North Vancouver, Canada — Dipolog Chamber Chairman of the Board Edwin Capili and Executive Director Arfel Paqueo left the Philippines Thursday (June 2) bound for Vancouver, Canada to sign a partnership and Chamber twinning agreement with the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Richmond, British Columbia and the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the City of New Westminster, also in Canada.

The Chamber-to-Chamber agreement between the cities of Dipolog, Richmond and New Westminster would broaden the network of these business organizations as well as open new market opportunities for exchange of products and technologies. The visit of Dipolog Chamber was facilitated by Carmelita Tapia, President of the Canada-Philippines Trade Council based in Vancouver, Canada.

After signing the agreement in Canada, Capili will proceed to Seattle, USA to attend the USA-Philippines International Trade Conference. He will be representing Dipolog Chamber and ZDN Food Industries in the said international gathering.

“Our single mission in Canada and the USA would be to promote the cities of Dipolog and Dapitan, and the rest of Zamboanga del Norte as an ideal tourism and investment destination. We shall be carrying the banner of our local chamber to network with other businessmen overseas and explore the possibilities of doing business with them. We hope to expand the market for our local products especially the mango and sardines industries,” said Capili.

Everything is set for the most anticipated event of the year, the Kinabayo Festival of the Shrine City of the Philippines – Dapitan City.

This was previously revealed by Dapitan City Chairman of the Committee on Tourism and Council Member Apple Marie A. Agolong. For the local government of Dapitan, the 2005 Kinabayo Festival will be the most prestigious event to be hosted by the new set of the city officials from the very first day that they have served the city after the recent elections.

Hon. Agolong disclosed that the government is set head over heels for the proposed activities and budget for the celebration come July 16-25, 2005.

The Committee on Tourism along with the City Tourism Division is now continuously inviting different municipalities and cities of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur including some municipalities and cities of Lanao del Norte to put up their entries for the invitational contest of Kinabayo Festival which is a rendition of the traditional Sinug, a ritual dance for Saint James the Greater, Dapitan City’s Patron Saint.

According to Councilor Agolong, the present administration headed by City Mayor Dominador G. Jalosjos, Jr. has embarked on a comprehensive marketing effort to lure tourists to visit Dapitan City. Revealed further, that this tourism strategy include innovative consumer awareness, promoting the city as a year-round destination, sustained advertising and publicity, intensified promotion and enacting the City Tourism Code to effectively carry out this marketing effort.

In development, the Committee on Tourism which Hon. Agolong chaired and personnel from the City Tourism Division conducted studies for tourism development on tourism-advanced cities in the country that will be considered tourism advantage for Dapitan. They conducted studies in Vigan, Ilocos, Baguio City, the provinces of Bohol and Camiguin. (Maricon Fabian, Office of the Chairman of the Commiittee on Tourism)

Dipolog City- The consumer Welfare Division (CWD) of the Department of Trade and Industry, Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Office has intensified its campaign against substandard products particularly those that will pose danger to life and property. The consumer Welfare Division of the DTI is the one in charge of business licensing and enforcement of fair trade laws, among them those contained in Republic Act 7394 otherwise known as the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Article 10 RA 7394 provides that after the DTI finds that a consumer product is injurious, unsafe or dangerous, it shall after due notice make the appropriate order for its recall, prohibition or seizure from public sale or distribution. It was found our during monitoring activities in Dipolog City and other growth centers in the province, that sale of substandard electronic products meaning products not bearing the PS or ICC markings have proliferated in the market.

Substandard products like compact fluorescent lamps, extension cords, electric irons and electric fans, among others have been found in retail outlets all over the city and province. These items have not passed the quality standards and performance set by the Bureau of Product Standards because they do not bear the PS (product standard) or ICC (imported commodity clearance) markings.

It’s very important to note that purchase and continued use of substandard electrical products will pose danger to life and property inasmuch as these may be the cause of fire. Enough warnings have been issued about these substandard products but consumers still but them because of the very low price notwithstanding the danger they pose.

Recently, numerous substandard compact fluorescent bulbs have been confiscated by the DTI in trying to bring across the message that retailers have a very important responsibility towards their customers. It should be noted that a well-informed and vigilant consumer is the best-protected consumer. (mma-dti, The New Nandau, Vol. XIV No. 53)

The Rotary Club of Dapitan City is extending full support for the Centennial celebration of the Rotary Club International in Chicago, Illinois in June 2005.

In an interview, the present Vice-President of the Rotary Club of Dapitan and City Council Member, Apple Marie A. Agolong confirmed their attendance for the 10-day centennial celebration abroad.

The Rotary Club of Dapitan City was for years lending hand to the public and organized a foundation to sustain help for the poorest of the poor most especially in the remote barangays of the city and is working with the local government on some of the city’s infrastructure projects.

According to Agolong the club will continuously live up with the motto “lend a hand” and committed their full support for the plans and programs of the Rotary International.

