BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) — The 8th Eastern Samar Peace and Development Forum, convened by the clergy here with major convener, Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez recently met with national agencies department heads who shared their major accomplishments so far. Such issues as illegal logging and mining were raised by priests, mayors, and civilians in the forum. Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (Penro) Arthur Salazar answered queries on such issues as illegal lumber activities, gravel and sand extraction, climate change mitigation through planting abaca, preservation of identified eco-tourism sites, the Manicani mining site, new mining applicants, etc.

MANILA OFFICE

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is mulling the opening of a trade, investment and tourism office in Manila that will spearhead a massive drive to promote this part of the country for big investors. Mabilog says he got the idea from the Malaysia Investment Development Authority which he visited last week. He said Malaysia has established offices all over the world just to promote tourism, trade and investment. “I think in tourism we are already okay. In trade and investment we are ready. But the thing is we need people to market and sell Iloilo City and probably we could start in Manila so that we could be able to get the big corporations to come to Iloilo,” he said.

PEACE CARAVAN

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar (PIA) — Some 600 Gandara town residents were treated to free medical and dental treatment in Samar’s first Peace and Development Caravan recently. With officials from national government agencies, provincial government departments and Philippine Army (PA) officers, the caravan was in Brgy. Sto Niño, Gandara. Services included PhilHealth profiling activity and film showing. The PA’s 546th Engineer Construction Battalion under Lt. Col. Edgar I. Yerro also distributed 3,000 fruit-bearing and non-fruit bearing seedlings to Sto. Niño, Pizaro, Heparayan, and Natimonan barangays.

PWDS PARTICIPATION

BOHOL (PIA) — Bohol non-government organization (NGO) Upholding Life and Nature (ULAN) is undertaking a project billed “K Factor: Lahat Tayo May K,” urging persons with disabilities (PWDs) to exercise their right of suffrage. The project features a talent competition aimed at engaging PWDs here in getting involved in the 2013 mid-term elections.ULAN Executive Director Ronald Gutierrez says PWDs have been deprived of their political right to vote because they avoid the public as their situation embarrasses them. He said the talent competition will encourage PWDs to come out of their shells and get involved in socio-economic and political affairs such as voting in the coming mid-term elections.

DENR PLAN

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Provincial Office conducted a two-day workshop here aimed at crafting a Provincial Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (PCCMAP) for 2014 using the Bottoms-up Budgeting (BuB) approach. Fifty participants from local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), and civil society organizations (CSOs) attended the said workshop. Group team leader was forester Dorinda L. Labro, with foresters Gaspar A. Cabidog, Salvacion A. Factor, Marlon A. Ortiguesa, Irwin Robert C. Villacarillo and Federico C. Briton as members.