NEWS BRIEFS

Truck hits bus; 1 dead, 6 hurt

CARRANGLAN, Nueva Ecija -- A woman died and six others were injured when their bus was hit by a truck along the highway here at dawn on Tuesday. 


Senior Insp. Adriano Gabriel, Carranglan police chief, said the fatality has yet to be identified.

Joan Esteves, Eric Ruiz, Romy Sabado, Yolanda Bungihan, Dellin Roman and Mia Rodriquez, all passengers of the Cagayan-bound GV Florida bus (BVT-884), were injured.

 Initial investigation showed the truck, which was loaded with animal feed and bound for Tarlac, was speeding when the accident occurred.

The drivers of the two vehicles identified as Michael Angelo Santos and Michael Gapac were arrested. – Raymund Catindig

Kalinga  Rep. promises continuity of projects

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Rep. Allen Jesse Mangaoang promised to work for passage of vital laws of local application and accomplish in the Lower House unfinished legislative business of his predecessor  to continue development.

“Much has been accomplished by former Congressman Manuel Agyao but, there’s also much to be done,” he said adding he will re-file bills which were not enacted during the 16th Congress.He particularly mentioned House Bill No. 4825 which seeks to establish the Kalinga Museum and Cultural Heritage Center and House Bill No. 02021 for the creation of the Chico River Development Authority.

 He said he will work for the elevation of roads to national category so that they will be improved to hasten the mobility of people, and lure investors and tourists.

 Annex secondary campuses, he said shall also be converted to national high schools. He also vowed to continue providing scholarship grants to indigent students.

 Mangaoang also committed to help curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the province. “Since my plans jibes with the 10-point economic development agenda of Pres. Duterte, we shall be working hand in hand with the line agencies and local government units fund their programs and projects and together clean the illegal drug menace,” he said. -- Peter A. Balocnit

JHMC workers, war vet feted  in Fil-Am Day rites

BAGUIO CITY -- The John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) in partnership with the local government through the City Tourism Office celebrated 70th Fil-Am Friendship day last July 4 at Bell Amphitheater at Historical Core of  Camp John Hay. 

Camp John Hay was the first place in the country which was bombed by Japan during World War II killing American and Filipino soldiers.  

JHMC president Jamie Agbayani welcomed guests Rep. Mark Go, Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Councilors Michael Lawana, Elaine Sembrano, Elmer Datuin, Mylen Yaranon and Lilia Farinas.

Also present were some war veterans. 

Four individuals were cited for notable contributions in preservation and maintenance of John Hay. They were Ponciano delos Reyes, and Cesar Ligante, both JHMC employees and Romeo Dangle, a former employee. Nars Padila, former Baguio councilor, newsman and war veteran, also received an award. -- Zyrelle Del Prado

Lumdang di Buko marks Nutrition Month

BAUKO, Mountain Province -- Nutrition Month was celebrated here through a traditional thanksgiving feast called lumdang on Friday at the municipal gymnasium.  A lumdang menu which consists of beans and meat was shared by participants from 22 barangays. The month of July (wawao) is normally the harvesting season for legumes and livestock including rice. Traditionally, at this time of the year, every sitio (obon) or individual family pool portion of their produce in the at-ato (sitio hall) to be cooked and shared by every member of the community in a thanksgiving day called lumdang. It is now widened a municipal celebration in observance of nutrition month and to sustain the tradition of sharing harvest.

Other features of this year’s celebration of lumdang were: search for the healthiest senior citizen, smarty preggy (5-8 months),  search for healthiest baby and parent on Thursday, search for Most Productive People with Disabilities (Orthopedic disability)  and a poster making contest among high school students on nutrition. A parade with the best vegetable produce started the day. Pre- lumdang activities were also conducted like tree planting activities, Search for Healthiest School and best Bahay Kubo and Information Education campaign on health and nutrition. -- Arsenia Addon

Student dies in fistfight

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan – A senior high school student died after engaging in a fistfight with his classmate in this city on July 22.

