'Sweetheart' program serves hundreds anew

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Sweetheart Program of third district Representative Aurelio Gonzales has served hundreds of indigents here Thursday.

A festival of heritage churches at SM City Pampanga

IN CELEBRATION of the Filipino Heritage Month this May, SM City Pampanga is now hosting a fascinating exhibit of heritage churches in the country, magnificently immortalized in beautiful photographs at the mall's Annex 3.

Tarlac to celebrate 138th Araw ng Lalawigan

TARLAC CITY -- Tarlaqueños are set to celebrate the province's 138th "Araw ng Lalawigan" on May 28 with a lot of fanfare.

2 Zambales towns 'already transparency compliant'

ZAMBALES -- Even before the launching of the first Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) "Tapatan Roadshow" last week, the agency's provincial office in Iba here announced that two of the province's 13 towns are already fully compliant with the agency's Full Disclosure Policy.

Pelco 3 inaugurates own building, offices

SAN SIMON -- The Pampanga Electric Cooperative 3 (Pelco 3) inaugurated Monday its very own building and offices in a self-acquired property along MacArthur Highway in this town.

5 schools to hike tuition

THE Commission on Higher Education (Ched) has granted the request of five of the 16 schools in Zamboanga Peninsula to increase tuition effective this school year 2011-2012.

Ched-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Emmylou Yanga said the five schools that were granted authority to increase tuition are all located in Zamboanga City.

Education department gears for Brigada Eskwela

LOCAL officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) are now gearing up for a six-day Brigada Eskwela in Zamboanga City.

City Division of Schools Administrative Officer Al-Rahim Kenoh said the Brigada Eskwela is set to start Monday, May 23, and would end on Saturday, May 28.

Environment office lines up Ocean Month activities

COMMUNITY Environment and Natural Resources Office-West chief Tito Gadon is calling the public the join the activities lined up for the observance of the Ocean Month.

Presidential Proclamation Number 57 declares the month of May as Ocean Month to give importance to the seas and oceans.

2 men shot and wounded

TWO men who went out for a get-together in a videoke house landed in a hospital after two motorcycle-riding men shot them, police reported Thursday.

The incident took place around 1:10 a.m. Thursday along Governor Ramos Avenue in the village of Sta. Marian, north of Zamboanga City, said the Police Station 7.

Ironsand’s mining exploration application opposed

THE Provincial Board of Leyte has passed a resolution objecting the application for exploration of a mining company in the northeastern part of Leyte province.

Board Member Roque A. Tiu, chairman of the committee on environment, said the resolution strongly opposes the application of Leyte Ironsand Corporation to explore magnetite sand and other minerals in the municipalities of Palo, Tanauan, Tabon-tabon, Dagami and Pastrana.

Militant group demands Acosta’s release

A MILITANT group in Eastern Visayas is demanding for the release of Ericson Acosta whom the military identified to be an official of the communist group.

In a statement, Rogelio Berino, secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan for Eastern Visayas, said the detention of Acosta is a violation of his human rights.

Eastern Visayas tops LandBank performance

EASTERN Visayas maintains a P10-billion deposit at the LandBank of the Philippines, doubling the P4.6-billion loan released by the bank last year, making the region a “fund provider” for financing in other areas of the country.

The region ranks first in terms of LandBank performance in the Visayas and third in the whole country.

No more reserved 'parking space for customers only'

THE Iloilo City Council on Wednesday approved a proposed ordinance prohibiting any person from using public parking spaces for his private use and penalizing the installation of "reserved parking for customers only" signage in any public roads.

Law enforcers, including policemen, traffic aides, members of Task Force on anti-squatting and illegal structure (TF Asis), were ordered to enforce the law and make sure that parking spaces are free from signage.

Free mass wedding slated May 26

THE Iloilo City Council will shoulder the payment of marriage license fees for the 200 participating couples in the mass wedding slated May 26 at the Department of Education social hall.

City Councilor Perla Zulueta, chairman of the committees on ways and means and appropriations, said the exemption is requested by the city social welfare office under Alfredo Villanueva as additional assistance to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) grantees in the city.

Public high schools to receive free computers

MORE than 1,000 computers will be given to 98 public high schools in Western Visayas as part of the Personal Computer for Public High Schools (PCPS) Phase 4 Project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

DTI-Western Visayas Director Dominic P. Abad said recipient schools in Iloilo will receive 27 units and Negros Occidental 38 units.

