There is no need to be paranoid about the troop deployments in Metro Manila, which are part of precautions being taken to ensure safety and order, particularly in the light of recent poll-related violence.

It is unfortunate that our armed forces are always being cast in a negative light. Our troops include our country's most hardworking and committed men and women.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its field office in Zamboanga City, has released P700,000 worth of relief assistance to families displaced by the ongoing armed conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the province of Sulu,

DSWD Officer-in-Charge Luwalhati F. Pablo said some 8,400 families or 50,400 persons will benefit from the relief assistance which consist of family packs of ready-to-eat-food such as rice, sardines, corned beef, coffee, milk and noodles.

The assistance, released upon the request of DSWD-ARMM which initially assessed the needs of the evacuees, augmented the relief goods provided by DSWD-ARMM amounting to P200, 000 and the local government of Sulu which extended 500 sacks of rice worth P450,000.

"The goods will be channeled through the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Sulu chapter, which will handle the distribution of relief goods to the evacuees in compliance with Comelec Resolution regarding distribution of relief goods during the election period," Pablo explained.

In a related development, DSWD-FO XII (Cotabato City) Regional Director Bai Zorahayda Taha said that to date, the armed conflict which sparked on April 14 between two political groups in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, has displaced 1,374 families or 8,203 individuals.

Six evacuation centers have been set up in Mahad Fort Pikit, Fort Pikit Elementary School, Talitay Elementary School, Inug-ug Elementary School, Inug-ug Barangay Hall, and Mahad Multipurpose Hall located in the nearby town of Pikit, serving about 309 families or 1,846 persons.

On the other hand, 978 families or 5,885 individuals sought temporary refuge with their relatives and friends in neighboring towns.

The evacuees were provided with rice amounting to P250,000 by the local government of Pikit and the UN-World Food Programme.

There is no need to be paranoid about the presence of military troops in Metro Manila.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye assured this today, stressing that the troop deployments are just part of precautions being undertaken to ensure safety and order particularly in the light of recent poll-related violence.

"It is unfortunate that our armed forces are always being cast in a negative light," he said in a statement. "Our troops include our country’ s most hardworking and committed men and women."

Bunye made the assurance in the wake of allegations that Malacanang is expecting political turmoil after the elections.

The increased deployment of troops, according to Sen. Rodolfo Biazon in news reports "is just a preparation for a worst case scenario."

Bunye said that instead of causing undue alarm, critics should instead praise the men and women in uniform who only perform their duties "often at a great personal sacrifice."

"Their deployment in certain areas, rather than being cause for alarm, should be seen as a reassuring part of peacekeeping," he said.

Armed Forces Chief Of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, meanwhile assured that the troop deployments in Metro Manila would be subject to his review and further assessment.

He thanked those who are with the government in its advocacy for educated voters.

CEBU City -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to start construction of the P2.3 billion Cebu North Coastal Road Project (CNCRP) following the groundbreaking rites led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Paknaan, Mandaue City late Friday.

Joining the President in the groundbreaking rites were Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

The CNCRP will stretch through the coastal towns of Mandaue and the towns of Consolacion and Liloan along the western seaboard of the island of Cebu.

To span 9.45 kilometers, the four-lane highway is one of the major development projects in Metro Cebu. It will form an integral part of the overall road network that runs parallel to the existing main north-south line, according to the DPWH.

The project, which is aimed to induce economic development in the area, is composed of two contract packages, the first of which consists of the proposed 1.39-km. Cansaga Bay Bridge that will cost some P1.45 billion.

The bridge will span 684.13 meters while its two "approaches" will have an approximate length of 415.76 meters (first approach) and 294.36 meters (second approach).

The second package will stretch 8.06 kilometers, including the proposed Suba Bridge, the Tayud Underpass, and a pedestrian overpass which will cost some P582 million.