BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Mining companies in the Caraga Region have been asked to support the National Greening Program (NGP) of President Aquino by being actively involved in the tree planting activities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

DENR Region 13 Executive Director Leonardo R. Sibbaluca made the request even as the local DENR personnel, including the field offices in the five provinces and six cities of the Caraga Region initiated to raise and plant tree seedlings to contribute, in a way, in reaching the target goal of 1.5 million tree seedlings planted until December this year. (Mike Crismundo)

Safety seminar

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Some 40 local journalists attended a one-day media safety and protection seminar initiated by the city government on Wednesday at the Regional Training Center of Department of Education here. Sr. Insp. Hermogenes Abril, Police Community Relations deputy chief of the city’s police office, discussed the personal safety techniques to detect and avoid threats leveled against media workers.

“The seminar was aimed at providing media practitioners the necessary measures on how to counter threats while in the performance of their duties,” Abril said. Socsargen Press Club chairman John Paul Jubelag stressed the need of a strong and active local media organization that will promote the welfare and interest of local media practitioners. (Joseph Jubelag)

Peace program

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) announced that the PAMANA (PAyapa at MAsaganang pamayaNAn or Peaceful and Resilient Communities) program, which is the national government’s peace and development framework for empowering conflict-affected areas in the country, is slated to be launched officially Friday and Saturday in Mindanao.

OPAPP said simultaneous community launches will be held Friday in Poblacion, Talayan in Maguindanao, and Libungan Torreta, Pigcawayan in North Cotabato. On Saturday, a grand program launch will be held at the auditorium of the Office of the Regional Government Compound in Cotabato City. (Francis Wakefield)

Police facilities

BUTUAN CITY – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Raul M. Bacalzo, along with his command group, inaugurated the newly completed Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) Day-Care Center and Regional Intelligence Unit 13 building at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here.

Bacalzo also inspected the progress of the ongoing construction of the P10 million PNP Hospital at the side of the PRO 13 regional headquarters that is expected to be completed this year. The PNP chief also handed over newly acquired firearms to Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal, regional director of PRO 13. (Mike Crismundo)

Village projects

BAYOG, Zamboanga del Sur (PIA) – The local government unit here in coordination with the TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. conducted a project launching and groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrading of a footbridge in Barangay Depore.

As part of the social commitment of the TVIRD to the people of this town, it will upgrade the footbridge at the Depore Elementary School, where 287 school children and 10 teachers will benefit from the project.