The Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Foundation has released the Notice of Race for the 15th Philippine Hobie Challenge, set for March 14-22, 2015. The route as specified in the NOR, will begin in Laiya, Batangas, and move on to Marinduque, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Ambil Island, and end in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Hobie 16 sailors from all over the world are expected to participate in the annual staging of the Challenge, a unique race that combines long distance sailing, inshore races, the ultimate island hopping experience, and a humanitarian mission through an outreach program. Yachts and sailboats are also welcome to join the Rally Fleet.

Continuing the tradition of combining popular places and lesser-known destinations, PHC15 will be visiting the resort towns of Laiya, Puerto Galera, and Nasugbu, while also setting camp in the private beach of Ambil Island.

Those intending to participate must sign up as soon as possible to get priority on rooms and Hobie charters. The NOR and Entry Forms are available on event website.

Source and courtesy: Sail World

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a “swarm” of at least 15 earthquakes in Central Mindanao on Saturday with the strongest, felt at magnitude 5, damaging 54 houses and a church in North Cotabato.

The strongest quake struck at 12:26 p.m. and its epicenter was located 14 kilometers south of Kidapawan City in North Cotabato at a depth of 11 kilometers, Philvolcs said.

It was part of a swarm of earthquakes that began at 5:59 a.m. with a 4.4-magnitude tremor followed by nine other quakes, but the only ones that could be felt were the initial one, the magnitude 4.7 earthquake at 7:09 a.m. and he 5.0-magnitude at 12:26 p.m.

But there were actually other earthquakes at 12:59 p.m. (3.8 magnitude), 1:33 p.m. (2.4  magnitude), 1:35 p.m. (3.5 magnitude), 1:41 p.m. (3.3 magnitude), 2:17 p.m. (3.2 magnitude), 3:04 p.m. (3.3 magnitude) and 3:19 p.m. (3.0 magnitude).

In a similar evening in October last year, a swarm of 14 earthquakes jolted Marinduque province and caused some alarm, but Philvocs director Renator Solidum said earthquake swarms are quite common and they happen without people even knowing.

Aside from the 10 quakes recorded in North Cotabato, there were also seven others recorded in Sultan Kudarat, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Davao Occidental but only 5 reported felt intensities.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs supervising science specialist Angelito Lanuza reiterated there was no reason for people in Zamboanga Peninsula and parts of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to panic after Solidum said a movement of the Sulu Trench could trigger another tsunami in Western Mindanao.

“The movement of the Sulu Trench would be dangerous because the trench is situated off Sulu Sea that could trigger big waves reaching up to Palawan, especially its eastern portion,” he told the Manila Standard. Source and courtesy: Manila Standard Today

Various Filipino artists from different disciplines will be exhibited in the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Bureau of Domestic Trade fair for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Dubbed as Sikat Pinoy National Art fair, the event aims to promote art entrepreneurship and support the creative industries in the country.

Nemi R. Miranda Jr., painter and sculptor of Rizal Lakeshore Artist Association, sees this as an opportunity for more artists in the region to be exposed and recognized by a larger audience and by major galleries. Based in Angono, Riza, Miranda will put up his paintings in an exhibit at the art fair.

Another participant is a Filipino rock band that dishes out a repertoire of alternative rock music with a unique blend of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). LAZARO is composed of Zaldy de los Reyes, Nino Salazar, Mike Bayas, Randy Salonga, and Jonard Bolor who started the band three years ago.

The band has a self-produced album titled “Year of the Lazarus” which included “Laylo”, their most popular track. The album contains all original compositions from the band, seven Filipino songs and one in Englis.

They usually have gigs in 70’s Bistro, Conspiracy, and Route 916 in Katipunan. They can also be found in indie bars such as Autonomy in Mandaluyong and Funky Monkey Grill in Commonwealth.

When asked about Sikat Pinoy, Lazaro answered, “We welcome the event. We want to be heard and promote our music.  This is a chance for us to perform in a bigger venue.  I think it is about time that Filipino artists get promoted and assisted by the government. We have so many talents and so much to offer not just locally but with the audience abroad as well.”

Hailing from the province of Marinduque, Legion of Marinduque Morion, Inc. was invited in the fair as well. The group is a a non-stock non-profit civic organization which aims to promote culture and tradition of the Marinduque not only in the country but also abroad. Aside from participating in the annual Lenten activities such as penitensiya and panata, they also wanted to bring back the real essence of being a Morion.

Formed in 2008, the legion has 20 members with ages raging from 3 years old to 45 years old.  They wear masks and costumes for free and participate in religious activities most especially during the Lenten season as part of their sacrifice. The group have been invited in other parts of the country such as Baguio, Quiapo, and Bulacan.

