CEBU CITY, Cebu (PNA) —  Persons with disabilities (PWD) in Cebu City are asking Mayor Michael Rama for an increase in financial assistance after he announced a hike in cash aid for senior citizens. PWDs here used to get R2,000 financial assistance from the city government but Rama added R1,000 this year. The PWDs are asking for more after Rama said last week financial assistance for the elderly will be increased. No promises, but Rama said he will look into the PWDs’ request. Some 12,000 PWDs here will get the R3,000 cash aid by month’s end, in time for National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.

LEYTE WATER 

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — Far-flung villages in Dagami and Sta. Fe, Leyte will soon have a water system courtesy of the Leyte provincial government, said Governor Carlos Jericho L. Petilla who informed that funds will come from the Office of the President for this purpose. Petilla said though a number of towns and barangays in Leyte already have a potable water system, there remain villages in remote areas that lack such a service. Earlier, President Benigno S. Aquino III has created an inter-agency committee tasked to create a master plan for the water sector after learning that at least 30 different government agencies have been separately undertaking water-related activities. (Jack C. Gadaingan)

ERRANT KOREANS

BORACAY, Aklan (PNA) — South Koreans Kim Ho Jin, 26, and Kang Seung Mo, 27 were apprehended over the weekend by Boracay Tourist Assistance Center operatives at the Kalibo International Airport as they were about to board a plane for Manila. The Koreans were caught by video footage taken by closed circuit television camera in an establishment they allegedly robbed in Brgy. Balabag, Boracay. They are now detained at the Boracay police station pending proper disposition of their case.

IWAS DENGUE

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar (PIA) — The Calbayog City Health Office is pushing its advocacy campaign to sustain clean surroundings, especially with the coming of the rainy season. City health officer Dr. Sylvia de Guzman said there are reported dengue cases here and Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino will soon issue an executive order to relaunch the city’s Iwas Dengue Campaign. She urged the public here to take preventive measures against dengue as suspected dengue cases have already been observed in Barangays Capoocan, Rawis, West Awang and Aguit-itan.

CITYNET SPEAKER

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog has been invited to the 25th CITYNET anniversary in Indonesia, July 9–14. He will speak about empowering local governments and communities based on Iloilo City’s experience in disaster risk reduction and management during the International Seminar on Sharing Experience in Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation and the CITYNET Disaster Cluster Meeting in the Regent of Sidoarjo on July 13-14. CITYNET is a network of local governments in the Asia-Pacific aimed at improving the lives of its citizens with over 100 members from 20 countries. Iloilo has been a member since 2006.