Bureau of Fire turns 21

The Bacolod City Fire Station celebrated the 21st founding anniversary of the Bureau of Fire Protection recently with a mass officiated by Fr. Deo Tamon at the San Sebastian Cathedral, a press release from the station said.

The mass was attended by all BCFS personnel led by newly-appointed marshal, Fire Chief Insp. Bartolome Beliran, Carlos Ganihong of Amity, Bryant Lao of the Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade, and members of volunteer and rescue groups in the city.

Guests included Fire Insp. Pulio Plotena, deputy FSES chief; Insp. Jovelyn Zamar, supervisor of the Granada Fire substation; and Supt. Fred Trajeras Jr., provincial fire marshal of Negros Occidental, who discussed the history of the BFP, the press release also said.

The BFP was established as a separate entity from the defunct Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police, by virtue of Republic Act 6975 or the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, that holds jurisdiction over the Bureau, the press release added.*

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Bacolod school marks 148th
birthday of Apolinario Mabini

The Apolinario Mabini Elementary School in Bacolod City recently commemorated the 148th birthday anniversary of Apolinario M. Mabini.

The celebration was led by former Bacolod Rep. Juan Orola Jr., alumnus and president-elect of the AMES Alumni Association, principal Josefina Temporosa, Bacolod councilors Em Ang and Catalino Alisbo, a press release from the school said.

Orola called on Bacoleños and Negrenses to honor the Brains of the Katipunan noting that there is a revolution going on under the administration of President Noynoy Aquino – that of judicial, socio-economic and electoral reforms, the press release added.*

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Mission helps
509 sugar workers

Around 509 sugar workers and farmers in Bago City, Negros Occidental and nearby haciendas benefited from the 116th medical dental mission of the Sugar Industry Foundation Inc. and the Negros COFA at the J. Montilla Elementary School in Brgy. Bacong, Bago, recently, a press release from SIFI said.

Of the beneficiaries, 374 availed of free medical consultations and medicines, 135 had dental extractions, and 200 children and some adults were fed by the mission team, led by SIFI program coordinator Neolita Alminaza, Teresa Canatoy of COFA, and Bacong kagawad Ofelia Villacorsa, the press release also said.

Doctors who joined the mission were Milagros Amarra, Danilo Dueñas, Estrella Leong, Ferdinand Mayoga, Elvis Gonzales, Giovanni Alvarado, Felix Valenzuela and dentists Janus Macairan, Luie Sison and Donna Dreyfus. Also in attendance were barangay tanods and health workers led by midwife Maricar de la Cruz, and school personnel, headed by officer in-charge Leonel Castillo, the press release added.

The organization also recently held a dengue and measles awareness seminar with the Department of Health-Center for Health and Development in Western Visayas at the SIFI Training Center in Talisay City, it also said.

The seminar was participated in by about 30 farm health workers, midwives, mill and planters' association employees and field officers and SIFI staff, with Celia Nava and Ben Arnel dela Cruz of DOH, who discussed topics on dengue and measles, respectively, the press release added.*

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IN BACOLOD
Literacy
campaign launched

A city-wide literacy campaign was launched by the Department of Education City Schools Division of Bacolod recently.

The campaign kicked off with a seminar at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel that was attended by about 200 grades 1 to 3 teachers from the 46 elementary schools in Bacolod, a press release from DepEd said.

DepEd superintendent Ma. Gemma Ledesma said the division will strengthen the teachers’ classroom strategy through the remedial reading enhancement program, to reach a 75 percent functional literacy rate by end of 2012 and place Bacolod on track in achieving the Millennium Development Goal 2015 and Education for All targets.

Assessment tests in reading and remediation sessions will be conducted by DepEd-Bacolod, based on the results of the evaluation of the reading competency of pupils, the press release added.*

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