CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando offers a free use of a provincial government owned lot property in the mountainous town of Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT) to become one of the future sites of a major Luzon prison facilities of the Bureau of Correction (BuCor) to help decongest the national penitentiary. 

Fernando in a media interview during a recent provincial government first quarter of the year peace and order council meeting here on Friday said the Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB) owns more than 1,000 hectares of land in different areas in DRT. 

He said while the Breeding and Productivity Center of PGB will be constructed in an area within a separate lot property of the PGB in DRT, there is still more than 1,000 hectares that could be used for other major projects. 

He told NEWS CORE that the national government can provide the budget for the prison facility while the PGB can allow the usage of its lot property without needing to buy or acquire it. The governor said that there will be a memorandum of agreement for the land usage. 

“Meron ang PGB na 1,000 hectares sa iba’t ibang lugar sa DRT. Kung bubudgetan nila walang problema. Pwede naman nating I-offer yung provincial lot, hindi naman ibebenta, mag-MOA tayo sa kanila,” the governor said. 

According to the governor, there is a proposed P4-billion worth Bulacan Provincial Jail facility the PGB submitted to the Office of the President last year to address its congestion concerns.

He said the project which he conceptualized since his first term in 2019 would give Bulakenyo detainees a wide day to day facility, will make them become more productive and would help them to be more physically healthy. 

According to Bulacan Provincial Warden Rizalino Andaya, the proposed P4-billion jail facility in DRT will be constructed in a 10-hectare lot property which can accommodate 5,000 detainees. 

Andaya, a retired police colonel said the new jail facility of the province will be a state of the art structure complete with hospital, receiving area and a diagnostic center.

The Bulacan Provincial Jail also known as “Lex” which was built more than 6 decades ago can only accommodate more than 1,000 inmates but has been filled with up to nearly 5,000 detainees particularly during the recent years. 

The pandemic in 2020 started to decrease the number of detainees including the plea bargaining on drug cases and also due to regional trial court efforts to hasten up the hearings of the charges against the detainees.  Today, Lex has only 1,581 detainees, 1,396 male and 185 female.   

Bulacan with more than 3.7 million population is the largest province in Central Luzon. 

“First term ko pa lang gumawa na ako ng proposal na ilipat ang provincial jail natin sa lupa ng Kapitolyo sa DRT para matanggal na dito iyong kulungan, o iyang ating Lex dahil ang gusto ko maging kapaki-pakinabang ang mga detainees natin, maging involve sila sa agriculture, mag-alaga sila ng mga hayop, kambing, kalabaw, baboy, bibe, manok at hindi handicrafts lang tulad ng ginagawa nila ngayon. Nagkakasakit din ang mga preso dahil hindi sila naarawan. Pero kailangan natin ng budget,” the governor said. 

BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. in a recent decongestion summit presentation presents DRT as an alternative Luzon penal facility other than the already existing Sablayan colony in Occidental Mindoro under the Long Term Development Plan 2023-2040 of the agency to help decongest the national penitentiary facility in Muntinlupa City. 

The facilities will include one in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental for the Visayas and one in Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao for Mindanao. 

The facilities will be called “Supermax” for inmates convicted of heinous crimes. 

The National Decongestion Summit was spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) comprising the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice and the Department of Interior and Local Government which seeks to tackle jail overcrowding and foster a more humane criminal justice system. 

The summit is jointly sponsored by the European Union’s Justice Sector Reform Programme: Governance in Justice II (GOJUST II) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with funding from the Australian Government and the European Union. Dec. 6-7 in Manila. 

Catapang has been promoting BuCor’s “Sa Likod ng Rehas, may Panibagong Bukas,” thrust for the inmates. 

DRT because of its pristine nature and mountainous sites, various falls and rivers is considered the tourism capital of Bulacan. It is a favorite mountain trekking, camping, glamping, hiking, swimming and other nature-adventure destinations and activities. 

Bulacan provincial tourism officer Eliseo Dela Cruz said DRT which is about 60 km east of Metro Manila and has a land area of 932.96 square kilometers or 360.22 square miles which constitutes 33.52% of Bulacan’s 279,610 total area is known over the years as the “Tagaytay” of the north. 

DRT is 31km east from the Bulacan Capitol in the City of Malolos. 

By Jason de Asis

BALER, Aurora-The Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion (IB) conducted an anti-terrorism awareness campaign in the towns of Maria Aurora and San Luis, this province in a bid to gain more public support in reporting and condemning any terroristic activities that destroy the lives and properties of the people on Thursday, February 8.

