Senate 'anti-discrimination bill' mandates religious intolerance—lawyer

MANILA, December 10, 2011—In trying to legislate homosexual behavior, those responsible for and supportive of amendments to the Anti-Ethnic or Racial Profiling and Discrimination Act of 2011 or Senate Bill (SB) 2814 are demonstrating religious intolerance, according to a lawyer.

As a whole, the bill “clearly…prohibits all unlawful acts directed at a person’s ethnic roots, race, religion/belief, language disability or other status,” said Atty. Jo Aurea Imbong, Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Legal Office, during a weekly forum at Club Filipino in San Juan.

“During a recent Senate plenary proceeding, however, very disturbing provisions were added that penalize unlawful acts and so-called “intolerance when directed at sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity.”

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was responsible for adding the provisions to the bill now titled “An act prohibiting discrimination, profiling, violence and all forms of intolerance against persons based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, disability, or other status.”

If the bill, approved on Third Reading on November 21, is enacted as is, the so-called intolerance will end up being directed at people on matters of religion.

“Hate crimes”

Section 4, Nos. 10 and 11 dwell on the creation of a new crime called “hate speech” which refers to instances when one ridicules a person, insult, suggest inferiority or hatred or uses adjectives against the other person, Imbong explained.

“Hate crimes” pertains to another person’s “sexual orientation,” the lawyer added.

“Magkakaroon ng bagong krimen — hate speech and hate crimes. What’s this? Kung ikaw ay nagbitiw ng salita na nakakasira ng pakiramdam ng mga lesbians, gays, bisexuals at transgenders, hate crime na iyon at hate speech. Besides, puwede ka pang ihabla. Anong klaseng panukalang batas ito?” she asked.

The result is a crime of religious intolerance, based on Sec. 3, No. 6 of the bill itself.

“If they refuse to tolerate practice, persons or beliefs on religious grounds, that’s a crime of religious intolerance,” Imbong pointed out.

Protecting religious freedom, free speech

Part of the official statement of the CBCP Legal Office on the legislative measure further explains religious freedom:

“Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is one of the foundations of a democratic society. It includes the fundamental right to act according to religious beliefs in the field of morality.

It should be recalled that freedom of religion also protects the freedom of the public expression of religious belief and religious doctrines. Consequently, public expressions of faith or religious morality should receive a greater level of protection than other forms of free speech. Such is the case for example, for the religious sermons of ministers.

Effectively, the public expression of faith or religious morality should not be liable to prosecution because of their opposition to certain ideas or practices morally objectionable, so long as that opposition is expressed peacefully. It has never been a crime to merely express religious belief, nor should it ever be.”

“Government has taken over the Church in teaching what is right and wrong,” the lawyer observed.

“Government should not meddle in religious doctrine and faith: Religious witnessing (viewed in the bill as “intolerance”) is also a form of ethical, moral, ideological and spiritual expression, protected by the Constitution,” she continued.

Sex, gender not on the same level as race, ethnicity

Meanwhile, Antipolo Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes, the new Chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) pointed out that the Commission opposes the Senate version of the anti-discrimination bill as it “creates problems regarding ethics, marriage, the family and religious freedom.”

“The difference in sex or gender does not belong to the same level as the difference in race, color, religion, or ethnicity, etc.” Reyes said.

He also explained that discrimination is not necessarily a negative thing; it’s unjust discrimination that the Church fights against.

“Although Church teaching is against homosexuality, the Church loves homosexuals as she loves other people. The Church is also against any unjust discrimination against homosexuals,” the prelate said.

The bicameral meeting for the House and Senate versions of the bill originally scheduled on December 13 has been postponed to next year. (CBCP for Life)

Pantabangan Dam releases water to prevent overflowing

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, December 9, 2011-To prevent the giant Pantabangan Dam from overflowing, the National Irrigation Administration is prompted to release water from its reservoir as it nears the spilling level which is four meters shy of the spilling level of 221 meters while the dam’s elevation was recorded at 217 meters yesterday.

