SILAY CITY, Negros Occ. (PIA) — Silay City’s Cultural Affairs Division, Community Affairs Division and Tourism Office spearheads the “2nd Taklas Dagnas sa Patag,” an environmental awareness campaign and cleanup of the Northern Negros Forest Reserve (NNFR) at Brgy. Patag, Silay City on April 28 to May 1, 2011.

The effort’s main objective is to preserve and promote the beauty of Patag, a leading tourism destination in the province known for its waterfalls, hot spring, scenic landscape, lush forest and thriving ecosystem.

Cops on board launced

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) has launched its “Cops On Board” program here.

The program is a security measure to thwart criminality on board public utility vehicles. Police hotline numbers will be put up in buses for the reference of passengers.

To ensure the safety of bus passengers, police will be on board the some 141 buses belonging to the Vallacar-Ceres Bus liner which ply routes in Negros Oriental.

Under the initiatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to deliver basic public safety services to the community, PNP Provincial Director Col. Rey Lyndon Lawas said the program will enhance the security of the traveling public as well as of the drivers and conductors.

I.T.R. filing in Cebu orderly

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Hardly any problems were encountered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Regional Office 13 in Cebu City in the last day of filing of income tax returns last week, said Atty. Jose N. Tan, Regional Director of BIR Regional Office 13 which covers Revenue District Offices of Cebu North and South districts, the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and Bohol.

Assistance centers were set up in the regional BIR office and SM City Cebu while BIR personnel were fielded in Metro Cebu designated banks to assist taxpayers.

Guimaras mango fest

JORDAN, Guimaras (PIA) — A record-breaking 3.5 tons of mangoes were consumed by participants in the 18th Manggahan Festival consumed a record-breaking 3.5 tons of mangoes during the “Mango Eat-All-You-Can” event in Guimaras Province held last April 15 to April 17 at the Provincial Capitol in Jordan town. Guimaras province is famous for its mangoes.

This year’s festival theme is “Sustaining Agri-Eco Tourism Development Amidst Climate Change.” A total of 1,446 participated in the event, which organizers said was record-breaking.

B.P.A.T. training for muslims

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ. (PIA) — The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) conducted three-day Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) training of Muslim communities held at the MassKara Hall of the New Government Center which ended yesterday.

The Dar Al-Dhikr Islamic Center and the Daru Salam Islamic Center joined the training. Police Superintendent Alexander H. Ermeo discussed crime prevention and safety consciousness basics and BPAT components including law enforcement, community organizing, disaster mitigation, relief and control, environment protection and Barangay justice system.

Ermeo also encouraged participants to help disaster victims.