Lt. Col. Julito B. Recto, Jr., commander of 91st IB said that the move is to encourage barangay officials and residents to be their active partner against terrorism activity, including recruitment, that might be perpetrated by the Communist terrorist.

Moreover, Recto said that the officials are their long partners in peace and development where the people, stakeholders and concerned agencies are part of it. “If there is peace, there will be more investors to come and more jobs will be given to our people in the province.

Our province is continually booming and its progress, therefore let us help the dismantled Komiteng Larangang Guerilla Sierra Madre (KLG-SM) of the New People’s Army to lay down their arms and be with the government,” Recto said.

Maria Aurora municipal local government operations officer (MLGOO) Amado Angara encouraged the group to report the presence of the CTG in their respective villages to end local communist armed conflicts.

“Report the presence of the CTG, no one will know that you reported it to the authorities, just like on what we did in the fight against drugs that makes us a drug free province,” he said.

In response to this, Maria Aurora town Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) President Aldrin M. Japson expressed his sincerest thanks to 91st IB for the lecture on anti-terrorism law and the dialogue to address issues, concerns and sustainable solutions to achieve lasting peace and stability in the province of Aurora.

“We pledged ourselves to support our government to stop the reign of terror of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front’s (CPP-NPA-NDF) as we joined in condemning the atrocities of these lawless groups as persona non grata in our respective localities,” Japson said.

San Luis LNB President Edwin Pineda said that they are in full support to stop the anti-government movement to put an end to their violent tactics. “We are in full support for peace towards progress and development,” he said.

By Jason de Asis

BALER, Aurora-Baler is my second home, says Senator Pia Cayetano.

Sen. Pia made her statement during the distribution of P3,000 worth of cash to 600 individuals under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare Development Office (DSWD) held at Baler Sports Complex, Barangay Suklayin, here on Friday, Feb. 9.

The senator also said that she is willing to help the needy in the province just like the legacy of the former Senator Edgardo Angara. She also thanked Senator Sonny Angara, Aurora Representative Rommel Rico T. Angara and other officials who supported the recently concluded grassroots padel clinic at Costa Pacifica Resort.

“This is my second home, the beautiful town of Baler where you could witness its magnificent scenery, ambiance and the hospitality of the people. I was surprised with the development of Baler and will be back regularly,” she said in an ambush interview with the media.

Senator Pia also said that she chose Baler in the first ever Baler National Padel Open Tournament that kicked-off today and will continue until Sunday instead of Manila.

“I chose the sport to bring it to beautiful Baler and so my message and desire for all the players is to experience it in Baler under the sky, across the sea…coffee shops and fresh foods are walking distance, ang daming resorts na pamimilian, the ambiance and hospitality of the people of Aurora…yun yung gusto kong ma-experience ng mga participants from all over the word not just the Philippines…enjoying the best of Baler,” she said.

Padel (sometimes called Padel Tennis) is a racket sport-a mix between tennis and squash. It is played in doubles on an enclosed court. 16 teams including the Japanese National Team and tennis legend from Manila joined the matches of the said play padel sport.

Game 1 Winners at this point in writing (Feb 9), Court 1 (Women’s Open) – Sen. Pia & Taoyee Tan and Court 2 (Mixed Intermediate) Sancho Honrado & Eloi Malmis.

By Billy Nuqui

Camp Macabulos, Tarlac City– Police Col. Miguel Mendoza Guzman is the new police director of Tarlac Police Provincial Office (TPPO).

Guzman replaced Police Col. Erwin Sanque during a recent change of command ceremony in this camp.

Guzman is described as a “living epitome of professionalism and excellence” in his over 25 years of service in the police force, having served as chief of Career Courses Management Division of the National Police Training Institute that equipped him with an impressive performance record and a sterling leadership experience from all his past command, staff and training assignments.

He was a diligent student during his formative years.

He completed his primary education at Camp Aquino Elementary School in San Miguel, Tarlac City and secondary education at Tarlac National High School Annex.

Guzman finished his mechanical engineering course at the Tarlac State University but when the call of armed service was too irresistible for him, he entered the Philippine National Police (PNP) Academy and gained another degree of Bachelor of Science in Public Safety and formed part of the illustrious “Magilas” Class of 2000.

After showing impressive skills and dedication to duty, he was meritoriously promoted from lieutenant to captain on January 16, 2004. Following this, Guzman completed his Master of Science in Criminology degree in 2012 and his Doctor in Safety and Security Management in 2020 both at St Linus University Commonwealth of Dominica and in Paris, France respectively.

