NEWS BRIEFS

Baguio mayor: No trade fair in city parks

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan has expressed his opposition to any trade fair in government owned parks here.

This after requests for trade fairs will once again flood the city council to take advantage of the yuletide Season.

Domogan said,” the city’s Trade Fair Ordinance clearly disallows the conduct of trade fairs in all city-owned and managed public parks including government owned and controlled properties and facilities.’

“This is my stand on this, we will deny any application of trade fairs in any of our parks,’ he said.

The mayor however said barangays wanting to engage in fund raising activities for the yuletide season can do so in private properties and barangay owned properties.

“We are also offering to them the night market as venue for such fund raising activities, we can pinpoint an area for the expansion of the night market so everyone can avail of it,” he said.

the mayor said, “Barangay Christmas Baratilyos will not be allowed on public roads.”

“Maybe if they use private places for baratilyos then it can be allowed which will conform to the provision of the Trade Fair Ordinance,” he clarified.

The City Environment and Management office also recommends denial of Trade Fairs and other similar activities in city parks.

Meantime, the City’s Trade Fair Ordinance will be having a major facelift anytime soon in order that decisions in regulating such activities in the city’s parks will apply to all. – Paul Rillorta

Mountain Province, Benguet barangays forge sisterhood ties

SABANGAN, Mountain Province -- Officials of barangay   Tambingan here recently forged memorandum of agreement of sisterhood  with barangay Betag of La Trinidad, Benguet to foster understanding, friendship and goodwill.

The Sangguniang Barangay of Betag headed by Punong Barangay Peter D. Comila and Tambingan led by PB Cedric Rommel V. Likigan inked the MOA.

Both parties agreed to nurture and encourage friendship and cooperation between the two local government units and their constituencies through mutual sharing of the barangay best practices; provision of technical expertise and assistance in the area of promotion and development of the eco-tourism industry, including exchange of culture and education through exchange programs and education tours.

They also agreed to enhance trade relations on agricultural products, livestock and promotion of local handicrafts and strengthen educational and cultural relations with each party through scholarships, environmental research and eco-tours. They shall also strive to keep an open communication line for the possibility of forging joint ventures. -- Juliet B. Saley

Tabuk City gives early Christmas treat to PWDs

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The city government recently gave early Christmas treat to people with disabilities (PWDs) here through gift giving and parlor games.

The treat highlighted this year’s observance of the International Day of PWDs, where a program and party was prepared for the city’s PWDs at the People’s Gym.

Guest of honor and speaker Provincial Board Member Camilo T. Lammawin urged participants with his message that disability should never be a hindrance to normal living”.

‘God has gifted each one with talents and skills and for as long as we know how to discover and develop these gifts, no one is considered disabled’, Lammawin said.

The physical state of a person should not limit him or prevent him from being productive and become a normal member of the mainstream. Instead consider disability as strength and opportunity, he added.

He said he knows of many PWDs who are now more successful than other people with no physical disability at all.

In a related report, Mayor Ferdinand B. Tubban assured sustained assistance for the sector under the city government’s livelihood program.

Appreciating the PWDs as one of the most organized sectors in the city, Tubban said the city government has prepared financial aid for income generating projects next year.

Tubban told participants to consider themselves at par with others, believe in their capabilities and just live normally for they, too, are equally important citizens of the nation. -- Larry T. Lopez

Baguio sets parking areas for Christmas  season

BAGUIO CITY  -  This  summer capital is expecting voluminous influx of both domestic and foreign visitors this Christmas season and along with these is the problem of parking space in the city.  

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city has identified parking areas to be utilized by the motorists.

Apart from the existing parking areas, government properties like the Baguio City National High School grounds, Quezon elementary school, frontage of the PFVR building and the former city auditorium will be utilized as parking areas.

Domogan has also requested the private schools and the GSIS president Robert Vergara to allow the city to use their property as parking area this Christmas season.

He said police will be designated in identified parking areas to ensure safety of the motor vehicles.

The realization of the proposed off-street parking facility at Melvin Jones football grounds will take time because of opposition, thus,  Domogan said that the technical working group is still working on the terms of reference for multi-level parking building within the Ganza property to decongest city roads from excessive volume of vehicles that contribute to traffic jams in the city.

the mayor urged barangay officials to address the problem on parking along barangay roads by allotting available lots within their jurisdiction as common parking space for lease to residents with vehicles. Once the development of the city market will push through, the city is also looking for the possibility of putting up one or two floors centralized parking space in the market.-- JhoArranz

Change of name of local hospital in Benguet sought

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The  Benguet  SangguniangPanlalawigan urged the  National Historical Commission of the Philippines to approve renaming of  a provincial government supervised  hospital in the  province.

