News

Imee: Brace for a no-herd-immunity scenario

6Sep

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Nation, News

Imee: Brace for a no-herd-immunity scenario

SENATOR Imee Marcos said the country should prepare for a worst-case scenario wherein herd immunity could no longer be attained. “Herd immunity remains theoretical and has become a moving target. Last year it was 70% of the population, today it’s 90%, but tomorrow it may well be out of range,” Marcos said. “With booster shots already in high demand, even as first doses have yet to reach populations in less developed countries, will vaccine manufacturers be able to provide?” Marcos asked. Besides precarious global vaccine supply, Marcos added that breakthrough infections among the vaccinated, the emergence of more variants, the uncertain length of vaccine efficacy, and the possible reduction of healthcare capacities due to hospital shutdowns and worker protests are also among ...

FCF Minerals joins Brigada Eskwela in host village

6Sep

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

FCF Minerals joins Brigada Eskwela in host village

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO FCF Minerals Corporation has participated in 2021 Brigada Eskwela, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Education (DepEd) that mobilizes thousands of volunteers to do cleaning and repairs in schools which kicked off on August 3 and will end on September 30. FCF Minerals Corporation through its Community Relations Office participated in the 2021 Brigada Eskwela at Runruno Elementary School with the theme “ Sama-sama sa Bayanihan Para sa Paaralan” on August 26, 2021. FCF PHOTO The DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela or the National Schools Maintenance partners with parents, alumni, civic groups, local businesses, non-government organizations, teachers, students and individuals who volunteer their time and skills to do maintenance and repairs of public elementary a...

FCF Minerals promotes safety, health in workplace

2Sep

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

FCF Minerals promotes safety, health in workplace

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO IN a move to continuously promote safety and health, FCF Minerals Corp. in Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya has started a program that emphasizes everyone’s wellbeing in the workplace. Led by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) department, FCF Minerals has developed the Employee Safety Spotlight (ESS) program to encourage and give recognition to employees who have shown exemplary efforts in promoting safety and health in their workplace in the mines. “We believe that giving the employees a platform to be heard while recognizing their efforts can contribute in the creation of a just, safe and healthy culture in the workplace,” according to the OHS department. Under the ESS program, the first employee to be recognized was Cristine Rasp...

FCF Minerals to help conserve indigenous forest tree species

7Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

FCF Minerals to help conserve indigenous forest tree species

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 2 and British firm FCF Minerals Corp. in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya sign a pact to establish a provincial arboretum that will house endemic and indigenous forest tree species. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO ARITAO, Nueva Vizcaya (August 7)—A pact to conserve and boost the reproduction of native plant species in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) was forged between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and a London-based mining firm FCF Minerals Corp. The memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed last July 30 at the Community Environment and Natural Resources in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya for the establishment of an arboretum in the province, according to Corie Corpuz, DENR-Region 2 informa...

DoH traces contacts of first Delta variant case in Region 2

6Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Covid-19, News, Nueva Vizcaya

DoH traces contacts of first Delta variant case in Region 2

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: The Department of Health in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) said contact tracing is being conducted in connection with the first recorded Delta variant positive coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) case, according to a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Friday. “The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu) together with the local government of Nueva Vizcaya is conducting contact tracing to identify all people that the Covid-19 patient has come in contact with,” the DoH Region 2 said. The first recorded Covid-19 Delta variant in Region 2 particularly in Barangay Bagahabag in Solano town (Nueva Vizcaya) was confirmed by the DoH, University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and UP-National Institute of Health or UP-NIH in i...

LGU raises P45M for resettlement of illegal small-scale miners, settlers

4Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

LGU raises P45M for resettlement of illegal small-scale miners, settlers

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO PHOTO shows the geohazard-declared Sitio Balcony in Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya where most of the settlers conduct illegal small scale mining. VALLEY JOURNAL PHOTO QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (August 4)—An initial amount of P45.32 million was allotted for the establishment of a resettlement area for the displaced illegal small-scale miners and settlers in the gold-rich upland subvillages of Barangay Runruno. Mayor Dolores Binwag said the amount of P40 million will come from the National Housing Authority which is expected to be transferred to the local government unit (LGU) account upon completion of all the requirements. Binwag said the Quezon LGU has already purchased a two-hectare land amounting to P2.4 million for the 74 prequalified house...

MGB, NBI take down illegal ball mills in gold deposit-rich NVizcaya village

1Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

MGB, NBI take down illegal ball mills in gold deposit-rich NVizcaya village

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO THREE truckloads of illegal ballmill machines and equipment used by small scale miners were dismantled in Sitio Compound in the geohazard-declared Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya. PHOTO BY VICTOR MARTIN QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (August 1)—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has dismantled and confiscated ball mill machines used in extracting minerals in a gold deposit-rich upland village here. Lawyer Gelacio Bongat, NBI Region 2 director, said the bureau was deputized by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to stop illegal mining activities in the region, particularly in Sitio Balcony, Barangay Runruno. As the primary government agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the MGB is re...

1Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

4 illegal loggers nabbed in Cagayan

Police confiscates an estimated volume of 4,671.73 board feet illegally sawn lumber worth P255,155.60 in Santa Ana town, Cagayan. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE-CAGAYAN CAMP MARCELO A ADDURU, TUGUEGARAO CITY: Four suspected illegal loggers were arrested while transporting illegally sawn lumber in Santa Ana town in Cagayan province, according to a police report released on Sunday. Lt. Col. Andree Abella, Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2) chief, said an Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) checkpoint operation in Barangay Casambalangan in Santa Ana town stopped four individuals onboard a truck without proper documents relating to the lumber transported. Abella said the lumber with an estimated volume of 4,671.73 board feet worth P255,155.60 were seized from Jordan Dela Cruz R...

Mining company expects over 1.5K jobs under new FTAA

30Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

Mining company expects over 1.5K jobs under new FTAA

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO GETTING READY OceanaGold Didipio Mine in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, prepares for its operation after Malacañang renewed its Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO GETTING READY OceanaGold Didipio Mine in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, prepares for its operation after Malacañang renewed its Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (July 30)—Australian OceanaGold Corp. is expecting more than 1,500 jobs will be generated as Malacañang renewed the license of its Didipio Mine Gold and Copper Project in this upland municipality. In his LinkedIn page, Sam Pazuki, OceanaGold Corp. senior vice president for strategy and corporate development, said the renewal of their company's mining contract in th...

Citicore, Agriterra jump start USAid project

29Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Nation, News

Citicore, Agriterra jump start USAid project

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO SUSTAINABLE forest management company Citicore Candlewick Bioenergy, Inc. (CCBI) has partnered with Agriterra to expand livelihood opportunities and improve the quality of lives of its host communities through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). According to CCBI, a renewable energy firm subsidiary of Citicore Power Inc. (Citicore), it aspires to become among the top ten world producers of sustainable biomass fuel chips through sustainable forestry and community upliftment that will generate long-term value for all stakeholders. Oliver Tan, Citicore president, said they are very grateful for this partnership with the USAid and Agriterra to help uplift the lives of communities where their projects are located.&nb...