MALUNGON, Sarangani, Philippines – The Mindanao State University (MSU) is mulling the establishment of an extension campus here in a bid to provide affordable but quality education to deserving students of the province.

Provincial Administrator Vicente Camacho met recently with local officials here led by Mayor Reynaldo Constantino to discuss the expansion program of MSU in the area. He said Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez has allocated some P5 million for the construction of the building while the local government unit here will be donating a fivehectare property for the project site. (Joseph Jubelag)

ComVal projects

DAVAO CITY (PNA) – Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Undersecretary Luisito Montalbo recently visited communities in Compostela Valley (ComVal) to check project sites under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Peaceful and Resilient Communities) or PAMANA program.

Montalbo, who led OPAPP’s PAMANA Mindanao contingent, went to the municipality of Nabunturan where they were given a briefing on the province’s priority projects in conflict-affected areas by Provincial Board Member Paul Galicia. In his message, Galicia welcomed PAMANA as a tool to achieve peace, emphasizing that “the government should focus on the socio-economic development of the area.”

Caraga bridge

BUTUAN CITY – Wawa Bridge, a vital component for economic and trade in Northeastern, Southern, and Northern Mindanao regions, is nearing its completion and hitting the target timeline before the end of next month or early part of August, this was disclosed on Thursday.

Engineers and technical men of the construction division of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the Caraga Region said the ground works of Wawa Bridge in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, is already 85.51 percent complete and ahead of schedule of its target date. (Mike Crismundo)

Military training

COTABATO CITY – Members of the United States (US) Marines are training their Filipino counterparts to impart more knowledge on responding to and managing a larger and wider scale of disasters in Southern Philippines.

Reports reaching here Thursday said a 12-day Marine Tactical Warfare Simulation 11-01 training started Tuesday at the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) command headquarters in Zamboanga City and co-directed by US Marines Lt. Col. Eric Fagen.

According to Fagen, the training involves purely computer-based exercise focused mainly on “humanitarian and disasters scenario” and monitoring operations across many islands. (Ali Macabalang)

New policemen

BUTUAN CITY – The regional command of the Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO-13) inducted on Wednesday 191 more recruits  into the police service to beefup manpower requirements for police operations throughout the region.

The oathtaking ceremony held at the PRO 13 grandstand at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here, was personally graced by Chief Supt. Reynaldo Rafal, PRO 13 director, as the guest of honor and speaker.

The new police recruits, 31 of which are female, will immediately undergo six months of training on Public Safety Basic Recruit Course at Camp George T. Barbers, Lipata, Surigao City. (Mike Crismundo)