Storm-stalled Negrenses
make it to nursing exams
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Hundreds of nursing graduates from Bacolod and Negros Occidental, many of them lacking sleep after a long wait and having to take an evening trip, finally reached Iloilo City, in time to take the Nursing Licensure Examinations yesterday.

The nursing graduates had tried to get to Iloilo City Friday, but the Coast Guard cancelled all sea travel as Tropical Storm Sendong was approaching.

Lt. Commander Dominador Senador, Philippine Coast Guard Bacolod chief, said sea travel in Western Visayas was cancelled Friday, resumed briefly from 6 to 11 a.m. Saturday, and was cancelled again. Sea travel finally resumed late Saturday..

The Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Care Program may finance the 50 percent increase in payment contributions that aims not to prevent a disruption of the delivery of basic health services to Negrenses.

This is in anticipation of the withdrawal of the national government subsidy of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation premiums to local government units, Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3 rd District) said yesterday.

Benitez said PhilHealth will increase the premium contributions of its members from P600 to P1,200 starting next year, and elicited complaints from local governments, which may no longer be able to subsidize the program at their level.

The peace agreement between the government and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas, Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade Tabara-Paduano Group is inching towards closure, with the signing of a memorandum of agreement for the P23 million livelihood and infrastructure projects in identified conflict areas of Negros Occidental.

The MOA was signed Wednesday by Undersecretary Luisito Montalvo of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., at the Governor's Hall in Bacolod City.

The P23 million will cover the agri-based Enterprise Development Projects for communities identified by the RPM-P/RPA-ABB TPG for P15 million, and a one-kilometer farm-to-market road connecting Brgy. Magticol and Brgy. Cambayobo, all in Calatrava at P7.5 million, shall be implemented by OPPAP, through its PAMANA (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan) program.