In a position paper received by Cebu Councilor Nestor Archival, organized vendors expressed their dissent over the city government’s move to stop public and private vehicles from entering major routes leading to the Carbon Night Market.

“Our income has decreased greatly due to the restriction on the entry of vehicles through the placing of yellow railings, orange traffic barriers, and ‘No Entry’ signs on the streets,” read part of the document.

According to Wine Miro, the vice-chairperson of the vendor group Carbonhanong Alyansya, the local government began putting up signs, railings, and traffic barriers on May 1, starting with areas near the Warwick Barracks which eventually spread to MC Briones Street, Manalili Street, Plaridel Street, and F. Gonzales Street.

“So what happened is if you have customers coming from here (market), they would have to walk all the way to city hall, carrying sacks,” Miro said.

Currently, the rule takes effect during the Carbon Night Market hours from 6 pm to 6 am.

Miro said the traffic rule significantly reduced consumer traffic, especially since a majority of the parking areas are located far from the vendors’ tents.

“This deprives our customers who have vehicles, who are usually shoppers/big spenders, and are a large part of the income of the wholesale vendors,” the group stated in their position paper.

Adding insult to injury

63-year-old market vendor Linda Ruiz said she was disappointed after going for weeks with little to no sales.

“There’s really no more profit; it’s so low, and then we just get enough to pay the bills,” Ruiz told Rappler.

After May 1 or when the so-called “pedestrianization” began, fewer and fewer customers were visiting her stall, causing her and her family to eat smaller meals in order to make ends meet.

“Sometimes, in one day, we only eat twice and then just borrow money for food,” Ruiz said.

The irony is that Ruiz sells spices and is surrounded by fellow vendors who sell food products.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ruiz joined the demonstration led by members of Carbonhanong Alyansya under the scorching heat of the sun.

To make it orderly

During his first 100 days, Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama ordered the clearing of roads along the Carbon Market to ensure that they would be “passable” for consumers.

The order has since been carried out by officials of the Market Operations Division (MOD), and presently, the United Multi-Sectoral Council of Cebu City (UMC-4).

The UMC-4 consists of the Carbon Market Vendors Development Cooperative (CEMVEDCO), Cebu Vendors Credit Cooperative (CVCCO), Cebu City United Vendors Association (CCUVA), and Cebu2World Development, Incorporated.

“The mayor wanted it to be orderly, bright, and secure, so the UMC-4 had a meeting and figured out what to do and how to fix it,” Barangay Ermita councilor and CCUVA president Maria Pino told Rappler.

Pino said the UMC-4 organized the night market vendors to set up shops starting only from Lincoln Street, near the Warwick Barracks, until MC Briones Street in one uniform line.

Pino said there are still karumateros (porters) and electric tricycles that can carry large quantities of purchased goods for big shoppers.

In a phone interview, Rama told Rappler that he was unaware of any blocking of roads along the streets but would check with the UMC-4 to address the situation as soon as possible. – Rappler.com

“Wherefore, postulates considered, this court resolved to grant accused Espinosa, Zaldivar, Batistis, Antipuesto, and Adorco petition for bail due to the failure of the prosecution to prove that evidence of guilt against them is strong,” wrote Presiding Judge Carlos Arguelles of Baybay City, Leyte Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 14, in his resolution made public on Wednesday, June 14.

The Leyte court set the bail bond at P700,000 for Espinosa and each of his four co-accused.

Despite the granting of the bail petition, the alleged drug lord will remain in jail because he still has pending cases in other courts. According to Espinosa’s lawyer, Raymund Palad, the accused has two pending and non-bailable cases before the Manila RTC Branch 16 for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

He also has two non-bailable cases before the Manila RTC Branch 51. The hearing for the cases pending before the Manila RTC had been consolidated, Palad added.

Prior to the granting of bail, two Makati courts had acquitted Espinosa in two cases through the granting of demurrer to evidence. The said petition has the effect of an acquittal.

Like in his other cases, Espinosa and his fellow accused were charged in the Leyte court due to alleged violation of section 26 (b), in relation to section 5 of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The law’s provision penalizes the attempt or conspiracy to commit “sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, and transportation” of illegal drugs.

The resolution

The court said the prosecution’s witnesses had no personal knowledge of the crime allegedly committed by the accused. It noted that the summary of the witnesses’ testimony only focused on the investigation conducted by the law enforcement agencies and Espinosa’s execution of his extrajudicial confession in a form of judicial affidavit, which incriminated himself and his fellow accused.

“However, the prosecution cannot feign ignorance that extrajudicial confession cannot withstand strict judicial scrutiny in the absence of corpus delicti,” the court said.

Corpus delicti translates to “body of the crime,” and means that no person “should be convicted of a crime without sufficient evidence that the crime actually occurred.” The court said that because of this, Espinosa’s extrajudicial confession cannot be considered as strong evidence against him.

The Leyte court also noted that the evidence presented so far by the prosecution “does not establish conspiracy, and worst, it is not corroborated by independent evidence other than the declaration of the alleged co-conspirators.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – DNA samples taken from crime scenes in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo matched those of four of the suspects in the massacre, according to tests run by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“Our investigators (NBI) took specimens from the vehicles used by the shooters and then most of the blood stains in the compound of Governor Degamo. It was subjected to DNA analysis, it matched,” Levito Baligod, lawyer for the Degamos, told the press on Tuesday, June 13.

