Backwash Film Trailer

by Jan Mikko Canarias






TS Sendong (Washi), the first tropical storm in decades to ravage Northern Mindanao left death, destruction and despair in its wake. There are thousands dead, and thousands more missing. There is so much talk about loss that every new death, every discovered disappearance, is but a mere addition to the long list of existing casualties. But every tear, every drop of blood, every bead of sweat speaks of loss. Of despair. Of hope. Backwash tells the tales of Sendong’s aftermath in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

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Sendong sent some Missiles

by Jan Mikko Canarias

            It was evening of the 17^th of December, the heavy rainfall and the cold weather was conclusive for sleeping. Iliganons were deep asleep never did they dreamed of what will came to them that night. Slowly the water begun to increase, then it became fast, until it rushed from the mountains to the villages near the rivers. Many people hurriedly climb up their roofs, some drown while sleeping, and some were washed away by the flood and screaming for help. The supposed to be silent night became a fright night as screams and cries for help gone with the sound of the rushing river.

           They came like Missiles. Typhoon Sendong sent some missiles. Most of the people I interviewed revealed a common demolishing factor. These were the missiles that came along with the mud and water, logs. Many houses could not get destroyed but because of these missiles hundreds of infrastructures were washed away. People were also hit by these raging logs; they were like missiles, torpedoes along with the raging flood. An evacuee accounted that she and her daughter were hit by a missile; luckily she survived but her daughter was caught and drowned. She saw her daughter washed away, heard it screamed for help, saw how the log pushed it away.

             At daybreak, the water level begun to drop. Iligan City’s villages were washed away. Cars piled up, twisted and drenched. The once populated river banks got deserted by mud. Dead bodies soaked in mud. Scattered around the areas were the missiles, the major culprit of lives. At the coast line more missiles floated along with the tides and waves. 

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Hopes in Mud

by Jan Mikko Canarias

Hopes covered in mud. Last December 24,2011 , I went to Iligan City, accompanying two Save the Children Spain Officers. We went to pay a visit to some schools affected and damaged by the recent flood brought by Typhoon Sendong.

First School was Iligan City East Central, ICEC. The classrooms in this school were partially damaged. Though there were no damaged in infrastructures, allot of educational equipments and materials were soaked and damaged. According to the person who assisted us, the water reached to neck level, bringing thick mud with it. The field where the children usually play was fully covered with thick mud.

The next school we visited was the Luinab Elementary School, Barangay Luinab, Iligan City. I already had visited the Evacuation sites a couple of times. We even had a distribution of water kits last December 22. This time when I visited the school, there were YFC, KFC and Biology Students who gave some activities for the children. I had noticed that there were more children this time, and an increase number of families.

The day was about to end, the last school we visited was Bagong Silang Elementary School. Accounts said that the school was totally drowned by the flood. There were some infrastructures that were damaged; walls were damaged as well as drainage systems. Educational equipments and materials were soaked and damaged. The stinky smell of the dead animals surrounds the community as well, making the school health hazardous to children.

Teachers were already worried on the upcoming classes; on where and how they will conduct classes, now that the schools were covered and soaked.

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87th City

by Jan Mikko Canarias

Davao City ranked 87th place, and only Philippine City, on the list of world's top cities.

On the website www.citymayors.com, a listing of 200 cities around the world based on the assumed annual growth rates. Based on their listings, Davao projected a 2.53 percent annual growth rate during the 15-year period.

" It is good that Davao has been recognized for its development", Mayor Sara Duterte said on Sunstar. Duterte called on Dabawenyos' cooperation in sustaining the city's growth. Bong Aportadera also added that the city's recognition will attract more investors to invest in the city and will help the city boosts its growth rate. "It is a proof that a strong leadership produces great result. There is nowhere to go but up," Aportadera Said.

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Launching of 1 Million Signature Campaign for a Bangsamoro Substate

(Official Press Release)
Posted by Jan Mikko Canarias

The CHANGE for Peace in Mindanao Movement simultaneously launched its 1 Million Signature Campaign for a Bangsamoro Substate in the cities of Cotabato and Davao on October 25, 2011 .

The campaign aims to gather 1 million signatures by December this year in order to establish the strongest ground support to finally push for the reform of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to accommodate the legitimate aspirations of the Bangsamoro people for self-determination through the creation of a Bangsamoro Substate.

The Bangsamoro Substate is a political subdivision of a Philippine state vested with self-government and law-making powers within a defined autonomous territory.

The areas that will be covered under the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro substate are those areas which are predominantly populated by the Bangsamoro people like the cities and provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and those adjacent municipalities and barangays which will vote in favour of inclusion in the substate. The residents of the areas covered by the substate will be afforded the opportunity to decide for or against said inclusion through a plebiscite.

