Fire Prevention Month Kicks Off in Bukidnon

by: Aurell P. Arais

Malaybalay City - Various activities have been lined-up here in the province of Bukidnon to observe the month of March as the Fire Prevention Month.

In an exclusive interview with Monitor Today, Fire Superentident Allan Aladano, Provincial Fire Marshall disclosed that the celebration kicked off last March 1, 2008
through a thanksgiving program.

This year's observation of Fire Prevention Month has a theme: "Prevent Fire: Be Informed, Get Involved."

"Be informed means education is a vital aspects in the prevention of fire through demostration, seminars, lectures and media guesting", Aladano explained.

He further stated that get involved means fire prevention is everybody's concern.

"Fire is the most common man-made calamity just like what had happened in Camp Alagar, Ozone Disco and in KJFM", he said.

Aladano also clarified that fire prevention should start in home through adopting the concept called EDITH which means Exit Drill in the Home.

"Every member of the family should know what to do and where to go in case of fire", he explained.

Other activities line-up are conduct of continuous fire prevention lectures, physical fitness and enhancement activities, recoreda at least twice a week in identified fire prone areas, inspection of water sources and fire hydrants, bumbero mascot tour, fire olympics and more.

"Fire prevention should be observed everyday", Aladano concluded.

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Bukidnon Celebrates 91st Founding Anniversary

by: Aurell P. Arais

Malaybalay City - The whole province of Bukidnon successfully celebrated its 91st
foundation day last March 10, 2008 with civic parade as highlight.

The parade was participated by thousand of contingent from different municipal and city local government units( LGU's, private sector and business sector, peoples organization as well as member of Bukidnon media both from print and broacast.

Upon arriving at the capitol stage, Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, happily waved his hands and exclaimed that the contingent of the civi parade was the biggest ever.

A formal program followed shortly after the parade with Senate President Manuel Villar, Jr., as the guest honor.

On his keynote speech, Villar lauded the cooperation of all stakeholders who make the celebration successful and appreciated very much the cold climate yet warm peole of the province.

"Dapat ipag-alam sa buong bansa na ganito pala kaganda ang Bukidnon" (the whole country should know how beautiful Bukidnon is", he said.

After his speech, Governor Zubiri declared Villar as an adopted son of the province which the senator happily smiled.

Before stepping back from the stage, Zubiri asked the senator to allocate an amount of P10 million pesos for the province to be used for housing program which the senator nodded positively.

Farm Employee Shot Dead

by: Aurell P. Arais

Malaybalay City – Police authorities are still conducting an in-depth investigation on a shooting incident that caused to instantaneous death of an employee of Guingona Farm located in Dalwangan, this city at around 6:00 in the morning last March 26, 2008.

Records obtained from Malaybalay City PNP identified the victim was one Mike Jimeno, 47, married and a resident of Purok 8, Barangay 11, this city.

According to report the victim was fatally shot by an unidentified person using an unknown handgun.

Initial investigation conducted by the police disclosed that the victim while disembarking from his Isuzu Elf service with plate number GHB 247 in front of his residence, lone male suspect suddenly approached and shot the victim.

After shooting, the suspect fled riding on a motorcycle park just a few meters from the crime scene.

Attending physician from Bethel Baptist Hospital declared the victim dead who sustained one gunshot wound on the right portion of his head.

Motive of killing is still unknown as of press time.

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School Principal Shot Dead

by: Aurell P. Arais

Malaybalay City – A school principal of Airport Village Elementary School in Casisang, this city was shot dead by an unidentified lone suspect inside on his office at around 5:00 in the afternoon last March 25, 2008.

Police record identified the victim as Onesimo Salga,, 60 and married.

Prior to the incident the victim was inside on his office watching television together with his wife one Vivian Salga washing utensils when one unidentified male suspect wearing bonnet suddenly entered and shot the victim twice hitting his head.

The wife upon hearing the gun burst immediately rushed to the comfort room for fear of her life and later went outside to call for help upon sensing that the suspect had left.

Some witness said that the gun man fled on foot with two allege unidentified companions believed to be back-up and rode on the motorcycle park a few meters from the crime scene.

Responding police officers recovered from the crime scene three (3) fired empty shells of caliber .45.

Dr. Grace Buquiran of Malaybalay City Emergency Response Unit (MERU) who examined the victim’s body found out two (2) gunshot wounds on the left portion of his head in which the bullet exited through on the right portion and another one gunshot wound on the left wrist.

Police operatives are still conducting a thorough investigation on the case for possible motive and to arrest the perpetrator.
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Fake Media Off During Kaamulan

by: Aurell P. Arais

Malaybalay City – Local media practitioners will be given top priority by the provincial government on aspect on access of media coverage during the Kaamulan Festival 2008.

This was the assurance from Provincial Spokesperson Cesar Apao in a media briefing helt at Phillippine Information Agency (PIA) office, Capitol Ground this city last February 11, 2008.

Apao is also the chairman of the promotion and publication committee of the celebration.

“Under my watch I can assure you that local media will be my first and foremost priority. You are the rist in line”, Apao said.

On previouss years as per experience, the local media during big events will always be left behind when national media step in from big media companies coming from Manila.

“National media should they come must coordinate first to local media for us to have unity and equal access”, he reiterated.

The provincial government through Governor Jose Zubiri Jr., has provided a media booth located in a very strategic area within Capitol Grounds for easy access on every event during the festivities.

The media booth is located just beside the PNP booth for security reasons and for easy coordination, which Apao said will be provided with water, communication facilities, electrical outlets and even food especially during major events.

Local media then was organized and urged to render their time voluntarilly in shifting basis in manning the booth wherein visitors may obtain vital information about the festivities and about the province as well.

A media watch tower is also provided just beside the provincial stage for easy media access during the ground performances.

“This is not the way of controlling you guys but for us to have unity and order and we should show how professional we are”, Apao clarified.

However, he vowed to sanitize the group to avoid being infiltrated by the fake media or fondly called as (media-media) or (tigbas group).

He urged media outlet superiors to watch their own rank by recommending only certified media practitioners on his office for Kaamulan Media ID. (ADPA)

9 LGU Vie for Kaamulan Streetdancing

by: Aurell P. Arais

Malaybalay City – Seven municipalities and two cities will compete during the streetdancing as highlight of the crowd-drawing Kaamulan Festival 2008.

This was learned from Mayflor P. Intong, the Kaamulan overall in-charge during the media briefing helt at PIA office last February 11, 2008.

Intong said that the nine local government units are the municipalities of Maramag, Don Carlos, Libona, Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Lantapan and Sumilao and the two cities of Valencia and Malaybalay.

During the ethnic streetdancing competition two categories will be adjudged, namely streetdancing and float competition.

Prizes at stake for the streetdacing were: third prize P50,000.00, second prize P100,000.00 and first prize or the champion will receive P150,000.00.

Meanwhile the winners for float competition will receive P20,000.00, P 30,000.00 and P50,000.00 for the third, second and first or champion respectively.

As of presstime, the criterion for judging is not yet available.

Accordingly each participating group will have a maximum member of not more than 200 persons.

For his part, Provincial Spokesperson Cesar Apao boasted that this year’s Kaamulan has a bit of authenticity since each participating contingent are required to have a member that are really real native in Bukidnon.

Apao enjoined people in Bukidnon to enjoy during the festivities that serves as the window of the province not just in our country but in the whole world.

Kaamulan is derived from the lumad term amul-amul which means gathering of the seven tribe of Bukidnon; Umayamnon, Tigwahanon, Matigsalog, Bukidnon, Manobo, Higaonon and Talaandig.