“It’s time to for us to get exposure. In Sikat Pinoy, we are not only promoting our group but also the whole province of Marinduque. We have unique products from our homegrown craft makers that we are proud of.” Says Raymund D. Nepomuceno, the spokesperson of the group.

Also known as Women in Art and Emerging Consciousness, Kasibulan sa Sining at Bagong Sibol na Kamalayan (KASIBULAN) is an organization of Filipino women artists committed to encouraging, promoting, and enhancing the artistic growth of its members and fellow Filipino women. Women members of the group are part of different fields of Arts – literary, visual, performance arts, and music.

KASIBULAN started in 1987. They usually hold exhibits and art workshops in urban poor communities as part of their outreach program.  Notable members of KASIBULAN are Fe Mangahas, Karen Torres, and Cynthia Alexander.

“It’s a first.  It’s a good effort to gather all the artists. It’s a big endeavor.  It would be interesting how all these artists will interact when they all come together in one venue. We are glad we are invited to Sikat Pinoy. Women’s arts is not that popular.  We are strengthening women’s arts so there’s Kasibulan.” said Vivian Nocum Limpin.

KASIBULAN will be bringing in paintings, sculptures, Batik products, postcards, photographs, books, and other visual arts materials at the Sikat Pinoy National Art Fair. Source and courtesy: Manila Standard Today

MANILA, Philippines - Southern Luzon was not spared from the heavy rains brought about by Topical Storm Mario (international name: Fung-Wong) on Friday, September 19.

As of posting, rains continued to batter provinces in the regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, causing trip cancellations and high floodwaters, stranding families and passengers.

In Rizal, one of the provinces on alert level 3, water is above head. About 20 families from North Libis, Barangay Banaba, are waiting for help from the San Mateo municipal government to be rescued, according to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

The Antipolo City covernment and Eastern Rizal Miners Association have also deployed two trucks to transport stranded passengers from SM Masinag to Sta. Lucia East and vice versa, according to Antipolo's Public Information Office.

The same agency said various roads are impassable to all vehicles, including Marcos Highway, VV Soliven, Sumulong Highway Extension, and Ortigas Avenue Extension. Passable roads include the Floodway, Angono-Taytay Coastal Road (Baytown) and Taytay Highway 2000.

Cancelled trips

Hundreds of passengers are also stranded due to canceled trips. As of 11am, the Philippine Coast Guard reported 440 passengers are stranded in Batangas port, as well as 140 rolling cargos and 4 vessels. The port has suspended travel to Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro and to Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.

In Occidental Mindoro, Ticol Bridge in Pitogo Creek is reportedly close to breaking point, according to the PIA, because of the huge waves from the Busuanga River due to the heavy rainfall. Barangays Pitogo, Aguas and Rizal will be affected if Ticol Bridge breaks.

Areas in Batangas are also under constant monitoring, specifically those around Poblacion.

According to Bauan administrator and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management officer Antonio de Lacy Jr, light vehicles can no longer pass barangays Bolo, San Roque, and San Miguel.

It is not only in Batangas port that passengers are stranded. 

In Quezon, travel from Dalahican, Lucena City, heading toward Balanacan, Marinduque, were suspended due to Mario. Hundreds of passengers are reportedly stranded at Dalahican port, according to the PIA.

Laguna was not spared of Mario's effects either. The City of Calamba, specifically areas serviced by Meralco, are reporting power interruption or brownout. Source and courtesy: Rappler by Natashya Gutierrez

Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday asked mining companies to foster more transparency and openness in the industry to address the public’s negative perception on mining.

Poe, speaking before the Mining Philippines Conference and Exhibition at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City, said “people’s perception of mining is colored through the prism of post-colonialism rhetoric, environmental disasters and a lack of transparency in the mining industry.”

“I know that the Philippine mining industry has been diligently conducting disaster relief operations across the country. Yet, the image of the once-pristine and now dead river in Marinduque remains fresh in people’s minds,” Poe said.

Poe said the Freedom of Information Bill and the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative would promote greater transparency in the mining sector.

“Once the FOI bill is enacted into law, the government will be obligated to mandatorily disclose all mining contracts to the general public,” she said.

Poe said aside from disclosing the mining contracts, the government should also urge the mining industry to publish the taxes they paid.

“I think it is to your interest to inform the people how much exactly you are returning to the people in terms of taxes, jobs generated, livelihood, corporate social responsibility projects,” she said.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines expressed full support for Poe’s thrust towards transparency in the mining industry.  “The industry views with optimism the many moves to change the policy regime.  We trust that the House of Representatives and the Senate will put the best interests of nation-building and economic development in their hearts,” said COMP president Benjamin Romualdez.

