News

Imee to Meralco: No more bill shocks, please

28Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Imee to Meralco: No more bill shocks, please

SENATOR Imee Marcos has lauded the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for slapping a Php19-million fine on Meralco and demanding a discount on behalf of the power distributor’s smaller customers consuming up to 100 kilowatt hours per month. Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, said the penalties imposed by ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera were “absolutely justified for Meralco’s bill shock on its customers.” “Meralco boomeranged on its own mess. Its condescending attitude toward customers reaped its karma, after causing confusion, anxiety and inconvenience in the middle of a health and economic crisis,” Marcos added. Meralco provoked an outcry among its customers after overcharging them during the first three months of lockdown in May to March, without con...

22Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

Cagayan buys 4 heavy equipment

NEW EQUIPMENT. Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba (center inset, in red shirt) leads provincial officials and priests in blessing the four new units of heavy equipment that will be used to repair municipal and barangay roads and in other infrastructure projects of the province. PHOTO BY JESSICA BACUD BY JESSICA BACUD, Manila Standard TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan—Governor Manuel Mamba led the blessing of four heavy equipment for infrastructure projects in the province recently. Mamba is confident this will further address a streamlined process aimed to boost Cagayan’s economic progress and will upgrade the services of the government to the residents. Mamba said the continuous rehabilitation and construction of road networks would spur the local economy and help in the upliftment of the ...

Lantion cautions Bayombong town officials causing delay in telco installations

20Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

Lantion cautions Bayombong town officials causing delay in telco installations

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Mayor Ralph Lantion here has warned officials and employees who may have been causing the delay in the installation activities of telecommunication companies in this town. "Officials and employees who are hampering [tower] installation may be held administratively liable," Lantion said This after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ordered telecommunication companies to shape up until the end of this year. In his recent State of the Nation Address, Duterte has called on telecommunication companies to improve their services until December this year for the welfare of Filipinos. Lantion has also issued an advisory that telecommunications requests at the Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council) as well as in the barangay (village) level fo...

Australian mining firm’s permit renewal pushed

18Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

Australian mining firm’s permit renewal pushed

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (August 18)—Seven big community-based cooperatives, people’s organizations, local businesses and employees here called on the local government unit to support the renewal of the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) of OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI). These community groups responded to a Barangay Didipio council’s resolution, which asked President Rodrigo Duterte, through the Office of the Mayor here, to deny the renewal application of the Australian mining company. These groups are the Didipio Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DCMPC), Didipio Community Development Corporation (DiCorp), Didipio Producers Cooperative (Dipco), Didipio Mine Employees Association (DMEA), Pun-o-o’haan-hi-kiphodan (Union) and Employees Al...

6Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

Firm links farmers to markets

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (August 6)—A partnership with an agri-tech company will create wider online market access for Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Leah Pulido Ocampo, DTI-Region 2 director, said it forged a partnership with Mayani Inc. through a virtual signing of a memorandum of understanding last July 29. She explained the strategic intent of the collaboration is to create broader market access for smallholder farmers, farmer cooperatives and MSMEs across the Region 2 through e-commerce and innovative agri-food supply chain technology. “The DTI in Region 2 and Mayani share a common mission to enable a level playing field to the advantage of ou...

5Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

78 nabbed in Cagayan raid

THE VALLEY JOURNAL SANTA ANA, Cagayan (August 5)—Some 75 Chinese nationals and three Filipinos were arrested by the authorities Tuesday night at the Cagayan Special Economic Zone in Santa Ana, Cagayan, nearly 700 kilometers north of Manila. The arrests were made by the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Region 2, who cracked down on illegal online gaming operations inside the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport. Sec. Raul Lambino, CEZA administrator and CEO, said he sought the support of the PNP and the NBI upon receiving verified reports that established the illegal online gaming operations of OFA Cagayan Estate Developer Corporation, a real estate developer, a...

4Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

e-Jeepneys start plying in NVizcaya

BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 4)—The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has allowed the operations of local transportation in the province through the e-jeeps plying the national highway under a Point-to-Point (P2P) scheme. eJEEPS. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has allowed the operation of the e-jeeps in Nueva Vizcaya with the Modified General Community Quarantine status of the province. The e-jeeps operate under the Point to Point route scheme. PHOTO BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO Board Member Flodemonte Gerdan, chairman of the Provincial Board's Committee on Transportation said the operation of the e-jeeps owned by the First Nueva Vizcaya Travellers Transport Cooperative (FNVTTC) is now in operation ...

‘TIBIK members should’ve discussed problems internally’

3Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

‘TIBIK members should’ve discussed problems internally’

BY JIMBO OWEN B. GULLE, Manila Standard MEMBERS of a women’s vegetable farmers’ association in Nueva Vizcaya should have discussed their problems within their group instead of filing estafa complaints with the Provincial Prosecutors’ Office, the provincial board member in the center of their dispute said. In an email interview with the Standard, Provincial Board Member Roland Carub said that as founder of TIBIK (Timpuyog Ti Babbalasang Idi Kalman, or Association of Ladies in an Earlier Season in Ilocano) in the province, he wished the members of the group’s chapters in Ambaguio and Villaverde towns would have discussed their problems among themselves or approached him for guidance. Twenty-two women—16 from TIBIK Ambaguio and six from TIBIK Villaverde—are accusing Carub and office...

1Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

Cagayan growers get bamboo starter kits

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (August 1)—The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has distributed bamboo plant starter kits to residents of at least six localities in Cagayan province under the Pangkabuhayan sa pagBangon at Ginhawa (PBG) program. Bamboo growing is being promoted by various government agencies to also help address environmental issues. The plant produces oxygen and reduces carbon dioxide while providing raw materials for the manufacture of various products, thus reducing the need to cut down trees. Leah Pulido Ocampo, DTI-Region 2 director, said they would like to encourage farmers to grow more bamboos with propagules they distributed to beneficiaries in the towns of Baggao, Buguey, Sanchez Mira, Claveria, Piat and T...

Governor calls for mine pullout from NVizcaya

15Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

Governor calls for mine pullout from NVizcaya

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (July 15)—Gov. Carlos Padilla has called for the pullout of the Australian -owned OceanaGold Philippines Inc. from the province for failure to get a renewal of its license to operate that expired a year ago. Padilla said the call was because of a recent decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) 16th Division denying OceanaGold’s petition in connection with its claim that it can continue to operate the Didipio mine in Kasibu town, pending renewal of its financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA). “In view of such development, we now strongly demand the complete pullout of OceanaGold from the area,” he added. OceanaGold’s 25-year FTAA became effective on June 20, 1994 and that its initial term expired on June 20, 2019. But t...