The fatality, identified as Alvin Jones Prade of Telbang National High School, and his classmate Meljoe Bornon, were teasing each other when a quarrel broke out between them.

The quarrel led to a fistfight and Prade fell to the ground, unable to stand up.

He was brought to the nearby Western Pangasinan District Hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

         Bornon’s father surrendered him to the police. – Eva Visperas

Baguio ‘top citizens’ mull Cordillera Corner

BAGUIO CITY – The Society of Outstanding Citizens of Baguio (SOCOB) are planning establishment of a Baguio City-Cordillera corner at the city library.

This was discussed during a recent meeting here.  Among those present were SOCOB members; Mayor Mauricio Domogan, educators Elma Donaal, Rachel Bugtong, Gloria Leal, Priscilla Macansantos, Leonarda Aguinalde; public servants Joseph Alabanza, Betty Lourdes Tabanda, Amparo Rimas, Rebecca Domogan, Susan Angaga, Mercedes Garcia, Divina Bautista, Sonia Dao-as and couple Art and Helen Tibaldo.

The group said there was need for printed materials regarding the city and the Cordillera region’s heritage, culture and arts. Procurement and solicitation of materials is next on their agenda.

Local and foreign materials would be of interest to Cordillera culture researchers, the group said.     

SOCOB members, themselves awardees the past years, met on the process of choosing honorees for the city charter celebration on Sept. 1. This year’s nominees have already undergone screening and with the appointment of the board of judges, profile reviews and final interviews follow.

Awardees are chosen based on leadership; moral character; contribution, plans and programs to the community; nature, area covered and duration of the program; and impact. – Julie G. Fianza       

     

Legarda urges gov’t: Address malnutrition

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — A lawmaker has urged the government to strengthen programs that would address the country’s worsening malnutrition problem.

Sen. Loren Legarda aired the appeal during observance of the National Nutrition Month this July.

Legarda said the country’s chronic malnutrition rate has increased from 30.3% in 2013 to 33.5 % in 2015 based on latest Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) data.

“The basic cause of prevalent diseases suffered by children is malnutrition arising primarily from inadequate food intake. Undernourishment is largely preventable especially with early and effective interventions,” she stressed.

“We must tackle malnutrition concerns at the grassroots level. Our programs must be community-based and should involve our schools so that the importance of nutrition and health are also inculcated in the minds of our children,” said Legarda.

Legarda said she will also refile the “Malunggay” Development bill to spur the production, processing, marketing and distribution of malunggay in suitable areas of the country in order to acquire its benefits.

“Malunggay is a good source of provitamin A, vitamins B and C, and minerals, such as iron, among others. We need to formulate a sustainable framework for the growing of malunggay in every backyard so we can maximize its health, nutritional and other benefits,” she said. -- Freddie G. Lazaro

Actor comes out to clear name

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – An actor who was included on the drug watchlist of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) has come out to clear his name.

Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat, Bulacan police director, said Mariano de leon Regaliza, 57, popularly known as Julio Diaz, went to the Meycauayan police office on Monday.

Diaz told Supt. Lailene Amparo, Meycauayan police chief, that he used to be a drug user, but stopped after he underwent surgery in April.

Igmedio Lunaria, chairman of Barangay Langka, included Diaz’s name on the list submitted to BADAC.

The government has called on suspected drug personalities to come out to clear their name. – Ric Sapnu

BFP presses installation of fire equipment in schools

BONTOC, Mountain Province --  The Bureau of Fire Protection Provincial Office urged school officials here to install their school buildings with fire-fighting equipment to make their schools disaster- ready.

BFP officials gave the recommendations after municipal fire safety inspectors checked schools and school office buildings in the province.

Department of Education – Mountain Province Schools Division Superintendent Gloria Buya-ao had requested the BFP Provincial Office to conduct fire safety assessments of all the school buildings in the province.

In their consolidated fire safety inspection report, the fire safety inspectors found out most elementary and high school buildings have no appropriate fire-fighting gadgets such as fire extinguishers.

