“VERY BARBARIC” BEHEADING OF ZAMBO CARPENTER SHOCKS CITY’S FOLKS DESPITE ABU SAYYAF’S SAVAGE REPUTATION Thursday, June 04, 2009 02:45:05 PM
ZAMBOANGA CITY –
MAYOR
Celso Lobregat appealed forprayers for the family of carpenter Doroteo Gonzales as Lobregatbrought
to the city last May 18 the severed head of the kidnapvictim, who was beheaded a day
earlier by the Abu Sayyaf in the nearbyprovince of Basilan.
Lobregat made the appeal
during a press conference at the local navalstation, held upon his arrival from Basilan, where he
and relatives ofthe slain farmer, 61-year old Gonzales, retrieved the victim’s headsans his
body. A police asset found Gonzales’ decapitated head inBarangay Mangulat,
Al Barka municipality, a day earlier.
ZamPen Region Likely to Achieve Only Two of Eight Millennium Devt. Goals Monday, June 08, 2009 01:37:10 PM By Christine Joy Querubin
Zamboanga City –
THE Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen) region is on track to achieve two of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by 2015.
The MDG consists of eight goals were set by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) to the world’s social and environmental
challenges, particularly in less developed countries. The goals were
derived from the targets and actions stated in the Millennium
Declaration that was signed by 147 heads of state and governments and
adopted by 189 nations during the September 2000 United Nations (UN)
Millennium Summit.
TANGLAW BUHAY CENTER: Zamboanga’s Healing Oasis for Trafficked Girls Thursday, June 04, 2009 02:34:23 PM
TANGLAW Buhay Center, a project of
Katilingban sa Kalambuan Inc. (KKI), has opened its gates to provide
child trafficking victims and survivors their right to protection,
recovery and reintegration to the mainstream society.
“We try to fill up their days with activities that will make them feel
good, that will improve their self-confidence,” Claire Miranda,
in-house psychologist of the center, said. The center’s wards are
wounded and traumatized, she explained. Thus, the center tries its best
to make up for all the bad things that happened to them.
Summers in the Key of Peace Thursday, June 04, 2009 02:37:04 PM PEACE Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ), the peace-building NGO
organized by local Catholic religious and lay leaders 15 years ago this year, has three main
programs: harmonizing Muslim-Christian relations, culture of peace education and training, and peace
advocacy through media and other means. One of the projects that have worked outstandingly
well since it was started in 1998 – more strictly under peace education – is its peace camps held
annually during the summer break.
This summer, PAZ with the support of the Inter-Religious
Solidarity for Peace (IRMSP) holds a four-day camp for youths, that is, those who are in high school
and upwards. Before it, the children’s camp –for those in the elementary grades - was likewise
held at the Western Mindanao State University’s College of Agriculture campus in Sitio San Ramon,
Barangay Talisayan. The venue is a quiet, environmentally-rich setting perfect for bonding
with self, others and Nature.
