The Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6 ELCAC) has called on the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) Office of the Chancellor Executive Staff to listen to the voice of the former students, recruits, and former comrades of slain rebels Chad Booc and the Kevin Castro. On Wednesday the task force through its spokesperson, Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, issued a statement resenting the “baseless accusations” of the UPD Office of the Chancellor Executive Staff holding the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) responsible for the death of the two. Gonzales said many
Four members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) have surrendered to government authorities in the provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur, police officials disclosed Wednesday. The NPA surrenderers were identified as Rosemarie Abis Banales, 34; Joan Magbian, 24; Ronel Racho, 27; and Leizel Ann Cañete Culot Racho, 26. Col. Albert Larubis, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, said Banales surrendered around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday in Purok 1, Barangay Peñaranda, Kabasalan. He said Banales was a member of the Regional Urban Committee of the NPA’s Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee. Banales served as food courier of the defunct Guerilla Front
The Department of Science and Technology – Northern Mindanao (DOST-10) is drawing up measures to attract more investors for local start-ups. In an interview Wednesday, DOST-10 Director Alfonso Alamban said having investors or venture capitalists directly supporting budding entrepreneurs in the region is one of the “weak spots” that they intend to address as part of its Regional Inclusive Innovation Centers (RIICs). “Start-ups or technology-based businesses are usually developed by students and professors in universities, and they reached out for possible investors that could help them materialize their ventures,” he said. The DOST’s role in RIICs was part of the
The Philippines and Israel are partnering to further boost the country’s dairy sector. In a signing ceremony on March 2, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar and Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss signed a joint declaration that would jumpstart technical and economic partnerships between Filipino stakeholders and Israeli agri-food industry players. “We aim to introduce smart and precision agriculture while using Israeli technology adjusted to local conditions to address the local challenges. Signing the joint declaration is a strong signal that MASHAV, Israel’s agency for development cooperation, will be happy to support the Philippines through technical assistance
