Thousands turn up to run, plant trees

CEBU CITY – In contrast to reports of heavy rains and floods in many parts of the country, sunny weather favored Cebu-based environment enthusiasts and local officials who joined a massive reforestation project.

Falcon displaces over 300,000 people

MANILA -- Tropical Storm Falcon (international name: Meari) has left the country but rains dumped by the storm has affected more than 300,000 people in 27 towns and 14 cities across four regions.

Basilan explosion kills 2, injures 14

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Updated) – Police confirmed the death of two people and the injury of 14 others when an explosion hit a local restaurant on Saturday afternoon in Basilan province, south of Zamboanga City.

The explosion caused the fire that engulfed and razed Mon's Kitchenette, which was a half-concrete structure.

8 couples join gay wedding in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY -- The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Metro Baguio performed on Saturday wedding rites for eight gay couples in Baguio City while New York became the sixth and largest state in the US to legalize gay marriage.

The wedding rites were patterned after the traditional Catholic ceremonies at the Ayuyang Bar and Restaurant in Baden Powell Inn, and officiated by pastors Mike Sotero, Egay Constantino, Ceejay Agbayani and Regen Luna of MCC.

Palace to Arroyo: Nothing left at home

“THERE was nothing left at home,” Malacanang said in response to the criticism of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the leadership of her successor, President Benigno Aquino III.

Arroyo, during a press conference said, "Yung ekonomiya na iniwan ko (The economy I left), it was very strong at the time there was a global crisis. Now, when the rest of Asia is recovering, our economy is decelerating so yun ang problema (that’s the problem)."

Group: Richest Pinoys benefit from contractualization

THE Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) on Saturday called mall tycoon Henry Sy, tobacco magnate Lucio Tan, and budget airline operator John Gokongwei as “kings of contractualization.”

The US-based Forbes Magazine released last Thursday a list of the country’s richest individuals, which was dominated anew by the three.

Army chief hit over human rights remark

ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Eduardo Oban drew flak from a militant group for saying that the government’s counter-insurgency program is founded on “human rights.”

Group: US support to Philippines not new

THERE is nothing new in the pledge of the United States (US) government to help modernize the Philippine military in the wake of a dispute over the Spratlys Island, progressive group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said Saturday.

Power coop sacks 2 employees

TWO employees of the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) were terminated from the service for their alleged involvement in irregularities.

Acting General Manager Jesus Castro said the termination of the two ranking employees is part of the management's efforts to weed out the cooperative of scalawags and undesirable personnel.

City declares 24 Century, Heritage Trees

AS PART of its campaign to preserve old trees, the City Government has declared 24 trees, mostly acacia, as “Century Trees” and “Heritage Trees” in Zamboanga City.

The declaration was contained in executive order signed by Mayor Celso Lobregat, which is also in line with City Ordinance No. 341 otherwise known as the Century and Heritage Tree Ordinance.

NSO: Zambo Peninsula annual family income increases

AN OFFICIAL of the National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that the average annual family income of families living in Zamboanga Peninsula has increased by P19,000 for a period of three years.

Businessman killed

ZAMBOANGA City Police Office Director Edwin de Ocampo has ordered the conduct of thorough probe over the killing of a wealthy businessman in this southern port city.

Illegally-cut logs seized

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Authorities confiscated at least 300 board feet of allegedly illegally-sliced timber in M’lang town in North Cotabato around 11 a.m., Friday.

Inspector Edwin Lacostales, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in North Cotabato, said at least six persons, including owners of chainsaws, were caught cutting Dao trees at Barangay Katipunan, M'lang.

2 Pantukan villages landslide-prone

ALMOST all sitios of two barangays in Pantukan are landslide-prone, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Davao Region said.

Cops, Human rights office fail in solving crimes

THE police and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) itself have failed in solving the crimes in the city, an official of the agency said.

Lawyer Alberto Sipaco Jr., CHR in Davao Region chief, said the police and other sectors of the community must work hand in hand to counter the culture of violence in Davao City.

Explosion rocks Basilan province

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The police and military operatives have yet to determine the cause of an explosion that hit one known local restaurant on Saturday afternoon in Basilan province, south of Zamboanga City.

The explosive ordnance demolition personnel are sifting the debris to determine what exploded at the Mon's Kitchenette in downtown Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.

14 hurt in Expressway’s smashup

CAMP OLIVAS - Fourteen people were injured in a four-vehicle smashup along the North Luzon Expressway’s (NLEx) San Simon exit on Friday.

