IMUS, Cavite — The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will be providing a $3 million (approximately P136 million) grant for the construction of the Public Health Collaboration Center in Trece Martires City, Cavite. The move was made 21 months after officials inaugurated the KOICA-funded Philippines-Korea Friendship Hospital (PKFH)-Medical Arts Building also in Trece Martires.

KOICA Vice President and Implementation Survey Team Leader Dongwon Ahn and Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr. signed the Records of Discussion (RoD) for the health center project during a simple ceremony at the Provincial Capitol’s Ceremonial Hall.

The proposed center, which will be built near the PKFH, will help improve and strengthen the disease prevention and control program of the public health sector.

In a press conference, Ahn said the Korean government, through KOICA, would provide a 3.450 billion Korean won ($3 million) grant for the construction of the center. As this developed, Remulla thanked the Korean government and KOICA officials for their continuing assistance in providing various projects in Cavite and in many parts of the country.

The Korean government, through KOICA, has been supporting the Philippines in the last two decades in terms of rural development, governance, education, health, infrastructure, energy, farm and fishery, environment, disaster relief and information and communications technology.  (Anthony Giron)

Baguio Closes 678 Businesses

BAGUIO CITY — To enhance the city’s tax collection efficiency and impart responsibility on the part of local businessmen, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the closure of at least 678 business establishments in the different parts of the city and compelled them to comply with appropriate rules and regulations governing their respective operations.

From January to present, the city government has already issued 1,071 closure orders with only 393 issued for the six months of the year while the remaining 678 others were issued over the past three months.

With the simplified issuance of business permits as contained under Administrative Order No. 153, Series of 2010, the local chief executive claimed there is no longer reason for the concerned businessmen to reason out they do not have the required permits to operate because of the tedious processes that they could not follow due to their hectic schedules in their business operations. (Dexter See)

Gov't Tipster Urges Reward Processing

MARIVELES, Bataan — Tipsters who were able to provide hundreds of millions of pesos to the national coffers through reporting of smuggled items, among others, are being demoralized with the alleged dilly-dallying tactics of the national government in providing their reward claims.

This developed after a tipster here sought the help of newsmen in airing his reward claim after he reported the presence of two rib boats worth P10 million allegedly used by a syndicate in transporting smuggled guns that resulted to its confiscation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The tipster claimed that his reward worth some P2 million was based on the 20 percent gross value of the items he had tipped off and  confiscated by the government led by  Sr. Supt. Marvin Bolabola and Chief Insp. Pojie Penonez of the CIDG.

The two rib boats, based on the tip given by the tipster, were later seen anchored off Subic Bay and immediately confiscated by Bolabola and Penones who personally led the operation.  (Mar Supnad)