Online Cantilangnon

BUTUAN CITY — The wife of kidnapped town mayor in Surigao Sur province on Friday claimed New People’s Army rebels who seized her husband and two of his military escorts had told her they will free their captives through a swap.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Amelia, the wife of Lingig town mayor Henry Dano, said NPA rebels sent her test messages saying they will release her husband and the two soldiers in exchange for the freedom of their comrades who are in prison.

On August 6, NPA rebels seized Mayor Dano, together with his escorts, at his house in Sabang Village.

Mrs. Dano told GMA News Online the rebels wanted their jailed comrades to be freed in exchange for the three.

“They raised the idea of a swap… but I told them I cannot decide on the matter and the only thing I can do is beg the higher authorities, especially the military, to consider the request”, Mrs. Dano said

Also, Mrs. Dano said she was not sure the rebels who sent her the messages were from the group holding her husband and two others, adding she has no proof her husband was with them.

“Sa totoo lang Sir talagang wala pa silang proof of life na maipakita ni ‘hi’ ni ‘hello’ man lang from my husband wala. Kaya kami nag-alala ngayon,” Mrs. Dano said.

For his part, Lingig Surigao del Sur police chief Inspector Ignacio Serrano Jr. confirmed the NPA had sent feelers for swap of prisoners.

Citing reports reaching his office, Inspector Serrano said Mayor Dano and the two soldiers will be released in time for the 42nd anniversary on August 21 of the establishment of the NPA command in the Davao area, provided the government will do so for their captured comrades.

“They wanted a swap for NPA rebels captured in Davao and a Sparrow Unit member nabbed in Mati, Davao del Sur,” Serrano said.

GMA News Online tried but failed to contact the Lingig Crisis Committee chairman Vice Mayor Roberto Luna Jr, who is handling the problem.

Earlier, Luna said they are already extremely worried about the situation of Mayor Dano, adding that the absence of “proof of life” 13 days after the abduction might give credence to rumors Dano and his escorts might have been killed in a crossfire between pursuing soldiers and NPA rebels.

Citing unverified information, Luna said a skirmish during a pursuit operation resulted in huge number of casualties from both the military and the rebels’ sides.

After the incident, hospitals and clinics in Davao Oriental refused to take in more casualties for lack of rooms to accommodate the wounded, Luna said. — Ben Serrano/LBG, GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – Suspected members of the New People’s Army raided a mining area in Surigao del Norte before noon Monday.

A source told radio dzMM’s Edwin Sevidal a firefight in Claver town ensued between members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the rebels who had raided the Taganito Mining Corporation.

The source said the rebels burned the mining firm’s heavy equipment. He added the rebels have already surrounded the vicinity of the firm, which spreads across barangays Taganito, Hayanggabon and Panataw.

PNP Region 13 Director Chief Supt. Reynaldo Rapal said additional troops have been dispatched to the area.

The employees were also asked by the rebels to vacate the area, the source said.

Kun sa NBA jaoy Celtics vs. Lakers, sa PBA jaoy Toyota vs. Crispa, sa UAAP jaoy Ateneo vs. La Salle, sa ato lungsod sa Cantilan jaoy sab Linintian vs. Magosilom. Mutuo na ak gajod na an  mga Pilipino regionalistic, kun jaoy pa term na “Barangaylistic” pwede gajod mu-apply sa mga Cantilangnon.

Magduwa na gan nan basketball an Linintian sanan Magosilom puno na dajon an Cantilan gym. Amo ra nan finals permi an duwa maskin lajo pa an finals. An iban intawon na team, kun sila na an magduwa gamay dakan gajod manan-aw.

Nan high school pa ako dayhon gihapon an storya sa classroom. Maglalis kay si kwan limbungan, si kwan naniko, si kwan bayot, na! maskin mu-abot sa Buyan an storya di gihapon magdaog kay wayay mag papildi.  Hibayo na man kamo nan ugali nan mga Cantilangnon. Si Maam Dading sanan si Maam Tabudlong, mga high school teacher ko, mu-intra sab nan istorya. Si Maam Dads adto dapit sa Magosilom, si Maam Tabs sa Linintian mudapit.

Harooy, di gajod gihapon magdaog.

Na di ra kun sa basketball. Kun pista, amo gihapon, pagana-gana nan mga bandiritas sanan mga booth, pagwapa-gwapa nan mga senior citizens na usahay daba punto na kabaga an mga make-up dakan kunu mudyaga tan-awon.

Kun pasko, amo gihapon, pasanag-sanag nan mga lanterns kada bayay, kuyang dakan pun-on nan Christmas lights an mga bayay bahala dako an bayranan sa kuryente. Bagan Linintian man an permi mudaog nan jaon? (hehe sorry im being bias, aga Linintian ako, ok da kun jaoy mo react na taga-Magosilom)

Bitaw, ok da jaon, jaon gihap an spirit nan sportmanship, part na ini nan kultura nan Cantilan. Maskin haon putda an Cantilangnon daya-daya gajod an ato mga kina-ija. At the end of the day, lipay-lipay da gihapon ta.

