GIPORLOS, Eastern Samar — Town Mayor Mark Biong has announced that 50 students from this municipality are beneficiaries of his administration’s Municipal College Assistance Program (MCAP) of his administration for this school year. He said the MCAP-qualified students Giporlos’ poor families will receive P2,500 per semester until they complete college education. “Providing scholarship to deserving students from poor families is a top priority of my administration,” Biong said. (Restituto A. Cayubit)
CSC MONITORING
ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) — The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is continuing its on-the-spot inspection of government offices in Capiz to ensure compliance with the Anti-Red Tape Law and delivery of front-line services even at noon time. Capiz CSC director lawyer Maria Lina Gonzaga said compliance monitoring of government offices is in line with Republic Act No. 9485, also known as the “Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007.” The ARTA Watcher monitors implementation of the “No Lunch Break, Anti-Fixer Campaign, No Smoking Policy,” and priority lane signages for senior citizens, pregnant women and differently-abled persons posters and wearing of ARTA identification (ID) by employees, Gonzaga said.
CANDIDACY ANNOUNCED
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — An Waray party-list Rep. Florencio Noel recently announced his candidacy for mayor of this city in the 2013 elections, challenging the incumbent Mayor Alfred Romualdez who is in his second term. Noel made his announcement in the presence of his wife Navotas Rep. Jane Lacson-Noel, An Waray officals and members, fellow congressmen, nearly 100 municipal mayors from Eastern Visayas, government officials, guests, and thousands of supporters mostly from this city during his birthday last June 17 at the Leyte National High School gym. (Restituto A. Cayubit)
HOUSING TURNOVER
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PNA) — The Diocese of Dumaguete, along with the city government, will turn over Friday, June 29 the first batch of housing units for families displaced by Tropical Storm Sendong last December 17. The first 12 houses will be handed over to a pre-screened batch of typhoon victims who had complied with requirements under the said program. Situated in a local government-donated 5,000 hectare lot in Brgy. Bajumpandan in the city’s outskirts, the 12 houses are part of the original 115 houses which the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines through the National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA) had agreed to subsidize. CBCP-NASSA and the Diocese of Dumaguete are spearheading the project along with the city government which donated the project site.
LAND DISTRIBUTION
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Oriental recently distributed lands and installed 13 farmer-beneficiaries of an eight-hectare property formerly owned by Julieta Pintor in Maningcao, Sibulan. Certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) were turned over to the farmer recipients. Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Stephen Leonidas, in his message during the installation rites, said the activity “is not the end but the start of the farmers’ role as owners of the land. While the DAR has a clear direction to help beneficiaries, agrarian recipients should also do their obligation and responsibilities particularly in paying taxes and annual amortization of the land to the LandBank of the Philippines (LBP).