The change of name was sought for Kapangan Medicare Community Hospital” (KMCH) to be renamed “Kapangan Community Hospital”.

Board Member Esteban Piok, who authored the measure, said the word “Medicare” is rendered obsolete, thus the proposed deletion.   

The hospital was called the Kapangan Medicare Community Hospital since Sept. 23, 1982  after the Philippine Medical Care Commission (PMCC) which administered the former Medicare program. This is now called the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

The hospital is under the supervision of the provincial governor pursuant to  the Local Government Code of 1991 which devolved the management of all hospitals except for some selected medical centers to the provincial local government units. -- Susan Aro

More fire stations to be built in Abra

BANGUED, Abra --The Bureau of Fire Protection will here additional personnel and construct fire stations in four towns.

Provincial Fire Marshall   Senior Insp. Rogelio Nigos said the BFP hired 11 more fire personnel who are now assigned to various fire stations in the province.

The BFP regional office has also allocated funds for the construction of fire stations in the municipalities of San Quintin, Villaviciosa, Sallapadan and Licuan-Baay as well as the repair of fire station in Dolores. The buildings will be constructed early next year, Nigos bared.

The Department of Interior and Local Government has agreed to donate fire trucks to each fire station as its counterpart, he added.

Nigos said it is important to have fire station in all local government units as he appeals to LGUs who have none yet to donate lot for the construction of a BFP building.

Meanwhile, Nigos urged the public to buy only standard Christmas lights and reminded the public to double check their Christmas lightings to avoid fire incidents this season.

He also reminded business entrepreneurs to secure fire safety inspection certificate from the bureau to ensure safety standards in their establishments. -- Ginalyn B. Brioso

Dagupan school gets ‘Gulayan’ award

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — To encourage children in schools to take part in attaining sustainability and food security in the community, the city government started 10 years ago a vegetable garden in public school backyards. Employed in this project were agriculture technologies like aquaponics and hydroponics which were rewarded through the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” awards. This year, the Bonuan Boquig Elementary School became the back-to-back winner over 24 participating schools in the city. They received a total prize of P33,000 awarded by Mayor Belen Fernandez, who initiated the program when she was still a councilor. First runner-up was Carael Elementary School which was also adjudged as Best in Vegetable Garden. The school won P28,000 cash prize. Second runner-up was East Central Integrated School with a cash prize of P20,000 while third runner-up was Lucao Elementary School with P15,000 as cash prize. -- LiezleBasaIñigo

Food expo in Laoag helps SMEs

LAOAG CITY , Ilocos Norte — Aiming to develop Ilocos Norte as an ultimate destination of export-ready and top-quality food products, the Bakers and Restaurant Association of Ilocos Norte (BRAIN) successfully held the third Ilocos Norte Food and Trade Expo (INFOTEX), a three-day event at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, Laoag City that ended Dec. 5.

In partnership with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte headed by Gov. Imee Marcos, BRAIN organized INFOTEX to become an avenue to highlight the dynamic gastronomic scene of the province by bringing together local buyers and sellers. – Freddie G. Lazaro

DOJ designates Bernabe as Cordillera anti-trafficking chief

BAGUIO CITY -- Assistant City Prosecutor Ruth Bernabe was designated head of the newly formed Cordillera Administrative Region Anti-Trafficking Task Force (CATTF) as per Department of Justice order 809 established by the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT).

The members are Abra prosecutor Ferdinand Palma, Benguet Prosecutor Jurgenson Lagdao, Mountain Province Prosecutor Golda Bagawi, Ifugao Prosecutor Marvin Ngayawan, Kalinga Prosecutor Bartolome Gamonnac, Apayao Prosecutor Jhon Aguda, Tabuk Prosecutor Rito Bungaoen and Baguio Prosecutors Maria Nenita Opinana and Ma. Lourdes Esperanza Soriano.

The CATTF is designated to investigate and prosecute trafficking of persons cases in the Cordilleras. – Paul Rillorta

IFSU bares scholarships for Ifugao students 

LAMUT, Ifugao --  The Ifugao State University (IFSU) has  posted in its website scholarship programs and grants that interested and qualified students who enroll in the university can avail of to pursue and complete their higher education.

