3,500 athletes in Comval Sports Meet

CAMARADERIE. Capitol chief executive assistant Belo Melendres, 2nd from right, representing Gov. Arturo Uy, led the opening of the Comval Provincial Athletic Association Meet that fostered unity, camaraderie and sportsmanship among elementary and high school students. A. DAYAO/idscomval

A total of 3,500 athletes from the 11 municipalities competed for medals in the Comval Provincial Athletic Association Meet
on October 26-29.
Held at the Don Lorenzo Sarmiento Sr. Sports Complex in New Bataan, competitions included Archery, Arnis, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Chess , Football, Basketball, Boxing, Gymnastics, Lawn tennis, Sipa/takraw, Softball, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball and swimming.
Executive Assistant Belo Melendres, representing Gov. Arturo Uy, said the sports meet  event fostered unity, camaraderie and sportsmanship among elementary and high school students.

New Bataan Mayor Lorenzo Balbin congratuled DepEd-Comval, organizers, officials,  athletes  and teachers for the success of the 4-day event that was supported by Cong. Rommel Amatong,  SP Member Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, Dr. Chanet Cadiente of DepEd-Reg. XI, DepEd-Comval OIC Feliciano Tamundong Jr., and Nabunturan Mayor Romeo Clarin.
Meanwhile, Education Program Supervisor Ruben Reponte said Comval will host the Davao Region Athletics Association (DAVRAA) Meet sometime on February 2012 to be held in New Bataan.   (Fe F. Maestre/ ids comval)

inVALLEYNEWS

COMPOSTELA VALLEY

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO. 84, Nov 07-13, 2011

More chairs for ComVal public schools

Governor Chiongkee Uy helps pupils of Mabini Central Elementary School unload school desks and chairs. A. DAYAO-idscomval

By Fe Maestre

Illegal logging is a most-despised illegal activity in this nature-loving province but it has its upside: confiscated contraband logs aka “hot logs” are turning up as desks, chairs and tables in public schools.
A total of 254 school furniture—120 armchairs, 84 school desks and 50 kiddie chair—were given on October 25 to Mabini Central Elementary School, the latest beneficiary of Capitol’s chair-giving project.    Gov. Arturo Uy and brother Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy presided over the turnover of the school furniture to the teachers and pupils,  and Mabini Mayor Hadji Amir Muñoz.
ComVal, the Tagum City local government and the Department of Education (DepEd) have a Memorandum of Agrement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to utilize confiscated hot logs in production of school chairs and desks for public schools.
“By the time the pupils come back after the school mid-year break, they will have new and comfortable chairs to sit on,” thankful school principal Liza Bernalte said.
The school furniture were made from logs seized in this province and Davao del Norte and manufactured bayanihan-style by volunteers in Tagum City.
All in all, ComVal has distributed 1,524 school chairs to elementary and secondary public schools all over the province since last month. (ids comval).

inVALLEYNEWS

COMPOSTELA VALLEY

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO. 84, Nov 07-13, 2011

Philippine judge scored for dropping rape case vs. Catholic priest

BY ROGER M. BALANZA

PHILIPPINES–A local court has dismissed a charge of rape filed against a Catholic priest  that had  earlier been dismissed by the prosecution office but recently ordered revived by the Department of Justice.
Regional Trial Court Judge Hilario Clapis also scored the justice department for reviving the case against Fr. Melvin dela Cuesta who was slapped with the charge in 2006 by a female part-time clerk of  Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Compostela Valley.
De la Cuesta was then the parish priest of the parish in Nabunturan town.
The lawyer of the woman expected Judge Clapis to issue a warrant of arrest against the priest in a court hearing this week but the judge instead dropped the case outright, prefacing the reading of his order of dismissal with a broadside aimed at Justice undersecretary Leah Armamento who issued the order to the judge to revive the case.
Who is this undersecretary Armamento? Is she better than the prosecutors,? Clapis said, according to lawyer Ronald Javines, the woman’s counsel.
Javines said the victim is filing an administrative case at the Supreme Court against Clapis for dropping the case based on his “personal opinion.”
He desribed Clapis’ dismissal of the case as a “mockery of justice.”
Justice undesecretary Armamento in her order eviving the case said  that “settled is the rule that no woman in her right mind would openly acknowledge the violation of her person and allow the examination of her private parts if she has not been raped.”
The woman–then 21 and a college student at a local Catholic school— in her charge said the priest raped her on July 22, 2006 inside the convent and presented a medical certificate showing the sexual violation.

