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Petty Officer 1 Efren Nacional, chief master-at-arms of the Philippine Coastguard station here, said the repatriates arrived Friday morning aboard vessel KM Pacific 203 owned by RD Group of Companies, less than a week after they were released from detention in Bitung, North Sulawesi province in Indonesia.

He said among those repatriated was the fishing vessel’s captain, identified as Nicanor Marcellana, who reportedly died earlier while in detention.

Nacional said the other fishing crew members were released to their custody this morning for proper documentation and were later turned over to personnel from the City Social welfare and Development Office.

“They were in good shape and were very grateful that they were able to return home after their ordeal,” he said.

Based on Coast guard’s documentation, the repatriated fishermen were all crew members of F/B Queen Angel, a handline tuna fishing boat reportedly connected to a company owned by businessman Roger Lim.

It said two of the repatriated fishing crew members were only aged 17 and 14 years old.

DAVAO CITY - General Santos City Mayor Darlene Antonio-Custodio has established a special dengue ward in the city's district hospital following the increase in dengue incidents in the city.

Custodio has also identified the city-owned Lagao Gym as possible reserve dengue ward if the number of patients continues to escalate.

"All private hospitals are now fully loaded, leaving no option for other patients but the city hospital, which is already crowded," the mayor said in a statement.

Health officials theorized that the increase in dengue incidents could be attributed to the dramatic change in the region's weather pattern.

Dengue cases used to rise at the onset of the rainy season when disease-carrier mosquitoes, the aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti, are most active, especially after a prolonged dry spell.

Dr. Paulo Pantojan, chief of the Davao Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health, however refuses to declare the rise of dengue incidents as an outbreak.

Health officials are urging residents to clean their surroundings and make sure no stagnant waters are stored where the mosquitoes could lay their eggs.

Koronadal City (PIA 12) -- The National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (NAMRIA), an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is implementing a digital topographic mapping project for Mindanao expected to bring about socio-economic and peace development in the region.

"The project is not only expected to result in socio-economic and peace development in the region but also serves as a commitment for the first 100 days of President Benigno S. Aquino III," DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje said.

Dubbed "Topographic Mapping for Peace and Development in Mindanao," the undertaking is a two-year joint project of Philippine and Japanese governments being financed through a grant of 1 Billion Yen (about PhP 300 million) from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Paje said the project aims to update the 205 topographic base maps covering Mindanao at 1:50,000 scale. The project also aims to provide base data necessary for development planning, infrastructure development, risk reduction and management, and environmental protection of the environment.

Under the project's implementation agreement signed on January 2010, JICA shall dispatch a project team and transfer technology to the Philippines while NAMRIA and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will facilitate the project involvement of other government and non-government organizations.

Paje said that under the project, JICA, who has now set up an office in Mindanao, will subcontract the survey activities to private contractors while NAMRIA will monitor the activities.