MAMBUKAL

THE JFK STATUE: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

                            The old and the newly painted J.F.K. statue

"TO THE CITIZEN OF THE WORLD: ASK NOT WHAT AMERICA CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT ASK IF WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD." This inscription could be found on the foot of the statue of  John Fitzgerald Kennedy (29 May 1917 – 22 November 1963) who was the 35th President of the United States,  in Mambukal Mountain Resort at Murcia, Negros Occidental owned and managed by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.

The statue was donated by Felix V. Garzon in 1964. This is during the incumbency of  the 38^th Governor of Negros Occidental, HON. VALERIANO GATUSLAO  -   elected, January 1, 1964 - January 16, 1965 serving for (1 year & 15 days).  This was eight years after the establishment  THE MAMBUKAL TOWNSITE FOR HEALTH CENTER AND RECREATION RESORT PURPOSES.

By the way here’s the law covering  Mambukal RESORT:

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1964  - AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MAMBUKAL TOWNSITE FOR HEALTH CENTER AND RECREATION RESORT PURPOSES

Section 1.    There is hereby established, for health center and recreation resort purposes, subject to private rights, if any there be, a townsite, to be known as the Mambukal Townsite, in certain tract of public domain situated in the barrio of Mambukal, Municipality of Murcia, Province of Negros Occidental, the exact area, boundaries and limits of which to be defined and determined as hereinafter provided.  

Section 2.    The Director of Lands, in collaboration with the National Planning Commission, shall within three months after the approval of this Act, have a survey made of the exterior boundaries of the Mambukal Townsite, as well as a subdivision of the area included in such survey, in accordance with section seventy-four of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred forty-one, otherwise known as the Public Land Act. The plat of the subdivision shall designate lots of sufficient sizes and convenient situation for public use, as well as the necessary avenues, streets, alleyways, parks and squares. Upon completion of the boundary and subdivision surveys and approval by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the plat of the subdivision, the Director of Lands shall have the same recorded in the office of the register of deeds concerned and shall certify the boundary and subdivision plans to the President of the Philippines, who shall by executive order define the boundaries and limits of the townsite.

 Section 3.    The administration and disposition of the lots within the Mambukal Townsite shall be undertaken by the province, all provisions of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding.

Section 4.    In the event that a portion or the whole of the townsite is within the Kanlaon National Park, the same is hereby segregated therefrom to be dealt with in accordance with this Act. The Provincial Board of Negros Occidental shall have the power to purchase, accept gifts or donations of, or institute expropriation proceedings for, such lands as may be within the territorial extent of the townsite which are necessary to attain the purposes of this Act.

Section 5.    The Province of Negros Occidental shall bear the expenses for the construction and maintenance in the townsite of fountains, health or recreational buildings, avenues, streets, plazas, parks and lighting, water and sewage systems, and other public utilities which are necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Ninety per cent of all funds derived from the sale of public lands within the townsite shall accrue to the Provincial Treasury of Negros Occidental and shall be spent only for the construction and maintenance of the facilities and utilities herein enumerated, and the remainder to the Bureau of Lands to cover the cost of delimitation, survey, administration and disposition of the lots within the townsite. 

Section 6.    This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 22, 1957

          The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental may have the legal basis for accepting the donation of the statue of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy of America or had other circumstances which made the construction of the statue valid. 

            I ask the personnel why they made some facelifting on the statue. He readily answered: It was brought by the media and their attention was called by the governor. Thanks Governor!!!  I was the one posted the statue in my facebook and made likes of the US Embassy Official facebook page.

LINE AND GRID

           

                                              The Blade Spa Building

          Home along the river? The building along the river - the blade spa. For aesthetic purpose this maybe is satisfying. But for the building official of the Murcia, a violation of the National Building Code is real. By the way do all structures within Mambukal Resort covered with approved building permits? If not, whose neglect?

       The above picture shows that certain extent of reclamation is constricting the flow of the river. DENR-EMB will not allow this. And the Philippine Reclamation Authority will likewise reprimand the governor for illegal reclamation. Or this could be a partisan political issue this election time.

