NFA, traders:
Enough rice for Ecijanos during lean months

Government and private grains officials have assured that there will be enough rice for Novo Ecijanos during the lean months from June to September.

Edelino Alejandro, provincial manager of National Food Authority (NFA), said that the agency's warehouses are stocked with 600,000 bags of rice imported from Vietnam and Thailand, and 70,000 bags of palay bought from local farmers.

“We have a very good buffer stock right now while our procurement teams continue to buy from local farmers at the NFA support price of P17.50 per kilo to include incentives,” Alejandro assured.

He said that the situation in 2008 when people had to line up for limited rice purchases will not be repeated this year.

Edna Aguilar, rice dealer and an officer of the local association of rice dealers, echoed Alejandro’s observation, saying that aside from the government stocks, the private sector has enough grains to sell during the lean months. ###
 
 

ENRO impounds 4 Cabanatuan dump trucks

The Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) of the provincial government impounded four dump trucks owned by the Cabanatuan City government for illegal quarrying of gravel and sand near the Valdefuente bridge.

ENRO Max Borja said that the action was taken following complaints that the quarrying activities were being done less than a kilometer from the bridge, which could undermine the structure.

Meanwhile, re-elected City Councilor Ruben Jay Ilagan denied accusations that he owns the land in Barangay Lourdes where some 200 truckloads of gravel and sand have been dumped using the impounded city owned vehicles.

"“Hindi po sa akin iyan at nakakalungkot ang mga paratang na alam kong galing sa mga naka¬laban ko sa nagdaang eleksiyon,”  Ilagan explained. ##
 
 

DOH warns students vs. dengue

The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) warned students and school officials against dengue and waterborne infectious diseases like influenza and leptospirosis.

Dr. Rio Magpantay, DOH regional director, said that Nueva Ecija registered the highest number of dengue cases this year, followed by Bulacan and Pampanga.

He said that dengue cases tend to increase during the rainy season.

He encouraged school authorities to implement steps to ensure the safety and health of the students, saying that most dengue patients were students who belonged to the 5 to 14 year old age bracket.

Magpantay said that screen nets have been distributed to selected schools as part of the anti-dengue campaign, to be placed on windows of classrooms to protect students from mosquitoes.

 He also said that the department has provided leaflets with basic information on dengue. ###
 
 

Mayor Jay vows to restore city medical services

Former Cabanatuan City Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, who is returning to his old post after a one term gap, promises to restore hospital and medical services for indigent residents which were discontinued when the outgoing administration took over in 2007.

In his radio program which is also aired over a local cable TV channel, Vergara said that it would be like going back to years 1998 up to 2007 again, referring to the nine years that he first served as mayor.

He recalled that during those years, city residents could avail themselves of free hospitalization at the city government owned M. V. Gallego Cabanatuan City General Hospital.

He also vowed to reinstate trash haulers and street sweepers who were booted out by the outgoing administration, and conduct an inventory and repair of the city's motor vehicles that include 24 patrol cars donated to the city police and 47 road building equipment.

He also repeated his campaign promise not to touch tricycle color-coding plates issued to tricycle operators,  but said that there will be an efficient recording of tricycle units operating in Cabanatuan City so their operators and drivers can earn decently and within the bounds of law.

Vergara said he would pursue the city's  50 year development plan to attain his vision for a metropolitan city of fully satisfied residents. ###
 
 

BIR closes 3 more Cabanatuan establishments for tax delinquency

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regional office held the second wave of closures of tax delinquent establishment in Nueva Ecija under its Oplan Kandado Program.

Targeted this time were the head office and branches of SXY Boutique, head office of MSY Trading and KS Trading, all in Cabanatuan City.

Oplan Kandado is an intensive campaign which seeks to padlock businesses with unpaid tax dues, as well as those that are engaged in illegal practices such as failure to register, understatement of taxable sales by more than 30 percent and the refusal to issue receipts. According to the BIR, under declaration can go as high as 82 to 90 percent.

The closure operations were led by Regional Director Romulo Aguila, Jr., together with Revenue District Officer James Ferrer and other revenue officials, media persons and the Philippine National Police. ###
 
 

Cabanatuan longanisa at SM-Tarlac

SM Supermarket, celebrating its silver anniversary, has made available to shoppers of SM City in Tarlac City the famous Cabanatuan City longanisas or native sausages.

The favorite Cabanatuan longanisa variations are batutay or beef longanisa, longanisang bawang or garlic longanisa, and longanisang matamis or sweet longanisa. 

The Cabanatuan specialties are available at the Fresh Section of the newly opened SM Supermarket at the lower ground floor level of SM City Tarlac. ###
 
 

Gen. Luna's 111th death anniversary marked

The nation marked the 111th death anniversary of General Antonio N. Luna last June 5.

On that day in 1899, in the church of the then town of Cabanatuan, the enemies of the Filipino republic assassinated Luna.

Luna, brother of the famous painter Juan Luna, was born in Binondo, Manila on October 29, 1866.  Urged by his brother, Antonio went to Europe to pursue higher studies. In Spain, he joined other Filipino expatriates working for reforms in the Philippines.

Luna was among the first to be convinced that a revolution would happen in the country and advised his colleagues to prepare.  He studied military science under the famous General Leman of Belgium.  He was jailed by the Spanish authorities on suspicion of being involved in the Philippine Revolution but was later released. 

