#nationataglance
More than a century ago, thousands have laid down their lives so that we may live with the dignity and rights befitting a free nation… Let us take inspiration from our forebears who valiantly fought and offered their lives so that we may have the liberties that we enjoy today. — President Rodrigo R. Duterte, 119th Independence Day celebration, June 12
NEGROS ISLAND REGION: SIATON, NEGROS ORIENTAL
Disputed ‘Turtle Island’ is state-owned — DENR A PENINSULA , unofficially known as “Turtle Island” or referred to by locals as Polo, which is bounded on the west by Siaton town, is a state-owned land, and that any of the disputing claimants could not claim ownership of it yet, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Viernov D. Grefalde, acting DENR provincial chief for Negros Oriental, said the DENR has not issued any document with regard to the disputed portion of the island. The two claimants — a Capitol official in his private capacity and the local government unit of Siaton, headed by Mayor Cezanne Fritz H. Diaz — have been locked in counter charges in courts and
before the Ombudsman in the Visayas. — The Freeman >> See full story on https://goo.gl/JAoWTA
We fought for independence from foreign rule. We fought for freedom from a ruthless dictator. Now, we fight terrorism, encroachment on our territory and our freedom to dissent. In an era of fake news, rabid online persecution and weak political institutions, we need to fight for our
democracy now more than ever. — Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, 119th Independence Day message, released June 11.
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA, SOCCSKSARGEN, CARAGA
PRDP reviews fishery project proposals in 3 regions THE MINDANAO Project Support Office of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) is looking into the potential of the fishery sector in three Mindanao regions. Milva L. Carinan, the project’s Mindanao planning officer, said Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 12 (Soccsksargen) and 13 (Caraga) have identified fisheries as their proposed priority commodities and PRPD will undertake the value chain analysis for the sector. The analysis “is a planning tool used by PRDP as the basis for crafting the provincial or city investment plan to identify what types of priority interventions can be proposed and funded by the project,” said Ms. Carinan in a statement released over the weekend.
FRUITS
Meanwhile, three provinces — Camiguin in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Davao Occidental in Region 11 (Davao) and Sulu in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao — have identified fruits as their commodities, particularly lanzones, durian and mangosteen, respectively. Cerenio T. Tila, Mindanao planning head of the project, said the PRDP is urging local government units and the Department of Agriculture
(DA) to use value chain analysis and commodity investment planning in their initiatives. The DA is the lead implementing agency for the PRDP, a World Bank-funded program. Other commodities that the PRDP has been supporting in Mindanao include cassava, cacao, coconut, rubber, and abaca. — Carmelito Q. Francisco