Segregation training at
sanitary landfill held

About 200 eco-warriors from Barangay Felisa, Bacolod City, underwent a hands-on segregation training at the one-hectare sanitary landfill of the city, Friday, with Environment Management Bureau 6 field environment coordinator Vicente los Bañes and Councilor Mona Dia Jardin supervising, a press release from City Hall said.

Twenty of the eco-warriors, aged 20 to 50 years old, were chosen for the actual training with Los Bañes. City Environment head Max Sillo; Human Resources Management Officer IV Gilda Luisma; Honeybee Borromeo, of the City Planning; Nelson Sedillo and Alan Perez, of the Department of Public Services; and Raul Jardin of EMB Manila, also attended the activity.

Jardin, president of the Association of Barangay Captains, said one truckload of garbage was segregated and timed with 20 hands executing the process. The eco-warriors will eventually be equipped with gear and uniforms, the press release said.

Bañes said the process will prolong the lifespan of the SLF.

The biggest waste volume consisted of 50 percent biodegradables; 20 to 25 percent plastics; while three to four percent of bottles, cans, steel and residuals, that will be thrown into the landfill, the press release said.

Bañes said the income from segregation will depend on the strategy of the eco-warriors, adding it may be shared among them through a salary system with their registered association that is allocated a portion of the earnings.

He cited the San Carlos SLF, which is as big as Bacolod’s, and has annual income of P1 million from segregation, the press release also said.

Meanwhile, 68 barangay captains from Bacoor, Cavite, said they were impressed by the beautifully-constructed and landscaped sanitary landfill in Brgy. Felisa. Bacoor, with some 600,000 residents, does not have a sanitary landfill like Bacolod’s, Jocelyn Ricardo, chief of staff of Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla, who accompanied the local officials, said, the press release added.*

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DENR commends Hong Kong
for return of smuggled turtles

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources commended the Hong Kong authorities for returning 36 smuggled turtles, saying the repatriation of the mammals will go a long way in strengthening the campaign against illegal wildlife trade, a press release from the DENR said.

Of the 36 seized turtles, 20 are Philippine pond turtles (Siebenrockiela leytensis), considered among the rarest turtle species in the world and found only in Palawan. It is also categorized as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The remaining 16 are Malayan box turtles (Cuora amboinens), also tagged as “vulnerable” in the Philippines, although it is also found thriving in other tropical countries in Southeast Asia, the press release said.

Theresa Mundita Lim, director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, said both turtle species are covered by Republic Act 9147 or the Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which states that trafficking, specifically of the Philippine pond turtles, is punishable by a six-year prison term or a fine of up to one million pesos.

The turtles were part of the cargo on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines plane, that left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, on February 8, the press release also said.

It was obvious that extra effort was taken by the Hong Kong airport and wildlife officers to have these turtles properly handled and processed pursuant to the provisions of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Lim said in the press release.*

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Academia-Villanueva wedding

Vid Academia and Marion Villanueva tied the knot at the Triumph of the Holy Cross Church in Bacolod City, at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Vid, the son of Luzminio and Soledad Academia; and Marion, daughter of Michael and Virginia Villanueva, were assisted by Ryan Yap and Carla Angela Villanueva as best man and maid of honor, respectively.

Principal sponsors were Oscar Villanueva Jr., Robina Jones, Alejandro and Mary Jo Andrada, Robert Chua, Margaret Cordova, Ramiro Javelosa, Ma. Theresa Severino, Ariel Escanan, Ma. Lourdes Ariola, Ramon Ko, Gloria Yanson, Antonio Cuison, Julia Lopue, Jose Rizalino Torre, Ma. Victoria Abueg, Jonathan Sy, Ma. Concepcion Espinos, Marcos Antonio Daniel Lacson, Maria Antonia Abello, Ching Tam Lim, Ma. Cecilia Eufemia Jamir, Jusfidio Academia, and Nardina de Gracia.

The groomsmen were Nicomedes Macleod, Jeffrey Academia, Eduardo Go, Erwin Academia and Miguel Lorenzo Villanueva; bridesmaids included Christine Cordova, Janis Valero, Ma. Jeelyn Go, Ma. Stephanie Villanueva and Marife Academia; and junior bridesmaids were Solfia Tong, Katherine Claudine Jamir and Celia Bianca Caguingin.

Alberto Luis Lizares was the coin bearer; Johan Francis and Mary Grace Carrera, cord; Marc Lacro and Jennibi Wong, veil; Eric Encarnacion and Gianina Toledo, candle; and Aryana Yap and Elisha Marie Academia were flower girls.

Reception followed at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Marapara.*

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Physical fitness
for cops held

Police personnel assigned to Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, the Regional Public Safety Battalion, and those from National Support Units underwent a grueling physical fitness test at the Camp Alfredo Montelibano in Bacolod City, from April 23 to 27, a press release from the police said.

The activity was supervised by Supt. Nilda Rapiz, deputy chief of the Regional Personnel Human Resource Development Division of Police Regional Office-6, and Insp. Elma Posadas, PFT supervisor, Chief Insp. Rico Santotome Jr., of the Negros Occidental PNP, said in a press release.

There were 1,450 personnel assigned to the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office performed exercises like pull-up for 44 years old and below; push-up, sit-up, jog-walk and 100-meter sprint for 34 years old and below, the press release said.

Another 600 from the Bacolod City Police Office, and 300 mobile group members from the 6th RPSB, also underwent the physical exercises conducted twice a year by PRO 6, the press release added.*

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