PAGBILAO, Quezon — A total of 24 farmers will undergo a 16-week training program at a farmers’ field school run by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Provincial Agriculture Office, authorities revealed yesterday. Provincial Agriculture Officer Roberto Gajo said the farmers were chosen from the town of Perez and enrolled for a period of four months. The farmers are to be trained on ‘palay’ check system, rain feed, irrigated and upland rice farming. “This training will help the farmers improve and develop palay, corn and vegetable production through new farming technology,” said Mayor Santiago Evangelista, a supporter of the program. (Danny Estacio)

‘SAVE PAWIKAN’

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Senator Loren Legarda, a known environmentalist, has joined the call to save Philippine marine turtles at the 2012 Pawikan Festival held yesterday at the Pawikan Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan. Keynoting the event, Legarda said the Pawikan is one of the oldest species that have survived to this day, and are among those that live the longest. “However, because of poaching, theft of their eggs for commercial purposes, and destruction of their habitat, they are in danger of becoming extinct,” she said. Last November 27, Operatives of the Naval Forces West (NFW) in Palawan recovered 123 sea turtles from suspected poachers. (Jonas Reyes, Elena L. Aben, and Freddie G. Lazaro)

AGRI ASSISTANCE

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Governor Lilia G. Pineda led recently the distribution of at least 51 farm tools and equipment to farmers’ associations and cooperatives in the province as part of the Farmers Enhancement Program of the provincial government. Twelve irrigators associations of the province received 30 shallow tube wells (STWs) and 5 cooperatives were given rice combine harvesters, 12 units of hand tractors, and unit of 4 wheeler tractors, said Provincial Agriculturist Crispin Guinto. (Franco G. Regala)

CHILD PROTECTION

CITY OF SAN FERNADO, Pampanga — In a bid to strengthen its campaign against child labor in Central Luzon, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here reactivated last Thursday the Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children (BCPCs) in the region. DOLE Regional Director Raymundo Agravante said the reactivation and strengthening of BCPCs aims to monitor the existence of child labor and at the same time, to protect working children from abuse and exploitation. Agravante explained that the BCPCs in Central Luzon have pledged to attain a child labor-free barangay by fully committing themselves to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and protect children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination. (Mark Anthony N. Manuel)

TIGHT SECURITY 

LIMAY, Bataan — Tight security has led police here to modest achievements and improve peace and order, the local chief of police said yesterday. Chief Inspector Crizalde Conde lauded his men at a checkpoint on Roman Highway in Barangay Townsite, here, for accosting a driver found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and suspected “shabu” on Thursday night. Benjamin Octavio Jr., of Rizal East, San Isidro, Isabela, yielded a 9mm pistol and two sachets of alleged shabu, along with drug paraphernalia, said Conde. (Mar T. Supnad)