STREET PROTESTERS: The raging anguish of Marinduqueños

In a consultation meeting with the Department of Energy and Napocor that transpired in 2004, the Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Marelco), opted to have its own New Power Provider (NPP), in the promulgation of DOE’s Circular No. 2004-01-001. 

The suppose Balogo Power Plant

Bankcrupt IPP - As admitted by 3i Powergen before the SP body, supported by Marelco, and accepted by SP, said New Power Provider (NPP) is no longer in a capacity to pursue the project due to bankruptcy. How long will the contract rescission process take?










..more @:
http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2010/01/power-crisis-where-do-we-go-from-here.html

Marinduque: Was it TRUE or FALSE?

Ombudsman files plunder raps vs 'operators' in 

         P728-M fertilizer scam

30-Jun-11, 5:06 PM | Jaime Sinapit, Interaksyon.com

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday filed plunder charges against the suspected operators behind the P728-million fertilizer fund scam that allegedly benefited the election campaign kitty of former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro ordered the filing of charges against former Agriculture Secretary  Luis Ramon “Cito” P. Lorenzo, Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, Assistant Secretary Ibarra T. Poliquit and other ranking officials of the Department of Agriculture.

“The Acting Ombudsman earlier found probable cause to indict Lorenzo and Bolante, in conspiracy with other high-ranking DA officials for plunder. The respondents, however, filed their separate motions for reconsideration but these were denied by the Office,” the agency’s spokesperson, lawyer Mary Rawnsle Lopez said in a statement. 

The motions for reconsideration filed by former congresswoman Nanette Castelo-Daza, former Marinduque governor Carmencita Reyes and former Catanduanes governor Leandro B. Verceles, Jr. were likewise denied.

These officials will be charged with violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act). 

Criminal charges for malversation were also filed against Agriculture Regional Directors Cesar D. Rodriguez, Dennis B. Araullo, Ricardo D. Oblena, Leo P. Caneda, Oscar O. Parawan, Roger C. Chio, Sumail K. Sekak and Eduardo B. Lecciones, Jr.

 According to Lopez, Casimiro also ordered the dismissal from the service of Poliquit, Oblena, Araullo, Caneda, Parawan, Rodolfo M. Guieb, Balagtas K. Torres, Abelardo Bragas, Felix Ramos, Ofelia Montilla and Gregorio Sangalang, all of the DA; and Rodolfo G. Malinana, Ireneo C. Del Rosario, Roger M. Pitajen, and Herbert DLS Evangelista, Sr., all local officials of the provincial government of Catanduanes.

The fertilizer fund scam was one of the biggest anomalies that marred the nine-year term of former president Arroyo. The money was misused because the papers covering the funding made it appear that congressional districts received funds for fertilizer support for farmers. Even lawmakers from urban districts, like Makati City’s Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Las Pinas’s Cynthia Villar, were made to appear as having received such funds for their districts. Locsin and Villar were the first to denounce the scam on the floor of Congress. 

  At least three witnesses who compiled documents on the scam have been     killed in the years since it was exposed.

(Previous issue)
The MANILA TIMES.net

Fertilizer ‘scammers’ fall

(Clockwise from extreme left) Representatives Carmencita Reyes, Nanette Daza, Oscar Gozos and Federico Sandoval

Lawmakers face graft raps before Sandiganbayan 

By John Constantine G. Cordon, Reporter

A TOTAL of 25 counts of graft, malversation and illegal use of public funds have been filed before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged P728-million fertilizer fund scam against four lawmakers and a number of regional executive directors of the Agriculture department.

Informations transmitted by the Office of the Ombudsman to the anti-graft court showed that former Representatives Oscar Gozos (Fourth District of Batangas), Federico Sandoval (Lone District of Navotas City in Metro Manila), Nanette Daza (Fourth District of Quezon City) and Carmencita Reyes (Lone District of Marinduque) were slapped with charges of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and illegal use of public funds (technical malversation).

