ILOILO CITY (PNA) – The P57 million budget allocation for the Food-for-School program implementation in Western Visayas is now available and ready to be transferred to the National Food Authority (NFA). Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Office 6 Food-for-School in charge Sally Gayoma, who is also the regional nutritionist, said that they intend to implement the program this month. Gayoma said the NFA will soon deliver the rice to 27 municipalities in the region that will be covered by the program. These municipalities include Libacao and Madalag of Aklan province; Carles, Concepcion and San Dionisio of Iloilo province; Don Salvador Benedicto, Cauayan, Calatrava, and Moises Padilla of Negros Occidental province. The 18 municipalities in Antique province are now covered during the current third year of implementation of the program. In the past, she said, “the capital town (of Antique), San Jose de Buenavista was not included in the program.” The hunger-mitigation program targets to provide one kilo of rice for some 41,385 day care pupils who have been identified as beneficiaries in exchange of their one day attendance in school. Gayoma said that they hope this year’s implementation of the program will be successful as in past years when day care pupils were encouraged to be in schools.

D.A.R.-Cebu to hit land distribution target

CEBU CITY- An official from the Region 7 office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Cebu provincial office is confident that they will be able to distribute 3,000 hectares this year, even as 48 percent of total land area covered have already been distributed to the beneficiaries. DAR7 Cebu Provincial Agrarian Reform officer Grace Fua bared that from the period of January to early June this year more than 1,557.2182 hectares were already distributed in the province covering more than 2,400 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB). The DAR-Cebu provincial office is targeting to distribute 3,000 hectares this year which will cover a total of 5,233 ARBs. Meanwhile, for the distribution of the certificate of landownership award (CLOA), Fua disclosed that 2,343 certificates have already been delivered. The figure is 46 percent of the 5,139 target for this year. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

Accident claims lives of 3 miners

Danao City, CEBU - Three coal miners died when they fell into a 100-meter deep hole in a mining site in Danao City, police said Saturday. Senior Police Officer 4 Edgar Gomez, desk officer of the Danao City Police Station, said investigation is still being conducted to determine if anyone could be held liable for the death of miners Rominito Matugas, 42; Michael Valdez, 46; and, Junfrey Castro, 28. Gomez said the three died on the spot after sustaining serious multiple fractures when they fell into a 100-meter hole in a mining site in Barangay Lawaan in Danao City Thursday last week. He said the three were being lowered at the bottom of a deep hole in the mining site using a big drum when the cable connecting the drum suddenly snapped, causing them to fall below. “They fell down, with an estimated distance of more or less 100 meter-deep below the ground. The victims sustained injuries and fractures on various parts of their body and they were instantly killed,”said Gomez. He added that the three were supposed to get back to their work after having a lunch break. (Aaron Recuenco)