Cagayan

BY OLIVER T. BACCAY TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (April 5)—The number of marriage registrations in the Cagayan Valley region was greatly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic as it went down by 35 percent in 2020 as compared to records in the previous years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Engineer Girme Bayucan, PSA Region 2 chief statistical specialist, said there were only 6,751 registered marriages from January to September of 2020 or 34.7 percent lower as compared to the 19,694 recorded in 2019. He said the number of couples who exchanged vows peaked only in February of last year with 77. However, in March, which was the start of the Luzon wide lockdown, the number drastically dropped to 16. There were only two in April and f...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya (April 4)—At least six villages in Cagayan province are entitled to a total of P120 million worth of peace and development projects after having been declared free from the influence of the communist movement, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Rupert Maribbay, DILG Cagayan provincial director, identified the six barangay (villages) as Apayao and Villa Reyno in Piat town; Liwan, Annurtutu and Minanga in Rizal town; and Balanni in Sto. Nino. Each barangay will receive a budget of P20 million under the Barangay Development Plan (BDP) project. The DILG said these villages have been declared free from the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Fro...

DSWD REGION 2 PHOTO NI JEANET ANTOLIN-ALONZO, DSWD REGION 2 TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (March 8)—Tinatayang mahigit na 9,970 nang pamilya sa Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) dito sa rehiyon ang nakalabas na sa 4Ps ayon sa datos na ipinalabas ng Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) ng Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 02 (DSWD-FO2) sa nakaraang Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting noong January 9, 2021. Ito ay tinalakay ni Mac Paul Alariao, Regional Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) Focal, sa kanyang presentasyon sa araw na iyon kasama ang mga miyembro ng RAC mula sa iba’t-ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno sa rehiyon, mga pribadong organisasyon at indibidwal. Aniya, 8,136 sa mga ito ay mga pamilyang wala nang anak edad 0-18 na sinusubay...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has partnered with 100 beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to plant bamboo along riverbanks. Planting bamboo along riverbanks has many environmental benefits because they function as carbon sinks, produce oxygen, control soil erosion, provide organic matter, regulate water levels in watersheds, conserve biodiversity and beautify the landscape, among others. According to DENR Region 2 Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan, the 100 individuals are beneficiaries of DoLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged (Tupad) who will participate in bamboo planting along the riverbanks of flood-prone areas of Tuguegarao City and the towns of Alcala, ...

CAGAYAN RIVER BY CORIE CORPUZ, DENR The rehabilitation of the Cagayan River will soon commence after the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and two operator-dredgers was signed earlier today. The MOA on the Cagayan River Restoration Project was signed by DENR Cagayan Valley Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn C. Bambalan and Great River North Consortium Managing Head Antonio Talaue, and President Feng Li of Riverfront Construction Incorporated. It can be recalled that in 2017, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte directed the dredging of heavily silted rivers in the Philippines including the Cagayan River, the country's longest and biggest river. Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu issued on February 27, 2020 DENR Adm...

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENR BY CORIE CORPUZ Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu is eyeing immediate dredging and strict enforcement of the 20-meter easement rule along the Cagayan River to avoid a repeat of massive flooding that submerged the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses. Cimatu’s plans for the Cagayan River received a warm reception from four governors and 31 mayors in Cagayan Valley when he met with them on Nov. 23 in Tuguegarao City. “We will create a working group and conduct a joint meeting to come up with important engineering interventions along the Cagayan River," said Cimatu, who co-chairs the Build Back Better Task Force created by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to oversee the rehabilitation of areas devastated by recent typhoons...

CEZA HELPS. Cagayan Economic Zone and Authority (CEZA) Technical Assistant head Leonardo Cruz oversees the packing of relief goods at the CEZA office in Greenfield, Mandaluyong on November 16, 2020, to make sure all bags are complete with food items, which will be distributed to 400 families who were greatly affected by the typhoon Ulysses onslaught last week in Cagayan Valley. The relief goods were transported on Tuesday night (November 17) and will be turned over to the office of the provincial governor of Cagayan and the city mayor of Tuguegarao. Also in the photo is CEZA Media Relations Head Michelle Agabin. CEZA PHOTO THE Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) on Tuesday night sent hundreds of relief goods to victims and residents of flood due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses i...