Josephine Salazar, operations manager of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems which runs the dam said that the dam’s elevation at this time of the year is much higher as historically level is only at around 202 to 204 meters.

“Our high water level has given us the luxury of releasing water before the onset of the dry season, adding that at 217 meters, they can sustain the irrigation needs of up to 111,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Nueva Ecija and portions of Central Luzon,” Salazar said.

“With this water level now, farmers can afford a third cropping without experiencing drought. Novo Ecijano farmers are blessed with an abundance of water at the Pantabangan Dam unlike other areas which rely on run-off the river water,” she said.

Pantabangan Dam, the largest among the country’s national irrigations systems that include the Magat and Angat Dams, has a maximum irrigation capacity of only 102,000 hectares but this has been augmented by the construction of the Casecnan Dam which diverts irrigation water from the Casecnan and Taang rivers to the Pantabangan Dam through a 26-kilometer underground tunnel.

“UPRIIS is prioritizing the rehabilitation of irrigation canals damaged during typhoons Pedring and Quiel to fast-track water delivery schedule and make the tail-end portions receive irrigation water,” Salazar said, explaining that her office is in the process of validating the list of areas to be covered by exemptions from payment of irrigation service fees (ISFs). (Jason de Asis)

Court’s questionable rulings cannot be resolved through reconciliation-Kiko

MANILA, December 8, 2011-Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan weighs in on the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines's (CBCP’s) called on for reconciliation between the Chief Executive and the Supreme Court and end their recent war of words.

Pangilinan pointed out that the key issue in the clash between the executive and judicial branches are the string of controversial rulings that have placed grave doubt on the fairness and the impartiality of the court, saying that many of these rulings have prevented the executive department from pursuing its commitment to addressing pervasive corruption and exacting accountability and justice.

“These highly questionable rulings cannot be the subject matter of mediation or conciliation or talks. I may be mistaken, but I am afraid that, at this point, any talks between the two branches will just be for show or pakitang tao lamang and will not help address the problem,” he said.

Earlier, three bishops who are all known to be close to the Chief executive’s mother, the late and former president Corazon Aquino issued statements Tuesday to stress the need for Aquino and some SC officials to restrain comments after an unseemly public spat.

As they said, yuletide season is coming: thus; peace, reconciliation, and respect for each other is important as Christmas is fast approaching. (Jason de Asis)

Thanks Secretary Robredo for GBAC’s seal of good housekeeping but...

BALER, Aurora, December 7, 2011-GBAC (short for Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo) added another feather in her cap and made the province proud again by bringing home the proverbial bacon: the “Seal of Good Housekeeping” award of the Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG). The selection of the province as an awardee was announced by no less than DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo during the annual fiesta celebration in Dipaculao recently.

The good-natured secretary said the Aurora provincial government, led by Governor Angara-Castillo, has satisfactorily and publicly disclosed its fiscal management and operations and complied with auditing procedures.

In case you don’t know, the seal is given to local government units that have excelled in the areas of planning, budgeting, revenue mobilization, financial management and budget execution, procurement and resource mobilization. The LGU must be able to pick out items in its annual investment plans that support national development priorities aimed at reducing poverty, spur economic development, and help conserve the environment through programs in ecological waste management or disaster risk reduction among others.

We never had the slightest doubt in our mind that Aurora, led by Angara-Castillo is more than deserving of the award. It is a fitting tribute to the efforts of her administration to promote good governance anchored on her development agenda codenamed HEALTH which stands for health, education, agriculture, livelihood, trade and tourism development and human resource development.

In fact, way back in 2004 when she first became governor, she was perhaps the first governor who mouthed the words “good governance” as her development agenda. And she exemplified this by promoting transparency and accountability of public officials and employees.

But while Angara-Castillo is every bit deserving, we are a little bit concerned with how frequent the award is being won by practically majority of LGUs all over the country. In the province, for example, all eight LGUs won the award and in neighboring Nueva Ecija, 27 of 32 LGUs got the award. Others are Bacolod, Negros, Camiguin province, Laoag City, Cebu City, Amlan, Bohol, Bulacan province, Ilo-ilo and many more.

