LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Kinilala ng Department of Agriculture ang pagsisikap ng tanggapang panlalawigan sa pagsuporta sa mga lokal na magsasaka nang igawad nito ang ‘Gawad Saka Award’ sa Office of the Provincial Agriculturist bilang Region 1’s Outstanding Kadiwa ng Pangulo LGU Implementer. Sina Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya at Provincial Legal Officer Baby Ruth Torre ang tumanggap ng parangal sa ngalan ni Governor Ramon V. Guico III sa ika-50 Gawad Saka Parangal ng mga Natatanging Magsasaka sa Mangingisda, noong Hunyo 23, sa San Fernando City, La Union,. Nangako si Gob. Guico na paigtingin ang mga programang nakabatay sa agrikultura na magpapalakas sa produksyon ng agrikultura na tutulong sa mga magsasaka na mapataas ang kanilang ani at kakayahang maibenta. Inilunsad noong 2022, ang gobernador ay nag-utos para sa mas pinaigting na promosyon ng programa na sa Enero 2024, ang proyekto ay pinangalanang ‘Kadiwa na Kapitolyo’ at gaganapin dalawang beses sa isang buwan sa Capitol Complex grounds. Ang Kadiwa ay isa sa mga programang agri-based ng pambansang pamahalaan, na aktibong isinusulong ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. Ang Kadiwa On-Wheels na Kapitolyo, sa kabilang banda, ay isang collaborative project ng provincial government kasama ang DA kasama ang iba’t ibang ahensya tulad ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFARNFA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFARNFA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFARNFA). Sinabi ng ulat ng OPAG na nagsimula ang Kadiwa sa 20 exhibitors sa panahon at higit sa doble sa mga sumunod na buwan. Sa ngayon, humigit-kumulang isang daang aktibidad na may kaugnayan sa Kadiwa ang isinasagawa sa suporta ng iba’t ibang local government units (LGUs) at ilang partner agencies. “We have generated a total sales of P20,985,234.60 and we have helped 2,582 exhibitors. The total household that we have served is around 55,710,” ayon kay  Provincial Agribusiness and Marketing Service Coordinator Ramy Sison. Ang Kadiwa ay nagsisilbing pagkakataon para sa mga magsasaka/mangingisda at Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) na direktang ipakilala ang kanilang mga produkto sa publiko. Nag-aalok ang Kadiwa ng ligtas, sariwa, at abot-kayang mga produktong pagkain tulad ng mga gulay, mga produkto ng pagawaan ng gatas, prutas, isda at mga produktong karne, kanin, katutubong delicacy, at iba pa.

To support the expansion of Central Luzon’s logistics and manufacturing corridor, a new road interchange will soon rise connecting the municipality of Hermosa in Bataan to the 94-kilometer Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). A joint collaboration between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), NLEX Corporation, and the local government of Hermosa, the proposed interchange will form part of the long-term development strategy to enhance regional connectivity along the SCTEX. The interchange will create a critical link between Bataan’s emerging economic zones and industrial estates to other growth corridors in Central Luzon, such as the Clark Freeport Zone, New Clark City, and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It will also improve access to the BCDA-administered Bataan Technology Park in Morong, the future home of the Philippine Marine Corps. “More than just an infrastructure, this interchange will unlock a new gateway to economic opportunities for Central Luzon—providing much-needed support for the region’s growing logistics and manufacturing sectors, and generating more jobs for Filipinos. In support of the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative, the enhancement of SCTEX will drive industrial growth and strengthen the region’s role as a key engine of national progress.” said BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang. The project is aligned with the Marcos administration’s ambitious “Build Better More” infrastructure drive, and forms part of the SCTEX Expansion and Enhancement Plan jointly implemented by the DPWH, BCDA, NLEX Corporation, and concerned LGUs. The project will also contribute to the government’s efforts to support connectivity along the Luzon Economic Corridor, which will help position the region as a strategic manufacturing and electronics hub.              

By Rachel Magday   Authorities have officially concluded rescue and retrieval operations after recovering the bodies of three small-scale miners trapped inside a 400-meter-deep tunnel in Sitio Balcony, Barangay Runruno, Quezon. According to Barangay Captain John Babliing, the retrieval operation ended at around 2 a.m. today (June 26), after the decomposed remains of the victims were brought out. The miners were identified as Daniel Segundo Paggana, 47; Lipihon Ayudan y Bumulyad, 56; and Florencio Indopia y Napudo, 63, all residents of Barangay Runruno. Earlier, on June 25, volunteer rescuer John Philip Guinihid lost his life after being pulled out of the same tunnel. Guinihid and his friend Johnny Ayudan had entered the tunnel on the night of June 24 in an attempt to retrieve the body of Lipihon Ayudan, Johnny’s brother, who was among the miners trapped since the evening of June 23. Meanwhile, two other miners, Alfred Dulnuan and Joval Bantiyan, were rescued alive from the tunnel on June 24. Both had entered the site on June 23 together with Segundo, Indopia, and Ayudan. The rescue and retrieval operations were carried out by volunteer rescuers from the Runruno community, personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), FCF Minerals Corp., OceanaGold Philippines, Inc., Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, as well as barangay and municipal officials. 📷NVPPO