Dapitan City forms CATH Council and elect officers

By JONG CADION

Dapitan City Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agoong

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (Jan. 26, 2016) --- The stakeholders coming from the different government and non-government organizations in Dapitan City organized the Cultural, Arts, Tourism, Heritage (CATH) Council to embark on a new tourism development thrust called Dapitan City Culture, Arts, Tourism and Heritage Program, City Tourism Official said Tuesday.

Dapitan City Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agoong said the members of the newly organized CATH Council were coming from the socio-civic cultural communities as well as from the government and non-government organizations in the various cultural, arts, tourism, heritage, investment, trade and community service endeavors.

Agolong said that after the organization they immediately elected their officers following the holding of last Friday’s the First Dapitan City Tourism Stakeholders Forum aimed to achieve economic development through tourism, trade and investment

Agolong said the officers will be responsible in drafting a five-year Tourism Development Plan, which would integrate all the concerns shared by the different sectors aimed to achieve economic development through tourism, trade and investment that will be included in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).

City Tourism Officer added that the elected officers of CATH Council are the following:

President, Swetlana J. de Leon, Business Sector; Vice president for External Affairs, City Councilor Alemarlou  B. Dagpin, Government Sector, Committee of Culture and Arts Chairman; VP for Internal Affairs, Shama Sekainah L. Santiago, American Field Service, International Organization; Secretary, Apple Marrie Agolong, Government Sector, City Tourism Officer; Treasurer, Hermanico Malacat, Academe, DepEd Supervisor; Auditor, Engr. Edgar Ligutom, Association of Business Professionals; Business Manager, Amalou T. Monroyo, Government Sector, Committee on Livelihood Chairperson and three Coordinators for the Culture and Arts, Peter Macrohon, Culture and Arts Sector, Gloria's Fantasyland Director; Tourism, City Councilor Bong Estacio, Government Sector, Committee on Tourism Chairman  and for Heritage, the former City Mayor Patri B. Chan, Business Sector, President of Rice and Corn Dealers Association.

She said the elected officers will identify solutions to the recent adverse travel advisory issued by some foreign embassies and develop an integrated marketing program geared towards achieving this city's tourism, trade and investment goals including but not limited to the creation of a communications and public relations plan to counter the deterrent factors of the advisories.

She said local tourism, which is deeply anchored on its rich cultural heritage, is now a major contributor of this city's economic growth revolving not just to the three major heritage-related celebrations namely: the Kinabayo Festival in July; the Founding Anniversary Celebration in November; and, the Handuraw Festival in December, but to the other monthly activities which are always crowd drawers.

The monthly festivals are as follows: Kagang Festival in February; Tuloy Festival in May; World Costume Festival in June; and, Ulang Festival in November thereby also making this city to be known the “city of festivals.”

Agolong said the religious activities such as the observance of Lent and Santacruzan are among the crowd drawer activities. She is also invited the people to visit Dapitan City

She noted that pension houses and other investments are increasing as there are still a lot of other local, national and international activities the city is hosting and had positive effected to the local economy.

The Creation of Dapitan City CATH Council and Election of Officers was attended by Marilou G. Silorio, Senior Tourism Operation Officer, DOT Zamboanga Peninsula Region and Ma. Valle Congzon, Supervising Tourism Officer, DOT Head Office

49TH ARAW NG MABUHAY PROMOTES PEACE- BUILDING ACTIVITIES

By     JONG CADION

MABUHAY, Zamboanga Sibugay Province (Jan,28, 2016) -- Eve to golden anniversary, the municipality of Mabuhay, on its 49^th anniversary, showcased activities that promote peace and build harmony among its constituent and neighboring towns from its week-long celebration that kick-off on January 10 until January 25, 2016.

                                                                              

The 49^th Founding Anniversary of Mabuhay bearing the theme, “Ang Lig-on nga Pangagamhanan, Sandiganan ug Paglaum sa Katawhan” (The Strong Governance is the Foundation and Hope of the People) demonstrated the  commitment among all the stakeholders to uphold strong leadership where  everyone is recognized and is not left behind, said Municipal Mayor Restituto O. Calññge.

“Ang maong tema maoy perpektong naghulagway sa atong lungsod karon ug ingon man sa atong padayon nga ginalauman sa tuig pang moabut. Kining tanan dili nato makab-ot kung ako nag-inusara, kondili, gikan kini sa hiniusang tumong ug kasingkasing sa mga kauban kong nagserbisyo sa katawhan ug sa mabuhaynon nga nagsalig ug andam moabaga namo, he added. (The theme itself is a perfect picture that describes our town today and our continued expectation on the coming years. This cannot be attained alone but it comes from the unified goal and from the heart of my fellow workers who served the people and the Mabuhaynons who selflessly trusted and cooperated us).

Municipal Mayor Restituto O. Caloñge.

Mayor Caloñge disclosed that within the duration, series of activities were lined up such as civic parade, invitational basketball, volleyball, tennis tournament, medical outreach, operation Tuli, Boxing, Talent Show, Drum and Lyres Competition, Fire Works Display, Coronation Night on the Search for Mutya ng Kapayapaan and Eucharistic mass, field demonstration, and Got Talent.

