ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) — The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is accepting entries to the 2011 Regional Invention Contest (RIC) in Western Visayas on Oct. 19 to 21 in Iloilo City.

RIC, serving as the qualifying round for the National Invention Contest, is open to public and private sector inventors and researchers within the region.

Contest categories include Invention, Utility Model, Industrial Design, Creative Research and Student Creative Researches for High School and College Students.

Deadline for submission of entries is Sept. 23 at any DoST Provincial Science and Technology Center in the region. Entry forms are also available at the DoST provincial offices.

Electricity rates

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The Panay Electric Company (PECO), the lone power distributor in this city, will raise its electricity rates next month to P10.50 per kilowatt-hour, but contends the new pricing scheme is much lower than most electric cooperatives in Western Visayas at nearly P12 per kilowatt-hour.

Randy Pastolero, PECO assistant vice president for operations, made the clarification amidst complaints by its consumers that the power company owns one of the highest electricity charges in the region.

Tourism week 

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) — The municipality of Kalibo began celebrating Tourism Week Sunday. Some of the activities lined up for the celebration include trainings on tour/goodwill guiding, front office operation, and housekeeping and waitering.

The first two trainings will be held at the function hall of Kalibo Municipal Building and the Gov. Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center, while the last two- housekeeping and waitering demo, will be held at the Ati-Atihan Country Inn.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) 6, according to the municipal government, will be one of the major sponsors of the celebration, which would bring in resource persons.

‘One-stop-shop’ service

ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) — A one-stop-shop of government services will be held by the Capiz provincial government on Sept. 22 at the Provincial Capitol here as part of the 111th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary this month.

The activity dubbed “Capiz nga Serbisyo Publiko sa Capitolyo” is a day-long convergence of government services for the Capiceños.

Ma. Cynthia P. Gellegani, Civil Service Commission (CSC) – Capiz director, said that the different national government agencies and front line departments of the province will join the activity.

Special exercise 

TACLOBAN CITY Leyte, (PIA) — On September 24, a practice oil spill response will test the readiness and skills in the event of the real thing at the oil depots in Tacloban City.

This is in line with this year’s National Maritime Week Celebration with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Regional Office No. VIII headed by Regional Director Manuel C. Portus as the lead agency.

The Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, through Operations Manager Jeffry Devilles, will open its doors to the media and the cooperating agencies to demonstrate the ability of the oil company to deploy boats, oil skimming equipment and oil-containment boom during the drill at 9 a.m. September 24.