In a report reaching Police Regional Director Edgardo T. Ladao said the accident took place near the San Simon exit heading for the City of San Fernando.

‘Falcon’ leaves 16 Pampanga towns flooded

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Seven more towns are underwater due to rains dumped by Tropical Storm Falcon leaving 16 towns, including this city, in the province of Pampanga inundated in floodwaters.

Some villages in the towns of Arayat, Bacolor, Mexico, San Luis, Sta. Ana, Magalang and Macabebe have also been submerged in floodwaters as high as three feet.

Floods hit San Fernando

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Various parts of this city were hit by knee- to waist-deep floods brought about by Tropical Storm Falcon’s (international name: Meari) torrential rains overnight until whole day Saturday.

During an inspection, Oplan Habitat chief Ramsey Ocampo said hardest hit were the Barangays of San Jose and Del Pilar, Greenville Subdivision, St. Jude Village and areas south like San Nicolas and Sta. Lucia. Parts of the city proper, including Sto. Nino, were also inundated in floodwaters as of this posting.

City ‘spoke too soon about no flooding’

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A Capitol official said Mayor Oscar Rodriguez may have spoken too soon after he described that there was no massive flooding in the city, following the onslaught of Tropical Depression Egay.

City officials, green group plant trees

ANGELES CITY — The torrential rains did not stop Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and other city officials and youth and green groups in the city to plant 1,500 seedlings during the national celebration of the Arbor Day.

Believing that the rainy season is best to grow plants, Pamintuan led the tree planting activity in villages of Sapa Libutad, Tangle and Pulung Cacutud. The groups started the tree planting activity around 7:30 a.m.

Bizman in favor of CDC-CIAC merger

CLARK FREEPORT— Businessman Rene Romero said Saturday he is in favor of the proposal to merge the Clark Development Corporation and Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) into one entity for better administration and implementation of development and business plans.

Romero’s comment came as Sun.Star columnist Ram Mercado had earlier bared on his June 19 column that “a group of Pampanga newsmen” urged President Benigno Aquino III to reorganize the CDC and CIAC by merging their corporate existence under a single mother agency.

Central Luzon remains on top of Bagwis program

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Central Luzon continues to be a top performing region in the implementation of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Bagwis program.

Over 500,000 households in Eastern Visayas don’t have toilets

A REPORT from the Department of Health (DOH) Eastern Visayas showed more than 500,000 households in the region have no sanitary toilets as of last year.

Based on the 2010 report of the health department, out of the region’s 804,466 households, 74 percent representing 595,305 households have no sanitary toilets of their own.

Tourism officials to explore Eastern Visayas

A TOP official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the agency will host a familiarization tour to the different strategic points across the Eastern Visayas region.

Karen Tiopes, DOT regional director, said the activity would run from June 25 to 27 with members of the DOT family coming from various regions of the country as participants.

Rebels violate sanctuary agreement: Rabat

MATI CITY – The attack of a policeman inside a bus terminal in this coastal city recently by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) is a clear affront of the sanctuary agreement, the mayor said. Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat said her father, the late mayor Francisco Rabat, had an understanding with the rebels to spare Mati from rebel atrocities and they could safely stay in Mati in return. She said she just continued that understanding with rebels upon her assumption four years ago. Mayor Rabat said the police and military knows this and respected it.

Premix sugar imports worsen off-milling season woes

NEGROS Occidental Provincial Board Member Dr. Melvin Ibañez, chair of the labor committee, said that sugar workers in the province are adversely affected by the Coca Cola’s importation of sugar premixes.

Ibañez stressed that this is one thing that the Provincial Government is concerned about.

Bidding for 6-hectare Capitol property fails

THE bidding for the Provincial Government’s six-hectare lot at the back of the Provincial Capitol was declared a failure Friday after only one bidder submitted its bid.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr. said only Ayala Land submitted its bid documents. The Provincial Bids and Awards Committee (PBAC) returned the bid of Ayala without opening it, he added.

Power coops new directors to take oath today

NEWLY elected members of the Board of Directors of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) are set to take their oaths of office Saturday during the electric cooperative's Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum.

Ceneco’s outgoing president Edward Gasambelo is set to deliver his report to the consumer-members about the accomplishments of his administration.

Distribution of fuel cards set Monday

THE Bacolod City Government is set to distribute the Public Transport Assistance Program or Pantawid Pasada fuel cards to tricycle franchise holders on Monday at 9 a.m., at the Bays Center.

The distribution will be spearheaded by officials of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).