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NAGA CITY-Participants of the Bikol regional military parade competition missed either old friends or old foes.

Several Catholic schools in the region, including the Jesuit-run Ateneo De Naga University, did not join the military parade this year because the parade was held within the nine-day festivities in honor of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

NAGA CITY, Sept. 20, 2009-Thousands of devotees, armed with rosaries, lighted candles and white handkerchiefs lined up the opposite banks of Naga River from midday to early evening yesterday shouting "Viva La Virgen!" and "Viva Divino Rostro".

Traffic stood still along the city's main roads as several thousands of devotees regionwide joined the procession of the region's patroness.

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 16 - The Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) on Wednesday said that disaster preparedness action plan is now in place and ready for implementation in the event Mayon volcano's exhibits possible signs of an eruption.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda, PDCC chairman, said disaster operating scenarios have been drawn up and ready for execution in times the volcano's abnormal behavior turns worst.

NAGA CITY (September 17)- - THE POLICE PROVINCIAL OFFICE (PPO) here has directed the Tigaon Police investigators to probe an illegal numbers game-related violence that resulted to the killing of a known gambling lord and another jueteng henchman during a shooting incident at Barangay Poblacion, Tigaon, Camarines Sur in the evening of September 14. including two others wounded in a crossfire,

NAGA CITY - An army corporal was shot dead by one of his militia man in Barangay Calagascas in San Fernando, Camarines Sur early evening on Saturday, police report said on Sunday.

Corporal Jaime Ramos was shot by Cesar Rentoria, 29, member of Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu), at about 7:30 in the evening, SPO4 Elmer Coros of San Fernando police told the Inquirer.

Rentoria, a resident of Barangay Pipian of the same town, surrendered to the police Sunday morning accompanied by family members.

As a fitting tribute to the upcoming celebration of the 300 years of devotion to our most revered Ina, the Patroness of Bikolandia, the highly acclaimed performers of the University of Northeastern Philippines' Performing Arts Group, danced and offered every sway of their hands in a loving gesture of faith and devotion in one of their best performances.

Two stories for children, three essays, four short stories, one 1-act play and eleven collections of poetry are in contention for top honors in the 6^th Premio Tomas Arejola para sa Literaturang Bikolnon.

This was announced by Carlos Arejola, chairman of the Bicol-wide literary competition widely regarded in the literary circle as the region's premiere literary prize.

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 19, 2009-The local Church in Catanduanes is up in arms in opposition to the proposed mining operations in the province claiming the activity will lead to environmental destruction.

Virac Bishop Manolo Delos Santos registered his flock's opposition to the proposed mining operations in Catanduanes at a public hearing conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Jamby Madrigal at Pepperland Hotel, this city, to investigate a mining contract granted to a mining company without public consultation.

GUBAT, Sorsogon, Sept. 17 (PNA) -- The Department of Energy (DoE) has recently awarded a coal operating contract (COC) to a private firm that offered a P15.20-million work commitment for the two-year exploration of the 3,000-hectare coal-rich property in this second class farming and fishing municipality.

GUINOBATAN, Albay, Sept. 16 - Suspected communist guerillas attempting to rescue a ranking Bikol communist rebel ambushed Wednesday a police convoy securing the rebel leader along the Maharlika Highway in said town in Albay.

The Guinobatan town Philippine National Police (PNP) station said a band of communist New People's Army (NPA) rebels failed an attempt to rescue Iglecerio Pernia alias Ka Choi, a ranking Bikol NPA leader, who is currently detained at the Albay Provincial Jail here.

The Philippine Association of University Women (PAUW) - Naga City and Camarines Sur Chapter, will hold its Annual Regional Oratorical Contest on September 25, 2009, 1:00 p.m. at the Auditorium of the Naga College Foundation, Naga City.

The contest is an annual activity of the organization, participated in by female college students from invited schools, colleges and universities in the Bicol Region. The contest is also endorsed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 9 -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has announced Wednesday that mobile personnel were dispatched since August this year to Hong Kong.

PhilHealth said this is to provide access and information to Filipinos on the agency's membership updates and renewal, claims and benefits, and premium remittance concerns.

The defense lamely offered by the head of the Naga City public employment office, Florencio Tam-Mongoso, for the activities of "Viva Naga, Viva Bicolandia" which were objected to recently by the Archdiocesan Council of the Laity, is that the joint agreement between the Naga City government and the Archdiocese of Caceres "only covers activities held in Plaza Quezon."

Who's kidding whom here?

The city will wake up on Monday with the streets suddenly quieter. Till the next festival. Till the next fiesta and till the next Traslacion that perhaps will also end in a riot. For that was how GMA-7 presented the land procession that opened this year's nine-day devotion to the Lady of Peñafrancia.

Till the next media bias and dumb reporting.

Look around these days, and see all the people roaming the place. How different they all are, what various places and backgrounds they all come from; Nagueños and Bikolanos, but also Filipinos from other regions, young ones and elderly ones, kids and adults, men and women, priests, laymen, famous and ordinary people, ones are excited, others are cool, still others are serious or contemplative and again others are loud and shouting.

MANILA - As expected, the revived proposal to impose a tax on text messaging is generating controversy and broad opposition. What surprised some people perhaps are the strong statements from telecommunication companies (telcos). They called the plan "anti-poor," "oppressive" and "one of the worst anti-consumer legislations ever made."

Viva la Virgen! Viva!

Viva la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia! Viva!

These are the words we all proclaim as we celebrate Ina's feast every September of the year.

Yes, Viva!

Fr. Miguel Robles de Covarrubias was within his first decade of priesthood when he changed the course of history.  His story is a classic example of how a man's personal convictions can influence 300 years and a world beyond his wildest dreams. His life's work is a perfect proof of the wisdom of God's ways.

In the middle of dishonesty, fraud and cheating that plague the present national government, I long for sincerity and truthfulness. Amid extravagance and squandering by government officials from the illegitimate president and her cabinet  to the congressmen and women down to the barangay captains, I long for decency and prudence. In the midst of self-enrichment and wealth accumulation of politicians, I long for simplicity and self-sacrifice.