MANILA, March 11, 2010-In the face of slowly rising politics in the pulpit, Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar warned the clergy of his diocese against overtly partisan preaching.

VATICAN, March 12, 2010-- When a priest sees himself as nothing more than a "social agent," he runs the risk of betraying the priesthood itself, says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this today upon receiving in audience the participants in the International Theological Conference "Fidelity of Christ, Fidelity of the Priest," organized by the Congregation for Clergy.

NAGA CITY - A memorandum order from the PNP regional office in Camp Simeon Ola, Legazpi City had alerted all Provincial Police Offices in Bikol to search for Swedish national, Patrik Akessen, after his family had reported to Philippine authorities the disappearance of the said foreign national since February this year.

If the City Government of Naga were to be asked, one man's trash is another man's treasure indeed. The local government recently signed a joint venture agreement with an energy group for the construction of a power facility using trash from the city's landfill in Brgy. Balatas.

Competing students from the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) dominated the annual Regional Association of Bicol Business Students Congress held February 26-28 at the Ateneo De Naga University.

Dr. Bernadette Gavino-Gumba, a columnist of Vox Bikol and a faculty member of the Ateneo de Naga University, was selected to participate in the Follow-up Workshop to the "Training Programme on the Equal Status and Human Rights of Women in South East Asia" which she had attended in Cambodia last 5-16 October 2009. She was one of the five participants selected from the 2009 batch, to join others from batches of 2007, 2008A and 2008B.

LEGAZPI CITY, March 10 -- The provincial legislative board on Tuesday has placed Albay under a state of calamity due to El Niño phenomenon or dry spell which has affected close to 6,000 hectares of agricultural land in more than half of the 15 towns and three cities of the province.

LIBON, Albay - A female member of the NPA, locally called "AMAZONA" surrendered to government trooper after a 10-minute firefight between communist rebels and soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, PA, about 1:30 P.M. last March 7 at the hinterlands of South Tagbac, Macabogot, Libon, Albay, a spokesman of the 9th Division Phil. Army reported on Monday (March 8).

LEGAZPI CITY, March 10 - Increase of tourist arrivals in Albay province is expected starting last week of March this year in connection with the 2010 Magayon Festival. Jose Briones of Albay Tourism Office said the formal opening of Magayon Festival is on April 5.

MASBATE CITY, March 10 - Candidates vying for local elective positions and leaders of contending political parties in Masbate vowed to shun violence and vicious political rivalry as they forged a covenant of peace for honest and credible national elections in May.