January 17, 2025

Emmanuel "Manny" F. Piñol

Official Website

Learning from Israel! Water Conservation Webinar For Mindanao Govs, Mayors

A 2-hour five weeks short course on Water Management and Conservation for Mindanao Governors and Mayors will be conducted by the Mashav Agricultural Training Center of Israel starting 6 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 17.
The on-line lectures will be conducted for 2-hours on Aug. 17, Aug. 24, Aug. 31, Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 with Israeli experts on Water Management and Conservation.
The webinar on Water Conservation and Management: The Israeli Model is a joint project of the Mashav of Israel, the Israeli Embassy in the Philippines and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
It was requested by MinDA as part of its advocacy to increase awareness of local leaders of Mindanao on the importance of water conservation and management for sustainable agriculture and economic growth.
Here are the experts who will deliver the lectures on specific subjects:
– 17 Aug, 6:15pm
Dr. Amir Givati, Chief Scientific Officer, Asgard Systems
Topic: The Climate Crisis in the World, in South-East Asia and in the Philippines
– 17 Aug, 7pm
Adv. Omer Vardi, Commissioner of Water and Sewage Corporations Unit, Israel Water Authority
Topic: The Water Sector in Israel and Urban Water Management
– 24 Aug, 6pm
Mr. Uri Shor, Head of Education, Campaigns and Information Dept., Israel Water Authority
Topic: Water Conservation: From Awareness to Action – The Israeli Experience
– 24 Aug, 7pm
Dr. Lior Asaf, MASHAV Water Expert
Topic: Sustainable Water Management for Agriculture
– 31 Aug, 6pm
Mr. Roy Peleg, Agricultural Consultant and Irrigation Expert
Topic: Modern Irrigation Technologies
– 14 Sept, 6pm
Adv. Omer Vardi, Commissioner of Water and Sewage CorporationsUnit, Israel Water Authority
Topic: Legislation and Policy for Managing the Water Sector in Israel
– 14 Sept, 6:45pm
Topic: Showcase of Israeli Water Technologies/Water Engineering Companies – with the Israel Export Institute
– 12 Oct, 7:45pm
Mr. Hezi Bilik, Expert on Water Management and Conservation, Water Technoplogies and Innovation
Topic: Urban Water Supply – Master Plan, Water Loss Reduction & Implementation of New Technologies
Participants who will complete the five sessions will receive Certificates of Completion of the Course from the Mashav of Israel.
While this program is intended for Mindanao Governors and Mayors only, special accommodation could be given to Governors and Mayors outside of Mindanao whose areas face serious water management and conservation issues.
Please use the contact details indicated in the images to reach out to the MinDA staff.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#PreparingForTheUnknown!

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21-Year-Old Cotabato Airport: Sad Story Of Childish Politics Twenty-one years after work on the Cotabato Rural Airport was started and 15 years after the Runway and Terminal Building construction were completed, it remains unused, a sad testament to the evils of petty and childish politics which had prevailed in North Cotabato. For people to truly understand this tragic narrative of a project which could have brought progress to the province, here is the historical account of the Mlang Airport Project: 1. I was a young Mayor of Mlang (1995-1998) when I envisioned the growth of my town into an agro-industrlialized city and thought an Airport would be critical in realizing that vision; 2. With the help of the Vice Mayor then, Luigi Buenaflor Cuerpo, whose family owned most of the areas in the former Hacienda de Tomas Buenaflor, I presented the idea to the elders of the clan and they loved the idea but since there were no funds available for the project, it remained just a dream; 3. In 1998, after one term as Mayor of Mlang, I was elected Governor of North Cotabato and I pursued the vision of building an airport in my hometown; 4. In 2003, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan authorized the purchase of 62 hectares of land in the former Hacienda Buenaflor for the purpose of building the airport; 5. With an initial P30-M Grant Fund which was provided by then Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sourced from the Department of Energy (which at the time, operated the Mt. Apo Geothermal Project), the project was started in 2004; 6. By 2007, my term as Governor ended and I was succeeded by Governor Jesus N. Sacdalan. I served as his Vice Governor. Gov. Sacdalan continued the project; 7. In 2009, the Runway and Terminal Building of the Mlang Airport were completed and Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived for the blessing and inauguration; 8. In the 2010 elections, Gov. Sacdalan ran for Congress in the 1st District of the Province while I attempted to regain the Governorship but I lost to then Congresswoman Emmylou Taliño-Santos (now Mendoza); That was when work at the Airport was stopped and to justify the suspension of the Airport Development, the new administration claimed that the documents covering the purchase of the land were not perfect. I was accused of owning the land which was, of course, ridiculous and false. It was also claimed that the project was started without a Feasibility Study which again is a big lie, for how would it be given a budget if there was no study conducted. In fact, I made a public declaration that I was willing to help perfect the documents if they needed my signature on the alleged incomplete documents but my offer was ignored. In 2019, when former Congresswoman Nancy Catamco won as Governor, the alleged missing documents were recovered or reconstructed and perfected. That was when work was started again in the airport. Unfortunately, in 2022, Gov. Catamco lost in a tightly contested election to then Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza before she could turn over the Airport Land Property which is owned by the Provincial Government to the Dept. of Transportation and the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines for it to be operational. The incumbent Governor is the Chairman of the Regional Development Council and she could have given utmost priority to the completion of Airport. Access to funds for the completion of the project would not be difficult because Speaker Martin Romualdez is the nephew-in-law of her husband, TUCP Partylist Congressman Raymond Mendoza. The real reason why the Mlang Airport Development has dragged for 21 years is because it is identified as the Brainchild and Pet Project of former Governor Manny Piñol and the current leadership dread the thought of seeing planes loaded with passengers and fruits from Cotabato to the big cities and the people giving credit to Piñol for initiating the project. The airport is for the people of North Cotabato now and the next generation and I would not care if she names it after her grandfather or whoever. This narrative is my account of the real story behind the delay in the completion of the Central Mindanao Airport which I know will be refuted by the other party. So, here is my challenge: Let’s hold a Public Debate/Forum on the real and true reasons behind the delay in the completion of the Central Mindanao Airport. I am willing to face anybody from their side in that debate, anytime and anywhere. The People of North Cotabato deserve to know the truth. #WeDontOwnGovernment! #TheTruthWillSetUsFree!