MORO NOTES Lake Lanao’s FIVE tributaries are a
June 19, 2009 major source of Mindanao’s energy.
Samira Gutoc-Tomawis
With the first victory of a Filipino in
bagging the coveted Cannes Film
Festival Best Director award (for a police
murder drama, KINATAY), here’s hoping
more filmmakers show uncovered
stories of Mindanao and the poverty
bred by evacuation. A Cebu-based
theatre artist ROGELIO BRAGA is
slowly making his mark in collaborating
with playwrights to write about the 1970
massacres in Lanao areas through the
eyes of migrants-turned working-class
individuals in Manila
(www.virginlabest.com).
***
Bishop Ulama Conference’s (BUC)
Hamid Barra of the Ulama League of the
Philippines defends the BUC from
suspicions of government intervention in
the BUC as it conducts “authentic
dialogues” in the communities after a
failed Memorandum of Agreement on
Ancestral Domain ( MOA-AD) and
stalled peacetalks. BUC’s recent 300
plus consultations nation-wide on the
peace process is and will always be
religious leaders-led, Barra noted.
***
Save on energy use! BizNews Asia
magazine cover features the country’s
Energy Plan to push towards
development of more indigenous energy
and added renewable resources as we
face the energy age. Energy Secretary
Angelo Reyes notes that the country
remains the top wind producer in
Southeast Asia with a total of 33
megawatts (MW) in installed capacity.
The Cagayan de Oro one MW grid-
connected centralized solar photovoltaic
power plant is the largest in Southeast
Asia.
BizNews Asia however does not
mention any ARMM contribution to
energy. Lanao del Sur is relevant in the
country’s energy sector because the 7
hydroelectric power plants of National
Power Corporation located within the
those whose pilgrimage is accepted by
Allah, they come home with their sins
Reyes further notes that his department
is no longer promoting large-scale
hydropower projects because of the
“damage huge dams can cause to the
environment.”
***
Four civilians in Shariff Aguak,
Maguindanao, including a 7-year old
child have been reportedly injured after
being hit by more than 20 rounds of
mortar shelling from a 105 howitzer last
June 15. The Center for Just Peace
forwarded the report - the incident
occurred approximately from 10:50 to
11:15 . Mortal shells were fired by the
military from Upper Salvo, Datu Piang,
barangay Nabundas in Mamasapano
and barangay in Shariff Aguak,
Maguindanao that hit Maahad
evacuation camp in barangay Libutan
Mamasapano and Maahad Buayan
evacuation camp in Dapiawan, Datu
Piang Maguindanao.
***
The victims were identified as; Paidsa
Kahar, 7 years old, Said Abas, 17 years
old, Kagi Sapia Simpal, 38 years old
and Abdulbayan Tunaji, 29 years old
married with one child. Paidsa and
Abdulbayan were brought to Cotabato
Regional Medical Center in Cotabato
City for medical treatment. He already
underwent surgical operation; a piece of
metal believed to be from the 105
howitzer shrapnel was taken out from
his wound at his left delumbar area
which entered into his intestine and
kidney. Paidsa sustained a wound at her
left anterior thigh existing entry post.
Kagi Sapia Simpal sustained a shrapnel
wound at her left shoulder and left arm.
While, Said was not brought to the
hospital because he was not seriously
hurt and decided to recuperate at their
evacuation camp. However, the
factsheet did not VERIFY his condition.
***
The Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA)
nationwide is now accepting applicants
for Umrah and Hajj. Every year, at least
3,000 Filipinos perform the hajj, a
lifetime dream and a journey of a lifetime
for every Muslim. Muslim scholars said
forgiven. The Islamic religious leaders
said only the first hajj is obligatory, while
the next ones are only optional.
In the Philippines, only the government
through OMA is authorized to process
the papers of pilgrims and endorse them
for visa issuance to the Saudi Embassy,
he said (Bulletin).
