News Archives - Page 14 of 17 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jul212009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

PGMA in Bukidnon Mindanao today, to hold cabinet meeting – and why I want to be a fly on the wall

Bukidnon, Controversial, Government, Mindanaoan Update, News, Personalities, Politics

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is set to be in the Province of Bukidnon today, July 21, 2009. This trip, reportedly her 7th in Mindanao so far this year, could be, in my opinion, quite a controversial one. First of all, she's supposed to hold a cabinet meeting in Malaybalay City, the capital of Bukidnon. Why Bukidnon of all places, you ask? Exactly. Bukidnon is the "political home" of the Zubiris. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri served as congressman in the third district for 9 years. Incumbent Bukidnon governor Jose Ma. Zubiri, Jr. is on his last term. Bukidnon 3rd District Congressman Joey Zubiri is Migs' brother and eldest son of the governor. Malaybalay City Vice Mayor Ignacio "Inaki" Zubiri, nephew of the governor and cousin of the senator, is said to be eyeing the mayoralty post in ...

Jul202009 by Mindanaoan Irene6 Comments

The Register and Vote (RV) bus is set to visit Cagayan de Oro City Mindanao

Advocacy, Announcements, Arts, Blogging, Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Entertainment, Features, Headline, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Music, News, Northern Mindanao, Personalities, Society, Technology, Travel, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

Next stop: Mindanao! After doing the rounds in Quezon City, Tacloban and Cebu City, the colorful Register and Vote (RV) bus is now set to visit Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao! On July 30, 2009, the RV bus, which symbolizes the Register and Vote (RV) Campaign, will tour around CDO in the hope to draw out around 5 to 9 million Filipino voters for the May 2010 elections. And not only that --- the presence of the RV bus and its "RV drivers" led by Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan will also signal the start of the much-awaited Cagayan de Oro leg of "Rock The Vote" --- a FREE concert featuring various artists. Check out how the RV bus looks like: The RV Campaign aims to empower especially the first-time voters, encourage political participation among disenfranchised Filipinos and stren...

Jul202009 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Mindanaoan Maila Mitra reaches WCOPA semi-final round (video inside)

Announcements, Arts, Broadcasting, Contests, Davao City, Entertainment, Features, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Music, News, Personalities

Another Mindanaoan has done it again! Although she didn't bag any major prize, we should all still be very proud of fellow Mindanaoan Maila Mitra for reaching the semi final round of the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA). This fellow Dabawenya and Ateneo de Davao University alumnae competed in the semifinals of the prestigious event held at Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles, California, US last July 17, 2009. WCOPA is also dubbed as the "Hollywood Olympics" or "Talent Olympics." In 2005, Jed Madela bagged the Grand Champion Vocalist of the World and Grand Champion Performer of the World awards. In 2006, Filipino singing group the Cercado Sisters then bagged the Grand Champion Group Vocalists of the World award. Congratulations to Maila Manalang-Mitra! Here's a video of ...

Jul162009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Asia America Initiative to provide emergency relief aid to Mindanao

Advocacy, Announcements, BIMP-EAGA, Cotabato, Gifts, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao, News, Sarangani, SoSCksargen, South Cotabato

MINDANAO NEWS - Asia America Initiative, a non profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States, is set to visit Mindanao on July 27, 2009. This non-government organization is set to carry out an emergency relief mission to assist more than 90,000 men, women and children who have been displaced by heavy fighting in central Muslim Mindanao. The mission will be led by AAI president Albert Santoli. Mindanaoan gives this two thumbs up! According to a statement posted in the AAI website: "The evacuees are living in muddy open fields, under heavy rains with minimal plastic tarps to protect them. The temporary encampments have no clean water or sanitation facilities resulting in high incidences of fatal fevers, diarrhea, and viral infections and dehydration. AAI’s Catalyst fo...

