COMMUNITY BILLBOARD

Two arrested in buy bust
BAGUIO CITY – Two alleged illegal drug pushers were nabbed here by police Jan. 19 in buy-bust operations.

Jerry Alvin P. Lee, 26, of Sagubo, Kapangan, Benguet and presently residing at Tandang Sora St, Camdas Subdivision here yielded dried marijuana leaves valued at P7,579.

His companion, identified as Joerald Ugaldey Dameg was also nabbed in a separate operation. Confiscated from him was shabu worth P354.

Japan extends aid to Aurora
AURORA – The Japanese government has extended financial assistance to two projects in the province of Aurora with a combined worth of P780 million.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Manila, Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura will first grace the ground breaking ceremonies of the “Project for Improvement of the Aurora Memorial Hospital” in Reserva, Baler, Aurora.

The Aurora Memorial Hospital, which costs approximately 1.09 billion Japanese Yen, or approximately P509 million, is funded under the Japan’s Grant Aid Program.

It will be the only hospital in Aurora that can perform surgical procedures, thus reducing the number of patients transferred to other provinces.

DA distributes rice seeds to Kalinga farmers
TABUK, Kalinga – Rice farmers in this province have Kalinga found relief from heavy damage inflicted by super typhoon “Juan” to their crops that were on their vegetative, flowering, and harvestable stages last October with the distribution of 12,532 bags of certified rice seeds subsidy from the Department of Agriculture under its calamity assistance program.

Provincial agriculturist Gerry Jose said 11,231 bags fall under the 50-50 subsidy or farmers will pay half of the cost per bag amounting to P600, while 1,301 bags are covered under full subsidy.

Farmers allotted with the 50-50 subsidy are those who have chances of recovery covering an affected area of 11,231 hectares, while those under full subsidy are without chance of recovery coming from an affected area of 1,301 hectares. -- Dexter See

Colorum vehicles’ legalization on
BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Department of Transportation and Communications regional office here is trying to humanize harsh penalties by trying to legitimize the operation of at least 1,000 colorum vans and taxis operating in the region to prevent a transport crisis.

However, Celina Claver, DOTC regional director, said the rapid growth in the region’s population has also resulted to bigger demand for public transport. --Dexter See

Computers given to 7 Pampanga libraries
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The National Library of the Philippines turned over seven KOHA computer units to seven public libraries in the province in ceremonies held recently at the Pampanga provincial library.

Provincial librarian Bessie D. Makabali said the computers were turned over by the NLP to the city and municipal libraries of Guagua, Floridablanca, Sasmuan, Macabebe, Masantol, Angeles City and the provincial library here.

Baguio decreases waste volume
BAGUIO CITY— The segregation of residents’ waste at source has significantly reduced volume being dumped at the Irisan open dumpsite.

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan reported from the average of 166 tons of waste being brought to the Irisan dumpsite daily, the same has been reduced to 103 tons or approximately 40 percent as people are now learning to segregate their waste before their collection schedules. --Dexter A. See

Pinatubo victims get land titles
PAMPANGA – Some 302 families in Pampanga displaced by the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 have been relocated by the government.

This developed after Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Jejomar C. Binay awarded lot titles to the 302 qualified families from the villages of Bacolor, Mabalacat and Angeles City who were affected by the massive volcano eruption.

According to the National Housing Authority (NHA), the families are now “safely and securely resettled” at the Camachile Resettlement Project in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
“The Camachile project, which occupies a total land area of 26.80 hectares, was acquired in January 1992,” NHA said.

OFW center for Pangasinan pushed
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Provincial Board member Ranjit Ramos Shahani is pushing establishment of an OFW center in the province that will on problems of overseas Filipino workers.

Shahani said the center should accommodate any complaint from OFWs’ relatives who are in trouble abroad.

He brought up the need for such an office for OFW concerns following the repatriation last week of the remains of three OFWs from Saudi Arabia.


P204 M from Spain for N. Ecija risk reduction
CABANATUAN CITY -- A P204.197-million fund is set to be used for a disaster risk reduction project for marginalized families in Nueva Ecija affected by recent typhoons.

The government of Spain, through the Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrolo (AECID) in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Local Government Academy identified the five LGUs that will benefit from this project, namely San Jose City, Carranglan, Pantabangan, Rizal and Llanera.

Ilocos Region PNP chief justifies cops’ training
CAMP FLORENDO, La Union — Chief Supt. Franklin J.B. Bucayu, Police Regional Office 1 director, announced recently the need to retrain police officers to be more effective in field operations.

Bucayu said the back-to-basics program will enhance their capabilities in investigation, proper first-response actions and procedures, crime scene preservation and management, case build-up, proper use of firearms, arrest and handcuffing techniques, and the like.

He said the retraining of the first batch of 60 members of the PRO1, which began last Jan. 11, is in line with Director-General Raul M. Bacalzo’s Eight Foundation Initiatives in the Philippine National Police.


Bulacan cops deputized to guard nature
SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan — Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy Alvarado signed last week a memorandum of agreement for the deputation of the Bulacan Provincial Police Office under the leadership of Senior Supt. Fernando S. Villanueva, as forest marshals and protectors of the environment.

Under the MOA members of the PPO may apprehend illegal loggers, poachers, mining and quarry operators and haulers of illegally-sourced extracted mineral, quarry materials, illegally cut logs and others violating provision of provincial ordinance on mining and proper disposal of waste.

Coldest in Nueva Vizcaya: 12°C
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines –This landlocked province Tuesday experienced its coldest temperature in recent years at 16 degrees Celsius.

The temperature was recorded early morning, the coldest since 2006 when the province had 12 degrees Celsius.

Nueva Vizcaya generally has cool weather this time of the year.

Dagupan gets 2 patrol bikes
DAGUPAN CITY -- The city police’s anti-crime drive got a boost after a private firm donated two motorcycles to be used for the regular patrolling of the city’s business district.

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim received the donation from Guanzon Lo, vice president and general manager of Guanzon Group of Companies, during opening of Guanzon Festival Grand Leg at the public square last Jan. 14.

Lim said the city police will use the patrol motorcycles particularly for going after notorious holdup duos riding-in-tandem on motorcycles.

Use of iodized salt drive on
LINGAYEN,Pangasinan – The Provincial Health Office here will conduct an information and communications campaign promoting the salt iodization program as it spearheads this year’s celebration of the Goiter Awareness Week on Jan. 23 to 29.

In line with the theme, “Iwas Goiter ni Mommy, Lusog Isip ni Baby,” provincial health officer Ana de Guzman said the campaign focuses on pregnant and lactating women who should be informed on the benefits of using iodized salt.

De Guzman said iron deficiency is the number one cause of preventable mental retardation in the Philippines and the most visible effect of this deficiency is goiter or an enlarged thyroid gland.