PILOT AREA -- The Department of Information and Communications Technology led by USec Denis Villorente (9th from l), National Transmission Corporation represented by  Prof. Rowaldo Del Mundo (6th from l) and Benguet Electric Cooperative headed by GM Gerardo Versoza (11th from l) together with other national and local officials signed a memorandum of agreement for the implementation of the National Broadband Plan pilot project in Baguio City and Benguet on Jan. 8 at the Beneco Dumol  Hall, South Drive, Baguio City.
-- Gloria Diane Rojas

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN -- With talks on the establishment of a development authority for Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay, one of targets is to strengthen mechanisms in protecting the environment, which is a common concern among the said local government units. One advantage of having a governing body is a shared focus in preserving and even rejuvenating communal assets of the BLISTT such as the once pristine Balili River. -- Ofelia Empian

GIVE LIFE -- The Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province lauds the 13 blood donation support groups from the provinces of Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra that produced 615 blood units in 2018, in support of the Department of Health’s campaign of providing safe and sufficient blood supply, all coming from voluntary blood donors by 2020. -- Coney Nibaten

OPEN STAGE FOR IBALOYS -- The first phase of the open stage at the Ibaloy Heritage Garden at Burnham Park was inaugurated on Jan. 11 with Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Rep. Mark Go gracing the occasion. Also present during the ribbon cutting rites were officers of the Onjon Ni Ivadoy led by its president Franklin Cocoy and Board of Advisers Chair Atty. Moises Cating, Midland Courier Publisher Gloria Antoinette Hamada, and Emmy Hamada, among others. -- Mark Hamada

FARMERS’ TRAINING -- Farmer beneficiaries from Tuba, Benguet graduated from the Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan Farmers Training Program of SM Foundation, in partnership with Harbest Agri-Business, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The beneficiaries are with SM Foundation Asst. VP Cristie Angeles, SM Baguio officials, Tuba officials headed by Mayor Ignacio Rivera and other partners during their graduation ceremony at the SM Atrium last Jan. 11. -- Lito Dar

READY FOR BATTLE -- ONE lightweight contender Honorio Banario is set to face Lowen Tynanes in one of the main cards of ONE: Hero’s Ascent at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan. 25. Tynanes once defeated ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang. -- ONE photo