ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Philippines (PIA) — Roxas City Fire Marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has conducted its second fire drill at the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) recently, with some 70 doctors, nurses, patients and other hospital personnel participating.

An inspection and lecture were conducted by the firemen on separate dates before the actual drill to assess the area and orient participants on what to do during fire incidents. The drills were complemented by ongoing inspection of boarding houses, apartments, dormitories and schools by a Task Force on Boarding Houses by the Roxas City government.

PhilHealth beneficiaries

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL (PIA)—The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) in Region 6 has recorded an enrolment rate of 79.73 percent with a total beneficiary of 6.209 million in Western Visayas, according to Negros Occ. Philhealth Manager Vicel Bracamonte.

“This is somehow close to the corporation’s thrust of achieving universal coverage by enrolling at least 85 percent of the Filipino population,” he said during the launching of the 22nd National Statistics Month with the theme ‘Quality Social Protection Statistics for Focused Targeting.’ Negros Occ. has 766,060 members with more than 2.3 million beneficiaries.

Training program

TACLOBAN CITY Leyte (PIA) — The National Youth Commission (NYC) is searching for five delegates to the ASEAN Young Leaders Training Program to be held Nov. 5- Dec.3 at the China Guanxi International Youth Exchange Institute.

The training is under a bilateral agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines. The China Guanxi International Youth Exchange Institute promotes exchange and cooperation in strengthening friendship between the youth in China and in the ASEAN region.

October implementation

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol(PIA) — Beginning Monday, October 3, Ubay police will start implementing the Mandatory Helmet Act of 2009, requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. A week ago, newly installed police chief PSInspector Homobono Sayon led men in an information caravan to increase Ubayanon's awareness of said law.

They particularly focused on the vicinity of Ubay market on a market day to convey implementation of said law. Land Transportation Office Information Officer Aloy Balazuela stressed that many road accidents causing deaths are due to the non-wearing of helmets by motorcycle riders.

4Ps grants

ENRIQUE VILLANUEVA, Siquijor (PIA) — Some 727 families from Enrique Villanueva and Maria towns in this province got cash grants last week from government’s poverty-alleviation Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) through the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 7 (DSWD-7).

A total of P1,146,400 was handed to 535 of 595 registered 4Ps beneficiaries in Maria town and P405,000 to 192 of 208 registered beneficiaries in Enrique Villanueva. In all, P14.6 million has been disbursed to 4Ps program beneficiaries in Siquijor from January to September 2011.