Tandag diocese focuses on environment preservation

www.cbcpnews.com

MANILA, January 10, 2010—Coming from one of the poorest ecclesial provinces in the country, Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar said the Catholic faithful through the Gagmayng Kristiyanong Katilingban (GKK or Basic Ecclesial Communities) have focused on the preservation of the environment.

In his first interview for CBCP Podcast (www.cbcpnews.com/podcast) since he assumed the presidency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines last December 1, 2009, the 69-year old prelate said the GKK chapters in various parishes in the southern portion of the diocese are united in their efforts against illegal logging activities while parishioners in the northern portion are on guard against irresponsible mining practices. VIEW FULL ARTICLE>>>

Caraga lumads demand ouster of NCIP head

 BEN SERRANO, GMANews.TV

BUTUAN CITY - Members and officials of the Caraga Regional Tribal Consultative Assembly (CRTCA) will hold “peaceful” lightning protest rallies at the regional office of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) until Friday next week to demand, among others, the ouster of its regional director.

In an interview with GMANews.TV at the picket line, CRTCA regional chairman Datu Ebanta Evangelisto Morada, Jr. said the protest rallies, which began Tuesday, will last until February 5.

In their four-page demand, the indigenous people asked the Caraga regional offices of the NCIP and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to investigate and conduct ocular inspections of the alleged illegal logging and mining activities in Mount Agutayan, Calamba; in Brgy. Puting Bato in Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte; in Brgy. Padiay in Sibagat town, Agusan del Sur; and in Kitcharao town, Agusan del Norte.

Datu Ampo of Surigao del Sur demanded a congressional inquiry and the cancellation of Presidential Proclamation No. 1747, which declared watershed areas inside their ancestral domains in the towns of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, in Surigao del Sur province and in Jabonga, Santiago and Cabadbaran towns in Agusan del Norte.

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LGUs non-compliant with waste management warned

By PHOEBE JEN INDINO
January 25, 2010, 5:07pm

CEBU CITY — The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s Region 7 office is warning all concerned local government units (LGUs) to fast-track the implementation of their solid waste management program as the agency is now in the process of finalizing the list of candidates for the final notice pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

It can be recalled that the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) Secretariat sent a list of candidates for the 3rd strike policy as early as September 30, 2009 to the EMB7 for confirmation.

Earlier, Eddie Llamedo, DENR7 Information Officer explained that the 3rd strike notice is the final warning issued by the NSWMC for those non-compliant with Section 37 as mandated under RA 9003.

“These notices will be addressed to local government units (LGU) in the region that have failed to fully implement the mandates of RA 9003,” he stressed.

Section 37 of RA 9003 provides that “no open dumpsites shall be established and operated, nor any practice or disposal of solid waste by any person including LGUs, which constitute the use of open dumps for solid waste, be allowed after the effectivity of this Act: provided, that within three years after the effectivity of this Act, every LGU shall convert its open dumps into controlled dumps, in accordance with the guidelines set in Section 41 of this Act (and) provided further, that no controlled dumps shall be allowed five years following the effectivity of (said) Act.”

READ MORE>>> http://mb.com. ph/articles/ 240253/lgus- noncompliant- with-waste- management- warned

kantilang’s>>> tana mahibayo isab an ato CCMCL nan ini na bill.

surfing ayoke

Surfing ayoke! 

Ayoke Islet is part of Barangay Isla General Luna (General Island), an island barangay of Cantilan. It is famous for kolo, a fruit similar to langka but different in taste. It is where the lighthouse of the town is located to guide fishermen and passenger ships passing the area. (source: www.visitmyphilippines.com)

(photos by: DRUE)

more photos here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=151567&id=721211836&l=995d584f0d

Garbage crisis looms in Cantilan

(photo by: kantilang.i.ph)

CANTILAN – A garbage crisis looms in this town of 30,000 as the municipal dump in Magasang was ordered closed by the barangay council after its repeated demands to the town government to build a promised recycling facility fell on deaf ears.

The Barangay Council of Magasang issued the notice of closure after the municipal government , sources said, reneged on its promise to build a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in the open dump located along the Magasang-Consuelo road.

As a result of the closure of the eight-year-old dump , the scheduled daily rounds of the town’s garbage truck have lately been erratic , forcing Cantilangnons to bury or burn their trash in their own backyards.

