pre-Araw ng Dabaw

Dugang suhulan

OFWs, groups all set for March 17 protest

Global alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Migrante International today held a press conference with returned OFWs from Libya, families of OFWs in Saudi and other OFWs in distress to announce their grievances and demands to the Philippine government in light of the series of crisis and calamities that have wrought havoc to the lives of Filipino migrant workers and their families in recent months.

Migrante International announced that OFWs, their families and other progressive sectors of society are all set for national and international protests on March 17, death anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, against government neglect and attacks on the rights of welfares of OFWs around the world.

OFWs from Libya air complaints

Around 30 returned OFWs from Libya expressed their grievances over the absence of assistance from Philippine authorities in evacuation and repatriation activities, and what they called "government misinformation"  on the present situation of their co-workers who are still left in Libya. The returned OFWs expressed concern for the safety of at least 15,000 Filipinos who are still in Libya.

They are also gravely worried that they would not be able to get their unreleased salaries and other benefits and demanded government assistance for their claims.

Some OFWs who have only been in Libya for three months have also complained that they were made to pay the costs and premium of the mandatory insurance coverage by their recruitment agencies. Republic Act 10022 or the amended Migrants' Act imposed a mandatory insurance coverage effective late last year for all agency-hired OFWs. It is stated in the Act that costs of the mandatory insurance should be paid by employers and in no way shall be charged to OFWs. 

Transparency in gov't plans for Saudi crisis

Meanwhile, Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez called for transparency from the Philippine government in light of escalating protests in Saudi Arabia and other areas in Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Since end of January, sporadic protests have erupted around the Saudi region and are expected to intensify. March 11 marked Saudi protesters' 'Day of Rage' calling for government reforms from the ruling monarch. Thousands of protesters were violently dispersed by the Saudi National Force upon orders from the King.

"Kung sa Libya na 30,000 ang Pilipino ay nagkumahog ng gobyerno, ngayon pa lang ay dapat handa na sila sa anumang scenario dahil 1.8 milyon ang Pilipino sa Saudi. Hindi na uubra ang tsamba lang dito, nasaan na ang konkretong plano?" said Martinez.

Martinez said that until now there is still no appointed Philippine Ambassador in Saudi. He also urged the government to immediately announce and inform OFWs of viable evacuation plans and details. "We are not alarmists. It is always better to safe than sorry, and judging from the way the government handled the crisis in Libya, the government should be transparent in their plans. Hindi dapat para bang secret ito na hindi pwedeng malaman ng publiko. Our chapters and members in Saudi can even help in the information-dissemination and the families of OFWs here have the right to know."

Martinez said that the Philippine government should start off by facilitating the immediate repatriation of stranded OFWs who have been awaiting government assistance even before the protests erupted, among them, 1,000++ OFWs in the deportation center in Al-Mina terminal in Jeddah; 3,500++ stranded over-staying  and runaway OFWs, mostly women and children, with expired or cancelled work visas Kingdom-wide; 600++ OFWs in deportation center cell numbers 14 and 16 in Jeddah; 1,000++ in Dammam, Eastern region of KSA; 1,200++ OFWs who have already finished their sentences but are still in jail.

"Sagip-Migrante"

Martinez also called on the Philippine government to act in haste to inform the public and families on the state of OFWS after the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. There are 305,00 Filipinos in Japan and 250,000, including undocumented OFWs, in Tokyo alone, according to Migrante-Japan.

Migrante and its chapters worldwide are coordinating via "Sagip-Migrante" with the aim to coordinate efforts from Filipino communities and families here and abroad for disaster-preparedness and information dissemination in light of war, calamities and other emergencies. "Sagip-Migrante" is the same network that launched coordinative efforts from migrants and families after typhoon Ondoy. ###

Lindol at tsunami

Nagising ako sa sunod-sunod na alert mula sa aking Tweetdeck kanina. Nagmadali akong i-check ito at nagulat ako sa aking nabasa. Niyanig ng napakalakas na lindol ang northeastern na bahagi ng Japan. Sinundan pa ito ng malakas na tsunami at ngayon ay lumikha ng napakalaking pinsala sa Japan. 

