QC EXTENDS FINANCIAL AID TO INFORMAL SETTLER FAMILIES

THE Quezon City Council has authorized Mayor Herbert Bautista to extend financial assistance to 137 Informal Settler Families ( ISFs) who will be affected by the construction of the University of the Philippines Employees Housing Project in Barangay UP Campus. The housing project requires relocation of the verified ISFs living along and on top of the site. A resolution provides P5,000 to each of the ISFs in Barangay UP Campus who will be relocated to the National Housing Resettlement ( NHA) in Morong, Rizal.

ILOILO CITY PASSES P2.2- B BUDGET FOR 2018

ILOILO City government’s budget of more than P2.2 billion for 2018 was approved by the City Council during its regular session on Tuesday. Mayor Jose Espinosa 3rd said the 2018 budget is higher by 10.6 percent compared with the 2017 budget. Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo, chairman of the appropriations committee said next year’s budget contains Special Purpose Appropriation, P797,169,087 or 36 percent; Personnel Service, P718,098,780 or 32.5 percent; Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, P672,937,865 or 30.4 percent; and Capital Outlay, P24,434,309 or 1.1 percent.

MAGUINDANAO JAIL INMATES RECEIVE MEDICAL SERVICES

COTABATO CITY: Government doctors continue to provide health services for 342 detainees at the Maguindanao provincial jail here in preparation for their transfer soon to a new jail facility in the town of Buluan. Lynette Estandarte, Maguindanao provincial budget officer, said the inmates were served during a day- long medical mission facilitated by the People’s Medical Team of the office of Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu. The provincial government is constructing a bigger detention and reformatory center for the detainees with rehabilitation services for detained drug dependents. Expected to be operational by 2018, the facility will have Islamic and Christian worship sites, according to Estandarte.

FORMER BAGUIO DUMP TO BE CONVERTED TO ECO- PARK

BAGUIO CITY: The City Council has passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Mauricio Domogan to enter into a tripartite agreement with the Philippine Bamboo Foundation ( PBF) and other corporate partners for the conversion of a portion of the former Irisan open dump to an eco- park through the planting of bamboos in the area. Under the proposed agreement, the foundation will propagate the bamboo varieties with interested

( villages) at the former dump while the corporate partners will purchase the bamboo produce. City Environment and Parks Management Office head Cordelia Lacsamana said the city will not spend anything for the proposed project of the PBF. PBF president Edgardo Manda said the conversion of the area to an eco- park through the planting of bamboo species within a three- hectare portion of the former dump is achievable, provided the variety to be planted will be the