CEBU CITY (PNA) — A regional trial court here has stopped the Cebu provincial government from auctioning off the assets of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on July 2. Judge Sylva Aguirre Paderanga of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 ordered a status quo on the local government’s plan to auction off NGCP properties to collect R196 million in real property taxes. But the status quo order, issued in open court Wednesday, is only for 20 days. Cebu Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla said Capitol will comply with the court order. Martinquilla said Paderanga will tackle on July 11 NGCP’s appeal for issuance of a preliminary injunction and determine the merits of the case. Both parties were directed to file their memoranda in seven days.

SCHOOL REPAIRS

ASTURIAS, Cebu — As part of its continuing project under the School Rehabilitation Program (SRP), the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the mayors of Asturias and Tuburan and the school heads of eight beneficiary schools for the second batch of the school repairs in the province. Of the eight public elementary schools in the municipalities of Asturias and Tuburan, 28 classrooms will be repaired, benefiting some 1,260 schoolchildren. RAFI allocated R8.2 million for the major repair and rehabilitation of old and dilapidated classrooms of Asturias Central School, Agbanga Primary School, Agtugop Elementary School, Tag-amakan Elementary School, Sandayong Elementary School, Carmelo Elementary School, Daan Lungsod Elementary School, and Tuburan Central School. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

MODEL CHILD

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The search is on for the city’s “Huwaran nga Anak,” an annual undertaking led by the Iloilo City Task Force on Street Children (ICTFSC) under the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). The search is part of the activities lined up by the city government to highlight the Children’s Month celebration in October. The nominees come from the city’s indigent families in an attempt to showcase that poverty could not prevent one from becoming successful. Thus, apart from recognizing the contribution of children in their respective communities, the search also promotes the value of being family-oriented and instills the importance of education.

RICE SHIPMENT

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The National Food Authority (NFA) will start shipping rice to Region 8 as part of its commitment to help the rice deficient area. NFA Iloilo has committed to help Region 8 meet its rice consumption of 300,000 bags this year. This July, NFA Iloilo will transport 50,000 bags of rice and another 50,000 bags in August. “We hope to complete the shipment by December,” Lino Lamojer of NFA Iloilo said. Last year, NFA Iloilo also responded to the need of Region 8 for rice because of surplus in production.

D.P.W.H. PLAN

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will not fall short in serving the public with the full-swing implementation of its rationalization plan. Instead, the assurance is there that their services will be “very competitive with the private sectors” according to its newly-installed regional director Edilberto D. Tayao. “It will definitely improve the quality of services that we will deliver to our constituents,” he emphasized.