According to Baligod, it was four of the 10 suspects who recanted – Rogelio Antipolo Jr., Eugelio Gonyon Jr., Winrich Isturis, and Jhudiel (Osmundo) Rivero – whose samples matched the DNA found at the crime scene.

Secretary of Justice Boying Remulla also confirmed the DNA match.

Degamo and 8 others were killed by a group of armed men in a morning attack on March 4 in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

“Nandoon sila sa lugar (They were there at the scene),” Remulla said referring to the suspects during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Nearly all the suspects in custody recanted their initial confessions tagging fugitive congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. as the mastermind behind the massacre.

Must Read

Almost all suspects in Degamo slay recant confessions

The other suspects who have recanted include:

• Joven Javier
• John Louie Gonyon
• Joric Labrador
• Benjie Rodriguez
• Romel Pattaguan
• Dahniel Lora

The alleged “co-mastermind” Marvin Miranda is the only one directly linked to the killing who has not recanted yet. All of the suspects in NBI custody have had military training.

The total number of suspects facing complaints is now at 17, including the latest five latest who were sued alongside Teves last May 17.

• Nigel Electona, former PNP
• Neil Andrew Go
• Captain Lloyd Cruz Garcia, pilot
• Angelo Palagtiw
• “Jie-An”

Of these suspects, only Electona is in government custody.

A warrant of arrest has yet to be issued for the others.

The DOJ has not conducted a preliminary investigation into Teves and his co-accused, as the former has remained outside the country.

Why it matters

Despite the high number of suspects who retracted their statements, Remulla believed in the strength of the case even more so now with the revealing physical evidence linking them to the crime.

June 4 marked the third month since the Degamo killing.

While Teves continues to deny involvement in the assassination, he has been at the center of the government’s investigation and a series of Senate inquiries.

He was in the United States at the time of the assassination and has yet to return to the country.

He previously applied for political asylum in the Southeast Asian nation of Timor-Leste, but was denied, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Degamo’s assassination has brought national attention and stirred conversations on the long-running problem of unsolved killings in Negros Island. – Rappler.com

Governor Rhodora Cadiao was in Kidapawan City on June 9 when word broke of an arrest warrant signed on June 6 by Associate Justice Maria Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta of the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division.

The warrant was for a case filed by former Antique Provincial General Services Office (PGSO) chief Antonio Dela Vega.

He accused the governor of using her powers to deprive him of his worth of salary, representation, and transportation Allowances (RATA), totaling around P1.6 million, from June 2016 to February 2018.

Cadiao, who immediately posted bail to avoid arrest, initially called the issuance of an arrest warrant “a normal process” of justice governance.

On June 12, however, she described the case as “a form of political bullying” during Independence Day rites at the Capitol in San Jose de Buenavista.

What the case alleges

“I am willing to face the charges. I would still continue serving and waking up for all the Antiquenos,” the governor told constituents.

The case against Cadiao alleges that she took advantage of her position to cause undue injury to Dela Vega by refusing to pay him his salary, RATA, and other benefits for two years.

The case links to the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) final decision invalidating the governor’s reassignment of Dela Vega to the province’s Culasi satellite office.

Cadiao has referred to Dela Vega as an employee who is considered AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave).

But the information filed by the Office of the Ombudsman notes that the CSC ordered the province to reinstate Dela Vega as head of the PGSO.

The anti-graft court’s seventh division said it found probable cause to have Cadiao face trial for violating Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Retired judge Nery Duremdes, the acting provincial administrator, and Cadiao’s legal counsel Pampross Pagunsan faced reporters after the official holiday ceremony.

Durembes vaguely mentioned that Dela Vega “somewhat failed to provide necessary documents in relation to his claims.”

Libel complaints

At the same briefing, Duremdes confirmed that the province has filed cases of cyber libel coomplaints against three residents of Antique.

“I confirmed that we have filed a case,” he told media.

The three respondents alleged in their social media posts that the P108-million property purchased for a new government center was overpriced, as the area was agricultural land but bought at the price of commercial land, the retired judge explained.

“We will name the three respondents in due time,” he said.

But a Philippine News Agency’s report in March, 2023 confirmed the P108-million purchase price and the area’s original designation as agricultural land.

The PNA story reported the province’s “failure to secure the approval of the municipal council of San Jose de Buenavista to reclassify the 6.4-hectare agricultural land into an institutional area in Barangay Badiang” for the planned new government center.

“The provincial government has already purchased the property for PHP108 million last year,” the government news agency said.

But on April 3, the Antique provincial board approved a P970-million supplemental budget for the new center’s construction.

The move came after Duremdes presented the March 27 letter of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Napoleon Galit, who said there is no more need to obtain the DAR’s approval to convert or reclassify the agricultural land.

– Rappler.com

Eastern Visayas, one of the most backward, impoverished Philippine regions would not be spared the atrocities, including massacres. 

But in Leyte, the home province of his wife, Imelda, proximity to power also meant opportunities for development. The year 1973 marked the simultaneous inauguration of the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas Tacloban College (UPVTC) and the San Juanico Bridge on July 2, the birthday of Imelda.

