TABUK CITY, Kalinga, Philippines — Two non-government organizations (NGOs) have proposed a three-year project to win over the thousands of small-scale miners in the towns of Balbalan and Pasil here and Jose Panganiban in Camarines Sur from their continuous dependence on mercury which has resulted to the pollution of most rivers in the province.

The local NGOs, Ban Toxics and Dialogus of Denmark, are at the forefront of the campaign to stop the use of mercury in mining operations.

Medical experts claimed the practice has already leaked mercury into the Saltan, Pasil and Chico Rivers by thousands of small-scale miners. (Dexter A. See)

COMELEC gears for poll recount

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines — Ballot boxes from 199 precincts in 32 towns and two cities of this province will soon be on their way to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) head office in Manila for a manual recount of votes under the election protest lodged by former Gov. Victor E. Agbayani.

This was confirmed yesterday by Provincial Election Supervisor Temie Lambino who said that the manual recount involving 20 percent of the clustered precincts had been set on June 3 by the Comelec 2nd Division.

Agbayani filed on May 24, 2010 his protest against the election of Governor Amado T. Espino Jr., who piled up a lead of more than 500,000 votes. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

Fish cage dev'p project started

LOPEZ, Quezon, Philippines — The provincial government here launched yesterday the Lalaguna Lake Fish Cage Development Project for small fisherfolk as additional source of income in Barangay Lalaguna, this town.

Quezon Governor David C. Suarez initiated the project by putting up a 340-square-meter floating module with four units of cages and releasing some 25,000 fingerlings of Tilapia as the highlight of his “Suarez Caravan sa Barangay” program.

Suarez said that the fish cages will give livelihood to the residents of the village and nearby barangays. (Danny Estacio)

Critical Abra bridge to open

BANGUED, Abra, Philippines — Governor Eustaquio P. Bersamin reported this week the completion of the Mabilong Bridge in Villaviciosa and projected a hastening of economic development in the remote areas of this province as soon as it is opened to traffic soon.

During his weekly program “Gobernador Agserbi Kadakayo,” Bersamin described the bridge as a dream come true for the people of the municipalities of Villaviciosa, San Isidro and Pilar including their neighboring towns of Bangued, Penarrubia and Pidigan because this is a component of the provincial road connecting these towns. (Dexter A. See)

Cops crack gas station robbery

CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan, Philippines — A 21-year-old warehouse helper allegedly, one of the three who held up a gas station in this province, was arrested by police in Barangay Longos, Malolos City.

Senior Supt. Fernando H. Mendez Jr., Bulacan police director, identified the suspect as Emmanuel Felipe Juliano, single, of Barangay San Agustin, Hagonoy.

This province. Juliano was nabbed shortly after the filling station heist. There was a brief exchange of fire between the suspects and police who caught Juliano in a hot-pursuit operation which started in Barangay Bulihan and ended in Barangay Longos, Malolos City. (Freddie C. Velez)