CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Philippines (PIA) – The 5th Civil Relations Group (CRG) of the Civil Relations Service-Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRS-AFP) extended assistance to impoverished students in Pangantucan town, Bukidnon, this Yuletide season.

“Every one of us is ecstatic about Christmas, we love to share and give gifts to our loved ones, family, and friends. Christmas is sharing and sharing gives joy,” said Colonel Leopoldo R. Galon Jr., commanding general of the 5th CRG, CRS-AFP. And to share that joy, various personnel of the 5th CRG, CSR-AFP traveled from Davao City to Pangantucan to conduct Bayanihan gift-giving that benefited 250 poor students.

Goat raising

Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) officials have noted the gains of farmers in the two villages of Senator Ninoy Aquino town in Sultan Kudarat who were trained to raise goats while engaged in the peanut-rubber planting system.
The officials traveled to the villages of Bugso and Kuden to monitor and evaluate BAR-funded projects, and found that rubber trees had grown and coffee was in abundance.

The two villages have been hit by landslides before and BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar said slash-and-burn agriculture had contributed much to soil erosion – a prime factor affecting landslides and mudslides. (Marvyn Benaning)

Dipolog priority

DIPOLOG CITY (PIA) – In keeping with the national government’s thrust of strengthening the education sector in the country, the city government here has been complementing such endeavor. The City Engineering Office (CEO) said it has already completed the construction and repair of school buildings in the various schools here.

The CEO said it completed the construction of an eight-classroom, two-storey school building at the Galas Elementary School, repair of two-classroom school building at the Pamansalan Eco-Tech High School, construction of a perimeter fence at the Jusan Butler James Memorial Elementary School, and the construction of a four-classroom, two-storey school building at the Special Education Center.

Port upgrading

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is implementing P306 million worth of projects at the local wharf here in 2012. Zamboanga port manager Leonilo Miole said they will be implementing three major projects next year to further enhance the agency’s service to the public in general, and to the travelers in particular.

The projects include the construction of passenger terminal for foreign vessels worth P16 million, 50-meter expansion of the newly constructed birthing area worth P200 million, and the removal of 65,000 cubic meters of broken rocks worth P90 million.

Fishery aid

KORONADAL CITY (PIA) – At least 27 fisherfolk in Lutayan town, Sultan Kudarat, have benefited from distribution of GET EXCEL tilapia by the Region-12 office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in cooperation with the Mindanao Freshwater Fishery Technology Center (MFFTC), The GET EXCEL (Genetically Enhanced Tilapias for Excellence) is a tilapia strain developed by the government to increase fish production, and provide solutions to the perennial problems of food security.