CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija -- The budgets of 10 provincial government-run hospitals in Nueva Ecija were slashed by some P20 million in the proposed 2011 annual budget submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
The overall budget of the ELJMH was reduced to P69.3 million from the 2010 budget of P69.79 million. Benefits for its health workers were also reduced from P4 million in 2010 to only P2 million in 2011.
The SJCGH was allocated P44.37 million as its 2011 budget, up from P43.1 million for 2010. However, its benefits for health workers were reduced by P1.3 million from P2.68 million in 2010 to P1.38 million next year.
The budget of the BDH, on the other hand, dipped to P27.04 million, some P808,114 less than the 2010 budget of P27.85 million. Benefits of health workers were also reduced by P1 million.
The GDH, Guimba DH and SADH all were allocated higher overall budgets but benefits for health workers and hazard pay were pruned down from a minimum of P500,000 to P2 million.
The SDDH’s overall budget was also brought down to P5.67 million some P433,000 less than the current operating budget of P5.36 million.
The aggregate overall budgets of the CMCH, the GMCH and the GTCH shrunk by P985,227. Their respective allocations for health worker benefits and hazard pay also went down by an identical P300,000 each and P700,000 each, respectively.
Governor Eduardo Umali, in his budget message to the SP, earlier said the proposed 2011 budget will be highlighted by the “substantial commitment” of funds for programs, projects and activities of the various sectors in the province.
He said this is line with the e provincial government’s desire to make the budget an “instrument for the economic and social upliftment” of the province. (PNA)
On average, a female carabao lactates for 10 months, followed by two months when she is dry.
And for Leoncio Callo, 49, the drought came at a crucial time. "Five of my cows simultaneously stopped producing milk, so my son was forced to quit college this semester for the time being, for lack of money," he says. "He’s helping with farm work now."
"We had money for tuition but not for his daily transportation and allowance," he adds. "I’ve been milking cows continuously for five years each and every day, and this is the first time that they went dry all at the same time."
There were hard times before when tuition money was needed and he was forced to sell even a female calf, which is highly valued for its potential milk. A five-month-old female is easy to sell, he says, even at P15,000, compared with a male of the same age which goes for P10,000.
This time, the only calf in the farm is too young to sell.
He was born with just one leg and a whole lot of groove. Elie Cutaran, a 16-year-old dancer from barangay Concepcion, Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, wows the local crowd with sick dance moves and dizzying triple back flips.
The youngest of six children, Elie was born without a left leg. But with determination and strong support from his parents, he was able to move past his disability to pursue his love for dancing.
SCIENCE CITY OF MUNOZ,Nueva Ecija, Nov. 19 (PNA) -- New rice facilities that aimed to increase efficiency and productivity of the government’s leading rice research agency is now operational.
The International Training Center, National Center, National Rice Seed Buffer Stock Warehouse and Farm Operations and Machinery Center were formally opened during the recent silver anniversary celebration of the Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice) here.
The launching was led by Sen. Francis Pangilinan.
The International Training Center was renovated with 48 redesigned rooms equipped with flat TVs, comfort area and air-conditioning unit.
The National Buffer Stock Seed Warehouse, on the other hand, will be used to house a safety stock of rice seeds in reserve against the risk of stock shortage.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture’s Rice Program, the warehouse has a total floor area of 1260 square meters (30 m x 42 m) and can store 10,000 sacks of rice at 40 kg/bag.
Established at PhilRice stations in Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Negros, Agusan and Midsayap, the warehouse aims to increase the access of growers and farmers on seeds, particularly in times of natural calamities.
PhilRice also opened the Farm Operations and Machinery Center which was built to house and store farm machines and equipment of the Farm Operations and Mechanization Unit.
The center will mechanize seed production farm operations and research.
With a total area of 647 square meters, the center will house various machinery including land preparation equipment, hauling trucks, tractors and trailers.
CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Nov. 14 (PNA) - The election gun ban has lapsed but the intensified drive against loose firearms will continue in the province.
Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, director of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office (NEPPO) issued this warning following the arrest of a businessman who was found possessing a .45 cal. pistol with several rounds of live ammunition, magazines and silencers and bullets for M-16 Armalite rifle Thursday morning.
