Millions of pesos in airport profits cause opposition

SEVERAL business persons opposed to the opening of the Laguindingan Airport are allegedly interested in the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the airport which spells several millions of pesos in profits, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said it will operate the Laguindingan Airport.

Maquiling ‘assumes’ post in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte

OZAMIZ CITY—Although he has yet to hold office inside the town hall, Casan Maquiling, whom the Supreme Court said is the rightful winner of the 2010 mayoral race in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, has “constructively assumed” the post.

Maquiling told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro by phone that with the service of the writ of execution, he has officially assumed the mantle of power as the duly elected Kauswagan mayor for the next 20 days.

City commemorates 115th Independence Day

AS the country marks the 115th year of Independence Day today, the regional director of Department of Interior Local Government (DILG)-10 urged all government employees, private sectors and individuals to display the Philippine flag to commemorate our independence from the Spanish rule.

DILG-10 regional director Rene Burdeos said that based on Republic Act 8491 known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, May 28 to June 12 every year was declared as Flag Days.

2 soldiers killed in a clash with NPAs in Surigao Sur

TWO soldiers died in another clash with the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the outskirts of sitio Tibog in San Isidro village in Lianga town in Surigao del Sur on Monday afternoon.

Major Leo Bongosia, spokesperson of the army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) in Camp Evangelista, Patag, identified the fatalities as Private First Class Nagdar M. Irad of Patikul town in Sulu and Merwin M. Tion of Talisayan town in Misamis Oriental.

Police donate school supplies

They don’t only go after criminals, but help ease poverty too.

Personnel of the Divisoria police station gave away school supplies on Tuesday to at least 300 pupils of the City Central School and Grade 7 students at the Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGHCS).

Tradition of freedom

I still vividly recall the silent shuffling of feet on the asphalt pavement of Divisoria. Those who had recorded the event say about 10,000 persons took to the streets in a show of indignation. The year was 1981. The mayor of Cagayan de Oro was Nene Pimentel.

Ferdinand Marcos had just unseated Nene. While on a 5-week training course in the United States, the Marcos Comelec had ousted him as mayor of the city. The offense was almost hilarious, if not for the fact that such trumped up charges were commonly meted out by the Malacañang of the time. Nene was accused of political turncoatism.

Aquino to inspect Laguindingan Airport

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III will arrive today, June 11, to oversee the final inspection of the Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, before it will commence operations on Saturday, June 15.

City Mayor-elect and incumbent Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno informed his listeners during his radio program over the weekend.

Traffic worsens as classes open

TRAFFIC congestion in Cagayan de Oro City’s busy thoroughfares would last only one to two hours during school days, the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) said Monday -- the day private schools formally opened their classes.

Nonito Oclarit, RTA administrator-designate, said portions of the city that experienced traffic congestions were noted on Velez Street where Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (Mogchs) and City Central School (CCS), the most crowded secondary and elementary schools in Cagayan de Oro, respectively, are located.

I'm getting ready - Moreno

INCOMING city Mayor Oscar Moreno has been following closely the movement in the Cagayan de Oro City Hall particularly on 'midnight appointments' reportedly employed by outgoing Mayor Vicente Emano.

“I’ve been talking to some groups, both local and national, regarding midnight appointments, in the guise of resignations, but preemptive. I’ve been following them, I could not take any action since it’s not yet appropriate but I am preparing myself, I’m getting ready,” Moreno said.

Police eye robbery, grudge in Nazareth shooting

INVESTIGATORS of the Macasandig Police Station are looking at two possible angles that could lead to the arrest of the suspects in Sunday morning’s killing of a person on Tomas Saco Street, Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro.

Senior Inspector Joel Nacua, police station commander, said the shooting of a certain Maximo Roliorata, 31, married, of Tambo, Macasandig, may have something to do with his previous robbery case in Talakag, Bukidnon and in Gingoog City.

Power firm rehabilitates 5 diesel engines

ILIGAN CITY – The Mapalad Power Corporation (MPC) of the Alcantara group has fully repaired, rehabilitated and brought on-line the five out of 18 diesel engines as it assumed control and began rehabilitating the 20-year-old 98-megawatt (MW) Iligan plant on March 11 this year.

The MPC plant commenced operating on a ramp up basis on April 2013 and began producing at least 10 MW for delivery to its client distribution utilities in Mindanao last May 6.

Tension mounts in Lanao Norte town

OZAMIZ CITY — Tensions rise in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte as rival politicians for the mayoral race in 2010 continue their squabble over who should rightfully hold the office.

Hundreds of supporters of embattled Mayor Rommel Arnado, who was ousted after the Supreme Court (SC) recently ruled as invalid his candidacy during the 2010 polls, have been barricading the town hall against any attempt to unseat him Sunday night.

Diskwento Caravan kicks off in Cagayan de Oro on June 14

THE Department of Trade and Industry Misamis Oriental Provincial Office (DTI-MOR), in cooperation with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), and the local government, is conducting a caravan called “Diskwento -- Presyong Panalo para sa Mamimiling Pilipino” on June 14-15, at Magsaysay Park in time with the city’s Charter Day.

DTI is coordinating with manufacturers and local distributors to ensure that enough products are available to consumers during the caravan.

Group blames Epira law on Mindanao’s power woes

MALAYBALAY CITY -- The Power Alternative Agenda in Mindanao (Palag-Mindanao Inc.) conducted protests in several cities in Mindanao against power interruptions and high electricity rates last Saturday.

Palag has blamed Mindanao’s power woes on the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) signed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 8, 2001 and which provides the privatization of the Agus and Pulangi hydropower complexes.

Manobos to reclaim ancestral domain

TALACOGON, AGUSAN DEL SUR – Members of the Manobo communities here have decided to take their ancestral lands after almost 50 years of occupancy from logging companies which left their lands barren and their forest bald.

