An Waray Party list launches One Eastern Visayas drive

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 27 -- The An Waray Party list has launched the One Eastern Visayas campaign in a bid to help locals patronize the region’s agricultural products and unify efforts to promote tourism destinations.

An Waray Party list founder Florencio Noel on Friday said one of the features of the campaign is the creation of an online platform, in which the economic goods—products and services— that are available in every towns in six provinces are listed, explained, and made easily accessible for people.

The online platform is also designed to facilitate inquiry and contact with related agencies and persons when certain products and services are sought by people, Noel said. 

“I am confident that this process will be easy and efficient for most of us given that today,  people, especially the youth, can easily navigate the internet. In fact, Filipinos rank second in the world in terms of the number of hours spent online, and third in terms of the number of hours spent on social media,” Noel said.

The official explained that consistent with the goals of countryside development and interdependence, the platform will make it easy for people to procure goods and services from nearby places before resorting to sources outside the region.

“Hinged on the principles of unity and interdependence, One Eastern Visayas endeavors to link the region’s six provinces, its cities and towns, government agencies, non-government organizations, and other sectors bring more development and provide more jobs or livelihood opportunities,” Noel explained.

Senator Grace Poe, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, mayors from different parts of the region, and key officials from regional line agencies came to the city’s astrodome to express support to the campaign.

One Eastern Visayas will operate in greater scale as the campaign’s linkage or bridging of sectors in the region will work through a system of sharing of natural and human resources available in various parts of the region, Noel said. 

“In this powerful system of sharing, we will be able to not only optimize the resources we already have and provide for the socio-economic needs of our neighboring provinces, but to also foster a greater and more palpable sense of solidarity, reciprocity, and belongingness in one Eastern Visayan community—a holistic prospect that responds to both our material and cultural needs,” Noel added.

The party list official noted that the region is characterized by a diverse topography conducive to agricultural production and various recreational activities. These two aspects—agriculture and tourism—are especially part of the campaign’s focus.

“The same goal of interdependence is echoed here in the sense that we don’t need to excessively import agricultural goods when we can produce our own. We don’t really have to go far for tourist destinations because we already have and can even further develop our own,” he added.

An Waray came up with the campaign 17 years after the regional party list was formed. Since 2004, the party list has been winning seats in the House of Representatives.

Noel recalled that An Waray started only with a very simple intention, which is to help. When a fire broke out in 2001 in the 5th district of Manila, a fraternity brother from the Aquila Legis asked for Noel’s help since 90 percent of the victims were from Eastern Visayas.

“Word travels really fast that more and more Waray-speaking people in the Metro learned of the group. That collaboration served as a springboard for the group, eventually giving An Waray five terms in Congress. Our intentions have since then gone beyond helping” Noel said.

Noel informed that during his first term as representative of An Waray in Congress, a colleague once asked him why there were so many Waray in the big cities of the country, mostly informal settlers.

“I think we all see one clear answer to this. We come from the easternmost part of the country which, facing the Pacific, has for so long been the typhoon belt, rendering us vulnerable to this natural hazard, among others like landslides and earthquakes. Because of this, many of our people migrate to the Metro to try their luck in what is thought to be a safer, albeit less familiar environment,” he added.

The party list launched the campaign during the 10th Oktubafest, the showcase of best local wine known as “tuba” (coconut wine). The festival is the local version of the German beer fiesta known as “Octoberfest.” 

Thousands of tuba producers, officials, and students gathered at the City’s Astrodome for the annual event organized by An Waray Party list. (LAAA/PNA)

Maguindanao solon backs martial law extension in Mindanao

TACLOBAN CITY -- Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu of 2nd District has expressed support to the extension of martial law in Mindanao in the bid to recover all loose firearms.

Mangudadatu, who was here Friday to join the local wine tasting event of “Oktubafest”, said the government has to enforce martial law for another one to two years to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.

“One to two years is enough to recover all loose firearms and disband private armies. I believe there are still a lot of unlicensed firearms in Mindanao because it is a culture of our Muslim brothers to own guns,” the congressman said.

Earlier, Malacañang said it would depend on the recommendation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines whether or not martial law will be extended after the end of the year.

Martial law in Mindanao was declared on May 23, 2017 following attacks launched by the Maute Group in Marawi City.

Congress, in a special joint session in July last year, granted the extension of martial law until Dec. 31, 2017 at the President's request.

The Senate and House of Representatives, convening in a joint session early December, then granted Duterte's request for the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus for a period of one year from January 1 to December 31, 2018.

Meanwhile, Mangudadatu, admitted that it will be tough for a Filipino Muslim to win a Senate seat, but he’s not discouraged to hold a nationwide campaign despite not being in the top 12 picks for Senate in 2019.

“I don’t believe in surveys. We have to talk to local officials and grassroots to let them know about our platform. No one is a sure winner in every election. There are always losers and winners,” he said.

“As a Muslim Filipino, my call is for us to be united. I want to change the impression of our Christian brothers and sisters about Muslims. We should not have segregation. We only have one government," he added.

Running under the ruling PDP-Laban Party, Mangudadatu will try to be the first Muslim to win a Senate seat after Santanina Rasul, who served as senator from 1987 to 1995. (SQM/PNA)

Senators eye Rice Tariffication Law passage in December

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 26 -- Senators are eyeing the passage of the Rice Tariffication Bill before the year ends as one of the measures to ensure stable supply of rice and provide safety net for local farmers.

