Friday, November 24, 2006

Nurturing the young and the restless



From a friend in Isulan

WHAT do children, public officials, and company executives have in common?

A storytelling contest, that's what, at least in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

The provincial government of Sultan Kudarat and the Department of Education teamed up with Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) to put together a series of competitions for schoolchildren. What unfolded inside the posh new provincial offices in Isulan were not only a storytelling contest, but oratorical and ethno-modern dance ones as well.

Schoolchildren from all over Sultan Kudarat came in buses to the provincial capitol recently to compete, in full regalia, with one another. High school co-eds shunned inhibition and performed in full costume, with painted faces and glittering bodies. The three events were a high point during celebrations for the province's 33rd founding anniversary. It was also the 8th Kalimudan Festival, the latter lumad term meaning "gathering."

One by one, the young storytellers and orators gave flesh to the theme: "Government, private sector and community partnership—The Path Towards Sustainable Peace and Development." All pieces were delivered at "performance level, that's why we had a hard time in deciding," admitted one of the judges.

"Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of folk art," said Provincial Board Member Eliseo Castro. Speaking on behalf of Vice Governor Don Ligo, Castro said that as the province was celebrating its founding anniversary, "we continue to adapt this traditional storytelling and oratorical contest as we continue to develop our province."

He recalled that "early storytelling combined stories, poetry, music, and dance. Many people told stories, but the best storyteller was chosen to be the entertainer of the community."

Castro said that the province had an important message to impart in terms of its history and potentials, and that "the best place to find a good story is at the public library."

Flora Valmonte, Assistant Director of the National Library, commended the young competitors for their talents and determination during her keynote address. Valmonte was in town also to introduce e-library to the provincial capitol, courtesy of the national Library.

"The success of these competitions and the spirit of camaraderie that they have fostered inspires us more to continue this partnership," said Rolando Doria, SMI overall project coordinator. Doria was referring to the tie-up with the provincial government, the type of team work that SMI has been cultivating across its host communities.

The string of contests was enlivened by indigenous songs, colors, and dances. The Silek B'laan Musical Ensemble rendered a particularly spirited number.

MIKE BAÑOS501 V. F. Cabaraban St., Cabaraban Subdivision,Puntod, 9000 Cagayan de Oro City, PhilippinesPrimary Mobile 0906-889-8484 (Touch Mobile)Secondary Mobile 0921-469-6305 (Smart) IM http://us.f377.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=mike_banos_2000@yahoo.com alternate email : mike_banos@walla.com

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Capuyan set to replace Baguio


CAMP ALAGAR, Cagayan de Oro City (BEN BALCE / Nov 21) - A Police general who spent most of his career in Northern Mindanao would replace retiring Chief Supt. Florante Baguio this week.

Camp Crame named Chief Supt. Teodorico Capuyan as the next police director for Northern Mindanao. The order takes effect on Friday.

Baguio is scheduled to turn over the Camp Alagar command to Capuyan on Nov. 24, a day he before he turns 55.

Camp Alagar warmly greeted the news on Capuyan’s appointment. The last time it had a regional director who was considered homegrown was when Camp Crame appointed the now retired Chief Supt. Reuben Cabagnot.

Like Cabagnot, Capuyan also served as police chief for Misamis Oriental.

“Capuyan is no stranger here and he’s very capable to lead the entire (police) command,” said Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno.

Capuyan presently serve as executive director for operations of Camp Crame.

Capuyan held key positions at Camp Alagar before he was promoted to the rank of general. He has served Camp Alagar as chief of staff, deputy regional director for operations and deputy regional director for administrations.

On separate occasions, he also served as provincial director of the Bukidnon and Camiguin police offices.

Capuyan told Cagayan de Oro Journal he would announce his plans and programs during the Nov. 24 turnover.

“Let’s wait for the turn over and rest assured during the assumptions of command, my plans and programs will follow,” said Capuyan. “After the turnover of command, all things would be put in place.”

Gov. Moreno welcomed Capuyan’s appointment. “I have no questions on General Capuyan’s credibility as a police officer. He’s a good officer, a fighter and a gentleman.”

Moreno said he could not recall any issue raised against Capuyan when the police official held various positions under Camp Alagar.

He said he would support Capuyan the way he supported Chief Supt. Baguio whose “legacy in serving Region 10 is incomparable.”

It was learned that Capuyan’s appointment was endorsed by the Regional Peace and Order Council who cited the police official’s “sterling record and his extensive exposure to northern Mindanao where he was assigned for many years in various capacities.”

