Court stops sale of Smokey Mountain property

smokey mountainThe Manila Regional Trial Court has stopped state-run housing firm Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC) from selling a property that is part of the Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Project (SMDRP) in Tondo, Manila.
In a six-page order made public Monday, Judge Jansen Rodriguez of the Manila RTC Branch 6 stopped HGC, its agent, and representative of any person acting in its behalf to stop, desist and refrain from conducting the bidding on the said property. The TRO is effective for 20 days.
“Thus, there is an urgent need for the writ to prevent irreparable injury to the petitioners (beneficiaries),” the court said.
The case stemmed from a case filed by the beneficiaries of the pe…

Keep on reading: Court stops sale of Smokey Mountain property
Source: Galing Sa Inquirer News feed

Estudyante taga-Tondo binaril sa mukha

gunshot2
Tangina! ang sakit nun ano? Isipin mo na lang barilin ka sa mukha! Ano naman kaya ang nagpagtripan ng tatlong itlog na bumanat dito kay Jomar? Basa!

A 19-year-old criminology student was shot in the face in Tondo, Manila Friday. Police said the victim, Jomar Pasague, was eating with his friend inside an eatery on Zaragosa St. at 3:30 a.m. when he noticed three men staring at them.

Pasague and his companion left the eatery to avoid trouble but the three suspects chased and cornered them on Tahimik St. One of the suspects shot Pasague in the face. They fled while the victim was taken to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila. Policemen led by Supt. Jackson Tuliao of the Manila Police District Moriones station arrested the suspects who were seen in the barangay Closed Circuit Television chasing the victim in a follow-up operation.

Tuliao identified the suspects as Armando Palma, 18, who was found carrying an improvised shotgun and one live ammunition; Angelo Masicampo, 18, with one pen gun and caliber .38 revolver; and Benjamin Kosino 17, who had a fan knife. The suspects are all residents of Parola Compound, Tondo.

Source: Tempo
http://www.tempo.com.ph/2015/06/14/student-shot-in-tondo/#.VYnrekYS4ek

 

Solar Power – ilaw para sa mahihirap

solar power lamp

In the slums of Tondo, Manila, hope flickers in broad daylight for poor communities in the form of solar power technology.

The station, which houses about 400 lamps and serves more than 300 families in the area, was an initiative of nongovernment organization Life Project 4 Youth that started in 2013.

Team manager Cielabel Gaditano, 20, said renting a lamp would cost P5 or P8 depending on the power duration of the battery—some lamps last up to 30 hours, with others even exceeding that mark.

The case of the solar site in Tondo backs the principles of 2011 Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient Harish Hande, cofounder of Solar Electric Light Company (Selco). Known for his social enterprise of solar power technology in India, Hande believes it is not impossible for the poor to achieve sustainable energy.

In a conference on solar energy for the poor at Ramon Magsaysay Center on Thursday, Hande, who also toured the Tondo site, said social enterprise would not only give the poor access to electricity but also uplift their quality of living.

“[We should] not look at the poor as beneficiaries but as partners,” Hande said. “It’s not about the market. It’s about being inclusive, including the poor in the process.”

Selco has provided over 200,000 lighting systems to Indian households since its creation in 1995.

Sharing Hande’s sentiments, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) president Carmencita Abella said social enterprise of solar power would also lead to a “change of mindset” among poor communities.

“The poor can become asset creators,” she said. “Social enterprise will help rural communities engage in economic activities that will encourage them to get out of the clutches of poverty.”

RMAF communications director Tina Virina also highlighted the importance of a finance mechanism by establishing an “enterprise for the poor and by the poor,” adding rural communities should not settle with dole outs.

“Let’s not get into donation, let’s go into development,” echoed Erel Narida, CEO of One Renewable Energy.

“It’s (solar power enterprise) one of the best investments that they’ll ever make,” added Jaime Ayala, chair of Solar Energy Foundation.

Barangay 105 & Happyland in Tondo protest illegal coal dust

Isang barangay sa tondo ang nagreklamo tungkol sa alikabok ng uling(?) Basahin ang ulat galing sa Bulatlat!

tondo-barangay-coal-dust

MANILA – Tondo residents want a coal dust warehouse evicted from their community, saying that it had affected people’s health and homes.

Urban poor residents of Happyland and Barangay 105 held a protest, today, June 11, calling for the closure and eviction of the storage facility of Rock Energy Corporation, which, they said, had kept illegal stockpiles of coal dust in their community since 2014.

