TALAINGOD, Davao del Norte, Philippines (PNA) – Some 111 tribal families belonging to the Langilan-Manobo tribe at Sitio Paiton in Barangay Dagohoy, this town, will benefit from the “Pabalay sa Lumad,” the country’s first housing project for indigenous communities, which is expected to cost more than P6 million.

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Deputy Secretary General Wendel Avisado recently led a visiting team on the project site to validate the program, which will soon be implemented by the National Housing Authority (NHA). The design of the houses will conform to the culture and traditions of the Langilan tribe in the area.

Headlights drive

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) – The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) has launched a campaign against people driving vehicles at night time with no or not using headlights. ZCPO director Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said they initiated the campaign after several accidents occurred due to non-usage of headlights.

De Ocampo said he ordered the conduct of mobile checkpoints to ensure that all vehicles traveling at night are with headlights. He said it has been observed that several drivers put off the headlights of their vehicle and rely on the streetlights in traveling at night time.

TB eradication

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte (PIA) – The provincial government of Davao del Norte revved up public-private partnership with the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) in launching the Provincial Public-Private Mix DOTS initiative and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to HALT tuberculosis.

Under the program Hear Act Learn Treat (HALT) tuberculosis, various public and private organizations, companies, health practitioners, and individuals participated in the launching and covenant signing held recently in this city resulting to the installation of the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) in partnership with the PhilCAT.

Police operation

Armed men abducted on Tuesday six people in Zamboanga Sibugay apparently to force the police to free the wife of their leader who was earlier arrested for gun possession, a regional police commander said Wednesday.

Director Felicisimo Khu, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations for Western Mindanao, said the kidnappers are led by a certain Munib Aukasa, included in the province’s 10 most wanted criminals for charges of murder and highway robbery.

Khu said Aukasa apparently got mad when he learned that his wife was taken under police custody after the service of search warrant in their house yielded a shotgun. (Aaron Recuenco)

Food processing

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) – At least 40 people, including housewives, senior citizens, and youths, from a village here learned cooking skills from a week-long training conducted by the Food Processors Association of Zamboanga (FPAZ). FPAZ president Edsel Mari Acuña said the training on food processing was conducted over the weekend and the participants are from Barangay Zambowood.

Acuña said the participants were trained on the proper way to prepare Rellenong Bangus, Spanish-style sardines, and other food preparations. The training is part of the community outreach program of FPAZ aimed at teaching housewives and other individuals to process food and earn a living.