CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — This premier Freeport will host the 2012 ConEx International ICT Conference and Expo, a gathering of the country’s top leaders and major stakeholders in the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry, the Clark Development Corporation said yesterday. The conference offers strategies in the growing BPO and ICT sectors and will present veritable line-up of international speakers composed of industry leaders and visionaries, CEOs, statesmen, technical experts and ICT enthusiasts to share their experience and expertise.  (Mark Anthony Manuel)

BENEFITS

HERMOSA, Bataan — After financial benefits were distributed last Monday and Tuesday here to more than 2,000 retrenched employees of the defunct government-owned Pantranco Bus, union leaders said yesterday that more retrench payment will be given to the employees in the coming days. Romulo Alfonso, president of the Pantranco Retrenched Employees Association (PANREA), and Jun Pascua, president of the Pantranco Employees Association (PEA), legitimate employees’ organizations, said that only 489 units of the 777 total number of franchise of Pantranco Bus were actually paid and that the remaining units’ franchise will be sold in the coming days. (Mar T. Supnad)

STORM SURGE 

VIGAN CITY — At least 163 families comprising of 652 individuals from the coastal Barangays Bucalag and Pasungol were displaced due to storm surge last Tuesday here. Sigfred Duquing, Officer in Charge of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC), said that the families were safely evacuated to the relocation site in Santa, Ilocos Sur. Duquing said that the members of the Ilocos Sur’s PDRRMC remain on heighten alert. He also said that his office is presently conducting close monitoring to all barangays in the coastal areas in the province due to the existence of storm surge. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

ADAPTATION PROGRAM

CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan — More than 500 Bulakenyos from various sectors will gather   as Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado called for an environmental summit today, June 21, at the Hiyas Pavillion in this city at 8 a.m. Alvarado said that the assembly with the theme, “Effective Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Program,” is part of their aggressive campaign against climate change and serious efforts to promote a balanced and healthful ecology. “It is part of our 7-Point Agenda to address the environmental issues concerning our province particularly climate change. We need to be prepared  from any kind of disasters that may occur in our province.” (Freddie G. Lazaro)

FOOD SECURITY

MULANAY, Quezon — The coconut-based Integrated Farming System project initiated province wide by Quezon Governor David C. Suarez was complimented by Cagayan 1st District Representative Jack Enrile's House measure, during the training and seminar of the coconut farmers last Tuesday, in this town. Suarez and Enrile have met the coconut farmers on the training conducted by Provincial Agriculturist Roberto Gajo of the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) in Quezon intensifying the province’s food security program. “The provincial government introduces coconut-based Integrated Farming System, a system in farming for continued production of various agricultural products that will benefit the small-coconut land owners.” Suarez said. (Danny Estacio)