BASAY, Negros Oriental – A mining exploration said to cost R6 million in this town was recently approved by the Region 7 office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB 7) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

MGB 7 Regional Director Loreto B. Alburo disclosed that the proponent of the mining exploration is set to explore gold, copper, and other minerals in the prospect for possible development and exploitation under prevailing economic condition.
The recently approved exploration project was granted to Euzkadi Holdings Corporation for the characterization and assessment of the qualitative and quantitative aspect of copper, gold, and other minerals covering an area of 1,808.4466 hectares in Barangay Maglinao.

“The exploration permit will be good for two years,” said Alburo.

He added that the exploration activities will include geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, test pitting, trenching, and diamond drilling, all aimed to identify and delineate mineral deposit.  (Phoebe Jen Indino)

Iloilo to Feature Mall-Based Spa

ILOILO CITY (PNA) – Aside from its famous heritage houses and churches, this city has an additional attraction in store both for foreign and domestic tourists with the opening of the Tibiao Fish Spa, the first mall-based fish spa at the SM City here Wednesday.

A brain-child of two young and budding entrepreneurs, Flord Nicson J. Calawag, who is also the general manager, and Rex Delsar B. Dianala, the operations manager, the Tibiao Fish Spa has metamorphosed from just being a hobby into a very promising business endeavor.

While other spas have to import fishes from Singapore or Turkey, the Tibiao Fish Spa makes use of local varieties, which the owners at the moment are in no position to disclose because they are still waiting for the release of their patent.

They explained that the spa “offers a one-of-a-kind experience by combining the relaxing and exfoliating effects of fish nibbling on a person’s layer of dead skin.”

Dianala shared that they just can’t stand to disappoint the public as they are not just really for money but they would want also “to continue making every little child and family happy.”

Poll Materials Arrive in Cebu

CEBU CITY – Ballot boxes, ballots, and other materials that will be used on Monday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections have started coming in Friday as the police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have already mapped out security measures for the elections.

Cebu Comelec provincial supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said they are ready for the joint elections. He said they expect other election paraphernalia to be completely delivered by Sunday.

Election paraphernalia are scheduled for distribution to 1,600 precincts in this city on Saturday in the north and Sunday in the south district, said Emma Villarete, Cebu City assistant treasurer for administration. Polling precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Barangay and SK elections, which will use manual voting.

In the last May elections, where automated voting was used for the first time, polling lasted until 7 p.m.

Voting in jails and detention facilities will be closed three hours earlier to allow enough time to bring the filled-up ballots to the detainees’ regular precincts before they close at 3 p.m. (Mars Mosqueda Jr.)