Traveling with Apple is her 11-year old daughter, Amanda Elley A. Agolong, who disclosed her wish to join the club when the time comes. (Maricon Fabian, Office of the Chairman of the Commiittee on Tourism)

In line with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Proclamation Nos. 591 and 828 designating May as Anti-corruption Consciousness Month and declaring 2005-2015 as the Decade of Good Governance and Good Citizenship to Fight Corruption and to Eradicate Poverty, a cultural summit was conducted last May 23-24, 2005 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts at the Manila Pavilion in Manila.

Organized by the Presidential Assistant on Culture and NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote – Alvarez, the summit was a nationwide gathering of artists, cultural workers, cultural community representatives, mass media representatives, and other concerned civic groups.

The summit focused on issued pertaining to the power of arts and media for values education aiming to break the cycle of corruption, poverty, pollution and violence prevalent in our country today.

DON GURREA, visual artist and cultural worker based in Sindangan, represented the visual arts sector of Western Mindanao. Interested parties who want to get more information regarding the said event may contact Mr. Gurrea at 09106135944 or e-mail at don_gurrea@yahoo.com. (The New Nandau, Vol. XIV No. 53)

It took for a woman to cajole the hostage takers not to do wrong at the height of the hostage taking incident that took place last May 24, 2005 inside a Rural Tour Transit Bus destined to enter the territorial jurisdiction of the province of Zamboanga del Norte which, a few hours from such incident, declared by its Governor Rolando E. Yebes, through an ANC TV Channel interview as one of the peaceful provinces of the Philippines.

Dureza Bendijo Plaza, a private secretary of Gov. Lando Yebes, has been and is always a brave lady. She tiptoed the line between death and life just to establish good communication line between the armed authorities and the armed hostage takers whom she described as three young “brain-washed communist rebels who just wanted to pass through the province of Zamboanga del Norte”. By the style she talked, the “rebels” gave her their trust.

She did her things unsolicitedly just to ease the building tensions, the possiblility of the hostages to be killed by crossfire. But some questions should be asked: “why do they have that intention to ‘pass’ via our area when we have already set some funs for the celebration of our Linggo ng Zamboanga del Norte thes coming days?” The insinuation of unrated radio jester Elmer Elmedolan, a Gani Amatong’s media mad dog, that brave Dureza was released because of ‘something else’ is for us an obvoius, disperate attempts of Amatong and his group to sustain the sowing of unfounded political intrigues for the public to hate a Lando Yebes whom they did not like to become our governor in his stead. Gani never like Lando. It’s a fact.

But somebody asked us to asked Gani’s group to tell us the truth: “Who financed these ‘young rebels’ to attempt ruining the image of this province few hours when it was declared in TV  by Lando that it is peaceful?” We reserve some doubt... like theirs, also unfounded.

But leason should be learned squarely. That the paradigm that truth will set us free is not now absolute. Should Dureza not lie of her true identity, that she is a close aide of a Lando Yebes, she should have been dead now. She lied. And by her lies, she was set free. (NUC) (The New Nandau, Vol. XIV No. 53)

Police Senior Superintendent Jufel C. Adriatico runs for unity, peace and progress on June 1, 2005. As the chairman of Abante ZANORTE Fun Run 2005, Adriatico urged the public to join him and other agencies to run as part of the celebration of the Hudyaka Festival 2005.

It will start at around 5 o’clock in the morning and will have its starting area at Camp Hamac Sicayab and ends up at the Sta. Cruz Boulevard. Fun Run 2005 will be participated in by the personnel of the different agencies of the national and provincial governments, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, civic organizations and local government units.

Adriatico invited everyone to participate on the said activity, as prizes await for the winner who is first to arrive at the finishing line.

Fun Run is one of the productive and enjoyable activities that have been lined up in order to make the weeklong celebration of Hudyaka Festival truly more meaningful. (Abante Zanorte Gazette, The Official Chronicler of Hudyaka Zanorte 2005, Vol. I No.1)

His partner Klein Cantoneros was laid to rest last Thursday but co-broadcaster Elmer Elmidulan remained restless as he faced threats of his own life. Elmidulan, a radio commentator of the program ‘katin-awan’ over DXAA disclosed that several strange men entered his house at Sta. Isabel, Dipolog City, last May 10.

“The men were riding a red CRV and they went inside my house,” Elmidulan revealed as he pointed out the several threats of his life he already received. His neighbors, the radio commentator revealed further, informed him that these strange men had suspicious actions as they snooped around his house late at night.

Both Elmidulang and the late Cantoneros received threats of their life as they lashed over their programs corruption in the provincial and city governments. Elmidulan believed that these men who frequently snooped around his place are men sent by those who were hardly hit by his program.

As suggested by friends and supporters, he and his family have moved to another place to secure his family. (Press Freedom, Vol. XVII No. 46)

District Engineer Arturo Miñao of the Department of Public Works and highways 1st Engineering District is not worried over the coming of the rainy season. He disclosed that his district has already prepared Dipolog City and the neighboring areas which are constantly flooded when the rains come.

The preparation, Engr. Miñao stressed, included the cleaning of drainage canals along the national highway and within the city itself. Moreover, he said that floods possibly cause great damage since they have been finishing up projects which are still funded by 2004 budget.