With all due respect to you Secretary, when an award being given is being won by majority of aspirants, I have the feeling that the value of such an award is downgraded and it becomes ordinary to say the least. The award should be distinct, it should give honor, pride and an air of exclusivity on the part of the winner. Kung masyadong maraming nananalo ng award ng DILG, para mong sinabi na give-away lang yan.

We are not saying that those LGUs which won are less deserving. But when there are so many winners, Secretary Robredo and the DILG must raise the bar so that only a few will stand out. Yes only a few because if there are so many winners, you practically put the non-winners in a bad light. Para bagang sinabi mo na ang mga hindi nanalo ay hindi anak ng Diyos!

What I am saying is that make the criteria very difficult to achieve because the harder the hurdle is to overcome, the sweetness is the victory.

Otherwise, people might say you are just trying to please the LGUs. O namumulitika ka lang Secretary.   

Maybe all the standards set by the DILG have been met by the participating LGUs; hence, they were all given due recognition to their endeavor. It is only on matter of naming it, outstanding or recognition.(Jason de Asis)

Priest named Aquino awardee for journalism

MANILA, December 6, 2011— For a mission that has spanned many years as documentary journalist, an Oblate missionary has been named as the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Fellowship Awardee for Journalism for 2011.

Fr. Eduardo Vasquez, Jr, was given recognition on Tuesday by the United States Embassy and the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation held at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

No less than President Benigno Aquino III handed the recognition to the Catholic missionary during the awarding ceremonies on Monday for his accomplishment and potential in journalism.

The priest was recognized for his social work and public service through the media group, i-Watch.

Deeply convinced in the power of media as a tool for evangelization and social transformation, he founded the organization in Upi, Maguindanao in 2006.

The i-Watch is a video documentary outfit of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and manned by people from the grassroots that were trained by Vasquez in the field of video productions.

Through the years, it has produced documentaries on socio-political, cultural and environmental issues particularly in Southern Philippines.

The nature of Vasquez’s works has put his life at risk many times especially when he was assigned in the war zones of Pikit, North Cotabato and Datu Piang, Maguindanao from 2008 to 2010, where he documented silently the plight of the displaced civilians and other victims of human rights abuses.

Aside from Vasquez, Lt. Roberto Beltran, operations and administration office at the naval forces in Poro Point, San Fernando City, La Union, was named as this year’s Aquino Fellow for Public Service.

Established in 1998 by the US Embassy in Manila as the Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Fellowships for Professional Development, it was renamed in 2009 the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Fellowships for Professional Development to commemorate President Aquino’s significant contribution to the strengthening of Philippine democratic institutions.

The Aquino fellows will travel to the United States on a three to four-week professional exchange program through the US Embassy’s International Visitor Program. [CBCPNews]

Aurora bags ‘seal of good housekeeping’ plum

DIPACULAO, Aurora, December 4, 2011–The Department of the Interior and Local Governments has conferred on this province the “Seal of Good Housekeeping” award.

The selection of the province as an awardee was announced by no less than DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo during the annual fiesta celebration in this town.

         

Robredo said the Aurora provincial government, led by Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, has satisfactorily publicly disclosed its fiscal management and operations and complied with auditing procedures.

He explained that the seal is given to local government units that have excelled in the areas of planning, budgeting, revenue mobilization, financial management and budget execution, procurement and resource mobilization.

The LGU, he said, must be able to pick out items in its annual investment plans that support national development priorities aimed at reducing poverty, spur economic development, and help conserve the environment through programs in ecological waste management or disaster risk reduction among others.

“Needless to say, it only means that the provincial government of Aurora is being managed excellently and efficiently,” he said.

Angara-Castillo said the award was a fitting tribute to the efforts of her administration to promote good governance anchored on her development agenda codenamed HEALTH which stands for health, education, agriculture, livelihood, trade and tourism development and human resource development.

