MANILA, May 1, 2010-Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon and Chair of the CBCP's Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) has called on the young people to volunteer and join poll-related projects this election.

MANILA, April 29, 2010-Lay missionary organization Couples for Christ (CFC) clarified that it will not engaged in partisan politics. Bro. Jose Tale, CFC President made the statement Thursday to erase any perception that one of the Catholic Church's biggest lay group is backing a presidentiable or any candidate.

In his twenties, Ronilo, who requested that his name be withheld for fear of reprisal, is one of the approximately 17,600 long-time contractual employees of Dole Philippines in Cotabato, southern Philippines. Dolefil is a subsidiary of the profitable global giant Dole Food company, but Ronilo only gets the minimum wage amounting to P245 ($5.526 at the current exchange rate of $1=P44.33) a day if he makes the company quota.

"Truth is stranger than fiction," the saying goes. And it's certainly not mere coincidence that our outgoing Supreme Court Chief Justice Puno, as in "tree" or maybe "full," is crowning the apex of his most distinguished career on the bench with the Writ of Kalikasan (nature).

Poll surveys on the presidential race by Pulse Asia and Social Weather Station have been generating a lot of controversy. This came to a head when Sen. Richard Gordon sued Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Station (SWS) for damages amounting to P600,000 and filed a petition for a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to prevent the release of pre-election surveys until the case is resolved.

With Ako Bicol party list now in the top three party lists according to the recent Business world and Social Weather Station surveys it seems that its tactic to distance itself from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo worked. But as it is many Bikolanos know that AKB is nothing but a dummy party list of Malacañang and it is better called Gloria Bicol party list. It will represent Gloria in Congress and not marginalized Bikolanos. Ako Bicol is composed of contractors and close Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo associate and businessman Elizalde Co is their chairman. Co is the biggest contractor in the region and is being linked to the killing of jueteng whistle blower Boy Mayor.

Every 3rd of May, since 1993, we celebrate World Press Freedom Day. For this year in which we will be holding the National and Local Elections, our celebration of WPFD gains greater significance for our nation's political life as it underscores the link that access to accurate and fair information has with democratic governance.

The Magna Carta of Women ensures equal access and elimination of discrimination in education, scholarships and training. To this end, the state shall remove gender stereotypes and images in educational materials and curricula. Textbooks at all levels of school should be free from gender stereotyping like for instance a father is portrayed as working in an office and a mother staying at home to clean. Or a husband reading newspaper while waiting for his wife to prepare food and fix the table. Or "ate" washes the dishes while "kuya" plays basketball. Pictures in school materials should go beyond traditional gender labels like a nurse represented as a woman while an engineer as man, or a teacher as female while a doctor as male.

MASBATE CITY, April 29 -- At least 2,000 soldiers assigned in the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army cast their votes for their preferred national candidates during the three-day local absentee voting which started Thursday in various designated camps around Bikol Region, a military officer said.

Legazpi City (29 April) -- Member-consumers of the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO) expressed a sigh of relief after the local electric cooperative was successful in getting a bilateral agreement with Aboitiz Power Renewable's Inc. to supply cheap electricity in the province.