For the Waray (the collective name for residents of Eastern Visayas), the state college offered hope for bright but poor youth seeking upward mobility. The 2.1-kilometer bridge connecting the islands of Leyte and Samar, the longest sea bridge in the country for decades, was touted as a path from sleepy agriculture to industry.

San Juanico Bridge has since been eclipsed by the 8.9-km Cebu–Cordova Bridge. 

But the UPVTC on May 23, 2023 celebrated its 50th anniversary as an autonomous unit under the UP Office of the President.

May 23 is the day the University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents decided to establish it as a UP college and regional unit.

New campus plan

UP President Angelo Jimenez announced UP Tacloban College’s new status during its golden anniversary celebration after the UP Board of Regents approved its elevation on April 27.

Becoming an autonomous unit brings UP Tacloban College nearer to the goal of becoming a constituent university (CU) like UP Diliman and seven other members of the UP system nationwide.

The college’s golden anniversary also highlighted plans for the construction of a new campus in Barangay Santa Elena, on this city’s northern flank.

The official announcement on the new campus followed the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) approval of funding for the construction of the access road from the national highway to the campus site.

The funding nod comes ten years after an employee and four students of the college died when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck Eastern Visayas on November 8, 2013.

The existing campus’s location near the coast of Cancabato Bay makes it vulnerable to storm surges, like that generated by Yolanda, which killed thousands of people.

Activist to civil servant

In its five decades of existence, the UPVTC produced individuals who succeeded in their fields of profession.

Rappler tried to reach some of the alumni and a former professor to get their reflections on events that influenced their lives and professions.

“When I entered the UP it was very open; it allowed the students to broaden their horizons on how they look the society,” recalled Eastern Visayas Commission on Elections (Comelec) director Jose Nick Mendros.

“Learning in UP is not just merely focusing on the books, but we are armed with theories, practical knowledge, and how to be analytical in dealing with issues,” he told Rappler.

Mendros graduated from UP Tacloban in 1996 with a degree in Bachelor of Social Sciences, major in Political Science. He was a student activist and a local leader of the League of Filipino Students.

He remembered the liberal environment of the campus and days of immersion in communities.

Part of their research projects, he said, involved distinguishing the urban and rural poor’s struggles and means of survival.

“We also analyzed what contributing factors there were to these people’s hardships, and what programs of the government, systems, and services are able to reach to the poor,” he said.

“A great influence on me personally as a student of UP is, I learned that there is no substitute for giving back to the community of what you have,” Mendros added.

Lessons learned

Businessman Jimmy Yaokasin, another alumnus, graduated in 1989 with a degree in BBA Accountancy.

He remembers how social status played little part in how students were treated on campus.

“We were also at the crossroads as students when Edsa Revolution happened. There was a different democratic space and with it a robust discussion of new ideas and new ways of doing things,” Yaokasin told Rappler.

His UP experience, he stressed, helped him “appreciate people for who they are, not what they have.”

Other things he learned:  “diskarte (initiative) as you have to strategize to get the time schedule and subjects you wanted. It also taught you to make pakisama (create friendly relations) with the staff so you can leave your stuff with them.”

Although Yaokasin acknowledged UP Tacloban’s controversial beginning in the early martial law years, he stressed that it has proven itself worthy to carry the UP name, churning out graduates who have given back to the community and the country.

The missing

Retired professor Margarita de la Cruz joined UP Tacloban in 1980 and served as college dean from 2009 to 2012. 

Student activism was widespread during this period, which spanned the last year of then-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration and the early part of the succeeding government of then-president Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

“The student movements were becoming intense and I remember when three male faculty members went missing,’ she told Rappler. 

“Two came back but they didn’t have any idea where they were brought. One never returned. Nobody knew what happened to him. Some students also went missing,” de la Cruz recalled.

“I also remember when the late lawyer Antonio Abelar, our dean during the time when there were some students arrested at a rally in Tacloban City. Tony just joined and stayed with the arrested students,” until they were released the following day, she added.

Just around the college’s golden anniversary came news of the death of former UP Tacloban student leader turned New People’s Army rebel Joshua Sagdullas.

Around the time Sagdullas went underground in 2020, many human rights violations were also happening in the region.

In the same year, former UP Tacloban student editor and community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and four other rights workers were arrested in the city. Cumpio remains in jail after three years, despite campaigns by media and rights groups.

Move for autonomy

De la Cruz reveals that the move for autonomy started when she went on sabbatical leave, right after her term as dean in 2012.

Dean Virgildo Sabalo in the school year 2017-2018 formed the college committee in charge of preparing the required documents for autonomy. De la Cruz was picked as chairperson of the committee.

(Editor’s note: A previous version of this report said the UP president created the committee. This has been corrected.)

However, they were not able to meet the deadline for the submission of the requirement to be a so-called Constituent University, De la Cruz acknowledged. admitted.

She shared that the campus relocation and development plan started even earlier when the late Senator Edgardo Angara served as the 15th UP president (1981 to 1987).

“It was very timely and meaningful that UP Tacloban has been given the recognition as an autonomous unit, but this would also mean the beginning of hard work to finally become a Constituent University. There is a five-year timetable for it, but it would be best if it will be achieved within a three-year period,” de la Cruz stressed.

