·          U.S. State Department cites RP’s promotion of inter-faith dialogue

·          DOE urges LGUs, business sector to help protect LPG industry

·          Gov’t will not sign MOA-AD regardless what SC decides on the issue

·          New call center technology amazes PGMA

·          OSYs to get a 'shot at redemption' thru DepEd equivalency tests

·          AFP accounts 37 encounters with LMG since August attack

·          Bravo the cause of your misery, Gov. Dimaporo tells IDPs

·          Non-submission of IDP list hampers relief assistance in Pantao Ragat

·          With Ramadhan over:  “We will do what we are supposed to do.” - AFP

·          Military seizes firearms and ammunition from attackers

U.S. State Department cites RP’s promotion

of inter-faith dialogue

“The Philippine government’s promotion of interfaith dialogue ‘to build mutual trust and respect among various religions and cultural groups’ was among the improvements noted by the U.S. Department of State in the 2008 report on religious freedom in the Philippines.”

Thus revealed the US State department whose Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor came out with its “International Religious Freedom Report 2008” on Sept. 19, a day before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left for the United States to attend the 63rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

While in New York in the USA, the President had also met with various foreign leaders, including the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Edmeleddin Ihsanoglu, whom she regaled with the Philippines’ promotion of inter-faith dialogue.

The Philippines is scheduled to host in May 2009 the Special Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Meeting on Inter-Faith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development (MMIFDC-PD). Some 118 heads of state and government have already acceded to the Philippines’ offer to host the said international inter-faith dialogue.

The Philippine section of the State Department report -- entitled “U.S. Report on Religious Freedom Notes Promotion of Interfaith Dialogue in RP” -- was posted in the website of the US Embassy in Manila.

DOE urges LGUs, business sector

to help protect LPG industry

La Trinidad, Benguet -- The Department of Energy is appealing for the support of stakeholders such as the local government units and the business sector in ensuring the protection of the Liquefied Petroluem Gas (LPG) industry and uphold consumer safety.

Robert Cardinales of the Department of Energy detailed the illegal activities which are proliferating in the LPG industry which need the support of LGUs and the business sector in dealing with such problems.

Cardinales presented this in an Orientation-Seminar on Consumer Protection held recently for members of the Benguet Provincial Peace and Order Council.

The activity under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry – Benguet is in coordination with the Benguet Provincial Government and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The appeal to LGUs is to take a strong public position on its support to stop illegal activities in the industry, the passage and implementation of local ordinances that will support the implementation of DOE rules and regulations on LPG, enforce the closure of erring LPG establishments as recommended by DOE, support public awareness program of the DOE on LPG safety and to support the passage of LPG Bill 551.

House Bill 551 authored by Rep. Juan Miguel ""Mikey"" Macapagal-Arroyo of the 2nd District of Pampanga and chair of the Committee on Energy seeks to establish measures to ensure accountability and responsibility among LPG industry participants in safeguarding the public from unfair trade practices and from acts that are hazardous to health and safety.

Gov’t will not sign MOA-AD regardless what SC decides on the issue

Closing the door firmly on the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the Moro Islamic Front (MILF), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said last night that regardless of what the Supreme Court (SC) decides on the matter, the government will not sign it.

She pointed out that “in the light of the recent violent incidents committed by MILF lawless groups, the government will not sign the MOA.""

In her speech keynoting the 107th anniversary celebration of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) which was held at the Army Officer's Club in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City last night (Thursday, Oct. 2), the President asserted:

""We are committed to doing everything possible to bring lasting peace to Mindanao and end 40 years of fighting that has killed more than 120,000 people.""

She said “It is in the interest of all Filipinos, Muslim and Christians, to end the violence that has held that part of our country back and required an investment of hundreds of millions of pesos to support our military presence there.""

To achieve lasting peace in southern Philippines, all peace talks will be refocused from dialogues with rebels to one with authentic dialogues with both Muslim and Christian communities, the President said.

She reiterated her new paradigm in the quest for lasting peace in Mindanao based on disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation (DDR), which, she said, will be the “overall framework governing our engagement with armed groups in peace talks.""

Under this strategy, affected communities shall have a leading role in the organization and conduct of all peace talks centered on authentic dialogues with DDR as the context of government’s engagement with all armed groups.

Under this new policy, armed groups will be held accountable for all their actions and shall have as their overarching aim, the goal of ending all forms of armed rebellion in the country.

New call center technology amazes PGMA

The Philippines’ position as the most-favored location of choice for call center and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) got another boost today with the launching of a new technology that will slowly this industry in the country to the higher end of the value chain.

iQor, one of the premier global BPO companies in the world, through its President and CEO Vikas Kapoor, demonstrated to the President Arroyo the new technology called “FeAther” that allows iQor to flexibly and securely deliver calls anywhere in the world to any of its call centers as well as agents who work from home.

