CEBU CITY — Mall security arrested American national Henry Eddie Mack, a retired US Navy from North Carolina, who allegedly shoplifted from inside a grocery of an uptown mall in Cebu Business Park over the weekend. The suspect reportedly yielded Dairy Milk and Goya chocolates, Magnum ice cream, and Bon Appetit sardines worth P208.50 when apprehended. He was already being observed by mall detectives stuffing the goods in his bag and was rushing out of the mall when mall security arrested him. Mack arrived in Cebu last Sept. 21 from Japan. To settle the case, the shopping mall wanted Mack to pay ten times the original amount of the stolen items but the suspect apparently had no money and even asked for food from fellow detention inmates. (Mars W. Mosqueda, Jr.)

ORANGE BRIDGES 

PALO, Leyte (PIA) — All steel bridges in Eastern Visayas will soon be painted orange to conform to International Safety Standards. Painting of steel bridges with orange will start before the end of 2012, said Rolando Asis, Public Works regional director who added that the region has more than six linear kilometers of steel bridges that will be painted that color. “Orange paint will identify bridges constructed by our office, increase bridge visibility and will protect from the danger of rust from moisture,” he said. International orange, commonly referred to as safety orange, is also used in engineering particularly in warning signs for road construction sites.

S.P.E.S. EMPLOYMENT

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allotted P20.5 million to implement the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) in Western Visayas in 2013. DOLE 6 said the budget is allocated among the region’s six provinces based on population with Negros Occidental getting the biggest share at P8.6 million followed by Iloilo with P6.322 million, Capiz with P2.102 million, Antique with P1.543 million, Aklan with P1.483 million, and Guimaras with P453,030. SPES is a program of DOLE aimed at providing employment for poor but deserving students.

P.N.P. DIRECTOR

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar — Eastern Samar has a new provincial police director, Philippine National Police (PNP) Senior Supt. Brigido Unay. Eastern Samar police provincial director since November 2010 Manuel Cubillo, turned over yesterday, November 26, the post to Unay who used to be regional operation officer. PNP-8 regional director based in Palo, Leyte. Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, presided over the turnover ceremony at the Eastern Samar police provincial headquarters here.  (Restituto A. Cayaubit)

D.O.H. ACTIVITY

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PIA 6) — The Department of Health in Region 6 (DOH 6) and partner agencies under the Regional Multi-Sectoral Partnership for Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control is leading this year’s World Aids Day activities on Dec. 1 here. Charity Perea, regional sexually transmissible infection (STI) program coordinator of DoH 6 said “we want people to be aware of the disease and society’s involvement is necessary for zero AIDS-related deaths, zero new HIV infection, and zero stigma and discrimination by year 2015.” There are some 223 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Western Visayas, and 48 PLHIVs have died from the disease since 2003.