“Of all the activities we’re doing, our primary goal is to entertain our constituent, promote tourism and friendliness while building trust and confidence among the neighboring towns who also joined and witnessed the competitions, SB Member Joval John Samonte, the Committee Chairman of Araq ng Mabuhay also said.

Gracing the event are the presence of Romeo Jalosjos, Board members of District 1 Boyet Cabilao Yambao, Lesley Joy Jore, Abdul Said Ahiron and  Editha Calonge who inspired the audience and congratulated the efforts  made by the Mabuhaynons for coming up such initiative.

In closing, the Local Chief Executive expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Mabuhay, Chairpersons per Committees, the members of the Tri-media who took coverage of the celebration, the academe, CSOs, visitors and guest who made the celebration fruitful.

Municipal Mayor Restituto O. Caloñge

PDP LABAN endorsees Sali siters for Lugus, Sulu mayor and vice-mayor bets

Duterte's Bet PDP-Laban Lugus Sulu

Mayoralty and Vice Mayoralty bets

Hadja Amna Sali Macalangcom and

Hadja Dzubaida Sali Abdul, respectively,

strongly endorsed by Presidential aspirant

Davao City mayor Rudy Duterte.

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Jan 28, 2016) --- The PDP-Laban has recently endorsed Hadja Amna Sali Macalangcom as candidate for Mayor of Lugus, Sulu, a prominent businesswoman who belonged to a wealthy family whose vision is to turn her island hometown into haven of economic progress and development.

Hadja Amna, 53, as she is popularly known was officially nominated by PDP-Laban Deputy Secretary General Benito Ranque, who personally came to Zamboanga to proclaim all Presidential standard-bearer Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-led party candidates in Zamboanga peninsula and Basulta during a gathering last Nov. 28, 2015 held at Aristocrat Luncheonete and restautant in Canelar.

She filed her certificate of candidacy for Lugus, Sulu mayor last Oct. 15, 2015 is being strongly supported by townfolks and many local leaders as well as business and religious communities in the island municipality of Sulu’s second district.

Also running for vice-mayor is her sister Hadja Dzubaida Sali Abdul, who is also being supported by Duterte’s PDP-Laban and endorsed strongly by their family and local supporters. She was likewise officially endorsed by the party Sec. Gen. She is 51.

Considered as “unifiers” of their people, the sisters vowed to institute the needed reforms under the core principles and policies of the PDP-Laban platform of governance.

A midwife- nurse by profession, mayoralty bet Ms. Macalangcom believes in the need for change for the betterment of her impoverish and poor, marginalized people.” That’s why am running because I have to listen to the clamour and sentiments of our constituents,” Macalangcom stressed. She is married to Engr. Yusuf Khandie Macalangcom, a businessman who hails from Lanao province.

Vice-Mayor bet Hadja Dzubaida, presently engaged conventional family business, is a medical technologist who had briefly worked abroad in Hamad Medical Corp. Qatar for 7 years after being connected with the DOH, has also decided to thrown her candidacy for the same objective. Haj. Dzubaida married to Haji Cid Sangkula Abdul, grandson of Maas Jana Sangkula, of the Sangkula clan of Parang Sulu, who used to be Chief Medical technologist at the Integrated Provincial Health office in Sulu.

Tandem (sisters), whose forebears were respected public servants, successful businessmen and religious leaders and pioneering educators since the early 60’s vowed to elevate the living conditions of people and institute peace through unity and Islamic morality.

Like their father, the well known “Mastal Dakulah” the late Abdultalib Sali, public school teacher and their late mother the Hadja Fatima Irilis Sali (wealthy entrepreneur), the duo vowed to continue her advocacy and legacy of her parents.

Their maternal great grandfather was the respectable Panglima Rugasan or better known as “El Presidente”, who served for 45 years as leader of the island dating back to the pre-Philippine Republic, whose son Irilis became the mayor of the place for over 30 years as mayor. Mayor Irilis (Amna’s maternal grandfather) had also served public-spiritedly the constituents, when Ta-pul and Lugus Islands were one municipality at that time. 

Another son Hadji Alawi also became a mayor and served until the separation of the twin islands into separate municipalities under the Marcos regime by way of legislation. While another maternal uncle Hadji Butlangan was also elected vice-mayor.

Proud for his integrity their paternal grandfather the late Hadji Sali, who was a wealthy businessman (Asiendero and entrepreneur) while at the same time, considered among the first educators recognized in the province whose father is the first cousin of Western Mindanao Grand Mufti Ustadz Abdulbaki Abukakar.

Both believed that under the leadership of Duterte a new beginning will usher not only for Lugus and Sulu, but for the entire country which is in dire need for change. Uplift living condition of people by addressing puberty thru livelihood and entrepreneurship, they emphasized,

As business leaders, they have pioneered establishments of small –medium stall-owners associations in various malls in Metro Manila, Zamboanga and Jolo and taking the lead in construction and renovations of mosques in Muslim communities in many parts of the country.

Jinggoy Sali, a local resident said reform can only be possible if there is complete change of leadership to pave the way for alternative solutions to our woes and to face the challenge ahead. (BernCon)