P5M earmarked for 12 heritage sites
MAYOYAO, Ifugao: Twelve heritage sites in the province are set to be rehabilitated through a P5-million funding from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The rehabilitation will include restoration of damaged and collapsed walls of the rice terraces in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage Sites in the province.
The fund coursed through the Unesco National Commission (NatCom) in Manila aims to rehabilitate a volume of 8,424 cubic meters of rice fields in the twelve heritage barangays covering the municipalities of Hungduan, Kiangan, Banaue and Mayoyao.
A report gathered from the office of the Philippine Information Agency here noted that based on the project proposal submitted by the provincial government, the fund will be divided by the four heritage sites with P2 million for Banaue, Mayoyao - P1.4 million, Hungduan - P1 million and Kiangan - P600, 000.
Governor Eugene Balitang said that the Ifugao Culture heritage Office (ICHO) of the provincial government had asked the help of Unesco NatCom to seek and mobilize resources for the rehabilitation of the heritage rice terraces clusters damaged by typhoons in October 2011.
“The lifting of the Ifugao Rice Terraces from the List of World Heritage in Danger does not stop us in our responsibility to maintain our rice terraces. This is our obligation whether we are in the danger list or not. We will always support our farmers in the restoration program,” Balitang said.
Earlier this February, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved Resolution No. 2013-607 authorizing Balitang to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Unesco NatCom for the implementation of the project.
As this developed, Sr. Supt. Casimiro, provincial director of Ifugao Provincial Police Office disclosed that all systems are going for the province’s security for the upcoming summer season wherein thousands of visitors flux the Banaue and nearby rice terraces.
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FREE CALL STATIONS FOR SABAH REFUGEES
LIBRENG Tawag Centers continue to serve displaced Filipinos in Pilot Elementary School in Brgy. Kasanyagan, Tubig Tanah; and DepEd Trade School in Brgy. Pag- asa in Bongao, Tawi- Tawi. Free calls are also being offered at the pier in Jolo’s Port Area in Sulu. “Smart is providing this assistance to people that were displaced by the Sabah conflict. Many of them would want to make calls to Sabah to find out how their relatives are doing but are unable to do so because they don’t have the means to place the calls,” said Ramon Isberto, Smart Public Affairs Group head. “We are providing this service for as long as it’s needed depending on the arrival of people from Sabah.” Smart also set up a free call facility at the Multi- Purpose Hall in Brgy. Bidin at Sibutu, Tawi- Tawi as well as support a similar activity organized by the Philippine Red Cross in Brgy. Tubigboh, Bongao in Tawi- Tawi, and in the PRC headquarters in Jolo, Sulu.