The Valley Journal

18May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

5 NPA rebels surrender in Cagayan

SANTO NIÑO, Cagayan (May 18)—Five members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the police here as a result of the PNP's Lingkod Bayanihan Project, police regional office 2 (PRO2) said on Sunday. For security reasons, the PRO2 only identified the surrenderers as Jun, 36 years old; Jong, 40; Sendong, 29; Lino, 23 and Kiko, 38, all known in the sub-village of Lagum in Barangay (village) Lipatan as ordinary farmers. In a tactical interrogation conducted by the police, Jun admitted that he joined the NPA in 2011 after eight days of combat training. Jong also joined the NPA in 2011 after he was issued a firearm. His initial assignment was to gather intelligence information for the NPA as he was not able to undergo training for health reasons. In 2004, Kiko joined the NP...

18May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

Ex-marine officer arrested for illegally transporting SLIs

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 18)—Police arrested today a former Philippine Marine officer for allegedly transporting undocumented stranded local individuals (SLIs) to Enrile, Cagayan province. Maj. Rodel Gervacio, Enrile town police chief, identified the suspect as former marine officer Richard Magaru, 48, a resident of Maglalag West in Enrile who uses his black sport utility vehicle for his modus operandi. Gervacio said he turned down Magaru’s plea for indulgence due to the second time the suspect was caught transporting SLIs without proper documentation. “We have already warned him the first time he [Magaru] was caught illegally transporting SLIs to Enrile town,” said Gervacio who added the suspect charges SLIs a hefty amount of P2,500 each. He said Magaru has been taking a...

‘Variants of concern’ confirmed in Region 2

17May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

‘Variants of concern’ confirmed in Region 2

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO TUGUEFARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 17)—The Department of Health (DoH) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has confirmed at least 16 cases of variants of concern (VoC) of Covid-19 recorded in the region. According to DoH-Region 2, the Covid-19 VoC cases were recorded in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino. Cagayan Valley comprises the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and the island province of Batanes. The Health department said the recorded VoC cases included 14 UK variants and two South African variants, adding nine were local transmissions and seven were from returning overseas Filipino workers. The UK variant cases are from Ilagan City, and the towns of Alicia, Benito Soliven, Cordon and Gamu, all in Isabela province. The U...

Region 2 welcomes 84,000 doses of AstraZeneca

14May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, Covid-19, Health

Region 2 welcomes 84,000 doses of AstraZeneca

BY GENE V. BAQUIRAN, PIA TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 14)—The Department of Health (DOH) Region 2 received today 84,000 doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine. The vaccines were shipped via plane and were received at the Tuguegarao City Airport. The Department of Health (DoH) in Region 2 inspects the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines that arrived at the DoH cold storage facility. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Following processes and protocols during its arrival, the vaccines were immediately brought to the DOH cold storage facility through the joint efforts of the Tuguegarao City Police Station, the Food and Drugs Administration and the DOH. Right after the inspection of the vaccines from the cold chain facility, allocated vaccines for Cagayan and ...

Cagayan guv calls for postponement of elections

11May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan

Cagayan guv calls for postponement of elections

CAGAYAN GOVERNOR MANUEL MAMBA BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 11)—Even as Comelec weighed anti-Covid measures for next year’s polls, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba has proposed that the elections be called off until the majority of the population is vaccinated against Covid-19. During the flag-raising ceremony at the capitol on Monday, Mamba said pushing through with the vote at a time the pandemic has not subsided could lend political color to the government’s Covid response. “What is important now is that the people should not be divided especially that elections cause division among the people. Let us not divide our people and let us not politicize our war against Covid-19,” he said. Mamba said the people will be put at risk especially during house-to-hous...

Calayan wants to sustain its insurgency-free status

10May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan

Calayan wants to sustain its insurgency-free status

BY OLIVER T. BACCAY, PIA CALAYAN, Cagayan (May 10)—"We want to sustain our status as an insurgency-free, terrorist-free and drug-free municipality." Thus said Mayor Joseph Llopis during the information and service caravan conducted by the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in the island. Calayan town mayor Joseph Llopis expresses support to the government’s effort to fight insurgency in the country. PIA PHOTO Llopis noted that based on intelligence reports, there are no Calayanos who were reportedly linked with a rebel group and there was also no record of encounters nor attempts of the New People’s Army (NPA) infiltration in the area. "Though we are very peaceful on this island, we need to sustain the effort. We also need governmen...

DA to build seed storage facility in Solana

10May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, Features

DA to build seed storage facility in Solana

BY GENE V. BAQUIRAN, PIA TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 10)—A P93 million warehouse at the Department of Agriculture (DA) – Cagayan Breeding Station in Solana town will soon serve as a seed storage facility for farmers. DA Region 2 Executive Director Narciso Edillo, who led the groundbreaking of the project, said that while farmers continue to receive farm inputs and other forms of assistance from the DA, a safer storage facility is needed. Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Narciso Edillo leads the groundbreaking ceremony of a seed storage facility that will ensure the safekeeping of inputs for farmers in the province. DA PHOTO Edillo said the facility will ensure proper handling, timely delivery and optimized distribution of agricultural inputs to intended ...

Cagayan councilors’ league prexy distributes bikes to SKs

4May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, Health

Cagayan councilors’ league prexy distributes bikes to SKs

Volunteers unload bicycles ready for distribution to SK officials in Tuguegarao City. BM MAILA’S FB PHOTO BY OLIVER TO BACCAY, PIA TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 4)—The president of the Provincial Councilors League here has distributed bicycles to all barangays of this city for the use of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) members. Board Member Maila Rosario Ting-Que said there were 50 units of bicycles procured amounting to P390,000 sourced out from the fund allotted in her office as an ex-officio board member through the office of Governor Manuel Mamba. She said the bicycles are very essential in times of lockdowns as there are very minimal allowed transportation, especially during the implementation of stiffer community quarantine status in the city. "They can use these bikes to g...

DOH to augment vaccination teams in the field

4May

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, Covid-19, Health

DOH to augment vaccination teams in the field

Vaccination roll-out in Tuguegarao City. PIA PHOTO BY OLIVER T. BACCAY, PIA TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (May 4)—The Department of Health (DOH) Region 2 has resorted to the creation of a vaccination team network to augment and assist existing teams in the field. Joyce Maquera, DOH Vaccination focal person, said that the region has already inoculated 48,095 individuals since March 2021 with either CoronaVac and AstraZeneca vaccines which recorded a 67.32 percent consumption rate only. She also said that there were only 36,030 health workers inoculated from the 76,188 targeted individuals master listed under the A1 priority. "The factors identified affecting low consumption coverage include the delay or disruption of vaccinations due to lack of manpower. Moreover, some of the vac...

Region 2 economy declines by 9.9% in 2020

30Apr

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

Region 2 economy declines by 9.9% in 2020

Marilyn Estrada, PSA Region 2 director, reveals that in the 2020 Regional Economic Performance Report, Cagayan Valley’s economy has dropped to "negative" growth rate. PSA PHOTO Region 2 economy declines by 9.9% in 2020 BY OLIVER T. BACCAY, PIA TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (April 30)—Region (Cagayan Valley) economy has dropped by 9.9 percent in 2020 based on the latest economic performance report released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the region. PSA Region 2 director Marilyn Estrada said almost all industries and sectors have registered negative growth rate to include other services, accommodation and food services activities, mining and quarrying, transportation and storage and construction. She said even the education, professional and business services, rea...