Not only that, as he finished another doctorate degrees in Philosophy in Organizational Management in Florida, USA 2021 and Philosophy in Transformation Leadership, Northwestern Christian University in Cebu in 2022.

Guzman’s natural love for learning led him to finish another master’s degree in Public Safety Administration at the Philippine Public Safety College and concluded another specialized training – the PNP Officers Logistics Management Course last October 12, 2022.

To add to his credentials are the numerous mandatory training and specialized courses that further honed his skills and placed him in his current position.

Guzman’s unselfish service and dedication “to serve and protect” earned him credits and rewards with 117 PNP medals, numerous commendations and a recipient of various special awards readily available in his resumé.

Among other eligibilitys such as the National Police Commission (Napolcom) Superintendent and Inspector exams and Civil Service Professional, he was also conferred with Police Executive Service Eligibility in March 2022 – the Highest Napolcom-administered police eligibility examination for the third level ranks in the PNP. Guzman is loving and supportive husband to Evangeline who is the president of both the Tarlac Host Lions Club and Tarlac Citizen Eye Watch Against Crime for 14 years and still counting and also a past president of Tarlac Shooting Club, Inc. and a dependable father to Mikaela Angela and Miguel Jr. who are both in the California USA for their respective educational careers.

At the turnover ceremony, he said his leadership in TPPO will continue to ensure the safety and security of the people the police force is mandated to apply and will cooperate in the efforts of cleansing within the organization.

SM malls in Marilao, Baliwag, and Pulilan set the stage with a mesmerizing display of cultural splendor with a spectacular Lion and Dragon Dance in celebration of the Chinese New Year over the weekend.

Welcoming the vibrant tapestry of Chinese New Year, the lion and dragon dance attracts positive energy through the rhythmic dance of tradition and symbolism. The lion gracefully moves, embodying courage and good fortune, while the mythical creature dragon weaves through the air, symbolizing strength and prosperity.

As a special treat for shoppers, SM City Baliwag lights up the night sky through a dazzling firework display to ignite the Lunar New Year. Likewise, vibrant installations of Lucky Giant Dragon captivate shoppers in SM Bulacan malls and usher in the Year of the Wood Dragon with good fortune and prosperity for 2024.

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – The soldiers of the 91st Infantry (Sinagtala) Battalion, Philippine Army strengthened its Anti-Terrorism Awareness Campaign to the local officials of Maria Aurora and San Luis in the province of Aurora on February 8, Thursday. 

According to Lieutenant Colonel Julito B. Recto Jr., their campaign was part of the unit’s commitment to spreading awareness against the Communist Terrorist Group’s recruitment among the local officials and encouraged them to report their presence and their criminal activities to the authorities. 

He also recognized the local officials as their active partners in peace and development in the province of Aurora.

“If there is peace, more investors will come in that would bring more job opportunities to the people. Let us continue calling those remaining CTG members to lay down their arms and support the government in its peace and development initiatives,” Lt. Col. Recto said. 

Amado Angara, Maria Aurora Municipal Local Government Operations Officer, encouraged the local officials to report the presence of the CTGs in their communities immediately. 

“Report the presence of this armed group; no one will know that you reported it to the authorities, just like what we did in the fight against drugs that makes us a drug-free province,” Angara said.

In response to this, Maria Aurora town Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) President Aldrin M. Japson expressed his gratitude to the Army for the lecture and the dialogue to address issues, concerns, and sustainable solutions to achieve lasting peace and stability in the province of Aurora.

“We pledged ourselves to support our government to stop the reign of terror of the CTG as we joined in condemning the atrocities of these lawless groups as Persona Non-Grata in our respective localities,” Japson said.

Meanwhile, Major General Andrew D. Costelo PA, Commander of the 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division, Philippine Army, commended the unit’s continued collaborative efforts with the local government units to strengthen the government’s campaign to stop CTG recruitment in the communities. 

“This awareness campaign could save someone from being recruited by the CTG. Kaya naman aming pina-iigting ang mga ganitong aktibidad sa mga kanayunan katuwang ang ating mga lokal na opisyal. Let us help each other in putting an end to a half-century-old Communist insurgency in the countryside. Ibahagi ang inyong mga nalalaman sa inyong mga constituents upang mailayo sila sa kapahamakan na dulot ng teroristang grupo,” MGen. Costelo said.

