AGYU TAMU - Headline Gitnang Luzon

HeadlineGitnang LuzonMAY 8, 20133Sonny Angara tells PHL embassies:‘Intensify info driveon absentee voting’CITY OF SAN FERNAN-DO--Team Pnoy senatorial betEdgardo “Sonny” Angara yesterdayurged Philippine embassiesworldwide to intensify theirinformation campaign in orderto increase the turnout amongOverseas Absentee Voters (OAVs)in the mid-term elections.At the same time, Angaraappealed to Filipinos abroad toexercise their rights of suffrageby choosing their leaders. Overseasvoting started on April 13and will end at 7 p.m. of May 13,the election day.OAVs are allowed to voteonly in national races, which,this year, include those for theSenate and the party list.“It is better to vote beforethe deadline of the Overseas AbsenteeVoting to avoid the longqueue that usually comes duringthe last day of the election,”he said.The Commission on Electionssaid there are 975,263Filipinos outside the countryANGELES CITY--The Departmentof Interior and LocalGovernment (DILG) recentlyheld a series of workshops thatseek to revisit the five-year actionplan of Central Luzon provinceswithin the so-called ManilaBay area namely Bataan,Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga,and Tarlac on clean up, rehabilitation,and preservation.“The objective of the activityis to align the Local GovernmentUnit (LGU) Five-yearAction Plan with the ImplementationPlan of the OperationalPlan of the Manila Bay CoastalStrategy (OPMBCS),” said DILGMonitoring and Evaluation DivisionChief Lerrie Hernandez.It also aims to re-evaluateDILG revisits 3-year actionplan on Manila Bay rehabFORT MAGSAYSAY, NuevaEcija--The 7th Infantry Divisionof the Philippine Army hasteamed up with the Departmentof Agriculture (DA) in transformingcertain portions of its FortMagsaysay Military Reservation(FMMR) as farming areas.Agriculture Secretary ProcesoAlcala and Defense SecretaryVoltaire Gazmin solidified thefive-year partnership with a recentsigning of Memorandum of Understanding(MOU).“This MOU is in line withPresident Aquino’s directive to ouragencies to have livelihood programsin selected military reservationsacross the archipelago. DAwill provide marketing assistanceand the necessary equipment andfacilities as well as inputs and trainingson production,” said Alcala.“Per plan, certain parts of thecamp will be planted with cassava,the LGUs compliance to the KeyPerformance Indicators (KPIs)prescribed by the Manila BayAdvisory Council (MBAC).Attendees consisted ofplanning and development coordinators,environment andnatural resources officers, andDILG officials of concerned municipalitiesand cities.“These LGUs need to comeup with new strategies in takingthe necessary actions to addressthe issues and problems withregards to Manila Bay. I hopethey will actively coordinatewith concerned national governmentagencies and take thismatter seriously,” said DILG AssistantRegional Director AbrahamPascua.● (PIA-3)Army, Agriculture to developFort Magsaysay farming areascorn, rice, high value crops, andfruit trees while some will be utilizedfor the production of fish, freerange chicken, and goat,” Alcalaadded.For his part, Gazmin said:“The Defense Department and theArmed Forces are truly glad for therealization of this project. Withoutdoubt, this program and partnershipwith DA shall open doors foreconomic utilization of the idleportions of our military camps andreservations in the entire country.”The FMMR was conceived byvirtue of Presidential ProclamationNo.237 dated December 19, 1955 witha total land area of 44,970 hectares.It consists of the Cantonmentarea, Training Circuit, Kalinga saKawal off-based housing for militarypersonnel, Jethropa Plantation,National Training Center(Balikatan area), and the Libinganng mga Bayani. •(PIA 3)who are eligible to vote. Theyinclude the 237,504 who wereinitially delisted by the Comelecin December last year for failureto vote for two consecutive electionsbut have since been reinstated.In the 2010 elections, thevoter turnout was only around25 percent or 153,323 of the589,830 registered voters.Seven overseas electionposts – Hong Kong, Riyadh,Dubai, Jeddah, Singapore, Kuwait,Abu Dhabi – are implementingoverseas automatedvoting this year.There are three modes ofvoting that are being implementedfor the 2013 OAV--personalvoting, postal voting (voting bymail) and automated electionsystem (automated voting).Angara said that diplomaticposts must go one step furtherin improving overseas votingawareness by disseminatingprinted information materialssuch as posters, flyers, bookmarksand other similar itemsto leaders of Philippine communitiesand other organizationsabroad.