Pagsanghan town optimistic with DAR launch of strategic ARC project
Pagsanghan Mayor Violeto Ceracas expressed optimism of coming developments after the Department of Agrarian Reform launched all the 13 barangays of his town as a Strategic Argrarian Reform Community on July 28.
DAR 8 Regional Director John Maruhom disclosed that Pagsanghan ARC was among those confirmed last year by Central Office.
Although its formal launching was postponed, Director Maruhom emphasized that DAR did not delay the delivery of the necessary support services to its agrarian reform beneficiaries here.
His office was successful in having this ARC-municipality included in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded Agrarian Reform Community Project (ARCP) under its second phase of implementation, Director Maruhom added.
Of the 149 ARCs nationwide included under the ARCP-2, the ARCP officials who were in Eastern Visayas last week to evaluate these ARCs, disclosed that Pagsanghan ARC is in the list of priority areas that would start implementation next month.
Though Director Maruhom was not able to attend the launching due to some important appointments outside the region, he directed Assistant Regional Director for Operations Reynaldo Villas to represent him in this occasion together with Samar Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Gregorio Fiel Jr., as well as the Support Services Division officials and field implementers, Mr. Jose Alsmith Soria, regional information officer, said.
Among the priority projects listed in their ARC development plan was a farm-to-market road which is soon to be realize under the ARCP-2.
The launching is launching as the signal for the start of improvement of the quality of life of the local farmers particularly the agrarian reform beneficiaries. This would come with increased farm production and household income.
Mayor Ceracas said his optimism was heightened as officials from various cooperating line agencies present likewise committed support such as coco fertilizers from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), scholarship programs from TESDA and livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), among others. (Jose Al Smith Soria DAR 8/PIA 
PGMA leads nation in 10-day mourning for former President Cory Aquino
“Today, the Philippines lost a national treasure,” President Arroyo said as she announced over national televisions of the ten-day period of national mourning.
President Arroyo said that the former President helped lead a revolution that restores democracy and the rule of law to the nation at a time of great peril.
“The nation will mourn her passing and our hearts go out to the family at this hour of grief and sorrow,” President Arroyo said from the United States where she met with President Obama at the White House.
A separate statement which was issued by Malacanang stated, thus:
“Former President Cory has been the country’s icon of democracy. She has restored democracy and continually defended it during her rule from those who challenge the hope that was brought about by the Edsa 1 people power. President Aquino was also the inspiration of so many nations around the world that aspired for a government that is free from tyranny and from the bondage of dictatorship. We are one with the entire Filipino nation in prayer and we extend our sincerest condolences to the family of the late president Cory Aquino.”
Former President Aquino, 76, who was battling colon cancer for about two years, died at 3:18 a.m. of cardio-respiratory arrest, after being confined at the Makati Medical Center for more than a month due to loss of appetite.
Her legacy was the restoration of democracy and its institutions in the country when she led a bloodless, military-backed people power revolt in 1986 that toppled the dictatorship of then President Ferdinand Marcos.
In a media briefing, Senator Noynoy Aquino, the only son of the late president, informed the media that the remains of his mother will be brought to the De La Salle University where it will lie in estate. (PIA [top]
Eastern Visayas sustains mitigation efforts vs AH1N1
Department of Health Region 8 Director Edgardo Gonzaga informed that as of July 31, the latest count in the Region showed the total number of cases under observation is 565. The total number of AH1N1 positive cases is about 249 while the number of negative cases is 186.
This means that an additional 21 positive cases have been added this week as on Tuesday, during the Harampang at PIA, Director Gonzaga reported about 228 positive cases. He added that more than 86 percent of those with positive cases are students in the elementary, High school and college level.
This does not necessarily mean that Region 8 has a high incidence of AH1N1, Director Gonzaga stressed. This only means that the Region has a very good surveillance system that is really working, he said.
Of the six provinces in Eastern Visayas, only Biliran has no case of AH1N1, Director Gonzaga earlier informed.
The Department of Health in the Region has already prepositioned medicines, test kits and personal protective equipment to all the provinces and cities in the Region. The municipalities could just request from the Provincial Health Offices if they need some, Director Gonzaga said.
The youngest AH1N1 positive case in the Region is a ten-month old baby from Mexico while the oldest so far is 60 years old. This shows that the virus does not choose its victim.
Right now, the Department of Health is also monitoring the jails in the Region in order to prevent the outbreak of the dreaded virus in there.
Director Gonzaga reiterated his call for the public to heed the mitigation measures so that the spread of the dreaded virus will be prevented. (PIA