The scholarship programs include the Tertiary Education Assistance Program (TEAP), Social Cultural Scholarship (SCS), Service Scholarship (SS), Athletic Scholarship (ATS), Academic Scholarship (ACS), Barangay Official Dependent Scholarship (BODS), Tulong-Dunong Scholarship Grant (TDSG), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Scholarship Grant (4psSG), IFSU President Ngohayon Scholarship (IPNS) and the Igorot Cordillera BAMAAK Europe (ICBE) Scholarship for Education students.

The TEAP is by virtue of the Ifugao Provincial Ordinance 2004 dated Nov. 8, 2004 that gives financial assistance to poor but deserving secondary graduates of Ifugao to pursue their tertiary education and patronize the public tertiary schools in the province.

Under the TEAP, each barangay is entitled to one new slot every school year provided they qualify. Grantee shall receive P3,000 assistance per semester to cover tuition and miscellaneous fees paid directly by the provincial government to the tertiary or vocational school where the student enrolls.

The SCS gives due recognition to students who excel in socio-cultural performance where grantees will be recipients of tuition fee discounts.

The SS gives free full tuition scholarship for services rendered to the school as president of the University Student Supreme Government,  Graduate School Student Organization President, Editor-In-Chief of the IFSU Campus Newsletter or a member of the IFSU Drum and Bugle Corp.

For students who excel in the field of sports, the ATS is granted to new and old students who are officially enrolled in the university and willing to undergo training in the sports event they excel and under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Sports Program and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), a 100% discount for gold medal won in the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges or the PSC Programs, 75% discount for silver medal and 50% for bronze medal which the student enjoys during the succeeding semester after winning the event. -- Daniel B. Codamon

DENR-Kalinga completes  2015 NGP target

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources provincial office here reported it has accomplished its  2015 targets under the National Greening Program (NGP) last October or two months ahead  of schedule. 

SeverinoDalutag, provincial DENR officer, said the commitment of  two Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices Pinukpuk CENRO covering Pinukpuk, Balbalan, Pasil, Lubuagan, and Tinglayan and Tabuk CENRO covering Rizal, Tanudan, and this city made them accomplish  100%  of their target  by  end of October.

A total of 605,000 seedlings were planted in 1,210 hectares  by their partner barangays and peoples organizations, according to Dalutag.

Seedlings were already produced before the rainy months so that planting  was  fast tracked from July to September, he added.  

He reported they have  re-programmed their 2016 NGP plan, the last year of the 6-year regreening program under the Aquino administration and targeted 1,828 hectares to be planted.

"We will try to replicate our successes in NGP during the past years," Dalutag said. -- Peter A. Balocnit

Baguio Prosecutor’s Office cites 97 percent accomplishment

BAGUIO CITY – The Office of the City Prosecutor here cited 97.82 percent accomplishment in disposition of cases this year.

Prosecutor Rolando Vergara said,” the office has received a total of 2,337 new complaints under normal preliminary investigation or summary procedure from January to September this year.

 “Out of total 1,729 cases filed in court, 499 were dismissed by the office and 68 were referred to other agencies,” Vergara said.

“The number of pending cases still to be resolved as of Sept. is 50 and our disposition rate is 97.82 percent” he said.

For inquest proceedings, the office received 509 new complaints, filed 470 information in court and dismissed 33 cases while five cases were referred to other agencies.

This is despite the lack of manpower and office equipment the office is experiencing as per appeal from City Prosecutor Elmer Sagsago.

Sagsago said, “Ideally, there would be two prosecutors assigned per court, however there are only 15 prosecutors in office.’

“The office is also in dire need of additional staff to complement the prosecutors as those who have retired were never changed,” he added.

10 Luisita farmers’ groups to get business training

TARLAC – Ten farmers’ groups at the Hacienda Luisita here will be trained to become entrepreneurs, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said over the weekend. The move aims to encourage farmers to become not just producers but also entrepreneurs with stable sources of livelihood.

DAR Undersecretary Justin Vincent La Chica said apart from training in vegetable farming and strategies in marketing, the farmers would also undergo seminars on muscovado (raw sugar) production and livestock raising.

La Chica said farm machinery and service facilities have been turned over to the beneficiaries.

DAR has partnered with the Tarlac State University and Tarlac College of Agriculture to help provide agri-extension and business development services to the beneficiaries.

DAR has partnered with the Tarlac State University and Tarlac College of Agriculture to help provide agri-extension and business development services to the beneficiaries.

The CBAO ordered the contractor to improve the design and add more potted plants and LED lights at the base of the tree.

The project, which was unveiled on Dec. 1, reportedly cost P1.2 million.