ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — The Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) is optimistic about meeting its long time goal of producing a million metric ton of rice. PAO chief Dr. Ildefonso Toledo said “from January to middle of October this year, we already produced over 786,000 metric tons of rice.” He said 786,194.58 metric tons of rice production came from some 210,287 hectares of both irrigated and rain-fed rice lands planted January to October, 2012. “There are still farmers harvesting and planting for the dry season so we expect their production to be included in the yearend report that we have reached the 1,000,000 metric ton target,” he said.
CANADIAN FIREFIGHTERS
BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental (PNA) — Canadian Globalfire trainers Craig Richard Lester, Mark Nelson Matheson and Shane Allen Wickens are conducting a six-day firefighters’ training course jointly organized by the provincial government and the Amity Public Safety Academy which started Monday. Canada-based Globalfire is an international disaster relief organization and their training course, conducted at the Amity Public Safety Academy, Panaad Sports Complex in Bacolod City, is designed for already trained and experienced firefighters from towns in the province.
I.P. BENEFICIARIES
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PNA) — Negros Oriental indigenous peoples (IPs) have been benefiting from government’s anti-poverty program since its implementation here a few years ago, said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) Secretary Corazon Soliman in a press conference here Monday evening. She said IPs and similarly situated “lumads” or natives are being given equal attention under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), or government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program. Some 55 Aeta families and 310 Mangubat-Bukidnon families in Mabinay, Negros Oriental are now 4Ps beneficiaries. A modified CCT scheme will also be set for 2013 where Badjaos, street families and street children, those living off “karetons” and “trisikads” and other similarly situated “lumads” will be included in the same program, even as a R300,000 grant from the Department of Education (DepEd) for the natives’ children enrollment in DepEd’s informal education program, the Alternative Learning System (ALS) will be provided.
SPIRITUAL CONVENTION
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo — Some 7,000 members of the sect, Jehovah’s Witnesses attended the three-day “Safeguard Your Heart!” which ended yesterday at the Convention at the Iloilo Sports Complex. There were Bible readings, theatrical presentations, and discourses on spiritual well-being and family life during the gathering, with organizers saying the Convention reflections were based on Scripture passages, including Proverbs 4:23. (Tara Yap)
PAG-IBIG-SAGAY M.O.A.
SAGAY CITY, Negros Occidental (PIA) — The Pag-IBIG Fund and the Sagay City government inked an agreement for to set up a Pag-IBIG Sagay Service Office here. Sagay will provide the Fund with office space free of charge, inclusive of electricity beginning November 15, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Pag-IBIG will provide needed logistics and deploy three personnel who take care of the service office’s daily transactions.