A couple walk arm in arm after attending the first “Simbang Gabi” (night mass) on Friday, Dec. 16 at the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
Hundreds of Catholic devotees flock to San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City for the first mass of Simbang Gabi (night mass) on Friday, Dec. 16. For nine days, Filipinos hear mass at dawn as part of the Christmas tradition. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
Lawyer Leilani Espejo, legal counsel for the Lapanday Foods Corporation says they have not yet received the cease and desist order issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform over the land dispute inside the reclaimed area by a group of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Madaum, Tagum City as of Friday morning, Dec. 16, 2016. Lapanday is asserting their management rights over the land because of the compromise agreement entered by the Hijo Employees Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative-1, from which the protesting farmers bolted out. (Robby Joy Salveron/davaotoday.com)
On Thursday, Dec. 15 Antonio Flores, chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas take part on the two-day National Fact Finding and Solidarity Mission to probe the shooting incident in Madaum, Tagum City as conflict between members of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association and Lapanday Foods Corporation escalate because of the disputed land. (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com)
Lapanday Foods Corporation Chief Finance Officer Manolito Dagatan says the total damage of the estimated 15 hectares of banana crops cut down by protesting farmers inside the plantation in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City costs $120,000. Dagatan says the 150-hectare occupied by members of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Inc. comprise three percent of the total volume of production of Lapanday. (Maricar Emata/davaotoday.com)
Despite the recent violence that happened inside the banana plantation reclaimed by members of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, Inc. in Madaum, Tagum City, Davao del Norte, a farmer bike his way going around the plantation. At least nine protesters were injured after two incidents of attack against the farmers group on December 12 and December 14, 2016. (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com)
City administrator, Atty. Zuleika Lopez, situates US Ambassador Sung Y. Kim, about the bomb blast incident at the Roxas night market along Roxas Avenue in Davao City. The US ambassador paid a courtesy call on Wednesday, December 14 to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
US Ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Y. Kim offers flowers to the victims of night market blast during his visit at the memorial marker on Wednesday, December 14 in Davao City. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
Col. Gilbert I. Gapay delivers his speech as he assumes the position as the new commander of the Joint Task Force Haribon. The Change of Command Ceremony was held on Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Naval Station, Panacan, Davao City. (Robby Joy Salveron/davaotoday.com)
Madaum agrarian reform beneficiaries cut down the remaining banana trees owned by Lapanday Foods Corporation after they reclaimed their land on Friday, Dec. 9 in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City. An estimate of 10 hectares of land were denuded already since the ARBs began cutting down the banana trees on Tuesday. (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com)