The Office of the Ombudsman charged each lawmaker for allegedly receiving cash that was part of the P728-million fertilizer fund allocation under the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani of then-President and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of the Second District of Pampanga.

Reyes allegedly received P5 million and the three other lawmakers, P3 million each, which all of them used, as purchase orders showed, to buy agricultural equipment such as wood shredders and chippers.

The money was allegedly disbursed from the Agriculture department to regional executive directors who handed the cash to the lawmakers.

The cash was reportedly used to fund the campaign kitty of Mrs. Arroyo when she ran for president in the 2004 elections, which she eventually won.

The Ombudsman found out that former Agriculture Undersecretary Joceyln “Joc-Joc” Bolante orchestrated the disbursement of the fertilizer fund with the approval of then-Agriculture Secretary Luis Ramon “Cito” Lorenzo.

The regional directors of the Agriculture department who were also charged with graft and malversation were Sumail Sekak (Cotabato City), Leo Cañeda (Tacloban City), Dennis Araullo (Quezon City), Oscar Parawan (Zamboanga City), Cesar Rodriguez (San Fernando City), Roger Chio (Davao City), Eduardo Lecciones (Tagbilaran City Unit 7) and Ricardo Oblena (Tagbilaran City Unit 6).

During an earlier interview, acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro said that the filing of the charges before the Sandiganbayan took time because of the fact-checking process that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) undertook.

The Office of the Ombudsman affirmed the filing of the charges on April 15.

But only on May 6 did the OSP transmit the charges to the Sandiganbayan.

At press time, only the graft and malversation charges against the four lawmakers and the regional executive directors of the Agriculture department were sent to the anti-graft court.

Marinduque: 2010 Prosisyon sa Mogpog

Mogpog 2010.

San Isidro Labrador Parish, Mogpog, Marinduque

Marinduque: Placer Dome & Marcopper: Out of sight, out of mined

Out of sight, out of mined from Oxfam Australia on Vimeo.




Some years ago, I was invited by MACEC (Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns), to watch this documentary on the problems caused by the Marcopper mine tailings spill that happened 15 years ago today. The film was first screened in Australia to mark the start of the APEC Mining Ministerial in Perth in 2007. Produced by Oxfam Australia, the documentary entitled "Out of Sight, Out of Mined", and apparently referred to how the mining company suddenly packed up and abandoned the mines, their responsibilities to the people of Marinduque and rehabilitation issues resulting from the disaster.

..more @:  

http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2011/03/placer-dome-marcopper-out-of-sight-out.html

Marinduque: DA Sec. Proseco J. Alcala

Marinduque Prime Movers advocacy is to alleviate unfortunate livelihood in the island by bringing in a potential key factor to address dramatically the long-time stigma of poverty struck by political dynasty to its constituents.

Now, it is more sensible to most common individual in the province to expect serious and decisive effort from capable sectors rather than politicians in so many a times they’re bound to end up nothing but their worst of words.

…and nothing even more new breeds of politicians gets worse than ever.

Yet, there are no guarantees to see even up to this time that people may have the luck after the visit!

Marinduque: First Ever Battle Of Moriones In The Island

One of the highlights of Moriones Festival Celebration In 2010: "THE BATTLE OF MORIONES" during the term of Ex-Gov. Bong Carrion. These act of reflection resembles hardships and cooperation how these group contest became a mementos to every participants involved. Not to mention of those who are not fortunate to displayed unpleasant words and reactions.

Marinduque: THE NAME'S ORIGIN

The origin of the name, "Marinduque", has been the subject of discussions and thought-provoking conjectures.

Fr. Miguel Bernad in a brief account commented on the origin of the names of a number of places in the Philippines, among which was Marinduque. He said that "Malinduk (or Malindik) is now Marinduque." Explaining that there are provinces, towns and villages whose modern names have been the result of some inability on the part of the Spaniards (or of others), to pronounce the original native name.

F. Arsenio Manuel (of the former National Historical Institute), who conducted a study of place-names, made an interesting one on the origin of 'Marinduque'. He said that 'Marinduque' could not have originated from Malinduk or Malindik but rather from "MALINDUG".

