ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — The “Huwaran nga Anak,” search by the City Social Welfare and Development Office’s Iloilo City Task Force on Street Children is on. The search is part of activities set by the city government to highlight Children’s Month in October. Nominees come from indigent families and qualified to join are graduating high school students with a weighted average of 85 percent and above to be endorsed by their schools, barangay officials and other legitimate organizations. A major prize will be a college scholarship. Forms are available at the Iloilo City Public Information Office (PIO) or at the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). Deadline for submission will be on September 14.

MARKET BUILDING

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PNA) — The Cebu City government has given Young Builders, contractor of the proposed R350-million new Carbon Market Unit 2 the go signal to proceed with the construction of the two-story building on the site where the old building burned down 15 years ago. The proposed two-storey building will cost R350 million, but the Cebu City Council only approved R170 million for the project in this year’s budget. Cebu City Market Administrator Raquel Bohol-Arce said the City Council has assured it will appropriate additional funds for the construction of the building once the budget is used up.

T.G. SUGBOHOL

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — The Philippine Army’s 802nd brigade in Bohol under commander Col.  John Bonafos will hand over its internal security operations from a full brigade to “Task Group Sugbohol” due to sustained peace and security in the island even as the brigade goes to Region 8 with concentration on Leyte and Southern Samar. Brigade Deputy Commander Colonel Allan Martin said the move is to allow  the brigade to focus its priority enemy fronts in Region 8.

WASTE MANAGEMENT 

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The city government is eyeing measures to get barangays to initiate pollution management and reinforce local government’s current waste management system in the process. A measure will be the establishment of a material recovery facility and composting area in each barangay here. City Administrator William Ablong said the move is borne out of the city government’s efforts to identify a specific location for its planned sanitary landfill. Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president Albert Aquino, meanwhile, stresses the need for a waste characterization system to be adopted by households as well.

TREATING SCHISTOSOMIASIS 

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) — The Provincial Schistosomiasis Control Office (PSCC) here is undertaking mass treatment of schistosomiasis infestation in Dolores’ upstream barangays. PSCC Doctor Jovy Somook said the snail is endemic in several Eastern Samar barangays, but there are more in San Pascual and Hinolaso in Dolores so mass treatment will be focused on those places. Dolores Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo is seeking national government assistance as she said she could not bear the sight of some of her constituents manifesting signs of the disease.