Frost occurs only in several villages of Benguet and affects minimal portions of vegetable farms. He said the total farm area damaged by frost is 1.5 hectares out of the 30,000 hectares planted area this season.
By GINA DIZON Northern Dispatch SAGADA, Mountain Province – Local residents here are opposing the construction of a communications tower for Globe Telecom on the Calvary hill. Through a petition sent to the telecommunications company and appeals for support to the vestry of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin (CSMV) and the Episcopal Diocese…
By KIMBERLIE N. QUITASOL Northern Dispatch LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The chief executive of Benguet is wary of a possible trash slide at the Alno garbage dump after the municipal engineering office reported that the safety of the facility is now compromised. Engineer Benedict Pineda said the retaining wall of the functioning garbage dump facility…
By JOANNA K. CARINO Northern Dispatch It is commonplace knowledge that corruption is rampant at all levels of government. The Commission on Audit’s (COA) Special Audit Office’s (SAO) Report 2012-03 details the anomalies involved with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and various infrastructure, including local projects (VILP) from calendar years 2007 to 2009. What…
“We do not want the company to perish. All we want is for the company to hear the issues of their workers.” — Sagada Weaving Workers Union (SWWU)
By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL Northern Dispatch LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The La Trinidad accounting office stopped the release of priority development assistance fund (PDAF) allocation of Benguet Representative Ronald Cosalan due to an irregularity. The Department of Budget Management (DBM) records showed that La Trinidad United Multipurpose Cooperative (LUMC) was among the recipients of Cosalan’s PDAF.…
By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL Northern Dispatch LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Benguet officials resolved to petition the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) to ban the herbicide gramoxone (paraquat) in the Philippines following reports of increasing cases of poisoning in the province. During the provincial peace and order council meeting October 3, Benguet Governor Nestor B. Fongwan, local…
By KIMBERLIE N. QUITASOL Northern Dispatch LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan urged a speedy and impartial investigation on the alleged involvement of Benguet officials in the misuse of pork barrel and Malampaya funds. “We welcome the probe so that we will know who really misused public funds because it really deprived the…
Baguio’s Strike Week slams pork barrel and demands higher state subsidy to education.
“Five long years passed, to those who have him, please, have a heart and let him come back home to us. If you killed him, like what our late father said, give us back his bones so that we can give him a proper burial.” — Balao siblings
By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW and KIMBERLIE N. QUITASOL Northern Dispatch BAGUIO CITY — The Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) condemned police operatives for the illegal arrest and detention of three local tourists in Sagada, Mountain Province, Sept. 9. CHRA secretary general Jude Baggo identified the three as Aileen Cruz, Rey Busania and Ofelia Inong. On…