Ex-Batangas guv faces new charges

MANILA (2nd Update, 1 p.m.) -- A justice prosecutor filed on Thursday charges for evasion of service of sentence against former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste for being out of prison without a permit.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Leviste and his driver, Nilo Solis, in Makati Wednesday afternoon.

Separate power coop bid has 'serious repercussions'

THE province of Benguet is likely to suffer if Baguio City would push for a separate electric cooperative as proposed by a councilor, said an official of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco).

"The proposal has to be seriously studied. Benguet would be on the losing end if that happens," Delmar Cariño, Beneco legal counsel and human resource manager, told reporters.

Bio-engineered cabbages may invade La Trinidad

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Scientists may embark on a study on Bt cabbage here through a partnership with the Benguet State University, said an agriculture official.

Department of Agriculture (DA) representative Candida Adalla said cabbage will follow the same method of study as the other Bt products like corn and eggplant.

Dengue on the rise as rains start

HEALTH officials are now preparing for the increase of dengue cases reported in government and private hospitals brought about by the almost daily afternoon rains.

Even if the official rainy season has not started, dengue cases have risen from 344 cases from January to May 2010 to 348 cases in the Cordillera Administrative Region this year.

Agencies open Diskwento stores in Cordillera

GOVERNMENT agencies, together with key retailers and distributors in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), have launched an In-Store Diskwento program to help low-income earners and consumers.

The In-Store Diskwento came into being following the Diskwento Fair implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as part of the Labor Day Jobs Fair at the Baguio Convention Center last May 1 and 2.

Greening program to ensure tree survival

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will launch in June the National Greening Program (NGP), which will work to ensure that 1.5 billion trees to be planted by the agency will survive in the next six years.

Abner Villanueva, DENR Public Affairs Office head, said the NGP is the convergence program of the environment office, Department of Agriculture and Department of Agrarian Reform. Its implementation will start in June, in compliance with Executive Order 23 issued last February 24 by President Benigno Aquino III.

Nominations open for newborn screening search

SPECIAL awards will be given to individuals or groups that have made exemplary contributions to the newborn screening program of the government through the Department of Health (DOH).

In a memorandum issued to all city and municipal mayors and governors, Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo reminded all local governments to strictly adhere to Republic Act 9288, or the Newborn Screening Act of 2004.

Snap dam ready by September

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Twin dams here will be fully operational by year end.

SN Aboitiz Power (Snap) vice president for Corporate Services Mike Hosillos said the generating units of the Ambuklao power plant will be completed this year.

Health officials trumpet cervical awareness month

THE month of May marks the awareness for cervical cancer.

The Department of Health is now conducting free cervical cancer screening every Wednesday for the whole month of May in four hospitals in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

741 taxis in Baguio operating sans franchises

A BAGUIO City councilor on Tuesday warned the operation of 741 taxi units may be stopped for not having a valid franchise.

Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda said the number is based on a list submitted to the Council seeking legalization of their franchises.

Negros Occidental guv backs jai-alai legalization

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon on Wednesday said legalizing jai-alai operations in the province will allow policemen to focus on other crimes rather than go after violators of the illegal numbers game.

Marañon said that, so far, jai-alai operators have not presented any documents that would prove the legality of the gambling’s operation in the province.

Vice mayor: Meridien has no permit

BACOLOD City Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayon said there is no approved permit issued to Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. for its jai-alai operations in the city.

He said he has checked with the City Permits and Licensing Division Wednesday through its head Arlene Memoria if there is an application from the said company.

Flyover, North terminals completion eyed in June

THE construction of the flyover project at the intersection of Bata-Circumferential Road and the two Northbound terminals are now being worked out so that they can become operational before the opening of classes in June.

Bacolod City Acting Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) stated that the flyover will be completed either in July or August.

Mayor slams interveners in sandbar issue

PULUPANDAN Mayor Magdaleno M. Peña turned over to the Diocese of Bacolod's Social Action Center the responsibility over loss of lives and destruction to properties that may arise from the possible inundation of the Bago River if a strong typhoon would hit Pulupandan and Bago City.

In July 2010, Peña directed the removal of the sandbar that protrudes from the area of Sitio Cavan, a body of sand, which crawls lengthily toward the mouth of Bago River and which almost closes the outlet of river water toward the sea.

Transmission firms fault causes 4-hour brownout

THE four-hour brownout that hit some major areas covered by Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) was due to the defective protective relay of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

An update from the office of Roel Venus, chief of the Consumers Services Division of Ceneco, stated that the power interruption started at 2:37 p.m. and power resumed at 5:45 p.m.