LUCENA CITY, Philippines — Ultimately, the city’s Commission on Elections (Comelec) had to recall its own order unseating Mayor Barbara “Ruby” Talaga last Monday in abidance to the Supreme Court’s status quo ante order that allows the mayor to stay in power while the poll protest is resolved with finality.

The Comelec order was delivered personally by City Election Supervisor Jopet Butingan to the office of Talaga. The order was promulgated and signed by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes on June 27 to recall and render ineffective the Writ of Execution which it issued last June 15, 2011 unseating Talaga. (Danny Estacio)

Binay leads CL 'Pabahay caravan'

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Jejomar Binay has pushed the local chief executives in Central Luzon to support national government as partnership in delivering quality and affordable homes to their constituents.

Binay the keynote speaker led the opening of the Pabahay caravan in Clark on Monday, he said in his massage that the role of HUDCC to “enable local government units (LGUs) to provide housing services by orienting them on the council’s programs and granting financial support to implement these in their areas.” (Franco G. Regala)

10,547 tricycle drivers get aid

BAGUIO CITY — The distribution of fuel subsidy under the government’s Pantawid Pasada or Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP) to the 10,547 qualified tricycle driver beneficiaries in the Cordillera was completed recently.

This was affirmed by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-CAR) Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division (LGMED) Operation Officer 5 Nitz Galvez.

Galvez said the PTAP program for the Cordillera has a total funding of P1,582,050 is set to benefit 10,547 qualified tricycle unit drivers all over the region. (Dexter A. See)

Malolos holds one-stop shop

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan — The Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB) headed by Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado brings the government service closer to the public as the Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO) started the other day until Wednesday its three-day one-stop shop held at the Bulacan Gymnasium.

Four government offices like Land Transportation Office (LTO), National Statistics Office (NSO), Social Security System (SSS) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) converged for easier application and faster processing. (Freddie C. Velez)

Cagayan movest to preserve 'ludong'

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — An official of the Cagayan Valley Region’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) expressed confidence that the rare and indigenous “ludong” fish species found primarily along Cagayan River and its stream will be preserved and increased in number.

This developed when officials from the 32 barangays in the provinces of Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya, where the reported sites of the niches of the migratory fishes located, had signified their support to the exploratory fishing activities as part of the efforts to preserve “Ludong.” BFAR Region 2 Director Jovita Ayson said local government will support the establishment of a closed season on catching the said fish species in watersheds of Palanan. (Freddie G. Lazaro)