MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA) — Some 700 Maasin City senior citizens got medical and dental services at the Office of Senior Citizens Association (OSCA) recently.
Local Senior Citizens Federation President Willie J. Justimbaste, Limasawa Development Foundation (LIDEF) and Rep. Roger Mercado joined hands for the said medical and dental mission.
Most of those who went to the mission had ailments including cough, hypertension, poor eyesight and diabetes and they needed vitamins and tooth extraction.
Seeds subsidy
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The National Food Authority (NFA) has started distributing certified quality seeds to Negros Oriental farmers under the ongoing implementation of the third phase of the Rapid Seed Supply Financing Program (RASSFiP).
Under the RASSFiP, the NFA buys certified quality seeds from the Negros Oriental Rice and Corn Seeds Growers Association for distribution to identified farmers in local government units at a subsidized cost. Phase 3 of RASSFIP kicked off in Negros Oriental last March 16, 2011 and will end September 15, 2011, said NFA Provincial Manager Dr. Carlos Cortes.
Antique probe
SAN JOSE, Antique — A probe on the seven-hour hostage taking in the San Jose, Antique jail late last week, resulting in the death of jail guard, JO2 Romar Saquibal has been ordered.
A total of 19 inmates led by the Loyd Francisco and Christopher Fernando disarmed Saquibal at 5:30 p.m. last Aug. 25 and held hostage over 150 other inmates till past midnight, Aug. 26 when they surrendered.
Aside from Saquibal’s .45 service pistol, the hostage takers had a hand grenade and a .38 caliber revolver. Authorities will look into how these weapons got inside the jail compound and also into the grievances of the inmates-turned hostage takers against the district jail’s warden. (Tara Yap)
Deped lauded
ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) — The Department of Education (DepEd)’s committed support for the implementation of government’s National Greening Program in Capiz is being lauded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). DENR-Capiz head, Dionisio Molina Jr. said the “DepEd people are so far the most active government agency in the National Greening Program implementation in Capiz.”
He informed that last August 19, provincial DepEd personnel, along with members of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army and local government officials and employees of Jamindan town joined forces for a tree-planting activity in the town.
Accord inked
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Fifteen government agencies and 14 private organizations signed a memorandum of agreement recently to mark full support for the crusade against human trafficking in Cebu and for the effective implementation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 or RA-9208.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia led the agreement signing. In September 2010, Cebu established the Cebu Task Force Against Trafficking which was also supported by local government units here. All parties acknowledge that the key to stop human trafficking is via cooperation among government, the private sector and local communities.