TABUK, Kalinga — From its stock inventory as of this month, the National Food Authority (NFA) in the province of Kalinga has a surplus in rice, ensuring food security that could cater to the needs of local residents and even neighboring provinces in the Cagayan Valley region where rice and corn farms are now being attacked by army worms and rodents.

Based on its recent grains situation report, the NFA warehouse contains 53,268 bags of buffer rice, and 37,656 bags of procured palay, which has a potential rice output of 24,476 bags. Combined, the NFA Kalinga has a current total rice stock of 77,745 bags of rice.(Dexter See)

Bulacan enforces 'No Helmet, No Ride'
MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan — Provincial officials led by Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado are now strictly enforcing the “No Helmet, No Ride” policy in all thoroughfares in the province to ensure a safe ride for motorcycle
riders.

Alvarado noted that most of the victims who figured in motorcycle accidents were not wearing safety helmets.

Alvarado urged motorcycle riders to strictly follow the provisions in the implementing rules and regulations of Panlalawigang Kautusan Bilang 03-T’09. (Freddie Velez)

Mild tremor hits Cagayan
SINAIT, Ilocos Sur — A magnitude 4.3 tectonic earthquake hit some areas in Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Friday morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) satellite office based here.

Porferio De Peralta, officer-in-charge of the Phivolcs Sinait satellite office, that at 8:55 a.m., the quake hit some provinces in the Cagayan Valley with its epicenter located some seven kilometers southwest of Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya with a depth of 16 kilometers.

De Peralta said that intensity 4 was felt in Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya, intensity 3 in Solano, Nueva Viscaya, and intensity 2 in Baguio City and in Cauayan City, Isabela. (Freddie Lazaro)

Climate change blamed for pests
TUGUEGARAO CITY — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has blamed climate change as the cause of outbreak of army and cut worms, and rodents in the farmlands in Cagayan Valley.

The region’s agriculture director Andrew Villacorta admitted Friday that the sudden change weather and climate are contributors to the occurrences where worms and insects attack crops planted in the farmlands.

However, Villacorta said that the outbreak of army and cut worms, and rats in the farmlands in Cagayan Valley had already been controlled.

“Other effective mitigating measures are also employed to further eliminate any attacking insects to the crops planted in our farmlands in the Cagayan Valley region,” he said. (Freddie Lazaro)

Dev't projects benefit sitios
BAKUN, Benguet – At least P3.2 million worth of environmental and community development projects were already completed by the management of the Royalco Philippines as it continues to pursue the conduct of exploration activities to ascertain the presence of sufficient mineral ore deposits that will warrant the operation of large-scale mining operations in the future.

Royalco is an Australian-funded exploration project after the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) renewed the exploration permit issued to the mining company to continue its exploration activities. (Dexter See)