The multi-million dollar investment, developed at Clark Freeport Zone, underscored the power of the technology to create new job opportunities for people in remote rural areas as well as those who prefer to work at home due to travel constraints.

“My biggest challenge in the industry worldwide is attracting good people and there are many people who want to work in this business and would be terrific at it, but who are unable to do it because they don’t have physical access or they don’t want commuting,” Kapoor said.

With the new proprietary technology, Kapoor explained that it “will vastly increase both flexibility and security for our clients. They no longer need to choose a specific location for their work, and can simultaneously access the best workers anywhere in our global footprint, or use qualified workers who do not wish to commute to a call center.”

“When a call center agent’s fingers touches their keyboard, iQor’s network uses biometric identification to determine who they are, what systems they can access and what calls they can handle. It, therefore, allows call center services to be securely handled by any worker in any of iQor’s centers worldwide, as well as to people who have high speed Internet access at home,” he added.

Kapoor said the new technology “literally treats an agent in the world like any agent in the US, India or United Kingdom.”

Kapoor also said the Philippines is iQor’s number one overseas destination, thanks to the vision of the President and her determination to create a business-friendly environment.

Kapoor added that compared to other centers in the world, its call centers /BPOs here are performing extremely well because of the availability of the best people and performance.

“The Philippines has a systematic competitive advantage in the business and that’s why I’m bullish about the Philippines,” he said.

OSYs to get a 'shot at redemption' thru DepEd equivalency tests

 Local out-of-school youth will get a crack at a high school diploma this October (2008) when the Department of Education (DepEd) administers a series of Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) tests on all the Sundays of the month, in 189 school divisions nationwide.

""We offer this annually to all out-of-school youth so that they can be productive members of society even without having to attend formal school. Lack of formal education – or dropping out of school – should not hinder anyone from getting a high school diploma,"" said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.

The A&E Test is a multiple-choice, paper-and-pencil test. It is designed to measure the competencies of those who have not finished formal elementary or secondary education.

Targets of the A&E Test include elementary and high school drop outs who are at least 11 years old, and 15 years old, respectively, on or before October 5, 2008. Industry-based workers, housewives, drivers, and maids are also welcome to take the test.

Those who pass the test are given a diploma certified by the DepEd Secretary himself. This certifies that their competencies – as revealed in their exam results – are at par with high school graduates from the formal school system.

The DepEd Chief added that this test ""gives a chance to both in- and out-of-school youth to pursue college. Passers, like those schooled in the formal system, are even eligible for government positions.""

The test will be administered on October 5, 2008 in Regions 9-13 and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Examinees from Regions 5 to 8 are scheduled to take it on October 12, 2008.

Tests for Regions 1 to 3 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are scheduled on October 19, 2008. Lastly, tests for Regions 4A, 4B, and the National Capital Region (NCR) are slated for October 26, 2008.

Late examinees may likewise register on the day of the test from 8:00 AM to 5:00PM. They are advised to bring any identification card, and two size 1x1 photos. (DepEd)

AFP accounts 37 encounters with LMG

since the August attack

ICC Iligan Dispatch (Oct 3) – Lt Col Agane Adriatico, spokesman of the Army’s 1^st Infantry “Tabak” Division, said  that the AFP had a total of 37 encounters with the lawless MILF group (LMG) under Abdulrahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo since pursuit operations began in August. 

In these encounters, 25 LMG members were killed and at least 15 have been wounded. Of those reported killed, 8 bodies were counted and 17 were reported by intelligence network.

Adriatico added that a total of 15 enemy camps have been occupied, which include 3 main camps, namely: Bilal, Darul Oda, and Darul Hana.  Minor camps and outposts have also been discovered.

Also recovered were a total of 10 assorted firearms, rounds of ammunition, as well as communication equipment

Adriatico further said, that 31 MILF elements led by Alvin Condo surrendered to the 104^th Army Brigade, under then Brigadier General Antonio Mark Supnet. Condo and his men belonged to the 2^nd  Battalion of the MILF’s 102^nd Base Command.  (Rex Dumarpa /PIA-Marawi)

Bravo is the cause of your misery,

Gov. Dimaporo tells IDPs

ICC, Tubod, Lanao del Norte (10/03/08) – Lanao del Norte Gov. Khalid Quibranza Dimaporo said in a press briefing, that the discomforts that  internally displaced persons (IDPs) are experiencing now is entirely the fault of Kumander Bravo and not of  anyone else’s.

The IDPs have left behind their crops and livestock and are forced by circumstances to stay at evacuation centers. They are also caught in the crossfire between the clashes of lawless MILF and the military.

“That’s not the fault of the government, but the fault of Bravo. It’s the fault of the LMG to come down to the coastal areas and create havoc here, that’s why there are military operations,” the Governor said.

“Bravo has actually affected the people he is supposed to be protecting because the same people are now fearful to go to the coastal towns where they used to sell their farm produce like corn, copra, etc.

“They are afraid to be ambushed by the ‘ILAGA.’ So even our Maranao farmers are having a hard time,” he said.

