ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has come to the aid of farmers in Capiz whose rice lands were destroyed by recent floods in the province.

Some 5,600 hectares of land planted to palay were totally damaged by said floods.

Provincial agriculture head Sylvia dela Cruz said a total of 1,500 certified seeds have already been distributed to farmers in the province, particularly in Capiz’s first district which were especially hit badly by floods.

She said that such aid by the DA in Western Visayas was requested by Capiz Representative (1st District) Antonio del Rosario.

Cab calibration deadline set
ILOILO CITY (PIA) – Taxi operators here have only until February 24 to submit their taxis for calibration, otherwise they will be penalized, according to LTFRB-6 Director Romulo Bernardes.

Bernardes said only half of a total of 2,138 taxi operators in Western Visayas, have had their units calibrated as of the first week of February.

In Iloilo, over 1,000 taxi units have been calibrated. In Bacolod, less than 50 taxis and only 13 in Cebu have been calibrated. “Operators who first complied were the big ones, that is, those operating over 100 units,” said Bernardes.

The LTFRB said after the deadline, a memorandum will be issued to taxi operators giving them an allowance of an additional one month to comply.

Maasin gets new maternity hospital
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA) – A new hospital, the Maasin Maternity Children’s Hospital (MMCC) is set to open here to serve patients giving birth, Dr. Jocelyn V. Villamor, pediatrician and owner of the hospital told local media.

The new maternity hospital has complied with Department of Health (DOH) requirements and had been issued a license to construct. It is expected to open in April.

Badjaos avail of dental services
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) -- Some 339 Badjaos and local residents in Alaska, Mambaling, Cebu City benefited from a recent five-day dental mission organized by the Rise Above Foundation and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI).

The mission partnered with Danish and local dentists offering teeth restoration, extraction, prophylaxis and other dental treatment at the Nano Nagle Childcare and Learning Center in Alaska, Mambaling, this city.

Over 100 children in the same place received a year’s supply of dental and hygiene kits containing toothbrushes, toothpastes, and hand soaps.

Red orchid awardees sought
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) - The nationwide search for the Department of Health (DoH)’s 2011’s Red Orchid Awardees.

The search will be conducted to look for 100 percent Tobacco-Free Provinces, Municipalities, Cities, Government Offices, DoH Centers for Health Development (CHD) and DoH Hospitals.

This year’s nominees from Central Visayas are the Talisay City District Hospital, St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital for the hospital category, the municipality of Amlan, Negros Oriental for the local government unit (LGU) category and the DoH-Center for Health Development Central Visayas for the CHD category.