BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ. (PIA)—The government is expanding conditional cash transfer (CCT) and PhilHealth coverage to reach the poorest of the poor Filipinos so that they can benefit in the country’s economic growth.

This was disclosed by President Benigno S. Aquino III in his recent visit here.

“Already we have allotted a larger budget to our conditional cash transfers program, which is doubling its reach from one million families last year to 2.3 million families by end of this year,” he said.

The President said the short-term relief will ensure long-term gains as he stressed that the program is not a dole out because there are requirements before one can avail of the program.

State College performance lauded
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL (PIA) — Governor Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. has lauded the performance of the Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology (NONESCOST) graduates who passed in the recent Nursing Board Examinations.

NONESCOST garnered a 60.53 percent passing rate, ranking second amongst eight Negros Occidental nursing schools. The state college ranked sixth out of 20 nursing schools in Western Visayas and 57th among 470 nursing schools in the Philippines.

Marañon assured the graduates jobs in provincial district hospitals, citing the expansion of the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City and the establishment of a new hospital in Sipalay City.

Robredo to address Women's Congress
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary, Jesse Robredo will keynote the 11th Cebu Women’s Congress and Third Search for the Most Gender-Responsive Local Government Unit (GeRL) Awarding Ceremony on March 25 at the Cebu International Convention Center.

Gender and Development (GAD) Officer of the Cebu Provincial Women’s Commission, Ms. Hedda Largo said Robredo will talk about Gender-Responsive Governance: The Key to Effective Community Development and Economic Empowerment.

Terminals mulled for Boracay tricycles
BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan (PNA) — The Malay municipal council is studying the possibility of designating terminals for tricycles plying this resort island.

Currently, the council faces difficulty in finding a location since most vacant lots in Boracay are owned by the government, as represented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

To recall the Supreme Court had ruled out that Boracay Island is an agriculture reserved zone and all land parcels here are state-owned.

Barangay workers given insurance
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA8) - Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco has offered the accident insurance to all non-elective barangay workers in the city.

Samaco has identified non- elective barangay workers namely tanods, cleaners, record keepers, nutrition scholars, health workers in majority of the barangays in Maasin City to be the potential recipients of the Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP) accident insurance in the city.