He returned to the Philippines near the end of 1898. Armed with a letter of recommendation from Don Felipe Agoncillo, he offered his services to fight for the Filipino republic.  President Emilio Aguinaldo assigned him to head several brigades of the Filipino Army. Luna, seeing the poor condition of the army, launched a massive recruitment and training program. He infused discipline and rigid training into the army. A sector of the Filipino leaders wanted to submit to the enemy and he had them arrested and punished, triggering a violent reaction that led to his assassination.

On his death, Luna's foes on the battlefield paid the highest tributes to him. US Gen. Federick  Funston called him the “ablest and most aggressive leader of the Filipino republic,” while US Gen. James F. Bell called Luna "the only general the Filipino army had.”

A historical marker at the Cabananatuan Cathedral and a statue at the adjacent Plaza Lucero serve as reminders of Luna's martyrdom and heroism. ###
 
 

PCSO okays STL operations in NE

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has passed a resolution approving the regularization of the operations of Small Town Lottery corporations for three years in three areas.

Those approved under PCSO Resolution 882 were the operations of CTG Prime Ventures, Inc. in Nueva Ecija; super Lucky Beagler in Negros Occidental; and Golden Matrix Gaming and Amusement Corp. in Olongapo City. ###
 
 

Erap, the test tube carabao, now grown up

One of the test tube carabaos produced by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in the Science City of Muñoz, is now fully grown and producing good quality semen for the center's artificial insemination project aimed at increasing the quality and number of carabaos in the country and lessen dependence on imported dairy products.

Erap, the carabao named after former President Joseph Estrada who principally authored the law that created PCC, and those of other quality bulls produce sperm samples that are processed in the center's laboratory, frozen and sent in different parts of the country for the artificial insemination project.

Erap and the other carabaos involved in the project -- Fidel, Cory and Glory-- were all named after Philippine presidents who have contributed considerably to the development of carabao in the country and were all born in 2002.

Dr. Libertado Cruz, PCC head, said that in the past few years, some 70,000 good breed of carabao calves have been produced using the "test-tube" technique developed by PCC. ###
 
 

San Jose vice mayor's security aide dies of heat stroke

A policeman who serves as security detail of San Jose City Vice Mayor Mario Salvador died of heat stroke last June 3 in Sitio Intang, Barangay West Poblacion, Pantabangan.

Supt. Sidney Villaflor, city police chief, identified the fatality as SPO1 Leopoldo Agustin Alop, 55, of Barangay Malasin, San Jose City.

Alop reportedly collapsed and was taken to the Pantabangan Rural Health Center but doctors failed to revive him.

Alop had served as bodyguard of former Gov. Tomas N. Joson III and was among those accused for the killing of former Cabanatuan City Mayor Honorato Perez in 1995. ###
 
 

Police: No foul play in pastor's death

The San Jose City police discounted the possibility of foul play in the death of a Born Again Christian pastor who fell into a deep hole being excavated by treasure hunters in Barangay Abar 1st, San Jose City last June 6.

Investigation showed that at about 2:00 P.M. in the excavation area at the backyard of the Montes family, the victim, Cesar Belonghilot Cabrera, 49, of Barangay Canuto Ramos, tried to pull out a buried crowbar beside an 18 foot deep excavation when he slipped and fell into the hole.

It took rescuers more than an hour to retrieve the pastor who was declared dead on arrival at the Heart of Jesus Hospital due to suffocation. ###
 
 

Suspects in the killing of San Antonio trader arrested

Two men allegedly involved in the killing of a trader in Barangay San Francisco, San Antonio last June 3 have been arrested.

They were identified as Danilo dela Cruz Castro, 53, and Alejandro Constantino Lumaquin, 49, both of Barangay Lawang Kupang.

The two are the main suspects in the shooting of Reynaldo Mangahas Bitangcol, 39.

The victim was in front of the family's store at about 6:30 A.M. when the suspects, who were riding in tandem a red motorcycle without license plates, arrived and fired at him.

The suspects were positively identified by the victim's younger brother, Robert John, chair of the local Sangguniang Kabataan. ###
 
 

2 sisters burn to death

Two sisters, aged 6 and 10,  died when they were trapped in their burning house inside the Abar Rice Mill compound in Barangay Abar 1st at about 2:30 A.M. last June 11.

The fatalities were Chrizenie Portacio, 6, and her 10 year old sister Christine.

Investigators are looking into the origin of the blaze and the whereabouts of the victims' father, Alfredo, 54, a fishpond caretaker, when the fire broke out.

Firefighters estimated the damage at P6,000. ###
 
 

Police IDs suspect in shooting of Santa Rosa student

The Santa Rosa police has identified an Army soldier belonging to the 7th Infantry Division as the primary suspect in the shooting of an 18 year old student in Barangay Mapalad, Santa Rosa.

Chief Insp. Reynaldo dela Cruz, in his report to the office of Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, provincial police director, identified  PFC Renel Aligem, assigned to the Headquarters  Support Services Battalion of the 7th ID based in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City as the suspect in the killing of Eusebio Paraiso Jardiel.

Aligen was identified by witnesses Dominador Acosta Quitorio, 54, a Bantay Bayan member, and Gregorio Pascual Jacamile, 54, a barangay kagawad, both of Barangay Mapalad.

The victim sustained three bullet wounds from a caliber 45 pistol and was found sprawled a few meters away from an Army post. He was allegedly involved in robbing Gilbeys Balabag Balancio, 22, of Barangay Palale, General Tinio along the Santa Rosa-Fort Magsaysay- Dingalan Road. ###