“Here in Aurora, we have always promoted good governance, transparency and accountability of public officials and employees which have been my advocacy since I first served the Capitol in 2004,” she said.     

Earlier, Angara-Castillo was bestowed the 2011 Apolinario Mabini Award as LGU of the year for her programs and projects beneficial to persons with disabilities (PWDs). (Jason de Asis)  

Church to offer Masses for Filipino on China death row

MANILA, December 3, 2011— Catholic Churches will offer Masses on Sunday for a convicted Filipino drug trafficker facing execution in China.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the Masses would ask for divine intervention for the grant of the Aquino administration’s request to the Chinese government for commutation.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president, has already instructed all the dioceses to offer tomorrow’s Masses for the intention of the Filipino convict scheduled to be executed on December 8.

“We are united with our government leaders in the appeal to the Chinese government for a commutation of death penalty to life imprisonment,” Palma said.

“I already have given instructions to the bishops to ask their priests to offer prayers during the Masses tomorrow for our fellow Filipino set to be executed in China,” he said.

CBCP secretary general Msgr. Joselito Asis said the move was also in response to Vice President Jejomar Binay’s request for the CBCP to consider asking all churches to offer a Mass on Sunday for the Filipino convict.

“As a Catholic, I have an unshakable faith in the power of prayer, and if all Filipino Catholics storm the heavens with our common prayer for our ‘kababayan’, miracles can happen,” Binay said in a letter to Palma yesterday.

The Philippine government earlier said that a 35-year old man, who it did not identify, was convicted for smuggling 1.495 kilos of heron in Guangxi, a mountainous Chinese province bordering Vietnam.

The Filipino was nabbed last September 13, 2008 at the Guilin International Airport upon arrival from Malaysia after authorities found heroin in his possession.

On November 28, the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing affirmed a lower’s court’s decision to impose the capital punishment on him.

Media reports revealed that the Chinese authorities consider the decision to execute as final.

But Binay said: “We feel that this decision is just in the judicial level. It is our position that we can appeal for a change in the decision through political avenues starting from President Hu Jintao.”

The CBCP’s Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) earlier said it will write to the Chinese government to appeal for the commutation of the death sentence on the Filipino drug mule.

ECMI executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros said the Commission will submit a letter-request to the Chinese government to spare the OFW’s life for humanitarian reasons.

“We are hopeful that the letter to be sent to the Chinese Embassy by the ECMI would be forwarded at the earliest time to Beijing, and that the authorities would consider your appeal, together with the appeal of our President, in a positive light,” Binay said. [Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews]

P150-M biomass plant to be operational on January 2012 in Northern Aurora

DINALUNGAN, Aurora, December 2, 2011-The P150-million biomass gasification power plant on-going construction of a Filipino company in this town which is projected to provide 24-hour rural electrification to around 250 households will be operational on January 2012.

The Eco Market Solutions has investments in agro-industrial processing and in information technology is about to finish the power plant at an eight-hectare site in Barangay Dibaraybay and formerly expected to start this December 16 but due to the past typhoons that struck the province the owner of the power plant moved the schedule on January 2012.

Gao Pronove, EMS president said that the power plant, which will have a maximum power-generating capacity of up to two megawatts, will provide scalable and green power on a 24-hour basis using Indian technology in building the biomass plant which will utilize farmers’ waste materials such as rice hull, coconut husks, “palapa” (coco fronds) and branches as fuel.

He said that the country’s rice hull production is estimated at 45.2 million tons a year and is mostly generated in the major rice-producing regions such as Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and Western Visayas. Coconut residues are abundant in Southern Tagalog, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and in Davao.

  

Pronove said EMS is now buying up to P500,000 worth of coconut residual wastes like coconut husks and fronds for the project.

“We will gasify the agricultural waste and turn it into gas,” he explained, adding the plant will produce nitrogen, hydrogen, methane gas, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

“Farmers will also earn additional income because the company will buy their waste materials amounting to P1 per kilo. We need eight (8) tons of waste material per week to run the plant,” Pronove said, who is also the President of InnoPharma Philippines.

