City ensures safety of student lodgings

THE Baguio City Fire Department will start fire safety inspections of boarding houses and dormitories next week in time for opening of classes in June.

Baguio City Fire Marshal Joe Fernand Bangyod said they will begin inspecting boarding houses and dormitories, particularly in the city’s university belt along Bonifacio and General Luna Streets, after Brigada Eskwela operations this week to ensure these establishments are complying with fire safety standards.

SK head hopes for continuity of projects, aid

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Sangguniang Kabataan Foundation (SKF) president Brenden Kim Quintos is hoping for continuity of projects for the youth here.  

“With the new set of newly elected Municipal Officials, who will take their oath this coming June 30, we hope that the SK of La Trinidad will still play a major role in the development of the municipality through the support of the newly elected mayor,” Quintos said.

Schools expect 65 studes per room

THE continuous exodus of private school students to public schools due to increasing tuition fees has resulted to the increased number of students per classroom in Baguio City.

City Schools Division Superintendent Estela Cariño said several public schools, especially those near the Central Business District, have recorded high rates of transfers of students whose parents can no longer afford increasing school fees.

Board backs bills on LGU’s share

THE Benguet Provincial Board passed a resolution on Monday expressing support to the Senate bills numbers 118 and 119 which aim to increase the local government units’ share from natural wealth taxes.

On April 2, Itogon council passed Resolution 67, series of 2013 supporting the two senate bills of Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Coalition to launch website

THE Balili River System Revitalization Coalition (BRSRC) will launch its official website and web-based pollution monitoring system of the river by June 2013.

The BRSRC’s website is developed by the University of the Cordilleras (UC), an academe member of the coalition.

Broadcast firm to install digital station

THE Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media Inc. (Beam) will soon install a 10-kilowatt (kw) digital pay television broadcast station in Baguio City.

Beam president Engr. Alexander Paredes submitted a petition to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for the issuance of a certificate of public convenience (CPC) and provisional authority to the company for it to install, operate, and maintain the proposed broadcast station.

City launches spiritual centers tour tomorrow

THE City Government of Baguio will launch the religious centers tour on May 23 as part of the Summer Vacation (Sumvac) in Baguio activities.

Councilor Philian Louise Weygan-Allan who heads the Sumvac church activities committee, said the tour aims to acquaint participants with the various spiritual centers in the city.

Wife killed, husband wounded in robbery

A BUSINESSWOMAN was killed while her husband was wounded in a robbery in a remote village in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, a police official said Tuesday.

Senior Inspector June Akiate Lawingan, Aurora municipal police chief, said the incident took place at Purok Maabiabihon, Insagan village around 7:30 p.m. Monday.

8 hurt in vehicular accident

EIGHT people, including a teenager, were wounded when the vehicle they were riding bumped on a parked vehicle in a west coast village in Zamboanga City, the local police reported Tuesday.

Wounded were Sharifa Imao, 21; Hermalyn Hassan, 17; Muhaimin Almin, 25; Vincent Mercado, 22; Sulma Saman, 16; Kalma Hamsi, 24; Mercy Balang, 38; and, Alih Isnani, 48.

Army joins ‘Brigada Eskwela’

THE Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade headed by Colonel Apolinario Alobba has assigned personnel to join in the week-long “Brigada Eskwela” of the Department of Education (DepEd) in selected public schools within the military’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).

The brigade’s AOR include the entire province of Zamboanga del Norte, which comprises of two cities and 25 municipalities; Misamis Occidental, which comprises three cities and 14 towns; and the municipalities of Molave, Tambulig, Josefina, Mahayag and Dumingag in the province of Zamboanga del Sur.

City Hall building repair complete

THE Zamboanga City Hall returns to its rehabilitated and improved quarters more than a year after vacating the three-storey building to pave way for repairs.

The rehabilitation and improvement of the City Hall building which cost P21.4 million was undertaken by a private contractor, the Genetian Builders, for a period of over a year.

Aquino rejects talks on fisheries pact with Taiwan

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III declined Tuesday to hold as of the moment any talks on a fisheries agreement with Taiwan.

In an interview after attending the 115th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Navy in Cavite City, Aquino said that the investigation on the killing of Hung Shi-chen, a Taiwanese fisherman, by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, should be finished first before discussing any fisheries pact with Taipei and other countries.

No Charter change: Aquino

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III rejected anew on Tuesday calls to change the 1987 Constitution, particularly the economic provisions, to attract more investors into the country.

In an ambush interview in Cavite province, the Chief Executive said that his position not to amend the Charter remains.

Preps for Pintados-Kasadyaan fest underway

AFTER focusing their time in the recently held local elections, Kasadyaan Festival executive chairman and Palo Mayor Remedios “Matin” Petilla said they would now give time for the preparation of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival this June.

The challenge now after their preparation is again with the Tacloban City Government, said Petilla following the re-election of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

P9.8-M livelihood projects for tourism proposed

LOCAL government units have proposed a P9.8-million livelihood project for tourism development in Eastern Visayas next year, under the National Government’s bottom-up budgeting approach.

