6 kids die in fire, landslide

DAVAO CITY – Six minor children died in separate fire and landslide incidents in Compostela Valley and Davao de Sur provinces on Wednesday morning, the police said.

Compostela Valley police chief Aaron Aquino said four children were killed when a fire hit their home on Wednesday morning in Maco town, Compostela Valley province.

Probe bureau recovers another stolen vehicle

ANOTHER alleged stolen vehicle was turned over on Wednesday, raising to 25 the total number of hot cars seized by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

NBI-Northern Mindanao Director Jose Justo Yap said the sports utility vehicle (SUV) was turned over reportedly through the effort of Lynard Allan Bigcas, who still remains at large.

Study: Annulment cases rising

THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines released recently a study showing an increase in the annulment cases in the country of up to 40 percent, from 4,520 cases in 2001 to 8,282 in 2010.

According to the study, there is an average of 22 cases filed in different courts every day despite the fact the Filipinos were known before to have deep respect in the consecration of marriage.

City division to adopt Smart’s innovative learning approach

STARTING school year 2011-2012, the City Schools Division of Cagayan de Oro will adopt an innovative approach in education known as Dynamic Learning Program (DLP).

Dr. Myrna S. Motoomull, schools division superintendent, said the DLP, which is being supported by Smart Communications, will be piloted in various schools in Cagayan de Oro City.

Party-list group to put up state college in Gingoog

ABANTE Mindanao (Abamin) party-list is partnering with the Gingoog City Government to put up a college that the city can call as its own.

The new school to be established will eventually be called as Gingoog City State College, said Abamin Representative Maximo Rodriguez Jr.

Cops nab house painter for shabu

A HOUSE painter is now behind bars after elements of the Philippine National Police-Northern Mindanao Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) arrested him in a buy-bust operation last May 2.

Police chief Inspector Reynante Reyes, RSOG head, identified the suspect as Mario Laborte, 33, a resident of Bontong, Barangay Camaman-an, Cagayan de Oro City.

City consultants justify cost of new city hall

CITY consultants explained that the cost of the new City Hall is still cheaper compared to the cost of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol which was constructed 10 years ago.

Engineers Conrado Goco of the Pacific Orient Consultants Incorporated and Leonardo Viado of the WCoscolluella Architects said the P368-million seven-storey building is at P25,411.25 per square meter for the total floor area of 14,481.66 square meters.

Councilor yields to demolition

A CITY official who owns a restaurant at the Barbecue Park finally submitted his establishment to members of the demolition team.

Members of Task Force Asis totally tore down the restaurant owned by Councilor Edward Yee. Yee ordered his staff not to protest the demolition of his 20-year-old restaurant along the river and the diversion road at Mandurriao district.

Masantol fishkill 'man-made'

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Fourth district Board Member Nestor Tolentino said Wednesday that the tons of dead fish discovered along the Masantol portion of the Pampanga River over the weekend was not environment-related, but may have been a result of man-made indiscriminate fishing.

Tolentino, chairman of the Provincial Board committee on environment, has been tasked by Governor Lilia Pineda to immediately investigate the root cause of the fishkill.

Group launches massive tree planting projects

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A youth-oriented environmentalist group recently launched its biggest environmental projects for Central Luzon.

The Global Linkages for the Filipino Youth Foundation (GLFYF) formally launched its "Hamon para sa Kalikasan" project on Tuesday at the Clark Freeport.

Mayor reiterates crusade vs waste

ANGELES City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan reiterated his crusade against indiscriminate waste disposal during the solid waste management summit held at the city library on Wednesday.

Pamintuan said he will not repeat the alleged inefficiencies of the previous administration with regard to the issue of waste management.

Guv calls for clean-up of coastal village

MASANTOL -- Governor Lilia Pineda recently enjoined officials of various government agencies to conduct a clean-up drive in the coastal barangay of Paguiaba, Masantol town.

Lawmaker donates P221T for seniors, townsfolk

STA. ANA -- Third district Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. donated P221,000 cash assistance for senior citizens and other development projects in this town Thursday.

Gonzales, who was one of the guest speakers during Thursday's farmers' congress in Barangay San Roque, said the donation is part of his commitment to local officials here in the different development concerns of the town.

Fire razes Fil-Chinese factory in Bataan

MARIVELES, Bataan -- Fire razed a factory producing Sando bags for exports inside the Area of Freeport Authority of Bataan (AFAB) in this town Wednesday afternoon, leaving an estimated damage of more than P100 million.

Rolando Uy, Filpak Industries plant manager, said he was told that the fire in their factory might have been caused by baby rockets or "kuwitis" that exploded in their printing section, which contained highly-flammable chemicals.

Labor office holds forum with labor groups

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Central Luzon recently hosted a forum for labor representatives of the Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (RTIPC) from various companies across the region.