Mahinumdum gajod ako sa una, gamay pa ako, masin duwa ako nan pusil-pusil iban an mga kabatan-onan sa una sa Barangay Linintian, Cantilan. Mabibo gajod karajaw. Nahinumdum ako na an kontra nam permi mga taga Embarkadero sanan mga taga Magosilom. Mag lanat-lanat, mag-tiruhay, mag-pinukpokay nan puyo nan pusil-pusil. Kun mapuk-pok kaw, aw na manhubag gajod an uyo, man-labag an likod, pero yay gihap labot basta makabayos puk-pok sanan sipa sa kontra payts na.

An amo leader-leader kunu jadto na mga panahon si Taay an ngayan, taga Linintian da gihapon. Jaoy sab amo mga strategy jadto, waya waya pa lagi, amo da kunu mga sundalo, sundalo nan Linintian, Linintian brigade.

Strategy 1.

Duha ka linya na straight, dungan atakehon an mga taga-Embarkadero, an una na linya mu-atake hampan musunod an ikaduha na linya pag-atake, hampan an una na sab mubunot na dajon nan puyo pinuk-pukay na dajon.

Strategy 2.

Mu-atake, hampan pan-snatchon da an “pusil-pusil” nan kontra.

Strategy 3.

Kun dabo an kontra, mangihi, putson an ihi nan plastic selopin, hampan amoy ipan-labak sa kontra. (This is 2nd most effective strategy nan jadto na mga panahon)

Strategy 4.

Dynamita. Malibang or manhanap nan basa pa na tae nan ido, putson nan newspaper sanan plastic, ilabak sa kontra, BOMBS AWAY! Aw na mag-sibyagan lagi dajon sila. (#1 most effective strategy hehehe)

Ay-ay kabibo lam gajod adto na mga panahon, kun an kalaban an mugamit nan strategy 3 sanan 4, aw ok da gihapon, diretso sayom sa suba sa Linintian (Limpyo pa bagan adto na mga panahon).

Nahurot gajod an mga kawahan jadto na panahon sa Baybay, Consuelo, sanan sa Tambis, kay tanhimo nan pusil-pusil. Dabo sab nakakwarta kay an iban na mga kabatan-onan magpahimo dakan sab. Nahimo sab matod sija gamy na negosyo. Tag 10 pesos kun magpahimo kaw imo na an mga lastiko sanan chinese garter na gamiton. An di silencer 20 magpahimo. An mamaligja-ay nan lastiko hurot-hurot sa an ila mga baligja.

Ay-ay kabibo lam gajod. Marajaw gani naka-experience pa ako jaon sa Cantilan. Lahi na man gud an uso kuman, DOTA ALL-STARS naman sa computer. Puno na bitaw nan computer shops sa Cantilan kuman kay kusog an demand. Kun an mga TFC na naka-apil pa nan ini, kun manguli kamo sa ato lungsod, tya dijo, magduwa ta pusil-pusil, hampan mag-pinuku-ay tae!hehe

Bitaw, magkalipay gajod ako kun jaoy ako hikit-an na magduwa pa nan pusil-pusil sa ato lungsod, kun waya na man, kay pas-pas man gajod an panahon, lahi lahi na man uso kuman, maskin mahibay-an lam nan mga kabatan-onan kuman o sa mga musunod pa na mga panahon sa Cantilan na jaoy baja pusil-pusil na kalingawan nan waya pa an mga computer.

Kagana lam kun madajon adto nabasahan ko sa thread sa Barangay FB about sa “museum” ba adto?

Note: Sa waya kahibayo kun unoy pusil-pusil, made of kawajan jaon. An bala binasa na papel, mostly newspaper kay mas hapdos kuno mu-igo sa panit. An iban mugamit sab nan kapaja, balahon.

man vs wave

CANTILAN TOURISM

From newly appointed Tourism Secretary Jimenez :

“The best marketing communication campaigns anywhere in the world are really hinged on the simplicity of a proposition. It is not all about infrastructure. It is really about a single-mindedness of image.

“If it is about infrastructure, then you would imagine that in North America the most visited place next to the United States would be Canada because the infrastructure would be the same, right? That’s not true. Next to the US, the biggest draw is Mexico because the image of Mexico, even now in your minds, is very, very clear. You can see the tacos and the hats and the ponchos, etc., even if all I said was Mexico. That has not happened for our country yet, and that’s what we have to create.”

Now, how can this marketing tool be applied to Cantilan? What is that “single-mindedness of image” that captures and defines our town that a mere mention of the word “Cantilan” gives someone an instamatic image of the place ?

