BONGABON, Nueva Ecija – At least seven members of the Komiteng Rehiyong Gitnang Luzon of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) were killed in an armed encounter with the soldiers of the 84th Infantry (Victorious) Battalion, Philippine Army in Barangay Malbang, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija on June 26.   The combat operations followed after the soldiers of the 84IB conducted a hot pursuit following an aerial operation held in the hinterlands of Sitio Marikit East, Barangay Abuyo, Alfonso Castaneda, Nueva Vizcaya last June 20. Initial information disclosed that upon clearing the area, operating troops recovered three M14 rifles, six M16 rifles, one M16 with M203 attached rifle, one low-powered firearm, subversive documents, and personal belongings from the encounter site. No casualty was recorded on the part of the operating troops, while the seven CTG personalities were yet to be identified. According to Lieutenant Colonel Jerald Reyes, Commanding Officer, 84IB, the hot pursuit operation was part of the unit’s efforts to immediately locate and run after the enemy after they spread fear among the people of Alfonso Castaneda. “Mayroon po tayong nakuhang pitong bangkay mula sa mga CTG at naka rekober po tayo ng sampung mga matataas na klase ng armas. Napigilan po natin ang kanilang planong maibalik ang kanilang impluwensiya sa komunidad gamit ang pananakot. Actually, hinabol namin ang mga ito galing Aurora to Nueva Vizcaya ngayon dito sa Nueva Ecija. Kaya naman po lubos ang aming pasalamat sa mga tao sa kanilang suporta sa mga kasundaluhan. Tinitiyak din po namin ang kaligtasan ng mamamayan ng Nueva Ecija laban sa banta ng mga teroristang grupo,” pahayag ni Reyes. Brigadier General Joseph Norwin D. Pasamonte PA, Commander of the 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade, Philippine Army, attributed the success of the operation to the active cooperation of the peace-loving community in Pantabangan who work hand-in-hand with the security sector to preserve the peace. “The community’s active cooperation has a big impact on the results of this operation. Their full support to the Army has paved the way to more significant peace and security accomplishments in our Area of Operations. We assure you our strong commitment to the community in preserving the peace that we have been working on for years,” Pasamonte said. He then called on the members of the CTG to surrender and grab the opportunities offered by the government to live a new life.   “I am deeply saddened that our brother Filipinos died because of the trickery of the CTG. We can prevent further loss of lives if the remaining members would only join us in our mainstream society. Nandito kami handang ipagtanggol ang ating mga kababayang ang nais lamang ay kapayapaan at katiwasayan,” he added. (84th Infantry Battalion, 71D Philippine Army post)

DILASAG, Aurora – Pinangunahan ni Gov.Reynante Tolentino, kasama ang Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) at mga iba pang opisyal sa pamamahagi ng ‘social pension’ sa 485 beneficiaries sa bayan ng Dilasag, na ginanap sa LGU Sports Complex at sa Barangay Esperanza Covered Court, noong Hunyo 24.     Ang 485 beneficiaries ay kinabibilangan ng 363 senior citizens at 45 persons with disabilities (PWD), 28 solo parents, na tumanggap ng kanilang social pension para sa unang kalahating taon ng 2024. Tinanggap naman ng 23 Day Care Workers ang kanilang honorarium, samantalang sa mga senior citizens na may edad 85 hanggang 99 ay binigyan ng ‘age bonus benefit’ na bagong programa ng PSWDO mula sa  tulong at suporta ni Gov. Tolentino. Bukod dito ay nagbigay din ang gobernador mula sa kanyang sariling bulsa ng tig-₱10,000.00 sa samahan ng nasabing apat na sektor bilang dagdag tulong para sa kanilang mga pangangailangan.   Sinabi ni Ryan “Yam” Tolentino, Chief Nurse ng Aurora Memorial Hospital (AMH) at Executive Assistant ng Office of the Provincial Governor na kasamang dumalo sa nasabing aktibidad, isa raw sa mga una sa mga programa ng gobernador ang mga senior citizens. Ang ama ng lalawigan, bilang bahagi ng senior citizens group ay nauunawaan ang pakiramdaman at mga pangangailangan sa ganoong edad kung kaya lahat ng mga maaring ibigay na ayuda mula sa pamahalaang panlalawigan ay ihahatid sa kanila ng gobernador. Hinikayat din ni Yam Tolentino ang mga matatanda na gamitin at pakinabangan ang libreng laboratory tests sa AMH na bahagi ng medical assistance program ng lalawigan para sa kanila.   Ayon kay Gov. Tolentino, tuluy-tuloy ang tulong na ibibigay ng pamahalaang panlalawigan sa mga mamamayan lalo na sa mga wala o limitado ang pinagkukuhanan ng kabuhayan tulad ng mga senior citizens, PWD, at mga solo parents. Patuloy din magtatrabaho ang pamunuan upang mas palawigin pa ang sakop ng ganitong mga programa at madagdagan pa ang kanilang natatanggap. Pinuri din niya ang kasipagan ng PSWDO at siniguro ang kaniyang buong suporta sa mga program nito.   Nagpaabot naman ng pasasalamat si Konsehal Leah Gorospe, bilang kinatawan ni Mayor Joe P. Gorospe, sa gobernador at kay Yam sa paglalaan ng panahon upang personal na ihatid ang ayuda sa kanilang bayan. Malaking bagay daw na hindi na kailangan pang bumiyahe ng mga benepisyaryo papuntang sentro-Aurora para kunin ang kanilang social pension. Pinasalamatan naman ni Paulino ang MSWDO ng Dilasag sa pamumuno ni Jessamin T. Llave, na nakatuwang nila sa nasabing aktibidad lalo na sa pagsisigurong mga karapat-dapat na benepisyaryo ang tatanggap.   Malugod namang tinanggap ng mga benepisyaryo gaya ni Lolo Eduardo Subang, isa sa mga senior citizens at Nanay Julieta Seradoy, isa naman sa mga solo parents ang tulong na inihatid sa kanila at magagamit nila ito nang buo para sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan. (By PG Aurora Official Page)

