and behavior among Filipino children,” Malaya said.
Malaya said that people can send reports or file complaints to NCCT via text messaging, calling telephone hotlines, or through the internet. He said that NCCT will closely coordinate with the MTRCB in addressing complaints against TV shows that are harmful to children.
According to Malaya, parents and concerned citizens can report “non-child friendly TV shows” via text by typing:
BANTAYTV (space) NAME/AGE/ADDRESS/MESSAGE to 700-6228(NCCT) or
BANTAYTV (space)TV PROGRAM (space) DATE OF AIRING then send to 700-6228.
He said that complaints may also be filed by calling the NCCT hotline numbers 637-2306 from Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or by sending an e-mail to bantaytv@ncctph.org. (DepEd)
LGU to launch post Batanes Day magazine
Basco, Batanes (28 July) — Gov. Telesforo F. Castillejos called a meeting for NGA, NGO and the religious sector potential writers to present the provincial government’s proposal to come up with a post Batanes Day Magazine after the 6 day successful foundation anniversary of Batanes.
The official said he saw an urgent need to document all activities of the 226th Batanes Day Celebration, not only on videotapes but in print. The listed topics were matched with identified writers from the multi-sector pool of resources.
The past administration maintained a semi-annual publication of BATANES TODAY funded by the provincial government. Since July 2007 there had been no official paper except a souvenir program on Batanes Day Celebration.
Gov. Castillejos thought of launching this magazine as it summarizes the activities of Ivatans culminated on the foundation celebration.
The 6-day celebration featured entrepreneurship (SME), cultural heritage, traditional practices carried on to the present, agri-aqua products, modern products brought about by technology, the enthusiasm of Ivatans on sports, the creativity of Ivatans, the commitment of Ivatans to preserve its cultural heritage, skills of Ivatans from visual arts, traditional to contemporary arts, and most of all the unity of the people which had taught our tribe resiliency and survival across generations.
It was indeed a grand reunion of the people in the province. There has been no other activity that unites us other than Batanes foundation anniversary. (PIA Batanes)
Indigenous Peoples in Luzon
July 27, 2009 –Members of various indigenous peoples in Luzon expressed their disgust for GMAs 8 years of presidency by kicking a mock-up seal of parliamentary government ministered by Pres. Arroyo in front of the Commission of Human Rigths (CHR) the morning before the State Of the Nation Address (SONA). They are in Manila for a 3-day conference dubbed State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) in UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. (LRC-KSK/FoE Phil./AKP-images/Buck Pago)
3-day Conference Dubbed State of the Indigenous Peoples Address
July 27, 2009 –Members of various indigenous peoples in Luzon expressed their disgust for GMAs 8 years of presidency in front of the Commission of Human Rigths (CHR) the morning before th State Of the Nation Address (SONA). They are in Manila for a 3-day conference dubbed State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) in UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. (LRC-KSK/FoE Phil./AKP-images/Buck Pago)
Members of Various Indigenous Peoples
July 27, 2009 –Members of various indigenous peoples in Luzon expressed their disgust for GMAs 8 years of presidency by kicking a mock-up seal of parliamentary government ministered by Pres. Arroyo in front of the Commission of Human Rigths (CHR) the morning before th State Of the Nation Address (SONA). They are in Manila for a 3-day conference dubbed State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) in UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. (LRC-KSK/FoE Phil./AKP-images/Buck Pago)
SIPA 2009
July 27, 2009 –Members of various indigenous peoples in Luzon expressed their disgust for GMAs 8 years of presidency by kicking a mock-up seal of parliamentary government ministered by Pres. Arroyo in front of the Commission of Human Rigths (CHR) the morning before th State Of the Nation Address (SONA). They are in Manila for a 3-day conference dubbed State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) in UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. (LRC-KSK/FoE Phil./AKP-images/Buck Pago)
Indigenous Peoples Expressed their Disgust for GMAs 8 Years of Presidency
July 27, 2009 –Members of various indigenous peoples in Luzon expressed their disgust for GMAs 8 years of presidency by kicking a mock-up seal of parliamentary government ministered by Pres. Arroyo in front of the Commission of Human Rigths (CHR) the morning before the State Of the Nation Address (SONA). They are in Manila for a 3-day conference dubbed State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) in UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. (LRC-KSK/FoE Phil./AKP-images/Buck Pago)
