Page 30 - SEPTEMBER 2017 A ISSUE

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DSWD TEAM BARRED FROM DELIVERING SERVICES TO
HINTERLAND COMMUNITIES OF DAVAO DEL NORTE TOWN
MANILA – A ranking official of
the Department of Social Welfare and
Development complained Thursday
that she and her team have been barred
by the local government of Kapalong,
Davao del Norte from visiting far-flung
communities of the town to deliver
their services.
Aside from this, Assistant Secretary
Aleli Bawagan said the Indigenous
People’s Mandatory Representative
of the town, Datu Arturo Davao,
warned them Wednesday evening that
the Bagani militia had threatened to
kill one of their party as an “example”
if they insisted on going to Barangay
Gupitan as scheduled on Thursday.
The blotter report filed by the
DSWD team after receiving a
death threat from the Bagani
militia. (contributed photo)
‘WE ARE DOING WELL BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO GOOD’
MPIC donates P1M to Alagang Kapatid for Marawi rehab
MANILA – Metro Pacific Investments
Corporation (MPIC) has donated P1
million to Alagang Kapatid Foundation,
the corporate social responsibility arm
of TV5, to be used for the rehabilitation be recognized.”
of Marawi City as fighting between
government troops and the Maute
terrorist group enters its fourth month.
Metro Pacific Investments Foundation
executive director Melody Del Rosario,
PLDT-Smart Foundation president
Ma. Esther Santos, and Management
Association of the Philippines president
Marife Zamora handed a symbolic
check to Alagang Kapatid Foundation
executive director Menchie Silvestre on
Wednesday in a ceremony at the MGO
Building in Makati City.
“Alam natin na ang Marawi ay
matagal pa ang magiging rehabilitasyon
niya, so tuluy-tuloy lang dapat ang
magiging suporta natin (We know that
rehabilitating Marawi will take a long
time, so we just have to support it
continuously),” Del Rosario said.
The donation will fund livelihood
opportunities for the Marawi residents,
specifically to boost their existing
weaving industry.
Del Rosario said MPIC would help
NEWS
“Sasampulan daw kami,” Bagawan including the occupation of their
said. villages and schools set up by civil
society and religious groups.
A similar threat was relayed to the
DSWD team Thursday morning by the Bawagan’s team is supposed
agency’s own local community facilitator, to deliver 2,500 food packs to
prompting them to have these recorded the lumad residents of Gupitan, inform
with the Kapalong police. them of the agency’s programs and list
down potential beneficiaries.
The Bagani has been the
subject of several complaints Interviewed by phone Thursday
by lumad communities in Davao del afternoon, Bawagan said that, as of this
Norte who accuse the militia and the posting, “hindi talaga kami pinayagan
military of human rights violations, ng (we are really not allowed by the)
LGU and the community” to proceed to
The statement of the Gupitan.
datu and Bagani militia
At the same time, she hinted that
Kapalong Mayor Theresa Timbol had
a major role in thwarting them, saying
that since they arrived in Kapalong
Wednesday noon, the local executive
has refused to meet them.
Timbol “has also told local DSWD
personnel that she is against us
proceeding and have practically
prohibited the staff from going,”
Bagawan said.
Instead, the team met with
municipal administrator Ronald Papag
and Davao and, later, had a “tension-
filled” meeting with different IPMRs
of the town’s barangays during which
“LGU officials stated their vehement
opposition against our proceeding.”