Contrary to misconceptions, Christian settlers will not be thrown away from Mindanao. Their vested rights and religious freedom will be recognized and protected under the substate. The rights of the indigenous peoples over their ancestral domain, their customary laws and justice and governance will also be recognized and protected.There is no reason to be afraid of. The substate proposal is a formula of living together which will benefit not only the Moros but also the indigenous peoples and settlers living within.

The campaign calls on the political leaders and decision makers, especially the President, Senators, and Members of Congress to support the amendment of the Constitution in order to bring about a just and viable political solution in Mindanao.

The launching in Davao City was held at the Peoples Park from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm while the launching in Cotabato City was held at the Al Nor Convention Center in Cotabato City from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Both launching events were participated by various civil society organizations and sectoral representatives. It was also supported by wide media coverage. Representatives from the youth sector started the ceremonial and symbolic signing of the petition for a Bangsamoro Substate, followed by a public signing where all participants and supporters were invited to sign their names on the freedom wall.

The 1 million signature campaign for a Bangsamoro Substate has been going viral on the social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Thousands of supporters have already been following the developments of the campaign. The number of supporters is also increasing every minute. This shows the massive support of the peace loving people for the just political settlement to finally end the armed conflict in Mindanao.

How can you support the call for a Bangsamoro Substate? Here are the ways:

1. Sign the Petition for a Bangsamoro Substate at www.change4peace.org.

2. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep up-to-date on the developments of the campaign. Our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Support-Constitutional-Amendment-for-Bangsamoro-Substate/256943317678064. Our twitter: @amendphilconsti

3. Read our article on the launching of the 1 Million Signature Campaign for a Bangsamoro Substate and see some of our photos here: http://www.change4peace.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4. Watch also the media coverage of our launching at www.youtube.com/bangsamorosubstate, our official youtube channel. 

4. Let`s enlighten and educate ourselves on the issues surrounding the GPH-MILF peace talks by reading the Frequently Asked Questions on Bangsamoro Substate: http://www.change4peace.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1. Feel free to reproduce it as a primer so that you can also disseminate it with your own partners and networks. 

5. Be part of our online campaign team. Volunteer now and sign up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=fil&pli=1&formkey=dFE5SVJ3VDBoQjdoZkY3TEw0dUoxWHc6MQ#gid=0.

6. Print out stickers, posters or t-shirts using the attached materials.

7. For comments, feedbacks or suggestions, please feel free to write us at bangsamorosubstate@gmail.com.

Thanks and let us work hand in hand to make this happen!

I would like to hear your comments and points regarding this topic. Comment below.

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Raket: Getting to Know them.

by Jan Mikko Canarias

Raket is a slang word that means work or source of income. In the Philippines the people who usually used this term are the people from the show business and entertainment industry.

The Entertainment industry have grown together with the growth of the city, thus the word Raket also grew more stems including human prostitution. A stem that grows together with the nourishing cities. Prostitution is considered the oldest and most successful profession in the history of the world. Human Prostitution is the giving of money, goods or favours in exchange for sexual favors.
 
Who are they?

The Prostis
The Prostis are the prostitutes, they can be anybody, someone who dances naked in the club while a man is soaping her, She/He could be a model of the most Prestigious Modeling Agency in the city, She could be a known personality, a beauty queen, a teenage mom, a high school - college guy with pleasing looks, They could be a child abducted or sold by their own parents. The Prostis now a days are unrecognizable because they merely adopts to the environment were they are. You won't know til' you caught one.


Women, children, teenagers and even men are the victims of this social problem. According to my economics teacher prostitution is like the economy, the law of supply and demand acts with it. When the demand is high the more there will be prostituted men and women. Prostitutes are the products sold to the consuming market. Prostitution has become a never ending cliche, the shadow of a progressing city. When there are allot of businessmen and investors, women hoping to get a chance of a good life would flock and engage in trafficking themselves. Selling their own as endeavors of those who can pay them. 
 
The Manager
The manager is the leader of the prostitutes, he/she builds networks of businessmen and big politicians. These men, commonly, are the wealthiest and powerful names in the city. The manager is the one who chooses whom to give to these men. He/she is the person who recruits and negotiates with the prostitutes. In other names he/she is the mamasang o bugaw. The eye could be a modeling manager, an old lady, a gay with connections in the government that cover him up.   

Mer
Prostitution in Davao City is very prevalent because of the Mers, term used to shorten the word customers. These mers, commonly male, came from rich families, owner of big businesses and politicians. These people are also the reason why prostitution in the city is a booming profession. Because of them prostitution is one of the highly protected illegal profession in the city.


Talent Fee
Prostitution is a progressing proffession in Davao City, as the city pushes its way to the top, prostitution comes with it. Mostly females takes this profession because they know that its income in an hour or less than an hour is worth the 2 weeks of office-works.An easy way to find money.


Women engaging to prostitution has different motives why they sell them selves and devirginize their beings for these sexual favors. Some does this for their families, some for luxury and some does these to help themselves out.

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