Preface of the book Postscripts from Mindanao
February 21, 2010 by MindanaoBob
Filed under Commentary
by: Wilma Basan Villanueva
Pitong taon na halos ang lumipas magmula nang tahakin ko ang landas ng mga Bagong Bayani. Malayo na ang aking narating, malawak na rin ang paningin, ngunit sa bawat araw na lumilipas, wari ko’y napapalayo ang mundong aking pinagmulan.
Di kaya ako lang ang dahilan?
Kaya sa aking pagbabalik, sana’y samahan nyo ako at ating balikan ang Ating Mindanao
But returning to one’s roots takes more than just retracing one’s steps or reliving childhood memories. If there is one thing I have learned in being far from home, the journey inward requires a vision forward.
Not so long ago, our forefathers dreamed of a Land of Promise —- a land of our own where there is bounty for all. They found the seeds of that promise in Mindanao.
Thus, if I was to truly reclaim my birthright, I would need to look back into the dreams forged by our forbears and take the task of continuing to build on that dream and bring it into the future.
“Ang Ating Mindanao”, incidentally, is also a national initiative program of the government to fulfill Mindanao as the Land of Promise. It aims to ‘mobilize the local government, civil society and the business community for the economic development of Mindanao and its environs.
Such local initiatives, and the current progress in the areas of foreign service indicate substantial benefits forthcoming in this region. Under this situation, the private sector is duty-bound to initiate the tourism industry’s revitalization, by providing the expertise and additional funding or investments which the government may be restricted to provide, especially with this current gloom in the global economy
Among the members of the private sector, the 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have the resources, the widest contacts and the global reach to initiate the much needed world-wide marketing campaign, in order to elevate our country’s international status as an eco-tourism destination and a highly competitive investment hub in the Asia Pacific region.
With these thoughts in mind, ‘Postscripts from Mindanao’, the coffee table book was born.
Mindanao Bob’s Great Seminar
August 11, 2008 by MindanaoBob
Filed under Commentary, Events, Feature
A Voice from the Voiceless and Unheard
by Ben Serrano – August 11, 2008
Last August 9, 2008, exactly culmination day for our three-day 4th Mindanao
Aboard a taxi so that I can arrived on time as I don’t want an impression from American Bob now Mindanao Bob that Filipinos don’t value time even if I knew my money fare is only exact enough for my bus fares backed home here in Butuan City. Read more
Cash prize for Pacquaio!
March 24, 2008 by MindanaoBob
Filed under Commentary, Feature
Boxing great, Manny “Pacman” Pacquaio, who hails from General Santos City will be arriving home soon. He actually will be landing in Manila today, and will soon be headed to General Santos City for a warm welcoming to the City.
According to SunStar General Santos City, as part of his welcoming ceremony, Pacman will be given a ceremony at Oval Plaza in the City, along with a P30,000 cash prize from the City Government. Wait…. P30,000 to the Pacman for winning his recent fight and gaining the WBC Championship? How many Millions of Dollars did he just win in Las Vegas for the fight?
Don’t take me wrong, I like Manny Pacquaio, and I think that he does a lot of good for the Philippine psyche. He is a hero for the nation, after all. But, frankly, he doesn’t need the P30,000, does he? Wouldn’t it be better for the City to do some pro-poor work with the money in Pacman’s name? Who came up with the idea to give Pacman P30,000? Did they really think it out? I feel quite sure that the amount is quite paltry for Pacman, yet it would go a long way to feeding a bunch of poor people for a day or two.
What do you think?
Merry Christmas from Mindanao
December 25, 2007 by MindanaoBob
Filed under Commentary, Feature
Well, it is December 25 here in Mindanao
It has been a great year for this blog in terms of growth in readership, and I have been very happy. That was sort of an early Christmas present for me. I hope that I have brought you the kinds of articles and information that you could enjoy and help you learn more about Mindanao this year.
In short, I just want to say, Merry Christmas from Mindanao, to all readers of this site! May you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones!
Merry Christmas!
A Whole-of-Government Approach:Lessons from the counter-insurgency campaign in the Philippines
December 21, 2007 by Dinn
Filed under Commentary, Feature
The Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that forced the United States to stage a counter-insurgency campaign has highlighted the relevance of lessons from other countries experiencing insurgency problem. One of these is the campaign against the communist insurgents in the Philippines. Since 1932, Philippine government considered the communist movement as its major national security threat. As of 2006, it has a combined strength of about 7,000 armed regulars influencing more than 2,000 villages all over Philippines[1]. The communist movement in the Philippines is led from exile by Prof. Jose Maria Sison, who was recently arrested and temporarily freed in the Netherlands. Read more