The coal dust is being imported by La Farge, a transnational corporation.

The village government had given the company an order to pull out the coal dust stockpile within two weeks, ending today. Rock Energy Corp was reportedly granted permits by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. However, local officials said it was operating without a business permit.

Rock Energy Corporation had just started to pull out the coal dust and was asking for 45 more days to get all of the stocks out.

Gabriela Women’s Partylist Rep. Emmie de Jesus, who joined the protesters, said the presence of the facility has even worsened the suffering of the impoverished communities of Tondo.

“Rock Energy’s website boasts that the facility was designed to comply with safety and environmental standards in handling the coal stockpile and other materials. But people who make a living selling cooked food and making shrimp paste complain that their customers stopped buying their wares because of the coal dust,” said De Jesus.

“The pile of coal dust in that facility was mountain-like and, as much as Rock Energy tries to flatten it, it’s not possible because of the huge quantities,” said Ram Carlo Bautista, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Manila.

Bautista also added that 25,000 residents of Barangay 105 alone were affected by the dust, especially those who live near the wall of the facility. When it rains, black residue settles on the houses and when it is hot, coal dust particles are blown by the wind, and are inhaled by the residents.

Bautista said residents blame the coal dust to health problems like asthma, cough, fever and skin rashes. He said they will conduct a fact-finding to find out the extent of the effect on people’s health,” Bautista said.

– See more at: http://bulatlat.com/main/2015/06/12/tondo-urban-poor-protest-illegal-coal-dust-stockpiles/#sthash.a3klWB49.dpuf

Walang trabaho ginoo Binaril

Isang walang trabahong lalaki ang binaril kahapon sa Tondo, Manila.  Elvin daw ang pangalan na chikka ay dahil sa ka live-in nya na medyo may konting ekplikasyon ang kailangan.
Pero dahil hindi naman tayo lubos na mahilig sa tsimis eh di kayo na lang ang humusga.  Marami naman dyan hobby na ang mag judge ng tao. LOL!

Basahin ang ulat galing sa Tempo

A jobless man was killed in Tondo, Manila, police said yesterday.

Elvin Gutierrez, 32, of Carlos P. Garcia St., Tondo, was walking at around 6:55 a.m. Sunday on Camachile St. when the suspect, Gilbert “Yvet Mata” Matias, 34, appeared and shot him victim twice.

Matias fled and Gutierrez was taken to the hospital where he died at around 11:25 a.m. Monday. SPO2 Richard Escarlan of Manila Police District Homicide Section said that the killing “is most likely related to the illegal drug trade and illicit affairs of the victim with the suspect’s live-in partner.”

Source: Tempo – Unemployed Shot

Tondo Musically Gifted Student supported by VW

tondo student

Wolfsburg may be the seat of German automotive engineering, but the heart and soul of the iconic company originating from this city belongs to every place the auto manufacturing company calls home. Volkswagen has, over the decades, achieved legendary status not just for its cars, but for its corporate culture that puts arts and culture alongside its global image.

In 2011, for instance, the Volkswagen Group of America formed a multifaceted, multiyear partnership with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and MoMA PS1, providing the framework for the development of new and inspiring experiences as part of Volkswagen’s international commitment towards the support of arts and cultural institutions.

This partnership led to a series of exhibitions, concerts and educational activities, including the display of works from influential modern artists such as Francis Alÿs, Sigmar Polke and Christoph Schlingensief.

In 2012, it also made possible the installation of the VW Dome, which now provides an additional performance and experiential art space in the courtyard of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens, annually from September to May.

PART of the donation of 21 violins and two cellos for the students of Centex-Tondo  photos by Tessa R. Salazar

In 2013, the partnership launched Expo 1: New York, an extensive exhibition project that combined works from international artists focusing on present economic and ecological challenges. In addition to sponsorships for exhibitions and educational activities, the Volkswagen Group of America also donated the VW Dome 2, built in the New York district of Rockaway Beach to serve as a cultural and communal center in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.

Volkswagen has also worked closely with renowned Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang who founded the Lang Lang Foundation to foster musical education of children and teenagers.

In the Philippines, Volkswagen trains its eyes on children with a two-pronged approach to their development: via pedestrian safety, and through the enhancement of musical skills.

