DAGUPAN CITY — June 20 marks the 65th Charter Day anniversary of Dagupan, and Malacanang has declared it as a special non-working holiday. Under Proclamation No. 402, June 20 has been declared as a special day in Dagupan so that people of the city will be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in activities lined up by the local government. These include a jobs fair, vocabulary contest, campaign against illegal drugs, exhibit of Dagupan’s best local products and services, wreath laying ceremony for the shrines of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal and House Speaker Eugenio Perez, who authored the law upgrading Dagupan into a city. (Liezle Basa Inigo)

TEACHERS’ TRAINING

ANTIPOLO CITY — The city’s pre-school teachers will soon have a venue for their training as a building will soon rise in a village here. This came as the groundbreaking for the city and the province’s first Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD) Center in Luzon was held recently at Barangay Bagong Nayon here. In coordination with the National Government through the ECCD Council represented by Dr. Erlinda Pipianco and Leticia Pichay, the center is targeted to serve as a training facility to educate further and provide additional skills for day-care workers or child development teachers in handling children aged 6 six years old and below in preparation for the kindergarten level. (Nel B. Andrade)

SHIP BUILDING

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) recently got a $450-million contract to build 10 midsize container ships inside its Redondo Peninsula shipyard.The company recently got its contract from European shipping companies to build these 5,000TEU container ships. The eurozone crisis has played a hand on the demand for these midsize container ships due to high expectations of an economic recovery and excessive bidding for very large container ships. (Jonas Reyes)

BULACAN EVENT

PANDI, Bulacan — The rains failed to stop the holding of the commemoration of the Battle of Kakarong Republic here. Mayor Enrico Roque, in coordination with the Bulacan State University led by its President Dr. Mariano C. de Jesus and the Bulacan Provincial Government, organized tree-planting activities Friday afternoon in the vicinity of Kakarong mountains, the fortress of the strongest Katipunan force who fought gallantly during the Spanish regime. The provincial government of Bulacan, in cooperation with the municipal government here and the Bulacan State University.(Freddie C. Velez)

PAMPANGA APPEAL

CANDABA, Pampanga (PNA) — The Pampanga Mayors’ League (PML) has reiterated its appeal to concerned government agencies to reconstruct damaged dikes and other flood control facilities in the province destroyed by last year’s typhoons. Town mayor Jerry Pelayo, PML president, said the coastal towns in the province’s 4th district have been greatly affected by the overflowing of Pampanga River last year and damage on infrastructures remained in "sorry state" after the devastation.