Janurary 6, 2010, Valencia Mayor Leandro Jose Catarata, New Market

The mayor of Valencia City in Mindanao announed that they would be building a building to house the street markets, click here. The old market burned over a year ago and the temporary structures also burned on December 27. Hopefully the new buildings will give stabilty to the local economy. I met Mayor on my trip to Valencia and wrote about the meeting HERE. He impressed me as being a very intelligent man, well educated and very progressive. His desire is to increase the standard of living for his people.

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Janurary 6, 2010, Ambassador Kenny term comes to an end

The US Ambassador to the Philippines writes on her blog HERE that her term is coming to an end. The ambassador served the Philippines for 4 years.

She writes about Mindanao, "My memories of the past four years are as diverse as the Philippines themselves. I will never forget the rich cultures of Mindanao or the proud traditions of the Ifugao. "

She will be succeeded by the nominated Harry Thomas, still awaiting confirmation from the US Senate.
Harry Thomas was US ambassador to Bangladesh and served in other positions in various embassies.

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Janurary 5, 2010 Amusment Park in Mindanao

Because of a desire to write about something on a lite note..The first amusement park opened in Mindanao click here. 

The theme park has 35 rides, including bumper cars, and a ferris wheel. This is a first for Mindanao. And I was surprised that it was not in Davao, or General Santos but in Dapitan. Dapitan is located on a penisula like tip of the north west part of the island. It is known as the "shrine" city and the place where Jose Rizal was exiled HERE.

This map from Google Earth shows the approximate location of Dapitan and Plaridel. I was in Plaridel at the church of Pastor Ben Sousa. Please click on the map for a lager view.

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Janurary 4, 2010 New Peoples Army

In Mindanao, in addition to the terrorist group Abu Sayaf, there is the communist guerrillas group known as the NPA (New Peoples Army). They have targeted killings for some time in Mindanao. Last year the group killed 83 people, 4 in the last week of December. The army published a story saying the group it increasing its attacks in Southern Mindanao, Click HERE.

For a history of the NPA and its operations click HERE.

To email me click billmiracle@att.net

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Janurary 4, 2010 Moderate quake jolts Mindanao | Home Other Sections Breaking News

An earthquake hit Mindanao again today. There were several earthquakes just before the end of the year, two in one day. A very strong earthquake hit the Solomon Islands.
For the news report in the PhilStar click on the link.

Moderate quake jolts Mindanao Home Other Sections Breaking News

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Janurary, 3 2010, Population growth

The PhilStar is reporting that population in the Philippine population will reach 94 million, with a birth rate of two million babies annually. The ideal birth rate should be less than 1% to match the economic groweth rate. It is not uncommon for a Philippine family to have 6, 8, or 10 children or more. Many are influenced by the Catholic church and do not practice birth control, other than natural means. Even the RP government has not passed a measure to help control the population groweth, apperantely influenced by the Catholic church.  Link to the news report click HERE. .

This makes if very hard for the Philippinos to feed their families. There are so many unwanted children, that many are given away or abandoned to the streets. Children have no way to care for themselves and many turn to prostitution.

From an economic standpoint, comparing the cost of labor in the Philippines to the US, the labor is very cheap in the Philippines. In every shop there are two or three people doing the same job, and 15 people in line for a job.

94 million people presents a great missionary challenge. Most of the churches in the Philippines are Catholic or SDA. There are precious few who are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ as I have presented in the Philippines; that he is God himself manifest in the flesh. The Philippines are wide open for the gospel. There is such need for 94 million people to hear that "Jesus Chirst is the same, yesterday, today and forever."

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Januray 1, 2010

The new year is here! We have been blessed in 2009 and will be abundantly blessed in 2010. There is much to be thankful for and much to pray for. Greater things will be done for the kingdom in 2010, more than we have ever done before, by the grace of God. We bless him for the new year, and bless his name, Jesus Christ. He is the one who forgave my sins, heals my body, lets me walk in blessings, there is not destruction or ruin in my future. But I will walk in the love of the Lord and have his "tender mercy."

Psa. 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name.

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Tags: philippines, davao, mindanao, iligan, missions, mayon

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