MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Philippines (PIA) — An initial list of 209 poor families of fishermen from 16 Southern Leyte towns will receive livelihood assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA). Said assistance is under the “Agrikultura: Kaagapay ng Bayang Pinoy” (AKBay Pinoy) Program, an undertaking done in partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Provincial Agricultural Services Office (PAGSO) head, Marina Gador said the project is a priority of the current Aquino administration under the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation program. The P4 million intended for Southern Leyte was set aside by the DA and will be coursed through the agency’s regional office. An initial P2.09 million is now set for release to said 209 beneficiary families and is intended for such projects as hogs-fattening and vegetable crop production with a P10,000 budget for each project, set to be repaid interest-free for three years.
PNP-7 accomplishment
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Illegal drugs worth P35 million were seized by the Central Visayas police in the past 10 months in Central Visayas, with over 1,300 persons arrested either as pushers or users.
“From January to October, this year, the police have conducted 986 anti-drug operations and arrested 1,329 individuals involved in selling illegal drugs or as plain users,” P/Supt. Melvin Sanchez, chief of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (Raidsotg-7) reported.
Of the total number of persons arrested, 466 were categorized as pushers and 863 users.
Highest mountain
DALAGUETE, Cebu (PIA) — Dalaguete town in the southern part of Cebu, and the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) -7 are working together to preserve Osmeña Peak, Cebu’s highest mountain.
Dalaguete Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante and Badian Mayor Roddolf Librando are seeking the assistance of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and DENR-7 so that the mountain can be worth declaring one of the “Natural Landscapes” in Cebu and in the country. Osmeña Peak is situated in the boundary between Dalaguete and Badian towns.
Nito weaving
SAN JOSE, Antique (PIA) — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has trained members of indigenous communities in Brgy. Bongbongan I, Hamtic on ‘nito weaving’ so that they are capable of finding additional income sources.
TESDA Antique Provincial Director Rick Abraham said the Ati community in said barangay now have weaving skills. The locally-grown vine or "nito," is abundant in the area but the training given them is needed to enhance their knowledge and skills so that they can render their product competitive in the market.
Siaton checkpoints
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PNA) — Negros Oriental Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial director Sr. Supt. Edward Carranza has directed police in the southern town to step up its anti-criminality campaign and conduct checkpoints in the wake of a series of shooting incidents and the arrest of two suspected guns-for-hire there.
He disclosed that the police are now looking into unverified reports that the shooting of a Bingo Milyonaryo collector Alfie Gaspay, 36, married and a Siaton resident last Friday was allegedly retaliatory in nature.