BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (PNA) — The prevailing lowest temperature in this mountain resort 250 kilometers north of Manila further dipped to 11.4 degrees Celsius (OC ) early Tuesday morning from 12 OC on Monday morning.

Local weather forecaster Wilson Locando of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said cooler mornings are still ahead next month and in February.

The coldest temperature here was recorded on January 18, 1961 at 6.3 OC; followed by the 6.7 OC on Feb. 28, 1963; and then 6.8 OC on Jan. 8, 1986. Locando said the cool weather is due to the northeasterly or Siberian winds.

Olongapo offers free land titling

OLONGAPO CITY, Zambales — The local government is currently inviting land owners of this city to take advantage of the Mass Land Titling Program, which provides for free land titling for parcels of land that does not exceed 200 square meters.

The Mass Land Titling Program is in accordance with Republic Act 10023, the Free Patent Act, sponsored by former Senator Richard Gordon. Entitled to avail of the program are Filipino citizens who are actual occupants of the residential land measuring 200 sqm and below. (Jonas Reyes)

Red tide up in Bataan

BALANGA CITY, Bataan (PIA) — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is still appealing to the public to refrain from gathering and eating shellfish coastal areas of seven towns and one city of Bataan due to contamination with red tide toxin.

Affected by the shellfish ban are the municipalities of Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Abucay, Samal, and Orani and this capital city. The red tide toxin causes paralytic shellfish poisoning which, upon ingestion, can be fatal to humans.

BFAR Central Luzon information officer Lanie Lamyong said, “based on the latest shellfish bulletin issued last Dec. 19, the current red tide toxin level in shellfish samples collected from the coastal waters of Bataan is still significantly higher to the 60g STXg/100g tolerable limit.”

4 kids saved from fire

BAGUIO CITY (PNA) — Alert neighbors and firemen rescued four children from a burning apartment along the populous Zamora Street at the central business district here at around 4:02 a.m. Tuesday.

This was learned from Vic Calimlim, one of the civic leaders in the market area where the 30-minute blaze happened.

Firemen were able to contain the fire immediately and saved the apartment. Only the room occupied by the victims was razed by the fire. No one was hurt.

Aid awaits more poor families

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) learning network disclosed that more poor families and indigenous peoples (IPs) will be targeted under the anti-poverty programs of the Aquino administration in 2012.

To date, 85,000 to 90,000 poor families have been benefiting from the anti-poverty programs, particularly the Pantawid Pamilya Program or 4Ps. Director Arnel B. Garcia said another 64,000 poor families will be enrolled to the conditional cash transfer program next year.

Recently, a memorandum of agreement for the learning network aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of all anti-poverty programs of the government was signed by a pool of experts.