Jul152009 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Miss US International 2009 is daughter of Cagayan de Oro and Balingasag Misamis Oriental couple

Announcements, Beauty, Cagayan de Oro City, Entertainment, Features, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Personalities, Photos, Tourism

MINDANAO NEWS - Thanks to Sir Mike of Kagay-an.com for this great piece of news! The Filipino-American daughter of a couple from Cagayan de Oro City and Balingasag, Misamis Oriental has been crowned the new Miss United States International 2009! Aileen Jan "A.J." Valdehueza Yap, 20, won the title of Miss US-International 2009 during the pageant held July 7-10, 2009 at the Stafford Conference Centre in Houston, Texas. Aileen Jan Yap will represent the US in the 49th Miss International pageant to be held at the Venetian Macao Resort in Macau, China on November 7, 2009. A.J. is the daughter of Dr. Romeo “Boy” Sy Yap of Cagayan de Oro City and Virgincita “Geget” Bautista Valdehueza Yap of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. She is the younger of two siblings and has an older brother, Nathan. ...

Jul142009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Let’s not forget the 3 kidnapped teachers…part deux

Advocacy, ARMM, Basilan, Commentary, Controversial, Crime, Government, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao, News, Sulu, Zamboanga Sibugay

MINDANAO - Opposition senator and reported 2010 presidentiable Francis "Chiz" Escudero and I share the same sentiments. Chiz Escudero, in his recent press statement, has asked the public that while it's true that we all should be happy for International Red Cross volunteer Eugenio Vagni's safe release from captivity in Basilan, we should still not forget the three teachers who remain hostages of the Abu Sayyaf. If you remember, these are my very thoughts last May 2009. The three teachers namely Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noemi Mandi were abducted by last March 13 off the island barangay of Bangkaw-Bangkaw, Naga town, Zamboanga Sibugay while they were on the way home. “The end of Mr. Vagni’s ordeal should convince those working behind the scenes to exert more effort in...

Jul122009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanao food aid from United Nations to continue – definitely good news!

Advocacy, Announcements, ARMM, Basilan, BIMP-EAGA, Commentary, Food, Government, Headline, Mindanaoan Update, News, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

MINDANAO - Thankfully, the Mindanao food aid from the United Nations World Food Program will continue! We Mindanaoans should really be thankful for this because the UN WFP food assistance can really help so many people especially those displaced by the recent conflicts here in Mindanao. UN Resident Coordinator ad interim Dr. Soe Nyunt-U has reportedly announced that the delivery of food aid for Mindanao will resume once the travel restrictions imposed on their personnel are lifted. I'm hoping that the travel restrictions will be lifted very soon! So many families will really benefit from the UN WFP food assistance. Accordingly, the travel restriction to Mindanao for UN World Food Program personnel was only for the week of July 6 and was a precautionary measure following the spate of ...

Jul92009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Full list of 58 erring contractors suspended by the DPWH – Mangima Road, Manolo Fortich contractor among those suspended

Announcements, Bukidnon, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Commentary, Consumer, Controversial, Davao City, Malaybalay City, Mindanaoan Update, News, Tourism, Travel

MINDANAO - If you've recently tried a Bukidnon-Cagayan de Oro City road trip or a Davao City-Bukidnon-Cagayan de Oro City road trip, then you've most likely noticed the bottleneck of traffic at the Mangima Road section of Sayre Highway, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Mindanao. There's currently a road and rehabilitation project there and I absolutely dread that section. I was once stuck there for 5 hours (!) during a Malaybalay City to Cagayan de Oro City trip. It usually just takes me 2 hours. You could just imagine the amount of time I've wasted! That Mangima Canyon Road repair project has been a cause of delays and loads of inconvenience for the riding public for months now. In fact, in an effort to ease the traffic somehow, the Provincial Government of Bukidnon has requested that no 1...

