ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — The National Food Authority (NFA) has buffer stock good for 68 days based on Iloilo City and province’s residents’ consumption. NFA Iloilo Asst. Manager Jose Pacificador said the city’s residents’ daily rice consumption is 21,080 bags and current inventory shows NFA Iloilo has some 1.4 million bags of rice, including rice traders’ stocks, with households and in the NFA warehouse here. “We have sufficient rice right now,” Pacificador assured. “No need to worry.”
BIKE ACTIVITY
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) here will hold “Bike for Champ” on Feb. 16, an event aimed at raising the level of awareness and broadening of voters and candidates’ efforts for clean, honest and peaceful elections on May 13. The bike route starts from the Silliman University Football Field and on to Aldecoa Drive passing Hibbard Avenue and Perdices Street to Calindagan Road, on to Lamberto Macias Road and ending at Robinsons Place for an ecumenical prayer rally.
APARK PROGRAM
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PNA) — Cebu-based Aboitiz Group has reported that as of 2012, it has planted 640,000 tree seedlings around the country under the Aboitiz Passion for Reforest and Agroforest to Keep (APARK) Program. Of total tree seedlings planted, 65,000 were planted during the Aboitiz Group’s annual tree-planting activity participated in by some 3,000 volunteers from different business units in 11 areas in the country in one day. Trees planted in 2012 brought the Aboitiz Group’s tree inventory to about 2.68 million, a press statement said. The group expects to reach APARK’s goal of planting three million seedlings this year, two years ahead of its 2015 target schedule.
E-LEARNING PROJECT
BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ. (PNA) — Bacolod City is the first recipient in the province of computers donated by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) under its Electronic-Learning Village Project. Last Saturday, PLDT representatives turned over eight computer units bundled with free digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband internet service for a year to officials of Barangay 19 where the PLDT office here is located. PLDT Community Relations Head Evelyn M. Del Rosario said “PLDT is glad to make good its promise to Brgy. 19 officials and residents made last MassKara Festival when PLDT conducted community outreach to establish the Bacolod E-learning community center in the barangay, the first such center to be put up in Negros Occidental.”
ZERO LEPROSY
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PIA) — The Iloilo Provincial Health Office is targeting a zero-leprosy incidence in the province. Leprosy cases have gone down in recent years, with PHO-Iloilo reporting last year a prevalence rate of less than one case per 10,000 population. Steps taken by the PHO to completely eradicate the disease include regular skin clinic consultations and basic leprosy orientation with barangay officials, and organization of leprosy watch task forces in mountainous areas. The World Health Organization said leprosy is not highly infectious but may be transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases. In a recent forum here, Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial said the Philippines has eliminated leprosy as a health problem but the challenge is maintaining this status.