NEWS BRIEFS

Cordillera OFWS safe in Hongkong

BAGUIO CITY -- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, – Cordillera Autonomous Region  (OWWA-CAR) had assured that the 13,496 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the region are safe in tension – filled Hong Kong.  Manuela Peña, OWWA- CAR said that while the OFWs are not directly joining the demonstrations, she said families here should continue to advise their relatives in Hong Kong to avoid the demonstration areas. She added that the Embassy in Hong Kong had not issued an advisory or restriction banning the deployment of workers in the former British colony.

Northern Luzon’s search for outstanding men, women on

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan  – The search for outstanding young men and women who have shown exemplary contributions to their community is open for nomination in North Luzon.

Themed “Changing the Future through Excellence,” the search seeks to recognize Filipinos who dedicated themselves to their profession and vocation for the welfare of their countrymen, a report from the Philippine Information Agency in Pangasinan said.

Mark Lester Manalo, chair of the search committee of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Foundation, said nominees must be Filipino citizens, at least 18 to 40 years old and would not turn 41 by December this year and has not been conferred the TOYM award.

“Nominees must have outstanding achievement in areas of community service, arts, literature, journalism, education, law, politics, agriculture, science and technology, economics, banking, business, sports, and government services,” Manalo said in a press conference at the Metro Plaza here Friday.

For more details contact JCIP secretariat at (02)373-7908-09 and (02)374-4138.   – Eva Visperas 

35 seniors take control of Baguio City Hall

BAGUIO CITY -- Thirty-five senior citizens served as officials for a day, taking over the seat of the congressman, the mayor, the whole city council, and even all the departments of City Hall, Monday.

Taking her oath in the morning, Mayor for a Day Flora Balaba took over the responsibilities of Mayor Mauricio Domogan from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., dispensing the duties of the office, as part of the activities for Senior Citizens’ Month.

Former city hall employee Eduardo Gamayon took over as congressman while Hrothgar Mori sat as vice mayor. The 13 councilors as well as the department heads of the city government also had to yield their seats to their elderly “replacements.”

Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, chairman of the City Council committee on Social Services, Women and Urban Poor, said those chosen to take the positions had to be screened as part of the Senior Citizens Official for a Day (SCOFAD) program.

Each of them received the day’s salary of the official they replaced.

Firm to replace Agoo water lines destroyed by 1990 quake

AGOO, La Union, – A private company has started the construction of a P350-million potable water supply facility here that will replace structures and pipelines destroyed during a killer quake in 1990.

The Metro Agoo Waterworks Inc. (MAWI) has tapped the water of the Aringay River in Barangay Garcia, Tubao town for the project. 

Jolly Ting, MAWI chairman, told The STAR they would install more than seven kilometers of water transmission lines from Tubao to Agoo and 53 kilometers of distribution pipelines to serve at least 7,000 households.

“We hope to finish the project by the last quarter of 2015 and we will deliver potable water to households,” Ting said during a groundbreaking program yesterday.

Ting said aside from Agoo, they hoped to expand the project to the nearby towns of Aringay, Tubao and Sto. Tomas.

He said the water distribution rates would be based on those set by the National Water Resources Board.

Agoo Mayor Sandra Eriguel said a feasibility study for the project was done in 2011.

She said the July 1990 killer quake destroyed the water table or aquifer of Agoo and the underground supply became saline as the town is near to the Lingayen Gulf.

“Since then (the earthquake), the Agoo Water District (AWAD) cannot supply anymore the consumers. It went bankrupt because there were only 153 consumers left while Agoo has 65,000 population that needs potable water,” she said.

AWAD stopped operation three years ago and water supply became dirty due to dilapidated pipelines.

Search for model OFW ongoing 
BAGUIO CITY  - The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera Administrative Region is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Regional Model OFW Family of the Year Award here.

Nominations are for OFW families where a regional winner will be chosen for each category and automatically be the nominees for the national level.

In order to be eligible for nomination, an OFW family must have the following qualifications; the family must be headed by an OFW, land-based or sea-based, formerly or presently working abroad with a formal or informal contract of employment or work permit and with proof of OWWA membership.

The OFW’s migration is not permanent, holder of a Philippine Passport and does not have an immigrant status in a foreign country, OFW’s employment is documented and he/she should possess a valid residency or work permit as well as other employment records.

Nominations from overseas is accepted provided that the family of the nominee is in the Philippines, the OFW can be either married or single and should be the head of the family and has at least four years of experience of work as an OFW.

The OFW family is known to have a solid and stable family in the locality.
Deadline for submission of nominations will be on October 15 at the OWWA-CAR office located at No. 17 RM building, Private Road, Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City.
Aside from trophies and certificates of recognition, winners will receive cash prizes and gifts from major sponsors.

The 2014 regional MOFYA Search aims to give proper recognition to the OFWs and their families who have demonstrated stable and enduring family ties, outstanding community service and successful educational attainment of family members and profitable business ventures.  – Paul Rillorta

AFP chief to soldiers: Treat rifle as your wife

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. has a word of advice to soldiers who received new M4 rifles.

“I told him he should treat the rifle like his wife or if he is still single, his girlfriend,” he said, referring to what he told  Pvt. Kevin Amarille, the soldier with the lowest rank at the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), during recent ceremonial turnover of rifles here.

“You should not give it away to enemies or let it rust,” he added.