LIQUID WASTE MANAGEMENT

           At this time, liquid waste management of the entire resort maybe is not a problem. I can not tell but the law says liquid waste management is a must. Water quality monitoring is absent. Who could tell Mambukal is now a major polluter of the river downstream or not? 

WHOSE MAKING MONEY OUT OF MAMBUKAL RESORT?

             The Provincial Government is the quick answer. 

         Of course the Food Providers who have the exclusive rights for the entire resort, The Blade SPA Operator, The Security Agency, the Butterfly Garden and many more. This is good. They have permits from the Municipality of Murcia and BIR Permits to Operate. By the way, why they don't issue Official Receipts? And they do not know how to issue official receipts.

            Fully-booked! This means maximum income is derived from the lodging facilities of the resort. This means the Provincial Government could further invest on lodging facilities. There is good business inside Mambukal.

            But who is gaining tremendous amount of income when the facilities are fully booked? The camping tent owners who rent-up tents in the amount of P600 per overnight. The Governor probably knows this. Or if he has no knowledge about this thin he should investigate. Initially, here's my story:

              At about 4 p.m. I arrived at Mabukal Resort. To my dismay, it's fully booked. Lowly people like me have no other option but to explore other possibilities just to spend the night unharmed. Readily, somebody, a man of big built with a radio transceiver on his belt offered a tent at P600 overnight. That was good. I made arrangement with the staff who is issuing the official receipt that once I found the tent OK I will give to him the amount entrance fee. She readily agreed. Upon reaching the the tent, I asked if where is the nearest comfort room. He told me that the oldest hotel building has the comfort rooms open 24 hours. I gave him the rental amount for the tent and the payment of entrance fee and he left.

             

           In the morning, I woke up. Opss! Two persons with IDs  came to collect camping fee at P30 per person. Only at this time that I knew that the camping tent leasing business belongs to a private person. Wow! There are at least 10 tents with additional "trapal" cover around the vicinity. So, he has P6,000.00 for that night. If there are 30 days time P6,000, then he may earn P180,000.00 per month. Probably this too much. I just do this for emphasis. The Mayor of Murcia probably earns P35,000.00 per month as his legal salary but this man leasing tents earns twice or several times higher than the mayor. The mayor pays for his taxes. This man has no permit to operate business. He pays no tax to the BIR. 

              The governor probably has no knowledge of this. I am telling him of it, now.

       When I went home, I pass the entrance fee collector to get my official receipt because as earlier agreed I will give the amount to the man who leased the tent to me. Wow governor, PATI BAYAD KO SA ENTRANCE FEE NATUKLO KAY WALA SYA GINHATAG NGA OFFICIAL RECEIPT. TAWO MO NI SIYA GOB?

WHAT IS LACKING?

        The law says: "There is hereby established, for health center and recreation resort purposes, subject to private rights, if any there be, a townsite, to be known as the Mambukal Townsite, in certain tract of public domain situated in the barrio of Mambukal, Municipality of Murcia, Province of Negros Occidental, the exact area, boundaries and limits of which to be defined and determined as hereinafter provided."

          What I found in Mambukal is a mobile van which by any definition could not satisfy the requirements of  a health Center.

                 

             The town site is not there. A police station or a single firetruck could not be found there.

SUGGESTION: A SEPARATE WARM SULFUR DIPPING POOL FOR THE ELDERLY

               

          The senior citizen who are oftentimes sickly deserved a separate facility. Not only that this is provided by law but also to protect other pool users from contamination. Not all bacteria could be treated by sulfur. The present set up is a good venue for bacterial and viral exchange.  If we consider this sulfur dipping facility as health facility then it must be managed by health professionals.

QUO  VADIS MAMBUKAL  . . . .  YOUR FUTURE LIES ON THE HANDS OF THE GOVERNOR!

          

           

                

LOBREDO DESERVED HIS UNTIMELY DEATH?

ERROR OF JUDGMENT on his part was the real cause of the untimely demise of the late Secretary Lobredo!