Pronove said EMS that after the power-generating equipment has been installed they will have full-blast operation in January, explaining that the plant is just a pilot project with an initial capacity of 250 kilowatts and when it becomes successful, EMS will increase its capacity to an additional 750 kilowatts for a total of 1,000 kilowatts in the whole of Dinalungan and expand its coverage areas by adding 500 kilowatts each in the nearby towns of Casiguran and Dilasag which get electricity supply of only one hour a day.

EMS will also seek the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission of a power service agreement between the firm and the Aurora Electric Cooperative (Aurelco) wherein excess power produced by the plant will be sold to Aurelco.

“EMS technology is 20 percent cleaner than power plants run by diesel engines and is relatively cheaper, more efficient and sustainable than the existing power supply in many non-grid areas in the country,” Pronove said, who is also the co-founder of Greenhouse Gas Management Institute. (Jason de Asis)

Archbishop Palma assumes CBCP presidency today

MANILA, December 1, 2011— Archbishop of Cebu, Jose Palma officially assumed leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Thursday.

Palma, a native of Dingle, Iloilo, becomes the 19th president of the bishops’ collegial body.

The official turnover ceremonies were heldcyesterday during the joint meeting of the outgoing and the incoming members of the CBCP Permanent Council at their headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

Prior to his election, Palma was CBCP vice president. He replaced Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar whose first term as head of the bishops’ leadership ended yesterday.

Elected as president only two years ago, Odchimar was entitled to a second term of two more years but he decided not to seek reelection to devote more pastoral attention to his diocese in Surigao del Sur.

CBCP officials normally hold two terms, each with a two-year tenure.

Also assuming post as new CBCP vice president is Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

The new members of the CBCP Permanent Council are: Tuguegarao Archbishop Sergio Utleg, Bishops Pablo Virgilio David of San Fernando, Pampanga, Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, Francisco de Leon of Antipolo, Reynaldo Evangelista of Boac, Leonardo Medroso of Tagbilaran, Patricio Buzon of Kabankalan, Antonieto Cabajog of Surigao and Guillermo Afable of Digos.

Elected last July by the plenary assembly of the CBCP, the Council is chaired "ex officio" by Palma.

Dumaguete Bishop John Du, on the other hand, assumed the position of treasurer, replacing Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco.

Cebuano priest Fr. Marvin Mejia also assumed today his post as assistant secretary general of the CBCP to assist Msgr. Joselito Asis, the conference’s new secretary general. [Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews]

Youth solidify anti-RH bill stand during Mt.Samat pilgrimage

BATAAN, November 30, 2011—Following the Annual Mt. Samat Pilgrimage, the youth participants from the diocese of Balanga and other dioceses in the Central Luzon Region solidified their stand against the proposed reproductive health (RH) bill on November 26 in Mt. Samat, Balanga, Bataan.

Jerome Tuazon, a 4th high school student and former staffer of the school paper, Extra, was among the marshals who went around obtaining signatures for the anti-RH bill signature campaign.

His school also conducted a similar signature campaign, Tuazon said.

“Minsan nahihiya din kasi may mga nakiki-argue na tao. Pag nag-sign naman po, may mga nagtatanong din,” the student said.

He explained that first of all, as Christians, people must follow the teachings of the Church about the issue.
“In my own opinion, RH bill is one way of killing [people].”

“Minsan din kasi nasa disiplina ng tao. Kung ayaw nilang lumaki ang pamilya nila, dapat matuto sila ng natural family planning. Useless din naman ang RH bill kung pwede naman disiplinahin ang ating sarili (Sometimes it is all about discipline. If they don’t want a big family, then they must learn natural family planning. No need for the RH bill if we’re able to discipline ourselves),” he said, explaining his opinion on why the measure shouldn’t be passed.

Asked how he knows about and gets updates on the issue, Tuazon said that as a blogger, he always checks the news and as of now, the bill is still a hot topic among bloggers.

For his part, Fr. Joshua Santos, MMHC, the Diocesan Youth Director of Bataan diocese lamented the consequences of an RH law, if passed, on the country’s youth.

