ANGELES CITY — Hundreds of Angeleños continue to flock to Barangay Sto. Domingo every Friday to undergo minor surgeries at the Agyu Tamu Medikalinga center here, which successfully reached its 8th service day. The latest service provided free minor medical surgeries to 175 patients, and referred 44 to undergo major surgery at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC). This statistic brings the number of beneficiaries to about 700 patients, who were all thankful to the doctors who administered and performed surgeries at no cost. Village officials and health workers have also been very cooperative with this medical endeavor as they provide free shuttle services. (Franco Regala)

SAILING RESUMES

LEGAZPI CITY (PNA) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Bicol has allowed vessels bound to the Visayas to sail from the Port of Matnog in Sorsogon where 2,000 passengers were stranded following the onset of typhoon “Lawin” during the weekend. The Coast Guard lifted the “no sailing” at around 5 a.m. Monday when Public Storm Warning Signal 1 in the Samar provinces was lifted to normal, Bernardo Alejandro Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director said on Monday. The Coast Guard also permitted the transport of 136 trucks, 64 cars, and 43 buses, all are bound for Samar.

VILLAGE PROGRAM

TAYTAY, Rizal — A depressed community which was affected by the monsoon-induced flood last month is the target of the on-going house improvement project of the Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFHP). Volunteers and members of the HFHP are joining the residents of Purok 7 at Sakbit, Lupang Arienda, in this municipality, in repairing their houses for the humanitarian group’s Ayos Bahay Challenge, which is a disaster response through providing shelter repair, cleaning and improvement kits to affected communities. Each kit contains of tools and materials that will be used to make homes more resilient to disasters. (Nel Andrade)

EASIER ACCESS

PILAR, Bataan — To enable the public to save time and money, the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is now hastening the issuance of HPG clearances of vehicles in the province. This was disclosed by Chief Inspector Edwin Romero, the newly designated chief of the HGP in Bataan, who said the issuance of clearances of vehicles can now be issued in an hour or the least is one day. “Usually, it takes three to five days before an applicant can secure HPG clearances of their vehicles. But now, the HPG leadership has come up with a scheme to speed up the issuance of HPG clearances of motor vehicles,” he said. (Mar Supnad)

PINOY DELEGATES

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan (PIA) — Two provincial employees will represent the Philippines in a month-long seminar on Aquaculture and Technical Extension for Developing Countries in the People’s Republic of China. This developed after Hon. Li Kewu, consul and head of post of the Chinese consulate in Laoag City, asked Governor Amado Espino Jr. to send two qualified employees who will join other 44 countries in the seminar slated from September 25 to October 24, in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province. Provincial agriculturist Dalisay Moya recommended Aquacultural Technologist Alvin Soriano and Agricultural Technician Melvin Dawn Espino to attend.