They also noted the absence of evacuation plans and directional exits signs in most of the school buildings which they said should be posted in visible walls of the classrooms.

BFP provincial fire marshall Chief Insp. Floyd Toyokan said school authorities should take fire safety seriously.

Toyokan said fire extinguishers play crucial roles as first aid response to fire specifically on small fires on their initial stages saying there were fire incidents that were successfully put out through the use of fire extinguishers.

In the recent Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting, Toyokan urged school officials to comply with the recommendations of the fire inspectors as part of their fire safety and readiness measures.

The Fire Chief said failure to install fire protection equipment in public buildings is a violation of Republic Act 9514 or the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008. -- Andrew Doga-ong

La Union cop chief replaced

CAMP DIEGO SILANG, La Union – Senior Superintendent Angelito Dumangeng was relieved Thursday as La Union police director.

Senior Supt. Leo Francisco replaced Dumangeng.

Dumangeng’s relief came a few days after Chief Supt. Ericson Velasquez was replaced as Ilocos region police director.

Chief Supt. Gregorio Pimentel replaced Velasquez.

Velasquez and Pimentel are both members of the Class of 1985 at the Philippine Military Academy.  

Ifugao reconstitutes prov’l anti-drug council

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- The provincial government here has reconstituted the Provincial Anti-drug Abuse Council (PADAC) in campaign against illegal drugs.  

Gov. Pedro Mayam-o issued an executive order reorganizing the PADAC to help address the drug problem in the province and pursue undertakings to improve public morals and maintain peace and order.

“The increasing use of illegal drugs has contributed much to the incidence of crimes and there is an urgent need to address the problem in order to effectively ensure community peace and harmony,” Mayam-o stated.

The anti-drug abuse council is chaired by the governor and the provincial director of the Ifugao Police Office as vice-chairperson. Members consist of heads of office of five line agencies, five provincial offices and three non-government organizations.

The council is tasked to serve as a focal point in the planning, implementation and evaluation of programs on drug abuse prevention.  It also provides for an effective mechanism for the coordination of existing services and programs and those which might be developed in the immediate feature, among others. 

The reorganization of PADAC is also pursuant to Department of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No 98-227 mandating local government units to create their respective  local anti-drug abuse councils. -- Marcelo B. Lihgawon

 SNAP conducts  info drive  on dam operations 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Host communities of  the  Ambuklao  and Binga dams in the province  were  recently kept  abreast of  operations and  safety consciousness of hydropower plants.

SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet, National Power Corp. and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) conducted the annual public information drive on the Ambuklao and Binga Dams and Reservoir operations.

It was attended by around 300 local government officials and residents of downstream communities of Ambuklao and Binga dams particularly barangay Ambuklao in Bokod and n barangays Dalupirip and Tinongdan in Itogon.

       The participants were likewise briefed on the conduct of annual spillway gate reliability testing set on July 25-29.

        SNAP -Benguet Plant Manager Emmanuel Lopez said reliability testing is carried out to ensure the reliability of spillway gates such that they work when required to maintain the integrity of the dams and ensure the safety of the people living downstream.

Apart from safety plan, also discussed were the different components of dam operations, flood forecasting and warning, and SNAP’s emergency action plan. This is part of the group’s safety consciousness campaign to better prepare the Ambuklao and Binga communities for emergencies.

SNAP-Benguet, NPC, and PSALM are part of a technical working group that ensures the safe and reliable operations of the Ambuklao and Binga dams. They are doing the info campaign for four years now.

The dams remain government-owned while the hydropower plants are operated by SNAP-Benguet. -- Susan Aro

DILG turns over P39.6M  for water, road  projects in Abra

BANGUED, Abra – The Department of Interior and Local Government awarded six projects amounting to P39.6 million to various local government units in the province last week.

DILG regional director Marlo Iringan and provincial head Millicent Cariño turned  the  checks  to the beneficiaries  at  the provincial capitol  here.  

