DAVAO CITY, Philippines (PNA) – This city is the top retirees’ choice in Mindanao with Chinese nationals constituting the biggest number of retirees, followed by the Koreans, Japanese, Americans, and Europeans.

Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) Davao head Jaime Llanes said, as a retirement haven, this city has continually met its targets, particularly in the number of retirees settling in the Region-11.

Llanes said that in 2010, they had processed 120 retirees who had settled in Davao more than their target of 100 retirees. “We are confident of, again, meeting our targets for this year,” Llanes said.

Tribal month

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte (PNA) – More than 100 tribal leaders and representatives from all over the country will converge from October 6 to 11 here for the annual celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples’ Month (Buwan ng Katutubong Pilipino).

City Tourism Council chairperson Alma Uy said the celebration will showcase their rituals, performing arts, cuisines, games, and crafts, among others. They will be joined by delegates from Southeast Asian countries in simultaneous exchange and interactive activities such as performances, exhibitions, forum, lectures/demonstrations, workshops on traditional crafts and cuisines, and indigenous games.

Seaweeds council

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) – The stakeholders who participated in the 1st Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Seaweeds Congress stood in unison in calling for the creation of ARMM Seaweeds Council to oversee the development of the industry in the region.

Through a unanimously approved resolution, they are asking the Regional Economic Development Planning Board through the Regional Economic Development Committee member-agencies to assist them realize the creation of the ARMM Seaweeds Council. The resolution was adopted Monday before the one-day 1st ARMM Seaweeds Congress held in this city with the participation of all stakeholders in the region.

Cleaning drive

BUTUAN CITY – This city aims to be one of the cleanest cities in the Philippines.

To achieve this goal, the city government officials asked the urban and rural village officials to continue, without let-up, the cleaning project, and to deploy 38 Eco-Marshals to various villages, as well as to mobilize existing community volunteers to employ strategies of waste segregation at source.

The city government also mobilized all garbage trucks to conduct the round-the-clock garbage collection in the urban areas, especially within the heart of the city. (Mike Crismundo)

Dev't project

SURIGAO CITY – The Australian government recognized the effort of the officials of Surigao del Norte for maintaining an exemplary performance and continuing institutional reform by using the road sector as entry point to the provinces’ development and progress. The province is a partner of the Provincial Road Management Facility (PRMF) program – a five-year project financed by Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

It was learned that the project aims to increase economic activity, and improve public access to infrastructure and services in Surigao del Norte. Citing good performance, the provincial officials initially received an incentive from the Australian PRMF road development in the amount of P10 million. (Mike Crismundo)