Igorot lawyer is the new Director of the NCIP Legal Affairs Office

Photo Courtesy || Atty. Marlon Bosantog

Cordillera - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has appointed a Cordilleran lawyer to head the Legal Affairs Office of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).

Attorney Marlon P. Bosantog, formally assumed the post as the new Director of The NCIP after a taking his oath on December 26, 2019, according a report from PTV Cordillera. 

A graduate of Saint Louis University College of Law, Atty. Bosantog started his career as an Associate Solicitor-General III under the Officer of the Solicitor-General since 2011. 

He also became a member of the Anti-Money Laundering Council Task Force and became a member of the NCIP Task Force that primarily solve cases involving indigenous people.

Atty. Bosantog became an instructor at the Data Center of the Philippines and later served as a legal assistant of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-CAR).

He also served as a member of the Task Force KALASAG of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the fight against insurgencies in Metro Manila, PTV - Cordillera reports. 

In 2019, Atty. Bosantog represented President Rodrigo R. Duterte and seven other respondents in a petition for writs of Amparo and heabeas data filed by National Union of People's Lawyer (NUPL) in April.

Atty. Bosantog is a proud Igorot, who traces his roots from Bagnen, Bauko, Mountain Province and Sinipsip, Buguias, Benguet.

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Young Taekwondo athlete from Abra bags Gold Medal in Singapore

Photo Courtesy || Guessteen Merile A. Aznar

Cordillera - A young taekwondo athlete from Abra bagged Gold Medal at the 7th Daedo Taekwondo Open Championships 2019 which was recently held in Singapore on 7 -8 December last year. 

Guessteen Merile A. Aznar won the gold in the Senior Division-female 67kg, besting other athletes from Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. 

The 7th Daedo Taekwondo Open Championships is sanctioned by the Singapore Taekwondo Federation and  organized by J H Kim Taekwondo Institute (Bukit Timah) and managed by Han Academy Pte. Ltd.

Photo Courtesy || Guessteen Merile A. Aznar

The objective of this year's edition is to promote youth development and to support high performance in Singapore. 

Taekwondo is a martial art that originated from Korea and it is the world's most widely practice martial arts. 

It is an Olympic sport that teaches artistic discipline, self-defense and a way of life. 

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Honest Baguio Cop returns lost bag with cash and credit cards to owner

Photo Courtesy || Wilfredo Gatchalian 

Cordillera. Honesty is doing the right thing although no one else knows or is watching and it is a human core value that needs to be emulated by all. 

Recently, an honest police officer in Baguio City returned a bag containing cash worth Php20,000.00, credit cards, passbook, passport, car spare key and driver's license to the owner. 

The owner of the bag Mr. Wilfredo Gatchalian shared in social media the good deed of Police Officer Buhong who returned his bag after losing it on December last year. 

In his Facebook post, Gatchalian said he was not expecting that his lost bag will be returned to him. However, he was very thankful that a police officer returned his bag.

"Nanlulumo na nga po ako tapos bigla may nagchat sa akin napulot daw bag ko. Hindi ko nga inexpect na mabalik pa eh. Napakabait pulis doon, Strick pero mabait," he said.

He tried to give a reward to P.Lt Buhong as an expression of gratitude for his good deed but the police officer refused to accept it. 

"Sana lahat ng police ganito. Binibigyan ko si sir ng reward pero ayaw pa niya tanggapin. Labis labis ang pasasalamat ko sa iyo at sampu ng mga kasama mo sa station 3 ng Baguio City. Nawa'y marami ka pang matutulongan na nangangailangan," Gatchalian added.

Many netizens who read the post had expressed their admiration to P.Lt Buhong.

"Wow, that's something worth emulating! Congratulations PO Buhong. Another feather on the cap of PNP Cordillerans," one netizen wrote. 

According to a post, P,Lt Buhong is from Bili, Amduntong, Ifugao. 

