BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Bad memories of the intensity 7.9 earthquake last July 16, 1990 flashed back to the minds of local residents here when an intensity 4.2 earthquake rocked this mountain resort city and other parts of the Cordillera around 9:25 Sunday night.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located around 30 kilometers northeast of La Trinidad, Benguet and lasted for around 5 seconds that caused alarm among local residents who were preparing for bed. However, no casualties and significant damage was reported in the different parts of the region after the tremblor, although it caused concern among local residents who have bad experiences during the 1990 killer earthquake. The local office of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the origin of the latest earthquake to hit the Baguio and Benguet areas was tectonic. (Dexter A. See)

Bulacan landfill

OBANDO, Bulacan — The municipal government here is now doubling its efforts in information and desemination program to enlighten residents on the benefits of having an engineered sanitary landfill that it plans to set up over a 44-hectare property, purchased from a private individual.

The town’s plan to construct its own engineered sanitary landfill in the area, an urbanized town in Bulacan, is in obstruction due to problems from residents opposing the establishment of its own permanent engineered sanitary landfill and would later be converted into an eco-tourism as a priority plan. (Freddie C. Velez)

Abra scout

BANGUED, Abra — Gian Lee Carlo Quiban, a Senior Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP) of the Divine Word College of Bangued was awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts (TOBS) in the country for this year 2011. Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, national president of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, handed the awards to the 10 national winners of TOBS 2011 in Makati City last October 1.

Quiban, a consistent honor student since grade 1 and Editor-in-Chief of their school organ, the CORAZONIAN, topped this year’s search for TOBS because of his involvements in various concerns such as environmental protection and his voluntary participation in all the community affairs and services that the BSP – Abra Chapter is engaged in. (Dexter A. See)

OWWA program

BAGUIO CITY — Eighty pre-identified female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the region are beneficiaries of the first batch of the ‘Balik Pinay! Balik Hanapbuhay’ project implemented by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

OWWA-CAR Labor Communication Officer Alitalia Lou Pandico reported that DOLE downloaded a P355,000 fund to OWWA which was used to fund the livelihood skills training and start up kits of the 80 beneficiaries to help them equip themselves and become productive citizens. (Dexter A. See)

Greening program

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga–Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 3 disclosed Monday that Central Luzon has already accomplished 83.24 percent of its National Greening Program (NGP) target for 2011.

DENR Regional Forest Resources Development Division chief Emelita Lingat disclosed that “approximately 2.3 million forest tree and fruit-bearing seedlings had been planted in 4,617.31 out of the 5,547 hectare targeted area coverage for this year since the launch of the program last May.” (Franco G. Regala)