CLARK, Pampanga/TARLAC CITY, Tarlac – As part of its human development program, the Clark Development Corp. and Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation constructed and distributed new houses to the Aeta villagers in Sitio Monicayo in Bamban, Tarlac. CDC Chairman and officer-in-charge Eduardo Oban Jr. led the distribution of the 22 new houses to the Aetas, saying “I hope that these new houses would usher in a brand new beginning to all of our Aeta brothers as they enter their new homes today.” Vice governor Pearl Pacada lauded the CDC’s Initiative, saying this is a big help to the members of the minority in her province. (Franco G. Regala and Mar T. Supnad)

BRIGADE AFFAIR

CAVINTI, Laguna — Personnel from the 202nd (UNIFIER) Brigade and its Operational Control (OPCON) Units celebrated yesterday the International Humanitarian Law Day and International Humanitarian Law Month at the Headquarters, 202nd Brigade, Barangay West Talaongan, here. One of the highlights of the celebration led by Col. Ivan Samarita, 202nd brigade commander, was the simultaneous flag raising ceremony in which Col. Leoncio Cirunay Jr., Deputy Brigade Commander led the troops in an oath of reaffirmation of commitment and adherence to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). (Ferdinand F. Castro)

NEIGHBORLY HELP

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite — The Cavite government is extending its assistance to neighboring provinces that has been affected by floods due to non-stop rains in the last 15 days. Governor Jonvic Remulla called on concerned provincial agencies to extend its assistance to other provinces, particularly the neighboring Laguna province where 19 municipalities reportedly remained flooded until now. Cavite was the least affected in Luzon even though flooding affected parts of Bacoor Cit, Rosario, Cavite City, Noveleta, Kawit, Ternate, Naic and Tanza. (Anthony Giron)

POETRY TILT

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — Students from different secondary schools and universities in the province will be expected to participate in this year’s Crissotan or the Kapampangan balagtasan which is slated on August 24. The Kapampangan secondary students poet contest was initiated by Angeles Tourism Office (ACTO) in collaboration with Center for Kapampangan Studies (CKS) of Holy Angel University, Parnasong Kapampangan and the Kuliat Foundation, that this project “aims to support the sustained interest and appreciation of Kapampangan language,” ACTO head Christine Nunag said. Crissotan consists of eight rounds, each round with two stanzas, each stanza composed of eight rhymed lines, and each line with 12 or 16 syllables. (Franco G. Regala)

TRAFFIC WOES

ANGONO, Rizal — While the flood problem continues to torment residents of lakeshore villages in this Art Capital of the Philippines, residents also bewailed yesterday heavy traffic throughout the day and even at night. Motorists complained of traffic obstructions on the Manila East Road from the Taytay boundary to the Angono Highway near Manila Electric Company branch here as the cause of the traffic woes. Travel time from this town’s Manila East Road highway to the new public market in Taytay is more than 2 hours now since the closure of the Baytown Road due to the rising floods, jeepney drivers said. (Nel B. Andrade)