Nakakatindig-balahibo ang mga larawan at videos na nakapost sa internet; mga kotse na parang mga laruang plastic na inanod ng tsunami, mga gusaling nasira at mga usok mula sa mga nasusunog na bahay at gusali. Binaha ang internet, lalo na ang twitter, ng mga komento ng mga pag-aalala lalo na para sa mga kababayan na kasalukuyang nagtratrabaho sa nasalantang bansa.

Sa ngayon, nakataas pa arin ang Tsunami Alert Level 2 sa 19 na probinsya sa Pilipinas matapos ang malakas na paglindol sa Japan. Ayon sa Philvols, ito ang mga probinsya ng Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Norte at Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern at Eastern Samar, Leyte, Surigao del Norte at del Sur, Davao Oriental at Davao del Sur.

Halos lahat ng residente ng Davao ay nakatutok ngayon sa balita at nagaasam na masagot ang kanilang mga katanungan. Lalamunin ba ang Davao at ang mga karatig na probinsya ng mga dambuhalang alon? Magkakaroon din ba ng malakas na lindol sa Pilipinas? End of the world na ba?

Maraming residente, lalo na ang mga may kamag-anak at kaibigan na nasa Japan ay gumagawa ng paraan upang kumustahin ang kalagayan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay.

Sa mga ganitong kalagayan, inaasahan natin ang pamahalaan na gumawa ng mga kaagarang aksyon upang isiguro ang kaligtasan ng mga mamamayan.

Attached dito ang statement ng Migrante-Japan:

MIGRANTE Japan on Ambassador Manuel Lopez:
"Act Swiftly and Competently to Help Filipino Victims of Strong Earthquake"

Migrante Japan and Task Force RESPECT express concern for Filipino migrants living in areas most affected by the devastating 8.8 earthquake that hit Japan around 2 o'clock in the afternoon today, March 11, 2011.

We are particularly curious about the plans of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo to help affected Filipinos in the Norther Part of the country, especially Sendai which is directly affected by the 30-meter tsunami that hit the northern coastline hours after the earthquake.

We call on Ambassador Manuel Lopez to act swiftly to determine the extent of damage to our compatriots living in the areas affected, to secure their safety and to extend all necessary support and assistance to them.

Migrante Japan notes that most of the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Filipinos in Northern Japan are marriage migrants, entertainers, trainees and factory workers. Many of them, especially those living along the Sendai coastline may have already lost their homes and possibly their jobs as well, and therefore, need immediate support in terms of rescue and evacuation.

We hope that the Philippine Embassy will not follow the lead of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which handled the the political crisis in Egypt and Libya indecisively and incompetently.

In crisis situations like this, Filipinos are known for their "bayanihan" spirit.  However, we dare our government officials to take the cudgel for our distressed compatriots instead of just prodding Filipino communities in Japan for much needed help.

MIGRANTE Japan
Task Force RESPECT
March 11, 2011

Brighter than sunshine

think something up

To explain the political preferences, choices and actions of individuals and groups, we should study personal characteristics and relationships empirically and it should not be detached from the concrete socio-economic condition of the community.

Students enraged over Aquino’s budget cut on State U

Davao City- Militant youth organization League of Filipino Students- Southern Mindanao Region expressed its disapproval on the education budget cut proposed by Pres. Noynoy Aquino in favor of putting the highest budgetary priority to debt servicing and military. This as nationwide clamor against the budget cut on state colleges and universities echoes a similar campaign by students overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom who are also crying against the arbitrary slash on their government education subsidy.

“The budget cut smacks right into the face of Pnoy who falsely claimed that the 2011 national budget is a reform budget. The plan to slash state spending on state universities and colleges is a clear negligence of students' rights,” said LFS- Southern Mindanao Regional Spokesperson Karlos Manlupig.

“This is also contrary to the constitutional mandate that the Philippine government should place high premium on education  in terms of national budget allocation and other sources,” LFS added.

The University of the Philippines- Mindanao and the University of Southeastern Philippines are the state-owned schools in the Davao that will suffer from the budget cut.