Pidigan received P3M, Tineg- P15M, Lagangilang- P200, 000, Villaviciosa- P2M and Lagayan- P8.8M for construction of potable water projects.

The provincial government also received P10.6M for the road widening project from Dilong, Tubo going to Mountain Province. -- Ginalyn B. Brioso

DENR Kalinga issues titles to 55 school lots

TABUK CITY, Kalinga --  The provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources here reported it titled 55 school sites and is awaiting Presidential Proclamation of  51 more.

Daniel Iyadan of the DENR survey team said 29 school lots were titled under the free patent within the coverage of Tabuk Community Environment and Natural Resources Office and 26 in Pinukpuk CENRO.

He said the land properties are elementary and high school- owned lots which were donated by individuals.

Iyadan explained that owners of  lots within alienable and disposable lands   may acquire a title through a free patent  from  the DENR  but school lots within forest zones need presidential proclamation before free patent titles are issued.

To solve the problem of donors reclaiming their donations, DENR is urging other school administrators and principals whose lots are not yet delineated to request for survey. -- Peter A. Balocnit

 Baguio public school receives building from  SM Foundation

BAGUIO CITY– The Lucban Elementary School along Magsaysay Avenue, this city, is a beneficiary of a two-storey four-classroom building from the SM Foundation.

SM Foundation executive director for education Carmen Linda Atayde, SM Baguio mall manager Rona Vida Correa and Rafael Tallocoy of the city mayor’s office  together with  LES principal Joseph Estigoy and Parents Teachers Association president Girlie Garcia led blessing and inauguration of the newly completed school building.

       The new school building is fully furnished with four toilets, 200 armchairs, four sets of teacher’s tables and chairs, eight blackboards, 16 electric wall fans and four wall clocks.

“Four classes for Grade III students will occupy the four classrooms in this new school building,” Estigoy said.

       The Lucban Elem. School is the  second  biggest school with over 2,800 students mostly from barangays  Happy Homes, Trancoville, Dizon Subdivision, Quirino Hill, Sanitary Camp, Lower Quirino Hill, Lower Pinget and nearby areas  of La Trinidad,Benguet.  

Garcia also expressed gratitude to the SM Foundation for   the fully equipped new building with an ambience conducive to learning.     

Atayde said that the new building is the 75th school building the SM Foundation has donated as support to the different schools nationwide since its school building program started in 2002.

Recently, the Baguio Central School was a recipient of the high tech gadgets turning an old classroom into a “Smart Classroom” benefitting more than 3,000 elementary students of the city. – Redgie Cawis 

 DOST provides support services to Kalinga town

TANUDAN, Kalinga -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) extended support services to this town as start-up mechanisms towards entrepreneurial upbringing, health promotion and resiliency adaptation in its communities.

Alfonso Berto,  DOST provincial director here,  said  according the National Statistics Coordinating Board, Tanudan is the poorest municipality in the Cordillera Administrative Region hence its basis of selection as recipient of DOST’s Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program.

Services provided include livelihood, scholarship, water and sanitation gadgets, health and nutrition training, and disaster mitigation device.

Under the livelihood component of the CEST, the Nalyawan Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Taloctoc was provided coffee roaster and grinder for their coffee processing; cooking utensils and LPG tank and stove for banana chips and cornic processing.

Two scholarship grants were awarded to two college students in barangay Dupligan.

Some 110 water filters were distributed to elementary and secondary schools in the municipality while 315 water filters were distributed to households.

Berto said 50 barangay health workers and Barangay Nutrition Scholars were trained on baby food preparation using local resources.

 “A municipal-wide follow-up activity on supplemental feeding using DOST recipe (rice, mongo, iron fortified kernel) will be done for the benefit of six months to three years old children for a period of six months including regular weight monitoring,” he said. 