In the first approach, Volkswagen Philippines launched its child safety initiative (CSI) campaign during the Manila International Auto Show this April. In the second approach, on May 12 at the Volkswagen dealership in Bonifacio Global City, it donated 21 violins and two cellos to the pupils of the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (Centex)-Tondo, Manila. The donation was made possible through the efforts of Ayala Foundation Inc.

Aside from the musical instruments, spare strings and rosins were handed out to the scholars of Centex-Tondo. After the ceremonial handover, the children performed seven compositions to an appreciative audience composed of Volkswagen Philippines and Ayala Foundation officers, Centex teachers and parents of the students, and members of the motoring media. Volkswagen, consistent with its global drive for automotive and community excellence, once again demonstrated that, on the road to economic progress, the arts and culture must come along for the ride.

Volkswagen Philippines president and CEO John Philip Orbeta put it clearly: “Music—in particular, playing musical instruments—has countless benefits for children; it increases their learning ability, and is an effective way of building team work and confidence.”

Centex is a project of Ayala Foundation Inc. in partnership with the Department of Education. It aims to provide bright but economically disadvantaged children with primary education comparable to that of the best schools in the country. There are two Centex schools: one in Tondo, Manila, and the other in Bauan, Batangas.

The ceremony was also attended by Ayala Foundation president Ruel Maranan and senior director for programs Rowena Lopez. Ayala Foundation, the social development arm of Ayala Corp., has four key program areas: youth leadership, sustainable livelihood, arts and culture, and education. Education is where Centex plays a crucial role. For this reason, Volkswagen Philippines has chosen this special project as its second CSR activity for the year.

Lasing nahulog sa drainage, patay

drunk fell in drainage

Patay ang isang lalaki na hinihinalang lango sa alak makaraan itong mahulog sa isang kinukumpuning drainage sa Tondo, Maynila, kahapon ng madaling araw.

Ang biktima, na nagtamo ng sugat sa ulo, ay inilarawang nasa edad 30-35, nakasuot ng pulang T-shirt at itim na short pants.

Sa ulat ni SPO3 Glenzor Vallejo, ng Manila Police District (MPD)-Homicide Section, nabatid na dakong 12:05 ng umaga nang mahulog ang biktima sa ginagawang drainage sa harap ng F.G. Calderon High School, na nasa Hermosa Street sa Tondo.

Ayon sa mga residente, napansin nilang naglalakad nang pasuray-suray ang lalaki sa lugar kaya pinaniniwalaang lasing ito at hindi napansin ang drainage hanggang mahulog doon.

Kaagad na ipinagbigay-alam ng mga saksi kay Al Caturay, kagawad ng Barangay 202, Zone 18, ang insidente at tulung-tulong nilang iniahon ang biktima mula sa hukay na may 20 talampakan ang lalim.

Isinugod pa ito sa Tondo Medical Center ngunit patay na ito.

Source: Balita galing sa BALITA

Narito naman ang ulat ayon sa TEMPO

The body of a man was found floating in Manila yesterday. The body of the man, medium built, in his early 30s, and about 5’3″ to 5’5″ tall, was discovered floating on a drainage being built in front of F.G. Calderon High School on Hermosa St., Barangay 202, Zone 18, Tondo at around 12 a.m. by street children.

Source: Balita ng Tempo

Comelec: 2016 voting will still be automated

Filipino voters will not revert back to the old manual system of voting and counting during the 2016 elections, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“The commission en banc specifically said that we will automate. The Comelec is determined to automate the elections and the manual elections is not being considered for now,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez following a special commission en banc meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Some groups earlier raised concern over the possibility of the country reverting back to the old manual system of voting and vote counting after the Supreme Court junked the Comelec-Smartmatic deal for the refurbishment of the precinct coun…

Keep on reading: Comelec: 2016 voting will still be automated
Source: Batang Tondo New feed

AFP chief calls US PH’s big brother, friend and ally

CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines — The United States, a long time ally, is a “big brother” to the Philippines, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said on Friday.

 

Other than battling insurgents, the Philippines and the world are facing other challenges in the modern times. These include climate change, transnational crime, terrorism and other things, the AFP chief said.

 

“There’s no other country that can help us in addressing these global concerns. No other country we can think about but the United States,” Catapang said in his speech during the closing ceremonies of the Balikatan 2015 exercises held here.

 

This year’s Ba…

Keep on reading: AFP chief calls US PH’s big brother, friend and ally
Source: Batang Tondo New feed