MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

3 ‘bolt cutter gang’ men now in city jail

BAGUIO CITY – Three suspected members of the “bolt cutter gang,” are now in jail here after they were nabbed by police on all Souls Day.

The notorious syndicate is known here for for robbery against business and financial establishments.

Chief Insp. Renaldo Pasiwen, chief of police of Precinct 7 told Senior Supt. Wilfredo D. Franco, city police director. the suspects tried to run away after being accosted while trying to break in at a pawnshop in downtown Baguio.

The suspects were identified as Gerald Baldo y Coten, 23, of Alab, Bontoc, Mountain Province; Ary Dumawawa y Bailo, 26, of Dalican, Bontoc, residing at Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet; and Roy Villalobos Bangangan, 38, of Dantay, Bontoc, a resident of km 3, La Trinidad, Benguet.

PO3 Stephen Palome, PO2s Andrew L Manacnis and Wilner F Wa-a including PO1 Eugene Manuel were on foot patrol in downtown Baguio when they were alerted that “a robbery was in progress at a pawnshop in the area.”

The trio tried to flee but the cops chased them until they were nabbed. The suspects reportedly bored a hole towards the pawnshop when lawmen chanced upon them.

A security guard in a nearby establishment positively identified the suspects as those who attempted to enter the pawnshop.

Franco urged other victims of the gang top file complaints against them. Charges are being readied against the three suspects.

Franco has already recommended COMPAC 4 personnel under Insp. Joseph Del Castillo of Precinct 7 for commendation.


File claims before it’s too late, DPWH tells project implementors

BAGUIO CITY – Project implementers and laborers who are still not paid by their principals must file now their claims with the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways before it will be too late.

Mariano R. Alquiza, regional DPWH director bared this saying contractors of foreign-assisted projects in the region are required to secure clearances fro the regional office before they will be fully paid by the central office once their projects are completed.

Alquiza made the clarification after several sub-contractors of the P1.7 billion rehabilitation of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road complained to local politicians that the main contractor, CavDil, has not yet paid them for their accomplished works.

According to him, the claims to be filed by the unpaid project implementers and laborers will be submitted to the central office which will serve as one of the basis whether the contractor will be paid for the final billing after the project has been accepted by the Philippine government.

Several sub-contractors and laborers who were tasked to implement some of the project packages alleged CavDil didn’t them a total of P10 million for the projects.

They expressed fear that the project contractor would abandon its obligations in the cordillera as it is allegedly slowly moving its equipment to Palawan where it got another foreign-assisted project.

The rehabilitation of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road, which had a total project cost of P1.7 billion, was funded by a loan from the Japan Bank for International Coop. and it was implemented for a period of nearly four years.

Alquiza said they have tightened their rules relative to the obligations of contractors to their project implementers and laborers, thus, he will extend the needed assistance to the unpaid workers for them to be paid before the contractor could collect its final billing from the DPWH central office.

“We have to protect the interest of our project implementers who had been instrumental in our significant accomplishments in the region’s infrastructure development so that they will continue extending their valuable assistance to the office in the immediate prosecution of quality projects beneficial to the general public,” Alquiza said.

He urged contractors who have commissioned the services of sub-contractors and laborers to make it a point to settle their obligations so that they will not be given bad remarks for their simple refusal to pay their debts with those who helped them implement and complete their projects.

At present, the DPWH is now vigilant on erring contractors, thus, they will not be allowed to collect their final billing unless no sub-contractors and laborers will file their claims with the office.

Aside from the completed rehabilitation of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road , other huge projects being implemented in the cordillera include the rehabilitation of phases two and three of the Halsema Highway , the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road and the Abatan-Mankayan-Cervantes road and the Cervantes-Sabangan secondary arterial road. – Dexter A See



DPWH warns erring crushing plant in Baguio: Vacate area
By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY -- The regional Department of Public Ways and Highways has issued a final warning to a crushing plant to remove or relocate the plant within fourteen days before legal action will be executed.

Mariano Alquiza, DPWH regional director, said this crushing plant has been causing the Philippine government a loss of millions of pesos in damages to road structures and other facilities within the area due to its operation.

Alquiza issued his warning to the Caroline Francisco Crushing Plant, located along Dungon, Camp I, Tuba, Benguet recently.

Alquiza said, the crushing plant is located only about 200 meters from the bridge along Kennon Road, connecting Camp I to nearby La Union Province, under the law, crushing plants must be located one kilometer before and after a bridge.

Because of the proximity of the crushing plant and the diversion of the flow of the river, the DPWH has been constantly repairing environs of the bridge and rip-rap walls causing millions in tax payer’s money.

Instead of the funds being used for other projects, we now spend millions for repairs caused by the crushing plant, Alquiza said.

The DPWH has issued notices on June 26, 2007 and May 23, 2008 for Caroline Francisco to remove her crushing plant, located at the mouth of the Bued River in Dungon.

The structure has caused much sedimentation on the upstream further causing hazard to the bridge and road structures within the waterways, Alquza’s letter stressed.

Francisco is given fourteen calendar days upon the receipt of the letter to remove or relocate the structure or face legal actions, Alquiza said.

Despite the vehement opposition of the DPWH-CAR on the operation of the said crushing plant, the Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-CAR) reportedly issued a sand and gravel permit to the operator which has now caused a friction between the two agencies.

Even residents living near the crushing plant expressed their opposition to the existence of the facility since it has been causing heavy pollution that is hazardous to the health of the people and the environment as well.

