CEBU CITY (PNA) — Members of Cebu’s media, celebrating the 16th Cebu Press Freedom Week this week, were challenged to provide the public with the right information and warned against working merely for the money. In his homily for a Mass offered at the start of the week-long celebration Sunday, Fr. Generoso Rebayla, SVD, reminded media practitioners they cannot serve two masters at a time. ”Either he will hate the one and love the other or be attentive to the one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself both to God and money,” said Rebayla. He warned against practices like “AC, DC (attack and collect, defend and collect)”. Instead, he challenged them to encourage sharing, honesty and dedication. ”As media practitioners, you owe your audience the right and correct information. If we allow God to be part of our work, then let’s deliver what is expected from us. Of course we need money for our companies to survive, but we should not allow money to affect the way we deliver the truth,” Rebayla said. Quoting British parliamentarian Benjamin Disraeli, Rebayla reminded media workers of the responsibility that comes with their job. ”The press is not only free, it is powerful. That power is ours. It is the proudest that man can enjoy,” he said.

N.F.A. TO USE RICE HULL FOR MECHANICAL DRYERS

SAN JOSE, Antique — The National Food Authority (NFA) here will utilize rice hull as source of heat for its mechanical dryers to save on cost of fuel for the operation of mechanical dyers. NFA Antique Provincial Manager, Engr. Gil B. Ibarra said that "to reduce possible post-harvest losses, the agency is regularly conducting preventive maintenance of its mechanical dryers to improve its efficiency." Presently, the agency has seven mechanical dryers. Six units were to be retrofitted into biomass furnace that will use rice hull as fuel/source of heat for said facility. Maintenance of these post harvest facilities is done by NFA to prepare for the bountiful harvest this first cropping season. NFA targets to procure 45,000 bags of palay for the period July-December 2010. The food agency is encouraging farmers to renew/revalidate their farmers' passbook before the peak palay procurement season to avoid inconvenience when it's time for them to deliver their produce to NFA buying stations. Palay buying price of NFA is 17.00/kg for clean and dry plus additional incentives of 0.20/kg for drying and 0.20/kg for delivery/trucking. There is an additional 0.30/kg paid for Cooperative Development Incentive fee for cooperative members delivering their palay to NFA.

PLANT WARNED VS FOUL ODOR

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog will not hesitate to issue a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) that may lead to non-issuance of a business permit should the first coal-fired power plant here continue to emit bad odor that has affected several residents of Barangay Ingore and Ticud in La Paz district within the city. Mabilog expressed disappointment with plant owner and operator Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) for not informing him about the plant testing last week and for their attempt to hide and deny the fact of severe air pollution in the area. “The plant testing will damage the environment and I have created a multi-partite team composed of the city environment and natural resources office, city planning, city health office and the media to check the complaints of people in the area,” Mabilog said. He said he just wanted the PEDC to be transparent and not to jeopardize and compromise the health of the people surrounding the coal-fired power plant in Barangay Ingore. Several people complained of respiratory ailments, asthma and other diseases due to the foul odor when PEDC test-fired its plant last week. Engr. Henry Alcalde, PEDC general manager, said that diesel fuel was used in testing the machines and the foul odor may have come from solvent paint used in the insulation of the boilers.