Davao smoking ban lauded
December 5, 2009
Philippine city gains world recognition
Beyond unenclosed outdoors, the practice of smoking in public building, vehicles and enclosed areas and other areas that the local government has designated as non-smoking place is considered illegal in Davao City. (Mick M. Basa)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The commitment and dedication of this city’s local government to promote smoke-free policies for more than seven years has gained world recognition.
Global Smokefree Partnership (GSP), an international organization formed to promote smoke-free air policies worldwide, has recently named Davao City as a leading governmental body for its exceptional leadership by banning the practice of smoking in public building, vehicles and enclosed areas and other areas that the local government has designated as non-smoking places.
Since 2002, a group comprised of the city mayor, tourism officer and the police has formed a task force that patrols violators of the local policy.
The Task Force has expanded its membership by creating a partner group known as the Smoke-Free Davao Advocates, which includes non-government and socio-civic organizations, health professional and religious groups, indigenous people’s group and other community leaders. Each group is tasked to support the Campaign through information dissemination, education, and advocacy.
This year, the task force has tallied a total of 690 violators apprehended by the police from January to July of this year. Since the practice has been made illegal in identified areas since 2002, the team has apprehended more than 8,000 violators.
Violators are then sued before the regional trial court. If found guilty, a fine of 300 Pesos or 1 month imprisonment is charged for first time offenders, depending on the court’s discretion.
Establishments violating the law are given notices of violation for a possible closure by the business bureau.
This city, located at the southern portion of the Philippines, has more than 1.5 million people.
Here, a conspicuous “Death Clock” billboard also stands at the entrance of the city hall, unveiling statistics of deaths due to smoking.
“67,440 Filipinos have died from tobacco from the time this picture-based health warning was passed in congress last December 20, 2007,” the ‘Death Clock’ said.
Lawyer’s family remains hopeful
December 1, 2009
Irene Gepolio-Jayme, mother of the slain lawyer, Connie Jayme Brizuela remains to keep calm even after her daughter was bruttaly killed in Barangay Salman in nearby Ampatuan town. Their family believes that perpetrators of the mass bloodshed will be convicted, even if it takes time.
KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato – Refusing to yield into the complete loss of hope, the family of one of the victims of the Maguindanao carnage embraced the pain and burned it as fuel for what they call a “long journey” to lay justice to lawyer Concepcion “Connie” Jayme Brizuela.
In a visit to Brizuela’s wake in Fantonial Funeral Homes on Thursday, this city, Irene Gepolio-Jayme, Connie’s mother, admitted she was greatly dismayed upon hearing the news her daughter was slain along with journalists and civilians in Barangay Salman in nearby Ampatuan town.
“But I resisted to break into sorrow because doctor’s have given word that my weak heart might put my life on threat if I won’t control my emotions,” the 73-year old mother said, who is also suffering from diabetes.
Nonoy Jayme, Connie’s brother, said their family is welcoming the caving-in of Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. to authorities on Thursday. But Jayme said it might take a long time until he would be convicted.
“We’re not fully satisfied with his arrest. He (Ampatuan Jr.) might have surrendered because of certain conditions and special treatment,” he said.
The Jaymes and families of the victim will file criminal cases next week against Mayor Ampatuan Jr. in Kidapawan, General Santos City, Maguindanao and other areas.
“The father, Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., is also involved in this as the backhoe serves as a strong evidence to implicate him to this mass killing of innocent civilians,” Jayme said.
Struggling to bring justice while confronted with a kingpin whom is said is able to use power and wealth to circumvent the law, the Jaymes said it is far-fetched for the suspects to escape what they have done, even if they could have the president confer pardon on them.
“It will take 62 more presidents to beg for pardon because there are 63 criminal cases (or more) waiting for them,” the lawyer’s brother said, believing that the rule of law won’t easily be bypassed in a crime such as this.
Over the years, friends of Lawyer Brizuela have testified her advocacy in assisting human rights victims who are in need of legal assistance.
“She was a pro bono lawyer to the poor and the lumads. Now we’re surprised she has become a victim herself – perpetrated by terrorists who hide under the cloak of legality.” Fr. Peter Jeremiah of North Cotabato said. (MB)
Ducks seen better alternative to pesticides, fertilizers
November 24, 2009
By MICK M. BASA
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Not all rice fields here in Mindanao are converted into banana plantations –a trend of which is partly blamed to the scarcity of rice in the country. Here, a non-government organization is helping farmers gradually adapt to a farming technology that uses ducks to recover the rice industry.
The rice-duck integration, known as the Aigamo project of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Foundation for National Development (PARFUND), is slowly gaining ground in the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and some parts of the Caraga region.
