SAN FERNANDO CITY — Pampanga Gov. Lilia G. Pineda, in her first State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday, bared significant accomplishments on health, education, agriculture and infrastructure.

She said at least 11,850 patients were treated in various private and public hospitals in province and Metro Manila.

The provincial government also constructed and reha-bilitated eight Pampanga district hospitals, including the construction of a dialysis center located at Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital between the boundary of Sta. Rita and Guagua towns.

Pineda said the province allotted a total of P12,685,000 for the collage scholarship assistance to some 1,403 deserving students throughout the province.

The governor also distributed P3,630,000 cash money allowance to some 635 top college students. (Franco G. Regala)

River Patrols

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — In compliance with the Supreme Court order to cleanup Manila Bay, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Environmental Management Bureau (DENR- EMB) in Central Luzon has organized “river patrol” groups from a multi-sectoral team to intensify their campaign against pollution and destruction of environmental habitats.

The creation of patrols is meant to ensure pollution reduction in rivers and waterways, habitat resources and rehabilitation activities, EMB Region 3 director Lormelyn Claudio said. (Franco G. Regala)

Accessibility Law

BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cordillera has ordered the strict compliance to the special law on disabled persons which allows the latter easy access to government and private buildings in compliance to the provisions of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

According to Engineer Edilberto P. Carabbacan, DPWH-CAR regional director, the implementation of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons or Republic Act 7277 is strictly monitored by his office, adding that no building permit will be issued if owners don’t comply with the law mandating the provision of accessibility to persons with disabilities. (Dexter See)

River Pollution

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The pollution of the Balili River is a challenge that needs to be addressed now in order to prevent the main river linking Baguio City to this capital town from eventually dying similar to the heavily polluted Pasig River and Manila Bay.

Mayor Gregorio Abalos Jr. stressed this in a meeting held recently among members of the ad hoc committee of the Balili River Rehabilitation program composed of stakeholders from local government units, national line agencies, academe, government owned and controlled corporations and the private sector. (Dexter See)

Wallet Returned

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — A correspondent from one of the big three broadsheet dailies recently returned a wallet back to an Filipino-Australian senior citizen after finding it near an automated teller machine (ATM).

Correspondent Alexander Galang recovered a wallet near an ATM at the Times Square Cinema and turned over the wallet to the Law Enforcement Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

The wallet contained four pieces of P1,000 bills, three pieces P500 bills and a P20 bill including a South Wales driver’s license, assorted identification cards, a copy of a senior citizen discount card, and a blank Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) check. (Jonas Reyes)