We are back!

Bukidnon Newswatch Online will be back online starting this week.

We planned to post the major stories in the issue last week, this week.

But we intend to go real time,  in the future.  Kindly note, however, that the online version is a separate entity of the weekly printed version. Please bear with our work transition.

Thank you!

- The Bukidnon Newswatch Online Team

Visit “Bukidnon Our Home”

For more news and information on Bukidnon visit the http://www.ourbukidnon.wordpress.com (Bukidnon Our Home blog).

Fake tribal leaders exist – NCIP

MALAYBALAY CITY (21 Oct) – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples has ordered a review and revalidation of the roster of datus and baes (chieftains) in Northern Mindanao following complaints over the alleged existence of fake tribal leaders, an official said.

Ma. Shirlene D. Sario, NCIP Bukidnon provincial officer, told MindaNews the order was issued as far back as August 11 by the NCIP central office.

She showed a memorandum issued on August 12 by Tommie Labaon, NCIP-10 regional director, asking the provincial office to submit “validated names of tribal leaders and elders” to the NCIP’s Technical Management Service Division “for further references and consideration”.

Council defers market extension vote

MALAYBALAY CITY – The city council took a day tackling the proposed extension of the public market’s contract time Tuesday, browsing a timeline of events, requesting on and off the record discussions, calling in the city legal consultant, and even asking people in the gallery to step out for at least an hour.  But at the end of the day the members have deferred its much awaited decision on the delayed project. 

The city council has postponed its decision for at least another week with Vice Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri tasking Councilor Manuel Dinlayan, committee chair on infrastructure, zoning, and land use to “render a report” as head of the lead committee for the next session. 

Kibawe mayor, et al held for fund misuse

By Mel B. Madera KIBAWE, Bukidnon – Mayor Luciano Ligan, town mayor here and five other local officials were arrested on February 29 over charges of illegal use of public funds. 

Local police served Friday last week the warrant of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City against the local officials. 

Arrested with Ligan were Ma. Asuncion Codilla, municipal treasurer; Edgar Mulat, municipal engineer;  Cristito Dones, Jr., former municipal planning and development; Narciso Chavez, Jr, former municipal budget officer and now Administrative Officer IV and Ellen Piquero, municipal accountant. 

The five others were members of the town’s Local Finance Committee (LFC) during Ligan’s first term as mayor from 2001 to 2004. 

Ligan and the others posted bail on the same day, averting detention for the case filed by six municipal councilors against them over unauthorized diversion of funds allocated for the town’s participation in the Kaamulan festival in 2002.

Capitol mulls jatropha plan, hits BFI

By Walter I. Balane/Newswatch

MALAYBALAY CITY –The provincial government has said it plans to plant thousands of hectares of barren lands with jatropha (locally known as tuba tuba) within the area of the Bukidnon Forests Inc. whose reforestation efforts it has branded as disastrous.

Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr. said Wednesday that the province plans to introduce jatropha in at least 21,000 hectares of BFI’s 39,000-hectare area by availing of the national government’s P10-billion fund for the program.

BFI’s area is covered by an Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) whose operations were initially funded by the New Zealand government.

The BFI plantation project covers the towns of Impasugong, Manolo Fortich, and Malitbog and Malaybalay.

Zubiri said the rising prices of oil signal a shift to alternative sources of fuels.

The governor’s son, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, is the principal author of the Biofuels Act, which promotes the use of fuel from alternative sources such as ethanol. 

Bukidnon celebrates 91st founding anniversary

MALAYBALAY CITY – The Province of Bukidnon is turning 91 years on March 10, declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a special non-working holiday.

A long civic parade, considered among the highlights of the festivities, and a traditional anniversary program with Senate President Manuel Villar as guest of honor had been slated.

The founding anniversary celebration forms part of a month-long celebration of the annual Kaamulan Festival.

Caraga-based group tagged on local rob series

MALAYBALAY CITY – Police announced they have identified the culprits of a series of robbery cases here pointing to a Caraga-based group.

Police S/Insp. Melvyn Valcorza, Malaybalay City PNP director, however, could not reveal the identity of the suspects even if he said they are based in Caraga region.

He urged business establishments; however, to employ the services o security guards to supplement police forces since police personnel could not match the size of the city’s population.

Valcorza told Newswatch they have obtained “100 percent” identity of the suspected robbers. 

Valencia bet wins Bb. Bukidnon 2008 pageant

MALAYBALAY CITY – Nineteen-year old Sherry Jane Ampong, a student from Valencia City is crowned as the Binibining Bukidnon (Laga ta Bukidnon) 2008 on March 5 at the Folk Arts Theater here.

Ampong bested 14 other candidates to the ethnic-inspired beauty pageant revived this year after it was shelved in the 1990s.

Ampong is a third year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration student at the Bukidnon State University.

She told Newswatch she wanted to become a successful ramp model and a successful businesswoman.

Another bet from Valencia City, Mary Jane Diog, 21, a graduate of B.S. Agricultural Education from Central Mindanao University won as First runner up.

The Laga ta Bukidnon search has become a permanent part of the annual Kaamulan festival according to the provincial ordinance institutionalizing the Kaamulan.

Boys dance to ethnic music during the street dancing contest of
Malaybalay City’s Kaamulan Festival March 8.
MindaNews photo: Bobby Timonera