“This will definitely enhancethe information campaign topromote the upcoming electoralexercise abroad. Our embassiesand consulates should continueto innovate and improveits strategies to further promoteoverseas voting to increase participationin the coming electoralexercise,” he added. ●CEB offers P99 seats to DubaiCITY OF SAN FERNANDO-- The Philippines’ largest nationalflag carrier, Cebu Pacific(PSE:CEB) allows even moretravelers to visit Dubai and Manila,with a P99 (AED100) seatsale from May 7 to 9, 2013. Thisis for travel from October 7 toDecember 31, 2013.CEB will launch direct dailyflights between Manila andDubai on October 7, 2013. CEBwill be the only Filipino carrierto fly direct to Dubai, which willbe CEB’s first long haul destination.Daily flights from Manila toDubai are scheduled to depart at4:40 p.m. (Manila time), whileflights from Dubai to Manila departat 11:10 p.m. (Dubai time).CEB’s Manila-Dubai flights willutilize an Airbus A330-300 aircraft,scheduled for delivery thisJune 2013. Guests can also enjoyMIRIAM ENDORSEMENT. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiagor endorsesthe candidacy of Team PNoy senatoriable Edgardo “Sonny” Angara in the May 13elections, saying she wanted brilliant young people with good track record to be inthe Senate. --Contributed photoWiFi connectivity inflight.With a base fare of P99(AED100), an all-inclusive onewayticket amounts to approximatelyP7,500 (AED717). Thisis inclusive of country taxes, 15kilos baggage allowance, meals,admin fee and fuel surcharges.After the seat sale, lowest yearroundbase fares start at P6,999.“We know how importantthe holidays are for Filipinos, sowe are offering fares up to 98.5%less than our lowest year-roundfares to Dubai. With Cebu Pacific’sP99 seat sale, guests can nowplan their vacations in Dubai orin the Philippines on the lowestfare possible,” said CEB VPfor Marketing and DistributionCandice Iyog.“CEB is proud to be the onlyFilipino carrier to fly direct toDubai. Instead of multiple stopsand connecting flights, our passengerscan reach Dubai orManila in just nine hours,” sheadded.CEB is also slated to launchflights from Cebu to both Masbate(June 1, 2013) and Taipei(July 5, 2013). It operatesflights to 34 domestic and 21international destinations, includingBoracay, Cebu, Beijing,Bali, Osaka and Seoul.For bookings and inquiries,guests can go to www.cebupacificair.com,or call the reservation hotlines(02)7020-888 or (032)230-8888. The latest seat sales can alsobe found on CEB’s official Twitterand Facebook pages.Those still booking flightsmay also sign up to be a CEBClub member through the CebuPacific website, for seat salealerts, easy management offlights and travel funds, and afaster booking process. •Pinedas join ‘miraculous’parade of Apu Sto. CristoBy Joey PaviaThe image was reportedlyLUBAO, Pampanga–transferred to its permanenthome in 1922.Gov. Lilia Pineda and her son,former Lubao Mayor Dennis“Delta” Pineda, joined thousandsof devotees at the annualprocession of “Apu SantoCristo” in Barangay Sta. Cruzhere on May 3.Pineda said the parade ofthe image of the Holy Cross“is miraculous.” She broughta young Dennis to the processionto make the “then sicklyson into a strong and healthyman.”“I am also a devotee,” saidDennis, who was joined byhis wife Sta. Rita town MayorYolanda Pineda in the religiousprocession which started atabout 6 p.m. on Friday.Board Members Trina Dizonand Fritzie David-Dizonand governor’s executive assistantHe said he had been diagnosedwith a serious problemon his umbilical cord when hewas young.Miguel, now 43 years old,said her mother had broughther to the procession to seekcure for his ailment.“I was cured and sincethen I made sure I will be herein Sta. Cruz during the fiesta of‘Apu’,” said Miguel.He disclosed that hisfriend-neighbour Mario Bustoscame home from the UnitedStates just to attend the processionand fiesta.“Such is the case withother devotees from our villageand other places. Thosewho cannot go home will try tosend something but they reallytry to attend yearly,” he added.Edna Vitug also joined In an interview withthe parade along Jose AbadSantos Avenue. It started andended at the Holy Cross Parishheaded by Fr. Rudy De Guzman.devotees, they said the formerparish priest of Holy Crosschanged the black image of“Apu” last year and the processionwas marred by a heavyObet Miguel of Sta. Cruz rain.Gov. Lilia Pineda (right) with Board Member said he had experienced his They added that there wasTrina Dizon at the annual religious procession. own share of miracles as a a case when the traditionalPhoto by Ric Gonzales devotee.parade Page 9