CAINTA, RIZAL — Thousands of Rizaleños are expected to troop to this town to avail themselves of the free medical and dental services to be provided by the medical team from the Rizal provincial government the whole day today.

The medical and dental outreach program which will be held at the Cainta Elementary School in Barangay San Roque in this municipality is part of the activities to celebrate the 38th birthday of Rizal Gov. Casimiro “Jun” Ynares, III.

Also part of the birthday activities for Ynares was the giving of citation to the province’s outstanding teachers. Also to be held are the local and overseas job fair, giving of free eyeglasses and free haircut at the Cainta Elementary School. (Nel B. Andrade)

Mango crop's future bright
TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Mango farmers in the province see brighter hope in the Agri-Pinoy framework, which listed mango as among the priority crops under the high value crops development program.

Program Coordinator Teresa Desay of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said Agri-Pinoy included mango, cacao and abaca to the traditional fruit crops of banana, coffee and citrus.

Although mango industry is still a developing source of income among farmers here, some tried developing mango farms and have seen potential earnings especially when further developed, Desay said. (Dexter See)

Worms eyed as waste eater
LAGAWE, Ifugao — A barangay here is now using worms as an initial stop-gap measure to temporarily solve its worsening waste disposal problem to avoid the occurrence of garbage crisis that could compromise the health condition of local residents and the state of the environment.

Concepcion Lacadin, a resident of Poblacion East here, said the proposal was an offshoot of a training workshop participated by the barangays here and department heads conducted recently by the Municipal Local Government Unit to solve the problem on waste disposal. (Dexter See)

Rice black bug solution sought
SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — The provincial government here directed the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist headed by Crispin Guintu to establish a mini laboratory for the mass production of metharizium anisopliae, a biological fungicide for the control of (palay) rice black bug in the province.

Gov. Lilia G. Pineda issued the order following complaints from farmers affected by the rice black bug. The rice black bug has been infesting rice-producing towns in Nueva Ecija, Aurora and the Bicol region. (Franco G. Regala)

Cavite marks Women's Month
IMUS — Cavite officials are celebrating the National Women’s Month with activities which will emphasize on the rights of women and their role in the country’s millennium development goals (MDGs).

Presidential Proclamation Nos. 224 and 227 and Republic Act (RA) 6949 have declared the first week of March as Women’s Week and March 8 (Tuesday) as Women’s Day.

The month-long celebration will end on March 31. The theme for this year’s Women’s Month celebration is “Magna Carta of Women, Philippine CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women): In Support of the Millenium Development Goals. (Anthony Giron)