Zamboanga City Congressman Erbie A. Fabian has proposed the creation of a Congressional Commission on Health Human resources to address the current "health crisis" confronting the country caused by the continuous exodus of Filipino nurses and doctors abroad.

Rep. Fabian''s proposal contained in a privilege speech he delivered in Congress last Monday in which he warned that this health crisis will worsen in the future if no decisive action is taken today.

Mayor Celso Lobregat unveiled yesterday a P5 million project for the development of six more watersheds in the city to sustain the city''s growing need for water.

P2 million will be provided by the city government. The rest will come from two other sources: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will help in the realization of the project to the tune of P2 million. Congressman Erbie A. Fabian will chip in P1 million from his congressional funds.

The Philippines was ahead in agricultural technology twenty (20) years ago versus our neighboring Asian countries.

But accordingly our country is now behind by twenty (20) years in agriculture compared with other Asian countries, a lecturer during the vegetable and fruit congress admitted few months ago at Grand Astoria Hotel when said congress was held.

Mayor Celso L. Lobregat is set to issue an executive order imposing liquor ban in all private and public cemeteries during the observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. said the mayor will also issue another executive order authorizing the City Police Office to adopt a traffic re-routing scheme in the different major roads and streets from 6 a.m. of Nov. 1 to 8 a.m. of Nov. 2.

For the period January to September, 2004, the regional office of the Department of Budget and Management released an aggregate of P11,833,720.313 to the local government units and national government agencies under its coverage.

DBM Regional Director Gerardo F. Concepcion Jr. revealed it in the monthly report to DBM Secretary Emilia T. Boncodin. The gist of the report is as follows:

Southern Command Chief Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga has assured the people of Mindanao that troops under him remain focused on their tasks and responsibility in protecting the people.

The assurance was made amid speculations that some disgruntled young officers are plotting to stage a mutiny in the wake of recent scandals that rocked the AFP.

The main topic for discussion in Davao City during the Fruit Industry Confab scheduled on October 26, to 27, 2004 will be zeroing on quality of fruit production instead of technology transfer.

But the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics projects a supply deficit of at least 20,000 metric tons this year and the incoming year of banana production due to meager resources and “limited access to technology” as reported in the local dailies dated October 23, 2004.

The municipal council of Lamitan, Basilan yesterday approved the 20% development fund in the internal revenue allotment (IRA) amounting to P10.2 million to finance infrastructure projects, health, education and social services.

The executive budget was prepared and submitted by the local finance committee for fiscal year 2005. Lamitan, with 45 barangays, has a proposed budget of P61,108,200 for next year.

Mayor Celso Lobregat led some 700 barangay officials from all over Zamboanga peninsula who converged here yesterday for a two-day lecture seminar on the new procurement law.

"We acknowledge the difficulty of implementing the new procurement law," Lobregat admitted, adding that education of barangay officilas on the procedures of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) is relevant.

The Bureau of Internal District Office exceeded its revenue target collection for the month of September in the amount of P666,357.20 or .86 percent. The total collection for September is P77,348,357.20 as compared to the target of P76,682,000.

BIR District Officer Cresencio Agad said that the collection for the month of September last year was only P68,728,491.74.

The success of agriculture is measured on how small-time farmers utilized the available land resources to the maximum, using the correct farming methods that would make them progressive and contribute to the agricultural productivity of the country.

Except for rice and corn the reason why the Philippines is behind by twenty (20) years in agriculture compared with Asian neighbors is because of the dismal failure of our farmers to learn and apply the proper way of planting even ordinary crops like bananas, fruit trees, vegetables and other agricultural crops.

The City Council has urged the City Treasurer''s Office to levy all properties of residents that are delinquent in the payment of real property tax as a means to collect more taxes for the city government.

The Council recently passed a resolution reminding City Treasurer Soledad Li that she is authorized to levy properties that are in arrears in the payment of taxes.

The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) will field teams of electricians to include those from the private sector to check on electric meters in industrial and commercial establishments in the city.

Zamcelco President Miguel Apostol said the teams will be able to check illegal connections or the use of "jumpers" to avoid counting electricity channeled to the establishments.

The City Veterinarian''s Office has renewed the anti-rabies campaign in several selected barangays in the city.

This developed as five rabies cases due to dogbites were registered at Sta. Catalina just recently.

The line caught my attention immediately. I then wrote it somewhere so I could quote it correctly but as happens so often these days (age catching up!) I cannot find the quotation. Anyway, it went something like this: We see in the lives of others our deepest aspirations and strongest desires.

The line describes accurately what I feel when I read about the lives of some people, especially those who are still alive. Of course I have never met these people and my assessment of them comes simply from what I read about them and how they have been recognized by other groups. There are some ethical questions about human cloning but if the guidelines are ever finalized I hope exceptions will be made so that these outstanding people can be cloned and thereby the quality of the human race can go up a notch or two.