Isabela

BY ABE ALMIROL CABATUAN, Isabela – A very old water impounding dam in Barangay Namnama here has overflowed when heavy rains pounded the area on Saturday (November 28). NEGLECTED. Macañao dam is under the jurisdiction of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), specifically its MARIIS field operations office based in Minante I, Cauayan City. It was built in the early 1970s and is a decade older than the big Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela which opened in 1982 The flooding occurred after another onslaught of heavy rains in the region, few days after Typhoon Ulysses displaced thousands of people and reportedly left 73 dead. The waste-deep flood has destroyed houses, fishponds, and crops. A video posted in social media by Jhoven Cabucoy Carig, a local resident, showed the fl...

SM Foundation through SM City Cauayan assists typhoon hit residents in Isabela. PHOTO COURTESY OF SM CITY CAUAYAN BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela: SM Foundation Inc. through SM City Cauayan joined international and local groups extending a helping hand to affected families of the massive flooding in Isabela and Cagayan, serving hot meals and drinking water in particularly in Barangay (village) Gagabutan here. Village captain Sherwin Garcia of Gagabutan said around 300 hot meals were served as lunch of the affected families in their barangay and “we are very grateful for the immediate aid given to us by SM.” Krystal Gayle Agbulig, SM City Cauayan public relations manager, said SM Foundation Operation Tulong Express has earlier turned over about 3500 drinking water f...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BENITO SOLIVEN, Isabela (September 20)—A P50-million “Bridge of the President for the Development of Agriculture” in Barangay Andabuen here was officially opened in a ceremony led by Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones. Castriciones said the construction of the bridge, which was started on February 3, was completed on August 28 and will serve the far-flung farm villages of Ara, Capuseran and Gilingan. Mayor Roberto Lungan said the bridge is a great help to the residents, who had no option but to pass through the old bridge, where many met accidents brought about by flooding. The bridge-opening ceremony was held with the distribution of Certificate of Land Ownership Award/Emancipation Patent for landless farmers in the town and the distribution of ...

BAMBOO DAY. Isabela province environment plants 1,000 bamboo seedlings in support of the celebration of Bamboo Day. DENR PHOTO BY MERLITO G. EDALE JR., PIA CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela (September 18)—At least 1,000 bamboo seedlings will soon give its share to economic and environmental contribution as the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) in this province with the planting of 1,000 seedlings in celebration of the Bamboo Day today. The activity was participated by employees of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Naguilian and some people’s organizations and volunteers. The activity was conducted at the bamboo planting site at Barangay Rang-Ayan in this city, a five-hectare planting site reserved for the National Greening Program of the...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela (September 18)—Communist New People’s Army (NPA) surrenderers have confirmed the recovered skeletal remains of their two former comrades who were buried in Baggao town in Cagayan province after a firefight with the Philippine National Police (PNP) three years ago. On Wednesday, the 17th Infantry Battalion (17IB) of the 5th Infantry Star Division (5ID) here told media that they have found skeletal remains of two individuals believed to be members of the NPA rebel movement under the Northern Front Committee ng Komiteng Rehiyon Cagayan Valley in Region 2. Lt. Col. Angelo Saguiguit, 17IB commander, said the skeletal remains were first learned through a report on Monday from a resident of Kilometer 16, Barangay Sta. Margar...

BY OLIVER T. BACCAY, PIA TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (September 17)—Some 31 Aetas in San Mariano town in Isabela have participated the training on leadership and livelihood skills initiated by the 95th Infantry Battalion (95IB) of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division (5ID). Lt. Col. Gladiuz Calilan, 95IB commander, said the Indigenous People's Leadership Summit with the theme “Ating mga Katutubo: Kultura ay ating Linangin at Pagyamanin” aims to capacitate the Aetas, especially on livelihood and other opportunities they can avail of from government. "Do not be shy or afraid of asking favor from your soldier. We are equal here and we are very much ready to serve you," Calilan urged the Aetas during the opening of the three-day training. Col. Danilo Benavidez, 502nd brigade commander, a...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela: A private higher education institution (HEI) in this city was ordered to stop its “face-to-face” classes after a student was tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). This led to the tracing up to 45 contacts of the said student identified by the Department of Health in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley). “Isabela Colleges should immediately stop conducting face-to-face classes until the issuance of CHEd [Commission on Higher Education] Guidelines,” Dr. J. Prospero De Vera 3rd, CHEd chairman, said in a press release. Dr. De Vera issued the order upon completion of CHEd fact-finding report which said it will issue a show-cause order on the alleged violations by the Isabela Colleges, Inc. (ICI) of the Inter-Agency Task Force...