Aliggayu identified the suspect as Danilo Bautista, 54, a resident of Barangay Luna, Santa Rosa town.
There are certain dishes you could gladly eat all your life, but there are some that could make you feel a wave of nostalgia at first bite.
For actor and former senator Tito Sotto, nibbling on bite-size squares of bukayo pleasantly reminds him of the summer afternoons he spent in his grandfather’s ancestral house in Nueva Ecija. And as the former senator mused about his fondest memories of the province, the members of media were treated to a quick culinary trip to Central Luzon through a silver tier of Nueva Ecija’s native delicatessens during the monthly Filipino afternoon tea at the lobby of Manila Hotel.
Gunmen shot dead yesterday morning the incumbent vice mayor of a Nueva Ecija town, the latest of the spate of killings involving government officials in the country in this month alone.
Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Licab, Nueva Ecija Vice Mayor Luisito Caraang died in a nearby hospital after sustaining at least two bullet wounds.
Caraang was reportedly jogging at the vicinity of Barangay San Casimiro at around 5 a.m. when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him from behind.
Cruz said investigation is still being conducted to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators.
Barangay officials were urged on Monday to properly turn over possession of guns to their respective successors or have their registration renewed to avoid “police actions.”
Sr. Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, director of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office (NEPPO), said incumbent barangay heads who are leaving positions after the barangay elections should have the short certificate of registration duly accomplished in favor of their successors while reelected ones must renew their licenses.
Talking about Nueva Ecija, what usually comes to mind are thoughts of the rice granary of the Philippines, the thousands of hectares devoted to the raising of palay, the rich cultural heritage the province has handed to the present being the cradle of heroes and the birthplace of historians, writers, poets and educators. But there are more to Nueva Ecija than the above-mentioned characteristics.
As the cradle of heroes, Nueva Ecija is linked to the historical events that led to the founding of the First Republic of the Philippines. General Mariano Llanera of Cabiao immediately responded to Andres Bonifacio’s call to rise against the Spaniards by besieging Factoria, the more popular name then of San Isidro, at that time the capital of Nueva Ecija, on Sept. 2 to 3, 1896. This was the "First Cry of Nueva Ecija." Other Novo Ecijanos joined the revolutionary ranks such as Generals Mamerto Natividad, Jr. of Cabiao, Manuel Tinio of Aliaga and Pablo Padilla of Peñaranda. General Emilio Aguinaldo subsequently honored Nueva Ecija as one of the eight rays of the Philippine Flag, symbolizing the first eight provinces that revolted against Spanish rule.
In the intellectual and cultural arena, Nueva Ecija occupies a prominent place. Its sons rank among the country’s intellectual elite, among them: Epifanio delos Santos, writer and literary genius; Sedfrey A. Ordonez, statesman and poet; Lazaro Francisco, novelist; Paz Policarpio-Mendez, educator; Leopoldo Serrano, writer and historian; Gaudencio Antonio, senator; and Ponciano B.P. Pineda, linguist and Tagalog poet.
Nueva Ecija is also blessed with illustrious and prominent political figures who contributed to the growth and prosperity of the province. There was, again, Epifanio C. delos Santos, the first governor of the province during the onset of the American colonial administration; Isauro Gabaldon, and Hermogenes Concepcion, Sr. who, in their respective terms represented Nueva Ecija admirably in the Philippine Senate. Other governors with equal records of contributions to making what Nueva Ecija is today include General Manuel Tinio, Leopoldo D. Diaz, Amado Q. Aleta and Eduardo L. Joson. Their dedication and patriotism made history for Nueva Ecija in the political arena. Their strong and visionary leadership was a significant factor in their governance of the province, thus spurring its unprecedented economic development.
In tourism, God has richly endowed Nueva Ecija with magnificent and varied scenery that constitute its tourist attractions. Sightseers do appreciate the natural scenic spots such as the Minalungao National Park in Gapan and General Tinio, which is a large forested area along the Sierra Madre mountain range with its stiff ravine and rock formations placing the park in the tourism map of the country. There is also the cool climate in Barrio Puncan in Carrangalan. For such, Puncan has earned the name of "Little Baguio" of Nueva Ecija for its cool breeze, the fresh atmosphere and the scent of pine trees in the air.
