BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – The National Food Authority here has prepared millions of pesos coming from the national funds to be used for the purchase of farmer’s main palay harvest season amid protests from traders that the food agency’s high buying price is taking away a large chunk of their profits. Acting on instructions from Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap, the provincial office of NFA has also prepared warehouses and mobile buying stations to better facilitate the influx of rice stocks which is expected to come during the peak harvest season between October and December. Yap issued these directives following a DA plan to double the NFA’s procurement volume from 500,000 metric tons in previous years to one million tons come harvest time. According to Antonio Panganiban, NFA Nueva Vizcaya provincial manager, his office has already set up mobile stations scattered in major areas in the province and allotted more warehouse spaces in preparation for the peak season

ILAGAN, Isabela - A regional trial court here has ordered a goods trading company based in Santiago City to pay at least P580,000 damages and other fees for the death of a trader's son in a car accident several years ago. Judge Josefino Piamonte of the Regional Trial Court here ordered that Grupo Marilen's Inc. and its company driver Salvador Mallari Jr., would be liable to pay P580,000 damages and other fees to the heirs of Jonathan Soriano, a graduating Commerce student, who died while on board his owner-type jeep in a collision with a Marilen's Isuzu Elf along the national highway in Isabela. The court said the company must pay P280,000 for the loss of unearned income of Soriano, in favor of his heirs; P140,000 for actual damages, P70,000 additional damages for the fatality's wrecked owner-type jeep; P50,000 exemplary damages, and P40,000 attorney's fees.

CABARROGUIS, QUIRINO - Small farmers are now in a better position to join the pangasius bandwagon, after the fisheries bureau in region 02 has determined the viability of feeding the fish with indigenous or alternative diet. Dubbed as ‘the new darling of the aquaculture industry’, pangasius offers more income compared to other popular farmed fishes, however, it also requires higher capital. One reason attributed to the high production expense is the cost of fingerlings, at 3.50 to 7 pesos a piece, which is sourced all the way from Nueva Ecija province. Main reason however, is the cost of commercial feeds, which has been determined to account nearly 80 % of total production cost. “Pangasius can easily grow to more or less 1 kilo in 6 months. To do so, the fish also requires more feeds as compared, for example, to tilapia,” Dominador Abalos said during the Harvest Field Day on pangasius culture in cages here on Wednesday. “Our project here has proven however, that we can significantly cu

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya - A workshop on Anti Red Tape Act recently conducted in the region by personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office, has generated mixed reactions from participants who alleged that most of the incidents of so-called ‘fixing and fixers in government’ are rampant in Manila. The workshop which was attended by participants from the region’s various district offices was aimed to enhance the services of the works agency’s front-liners and to put a stop to the practice of paper works fixing, wherein some DPWH personnel are reportedly being paid by some of the agency’s clients or contractors to prioritize the facilitation of their documents. The extra legal procedure gives the said favored client undue advantage over those who follow the normal procedure in processing their documents. It also promotes corruption within the government. While personnel from the district office of the DPWH here claimed that the workshop in itself was la

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – After five months, one of the victims of the ill fated vessel MV Princess of the Stars was finally buried in his final resting place here. Bonnie Toreda who was buried by his family on Oct. 31, hails from Allacapan town. He was among the reported 600 others that went missing after the ship sunk in the waters off Romblon last June 21 during the height of typhoon Frank. His body was found in Polangi Island . In a radio interview, the victim’s mother Letty Toreda said that her son’s body was positively identified through a DNA test conducted by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). His father however believed that as a Marine student with sea survival training, Toreda was able to jump off the ship before it capsized but he wasn’t able to survive the deep and rough waters. According to Toreda’s mother, the victim was set to go on training in Cebu for his Marine Engineering course which he enrolled at the Cagayan Colleges of Tuguegarao. “Bonnie is now with u

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – In a country where the survival of many people in power means having the propensity to manufacture lies to cover crimes and doll-up accomplishments to prop up their corporate images, there now is an emerging campaign by very powerful foreign industries to utilize a so-called ‘manufactured consent’, this time to get away from social and environmental responsibilities. “Kept in the Dark,” a report of United Kingdom (U.K) based Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) on the alleged abuses of mining firm BHP Billiton and its local partner Asiaticus Management Corporation (AMCOR) revealed that the two firms have taken the use of ‘manufactured consent’ so that affected communities appear to be supporting the companies mine projects. AMCOR, a relatively unknown local company is reportedly led by some figures reputedly close to Malacañang while BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company has planned to invest US$ 1.5-3.0 billion for a nickel mine and pr

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (October 30) – Vice governor Jose Gambito here has assured Novo Vizcayanos of more projects designed to benefit the province in exchange for the taxes that are being paid to the provincial government here. “Let us cooperate and continue to support our local government in its programs and projects. I believe that our province is now faring very well in its vision of improving the lives of our constituents,” Gambito said in one of the radio programs of the provincial government dubbed “Vizcaya Reports” through DWRV. Gambito made the call amid the recent wave of criticisms hurled against the present political leadership led by governor Luisa Cuaresma on the newly – approved budget for infrastructure projects, he said the budget was a mere “differential” from the 20 percent Internal Revenue Allotment(IRA) for 2008. “This means that these funds were not included in our annual budget because we were not sure then that we will receive these,” Gambito explained. The

DIADI, Nueva Vizcaya (October 14) – The Development Bank of the Philippines(DBP) and the provincial government here recently signed an agreement which seeks to reforest portions of the province which is one of the watershed areas of Cagayan Valley. The Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) involves the reforestation of the 400 hectare area in barangay Namamparan in this town which serves as a critical watershed for the Magat river, supporting the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System(MARIIS) covering the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao. The project has a P10 million funding where a revenue sharing of 30-70 percent will be undertaken from the income which will be generated from fruit bearing trees. DBP’s share is 30 percent while the provincial government shall receive 70 percent from the income that can be derived from the project which will be turned – over to a people’s organization as its beneficiary. BME, PIANV

BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya (October 14) – The provincial government here recently acquired P2.3 million-worth of hospital equipments through its ties with the Novo Vizcayanos in Hawaii. Governor Luisa Cuaresma said that after her successful trip in the United States, an anesthesia machine worth P1.8 million and P50,000.00 – worth of hospital supplies were brought home to be turned-over to the provincial hospital. The medical supplies and equipments were donated by the Nueva Vizcaya Association of Hawaii. Dr. Edwin Galapon, Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital(NVPH) chief said more assistance is expected from the organization because of their strengthened relationship with provincial officials here headed by Cuaresma. “We were assured of more health assistance for the province which are all focused for the betterment of health and wellness of Novo Vizcayanos”, Galapon said. BME, PIANV

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s commitment to develop a farm-to-market road connecting barangays Bitnung and Belance in the town of Dupax del Norte here will soon start without delay, this was bared by officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) here said. Engr. Rodolfo Torralba, district engineer of DPWH sub-district here said the P130 million construction of the intermittent sections of the Belance-Bitnung road will start in November this year which will be completed within 540 calendar days or 18 months. “We have just completed the bid evaluation of qualified bidders, so we hope that there will be no more delays,” Torralba said. According to Torralba, the project’s Special Allotment Release Order(SARO) for the total amount of the project was already released while the Sub-Allotment Advice(SAA) which will contain segmented funding for its gradual construction is underway. The development and rehabilitation of the Bitnung-Belance road