In Ifugao, personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15 together with BLGU Sanafe and staff of AJP group of companies visited and handed medical equipment to a former teacher at Purok 1, Sanafe in Lamut. .

According to 1501st Maneuver Company, Ms. Fatima Ngitit, 53 years old, is a former teacher at Sanafe Elementary School and because of a mild stroke she was confined to her bed for almost 10 years now.

With her medical condition, the team personally turned over a wheelchair, reclining chair, and other assorted grocery items with the use of company funds and donations from concerned stakeholders.

The activity dubbed “Kabobleyak Badangak” aims to help Ms. Fatima Ngitit with her medical needs.

As of 1 September 2021, a total of 564, 247 individuals in the Cagayan Valley Region were given first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

On the other hand, a total of 564,247 were given complete dose.

Also, the NVOC reported that a total of 1,133,800 vaccines composed of Sinovac (703,160), AstraZeneca (214,300), Gamaleya (13,200), Pfizer (26,910), Moderna (57,080) and Janssen (119,150) were already delivered to the region, as of September 1.

TUGUEGARAO CITY-A court in Tabuk City on Friday (Aug. 27) issued arrest warrants against two editors in Kalinga province in connection with the cyber libel charges filed by Mayor Darwin Estranero.

Guru Press Cordillera editors Brent Martinez and Ghumie Pinkihan were named respondents to the charges that stemmed from what Estranero claimed as “libelous” online articles about the medical supplies bought by the Tabuk government at the onset of the pandemic.

Errol Comafay, counsel for the two editors, said the articles referred to the 105 thermal scanners bought by the Tabuk government that allegedly cost P12,000 each. Martinez and Pinkihan had surrendered to authorities and posted P96,000 bail each, which led to their warrants being immediately recalled.

Their arraignment and pre-trial were set on Sept. 17, Comafay said.

In a phone interview, Estrañero said his reputation was maligned because of the articles, adding that he was not interviewed to give his side on the issue.He claimed that Martinez is a pseudo-journalist for being a consultant of the Kalinga provincial government.

Kristel Gayle Baruzo, Guru Press writer, said that their two editors have been receiving an outpour of support but would still need moral and financial assistance, saying they belong to a “small media outlet.”

She defended Martinez as a “media specialist” for being a consultant not only at the provincial government but also at a bank and other agencies.#

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Police Brigadier General Steve Ludan, Regional Director guested the blessing and turn-over of three “Pabahay” Projects under the PRO2 Lingkod Bayanihan and BARANGAYanihan Programs to three identified neediest families in Aglipay and Maddela, Quirino today.

The recipients of the said projects were Mr. and Mrs. Pio Novesteras and their six children in Barangay Dagupan, Aglipay, Quirino; Mr. and Mrs. Miguel Celso and their nine children in Villa Hermosa Norte, Maddela, Quirino; and Mr. and Mrs. Samson, Baculanta with their nine children in San Pedro, Maddela, Quirino.

RD Ludan in his speech recognized the selfless and constant support of the Local Government Units and stakeholders from the province. He emphasized that the Valley Cops are only serving as the channel of blessing from the generous and kind-hearted individuals and groups that continue to lend assistance to the programs of the PNP. The Regional Director also reminded everyone on the need to prioritize one’s health amid the threat of the COVID19 Delta variant in the community.

The successful endeavor of the Quirino Cops is also in line with the banner program of Quirino Police Provincial Office dubbed as Project ROMMEL which stands for “Roll-Out, Mingle and Mobilize Elsewhere in the Locality”.

The beneficiaries were tagged as among the less privileged families in the province of Quirino.

As of this writing, the Valley Cops have already turned-over a total of ninety-nine “Pabahay” Projects in the entire region.#

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Two supervisors of an investment scam were arrested in an entrapment operation by police authorities in Barangay Annafunan, Echague, Isabela recently.