Stories of honesty such as this is definitely worth emulating. We hope that the good deed of P.Lt Buhong will inspire not only police officers and taxi drivers but all of us. 

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Kalinga entrepreneur wins 2019 Micro-Entrepreneurship Award

Photo Courtesy || Tabuk Life

Cordillera - The Citi Microntrepreneurship Award (CMA) has granted the Special Award for Preservation of Tradition to Caroline Jamias of Tabuk City, Kalinga. 

Jamias, a Kalinga entrepreneur who promotes traditional Kalinga products was recognized as the winner in the 2019 CMA special award for the preservation of tradition. 

Jamias received the award for successfully establishing her own profitable clothing business and later hired locals to trained with her at the Department of Trade and Industry.

With the small capital she borrowed from a lending company Alalay sa Kaunlaran Microfinance Social Development Inc. (ASKI), Jamias was able to grow her business. 

Now, Jamias reported that she is earning around 1.5 million pesos annually or around P125,000 monthly.

This year's winners includes Lea Mancera of Daniel's Handicraft Weaving and Metal Frame, Luzon Regional Awardee; Merly Domingo of Ebina Garment Manufacturing, Visayas Regional Awardee and Lucrecia Nero of Manna's Alternative Herbal Products and AtiManna Organic Hub, Mindanao Regional Awardee.

The Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year Award was granted to Romualdo Blanco, Jr. of Maja's Special.

The special award for agri micro-business was awarded to Rosanna Sinapilo of Coco Deli. 

CMA program is a global financial inclusion initiative that recognizes the contributions of microentrepreneurs to their local economies and highlights the importance of microfinance in supporting the economic development of low-income individuals. - cmagroup.com

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Tourists who visited Ifugao tried firsthand experience working in paddy field

Photo Courtesy || Elvis Dumaniw

Cordillera - It is likely that sinking the feet and hands in knee-deep mud in a rice field is probably not every tourist's idea of fun, and of course, it is certainly not what is included in their itinerary. 

But this group of tourists who visited Ifugao in  the Northern Philippines grabbed the unique opportunity to experience being a rice farmer for the day - and they enjoyed getting covered in mud. 

In a Facebook post uploaded by Elvis Dumawol, the tourists can be seen enjoying their first-hand experience working in a real paddy field. 

Photo Courtesy || Elvis Dumaliw

Their task was to pave the edge of the rice field with mud all by their bare feet and hands just as the local farmers are doing before the planting season.

Most Ifugao farmers would welcome visitors to come out in their field to find out what they are doing. For a bonus, they even allow those who are interested to get out and try to be a rice farmer for a day. 

Rice cultivation is not an everyday affair and it's a labor intensive work starting from preparing the fields, to planting the seedling, then sitting around while it grows and then another session of busy work at harvest time. 

Certainly, by the end of their experience, they will no doubt be muddy, but also have experienced one of the most fantastic and unforgettable moments when they visited Ifugao. 

Cordillera region is promoting Ago-tourism which encourages farm owners to create 'fun farm tourism' that involves creating agriculturally based activity like bringing tourists to a farm or ranch.

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Doctors may soon be prescribing vegetables instead of drugs for chronic illnesses

Photo || Pixabay

Cordillera - It was the Greek Physician Hippocrates, the father of medicine who coined the famous words "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food". And now doctors might soon prescribing fruits and vegetables to patients suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

In a new study conducted by a team of doctors and public health experts in 2019, they found out that healthy food prescription would improve overall people's health, which is also more cost-effective in the long run. 

The researchers had studied data from a nationwide group of adults between the ages of 35 and 80. They were divided into two groups, one is covered with 30% of the cost of fruits and vegetables and the other is covered with the same amount but whole grains, nuts, seeds, seafood and produce were added. 

The result showed that fruit and vegetable could prevent up to 1.93 million cardiovascular diseases and could save 350,000 lives while the other group deduced 3.28 million cardiovascular diseases, which could save 620,000 lives.

