CARMEN, Bohol, Philippines — In its effort to reach out more people especially in the countryside, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through its National Development Support Command (NADESCOM) recently launched its “Bayanihan sa Barangay” program that seeks to help promote private-public partnership.

Maj. Gen. Carlos Holganza, NADESCOM chief, said they decided to conduct the project while waiting for the implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) project of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). The Bayanihan sa Barangay is also under the OPAPP.

It is like the Kalayaan sa Barangay Project (KBP) of the OPAPP where engineering brigades of the AFP will build basic structures like farm-to-market roads, school buildings and health centers to poor communities in the country.

Matin-ao Elementary School in this town will be the first beneficiary of the project. where a school building with two classrooms will be made available by next month. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

ANTIQUE RESUMES RICE SUBSIDY TO KIDS

SAN JOSE, Antique, Philippines — The rice allocation to preschoolers and grade school pupils will soon resume in province following the signing of the memorandum of agreement by the National Food Authority (NFA) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

At least 55,576 schoolchildren will benefit from the program, which was launched as part of the government’s hunger mitigation program and also to address the rising malnutrition cases among public schoolchildren.

NFA Antique Manager Gil Ibarra said his office is committed to make available 274,550 kilograms of rice for the program and a delivery team that will be assigned to distribute the rice around the province.

Iron fortified rice will be distributed in compliance to RA8976 or the Iron Fortification Act to lessen the malnutrition problem in the country. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

COUNCIL SCRUTINIZES NUTRITION PROGRAM

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Finding out whether the three-year-old Promotion of Good Nutrition (PGN) Component of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program of the government is “effective or not effective” in Eastern Visayas was the underlying goal of the recently concluded two-day Program Implementation Review (PIR) conducted by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) at the Balyuan Convention Center here.

The review from Nov. 15-16 focused on assessing the actions done by the LGUs as well as the outcomes achieved following the conduct of trainings on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), conduct of “Pabasa sa Nutrisyon” classes, distribution of nutrition information and education materials and conduct of multi-media campaign. (Jack C. Gadaingan)

L.W.U.A. INSTALLS NEW DIRECTORS

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The management of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) has installed an interim set of board of directors.

Effective Nov. 15, MIWD general manager Le Jayme Jalbuena recognized the nullification of its previous board of directors through the orders of Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). LWUA administrator Daniel Landingin named Emmanuel Malicdem as interim board chairman replacing Celso Javelosa.

Replacing Engr. Adrian Moncada as vice chairman is Hermilo Balucan. Interim members are Atty. Romeo Gerochi for the professional sector, Dr. Jessica Salas for women, and Enrique Gita. (Tara Yap)