                Based on the information that were made public, it is very clear that few minutes after the plane left Mactan, Cebu  Airport, Secretary  Lobredo, his aide, the pilot and the student co- pilot knew that the Cessna plain was encountering trouble.  This is the reason why they informed Mactan Airport that they were returning. This was the reason why the staff of the late Secretary who was still in Cebu bought a plane ticket and booked his flight late in the afternoon on the secretary’s order..

                The plane  Captain Bahinting may had concealed the fact that  the Nepalese who serve as the main pilot that time is only  a student pilot  and that flight  will serve as additional flying time required of him to complete his schooling requirements. It was very deplorable that the Civil Aviation Authority in Mactan Airport authorized the flight carrying VIP passenger of the plane manned by a student pilot. This was clearly pointed-out by the father of the Nepalese student pilot.

The crisis situation that time demands fast assessment not only the pilots but of Secretary   Lobredo and his aide who served as his VIP Security. Why they did not pursue the plan to return Mactan?  Probably their judgments were erroneous.

Why they failed to wear life saving devices? A parachute and a life jacket in case they land on the sea. Why they are still locked with their seatbelts? Secretary Lobredo and his VIP security had enough time to assess, discuss and prepare for whatever eventuality. To the minimum, they should have worn the safety devices as earlier mentioned.  This time probably, the man known for his preference to use slippers may have not put off his shoes. His aid recounted his difficulty to take off his own shoes.

The VIP security of the late Secretary Lobredo deserves the highest punishment for his failure to secure the life of his boss. He was supposed to be in command in this situation. He should have assisted his VIP to prepare. But nothing was done despite of enough time available.

                Disembarking in the plane as it touches water was even taught to boy scouts and girl scouts. Secretary Lobredo’s chief security knows this because he successfully did it. This only shows gross neglect and failure to perform his function despite the ample time available.

                Secretary Lobredo likewise, clearly erred in his judgments of the real situation and failed to prepare for the worst eventuality. The pilot likewise did, but what can you expect from a student pilot?”.

                Secretary Mar Roxas should also explain why as DOTC secretary he failed to review existing system and administrative procedures in CAA office.  Unluckily his most loyal man in the Aquino administration died because of gross neglect at CAA , Mactan Airport.

               

               

Bohol Tarsiers The world's smallest primate

(Reprint from Bohol-Philippines.com)


Bohol Tarsiers (Tarsius Syrichta) measures 4 to 5 inches and is considered as the world’s smallest primate. Its size is no longer than an adult man’s hand and weigh only about 113 to 142 grams or four to five ounces. The primate belongs to the more primitive sub-order Prosimii or prosimian that dates back 45 million years.
With its tail longer than its body, it has large brown eyes, hairless ears and long finger-like claws. It has gray fur and a nearly naked tail that is more often than not about 232 mm in length. The tails arc over their back when they hop on the ground apparently to balance themselves. The underside of the tail has dermal ridges such as those found on human hands and feet.
Tarsiers have large mesmerizing eyes whose bony eye sockets are larger than that of its brain case as well as of its stomach. The eye sockets have post-orbital closure which keeps the eyeballs from being pressed against by the powerful temporal muscles to their sides.
Much like the owl, the tarsier can rotate its head 180 degrees in each direction. It has a joint between its skull base and spine to allow this particular head movement. Its upper lip lacks a cleft yet, but still has muscles, so that it can make facial expressions. The adult brain weighs about 4 grams.
Tarsiers have sharp teeth, enabling them to catch their prey easier. Unique among primates, tarsiers have only two, rather than four, incisors in their lower jaw. Their dental formula is 2.1.3.3 1.1.3.3 x 2 = 34.
The animal can also leap even up to 10 feet and agilely maneuver itself from tree to tree. This ability may be due to the fact that they have extra-long tarsal bones which form their ankles and enable them to leap so high. The tarsiers name was derived from the word ‘tarsal’.
Tarsiers are nocturnal creatures, like the owls – sleeping during daytime yet very active at night. They hide in hollows close to the ground; hunts and feeds mainly on fruits and insects such as cockroaches, crickets, and sometimes small lizards. Local folks believe they eat charcoal but in fact they only get the maggots or insects inside burnt wood or to get some salt.
This particular animal’s cry is a loud piercing single note. When they gather, they have a chirping, locust-like sound, and when contented emits a soft sweet birdlike twill. They live in groups, more than just one male and female.