The Insurance company Medicare and Medicaid who sponsored the study have found out that prescribing fruits and vegetables could be as more cost effective as other common interventions, such as preventive drug treatments for hypertension or high cholesterol.

The data that was presented has added to the growing evidence that healthy food from nature is the best cure for chronic illnesses.

It also proved the cost-effectiveness of fruit/vegetable prescription as it is better to spend money on buying healthy food than paying for hospitals bills and medication. 

True to what had the great physician Hippocrates once said "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food"

source || https://www.techtimes.com/articles/239965/20190320/doctors-may-soon-be-prescribing-veggies-instead-of-drugs.htm

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Good Samaritan cab driver uses his taxi as ambulance to rush sick kid to hospital

Cordillera - This is an incredible moment when a cab driver saves the life of a patient by using his taxi as an ambulance and took her to the hospital in the midst of heavy traffic.

In a message sent to DPWH-CAR Facebook page, Rolyn Berda is requesting to share her message about a taxi driver who voluntarily came to take her sick niece to the hospital. 

Berda shared that at around 8:30 pm on December 30, her niece had to be brought to the hospital, but there are no cars  available because their location is far from the city.

However, in the midst of despair, a taxi driver named Mr. Abe Ayong came and voluntarily brought the girl to the hospital.

"Idi December 30 iti rabii 8:30 adda ti kaanakak agsakit ket awan pay lugan nga pulos ta adayu kami to city. Ket adda imbaon to apo nga sipupuso nga taxi driver nga agnagan to Obeth Ayung plate number taxi 243," Berda said in the message.

Berda, in her message praised Mr. Ayong for his concern because he literally transformed his taxi into an ambulance. 

In the middle of  heavy traffic, Mr. Ayong used the horn as an emergency siren to notify other cars to give way.

"Inaramid na nga ambulance ti taxi na uray ado traffic busina piman nga busina tapnu aglisi da lang," Berda added. 

Arriving at the hospital, Mr. Ayong refused to take the payment for his service, instead, he advised Berda to use it for the hospital expenses.

Berda ended her short message saying: "Thank you so much. Even though we can not see you, may the Lord reward and take care of you".

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Philippine National Police to hire 17,000 new cops in 2020

Photo Courtesy || Paul Masillem

Cordillera - The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday that it will hire new policemen this year. 

The National Police Commission and the Department of Budget and Management have authorized the PNP to fill-up 17,000 vacancies under its recruitment Program for year 2020. 

These vacancies comprise the 10,000 annual regular recruitment quota and 7,000 additional quota to replace retired, deceased, dismissed, AWOL, and other separated personnel.

"We want the largest pool of applicants that we can muster from which to select only the best and most qualified candidates that will be recruited into the police service," PNP OIC, Police Lieutenant General Francisco F Gamboa said.

Gamboa added that the application is open to "able-bodied Filipino" men and women aged 21 to 30 who want to serve a noble career in the police service.

"The annual recruitment program has taken Philippine law enforcement to a higher level by closing the gap in the police-to-population ratio to within ideal limits set by law," Gamboa added.

He added that successful candidates will be appointed to the initial rank of Police Patrolman with a gross monthly salary of P29,688.00 with other mandated allowances and benefits.

The recruitment is expected to start by next week and prospective applicants are advised to prepare all necessary documents like certifications, clearances and other documentary requirements to speed up the recruitment process according to Maj. Gen. Lydon Cubos, PNP Director for Personnel and Records Management.

All applications may be filed through the PNP Online Recruitment Application System (ORAS) portal at www.pnporas.pnp.dprm.com.

"We have adopted this digital information system in recruitment application to level the playing field for all applicants by elimination opportunities for third party intervention in the rigid selection process," Cubos said.