“At least 120 students joined the forum against budget cut in UP Mindanao, whose budget will be slashed by P1.39 billion--  the highest from among the 112 SUCs. A symbolic protest action followed as students rallied in front of the Oblation,” Manlupig cited.

“We also hail the militance of the students of the University of Southeastern Philippines Mintal who staged a spontaneous walkout that led to a dialogue and later, a support from with the Dean.  As the fourth university out of 112 SUCs that has the biggest budget-cut, the students  were outraged with the P44.39 million slash,” said Manlupig.

USEP main campus in Obrero registered its firm stand in opposition to the budget-cut through a candle lighting protest supported by all college governors. Students appealed that “if Pnoy is really sincere in addressing the poor, disadvantaged and marginalized sector, he must make education as his top priority.”

“We have already warned Noynoy. For as long as the demands of the people are neglected, particularly on the right of the youth for free and quality education, we will intensify the struggle to resist and crush this rotten system,” said Manlupig.

The youth group along with the Kilos Na Laban sa Budget Cut and Kabataan Partylist will lead thousands of students in a nationwide strike on November 30 and December 1. ###

fireflies

Fireflies are more capable than man in creating "cold light". Having a light efficiency of 96%, this light contains no ultraviolet rays.

Barrio fiesta!

A day before Undas, the usually silent hilly barrio in the southern tip of the country suddenly transmogrified into a "weird" convivial mood. Second foundation anniversary pala ng kanilang purok. Tiyempo namang nandoon kami kaya inavail ko na ang pagkakataon na magobserve, lumamon at kumuha ng mga litrato.

Wala ang mga usual na banderitas na sponsored ng mga dambuhalang companies ng beer, softdrinks at mobile networks. Sa halip ay mga cellophane na ginawang lobo na tinali sa tie-box ang ginawa nilang banderitas. Syempre pula, dilaw at asul ang kulay. Present at 100% ang attendance ng mga nanalo na mga barangay officials at hindi mawawala ang handshaking at "inspiring" na talumpati gamit ang lumang karaoke.

May communal na pagkain malapit sa make-shift na entabado at may kanya-kanya din namang handa sa halos lahat ng tahanan. May naglalaro ng basketball. May mga nagiinuman. Tanduay, Gold "igol" Beer at tuba. Sa isang sulok, may batang lalake na umiiyak dahil naiinggit sa mga kaibigan na naliligo sa ilog. Hindi siya pinayagan ng kanyang ina. Kawawang bata.

After ng hardcore lamon event, dumating na ang mga malalaking sound system na gagamitin para sa diskohan ng bayan. Bago kami umalis, pinanood muna namin ang presentasyon ng mga batang babae na nasa edad 3-5. At ang sinayaw nila ay ang sikat na kanta na "Hindi ako bakla". Perfect diba? At ang nakakatuwa pa, may nakiki-epal na aso sa gitna ng mga sumasayaw na mga bata.

Haaay. Old school barrio fiesta.

Good morning!

goooood morning Mindanao! Kalinaw!


Mindanao sunrise mula sa kwarto ko.

-Karlos Manlupig

random thoughts

A country that spends more time and money on war will absolutely face degeneration and suffer the state of economic and political pandemonium.

Tapos na ang Undas

Sa mundo ng mga dapat, may gagawin akong mahalaga kahapon. Kaso dahil sa mga hindi ko maintindihan na mga dahilan ay hindi natuloy ang mga bagay na dapat ay matagal nang na-accomplish. Sa madaling salita, bokya ang productivity level ko kahapon. Nagmadali pa naman akong bumiyahe, nakipag-unahan at nakipagsiksikan sa mala-sardinas na bus.

Dahil bokya ako magpopost na lang ako ng mga litrato. boooo! Tapos na ang undas!

Students, teachers, and parents picket DepED vs. 2 more school years

Hundreds of high school and college students, teachers and parents staged a protest action yesterday outside the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office XI to express their disapproval over the extension of the 10-year basic education cycle to two more years, a proposal presented by DepEd Sec. Armin Luistro to Pres. Benigno Aquino III in Manila.