The situation worsened , sources said, during the Christmas break , when garbage collection halted for days. READ FULL STORY>>>

41 Municipalities on PNP Election Watch List and 2 Partisan Armed Groups in Caraga

January 13, 2010 | mindanao.com

by: striker_jem

Butuan – The Police Regional Office 13 after validation have identified 41 municipalities in Caraga Region including Butuan City under its election watch list.

PNP Chief Jesus Versoza in today’s visit to Butuan said, attention by the JSCC’s will be focused on these election watch list of areas because there might be a possibility of violence.

Concerns will likewise focus on the effort of neutralization of criminal elements especially in the possession of guns by two partisan armed groups in Caraga Region. . . .

. . . . .Also placed under category 2 are Malimono, Claver and Sison in Surigao del Norte; Lingig, Hinatuan, Liangga, Tagbina, Barobo, San Agustin Bayabas, Mayatas, Carrascal, Cantilan and Lanuza in Surigao del Sur. . . .

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Suspected NPA rebels burn logging equipment in Surigao

 LANUZA, Surigao del Sur- Four units of rakers reportedly owned by Surigao Development Corporation (SUDECOR) were allegedly burned by about 10 armed men Friday afternoon in Barangay Pakwan in Lanuza town Surigao del Sur.

At around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Lanuza police reportedly received a text from personnel of Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion informing them that armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army’s Front Committee 30 led by a certain Puma burned the equipment.

Lanuza police reportedly conducted initial investigation by interviewing a witness, whose name was withheld and who is reportedly an employee of SUDECOR who witnessed the incident.

The witness reportedly said that the armed men were demanding the stoppage of the logging operations of SUDECOR.

The witness also reportedly said that due to security and safety reasons the incident was not immediately reported to the authorities.

Lanuza police together with Army soldiers have reportedly launched follow-up investigations on the incident. Trini Velasco, ABS-CBN Butuan

Gov’t projects slower increase in mineral production for 2010

 Posted on 10:18 PM, January 03, 2010 | businessworld.com

THE GOVERNMENT expects the value of mineral production to increase by 10%-20% this year, compared to the 39% rise recorded in 2009, the chief of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said last week.

“I think [mineral production value] will be better [over the 2009 amount] because of new mines. If only a 10% increase, we can do it,” Mines bureau Director Horacio C. Ramos told reporters. READ FULL STORY>>>

5 mining projects on stream in Q1

businessmirror.com.ph

Written by Jennifer A. Ng | Monday, 04 January 2010 21:32

AT least five mining projects will come on stream in the first quarter of 2010 with a combined investments of $185 million, a senior official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said on Monday.

“These are not ‘big-ticket’ projects but they are significant, as they will contribute to the projected increase in minerals production for [2010],” the official told reporters in an interview on Monday.

One cement production project owned by San Miguel Corp.’s Ramon Ang and four direct ore-shipping projects will operate within January to March this year.

Eagle Cement Corp., which will put up a facility in Akle in San Idelfonso, Bulacan, could spend as much as $160 million for the project. The project is targeting to service areas north of Manila. A company official earlier revealed that Eagle Cement is eyeing the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.

The cement plant is expected to produce 1.5 million metric tons (MMT) of cement, or about 35.2 million bags yearly. The plant’s daily output is expected to reach 4,000 MT, or around 100,000 bags of cement.

Four mining firms, meanwhile, are eyeing to go into direct shipping of nickel ore. These are Century Peak Nickel Corp., Oriental Synergy, Marc Ventures Mining and Development Corp., and the mining cooperative based in Surigao del Norte, the Minahang Bayan ng Mamamayan sa Dinagat Island.

Century Peak Nickel Corp. will spend as much as $10 million. The company has the capacity to ship out 1 MMT of nickel annually. Oriental Synergy’s Surigao Nickel project, which has a capacity to ship out 1.8 MMT of nickel annually, will spend about $6 million.

Marc Ventures Mining and Development Corp. has an annual output of 1.2 MMT of nickel and is investing $4.5 million for its venture. Minahang Bayan ng Mamamayan sa Dinagat Island has already spent $4 million in its bid to ship out 1 MMT of nickel annually.

Recently, MGB projected a 20-percent increase in the minerals production value in 2010. Mining officials said the agency has yet to finalize the year-end report but could safely project a 20-percent increase in the value of minerals production.