Tarsier Visitors
The female takes exclusive care of their young. No male parental care has been observed. Male tarsiers have epigastric glands, which they use for scent marking. Females emit a special sound to indicate that they are fertile.
Female tarsiers have a prosimian-type uterus but a higher primate type placenta. One unusual feature is that they have multiple breast pairs, yet generally only the pectoral pair is functional. The other ones serve as anchoring points for newborn.
The gestation period of a tarsier is about 180 days (6 months), and only one young is born at a time. When a tarsier is born, it is already in a well-advanced state of development. It is born well furred and with its eyes open. The head and body length at birth is 66-72 mm, the tail is 114-117 mm long, and its weight is 25-27 grams.
They are able to move about after only two days. The mother carries infants with her mouth or on her belly. No nest is built. The female parks her infant while foraging. A young tarsier can climb after two days and jump after four. After about 19 days, young tarsiers already move around much like adults. It is breast-fed up to about 60 days. Juveniles tend to be more uniformly colored than adults.
After two years, young tarsiers become sexually mature. The female has an estrus cycle, or recurring period of heat, of 23.5 days. Mating can take place any time of the year. Tarsiers live up to 20 years old.
Tarsiers in captivity are quite tame. They are most often found huddled together with their tails intertwined. One can fondle them and allow them to run up ones arms to the shoulders and back. Quite ticklish, yes, but they’re so cute! They easily get scared, though, and scurries back to the shrubs and hide. In captivity, the tarsiers will eat live shrimp and fish in a bowl of water.
In fact, only five species of the tarsier exist: four can be found in Indonesia and the specie, Tarsius Syrichta, lives deep in the woods of Bohol Island in the Visayas. These small furry creatures can also be found in the islands of Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.
Before, the tarsiers have inhabited the rainforests worldwide but have dwindled and now exist only in said islands of the Philippines, in Borneo and Indonesia. In the 1960’s, they were a common sight in the southern part of Bohol, but now only an estimated 1000 exists in the wild.


They were once protected by the humid rainforests and mist-shrouded hills but were affected by the destruction of their natural habitat thru both legal and illegal logging, slash-and-burn agricultural practices that greatly diminished the forested areas. They were also victims to poachers who caught them and sell them as stuffed tarsier mementos to tourists.


To the locals, the tarsiers are called by various names, such as: “mamag”, “mago”, “maomag”, “magau”, “malmag”, and “magatilok-iok”.


The tarsiers belong to the class “Mammalia” under the order of the primates. The suborder isprosimii/haplorrhini; infraorder oftarsiiformes of the superfamilytarsioidea. Although often called as “the world’s smallest monkey”; this is not true for the monkeys and apes belong to the suborder of anthropoids.


Yet they have some things in common. The internal structure of the nose and ears and the blood supply to the brain and to a developing fetus are more like those of monkeys. This is also the case when it comes to the sexual swellings of female tarsiers. Like anthropoids, they do not have a tapetum (a reflective layer in their eyes).


Tarsiers in the other areas of the Philippines differ slightly. Those found in Samar and Leyte are named T. philippensis; in Bohol, T. fraterculus; and in Mindanao, T. carbonarius. It is believed though that the specie in the Philippines is of one kind but developed into three races due to separation and habitat adaptation.


Relatives of the Philippine tarsiers are found in Borneo, Sumatra and Indonesia: the tarsius bancanus of Borneo; the tarsius spectrum and tarsius pumilus of Sumatra; and tarsius dianae of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The pygmy tarsier (tarsius pumilus) is much smaller than the Philippine tarsier.


Reference: tarsierfoundation.org

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