Vigan farmers receive Pitaya cuttings

VIGAN CITY — Twenty five farmers’ organization presidents of Vigan received 3,000 cuttings of the Pitaya plant or Dragon Fruit from Vigan City government led by Mayor Eva Marie Singson-Medina in December last year.

Dr. Liborio Arca, the city’s acting Agriculture Officer, said that adopting pitaya as another cash crop is a good venture for our farmers because it is easy to cultivate. Propagated by seeds or stem cuttings, the plant requires less inputs for its cultivation. Pitaya highly requires the use of organic fertilizer rather than the inorganic one.

Medina encourages the planting of the pitaya plant for its economic and health benefits. A team of City Agricultural Technologists do regular monitoring to sustain the productivity of the farmers on the Pitaya as a new cash crop. # Nila O. Argel/PIA Ilocos Sur

Cagayan clergy urges stop, recall of mining permits

TUGUEGARAO CITY — The priests of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao have concurred that all mining operations in the Province of Cagayan be stopped and recall all mining permits, on-going or proposed.

In a statement signed by priests of the archdiocese, specific reasons for their anxiety in the mining operations were clearly enumerated, specifically in the areas of Lallo, Camalaniugan, Aparri, Buguey, Gonzaga, Sta Ana, Allacapan, Ballesteros, Pamplona and Sanchez Mira.

The priests particularly called the attention of public servants- lawmakers, policy formulators, decision makers, program implementers, project regulator – to view the issue of mining operations on much wider perspectives to ensure the integrity of creation and the sustainability of development.

They specifically stated that the mining operations will endanger the ecosystems in the river, cause depletion of resources, result to the destruction of sources of livelihood and will seriously threaten the people’s health and environmental safety.

They further said that the legality of the mining operations has been muddled by the circumvention of rules and regulations pertaining to mining activities and it will also open the regulation and supervision of mining operations to graft and corruption in the local level. # OTB/PIA Cagayan

SSS official urges further study of proposed unemployment insurance

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union — An official here of the Social Security System (SSS) has proposed a further study on implications to SSS members of the recommendation of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto for an unemployment insurance for workers laid off due to global recession.

Recto said that if the government has several programs intended to help the poorest of the poor, then they must also have programs for the diligent taxpayers as well as SSS members because they take part in keeping the economy on stable ground.

Recto calls on the government to provide financial support to SSS to ease the burden of funding this program.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, in response to this proposal, said that this still needs further study by the country’s economic managers, thus, assuring all SSS members that said proposal would do no harm to their contributions. #Mirriam Aquino/PIA La Union

Public warned of load scam

TRINIDAD, Benguet — The La Trinidad Police station warns the public and all concerned not to entertain any call or text messages identifying himself Major Jun Mayames or Jun Mijares.

The name of the Chief of Police (COP) had been repeatedly used by certain individuals to demand prepaid load from prepaid retail owners who happen to be municipal employees of Trinidad.

The police station said in an e-mailed release that the chief did not demand nor did he authorize any representative to demand or beg for any prepaid load. The notice advised the public to report any incidents like this to nearby police offices. # Aldwin Quitasol

Ifugao receives NCCA award

LAGAWE, Ifugao — THE PROVINCE OF IFUGAO is one of the five cities and provinces in Luzon that received the International Theater Institute (ITI) and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) award for being a Culture Friendly Local Government Unit on March 26-27 at Malacanang Palace.

Ifugao is the lone province in the cordillera region included in the twenty awardees from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. # Jun Kindipan Munar

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