ZDS ONLINE NEWS

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 29--- The reopening of the port will encourage economic activity in the city. Thus disclosed Vice Mayor Baldomero Fernandez during the Maiden Voyage and Inaugural Port Call at wharf area here. Fernandez said that new development will be experienced in the whole of Zamboanga del Sur and neighboring provinces with the opening of the port in this city. Fernandez said that a long time ago, Mayor Samuel Co mentioned to the members of the city council regarding his plan to reopen the port that has not been operating for a long time and he also planned that the city government will buy a ship to help the businessmen of the city. "In the maiden voyage and inaugural port call, I believe that the dream of our beloved mayor has finally come true," Fernandez proudly said. The good vice mayor also expressed his gratitude to the Megalifters Cargo Handling Corporation and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for the support they showed that con...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 22--- The 2024 Pasalamat Festival on Sunday, January 21 was a great success with the legendary contingent from Barangay Tawagan Sur in Pagadian City emerging victorious. The Tawagan Sur contingent, one of the crowd favorites is the champion of this year's Pasalamat Festival as they won the 1st place in the Ritual Showdown competition for four (4) consecutive years. As a result, they received the P600,000 cash prize. The second place was won by the contingent of barangay Danlugan and received P550,000; Third place was obtained by cluster 3 which includes the following barangays: Bulatok, Gatas, Sta. Maria, San Jose, and San Francisco and received P500,000; Fourth place - barangay Tuburan contingent and received P450,000; and fifth place went to Balangasan and received a P400,000 prize. Meanwhile, national government agencies (NGAs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) who participated in the street dance competition were also giv...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 21--- The government has been fighting against illegal drugs for a long time, the official of Philippine National Police (PNP) says. P/BGen. Boen Joel Masauding, the regional director of the Police Regional Officer (PRO9) in his message read by Colonel Romeo Espero, the deputy regional director for operations (DRDO) during the dialogue with the newly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials held recently said that in order for the problem of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking to be efficiently addressed, the drug demand reduction policies and programs are strictly implemented. Masauding said that the PNP implemented drug supply and demand reduction by conducting 1,098 anti-drug operations which led to the apprehension of 1,200 drug dens and drug personalities, and seized 15 kilograms of shabu and 200 grams of marijuana with combined standard price of P100,500,000. Masausing added that the PNP in partnership with ot...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 20--- The city government inaugurated the newly built P20-M fully-airconditioned meat section at the Agora complex on January 16. Mayor Samuel Co led the inauguration together with members of the city council, department heads and meat retailers in the city. The event started with the blessing of the building by Rev. Father Bellstar Ediang, ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a simple program. Co said that the city government built the new fully air-conditioned meat section to maintain the cleanliness of the meat that will be sold to the public and so that no more flies can enter the meat section. Co added that the meat market has 77 stalls, five (5) standby power generators and cutters. It also has freezers and grinders donated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under the agency's shared service facility program that can be used by meat retailers. Through this fully air-conditioned meat section, Co said he hopes th...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 9--- The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP-9) gives great importance in recognizing the rights of possession and ownership of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in their ancestral domains that have been identified and delineated according to the law. In the ZDS Online News interview with Julius Mabini, the recently appointed regional director of NCIP-9 who replaced Marita Minao, revealed that he will fully implement the programs, activities and projects (PAPs) of their office. It can be recalled that Mabini, the former NCIP provincial director assumed as the new OIC-Regional Director after he was appointed by Chairperson Jenifer Pia Sibug-las on December 20, 2023 to manage the affairs of NCIP-9. Mabini said that he will also implement Indigenous Representation in the Local Legislative Council (LLCs) so that the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) have the right to fully participate in decision-mak...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 7--- The Tzu Chi Foundation, a humanitarian and non-government organization in Zamboanga City in collaboration with the Zamboanga City Medical Center Physical and Rehabilitation Department,   Provincial Disability Affairs Office (PDAO)   and Zamboanga del Sur Athletes with Disabilities Association conducted recently a Jaipur Foot Camp with the theme “Bag-ong Tuig, Bag-ong Tiil: Bag-ong Pag-asa”. Miriam Llanos, the provincial head of PDAO said that of the 120 total number of registered persons with orthopedic impairments, only 97 of them are eligible to avail of the program. The beneficiaries, some of whom were born without legs and others lost one or two legs due to illness or accident, were attended by dedicated Tzu Chi volunteers in the casting of limbs for eventual production of their prosthetic limbs. In the near future, these individuals will regain the ability to walk and bring a transformative impact on their lives. ...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 6--- The local government unit (LGU) of Pagadian City has prepared the line up of activities for the Pasalamat Festival 2024 which is celebrated on the third Sunday of January every year. Mayor Samuel Co said that he has approved the budget for the Pasalamat Festival so that all the activities of the celebration will be fully implemented. "I have already released the consolation prize to the contingents so that they can use it to buy their costumes and props," Co happily announced. Co said that the most awaited Pasalamat Street Dance and Ritual Competition 2024 is expected to happen on Sunday, January 21 and it will be participated by 14 contingents. "This year, the steering committee has reduced to 14 from the 16 contingents of the past year that will participate so that the performance of the contingents will not be delayed," Co explained. In a week-long celebration, Co said that the steering committee also ap...

By Gideon C. Corgue PAGADIAN CITY, January 3--- About P18.32 million has been released by the Social Security System (SSS), Pagadian branch of the Pension Loan Program (PLP) to 4 97 senior citizens in Pagadian City and Zamboanga del Sur. In a recent media forum, Edwin Remoto, the branch head, announced that several SSS members who are 80 years old and below, have availed of the PLP in their office from January to October 2023. “These pension loans have helped the retirees meet their daily expenses, alleviate financial concerns and provide them funds for business, and other projects,” Remoto said. Remoto added that the total number of loan applicants who have availed of the PLP are only based on their record as of October 2023. He further sa i d that with the implementation of the online application, it will be difficult for them to monitor the number of applicants and the total amount availed by the applicants because they can no longer read the data base. "The data ...