Other places to see or to enjoy that may compare with the wonders of the country are: Fort Magsaysay, home of the Philippine Army Training Command in Palayan City, which has become a popular tourist destination area of World War II veterans and their families; Camp Pangatian Shrine in Cabanatuan City; the phenomenal Pantabangan Dam; the big pasture lands of Laur and Rizal; and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), in the Science City of Muñoz, considered one of the best and most scenic agricultural institutions in the country, definitely Nueva Ecija’s pride. The CLSU campus is a landscape of full-grown, shady trees, a sight to behold indeed. It beckons all to come, see and study at the CLSU.
Another memorable historical spot is the monument dedicated to General Antonio Luna seen poised atop his horse on the very place where he was assassinated in Cabanatuan City. Though not a Novo Ecijano, Nueva Ecija has formally adopted him as one of its illustrious sons.
Palayan City, the present capital of Nueva Ecija, with its new, modern and beautiful capitol building plus the exotic campsites of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines are worthwhile visiting. Then there is the beautiful and only rubber dam in Llanera, the first and largest rubber dam in the Philippines.
Finally, one cannot avoid mentioning Nueva Ecija without touching the Nueva Ecija High School (NEHS), which began in San Isidro as the Wright Institute in 1904-1905. It was later transferred to Cabanatuan City in June 1927 built in the style of Gabaldon- type high schools all over the country. From it have graduated the provinces’ "Hall of Fame" (Bulwagan ng Dangal) and "Most Distinguished Alumni" honorees, conferred by the Nueva Ecija High School Alumni Association, Inc. (NEHSAA) the association of Sedfrey A. Ordonez, Consuelo Villamor-Asis, Guillermo A. Pecache, Pedro O. Sanvicente, Paterno V. Viloria, Damiana L. Eugenio, Saturnino A. Abesamis, Rafael M. Ileto, Luis T. Santos, Melencio S. Magno, Felipe A. Estrella, Julieta R. Jalbuena, Florino A. Francisco, and Pacifico M. Fajardo to mention a few. They contributed immensely to the honor and prestige not only of their Alma Mater, but also of Nueva Ecija and the Philippines.
"WOW! Nueva Ecija" exactly expressed the A-1 distinction of the provinces’ sceneries, sound financial resources, dedicated provincial, city, municipal, and barangay leaders, educational institutions, and the cradle of noble heroes, historians, scientists and writers. In a few words, it is a glorious and wonderful province.
CABANATUAN CITY, Nov. 8 (PNA) -– Governor Aurelio Matias Umali is opposing the city’s bid for a highly urbanized city (HUC) status, saying it is not yet ready for a change in status.
“I am against its bid to become a highly urbanized city,” Umali said in response to the early HUC bid of the city under Mayor Julius Cesar “Jay” Vergara.
“I think that as of now, Cabanatuan cannot still stand on its own that’s why we are against its conversion into a HUC,” Umali said, adding that he was never consulted by the mayor about this move.
Umali, however, would not specifically state whether he would wage a campaign against the city’s bid to attain HUC in the manner that the Josons did in 1997 when the issue was presented to the city’s residents in a plebiscite called for the purpose.
The governor regards Cabanatuan as still very much a part of Nueva Ecija, which is its “Big Brother.”
In the 1997 plebiscite convoked by the Commission on Elections called for by President Fidel V. Ramos in Proclamation No. 969, dated Feb. 13, 1997, the anti-HUC votes prevailed.
Once the city gains HUC status, the city’s voters – numbering about 200,000 – will no longer vote for governor and other provincial officials in succeeding elections and shall be independent from the province where resolutions and ordinances approved by the city’s Sanggunian would no longer be presented to the provincial SP for review.
The city would have its own representative in congress.
