ADB OKs P17.5-M grant for coastal management projects in Zambales

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved P17.1-million worth of livelihood assistance to fund coastal resource management projects in nine municipalities of the province.

Zambales provincial agriculturist Dr. Rene Mendoza said the selected fisherfolk, non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations will be receiving equipment, facilities and materials for predetermined livelihood projects under the Integrated Coastal Resource Management Project (ICRMP) of the Department of Agriculture.

The beneficiaries come from the towns of Sta. Cruz, Candelari, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Antonio and Subic.

Zambales is the first province in Region 3 to receive funding under the ICRMP program for Enterprise Development and Income Diversification.

Provincial agriculturist Reynaldo Reologio said the ICRMP has four components: Policy and Institutional Strengthening and Development; ICRM and Biodiversity Conservation; Enterprise Development and Income Diversification; and Social and Environmental Services and Facilities.

The projects were approved after the Zambales NGOs and People’s Organizations (POs), with the assistance of the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), prepared and submitted project proposals for cooperative enterprises to the Department of Agriculture, which assessed the proposals.

Reoligio said the department will also be responsible for monitoring and providing further administrative and management assistance to the recipient organizations to ensure that the projects will prosper.

Funding that were initially approved for release are: P464,467.39 for a rice retailing and meat and fish processing facility in Subic town; P204,375.40 for tilapia production in San Felipe; P943,624.04 for natural salt production in Botolan; P387,074.85 for iodized salt processing and mudcrab fattening projects in Palauig; and P478,518.20 for a hog fattening farm in Sta. Cruz.

The assistance program requires that the recipient organization, upon earning back the full capital invested, can only retain 50 percent of the amount. The other half would have to be donated to a municipal federation of farmers or fishermen to fund more local entrepreneur projects, Reologio added.

“These projects augur well with the program of Governor Ebdane to develop the agriculture sector in the province,” Mendoza said.

He said under the governor’s administration, the PAO has become more active in assisting farmers and fisherfolk throughout Zambales on projects and activities that enhance their livelihood and industry.

“After the governor approved a half-million increase in our department’s budget, we have also improved our mobility and facilities and became more capable of rendering services under our mandate,” Mendoza said.

Recently, the PAO has also facilitated the distribution of gill nets to fishermen’s cooperatives in the towns of Palauig and Masinloc. Before that, the office also facilitated the distribution of 432,000 tilapia fingerlings that were dispersed in rivers and lakes in the province. By JONAS REYES - mb.com.ph

One dead, many wounded as Army, NPA clash in Zambales

Palauig, Zambales -- Clashes broke out between the military and the communist New People's Army (NPA) Friday morning in Sitio Aguas, Barangay Babuyan, Sta. Cruz, Zambales that left one dead and an undetermined number wounded.

In a phone interview, Col. Philip S. Lapinid, commanding officer of the 24th IB, 7ID of the Philippine Army, narrated that they received late last night an intelligence report of communist movement in Sitio Aguas where some 60 communist guerillas belonging to the Sangay ng Partido sa Platon (SPP) is conducting a mass indoctrination and recruitment operation.

The 24th IB, he said, immediately initiated a hot pursuit operation until firefight erupted at about 9:30 am, Friday morning and lasted about five hours. The brigade immediately called for reinforcements from other Philippine Army detachments and cornered the rebels.

The identity of the lone fatality, a member of the communist insurgents, and those of the wounded are still unknown as clearing operations are still being conducted as of press time.

This is the second reported encounter between the army and the rebels this week as the Phil. Army engaged a group of Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB) in Barangay Malabon, Candelaria, Zambales.

An armalite riffle was recovered during the operation. No casualties or injured were reported. (AMV/PIA-Zambales)

Soldier slain in ambush

By. Mamer Bañez - People's Journal

PALAUIG, Zambales – An Army Intelligence officer was killed in an ambush by five suspected New People’s Army rebels in Barangay Salaza here Sunday.

Zambales police director Senior Supt. Rolando Felix identified the victim as S/Sgt. Fernando Lozano; 41, of Barangay Sabang, Morong, Bataan, and assigned at the Army’s 24 Infantry Battalion in Balanga City.

Police said the victim was traveling on a motorcycle when, upon reaching the National Highway, the rebels blocked his path and opened fire, killing him on the spot. The rebel escaped in two tricycles.

Police recovered at the scene 15 shells and two deformed slugs for 45 pistol.

Blast kills 2-yr-old, wounds 6 others in Zambales

A two-year-old child was killed while six others were wounded when a grenade blew up in Palauig town, Zambales, dzBB radio reported Monday night.

Radio dzBB's Benjie Liwanag Jr. cited sketchy initial reports identifying the fatality as Moises Tampug Ulyen, 2, who succumbed to wounds from an exploding M-203 grenade.

The others who were rushed to the Ramon Magsaysay Provincial Hospital were initially identified as Dexter Saliu-an, 9; John Joseph Tenega Os-ag, 7; Jeremiah Basong, 7; Lovelever Ulier; Jarius Osag; and Wilma Joy Umayat.

Initial investigation showed the six were playing in Sitio Dapla in Salaza village when they chanced on the M-203 explosive. When they tried to pick it up, the explosive blew up.

Palauig is a third-class town with a population of 29,983 people in 5,945 households. - GMANews.TV