President Arroyo vows repair of Bukidnon highway

President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo took an early dinner with Bukidnon local officials on December 18 at the Pine Hills Hotel, as part of her visits to provinces around Mindanao.

Board member Nemesio Beltran, Jr said the President vowed to repair the Sayre highway in the province and is expected to return in January to inaugurate the Bukidnon Medical Center in Malaybalay City.

The provincial government has been pushing for the repair of the highway amid potholes and other road “disasters waiting to happen”.

It has been an overdue repair which appeal has fallen on deaf ears at the Department of Public Works and Highways, the agency in charge of national roads.

Beltran said the President just gave her “Merry Christmas” amid talks she was to hand in her Christmas bonus to the local officials led by Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. and the mayors of 20 towns and two cities.

The event was closed to the media, even if she has asked the press to join her in her convoy from the Seagull Mountain Resort in Kitaotao, Bukidnon to Malaybalay City.

Read more about her rendezvous with the press here.

Bukidnon eyes P405-M for economic enterprise

Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. has proposed a P405-million budget for the province’s economic enterprise in 2009.

The proposal was approved but only after provincial board members called in the governor’s economic team to shed light on at least P125 million that has to be taken from the Capitol’s general fund to subsidize the “economic enterprises.”

About 68 percent or P273.5 million of the proposed budget goes to provincial hospitals in Malaybalay City and the towns of Kalilangan, Kibawe, Malitbog, Maramag, Manolo Fortich, San Fernando, and Talakag.

Zubiri endorsed the proposed budget in a letter to the board on November 13.

Board member Rogelio Lago asked for more discussions on the budget, prompting temporary presiding officer Roland Deticio to call in Zubiri’s deputies at the economic enterprise unit. Read more.

Book on Bukidnon from 1880 to 1980

Those who missed American author Ronald Edgerton at Bukidnon State University recently may still catch up in a way.

His book “People of the Middle Ground: A Century of Conflict and Accomodation in Central Mindanao” is sold at Malaybalay’s Zeta Trading at P650 per copy.

The store is just a breath away from BSU’s southern side gate.

The book, a narrative on Bukidnon in a time of change and assimilation, is published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press.

The author used to be with the US Peace Corps and has visited Bukidnon many times.

The Americans, of course have a rich collection of information and other documents on the Philippines in general and Bukidnon in particular. It is kept in their libraries and depositories.

How I wish we in Bukidnon could also access those glimpses of the past now held in other countries.

Of course I look forward to reading this precious book and share it to friends. I’m sure this portion of Bukidnon’s history is revealing to the people of the province at present who stand before a crossroads of time.

The author deserves commendation for producing the manuscript with his intensive interviews and sourcing.  His contribution is priceless in a province where there is a drought of local literature sent to press.

We welcome more books published on Bukidnon.

We just hope, too, that this time it would be written by the locals.

Funds for Bukidnon Sports Complex, in the drawing board?

Bukidnon provincial legslators revealed during their December 10 regular session that national funds for the construction of the proposed Bukidnon Sports Complex are already n the drawing board.

Ex-officio Board member Oliver Owen Garcia said at least P150 million were already pledged for the project. But he did not say, which national government office is coursing the funds.

He later clarified possibly it is from the President’s Social Fund.

Garcia mentioned the funding when he expounded on the City Government of Valencia’s plan to enter into an agreement with the provincial government as it volunteers an 8-hectare lot in Bagonta-as as a possible site of the sports complex.

Garcia voiced out the city’s intention to lobby that the sports complex be built in the city, that’s why they are offering the site.

The provincial legislators deliberated on whether its proper to arrange for a donation or usufruct scheme renewable for 25 years.

The legislators vowed for more discussion on the issue, including the management of the sports complex.

Malaybalay City to have own DepEd division by June

MALAYBALAY CITY – Mayor Florencio T. Flores, Jr. said Malaybalay’s own
interim schools division would be operational by the opening of the
next school year in June 2009.

Flores told this reporter he has already endorsed to the city council
the proposed Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Education
for the creation of the separate schools division.

As of November 18, Councilor Victor Aldeguer said the city council has
passed a resolution granting authority to the mayor to sign the MOA.