For disaster and mitigation, an automated, self-reading and self-data relay rain gauge was installed at Banagao last year. -- Peter A. Balocnit

Nutrition Council okays resolutions  to up programs

BAGUIO CITY --  Better implementation of nutrition programs are in progress as the Regional Nutrition Committee (RNC) in the Cordillera  approved  four new resolutions during the 2nd RNC meeting held recently.

The  resolutions deal with scaling up nutrition education for the poor, improving the status of Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), recognition of high performing local government units (LGUs) and adoption of LGU mobilization strategies.

Better knowledge and awareness on proper nutrition for the poor was highlighted.  It intends to adopt nutrition modules developed from the Nutrition Center of the Philippines’ “Pabasa sa Nutrisyon”. It will be integrated to the Family Development Sessions (FDS) under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Pilot areas are  in selected municipalities of Abra namely Malibcong, Luba and Tineg.

Improving status for BNS was discussed with the RNC deciding to help hasten process to amend Presidential Decree 1569 or the Barangay Nutrition Scholar Program. Taking from the petition prepared by the National Federation of BNSs, the RNC supported among others the proposal to upgrade the BNS  to salaried workers with a remuneration of P 5,000  a month plus allowance depending on their respective  LGU’s capacity. The proposal requests security of tenure and scholarships to immediate family members.

Recognition will also be given to LGUs with significant contribution to the Millenium Development Goal  targets for 2015. In particular, those with consistent decreases in malnutrition rates, those with less than one percent malnutrition prevalence and barangays with zero malnutrition rates in the last three years will be provided.  

A resolution is also approved regarding a “shepherding strategy” which aims to improve the nutrition status of low performing areas through assistance from high performing LGUs and from core team of the Regional Technical Assistants on Nutrition (RTAN) members .  The strategy also aims to help improve nutritionally depressed municipalities improve the nutritional status in their respective areas. Moreover,  the strategy also aims to help high achieving LGUs be able to sustain performance or further improve performance as they compete for national awards on nutrition.

Rita Papey of National Nutrition Council  expressed  that  such will empower not only the high achieving LGUs but also improve the status of nutrition in several areas. -- Arianne Nebrida

 Aeta farmers undergo modern aggie training

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Some 100 Aeta farmers from upland barangays of Floridablanca, Porac and Mabalacat City underwent training and seminars on how to properly plant high value crops and vegetables through the initiative of Gov. Lilia Pineda and the Office of Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).

Pineda met with Allied Botanical Corporation, a supplier of  quality seeds in the Philippines, and the Department of Agriculture with some Aeta representatives at the Provincial Capitol here to set a 12-day seminar and actual training for proper planting and soil conditioning.

The training-seminar was launched at Floridablanca National Agricultural School (FNAS) on July 21.

“Starting then, there will be a once-a-week seminar for some 100 Aeta individuals who are, at the same time, farmers in their local communities,” the governor said.

According to the governor, there is a need for such seminars because of her observation that all of the tribes’ farm produce lack quality which decreases their market value.

She also recognized the common problem among Aeta farmers who cultivate, sow, and harvest crops for some landowners.

        “With the trainings, they can eventually have their own produce,” she added.

        The farmers will be given 6,000 hybrid cacao seedlings and high-value crop seedlings from DA.

         “This is a step in achieving the provincial government’s dream of making Pampanga an ideal source of good seedlings in the Philippines.

         The provincial government also plans to establish a farmers’ market day at Clark Freeport Zone where some drug suspects who surrendered will be commissioned as workers as  part of their rehabilitation program. -- Franco Regala

BSU dean: Breastfeeding key to child’s good growth

BAGUIO CITY – The Dean of the Department of Human Nutrition and Food of the Benguet State University said mothers and babies properly nourished during pregnancy and babies exclusively breastfed during the first six months achieve optimum growth and better quality of life in the future.

Dr. Pelin Belino, Dean of the BSU Department of Human Nutrition and Food, said advantages of breast milk include the fact it is complete food for the baby for the first six months, provides good nutrition and everything the infant needs for healthy growth, contains essential nutrients needed for the baby’s cognitive development, as well as good bacteria and immunoglobulin for strong immunity, protects the baby from respiratory infections, diarrhea and other diseases, and fatty acids uniquely found in the breast milk can increase the intelligence quotient of babies up to seven points leading to better performance in school or at work later in life.

