Big fire hits Sulu town

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Daywire) - - An estimated thousand of residents were displaced and huge properties were destroyed when big fire hit late Saturday an island town off Sulu, officials reported.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said the fire broke out about 3p.m in a still unknown origin and quickly spread, razing houses and stalls of business establishments, mostly made of light materials.

Among those destroyed by the fire was a gasoline station in the poblacion, a known populated site of Siasi town.

Colorful Vinta Sail

Particpants to the recently held Vinta Race prepare their vinta in the shore of R.T Lim Boulevard as part of the spectacles of the Fiesta Pilar.

DUREZA SAYS MALAYSIAN PULL OUT OF TALKS REPORT INACCURATE

ZAMBOANGA CITY (MPA/OPPAP) - - Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus G. Dureza today laments inaccurate news that Malaysia is reported to be abandoning the Mindanao peace process, particularly the talks with the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

In a statement issued from New York , Dureza said the latest development was that the GRP delegation headed by panel chair Sec. Rodolfo Garcia had just returned a few days ago from Kuala Lumpur with positive report that issues on territory and ancestral domain are progressing and that another meeting is set soon, perhaps within the month.

Dureza clarified that what is recent is Malaysia ’s decision to renew the International Monitoring Team (IMT) to three months and subject to extension as needed. He added that, to say that this shortened but renewable term for the IMT is "abandonment" is stretching the context beyond credulity.

“Malaysia has contributed immensely to our peace efforts and we are confident it will continue to be with us and other nations in our peace and development work.”
Dureza is currently in the U.S. attending the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace, a special meeting tabled at the 62nd Session of the UN General Assembly which aims to promote global interfaith understanding and cooperation for peace.

Aside from attending the UN meeting, Dureza also held a series of briefings on the peace process and development updates before the Philippine diplomatic posts in the States.

Civilians walk on the R.T Lim Boulevard, the site where the longest 'boodle fight' to be held as part of the Zamboanga City Festival.

CITY ATTEMPTS GUINNESS LONGEST SARDINES BOODLE FIGHT

ZAMBOANGA CITY (DAYWIRE) - - The city will be hosting the longest ‘boodle fight’ of sardines, an attempt to land in the book of Guinness World Record, as it celebrate its annual festival next week, official said.

The ‘boodle fight’, a military jargon for eating en mass of soldiers in a long table to show unity and morale boosting, will cover the more than one kilometer road stretch of sea-front R.T Lim Boulevard.

In the military boodle fight, sardine is always the main toppings.

City Councilor Gerky Valesco Jr, said endeavor which will be held on Oct. 11, on the eve of Fiesta Pilar, solicited a strong support from the local government under Mayor Celso Lobregat.

“Other than the attempt for the Guinness World Record, the boodle fight will be a showcase of culture of pride that Zamboanga City, now known as the Asia’s Latin City, is a dynamic destination,” according to Valesco, council committee chair for tourism.

He said the event, dubbed as “WOW Sardines Diaton Este,”is timely citing the city as the sardines’ capital of the country where 70 percent of the sardines is being supplied locally and abroad.

At least nine sardines canning factories will participate and committed to pour 30 boxes of sardines or approximately 29,700 will be used as toppings for the longest boodle fight.

The nine sardines canning manufacturers - Permex; Ayala Seafoods; Columbus; Atlantic; Universal; Grand Food; Kimson; Seacoast; and Y-Y Corporations – will be supported by the Southern Philippines Fishing Association and Zamboanga City Chambers of Commerce Federation Incorporated.

The ‘boodle fight’ will be highlighted with fireworks provided by the city government as it kick off about 4p.m where the stretch of the R.T Lim Boulevard will be temporarily closed for traffic during the event.

Valesco said they have already coordinated with the Guinness for the city attempt to land in the record for hosting the longest ‘boodle fight.” -30-

TWIN BLAST ROCKS LAMITAN, 3 INJURED

ZAMBOANGA CITY - (Daywire/05-22-07) Three persons were slightly injured in two simultaneous grenade explosions that rocked Lamitan City, Basilan island Monday night, officials said.

The attack, which authorities believed to be election related, occurred near a school where canvassing of votes from Sumisip were conducted. -30-

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Get Serious in Peace-Making Incoming Political Leaders Urged

PRESS RELEASE

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PAZ/05 May 07) - - A Leading peace advocate in this port city challenged political leaders who will soon start a new term of office after the recent elections "to get serious about the peace agenda of the people, especially the dreams of children for a peaceful Mindanao."

Speaking at the opening last Monday afternoon of the 4th South Central Mindanao Interfaith Conference, Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) president Fr. Angel Calvo told the participants how the city's interfaith movement presented an action agenda for peace to local candidates during the recent elections. The Inter-Religious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRMSP) in a candidates' forum it sponsored here earlier this month called for a greater, more pro-active and positive response by the local government to Mindanao's peace process, Fr. Calvo said.