UP Diliman broadcast station DZUP, quoted UP Tacloban C Dean Patricia Arinto on the challenges the college faces in its new goal: “to establish itself firmly as an academic pacesetter and a leading advocate and catalyst of sustainable development by strengthening its curricula, adopting innovative teaching methods, conducting interdisciplinary research, and engaging with the surrounding communities through public service, and doing so with excellence and equity.”

The UP System is composed of different constituent universities such as UP Diliman, UP Manila, UP Los Baños, UP Baguio, UP Visayas (Iloilo), UP Cebu, and UP Mindanao. – Rappler.com

Sugbuanons waved their flags as performers marched from the Fuente Osmeña Circle to Plaza Independencia wearing traditional Filipino clothing during the city-organized civic military parade.

“Savoring and making independence meaningful,” Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama told Rappler.

Residents converged at the historical plaza, known for being a symbol of liberation from colonial rule, to witness the newest addition to this year’s celebration — “Barangayan sa Sugbo” or the “Battle of the Festivals”.

The event showcased dance performances revolving around different festival celebrations in every Cebu City barangay. Unlike regular Sinulog festival dances, the performances put more emphasis on “Cebuano liberation.”

There were also booths which showed the history, culture, and tourist attractions of each of the local villages.

Bayanihan

Among those who marched in the parade was Sergeant Anita Epan, 67, a member of the Police Community Relations Group (PCRG), who proudly wore her uniform for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

“Ang nakanindot ani nga selebrasyon kay ang atong pagsaulog sa kagawasan ug kay 125 years na,” Epan told Rappler.

(What’s great about this celebration is that we are celebrating our freedom and that was 125 years ago.)

Sergeant Anita Epan, 67, a member of the Police Community Relations Group, proudly wears her uniform during the 125th Independence Day Celebration.

“I’m happy to celebrate here with friends and fellow Cebuanos,” Epan said in Cebuano.@rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/ZlBGGQJkyH

— John Sitchon (@TheJohnSitchon) June 12, 2023

Epan served in the PCRG for 3 years, beginning in 2020, coordinating with village chiefs to ensure public safety from the threat of COVID-19. Prior to this, Epan worked as a seamstress in her neighborhood in Barangay Basak-Cagodoy in Lapu-Lapu City.

She said the celebration brought back memories of “bayanihan” which she experienced while working with the PCRG.

Emilia Navidad, 58, a kutsero (coachman) from Barangay Duljo-Fatima, described how so much of the festivities were accomplished because many Sugbuanons came through and pitched in.

“Halos tanan nakaapil sa Independence Day. Sauna, gamay ra kaayo nangapil (Almost all attended the Independence Day. Back then, only a few joined),” Navidad said.

For her part, Navidad, who runs a horse-carriage business with her husband, brought along her horse, Labiana, so tourists and residents could take pictures in a colorful and traditional kalesa.

Navidad wished that in the following years, more kutseros would join the event that commemorates Cebu’s history and freedom.

Barangayan

According to Ernesto Herrera, special assistant to the mayor for national agencies, the celebration was actually a revival of the original Barangayan which was first celebrated in 1998 when the mayor was still a city councilor.

The city government allotted P5 million for the whole celebration. Initially, the budget was capped at P10.5 million until it received negative reactions from netizens and public officials like Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival.

Herrera said that it was trimmed down as per instructions from the mayor.

The budget was used to fund a majority of the celebration’s expenses, which consists of the morning program, independence day photo exhibit, and prizes for the competition.

Herrera added that the Sinulog Foundation Inc. sponsored P3 million in total cash subsidy that was distributed to each of the participating barangays and that a private entity sponsored another P1 million for the Independence Day Ball.

Rama told reporters that the event would be a “prelude” to the official national celebration of the Sinulog festival in 2024.

“When we organized, we already had the Sinulog sa Sugbo Philippines 2024 in mind. This is just the preliminary,” the mayor said.

Rama added that this would help bring the attractions, culture, and heritage of the city to the rest of the world.

Victors

Ten barangays participated in the major street dance competition, namely Inayawan, San Nicolas Proper, Day-as, Sudlon I, Guadalupe, Suba, Quiot, Kalunasan, Pasil, and Apas.

Below are the winners of the Barangayan sa Sugbo:

Festival Queen

1. Barangay Guadalupe represented by Marianne Sinajon;
2. Barangay Inayawan, represented by Frenzy Jean Macan;
3. Barangay Pasil, represented by Krismerry Ramas

Street dancing

1. Barangay Inayawan;
2. Barangay Guadalupe;
3. Barangay San Nicolas Proper;
4. Barangay Pasil;
5. Barangay Quiot.

Best in costume

Barangay Inayawan

Best in musicality

Barangay Inayawan

Ritual showdown

1. Barangay Inayawan
2. Barangay Guadalupe
3. San Nicolas Proper
4. Barangay Pasil
5. Barangay Sudlon I

–Rappler.com

“The media is a food chain which would fall apart without local newspapers.” – John Oliver

Social media is a double-edged sword that could spell success or failure, or force a community news organization to make a turn for the worse.

News houses in Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro agree that social media, especially Facebook, helped their respective operations, particularly in distribution and widening their audience.

According to the 2022 Digital News Report (DNR) of Reuters Institute, online news consumption in the Philippines has been growing on various social media platforms.

In a country report written by veteran journalist and UP professor Yvonne Chua, television is still the most popular medium in the Philippines, but the latest report showed a “steady growth of online news consumption including heavy news use on a range of social platforms.”

