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MANILA, June 5 - Filipinos in the United States have so far led this year's overseas registration for the 2010 national elections with a total 15,728 registrants, its biggest chunk of 5,827 enlisting with the Los Angeles consulate-general.

The over-all total from four world regions and two Metro Manila-based centers is 93,310. Despite the U.S. lead by country, the Asia-Pacific is the over-all regional leader with 25,640 Filipinos in the region registering.

MANILA, June 5 (PNA) - Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday lauded the Senate and the House of Representatives for passing the Home Development Mutual Fund Law of 2009, also known as the Pag-IBIG Fund Law.

Zubiri said Congress' approval of the new law on Pag-IBIG Fund will "help over 1.5 million Filipinos who are renting houses to better plan for their housing needs."

SORSOGON CITY, June 4 (PNA) -- He started here 25 years ago as a street peddler of bottled vinegar and soy sauce. Today, Francisco Aranda is a successful businessman credited for putting Sorsogon province on the coffee map of the Philippines.

In 2008, Aranda was named "Outstanding High Value Commercial Crop Farmer" in the prestigious Gawad Saka Awards of the Department of Agriculture (DA)and last May 15, he was among the five successful businessmen in Bicol given this year's Halyao Awards during the 5th Bicol Business Week celebrations in Naga City.

NAGA CITY -- HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS worth of public works projects being implemented in Bikol provinces are reportedly threatened by communist rebels, following the torching of heavy equipment by DPWH contractors in Presentacion, Cam. Sur. This developed as earlier, suspected rebels entered the DPWH district office in Gubat, Sorsogon and allegedly warned officials against non-payment of rebel taxes.

Suspected communist rebels torched four dump trucks, one bulldozer, and one backhoe in the third district town of Presentacion, Cam Sur, based on reports reaching the police provincial office (PPO) here on Monday (June 1).

LEGAZPI CITY, June 4 (PNA) - Rescuers today recovered 19 passengers including the boat operator, who were reported missing when their motorized outrigger boat was swept away by big waves on Tuesday (June 2) off Catanduanes.

Elson Hermogino, Captain, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Bikol, said rescuers found the 19 passengers safe and they are now in the custody of a village official in Barangay Cabugao, Bato town in Catanduanes.

NAGA CITY - - THE REMAINS of a Bulgarian national was airlifted to Manila on Sunday (May 30) after reportedly dying of cardiac arrest during a contest of the reality TV series 'Survivor" being filmed at the white-sand Gota Beach in Caramoan, Camarines Sur.

It was reported here Monday that a representative from the Bulgarian government said that it will still be sending personnel to probe the cause of death of 53-year old "Survivor" contestant Moncho Vodennicharov.

Rod revealed that he has contacted Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz and Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson about his defection from the underground business. He has also surrendered several bundles of jueteng receipts and collection tallies to Archbishop Cruz as evidence. Along with his exit from the jueteng business, Rod divulged information about the daily collections from the province's four congressional districts.

According to Rod, jueteng operators operated along the political structure of the province, with management teams controlling each congressional district. He added that operators are able to maintain their grip on the province because of protection money allegedly being paid weekly to police officials, government officials, and journalists.

Max ’s enlightens customers through their sense of taste by offering new, delicious, vibrant and freshly prepared dishes in addition to its all time favorite “Sarap-to-the- Bones” fried chicken. Over the years, Max’s only uses the freshest and highest quality ingredients and has been continuously developing more appetizing, palatial but affordable cuisine.

NAGA CITY-Eleven residents of the villages of Lupi and Cawaynan in Tinambac,Camarines Sur said they were ready to speak against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which they said lied when it reported in February this year that a 150-hectare reforestation project area in their village already had been fully planted with trees.

They said it was not true that the first phase of implementation of the reforestation project of DENR in their village already had been completed.

NAGA CITY—The only Jesuit learning institution in Bikol region is also the first among all other schools and universities in the country to have institutional accreditation from Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).

Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) beat all the major Manila-based universities to the accreditation.

VATICAN, May 26, 2009-- On its first day online, the new website enabling young people from around the world to get to know Pope Benedict XVI, received almost half a million visits.

According to webmaster Father Paolo Padrini of Vatican Radio, the website sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity is intended "to create a climate of belonging, of participating in the Church, through ever greater closeness with the Holy Father."