GUIGUINTO, Bulacan, Philippines – As the nation was celebrating in the final hours of the year leading to 2011, the family of “Baywalk Bodies” member Rejoice Rivera was in grief after her body was found on the roadside of North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Tabang.

The 26-year-old celebrity-dancer, who is Dianne Marie Santos in real life, was found with a bullet wound in the head, police said.

Wearing a gray shirt and maong short pants, Rejoice’s body was found on the northbound side of NLEx with her wallet and mobile phone missing. Later, she was positively identified by her relatives at a morgue in Malolos City.

Nieves Santos, the mother of the victim, told probers she last spoke to Rejoice on December 28 while the victim was expecting a visitor who would fetch her. The victim was the second of three siblings and the breadwinner of the family.

Her apparent murder is now under investigation. (Freddie C. Velez)

Tagaytay logs zero accidents
There was no report of firecracker victims or any New Year revelry-related fire incidents in Tagaytay City, a premier tourist destination in the country.

Police attributed the zero report to the strict firecracker ban imposed in the city. Tagaytay is the No. 1 tourist destination nearest Metro Manila.

The tourists frequent the ridge city to see the panoramic view of Taal Volcano and lake and enjoy its cool climate and relaxing surroundings.

Police Officer 1 Mariano Magat, Tagaytay police desk officer, citing a report of the station investigation and detection group, said that there were no casualties from firecracker explosions or fires reported in any of the city’s 34 barangays (villages) during the New Year’s revelry. (Anthony Giron)

Woman with bolo nabbed
ADAMS, Ilocos Sur – A woman was arrested by police for allegedly hacking the neck of her five-year-old nephew, nearly decapitating the little boy last Friday in Barangay Poblacion.

Police identified the victim as Arvie Dupagen, who was attacked allegedly by his aunt, Lapaz Dupagen.

The suspect yielded the bolo she used in the gruesome attack. Investigators were still investigating the incident as the victim’s mother, who witnessed the attack, was still in shock. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

N. Luzon backs P.S.F initiative
BAGUIO CITY – The putting up of a “reward fund” to mitigate the effects of climate change especially in vulnerable local governments and villages has gained considerable support in Northern Luzon, officials said Saturday.

Seeing the Mindanao-wide support for the People’s Survival Fund (PSF) or HB 3528 encouraging, Angelo Kairus dela Cruz of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said: “Time is essential to already establish the measure otherwise it might be too late.”

The ICSC spearheads the gathering of support from local governments and legislators. Filed in the House of Representatives by Quezon 4th District Rep. and Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III and its Senate version by Senate Pres.

Juan Ponce Enrile, the fund will make local government units more resilient to the effects of climate change without sacrificing (i.e diverting) funds for social services and the like. Global risk advisory firm Maplecroft has recently named the Philippines as among 16 nations in the world at the “extreme risk” in its Climate Change Vulnerability Index 2011 (CCVI) released last month. (Dexter A. See)