| The Negros Consolidated Farmers Association and the Sugar Industry Foundation Inc. conducted a medical mission in Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City , Negros Occidental, recently, a SIFI press release said.
The mission was headed by COFA board member and Brgy. Ma-ao Kagawad Federico Matti and assisted by Reuben Tabujara, other SIFI members, and barangay nurses and health workers Cecile Larapan. Memia Perocho and Elena Cortez, with Bago City Health Office head nurse Alicia Teodoro, the press release said.
A total of 247 sugar worker beneficiaries were served, 185 availed of medical services, and 62 of free dental extractions, the press release said.
Doctors who rendered services were Anna Ma. Laarni Pornan, Rochelle Calleja, Marites Gariel, Cherryl Amar, Lunnie Sison, Rowel Jerzon, Marnie Chu, Izyl Iso, Ma. Lourdes Colitis, Janus Macainan, and Mario and Tina Oliveros, the press release added.*
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SMART conducts promo
Wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. gave over half a million pesos in prizes in its SMART Money MasterCard Merchant promo for Money Merchant establishments, which ran from June 21 to Aug. 24, last year, a press release from organizers said.
Smart Money cardholders won weekly prizes of P1,000, monthly prizes of P5,000 and a grand prize of P500,000 by using SMART Money in any merchant establishment accepting MasterCard transactions.
Home-partner merchants, or the merchant establishments where the winning SMART Money transaction transpired, also received an equivalent cash prize, the press release said.
Along with Smart Money issuer bank Banco De Oro and under the supervision of a representative from the Department of Trade and Industry, SMART picked the lucky SMART Money cardholders for the grand draw.
Winners were SM Department Store Sta. Rosa Laguna, SM Department Store Fairview, and Topshop Rockwell. Their corresponding SMART Money cardholders were Rizza Zamora, Elaine Valencia, and Rhoda Yap, respectively.
SMART Money is a secure, re-loadable electronic cash card that can be linked to a mobile phone. Through the card, a SMART subscriber can conveniently pay bills, transfer funds to another SMART Money card, do balance account checks, change PINs and even lock or unlock the card from the SMART Money menu in the mobile phone, the press release said.
SMART Money won the 2001 3GSM Award for "Most Innovative GSM Wireless Service for Customers. It was also cited as the "Best Product Innovation" award at the MasterCard Marketing Awards in Australia, the press release added.*
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Chinese lantern street-dancing
slated for Bacolaodiat Festival
The 2008 Bacolaodiat Festival will stage the first Chinese Lantern Street-Dancing on February 9, a City Hall press release said.
The program will kick off at 6 p.m. with the 6 th Street Festival Site as the first performance area, and the second at Lacson Street in front of the PNB.
The Lacson strip will again be closed for the event.
The Chinese Lantern Street-Dancing is an open competition for various private and public schools (secondary and college level), barangays, cities and municipalities.
The participating team or group composed of 20 to 30 dancers will be competing in terms of lantern design and choreography on the theme: "Strength in Unity, the merging of 2 cultures”, the press release said.
Cash prizes are P70,000 for the champion, P50,000 for the 2 nd prize, P30,000 for the 3 rd prize, and P5,000 for minor prizes.
The business sector and commercial establishments are invited to sponsor a competing group with a financial assistance of P25,000 to help in the expenses, the press release said.
There will be a choreographers' workshop under Panoy Cabalcar on Jan 12 to 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 3 rd floor of the Amity Building , Hilado Street , Bacolod City.
For inquiries, interested parties may call up the Amity Secretariat Office at Tel. Nos. 7096161 and 4322161, the press release added.*
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JJS students win
in writing contest
A student of Jack & Jill School in Homesite, Bacolod City , won in the 2008 DepEd Regional Schools Press Conference held at Punta Villa, Iloilo City Monday and yesterday, a press release from the school said.
Juan Paulo Guatelara, a Grade 6 pupil, won first place in sports writing (English) and ninth place in editorial writing (English).
He is the associate editor of the Up The Hill and recipient of the 2007 Department of Education Golden Pen Awards for garnering first place in sports writing and first place editorial writing, the press release said.
Other winners who, with Guatelara, qualified for the national level to be held in Davao next month are Sofia Isabelle Ortiz, 2 nd place - photojournalism (English); Hanz Parel II, 2 nd place - editorial writing (Filipino); Joebert Jongoy - 9 th place - feature writing (Filipino) and Michelle Mopada - runner-up - sports writing (Filipino).
Meanwhile, the school is among to the Top 5 Best Performing School in Campus Journalism in Western Visayas . School paper adviser is Rhazel Mengullo, and Ruth Coronado is academic coordinator, the press release added.*
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SMART conducts promo