        Consequences of no breastfeeding from birth to six months include the fact that babies will not be able to achieve full potential for physical growth and cognitive development and are exposed to short and long-term health risks.

She said infant formula increases baby’s risk to infections, allergies, digestive problems, as well as obesity, cancers, diabetes and heart diseases in childhood or later in life, and that formula-fed infants are shown to have lower IQs compared to breastfed infants and may experience iron-deficiency anemia, which is also related to impaired cognitive development, risk to iodine deficiency may also increase.

If a mother doesn’t breastfed her infants, she said, it increases her risk to being overweight and obese and is exposed to diabetes, certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and mixed feeding can decrease breast milk production since its supply is driven by frequent, effective breastfeeding in response to the feeding cues of the baby.

       Dominga Dawe, nutritionist and dietician of the Under 5 Clinic of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), said those who had been properly nourished from conceptualization up to two years old and beyond are the ones who are intelligent in school and at work, and that health authorities can already predict the maximum height of the baby upon reaching two years old when given the proper nourishment for the first 1,000 days.-- Dexter A. See

Pro-PWD programs laid out in Bulacan

MALOLOS CITY -- Different programs and activities intended for the promotion of inherent rights and concerns of persons with disabilities (PWDs) are lined up in Bulacan as the province joined the celebration of the 38th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week.

With the theme, “Karapatan ng may Kapansanan, Isakatuparan… Now na!” the Provincial Council on Disability Affairs (PCDA) headed by Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado and facilitated by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) conducted a cultural variety show  dubbed as “Basta’t Bulakenyo, Kahit May “K” Okey” at SM Entertainment Plaza, SM City Baliwag recently.

The annual event showcased the unique talents of PWDs in singing and dancing, wherein 20 groups from 21 towns and three cities and different SPED schools in the province performed and participated in the event.

As part of the weeklong celebration, PSWD Officer Rowena Joson-Tiongson also announced that PGB with the cooperation of Philippine Band of Mercy (PBM) has conducted free medical screening and operations to over 200 children with club foot problems. – Freddie G. Lazaro

Ilocos Sur primed as cacao growing capital of N. Luzon

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – A group of cacao growers from the Ilocos region are aiming to transform Ilocos Sur into the cacao production capital of Northern Luzon.

Lawyer Robert Tudayan, pioneer chairperson of the Region 1 Cacao Industry Council (R1CIC), has started formulating the action plans to bring the goal to fruition.

Ilocos Sur currently has the widest cacao plantation area with more than 200 hectares.

“As our expression of full support for the cacao industry development, I urged all farmers in the Ilocos region to plant more cacao trees to reach the region’s target of 1000 metric tons for 2016,” said Tudayan, who is also a cacao farmer.

“The challenge is vast but let’s all work together and exert efforts to strategically push our cacao industry to be globally competitive,” said Grace Lapastora, Department of Trade and Industry-Ilocos Sur provincial director.

To strengthen the promotion on cacao industry in the Ilocos, the DTI Region 1 steered the Regional Cacao Industry Convergence and Technology Forum on July 7-8, 2016 participated in by cacao growers, processors, enablers, and industry stakeholders.

For his part, the DTI’s National Cacao Industry Cluster Director Edwin Banquerigo presented the National Industry Cluster Roadmap incorporating the profile, plans and investment opportunities of cacao industry.

Based on 2015 data, the country’s cacao production was at 14,000 metric tons. About 90% of it came from Davao.

Cacao industry players all over the country aim to increase cacao production to meet the increasing demands for chocolate in the international market.

“The country has a big potential to be one of the biggest cacao exporter in the world. Hence, other regions are being tapped to help improve the country’s cacao industry,” added Banquerigo. – Freddie G. Lazaro