Jul92009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Sen. Chiz Escudero urges Malacanang to diverte imported rice to Mindanao refugees

Commentary, Cotabato, Food, Government, Headline, Iligan City, Mindanaoan Update, News, Personalities

At least someone's thinking about Mindanao and Mindanao refugees! Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero yesterday said that the government should act immediately to divert shipments of imported rice to central Mindanao so that the 380,000 refugees in evacuation centers won’t go hungry after a UN agency halted its food relief operations in the region. “We are faced with a humanitarian crisis that could become a disaster if this administration fails to act quickly to fill in the gap left by the UN World Food Program,” Escudero said. “Part of the rice we have been shipping in from abroad can be diverted to the ports of General Santos and Cotabato City. This will not make a dent in the NFA’s 82-day buffer stock,” he said. He also called on the government to ensure the safety of the staff of t...

Jul82009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Sara Duterte declared as the next mayor of Davao City

Controversial, Davao City, Government, Headline, Mindanaoan Update, News, Opinion, Personalities, Photos

MINDANAO - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte is bequeathing his thrown throne (thanks for pointing out this typo, Sir Mike! Ayayay!) And his daughter, Davao City Vice Mayor Sara "Inday Sara" Duterte is, naturally, next in line. Recently, I was in my hometown Davao City for a Philippine Councilors League gig. The boys provided the live band entertainment the night the closing ceremonies was held (June 27 at Grand Regal Hotel Ballroom, Lanang) and there were roughly a thousand councilors from all over the Philippines present. The night's guest speaker was no other than Inday Sara. Actually, while the boys and I were waiting for the program to begin, you could hear the buzz. A lot of councilors were curious about her --- how she looked like (how come she didn't look like her fath...

Jul22009 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Mindanao vice mayor incurs 99 absences out of 100 council sessions

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Commentary, Controversial, Government, Media, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Opinion, Personal, Personalities, Society, Weird

The banner story of a Mindanao regional newspaper yesterday, July 1, 2009, may have been surprising for many (shocking even) but for a Mindanao journalist like me who has been working around politicians for quite a while, it was really nothing new. The same thing, although probably not as "worse," has been happening not only in the local city councils but also even down to barangay councils and even in the Senate and Congress. According to Mindanao Gold Star Daily, Cagayan de Oro City Vice Mayor Vicente Emano has reportedly incurred 99 absences out of 100 council sessions. That means Emano has presided only ONCE since assuming office. Emano reportedly only attended the inauguration of the present Cagayan de Oro City council and that was it. And as if to really add "more color" to...

Jun302009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Tata Group of India to open call center operations – Mindanao areas on top of their list!

Advocacy, Announcements, BIMP-EAGA, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Corporate, Davao City, Internet, Jobs, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, News

Attention Mindanao businessmen, leaders in Mindanao and Mindanao job seekers! This is definitely good news for all of us Mindanaoans! Giant conglomerate Tata Group of India is reportedly setting up call center operations in the Philippines with an initial capacity of 250-300 seats...and guess which areas are on top of their list? Mindanao areas, of course! According to Jonathan de Luzuriaga, executive director for industry affairs for the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, the Indian group conducted a due-diligence study in the country. “The trend of site-hunting now has tipped. IT'S NOW MINDANAO FIRST, Visayas second, and Luzon third,” de Luzuriaga said. This is really very good news! Apart from the fact that more and more Mindanaoans will land jobs, those who we...

Jun202009 by Mindanaoan Irene33 Comments

Globe WiMax Internet service now in Mindanao

Agusan del Norte, Announcements, Blogging, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Compostela Valley, Corporate, Cotabato, General Santos City, Internet, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Mindanaoan Update, News, Technology, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga Sibugay

The Globe WiMax Internet Service isn't new, yes...but the fact that it's expanding in Mindanao (and Visayas, actually) is certainly something exciting! Globe Telecom and Intel Philippines have partnered up to bring us WiMax or worldwide interoperability for microwave access. It's a cutting-edge service cum wireless technology that will bring Internet access to more and more Filipinos around the country. According to Globe, "WiMax is a standards-based technology designed to enable the deployment of wireless broadband access as a cost-efficient alternative to cable and wired broadband DSL. This new technology also aims to improve reach since it can cover distances greater than those covered by other wireless technologies like WiFi, CDMA, or 3G." The Globe WiMax package offers Internet ...

