Opinion: Kab Caves, Sip Peace, Monte Bunker, Absences

The Beijing government is not only claiming what is ours, the Scarborough Shoal.

It is not only inventing issues to reject our bananas we export to them.

It also into ejecting Pinoys.

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Beijing authorities yesterday launched a 100-day campaign urging citizens to report foreigners illegally living or working in the Chinese capital.

The crackdown is considered by a few friends who are there as another way for the Beijing government to get back at us, and not just fort illegals.

Hala . . .

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Thanks to our ever-understanding father and editor-in-chief RGT.

I’d been to places, catching up with schedules, and looking for catch, and will still be on broken sked in the next few days, so he’s been taking over and spending more nights at the desk than me.

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LAST SUNDAY WE WENT TO SIPALAY to give a lecture on the local media situation, the new technology that media people are embracing to reach more people, and how citizens can help media people verify information, vice versa.

With media colleague Eugene Adiong, we took turns explaining how local newspapers, radio and TV news and public affairs coverages are planned and executed.

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Knowing that Sipalay residents are frequent victims of false information, I repeatedly reminded Sipalaynons never to easily believe text messages, Facebook and Twitter exchanges that say there is a tsunami or a big earthquake coming.

Everytime there is an earthquake in that southern city of Negros Occidental, residents run to higher grounds and stay there for many hours for fearing of a tsunami.

The panic is aggravated by those fond of texting or spreading wrong information.

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I urged our audience, composed of local government officials and employees,managers and staff of private firms, religious leaders and ordinary citizens during the forum that they must always seek for a reliable source to avoid getting tricked.

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I told city officials present there to come up with an information center or a system that will be the reliable source for quick information, and from which Sipalaynons can seek verification.

Penalties or fines must also be imposed on people caught spreading lies that send people to panic.

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Right after the forum I talked with the the new Sipalay Police Office director, Supt. German Garbosa, a Ph. D.

Chief Garbosa has some plans to also help Sipalaynons avoid getting misled by false information especially during natural calamities.

I am sure he will be able to support city officials on this matter as Mayor Oscar Montilla is always open to discussions.

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Doctor Supt. Garbosa’s previous assignment as chief of police before he was transfered to Sipalay, was the Passi Police Office in Iloilo Province, during which Passi PNP was awarded the Best Police Station in that Province.

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Kodus to our hosts, the couple Lynlyn Hepolio and Paul Martinez who also gave us a ride very early in the morning Monday to enable us to catch up with our schedules in Bacolod.

The Sipalay sortie proved once more that Sipalay— the destination of foreign and domestic tourists and investors, is peaceful day and night.

Night and day travel are safer now.

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THERE ARE CAVES IN KABANKALAN, in Barangay Magballo for example,that are very accessible for those who are aspiring or just starting to become spelunkers.

Climbing mountainsides and exploring caves are fun and help encourage people and open their minds to helping preserve the environment.

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Last Labor Day I and colleague Jun Gaton accepted the challenge to trek to the farming village Kabankalanons call Pating in Barangay Magballo.

Even just from the highway to Bantayan one can immediately see the inviting green hills with caves that are even more enticing.

Entering one will lead you to another opening on the other side, and the viuews are spectacular.

Another cave connects to and another, and so on and so forth.

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I insist that visitors in the area must plant seedlings during their sortie there.

Although we failed to plant even just one during our May 1 climb because of an incident that prevented us, at least we compensated by feeding several kids that we chanced upon in the sugarcane farm roads that lead to the caves.

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WE KEEP GETTING WORD that the historical World War2 Montelibano Bunker in the mountain of Barangay Pandanon is soliciting more interests among historians and mountain climbers.

Barangay Pandanon used to be under the jurisdiction of Murcia town but we were told that since Don Salvador Benedicto Town (DSB) was created, it was put under DSB.

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When colleague Boy Ciocon and I, with Pandanon barangay kagawad Elmo Amit and guides went there through thick forest vegetations and hard-to-climb and tricky mountainsides and several river crossings, we noticed that there was not even a single marker to tell what the cave-turned bunker was.

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In World War II, the bunker was able to accomodate some 50 people.

One of them was the late former Negros Island Governor Alfredo Montelibano Sr., popularly known as Tyo Peding.

He brought his family members there and soldiers during the Japanese occupation, and preserved the documents and official papers of the Negros Island Provincial Government.

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Tyo Peding and family members fought hard to survive not only the Japanese threats, but also the hardships of hiding and living in fear in the harsh forestal environment.

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Representatives of both Negros Occidental and Oriental provincial goverments, as well as those of DSB and Murcia local government units, the historical commissions and historians must visit the area to document the significance and contribution of the Montelibano cave-hiding place cum bunker.

Markers must be set up there to remind the new generation of what our grandfathers and fathers have done to preserve our province.

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Efforts to preserve and protect the historical site and the structures must be made.

Concrete stairs going up the mountain side where the bunker is located is also necessary.

Definitely, whoever wants to climb the area where the bunker is will have us as guides.

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THANKS TO THE SUPPORT of a few who help us sustain our NDB NEWS TIP alert service through text messaging.

A little information can help a lot than nothing at all, so that we are bound to sustain our news text blasting service even though we still spend for it each day.

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The thousands of individuals who receive the text alerts voluntered to receive the daily SMS by registering with us.

Registration is free, or if a Smart or Talk ‘N text user is not under a free text promo, then it is only a peso.

Receiving the news tip is also free- no load shedding.

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To register, type NDB NEWS and your home city address, then send to 09393999393. Example: NDB NEWS KABANKALAN.

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