ALABEL, Sarangani (December 21, 2011) – Coffins from Sultan Kudarat province are delivered Wednesday, December 21, by KARANCHO (Kababayan Riders Association for New Cultural Harmony and Order) Sultan Kudarat chapter at the Capitol gymnasium, the central drop off point for the donation drive for flood victims in Cagayan de Oro City and neighboring affected areas that suffered the wrath of typhoon Sendong. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (December 21, 2011) – A volunteer helps out in unloading caskets delivered at the Capitol gymnasium Wednesday, December 21, by KARANCHO (Kababayan Riders Association for New Cultural Harmony and Order) Sultan Kudarat chapter. The caskets along with other donated goods for flood victims will be transported to Cagayan de Oro City on the dawn of December 22. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (December 20, 2011) – Workers pile sacks of rice from the municipal government of Maitum Tuesday afternoon (December 20) at the Capitol gym, the operation center for the flood victims in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City. (Jun Ramos/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (December 20, 2011) – Rice from the municipal government of Maitum arrive Tuesday afternoon (December 20) at the Capitol gym, the operation center for the flood victims in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City. (Jun Ramos/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (December 20, 2011) – Rep. Manny Pacquiao carries a polio victim toward a wheelchair during the ‘Sagip Bata Year-2’ project of Mayor Reynaldo Constantino (right). Local government officials and health workers also distributed gift packs of rice, assorted grocery items, t-shirt and toys. During the event, Rep. Pacquiao announced the distribution of one sack of rice to each of the 250 children who attended. (JoJo Gocotano /MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (December 20, 2011) – Governor Migs Dominguez and municipal planning officer Tomas Montefalcon (left) inspect one of the capital town’s two new firetrucks Tuesday, December 20. The firetrucks were procured thru a counterparting scheme wherein the provincial government allotted P1.3 million and the municipal government P700,000. (Romina Rabina/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (December 20, 2011) – Paula Astoriaga packs used clothing to be donated to the victims of typhoon “Sendong” in Cagayan de Oro City and neighboring areas as she responded to the public service announcement over a local radio station here that the provincial government of Sarangani and the Red Cross in General Santos City are accepting donations for the flood victims. A fast cargo forwarder will be sending a truck to pick up donations on Thursday at the Provincial Capitol gymnasium, the central drop off point of the donation drive spearheaded by Sarangani Governor Migs Dominguez. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Farmers in Davao Oriental hit a provincial agrarian reform official for his lack of political will in installing 17 CARP beneficiaries in the 29-hectare Arcal Estate in Mandug, Gov. Generoso town on December 14. Felipe Neri Esclito, spokesperson of the beneficiaries said “PARO Venchito Mandap has no political will and does not follow orders from his superiors and is a big stumbling block in the implementation of agrarian reform in the province.” “After all the preparations undertaken by DAR central office and with the support of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jessie Robredo to consummate the installation, Mandap succumbed to pressure from the former landowners,” Esclito said. Inspite of the assured support by the local police and the Philippine Army, Mandap cancelled the scheduled installation of the farmer-beneficiaries saying it was difficult for him to decide to proceed with the installation process because the landowners and their lawyer have mounted resistance within the area. The installation team was about to leave for Barangay Mandug when the former landowners and their legal counsel barred them and cited legal infirmities related to the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) issued by DAR. “His command to proceed was crucial in such a situation and that the PNP and Army would have certainly followed his orders,” Esclito said. This is the third time this year that PARO Mandap failed in the installation. First on May 4 and then on July 19. The farmer-beneficiaries received their CLOAs in December 1998. In May this year, some of them joined a head-shaving protest against slow implementation of agrarian reform in Davao Oriental. “It is a bleak Christmas for us especially that DAR has no set new date for installation. But we are looking forward to finally set foot on and make productive our own land,” Esclito said. /30

ALABEL, Sarangani (December 15, 2011) – The Southwestern Mindanao office of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is now the official gateway and conduit of any and all concerns related to trading and economic relations of Region 12 with the East ASEAN trading areas of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. In a resolution passed during its 36th regular meeting on December 7 at Alabel, the Regional Development Council (RDC) 12, the highest policy-making body in the SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos) Region, formally designated the PCCI Southwestern Mindanao Regional Office in General Santos City as the region’s Coordinating Desk for BIMP-EAGA concerns. BIMP-EAGA or Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, is a grouping of the sub-national growth areas of the four Southeast Asian countries aiming to enhance economic development by stimulating trade and commerce among them. The designation of PCCI Southwestern Mindanao as BIMP-EAGA Desk for Region 12 has been endorsed by the RDC 12 Economic Development Committee, as a means to stimulate the active participation of the private sector in BIMP-EAGA activities. “This development is a boon to the efforts of our local traders and entrepreneurs to participate in trading with