“It’s a difficult time for us, especially to the youth. Kapag na-approve ang RH Bill, ‘yung mga values na pinaglalaban natin like purity, chastity, lahat ‘yun maiisantabi at mababale-wala (If the bill will be approved, the values that we are teaching like purity, chastity, all of those will be disregarded). The values of the youth will change,” Santos said.

Balanga is anti-RH

Meanwhile, Balanga Mayor Jose Enrique ‘Jo-et’ Garcia asserted that the city and the government is anti-RH.

“These pills are under group 1 in the list of drugs that are carcinogenic. Galing ‘to mismo sa WHO biennial report of 2005,” he said.

In his message to the youth, Garcia pointed out that “Lahat ng dapat ipatupad ay ipatupad, it can’t just be the rule of the majority but has to be based on the truth and it should uphold the dignity of man.”

The mayor also shared that seven barangays have already passed an ordinance banning the use of contraceptives in their own barangays.

But banning the use of the contraceptives in the city level is still up for approval with the city council.

The mayor also mentioned that the March for Love, March for Life” rally held in March gathered some 7,000 people around the Plaza.

On the other hand, Jay Quicho, a seminarian at the San Carlos Seminary and a former youth minister in the vicariate of Our Lady of the Pillar said that the youth who are pro-RH should weigh the issue and listen to both sides. Being firm in their faith is a must, too.

“Kung Katoliko ka, panindigan mong Katoliko ka. (If you’re a Catholic, you must stand up for your faith),” Quicho said. (Jandel Posion)

Aurora police senior officer among 8 most outstanding cops in Central Luzon

Pride of Aurora, outstanding police
non-commission officer of the
 year awardee SPO2 Desiderio
‘Ding’ Noora. (Jason de Asis)  

BALER, Aurora, November 29, 2011-Eight most outstanding police officers in Central Luzon were awarded Friday night by Deputy Director General Arturo G. Cacdac of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Chief for Operations in partnership with JBT Group of Companies under Jose B. Tan at Camp Olivas, San Fernando City Pampanga.

Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Desiderio ‘Ding’ Noora of Aurora provincial police office was awarded Police Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year (PNCO) together with SPO2 Danilo Nazareno-Bataan PPO, while SPO1 Shirley Mostoles-Olongapo CPO and PO2 Norbelita Ingaw-Tarlac PPO for the Women Police Services category.

Other awardees in the region were Superintendent Edgar Alan Okubo, Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, and Supt. Rommel Velasco, Bataan PPO director for the Senior Police Commissioned Officer (PCO) category.

Under the junior PCO category, the awardees were Chief Inspector Luisito Tan of the Angeles City Police Office and Chief Insp. Pascual delos Reyes of the Tarlac PPO.

Supt. Romeo de Castro, Central Luzon PNP spokesman said in a telephone interview that this was the first time that JBT Group of Companies gave recognition to PNP.

“It was timely since the program of the police dubbed, ‘Strengthening the Reward and Disciplinary System of the PNP,” as among the priority thrusts of Director General Nicanor Bartolome in his 10 Point Action Plan,” de Castro said.

However, he said that they will also be swift and decisive in punishing the misfits, undisciplined or scalawag police.

“Police awardees were given P30,000 each and trophy from the JBT Group of Companies which sponsored the event last Friday,” de Castro said.

The 8 outstanding policemen awardees
standing from left are P/Supt. Edgar
Alan O. Okubo-Nueva Ecija, P/Supt.
Rommel A. Velasco-Bataan,
P/Chief Insp. Luisito M. Tan-Angeles
City, P/Chief Insp. Pascual M.   delos
Reyes-Tarlac, SPO2 Desiderio ‘ding’
Noora-Aurora, SPO2 Danilo R.
Nazareno-Bataan, PO2 Norbelita G.
Ingaw-Tarlac and SPO1 Shirley
B. Mostoles-Olongapo
City. (Jason de Asis)

Central Luzon PNP Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao, regional police director, said that the awardees were chosen based on their accomplishments in maintaining the stability of peace and order situation in their respective area of responsibility and also in pursuing crime suspects.

