BAYAM-BANG, Pangasinan — This town’s Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC), headed by Mayor Leocadio "Boy" C. de Vera Jr., was adjudged by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 1 (Ilocos) as the "Best MADAC" in the region.

PNP Pangasinan Deputy Director for Operations Senior Supt. Ricardo Tamayo said Bayambang was chosen as the best MADAC in Pangasinan. As a result, he said, it became their entry to the regional level search for the most outstanding MADAC where those from La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte competed.

"We are very proud of our entry which won as the best among the best," Tamayo said.

De Vera received the honor declaring the Bayambang MADAC as the best in Region 1 from PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao and Ilocos PNP director Chief Supt. Freddie de Vera during the awarding ceremony in Camp Oscar Florendo, San Fernando City, La Union last Feb. 3 which coincided with the celebration of the PNP’s 15th anniversary.

As chairman of the MADAC here, De Vera has undertaken all efforts to make the council’s war against illegal drugs successful. "It has been my mission to safeguard and protect my people from prohibited drugs which I believe are a menace to the society," he said. (Fa Sison Almazan)

BoC turns 104 today

Fresh from posting the highest-ever January collection, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) celebrates today its 104th anniversary with the theme "Meeting Our Targets so the Nation can Meet its Goals."

Finance Secretary Marga-rito Teves is the main guest.

The program this morning at the BoC’s Port Area office caps week-long activities marking the milestone. One program highlight is the reading of President Arroyo’s congratulatory message to Customs employees for surpassing its January target of R12.08 billion by R300 million.

The BoC has been assigned a full-year collection target of R192 billion, 35 percent bigger than what it collected last year. "It’s like a boxing match, consisting of 12 monthly rounds. We just won Round One," Morales said.

3 Quezon towns get P12-M aggie inputs

Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban recently turned over R12 million worth of agricultural inputs to the towns of Real, Infanta, and Quezon in a ceremony in Infanta, Quezon.

The grant is part of the Department of Agiculture’s (DA) support to the three towns devastated by the 2004 flashfloods and landslides.

In his keynote speech, Panganiban stressed that the grant is to support the continued restoration and rehabilitation of the three municipalities.

He added that he is hoping that the inputs, consisting of three units of four-wheel drive, 80-horsepower tractor, 30 carabaos, 30 pigs, and 10,000 assorted planting materials to be divided among the three municipalities, would be of big help to farmers in the area.

In the acceptance of the inputs by the three town mayors, Mayor Filipina Grace America of Infanta, Quezon thanked the DA for its big help to restore the vigor of the area. She stressed that the DA is one of the first government agencies which extended assistance after the calamity. She also cited the spirit of the local people in rebuilding their lives and restoring normalcy in the area after the disaster.