SAN LUIS, Aurora – Malugod na naisagawa ng iba’t ibang ahensya sa pangunguna ng Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) ang selebrasyon ng Environment Month at Arbor Day na may temang “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience” sa pamamagitan ng tree planting na isinagawa sa Barangay Diteki, San Luis Aurora, Hunyo 25.   Lumahok sa aktibidad ang iba’t-ibang kawani at kinatawan ng mga ahensya tulad ng 91st infantry sinagtala battalion Philippine Army, Philippine national Police, Bureau of Fire Protection at mga empleyado ng iba’t-ibang tanggapan ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan, na pinasiwaan ni Ma. Teresa De Luna, ng ENRO at sa pakikipagtulungan ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sa pamumuno naman ni Forester G.Alfredo kasama ring nakiisa ang Local Goverment Unit ng bayan ng San Luis. Ayon kay Luna, “Ang pagtatanim ng mga puno ay nakakatulong upang mapanatili ang ganda ng kalikasan at sa pamamagitan nito ay maitataguyod ang biodiversity at malabanan pabago-bagong klima gayundin ay mabawasan ang epektong kalamidad ating lalawigan. Sa pamamagitan ng aktibidad na ito ay makakatulong ang mga lumahok para sa kinabukasan ng susunod na henerasyon.”   Ipinahatid naman ni Punong Lalawigan Reynante A.Tolentino ang taos-pusong pasasalamat sa lahat ng mga kawani ng pamahalaang panlalawigan na nakiisa at nagbigay ng oras upang bigyang halaga ang pagtatanim ng puno kasabay ng pagpapakita ng pangangalaga sa kalikasan. (By PG Aurora Official page).

Subic Bay Freeport – Some 50 persons with disabilities (PWDs) experience work immersion in various offices of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), other business establishments here and in Olongapo City.  This came after the SBMA recently forged a partnership with the local government of Olongapo City to facilitate the work immersion of PWDs inside this premier Freeport.  The SBMA’s Labor Department, as well as the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) Olongapo City, the Work Immersion Program for PWDs in Government and Private Business Establishments are aimed at providing PWDs a ten-day actual work experience in companies here and in Olongapo City. According to Labor Department Manager Atty. Melvin Varias, there are a total of 50 PWDs who were given the chance to work—34 of them are deployed to companies inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.  “Of the 34 PWDs, ten worked at the Grand United Property and Service Management, Inc.; eight were sent to the Subic Bay Travelers Hotel and Event Center; four worked at the Eddie and Julie G Food Corp. at the Jollibee Main Gate; three worked at the SBMA’s Financial Planning and Budget Department; three went to the SBMA’s Accounting Department; five worked here at the SBMA Labor Department; and one was sent to the SBMA Office Services Department,” Varias said. Meanwhile, PDAO Head Rizalino Jose bared that the proposal for the Work Immersion Program was conceptualized in March of this year. He said that during this program, PWDs will be given opportunities to value, experience and prove their worth as equals with the typical workforce. “Our target PWD beneficiaries range from mild to manageable disabilities,” he added. Jose said that their daily minimum wage salary rate of P580 will be funded by the Office of City Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr., adding that the first batch of internship was held last May 27 to June 7, while the second batch is from June 10-21, 2024. SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño lauded the work immersion program for PWDs, citing that the Subic Bay Freeport is the perfect venue for PWDs to experience that there is equality in the workplace.  “Our Labor Department is working hard to provide a harmonious working environment inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. By providing PWDs with the opportunity to work at companies here, it only proves that the SBMA does not tolerate discrimination in the workplace,” he said.  Currently, the Subic Bay Freeport zone has a workforce of 159,762 as of April 2024. This will eventually increase as new investors continue to establish their businesses here.  “These new companies investing in Subic Freeport would mean a possible expansion of the workplace immersion program for PWDs, giving more opportunities for them to prove that they can be productive citizens of the country,” Aliño said. 

TARLAC CITY- Alinsunod sa adhikain ni Gov. Susan A. Yap na siguraduhin ang maayos at matiwasay na kalusugan ng bawat mamamayan saan mang dako ng probinsya,isang komprehensibong medical mission ang natamasa ng mga Tarlakenyo sa Baramgay Bacabac, Camiling,Tarlac,noong Hunyo 13. Iba’t ibang libreng serbisyong medikal ang natamasa ng mga Tarlakenyo tulad na lamang ng blood chem, medical check-up, dental check-up, blood donation, at X-ray. Bukod pa rito ay nakatanggap din ang mga Tarlakenyo ng mga libreng gamot, at bitamina. Labis naman ang pasasalamat na ipinapaabot ng mga Tarlakenyo sa kolektibong aksyon ng mga doktor, nars, at mga opisyales dahil sa matagumpay na pagsulong ng komprehensibong medical mission sa kanilang barangay.