Science High School in Butuan

I didn't know that Butuan does not have a science high school, not until I read this article from pia.gov.ph.  If I'm not mistaken, Surigao City, Butuan's neighboring city, has already its own science high school.

According to the latest news, the earnest planning of local government of Butuan is already underway to put up a branch of Philippine Science High School in the city.  For the complete details, please click this.

Earthquake in Butuan

An earthquake hit Butuan and nearby cities (Cabadbaran and Surigao City) yesterday at around 10:11am. The tremor, with a magnitude of 4 caused panic among the residents. As of this moment, authorities are still checking whether there were injuries or damages incurred. They however assured that there were no immediate casualties reported.

It is worthy to note also that a 4.1 earthquake magnitude previously shook Butuan City on the day of elections, Monday, May 10, 2010.

Source: Philippine Information Agency and Inquirer.net.

Attention: Butuanon voters!

Just when I thought that my What's in Butuan? blog is the most-widely read among my blogs, nobody seems to care of joining my survey of mayoralty bets for Butuan City.  There are about 20days more to go before the May 10, 2010 national and local elections.  FYI, I have respondents, for the surveys I conducted thru my other blogs, scribbles and ripples in surigao.  Although these respondents are few, but still they participated.  And that already means a lot to me.

Hey, butuanons!  Where are you?  Please make your presence known... at least in this blog.

Thank you. :)

Another Seat Sale from Cebu Pacific

Hey guys!

If you want to travel to your respective hometowns but is on a tight budget, now is the chance to grab that extended summer vacation! Cebu Pacific has just announced another seat sale which runs today, April 7, up to tomorrow, April 8, only. Travel period is between June 1 to August 31, 2010.

One-way promo fare costs P999 only, all-in! However, for those destinations like Surigao, which do not have direct flights, one needs to pay twice the promo rate. Or, I suggest to take the flight to Butuan and enjoy a two-hour bus ride to Surigao.

I must warn you that promo seats are limited.  So, what are you waiting for? Visit Cebu Pacific ticketing outlet or click this website! :)

Urduja Was Also in Butuan

I didn't know Butuan was also devastated by typhoon Urduja not until I read the latest from MindaNews. Few nights ago, I got a text from somebody that it was raining cats and dogs there. It didn't immediately dawn on me that some parts of Butuan, especially the downtown, is a flood-prone area. I thought that only Surigao should watch out for the typhoon (as can be read from my previously-posted article in my recently-created blog).

Good thing, my house is in a safe place... and so is my mango tree. :)

woman on top

i recently spent my holy week in surigao. while waiting for my plane at the naia 3 terminal, i was already planning to capture, thru my cam, the bird's view of my beloved hometown. unfortunately, all i saw were the serene, blue waters guarding the place and before i knew it, we were already approaching that cute little airport.

good thing that, on my way back to manila, i had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of surigao from above. check out and let me know of what you think of my pictures!

i might not be able to go home on all saints' day..

i'll be writing the 2nd part of my post entitled, "my recent journey", next time.

for now, i am in great dilemma. i received an office order just this afternoon that I will be part of a team organized for the special audit of a controversial agency. (for now, the media has not smelled blood on it yet. thank God!). audit period is on october 6 - 17 and november 3 -7, 2008.

that means, my scheduled trip to surigao city via butuan city on all saint's day is at risk. it might not push through.. huhuhu! what am i gonna do? whaaaaa!!!

let's wait and see!!! :)

Federal Type of Government, Is this Good?

Take a closer look into Senate Resolution # 10, Senator Aquilino Pimentel’s Blueprint for the Federal Republic of the Philippines (FRP).

Resisting any premature comment, here first are the main points:

* The FRP will have a 425-Member unicameral Federal Congress with the legislature headquartered in Bohol
* The declared National Territory encompasses the areas to which the Philippine has pending and unresolved historical claims, meaning the Spratlys and Sabah.
* GMA is mandated to step down in 2010 and is prohibited from seeking election in the new government.

Read on:

* The 63-page annex of SR 10 contains 154 proposed revisions of the Constitution.
* Only two articles, the Bill of Rights and Citizenship, are untouched.
* Federal House of Representatives will have 75 senators and not more than 350 congressmen, or a total of 425 members.
* Rationale:

1. “Whereas, the highly centralized system of government has brought about a spotty development of the nation where preferential treatment has been given to localities whose officials are friendly with or have easy access to an incumbent administration;

2. Whereas, this lopsided arrangement has spawned a host of problems including massive nationwide poverty to runaway insurgencies and rebellions that feed on the societal inequalities in the nation;

3. Whereas, creating eleven States out of the Republic would establish 11 centers of finance and development in the archipelago as follows:

* The 11 Federal States:

1. The State of Northern Luzon;

2. The State of Central Luzon;

3. The State of Southern Tagalog;

4. The State of Bicol;

5. The State of Minparom;

6. The State of Eastern Visayas;

7. The State of Central Visayas;

8. The State of Western Visayas;

9. The State of Northern Mindanao;

10. The State of Southern Mindanao; and

11. The State of BangsaMoro”

* GMA’s Term Limit:

“Unless the incumbent President is removed from office, dies, or resigns, the Incumbent shall serve until 2010, the year her constitutional term of office ends. She is, however, not qualified to run again for office under the Constitution.”

SR10 does not have any proposal to switch from the presidential to the parliamentary form of government.