Jose Apollo Pacamalan, program director of the Aigamo project, said this technology uses ducks to maintain a healthy rice paddy environment which, in turn, increase rice yield and reduce production cost of rice due non-use of pesticides.
The ducks used in paddies help the rice seedlings grow by eating both insects and weeds that get in the way. These ducklings then stir up the soil in the rice paddy with their feet and bills, which increases the oxygen content of the soil, making it more nutritious for the seedlings.
Once the rice becomes ready for harvest, the ducks on the other hand have grown fat and could be sold in the market.
“This has lead to increase income and diversified food sources for the local people thanks to the simultaneous production of duck meat, rice and eggs (balut),” Pacamalan told the Manila Bulletin in an online interview. Pacamalan is currently in Langolnglong, Misamis Oriental where the rice-duck farming method was demonstrated to farmers yesterday.
Hitting two birds with one stone since 2007, the Aigamo project expects to reach 10 percent increase in yield, which would translate to 25 percent increase in three years.
“In Zamboanga del Sur, 26 hectares has been converted into rice-duck paddies while 50 hectares for Trento, Agusan del Sur”, Shiela Mandaguay, PARFUND communications officer said.
Although the technology requires much effort to stir up the acceptance of agriculture technicians and rice farmers who have become dependent on conventional rice farming technology, Pacamalan said they have pushing hard to implement to project since they believe ducks can function better than pesticides, herbicides and chemicals fertilizers.
Turning his other cheek
November 24, 2009
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Even after the mayor of this city ordered the destruction of the public park named after the father of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, the lawmaker turned his other cheek by filing a measure to name a public school after the father of his political rival.
“Although he casted stones on me, I’ll avenge by throwing back bread,” Nograles said in Filipino after getting word that the Senate has already approved House Bill (HB) 6435.
HB 6435 intends to separate the Governor Vicente Duterte Annex in Barangay Bangkal, Talomo District, this city, from the Mabini National High School – converting it to an independent national high school.
The proposed law, already ratified by both the Senate on November 16 and the House of Representatives on June 3, would transfer all personnel, assets, liabilities and records of the Mabini National High School to be absorbed by the Governor Vicente Duterte National High School.
“We build and preserve the legacies of great men like the late Governor Duterte, for their great deeds. I’m in public service to build and not to destroy,” stressed Nograles holding the still unnumbered law which President Arroyo is expected to sign soon.
Nograles recently charged government officials here before the office of the ombudsman for destructing the canal cover project built through his initiative and named after his father, Enrico Nograles.
The officials, Jose Gestuveo, Jr.,City Administrator Wendel Avisado and Yusop Jimlani on July were placed under preventive suspension not exceeding six months and without pay.
But the Court of Appeals on October 12 reversed the preventive suspension and ruled that the demolition was done with a demolition permit and implies a regularity of public duty.
In an earlier note, Duterte said he loathes the idea of naming public establishments after non-heroic persons.
The mayor recalled that the local government lobbied to name a street after his father back when he was still serving as vice mayor. “Records will show that I stood up and I would not like to participate to name the place after my father,” he said, adding that he thought the idea conceited.
Poll machines unable to detect flying voters
November 7, 2009
By BONG M. REBLANDO, MICK BASA
November 5, 2009, 5:28pm
MANILA BULLETIN
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Jose Tolentino, the executive director of the Commission on Elections, Thursday said that the Smartmatic automated poll machine is incapable of detecting multiple registration of voters and “flying voters,” a case which led to the recent bombing in Marawi City.
“The automated machine cannot detect flying voters or multiple registrations of voters. The teachers manning the voting may check flying voters through the pictures of list of voters and the voters who will cast their ballots on election day,” he said.
In Davao City, groups concerned with the questionable processing of the automated election system (AES) also urged the Comelec to release the source code that is allegedly fraught with unreliable vote counting structure.
Rona Castillo, a fellow of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), bared in a press briefing Thursday that the 82,000 sets of poll machines have not yet undergone testing nor have arrived on time for such purpose.
Tolentino of the Comelec explained that the automated machine is not equipped with a gadget or software to detect flying voters, although a bill is pending in Congress to enable a verification of voters through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
In the Marawi City incident, a resident of Lanao del Norte died while several others, including minors, were injured when an explosion hit a line of people who were queuing to register as voters in the city’s Comelec office.
Police and Army troops led by Brig. Gen. Rey Ardo, 401st brigade commander, later found out that most victims of the blast caused by a hand grenade were not local residents but were from Lanao del Norte who tried to register as flying voters in Marawi City.