Ladao said that the screening of awardees was held by the panel of Judges after its meticulous process of evaluation, verification of documents, performance, accomplishments and interviews of all nominees in the entire region which the selection board were the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Florida Dijan, National Police Commission (Napolcom) Regional Director Manuel Pontanal, Commission on Higher Education Officer-in-Charge Virginia Akiate, and Monsignor Eugenio Mercado.

Meanwhile, as of this writing Noora was lauded by the people of Aurora saying that he deserved the additional feathers in his cap, a model family man, devoted policeman, and a layman. (Jason de Asis) 

Aurora nails down seal of good housekeeping award says Robredo

DIPACULAO, Aurora, November 28, 2011-A top executive of the department of the interior and local government (DILG) has announced yesterday that the province of Aurora won the prestigious seal of good housekeeping award.

DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said that the award is conferred to the provincial government units that have satisfactory disclosed its fiscal management and operations publicly while following all the country’s requirements on audit procedures where her office granted the prestigious award to Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo.

“Gusto ko pong ipaabot ngayong kapistahang ito sa bayan ng Dipaculao na sa buong Pilipinas, ang lalawigan ng Aurora ay ginawaran ng seal of good house-keeping dahil sa pagsisikap ng inyong mga  leader,” Robredo said.

“The ‘good housekeeping seal’ is given to LGUs that have excelled in the areas of planning, budgeting, revenue mobilization, financial management and budget execution, procurement and resource mobilization,” Robredo added.

The criteria was that the LGU be able to pick out items in its annual investment plans that support national development priorities that help bring down poverty, spur economic development, and help conserve the environment through programs in ecological waste management or disaster risk reduction among others.

“Isa lang po ang ibig sabihin nito, ang lalawigan ng Aurora ay may mahusay na pamahalaan at mahusay na pamayanan na pinangangalagaan,” Robredo revealed.

Prior to this, Angara-Castillo was also awarded the 2011 Apolinario Mabini Award for local government unit of the year for her dedication to duty and hard work in the implementation of programs and projects that benefit persons with disabilities.

It could also be remembered that Angara-Castillo has consistently been chosen as hall of fame award when she was a congresswoman and now as governor of the province. (Jason de Asis)

Dipaculao celebrates 61st Foundation Anniversary

DIPACULAO, Aurora, November 28, 2011-Dipaculao yesterday held its culminating 61^st foundation anniversary with the theme: “Luntiang Kapaligiran:Responsableng mamamayan, tungo sa kaunlaran” led by Mayor Reynante Tolentino.

Tolentino said that the town’s celebration started last November 2 in their 5^th

Mayor’s cup at the municipality’s covered court and volley ball court. Other activities were ginebra night, St. dancing competition and brgy. night/SK night-auditorium.

A grand parade and program were also held yesterday morning with the towns’ guest DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, Congressman Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara, Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Baler Mayor Arthur J. Angara, Casiguran Mayor Reynaldo “Binsu” Bitong, Dingalan Mayor Zenaida Padiernos and Maria Aurora Mayor Ariel Bitong.

A drum and lyre competition was also held in the afternoon then followed by SMB night and awarding ceremony. (Jason de Asis)

Group urges recycling Christmas decors for Christmas

MANILA, November 27, 2011—With just 28 days more to go before Christmas, an anti-pollution watchdog is urging the public to use recycled materials as decorations for Christmas.

EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog noted that beautiful decorations can be crafted out of recycled materials.

Aside from saving a lot of money from using recycled materials for decorations, it is also an effective way of addressing the garbage problem that piles up during the holiday season, the group said.

Recycling advocate Ofelia Panganiban of the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized this point as she lauded Makati City’s “3B sa Pasko” recycling project.

“3B sa Pasko,” which stands for “Basura’y Bawasan, Balik-Gamitin at Baguhin ang Anyo sa Pasko,” seeks to reduce the waste volume during the holidays, as well as promote recycling awareness among city residents.

