NEW CHIEF

CAMP GEN. GARCIA, Cavite — Senior Superintendent Alexander D.G. Rafael assumed over the weekend as Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) officer-in-charge (OIC) with a vow to improve further the peace and order in the province’s seven districts. Rafael said that his prime concerns are crime prevention and solution, neutralization of organized groups, monitoring of the so-called PAGs (private armed groups) and discipline and performance of police officers and men. A ranking police officer described Rafael as “work-oriented commander who wants actions done outright.” (Anthony Giron)

BEST P.O.C.

BANGUED, Abra — As one of the highlights, outstanding municipal and barangay peace and order councils (MPOC/BPOC) in the province will be awarded during the Abra Week for Peace 2012 celebration slated in the first week of December. Cash prices and plaques are at stake in a bid to show the public that this troubled province in the Cordillera is gradually getting change. The search for the Outstanding MPOC/BPOC is a special project of the Abra Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) which aims to recognize and provide incentive to municipal and barangay government units that excel in peace and order and public safety management. (Mar T. Supnad)

LIBRARY CITED

LUCENA CITY — The Quezon Provincial Library was adjudged as the Most Outstanding Provincial Library of the Philippines in a recent awards ceremony held at the National Library of the Philippines, Manila. Smile S. Cabana, the Provincial Librarian said that they received the plaque of recognition and a P12,000 cash prize. The search for the most outstanding provincial library throughout the country was conducted by the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (Danny Estacio)

FOREST WATCH

CAMP FLORENDO, La Union — Chief Superintendent Franklin Jesus B. Bucayu, Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) director, reported yesterday that the police thrust to protect and watch the forests continue. Bucayu reported that around 166 assorted board feet of illegally-cut lumber with an estimated market value of P430,000 were confiscated recently by the combined operatives of the PRO1, the Sinait Municipal Police Station, and other special police units in Barangay Cabangtalan, Sinait, Ilocos Sur. The illegal logs, which were confiscated from Arnulfo H. Iniba, barangay captain of the said place, will be turned over to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Bucayu said. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

POWER UP

MAMBURAO, Occidental Mindoro — During the recent visit of President Aquino here, the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (Omeco) and the Lubang Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Lubelco) reported to him that they had energized 97 sitios from October 2011 to present. From October 2011 to October 2012, a total of 5,410 out of 5,897 target sitios nationwide had already been energized using P2.66-billion subsidy from the National Electrification Administration (NEA). The remaining 487 sitios are under construction and will be energized before the end of the year. (PIA)