BATANGBALER

Mula sa inquirer.net: ‘Karen’ strengthens as it moves closer to northern Luzon

At 4 p.m., the storm, which packs maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour with gusts of 100 kilometers per hour, was located at 890 kilometers east of Casiguran town, Aurora province, the state weather bureau said.

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At mula sa Sun.Star Pampanga: Province to put up satellite office in Clark

Officials of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the Aurora Provincial Government have forged an agreement for the establishment of a satellite office for Aurora Province inside the Clark Freeport.

CDC president Benigno Ricafort said the satellite office of Aurora Province in Clark will serve as logistics office for the promotion of agricultural and other export products coming from the province.

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At mula uli sa inquirer.net: Another Port Irene in the works

A port city worth “billions of pesos” is set to sprout in Aurora province, northeast of Manila, where infrastructure projects have been slow because of the mountainous terrain.

The port city will complete a multi-modal development for the province after it was announced earlier that the Dingalan, Baler and Casiguran ports in Aurora were to be linked via roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) services.

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Parehong mula sa inquirer.net:

Quezon bishop to head groups vs Sierra Madre illegal logging

CATHOLIC BISHOP ROLANDO Tria Tirona, head of the Prelature of Infanta, has been deputized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to oversee two environmental watchdog bodies to fight illegal logging in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges.

In a press release posted at the DENR website Wednesday, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza disclosed the appointment of Tirona as ‘co-chair’ of the two newly created multipartite teams (MPT) to help combat the rampant illegal logging.

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From ‘kaingero’ to forester

In 1971, Oscar Gendrano was a young forester on a mission in Casiguran, Quezon. His mission: Cut down as much timber as he could and bring them home to Manila where the once-towering trees would be trimmed into matchsticks.

Armed with brand-new power saws, he arrived on the dazzling white shores of St. Ildelfonso Point, where he was met by tall, kinky-haired black men in loincloths. They were the Dumagat, a gentle and hardworking people who had lived by the sea long before the Spaniards came to Philippine shores, and certainly long before he got there like a conquering Magellan with not a sword but a power saw.

But that was all it took to convert these gentle natives into power saw-wielding loggers who agreed to cut trees and haul them to shore on their shoulders—all for cigarettes and bottles of Siok Tong.

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Ancient ‘balite’ tree battles for life in Aurora

A “balite” tree, carbon-dated to be between 400 and 600 years old and said to be among the oldest and biggest in Asia, has suffered from human abuse, as the Aurora provincial government and a family in Maria Aurora town try to settle a row over management of a park where the tree stands.

“Umaakyat ang mga tao. Inuukit pa nila pangalan nila. Nasasaktan ang puno (People climb it. They also carve their names on it. The tree is hurt),” Onassis Ronquillo, barangay chair of Quirino, said of the tourist-drawing natural wonder in his village at the foothills of the Sierra Madre.

Basahin ang kumpletong balita. Ito ay una kong nabasa sa isang mahusay na blog tungkol sa barangay ng Quirino sa Ma. Aurora - ang Quinoy Ako. Sana ay marami pang sumunod sa halimbawa ng blog na ito.

Talagang de kumpleto ang pagiging taga-Baler mu pag wala kang kwentong luwas. Kung ikaw ay may kwentong luwas, byahe, hilo, sukahan, stranded, agawan sa jeep at bus, landslide, kain sa villa, at marami pang iba, i-share na ninyo dito sa comment. Ang may pinakamagandang istorya ay may premyong bonamine.

Na inspire ako ng kwentong ito mula sa blog ng Tropang Spider, ang mga Batch 12 ng ANSHS: Tara na Byahe Tayo! ( Papaitan, Lugaw, Dyamengo, Adobong Pusa, Lucy Express atbp.)

Si(la) Suki. Ay kilalang kilala itu ng mga tiga baler. Kahit nung sa may lumang palengke pa lang ang paradahan ng mga Bus at Jeep na paluwas, at de pa pwede daanan ang Canili, tau na sila. Sila yung nagtitinda ng suman na mga tiga buhangin(?).Yung isa yung kulut na medyu makapal ang make-up sa mukha at yung isa naman yung kulut din na medyu chubby ( may premyo ang makakahula ng pangalan nila). Sila ay si Suki, dahil suki nila lahat ng pasahero. Peru de naman sila kagaya ng mga nagtitinda sa terminal ng Cabanatuan na pag tiningnan mu lang o nagtanung ka ay babayaran mu na yung tinda nilan Zest-O o mani, pag de mu binayaran, nanghaharass sila, masyadung mga bayolente. Mabait sila suki kahit medyu pabagu bagu ng presyo ang kanilang tinda. Pag akyat mu ng Bus, aalukin ka ng suman, P30 isang tali (ang isang tali ay sampung pirasu). Pag medyu alam na nilang paalis na ang sasakyan, makukuha mu na lang ng P15-P20 isang tali. Regular figures pa rin sila hanngang ngayun sa terminal ng Genesis sa Duongan at sa terminal ng Van at D-Liner sa palengke.