This he said, has historical implication, for the word "malindig" which means "tall and elegant stature" in Tagalog has similar if not parallel meaning to the Visayan term "malindug". These were two cognate terms, Manuel wrote in the study, which fittingly describe the island's volcano, Mt. Malindig.

As for the probability that the Visayan term used as basis for naming the mountain and not the Tagalog word, accounts of early Visayan migration to the island would appear to support this view. The Dasmarinas listing of encomiendas in 1751 already spelled Marinduque in this manner, said he. (But I suspected then that Manuel must be Visayan...)

Manuel explained further that the phonetic hispanization of Malindug followed the Spanish phonetic system. Spanish does not tolerate the voiced velar stop "g" in its phonology. In Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas and other Spanish chronicles for example, the term for 'loincloth' is spelled 'bahaque'. This spelling and its Spanish pronunciation follows Spanish phonetic laws - 'bahag' becoming 'bahaque'.

This change according to Manuel also appears to have happened to "Palanyag" which became "Paranaque", with additional change taking place, the "l" becoming "r", again following Spanish phonetic tendencies. This "l" - "r" 'spin shift' is, of course, also evident in 'Marinduque'.

Hence, the legend of Marinduque as having resulted from the romance of "Marin" and "Duque", the ill-starred lovers of a popular local myth cannot have any value in historical writing nor folklore studies, stated Manuel. This, he opined, was just another instance of 'folk-etymologising'.

In 2002, as a volunteer cultural worker I decided to call the theater group I formed in Buenavista, "Teatro Malindug", for that town lies at the foot of the subject volcano. I spent sometime, of course, explaining to the cast (students from the Marinduque Victorian's College), that we owe it to our ancestors to preserve that forgotten name.

The MALINDUG name wasn't new to me, though. I first encountered the same explanation from a research paper given to me by the late Ding Jardiniano of Boac back in 1993, in connection with a play I was writing entitled "Saan Nanggaling ang Moryon", that we presented as "Moryonan" Isang Baliktanaw."

The said research paper (there was a dearth of such at that time so we valued anything about Marinduque), was authored by another person (Jardiniano told me then that he knew the guy personally), not Manuel.

...more @:

http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2011/02/marinduque-names-origin.html

Marinduque: "VIVA MARINDUQUE" as vehicle for cultural preservation

"VIVA MARINDUQUE"

It wasn't just the honorable members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Marinduque who stepped forward to convey their positive response to the conduct of the festivities. The Sangguniang Bayan of Gasan also conveyed their full appreciation. 

Among others, the resolution stated that "Viva Marinduque is truly reflective of the richness of Marinduque's beliefs, customs and traditions, and can also be an effective vehicle in the preservation of these cultures."

..more @:
http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2011/02/viva-marinduque-as-vehicle-for-cultural.html

My Marinduque: Culturally Significant Marinduque

Culturally Significant Marinduque

Old Marinduque

It must be stressed that the beginnings of archaeology in the Philippines began right here in our now-troubled island. Prior to 1900, only one important archaeological investigation had been carried out in the country: Alfred Marche’s exploration of Marinduque from April to July 1881. While many other accidental finds have been recorded from time to time, and a few burial caves and sites had been casually explored by European or local scientists, no really systematic work had been done elsewhere prior to that except for the efforts of Marche. After his, the next important work was by Dr. Carl Gunthe in the Central Visayan Islands in 1922.(Beyer)

..more @:

 http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2011/02/culturallly-significant-marinduque.html

Marinduque: Launching A Crusade On Illegal Numbers Games 2010

The Municipal Government Of Torrijos, Local Authority, Department of Interior and Local Gov't headed by Mrs. Lani Mascareñas(MLGOO) and barangay officials held its first ever campaign on Illegal Numbers Games and other forms of illegal activities in the Municipality of Torrijos last November 10, 2010 at Torrijos Covered Court plaza.




Issues concern were tackled in priority of Republic Act 9287
and Presidential Decree 1602.