The suspects identified as Ernesto Simangan Gumarang, 72 years old and Merlita Fuentes Gumarang, 60 years old, spouses, both residents of Purok 7, Brgy. Gayong, Cordon, Isabela were arrested by personnel of Echague Police Station, Isabela Police Provincial Office and CIDG-Regional Field Unit 2 Santiago City Field Unit in coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an entrapment operation.

The suspects who claim to be supervisors of Interim National People’s Initiative Council were caught in the act of engaging in investment scam and soliciting funds from the public without any authority or company registration from the SEC.

Confiscated from the suspects’ possession and control were one unit Euro Sport 110 single motorcycle;  one unit Vivo cellphone; one unit Magic keypad cellphone; cash in different denominations amounting to Php3,500.00; a Certificate of Distributor for Ernesto S. Gumarang; a Certificate of Distributor for Merlita F. Gumarang; 102 filled up  KTVM-FAL Tandem for Brand New Philippines; ten blank KTVM-FAL Tandem for Brand New Philippines; one endorsement information letter; 11 filled up Certificates of Entitlement; 17 blank Certificates of Entitlement; 12 filled up INTERIM Appointment Orders; 12 blank INTERIM Appointment Orders; 52 blank NPIC-NPICC third edition forms for New Philippines; eight blank NPIC-NPICC third edition forms for New Philippines; one black hand bag; one stamp pad; one stapler; and two  ballpens.

Police report reveals that the suspects representing the said unregistered entity solicited membership fees from their victims in the amount of P400.00 each with the promise that their money will earn P30,000 to P1,000,000 to be paid in December 2021.

The inventory and marking of the pieces of evidence were done in the presence of the suspects duly witnessed by Barangay Kagawad Bolvin Babaran and Barangay Tanod Ramil Rubio, both of Barangay Annafunan, Echague, Isabela.

The suspects were brought to CIDG Santiago City Field Unit for documentation and filing of appropriate cases of Syndicated Estafa against them.

The operation stemmed from complaints of eight individuals who claimed to have fallen victims to the scam. Further probe is underway for the identification of other possible victims of the said scam.

Two access roads and a hanging bridge have been turned over by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 to two municipal local government units (LGUs) in Nueva Vizcaya to ease transport of farm products and improve living conditions in the upland communities.

Constructed under the Forestland Management Project (FMP), the three agroforestry support facilities worth more than 107 million pesos were turned over to Kayapa and Bambang LGUs that will promote the maintenance of over 2,600 hectares agroforestry and reforestation sites developed by people’s organizations (POs) in said towns.

FMP is a 10-year watershed rehabilitation project implemented by the DENR and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency under a loan agreement.

Among the turned-over infrastructure facilities were the 4.1 kilometers access road in Sitio Lacong – Centro Babadi, 56 meters hanging bridge in Brgy. Pingkian both in Kayapa town; and the 7.4 km access road in Brgy. Pallas in Bambang.

The turnover ceremonies were headed by DENR Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan who also led the signing of the tripartite memorandum of agreement for the maintenance of the FMP site development areas in the recipient towns.

“These facilities will help upland farmers gain higher income because these will ease the transport of their products to the marketplace,” said Director Bambalan.

The DENR Region 2 chief also appealed that instead of expanding their vegetable farms in the upland, the farmers should apply appropriate upland farming technology which will result to higher yield.

“Our forest areas should be conserved because trees play an important role in preventing soil erosion and flood especially to rivers in the lowland,” she added.

Nueva Vizcaya’s lone district Congresswoman Luisa Loren Cuaresma thanked the DENR for extending help to the upland farmers since ‘they greatly contribute to national food security’.

The two LGUs committed to allocate funds to sustain the said support facilities.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Edgar Martin said there are seven more facilities being constructed in Kayapa. #

CITY OF ILAGAN–Former Philippine Collegian managing editor Kerima Lorena Tariman was arrested in Isabela Province and later indicted before the Regional Trial Court in Cabagan town for illegal possession of firearms in 2000.

