by Juliet Saley

TADIAN, Mt. Province- For the benefit of their future children, couples planning to get married here have to plant at least 10 trees first.

In its effort to protect its environment, the town officials enacted an ordinance requiring applicants for marriage license to plant at least five tree seedlings each before their marriage license shall be released by the municipal registrar.

The barangay captain of the home barangay of either of the couple applicants if both are residents of the municipality, will issue a certificate of compliance. In case only one of the couple applicants is a resident of the town, then the barangay chairman of the resident of the municipality shall issue the certificate of compliance.
The barangay chairman will be held liable if he issues fraudulent certificate of compliance.


Violation to this ordinance shall be fined P500 and repetition of the same shall be the basis of filing an administrative case against the barangay chairman who issued a fraudulent certificate of compliance.

To guarantee the realization of this program, the barangays shall make sure the availability of tree seedlings in their respective nurseries. The barangay government may collect reasonable seeding fees to the applicants. They will also make an appropriate policy to ensure the growth and sustenance of the planted trees.*(JDP/JBS-PIA CAR,Mt. Province)

Yes, insanity can be treated through the Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)!

The idea of the use of electricity to cure insanity all came when fish was discovered to cure headache way back in the 1500’s.  In a study conducted by Italian scientists Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini in 1939, they successfully treated a man who suffered from schizophrenia. (Schizophrenia is a mental illness in which the person suffers from distorted thinking, hallucinations and reduced ability to feel normal emotions.) The patient fully recovered after undergoing a total of 11 treatments.

The success of Cerleti and Bini’s study led to the widespread use of Electroconvulsive Therapy as a cure to insanity in the 1940’s and the 1950’s. Doctors then used high voltage of electric currents and patients were not given anesthesia at all. With the high voltage of electric currents exceeding the level the body can tolerate, the body cannot tolerate, the procedure resulted to a painful treatment and even to the breakage of bones.

ECT came to its notoriety when doctors and nurses used electricity to punish unruly patients. This horrifying act was many times depicted in the fictional film, “One flew over the Cuckoo’s News” where the nursing assistant punishes the patient with electroshock therapy everytime he gets unruly and in trouble with the assistant.

The use of the ECT declined when drugs were discovered in the late 1950’s and the early 1960′w. Today, ECT has made a comeback but unlike in the past, has undergone developments and is made less painful. Like any other medical treatments, patients are first screened by a psychiatrist if they are candidates for an ECT treatment. Patients are given anesthesia and muscle relaxant for them to feel less pain.

There are two types of modern-day ECT, the unilateral and the bilateral. In the unilateral, electrodes are attached to only one side of the head while on both sides of the head for bilateral.

Immediate side effects of ECT include headaches, muscle ache, nausea and confusion. These side effects occur after the first few hours of treatment but eventually are calmed and back to normal. Also, some patients may experience memory loss for days, weeks or months. The range of memory loss varies depending on what type of ECT was used. Patients who have undergone the unilateral ECT have reported an immediate recovery than those patients who have undergone the bilateral ECT.
Surprisingly, medical professionals cannot fully explain how the ECT works. They believe the ECT procedure temporarily alters some of the electrochemical processes of the brain.

ECT treatment has gone a long way and has achieved developments: from painful to painless and from a horrifying to a humane treatment. Despite the failure of scientists to explain how ECT fully works, people have found it helpful to ease pains. Surely as scientists continue their studies, ECT will again have innovations to make ECT the safest and the best option to cure insanity.

by Joseph B Zambrano

KABUGAO, Apayao - With expansive roads, this province is ready for an extensive ecological-tourism industry as per assessment of the Department of Tourism (DOT)- Cordillera.

According to DOT regional director  Purarificacion S. Molintas, they evaluated access roads which  significantly had become better in the past years.

Apayao province teems with  eco-tourism potentials like waterfalls, rivers for white water rafting, and virgin forests which should be promoted, Molintas said.

Tourists can access the province through the province of nearby Cagayan which has ports and airports.
Congresswoman Eleanor Bulut-Begtang said there is a need in formulating a tourism master plan that would harness the province’s tourism potentials.

 She said that the master plan is needed to guide actions and set the parameters in the promotion and development of the province’s tourism capabilities.

The provincial tourism council is doing rounds in the different municipalities to determine the extent of development needed in identified potential tourist spots, Begtang said. *(JBZ-PIA CAR) 

by Susan Aro

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet- Banking on its initial impact in decongesting traffic along bottleneck areas in this capital town, the local officials decided to continue the experimental traffic coding scheme.

Mayor Gregorio Abalos Jr issued Executive Order 07-2011 extending the experimental number coding and odd-even scheme pending the enactment of a regulatory ordinance.

The extension was done when there was a noticeable significant improvement in the flow of traffic along critical routes.

As stated in the order, public acceptance and appreciation of the coding scheme was overwhelming during its implementation.

As can be recalled, the scheme was implemented from Kilometer 3 Bell Church to Kilometer 6 Buyagan Road junction from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.


The odd-even scheme will apply to PUVs such as jeepneys and taxi cabs. For PUVs bearing plate numbers ending 1,3,5, and 9, they are only allowed to pass the affected stretch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For PUVs bearing plate numbers ending 2,4,6, and 8, they are only allowed to pass the said stretch every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The scheme for PUVs does not apply on Sundays.

The number coding scheme applies to private vehicles, vans, and one trip a day vehicles bound to other municipalities. Plate numbers ending 1-2, Monday; 3-4, Tuesday; 5-6, Wednesday; 7-8, Thursday, 9-0, Friday.

But there are exemptions to be included as stated in the resolution allowing vehicles loaded with perishable goods on commercial quantity and the granting of ‘window hours.’

Taking advantage of the gains of its implementation, extension of the traffic scheme is commendable, the order states. * (JDP/SCA-PIA CAR, Benguet)

by Gigi Dumallig
TABUK CITY, Kalinga- Mayor Ferdinand Tubban through Executive Order (EO) 2011-09 has declared June 23 and 24, 2011 as non-working holidays in the city to ensure the attendance of all sectors in the celebration of the city’s 4th founding anniversary and 10th Matagoan Festival.


Issued on June 3, 2011, the order mandates the compulsory attendance and participation of all concerned during the events.

The EO states that “to give meaning to the celebration, there is a need to require all sectors, non-government organization, national government agencies in Tabuk City, the academe, barangay officials and their respective constituents to join and participate in the activities.”

With the theme, “Timpuyog ti umili: Pagbiagan ken pagdur-asan(Unity among people: Source of Life and Progress)", among the highlights of this year’s celebration is a culinary festival to showcase the native delicacies, locally produced processed foods, and foods being offered in restaurants in the city.

Spectators will also witness various cultural presentations through the street parade and cultural shows.
Another highlight is the most awaited Matagoan Run where participants will compete in a nine kilometer (5.5 miles) fun run in G-String for men and tapis for women. *(JDP/GGD-PIA CAR, Kalinga)