Day: May 24, 2023

Northern Samar province will mark its 58th anniversary with the first-ever Ibábao Festival, a series of exciting events that will showcase the rich history, tourism, and cultural heritage of the province. The festival will kick off on June 4 and will run until June 19, the founding anniversary of the province, the local government announced on Wednesday. ‘The provincial government intends to make the occasion more meaningful by involving the 24 component municipalities of the province and the other sectors of the provincial community, such as the agriculture, fishery, youth, senior citizens, business, tourism, and other industries, among others,’ Governor Edwin Ongchuan said in a statement. The province will feature its indigenous agricultural and other homegrown products through the Agri-Tourism Trade Fair at the capitol grounds from June 4 to 19. To launch the Ibábao Festival on June 4, a grand Float Parade participated in by local government units will be held around Catarman town, the provincial capital. The first in the history of the province, the Festival of Festivals on June 18, will bring together the many festivals observed by the different towns of Northern Samar and will be held at the University of Eastern Philippines Grandstand in Catarman. Another highlight of the Ibábao Festival is the Search for Mutya san Ibábao, to honor the beauty and unique character of women in the province. The talent night for the Mutya san Ibábao will be held in San Roque on June 13 while the coronation night is set at the UEP Amphitheater in Catarman town on June 17. Other events are the Northern Samar business conference, cultural night, Ben and Ben sa Ibábao concert, night market, mass bloodletting, founding anniversary commemorative program, and Kauswagan awards. ‘Through the Ibábao Festival, we hope to foster cultural awareness, engender a deeper appreciation of the history, cultural heritage, and development of Northern Samar, and instill pride, integrity, understanding, and unity among the present and future generations of Norte Samarnons,’ Ongchuan said. Northern Samar, referred to in the past as Ibábao, was known for the ancient valor and bravery of its people. With the creation of the province of Northern Samar, separate from Eastern and Western Samar, in 1965, the place was thereafter formally known under its new name until today

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has launched an intensive manhunt against a South Korean fugitive who escaped the BI facility in Taguig City early Sunday. Kang Juchun, 38, managed to breach the facility’s perimeter by scaling a 20-foot fence with barbed wires at 2 a.m., May 21. Authorities believe he may have sustained injuries after falling. He was reported to have abused a blind spot in the facility’s CCTV camera where he climbed the fence and fell on the cemented road. ‘The BI is working in close collaboration with local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend him swiftly,’ said Commissioner Norman Tansingco in a statement Wednesday. ‘Specialized teams have been deployed to various locations, following reliable leads to capture the fugitive,’ he added. Both the Department of Justice and the South Korean Embassy have also been informed of the incident. The BI chief said they have increased the height of the perimeter fence with barbed wires and added another watch tower to improve the facility’s security. ‘This is a serious breach of our facility’s security, and have initiated a thorough investigation to determine lapses that allowed this to occur as well as take necessary steps to prevent similar incidents in the future,’ added Tansingco. According to the BI, the foreigner was initially apprehended last Feb. 10 by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 after arriving from Bangkok. He was found to have a red notice hit from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for murder charges and abandonment of a dead body. He was charged and transferred to the BI’s facility in Taguig prior to deportation

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is ready to assist in the rehabilitation of the Manila Central Post Office after a massive fire razed it last Sunday. Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the DOT regards the decades-old structure as a ‘cultural treasure’, adding it deserves national attention and support. ‘We note the remarks that has been made by the city government of Manila that has assured that it will not be torn down and from our end in the DOT, recognizing the heritage value of this structure, we are prepared to follow through on the direction that the Marcos administration would take in terms of how to rehabilitate the structure,’ she said in a media forum on Wednesday. “Especially considering that our attached agency, TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority] has long led the assistance in terms of rehabilitation of heritage structures,’ she added. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna earlier allayed fears that a new structure would rise in Liwasang Bonifacio, where the post office is located, saying the building is protected by local and national declarations. The fire started at the General Services Department of the Manila Central Post Office building 11:41 p.m. on Sunday and raged on for over 30 hours until it was declared out at 6:33 a.m. on Tuesday. The national historical landmark, which is protected by the Heritage Law, was built in 1926 following the design of Juan Arellano. It also suffered damage from World War II in 1945 and was rebuilt the following year. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines said it will give way to the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) in conducting retrieval operations and addressing the basic needs of their people as it affirmed its commitment to help rehabilitate the neoclassical structure

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Office of the City Veterinarian (OCVet) is eyeing the declaration of this city as African swine fever (ASF)-free, noting the absence of cases here for the past nine months. Dr. Mario Arriola, OCVet chief, said Wednesday that such a declaration will be based on blood samples collected from sentinel pigs deployed in ASF-affected villages to determine if the animal disease no longer exists here. Arriola said a total of 87 sentinel pig blood samples were taken in three veterinary districts with ASF-affected barangays. He noted that no new ASF cases have been recorded in the city since September 2022. ‘Once the sentinel pigs’ blood samples will test negative for ASF, only then can the Department of Agriculture (DA) declare the city as ASF-free,’ he said. He said the ongoing test for the sentinel pigs’ blood samples this week is the second since January this year. The initial blood sampling and surveillance conducted by the DA earlier this year yielded negative results. Recently, the DA has distributed around 130 sentinel pigs to the ASF-hit barangays and all have survived. From January to August last year, a total of 4,655 hogs died while 1,122 were culled due to the ASF infection here

Source: Philippines News Agency