This month of February, let the language of love be spoken through the delightful symphony of something sweet and beautiful. SM Malls in Grand Central, Sangandaan, and Valenzuela invite shoppers to indulge in the sweetest gestures and celebrate the season of luck in love with an irresistible combination of delectable cakes and exquisite flowers.

With Filipinos’ fondness for everything sweet, SM City Grand Central, SM Center Sangandaan, and SM City Valenzuela confectionary stores offer an enticing array of delectable cakes that are sure to sweep your special someone off their feet. From classic red velvet to indulgent chocolate ganache, these cakes are designed to speak the language of love and make season of Luck in Love truly unforgettable. Captivating hearts with each bite, shoppers may visit Vizco’s Cakeshop, and Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant at SM City Grand Central and Mary Grace Café at SM City Valenzuela. At SM Center Sangandaan, you’ll also find the crowd-favorite Adda’s confectionery, known for its selection of popular homemade cakes. Made with love- milk and sugar, shoppers may also indulge their sweet tooth with Sweet Bloom’s selection of edible flower pastillas that are as delicious as they are Instagram-worthy.

But that’s not all – because every season of love is incomplete without the time-honored tradition of gifting flowers. SM Malls are turning into blooming havens offering an array of elegant and gorgeous flowers. Shoppers can express their love eloquently with fabulous blooms, velvety petals, and irresistible fragrances.

Visit SM City Grand Central, SM Center Sangandaan, and SM City Valenzuela and explore the Luck in Love bazaar to find the perfect floral arrangements that speak volumes. Each bazaar is brimming with options to make your Valentine’s Day memorable, ensuring your expression of love is as unique as your relationship. So whether you’re planning a grand gesture or an intimate celebration, SM Supermalls in Grand Central, Sangandaan, and Valenzuela have everything you need to make this season of Luck in Love one to remember. So why wait? Visit us today and let us help you make your love story truly unforgettable.

Life’s challenges can either make or break one’s determination. While some may falter when confronted with adversity, for some reasons, Ma. Ruby Bullag remains resilient and brave.

Ma. Ruby, the eldest of eight siblings, left Negros Occidental to find work in Iloilo City. Starting as a store bagger, she later became a saleslady in a boutique. When the store branched out to Boracay, she immediately moved there.

A year later, she married Rino Bullag, a Boracay-based hotel staff. Despite Rino’s steady income, it was still insufficient to make ends meet, so she sold siopao and pancit molo and built a sari-sari store for an additional income.

Through her store, Ma. Ruby met CARD Bank in 2010. She will never forget her initial loan of PHP 5,000.00 on October 27, 2010, because that money, along with their house and belongings, was burned into ashes that same night due to a neighborhood fire.

She was left with nothing but the courage and strong will to start over. By God’s grace, a lot of people, including Boracay citizens and CARD Bank provided essential necessities, which greatly aided their recovery.

She utilized the gathered funds from kind-hearted people to acquire a siopao steamer and continue her business. They slowly got back on track, producing 300-400 pieces of siopao daily.

Despite the setbacks, she stayed positive, believing in eventual success. “Life has been constantly revolving. We may experience failure, and a lot might be a reason for us to quit, but I am positive that in perfect timing, we would achieve the success that we are aiming for,” she said.

They were able to rent a house, rebuild a sari-sari store, and add a small cafeteria, all because of her income from the siopao business. Their small cafeteria gained popularity, and when apartment tenants left, she rented the entire house, turning it into her whole cafeteria.

With expansion in mind, they found a land where they built a three-story establishment, turning the ground floor and second floor into a 24-hour open restaurant and the third floor into their home.

They had also let go of the cafeteria after the end of the contract with the land owner and solely focused on their restaurant.

However, the flourishing business was affected when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2019. As a result, they had to cut their workforce and limit their operations during that time.

But as the world returns to normal, so do their businesses. Right now, they are expanding into providing a catering service. Sustaining the needs of her thriving business is quite tough, but she is thankful for CARD Bank because it is one of the reasons why her business got this far. In fact, she currently has a PHP 300,000.00 loan from the bank that she uses for their restaurant business.

Although they are still renting, years from now, with the help of her business, she hopes that they can purchase the land and call it their own.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has urged proper coordination between the Philippine National Police Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to look after the welfare of security guards.

Dela Rosa made the call during the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ hearing on an incident involving a security guard in Cebu and the mandatory compliance of security service agencies. 

The former top cop reminded the SOSIA of the penal provision under Republic Act 11917 which authorizes the PNP chief to revoke the license to operate of security agencies if they violated any provision of the Labor Code of the Philippines. 

