MANILA, Philippines — The country’s longest and oldest non-competitive relay run retracing the 1942 Death March route honoring the heroes of Bataan will again be fired off for an unprecedented 26th time on April 8 and 9, 2011.

The 26th Araw ng Kagitingan Ultra-Marathon was recently cited by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) in their 2010 Awarding Ceremonies last March 5, 2011 at the Manila Hotel.

The Tribute Run will begin at the Death March “Ground Zero” Marker in Mariveles, Bataan to be led by Mayor Jesse Concepcion and Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) Post Commander Peregrino Divinagracia.

After the opening rites, the burning peace torch will be turned over by Commander Divinagracia to event founding organizer Ed Paez, whose San Fernando Runners Unlimited Inc. (SAFER RUN Inc.). (Franco G. Regala)

Valenzuela housing
Indigent families currently living temporarily on shelters at the "Disiplina Village" and lost their homes due to typhoon Ondoy in 2009, had received Certificates of Occupancy for the lots awarded to them by the city government in partnership with the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation.

Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian led the awarding of the certificates of occupancy last Saturday during the inauguration and blessing of the three clusters 16 unit housing buildings a year after it was completed.

The housing project was launched in 2009 after the city government of Valenzuela launched the “Disiplina Village,” a housing project established exclusively for the residents of the city who lost their homes due to typhoon Ondoy. (Ed Mahilum)

Highway widened
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Thousands old trees along McArthur Highway will be scheduled to be cut by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 3 to give way to the ongoing road expansion and widening project in three provinces in the region.

Based on the data that was gathered there are still 576 trees along the McArthur Highway in the City of San Fernando for the government road-widening project. (Franco G. Regala)

Cavite fights measles
TRECE MARTIRES CITY — The local health department went all-out in the month-long drive to eradicate the dreaded measles in Cavite.

Public health office doctors and coordinators and rural medical personnel led the door-to-door free anti-measles vaccination and oral dose of Vitamin A for children in the province’s four cities and 19 towns.

Authorities tagged Cavite as a disease-prone area, considering the province’s population which is the biggest in the country. (Anthony Giron)

Pampanga immunization
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Pampanga Governor Lilia G. Pineda Wednesday started to launch a door-to-door measles immunization campaign in the province. Pineda led the Pampanga Department of Health (DoH) in the launching of the Measles Rubella Supplemental (MRS) immunization campaign.

The lady governor and the Committee on Health chairperson Monina Laus facilitated the immunization of a nine-month-old baby, the first to be immunized in the province.

Laus, disclosed that the program will cover children ages nine months to eight years old.(Franco G. Regala)