NEGROS OCCIDENTAL BETTOR HITS P41.8 MILLION MEGA LOTTO JACKPOT

A lone bettor from Negros Occidental bagged the P41.8 million jackpot in the Mega Lotto 6/45 draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Wednesday night. PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said the winner correctly guessed the six-number combination 17-08-45-24-01-40. The winning ticket was bought from a lotto outlet in the Public Market of Poblacion Murcia, in Negros Occidental. The still unidentified winner only spent P20 for a total jackpot prize of P41,840,184.

PIÑOL WANTS COCKFIGHTING STOPPED IN PAMPANGA AMID BIRD FLU

AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Thursday appealed to cockfighting enthusiasts in Pampanga to temporarily stop the holding of cockfights to prevent the avian influenza outbreak (bird flu) from spreading. “For effective containment of the avian influenza virus, we discourage the movement of fowls, including fighting roosters, for the next two weeks,” Piñol told The Manila Times in a text message. He said the enforcement is left to the judgment of local executives. Piñol was in Pampanga to meet with local executives and Bureau of Animal Industry officials in Central Luzon to put in place preventive measures and stop the threat of the virus spreading to nearby provinces. An inspection team headed by the Bureau of Animal Industry will be created to inspect all poultry farms in the province and security efforts have been intensified that include spraying of disinfectants and proper disposal of chicken waste. Piñol said he may lift an order banning the shipment of fowl from Luzon if no reported cases of mortality in the province in the next two to three weeks.

MANILA, BACOOR SIGN SISTERHOOD PACT

THE cities of Manila and Bacoor in Cavite signed a sister city agreement to promote business and cultural exchanges after the City Council approved and endorsed the sisterhood pact. Bacoor is the 22nd twin city of Manila including the City of Dili, Timor- Leste which Estrada himself signed with Prime Minister Jorge Cancecao Teme; Beijing, China ( 2005); Honolulu, Hawaii ( 1980); Moscow, Russia; Taipei, Taiwan and Winnipeg, Canada, among others. Bacoor served as a capital of Cavite when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared it as the capital of his revolutionary government in 1898. Located at the north easternmost corner of Cavite, Bacoor is approximately 17.5 kilometers southwest from Manila. With a population of 600,609 people based on 2015 survey, it derives income from agriculture, retail, manufacturing, banking and services.

PNP EASTERN VISAYAS POWERED WITH DOE HYBRID PATROL CARS

THE Department of Energy ( DOE), thru the Energy Utilization Management Bureau ( EUMB), has donated 45 hybrid patrol cars to the Philippine National Police ( PNP) in Eastern Visayas in line with its mandate to promote the use of energy- efficient vehicles. The DoE and the Embassy of Japan officials turned over the 2017 model Toyota Prius units to PNP regional officers in Camp Kangleon, Palo, Leyte. The patrol cars are for the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. “More than the promotion of efficient and environment- friendly alternative fuel vehicles ( AFVs], the donation serves as an opportunity for the DoE to support the development of areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda,” DoE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said. The government of Japan gave the Philippines a grant amounting to Y500 million for the procurement and delivery of next- generation vehicles under the Japan Non- Project Grant Aid with the DoE as implementing agency.