Department of Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said that priority projects depart from the traditional construction of tourism infrastructure funded by the central government.

15 OFWs from Saudi repatriated

AT LEAST 15 stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Saudi Arabia have arrived home on May 18, said migrant rights group Migrante.

The 15, all male, were among the around 200 trapped OFWs who have encamped inside the Philippine embassy compound in Riyadh since May 4.

Country’s youngest mayor re-elected

GIPORLOS, Eastern Samar -- The incumbent mayor of this town was re-elected last May 13 elections along with his running mate and seven other councilors in his lineup, the municipal Commission on Elections (Comelec) records show.

Mayor Mark Biong, 24, who was elected mayor of this town at 21 in 2010 and became the youngest mayor in the country, was given another fresh mandate during the May 13 midterm elections.

Two cave systems in EV declared protection areas

TWO natural cave systems in the region have been placed under protection from treasure hunters, polluters and vandals, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

DENR-Eastern Visayas Executive Director Manolito Ragub said the Langun-Gobingob Caves in Calbiga and Sohoton Caves in Basey are classified for immediate conservation whose natural wealth and resources are placed under the protection and management of the government.

No collection of school fees upon enrollment

THERE is absolutely no collection of school fees upon enrollment of school children in the public elementary and high schools and the Department of Education (DepEd) is strictly implementing this no collection policy to encourage parents to enroll their children.

This was stressed by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog upon being informed by school’s division superintendent Nelly Valerio of the existing DepEd policy.

CCTV council exempts UPV financing organization

THE CCTV Camera Council has exempted a financing establishment which caters to urban poor women inside the University of the Philippines Visayas campus from compliance of the close circuit television (CCTV) ordinance imposing CCTV cameras in the establishment.

Board president Ma. Elisa Baliao of the Toktorook Development Foundation Inc. earlier requested Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog for an exemption of the financial establishment which do not qualify as a high-risk establishment as defined in the CCTV ordinance.

City dad off to Germany for leadership training

The number one councilor will represent the Philippines as the country's lone representative to participate in an international leadership training seminar on May 25 until June 7 sponsored by the German government and FNF Neuman Foundation.

Councilor Nielex Tupas garnered more than 122,000 votes last May 13 elections and considered as the highest vote getter among winning 12 city councilor candidates.

Capitol rehab nears completion

PROVINCIAL Engineer Gracianito Lucero said Tuesday that the first phase of the Old Capitol restoration project is already nearing completion.

Lucero said the contractor already reached a completion rate of 82 percent.

Aquino forms task force on ease of doing business

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has created an inter-agency task force that will implement reforms to make it easier to do business in the Philippines.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. on Tuesday said Aquino signed Administrative Order 38 for the creation of Task Force on Ease of Doing Business (EODB Task Force) in order to implement an action plan, which was drafted by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), to enhance the business competitiveness of the country.

CA stops P5-B smuggling case vs oil firm

SMUGGLING charges against the head of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. and a customs broker will not proceed in the next two months following a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals last May 9.

Acting on the petition filed by customs broker Jorlan Cabanes, the CA Special 10th Division noted Justice Secretary Leila de Lima reversed twin resolutions of prosecutors based on new issues and documents which were not presented by the Bureau of Customs in the original complaint.

Comelec, DFA told to explain low OAV turnout

MANILA – Senator Franklin Drilon called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to explain the low voter turnout for overseas absentee voting in the 2013 midterm polls.

"I hate to sound like a broken record, but I again deplore the dismal implementation of the absentee voting law in the just-concluded midterm elections," said Drilon, who was one of the principal sponsors of Republic Act 9189, or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act.

CDO tagged as HIV/Aids ‘hotspot’

CASES of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-Aids) in Cagayan de Oro have reached an alarming level, making the city a “hotspot.”

Health assistant secretary Dr. Enrique Tayag said there is one patient diagnosed to be living with HIV in the city every week.

XU vows to engage elected officials

THE Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana (KKP)-Social Involvement Office of Xavier University (XU-SIO) vows to uphold the people’s agenda and continues to engage with the elected officials to sustain good governance.

Ermin Stan Pimentel, KKP director, said the people’s agenda created a significant difference from traditional campaign that resulted to the Kagay-anons’ long desire for change.

Village dads to resign due to Emano’s defeat

AT LEAST five barangay chairmen will be resigning from their posts following the defeat of incumbent Mayor Vicente Emano to mayor-elect Governor Oscar Moreno in the last May 13 polls.

Emano, during his radio program, said: “I told them not to resign just because I lost in the elections.” He declined to name the barangay chairmen.

6 marines awarded for bravery

THE SIX marines, who were wounded in the recent Gingoog City clashes against the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, received medals for their bravery.

The Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) spokesperson Major Leo Bongosia said Vice-admiral Jose Luis Alano of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) handed over the Wounded Personnel Medal and cash assistance to wounded marines on Saturday in recognition of their sacrifices and efforts in securing the Philippines from national threats.

Joavan in CPDRC?

TO ENSURE Joavan Fernandez will not escape again, the police are mulling the idea of detaining him in the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) instead of Talisay City Jail.