Bikol News

Legazpi City – The provincial government of Albay would engage in a jetropa production project in line with the government’s biofuel program, designed to cushion the price hike in fuel and energy brought by the global financial crunch. Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Senator Miguel Zubiri and the University of the Philippines in Los Banos (UPLB) for a joint jetropa plantation project in the province.

Sorsogon City--The provincial government of Sorsogon has started distributing PhilHealth cards to indigents and the underprivileged during the conduct of the Provincial Mobile Services Caravan (PMCS) in Irosin last week. Recipients of the PhilHealth card automatically make them members of the Sponsored Indigent Program (SIP) under the Medicare Para sa Masa Program (MPMP) of the governor, which entitles them to various health benefits. These include primary consultations with general physicians; laboratory services such as chest x-ray, complete blood count and urinalysis; and subsidized hospital services including surgery, room and board.

Donsol, Sorsogon-- Fifty rural women from all over the region together with the Department of Agriculture’s Lady Employees Association (DALEA) officers and members attended the Women’s Day Celebration held recently at Amor Beach Resort in Donsol, Sorsogon. The celebration’s theme was “Babae, yaman ka ng Bayan”. The annual celebration of women’s day recognizes the significant contribution of women to society, culture, business and politics.

With the start of the Balikatan Military Exercises looming, multi-sectoral movements against the Balikatan have stepped up their attacks against the said joint military exercises. According to KARAPATAN-Bikol Paul Vincent Casilihan, the number of human rights violations reported has increased significantly in the weeks preceding the start of Balikatan...

NAGA CITY--They came and burned US flags but something was eerily missing amid the fiery speeches and loud protestations calling for the scrapping of the Visiting Forces agreement, the effigy of the commander in chief of the military troops they would not welcome-— Barack Obama. Thousands of protesters from all over Bikol Region had joined last week’s anti-VFA caravan, which culminated in a big rally in Legazpi City. But lost amid the rally was the littlest mention of Obama, even as the loudspeakers blurted out anti-American sentiments.

MANILA --Dissatisfied with the lawmakers’ handling of the call for agrarian reform, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales is bringing the issue right on President Arroyo’s doorstep. Rosales is seeking a dialogue with Mrs. Arroyo on the issue of extending the life of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which expired last December.

LEGAZPI CIT Y--The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) regional office in Bikol has set March 31, 2009 as deadline for the 1st quarter contribution among individually paying members.

In a consultation-meeting held on February 24, 2009, the NCF administration through its Vice President for Finance, Ms. Emerita V. Padua, announced that the school will have no tuition fee increase for the coming school year 2009-2010.

IRIGA CITY--The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) bestowed the choral group of the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) here with the prestigious “Ani ng Sining” award during the closing rites of the 2009 Philippine International Arts Festival last Feb. 28 at the historic Manila Hotel.

MASBATE CITY--Call it the curious case of Bishop Baylon. Bishop Joel Z. Baylon of the Diocese of Masbate has called for a status quo in the top elective positions in this province come 2010 elections.