BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental (PIA) — The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held a meeting to orient its members on institutionalizing the Disaster Risk Reduction Management System in Bacolod City.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson presided over the meeting attended by other local officials including Bacolod City Disaster Management Action Officer Jomarie Vargas at the New Government Center recently.

Vargas said, the Disaster Committee will conduct workshops for members so that they can handle emergency situations well.

'Premyo Sa Resibo' campaign
NEGROS OCC., Bacolod City (PIA) — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is now conducting an ongoing massive campaign for its “Premyo Sa Resibo” (PSR) program at all Shoemart (SM) Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, and Save More branches nationwide.

The PSR booth activation here in Revenue Region No. 12 will be conducted at SM City Supermarket in Bacolod City.

BIR revenue officers have been manning the BIR Help Desk at the SM City Supermarket in Bacolod City last weekend and will again do so again on February 19-20 from 10 a.m. up to 6 p.m. at the same venue where they will answer questions on tax-related matters and distribute forms for registration and one-time transactions, among others services.

Cancer awareness gets boost
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC)-Breast Clinic, in partnership with the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines Inc. will hold lectures and screening of breast and cervical cancer on Feb. 19 at the Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC) located at the hospital compound in Cebu City.

Data from the Cebu population-based Cancer Registry of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI)-EJACC say cervical and breast cancer are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Cebuano women.

Southern Leyte tax take up
MAASIN CITY, Leyte (PIA) — The tax take for the month of January 2010 in the entire province of Southern Leyte was R23,268,669.58, but for the same period this year the collection soared to P28,521,966.96.

This represented increased collection in the amount of P5,253,697.38, or a 22.5 percent hike, said Alexander Laroza, the new Revenue District Officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) District No. 90 based in this city.

Laroza also told local media recently that the tax collected last month exceeded the goal of P27,923,000.00, or a 2.15 percent representing P598,966.96.

ONA to launch nurse program
CATBALOGAN, Samar (PIA) — Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona is set to visit Northern Samar to launch the Registered Nurse for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RN-HEALS).

The program is similar to the old NARS Program in which qualified nurses are expected to assist communities to attain better health and social health care.

With the nurses’ assistance, local government units (LGUs) hope to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) particularly the reduction in maternal and neonatal deaths, which is a commitment the country has made to the United Nations.