BALANGA CITY, Bataan, Philippines – Tens of thousands of Bataeños joined and witnessed the nationwide launching of Philhealth Registration Day Saturday at the Bataan People’s Center here.

No less than Governor Enrique “Tet” Garcia and his two sons – Bataan 2nd District Representative Abet S. Garcia and City Mayor Joet S. Garcia – launched the major project for the poor.

Officials from Philhealth and the Department of Health (DoH) also attended the event, during which an initial 1,456 Philhealth cards were distributed to indigent residents.

All beneficiaries had been pre-screened by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The activity brought to more than 70,000 the number of Philheath beneficiaries in Bataan. (Mar T. Supnad)

Fire Hits Market in San Quintin

SAN QUINTIN, Pangasinan — The public market in this town was hit by fire before dawn Monday, destroying a section of five vending stalls, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported.

A BFP report said the fire at the San Quintin Public Market broke out at 4 a.m. at one of the five stalls. Firemen were quick in responding and putting out the blaze at the public market, a project initiated by Board Member Ranjit Shahani when he was still the vice governor.

There were no reported casualties. Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

Region 4 Adopts Crisis Rules

CAMP GENERAL VICENTE LIM, Laguna — The Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) has unanimously approved and adopted the interim rules on the Regional Crisis Management Committee (CMC) that provide specific guidelines on what the CMC should do during a hostage situation or a similar crisis.
 
Chief Superintendent Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr., Police Regional Office 4-A (PRO4-A) director, formally endorsed the CMC interim rules to the RPOC led by its new chairman, Laguna Governor Jeorge “ER” Ejercito Jr., during the special meeting held at the TESDA Women's Center, in Taguig City recently.

The RPOC has also approved Pagdilao's recommendation for the activation of CMC down to the municipal level and the conduct of joint-training for local executives who will sit as chairpersons of CMC and their respective chiefs-of-police on crisis management.

Pagdilao, who was elected as vice chairman of the CALABARZON RPOC, said the CMC interim rules was first introduced by the PNP in Western Visayas when he was then regional director to address the absence of specific rules to guide the CMC. (Ferdinand F. Castro)

Sadanga-QC Ties Strengthened

SADANGA, Mt. Province — In an effort to sustain and elevate their sisterhood ties, the local governments of Quezon City and this municipality have kept alive their people-to-people interaction program. It is aimed to result in a healthy exchange of programs, projects and advocacies vital to the development of far flung areas in the country.

Wyner Sayaan of the mayor’s office here said some 35 municipal and barangay officials and employees travelled to the Metropolis, particularly in Quezon City recently, to participate in Quezon City’s founding anniversary and to commemorate the forging of the Sadanga-Quezon City sisterhood ties done five years ago. (Dexter A. See)