Isabela, Philippines

San Mateo, Isabela (30 May) — Nueva Vizcaya farmer-led-extensionists(FLE’s) were jubilant as their request for free extension kits from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has finally handed to them after attending rice science and technology (S&T) updates prior to kit distribution held at the Office of Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg)in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

Atleast 83 FLEs and a group of agricultural technologists from different towns in Nueva Vizcaya, participated and joined the activity in line with the observance of Panagyaman Festival, the province’s celebration of 169th founding anniversary.

“The free kits distributed is in response to the written request made by the FLEs to Executive Director Leocadio S. Sebastian,” said Glenn Y. Ilar, Project Leader, Training Course Development and Delivery from PhilRice Central Experiment Station at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

“Before the handing of kits, the FLEs are required to attend the briefing on rice S&T to update on PalayCheck System for Irrigated Lowland Rice, Palayamanan Farming Systems Model and the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA)”, Ilar added.

Meanwhile, PhilRice Isabela Branch Manager Manuel G. Gaspar said the contents of the kits have a long way to offer for FLEs to further improve their capabilities in reaching out to more farmers.

“As an important partners in the dissemination of rice knowledge and information to farmers, the free kits that were given will not only retool the FLEs but will inspire them more to strive harder,” Gaspar added.

Each extension kit given to FLEs contain useful publications like Philippine Rice Production Training Manual, Hybrid Rice Seed Production Training Manual, Rice Technology Bulletin on Controlled Irrigation, Minus-One Element Technique and Palayamanan, handbook on PalayCheck, S&T Magazine, Field Guide on Harmful and Useful Organisms in the Philippine Ricefields, Field Guide on Major Disorders of Rice Plants, and leaf color chart.

Meanwhile, PhilRice Isabela Research and Development Coordinator Democrito B. Rebong II added there is now a request regarding the distribution of kits to FLEs in Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino and Kalinga.

“If this will be approved, we are able to meet the need for reference materials for our farmer- partners in disseminating rice knowledge and technologies,” Rebong said. (PIA Isabela)

ILAGAN, ISABELA—Police and military officials have denied reports that a National Democratic Front peace consultant who was arrested on May 15 in Rizal province was tortured.

Senior Supt. Manuel Piñera, Cagayan Valley director of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said Randy Felix Malayao, 39, is being kept under “tight security” by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Tuguegarao City.

Piñera said Malayao has been in BJMP custody since May 21. Piñera, however, declined to say exactly where Malayao was detained.

Maj. Gen. Melchor Dilodilo, commander of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said Malayao’s rights were not violated when he was arrested by CIDG personnel and members of the Army’s 502nd Infantry Brigade intelligence unit inside a bus in Cainta, Rizal, on May 15. By Villamor Visaya Jr.

INQUIRER.net

Cauayan City, Isabela (27 May) — The Cauayan City Police Office here encouraged bank managers to put up Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in their respective bank premises to prevent bank robbers from doing criminal acts and help the police to solve bank robber cases immediately.

Cauayan City Deputy Chief of Police P/CI Mario Madriaga met recently with all bank managers in this city and encouraged them to install a CCTV camera in their respective banks.

P/CI Madriaga made the call after PNP chief Avelino Razon, Jr’s made inspection rounds on banks in Metro Manila where he encouraged them to install CCTV cameras.

The PNP chief conducted the inspection rounds to prevent these incident that happened to the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Laguna Branch where employees were massacred.

Meantime, bank managers in Cauayan are amenable to P/CI Madriaga’s call and assured the police force that they would immediately comply to the agreement.

The banks here are only equipped with an alarm system which is being connected directly to the Cauayan City Police Office.

This is the fastest means to contact the police if ever a bank robbery is in progress so the police can respond immediately.

However, however due to incidents of false alarms the PNP is urging the bank managers to put up additional security measures like CCTV. (PIA Isabela)

TWO municipal officials were murdered in separate incidents in Isabela and Iloilo, Camp Crame reported yesterday.

Police said Jones, Isabela Councilor Rodrigo “Ding” Manuel was gunned down at 3 a.m. yesterday by still unknown gunmen.

Manuel, 51, died from three gunshot wounds and two stab wounds.

Authorities said Manuel was on his way home from a mahjong game when attacked.

Residents said they heard a man shouting before gunshots rang out.

Police recovered five empty shells and a slug from a .45 pistol from the crime scene. By: Fernando M. Cariaso

Journal Online

ILAGAN, Isabela: Unidentified armed men shot dead a councilor of a remote southeastern town here at a little past 2 a.m. Thursday, and police authorities are still in the dark on the identities of the suspects and the motive for the slay.

Police identified the fatality as Councilor Rodrigo “Ding” Manuel, 54, of Jones town. Reports indicated that the five unidentified armed men shot at Manuel with .45-caliber pistols just as he was homebound from a meeting.by Francis C. Hidalgo Jr.

Manila Times