During the initial meeting, Bawagan
the residents “access the market, do They have since served about 12,000
product development, help them advertise, families, with MPIC, the PLDT-Smart
promote it, all the marketing mix that Foundation, Alagang Kapatid, and Maynilad
would help them so that the industry would giving food packs (with rice, canned tuna
and sardines, munggo, dried fish, and
drinking water) as well as hygiene kits
Alagang Kapatid Foundation was (made up of sanitary napkins, bath and
their constant partner in delivering aid laundry soap, and shampoo).
to communities affected by disasters and
emergencies, she added. One Meralco Foundation and PLDT-
Smart Foundation gave sleeping mats,
“Lahat ng sulok na hindi namin blankets, and malong.
naaabot, naaabot ng Alagang Kapatid. Alam
mo naman, sumusuong sila sa bagyo, sa Makati Medical Center held a three-
anumang sakuna, talagang matatapang day medical and surgical mission, treating of Marawi, Silvestre said. Meralco had
‘tong mga Kapatid natin (Alagang Kapatid is evacuees and wounded soldiers at the
able to reach the corners that we aren’t. As Adventist Hospital in Iligan City.
you know, they go out even during storms,
or whatever the calamity may be. Our Smart also gave P2 million worth of
Kapatid are really brave),” she said. mobile services to the soldiers in Marawi. for a third visit to Marawi and neighboring
For her part, Zamora said the donation Also part of Tulong Kapatid were 700
was in keeping with the MAP’s mission pairs of socks and underwear for the
of “inclusive prosperity.” They have soldiers.
collaborated with different organizations in
the private sector to turn this into a reality. Books and back-to-school kits were
given to children, as well.
“It’s a great feeling being able to help in
the government’s advocacy to improve the TV5 news anchor Cheryl Cosim also held
lives of the underprivileged,” Zamora said. a coloring session for 500 children in the
Municipality of Saguiaran.
According to Silvestre, the joint efforts of
the MVP group, dubbed “Tulong Kapatid”, TV5 also received donations from
reached the displaced residents of Marawi various individuals.
within two weeks after the fighting began.
Home-based evacuees in Lanao
del Sur and Lanao del Norte were also
served, including those from the remote
September 2017 – No. 17 • UK & Europe Edition
The DSWD team that has been barred
from delivering services in Kapalong,
Davao del Norte. (contributed photo)
said Davao claimed members of
PASAKA, a lumadorganization that has
often complained of being targeted by
the Bagani, was with the DSWD team,
although he could not show any proof
of this.
Despite not meeting with the
DSWD team, Bagawan said the
mayor reportedly met with the
local datu who later issued a
statement saying they, along with
the Bagani, were demanding that all
assistance intended for the lumad,
whether from the private sector or the
national or provincial government,
Municipality of Bubong.
On MVP Group chairman Manny V.
Pangilinan’s birthday last July 14, evacuees
were treated to ice cream, while soldiers
enjoyed pancit.
The PLDT-Smart Foundation, One
Meralco Foundation, Philex Mining
Corporation, and MPIC also gave financial
assistance to the families of slain soldiers. want to do good, and the reason why we
The MVP group is now studying ways to
support the rehabilitation and rebuilding
already signified that they would help in the Del Rosario said. n Tricia Aquino, InterAksyon
restoration of power.
Alagang Kapatid Foundation will return
should be coursed through the local
government.
She said the military had been
willing to escort them but later said
they could do so “only if the local
government approved or endorsed the
activity.”
Bawagan admitted being
“very frustrated” since they
had had no problems visiting
other lumad communities, including
those in Bukidnon, and were only
complying with President Rodrigo
Duterte’s orders to help the indigenous
people. n InterAksyon | August 31, 2017, 4:34 PM
areas in September. Another batch of goods
was already on its way.
“Napaka-importante ng business
community na magtulong-tulong para
mabigyan ng suporta ang mga tao especially
sa Marawi (It is very important for the
business community to work together
to give support to others, especially in
Marawi). We are doing well because we
have areas of giving is to enhance the way
the people live. This is also the advocacy of
our chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, to touch
people’s lives and to make a difference,”
| August 31, 2017, 11:17 AM
PLDT-Smart Foundation president Ma.
Esther Santos, Alagang Kapatid Foundation
executive director Menchie Silvestre, MPIC
executive director Melody Del Rosario, and
Management Association of the Philippines
president Marife Zamora. Photo by George
Buid, InterAksyon