Local contractors have branded as "grossly unfair" and "high handed"

Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority''s policy of screening

Congressman Erbie Fabian yesterday vouched for the integrity of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Regional Director Helen Aguila Flores amidst allegations that some Comelec regional directors were bought during the last election to rig the outcome in favor of some politicians.

"In fairness to the regional director, I believe that she (Flores) was not among those regional directors alleged by Bishop Oscar Cruz to have received payoff in the last election," Fabian said.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office here has fielded its price monitoring teams in the city''s old and Sta. Cruz markets to closely monitor the prices of basic commodities.

DTI Provincial Manager Rolando Acuña said their price monitoring teams have been deployed in the said markets to ensure that businessmen and vendors will not impose unnecessary increase in the prices of basic commodities especially on rice, sugar, coffee, milk and others.

Philippine and Malaysian naval forces kicked off a two-week training exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability, a spokesman for the Philippine Navy said yesterday.

Both sides sent roughly 200 troops each for the joint training, which started Wednesday in the waters of Cebu, Panay, Bohol, and Boracay, Capt. Geronimo Malabanan said.

A whopping P613.6 million: the monetary equivalent of quality public service. Certainly not a small amount,

P613.6 million was remitted by the Philippine Ports Authority in dividend to the national government as of July 18 this year. Said dividend remitted by PPA is equivalent to 50 percent of its net income of the prior year, an important indication that the PPA as a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) is an economic institution that is solidly focused on providing quality public service in parallel with cunning business expertise.

The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 9 through the Special Projects Management and Coordination Section (SProMACS) hosted the 2nd Regional Technical Committee of the Infrastructure for Rural Productivity Enhancement Sector (InfRES), an Asian Development Bank-assisted project which provides infrastructure projects to be implemented by local government units in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

DA Regional Executive Director Oscar Parawan who presided over the meeting described the session as promising and foresees a radical change in the agriculture growth once agri projects under InfRES will be fully implemented.

The problem is not in the form of government but in the system and in President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Thus, Party list Rep. Mujiv Hataman said as he expressed his opposition to the charter change move to shift the form of government from presidential to parliamentary.

Vice Mayor Beng Climaco has suggested that the city government adopts a taxpayer friendly procedure in the issuance of business permits.

At the same time, the vice mayor has called on the barangay sector to help and support the city government in its tax collection effort in order to ensure the implementation of more infrastructure projects and social services.

The management of Ayala plans, the pre-need company of BPI, just recently awarded Venusto "Ven" Anova a certificate of recognition as top business manager of Southern Mindanao region in ICBI growth during its first semester conference held in Davao City on July 13-15, 2005.

Anova attributed the increase in sales to the confidence of Ayala Plans customers "to invest with us because of our stability and fluidity of our trust funds."

Strong winds and heavy heavy rains toppled down trees and branches in

various areas causing power line trip offs last July 23, 24 and 25, 2005.

MediSpa, the skin clinic, spa and salon center, will bring to Zamboanga Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1997 Ms. Abbygale Arenas on July 27-28, 2005 to demonstrate the latest breakthrough in cosmetic make-up technology called Airbrush make-up as well as lecture on "Image Enhancement as well as Personality Development" to Zamboangueños who want to look and feel good or aspire someday to become like her, a beauty queen and a model.

Ms. Arenas was awarded Ms. Photogenic in the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in USA in 1998 and also was crowned Miss Supermodel of the World, Philippines in

The proposed increase of passenger terminal fee in Isabela City from P2 to P5 caught the public in shock during a public hearing last Friday.

Representatives from various sectors who attended the public hearing rejected the proposed 150% increase in passenger terminal fee.