Taxi drivers as tour-guide
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 6 will start a tour-guiding seminar for taxi drivers Monday next week under the recent memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by DOT, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) regional heads in Western Visayas.
DOT OIC-Regional Director Helen Catalbas said the seminar aimed to get the support of the taxi drivers and operators in promoting tourism industry of Iloilo City and province and the entire Western Visayas. She said that the taxi drivers are the frontliners in the tourism industry and whatever impression they give to their tourist-passengers would be long remembered and told to other people. (PNA)
SME growth ups
Latest survey by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking (PCCR) showed that cities like Cebu increased in competitiveness by 20 percent and Ormoc, 25 percent compared to their 2007 rankings.
The rankings measured the responsiveness of policies and business regulations to business needs of partner cities. Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo lauded the long-term partnership of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), also known as the Germany Agency for International Cooperation. (PNA)
Identify plot mongers
While admitting that no ouster plots are emanating from the ranks of the military, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. urged former Philippine Constabulary chief Major Gen. Ramon Montaño to identify the alleged plotters so that appropriate actions can be taken against them.
Montaño earlier said that some members of the plotters against President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III were associated with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, who is detained for electoral sabotage. (PNA)
Emergency measure
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo on Monday urged all local government units (LGUs)to enact local ordinance which will authorize the adoption and implementation of emergency measures such as pre-emptive or forced evacuation in areas declared to be in imminent danger in times of calamities.
Robredo said provincial governors, city and municipal mayors and punong barangays were mandated under the Local Government Code to carry out the necessary emergency measures during and in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters and calamities. (PNA)
Abalos arraignment deferred
The Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has deferred the arraignment of former Commission on Election (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. on 11 counts of electoral sabotage charges in connection with alleged cheating in the 2007 senatorial elections.
Pasay City RTC Branch 117 Judge Eugenio dela Cruz postponed Abalos arraignment saying he will resolve first his motion for dismissal of the case adding that if he grants the motion, then all the other pending matters before the court will be rendered moot and academic. Dela Cruz said he will render his order on the dismissal motion during the scheduled hearing of the case on Wednesday, March 7. (PNA)
