DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Philippines (PNA) – A Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for the preservation of agricultural area in Dumaguete City has been submitted for the City Council’s evaluation and approval.

City Agriculture Officer and concurrent City Administrator William Ablong said part of the CLUP is the strict regulation of conversion of agricultural land to residential or commercial land areas.

He explained the city government will be communicating with land owners of these idle land areas so these can be utilized for agriculture development. Land areas to be sold for commercial purposes will have to undergo evaluation and approval by the city agriculture office.

P200-M ILOILO RICE COMPLEX TO BE LAUNCHED

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines (PNA) – Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Hye Min Lee and Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat of the Department of Agriculture will lead the groundbreaking ceremony of a P200-million Modern Integrated Rice Processing Complex in Barangay Amamaros, Pototan, Iloilo Thursday.

Pototan is considered Iloilo province’s rice granary and rice production is the top livelihood of people here, over rice trading, vegetable growing and backyard livestock breeding. Agriculture Regional Director Larry Nacionales said the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) was instrumental in realizing the Pototan project which will allow more farmers in the town and neighboring municipalities to avail of the complex’s services.

P.D.E.A. 7 CITES PERFORMANCE RECORD

CAMP SERGIO OSMEÑA, Cebu City, Philippines – An official from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) – Region 7 said the agency had the most number of drug operations nationwide last January.

PDEA-7 Director Adrian Alvariño said PDEA conducted 71 operations in Central Visayas, with majority taking place in Cebu city and province. He said 49 were in cooperation with the Philippine National Police while the rest were solely PDEA-led or with the other agencies including the National Bureau of Investigation. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

ILOILO POLICE CHIEF HAILED

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines (PNA) – Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog has more than enough reasons to appoint Sr. Supt. Marieto Valerio to full status as this city’s Philippine National Police (PNP) director.

Mabilog cited the accomplishments made by the former officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) which he said justified his decision for appointing Valerio to said post. “From the time he assumed office and until January this year, there has been constant decline in crime incidents happening in the city,” Mabilog said.

CAPIZ OFFICIALS ON HEALTH TOUR

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Philippines (PIA) – An 11-man group from Capiz will go on a tour of hospitals in Luzon February 16 to 18, and hopefully learn from their observation and apply what they have seen in their own locality. Specifically, the team will conduct an Exchange Technology Tour to Balanga General Hospital in Bataan and Quezon City General Hospital.