The discovery of the dubious scheme to register flying voters after the deadly grenade bombing has led to the relief of the Comelec registrar of Marawi City to ensure the dignity of registration of voters, a move welcomed by Lanao del Sur Gov. Bombit Adiong.
In Taguig City, a dubious discovery of almost 700 centenarians in the city’s voters’ list has also raised concerns about the integrity of the computerized registration of voters.
Tolentino emphasized that the automated machines are basically designed to do computerized counting of ballots in the fastest way to void attempts to cheat in the counting as experienced in previous elections.
Smartmatic personnel, the Information Communications Technology Solutions Association of Region 12 and Central Mindanao Comelec officials led by regional director Mike Abbas held a day-long information drive in Robinson’s Place Gensan on the automated elections to demonstrate the capacity of the electronic machines to count ballots.
Smartmatic personnel demonstrated the machine’s high speed capability of electronic counting of ballots, the machine’s battery which can last for several hours and its capability to operate using car or truck batteries should a power outage occur.
Tolentino and Smartmatic officials also assured the public that the software of the automated machine cannot be hacked as it will reject any alien entry to penetrate the software.
Abbas stressed that Smartmatic holds the technology for automated elections but it is the Comelec which runs the technology, operate, supervise and control the computerized machine.
However, CenPEG in Davao reiterated that Comelec left the AES untested and is fraught with at least 30 vulnerabilities and weak spots ranging from ballot printing, the lack of a source code review, to unreliable infrastructural systems and imminent power and telecommunication transmission failures.
Among the 30 vulnerabilities, Castillo said the source code is the most critical since the counting of the votes would rely on the software to be used by AES.
“How will we know if the program used is correct and whether it is secured or not?” she said.
To put teeth to their advocacy, Castillo said their group has filed a petition of mandamus before the Supreme Court last October 5 to compel the Comelec to release the source codes.
But in a statement published on its website (comelec.gov.ph), Comelec said it recently selected SysTest Labs of Colorado, USA to review and certify the source code of the AES pursuant to provisions of RA 9369 Sec. 9.
“SyTest laid out a multi-faceted approach to detail system integration and the functional artifacts for testing the AES in various load and stress situation. SysTest specified areas of review and validation which include security of public fading devices, error notification, associated recovery aspects, apart from auditing capabilities,” the Comelec said.
Miguel Avila of the Smartmatic-TIM Corporation had earlier assured that their machines are “stand alone” and could not easily be hacked even by technology-savvy people. He added that the 128-bit system is virtually hack-proof and could not be successfully hacked.
Both EBF and CenPEG conducted an AES voters’ education orientation last November 3, which gathered around 20 religious leaders comprised of nuns, bishops and pastors.
“This is a very challenging task for us, poll watchers, because the counting of votes would become invisible to the naked eye,” said Sr. Elsa Compuesta of the Sister’s Association in Mindanao.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/228081/poll-machines-unable-detect-flying-voters
Cat burglars, they are not
July 21, 2009
By Mick Basa / Mindanao Times
WHEN YOU SEE teenagers around town vaulting from roof to roof, somersaulting on narrow ledges, or hopping on balconies, please refrain from immediately dialing 911. You might be looking at Parkour enthusiasts instead of cat burglars.
Parkour what?
Parkour traces its roots a former French naval officer named Georges Hérbert who discovered some indigenous tribes in Africa brandishing their flexible bodies sans actual training in gymnastics during World War I. Inspired by what he saw, Hérbert began to teach a new set of techniques in physical education when he went back home, borrowing the styles of those gymnast-like tribes in Africa. His teachings spread throughout France and soldiers and firefighters began to develop obstacle courses that were later dubbed as parcours du combatant and parcours SP.
Parkour Davao
Parkour literally means the art of movement. “For us Parkourists, it is the efficiency of moving from point A to point B,” Parkour Davao (PKD) pathfinder, Chunks Pude said.
“There are two parkour teams in Davao: Parkour Society Davao (PSD) and Parkour Davao (PKD). Sometimes the two teams hold a session together,” said Chunks. “The teams formally gathered last June.
Parkour practitioners are often called traceurs while traceurses for females.
“Parkour really began here two years ago but there was no formal introduction coupled with reproaches from authorities and park rangers,” he said.
“Last May 22, it was only Bern and I who broke out of boredom and found something new,” Chunks said. “From BMX, we felt the urge to try more than we used to – so we tried this new sport.”
“There is always something new with Parkour. Every location is another obstacle for our bodies to take challenge.”
