SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office here has recently provided a total of P350,000 livelihood assistance to a farmers’ community group in Bataan for their organic fertilizer program.

The assistance fund is part of the agency’s Community Enterprise Development (CED) program that aims to assist the farmers’ cooperative that were affected by recent typhoons.

DOLE has awarded the livelihood assistance worth P200,000 to 38 members of the Canitangan Organic Farmers Marketing Cooperative (COFMACO) for their organic fertilizer production. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

Peace Campaign

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — This province is now free of insurgents, a fact confirmed recently by the Philippine Army based in Binmaley.

Captain Milner Taglinao, operations officer of the 70th Infantry Battalion, said during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Technical Working Group meeting held at the Police Provincial Office (PPO) Headquarters here last Thursday that Pangasinan is insurgency-free.

He said the military has dropped its tag of “insurgency-affected” and “insurgency-threatened” areas in this province’s western and eastern parts. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

Taiwan Traders’ Gift Of Mobility

Twenty handicapped individuals were given the “gift of mobility” as they received the wheelchairs donated recently by the Subic Bay Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce.

“We are very aware of the various social welfare activities being carried out by the city government of Olongapo. So, we wanted to join hands with you and also help the marginalized sector, especially the PWDs (persons with disabilities),” said SBTCC Executive Secretary Andy Liu.

“I would like to thank SBTCC for this worthwhile endeavor. Considering the cost of wheelchairs today, not every PWD can afford this contraption,” said City Health Officer Dr. Arnildo Tamayo.

Olongapo Mayor James “Bong” Gordon Jr. assisted in the distribution of the donated wheelchairs. (Mar T. Supnad)

Save Terraces

The Senate cultural communities committee pressed Sunday for concrete and sustained action to preserve the famous Ifugao Rice Terraces.

Sen. Loren Legarda, committee chairman, made the call during a consultative meeting to inquire into the reported degradation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces and to recommend remedial measures to preserve it.

The meeting was held Sunday at the Banaue Hotel, Banaue, Ifugao and was attended by provincial and local government officials, Legarda said. (Mario B. Casayuran)

Parents, Youth As Cops’ Partners

RIZAL PROVINCE — Police here lauded the participation of the youth and their parents in the government’s drive against illegal drugs in the province.

This came as Provincial Police Office director, Senior Superintendent Rolando B. Anduyan thanked the active cooperation of the latest batch of graduates of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (DARE) in this province.

A total of 1,317 elementary students from various public and private schools in the province graduated from the DARE seminar which was given by the PPO and the municipal police stations.

Out of the total number of participants, 287 are from Taytay Elementary School; 540 from Cainta; 98 from Pililla; 291 from Tanay; and 101 from Rodriguez. (Nel B. Andrade)