the rest of the BIMP-EAGA areas. This will also enhance our efforts in establishing Region 12 as a promising investment and tourist destination,” said Bronx Hebrona, the newly-elected PCCI Regional Governor for Southwestern Mindanao. “The business sector’s active participation through the PCCI regional office is just rightly so, as the BIMP-EAGA was established primarily to stimulate trading and economic activity among the said areas,” he added. Mr. Hebrona, a past president of the Sarangani Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is also a member of the RDC 12 as representative of the private sector in Sarangani. As designated by RDC 12, the BIMP-EAGA Desk shall be supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Office 12 as its Secretariat, and shall be reporting to the RDC 12 through the Economic Development Committee. The Desk shall also be part of the BIMP-EAGA reporting and coordinating structure under the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA). For more news and updates, please visit Sarangani website (PCCI PRESS RELEASE)

GLAN, Sarangani (December 15, 2011) – Mayor Victor James “Tata” B. Yap, Sr. is back in harness after a fruitful “Exposure Trip on Tourism Development” to the cities of Dapitan and Dipolog in Zamboanga del Norte last December 7-9. Mayor Yap returned home last Saturday, December 10, along with his 55-member entourage composed of five municipal councilors, 25 of the town’s 31 barangay captains, three department heads and several municipal and national employees who availed themselves of the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and perspective through travel and interaction with other localities. Led by Tapon Barangay Captain and ex-officio Sanggunian member Redempto Abiso, the barangay delegation included barangay captains Joselito Escobar, of Lago; Edwin Pacaldo, Tango; Joy Embajador, Mudan; Lydia Hizoler, Calabanit; Donato Subista, Sr., Sufatubo; Ernesto Castro,Sr., Congan; Victor Salutan, New Aklan, Rodolfo Mabuhay, Datal Bukay; Erwin Angeles, E. Alegado; Agapito Basalo,Jr., Kalpidong; Fernando Estrada, San Vicente; Florencia Sentillas, Ilaya; Nazarius Wata, Poblacion; Jurry Basalo, Taluya; Nick Morales, Gumasa; Paisal Wata, Cablalan; Flora Lapaz-Benzonan, Baliton; Ernesto Agos, Kaltuad; Fredelencio Pondong, Batotoling; Tito Tolentino, Small Margus; Hepolito Balanay, San Jose; Romeo Sanchez, Cross; Segundino Sumakiao,Jr., Laguimit; Julie Boy Talangin, Batulaki. “The trip has afforded us an opportunity to gain relevant, valuable knowledge which would have otherwise been unavailing if we were just to sit around at our respective offices,” said Abiso, president of the Glan Association of Barangay Captains. The group took off in a five-vehicle convoy around 4 a.m. last Wednesday, December 7. After more than 15 hours on the road through South Cotabato, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, the group drove for a brief stopover into the town of Sindangan in Zamboanga Sibugay. They were welcomed with a sumptuous, albeit, late dinner by Ago and Norma Saya-ang, formerly of Sto. Nino, Barangay Calabanit, Glan. The couple now runs a lucrative catering service at Sindangan. Then, the group hit the road again to Dipolog City and capped the night off at the Top Plaza Pension, where the bulk of the delegation was going to be billeted for the rest of the tour. The Top Plaza Pension was formerly owned by an aunt of Municipal Secretary Max Relator, who went with the Sangguniang Bayan delegation made up of Councilors Vannevar Alegado, Isidrito Canete,Jr., Pedrito Lopez,Sr., Eduardo Saya-ang, and Bienvenido Dacigan. The first leg of the tour began auspiciously enough with a hearty breakfast of lechon and seafoods at the Olvis residence in downtown Dipolog. On hand to meet the group was Zamboanga Vice Governor Francis Olvis, a first-degree cousin of Mayor Yap’s late mother, retired DepEd District Supervisor Esther Olvis Barrera Yap. Next, the group dropped by at the Provincial Capitol for a courtesy call on Governor Rolando Yebes, who, along with Mayor Yap, is a regular member of Team Pacquiao, which accompanies Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao in his fights abroad. For lunch, the group motored all the way to Sinunok, Sinacuban, Misamis Occidental upon the invitation of Sinacuban Mayor Dello Lood and his gracious wife, Sinacuban No. 1 Councilor Inday Angeli Alegado Lood, younger sister of Glan Councilor Vannevar Alegado. There, the couple also took the group to a tour of the luxuriant Sinunok Aquamarine Park, which features a dolphin cage and exotic mangrove cottages frequented by local and foreign visitors alike. The second and last leg of the trip saw the group taking in the Jose Rizal Landscape Map of Mindanao and the Jose Rizal National Shrine, both in Dapitan City, where the national hero spent five years in exile during the Spanish era. Then the group hied off to Dakak, courtesy of Zamboanga del Norte Congressman Bullet Jalosjos, whose family owns the world-famous beach resort, also in Dapitan City. Later in the day, they were back in Dipolog City for the main reason and purpose of the trip—the must-see visit to the Dipolog Baywalk, which is already half-way through construction. When completed, the eight-kilometer seaside promenade bids fair to be longer than Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Mayor Yap said the local government was seriously considering the Dipolog Baywalk as its model for the sea front it was going put up beginning next year, although on a smaller scale. “Dipolog and Glan have almost similar water fronts, and it might be a good idea to have our own baywalk patterned after that of Dipolog’s as an added come-on to our beautiful white sand beaches in Gumasa and our other local tourist attractions,” he said. He also instructed Municipal Engineer Jerry Baltazar to come up with a project design using the Sinacuban Aquamarine Park as prototype for its possible replication in Glan, particularly at the century-old mangrove sanctuary in Barangay Kapatan. For more news and updates, please visit Sarangani website (GLAN INFO AND NEWS SERVICE)