SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now inviting locator-companies in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to send their employees to workshops on corporate core-value formation, as part of the agency’s thrust to improve productivity in the workplace.

Lolita Mallari, manager of the SBMA Human Resources Management Department, said the agency recently partnered with Evangelion Foundation, Inc. (EFI), a non-stock, non-profit organization providing high-impact and high-driven value formation seminars, to conduct training on corporate core-value formation for company workers in this free port. (Franco G. Regala)

Army's challenge: keeping the peace

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Local officials and newsmen welcomed Monday the Philippine Army’s recent declaration that Bataan is now insurgency-free even as doubt lingers in certain quarters on how the Army leadership could sustain and preserve the peace in the province.

Cecilio “Butch” Gunio, president of the National Union of Journalists-Bataan chapter warned that while the military has succeeded in wiping out insurgency here, “they should sustain the momentum (of peace), be vigilant, and always closely coordinate with the local officials and ordinary folks for the preservation of a peaceful Bataan.” (Mar T. Supnad)

Megadike: folks plant 10,000 trees

STA. RITA, Pampanga — At least 10,000 trees of different varieties have been planted by residents along the Megadike here in a bid to preserve the environment. The tree-planting activity covered at least three villages in this town, which include San Isidro, San Basilio and San Juan.

Dubbed as “Tanam Ku, Para Keka Sta. Rita” (I plant trees for you, Sta. Rita), is a project of the municipal government here, in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Mayor Yolanda M. Pineda and Vice Mayor Homobono Guanlao led the activity, which was participated in by volunteers from different sectors last Saturday. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

4.8 magnitude quake hits Ilocos

SINAIT, Ilocos Sur — A pre-dawn earthquake, with a strength measuring 4.8 magnitude, struck northern Luzon Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) office based here reported.

Phivolcs Researcher Julius Galdiano said the earthquake happened at 2:30 a.m. with its epicenter at 185 kilometers northwest of Laoag City and depth at 93 kilometers.

Tectonic in origin, the tremor was due to the movement of the western part of the Manila trench but was hardly felt. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

Goat-raising funded by DA

LAGAWE, Ifugao — The Department of Agriculture (DA), through its Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), approved for implementation in September a P1 million worth of goat-raising project for this municipality in order to boost the supply of goats in the province which is in demand at the moment.

The project will initially cover the two barangays of Abinuan and Jucbong and expands to otherbarangays depending on its success in the coming years. These were selected because they have open traditional grasslands/pasture lands suited for raising goats and that some improved and nutritious grasses and legumes are available for forage in the locality. (Dexter A. See)