Drum and Lyre Presentation in Malaybalay City

Pupils from the Aglayan Elementary School perform during the Drum and Lyre presentation and Cheerdance Competition last month at the Capitol Grounds in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

The City Government of Malaybalay choose to hold the activity to highlight children of the city.

Vice Mayor Iñaki Zubiri said it has become the major activity to mark the Children’s Month celebration, although it was delayed since it was commemorated in October.

This girl shows off colors of her get up while preparing to present during the event.

The Bukidnon provincial capitol is in the background. (Photos by Gali)

Bukidnon farmers rely less on weather forecasts – study

A study showed that farmers in Bukidnon depend more
on their indigenous climate forecasting in farming decisions than on
seasonal climate forecasts from the weather bureau.

The decisions include farmers’ choice on what to plant and when to plant.

The study was revealed during a seminar workshop on the role of
seasonal climate forecasts (SCF) in the agriculture sector in Bukidnon
on November 27.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Leyte’s Visayas
State University as part of the project on “Bridging the gap between
seasonal climate forecasts and decision-makers in agriculture.”

San Isidro College launches Alumni awards

The 60-year old San Isidro College in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon is launching by next year its “Ten Outstanding Isidran Awards” to be given once in every five years.

Fr. Virgilio Delfin, SIC president announced this during the First Monday Convocation program at the Provincial Capitol on December 8, 2008.

Fr. Delfin said the first awards would be handed during the Isidran Festival slated on February 3 to 6, 2009.

Fr. Delfin also announced the college will launch its own website in July 2009 to reach out some more to its alumni.

He also announced a plan to open new courses next year after the college opened nursing and midwifery courses.

Fr. Delfin also made public schedules of the SIC Grand Alumni Homecoming: High School level (December 27),  College level (December 29), and Grade School level (December 30).

Malaybalay’s new food haus

A new restaurant opens today in Malaybalay City!

It is called Amadeo’s  House of Steak and Asian Cuisine near the City Hall Compound.

There was a motorcade for the new restaurant today.

Possibly a food review (or taste?) soon!

Malaybalay has new FM station

The City of Malaybalay has a new player in the airwaves, 105.3 Praise FM.

It is a Christian music station that is drawing more listeners, and advertisers, too, day by day.

The station’s tagline says: it is “Bukidnon’s only Christian music station”.

This brings to two music stations in the city, the other one Q106 FM Love Radio. From Malaybalay, Valencia city’s Wild FM could also be heard well.

There are now four radio stations in the city, the other two are AM stations namely DXDB Radyo Veritas and DXMB RMN. What’s next a TV station?

The new station is a welcome development in the province. It only shows there are more listeners and advertisers!

The best thing is that they offer good Christian music. Their music is soothing and you can even hear some of your favorite Don Moen songs on air.

They have a bonus, too. They run a three times a day, daily Bible Quiz show so its good for the mind and soul.

I’m not sure, though, if we can find an internet platform of the station for now.

Book on Bukidnon to be launched

The Kitanglad Integrated NGOs Inc. (KIN) is launching the book “Keepers of Dreams”: Stories and Images of the Bukidnon tribe, this month.

The book is a compilation of “conversations” and “sharings” among different leaders, elders, and other personalities of the Bukidnon tribe, which claims portions of the Mt. Kitanglad Range and Natural Park.

MindaNews editor H. Marcos C. Mordeno edited the 50-page book published to help raise funds for the scholars of the Bukidnon tribe.

The tribe’s address is in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City.

Easterluna Canoy, KIN’s executive director, said the book would be launched first at the Bukidnon State University in Malaybalay City and in Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City.

Launching dates are yet to be finalized.

The book sells at P300 per copy.

City Gym – City Hall’s next big thing?

The city government has eyed building a big city gymnasium conceived many years ago, but it has to be reevaluated, Mayor Florencio T. Flores Jr. said this week.

Flores said in an interview Tuesday an architect, a native of the province, has initially designed a 10,000-seater gymnasium previously to be located in a site along the diversion road.

He said years back, based on costs of materials then it was estimated to cost at least P200 million.

He said it would be a venue that could accommodate a PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) game with air conditioning and modern equipment such as four-side monitors and scoreboards.

But Flores said this has taken a back seat for now since the P225-million public market-bus terminal-commercial arcade complex is the priority.