Senator Juan Edgar “Sonny” Angara is confident the proposed law, which is now up for third and final reading in the Senate, will be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte by December.

“We give to private sector the power to import rice since only NFA (National Food Authority) and few traders are in control of rice importation. This measure will not allow the big traders to dictate the price of rice,” Angara told reporters.

The law will ensure stable supply of rice in the market and generate more taxes from rice imports, Angara said. The Senate has started the interpolation of Senate Bill No. 1998 on September 19.

The proposed bill replaces the quantitative import restriction on rice with tariffs and lifts the quantitative exports restrictions on rice.

The measure has been certified as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte in his recent State of the Nation Address.

Senator Grace Poe, in a separate interview, said since rice tariffication will affect local producers, the bill has placed some safety nets to minimize losses among farmers.

“Collections from rice tariffs can be used as financial assistance to farmers’ groups for the procurement of seedlings, fertilizers, pesticide, and other production support needs,” Poe told reporters.

A key feature of the bill is the creation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund or the Rice Fund with an initial appropriation of PHP10 billion sourced from the national budget until such time there is enough collection from tariff.

The two senators were in this city Friday to join the 10th Oktubafest, the showcase of best local wine known as “tuba” (coconut wine).

The festival is the local version of the German beer fiesta known as “Octoberfest.” Thousands of tuba producers, officials, and students gathered at the City’s Astrodome for the annual event organized by An Waray Partylist. (SQM/PNA)

Leyte’s Mamanwa tribe: From wild hunters to vegetable farmers

BURAUEN, Leyte, Oct. 25  -- Learning the techniques of modern organic farming was a turning point for a small community of indigenous people in an upland village here as they transformed from being wild hunters to cultivators of high-value vegetables.

Mamanwa tribe leader Dioni Manatbanat, 49, of Kagbana village, said in an interview Wednesday that after completing an organic farming training last June, they abandoned their age-old practice of hunting in the wild and engaged in raising high-value crops.

A total of 50 members of the Mamanwa tribe in Kagbana received a certification from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. The trainees -- 31 women and 19 men -- finished the 10-day training course on producing organic vegetable leading to organic agriculture and earned a National Certificate II for it.

Specifically, tribe members were trained the organic of way of producing lettuce, broccoli, carrots, cauliflowers, radish, asparagus, onions and strawberries. The long-term goal is to supply the demand of groceries and hotels in the province.

Tribe members also learned how to produce their own organic fertilizers using manure or agricultural residues available in the community.

At least 15 of those who trained are former members of the New People’s Army. Their low level of education and poverty made them vulnerable to influences of community rebels.

Since they don’t earn regular income from wildlife hunting, some tribe members resorted to gathering rattan and weaving them into baskets and making furniture. Each of the 10 families in the tribe earns an average of PHP1,500 a month from this livelihood.

“We all know how to plant, but we all have different ways and techniques. The modern organic farming techniques taught to us have opened new windows of opportunities and are our key for development and for more assistance from the government to reach us,” Manatbanat said during a gathering at the town hall.

The Leyte provincial government also gave the trainees agricultural tool kits, seeds and PHP5,000 in cash as start-up capital to set up a cooperative for tribe members so they could easily access assistance from the government.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said in an earlier interview the provincial government will continue its assistance to residents of Kagbana, some 40 km. from the town center.

A PHP15-million road construction project from San Vicente village in McArthur town to the Kagbana community is ongoing and will be followed by the construction of a hanging bridge before the end of the year.

“The government is here to improve the lives of people living in remote communities. The province will implement projects to improve their condition, like what we did in Villaconzoilo,” Petilla said.

Villaconzoilo is a village in Jaro town that has been transformed from being a rebel-infested and poverty-stricken community into a model of agri-tourism in the Eastern Visayas region.

From producing high-value crops and supplying their products to big groceries, hotels and malls in Tacloban City and other parts of Leyte province, Villaconzoilo expanded its operations to farm tourism in 2016, generating additional income from entrance fee.

The Mamanwa tribe settled in Kagbana village in the early 1950s, choosing to live in the farthest village of the town that is covered with virgin forest and difficult to reach, and where lands have no owners.

The Mamanwa families, whose houses are in the upper part of the village, get along well with locals living at the lower part. (SQM/RTA/PNA)

DILG urges 2019 poll bets to take drug tests

TACLOBAN CITY , Oct. 24 -- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año has called on candidates for next year’s elections to submit themselves to drug tests as proof of support for the government’s anti-drug war.

“If they’re not using drugs, why are they afraid? You have to show to your constituents you deserve their votes,” Año told reporters during the inauguration of the peace and resiliency center here on Wednesday.

Año said they will meet with the Commission on Elections to review the legal basis in possible disqualification of candidates linked to illegal drugs.

The poll body earlier said mere inclusion in the so-called “narco list” of Malacañang and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is not enough to de-list a candidate’s name from the ballot.

Meanwhile, Año reminded politicians not to hire or maintain private armies to ensure peaceful and orderly elections next year

“Dismantling of private armed groups will continue and intensified nationwide. We just need information from the public to disarm them. Those found violating rules will face charges,” he warned.

In fighting private armed groups, the government will apply the “Alunan doctrine” introduced by former Interior secretary Rafael Alunan III, who served during the presidency of Fidel Ramos.

Under the Alunan doctrine, any official with more than two armed men can be considered as an organizer of private armed groups and must be disarmed.

He said the police and military will work together to intensify intelligence gathering to prevent regrouping of private armed groups and dismantle existing ones. (SQM/PNA)