It’s a question worth pursuing because if you mention Cagwait the image that immediately comes to mind is that long beach; Hinatuan is the Enchanted River ; Bislig is about Tinuy-an Falls, that if you close your eyes you can feel the mist on your face and the roar of cascading water. If you hear “Siargao” ,it’s the surf in Cloud 9 that springs to mind. Well there’s a town nearby whose claim to fame is to give you a sandstorm experience without ever setting foot in Dubai

What would be Cantilan’s tourism icon , the town postcard that will be worth a thousand words ? The image doesn’t need to be singular , it can be a collage , in a way that when you mention “El Nido “, it conjures no signature image but a collection of pictures that spell sun , sea , sand.

Judging from the photos I have seen here in Barangay FB, I would say it would be the islands . Isla, Ayoke, Casarica, Huyamao are the four aces up our tourism sleeve. ( Quick, himo-i nijo nan acronym, pero pastilan ajaw lam GCAsH – General,Casarica, Ayoke, Huyamao and if ever you’ll come up with travel brochures it won’t hurt to attach an adjective to each of the island’s name : Charming Casarica, Alluring Ayoke and please veto Reno’s suggestion that Isla be labeled Gay General kay basin an Commander nan Cantilan’s 241st Tong-its Blue Diamonds-sa-Bahara Squadron mangisog. Hmmm, Temptation Island ? Puyde pa).

My point is to think out of the basanday (box). For example, one can capitalize on the first four letters of Ayoke, to give it a mystical , magical mantle. Timan-i nijo mas dabo na mobisita did-on kun mahanog it sija ( but in a playful manner though) as an enchanted island. And you can latch these islands to something big like a geographical landmark like the Philippine Deep, sa unahan ra balitaw . Picture this : An Ayoke Island poster and this tagline. “ You may never climb the highest mountain, but you can swim on the deepest sea.” Hampan sa ubos an ngayan nan sponsor : “Duero Air will bring you there.”

The materials for a tourism literature about Cantilan are already there, from Edward H’s stunning aerial photo of the islands, to Richard Orozco’s captivating Malibod series-in-the-making, and other photos which can be culled from the individual portfolios of the members of the Mangodakay nan Cantilan FB Group .

An sunod na pangutana mogikan tingan sa iban na magduda na dili mo-saler na tourism sa ato kay díli kun marajaw na infrastructure . Partly true, but it will not totally deter. No bad road can stop the most intrepid traveler to a place whose beauty makes one powerful draw. (Naga-Caramoan is twice the travel time of Surigao-Cantilan, and the latter about the same distance as Puerto-Underground River) Jaon “luksurious road” sa Nobenta mahuman ra iton. Jaon kuyang na kahuy-an , stoke the demand and demand will create the supply.

And speaking of infra, we may lack the mortar-and-stone type created by man , but the four islands are God-made infra with a price tag of hundreds of billions of pesos, simply unquantifiable. (Palit kaw nan puti na buhangin kuman sa Manila P200 an sako, an gamay na aquarium sa Cartimar P10,000, an swimming pool ni Tantoy P2 million , so you can just imagine the monetary value of , say, Isla and its surrounding seas which are one big infinity pool. ) For all his billions, not even Bill Gates would dare create a man-made Huyamao. How would you put a sticker price on a Baybay sunrise?

Tourism will not solve the jobs drought in our place, but it can ease the situation. What was the math on tourism receipts ? Attracting just a half-a-van of visitors a day (napuyo ka tawo) will result in receipts of P34 million a year. Some will say that this amount is chicken feed . 100% chicken feed is captured by this post in another thread , to the effect na “kalooy sab nan Cantilan , ya nija kuhaa an P6 per metric ton na ibajad sa ija nan mina.” Ponder this : 55,600 metric tons of Cantilan soil was sold to China at P2,322 per metric ton ($54 X P43) an kabahinan baja nan Cantilan per metric ton SAIS PESOS or two pieces of menthol candy? Kun an isa ka trak , five metric tons , an lu-on nahalin nan P11,610. An ibajad sa Cantilan TRAINTA PESOS (dili gan makapalit nan isa ka kilo na bugas) . At least Judas sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver, but you for 30 pesos ? Whether you are neutral, pro- or anti-mining in Cantilan , you should rankle at this kind of estafa .

Nosiway naman hanu-on ta. Balik ta sa tourism. Well the liberalization of the airline industry has caused ticket prices to tumble down and has created a generation of frequent fliers that many have run out of domestic places to go. It’s time to ride on this boom, beginning with members of the big Cantilan nation who should be enticed by kith and kin to start making regular pilgrimages to the mother ship . Which is why the “2012 Visit Cantilan Year” is crucial in jumpstarting this.

And I have just talked about the beautiful places of Cantilan, waya pa an beautiful people. Now, that would cause a stampede to our place.Nanubra an tourism poster boys, girls and gays.

So what do you think is Cantilan’s selling point ?

by: Bebong Arreza