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Bacolod City, PhilippinesMonday, July 2, 2012
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Environment contest winners
in Victorias City announced

Elementary and high school students from public and private schools in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, who promoted the theme “Green from Above, Blue from Below”, were named winners in the on-the-spot essay writing and poster-making contests in line with the Environment Week celebration, held at the Vic Arcade Auditorium in Victorias City recently.

The Betty Bantug Benitez Foundation, which conducted the event together with the Victorias City Environment Committee, the Victorias Rotary Club, and the SK Federation of Negros Occidental, said that the winners in the essay writing contest were Elaine Imperial of the J.L. Suarez Elementary School, first; Danica Therese Igma, St. Mary Mazzarelo School; second; and Andrea Balogosa of VICMICO Elementary School, third place.

In the high school level, the winners were Kezia Ember Sotero of the Victorias Jihreh Christian Training School, first; Patricia Loren Estilo, Negros Occidental National Science HS, second; and Rhea Despi, Don Felix Memorial College, third, the press release from the foundation added.

Winners in the poster-making elementary level were Jezrel John Lozada, VJCTS, first; Jarmina Matulac, SMMS, second; and Brian Sumugat of the Alejandro Yap Quina Memorial ES, third. High school winners were Zaldy Villariez Jr., JJS/Castleson School; Rumel Paulma, NONSHS; and Selina Nicole Catedral, SMMS, as first, second and third placers, respectively, the press release also said.

The activity aimed to create more public awareness on the environment as a social and global problem, and to encourage more active participation of the youths.

The judges from both the government and private sectors were Rodney Jacobo, Romeliz Valenciano, Marilou Flor, Juvy Pepello, Mary Ann Dino and La-arni Aguilar.

Also present during the event were Gabriel Timbol of the Victorias Solid Waste Management Office and Rotary Club; and Lara Ann Garcia of the Victorias City Environment Office, the press release added.*

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BLT summit tomorrow

The 3rd Busog, Lusog, Talino school feeding program summit will be conducted tomorrow by the Institute for Negros Development of the University of St. La Salle at the Santuario de la Salle.

Ma. Fe Pama-Trespuentes, IND program assistant, said around 500 partners from the Department of Education, local government units, parents, private organizations, members of the Lasallian community, and officials of the Jollibee Foundation are expected to attend the activity, with Grace Tan Caktiong, foundation president.

Summit activities include a lecture-presentation on healthy and organic food for school children by Albert Jo, director of the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation; and a BLT report for school year 2011-2012 by Rhoderick Samonte, director of the IND, who will also recognize the top performing BLT schools. The program’s most proactive partners will also be awarded.

Katherine Maguad, BLT-Negros program manager, said the program is now implemented in 84 schools in 20 LGUs in the province.

She said the program, that ensures low-cost and nutritious lunch for BLT pupils, is also being implemented nationwide in partnership with DepEd and Jollibee Foundation.

The program also targets to involve more partners so that no child goes to school hungry, Maguad said.

USLS-Bacolod started the program in 13 schools in Murcia town and in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, and Talisay, in 2009. Last year, BLT reached out to 36 schools that benefited 1,424 pupils, she added.

Through the program, BLT recorded eight out of 10 pupils, who gained normal body mass index at the end of the feeding cycle, she said.

The BLT is implemented in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sagay, Silay, Talisay, Victorias and San Carlos, and the towns of Binalbagan, Candoni, EB Magalona, Don Salvador Benedicto, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Isabela, Ilog, Murcia, and Pontevedra.*LTG

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WB, DENR discuss aid for
Bacolod dumpsite

A team from the World Bank and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was in Bacolod Friday to discuss the details of a memorandum of agreement between the city and the WB/DENR for assistance to be given to Bacolod for the rehabilitation and closure plan of the existing dumpsite, a press release from City Hall said.

Bacolod City is one of the four recipients of financial and technical assistance from World Bank based on the assessment of the DENR conducted on April 27, 2012, Leonardo Fuller, Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants project manager, said.

The others are General Santos, Iloilo and a city in Luzon, the press release said.

Stipulated in the MOA were procurement guidelines of the World Bank taken up in the meeting at Planta Hotel Friday. Visitors from the WB and DENR then visited the dumpsite and sanitary landfill in Brgy. Felisa, the release also said.

Personnel of the WB Group in the Philippines, who attended the meeting, were Rene Manuel, senior procurement specialist; Gerardo Parco, Rey Ancheta, Tomas Sta. Maria, Marissa David and Jian Xie, while Environmental Management Bureau-DENR personnel, Solid Waste Management Technical Group and members of the Bids and Awards Committee were with Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson during the meeting, the press release added.*

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SP pushes
insurance for elderly

A resolution urging Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia to ensure the enrollment of all indigent senior citizens in the health insurance program of PhilHealth was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.

Authored by Councilor Catalino Alisbo, the resolution said the Federation of Senior Citizens of Bacolod City and the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs will work together to determine and submit to the Department of Social Services and Development the list of all indigent senior citizens who can avail of the PhilHealth program.

The SP also passed on second reading an ordinance authored by Councilor Archie Baribar, that seeks to declare the first week of October of every year as “Senior Citizens Governance Week.”

A resolution expressing the gratitude of the city to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Asis Perez for the donation of a patrol boat to Bacolod was also approved.

Another resolution also expressed gratitude to Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. for donating P450,000 to the Bacolod Boys Home Foundation.

Both resolutions were authored by Councilor Carl Lopez.*CGS

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People & Events
BLT summit tomorrow
WB, DENR discuss aid for Bacolod dumpsite
SP pushes insurance for elderly

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