Kerima, a student, was then integrating with farmers for researches when Army soldiers arrested her on alleged trumped-up charges and allegations that she had an immersion into the rebel movement. She had sustained a minor grenade shrapnel wound when nabbed with a couple of Armalite rifles.

“She was arrested in Isabela while she was having an immersion with farmers and claimed to have been carrying Armalite rifles too heavy for her frail body,” her father Pablo Tariman, cultural writer-columnist, said.

Kerima, a poet and book author ever since she was at the University of the Philippines while studying Philippine Studies degree, then confided that she was repeatedly asked many questions and held at the military camp in Gamu town in Isabela before she can get a lawyer. She also rued why she was presented to the media in handcuffs, slapped with the charge and imprisoned.

Her case in Isabela was dismissed after two years of litigation.

Twenty-one years later, the 42-year-old Kerima was killed in an encounter with 79th Infantry Battalion’s Army soldiers in Silay City, Negros Occidental on August 20, Friday. A fellow rebel named Pabling was also killed.

Her father Pablo said that his daughter had lived a “consistent and fulfilled life he had chosen” which made him proud of her.

He was in Silay City days ago to claim his daughter’s remains at a funeral homes and later let these be cremated and placed at an urn.(Luzonwide News Correspondent Reportorial Team)

New cases are those recorded for September 01, 2021, only based on the latest available data furnished by the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU), Municipal Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (MESU), and the City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (CESU) to the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU). (Source: Isabela PIO)

Nakumpirmang may karagdagang 32 Delta cases sa Lambak ng Cagayan.  Ang samples ay sinuri noong ika-25 at 26 ng Agosto, ayon sa ulat ng Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) mula sa Department of Health (DOH) Central Office.

Sa naturang ulat, apat na probinsya sa ating rehiyon ang pinag-mulan ng bagong naitalang mga kaso.  May sampung (10) local cases  sa Cagayan, labing-apat (14) na local cases at isang Returning Overseas Filipino Worker  (ROF) sa probinsya ng Isabela.  Muli namang nakapagtala ng kaso sa Nueva Vizcaya na may limang purong local cases at apektado n arin ang probinsya ng Quirino na nakapagtala ng dalawang local cases.  

Ang mga munisipalidad na apektado sa probinsya ng Isabela ay Santiago City na may limang kaso, Aurora, Jones at San Mateo na may tig- dalawang kaso at tig-isang Delta Case sa lungsod ng Ilagan, Roxas, bayan ng Tumauini at Alicia. 

Tatlong munisipalidad naman sa probinsya ng Cagayan ang mayroong Delta cases kung saan, pitong kaso ang naidagdag sa lungsod ng Tuguegarao, isa sa bayan ng Tuao at dalawa naman sa bayan ng Allacapan. 

Ang pinag-mulan ng Delta cases sa Nueva Vizcaya ay sa Bagabag na may dalawang kaso at tig-isang kaso sa mga bayan ng Quezon, Bambang at Dupax Del Norte.

 Sa Quirino province naman, dalawang kaso ang naitala sa bayan ng Cabarroguis. 

Lahat ng naitalang kaso ay local case maliban sa lungsod ng Ilagan kung saan may nag-iisang ROF case.

Patungkol sa lagay ng mga kaso, sa kasalukuyan, natapos na ang kani-kanilang required isolation period at naitalang fully recovered o gumaling na sila mula sa sakit, maliban sa kaso na naitala sa Alicia, Isabela at isa sa Cabarroguis, Quirino ang naiulat na namayapa.

 Puspusan at maingat na contact tracing ang kasalukuyang isinasagawa ng Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) sa pamamagitan ng kanilang Special Action Team (SAT) at magpapatuloy ng pagbibigay ng up-to-date information ang tanggapan ng DOH.