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Monday, November 20, 2006

Simply devastating


Pacquiao demolishes Morales in 3 rounds

UNLEASHING a ferocity befitting his status as one of the world’s top pound-for-pound—if not the best—boxer, Manny Pacquiao knocked Erik Morales down three times en route to a third-round knockout victory Saturday night at the Thomas and Mack Center here.

Fighting Morales for the third time in 20 months, Pacquiao reduced what was expected to a be a long and suspense-filled bout into just nine minutes of frenetic combat, his first combination to the last knockout punch containing power that left the Mexican contemplating retirement.

Although the last episode of their memorable trilogy didn’t last as long as their first two matches, Pacquiao, 27, ended it on a sweet note to the cheers of a highly-partisan Filipino crowd that competed for space with their Mexican counterparts at the arena. In all, the bout drew a crowd of 18,276, the second-biggest in the history of the Thomas and Mack Center.

Pacquiao, who improved his career record to 43 wins against three draws and two losses, with 23 knockouts, handed Morales his fifth defeat in 53 fights. More importantly, the loss may have ended the 30-year-old Morales’ career.


"I thought it was going to be a long fight, but it was a good fight—more action," Pacquiao said, adding that while the Filipino crowd cheered him on before the opening round, all that was on his mind was to "make a move and make it fast, in and out, in and out, use your speed."


Pacquiao was guaranteed $3 million for the match while Morales will get at least $2.75 million.
Pacquiao’s victory more than made up for Brian Viloria’s failure to regain his WBC light flyweight crown in one of the supporting bouts. Viloria knocked down Mexican Omar Nino twice but Nino retained his crown with a majority draw.


Morales, who had to lose at least 30 pounds to make the 130-pound weight limit for their super featherweight encounter, matched Pacquiao’s ferocity at the outset but was soon sent against the ropes late in the second round by a counter left hand that Pacquiao delivered while his back was against the ropes.

Probably thinking he would lose steam if the fight goes the full 12 rounds, Morales returned every shot that Pacquiao threw but failed to keep pace with the Filipino boxing star’s every move.

A right hand by Morales caused Pacquiao to wince at the start of the third, but the Filipino southpaw responded with a left to the chin, right to the body and another left to the head.

Smelling blood, Pacquiao launched a vicious two-fisted barrage that chased Morales across the ring and sent him into the ropes for a second knockdown.

Morales appeared to hurt Pacquiao with a right hand as his opponent came charging forward looking for the finish, but it would be his last stand. Another series of devastating rights and lefts had Morales in trouble again and he went down along the ropes in the same spot as the second knockdown.

The Mexican appeared to signal to his corner that he had had enough, and was counted out by referee Vic Drakulich with just three seconds remaining in the round.

"He was coming to me, and he was not able to handle me," Pacquiao said. "I felt so much stronger than him. I was prepared to fight the best of Morales."

Morales managed to sit up after the final blows but shook his head at his trainer-father, Jose, while Pacquiao celebrated another big victory over the only man to beat him since 1999.

Morales said the fight might be his last. He has lost four of his last five bouts.

"For the first time in my career, I actually felt the power of an opponent like I’ve never felt it before," said Morales, who also figured in a trilogy with fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera, losing two fights.

Barrera is the reigning World Boxing Council super featherweight champion and could be Pacquiao’s next opponent. Pacquiao retained his WBC International belt with his devastating win.

"I was hurt by the power of his punches, and maybe it’s time to think about not doing this anymore. I had a great career. Maybe it is time," said Morales, although he later said he may fight again in his native Tijuana.

Morales won their first meeting in March last year, scoring a unanimous decision win over a bloodied Pacquiao. The Filipino, however, stopped Morales in the 10th round of their return bout last January.

Pacquiao, who gained 15 pounds after tipping the scales at 129 pounds last Friday, said: "I was faster and bigger than him. I could tell in the second round he was surprised by my right hook."

To typify Pacquiao’s domination of the fight, he threw 175 punches in just nine minutes, landing 54 percent, including 51 of his 71 power shots in the third round. Morales landed just 26 percent of his punches.

"He was too fast and too strong," said Morales. "I did everything in camp necessary to win this fight. I didn’t win it. It wasn’t my night."(Malaya, The National Newspaper)

Oro-based pop band to launch debut album

Fayeed Tan: Meet the Boys in the Band

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MIKE BAÑOS/Nov 20) - Cagayan de Oro-based alternative pop band will be launching their debut album under the MindaTone indie label at the Limketkai Mall rotunda on November 25, 4PM.