During the hearing, it was raised that some security guards are working 20 hours per day and they were not given rest days. Some of them were tagged as “fly-by-night” because their salaries are below the minimum wage. 

These were pointed as some of the reasons for incidents that show security guards’ temperament and evasion of responsibilities. 

“SOSIA, being the regulatory agency of all these security guards and security agencies, hindi ba ninyo mino-monitor iyan? Kaya nasisiraan ng bait iyong ibang security guard dahil iyong iba, ilang buwan na hindi pa rin sinuswelduhan ng kanilang agency,” Dela Rosa said. 

“I would like to remind SOSIA, kung lagi kayong nagco-coordinate at kumikilos ang DOLE, siguro ‘di aabot sa mga ganitong pangyayari. All you have to do, DOLE, is to tell SOSIA na itong agency na ito, nag-violate ng Subsection 8 of Section 16 of RA 11197. Ganoon lang. Nag-violate sila ng Labor Code of the Philippines, sabihin niyo nag-violate sila tapos aksyunan agad nila na tanggalin ang lisensya,” the senator added. 

Both the DOLE and the PNP SOSIA committed to consider Dela Rosa’s recommendations during the hearing.

The lawmaker likewise urged the PNP-SOSIA to remind the private security agencies that security guards should not be performing duties outside their security functions. 

“Nakita ko iyong security guard, naka-gwardiya. Aside sa taga-open siya ng door, 

pagpasok, makita mo pa pagkatapos kumain noong customer, sila pa ang maglilinis doon, magpupunas sa table,” Dela Rosa raised. 

“You remind them that it is their administrative duty not to do it. Kasi para hindi mababa iyong tingin nila sa security guard,” he added.

Bagama’t unti-unti nang nababayaran ang ilan sa mga nawalan ng trabahong overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sa Saudi Arabia, dapat ipagpatuloy pa rin ng gobyerno ang pagkuha ng claim para sa mga natitirang Pilipino, kasama ang iba pang nasa ibang bansa, ayon kay Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva.

“This is a welcome development, but we need to ensure that all of our displaced Saudi OFWs are paid 100 percent of their back wages,” sabi ni Villanueva, principal sponsor at author ng batas na nagtatag ng Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Ipinunto ni Villanueva na ang pagbigay ng claim, na inabot ng halos sampung taon, ay nabigyan ng agarang aksiyon matapos magkita sina Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman noong Nobyembre 2022.

“This does not include the period when some of our OFWs had to languish in makeshift tents for months, unable to come home because they did not have the financial means or did not have exit visas,” ani Villanueva.

Hiniling din ng Majority Leader sa DMW at iba pang kaukulang ahensiya na ipagpatuloy ang pagkakaroon ng kinatawan sa Saudi government para maasikaso ang agarang pag-release ng back wages at iba pang benepisyo sa mga naapektuhang OFWs.

Sabi pa niya, dapat ipagpatuloy ng DMW ang pagtulong sa OFWs sa pagkumpleto ng mga dokumento at iba pang requirement na nagiging pahirap pa sa ilan Pinoy workers.

Sa liham kay Villanueva, sinabi ni DMW officer-in-charge Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac na naipadala na ang tseke mula Nobyembre hanggang Disyembre 2023 para sa unang batch ng 1,506 Pinoy na nagtatrabaho sa Saudi Oger firm.

Nagsumite rin ang DMW sa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development ng pangalan ng 14,007 pang mga claimants.

Mula dito, may kabuuang 10,543 OFWs ang nakapagsumite na ng kanilang Iqmas o Saudi residence permits for foreign hires.

Sinabi pa ng DMW na kasalukuyan nilang inaayos ang memorandum of agreement kasama ang Land Bank of the Philippines para matulungan ang mga claimant sa pagkuha ng kanilang tseke.

Samantala, sinabi ni Villanueva na ngayon pa lamang ay dapat patuloy na nakikipag-usap ang DMW sa gobyerno ng New Zealand kaugnay ng pagkawala ng trabaho ng mahigit 700 OFWs noong Disyembre. Ang mga Pinoy ay nawalan ng trabaho sa ELE, na kabilang sa construction at manufacturing sector, matapos magsara ang kumpanya bago mag-Pasko.

“We hope things are moving right now as we speak.  We don’t want our OFWs from New Zealand to suffer the same fate of our Saudi workers who waited for 10 years,” diin pa ni Villanueva.