Marinduque: Morion Unmasked

This is a stone mask from the pre-ceramic neolithic period believed to be the oldest mask in the world that dates back to 7000 BCE and is found at Musée de la Bible et de la Terre Sainte in France.

 

 

On account of Philippine culture the Lenten moriones of Marinduque is considered the oldest practice that utilized masks as part of a religious ritual dating back to the late 1800s. When worn, these masks maintain their power and mystery for he or she who wears it and for the audience who are kept bewildered, frightened or amused. This photo comes closest to the original mask worn by the morions and originates in Mogpog.

 

 

....more at:

 

http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2011/01/morion-unmasked.html 

Marinduque: Exploring Potential Tourism Spot In The Island

Popular personalities may draw attentions but you don't need to be one to make it happen. Interests and self-submission could build a tower of courage and dedication to touch even more individuals to come together and imparting their share out of strife and differences. Like what Mr. Topher Matienzo contributes in exploring one of the breath-taking journeys inside the cave of San Isidro in Sta. Cruz.  

TV personality, Gretchen Malalad recently visited Brgy. San Isidro's (that's in Sta. Cruz),subterranean river with a team from ABS-CBN to do a special feature on Marinduque for "Balitang Amerika" on ANC Channel. Her group was accompanied by Congressman Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco and his Chief of Staff for Marinduque Affairs, Erick Abad

(Mr. Topher matienzo wearing sky-blue shirt)

A composite group with representatives of environmental agencies, LGUs, provincial and planning agencies, tourism officers, spelunking organizations and other concerned agencies will hold a seminar at the Provincial Training Center in Tamayo, Sta. Cruz. The newly discovered San Isidro Caves and Subterranean River will be one of the topics. An exploration of the cave in the company of visiting cave experts is included in the said activity scheduled Sept. 1-4, 2009.

..more of San Isidro Cave @:
http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2009/07/marinduques-newest-discovery-hidden.html

Marinduque: IT on Day Care Centers!

 The introduction of ECCD's Early Childhood Learning Development Program for local kids .

Pisces Publication's representative Elmer Dioquino explains to the day-care workers in this video the features of the instructional software learning program at their disposal.




Research showed that fifty percent of a person's ability to learn is developed in the first four years of life according to research findings, and that another thirty percent is developed by the 8th birthday. As disclosed by DepEd only 12% of every 100 grade 1 pupils are ready for school.


Board member Eleuterio Raza, Jr., SP minority floor leader of the incumbent Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), noted in 2007, that there were surplus funds from un-programmed appropriations from the 2004, 2005, and 2006 20% CDF budget. These were intended for projects and activities identified and enumerated in the Annual Investment Plans. 

The funds, Raza noted, could be used“to operationalize the development thrusts and priorities of the present administration”. Raza, together with board member Leticia Monte thus proposed and convinced the other members of the SP to consolidate such unused funds “into a single fund” that could be “realigned to the different priority development projects of the Office of the Governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan”. 




The Raza-Monte-sponsored resolution stated that the consolidated fund should be re-aligned to some priority development projects “of the Office of the Governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan” specifically identifying the following:

Php 2.9-million for Legislative Development Initiatives Augmentation Fund for the Office of the Vice-Governor and SP members (Php 500,000 for the OVG and Php 300,000 each for SP members); Php 5-million for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Programs (province-wide), for “purchase of instructional materials and other teaching aids” and Php 250,000 as incentives to day-care workers, among others




..more @:
http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2010/06/board-member-eleuterio-raza-jr.html

Marinduque: Abolishment of Torrijos Municipal Hospital! (Like a thief in the night)

-2010-

The alleged closure of Torrijos Municipal Hospital for improvements of Sta Cruz District and Damian Reyes Hospital in Boac are feared undesirable for the common folks in the south as their constitutional rights to a BASIC HEALTH SERVICES from the Provincial Government will soon be taken away in the community.   