Catapang said “seeing these assault M4 rifles in their hands gives them the confidence that we will successfully hit our goals and exact peace and ensuring continuous development in our country.”

About 400 rifles were distributed to the 79th IB and Light Reaction Regiment, which are involved in counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism.

The firearms are among the 50,629 M4 rifles acquired by the government from American firearms manufacturer Remington Outdoor Co. for P1.9 billion.

A total of 27,200 of these rifles were delivered last month while the rest will arrive in December.

Catapang said the Army will receive a total of 44,186 units while the Navy will get 6,443 units.

The heavy-barreled, fully automatic and wear-resistant rifles will replace the old, worn-out M16A2 assault rifles, officials said.   – Manny Galvez

Bauko trading post construction on

BAUKO, Mountain Province – A municipal trading post is now being constructed here after issues on the matter were settled. 

This was the offshoot of recent agreement between seven organizations and the municipal government.

Output of the meeting was a resolution signed for construction of the facility approved by Mayor Abraham B. Akilitand funded by the Department of Agriculture under its Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Projects.

Work was earlier suspended by the Sangguniang Bayan of Bauko due to some concerns raised by Barangay Abatan officials wherein location was primary concer. Site of construction now is at municipal hall ground since there was no other available location. Other issues such as construction of a public market were also discussed including acquisition of lot for future municipal building constructions. – Arsenia Addon

Dagupan eyes branding of own milkfish

DAGUPAN CITY– A team is working on a branding project for the local milkfish, which includes packaging and marketing, to strengthen marketability of Dagupan bangus and make it distinct from those produced in other parts of the country.

The move is being initiated by the city government in a bid to end a long-running issue on mislabeling of Dagupan bangus.

Vendors across the country, particularly in Metro Manila, tell their buyers that their milkfish come from Dagupan even if these are sourced  from other towns.

Mayor Belen Fernandez recently met with a group of fish vendors, pond operators and market inspectors to discuss plans for the branding of the city’s bangus.

The dialogue was part of a program to address problems regarding sustainability of supply of Dagupan milkfish.

Fernandez cited need to protect and secure the name of the city’s agricultural products.

Personnel from the city agriculture office (CAO) urged fishpond operators and vendors to submit data that would be used in scheduling bangus harvest.

Fernandez bared plans of the city council to pass an ordinance requiring the issuance of a certificate of origin to distinguish milkfish harvested in Dagupan and in other areas.

Personnel from CAO, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the mayor’s office and  fishpond owners will be tasked to scrutinize and issue the certificates of origin to bangus traders.

BFAR regional director Nestor Domenden will ask the national government to fund the establishment of the city’s bangus branding center. – Eva Visperas

Baguio adapts program to lessen waste

BAGUIO CITY – Officials of this mountain resort are adopting affordable methods in implementation of its solid waste management programs.

Pending the establishment of its Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS), the city government adopted the advocacy of the Environment and Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) strengthening waste recovery efforts in the city’s 128 barangays.

The program hopes to inculcate the importance of reducing waste through recovery and recycling efforts among its residents in particular.

The city government, EMB-CAR and barangays Lualhati, Pacdal, Gibraltar and Mines View entered into a memorandum of agreement in operation of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Barangay Lualhati here.

The project also included the launching of the Recyclables Collection Event (RCE) of EMB-CAR which promotes among others recycling at source, waste segregation and reduction and materials recovery as options in managing wastes. – Paul Rillorta

Ilocos cops seize 41 guns, 2 kilos shabu; 3 arrested

CAMP FLORENDO, San Fernando City, La Union– Ilocos police director Chief Supt. Roman A. Felix announced here last week seizure of 41 assorted firearms, hundreds of ammunition and two kilograms of shabu, bullet proof vests and several firearm bags and holsters in Sta Rosa, Laguna. 

Three suspects were arrested in the operation.   

According to Felix, personnel from the intelligence, investigation and legal division of police Region 1, Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of police Region 4 and Philippine National Police Special Action Forceimplemented two search warrants issued by Judge Thelma Bunye-Medina of Regional Trial Court Brance 32, Manila at the residence of George Fajardo aka Lorenzo Fajardo, 60 and Ricardo de Rueda, Jr., 48  at Macabling, Sta. Rosa, Laguna around 3 a.m.of Sept. 18.

Both were arrested. 

Also arrested were Estrella L. Lueles, 53, resident of  Macabling, Sta. Rosa ; Pablo Javier of Biclat, San Miguel, Bulacan and NolitoGarfil, 43, of Morsia, Bacolod City. – Myds Supnad

Baguio road inspectors report 50% decrease in smoke belching fines

BAGUIO CITY – The Roadside Inspection Testing and Monitoring Team (RITMT) under the City Environment and Parks Management Office reported collection of fines for the Anti-smoking ordinance decreased by 50 percent  here.

The data showed only P256,050.00 in fines from smoke belching vehicles was recorded for the period July 23 to August 20 which is 50 percent lower than their collection of P626,400.00 for the period March 27 to May 21 this year.

As perreport of Wastewater, Water and Ambient Air Management Division (WAMD) Chief Engr. Moises Lozano, the fines were derived from the apprehension of motorists in violation of the Anti-Smoke Belching Ordinance of the city.

Engr. Sofronio Pascua clarified, “the decrease in fines mean motorists are now more compliant and aware of the existing ordinance.”