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Ifugao sculptor to represent Philippines in int’l fest

BAGUIO CITY (Aug. 3) — Gilbert Gano Alberto, an Ifugao sculptor and a resident of Sablan left last July 30 to represent the country in the International Sculpture Camp being held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, as part of the 2nd Delphic Games being presented by the International Delphic Council based in Berlin.

Alberto will be spending a whole month with sculptor delegates from 25 countries to sculpt a piece in either stone or wood which would be installed in a prominent area in Kuching.

Alberto left with Dr. David Baradas, a member of the Art Advisory Commission of the International Delphic Council and vice president of the local organization. He was appointed to oversee the whole International Sculpture Camp as well as participate in the Forum on Eco-Fiber as one of the international speakers.

The members of the Philippine delegation to the Games is being sponsored by the National Delphic Council Philippines which is based in Baguio and headed by Divina Bautista, its president. # PIA

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Mt. Province develops products for OTOP

BONTOC, Mt. Province (Aug. 3) — The municipal mayors of Mt. Province have committed to take the lead in the development and promotion of identified priority products and services in their respective municipalities in line with the One Town One Product Program (OTOP).

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Development Specialist Gloria Beljica said the municipal mayors agreed to adopt the DTI – LGU identified products or services after taking into consideration the available indigenous raw materials, skills and talents in their municipalities.

Beljica said that while Mt. Province is promoting eco-tourism industry as its provincial OTOP because of its natural and man-made attractions, the identified specific OTOP of the different towns are major vehicles to harness the province competitive advantage as eco-tourism destination.

Products or services that have been identified under the OTOP include eco-tourism focused on mountain trekking and botanical research for Barlig; vegetable and fruit wine processing for Bauko; animal raising and meat processing for Besao; eco-cultural tourism focused on patopat and citrus production and loom weaving; and abaca industry for Natonin.

Paracelis will focus on rice and corn production; construction industry for Sabangan; legumes and basi production for Sadanga; rest and recreation and fruit processing for Tadian; and eco-tourism along with the development of tourism enterprises, pottery, loom weaving and Arabica coffee production for Sagada.# Andrew Doga-ong/PIA - MP

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Robbers cart away van, P30T

BANAUE, Ifugao (Aug. 3) — Three unidentified heavily armed men robbed an Isuzu forward delivery van at Barangay View Point here last July 30 and carted away P30,000 in cash.

Police identified the victims as William Salvador, driver of the van bearing plate number UUP 873, and his four companions Jerry Ang, 45, married, salesman; Joy de Palma, 29, married and Erwin Bagain, 20, single both helpers of the delivery van; and Eden Marciano,29, single. All five are residents of Santiago City.

Police reports said the victims were on their way back to Banaue after delivered their goods and collected payments in Bontoc, Mt .Province, when they were flagged down by three men wearing black bonnet masks, and carrying two M16 and an M14 rifles.

The armed men commanded the victims to step out of the vehicle, and after searching the van, carted away two traveling bags containing assorted clothing, one attache case and a cellphone and cash amounting to more or less P30,000.

The victims reported the incident to police authorities and subsequently the Banaue Police informed the PNP Provincial Command, which immediately conducted a hot pursuit.

Police operations eventually led to the recovery of the traveling bag containing assorted clothing and cash amounting to P21,000 and coins with different denomination. The three suspects, described to be a little over 5 feet tall and medium built, remain at large. # Mhars Lihgawon / PIA Ifugao

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Abra telecommunications upped

BANGUED, Abra (Aug. 3) — The National Telecom Office now known as the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) has beefed up Abra province’s municipal telephones.

At present, 20 of the 27 municipalities of Abra have their own telephone system but 8 of them are “isolated.” These municipal telephones are now known as public calling offices (PCOs).

Saturnino Sabian, CICT Abra chief said the defective PCOs will be repaired starting next month. He said the PCO’s mechanical failure are due to wear-and-tear, and some are not operational due to “AC failure” or power interruption in the main unit or on their relay towers.

The PCOs with mechanical defects are located in the towns of Boliney, Daguioman, Danglas, San Quintin, Tubo and Villaviciosa. The local government units of Penarrubia and Tayum are negotiating with the Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO) for the restoration of their cut electrical connections.

The Abra towns with operational PCOs are Bucloc, Dolores, Lagangilang, Langiden, La Paz, Luba, Manabo, Pidigan, Pilar, Sallapadan, San Isidro and San Juan.

Sabian said mechanical parts which bogged down were already ordered from the manufacturer of the PCOs.

The original municipal telephone system is a joint special project of the French and Philippine governments. In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) only Abra and Benguet remain viable. # Prescillano N. Bermudez/PIA Abra

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Mt. Province env’t code approved

BONTOC, Mt. Province (Aug. 3) — The protection of the environment and natural resources of the province is expected to be strengthened with the recent approval of Provincial Ordinance No. 64 also known as the Mountain Province Environment Code.

The Provincial Board chaired by Vice Governor Benjamin Dominguez passed this Code amending Provincial Ordinance No. 44 during its regular session last June 20 and subsequently approved by Governor Maximo Dalog.

The Code declares that it is “the policy of the provincial government to conserve and secure perpetually these providential endowments for the benefit, use and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

Towards this end, the Code adopts adequate measures to safeguard forest, mineral and water resources; air and noise pollution management , ecological solid waste management, eco-tourism and land use planning. It also gives more responsibilities to the local government units while encouraging wider multi-sectoral participation in the conservation of the environment.

Under forest resources, community-based forestry projects will be enhanced and forest resources management framework will be prepared to serve as guide on how the municipal government units may create jobs and promote investments through forestry programs.

Priority watersheds for protection will be identified and to compose the Mt. Province Network of Watersheds to secure water requirements for potable water and sustained agricultural production of the province. The Code also states that the provincial government promotes the ecological solid waste management system. This involves waste generation , handling, collection, processing or disposal of wastes that include household wastes, farm-agricultural wastes, commercial-industrial wastes, debris caused by disasters and dead animals among others.

The institutionalization of the “Batawam Dalusam-Mulaam Program’ in which homeowners in every barangay initiate the cleaning and greening of their immediate surroundings will be pushed by the provincial government.

Other salient features of the Code include the integration of the environmental conservation in the formulation of municipal comprehensive land use plans, and the identification of location of environmentally critical areas for consideration and integration in the provincial physical framework plan. # PIA

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