* Longer term limits:

SR10 extends the term limits for members of the House of Representatives, by setting four years, instead of the present three years, as the length of one term, and allowing a maximum of three consecutive terms.

Under SR10, provincial, city, and municipal officials, and also the governor and vice governor of the proposed new states, would all get up to three terms of four years each, longer than at present. Senators would stay within their present limit of two terms of six years each.

* The State of Bangsamoro:

SR10’s proposed State of Bangsamoro only includes the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, with capital at Marawi City. The areas that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is bargaining for overlap with portions of SR10’s proposed States of Northern Mindanao and Southern Mindanao.

* SR10’s proposed State of Northern Mindanao (capital at Cagayan de Oro City):

Covers the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboangay Sibugay, and all cities, municipalities and villages therein.

* SR10’s proposed State of Southern Mindanao (capital at Davao City) :

Covers the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Davao, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and all local entities therein.

SR10 seeks to transfer major portions of national government operations to the Visayas and Mindanao. It would keep Manila as the seat of the Executive Branch, but proposes to transfer the Legislative Branch to Tagbilaran City. It would require the Supreme Court to transfer to Cagayan de Oro City within 10 years.

* The Seat of the unicameral Federal Congress:

The Federal Congress shall hold office and its sessions in the City of Tagbilaran in the State of Central Visayas. Congress may authorize its committees to hold public hearings in aid of legislation or conduct investigations in furtherance of its oversight functions in any part of the Republic.

How the Constituent Assembly will vote:

“NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved as it is hereby resolved by the Senate with the House of Representatives concurring, upon a vote of three-fourths of all the Members of both Houses voting separately, to convene Congress into a constituent assembly pursuant to Section 1, paragraph 1 of Article XVll of the Constitution, and revise the Constitution for the purpose of adopting a federal system of government that will create 11 States, constitute Metro-Manila as the Federal Administrative Region, and convert the nation into the Federal Republic of the Philippines.”

Key Revisions Proposed in SR 10:

Revision No. 1.

Section 1. Article 1. National Territory.

The scope of the national territory is hereby revised by adding a new paragraph as follows: The national territory shall likewise include all islands occupied or claimed by the Republic out of historic title, by discovery or other means recognized under international law and its exclusive economic zone as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Revenues and Taxes

(2) All revenues and taxes collected by the local government units or by national government agencies in accordance with the Local Government Code of 1991, Republic Act No. 7160, shall be divided in the following manner: twenty percent (20%) shall accrue to the Federal Government and eighty percent

(80%) to the States. (3) Of the share accruing to the States, thirty percent (30%) shall pertain to the

State concerned and seventy percent (70%) shall be apportioned among the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangay according to the formula stated in the Local Government Code of 1991.

Revision No. 2.

New Section. Article XIV. Utilization of Local Resources.

States may pursue local development in the utilization of mineral, marine and aquatic, forest and other natural resources. They may engage in local and international trade and commerce to attain self sufficiency and progress within their respective territories subject to the limitations imposed by the Constitution.

Revision No. 3.

New Section. Article XIV. Small-Scale Utilization and Development of Natural Resources.

The right of citizens to engage in the small-scale utilization and development of natural resources, as well as cooperative fish farming, with priority to the right of the subsistence fishermen and fish workers in rivers, lakes, bays, and lagoons as provided in the Local Government Code of 1991 shall not be abridged.

(Note: Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Panfilo Lacson have withdrawn their signatures from the resolution.)

Source: sabahthephilippineborneo

wanted: pet dog!

in a few weeks, i'll be going home to my hometown via butuan. i am planning to give my feisty-yet-adorable little niece a birthday gift. since i already have a brown male mini pinscher at home, i want to buy her a female mini pinscher, this time, color black.

considering it would be a hassle for me to transport a pet dog from manila, not to mention too costly, i prefer buying it at butuan or surigao. unfortunately, i lost the contact no. of my dog's veterinarian. her clinic is located somewhere along pili drive, butuan city.

will somebody please help me find a mini pinscher for sale or give me the contact no. of the veterinarian? reach me at (63)918-367-3455. thanks..

last day of Cebu Pacific promo sale

july 20 is the last day of Cebu Pacific's promo on its low airfare. i have been thinking if i have to rebook my previously-purchased ticket since i am planning to stay longer in surigao city by just another day on my upcoming vacation there. in that case, i will have to add a rebooking fee of P400 for that. i am still weighing the pros and cons considering also that i would be absent from office for additional day. i have to decide today or else if i defer it, i would be paying difference between the regular fare and promo fare on top of the rebooking fee.

well, i have until midnight to think this over..

the extended cebu pacific promo fare is further extended!

oh my gosh! cebu pacific once again extends its promo fare. its sale period which would have ended yesterday, july 15, is further stretched to july 20. i am oh so tempted to book for another flight and visit surigao via butuan! wanna join me? please click this.

butuan placed no. 9 among the top 10 livable cities

Butuan City, a.k.a Timber City, is slowly regaining its strength in terms of development. According to the assessment made by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) policy center in 2007, Butuan City ranked no. 9 among the top 10 livable cities in the Philippines. It beat Cagayan de Oro City which placed only no. 11 among those mid-sized competitive cities. To read more, click this.

FYI, my hometown, Surigao City, placed no. 3 among those most competitive small sized cities in the country. How's that? :)