***
The Kaagan Foundation convened the
1st KAAGAN Convention last June 13-14
at the Welborn Beach Resort, Magnaga,
Pantukan, Compostela Valley.
***
After the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) Meet abroad last May
in Damascus, MNLF Chairman Emeritus
Nur Misuari said he will stay off travels
to focus on editing a novel about him
for mass circulation abroad which is
being written by New York-based
publishers.
***
TIME features 10-pages of rumblings of
Iranians in a People-Power REVOLT
against the June 12 election results
maintaining hard-liner President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a
“phantasmic landslide”. “People have
come out because they’ve finally had
enough. They’re tired of all the lies that
(President) has dished out,” said one
marcher. NEWSWEEK on the other
hand interviews Lebanon’s election
victor pro-Western Alliance led by Saad
Hariri against Hizbullah. “Our agenda
was purely focused on the Lebanese
people, who want their children to have
medical care and schools and the
security not to have to worry about their
children,” Hariri said.
***
The Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) Business Council
(ABC), in coordination with the Office of
the Regional Governor, has set the 7th
ARMM Business Congress in Marawi
City, Lanao del Sur, on August 4-5 this
year.
Themed "Maximizing Investment Gains
to Propel Economic Development in
ARMM,” the Congress serves as a door
for investment and business
opportunities to local and foreign
industries amidst the global economic
recession.
“Despite news of economic crisis, we in
the ARMM are safely and continually
doing our businesses. The region’s
business climate is getting better and
making revenue better. We are hopeful
that this congress would further entice
investments into the region,” Datu Haron
U. Bandila, chair of ABC and president
of Maguindanao Chamber of Commerce
and Industry said (dot-ph).
***
Behind the ABS-CBN’s AKO ANG
SIMULA campaign was a sub-sector of
young people advocating YOUTH
VOTE. Tania Hamada of Alliance of
Young Public Servants relays the nation-
wide campaign for voter’s literacy on
asking presidentiables on their stand on
the Millenium Development Goals
(MDG – infant mortality, education,
poverty ) to include their PEACE
AGENDA. The program will be in the
form of STUDENTS acting as if they
were PRESIDENTIABLES and debating
each other on the MDG issues.
Another project activity includes the
innovative website
www.youthvotephilippines.com uploads
all googleable information about the
ELEVEN wanna-be-presidents . In the
coming months, the provincial
candidates will also have their platform
as the campaign goes regional.
Project proponent YouthVotePhilippines
is a consolidated force of progressive,
reform-minded youth groups and
organizations working toward voters'
education and empowerment. It aims to
develop online and on-the-ground
programs and events that will give
young Filipinos the power of the vote
and a clear voice for their collective
aspirations.
Its four-point program agenda consists
of: (1) voters' registration; (2) on-the-
ground voters' education; (3) an online
portal for comprehensive candidate
information; and (4) the development of
a youth agenda for policy-making and
action.
***
NEWSWEEK features former Israeli
prime minister Ehud Olmert’s reign in
reining in Israeli settlements in Palestine
in the light of Obama’s statements in
Cairo University. Obama warned that
ongoing construction undermined the
peace process and by implication US
interests. “It is time for settlements to
stop,” Obama said.
***
The Japanese government announced
that is granting 192.97 million for the
construction of TWO infrastructure
projects and for the purchase of heavy
equipment for use in the opening of
roads in the region.
A huge sum of the financial aid package
will go to the construction of Japan-
ARMM Friendship Hall and Training
Center amounting to P34.6 million while
P158.37 million will be allotted to
acquire new heavy equipment to
improve ARMM’s road network,
Sobashima said (Bulletin).
***
The “new” Al-Amanah Islamic
Investment Bank of the Philippines will
hold its first Shareholders’ Meeting in
Makati City this June 24 after
Development Bank of the Philippines
(DBP) acquired 90 % of its shares last
June 2009.
***
Doesn’t WOLVERINE’s Hugh Jackman’s
thorny hands remind you of the
pangalay hands of lady dancers in
Sulu?