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LEGAZPI CITY - Government anti-narcotics operatives on Tuesday arrested a recidivist, seizing from him some PHP680,000 worth of shabu in a buy-bust in Pilar, Sorsogon. In a statement, Maj. Malu Calubaquib, Police Regional Office-Bicol (PRO5) spokesperson, said John Paul Estropia a.k.a. "Paul", 31, of Barangay Tabi, Gubat, Sorsogon, yielded some 100 grams of suspected shabu during the operation. "He is a recidivist listed under persons who use drugs," Calubaquib said. "This accomplishment is yet another manifestation of the PRO's commitment to eradicate illegal drugs in the region. The unit headed by Brig. Gen. Rudolph Dimas will remain hands-on to further widen its operation in order to secure to every Bicolano a drug-free and safe community," she added. (PNA) }
File photo LEGAZPI CITY - A total of 103 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Sorsogon province, under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project, have recently received their electronic land titles (e-titles). In a statement on Friday, provincial agrarian reform program officer Nida Santiago said the distribution was done in June, coinciding with the celebration of the 34th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). "The distribution of the generated titles is just the beginning of the delivery of agrarian reform for our beneficiaries. Aside from this title, we would like to give them the support services and the agrarian justice that they need," she said. Seven farmer-beneficiaries in Juban town received their titles covering 18.94 hectares of land in Barangay Buraburan. The door-to-door distribution of 10 e-titles covering 21.04 hectares to 10 ARBs in the villages of Tugas and Balocawe in Matnog was also covered. Thirteen beneficiaries in Pilar town each received e-titles the following day. The landholdings are located in the villages of Poctol, Esmeralda, Bayawas, and San Antonio covering an area of 30.13 hectares. Santiago personally handed 32 e-titles to 31 ARBs in Barangay Escuala in Casiguran and another 27 land titles were received by 24 ARBs from the coastal barangay of Behia in Magallanes. The government-owned distributed lands are from the Department of National Defense, covering a total area of 38.78 hectares. The DAR personnel also distributed 35 e-titles to 18 ARBs in Donsol, Barcelona, Bacon District, and Sorsogon City. DAR-Sorsogon said the e-title symbolizes life's challenges in making the land productive, as well as in accessing responsive support services. (PNA) }
Four drivers of cargo trucks bound for the Visayas were arrested after they tested positive for illegal drugs during random testing in Sorsogon on Saturday.
SAFETY ASSURANCE. Department of Tourism 5 (Bicol) Director Herbie Aguas says on Thursday (July 14, 2022) they are encouraging local government units with top destination sites to create their Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP). This, he said, would help ensure foreign and domestic visitors' safety and security. (Photo courtesy of Rommel Anonuevo Natanauan) LEGAZPI CITY - The Department of Tourism (DOT) is encouraging local government units (LGUs) in Bicol with top destination sites to create their Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP) to hasten the tourism industry's recovery from the pandemic. In an interview on Thursday, Herbie Aguas, DOT 5 (Bicol) director, said the creation of tourist cops is needed to assure foreign and domestic visitors that it is safe and more fun to visit the different attractions in the region. "The TOPCOP will provide added security operations for local tourists and establishments and respond to tourist-related security and safety issues. The travel and experience of tourists in certain areas will be safer with the TOPCOP strictly enforcing health protocols and guidelines," Aguas said. He also said with the opening of tourist destinations in the region, there is a need to assure the visitors that they are safe amid the health crisis. "If the tourists feel safe, they will keep on coming back. Uulit at babalik and babalik pa sila (they will keep on returning)," Aguas said, noting the rise in the region's tourist arrivals since the country began to open up the tourism industry in February. He said the DOT would train police personnel on the basic principles of tourist safety and the Filipino brand of service. The modules also include lessons on tourism awareness, values, and character. "(The) DOT will train them how to interact with tourists, they must also be familiar with the culture, tradition, and character of the place," he added. In Naga City, Arts, Culture, and Tourism Officer Alec Francis Santos recently surveyed the top concern of tourists when choosing a destination and they found out it is safety and security. As a direct response to that concern, they launched early this week a tourist police unit with 21 personnel. "By having a dedicated police unit for Naga's tourism industry, the city can expect a safer environment for both foreign and local visitors. This is crucial since tourism is one of Naga's economic pillars and is responsible for generating much-needed jobs and livelihood," Santos said in a separate interview. He said the creation of TOPCOP by the LGU's Arts, Culture, and Tourism Office is in collaboration with the Office of the City Director. "The LGU Naga, in partnership with the Philippine National Police, is planning to conduct more training for PNP personnel who wish to join the TOPCOP," Santos added. Aguas said the city government of Naga is on the right track when it decided to have the TOPCOP, such as in Calaguas Island in the municipality of Vinzons, Camarines Norte and in Donsol, Sorsogon, which takes pride in its "butanding" or whale shark interaction and festival. "The idea of conducting training for (the) tourist police will provide us a prepared venue where we can arrange an ideal benchmarking with regards to the adoption of the TOPCOP program by other LGUs," he said. (PNA) }
MANILA - Most part of the country will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers due to low pressure areas (LPA) and southwest monsoon or "habagat", the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday. In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said an LPA was spotted 685 kilometers northeast of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte or at 690 km east of Virac, Catanduanes at 3 a.m. PAGASA said the LPA is expected to bring scattered rains in Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions, and provinces of Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate. Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will also experience scattered rain showers due to southwest monsoon. It said Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms due to southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides, it warned, may occur due to moderate to at times heavy rains. The western section of Southern Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds moving southwest to south with moderate to rough seas. The temperature will range from 26.2 C to 33.6 C. (PNA) }