The World Vision Development Foundation is holding the four-day conference among some 80 leaders of grassroot communities it supports in several southern and central provinces of Mindanao, Area Development Program Manager Fe Acela Dagohoy said. The event held at the Nuestra Sra. Del Pilar Lay and Retreat Formation Center in Barangay Mercedes aims to more deeply integrate peace-building and advocacy in the various developmental projects and activities of the communities, Dagohoy said.

In this city, World Vision has for many years provided material and institutional support to two communities, situated in Sangali and in the urban district, known respectively as the Ayudahan and Agape development associations. Both have joint Muslim, Christian and tribal memberships and through a self-management system extend basic services like health and education to its mostly indigent members.

American World Vision consultant Michelle Garred, who was present during Monday's opening program, said Mindanao's interfaith approach to peace-building and community development has evolved into a model for the world. PAZ is one of the pioneers of this inter-religious strategy when it launched its "pazsalam culture of peace" paradigm more than 10 years ago, one of the impetus to the birth of the Bishops-Ulama Council. The United Nations recently adopted the Philippine interfaith programs as a model to promote world peace.

The opening was also graced by Mayor Celso Lobregat. Keynote speaker was evangelical pastor Rev. Vicente Climaco of the local Holy Trinity Church.

Reflecting on the theme of the conference, which is "Weaving Our Experiences Together With The Children To Sustain Peace And Development", Fr. Calvo urged the community leaders to weave the richness of Mindanao's varied religious and indigenous traditions into a colorful, inclusive fabric of social and economic solidarity. He said Mindanao's children, a favorite concern of World Vision, not only provide opportunities for local civil societies to serve but that children be made integral partners of a peace-in-progress. ( PAZ Press Release)

Boycott Globe, mobile phone users urged

The Kabataan Partylist joined calls to boycott Globe by shunning away from the telecom firms services and transactions starting today.

"Globe Telecom's blatant defiance of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) order to rollback unlimited texting rates only shows the company's total disregard for the rights and welfare of its subscribers," Kabataan Partylist president Raymond Palatino said.

"Subscribers should teach Globe a lesson and show how much the company really owes the public. A day's boycott of Globe's services and transaction could spell profit loss amounting to millions. The subsequent shortfall in profit should be enough reason for Globe to shed its arrogance and heed the grievances of its clients."

Palatino said NTC's order prove that Globe's rash unlimited texting rate hike is uncalled for and is intended to cash in on the high consumer subscription on the product offering.

"Clearly, the Unlimitxt rate hike is meant to exploit high consumer demand and rake up bigger profits for Globe to the detriment of its subscribers. This will be an added burden to pre-paid and unlimited texting subscribers who are mostly youth and students."

"In these times of crisis, any increase in the rate or prices of basic services and commodities which include mobile phone use is already burdensome to ordinary consumers." (KABATAAN PARTY)

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT! The Mindanao Examiner in association with the Moro Films will conduct a week-long seminar and workshop on film making on February 24.

The workshop is a special hands-on intensive course designed for people who wish to study the art and craft of film making in an intense schedule.

This seminar is also useful for corporate media people engaged in video productions.

For those with little or no film making experience, this workshop offers strong foundation skills through carefully crafted modules aimed at focused learning, hands-on production.

Workshop participants are expected to learn story development, scriptwriting, directing, lighting, editing, sound recording and producing and the opportunity to make fully-realized short films which could be exhibited at film festivals.

The workshop is structured in a way that participants will be able to produce their own 5-minute films towards the end course.

To achieve this end, only 25 participants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.

The film making workshop shall be conducted by Gutierrez Mangansakan II, an award-winning documentary film maker and writer.

His first work 'House under the Crescent Moon' won Best Documentary at the 15th Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video in 2001. His documentaries have been screened in various international film festivals in Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, US and Europe.

The workshop is P 5,000 per participant, inclusive of seminar venue at hotel in Zamboanga City, lecture kits, workshop IDs, and certificates of training, meal snacks, projector, white board, sound system, back draft and television.

For details and reservation, please contact the Mindanao Examiner or Al Jacinto at telefax 062-9925480 or mobile +63918-9180895 or e-mail us at mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com

AFP TOP BRASS DISCUSS OFFENSIVE PLANS AGAINST TERRORISTS IN SULU

AFP TOP BRASS: Military senior officials (L-R) Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, 1st Div. chief Maj. Gen. Reymundo Ferrer, Brig. Gen. Mapagu, and Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo listen to a ground military commander on the on going hunt against al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in Jolo island. (PHOTO HANDOUT/PIO-Westmincom)

GOV'T SECURITY KILLS ABU SAYYAF BOMB EXPERT IN SULU

ZAMBOANGA CITY (ZAMBODAILYWIRE/JAN. 10, 07) - - Combined government security forces neutralized a bomb expert leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf during a raid in the jungle of Patikul, Sulu Tuesday night, the military said.

Killed in the operation was Binang Sali alias Freedom, leader and spiritual adviser of the Urban Terrorist Group (UTG), the demolition and liquidation squad of the Abu Sayyaf.

Sali is wanted for kidnapping and series of bombing attacks in Sulu. (MyBreak) -30-