NEWSBRIEFS

NUEVA ECIJA

Muñoz to host 1st hybrid rice congress

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in the Science City of Muñoz will host public and private players in the hybrid rice industry in the country for the First National Hybrid Rice Congress from April 3-5.

The congress aims to highlight the importance of the hybrid rice industry in the government’s vision of attaining rice sufficiency under its Food Staples Sufficiency Program, said Dr. Eduardo Jimmy Quilang, PhilRice deputy executive director.

Prof. Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice and a 2001 Magsaysay awardee for government service, will keynote the congress.

Also expected to address congress participants are Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.

Quilang said participants are expected to map out a unified direction for the hybrid rice industry during the congress. He said a hybrid rice industry development board would be formed to guide the industry. Anselmo Roque, Inquirer Central Luzon

LAGUNA

Detainees, elderly, poor get gifts from parishioners

Parishioners of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish in Pacita 2 in San Pedro town commemorated Holy Week by sharing gifts of food and toiletries to detainees, the elderly and the poorest of the poor in the community.

Parish organizers, led by Parish Pastoral Council President Porres Lansang, prepared rice, coffee, milk, sugar, biscuits and juices, towels and soap, which they distributed on Holy Wednesday to the elderly at San Pedro Home for the Aged and other beneficiaries. Lansang said the parishioners also prepared breakfast for thousands of churchgoers who went to the dawn Mass on Easter Sunday.

Priests and religious clergy of Laguna also renewed their vows and commitment to the priesthood on Easter Sunday before the newly installed bishop of the diocese, Fr. Buenaventura Famadico. Romulo O. Ponte, Inquirer Southern Luzon

3 suspected thieves slain in shootout

Three suspected thieves were killed in a shootout with policemen in Biñan City early on Tuesday.

Policemen encountered the suspects onboard a tricycle in Barangay (village) San Antonio at around 3 a.m., said Supt. Simnar Gran, Biñan City police chief.

He said the suspects came from the adjacent village of Platero, where they held up a male victim just minutes before the gunfight. “The victim chanced upon the police mobile and sought their help to run after the suspects,” said Gran in a phone interview.

The policemen chased the suspects toward San Antonio, where the suspects allegedly opened fire at the police mobile. Gran said this prompted the policemen to retaliate.

Police identified the slain suspects as Danilo Pertez, Jacob Maningas and Jaypee Villanueva, who suffered multiple bullet wounds to the body.

Recovered from the suspects were revolvers and the bag they allegedly stole from the victim. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon

PANGASINAN

3 drown in beaches on Black Saturday

Three persons drowned on Black Saturday in different Pangasinan beaches, raising to four the number of drowning victims in the province since Maundy Thursday.

Police said two of the incidents happened in San Fabian town, where resorts and a public beach are scattered along its coastline.

Reports said that at 1:20 p.m. on Saturday, Cristy Dion, 39, a resident of Rosales town, was swimming in the waters off Barangay (village) Bolasi when her companions noticed that she disappeared. Rescuers found her dead two hours later near the spot where she was last seen swimming.

Later that day, Eliseo Nagamus drowned in the waters off Barangay (village) Nibaliw Narvarte. Police said Nagamus, 36, a resident of Urdaneta City, may have been drunk when he plunged into the water at 5 p.m.

In Bolinao town, a construction worker from Caloocan City drowned at noon, also on Saturday. Roland Deo, 33, drowned in the waters off Fatima Resort in Barangay Arnedo. He died while being taken to a hospital in the town.

On Maundy Thursday, 7-year-old Juniel Zamora of Antipolo City was the first reported drowning victim in Pangasinan during Holy Week. Zamora was found at about 1 p.m. in Barangay Nibaliw Narvarte, 4 kilometers from where he was last seen swimming with his relatives at 8 a.m. in Nibaliw West. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon