TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Philippines — The Cavite provincial administration has strictly implemented DEPTHS for good governance.

DEPTHS is an acronym for discipline, efficiency, performance, trust, honesty and service.

Joann Nazareno-Loyola, chief of Provincial Information and Community Affairs Department (PICAD), said that there were orders from Governor Jonvic Remulla for provincial department heads and employees to observe DEPTHS, particularly when transacting business with the citizens.

Loyola cited that DEPTHS was contained in the “list of orders” that the governor issued on Day One of his office. (Anthony Giron)

Tourist Arrivals

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines — A high ranking official from the Department of Tourism (DoT) in Cagayan Valley reported the increase of tourist arrivals in the region in the first semester of 2011.

Cagayan Valley Regional Tourism Director Blessida G. Diwa cited the massive intensification on promotion of different tourism events and destinations in the region and the presence of eco-historical, adventure and variety of food as the reasons for the increase in tourist arrivals.

“Even though the provinces in the region were hit by calamities in the past few months, local and foreign tourists are still attracted to visit our place due to our attractive natural sceneries and our various native but delicious food delicacies,” she said. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

Best P.R.O.

CAMP DANGWA, Philippines— The Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera was adjudged as the best regional police office in the country besting three other finalists in the category.

PRO-Cor outclassed PRO-5 and PRO-7 in the various aspects of the overall management and operation of the regional offices in performing the duties and responsibilities of the police to serve and protect the people.

Chief Superintendent Villamor A. Bumanglag, PRO-Cor regional director, said the nearly 3,000-strong police force in the region performed their duties and responsibilities above par to serve and protect the people in their areas of jurisdiction. (Dexter A. See)

Higher Collections

LAGAWE, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) noted an increase of tax collection for the first half of this year as compared to their collection for the same period last year which is an indication that the efforts of the Aquino administration to increase the tax collection efficiencies of revenue-generating offices is gaining ground.

Assistant Revenue District Officer Jose Maria Processo Gorospe said that collection from January to June this year amounted to P62,080,156.16, an increase of P2,492,305.65 or 4.18 percent over the P59,587,850.51 collection for the same period in 2010. (Dexter See)

Cum Laude

MANILA, Philippines -- A Nueva Ecija native and a former Department of Health medical technologist has earned his Doctorate in molecular biology at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM) with a rating of Summa Cum Laude on his doctoral thesis, the Philippine Embassy in Madrid has reported.

Teodoro M. Fajardo Jr. of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, defended his doctoral thesis entitled "Picornavirus Ires: Accesibility and Inhibition of Viral Gene Expression" last month.

He later on obtained a rating of Summa Cum Laude (sobre saliente cum laude) before a five-member panel from the university. (Roy Mabasa)