Cubos added that under the system, applications become nameless and faceless entries and are only represented through barcodes while undergoing particular procedures.

source || PNP-PIO

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DILG Sec. Eduardo M. Año commends Baguio cop Julious Walang for risking his life enforcing law

Photo Courtesy || Wikipedia

Cordillera - Secretary Eduardo M. Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has commended the Baguio traffic policeman for risking his life in enforcing the law when apprehended an intoxicated taxi driver. 

"He was literary hanging on for his life as he was performing his sworn duty. Salamat, Patrolman Julious Walang sa tapat at walang takot na pagpatupad sa iyong tungkulin. Kailangan natin ng mga pulis na katulad mo na hindi nagdadalawang-isip na itaya ang buhay para sa tawag ng tungkulin. Mabuhay ka! Año said.

"May you be an inspiration, not just to the police officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP), but to all of us in law enforcement as we perform our duty on a daily basis," he added.  

Año also asked the Supreme Court (SC) to investigate the incident that involved the alleged interference and bullying done by a judge resulting in the release of the suspect from police custody.

Video footage of the incident that went viral showed how Patrolman Walang courageously barred the way and held tightly on the hood of the cab to stop the drunk driver but  he was almost run-over by the taxi who attempted to flee. 

"Makikita niyo talaga sa video na walang balak sumuko ang driver pero hindi pumayag yung patrolman kaya kumapit ito sa hood nang sasakyan para mapigilan yung driver sa pagtakas," Sec. Año added.

Sec. Año also requested Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to investigate the judge who allegedly bullied and shouted at the police officers in the Baguio Police Station to secure the untimely and immediate release of the taxi driver, according to DILG website. 

According to the police officers on duty at the station, the judge suddenly barged in the police station, intimidated and shouted at them without asking about what really transpired in the incident. 

READ ALSO: Baguio cop mulls filing case against judge who defended drunk taxi driver

"There is proper forum to secure the release of the suspect and that is not the police station. He must wait for the police to process the case, the prosecutor to file charges against the suspect and for the cause to be raffled to his sala before he can assume jurisdiction. The said judge has to follow the law, just like all of us. As guarding of the law, a judge must serve as an example in following the law and not in breaking it," Sec. Año said.

source || DILG

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Baguio Police Office (BCPO) to file criminal case against drunk taxi driver who nearly run-over Baguio cop

Update: The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) is pursuing to file a criminal case against drunk taxi driver who almost run over a police officer who stopped him for traffic violation. 

BCPO Chief Col. Rae Co said in a local radio interview that as soon as all statements and testimonies had been gathered, the office will immediately file the necessary case against the driver.

He also said that Mayor Benjie Magalong had already coordinated with Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez for a possible filing of case against a judge who allegedly intervened on behalf of the driver.
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Cordillera - The Baguio cop who was cursed and nearly run over by a drunken taxi driver, is studying a possible filing of an administrative case against a judge who allegedly interfered with the work of the police and helped the taxi driver escape from being charged.

In a news report, the judge who was identified as Roberto Mabalot, arrived at the police station and allegedly prevented police officers who were preparing to give a citation ticket and left the station with the taxi driver. 

The taxi driver at that time was being investigated for violating the anti drunk and drugged driving law but was released after Judge Mabalot allegedly ordered the police to do so.

Video footage of the incident that went viral showed the taxi moving forward to the police officer who tried to blocked its way. The police avoided being run over by clinging to the hood of the car.

Police investigation later showed that the taxi driver was under the influence of alcohol as shown by a failed breathalyzer test. 

Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Chief Director Allen Ray Co said in an interview that they are contemplating filing a case against Judge Mabalot for alleged interfering with the investigation. 

Meanwhile Judge Mabalot, in a post by Baguio Public Information denied that he had interfered for the release of the offending driver and the taxi unit. 

In a message he sent to mayor's Facebook Page, he dismissed the allegations that he use his influence and position to get the driver off the hook. 

"I declare that I did not all interfere. The police will confirm this fact," Judge Mabalot said in the message.

source || Bombo Radyo Baguio

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