MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA) — Technical Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda) provincial director Rodrigo Lacaba said 10 pilot LGUs covered by the Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP) are receptive to the idea of laying plans for school and community-based trainings on short-term Tesda-accredited courses which will be set into motion in 2014. LPRAP, a program convergence of several national line agencies including TESDA, will be put to work in Macrohon, Bontoc, Hinunangan, Libagon, Maasin City, Malitbog, Sogod, Liloan, Tomas Oppus, and Saint Bernard.  Under the LPRAP, Tesda will assist LGUs in planning training courses suited to the localities’ needs aimed at providing employment to the trainees afterwards either by jobs here or abroad, or through self-employed business undertakings by putting into practice skills learned, Lacaba said.

HEALTH-ENSURED RESIDENTS

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ.  (PNA) — Thousands of residents in La Castellana and Moises Padilla towns will no longer have to spend if confined in government-owned hospitals in Negros Occidental. This, after Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. ensured 2,106 residents of La Castellana and 2,132 residents of Moises Padilla in the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program, the province’s owned insurance system.  Recipients and their dependents are entitled to free outpatient care which include consultations with full course treatment medicines and subsidzed in-patient care in provincial government-run hospitals and other participating hospitals including the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

MANDURRIAO FIRE

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — A fire of still undetermined origin wiped out slum residential houses early Saturday afternoon in Sitio Sinikway, Brgy. Tabucan, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.  Firefighters from the Mandurriao Fire Station, the city proper area and nearby Molo district, as well as fire trucks from the Filipino-Chinese community helped contain the fire. Fire authorities said an initial 50 to 60 houses, mostly made of light materials were gutted by the fire. No one was reported killed. Affected families were housed at the nearby Tabucan Elementary School. Fire probers are still looking into what caused the fire.

DWARF COCONUTS

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar (PIA) - Gandara farmers who joined the Samar Peace and Development Caravan organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser (OPAPP) and the Samar local government unit (LGU) recently received 2,000 dwarf coconuts. Philippine Coconut Development Authority – Samar Chief Meinard Montano sought the help of the army in transporting the seednuts to the barangay.

ELECTION RULES 

CATARMAN, Northern Samar (PIA) — The local Commission on Election (Comelec) office recently briefed the local community on Comelec Resolution No. 9615 involving elections rules  including specifications of election propaganda, prohibited acts, and bases for removal of election propaganda. Catarman municipal election officer, Atty. Rico Leo Sacaben identified four designated Comelec common poster areas – in front of Catarman Centennial Building (Jollibee Catarman), Diversion Road (exit from public market), Diversion Road (front of San Vic Trading and Gasoline Station, and in front of Catoda in UEP.