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LEGAZPI CITY (2 March 2010) - RICE FARMERS in a village in Oas, Albay endured sleepless nights and kept watch on a mercury bulb that drew thousands of Rice Black Bugs (RBB) or locally known as "itom na Tayangao" which had infested more than 690 hectares of ricefields in the third district of Albay province.

Albay Agriculture official, Ruben Limos, said the farmers are doing "light-trapping" which drew the bugs to the mercury light while the farmers gather the pest in sacks and dispose of them.

"Not disabled but enabled," according to incumbent Naga City councilor David Casper Nathan Sergio, referring to the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) sector.

In a move designed to give members of the PWD sector greater opportunities to access various city services, Sergio is now proposing the creation of the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office or PWDAO through a city ordinance to serve the needs of differently-abled individuals in Naga.

LEGAZPI CITY, March 4  --The Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) has shifted its disaster strategy from response to risk reduction following the lowering of the alert level in Mayon Volcano from two to one.

The risk reduction strategy centers on the full relocation of households still living in the 6- kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ).

LEGAZPI CITY, March 2  - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said some 1,921 hectares were planted with trees in the Bikol region last year under the Upland Development Program (UDP).

The DENR in Bikol reported the trees planted were in the UDP priority sites for development and management such as Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) projects, Protected Areas, Mangrove and Coastal Areas, and Watershed areas.

Coming all the way from United States, Dr. Filipinas Rigoroso-Alfelor, eldest daughter of UNEP Matriarch Dr. Remedios Rigoroso-Alfelor and former Camarines Sur Governor Felix O. Alfelor Sr, also the current Class President of then Apolinario Mabini School, now University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP), graced the thanksgiving get-together of UNEP High School Batch 1959 held at the Felix O. Alfelor Sr building, last weekend at Iriga City.

Serious but unsubstantiated accusations have been made recently by Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo against Ateneo de Naga University in the course of his resignation as member of the university's Board of Trustees.

I was in Daraga at 2:30 am last Friday for the van that was to leave for Pilar.

So there I was in front of the van. The car had to be filled first to capacity, 12 passengers in this case. There was a young lady inside. She was catching up the first trip of the fastcraft, which leaves Pilar port at 4am. I also wanted to make it to the first trip of the fastcraft. The two-trip would bring us all to Masbate at 6am. I then would have all the time check in at the hotel, take breakfast and be ready for the opening ceremonies of the Alternative Class Program in Liceo de Masbate. I was invited to talk about cinema and society.

I got to meet Gibo at the UP College of Law where he was known to be an exceptional student, which reputation he cemented when he topped the 1989 Bar exams. Years later, I would chance on him in Congress whenever I would serve as a resource person for hearings on human rights bills. The last time I personally conversed with him was when we happened to be on the same plane to San Francisco a few years back.

I paid visit to Mr. Llagas, there I knew that the problem was there was no one to turn to, no one to hold accountable for all the ads. My question for myself was, if there were no people accountable, how did all these ads make it to the airwaves?! There's the rub.