“Owing to the fact that the country lacks 49, 699 teachers, 57, 930 classrooms, 3.48M armchairs and 34.7M textbooks, the education crisis,” according to No to K+12! Alliance, “will not simply be solved by adding two more years in the students’ schooling.”

“Unless the poverty incidence in the country is given due attention, unless the teachers are given just compensation, parents employed with sufficient salary and benefits, and school facilities be improved, such reform will only serve as a “band aid” solution that temporarily covers, but will not essentially heal the wounds of the educational system,” said Paul Randy Gumanao, spokesperson of the alliance.

Gumanao said that the alarming increase in the drop-out rate is an indication that the students cannot sustain a longer stay in school due to many factors such as poverty. For every 100 students who enroll in grade 1, only 25 students can proceed to college and this, according to Gumanao, “should be looked into by the government rather than adding more years.”

“What has to be immediately addressed is the budget allocation for education that will improve the quality of instructions and the quality of the facilities. The government failed to see the real situation of education in this poverty-stricken country. Extra years in school would mean extra expenses and this is very burdensome especially to poor families whose primary concern is survival,” Gumanao added.

The alliance urged the Aquino administration to be faithful to its promise of allocating 6% of the GDP which will automatically go to education budget.
“Extending the basic education to 12 years would mean more school drop outs, more jobless graduates and more OFWs,” said Gumanao.

Gumanao called on the youth, the parents and the teachers to be part in campaigning against the K+12 and to help push for a genuine educational reform. He also urged the local legislators to make necessary actions to heed the clamor of their constituents to scrap the proposed moves.

Similar protests were held in different major cities in the country including Cotabato City and Zamboanga City.

--------------

A reporter asked me if isn't it too violent that the high school students almost knocked down the agency's gate. I answered her that this is the best way to express the anger of the youth. And the destruction of the gate (if ever nasira o masisira man)is nothing compared to the millions of lives that will be ruined if this nonsensical program will be implemented.

DepEd Sec Luistro yesterday asserted that the additional school years under the K12 program will address the problem of deteriorating quality education in the country. Ito lang ang masasabi namin, ISTORYAHEEEEE!

LFS commemorates 33 years of anti-imperialist struggle; deplores continuing US intervention

Davao City- Members of the League of Filipino Students launched yesterday the month-long celebration of their 33rd anniversary through a protest action to condemn the continuing foreign intervention, principally by the United States of America in the country.

The students simulated the “Hostage Crisis” in a street play wherein they presented the Filipino people as hostages and Uncle Sam as the hostage-taker. According to Karlos Manlupig, LFS-Southern Mindanao Regional Spokesperson, “As citizens of a nation long trapped in colonial relationship with US, we are actually hostages to the economic, political and cultural dictates of US Imperialism.”

LFS has long held the tradition of being a consistent and the biggest anti-US student organization in the country.

The youth leader expressed his dismay over the present administration’s programs which kowtow to imperialist interest in the country. “P-noy, without doubt, is the commissioned replacement to the bootlicker Arroyo regime. Despite the massive movement calling for the pull-out of US troops and the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement, P-noy has refused to this call, he being the newest US puppet in Southeast Asia,,” said Manlupig.

In Mindanao, it was reported that more than 600 US troops are deployed in different areas in the island that actively participate in different overt and covert operations. Recently, USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered warship, docked in Manila Bay.

“The stories of the brutal massacres perpetrated by American soldiers during the Philippine-American War are still reminiscent . Modern cases of savagery by US forces have been recorded including the Subic Rape Case and the murder of Gregan Cardeno and Capt. Javier Ignacio,” Manlupig said.

Manlupig calls for the Aquino administration to learn from the mistakes of the previous administrations and listen to the clamor of the people. He also challenges P-noy to stand for the people and act on the scrapping of VFA on his coming state visit to the US.

“No country in the history of mankind attained development under the avaricious clutches of US Imperialism. And the people, including the youth, will fight back to cut off foreign domination and to dislodge the local puppets. Over the last hundred years, we have become ‘hostage’ victims. We have to work and struggle hard to end this oppression,” Manlupig said.