“Facebook remains the most widely used (73% for news weekly) but the biggest leap comes from TikTok, used by mere 2% for news in 2020 and now by 15%. News organisations correspondingly moved into the platform, especially in time for the elections. Besides being the largest radio and television network, GMA Network is now the country’s largest news creator on TikTok, which it also partnered with for an election campaign series. Other brands that have attracted a loyal following are ABS-CBN, News5, The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, DZRH, and Rappler,” the report said.

May Ortega, news director of Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo of the Manila Broadcasting Corporation, observed the exponential growth of their Facebook audience from around 20,000 in 2009 to the current 1.1 million followers and 904,000 likes – in a span of 14 years.

Quick adjustments

Ortega said a nephew in Canada suggested that their station should have its own Facebook account for added avenue to more listeners, especially Ilonggos abroad. They converted the Facebook account into a page in 2013 to acquire a bigger audience. 

“The transition to social media is very palpable. We have no other choice but to embrace this shift,” Ortega said.

Embracing means turning broadcast journalism, at least in Iloilo, on its head. Ortega said their function is now a combination of print and TV.

“Before, all we had to do was talk, now we have to learn how to write in Hiligaynon, dabble in graphics, and master the operation of all types of cameras because of the demands of multimedia operations. It’s a steep learning curve for most of us,” she added.

Daily Guardian publisher Lawrence Clark Fernandez said it was imperative for the paper to improve its website and Facebook account to keep up with audience preference. From a mere 15,000 followers in 2021, the paper’s Facebook page now has more than 328,000 followers and 247,000 likes.

From 2021 and 2023, social media accounts accounted for 30%-45% of Daily Guardian’s reader traffic on its official website.

Sean Rafio, social media and online reporter for Daily Guardian, observed that while social media is partly responsible for growing traffic to the official website, news stories posted on the Facebook page get lower traction compared to posts about entertainment personalities and celebrities, pet stories, and funny experiences of netizens.

“Apart from website materials, Daily Guardian also realized the importance of content creation on just about anything that is of interest to the readers. Videos always get the most traction among our native content, while human interest and entertainment stories get a chunk of reactions and shares,” Fernandez added.

Facebook audience preferences

Posts on calamities and stories on corruption also take the fancy of Facebook audiences. One example is the controversial P680-million Ungka flyover which remains unused because of its sinking foundations. Apart from its structural woes, the flyover was also the subject of online ridicule via memes due to flooding after just a few hours of rain.

Seeing the potential for engagement and a way to keep the issue relevant to their audience, Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo initiated a search for the best flyover flooding meme. The contest may have poked fun at the flyover and gained more followers on their part, but Ortega said, it was also one way of keeping the issue alive in the minds of their audience given the gravity of the controversy.

“It was a way of hitting two birds with one stone for us. It was meant to engage the audience not just for the metrics, but also to provide another lens of looking at the issue,” she added.

The flyover flooding meme contest ran from May 2 to May 14, 2023, and expanded Aksyon Radyo’s Facebook page reach to more than 2.07 million.

Glenda Tayona, editor of Iloilo-based Panay News, said it is important for news organizations to strategize on content creation and engagement.

“We observed that videos tend to get more traction on Facebook, that is why we always hold Facebook live coverages of major news events. Breaking news and human-interest stories are also effective in acquiring audience engagement,” Tayona said.

One of the more recent videos that gained significant traction for Panay News is the one that shows a violent altercation in a barangay benefit dance in the town of Tigbauan, Iloilo on March 19. It gained more than 1 million views, 9,200 reactions, and 1,100 comments.

The live coverage of the protest rally at the sinking Ungka flyover in Pavia town on May 23 also garnered more than 4,100 views.

Daily Guardian’s top video post was that of former Ilongga beauty queen Rabiya Mateo answering the preliminary interview for the Miss Universe-Philippines pageant in 2020. It garnered 3.2 million views, 141,000 reactions, and 2,000 comments 

Added income? 

Despite the attacks and challenges, news organizations in Iloilo remain focused on taking advantage of potential benefits from social media.

With its growing online audience, Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo has now begun monetizing its online content, particularly videos, since December 2022.

Based on their monitoring, its Facebook page earned an average of US$150 to $200 per month from December 2022 to March 2023, which then increased to $300 in April 2023.

Ortega said they noticed ad postings on their Facebook video materials which generated income for the station. While the earning is not that significant compared to their traditional advertising revenues, Ortega said the prospects look bright for the station.

“Videos are now generating income from our social media account, but it’s just a small fraction of our overall revenue stream. We still rely on the usual advertising materials. But the growing audience is a good add-on to our marketing strategies to keep us afloat,” she added.

Contrary to the notion that technology will somehow whittle down newsroom manpower, Ortega said their current operations require more digital natives, folks who have the skills to produce materials and navigate the current information environment.

“We need people who are skilled in graphics and those who know how to write for a specific kind of audience. There are certain materials that are optimized for a certain platform. For example, Instagram is more image-based, while TikTok is a venue for short videos. All these we must learn from scratch for most of us,” Ortega said.

Annaliza Amontos-Reyes, program director of dxCC-RMN Cagayan de Oro said that although they have also joined the social media bandwagon, they have yet to monetize their social media accounts.