The Philippines was accepted last year as a candidate country to join the EITI, a globally developed standard that ensures more transparency and better governance of a country’s oil and mining resources.

“Our government needs the transparency report to help it compute the right formula for what constitutes as fair and equitable share for everyone involved. I understand that as of this month, 78 percent or 40 out of 51 mining firms have already issued a waiver allowing the BIR to access their corporate tax information,” Poe said. Source and courtesy: Manila Standard Today

MANILA, Philippines - Hindi susundin ng House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal ang kautusan ng Korte Suprema na patalsikin na bilang kinatawan ng Marinduque sa Kamara si Congw. Regina Reyes.

Ayon kay Gabriel Rep. Luz Ilagan, miyembro ng HRET, 4-3 ang naging resulta ng botohan.

Ibig sabihin, pinagtitibay ng HRET ang kanilang kapangyarihan na sila lang ang may hurisdiksyon na humawak ng mga kasong may kaugnayan sa electoral case ng mga miyembro ng mababang kapulungan ng kongreso.

Dahil rito, ang susunod na proseso aniya ay ang pagtalakay sa merito ng kaso, ito ay kung American citizen ba si Reyes o hindi.

Dito aniya bibigyan ng pagkakataon si Reyes na maidepensa ang kanyang sarili laban sa mga akusas­yon. Pagkakataon na rin ito ni Reyes para ipakita ang mga ebidensiya niya at ipagpatunay na siya ay isang Filipino citizen. Matatandaang hindi nabigyan si Congw. Reyes ng mga pagkakataong ito sa Comelec o kahit sa Supreme Court.

Ang basehan lang ng pag-disqualify kay Reyes ng Comelec ay isang blog sa internet at isang xerox copy lang ng isang pirasong dokumento mula sa Bureau of Immigration, na certified true copy. Hindi rin daw pinatawag sa hearing ng Comelec ang nag-blog sa internet, o nakapirma sa BID document upang tumestigo at magpatunay na katotohanan nga ang kanilang mga ebidensiya. Sa kaniya ngang “Dissenting Opinion,’ mismong si Chairman Sixto Brillantes ay nagsabing ang mga ebidensiya ay “double hearsay” lang.

Nagpasalamat naman si Reyes sa mga miyembro ng HRET na bumoto na itaguyod ang karapatan ng HRET na duminig ng kaso niya, sa harap ng pagpupumilit ng SC na masunod ang nauna ng desisyon nilang idisqualify na si Reyes.Pinasasalamatan din niya ang buong Kongreso, lalo pa si House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte sa mga suporta nito.

Matatandaang nanalo si Reyes ng mga 4,000 votes laban sa katunggali nito na si Lord Alan Velasco, anak ng kasalukuyang HRET Chairperson Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco ng Supreme Court. Source and courtesy: Pilipino Star Ngayon by Butch Quejada | Updated September 13, 2014 - 12:00am

A 75-year-old woman was killed in a rockslide caused by heavy rain in Marinduque province Tuesday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Wednesday.

In its report, the NDRRMC identified the fatality as Susana Frias Peralta, a resident of Barangay Buangan in Torrijos town in Marinduque.

The NDRRMC said the rockslide occurred at about 3 p.m. in Barangay Buangan.

Also, it said a minor landslide in the same area rendered some roads there impassable.

Personnel from the provincial engineering office are on standby for clearing operations. -Source and Courtesy: LBG, GMA News

A City councilor on Monday stood pat against mining saying there is no such thing as "responsible miners."

Davao City Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang, proponent of the mining ban ordinance in the city and former head of the committee environment said this in relation to the statement of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau in Davao Region (MGB 11) on Friday that the city can choose companies who practice responsible mining to operate in order to avoid the adverse effects of mining.

It was reported that during the Kapehan sa Abreeza last Friday an official from MGB 11 made a comment on the proposed bill of four congressmen including Davao City third district representative Isidro Ungab that they are not in favor of banning mining activities in city.

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"I read in the internet last night that the mining bureau is against it because there are responsible miners but in mining there is no such responsibility because once you move the earth or once you start getting the resources down below the surface whether you like it or not in a pound of earth movement there is changes of landscape," Dayanghirang said speaking in Monday's edition of the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City annex.

Dayanghirang also appealed to the MGB to "respect the separation of power like the city council or LGU."

He said that one of the duties of the city council is "to make sure that the inhabitants are well protected."