Mayor Vergara earlier stated, “We have had enough politics for the past 60 years. We are the first municipality in Central Luzon to have gained city status, but we still dwell in the cellar of inactivity. It is about time we get down to thinking about raising the economic stature of Cabanatuan. All these we can do by being independent, free from political interference of self-serving politicians who treat us as pawns for their political pursuits instead of as partners for growth, progress and development.”
“If we push for either having a lone congressional district, or an HUC status, we get to have congressional representation and for which the priority development assistance funds or ‘pork barrel,’ that go with it would surely go a long way towards maximizing economic development and over-all growth not only in Cabanatuan but spread throughout Nueva Ecija,” the mayor rationalized.
He also said he will present the matter of the city’s status to the city’s inhabitants in public consultations such as this present seminar conference. (PNA) LDV/zst/MCV/ps
Nueva Ecija is considered the main rice growing province of the Philippines and the leading producer of onions in the Municipality of Bongabon in South East Asia.
Major Industries:
Nueva Ecija is one of the top producers of agricultural products in the country. Its principal crops is mainly rice but corn and onion are also produced in quantity. The province is often referred to as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines.” Other major crops are onion, mango, calamansi (calamondin orange), banana, garlic, and vegetables. The town of Bongabon at the eastern part of the province at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains and its neighbouring Laur and Rizal are the major producers of onion and garlic. Bongabon is called the "onion capital of the country".
Education is very well established as a major industry in the province. The leading educational institutions are the Central Luzon State University in Munoz and Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Wesleyan University-Philippines, La Fortuna College and Araullio University in Cabanatuan. There are 18 tertiary level institutions in Cabanatuan City alone.
Health services is also a notable industry and a number of hospitals cater to patients from within Nueva Ecija and some coming from neighbouring provinces. There are also a number of schools of nursing and midwifery, mostly in Cabanatuan.
There are poultry farms in a number of towns, most notably, the Lorenzo poultry farms in San Isidro which is one of the largest in the country. Duck raising and egg production is also an important livelihood. Fishponds are unevenly distributed throughout the province but the largest concentrations are in San Antonio, Santa Rosa, and Cuyapo.
Fabrication of tricycle "sidecars" is widespread in the province, notably in Santa Rosa, where prices are as low as PhP 7,000 which is practically the cheapest in the country.
Several areas have mineral deposits. Copper and manganese have been found in General Tinio, Carranglan, and Pantabangan. The upper reaches of Carranglan and Palayan City are said to contain gold.
In June 2008, it has also received the title: "Milk Capital of the Philippines" due to the reason that Nueva Ecija gathers more milk from both cows and carabaos or water buffaloes than any other place in the Philippines. The Philippine Carabao Center is located in CLSU compound in Munoz City.
Nueva Ecija ("New Écija") was settled in the last century by thousands of migrants from adjoining provinces such as Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Pangasinan, and Ilocos. Today Novoecijanos are descendants of these settlers and many still hold on to folk traditions that trace their ancestry to other provinces. About 77% of the people speak Tagalog as their first language. Much of the remainder are Kapampangan, Pangasinan, and Ilocano-speakers and they are concentrated in the cities and towns of the south and north,. There are small communities of Ilongots along the Caraballo and Sierra Madre Range as well as Agtas or Negritos.
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City. Nueva Ecija borders, from the south clockwise, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Aurora.
Nueva Ecija was created as a military comandancia in 1777 byGovernor General Clavería, with the capital, Josean at Baler (now part of Aurora). It was formerly part of the province of Pampanga. From its humble beginning, its land area grew to cover almost the entire island of Luzon. Spanish Records in the Philippines recognizes 2 Spanish countries in the Pacific-- Las Islas Filipinas and Nueva Écija. Poverty was the only reason why Nueva Ecija was not given recognition as a separate country from the Philippines by the King of Spain in 1840s. From 1777 to 1917, Nueva Ecija's territory was however subdivided to give way to the creation of other provinces. The Province of Tayabas (now Aurora and Quezon) including Polillo Islands, the provinces of Palanan (now Isabela), Cagayan, the province of Nueva Vizcaya, the territory which became part of the Province of Quirino, and the province of Manila north of the province of Tondo in 1867, and the District of Morong (now Rizal) were among those created out of Nueva Ecija.