“After that big project, we might be able to proceed with that,” he told this reporter.

He said they eyed the city gymnasium project to upgrade the city’s capacity to accommodate big events.

But he said they are not in a hurry in catering to big events because the city still lacks facilities to house visitors like hotels and inns.

“We still have to pass on to Valencia some of our accommodation needs because we don’t have enough,” he said.

Flores cited the recent hosting of the Provincial Board Members Leagues of the Philippines last month as an example when there was a shortage of “presentable” hotel rooms for visitors.

But he clarified that by creating events in the city they are showing to the private sector for the need to invest on the city’s hotel capacity.

Flores said aside from the public market complex the city government has no other “big infrastructure projects”, only small projects such as roads among others.

He clarified that it might not be possible to open the public market before the end of this year as reported by this paper earlier.

But he said the contractor is on schedule to finish it early next year and the two other phases within the nine months extension it was granted.

Crisis sends firms away from Malaybalay’s Christmas trees

The city government of Malaybalay led formal lighting of the traditional Light A Tree project on December 1 to mark the Christmas season in the City of Pines.

Mayor Florencio T. Flores Jr. addressed Malaybalaynons in a brief speech signaling the lighting of trees in Plaza Rizal now adorned with colorful lights and decors.

A drum and bugle corps ushered the lighting after a countdown to the delight of hundreds of spectators around 6-7p.m. Monday night.

But there’s a difference in this year’s project — the city’s business community are not the ones footing the bill for the Christmas tree lighting and decors.

Mayor Flores told the crowd it is the City Hall’s different departments and divisions who took charge of the Christmas trees.

He told this reporter in an interview Tuesday they allotted P10, 000 for each of the 34 departments to spruce up the trees.

He said many of the firms begged off to be excused from the traditional sponsorships this year with some of them experiencing lay offs and other financial problems.

“The crisis has affected the private sector that is why we are making them rest. Some signified that if they be excused this year,” he said.

Mayor Flores said, however, that the set up is temporary as he would still push for a joint public and private sector effort next year.

(Updated) Merry Christmas in Malaybalay City

As I am writing this down, the city government is holding a semi-formal short program to open the annual “Light a Tree” project at the Plaza Rizal.

The project involve establishments and other organizations in the city to take charge of glorifying an existing tree or a structure with Christmas lights.

It is actually a contest but its ultimate goal is to delight the Malaybalaynons with the Christmas atmosphere .

It is not exactly a grandiose display of lights and sights but its enough to amaze the residents typical of simple living in the province of Bukidnon.

The city of Valencia usually has brighter lights but I am not sure it stays on this year. Will update this with photos and more details later.

Updates: Mayor Flores spoke to the crowd last night about the change in preparations for the Light A Tree endeavor. He said due to the global crisis, many private companies have to beg off from sponsoring the project.

The mayor announced that it is the city government departments who has prepared for the tree lighting with a budget of about P10,000 each.

But he said in an interview today (02 December) that next year it would be a mixed local government and private sector initiative.

Some observers at Plaza Rizal said decorations last year was brighter but this year’s presentation isn’t a far cry from that.

Higaonons train youth on mat weaving

Some 20 Higaonons, mostly out of school youth, are attending 36-day training on mat weaving here as part of their “school for living traditions.”

Sol Dinlayan, Bukidnon State University Ethno-cultural Museum in-charge, said the participants are joining the training to learn a livelihood skill and also as a way to preserve and revitalize the craft as part of the tribe’s culture. She said they are trying to teach the craft to the younger generations as the tribe’s weavers are growing old.

Most of the participants are from Poblacion barangays 10, 11, and Casisang. The training was initiated by barangay leaders.

Dinlayan said cultural master Rosita Into, a 79-year old Higaonon weaver is the mentor in the three-phase training, which started last week.

She said there is value added when the tribal women weave – they have more time to share about their culture and life to younger generations.

“During mat weaving we have ample time to socialize. Mostly it is a time for elders to share to the youth about maayong pamatasan (good manners),” she said.

Dinlayan, however, said that while there is no problem with the market for the mats the industry is threatened by the problem of scarce materials.

She cited the depleting plant source called sudsod, a type of water grass used as straw for the mats, and the lack of a showroom for their products.

Read a full report on this post here.