Meet Parkour Davao
Last week, PKD members Lesly Nazareno, Jericho Calzo, Bern Rageth, Anjo Dorado and joined Pude as they displayed their daring (and dangerous) moves from scaling roofs and walls at the Davao Memorial Park. “Memorial parks are actually good places to do our stunts,” Chunks emphasized.
The enthusiasts always begin their day with conditioning activities such as warm-ups, push-ups, along with stretching, jumping and jogging.
Bern, 21, climbs and jumps effortlessly from wall to wall, and his friends are hardly surprised. After all, his moniker “King of the Wall” is not an accident. Anjo, a newcomer, is known for his powerful upper body moves while Jericho owns the best balance.
Lesly, PKD’s traceaurses, is the only female member of the group but this doesn’t stop her from performing stunts people think are only seen in the silver screen.
“I’ve been aware about Parkour long ago. But it is only now I’ve brought my wish to life,” she said. Lesly believes that Parkour has helped her become physically fit even when she’s at the novice level.
“I am proud to say that I am a fan of this art of motion too. The first time I met PKD was during the time I saw them parkouring at People’s Park,” said Jerico, a.k.a. Bato. Since then, he has been hooked to the sport. “This is a best way to do away with vices,” he said.
Not just stunts
Chunks said Parkour is not just an art of motion. He believes that the philosophy behind doing adventurous stunts is about conquering fears. “Everything can be accomplished. Along with physical and mental fitness, we have come to learn to embrace fear by facing it.”
According to Chunks, there are no rules in Parkouring. “Except for gravity, which we even defy by applying the right body moves,” he added.
Davaoeño Parkours go places around the city to look at challenging obstacles to overcome and learning new moves in the process.
“We usually go to Magsaysay Park but skateboarders are all over the place,” Bern said. “If we can’t be found in Magsaysay Park, we might be in City Hall Drive or here at Davao Memorial Park.”
Help, anyone?
While the movement has slowly gained acceptance, authorities and pedestrians still dismiss Parkour enthusiasts as a nuisance and even a danger. It’s the reason why the group is trying to gather support from sports organizers, businesses and philantrophists to organize a Parkour event in the city.
“Sometimes authorities break our routine because they stop us from what they believe is dangerous,” said Chunks. Aside from being suspected of being burglars, of course.
Anjo, the introvert but very talented traceur, finds Parkouring a fulfilling sport. “At first, it was too difficult to vault from point to point. But now parkouring comes out naturally. I did not only develop my stamina, but it also boosted my confidence and courage,” he added.
If you see some teenagers at the park doing stunts, seriously, don’t call the police.
ADDU students urged to register for 2010 elections
July 16, 2009
By Mick M. Basa / Mindanao Times
STUDENTS of the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) are expected to register today in preparation for the 2010 elections.
The “Atenista Ako, Tama Ako” program aims to entice students of the school to register so they will be able to vote in the elections next year. “We are hoping that the youth would do their part as citizens of this country by bringing their voice in the form of their vote,” said Michelle Ong, ADDU Social Involvement Coordinating Office (SICO) program officer.
Ong said about 40% of the students have yet to register. She explained that some students find it hard to register even when the office of the Commission on Elections is near. The office is located at Magsaysay Park.
“The students don’t have the luxury of time to register because of their busy schedules,” she added.
SICO also organized the voter’s registration program especially for students who are not residents of the city. “They won’t be forced to go back to their localities during May just to vote,” she explained.
While the registration program is primarily for the Ateneo community, Ong told TIMES that Comelec instructed them to accommodate visitors who wish to register as well. “This is a government service,” said Ong.
The registration starts today for District 1 and tomorrow for Districts 2 and 3. Ong said ADDU is the first school in the city to collaborate with Comelec for the 2010 voter’s registration.
Hunger forces 2 of 3 kids to quit school
July 6, 2009
By Mick Basa / Mindanao Times
THE prevalence of hunger in Mindanao has forced two of every three children to quit school, an official of the World Food Program said.
“(The) level of malnutrition is very high. Food security, nutrition and education are very low amid the availability of natural resources here,” said Alghassim Wurie, WFP deputy director.
In some areas in Central and Western Mindanao, armed conflicts have exacerbated the situation, said Wurie, as he blamed poverty on the continued armed conflicts in the island.
“And because of the conflict, a lot of homes, livelihood, schools, clinics are destroyed,” he said.
Based on the data of the Department of Education, in the school year 2006-2007 in the elementary level, 13 of Mindanao provinces were among the 20 provinces whose net enrollment ratio (NET), or the ratio of those enrolled with the total population of a certain age group, was very low.
The case was worse in the secondary level as only three of the 20 provinces with low NER were not from Mindanao, the report added.
