Maguindanao scholars urged to spread ‘light of peace’

COTABATO CITY – College scholars in Maguindanao accounted at more than 7,000 nowadays should “spread the “light of peace” and encourage fellow students as well as other Moro youths in the province to follow suit in the local campaign against poverty, illiteracy and religious extremism.

Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu made the call yesterday as he proudly announced his chance meeting lately with one of the alumni of the provincial government’s scholarship program currently employed in Davao City.

“I couldn’t explain (in words) how happy I am when this girl approached me with teary eyed to tell me she finished her college study and got employed gainfully as a result of our scholarship program,” the governor said in his Facebook post yesterday showing him and the beneficiary in selfie.

He was referring to Ayfa Mangakoy, who belongs to a poor Moro village family taken in as scholar of the provincial government’s Maguindanao Program for Education Assistance and Community Empowerment (MagPEACE) four years ago or so.

"Gob, I am Ayfa Mangakoy, one of the scholars of MagPEACE who finished B.S. Commerce major in Marketing at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, Cotabato. I am here now gainfully working in Davao City,” the governor quoted the grateful benefactor at their chance meeting Friday.

In a text message to the Bulletin yesterday, Gov. Mangudadatu said he and his children were shopping at the Mango boutique branch of Davao City’s Abreeza mall Saturday when Mangakoy approached him. She is employed at such boutique, it was learned.

Mangudadatu’s social media post drew a viral of praises from dozens of personalities across the nation, most of them admitting humble beginnings similar to that of Mangakoy.

The governor said Mangakoy’s story should inspire other youths in Maguindanao to join the MagPEACE program to pursue studies in lieu of being lured into unproductive life or rebellion, and “spread the light of peace.”

Mangudadatu launched the MagPEACE program upon his gubernatorial election in 2010, pursuing a municipal scholarship program he had introduced to a group of 150 poor children when he was mayor of Buluan, Maguindanao years back.

The provincial program now has more than 7,000 scholars in collegiate and post-graduate studies. In 2015 alone, it had recorded close to 8,000 graduates already, according to records.

The program has been expanded with a vision to accommodate 30,000 scholars by 2020, with an additional P200-million fund support derived from the provincial government’s approved state bank loan of P1.7-billion, according to provincial administrator Abdulwahab Tunga.

“The MagPEACE program is a vital initiative to abate high illiteracy rate, fight poverty and supplant tendencies for local youths’ recruitment to extremist rebellion or ideology,” Tunga said. (Ali G. Macabalang)

PROTECT RADIO, TV, ONLINE MEDIA SOURCES, TOO—POE

The Senate committee on public information and mass media chaired by Sen. Grace Poe has approved in principle legislative measures seeking to amend Republic Act No 53, as amended—also called the Shield or Sotto Law that protects print journalists from revealing their sources—to include broadcast and online media practitioners.

The measures—Senate Bill Nos. 6 and 486 filed separately by Senators Vicente Sotto III and Antonio Trillanes IV—breezed through a public hearing presided over by Poe on Wednesday, as she assured a committee report and the consolidated bill will be presented to the floor in two weeks.

Under RA No. 53, also dubbed the Sotto Law as pushed by former journalist and the late Sen. Vicente Y. Sotto, Sen. Sotto’s grandfather, print media are not compelled to reveal their sources published in their news reports, except in cases involving national security, as determined by the courts or any committee of the Senate or the House of Representatives.

“The existing law is silent about journalists from broadcast stations and online media since e-journalism was then a pipe dream when RA 53 and its amendatory law, RA 1477 of 1956, were enacted. It is high time that lawmakers update the 70-year-old law amid developments in the practice of the profession and in the spirit of the constitutional provision of upholding the freedom of the press,” said Poe.

Alfonso Pedroche, Philippine Press Institute president and editor-in-chief of Pilipino Star Ngayon, posed no objections to the measures, saying it would be advantageous to the practice of journalism profession in general in view of the advances in technology and in protecting news sources.

Government representatives led by state counsel Charles Cambaliza and Assistant Secretary John Henry Naga of the Department of Information and Communications Technology also backed the measures.

Poe hoped that the amendatory bill will be passed during the Senate’s centenary.

Sotto, for his part, thanked Poe for “prioritizing” his measure in memory of his grandfather who pushed for journalists’ privilege statute and considered the legislation “very important” during the time.