The recycling project turns discards into beautiful Christmas ornaments like Christmas trees from a frame of an old umbrella, cardboard boxes, tin cans and plastic bottles.

Lanterns can also be fashioned out of bottle caps, drinking straws and tetra packs.

Making decorations from discards is an eco-friendly way of expressing the Christmas spirit without creating trash, Panganiban said.

She added that the endeavor is not only good for the environment, but also in strengthening family relationship as family members bond together while doing the activity.

It is also a good source of income for enterprising group and individuals, she added.

Panganiban noted that Makati’s “3B sa Pasko” participants earned P139,527 in total sales in 2010, an eight percent increase from the sales of 2009.

"We hope our community recyclers will earn more this year and prove once again 'may pera sa basura' (there's money in trash)," she stated. (CBCPNews)

Elderly couple exchange I do’s after 31 years

SAN LEONARDO, Nueva Ecija, November 26, 2011-After 31 long and agonizing years of “living-in” together, a 67-year-old farmer finally took his 74-year-old girlfriend home as his lawfully wedded wife in this town Saturday night.

And they sealed it with a brief smooch after the mayor, who officiated the wedding, told them: “you may now kiss the bride.”

Rogelio Pangilinan and Juliana Ramos both heaved a sigh of relief after their civil wedding at the campus grounds of the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology.

“It’s a dream come true,” says a visibly overjoyed Pangilinan of his union with Ramos. They were one of over a dozen couples who swapped I do’s in the mass wedding presided by Mayor Froilan Nagaño who also doubled as sponsor together with Board Member Romanito Juatco and Jon Padiernos, who represented Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos.

The mass wedding was the main highlight of the affair which also included the inauguration of the sprawling municipal park and a rock concert.

Nagaño said the event was a wedding for all ages. “Here, you can see people of various ages getting married, the old and the young. Finally, their relationship will be blessed with this marriage,” he said of the couple.

Pangilinan told newsmen that before he met Ramos in 1980, he was a 36-year-old bachelor looking for a lifetime partner. “It’s love at first sight,” he recalls fondly.

Ramos is a mother of four children from her husband of a previous marriage. She has 17 grandchildren. Her first husband died in 1991.

Pangilinan said that in spite of this development, they could not get married right away, citing hard times.

Asked if there would be a honeymoon afterwards, Pangilinan giggled, saying “we have been through that for 31 years.” (Jason de Asis) 

Church urges Aquino to help Hacienda Luisita farmers

MANILA, November 25, 2011— Now that the Supreme Court has spoken, Catholic Church officials called on President Benigno Aquino III to ensure the distribution of Hacienda Luisita to the farmers and provide them with support services.

Fr. Edu Gariguez of the National Secretariat for Social Action— Justice and Peace (Nassa) said he is certain Aquino’s clan, which owns the vast sugar plantation, will make moves to block the land distribution.

“The Cojuangcos will definitely oppose land distribution as what they did in the long history of this struggle,” Gariguez said.

“President Aquino must now show impartiality and political will in implementing social reform law. He should not give special favors to his relatives and friends,” he said.

Nassa is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines which is at the forefront of the Church’s campaign for agrarian reform.

The CBCP official also vowed the Church will keep an eye on the case until the agricultural land is fully distributed to the 6,296 farmer beneficiaries.

“Land distribution is just the primary step in genuine land reform. We will continue our work to ensure that the farmers will be given the needed support services,” he said.

“The government, under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, is supposed to help the farmers. Without this support, the farmers are always in danger of losing their lands,” Gariguez added.

The High Court on Wednesday ordered the distribution of 4,915 hectare Hacienda Luisita to the farmers.

It also ordered the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) management to pay farm worker beneficiaries P1.3 billion—P500 million for the sale of 200 hectares of land in 1996, P750 million for the sale of the Luisita Industrial Park and another P80 million for the sale of the 80-hectare lot for the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) road network. [CBCPNews]