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Human Rights Day celebrated in Ilocos region

VIGAN, Ilocos Sur (Dec. 9)—Progressive groups and human rights advocates this week held a peace caravan in Candon, Ilocos Sur as part of the International Human Rights Day celebration. A peace vigil was held in the afternoon of December 9.

The rallyists called for the pull-out of Re-engineered Special Operations Team (RSOT) and the Civilian Armed Geographic Unit (CAFGU) in several communities in the region, and the impending setting up of a military headquarters in Banayoyo, Ilocos Sur.

Ralliysts and supporters expressed opposition to the worsening state of militarization in the region. # via NORDIS

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Mt. Province families urged to apply at PhilHealth

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 10)—A total of 10,000 poor families from Mt. Province were encouraged to enroll as Philhealth Individually Paying members for them to continuously enjoy the benefits under the National Health Insurance Program.

This, after local sponsors failed to renew the PhilHealth Sponsored Program membership of these families which were previously subsidized by former Cong. Roy Pilando.

Twenty one million pesos was remitted to PhilHealth to cover the hospitalization expenses of members and their dependents.

With the said investment, PhilHealth paid a total amount of P14.6 million for the hospitalization expenses of the covered families representing 9,220 claims for reimbursement since 2002 to present.

Meanwhile, a total of 135, 454 poor families in the Cordillera region are presently PhilHealth members. # via NORDIS

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Special meters for Baguio cabs

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 10)—The city council here approved a proposal by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The special taxi meters “will discourage colorum from plying the streets,” the council said.

There are approximately 5,000 taxi units using the digital-type meters plying the streets and that if neighboring towns of Benguet.

These meters will also help weed out the proliferation of colorum units since these will be issuing receipts containing the taxi operator’s name, address, telephone number, taxi identification number and the unit’s license plate number and color-coded body number. # Gaby Keith

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Measures to curb meningo, gonorrhea approved by Baguio council

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 10)—The city council here approved P1,413, 620 for the purchase of a carbon dioxide incubator that can detect the presence of meningococcemia and gonorrhea bacteria through blood sampling.

City officials are keen on creating a permanent unit in the wake of a few cases of suspected meningococcemia cases that the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) and other health agencies were able to contain within three days.

For the recent suspected cases, the blood samples had to be taken to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine in Manila.

With this, the CESU will now be converted into a permanent division to upgrade public health utilities. # Ramon Dacawi

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Champion Muay Thai fighters, coaches congratulated

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 10)—The city council this week commended outstanding city Muay Thai athletes and their coaches for winning in international various tournaments.

Muay Thai kickboxers Robert Lee Bumina-ang and Jerson Estoro won gold medals and trophies in their respective weight divisions in the 1st World Martial Arts Peace King Cup Open Tournament last October in the US.

Other athletes approved include Brendaley Tarnate Baycsan who won a bronze medal in the Queen’s Cup Muay Thai Championships last September in Thailand. # Gaby Keith

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Baguio approves P.5M assistance to typhoon victims

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 10)—The city council last week approved P500,000 to be donated to victims of recent typhoons in Aurora, Quezon, Catanduanes, Rizal, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Quirino, and other typhoon stricken areas.

Said funds were taken from savings and other operating expenses of different city hall offices to be reverted to the general fund before it can be used for financial assistance. The Local Finance Committee earlier certified that the funds from the 2004 annual budget can be appropriated as such. The said move is in addition to various efforts of other government agencies and private citizens in the city to extend a helping hand to typhoon victims of hard-hit areas.

Two of Baguio’s sister cities; Lopez and Dipaculao, Quezon, were among those who suffered the lashing of Typhoon Winnie and two other weather disturbance.

Meanwhile, the Benguet Electric Cooperative’s (Beneco) Operation Sayote also commenced this week for the said areas. The sixth shipment of sayote and other relief goods will be sent to jain, Nueva Ecija this morning. The management of Insular Life here opened its office as a base for the said mission. # Ramon Dacawi and Julie Fianza

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