Jun182009 by Mindanaoan Irene7 Comments

MTV Asia is looking for FOUR official bloggers! Could it be YOU?

Advocacy, Announcements, Blogging, Contests, Internet, Jobs, Mindanaoan Update, News, Technology

MINDANAOAN - How would you like to be an official MTV Asia blogger? You will have the chance to travel the world, attend exclusive MTV events, get free stuff from Puma and hobnob with MTV VJs Utt and Denise! And guess what...you will even earn moolah! How cool is that? It would be totally swell if someone from Mindanao could be a part of the MTV blog squad, right? You only have until June 30, 2009 to make your blog noticed! Ch-ch-check this out! This MTV contest is in partnership with the Nuffnang blog community, by the way. So yeah, this is another reason why you should join Nuffnang! (check out the Nuffnang ads somewhere in this page!) Good luck Mindanawan!

Jun172009 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Poker and gambling center OK’d in Iligan City, Mindanao

Business, Commentary, Consumer, Controversial, Entertainment, Government, Iligan City, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, News, Society, Sports

MINDANAO -So is it just me or is poker really becoming more and more popular here in the Philippines particularly here in Mindanao? Some of my friends are getting hooked on the game and I don't mean online poker or that popular Texas Hold 'Em poker application in Facebook. I mean poker games in private homes, special facilities, gambling centers and the like. The latest poker and gaming facility to be given the green light is one that's owned by the Kagayanon Sports Club, Inc. It will be located inside the Iliganon Convenience Store, Coffee Shop and Restobar located along Quezon Avenue, Barangay Palao, Iligan City, Mindanao. This poker center in Iligan City will reportedly be enclosed and of course, no minors will be allowed inside the area. How the owners or operators could assure t...

Jun52009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Sen. Ping Lacson’s speech at the ANC Leadership Forum

Announcements, Commentary, Controversial, Government, Headline, Media, Mindanaoan Update, News, Opinion, Personalities

Full text of Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson's speech - statement at the ANC Leadership Forum held earlier this evening, June 5, 2009. Sen. Ping Lacson reportedly withdrew from the 2010 Presidential elections. Sen. Ping has been identified as one of the presidentiables in next year's national elections. The following is Senator Ping's full statement delivered last June 5, 2009 at the ANC Leadership Forum. Thank you to Gerry of the Office of Sen. Ping for this full statement: Thank you for this invitation to the second ANC Leadership Forum. Up until I made a decision last Sunday to retire myself from a race that would matter most in the lives of our beloved countrymen, I had every intention to share with our people my vision of what the Philippines ought to be in a Ping Lacson pres...

Jun22009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Reload via SMART Money and get additional 10 percent bonus airtime

Announcements, Business, Consumer, Corporate, Mindanaoan Update, News, Society

Good news for the many Mindanao-based SMART Money users! Beginning May 15, 2009, SMART subscribers will enjoy bonus airtime, whenever they reload their own or another Smart Buddy prepaid account using Smart Money. Now for entrepreneurs like me, this is definitely good news especially since I regularly send out payments and other types of transactions through SMART Money. Load denominations ranging from P15 to P1,000 purchased via Smart Money will entitle account holders to an additional 10 percent of the reloaded amount. For example, a Smart Money account holder will get P110 worth of load for a personal airtime purchase of P100. Also, if the account holder opts to purchase airtime for a friend or loved one, the load recipient will get the corresponding 10% bonus load. That’s 10% wor...

