27 BATAAN FAMILIES BECOME NEW LANDOWNERS
HERMOSA, Bataan: Twenty-seven families became new landowners after they received Certificates of Land Ownership Award on 10.2 hectares of land in brgy. Bacong in Hermosa, Bataan over the weekend.

Former chairman Felicito Payumo of the Bases Conversion Development Authority, represented the heirs of his father, the late mayor Jose Payumo Sr. of Dinalupihan, who executed voluntary transfer of the land planted to rice and fruit trees. With him in the visit to the village were his son Tonito and nephews Mayor Joel Payumo of Dinalupihan and provincial board member Jojo Payumo. ERNIE B. ESCONDE

LAWMEN SEIZE SURIGAO CIY FIREARMS CACHE
POLICE operatives have arrested four persons and seized a cache of firearms following an entrapment operation over the weekend in a suburban village in Surigao City, police reports said on Monday. The arrest of persons and seizure of several firearms in the entrapment operation came a day before the government started implemented a total gun ban for the coming midterm election. Reports at Camp Crame identified the arrested as Allan Avelino; Archie Avelino and Ariel Avelinio, all from Surigao; and Richard Zambrano, of Claver, Surigao del Norte. Seized from them were an AR 15/KG 9mm automatic rifle; a 9mm-Beretta pistol; two 45-caliber Remington pistols; two Smith and Wesson caliber 38 revolver; a Magnum 22 revolver and various types of ammunitions. The four were arrested on Saturday by elements of the Surigao police at Brgy. Taft in Surigao, police reports said. ANTHONY VARGAS

DINAGYANG JOB FAIR SLATED ON JANUARY 24
ILOILO CITY: This city will host a one-day Trabaho sa Dinagyang Job Fair 2013 on January 24 at the Gaisano City in La Paz district, in a move to screen thousands of job applicants for abroad and local job postings. Public Employment Service Office (PESO) head Cookie Benitez said that the job fair, upon instructions of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, assures opportunities for job seekers not only in Iloilo but also in the whole western Visayas to match their qualifications to the requirements imposed by 20 companies for overseas placements and 60 local companies. The overseas placements are for engineers, carpenters, medical services and teachers with job orders from the Middle East, Canada, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. The local postings are for call centers, janitorial services and others. Benitez said that the PESO in Iloilo has already deployed 17,451 workers in overseas and local postings by 2012. These comprise 8,294 males and 9,159 females registered by Iloilo PESO. LYDIA C. PENDON
 
CORDILLERA PLANTS 4M TREE SEEDLINGS
BAGUIO CITY: The second year of the National Greening Program (NGP) in the Cordillera Administrative Region showed better accomplishment with 4,271,509 assorted seedlings planted in 8,546 hectares compared to its first year of implementation with 3,400,000 trees planted in an area of 6,800 hectares. Nongovernment organizations mostly from the various mining companies planted 314,478 seedlings, covering 396 hectares. Regional Executive Director Clarence Baguilat of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said that the success of the implementation of the NGP is attributed to the concerted efforts by the government employees and the private sectors. “We thank the private sector, civil society and students who participated in surpassing our target and we are again asking their support for this year’s NGP,” he said. Baguilat said that it will be a bigger work this year as the target is to plant 10 million seedlings within a 20,000-hectare area. GABY B. KEITH

INJURED WORKER AIRLIFTED TO SUBIC
SUBIC BAY Freeport: The country’s only air ambulance airlifted a severely injured worker from Micronesia and was brought to Unihealth-Baypointe hospital in Subic, recently. Officials of the air ambulance firm, Carejet Assist decline to give further detail on the patient but said that the injuries sustained was work related. In 2012, Careject Assist conducted nine air ambulance mission and several other medical and repatriation activities. Scotty Watson, program director of Carejet Assist, said that they assistance companies from South America, United States and Europe. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Roberto Garcia pointed of out the importance Careject Assist in Subic. “Their presence is important for Subic Bay, especially for our retirees who may have special medical needs. It also serves the medical facility here because it adds to their response flexibility,” Garcia said. ANTHONY BAYARONG

NUTRITION WORKERS, SCHOLARS LAUDED
BAGUIO CITY: The National Nutrition Council-Cordillera (NNC-CAR) gave recognition to the region’s 2011 Most Outstanding Nutrition Program Implementer and Barangay Nutrition Scholars. In a recent awarding ceremony, NNC-CAR Nutrition Program Coordinator Rose Lulu Pagaduan, Department of Health Regional Director Valeriano Jesus Lopez and event keynote speaker, Dr. Martha Cayad-an, health specialist of Unicef-Sudan, spearheaded the awarding of the green banner and plaque of recognition to the regional winners. Pagaduan said that the regional nutrition awarding for the 2011 winners was supposed to be in December but was moved to January. Awardees for the 2011 Nutrition program ‘Green Banner’ (Most Outstanding Implementor on Nutrition) were Benguet for the provincial level; Baguio for the city level and the Tublay, Benguet for the municipal level. Ifugao province and Asipulo, Ifugao were also awarded as First Year Maintenance as CROWN awardee and provincial green banner award, respectively. GABY B. KEITH

DAYLIGHT PAWNSHOP HEIST PROBED
ILOILO CITY: Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is giving more time until the end of this week for the Iloilo City police office to fully solve and arrest suspects in the January 12 daylight robbery at the Sarabia Pawnshop and Jewelry Store at the busy corner of Guanco and JM Basa streets. Senior Supt. Ruperto Floro, officer-in-charge of the Iloilo police, asked for enough time to solve the heist and had mobilized his operatives to conduct a through investigation and follow-up leads to solving the robbery pawnshop owned and operated by vice mayor Jose Espinosa 3rd of Iloilo and his wife Gina Sarabia. Mabilog said that the local business community should not be alarmed over the incident as the police is doing everything to solve the case. He said that one suspect, Ernesto Estrella Jr., was identified by witnesses as one of the men who ransacked and robbed the establishments. Mabilog admitted that he has received information that armed groups are targeting a bank to rob and this was the reason he called for a meeting last week among the business community, the Iloilo police and his office, to discuss the strengthening of security measures in high risk business establishments. LYDIA C. PENDON

ECO-TOURISM SPORTS EVENT UNREELS IN BENGUET
BAGUIO CITY: The Philippine International Sky Race-Pilipinas Akyathlon is set in Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet province this February 9. Now on its second year, the Pilipinas Akyathlon, an ecotourism sports event, will start and finish at the barangay hall of Tinongdan. It is a 35.3-kilometer mountain running up and down the peak of Mt. Ugo—2,162 meters above sea level, providing a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and portions of Binga and Ambuklao Dams and as far away as Pangasinan. To launch the event, the Philippine Skyrunning Association (PSA), in partnership with the Department of Tourism-Cordillera and the Itogon government, hosted today a forum at Tourism’ conference room. PSA President Jules Picato said that Pilipinas Akyathlon 2013 is a green community ecosports tourism event, wherein the safety of the mountains, as well as, the runners are both considered. A maximum of 200 participants on a first-come-first-served basis will be accommodated for the race to ensure that it is within the carrying capacity of Mt. Ugo. The SkyRace is open to local and international sky runners and will feature age bracket categories: 18 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and 60 and above age groups, for both male and female. The top three finishers in each category will get trophies and other valuable outdoor prizes. Registration for the race is now open. For Filipino participants, registration is P1,900 and will be accepted until January 15. For foreign participants, registration fee is 2,400 and will be accepted until February 8. GABY B. KEITH