“Our presence on social media platforms are mainly just for exposure to our clients (ads) and wider reach of audience,” she said. They still do not have staff who will focus on their social media platforms, but they are currently hiring.

Another major challenge is how to balance the desire to get more online traction with the primary work of journalists – to inform and educate the audience.

“We are still journalists at the end of the day and that is our main purpose and reason for being. We must not lose sight of that reality. Along that line, we also have to strictly comply with the community standards of these online platforms or we risk losing our page and audience,” Ortega said.

Knowing, reaching audiences

Apart from hiring a content creator-cum-manager, Daily Guardian also partnered with IT and marketing firm PROMETHEUS, which was founded by Lcid Crescent Fernandez, brother of the paper’s publisher Lawrence Clark Fernandez.

PROMETHEUS has been helping in the technical aspects of content creation and community engagement such as documentary production, podcasts, and videos. Their current project is a documentary on the Ungka flyover which has become a viral issue for Ilonggo netizens.

Daryl Lasafin, head of operations of Iloilo-based IT firm Dame Digital and former news editor of Panay News, said community engagement and exploitation of platforms other than Facebook and Twitter are essential for community news organizations to cope and survive.

Lasafin said there are other ways to grow the audience with different demands and inclinations.

“Instagram audiences have their own demands from content creators. TikTok is also a different animal altogether. Apart from social media, news companies can also try email newsletters that curate audience-specific materials,” he added.

Lasafin said it is vital for community news organizations to know their audience and their preferences to optimize content creation and engagement. He also cautioned that while online platforms are effective ways of distributing the news, these are also competitors of news organizations.

“Facebook is also our competitor. News organizations use the platform for free and Facebook is most likely to push content where it earns. That’s one reality that news organizations must be aware of,” he added.

While social media presents opportunities for growth in community journalism both as a business and public service, it could also be a landmine or rabbit hole that exposes journalists to health and safety risks.

This was more evident between 2016 and 2022, the years of the confrontational Duterte administration compounded by the pandemic and the divisive 2022 presidential elections. (To be concluded) – Rappler.com

NEXT: Part 2 | Social media breeds, spreads contempt of community journalists

Francis Allan Angelo and Cong Corrales are Aries Rufo Journalism fellows.

As with all unplanned trips, we go where the music takes us, and by a wonderful twist, a day trip to Sagay, some 80 kms from Bacolod was arranged. Here the artist Nunelucio “Nune” Alvarado has managed to inspire and help create a community that without doubt must be the most colorful and artistic in the country. Nune was born and grew up in Fabrica, a town of Sagay. A journalist friend, Allen, knew Nune personally and was with us during the visit.

The country’s most colorful and artistic barangay 

Purok Bougainvillea in Barangay Old Sagay is right along the scenic Margaha beach. You are welcomed by a sign, “Welcome to our community of colors,” and a barrage of bougainvillea blooms. Unconsciously, you simply slow down and meander along the barangay road that snakes behind several resorts, as colorfully painted gates, fences, frontages, and walls of houses and sari-sari stores come into view.  It seems like you have stepped into a different world, one unlike the brown, windy drabness of seaside towns.  

It wasn’t always like this, though. According to Sally, Nune’s wife, they first came back in 2005, visiting regularly from Bacolod, and eventually moved to the purok in 2016. Both Nune and Sally are active campaigners for social justice, the arts, and the environment. The barangay was part of a marine reserve, and there was initial hostility from other residents who felt they were preaching and hectoring with their beach clean-ups. They were simply doing what they felt was right as part of a responsible and caring community. 

Nune set up a studio beachside, organized a “Pintor Kulapol” (Lousy Painter) group, and involved youth in the arts, holding various workshops for young people on painting, drawing, and printmaking. Exhibitions were organized. Bit by bit the community came together, and the colors erupted, with a “Pinta Balay” initiative. This was heartily supported by local government, private citizens, and volunteers. Barangay youth and trisikad drivers were trained to become volunteer guides and stewards.  The internationally known Alvarado name helped – Nune has represented the country in numerous exhibitions, and several museums in Asia have his work. Foreign volunteers and artists visited, some staying for weeks to help, volunteer, or do residencies. Award-winning artists like Charlie Co also painted murals along Margaha.

The Alvarado studio is on the second floor of a nipa and bamboo building that’s chockfull of art pieces, works in progress, and memorabilia from Nune’s many exhibitions. It screams, “An artist lives here!” Strewn around are sketches, pens, brushes, watercolors, magazines, exhibition programs, seashells, wine bottles, and stones painted with faces.

Though he had a stroke a few years ago and early signs of Parkinson’s have manifested, Nune at 73 is still by turns biting, satirical, and witty, arguing and laughing with us while tracing lines on cardboard with a pen and ruler. We spent almost three hours chatting and enjoying a delicious lunch with scallops, pinangat, and adobong pusit, amidst the sound of the surf and a panoramic view from his balcony. 

There was a striking installation on the beach – seven totem-like poles representing the seven forms of art (Painting, Sculpture, Literature, Architecture, Theater, Film, and Music. It was a clear and windy day and the clouds frolicked above, tracing shadows on the beach, as children swam and ran about. The island barangay of Suyac could be seen across the port. Suyac is the setting for the Anton Juan film, Ang Amon Banwa sa Lawod, a meditative, dream-like, yet gripping film telling the stories of people and souls inhabiting the island, its script loosely based on the Thornton Wilder classic, Our Town. By coincidence I managed to catch an early release of the film at the Iloilo cinematheque a couple of weeks prior to the trip, but never expected that I’d see the island itself. 