The lady senator said proposing revisions to the old law goes hand-in-hand with the Poe-sponsored proposed Freedom of Information Law being which is already in the advance stage in Senate, as the media play a critical role in dissemination of information.

“Press freedom is regarded as the backbone of democracy. The role that the Fourth Estate plays as watchdog of the government is important in establishing a healthy democracy and accomplishing a system of checks and balances,” Poe said. #

MASA MASID LAUNCHING

PHL-US Long ties

A little history we need.
How did the Philippines and the US develop alliance for more than half a century. There isn't anybody today who has lived the life before the Americans came to the Philippines. With the recent events in the Philippines, I believe it is just appropriate to review a little history on how the Philippines and the US developed alliance which lasted for decades, if not, a century.
1521 - 1898 Spanish colonization.
1898 - outbreak of the Spanish - American War in Manila Bay. The signing of the Treaty of Paris in December 1898 transferred the Philippines to the United States from Spanish rule. This marked a period of political turbulence known as the Philippine - American War.
1901 - the military government was replaced by a civilian government, the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands with William Howard Taft serving as the first Governor-General.
1901 - 1906 - a series of revolutionary government existed but lacked significant international diplomatic recognition.
1934 - passage of Philippine Independence Act, also known as the Tydings - McDuffie Act which established the process for the Philippines to become an independent country after a ten-year transition period. The 1935 Constitution of the Philippines was written and the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established. This was in preparation for the country's full independence in 1946.
1941- 1945 Japanese occupation and World War II. On December 8, 1941, Japan launched air raids in several cities and US military installations in the Philippines. On December 10, the first Japanese troops landed in Northern Luzon. Manila was occupied by the Japanese on January 2, 1942. Bataan fell on April 9, 1942. The Commonwealth Government exiled to Washington, DC. The Philippine Commonwealth Army, the auxiliary units of the US Army, continued to fight the Japanese in a guerilla war. In October 1944, General MacArthur began retaking the Philippines, landing with Sergio Osmena who became President of the Philippines after Quezon's death. The Filipino and American forces, while fighting the Japanese, also removed local Huk governments and imprisoned high ranking members of the Philippine Communist Party. Over a million Filipinos perished in the war and many towns were left in ruins.
July 4, 1946 - With the signing of the Treaty of Manila between the governments of the Philippines and the United States, Philippine Independence and the relinquishment of the sovereignty over the Philippine Islands by the United States was officially recognized.
1946 - 1961 - Independence Day was observed on July 4.
May 12, 1962 - President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation No. 28 proclaiming June 12, as a special public holiday.
1964 - Philippine Independence Day was changed from July 4 to June 12 and renamed the July 4 holiday as Philippine Republic Day.
1947 - 1991 - US Bases era. The United States maintained major facilities at Clark Air Base until November 1991 and at Subic Bay Naval Complex and other smaller areas until November 1992.
July 16, 2015 - The Philippine government announced that it will revive a US built deep water naval base in Subic Bay.
2016 - Rodrigo Duterte became the Philippine President and assumed office on June 30, 2016. President Duterte is critical on the presence of military bases in the Philippines. He mentioned that the US take back with them high-tech and powerful weapons after each military exercise. He said, "they're the ones who benefited, the're the ones who learned but we got nothing." He further stated, "I do not mean to cancel or abrogate the military alliances. But let me ask you--- do you really think we need it?" The joint drills between the US and Philippines ended last tuesday.
The Philippines was colonized by Spain for over 300 years. Then, the Americans came. Then, the Japanese attacked and ruled for a few years. Then, the Americans came back. The Philippines was never really independent. And when it was independent, it was still relying on aid from its major ally, the United States.
It would be almost impossible to fathom how the Philippines would be without the usual US alliance. But, this is not absolute. The alliance will always be there but not to the extent that the Philippines is used to. It seems that President Duterte is planning on a more independent Philippines and alliances with other countries as well aside from the United States.
President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be the most genuine president the Philippines ever had for a long time. He is facing a battle to correct problems the country is facing that had developed for decades. He has faith in his fellowmen. Do not let his faith in his people be taken for granted. He definitely needs the support of his people.
I guess we can only presume what the future may hold for the Philippines. --- Change is Here, Philippines. By: Gil Acosta