MinDA has new chair---Dureza out; Antonino in

After weeks of speculation whether Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Jesus Dureza will be replaced or will stay on, the people of Mindanao finally got an answer.

MinDA, which used to be known as the Mindanao Economic Development Council, was an offshoot of Republic Act 9996.

MinDA has a new chairperson after President Benigno Aquino III has accepted the resignation of Dureza, who would have been guaranteed a six-year term had he not resigned as MinDA chair.

Dureza handed in his resignation voluntarily to give Pnoy a chance to appoint a Chair of his own choice.

Former South Cotabato Representative Lualhati Antonino, mother of new General Santos Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, has been formally designated by Pnoy as the new MinDA head during the opening of the 12th National Tuna Congress last Friday. The appointment was announced by former Senator Manuel Roxas who delivered the keynote speech for the Congress.

During an earlier interview and prior to his resignation, Dureza revealed his plans to relocate the MinDA office somewhere in Maramag to make it easily accessible to the other Mindanao cities and provinces.

PGMA Finally Hears From Obama

Beggars can't be choosers, as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo might have realized when she called but failed to talk to United States President-elect Barack Obama at least three times for various reasons.

The first time Arroyo called Obama was when she was in the US while the Presidential campaign was going on. The second and third time she called Obama was to congratulate him for his victory. All calls remained unreturned apparently because Obama was just too busy or too tired to accept the call.

And now, finally, Arroyo can sleep in peace knowing that Obama has finally recognized the Philippines' existence by calling her and assuring her of a continued good relations between the Philippines and the US. Obama's phone call to Arroyo was announced by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.