Alquiza said he stands firm on his decision to close the operation of the crushing plant due to the alleged threats it is posing to the stability of the road and other structures within the vicinity.


98 Baguio subdivision projects have no permits

BAGUIO CITY — City officials warned prospective buyers of house-and-lot packages of 98 subdivision projects in this mountain resort city and neighboring Benguet, saying these realty projects do not have certificates of registration and license to sell.

The warning was aired by Councilor Isabelo Cosalan Jr. who called on the developers, contractors, and subdivision owners to secure the permits from the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board before they start selling house-and-lot packages.

Records of the city government show that at least 98 real estate and subdivision projects are without certificates of registration and licenses to sell but these are being advertised to attract buyers.

City official said there is a need to warn and discourage would-be buyers against transacting with the owners of the unregistered and unlicensed projects to avoid problems in the future.

Cosalan said there is a possibility of endangering lives of people if the activities of the developers are not supervised by concerned government agencies that are in charge of regulating the implementation of these projects.

The city government first approves the development permit and subdivision plans before the HLURB issues the certificate of registration and license to sell of a subdivision. The subdivision owners can sell the property only after they comply with these requirements.

However, the city official said there are still many unscrupulous individuals or corporations that alter the plans and uses of communities and zones as prescribed by law. -- Dexter See


California, Baguio concerts raise funds for patients
Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- Nurturing the culture of caring they planted for the sick here in the 70s, home-grown Baguio musicians last month belted out mostly folk and country, in two concerts on both sides of the globe.

Baguio boys and girls in Northern California netted $1,600 in “At the Crossroads” A Reunion” concert last October 11 in a church in Daly City. Last week, they sent the proceeds - $775 for a 26-year old student afflicted with vasculitis and an equal amount for the family of Mary Chan, who recently succumbed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The remaining $50 will go to another patient, as per advice from lead singer Conrad Marzan and lead guitarist Richard Arandia. The two had set up the concert for-a-cause with Joel Aliping. Felix Tayaotao and other immigrants in the Bay Area.

Baguio-based musician-turned-columnist March Fianza, likewise handed to the DPS barangay council P19,800, the amount so far collected from “Songs for Mark Anthony”, a musical treat he organized last Oct. 28 at the Amarillo.

Together with succeeding collections, it will be for Mark Anthony Viray, a 10-year old boy who was back at the hospital last Tuesday for his next round of chemotherapy against cancer.

The kid, who just arrived with his widowed father from visiting his mother’s grave in Aringay, La Union, dreams of one day flying an airplane. Last August, he was diagnosed for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

His first two chemo rounds were bankrolled by former world karate champion Julian Chees, through Shoshin Kinderhelfe,. a humanitarian foundation he and his martial arts students established in southern Germany.

Chees, a former student of Edgar Kapawen of the Japan Karate Association, was here to visit his ailing mother when he learned of the boy’s medical plight and his dream of flight. Julian, originally from Maligcong, Bontoc, was back recently for the funeral of his mother Emilia.

Mary, elder sister of Jimmy and Pok Chan who used to host benefit concerts in the folk houses they managed, died while the Baguio boys in California were preparing for their reunion performance.

To save on the venue rental costs, priest and musician Leonard Oakes opened the doors of Holy Child-St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Daly. As did Amarillo proprietor Novie Balageo for the concert here.

Guitarists-vocalists Hector Cruz and Rene Aguinaldo drove all the way down from Canada to Daly to complete the cast with Estoy Aglit, Chat and Pendong Aban of Asin band fame, Janus Ananayo, Bryan Aliping, Miggs Meru, Kerri Somebang., Paula and Nadine Arandia, Fina Pengosro, Elana Aliping, Joshua and Heather Oakes and Kristen Pallano.

Arandia said they now call themselves, musically, “The Uncle Experience”. Whatever it means, they found uncles and aunts in California. Vic and Madeline Pengosro and Sobrena and Isabelo Somebang worked behind the scenes, Angche Sherpa offered his audio system expertise, and members of the BIBAK of Northern California and the Baguio Californians filled up the church.

Here, Fianza drew the talents of Cruise Control, Blue Graz, Shgakilan, Dalluyon, Munay, Mix Emotions, NTY Moves, performing lawyers Bubut Olarte, Rolly Vergara, Nes Mondok and Angie Cabrera, Sara, Alfred Dizon, Art Mina, Liza and Sumitra, Brix, Mike Santos and Co., Dick Oakes and home-coming Felix Tayaotao.

He found support from the DPS barangay council led by punong barangay Narcisa Laguitan, an anonymous donor-friend who bought P10,000 worth of tickets, friends in the police force, Cristy Angeles of SM Foundation, Jonie Itliong, sportsman Swanny Dicang and several others who came to donate.

To cut on costs, snacks were paid for from funds from Freddie de Guzman, another Baguio boy in Canada who has been supporting patients here since three years back.

Outside the concert halls, that same anonymous friend of March had P4,000 delivered to the mother of John Mark Enriquez, a toddler who afflicted with medduloblastoma, or tumor of the brain. The boy turned four last Thursday.

From Hawaii, a lady who read another patient’s story on the internet sent $110 to Josephine Almeron, a 41-year old solo parent and security guard who is battling breast cancer.

A multi-titled sportsman added P1,000, and an equal amount for Angelix Felix Yambao, a close-to-three-year old baby stricken with hydrocephaly and epilepsy.