Tsinoys provide homes to the poor

First, I wish to remind my media friends to remain focused on the spate of killings of Filipino media practitioners. It seems one reason why most of these cases have remained unsolved is that we also have a short attention span insofar as following up these cases are concerned.

But it seems now that Task Force Newsman has picked up where we have failed. Thus, last Monday evening, I received a fax message from the task force and Senior Superintendent Paul Bataoil informing me about the arrest of Robert Woo, 32, one of the suspects in the killing of Klein Cantoneros of dxAA in Dipolog City last May 4.

The report disclosed that Woo was arrested on the basis of the arrest warrant issued by the Dipolog Regional Trial Court by the team headed by Senior Superintendent Julmuneir Jubail, head of Task Force Cantoneros.

Cantoneros reportedly used his talk show to criticize local officials and prominent personalities, thus the reason for his assassination.

At the time he was killed, Cantoneros was still clutching his handgun, indicating that he had engaged his (three) attackers in a firefight.

Jubail reportedly said his task force is still looking for the other suspects in the Cantoneros killing. The suspects were said to be former members of the Kuratong Baleleng, a notorious robbery gang.

Tsinoys’ Outreach

The Filipino-Chinese community has been building schoolhouses in Negros Occidental, and then turns them over to local government units. And already scores of these schoolhouses have been inaugurated in the province, an outreach social program unmatched by any other group.

Last Thursday, however, the Tsinoy community showed that it is just as actively involved in providing homes to Escalante City residents, especially those belonging to the bottom 30 percent of the economic strata. These are families who earn less than P3,000 a month.

Actually, the Tsinoy Village in Sitio Tabang, Barangay Old Poblacion in Escalante City is the third such village to provide homes for the city’s poor families.

The two others are the Pag-asa Habitat for Humanity Village in Jonob-Jonob and the Kalipay Fisherfolk Village in Barangay Poblacion.

Escalante City Mayor Santiago Barcelona said he aims to construct a total of 10,500 houses for Escalante City squatters by 2014.

In short, Mayor Barcelona said, the goal is to set up 25 housing villages in the city’s 21 barangays. "I am taking up the challenge of Habitat for Humanity to make the city squatter-free," he said.

Teresita Ang See, founding president of Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran, will represent Ambassador John K Ng, special envoy for Chinese affairs, at the inauguration of the 50 houses he has donated.

Lily Go, head of Negros Kaisa Inc., said the involvement of the Tsinoy community in building houses for the poor shows that the Chinese-Filipinos do not just want to be bystanders but also get involved in nation-building.

Negros Kaisa has also helped raise funds from the local Chinese-Filipino community for another 15 houses in Escalante. Barcelona, on the other hand, has also raised funds for another 11 homes.

Donors

A partial list of donors to the Negros Kaisa, Gawad Kalinga and Escalante City shows that most of them are among the prominent and often low-profile members of the Tsinoy community in Negros Occidental.

Among those who have committed to donate for the 15 houses are Negros Kaisa Inc.; Appliance Centrum through Juan Gochangco; Hong Te Ong of William Ong; Bio Kan Cheng, care of Lito Ong; in memory of Joaquin Gochangco Sr., care of Teresa Gochangco; and in memory of Tua Tong and Guat Chan Go, care of Lily Go.

The others include the Philippine Lion Tek Fraternity Bacolod Chapter, care of Victor Go; Negros Tai Guan Temple Inc., care of Edward Ong; Northern Negros Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., and the Southern Negros Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, care of Wilson Lee.

Also included are the Negros Occidental Lio Kui Fraternity, care of Benjie Barcelona; Philippine Long See Lee Family Association, Negros Occidental chapter of Enrique Dy; Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, care of James Chua; Sagay Central, through Romy Cortez; and the Negros Occidental Che Yong Cua Chua Association, through James Chua.

Surely that’s one positive story that drowns out the more grandiloquent pronouncements of politicians on the ongoing political fracas involving the ouster of President Arroyo.

Volumes may have been dished out pro and against GMA, but they fail to impact on the lives of the average Pinoy. Fortunately, there are still many Tsinoys who are more focused on doing their share in uplifting the lives of the average Filipino.

They deserve our salute.

‘Katrina’ Impacts On US Sugar Supply

Hurricane "Katrina" apparently had an impact on other supply sectors of the United States, particularly coffee and other agricultural imports, including sugar.

Negrense sugarmen believe that the US Department of Agriculture may hike again its quota of sugar by the last quarter of this year as the extensive damage to sugarcane crops is now being assessed.

What caught their attention was the recent call by the USDA for another 75,000 metric tons of refined sugar on a first-come, first-serve basis. Most of the supplies that poured into the US came from Mexico and nearby Latin American countries like Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

What made the situation chancy for sugar was the report that beet growers were unable to supply the additional stocks allotted to their reserved sugar stocks. And it turns out now that Louisiana growers are having a difficult time harvesting their flattened stocks.

Worse, Louisiana’s Chalemtte-based Domino refinery, which processes half of the state’s raw sugar, is closed indefinitely. Worse, it was discovered that some of the plant’s equipment has to be replaced. And there is also the problem of the 300 mill workers who have lost their homes to "Katrina," which also washed out roads, railroads and bridges.

Now it turns out that prior to "Katrina," the US cane industry had already suffered a 20 percent drop in production. This was reportedly the reason why the USDA increased the quota for imported raw sugar. Two previous hurricanes and two tropical storms accounted for the 20 percent loss.

There was a call for the early shipment of the last quarter "A" sugar from the Philippines and other quota holders. And the chances are the USDA may increase again its quota by the end of the year.

ADDENDA. Sibulan of Oriental Negros has asked for its share of the income from the operation of the renowned Balinsasayao twin lakes in that town. The resolution by the Sangguniang Bayan said it is within the power of the local government to request for royalty from whatever money is derived from the operation of the twin lakes — Balinsasayao and Danao, declared national parks through the initiative of Rep. Emilio Macias (second district, Oriental Negros). The area is a favorite destination of tourists… Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales dismissed the complaints for illegal logging filed against Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz and her husband, former mayor Nehemias de la Cruz. That called off the arraignment of the De la Cruz couple and their co-respondents — councilor Vicente Bacordo, David Pontillano, Eden Bacordo, Feliciano Likoan, Vivencio Cataloga, Eleazar Cataloga, Roger and Fernando Campos — before Judge Rodney Bolonia of the Regional Trial Court of Bacolod. State prosecutor Peter Ong read the six-page resolution penned by Secretary Gonzales who dismissed the complaints against the couple and their co-respondents for insufficiency of evidence. This was considered the most celebrated case in the province since it involved the destruction of portions of the Northern Negros Forest Reserve.