Here are some bullets 'bout the Boys in the Band:

Fayeed Tan – 23, vocals, piano and rhythm guitar, composer/arranger and Beatles fanatic. Penned most of the tunes in the album, and all three English tunes (for the international market?) written when he was still a solo act; while the Beatles remain the major influence in his music, he also admits to having the spirits of B.B. King, Tommy Emmanuel, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Dahong Palay, Gary Moore, Eric Johnson and John Meyer in his tunes. How fanatic a Beatle fan, you ask? He can tell you which Beatle album any Beatle song title you throw at him came from, and the year when it was released. Yup, that freaky, man…Solo acoustic act before the band happened, did solo gigs for Frostway, The Site, XCite and Ja's Ground; hosted a radio show on Sandy 101, believe it…

Eurd – 26, bass guitar, used to have a last name, before going U2 (like, The Edge, you know); session bassist for the likes of Osang and Joey 'Pepe' Smith, already cut a solo album, brings tradition and experience to the new sound; wrote all the Tagalog lyrics of the six Pinoy cuts in the album (can't trust Fayeed with that one huh?) Influences in his music include Joey Ayala and Gary Granada (with whom he played with in Musicians for Peace), Noel Cabugan, Pendong Aban, Jr. and in the one band where our musical paths cross, the Kupka-Castillo band "Tower of Power" (Sparkling in the Sand, So Very Hard to Go, You're Still A Young Man). But then, you guys are all too young to remember. Most of you weren't born yet!

Allan Inovero - 24, lead guitar, from Nazareth (sorry, the place, not the band, dude!) ; previous stints as lead guitarist for a show band in CDO; did gigs with Picasso, other clubs…started with the charismatic group at San Antonio de Padua parish during the time of Msgr. Ray Monsanto but God obviously has other plans for him….

Sonny Boy Tan – 21, drums; Fayeed's kid brotha. Taga Macasandig sila, sorry, still no bad ass metal band by that name yet! But give him time, after all, he just recently gained license to drink beer….

Fayeed Tan, The Band…guys got together August 2005, when Fayeed met Eurd while doing a gig for a fashion show; Guys got to play together for a one-show gig but liked the chemistry so much, they're still at it, so far...have opened for Rampage, David Pomeranz, Bamboo, Mark Bautista…pretty soon those names would qualify for this band's opening act….
Have done Marawi, Bukidnon, and the Bacolod-Silay-Iloilo areas…today CDO, tomorrow the World!

Di Na Mag-iisa (The Album Launch)

Here's a brief snapshot at the tunes and what to expect during launching their debut album under the Minda-TONE indie label at the Limketkai Mall rotunda on Nov. 25 at 4 p.m..

There's eleven (11) cuts in the album entitled "Di Na Mag-iisa", also the title of their carrier single. A Lennon-MacCartney kinda collaboration, the lyrics were penned by Eurd and the music and arrangement by Fayeed. Eurd's not talking but am pretty sure it's about someone he knows well, judging from passion with which he talks about it. Catch the music video megged by Direk Gelbert Cabunoc of ABS-CBN and produced by DigitalTree Productions now on heavy rotation over MTV Philippines every morning from 7-10AM. You can also catch it on MYX starting last week. The album's 11th cut is a piano version of the same song with Fayeed at the keyboards.

Chuy! Started out as a theme song from the ABS-CBN show of the same title but grew into something more "about the city where the guys grew up and the cool people who live in it." Its English-Tagalog-Bisaya lyrics should strike a chord in the young people who can identify with the stuff Eurd and Fayeed sing about, as CDO icons like DVsoria, Ketkai, the river taxi, motorela, the Cagayan river and the Ysalina bridge at Carmen flash before your eyes.

She, Insomniac, and Bitter Sweet are the three English cuts penned by Fayeed while he was still a solo act in 2004; blended and osterized with a full band, they've been reborn mainstream as Fayeed Tan (The Band).

The remaining cuts in the album are "Bagay Daw Tayo", "Gusto Ko Sana", "Timpla ng Pag-Ibig"; "Kwentong Waiting Shed"; and "Hahanapin Kita". Like Lennon and McCartney, all lyrics were by Eurd with music and arrangement by Fayeed. What about them?

Come see for yourself and do your own critiquing at the Ketaki Rotonda Saturday, 25 November, 4PM. Opening acts are Tabula Rasa and Joey Ayala (yes, the Joey Ayala). They'll also be doing covers of Jason Mraz's "The Remedy" and the Beatles "Come Together". Adto ta, kita rata didto…



MIKE BAÑOS501 V. F. Cabaraban St., Cabaraban Subdivision,Puntod, 9000 Cagayan de Oro CityPhilippinesPrimary Mobile 0906-889-8484 (Touch Mobile)Secondary Mobile 0921-469-6305 (Smart) IM mike_banos_2000@yahoo.comalternate email : mike_banos@walla.com
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