However, he lamented, some projects under the 2005 budget like roads and flood control cannot be started yet since the needed funding has not been received by his office yet. The 2005 budget amounted to P20M. (Press Freedom, Vol. XVII No. 46)

Straight from my desk
By: Atty. Ivan Patrick Ang &Katrina Segundo

Summertime is fading away, but the big bang of excitement is about to explode at the most peaceful province of the south. Pack up and treat yourself with a 9-day buffet of fun, food, relaxation, adventure and a glimpse of the Filipino Heritage in Zamboanga del Norte, where Dr. Jose Rizal was exiled and spent four years of adult life. ZaNorte, as neophyte Governor Rolando E. Yebes would want his province to be more popularly known, invites everyone to a new experience in its first HUDYAKA ZaNorte Festival on May 29 to June 6, 2005. The event pays tribute to the province’s 53rd Founding Anniversary, and an avenue to promote its rich culture and history, as well as its multitude of scenic eco-tourist destinations. “Hudyaka” is an old local dialect which means a “great moment of merry-making.” Not many young ZaNorteans actually know the meaning of Hudyaka but to justify the adoption of the festival name, the present leadership with the active cooperation of the local tourism council and local officials, has prepared a long line of activities to make everyone’s goodbye bid to the hot summer season a real colorful and bright one. You ain’t missing this event.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who speaks with the same lingo as the ZaNorteans is the guest of honor during the agri-tourism and industrial fair opening ceremonies. On the same day, the vernacular translation of the province’s English hymn will be sang first to the public, after a long search for the winning local song writer. What has the fair in store for us? Proof that this province is the country’s BOTTLED SARDINES Capital, an eating spree of the spicy, yet apt for the health conscious delicacy will be the bottlers’ gift to its people, guests and you.

Around the fair area are about seventy booths where each of the two cities and 25 municipalities will be showcasing their own peculiar agri-industrial produce. Sample their assorted mouth watering delicacies and have a glimpse of the scaled dimensional and miniaturized replicas of its tourist attractions. Up for grabs are the “Best Booth Signage and the Best Tourism Booth” awards. Sardines bottlers with pre-packed inexpensive pasalubong items, ornamental plant and fruit tree growers and local raw and grilled blue marlin concessionaires occupy the rest of the bamboo-and-cogon makeshifts.  Laughable contests to enjoy are the daily piglet catching (the catcher takes home the suckling), carabao and horse racing.

Kitchen buddies may learn from the different daily cooking contests, recipes of which include unconventional ingredients such as Agar-agar salad, duck and native chicken recipes, catfish and rice kakanin. Free livelihood seminars, hands-on trainings, technical consultation and educational film showing for farmers on different aspects of agri-business will also be ongoing simultaneously.

Lovers of art may visit nearby museum and art gallery where an exhibit of the works of home-grown talents is for “see” and for sale. Still in its capital city, Dipolog, a first-of-its-kind-in-the-province parade will be held on the 30th of May. Apart from the colorful floats depicting the origins of ZaNorte, the foot convoy shall include participants donned in ethnic costumes…those of tribes and races settled in the province. Among others are the tribu Subanen, tribu Maranaw, tribu Kalibugan and even the Chinese race, which are now predominating its local business sector. Governor Yebes will lead the parade with his Subanen Datu garb.

Nightly cultural shows at the fair arena will rock the silent evenings of ZaNorte. Each night will be sponsored by the talents of the different congressional districts and the two cities of Dapitan and Dipolog. What is more exciting is that pistol and rifle shooting enthusiasts may sign in for the Level 2 PPSA Sanctioned 3-day feat. Also, you can smell the air of roaring engines’ thrill at the 2nd Castrol National Motocross (3^rd Leg Cebu Boardwalk Series) where you can see known national riders compete with our local wannabes. Nearby is the first Hudyaka Mountainbike Cross and the Invitational BMX Racing Competition. Off course, there is the “must see-ticket free” first Hudyaka National Off-Road Series where more than 60 off-roaders from all over the country come and converge to make or break.

Sabong or cock-fighting afficionados are invited to join our 4-cock derby on the 4th of June. Invitational golf, darts, chess and 9-ball tournament scattered throughout the duration of the festival complete the sports events. And now!!! the festival will culminate with a showdown of the best of the best from all the towns. The street dancing on the last day will showcase the different municipalities with their own festival dance outdoing against each other. There will be no common theme and the delegates will be allowed free interpretation. An opportunity you should not allow to pass! Huge cash prizes and a multicab vehicle unit await the winning LGU. And finally….our way of saying goodbye to HUDYKA ZaNorte 2005 and a big hello to HUDYAKA 2006, a fabulous firework Olympics will color the evening sky of ZaNorte on June 6. So, be there and Abante ZaNorte!

Daily flights from Manila and Cebu to Dipolog, as well as vessels from Cebu, Bohol and Dumaguete, will bring you to the serene province of the south. Make ZaNorte your final leg of your summer vacation. Learn more about the province’s history and culture in 9 days.