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I toured the galleries and workshop areas and joined a trisikad tour of the barangay, guided ably by an Alvarado nephew with the unusual name of Yqfryd. We had iced coffee at the Café Albarako, owned by the couple. Many of the works in the galleries are influenced by Nune’s characteristic styles, social consciousness, and use of angular lines and lush colors. A film festival, the Margaha, has been held three times, to encourage budding filmmakers from Sagay and help them hone their craft. Several young directors have won awards and have had their films included in festivals in Manila. During World Tourism Day, a tribute to Nune was organized by the city and a mural was unveiled.

There was more to see and appreciate. The Negros Children’s Museum, a hands-on and interactive museum focused on the marine environment and conservation education, is nearby, but was closed for the weekend. Then, there is Suyac Island with its mangrove preserves to explore. Sagay beckons for an immersive art experience.

The Bacolod Art District – a feast for the senses

In Bacolod, a must-visit for admirers of contemporary visual art is the 8,000-square meter sprawl that is the Bacolod Art District (BAD), located beside Lopue’s Mandalagan. Bubbly tour guide and old friend Virna Ascalon Tan took us there for a reunion with her brother, Dennis, one of the movers and shakers in the contemporary arts scene in Region VI. He is also a co-founder of the Black Artists in Asia, with Nune, Charlie Co, and Norberto “Peewee” Roldan. We visited when dusk was settling in, and I was so fascinated by the works and the galleries – a surprise at every corner – that I had to go back the next morning to make sure I didn’t miss any of the artwork. Unlike artificially-lit indoor art housed in a gallery, outdoor artworks and installations call out to be seen during different times of the day or night.  

At the heart of the BAD is the Orange Gallery and sculpture garden. The minimalist-style gallery has a mezzanine that appears to float. It has about 1,500 square meters for indoor display space, with a sculpture garden beside it. You immediately get the feeling it is there to host the artworks, allowing for maximum visibility and appreciation. There are several other smaller galleries in the complex, but they were closed in the morning. A mini theater not much bigger than a container van has on its walls a series of amusing cartoons paying homage to Peque Gallaga, a series entitled Little Peque Makes a Movie. That would have drawn guffaws out from the late director, one of the best the country has had.  

All the bare surfaces in the BAD complex – interior walls, stairwells, connecting alleys, as well as restrooms are painted with murals of differing styles, or mounted with seemingly flying installations like carabaos, horses, dragons, demon-like creatures, and astronauts jutting out from the edges of walls.  Even a wall full of working contadors (electric meters) seems to have been done as an installation. From the fantastical and absurd, to those with a social commentary, it is an amazing mélange that recalls “The Factory” in Phnom Penh. 

It’s the installations and mixed media sculptures that are fascinating; old model vehicles have been pimped up and become art pieces; benches and swings for the children are artfully designed and arranged; and various sculptures, whether in concrete, plaster, or scrap metal beckon one for a selfie, a closer look, or a view from a different angle – the works are simply that engaging. One can also enjoy a meal (cheap turo-turo places abound in the area, a favorite for employees working both day and night shifts) or have a coffee at one of the funky coffee places around.  

The original gallery was first set up in 2005. There have been several alterations to the complex over the years, and the current layout has been in place since 2018. Most of the works – two thirds of those currently seen – were done only during the COVID-19 pandemic, as artists struggled, and somehow it gave even greater impetus to create. 

The whole BAD and local arts community are extremely lucky and blessed to have artist-entrepreneurs and business partners Charlie Co and Victor Benjamin Lopue III. Their shared vision and imagination, creativity, and concern for younger artists over the decades has led to the blossoming of arts consciousness in Negros and in the whole of Region VI. As the website for the Orange Project aptly puts it, “It is art with no fear. And fun.“ – Rappler.com

Vic Salas is a physician and public health specialist by training, and now retired from international consulting work. He is back in Iloilo City, where he spent his first quarter century.

Posts on the official Facebook page of the Ormoc City government showed it had received donations in kind from different groups.

The Commission on Audit checked the status of these donations with the Ormoc City government because it appeared that after these were turned over, as shown on social media posts, the donations were never seen again.

COA said there were indeed proper deliveries by donors and acknowledgment by city officials, as shown on Ormoc City’s official Facebook page.

However, COA said there were no records to show where these donations went after they were handed over.

The state auditors said: “Query with the Accounting Office revealed that it was not aware of the in-kind donations received by the City as posted on Facebook, thus, no accounting entries were made for its recognition and neither distribution sheets on file with their office.”

According to the audit team, among the missing donations were:

• 200 sacks of rice (25 kgs per sack) and 150 boxes of 1L bottled water from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on January 12, 2022;
• 12 tablets (brand not disclosed) from the National Housing Authority (NHA), January 2022;
• 46 wheelchairs from PITMASTER Foundation (Providing Indigent Timely Medical Assistance Service and Targeted Emergency Relief), March 2022;
• 3 sets of weighing scales from Ajinomoto, August 2022;
• 1,000 white T-shirts from Panda City Merchandise Inc. owner James Sy, February 2022; and
• trash bins from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region 8, March 2022.