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I-click lang ang slideshow sa itaas para makita ang mga larawan ng inagurasyon ng UP Manila - School of Helth Sciences Baler Extension Campus noong July 21, 2008 na ginanap sa ASCOT. Ang permanenteng tahanan ng paaralang ito ay sa Reserva, malapit sa planong pagtatayuan ng bagong ospital ng Aurora. Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa ASCOT muna ang paaralan. May mahigit na 50 istudyante ang mga freshmen nila na galing sa Aurora, Quirino, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya at Nueva Ecija.

Medyo tambak ang gawain ng inyong abang lingkod kaya tagyapun muna sa mga posts. Samantala, pagdamutan muna ninyo ang isang magandang slideshow na ito ng mga magagandang lugar ng Aurora. Ito ay gawa ni Ryan ng Aurora Provincial Tourism Office.

Sa kasalukuyan ay may nangyayari pong usapan at pagplaplano tungkol sa pagtatayo ng isang “international” na asosasyon ng mga tiga Aurora na may malasakit at mithing makatulong sa ating bayan sa pamamagitan ng ibat-ibang paraan. Nais po naming makasama kayo simula sa pagplaplano hanggang sa pagsasakatuparan nito.

Magkakaroon po ng sariling website ang adhikaing ito, subalit sa ngayon ay maaari na tayong makisali at makiugnay. Pumunta lamang sa Yahoo group na ito at magrehistro: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/auroraprovince/. Maaari ring maki-oron sa lingguhang usapan sa Batangbaler Chatroom (www.batangbaler.net/chatroom) tuwing Sabado, alas 10 ng gabi, oras sa Pilipinas.

Salamat po.

Noong Lunes, July 21, 2008, ay ininagurahan ang UP Manila School of Health Sciences - Baler, Aurora Extension Campus. Ang paaralang ito ay mag-o-offer ng ladderized courses sa midwifery, nursing at medicine. Pansamantala itong mamamahay sa ASCOT Zabali Campus habang hindi pa naitatayo ang permanenteng gusali sa Brgy. Reserva. Dumalo sa inagurasyon si Sen. Edgardo J. Angara at si UP President Emerlinda Roman.

Ang programang ito ay sagot ng UP sa problemang “brain drain” o “brain hemorrhage” na kasalukuyang nangyayari sa industriya ng kalusugan sa Pilipinas. Ang modelo ng programang ito ay ang matagal nang ginagawa sa UP School of Health Sciences sa Palo Leyte. Ang mga mag-aaral dito ay walang UPCAT, pinipili at ini-sponsor ng mg lokal na pamahalaan at may kasunduang maglilingkod sa nasabing bayan pagkatapos mag-aral. Ang bawat school year ay nahahati sa apat na quarter at walang grade ang mga mag-aaral maliban sa “Passed” o “Needs Tutorial” para maiwasan ang kumpetisyon. Ladderized o baha-bahagdan ang kurso dito na magsisimula sa midwifery, pagkatapos ay nursing at hanggang medicine.

Narito ang balita mula sa Manila Bulletin na sinulat ni Ariel Avendaño:

A satellite campus of the University of the Philippines’ School of Health Sciences (UPSHS) was inaugurated here the other day.

UPSHS, which would serve four adjoining provinces, is intended to convert Aurora – located some 230 kilometers north of Manila – into the health hub of northeastern Luzon.

The extension campus is also intended to produce graduates of medicine-related courses who would fill the void caused by the lack of health professionals in the countryside.

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Magandang balita ito. Maganda ang ginagawang aksyon ng Task Force Sierra Madre. Dapat silang tulungan nating mga tiga Aurora na ang mithi ay pagmamalasakit sa ating mahal na probinsiya.

Mula sa inquirer.net:

President Macapagal-Arroyo and forest protection advocates have agreed to form a citizens’ body to fight continued illegal logging in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, the head of a Church-based forest protection watchdog said Tuesday.

The move, according to Fr. Pete Montallana, came in the wake of the apparent failure of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other government agencies to stop illegal logging in the area.

Montallana heads the Task Force Sierra Madre (TFSM).

He said Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona and a delegation from northern Quezon met with Ms Arroyo last month in Malacañang and voiced serious concern on continued illegal logging in Sierra Madre.

