TOLEDO CITY, Cebu – The Region 7 office of the Department of Health (DoH 7) through the National Nutrition Council (NNC) recently awarded eight local government units (LGU) in the region to recognize their best nutrition practices. This year’s Grand Nutrition Awards was given to LGUs that were successful in implementing programs that alleviate the malnutrition problem in Central Visayas while special recognition were also given to barangay nutrition scholars (BNS). Among those who bagged the highest award for this year is the sustainable food security program of this city, where every village has vegetable parks and practices vermi-composting. Dr. Jesusa Bacus, this city’s nutrition officer, disclosed that the “Every Barangay is a Park Project” is their long-term action plan that enables the city to mitigate hunger, promote ecological balance, improve environmental sanitation and provide employment opportunities. This city bagged this year’s outstanding city in the region award for its community-based intervention scheme designed to fight and mitigate the impacts of food scarcity. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

No new thermal vents in Valencia

DUMAGUETE CITY (PNA) – The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) said there are no new geothermal steam vents occurring in Ticala, Valencia, Negros Oriental. Dwight Maxino, EDC-Southern Negros Geothermal Power Plant (SNGPP) resident manager, and production manager Vicente Omandam issued the statement amid fresh reports that more new steam vents were monitored recently in Ticala. The team in charge of the Ticala thermal manifestation monitoring said there were no new steam vents. However, one steam vent has a marked increase in discharge due to the recent heavy rains, the EDC-SNGPP officials said. Likewise, an increase in the thermal discharge near the creek was also observed lately due to the increase in the flow of water, they said. The monitoring was conducted on Tuesday and Friday, the EDC officials said. Earlier, at least eight families living in a cluster of homes in Ticala have been reported to be affected by the natural manifestation of new steam vents in the area, with some of them putting the blame on EDC.

Surveys on labor, wages set in W.V.

ILOILO CITY (PNA) – Two surveys whose results will be very helpful in the crafting of policies to improve conditions in workplaces will kick off in Western Visayas middle of this month. The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has identified 203 establishments as respondents to the Occupational Wages Survey (OWS) and Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) Integrated Survey (BITS) to cover 65 selected non-agricultural industries in the region. The OWS is a nationwide survey that centers on employment and wage rates of time-rated workers on full time basis in selected occupations. Data gathered from this survey can be used in wage and salary administration. The BITS, on the other hand, is a nationwide survey of establishment that aims to generate an integrated data set on employment of specific groups of workers, occupational shortages and surpluses, balancing work and family responsibilities and working time arrangements, occupational safety and health, and occupational injuries and diseases.