After queries, the City General Services Office (CGSO) told COA that it did not receive the 200 sacks of rice and bottled water intended for victims of Typhoon Odette. The CGSO said the donations were handed over to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

But the audit team did not find these at the CRRMO.

“The CDRRMO clarified that the relief goods were merely placed there but immediately transported to Southern Leyte, since that place was determined to be more gravely devastated by the typhoon,” auditors said.

In the social media post about the rice donations, Ormoc City said these were “NGCP’s way to further provide assistance to the City Government of Ormoc in the relief operations.”

The city officials in that Facebook post were acting city mayor Tomas R. Serafica and city councilor Engr. Esteban V. Laurente.

In the COA report, it was explained: “During exit conference, management clarified that the relief goods received by the City Government of Ormoc from NGCP as posted on the Facebook page were not actually intended for the city and were just passed for stocking in the city bodega.”

The state auditors told the CGSO to come up with distribution lists from departments responsible for receiving the in-kind donations.

The incumbent mayor of Ormoc City in Southern Leyte is Lucy Torres Gomez. – Rappler.com

For those unfamiliar with the place, it would look like a scene from a grungy punk rock indie film or a haunted house – cobwebs and all.

To its loyal patrons, Kukuk’s Nest was home as it should be.

Now, after being a haven for Cebuano creatives, musicians, and travelers for 34 years, Kukuk’s Nest finally closed down on Monday, June 5.

Cebuana artist Maria Victoria “Bambi” Beltran, the owner of the establishment, told Rappler on Tuesday, June 6, that the owner of the lot where the café is located plans to use the space for redevelopment.

In 1989, Raimund Houscht and Beltran established Kukuk’s Nest as a guest house with a 24-hour restaurant and bar along Gorordo Avenue in Cebu City, just outside of the University of the Philippines Cebu. It featured an “East meets West” kind of menu, consisting of special meals that were a mixture of Filipino, German, Thai, Indonesian, French, and other cuisines. 

More often than not, locals and tourists came and stayed for the alcohol and social events held at the Turtle’s Nest Book Café and Gallery in Kukuk’s Nest. 

“The place became a venue for poetry readings, musicians also, reggae artists like Junior Kilat, and it just developed to be a place where artists can hang out,” Beltran said.

From small exhibits to performance art and even stand-up comedy, Kukuk’s Nest was the place to go to immerse in Cebu’s unique creative community.

Beltran shared how some filmmakers would shoot scenes inside the establishment, recalling moments with artists like Chai Fonacier, who went on to star in the Filipino-Irish psychological thriller Nocebo.

“They would come here and sleep here on the sofa. On Christmas, those who have no family would spend the holiday here,” Beltran added.

When asked if there was any part of Kukuk’s Nest that Beltran held dear, the artist said that it was the people she spent years with under the establishment’s roof.

“I’m happy to see people who were students come here and now, they became famous and successful. I think that’s the best part, that it helped nurture the artists [to] make names for themselves,” Beltran said.

Home is here

As Handuraw, Outpost, and other well-known hangout spots along Gorordo Avenue closed down during the pandemic, Kukuk’s Nest became the “last community space” standing.

“It was an anomaly in an otherwise conservative city, one of the last venues that allowed art for art’s sake. Everyone else made space only for tourist-friendly,” award-winning film director and writer Ara Chawdhury wrote in a Facebook post.

In her younger days, Chawdhury remembered attending screenwriting workshops, auditioning for her first acting role, and even falling in love at Kukuk’s Nest.

Besides the arts, Kukuk’s Nest was also a sanctuary for Cebu’s activists, student leaders, and young lawyers.

“As I was growing up as a young advocate and student leader, Kukuk’s was one of the places that expanded my knowledge about the arts, film, activism, and other topics that could be discussed over drinks,” University of San Carlos law student and National Union of People’s Lawyers member Christian Ilustrisimo said.

One of the most memorable experiences that Ilustrisimo had was being able to attend a small celebration that was held the night after Beltran’s release from police custody on Tuesday, May 27.

“I had a mini-reunion with friends…. It’s always fun to be with them, but I didn’t expect that it would be our last hangout at Kukuk’s,” Ilustrisimo said.

Ilustrisimo, like most patrons, believes that Kukuk’s Nest will go down as one of the most iconic places in Cebu that will be remembered for years to come.

In response to that, Beltran said, “It’s not the end of an era. The people that grew up here can always continue to do what they do best.”

‘Salamat Kukuk’s’

Upon hearing that the beloved establishment was closing, many netizens were quick to share their grief and memories of the place on social media.

“I genuinely feel sad upon hearing the somber news that Kukuk’s Nest finally tapped out and is now closing up shop,” tattoo artist Fel Kevin Alingasa wrote in a Facebook post.

Like many artists before him, Alingasa found his community in Kukuk’s Nest and met people who would influence him to pursue a career in tattooing.

“Had it not been for Kukuk’s I probably wouldn’t have even touched a tattoo machine,” Alingasa said.

Cebuano artist Bastinuod posted an art piece on his official Facebook page as a way of paying homage to the beloved establishment: “Salamat Kukuks.”

– Rappler.com