The forum, which adheres to the Aquino administration's "Tuwid na Daan Tungo sa Kaunlaran para sa Lahat," is an initiative of Regional Director Leopoldo De Jesus.

Gunmen kill village chief in Zamboanga

MOTORCYCLE-RIDING gunmen shot and killed a village chief, known for his disciplinary actions of "harming constituents," in a remote village of Zamboanga del Norte province, the police reported.

The incident took place around 7:40 a.m. Sunday in the village of Don Jose Aguirre, Manukan municipality, Zamboanga del Norte.

Diskwento fair set in Zamboanga Peninsula

A THREE-DAY “Diskwento Fair” where basic and prime commodities are sold at discounted prices is set to be held in three key cities in Zamboanga Peninsula.

The fair will open Friday and ends on Sunday. This is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

2nd year Sta. Cruz Islands fiesta eyed

PLANS are now underway for the possible conduct of “Fiesta na Isla de Sta. Cruz,” a summer outing at the Sta. Cruz Islands, Zamboanga City.

The Sta. Cruz Islands, known for its “pink sand”, take 10 to 15 minutes boat ride from Zamboanga City.

Pangasinan lawmaker, 3 others safe after road accident

DAGUPAN CITY – Pangasinan Representative Leopoldo Bataoil and his three companions are safe after figuring in a road accident in Bugallon, Pangasinan Thursday morning.

Bataoil and his companions were onboard a Nissan Escapade van coming from a village fiesta where he was the guest of honor and speaker when their vehicle was hit by a Dagupan Bus Line passenger bus that overtook another vehicle.

Police on jai-alai in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN -- Much talk about lately in Pangasinan is the numbers game jai-alai, with betting stations already being operated in at least 35 towns and cities.

Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte, chief of the Pangasinan police, said they cannot stop jai-alai operations as they are legal with business permits issued by the mayors.

Lepanto halts operations

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Continued losses pushed mining giant Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company to retrench another 400 workers.

Lepanto is also halting its mining operations for five months as it begins the P700 million development of the Victoria mine in Benguet, the firm said in a disclosure.

Power firm execs: No thoughts of resignation

NONE of the nine department heads of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) will resign in the event the National Electrification Administration (NEA) disapproves their request for a salary increase.

When they were summoned Monday during the City Council’s session, all department heads when asked said they are not resigning. However, they are ready to defend the increase, which the board of directors approved and is now pending with NEA.

Fuel cards may not be released soon

DRIVERS and operators of public utility vehicles in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) may have to wait a little longer before they receive the fuel subsidy smart cards from the government.

In CAR, 8,357 public utility jeepneys are entitled for the Pantawid Pasada or fuel assistance program.

School urged to bring complaints in court

THE City Council urged officials of Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) to file in court their complaints against the organizers of a fund-raising activity.

BCNHS officials feel that the school was shortchanged by the organizer of a fund-raising activity early this year.

Internet devices retailers, buyers warned

THE National Telecommunication Commission urged retailers of internet capable devices or mobile phones to remind buyers of the internet capability and load usage of the devices.

Many consumers were surprised when they found out that mobile phone networks charged them with internet data fees, said NTC-CAR enforcement and operations division chief Melanie Fernando.

RDC fast tracks draft of third organic act

THE Regional Development Council (RDC) Third Autonomy Act Drafting Committee (TAADC) is now in full swing of overseeing the drafting of a third Autonomy law, which is targeted to be finished by the end of May.

RDC co-chairman Dr. Virgilio Bautista said the TAADC is working on the autonomy law and they already received four complete draft proposals from Ifugao and Kalinga, from Baguio City and from a sectionalized representation.

Cityhood dream shared with 2 towns

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Mayor Greg Abalos said the dream of cityhood will be shared with the two other municipalities, Sablay and Tublan.

Talks with both municipalities have commenced and all three areas are studying the possibility of merging to be one city.

Red Cross, Benguet hospital form pact

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A pact has been made by the Benguet Red Cross and the Benguet General Hospital to save more lives.

The memorandum of agreement between the two life saving entities were made in an effort to save more lives on emergencies.

Abra seniors get social pension

INDIGENT senior citizens aged 77 years old and above in three Abra towns recently received much needed support from the government.

Around 78 indigent senior citizens were among the first recipients of the government’s Social Pension Program as DSWD-CAR recently conducted its first quarter release in three municipalities.

Power generator eyes coal plant in Negros

GLOBAL Business Power Corporation (GBPC), a leading generator in the Visayas with over 610 megawatts of power, is eying to put up a coal-fired power plant in Negros Occidental.

This was bared Wednesday by Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. who endorsed the project which, he said, will address the problem about power shortage and high cost of power.