CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) — The Office of the City Civil Registrar (OCCR) in Cebu City has opposed a draft ordinance that seeks to require engaged couples to plant trees in a designated area in the city before tying the knot. If it becomes a local law, the marriage rate might further decrease, said OCCR chief lawyer Evangeline Abatayo.
“The application for a marriage license is supposed to be as simple as possible,” Abatayo said on the draft ordinance. Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrera, head of the council’s committee on environment, filed the proposed ordinance requiring couples to plant trees and attend a solid waste management lecture, before the OCCR gives them a marriage license.
Harmonizing bills
DUMAGUETE CITY (PNA) — The senior vice chairman of the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives wants to harmonize a number of pending bills that seek to empower front liners in the government’s nutrition program.
Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong of the first district of Negros Oriental was the keynote speaker during the regional congress of Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) held in Dumaguete early this week. She stressed the need to harmonize pending bills such as the Magna Carta for barangay nutrition scholars that seeks to empower the front runners in addressing the malnutrition problem and providing them with at least P2,000 monthly allowance.
Police recruits
CAMP KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte — New police recruits for this year have been added to the ranks of law enforcers in Eastern Visayas, the top provincial police official here said. Philippine National Police (PNP)-8 Regional Director Chief Supt. Arnold Revilla said 277 new policemen were sworn in as police officers 1.
Revilla said 146 of the police recruits were for regular recruitment, while 131 were for the Attrition Program of the PNP to replace personnel who were attrited for reasons of retirement, death, dismissal and resignation. Revilla said the regular recruitment program is conducted twice a year to beef up the personnel strength of the police. (Restituto A. Cayubit)
Tax hike
JORDAN, Guimaras (PNA) — The provincial government of Guimaras is studying the possibility of increasing its real property tax by around 10 to 20 percent. Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava said they are still in the process of making an evaluation as he expressed hope to have the increase implemented next year.
“Definitely it’s high time that we implement the hike because it’s almost 15 years that we have not implemented any increase,” he said. The last increase was way back in 1997, thus causing the province some P50-P100 million losses annually.
Abattoir plaint
ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The municipality of Miag-ao is adopting stop-gap measures in order to appease the complaint of residents against foul odor coming from the municipal government-operated Miag-ao Slaughterhouse in Barangay Baybay Norte, Miag-ao, Iloilo.
Miag-ao Mayor Julieta Flores said these measures are in the form of cleaning and sanitizing the slaughterhouse facilities and premises, cutting off previous water supply system and connecting with potable water system with Miag-ao Water District, and applying scientific methods to eliminate foul odor.