MASANTOL, Pampanga, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Central Luzon will dismantle some 3,865 illegal structures and fishpens encroaching the waterways in Region 3, which the government office has blamed for causing massive and sudden floods during typhoons in the region.

The announcement was made after the DPWH completed its inventory of informal settlers and structures encroaching the waterways ending up to Manila Bay as 94 towns in five provinces in the region came up with a plan of rehabilitating and cleaning up waterways going to the Manila Bay. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

Antipolo 'suman' set for export

ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal — The city government is encouraging local manufacturers of the city’s delicacy, “suman” (a sticky rice roll) to aim for global competitiveness following growing international interest in the native food product by a local exporter based in Laguna.

Mayor Danilo Leyble, who earlier revealed that Philip Young of Global Food Solutions, manufacturer and exporter of Filipino native products such as ube, dried mango, banana chips, fruit syrup, and mango spreads, among others under the trade name, Buenas Products are interested to market suman aboard, challenged the local suman makers in this city to aim high and prepare their products for global competitiveness. (Nel B. Andrade)

Angeles joins 3rd Global confab

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan led the city officials Thursday in opening the three-day 3rd Philippine Cities Global Convention and Exposition which will run until Saturday. Pamintuan said it is the first time that Angeles City is participating in the convention at ResortsWorld in Pasay City, hosted by the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP).

“This will be a good avenue to discuss urban issues and concerns, consult with the national government, seek new partnerships with development agencies and formulate policy agenda that would be beneficial for all LCP member cities,” Pamintuan said. (Franco G. Regala)

Little Olympics up in Lingayen

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — At least 1,500 school-based athletes nationwide dubbed “the best of the best” in their respective fields will be competing in the National Milo Olympics which kicks off Friday at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC), here. For the first time, province is hosting one of the biggest sporting events in the country on Nov. 18-20.

 The 3rd National MILO Little Olympics 2011 will focus on a mix of sporting events in which Filipinos can excel such as athletics, badminton, chess, football, gymnastics, scrabble, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

Nagoya U taps Subic employee

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Nagoya University in Japan has admitted an employee of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) as part of the Global Environmental Leaders Program (NUGELP).

Jomel Libut, an Engineer III at the Civil & Marine Works unit of the SBMA Seaport Department’s Asset Management Division, is now a fellow of the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) program for the Philippines for fiscal years 2011-2014. (Jonas Reyes)