The students will conduct a series of protests, art exhibits and cultural activities this month to commemorate the LFS’ 33 years of militance and perseverance. #

Davao youth opposes ROTC revival

Davao City --- Progressive youth group League of Filipino Students and Anakbayan – SMR express its strong opposition against plans of the Aquino administration and the AFP to revive mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

Karlos Manlupig, LFS-Southern Mindanao Regional Spokesperson, explained that the maneuvering of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Department of National Defense (DND) to resurrect the mandatory ROTC is an expression of the state’s militarist bent especially in reviving once again its plan to train young students for combat, intelligence and other military-related purposes.

Mandatory ROTC was abolished in 2001 after waves of massive protests were staged nationwide due to longstanding complaints of corruption, hazing, mental abuses and harassments of student leaders and activists. The ROTC abolition was also triggered by the murder of one Mark Chua, a student at the University of Sto. Tomas, in March 2001.

Chua exposed the corruption in the ROTC corps in the UST’s college newspaper, an expose which resulted in the relief of the ROTC commandant and his staff. As a result of his courageous act, he got death threats and was later assigned to undergo security training in Fort Bonifacio. He was killed a few days later, when his body was found floating in the Pasig river; his body bore torture marks, hands hogtied and face wrapped with packing tape

“Mandatory ROTC will resurrect once again the evils which Chua exposed, and which thousands of students have experienced. It will also foster campus militarization, mental and physical abuses, and additional financial burden to students and their families who are hardly able to cope with skyrocketing prices of tuition fees,” said Manlupig.

“There is no need for students to undergo ROTC because the purported trainings, as being justified by the AFP for the revival of the ROTC, are already being conducted under the NSTP-CWTS program. All students who underwent this program will automatically be reserve volunteers that may be deployed in times of calamities and emergencies,” said Manlupig.

The youth groups also lambasted the AFP’s logic that ROTC is the most effective program in teaching patriotism and discipline.

“Fascism is not synonymous to patriotism and discipline. If the government is sincere in teaching the youth patriotism, the most plausible option is to overhaul the colonial structure of our education system from and change it one that is nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented,” Manlupig said.

He added, “The people, particularly the youth, has rejected ROTC already. We cannot afford to see another Mark Chua who will die brutally under the hands of ROTC and the military personnel,” Manlupig said.#

Youth alarmed over Pnoy's public-private partnership, says it will make education less accessible

The youth raises the alarm today after failing to hear from Aquino concrete plans to address the education crisis in his first ever State of the Nations Address.

“Instead of providing solutions to the dismal state of the country’s education system, Pnoy ironically prioritized public-private partnership and foreign investments,” said Karlos Manlupig, League of Filipino Students Regional Spokesperson.

The group expressed its fear that Aquino's public-private partnerships will open our gates to gross foreign exploitation and will only intensify the commercialization and privatization of education.

According to KABATAAN Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino, “Opening further the education sector to private and foreign investors would only make education less accessible to the youth. It does not at all address the need for higher state subsidy nor the yearly tuition and other fee hikes that hound the education sector."

The youth solon said that the present education crisis is characterized mainly by the commercialization of public education in order to cope with low government spending. "The burden of budget cuts and poor education spending is being shouldered by students through exorbitant tuition and other fee hikes. Aquino failed to present this sorry state of Philippine education in his speech."

“We urge Aquino to seriously consider and review the youth's education agenda:
• Increase state spending on education to six (6) percent of the GDP.
• Implement a three-year moratorium on tuition and other fee increases in all levels.
• Promote a nationalist curriculum.
• Uphold democratic rights of students
• Improve teachers’ welfare.
• Improve science, research and technology development.
• Promote transparency and sanction corruption cases in education programs and contracts.
• Review existing policies and institutions of education.

a. Repeal Education Act of 1982.
b. Repeal Campus Journalism Act of 1991.
c. Revamp the government policy of reducing the budget of state universities and colleges.
d. Review and strengthen the regulatory powers of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd)

In Davao City, existence of repressive policies like the BASE 20 Policy in the University of Mindanao are affecting thousands of students.