Torrijos Municipal Hospital Employees 

Two top officials of the province (including a Board Member from 2nd District) and some provincial health officials were among others behind the pronouncement aired by Radyo Natin-Boac local news last September.  Dr. Bacorro of Sta. Cruz District Hospital made the same statement as well.

The Torrijos Municipal Hospital obtained the required option by the Department Of Health (DOH) on ACCESSIBILITY, EFFICIENCY, QUALITY, EQUITY and AVAILABILITY. Although the said "Primary Hospital" had only 10 beds capacity and has a limited health services the DOH had nothing to do on the idea of eliminating the HEALTH SERVICES as the BASIC needs in the locality.

Marinduque has a totaled bed capacity of 135 for the population of more than two hundred thousand; 100 beds in Provincial Hospital, 25 beds in the District of Sta. Cruz and 10 beds in Torrijos. DOH requires a standard bed capacity of 1:1,000 ratios. With 28,000 of its population In Torrijos the ratio is 1:2,619 per bed.  

Torrijos Municipal Hospital was categorized as Primary Hospital-level 1, Sta. Cruz District Hospital-level 2, while the Damian Reyes (Provincial Hospital) is a Secondary Hospital.  

Mayor Gil Briones, Municipal Mayor of Torrijos and the legislative body, including the League of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) had already made a resolution on the issue at hand.

The BASIC SERVICES are REQUIREMENTS to every Filipino anywhere in the country, whether you are in the smallest island the needs is BASIC. It is their constitutional rights to benefit from it.

The rumored issue was DENIED by the Provincial Government and it was “confirmed” from a local cable TV in Boac that there’s no allegation of closure at all (why not in Torrijos?). 

Puzzled?

What possibly could have been if BASIC SERVICES--the health-- has been taken away from these local folks?


Apparently, the previous administration strengthen these basic services by providing them beneficial option to reduced poverty in a way.  

Torrijos had a totaled 28, ooo population. Most of them were just common and ordinary folks; where in numbers there's strength in needs.

The local officials stand-out on the issue that people here should be thankful and realized it was a job well done.

Marinduque: NO JUETENG IN MARINDUQUE?

                                                                   Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile

During the In September 2010 Senate committee hearings investigating the ‘jueteng’ scandals - in aid of legislation - Senators Enrile and Estrada at one point actually recommended legalization. Jueteng is the illegal numbers game that has remained unabated in various parts of the archipelago for the last hundred years. So it’s now a question really of whether we want to legalize it or not, stressed Enrile. 

Sen. Sotto disagreed citing Marinduque, of all places, as a province where, according to him, the illegal numbers game does not exist because of political will. “Ayaw ni Governor Carmencita”, Sotto said. The hearing was carried live on ANC. Yet on the same September day, a DILG spokesperson was interviewed over DZRH-Radyo Natin saying plainly that Marinduque and Pampanga (its governor also denied that jueteng existed there), are among the provinces where illegal numbers games exist. And today we see the Marinduque police and local officials up in arms versus this illegal numbers thing and other forms of gambling.

What’s the real score then? Truth is, male and female ‘cobradors’ collecting bets as they make the rounds of houses even in the most remote of Marinduque barangayshave become all-too-familiar sights, of course. A ‘kabo’ in motorcycle would collect all the bets and turn them over to the ‘bangka’ whose identity is known to only a few. 
Shortly after the operation of STLs, small town lotteries, ‘jueteng’ in Marinduque was replaced by the new variants, ‘suertres’ (three numbers) and ‘2-balls’ (two numbers). This means illegal gambling operators merely and freely make use of the results of PCSO-drawn numbers for the authorized ‘suertres’ and ‘EZ2 lotto’, that are just two among the many lotto games bettors follow nightly on television. 




A considerably huge number of people in every barangay are, of course, unhappy. They depended on the suertres and 2-balls operation for their daily income. The crusade was also against other forms of gambling like ‘patupada’, illegal cockfighting and ‘tong-its’, poker, and so a lot more people sulked.




..more @:
http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2010/11/no-jueteng-in-marinduque-look-again-now.html