ILOILO CITY (PNA) – If the United States Capitol has its "Statue of Freedom," then this city will also have its own "Statue of Ilonggo Pride."

A bronze statue depicting prosperity and the hardworking Ilonggos will be mounted on top of the New City Hall building, said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

The piece of sculpture dubbed “Statue of Ilonggo Pride” was designed by Ilonggo artist Edward Defensor.

The statue depicts a woman wearing a “patadyong” and a “sablay” made of hablon cloth and holding rice stalks and a scythe on her left hand.

Enforce tight security– DEP.ED.
CEBU CITY – The Region 7 office of the Department of Education (DepEd-7) yesterday urged school administrators and officers of Parents, Teachers, and Community Associations (PTCAs) to map out additional measures to ensure the safety and security of pupils.

DepEd-7 Director Recaredo Borgonia issued the directive following the alleged abduction and murder of a six-year-old Grade 1 pupil of Calajo-an Elementary School in Minglanilla who was found dead in Barili on Wednesday.

The education officials urged school administrators and PTCA officers to consider hiring security personnel that will ensure the safety of pupils. (Mars Mosqueda Jr.)

Preserve marine turtles – D.E.N.R.
NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) – Residents of Biliran were urged to preserve marine turtles that thrive in the seas of the island province because this particular marine life is facing extinction.

The call was made by the provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through Cristy Santos, Protected Area Wildlife Coastal Zone Management Services chief.

Santos said the local residents must work together and report to proper authorities once they know of anybody catching marine turtles for food.

Organic farming seminar starts
LEON, Iloilo (PIA) – Iloilo’s first organic farming focusing on vegetables was launched here with the start of a 10-week training, participated in by about 100 farmers from four municipalities.

The organic farming training focusing on vegetables is a joint activity of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office, with the SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Program, in cooperation with the Harbest Agribusiness Corp., Kahublagan sang Panimalay, Department of Agriculture and the local government here.

The participating municipalities are Leon, Alimodian, San Miguel, and Tubungan, with a composition of mostly hilly and rain-fed areas.

134 registered nurses for Capiz
ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) – Some 134 Capiceño nurses will soon be deployed to the different communities in Capiz.

Information Officer William Dungog of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) in Capiz disclosed that the 134 Capiceño nurses will be filling up the slots intended for the province under the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RN-HEALS) program.

Dungog said that under program, a total of 153 Capiceño registered nurses have applied to be part of the jobs-generation cum training program of the government, however, only 134 have been accommodated to fill up the 134 slots for the 16 towns and one city here.