PRIVATIZATION
MARAWI CITY - For just compensation's sake, Governor Mamintal "Bombit" Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, the host of Lake Lanao that supplies most of Mindanao's hydroelectricity needs, has expressed preference for the privatization of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) or any agency that may be created to manage energy supply in Southern Philippines. Local journalists asked Adiong of his preferences following last week's energy summit in Davao City where stakeholders discussed issues including the highly proposed creation of the Mindanao Power Corporation (MPC) stemming from the spate of massive brownouts in Southern Philippines. Adiong clarified that his choice for a privatized management of energy in Mindanao is "conditional" because he does not want the privatization process to involve any power rate hike. (Ali G. Macabalang)
EDUCATION INVESTMENT
ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) - The city government's education investment has reached P940.24 million from 2007 to May 31, 2012, proof that the present administration is committed and steadfast in its resolve to help the education sector. Through Mayor Celso Lobregat's initiative, the city government considers education a high priority as the Department of Education (DepEd) cannot sufficiently provide for the maintenance and operation expenditures specifically the school building program of the different schools in the country. "As we all know, the priority responsibility of public education is lodged with the Department of Education which receives the biggest budget from the national government.
GENSAN COMPUTERS
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) - Selected public high schools here are scheduled to conduct on July 4 a simultaneous test-run of the 165 brand-new computers recently donated by the SHEEP-Computer Literacy Program (CLP) of the city government. The 165 computers were distributed by Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio to 10 public high schools in the city and for the Department of Education's (DepEd) Alternative Learning System (ALS) program from April to June this year, according to SHEEP-CLP head Percival Pasuelo.
L.G.U. FUNDS
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) - A total of 28 local government units (LGUs) in the Caraga Region received yesterday the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) from Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo during the conduct of the region-wide Tapatan on Disaster Preparedness. In the provincial level, the Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte qualified for the Seal of Good Housekeeping and received the PCF amounting to P7 million each. Also, five local government units (LGUs) from the city level -- Cabadbaran, Tandag, Surigao, Bislig, and Bayugan - qualified and received P3 million each.
ARBOR DAY
TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat (PIA) - A thousand locals here got involved in an early morning planting activity to celebrate the Philippine Arbor Day yesterday. Barangay units and employees of different sectors simultaneously planted trees in both rural and urban areas of the city. For this activity, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office distributed 5,700 seedlings to 19 barangays. These were planted in areas where they could effectively reduce risks of flood and landslides.
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