Kahimunan Festival in Laak

By Janice C. Ollave

COMPOSTELA VALLEY– The Local Government Unit of Laak through the leadership of Mayor Reynaldo B. Navarro will celebrate its Kahimunan Festival simultaneous with Fruit Festival this September 21, 2011.
Among lead events are the Grand Parade and the opening program at the Laak Municipal Hall Ground.
Other must-see events are the best dressed horse competition, Fun Games and minor competitions such as fruit eating contest, native song contest, native dance contest, linutlot cooking contest and  tribal games.
The Fruit Festival would feature the Booth Contest and Fruit Display.

DURIAN EATING CONTEST as in Tagum City recently with Mayor Rey Uy egging contestants, will see a repeat during the Kahimunan Festival in Laak, Compostela Valley

Mayor Reynaldo B. Navarro said the celebration is a way of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest that the Laakeños received from the Almighty and to recognize the indigenous people who made a great part in shaping the cultural influences that made Laak what it is today. (LaakInfo)

inAROUNDDAVAO

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO.78, September 19-25, 2011

CHINESE VISITORS TO COMPOSTELA VALLEY

VISITORS FROM CHINA. Compostela Valley Governor Uy warmly welcomes Chinese visitors from Fujian, China on September 2 at the Capitol Lobby. Uy said that most of Filipino-Chinese came from the Fujian Province. (photo: a. Dayao/ids comval)

Maricar, Rommel file bills on ComVal ‘holidays’

      After filing a bill seeking the creation of a separate engineering district for the first district of the province, on August 24, 2011,

Compostela Valley Representatives Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay (1st District) and Rommel C. Amatong (2nd) have filed House Bill No. 5203, seeking to declare March 8 of every year as a non-working holiday in Compostela Valley Province.
“If passed into law, this proposal will provide Comvaleños the chance to organize and stage appropriate ceremonies in honor of our foundation day,” said Apsay-Zamora.

Compostela Valley Province was created out of Davao del Norte Province by virtue of Republic Act No. 8470 which was enacted into law on January 30, 1998, which was ratified in a plebiscite on March 8 of the same year. Every year since then, the province celebrates March 8 as its Foundation Day.

“As our founding anniversary coincides with the popular Bulawan Festival, the aim of House Bill No. 5203 is also to afford its political leadership and residents the chance to re-dedicate themselves to the province’s well-being and development,’ Rep. Zamora-Apsay said.
Zamora-Apsay also filed House Bill No. 1530 declaring August 1 of every year as a non-working holiday in the municipality of Compostela. The town was created by Executive Order No. 156 dated August 1, 1948.

inVALLEYNEWS

COMPOSTELA VALLEY

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO.77, September 12-18, 2011

12 rebel returnees receive P 50,000 each

by Grace Almedilla

COMPOSTELA VALLEY – The Compostela Valley provincial government has turn-over financial assistance of P50,000.00 each to 12 communist rebels who had surrendered to government.

The fund came from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) which is handling the Social Integration Program that provides for assistance to rebels who have returned to the folds of the law.

The financial assistance was given to the ex-rebels, now called Kasama sa Reporma (KRs), during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting on August 3, 2011 presided by PPOC chair Governor Arturo T. Uy and attended by Vice Governor Ramil L. Gentugaya, PSWDO Chief Josephine Frasco, and SP Member Neri R. Barte (Chairman on the Committee on Justice and Public Safety), including top police and military officials.

Witnessing the turn-over were Mayor Jessie Bolo of Compostela, Mayor Romeo Clarin of Nabunturan, Mayor Reynaldo Navarro of Laak, Mayor Carlos Voltaire Rimando of Maco, and Mayor Amir Muñoz of Mabini,  ComVal PPO Provincial Director P/SSUPT Timoteo G. Pacleb and 1001^st Brigade Commanding Officer Col. Roberto Domines and 1003^rd Brigade Commanding Officer Col. Lysander Suerte.

inAROUNDDAVAO

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO.75, August 22-28, 2011

Davao military camp to be an eco-tourism destination

BY ROGER M. BALANZA

COMPOSTELA VALLEY – Mindanao’s largest military camp in terms of area would soon be a tourism destination.