"Kung meron silang question they better go to court but as far as we are concerned the people does not want it, the power of the government emanates from the people, by us (city council), we are elected. But the sentiments (of the people) shown that they do not want mining why do they (MGB) keep on insisting it, after what happened to Marinduque and to other areas they better go to someone else but as for the city we are against mining copper and others." he said.

Meanwhile, Dayanghirang said that he will continue to pursue his ordinance against mining, especially, copper and gold.

He said that he did not include sand, gravel and limestone in the ban because this is a source of living of some people and there is also an existing environmental law regulating it.

"So therefore as far as the city is concerned as long as they have the environmental certificate clearance they can operate, why the council did not include (in the ban) the sand and gravel personally, I feel that the exclusion of sand and gravel this time is not yet necessary meaning because it does not cause danger to the lives of our people, second, it is a source of income to the lives of people here in Davao, the problem here if we will include sand and gravel the prices of construction materials including the cost of construction will go up because we will be getting gravel somewhere in Panabo and Tagum," Dayanghirang said.

Moreover, Dayanghirang also appealed to Leonardo R. Avila III who is the current head of the committee on environment to include his mining ban ordinance, which was already approved on the second reading, to the agenda which was removed due to the reorganization done in the City Council. Source and courtesy: Sun Star Davao Newspaper on September 09, 2014

BOAC, Marinduque - The National Power Corporation  (NAPOCOR) is urging the public to help encourage private sector to take over the power generation in Marinduque.

The President of NAPOCOR , Ma. Gladys Sta. Rita herself made the call, during the Marinduque Electric Cooperative’s (MARELCO) 35th Annual General Membership Assembly.

With the employment of renewable energies and the participation of private sector in the power generation, Sta. Rita said cost of electricity in the province may even go down.

Marinduque is a missionary area – unconnected to the main power grid and unserviced by regular power distributors or any qualified third party utility.

Napocor’s Small Power Utilities Group is providing power, at least 9.4 MegaWatts (MW) to the province’s  businesses and its  47,491 households.

The province has been aggressive in improving assets–from convention centers to sport centers – to accommodate international, national and regional events.

Early this year, Marinduque played host to the Mimaropa Regional Athletic Association (MIMAROPARAA), the Regional Tourism meeting, the Caving Congress and the Cooperative Congress.

As Marinduque opens its doors to more conventions and weary visitors in search for pristine nature , the demand for power in the province may likewise increase.

In the meantime, Sta. Rita said NAPOCOR is determined to improve services in Marinduque.  NAPOCOR will buy brand new medium speed generating sets with a capactiy of 5MW as well as  a 500,000 liter fuel oil storage tank to augment its existing 300,000 liter fuel tank.  The corporation will likewise improve the 49 km Boac to Torrijos 69 Kilovolts transmission system to ensure system reliability.

Also in the plan was the purchase of spare parts for Boac’s  1,224-kilowatt Diesel Plant and the construction of a mooring facility in Banalacan Port.

Sta. Rita said electricity in the islets of Maniwaya, Mongpong and Polo, all in  Sta. Cruz, will be extended from the current 6 hours to 8 hours.

NAPOCOR is running mini-grids in each islet.  By November, Power Barge 120 will be  dry-docking at the Banalacan Port as part of its maintenance.  The Power Barge 120, together with the Boac and Torrijos Diesel Power Plants, supply electricity in the whole Marinduque.

But consumers need not to worry, Sta. Rita said, as NAPOCOR will use 3.5 MW generation sets  to ensure continuous and sufficient power while Power Barge 120 is undergoing maintenance. Source and courtesy: -Source and Courtesy: Mayda N. Lagran (LP/MNL/PIA4B/Marinduque)

Fellow Marinduquenos and friends, please watch PTV Channel 4 tomorrow September 1, 2014 | 8:00AM onwards as Marinduque will be featured in the segment, Good Morning Boss dubbed as "Let's make Marinduque your next destination".

Marinduque on its finest

The island province is a heart-shaped Eden of sand, sea, mountains, and falls – all you could ever hope for in an island vacation.

 About eleven miles away from the island of Luzon is a heart shaped piece of land (370 square miles) surrounded by the clear deep blue sea - Marinduque.  It is the geo-physical center of the Philippines, hence dubbed as "The Heart of the Philippines".  It is the smallest province in the southern Tagalog Region.

The island is made famous by the annual Moriones Festival but it has a lot more to offer the curious.

Get ready to be awestricken by the charming old Spanish houses, beautiful churches, pristine white sand beaches, bewildering caves, relaxing sulfur hot springs, undisturbed pristine islands and spectacular sea and mountain views.

The raw beauty of the island and a jampacked itinerary are the things that Marinduque offers to its visitors. Indeed a treasure trove of exquisite natural beauty.