TOURIST POLICE MULLED FOR TOMAS MORATO AVENUE

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista unveiled on Friday a redevelopment plan to transform the South Triangle into a major tourism district. As part of the plan, he ordered the creation of a tourist police unit in Tomas Morato Avenue for police visibility and to ensure the safety of visitors in the area. Ten policemen from the QC Police District Station 10 (Kamuning) will constitute the unit. Supt. Christian dela Cruz, Police Station 10 commander, said policemen assigned to the unit will also be provided with bicycles. Dela Cruz said that 10 law ebnforcers of the unit may be beefed up during the holiday season when theft, physical injuries and crimes against property are likely to increase. Setting up a tourist police unit at Tomas Morato is part of Bautista’s effort to transform the South Triangle area into a major city tourism district. The redevelopment plan also provides for sidewalk improvement, opening of bike lanes and installation of an organized parking zone. The 2.3 kilometer pedestrian walk along Tomas Morato, which runs from E. Rodriguez Avenue to Eugenio Lopez Drive, will be paved with stamped concrete to provide a more walkable environment for pedestrians. Park lights and additional streetlights will also be installed to provide illumination.

NAVOTAS LAWMAKER URGED TO SUSPEND FISHING BOAT LICENSING

THE militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday urged Rep. Tobias Tiangco of Navotas City to suspend the registration of fishing boats in the city. Fernando Hicap, the group’s national chairpman, stressed that fisherfolk don’t need to pay just to get their boats registered to contribute in the country’s fishing capital. Hicap said the registration scheme under the amended Fisheries Code of 1998 or Republic Act 10654 poses a heavy burden to them who hardly earn enough for their daily needs due to the high cost of fish production and the dwindling marine catch in Manila Bay. Under the Boat Registration program of the amended Fisheries Code, fisherfolk are required to register their boats otherwise, they will be categorized as illegal fishers and will be charged with hefty fines and stiff penalties. The group instead urged Tiangco to provide livelihood assistance to more than 7,000 small fisherfolk in Navotas.

MAKATI DISTRIBUTES EDUCATIONAL ALLOWANCES FOR SPED LEARNERS

THE CITY government of Makati distributed a P5,000- educational assistance for each of the 557 qualified Special Education (SPED) learners enrolled for school year 2017-2018 in 10 public elementary and high schools in the city. Makati Mayor Abby Binay said, “The city government keeps on finding ways to help nurture the potential talents and abilities these special students so that they would become self-sufficient and productive members of society. According to DepEd Makati, all SPED learners who were enrolled as of June 30, 2017 are entitled to the P5,000- educational assistance from the city government. From October 3 to 5, paymasters from City Hall went to the SPED classes and distributed the cash assistance to qualified recipients, which include 111 SPED learners from Nemesio Yabut Elementary School, 24 from San Antonio National High School, 50 from Fort Bonifacio High School, and 25 from Gen. Pio del Pilar National High School.