BINANGONAN, Rizal — A multi-sectoral group that included members of the church, the military and the government held a medical mission for depressed communities here recently. Dubbed the Bayanihan Medical and Dental Mission, the volunteers offered free services to residents of Barangay Darangan and neighboring villages at the covered court, here. Joining the outreach program were the Darangan Christian Church International; Passion for Christ Nationwide Ministries; and the Army General Hospital; 1301st Dental Dispensary; Civil Military Operations Battalion and Civil Military Operations Group of the Philippine Army; and the Binagonan Police, led by Chief Inspector Bartolome Marigondon. (Nel B. Andrade)

S.B.M.A. SHARES P18M WITH BATAAN

HERMOSA, Bataan — A total of P18 million was received by three Bataan towns while four other municipalities and a city adjacent to the Subic Freeport also recently got a total of P57.4 million in revenue shares as their portion in the taxes paid by locators in Freeport this year. Reports said as their tax shares for the first six months of this year, Morong town received P4.95 million, Hermosa-P5.87 million, and Dinalupihan-P7.21 million, all in Bataan. The province of Bataan covers two-thirds of the overall area of Subic Freeport. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the shares given to local government units (LGUs) are intended to augment funds for development projects in health, education, peace and order, and livelihood generation. (Mar T. Supnad)

REFORESTATION

BANGUED, Abra — Soldiers led government employees in the successful planting of at least 2,500 seedlings of various species of trees at the compound of Cellophil Resources Corporation (CRC) in Barangay Gaddani, Tayum, Abra last Friday. Colonel Eliseo C. Posadas, commander of the army’s 503rd Brigade based in Lagangilang, Abra, said the tree planting activity was one of the highlights of the celebration of the 112th Philippine Civil Service Commission anniversary. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

COMELEC AFFIRMS SAKI WON IMUS

IMUS, Cavite — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has affirmed an earlier resolution nullifying a local court decision declaring Emmanuel L. Maliksi as the duly-elected mayor of this city. The Comelec en banc, in a resolution promulgated last Friday, denied the motion for reconsideration of Maliksi “for lack of merit.” The en banc resolution only supported the Aug. 15 resolution of the poll body’s First Division which declared Homer “Saki” T. Saquilayan as the city’s duly-elected mayor based on their own audit of the contested ballots in question.  (Anthony Giron)

‘PEARL’ FINALISTS

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Pangasinan was among the four finalists nationwide in this year’s Pearl Award Best Tourism Practice under the Best Tourism Month or Week Celebration-Provincial Level category. The other provinces are Compostela, Nueva Vizcaya and Negros Occidental. Ma. Luisa A. Elduayan, Provincial Tourism Officer, said that the search is a project of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT). (Liezle Basa Iñigo)