CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines — A leading independent player is set to pioneer new innovation in the petrol industry as Flying V plans to establish solar-powered gasoline stations.

This was announced by Ramiro Villavicencio, project proponent director of the Flying V solar-powered gas station, said the pilot stations will be put-up in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga and Subic Bay Freepor Zone in Zambales by mid second quarter this year.

“Nearly everything we do in our modern society requires energy that is generated by burning fossil fuels which contributes to the carbon foot print which effectively harms our environment,” Villavicencio said. (Franco G. Regala)

Benefits from Balikatan
CAMP AQUNIO, Tarlac City — Some barangays in the provinces of Tarlac and Zambales will be benefiting from the humanitarian assistance projects spearheaded by both United States military and Armed Forces of the Philippine joint Balikatan 2011 projects.

Lieutenant Colonel Rosendo Armas, spokesperson of AFP Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) said that the Army, Air Force and Navy engineering units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and United States military are currently constructing two-classroom school buildings for three Zambales schools namely Babancal Elementary School in Candelaria, Pundakit Elementary School in San Antonio and Angel C. Manglicmot Elementary School also in San Antonio as well as for two Tarlac schools namely Lubigan Elementary School in San Jose and Pedro L. Quines Elementary School in Mayantoc. (Franco G. Regala)

Cavite provincial pharmacy opens
The Cavite government has formed committees that will oversee the operation of “Botika ng Lalawigan” (Provincial Pharmacy) that is set to reopen near the Capitol in Trece Martires City.

The “Botika” is expected to sell much-cheaper medicines for the sickly and elderly residents of the province with the creation of the Drug Consignment and Management Committee (DCMC) and its four sub-committees and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC). (Anthony Giron)

Pangasinan reviews taxes
LINGAYEN —The Sangguniang Panlalawigan will reconsider amendments of the provincial ordinance increasing real property taxes because of many complaints.

Earlier, SP member Ranjit R. Shahani said that he is receiving many complaints about the abrupt increase in real property tax from farmers and landowners.

"They claimed that the increase was from 300 to 500 percent," Shahani added. Meanwhile Shahani believed that the tax increase was reasonable because the last adjustment was made about nine years ago yet. (Liezle Basa Inigo )

NFA Ifugao launches I-Rice
LAGAWE, Ifugao — In an effort to address the hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiency, a leading nutritional disorder in the world, the National Food Authority (NFA) here launched recently the I-Rice or Iron Fortified Rice for the benefit of improving the health condition of beneficiaries of the program which is geared towards addressing the current deficiencies in the country’s rice.

NFA Assistant Regional Director Mario Gonzales said that I-Rice is a mixture of white milled rice and IMix or iron rice premix processed through fortification. (Dexter See)