DepEd, suppliers sign integrity pact to curb corruption

VOWING to stamp out graft and corruption in the department tasked with providing quality basic education, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro signed on Tuesday a pledge of integrity pact with its suppliers, business partners, and civil society groups.

Senate committee backs NGO participation in budget process

A BILL to include people's organizations in the national budget process got the nod of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday.

Penalties for abuse of the elderly proposed

A BILL has been filed at the Senate to protect Filipino elderly from abuse at the hands of their caretakers.

Recto: Extend pre-school, not high school

THE Department of Education (DepEd) should put more years into pre-school instead of extending high school by one year, Senator Ralph Recto said Tuesday.

Lawmaker moves to save music industry through tax exemptions

TO SAVE the dying music industry, Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño is pushing for the passage of a bill exempting concerts by local artists from amusement taxes.

2 jailbreak inmates shot dead in Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Police gunned down two fugitives who were among the seven prisoners who escaped a detention facility in Zamboanga del Sur on Monday.

A jail guard and a prisoner were killed in a firefight Monday when the fleeing inmates grabbed a guard's pistol during visiting hours at the facility in Pagadian City, Philippine National Police spokesman Agrimero Cruz Jr. said.

1st batch of female bus drivers to undergo skills test

THE first batch of 23 female bus drivers will undergo an assessment of their skills on Wednesday, after completing a road safety training program.

Benefits of updated country map discussed

A PROJECT expected to produce an updated Philippine map with high-resolution images would be beneficial to the Philippines, allowing effective delivery of goods and services up to the grassroots level in the archipelago.

Armm poll postponement approved

TAKING the cue from President Benigno Aquino III, members of the House Committees on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms and Muslim Affairs voted to postpone the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).

Guv approves 'garbage summit'

LUBAO -- Governor Lilia Pineda on Monday gave her nod on a "garbage summit" designed to curb the growing waste problem.

Pineda, upon seeing photographs of open dumpsites, expressed alarm and dismay on the non-cooperation of some mayors on the issue, which has been dragging on for many years.

Hearing on election protest vs lawmaker set

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A House of Representatives panel is set to conduct a preliminary conference to look into an election protest filed by a Liberal Party candidate against a re-elected Pampanga lawmaker.

House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) chairperson and Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales scheduled the conference on February 24 at 10:30 a.m. It will be held at the conference room of the HRET building in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

Feb. 25 a regular working day nationwide

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz announced that February 25, or the commemoration of the Edsa Revolution is a regular working day across the country.

Based on Proclamation Number 84, Baldoz said President Benigno Aquino III declared the 25th anniversary commemoration of the Edsa Revolution as a special holiday only for schools nationwide, but not for government and private offices.

PhilHealth registers 1.48 million members in 2010

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in Central Luzon has registered nearly 1.5 million members and gathered more than P1 billion worth of contributions in 2010.

Bizmen assured of intensive anti-criminality drive

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Military and police officials here assured over the weekend members of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham) of an intensified anti-criminality and security program.

Calibration site launched in Clark

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Department of Natural Resources and the Geodetic Engineers of the Philippines Inc. (Gepi) launched over the weekend the first-ever calibration site for geodetic equipments at the Stotsenberg Park here.

Council endorses construction of road

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The San Fernando City Council formally passed during its recent regular session a resolution endorsing the construction of a circumferential road at Barangay Calulut to the Regional Development Council (RDC).

Execs urged to help employ Kapampangan nurses

CANDABA -- A group of parents is asking the help of the Provincial Government for the possible employment of their children who are currently unemployed after passing the nursing board examination.

Rotarians donate medicines, supplies to hospital

ANGELES CITY -- Members of the Rotary Clubs of Midtown Tarlac and Mabalacat recently donated medical supplies and pediatric medicines to the Ospital Ning Angeles (ONA).

Guihulngan identifies sanitary landfill site

THE newly converted Guihulngan City has identified a probable site for its sanitary landfill in compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Mines bureau denies large-scale mining in Samar

PALO, Leyte -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Eastern Visayas welcomed the congressional inquiry initiated by Samar congressmen on the reported rampant mining activity in Samar Island.

However, the MGB strongly denied allegation that there are mining activities involving large-scale operations in any part of the island.

No permit issued to mining firm: official

A LEYTE provincial board member said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has not issued any mining permit to companies who want to operate in the province.

Board Member Roque Tiu, chairman of the committees on public information and environment, said the MGB has not issued any permit for any commercial mining operation to Nicua Mining Corporation.

Towns urged to lead in poverty reduction program

BUDGET and Management Secretary Florencio Abad has urged local government units (LGUs) to "take the leadership" in implementing poverty reduction programs.

The call came as the National Government step up its support system by increasing the budget for key social services.

Aquino's sister visits Leyte

PALO, Leyte -- Some 100 women from this town are on track to living a cancer-free life after getting cervical cancer vaccines from presidential sister Kris Aquino.

Salesman found dead

A SALESMAN of a Laguna-based automobile parts company was found dead early Tuesday in Antipolo Drive, Tumaga village in Zamboanga City.

Police Station 7 commander Felixberto Martinez said the victim, Lucas Cabot, 42, was found dead around 4:30 a.m. with a bullet wound in the nape.

Registration for Spes begins

THE Zamboanga City Government has set out guidelines for the Summer Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) starting April with bigger funding allocation and higher number of beneficiaries.

The registration started Monday until March 10.

City renews insurance cards of indigents

MAYOR Celso Lobregat leveled up Tuesday his administration's health insurance program by renewing the Philippine Health Insurance Cards (PhilHealth) of 9,762 beneficiaries representing the different indigent sectors in Zamboanga City.

Among those renewed beneficiaries were 4,750 holders of PhilHealth cards that expired in December 2010, which included 4,300 indigents from the villages and 450 others from the different sectors.

River group summit slated on March 5

MEMBERS of the Iloilo River Development Council (IRDC) will meet with Senator Franklin Drilon and stakeholders on March 5 at Hotel del Rio here.

Towns benefit from government programs

THE 13 Iloilo towns surrounding the Jalaur river basin in the province of Iloilo will benefit with the convergence program of three government agencies.

The agencies will ensure the rehabilitation of natural resources and ensure food security and livelihood in the towns to help alleviate rural poverty.

Deployment ban in 3 Arab countries issued

MANILA (Updated 12:16 p.m.) -- The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has temporarily held the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen, a Malacañang official said.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the announcement on Tuesday, a day after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised Filipinos to postpone non-essential and non-urgent travels to Libya, Bahrain and Yemen until the security situation there stabilizes.

Government, rebels aim for 2012 peace deal

NESBRU, Norway (Updated 12:03 p.m.) — Negotiators for the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) concluded the first round of formal talks after a six-year impasse, with an agreement to complete the peace talks in 18 months.

Ending the first round of long-stalled peace negotiations in Norway, the two panels agreed to meet again in April and every two months after that until a peace deal is achieved.