“Noy said “pwede ng muling mangarap.” But to merely dream is folly amidst the realities we are facing. The supposed hope of the nation-- the youth-- do no want to merely dream. We want concrete solutions to the economic, political and cultural realities that are posing obstacles to us being the hope of the nation,” Manlupig concluded. ###

Photo: Pinoy Weekly (Boy Bagwis)

UM students walkout versus base 20

Davao City- Hundreds of students from the University of Mindanao (UM) staged a barricade and a walk-out Tuesday to manifest their strong opposition against the administration’s latest Base-20 and Retention policies.

The Base 20 policy directs the teaching staff to implement the 80% passing grade while the Retention policy mandates that three (3) failing grades in any major subject will result to the “forced” shifting of the student.

“According to the administration, these policies would improve the quality of education in UM. But the truth is that this is just another policy that smokescreens the deteriorating quality of education in the university and the country as a whole. The base 20 and retentition policy will benefit the profit-hungry UM administration who will face a deluge of students taking and retaking their courses,” said Glen Rubio of Anakbayan- University of Mindanao

Without undergoing due consultation process with the studentry, UM has implemented these policies therefore sparking rage from the students.

The students barricaded the UM Main campus in outright defiance against the profit-hungry and repressive administration of the university.

“We challenge the UM admin and CHED to make immediate and appropriate actions. The students will employ other forms of actions to demand for the scrapping of these repressive policies. Such policies cannot resolve the real problems besetting the education system owing to the massive commercialization of education. Specifically, the schools’ curriculum, facilities and modes of teaching must be developed within the framework of a pro-poor and nationalist educational system,” said Rubio.

Noy: Day 1

As a Mindanaoan youth, I expect the administration of Noynoy Aquino to urgently prosecute the previous administration for its atrocities committed against the people.

Concrete actions are also expected to address the education crisis. He may allot emergency funds for education in his first 100 days and he should also push for the automatic allocation of the 6% of our GDP for education spending.

Mindanao, which plays a vital role in the agricultural sector, needs the new administration to implement a genuine agrarian reform program that will stand for the interests of the farmers.

For the working class, it is imperative that the proposed P125 nationwide wage increase be immediately approved. In contrast to what is being practiced in Hacienda Luisita, fair working conditions and the right to organize unions should be championed at all times.

And of course, I expect the new administration to deal with the peace and order situation particularly here in Mindanao. We call on Aquino to make all necessary actions to ensure the resumption of peace talks on both the MILF and the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Youth gives Arroyo failing grade; challenges Aquino to prosecute her

“Finally, the end is here and Gloria must face the final curtain,” this was the statement of Karlos Manlupig, Regional Spokesperson of League of Filipino Students, as youth led by Kabataan Partylist, LFS and Anakbayan today staged a march-protest as a send-off for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“We deplore Arroyo for further neglecting the millions of youth in her 9-year rule who were forced to quit school and suffer the miserable working and farming conditions in our country,” said Sheena Duazo of Kabataan Partylist.

In a study conducted by the National Union of Students in the Philippines, only 1 out of 10 Filipino students were able to get a college degree under the US-Arroyo administration.

“This our solid basis in giving Arroyo a failing mark in her performance as the president of the country,” Duazo said.

Manlupig explained that Arroyo’s exit from Malacanang today does not mean that the people will easily forget her atrocities. “Arroyo and her rabid lapdogs must pay dearly for their sins. And we will do all necessary actions to ensure that they face what they deserve,” Manlupig added.

The youth groups also challenge Noynoy Aquino to make sure that Arroyo be severely punished for all her crimes to the Filipino people.

“The “daang matuwid” presented by Aquino have to mean the prosecution of Arroyo,” added Manlupig.###

Skimboarding in Digos City

Sauntering by the shoreline with my mom, we saw some teens braving the waves of Digos City using round and short type of surfboards called skimboards. I immediately took my cam and clicked using the multi-shot function.

Skimboarding is a water sport where many Filipino youth are doing well. Contests and workshops are being conducted regularly in different spots here in Mindanao.

After watching them ride the waves, I am now planning to swap my old skateboard for a skimboard.