TACLOBAN CITY  (PNA) – The Leyte provincial government donated P2 billion worth of real property to Leyte Normal University (LNU) 89 years after being under usufruct. Governor Carlos Jericho last week turned over to LNU the 80,000-square meter property comprised of 21 lots belonging to the province which also serves as the school’s campus. The properties house some 24 buildings including the area along Youngfield district where the dormitory is located. The move to donate the properties began at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) in March 2008 but the resolution was passed only recently. The turnover is timely as the university prepares to celebrate its 90th founding anniversary next year. Petilla, in his turnover speech said the donation is in recognition of LNU as the region’s premiere university which has produced quality graduates in the fields of education, hotel and restaurant management, communication, among others.

E-BAMBOO FORUM SLATED IN CAPIZ

ROXAS CITY (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Capiz Provincial Office in collaboration with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) will conduct a forum on Engineered Bamboo (E-Bamboo) on October 12 at the MVW Restaurant and Tourist Inn here. The forum aims to gather the 17 local government units (LGUs) in Capiz together with prospective local investors to discuss and map out plans on how to jumpstart the industry. “DTI has been laying out the groundwork for the establishment of the industry in Capiz for more than a year now,” said DTI-Capiz Director Ermelinda Pollentes. She added that a Bamboo Technical Working Group has already been established and is working closely with DTI in creating a climate conducive for the bamboo business. DTI-Capiz public information officer Ken Cuñada said that expected to share their expertise on the industry during the forum are Cotton Industry Technology Center executive director Franklin Bunoan and Tingguian-Iloko Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) project manager Derdei Roce Ifurong. Tingguian-Iloko MPC based in Bangued, Abra is a pioneer in E-Bamboo and is succeeding immensely well with their operation.

GUARD SUSPENDED FOR INMATE’S ESCAPE

CORDOVA, Cebu – A jail guard was meted 90-day preventive suspension for allowing an inmate to go home from a court hearing, giving the inmate a chance to escape through the back door of his house in this town. The suspension order, signed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who is also the provincial jailer, was based on the recommendation of the Capitol’s Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI) as investigation on the incident continues. CODI Chairman Lito Astillero said the preventive suspension order was served to Jail Officer 1 Roberto Cabanag, who was assigned to escort Alex Agbo during a court hearing last Tuesday. After the court hearing, Agbo, who was jailed at the Lapu-Lapu City jail for drug charges, allegedly asked Cabanag if he could visit his family at home in the neighboring town of Cordova. Even without court order or permission from the jail warden, Cabanag escorted Agbo to Cordova and the latter, later on was able to escape. (Mars W. Mosqueda, Jr.)