"PAGPAKANAUG" commences Diyandi Festival 2017

ILIGAN CITY (20 Sept 2017) - The celebration of the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, officially commences on the 20th day of September with the ritual transfer of the image of the patron saint, dubbed "Pagpakanaug" right after the celebration of the Eucharist at 7:00 o'clock in the morning.

From its niche at the side altar, the image is transferred towards a pedestal in front of the church, accompanied with the rousing chant of devotees: "Viva Senor San Miguel."

The San Miguel image is bathed the night before in preparation for this ritual transfer.  The bathing is handled by the members of Mother Butler Mission Guild, and his clothes are meticulously prepared by the Labao Family, which is their vow ("panaad") to the Patron Saint.  

Thousands of devotees flock to the cathedral on this day, to witness the ceremonies, and for a chance to don the helmet of St. Michael, believed to impart powers of the warrior-arch angel to the wearer.  

The "Pagpakanaug" signals the start of the nine-day novena (devotional prayer) for the patron saint.

Inside the cathedral, sweet incense envelopes the air from the altar throughout the cathedral, while a sea of undulating, swaying warm bodies move towards the pedestal where the image of St. Michael the Archangel stands. 

The ritual reaches fever pitch when the ceremonial helmet of the patron saint is placed on its head, and the spear, cape and shield are alternately don on the image.

Duterte graces National Convention of Public Attorneys

Metro Manila (18 Sept 2017) - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte graces the Opening Ceremony of the 6th Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys at the Tent City in Manila Hotel, Manila on September 18, 2017.

Mayor Regencia probes 'Sendong' survivors who sold GK houses

ILIGAN City (28 Feb 2017) - Mayor Celso Gomera Regencia has summoned all beneficiaries of Gawad Kalinga (GK) houses in Bayanihan Village, Barangay Santa Elena on Tuesday morning to investigate why some 'Sendong' survivors sold the units that were awarded to them.

According to Housing and Resettlement Office head Rey Roque, over 300 units were sold by beneficiaries to non-Sendong survivors.

Buyers were mostly locals of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

The memorandum of agreement signed by the beneficiaries before they occupied the units states that they are not allowed to sell or let non-beneficiaries occupy the units.

Some beneficiaries reasoned they sold their units because some parts of the village do not have power and water service.

The local government is eyeing the possible filing of charges against beneficiaries who sold their units but also vowed to go after officials and department heads who were amiss in their duty to provide the services promised.


A number of 'Sendong' survivors in Iligan still have not been relocated, five years after the tragedy. [Roxanne Arevalo, ABS-CBN News]

Iligan City auctions Asia's former largest steel mill

ILIGAN City (15 Dec 2016) - Four-hundred hectares of land and properties of the foreclosed National Steel Corporation (NSC) have been auctioned by the local government due to tax delinquency.

"NSC's unpaid tax amounts to over PhP4 billion," Iligan City acting Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz said.

However, there was no bidder during the auction, which prompted the city treasurer to forfeit the properties in favor of the city government.

Two days before the auction, NSC liquidator Atty. Danilo Concepcion protested the sale of NSC properties, citing a Makati Court decision clearing NSC of real property tax liabilities after NSC's secured creditors and shareholders sold their interests in plant assets to Global Steelworks International Inc. and Global Ispat Holdings, Inc. in 2004.

NSC was once the largest steel mill in Asia but has been closed for more than two decades after it declared bankruptcy. [Roxanne Arevalo, ABS-CBN News]