SORSOGON CITY--An advocacy meeting for local chief executives of Sorsogon province is set Friday to help address the increasing problem and threats of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Sorsogon Governor Sally A. Lee called the one-day activity to initiate a local response and the establishment of a local coordinating mechanism to address the increasing number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the province.

IRIGA CITY--The street dancers from the Performing Arts department of the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) won the grand prize of the recently concluded 2009 Tinagba Festival Mardi Gras/ Street Dance contest after they wowed judges and thousands of spectators with their impressive dance moves and magnificent performance.

A recent study at the Food Engineering Laboratory of the Ohio State University (OSU) showed that the enzyme causing browning in plant and animal tissues can be activated or inactivated at certain frequency and holding time under moderate electric field.

LEGAZPI CITY--The City Health Office of Legazpi is pursuing a massive blood letting activity to encourage voluntary donors from the 70 villages. According to this city’s Health Promotion Division, the residents are very supportive of this endeavor.

LEGAZPI CITY--The Depa rtment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the construction of the 34.7-kilometer road network that opens an alternative highway between Albay and Camarines Sur.

LEGAZPI CITY--Military authorities belitled the communist movement’s declaration to launch a full tactical offensive against government forces reportedly to signal its strong resistance to the holding of the RPUS Balikatan exercises in three provinces in Bicol. Army Col. Ariel Bernardo, commander of the 901st Army Brigade based in Albay, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is always prepared to meet the challenges declared by the communist movement.

Naga City --The local government unit (LGU) here, will join other cities and towns all over the world in turning off their lights for one hour at 8:30 pm on March 28, as a significant action against global warming.

Malinaw sa mga nabanggit na probisyon ang espesyal na pagtratong ibinibigay sa mga tropang Amerikano sa kasalukuyan, salamat sa VFA. BAKIT kailangan pa ng magahasa ng isang sundalong Amerikano ang isang inosenteng dalaga bago muling mapansin ang pangangailangang ibasura ang Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) na pinirmahan nina Domingo Siazon, Jr. (na noo’y kalihim ng Department of Foreign Affairs) at Thomas Hubbard (na noo’y ambassador ng Estados Unidos o EU) noong Pebrero 10, 1998?

Last week, Vox Bikol’s columnist Atty. Che Carpio examined the touted claim that the Naga City government’s website is an effort in transparency. He went through the website’s links under the section of “Transparency at Work” and made known his observations about them. Atty. Carpio’s review of the city government’s website yielded some interesting conclusions which seriously undermine the boast that transparency is at work through posting of information inwww.naga.gov.ph.

LEGAZPI CITY--Calls to consolidate efforts by multisectoral groups against the planned US-RP Balikatan military exercises this April, has snowballed following a three-day rally held here. Diocese of Legazpi spokesman, Rev. Fr. Rex Orjona said parishes will continue to document people’s reactions to Balikatan exercises and the possible human violations that go with it.