MANILA, Philippines — The Rizal province hosts this year’s festival of visual artists which starts Friday as part of the celebration of Artist’s Month. Rizal Governor Casimiro “Junjun” Ynares III and his wife, Andrea Bautista-Ynares, honorary chairperson of the Rizal Artist Federation, will welcome the guests, including representatives from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), to the “Philippine Visual Arts Festival 2012: The Rizal Experience” at the SM Taytay Event Center in Taytay. (Nel B. Andrade)

Log Inventory

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Amado M. Villanueva has sought an inventory of felled logs along the Roosevelt Protected Landscape (RPLS). Meanwhile, a top official of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources welcomed the investigation to clarify reports of missing logs in his jurisdiction. CENRO head Raul Mamac said, “It is not true that the felled logs in my area during the recent two typhoons here were being stolen at my watch.” Mamac added that he had “asked individuals who have carabaos to help us retrieve the fallen logs along the forested areas even without the resolution passed first by the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB), giving the go-signal of my efforts just to save the scattered logs.” (Mar T. Supnad)

Safety Accord

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 3 announced Thursday the signing of an agreement with Yokohama Tires Philippines, which aims to promote work safety among sub-contractual workers. DOLE, Yokohama, along with its five sub-contractors, joined forces in promoting safety and health standards in the workplace through the implementation of the Kapatiran WISE-TAV program. Also known as the Big Brother program, Kapatiran WISE-TAV engages big companies to assist their subcontractors and service providers to become compliant with General Labor Standards (GLS) and Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS).(Franco Regala)

Organic Quezon

PITOGO, Quezon — Governor David C. Suarez has instructed the office of the provincial agriculture to encourage Quezon farmers to practice natural organic farming in support to the goal of the province to be the “food basket” in the region. Suarez ordered province agriculture chief Roberto Gajo that his administration wanted the local farmers to engage in organic farming to improve the agricultural industry. He added that he wants the local government, particularly of Pitogo town, to focus on improving coconut farming. (Danny Estacio)

Park Restoration

CALUMPIT, Bulacan — The Sergio Bayan Park in front of the municipal hall in Barangay Balungao in Calumpit is being reconstructed following the damage wrought by floods last September, according to local government authorities. A Historical Corridor will be erected in the park and will hold historical treasures of the 437-year-old town, the oldest in Bulacan. A wall of portraits of outstanding individuals and former mayors of Calumpit will also be put up. A new building for the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection will be constructed in front of the park to provide them better access to the road for faster response. (Freddie C. Velez)