        Camp Manuel T. Yan, the headquarters of the 10^th Infantry (Agila) Division of Eastern Mindanao, in Tuboran, Mawab has a ground area of 100 hectares.

The provincial government of Compostela Valley,  the municipal government of Mawab, and the 10^th ID command officially launched on tourist destinationAugust 12 preparations for the camp as an eco-tourism.

The launch was highlighted with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by Governor Uy represented by Exec. Asst. Belo Melendres, Maj. Gen. Segovia, and Mawab Mayor Evalina Jampayas represented by Vice-Mayor Ruprio Gonzaga.

Gov. Uy said the transformation of the military camp into a tourist destination is a first in the country and dubbed Camp Manuel T. Yan as a “military-eco-tourism destination.”

inAROUNDDAVAO

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO.75, August 22-28, 2011

ComVal celebrates International Humanitarian Law Month

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Month Celebration on August 1, 2011, highlighted by the oening of the ‘Humanity in War Photo Exhibition at the Capitol Lobby. (A. Dayao/IDS- ComVal)

By Grace Almedilla

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC)- ComVal Chapter in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)spearheaded here this month the observance of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

The celebration included a photo exhibit ‘Humanity in War Photo Exhibition’ at the Capitol Lobby.

Part of the program was the turn-over of copies of the book “Humanity in War’ to Governor Arturo T. Uy represented by Provincial Administrator Virgilia S. Allones and Vice Governor Ramil L. Gentugaya represented by SP Member Neri R. Barte, and DILG Provincial Director Liborio B. Diana.

PRC Chapter Administrator Joseph Randy Loy said other activities are the IHL Day, a walk-for-a-cause dubbed as Humanitarian Light of Unity parade:  A Journey to Camp Solferino and a Governor’s Night on August 12.  There‘s also a 3-day Red Cross Youth- Camp Solferino from August 12-14.

Camp Solferino, as shared by Jean-Robert Jorda, ICRC Head of Sub-delegation for Mindanao, is the battlefield in Northern Italy during the war and where the Red Cross was born.

On August 31 will be the ceremonial ground breaking of the ‘Building for Humanity,’  a project center that will serve as PRC-ComVal’s Blood Bank, Operations Center, Administrative Building, and Training Center.  There will be a Raffle for a Cause on the same day.

The nationwide celebration is in accordance with Executive Order No. 134 in 1999 which requires the yearly commemoration of the 1949 Geneva Conventions signing that protects the wounded and sick soldiers in the field, prisoners of war, and civilians.

This year’s celebration is anchored on the theme, “International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Court and Republic Act 9851:  Protecting Against Impunity as an Instrument of Peace.” (IDS-ComVal)

Comval execs harvest Sandugo awards

Sandugo Award. Vice Gov. Ramil L. Gentugaya receives the National Sandugo Outstanding Local Government Executive Award in behalf of Gov. Uy last July 26, 2011 at Diamond Hotel, Manila. .

By Rodielyn A. Manugas

           Governor Arturo Uy, all of the mayors of the 11 municipalities and 80 barangay captains are awardees in the National Sandugo Outstanding Local Government Executive Award this year.

            Vice Governor Ramil L. Gentugaya and Provincial Board member Ruwell Peter Gonzaga in behalf of Gov. Uy received the awards during awarding rites on July 26, 2011 at Diamond Hotel in Manila.

             Getting the highest award is Gov. Uy with his Super Achiever Award, in the contest being undertaken by the Department of Health (DOH).

The province gathered 9,463 blood bags of 500 cc units from donors this year, which is the basis for the Sandugo awards, one of the highest in the country for a province.

DOH Center for Health Development Assistant Regional Director Dr. Salvador Estrera informed Gov. Uy in a letter dated July 14, 2011 that the local executives were among 193 throughout the country who passed screening by the DOH awards body.

             In the blood donation drive, Maco topped the list with 1,966 bags, earning for.Mayor Arthur Carlos Voltaire Rimando, a Sandugo awardee for the 7^th time, the Super Achiever Award for municipal mayors..  Following Maco is Compostela with  1,819..(IDS COMVAL)

inVALLEYNEWS

TAGUM CITY

PUBLISHED IN THE DURIAN POST NO.74, August 15-21, 2011