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Mula sa gmanews.tv:

A Catholic bishop and some priests from Infanta in Quezon province have started leading efforts to defend the environment by mobilizing the local communities.

Fr. Boyet Valenzuela of Dinalungan, Quezon said several priests have also been actively involved in the anti-logging campaign in their parishes.

Valenzuela recently received death threats after leading a group composed mostly of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) leaders in investigating logging activities.

Mula naman sa website ng CBCP:

The Task Force Sierra Madre, headed by Fr. Pete Montellana, is coordinating the anti-logging campaign. It has exposed the corruption in Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that has allowed illegal logging to continue.

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Matagal nang daing ng karamihan sa Aurora na itigil na ang lahat na uri ng logging dito sa Aurora maging ito ay yung tinatawag nilang carabao logging o yung commercial logging. Lahat na kakayahan ng gobyerno ay nakatutok lamang laban sa mga small-time loggers o carabao loggers. Iyan ang tinatawag nilang “illegal loggers”. Pero yung mga commercial loggers ay hindi nila pinapansin kahit alam nating mas malaki ang mas malawak ang nagagawa nilang pagsira sa kalikasan.

Kailangan siguro nating malaman kung ano talaga ang posisyon ng mga lokal na politiko tungkol sa lahat na uri ng logging at kung anu ang mga ginagawa nilang hakbang hinggil dito. Sino ang magtatanung?

Mula sa Philippines Star, ni Manny Galvez :

65 nuns, mountaineers conquer, reforest Aurora’s 7,000-ft. high Mt. Balagbag

Sixty five nuns and mountaineers have successfully scaled – and reforested – the peak of the 7,000-feet high Mt. Balagbag in Barangay Dimanayat in this town last week.

The recent two-day historic climb atop Mt. Balagbag established two mountaineering records – the first documented successful climb and the first documented reforestation of the mountain which has also been christened Mt. England by local mountaineers.

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Nandito ang cached page ng balita sa Google.

Kulang sa fact-checking ang balitang ito. Kaya sa tingin ko ay press release ito at hindi na-verify ng nagreport. Kung tiga Aurora ang makakabasa nito, may mga mapapansin tayo na mga kakaiba sa balita, pero kung hindi-tiga Aurora ay lalabas na totoo ang mga nakalagay dito. Ito ang mga napansin ko:

• Ang Mt. Balagbag at wala sa Brgy. Dimanayat sa San Luis Aurora. Ayon dito sa Multiply site ng UP Mountaineers: “Mt.Balagbag is situated along the boundary of Norzagaray, Bulacan and Montalban, Rizal. Water from its tributaries contributes to the water that passes through Ipo Dam which then goes to La Mesa Water Reservoir.”

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Mga dalawang linggo na ang nakalipas ng lumabas ito sa Philippine Star. Sana matuluy.

A Filipino-American energy expert has been tapped to lead the way in the launch of renewable energy projects in the province, including solar and wind farms. Sen. Edgardo Angara told said that engineer Larry Asera will help the provincial government in setting up wind, solar and hydro power projects in the province. Angara said Asera, a graduate of the University of California in Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has already done some preliminary studies on the potentials of renewable energy projects in the province.

Nandito ang buong balita.

Click the slideshow below for photos of last night’s successful opening of Dimalangat’s first art exhibit at Bistro Baler. The opening was attended by artists and art enthusiasts from different places of the Province. Vice Governor Gerardo Noveras, Mayor Arthur Angara, Vice Mayor Pilot Bihasa and other government officials also attended. Revered sculptor Toym Imao, who is currently installing a commissioned sculpture on the facade of Museo de Baler, also graced the event. Toym is the son of National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao Sr. The Dimalangat Aurora Arts Movement hopes to rekindle the waning arts and culture scene in the Province through exhibits, workshops and other advocacies.

the exhibit at Bistro Baler will run until June 27 then it will be transfered to Museo de Baler in time for the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day celebrations.

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About Dimalangat

Summer of 2008 brought together a group of young artists inspired by the local environment, aspiring to express their creative juices productively and share the creative thinking process. Joel Vedad, a returning artist from Bahrain (having had his exhibit open there last April 23), motivated the group (composed of Val de Leon, Elias Angara, Jay Urbano, Roy Buen, Vincent Gonzales, Tapok Ranillo and others) that was initially meeting in Vincent Gonzales’ gazebo on Gloria street. While workshops and sessions were conducted in other scenic places like Isla Virginia, Ms. Osang’s beach house, and other places, planning and preparation for an exhibit wherein they could showcase and share their works with the general public was top agenda.

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