Ever Abasolo, Mindanao Economic Development Council economic specialist, said that hunger has become a bane in the pursuit of peace in the island. “You lose all sense of rationality when you’re hungry,” Abasolo said.
One big problem is the seeming indifference on the part of some rich people, Wurie added. “A lot of people got wealthy because they studied poverty and hungry. But they don’t do anything to stop it,” he said.
“The cost of hunger is more morbid than HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acute immunodeficiency syndrome), tuberculosis and malaria,” he said.
Wurie’s organization has already supported internally displaced people (IDPs) in Central Mindanao and other parts of the island beset by armed conflict. “(About) 11,000 tons of food such as rice, oil, beans and dates (for Muslims) are distributed to 600,000 IDPs. We have been giving food since August,” he added.
He said his group has vowed to continue its fight against hunger in Mindanao, particularly on helping IDPs. “(Some) 50,000 families need our help.”
“We decided to maintain food rationing. We distribute 25 kilos of rice, 5 kilos of beans and 5 kilos of oil twice a month every 2 weeks. In that way, we can avoid people sell their received goods,” he added.
Wurie, however, said the organization has received complaints from the military. “AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) blames us on feeding the rebels. If there’s conflict, they blame you. But for us, we don’t check whom we are giving. Any person will be fed regardless of political participation,” he said.
WFP closed in 1996 but has re-established its presence in the country.
Science and Math: Tools to discovery
July 4, 2009
Published in Mindanao Times (4 July 2009)
FOR MOST people, science is something they do not wish to delve into. But for young Jovani, science is a tool to answer life’s many questions.
Jovani Tomale, 16, was then a senior at the Davao City National High School (DCNHS), when he worked on a research project that would determine the sex of the endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecohaga Jeffery).
His study topped other student research projects here and at the regional leve. He won first place during the Intel Philippine Regional Science Fair (XI) and then, at the national competition held in Olongapo in February this year, he bagged the second place.
“I felt so contented during that time because everyone deserves to win,” Jovani said. But the story didn’t end there.
Jovani, with eight other high school students chosen to represent the Philippines in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Reno, Nevada. It was the largest gathering of pre-college students across the world who brought their inventions in the competition.
There in Reno, the Davaoeno who an award in Physical Science.
The bedrock of his study was a computer program which could interpret an eagle’s size of beak, tarsus and weight and through a mathematical formula, determine whether it is male or female.
“My research was born out of curiosity. During my extraordinary trip to the Philippine Eagle Center, a staff shared to us the problem in determining the eagle’s gender. If they can’t determine the gender, they can’t proceed in breeding the species in captivity,” Jovani said.
Jovani, who is now studying at Ateneo de Davao University, said that the aim of the research was to prevent the wrong pairing of the eagles. “If they aren’t rightly matched, chances are they will harm each other,” he said.
Jovani said that eagles are sexually monomorphic. “The sex organs, male and female, look the same.”
This promising scientist, (though he is taking a degree in Accountancy) confessed that his passion for science could be traced back to grade school. However he admits that his understanding of Science and Mathematics has evolved when he reached high school.
“Before, Science and Math for me are subjects that may be done well through memorization, he said. “Real science is when you get to answer your own questions out of your own experiment.”
He believes these two disciplines unfold curtains of wisdom that guide us in our journey through life. “Napaka cool pala ng math. We are able to solve problems because we are able to formulate answers that most people think are impossible.”
This brought Jovani to come out with a mathematical model that could provide considerable assitance to the foundation that has helped preserve the Philippine Eagle from extinction.
“They’ve realized that mathematics can calculate even the most hairsplitting of all tasks.” Because of Jovani’s contribution to the development of PEF, they have cut their time of waiting for eagles to determine their sex until they turn five years old and saved them from costly laboratory procedures such as DNA testing.
The young scientist enjoys computer games and chatting with friends during his spare time. He turns the boob tube on to watch the Big Bang Theory in which he says Sheldon Cooper is his favorite character.
“It was an overwhelming experience. I got to meet the US Ambassador to the Philippine and the chairman for Intel. While we were in Reno, there were different people from different places.”
Jovani told TIMES that his academic trip opened doors and windows of opportunities. “I had the opportunity to meet other scientists from all over, including Nobel Prize winners. I felt really lucky. To think that we had the chance to share to the world what our study was all about – considereing that we did not spend money to flaunt our research.”
Science is something most people wouldn’t dare delving in anymore. But Jovani Tomale embraced science in his quest for answers. His questions show his advocacy in preserving the environment, the same questions that led him to Reno, Nevada. (Mick Basa)
