CEBU CITY — To protect its clients in times of crises and emergencies, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.  (RAFI) Micro-finance, in partnership with The Mercantile Insurance Co., is offering a micro-insurance package to its members. “No one’s invincible against accidents, hospitalization, and even death so there’s a need for us to invest for the future,” Maria Delia Labiste, insurance administrator of RAFI Micro-finance, said. The micro-insurance package, which has a premium that is smaller compared to other insurance companies, covers member’s protection, protection for member’s spouse or parent, and protection for legal dependents, including children age 21 years old and below. This is available and accessible only to active and loyal members of RAFI Micro-finance and the processing procedures are fast and simple. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

VOLUNTEERS CITED

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. thanked the 3,000 volunteers who planted trees along the bank of Lamunan River in Passi City last Saturday as part of his Action for Regreening and Transformation (ART) program year 2. The volunteers, who came from various public and private offices, braved the early morning intermittent rains Saturday and participated in the tree-planting in Barangays Agtambo, Sarapan and Bayan in Passi City. Around 5,000 seedlings of narra, toog, tapiyay, bakan, and jackfruit were planted in the designated areas along the riverbanks.

AKLAN COLLECTION

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) — Collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) here for the first six months of 2012 registered an increase of 64.43 percent, Ricardo J. Osorio, BIR-Aklan Revenue District officer, said. Osorio revealed that from January to June this year, BIR-Aklan was able to collect R626,752,510.01 in taxes, while for the same period in 2011, the agency only collected R381,158,780.73, which showed an increase of R245,593,729.29 or 64.43 percent. Osorio said for this year, the BIR-Aklan’s target collection is R913,028,000 in taxes. “With the figures we have now, we still need to collect some R300 million taxes for the next six months to attain this target,” Osorio said.

D.O.L.E. GRANT

DUMAGUETE CITY (PIA) — A group of fishermen in Amlan received a R625,000 grant from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) under their DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program. The Tandayag Fisherfolks Association, composed of 34 marginal fishermen, received the check from Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz in a turnover ceremony held Monday along the coastline of Barangay Tandayag in Amlan, Negros Oriental.

M.S.M.E. CONFERENCE

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — The government brings together the country’s national and provincial entrepreneurs to the first Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Council’s National Conference on July 19-20 in Cebu City. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 Regional Director Aster Caberte said the activity is a follow through to the regional MSMED Council Congress that seeks to give greater awareness on the MSMED crucial role as well as to generate commitment and action from the government and the administration’s big push policy for MSME development.