Government, Moro rebels peace panels vow transparency
MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – Officials of the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vowed to be transparent on the proposed final peace agreement before the signing is done.
"No final peace agreement will be signed without the government making it known to the...
Liguasan Marsh eyed as fish biodiversity center
KORONADAL CITY- -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is planning to develop a freshwater fish biodiversity in the 288,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh, a bailiwick of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Asis Perez, BFAR director, said Liguasan Marsh supports a rich...
Government, MILF kick off peace consultation
KORONADAL CITY -- The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) separately kicked off consultations in parts of Mindanao for the public to provide insights and understand the intricacies of the Mindanao peace process.
The government, through peace panel member Miriam Coronel...
Militiamen build up in coal-rich village
KORONADAL CITY -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is training militiamen to thwart alleged growing infiltration of communist rebels in a far-flung village in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato that is rich in coal deposits.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexis Noel Bravo C. Bravo, chief of the Army...
Board to probe town’s approval of mining project
KORONADAL CITY — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato intends to scrutinize the Municipal Council resolution of Tampakan town endorsing the copper-gold venture of foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines Inc. considering that open pit mining is banned in the province.
But as of Friday, the...
NDFP urges diplomatic tack over Scarborough dispute
KORONADAL CITY — The National Democratic Front in Mindanao has urged a peaceful political solution to the Scarborough Shoal standoff between the Philippines and China.
Jorge Madlos, alias Ka Oris, NDF Mindanao spokesperson, however, slammed the Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea...
Moro rebel leader dies after heart attack
KORONADAL CITY (Updated) -- A senior official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) died after a heart attack Thursday night, a top official of the Moro rebel group confirmed Friday.
Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, said that Aleem Abdul Azis Mimbantas,...
Japan vows to hike aid to Mindanao
KORONADAL CITY -- The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), under its new leader, Akihiko Tanaka, has vowed to increase aid to Mindanao once the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ink a final peace agreement.
Akihiko made the assurance Tuesday in a meeting...
1 million mangroves in Gensan eyed
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Central Mindanao is planning to plant one million mangroves in coastal areas this year to rejuvenate marine productivity, an official said on Wednesday.
Ambutong K. Pautong, BFAR acting regional director, said...
Pro-Bt eggplant scientists buck Kalikasan writ
KORONADAL CITY -- A group of Filipino scientists urged the Supreme Court to allow the continued field trials of a genetically modified eggplant variety to determine if the plant is safe to the environment and for human consumption.
Dr. Emil Q. Javier, National Academy of Science and...
Workers hit new wage hike, to hold protest
KORONADAL CITY -- Workers in Central Mindanao slammed on Sunday the recent wage increase and will hold indignation protests on Labor Day to call for a substantial wage hike and the abolition of the regional wage board.
Adelaida Segumpan, Kilusang Mayong Uno spokesperson in Soccsksargen,...
5 die in clash near mining site
KORONADAL CITY -- A soldier and four communist rebels were killed in a firefight in a remote village near the mining development site of foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines Inc. in this city, an official said.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexis Noel C. Bravo, commander of the 27th Infantry...
Development in peace process lauded
KORONADAL CITY -- The British Government lauded Friday the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for reaching consensus points in the Mindanao peace process.
In a statement, British Foreign Affairs Secretary William Hague said the parties' signing of a 10-...
Probe on 'abuses' at mine site starts
TAMPAKAN, South Cotabato -- A fact-finding mission composed of multi-sectoral groups trooped to the mines development site of foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines Inc. on Wednesday to check alleged military excesses in the area.
Rene Pamplona, advocacy officer of the Social Action Center of...
Philippines, MILF agree on consensus points
KORONADAL CITY -- The major parties to the Mindanao peace process have agreed on decision points to help forge the signing of a final peace agreement, the government’s chief negotiator said Tuesday.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said the 27th formal...
Anti-mining protesters cry harassment
KORONADAL CITY -- Hundreds of protesters in South Cotabato cried harassment Sunday after two pick-up vehicles blocked their way to the development site of the foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in Tampakan town.
Ryan Lariba, spokesman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in the...
Soccskargen is high-risk to climate change
KORONADAL CITY -- Soccskargen or Region 12 is highly at risk to the threats of a changing climate condition, an official warned on Friday.
Herlita G. Caraan, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) regional chief, said that more rainfall, an increase in temperature and rising sea...
Guv: Armm's 'brand new' mobile clinic smells fishy
COTABATO CITY -- Acting Governor Mujiv S. Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) turned the key down on the P12-million German-made mobile clinic rolled out by the previous Adiong administration six months ago.
"It was declared as brand new but actually, beneath the...
'Military assault' on Balikatan critics decried
COTABATO CITY -- A soldier allegedly assaulted two militant activists during a rally against the joint RP-US military exercises outside the camp of the 6th Infantry Division here.
Cherry Orendain, spokesperson for Anakbayan-Davao Region, said a soldier allegedly hit student leader Malaya...
Farmers get P21-M farm machineries to boost productivity
KORONADAL CITY -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) recently extended P21-million worth of farm machineries to boost farmers' productivity in Soccsksargen, officials said.
Amalia J. Datukan, DA regional director, said the intervention was part of government's efforts for the country to...
Electric coops nix Pulangi shutdown
ELECTRIC cooperatives in Mindanao will press for the deferment of the scheduled shutdown of the Pulangi IV hydropower plant during the Mindanao power summit today, Friday, to avoid prolonged brownouts in parts of the island, a distribution utility official said Thursday.
Pulangi IV has...
Biz rivalry eyed in Cotabato bus blast
KORONADAL CITY – Authorities are looking at business rivalry as a possible motive in the latest bomb attack against a bus company that killed three passengers and injured 17 others, a police official said Thursday.
Chief Superintendent Felicissimo Khu, chief of the Directorate for...
Soccsksargen to face 2-hour daily rotating brownouts
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- A two-hour daily rotating brownout will again hit this city, the provinces of Sarangani and South Cotabato or the Soccsksargen region, as the power supply deficiency reached 20 megawatts, an official said Wednesday.
Crisanto Sotelo, South Cotabato Electric...
Science High School to open in Koronadal in 2013
KORONADAL CITY – The Philippine Science High School (PSHS) is putting up a campus in this city expected to open next year, an official said.
Dr. Zenaida P. Hadji Raof Laidan, Department of Science and Technology regional director, said the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PSHS system has...
Dialogue tempers conflict between military, tribesmen
KORONADAL CITY -- A brewing rift between the military and a tribal community in the coal-rich town of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato was averted after the parties patched things up in a dialogue here Thursday.
Present during the dialogue were representatives of the Commission on Human...
