SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — In a bid to address the estimated classroom shortage of about 150,000 units in the country, the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Region 3 here has approved the Central Luzon component of the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) of the Department of Education (DepEd).

RDC has recently passed a resolution endorsing the said program. The Council explained that PSIP’s Central Luzon component consists of building 2,999 classrooms for 656 schools at a total estimated cost of P3.257 billion. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

Alvarado: Go To Church Services

CALUMPIT, Bulacan — Govenor Wilhelmino M. Sy Alvarado reminded his constituents over the weekend that going to church, especially on Sundays and in this week highlighting the Lenten season, is “a holy duty” as Catholics.

“This Holy week, everybody should forget politics and instead devote a hundred percent of themselves to repentance to God. Our souls need it, as well as our minds,” said Alvarado. He also enjoined their parents to bring their children to church and teach them the importance of attending worship services.

“It is imperative for parents and church leaders to make today’s youth realize the importance of having faith as they grow up,” he said. (Freddie C. Velez)

Coconut Boom

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — The regional office of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Southern Tagalog expressed yesterday determination in meeting its 2012 production target for coconuts, which is triple the usual amount yielded in previous years.

PCA Regional Manager Joselito Alcantara said the PCA has intensified the planting of coconut seedlings and distribution of agricultural salt as fertilizer to existing coconut trees in Region 4-A, covering the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. Alcantara said the PCA is also pushing for the establishment of a laboratory for the Brontispa, the pest that has feeding on coconut trees. (Danny Estacio)

Population Of Cavite Women Up

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite — The number of female population continued to rise in Cavite with the population booming in the province at an annual growth rate of 4.9 percent, the Provincial Population Office (PPO) reported Tuesday.

National census surveys showed that Cavite has been the country's most populated province since 2010, surpassing Pangasinan and Cebu which had the highest numbers in previous years. PPO Conchita P. Valledor, citing records and statistics, said that by yearend the projected population of Cavite is 3,632,275, up by 338,217 from the 2010 population of 3,294,058. Cavite was also tagged as an area with the biggest male and female workforce and voting populace in the country. (Anthony Giron)

Forests Secured

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — Securing Pangasinan’s forest resources is being attended to by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Chief Leduina Co assured Tuesday.

Co said the National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force just completed an inspection and evaluation of the areas where there had been reports of illegal logging activities, following the discovery of logs and charcoal pits in Mangatarem and Labrador towns recently. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)