Non-submission of IDP list hampers

relief assistance in Pantao Ragat

ICC, Iligan City (10/03/08) – It has been 45 days since the Aug. 18, 2008 attack by the lawless MILF group (LMG) in Lanao del Norte (LDN). To this day however, neither the Municipal Mayor or the Social Welfare Officer of the municipality of Pantao Ragat  showed up and handled the listing of internally displaced persons in the area.

Assistant Regional Director Aldersey Mumar-Dela Cruz, said the DSWD-10 has established a satellite office in Bacolod, Lanao ddel Norte, purposely to facilitate its response to problems in the distribution of relief goods to the IDP’s of the affected areas of the province.

“Until now, the Municipal SWDO of Pantao-Ragat has not showed up in our office to submit that list, which makes it difficult for us since we don’t have a basis for how many IDP’s there are in the said town,” she said.

Responding to a question from a member of the media that Pantao Ragat Mayor Neshren Eleanaor D. Lantud complained of not having received any relief assistance for IPs in her area, Dela Cruz said they have given 1,112 family food packs to the Mayor herself and the MSWDO on Aug. 25, 2008.

“We are only waiting for the list of their IDP’s because we need to validate where the IDP’s come from and make it our basis for how many family food packs we will distribute in the area, but until now, they have not submitted such list,” Dela Cruz again said.

Aside from that, DSWD-10 wants to get the assurance of the Mayor for the safety of its workers traveling there to distribute the relief goods.  This way, any untoward incident can be avoided, like the recent kidnapping of workers of a non-governmental organization (NGO) who were distributing relief goods in Basilan.

This same concern was aired by Gov. Khalid Quibranza Dimaporo during a meeting of the LDN Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) in Tubod, LDN last Sept. 25, 2008.

“We are also waiting for Mayor Lantud to show up at the Provincial Capitol because we want to be assured of the safety of the Provincial SWDO workers who will distribute the relief goods in her town,” the Governor said.

But until now the Mayor is a “no-show” at the province. We are just waiting for her to communicate with us personally because (communicating) by text or telephone is not enough. Once she shows herself, we can make the necessary arrangements to visit her place and conduct a medical mission there, the Governor added.   (RCA/PIA10)

With Ramadhan over

“We will do what we are supposed to do” - AFP

(ICC,Cotabato, Oct 3) - Joint Force Mindanao Commander Lt Gen. Cardosa Luna last Friday said that within the month of Ramadhan the lawless MILF group (LMG) have committed a total of 114 violent incidents, which include the burning of 16 civilian houses in Masapano. Four soldiers were also killed within the period.

The AFP, he said, has already filed before the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) numerous formal complaints on the violations committed by the LMG.

“The ceasefire agreement with the MILF stands, but definitely the ceasefire against the three-Bravo, Kato and Pangalian does not exist,” Gen. Luna stressed.

Now that the Ramadan is over, adjustment is done, we are going to do what we are supposed to do, he added.

“However, my instruction is clear, there’s still be a restraint on the use of high-powered weapons specifically on matters of collateral damage-meaning damage to life and property of the civilians who are not part of the engagement in the armed hostilities, so we are using high-weapons sparingly, use them with care and precision such that we only target the enemies,” Luna stressed. (CLC/EDC-ICC Kid City)

Military seizes firearms and ammunition from attackers

ICC GENERAL SANTOS CITY  (Oct 3)  - The Army’s 602nd Brigade Commander Col. Alejandro Estomo said that some 15 lawless MILF members attacked the Alpha Company detachment of the 40th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army in Kadigisan, Midsayap, North Cotabato last Wednesday night (Oct 1).

However, after some 30 minutes of firefight, the lawless group retreated from the military’s 105mm howitzer cannon fire. Left at the scene of the firefight were 4 rifles: two M1 garand, one M16 armalite rifle, one M2 carbine, with rounds of live ammunition.

In another development, an improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered and defused by the 63^rd Explosive Ordinance Division with elements of the 40^th Infantry Battalion in Bagolibas, Aleosan, North Cotabato last week.

Eastern Mindanao Command Spokesman Major Armand Rico, said the explosive comprised of 10mm fishing nylon as trip wire, one improvised electronic blasting cap, one 9-volt battery,  two feet duplex wire, one cloth pin, one  projectile rocket-propelled grenade with fuse and one alcohol plastic container.

With the latest incidents, both the military and the police immediately assured the residents not to worry as government remains on top of the situation.

In related developments, the Reform Ilaga Movement had warned the MILF not to commit another act of atrocity to the residents of Pigcawayan, Alamada, Libungan, Midsayap and Aleosan and Pikit (PALMA-P) less they will rise in arms against them. 

The PALMA-P areas were the most affected during the height of MILF hostilities in August that claimed the lives of many residents, displaced thousands of families, as well as damaged millions-worth of properties. (PIA SarGen)