Keep oceans, seas plastic-free after death of whale off Compostela Valley

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) appealed to the public to keep the oceans and seas free from plastic and other harmful pollutants following the recent death of a Cuvier's beaked whale off Compostela Valley province.

BFAR said the demise of the whale is somehow a result of improper wastes disposal. The whale, about 15 feet long and seven feet wide, was found stranded on March 15 along the coastline of Cadunan village in Mabini town. The mammal is considered an endangered species and world's deepest-diving mammal.

Several attempts to properly ferry the beached whale to deeper waters were made, however, despite these efforts, the mammal returned to shallow waters where its condition further deteriorated and eventually died.

A necropsy was performed on the whale and BFAR said it collected tissue samples for scientific determination of other possible causes of death through a series of histopathologic tests. The initial diagnosis of death is ingestion of at least 88 pounds of foreign objects, mostly of plastics, pending the complete result of necropsy.

The animal's remains are now undergoing preservation process and its bones will be preserved for educational exhibit purposes. Following this incident, we urge the general public and all concerned government entities to support the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan, a holistic program of the BFAR, which would ensure that our seas and oceans are free of plastics and other harmful pollutants. (Lilybeth Ison)

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Davao region get P15-B investments

DAVAO CITY – Davao Region is on track to corner at least P15 billion in investments in 2018 despite martial law jitters, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

DTI Assistant Regional Director Edwin Banquerigo said Davao already captured investment projects worth P14.8 billion as of January to November this year. He said of the total projects, majority are in Davao City worth P14.1 billion, followed by Davao del Norte at P687.4 million.

“This is an indication that the region is right for investment,” Banquerigo said, adding, concerns on martial law had initially spooked the business sector, but these proved to be a non-factor as more businesses remain bullish with Davao region's economic potentials. He said optimism for the region's business climate is expected to drive more investments well into 2019.

DTI-11 records show that based on the business name registration alone, Davao City has close to 10,334 new business registrants as of November 2018. “If you move around, there are many infrastructures everywhere. The skyline is changing very fast. Increase in the number of hotels is popping up,” Banquerigo said.

He said the major projects in the region in 2018 included water supply, sewage and water management worth P13,324.67 billion; real estate activities with P665.30 million; human health and social science with P376.5 million; agriculture, forestry and fishing with P325.97 million; administrative and support services with P121.25 million; and accommodation and food service activities with P14.8 million.

He also noted an increase in investment promotion activities, such as the holding of trade fairs, forums, and capacity building workshops. Banquerigo said trade promotion activities have resulted in the realization of big infrastructure projects, as the Davao South Greenspace Eco-Industrial Park where a 450-hectare lot in Astorga, Davao del Sur will be developed into a seaport that will host a shipbuilding facility, logistics center, and a business park and information technology hub.

Meanwhile, the Compostela Valley Business and Investment Conference, this year, raked in a total investment lead worth P258.08 million from 15 firms. The business sector also negotiated and booked sales amounting to PHP56.704 million while new and expansion projects in Compostela Valley province are also expected in the areas of processing, production, real estate, and infrastructure development.

The Davao cacao and coffee products also emerged as new export products to Japan following the business deals forged during the trade shows in Japan on June 13-15 in Tokyo, and in Nanning, China, on September 9-16. Banquerigo underscored the need for Davao City and the rest of the region to intensify investment promotion activities while offering investors with attractive incentive schemes. (Lilian Mellejor)

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11 soldiers wounded in NPA clash

DAVAO CITY – Communist insurgents clashed with security forces and wounded nearly a dozen soldiers in Comp0stela Valley’s Monkayo town in southern Philippines.

The fighting erupted on Wednesday after soldiers ran into a group of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Mount Diwata and a firefight ensued. The 10^th Infantry Division only reported the fighting on Thursday.

It said troops were deployed in the area after villagers secretly reported to the military the presence of rebels who were recruiting civilians to fight the government. The rebels also planted improvised explosives on roads where security patrol usually passes.

“There were 11 wounded on the government forces, but had been immediately brought to the hospital and all are now in stable condition. Casualties on the enemy side are still to be determined as there were traces of bloodstain found in the encounter site,” the army said, adding, it has raised the alert status of all units to red while the military operations are going on against the NPA.

“In line with the 10^th Infantry Division’s intensified information gathering and massive focused military operation, all units are in full alert and pursuit operation is now on-going,” it said.

The order came from Brig. Gen. Jose Faustino, the division commander, who also condemned the NPA for its continued use of landmines. “It is a clear violations of the provisions stipulated in International Humanitarian Law. It can also inflict casualty to the civilian populace.  The people’s protection against harm brought by elements of CPP-NPA-NDF terror group is our paramount concern,” he said.

CPP refers to Communist Party of the Philippines and NDF of the National Democratic Front is the political wing of CPP.

Faustino did not release the names of the wounded soldiers, but the province is a known stronghold of the communist group which has been fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.

The fighting occurred a day after 19 rebels surrendered to the 26^th and 75^th Infantry Battalions in Agusan del Sur’s Loreto town. The rebels, led by their commander, also yielded assorted weapons, including communication radio sets, grenades and ammunition.

Army Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said corruption in the communist party and the rebel group triggered the mass surrender of rebels whose entire unit was operating in Agusan Sur and Compostela Valley provinces.

Maj. Gen. Ronald Villanueva, commander of 4th Infantry Division and concurrent chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, has urged other rebels to surrender peacefully and avail of the government amnesty program.

Rebel forces have threatened to launch offensives in retaliation to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to destroy the rebels following the collapse of the peace talks. They are still holding over a dozen pro-government militias and soldiers in the restive region. (Mindanao Examiner)

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5 injured in rebel ambush in Mindanao

DAVAO CITY – Communist rebels ambushed a group of army soldiers and government militias and wounded at least 5 of them in the southern Philippines, officials said on Saturday.

Army Captain Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the attack occurred in the village of Tagugpo in Compostela Valley’s Pantukan town. He said four soldiers and a militia were reported injured in the Friday ambush.

“The wounded personnel were immediately provided first aid by the troops in the area. They are now in stable condition. Pursuit operations are still ongoing,” Caber told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

He said the wounded soldiers were all members of the 101st Division Reconnaissance Company under the 10th Infantry Division.

The ambush occurred just as the military launched operations to track down the NPA ambushers who killed an army scout ranger and wounded an officer in separate attacks recently.

Motorcycle gunmen shot dead a soldier of the 12th Scout Ranger Company in the village of San Antonio also in Compostela Valley’s Mabini town on July 16. The soldier was returning home after bringing his son to school when two gunmen in separate motorcycles shot him.

Two gunmen also on a motorcycle shot Colonel Edwin Respecio, deputy commander of the army’s 10th Regional Community Defense Group in Cagayan de Oro City. He was travelling in a car when the gunmen shot him several times.

The NPA has been fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)

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