Students at the Nueva Vizcaya State University view an exhibit by Amnesty International showing the inequalities being suffered by the indigenous peoples during the observance (August 10) of the International day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Floro Taguinod

By CHARLIE C. LAGASCA BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – The Aquino administration has around 5,000 New People’s Army (NPA) fighters remaining to contend with in its efforts to finally find lasting peace and a solution to the four-decade-old communist insurgency. According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) based at Camp Aquino, Tarlac City, the strength of the communist combatants has been decimated by almost half, from 9,260 in 2002 to 4,642 as of the first quarter of 2010. Likewise, Major Rosendo Armas, head of the Nolcom’s 1st civil-relations group, claimed that communist-influenced villages also dwindled to 1,017 or 2.4 percent of the country’s 42,025 barangays from 2,395 eight years ago or a year after President Arroyo took the helm of the government. However, despite the communists’ weakened strength and influence, the Nolcom, in adherence to the call of the new administration, said it is still open to peace talks with the insurgents as a l

By CHARLIE C. LAGASCA BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya - A US power firm, which owns and operates the Casecnan multipurpose irrigation and power facility, has donated earlier this week financial assistance to augment the province’s calamity fund. The provincial government yesterday said that the P6-million fund assistance given by the California Energy (CE), through its local subsidiary, the Casecnan Water and Energy Company, Inc. (CECWECI), will be intended for victims from previous typhoons and other calamities. According to CE-CECWECI president Joseph Lee Sullivan, who handed the amount in check to Gov. Luisa Cuaresma in Monday’s brief rites, which were also witnessed by other local officials led by Vice Gov. Jose Gambito, such a gesture was part of their firm’s social corporate responsibility to needy communities, especially to where their firm operates. “(Ours is not only about) irrigation and power generation. (Providing assistance to needy communities) is one of our commitments and

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Eight of the 21 elementary pupils in Santiago City who underwent a swab test for possible infection of the AH1N1 virus were found to be positive of said illness. Reports said that as a result, the city government and the Department of Education had already ordered the indefinite suspension of classes at the Santiago City West Central School where the AH1N1 patients came from to prevent the further spread of said virus to other pupils. The infected public elementary students, it was learned, were a grade 1 and seven grade 4 pupils. They were among the 21 elementary pupils who were hospitalized two weeks ago at the Southern Isabela General Hospital after exhibiting symptoms of the virus. According to the city health office, they are now closely monitoring the condition of the eight pupils for their immediate recovery. The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, said that they have already provided the city health office with vaccines to counter the possible

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Sixty-five villages throughout the archipelago or less than a percent of the country’s 42,025 barangays, including those in strife-torn Mindanao areas have yet to be energized, the Department of Energy (DOE) said. Norman Martirez, DOE senior research specialist, said that besides budgetary constraints, the electrification of the remaining unenergized villages, 39 percent of which are in Mindanao, has been hampered by rough terrain, as well as peace and order problems. Likewise, Martirez, in line with the government’s rural electrification program, said that the energy sector is targeting at least 90 percent enegization of household in the country by 2017. The DOE said that of the still unenergized areas, 25 barangays are located in Mindanao , most of which are those having problems with peace and order or caught in conflicts between the government and Muslim separatists and communist rebels as well as common bandits. On the other hand, the 37 and three r

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – The number of children suffering from anemia or iron deficiency in Cagayan Valley is higher by 16 percent than the national rate, according to the latest survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). Citing the said report, Rhodora Maestre, nutrition council director for Cagayan Valley, said that of those surveyed in the region, children aged five to six years old were found to be the most suffering anemia, even surpassing the national rate. On the average, the report shows that for every five children in the region, two are suffering from anemia, a condition in which one has poor level of red blood cells, which provide oxygen to body tissues, that, if not treated during the early stages, may lead to serious health problems such as leukemia or cancer of the blood. Likewise, 60 and 58 percent of pregnant and lactating women, respectively, in the region were also found to be lacking in iron in the body, which, if not treated during th