Bagtikang Kahugpungang Manobo sa Kasilayan (BKMK) of Barangay Coalicion, San Luis town and Lumadnong Kalihukan alang sa Kalambuan (LUKAK) of Barangay Marbon, Talacogon town, in Agusan del Sur, went to Manila on Sunday morning to file their prayers and petition for their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Territory (CADT) before the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Moreno urges Cowd board of directors to resign

CAGAYAN DE ORO mayor-elect Oscar Moreno expressed alarm over the seemingly “blame game” of the city’s water district and its partner water distributor, Rio Verde, over the water supply crisis in the western areas of the city.

Moreno, in his radio program over the weekend, said he was shocked over the statement of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (Cowd) pointing the problem of insufficient water supply to its “partner,” Rio Verde Water Consortium, Inc (RVWCI).

Junior officer killed in an NPA clash

A JUNIOR officer of the Philippine Army was killed in a recent encounter with alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the boundaries of Claveria in Misamis Oriental and Malibog in Bukidnon, Friday morning, the military said.

Cocpo chief: Motive of Customs official slay-attempt ‘not yet known’

THE motive to the slay attempt of Alma Lomondot, 46, along sitio (zone) Bantiles in barangay (village) Bugo here on Friday afternoon has not been known yet.

Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) chief Graciano Mijares said the police is currently investigating one witness for possible identification of the suspects as the police are coordinating with the BOC-10 officials for the speedy resolution to the case.

IFJ asks Aquino to expedite massacre trial

OZAMIZ CITY-More than 300 delegates to the 28th World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Dublin, Ireland has called on President Benigno Aquino III to “take steps to expedite the trial” of the Maguindanao massacre.

According to National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chair Rowena Paraan, who joined the Dublin gathering, the call was contained in an urgent resolution adopted by the Congress delegates.

Muddled water

WATER is essential. People would prefer brownout than without water.

Residents, particularly the consumers of the western villages in Cagayan de Oro City, have been distressed with the intermittent supply of water or worst the lack of water that could span for days.

32 deaths, P23M recorded in road mishaps

THIRTY-TWO deaths were recorded from nearly 5,000 road accidents in Cagayan de Oro City in 2012 which resulted to P23-million worth of estimated damages.

Nonito Oclarit, administrator of the Road and Traffic Administration (RTA) in the city, told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that majority of the accidents were minor cases that registered 2,087 injuries.

RTA: Traffic rerouting no more

THE Road and Traffic Administration (RTA) said rerouting scheme will no longer be implemented for it will only worsen traffic congestion as classes start full-blown on Monday, June 10.

“The problem with rerouting is the creation of chaos among motorists especially those who do not know the schedule of the rerouting, then they make wrong turns which will worsen the traffic situation. So, we better stick to the old system,” RTA administrator Nonito Oclarit told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

Church positive new admin to tackle river basin

CAGAYAN de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma is optimistic that the newly elected executives in the city will take the Cagayan de Oro river basin as one of its priority programs.

He said during the World Environment Day forum that was organized by the environmentalist group Sulog on Wednesday, it tackled on the state of the city’s environment.

President Aquino urged to renegotiate airport loan

THE Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (Oro Chamber) is reiterating its appeal to President Benigno Aquino III to defer the opening of the Laguindingan Airport in June 15.

In its recent letter to Aquino, Oro Chamber president Efren T. Uy said if the rush opening of the Laguindingan Airport is due to the government’s loan obligation to the state-owned Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank), the Chamber believed that the government has the power to renegotiate with the bank to move the amortization schedule to a specified date wherein the Laguindingan Airport can operate efficiently and safely.

K to 12 program reduces class size

THE implementation of the new K to 12 program of the Department of Education (DepED) reduced the number of students in all public elementary and secondary schools in Cagayan de Oro City starting this school year.

The ratio is 1:40 compared to its previous 1:75 teacher per student distribution.

Benaldo files election protest vs Uy

Outgoing Representative Benjamin Benaldo (1st district, Cagayan de Oro) filed an election protest before the House of Representative Electoral Tribunal (HRET) against Barangay Carmen Chair and Representative-elect Rolando Uy.

Benaldo’s protest was published in a national newspaper on Wednesday along with the other 29 defeated candidates in the May 13 elections.

24 infra projects in Misamis Occidental done

OROQUIETA City – At least 24 infrastructure projects worth P122.683 million was completed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Misamis Occidental, as of April 30, 2013.

The projects amounted to P115.588 million only, after these had been bidden out to the different contractors, resulting in P7.095 million savings for the government, or 5.78 percent of the projects’ total cost, according to DPWH second district Engineer Denise M. Ayag, here.

Bukidnon town beefs up livestock

MARAMAG, Bukidnon — The local government unit (LGU) of Maramag intensified its farm animal deworming project to help farmers increase production and improve quality of livestock products.

Mayor Alicia P. Resus said the project aims to increase profitability of farmers and livestock raisers while preventing future infections.

We are ready – FCRU

THE fire crash rescue unit (FCRU) of the aviation authority in Cagayan de Oro said its staff of 43 highly-trained, highly-specialized firefighters and rescuers are ready for any runway emergencies at the Laguindingan Airport.

Following the Cebu Pacific Flight 5J-971’s skidding off the runway at the Davao International Airport Sunday night, the FCRU in Davao has been put in crosshairs due to slow response in that emergency. The passengers of the ill-fated plane said it took 15 minutes before the FCRU arrived on the scene.

P20 wage hike ‘not fair enough’- TUCP

“NOT fair enough," was Associated Labor Union – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) reaction to the newly adjusted P20 wage increase in the region

The wage increase is unfair and it is not enough to cope with the rising costs of basic commodities.