May282009 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Thermal scanner to be installed at Lumbia Airport Cagayan de Oro

Announcements, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Corporate, Flights, Mindanaoan Update, News, Northern Mindanao, Tourism, Travel

I got word that Philippine Airlines (PAL) has donated a thermal scanner that can detect if a person has flu or fever. This thermal scanner is set to be installed at the Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao very soon. This is really very good news especially since there are now 10 confirmed H1N1 virus cases in the country (and if I'm not mistaken, three people in the Caraga region, Mindanao are currently being suspected of carrying the deadly virus as well) Interestingly, it had to take a corporate giant like PAL to donate a working thermal scanner just so passengers using the Cagayan de Oro airport can be assessed for fever or flu or be more protected against the H1N1 virus. So exactly where's the health department in all of these? What about the local government?...

May252009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Let’s not forget the kidnapped teachers in Basilan, Mindanao please

Advocacy, ARMM, Basilan, Commentary, Controversial, Crime, Mindanaoan Update, Muslim Mindanao, News, Opinion

Amid all the "controversies" these days --- from Dr. Vicki Belo's former flame Dr. Hayden Kho's sex video scandal to the two confirmed cases of A H1N1 in the country to Brillante Mendoza's amazing win as Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, it seems that we don't hear of any updates with regard to the six teachers that are still being held hostage in Basilan, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). I find this very, very unfortunate. While it's true that to not talk much about the hostage taking may be good for the government's strategy to retrieve the hostages, one cannot also help but think if all the "current controversies" merely "cover" the more important and more pressing issues. Last I heard, there's a Basilan crisis management committee that's handling the matte...

May202009 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Attention bloggers! You’ll love this — PLCPD announces Call for Entries to the 5th PopDev Media Awards

Advocacy, Announcements, Arts, Blogging, Broadcasting, Contests, Internet, Journalism, Mindanaoan Update, News, Society

The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) announces the Call for Entries to the 5th PopDev Media Awards. The contest is open to all print, broadcast, online, photo, and citizen journalists nationwide. Entries must deal with population and human development issues such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), public health (especially reproductive health), reproductive health policy and governance, economic growth and poverty, climate change, housing and urban development, sustainable development, environment, education, gender, maternal health, adolescent reproductive health, family planning, food security, reproductive rights, migration, and population ageing. For the Print and Online...

May202009 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

SM General Santos City on the drawing board

Business, Consumer, Corporate, General Santos City, Mindanaoan Update, News, Society, SoSCksargen

Although there haven't been any official statements yet from both SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (the corporation behind the SM supermalls around the country) and the Salazar Family of General Santos City (said to be the owners of an 8-hectare property along Santiago Boulevard, GenSan where SM reportedly intends to put up the SM General Santos Supermall), observers believe that it's a done deal. The fact that General Santos Mayor Pedro Acharon already confirmed the signing of a lease between the two concerned parties, then the project already has the green light. SM reportedly intends to lease the Salazar-owned land for 50 years. And we all know that long-term leases mean financial security for the owners. Good for them, yes? SM General Santos City is seen to be the imminent rival to Rob...

May192009 by Mindanaoan Irene8 Comments

Is Xavier University to blame for the recent suicides?

Cagayan de Oro City, Campus, Commentary, Controversial, Mindanaoan Update, News, Opinion

So two students of Ateneo de Cagayan University (Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao) have committed suicide in the past few weeks. Roldan Bacadon, who graduated magna cum laude no less, committed suicide last Black Saturday. He allegedly drank poison and was allegedly depressed. A few weeks later, 20-year old Iphraim dela Cruz, a Xavier University Nursing student hanged himself to death. Again, it was allegedly because of depression. Dela Cruz allegedly got a failing grade. Observers are now asking: is it high time for Xavier University to re-examine their standards? Is it high time for the school to re-evaluate their teachers? Or are these student-suicides just two unfortunate random incidents? Is Xavier University to blame for these suicides? What are your th...