TAGBILARAN CITY (PIA) – November, 2012, finds 77 less crimes in Bohol, compared to the same period in 2011 – reflecting the continuing down-slide of crimes this year. Bohol police chief Senior Superintendent Constantino Barot in his presentation at the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting at the Mansion recently, showed that crime stats in last three months from September to November, drastically slid to lower levels with 178 in September, 172 in October, and 145 in November. "Significant crimes are reported but if we see the real big picture, we can see how really peaceful we are," Barot said.

C.D.C. SUPPORT

BACOLOD CITY (PNA) – City Mayor Evelio Leonardia thanked members of the City Development Council (CDC) for supporting his leadership. The mayor expressed his gratitude during their recent meeting at the MassKara Hall, local officials said over the weekend. In a report from the city public information office head Rodel Parcon, the city chief executive said the CDC is a working council, thus the city has accomplished a lot. If the council has not worked well, then nothing much could have been accomplished because “nothing comes from nothing,” according to the report.

SCHOOL FACILITIES

ILOILO CITY (PIA) – Classrooms and buildings in some schools in the Division of Iloilo provided shelter for evacuees affected by the heavy rainfall and flood brought by the recent passing of tropical depression “Quinta.” Region-6 office of the Department of Education (DepEd-6) Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Focal Person Wendyl Mae Villaprudente said 28 schools in northern and central Iloilo, and three classrooms at the Passi Central School are serving as evacuation centers for these affected residents. According to the DepEd-6 official, the report from the Division of Iloilo also included schools which were badly damaged by the tropical depression.

HEALTH DRIVE

CEBU CITY (PIA) – The Region-7 office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) has urged motorists to consider leaving their cars at home for a day in each week, and use public transportation and bikes in a bid to trim down carbon emissions and conserve energy resources. DENR-7 Director Isabelo Montejo encouraged the use of alternative means such as cycling, walking, or taking public transportation for a cleaner and healthier environment, even though using a private car is a convenient mode of transportation. “We are strongly urging vehicle owners to join us in our campaign while we promote wellness and healthy practices,” he said.

GREEN POLICEMEN

ILOILO CITY (PNA) – Not only do they go after criminals and lawbreakers, policemen in Western Visayas are also lovers and protectors of the environment, according to Philippine National Police regional head Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr. He said that the participation of policemen in the national regreening program of the government by planting trees for 10 months in 2012 has achieved a compliance rate of 74.27 percent. A total of 409,326 seedlings of mahogany, mangroves, and other varieties of fruit-bearing trees were planted by 7,655 police personnel out of 551,160 target numbers of trees to be planted during the period.